A Primary Objective that's Better for Everyone

Ren26

I believe the game needs to rework its primary objective, and theres many out there sharing similar sentiments. Here are some of the key problems:

When survivors focus on doing gens, matches can last an extremely short amount of time (4-5 minutes is not rare). Short matches are unfun because neither team gets to make interesting choices or use their skills in chases. This problem is generally defined as Gen Rush, and is a failing of the game, not any player.
Sitting on generators is uninteractive and sometimes boring. Survivors arent challenged when theyre on gens, especially if they know the killer is busy or far away. Therefore, increasing gen times won't be a satisfying fix.
The first 2 minutes of the match is far too important for the killer, because if they fail to generate any pressure they will lose too much progress to recover. This can make matches feel unforgiving and even stressful.
Ruin has become a mandatory perk, where the game is more balanced with it than without. Killers without ruin are not competitive, and the perk takes a slot on every loadout.
There are some exceptions, but generally the above is true, and I believe the community generally recognizes these issues. I propose the following idea to address the above.

Totem/ Objective Rework

Default generator time reduced from 80s to 40s.
Every map will now spawn with a total of 8 totems.
For each totem remaining, generators are slower for (the equivalent of) 10 seconds longer.
Example times:
With all 8 totems active, generators will take 120s. (⅓ speed)
With 4 totems active, generators will take 80s. (½ speed)
With 0 totems active, generators will only take 40s. (1 speed)
UI added to show number of remaining totems on the map, next to the generator UI element.
At the start of the trial, exactly 4 totems will be lit hex totems - leaving 4 totems as dull totems.
The number of hex totems is unaffected by the number of hex perks.
All Hex perks remain active until all lit hex totems are cleansed. Once all lit hex totems are cleansed, all hex perks are disabled.
Bringing Hex perks has no impact on whether totems are lit, or how many.
NOED no longer applies the exposed penalty.
NOED continues to provide a movement speed bonus, and attack cooldown bonuses.
NOED will light 1/2/3 dull totems once all generators are done, if any totems remain.
This will reactivate any hex perks that were disabled due to a lack of hex totems.
Thrill of the Hunt disabled/reworked for balance reasons.
Ruin nerfed to make it far less effective.
With these changes, all of the above problems are directly solved, as well as providing a much needed rework to Hex Perks and Totems that has been sorely needed ever since hags release. Clearly there would be lots of testing and readjusting needed of other features, and this wouldnt address any imbalance between the killer roster, so clearly Billy and Nurse would remain the strongest. This isnt meant to address those concerns.

Please comment on the spirit of these changes, rather than the actual numbers themselves, as Im sure you can imagine your own numbers that you would feel be more suitable.

SadonicShadow

I think its an interesting idea to help slow the game down but it would also become really problematic. You have some maps like the game and lerys that can hide totems reasonably well and then you have maps like macmillian estate and coldwind with totems that are pure trash. The entire totem spawn RNG system would need to be overhauled for virtually every map not to mention they would also need to hide 3 additional totems decently well which will prove to be a pain most likely.

I like your idea but i want to suggest some changes. Keep the 5 totems per map and keep the base 80s gen time. Each totem standing will add 10 seconds to the gen time making gen times 130 seconds at the start of the match. Then to fix hex perks from going down so quickly with the terrible RNG make it so that you can only run one hex perk at a time and tie the hex to all 5 totems instead of one totem meaning that all 5 totems have to be destroyed before the hex goes down. This would provide further encouragement to find all 5 totems instead of trying to slam the gens.

Edit: This system would require some heavy testing. I have a feeling that the gen times of 10 second per totem would be a little to punishing. It would need a PTB and alot of feedback.

Runiver

Not the worst idea I've read.
Could be worth testing.

I'm not sure about all the nerfs tho. Breaking dulls is really quick, and getting 3-4 dulls before the killer even started a chase sounds really easy, and would make the gens nearly as fast as the base gens.

Imo, it's gonna make rounds even faster overall.

SadonicShadow

@Runiver said:
Not the worst idea I've read.
Could be worth testing.

I'm not sure about all the nerfs tho. Breaking dulls is really quick, and getting 3-4 dulls before the killer even started a chase sounds really easy, and would make the gens nearly as fast as the base gens.

Imo, it's gonna make rounds even faster overall.

What is your opinion about my suggested tweaks to OPs idea?

Runiver

@SadonicShadow said:

@Runiver said:
Not the worst idea I've read.
Could be worth testing.

I'm not sure about all the nerfs tho. Breaking dulls is really quick, and getting 3-4 dulls before the killer even started a chase sounds really easy, and would make the gens nearly as fast as the base gens.

Imo, it's gonna make rounds even faster overall.

What is your opinion about my suggested tweaks to OPs idea?

I think there's better ways to balance the game and make it more fun than going dull hunting, especially since anyone getting caught before dulls get cleansed would just get camped and you wouldn't have time to repair & go.

The actual change I'd like to see for gens is the following :
Keep the regular repairing time of 80s.
Make it so some generators are mostly unsafe, and out in the open.
Make the "safer" generators to be unlockable via some manoeuver, aka using a switch to open a door, moving a harvester, and such, which would also lead to more hiding spots for hex totems.

What would this allow ?
It would make non-campers to be able to effectively punish gen-rushing, since the generators would be rather unsafe.
It would still allow people to fast repair against campers, since the killer would put no pressure on generators whatsoever.

Which would basically force people to unlock parts of the map to be safer, which would lead to longer rounds overall for both sides.

SadonicShadow

@Runiver said:

@SadonicShadow said:

@Runiver said:
Not the worst idea I've read.
Could be worth testing.

I'm not sure about all the nerfs tho. Breaking dulls is really quick, and getting 3-4 dulls before the killer even started a chase sounds really easy, and would make the gens nearly as fast as the base gens.

Imo, it's gonna make rounds even faster overall.

What is your opinion about my suggested tweaks to OPs idea?

I think there's better ways to balance the game and make it more fun than going dull hunting, especially since anyone getting caught before dulls get cleansed would just get camped and you wouldn't have time to repair & go.

The actual change I'd like to see for gens is the following :
Keep the regular repairing time of 80s.
Make it so some generators are mostly unsafe, and out in the open.
Make the "safer" generators to be unlockable via some manoeuver, aka using a switch to open a door, moving a harvester, and such, which would also lead to more hiding spots for hex totems.

What would this allow ?
It would make non-campers to be able to effectively punish gen-rushing, since the generators would be rather unsafe.
It would still allow people to fast repair against campers, since the killer would put no pressure on generators whatsoever.

Which would basically force people to unlock parts of the map to be safer, which would lead to longer rounds overall for both sides.

This would be an interesting change. The only other thing that would need to be done is rebalance the maps so that all the killers can have the capability to end chases quickly since alot of the pressure comes from having a hooked survivor and it can be incredibly damaging to a killers ability to pressure gens when a single survivor can occupy so much of the killers time with broken map balance.

Runiver

@SadonicShadow said:

@Runiver said:

@SadonicShadow said:

@Runiver said:
Not the worst idea I've read.
Could be worth testing.

I'm not sure about all the nerfs tho. Breaking dulls is really quick, and getting 3-4 dulls before the killer even started a chase sounds really easy, and would make the gens nearly as fast as the base gens.

Imo, it's gonna make rounds even faster overall.

What is your opinion about my suggested tweaks to OPs idea?

I think there's better ways to balance the game and make it more fun than going dull hunting, especially since anyone getting caught before dulls get cleansed would just get camped and you wouldn't have time to repair & go.

The actual change I'd like to see for gens is the following :
Keep the regular repairing time of 80s.
Make it so some generators are mostly unsafe, and out in the open.
Make the "safer" generators to be unlockable via some manoeuver, aka using a switch to open a door, moving a harvester, and such, which would also lead to more hiding spots for hex totems.

What would this allow ?
It would make non-campers to be able to effectively punish gen-rushing, since the generators would be rather unsafe.
It would still allow people to fast repair against campers, since the killer would put no pressure on generators whatsoever.

Which would basically force people to unlock parts of the map to be safer, which would lead to longer rounds overall for both sides.

This would be an interesting change. The only other thing that would need to be done is rebalance the maps so that all the killers can have the capability to end chases quickly since alot of the pressure comes from having a hooked survivor and it can be incredibly damaging to a killers ability to pressure gens when a single survivor can occupy so much of the killers time with broken map balance.

Could be.
Tho we all know nothing of the sort is happening.
They got something clunky, but "working" at the moment. They're not gonna risk a rework for a possible better outcome, especially considering how shy they are with simple buffs or nerfs that are needed since day 1.