Totem Rework into ACTUAL Secondary Objectives
PROLOGUE
The game could really use something to slow down the game and allow some fun matches. We seen many ideas to achieve this, but one of my favorites is to make totems more threatening.
Totems, at their current state, are pretty underwhelming, so much that survivors can practically ignore them.
The main problem with totems:
- Killers are required to use a Hex Perk to make totems a threat and encourage survivors to shift their attention away from generators.
- If the killer is using a Hex Perk, they can be cleansed pretty fast, making the time they waste minimal and the killer gets nothing in return.
Reworking Totems
Primarily, for this rework to work out, killers will be granted an additional perk slot exclusive to Hex Perks. Additionally, by default, all killers will be given the option to pick one Hex Perk out of a list of three random Hex Perks to automatically fill their Hex Perk slot.
Of course we'll need to create more non-unique Hex Perks in order to make this work as well, but more on that later, just focus on the idea. 👍
To make Hex Perks more time consuming, all totems will be linked to the Hex Perk that you're using. Therefore meaning, Hex Perks will be at their strongest with all totems standing, weakest with only one totem standing, and deactivated if no totem is standing.
What does this mean? Survivors will have to do more than just a single bone to deactivate a Hex Perk, but to compensate, the killer's Hex Perk will get weaker with every totem destroyed.
Totem Counter
With totems becoming an ACTUAL secondary objective, solo survivors will need more coordination to catch up to SWF who will have a better handle on this rework.
All survivors, regardless of party status, will have a totem counter.
EPLOGUE
That basically explains everything, totems become an ACTUAL secondary objective. They aren't required to be destroyed in order to escape, BUT survivors will face extreme hardships after a while.
Please voice your feedback, suggest your ideas if any! 😁
Extra Information
Here's how the rework Hex Perks would look like: Note that this is purely an example, don't take values seriously.
Unique [Hex Haunted Grounds: Once the exit gates are activated, for each totem that's been cleansed, survivors suffer from the exposed status effect for 10/15/20 seconds. The exit gates exit area will be blocked by the Entity for the duration of this effect.]
Non-unique [Hex Third Eye: Become obsessed with a survivor. See the auras of survivors (not including the obsession) within 0 meters to the obsession when the obsession is performing an action, and an additional 2/3/4 meters for each totem standing.]
Rework [Hex Thrill of the Hunt: For each survivor you hook, survivors suffer from a 2%/3%/4% cleansing speed penalty. Hooking all survivors once will repair a random destroyed totem. If there's no destroyed totem to repair, instead gain a permanent haste effect, moving at an increased speed of 5%.]
Comments
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I honestly love this idea.
If I could have any one change, it would be this. I would even give up fixed grabs or Plague for this.
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Totem placing needs a rework. Ruin lasts no more than 1 minute on red ranks. I would like to choose where I place my totems on each map. Some totems should spawn in the basement.
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So like the killer will have 5 perk slots? What about killers that have 2 hex perks how do we get their adept?
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So your solution to totems is to give killers a massive, blanket buff?
I preferred the idea someone had of making totems not ground-bound, allowing them to be placed on top of objects and crammed into weirder spots.
But it has to be considered that this should also come with nerfs to some hexes. It's a gamble you take, since some of these hexes are inordinately powerful and can kill games really fast or really effectively if they're not found and cleansed.
Also, it's good that you mention that those last three perks are examples, because they are absolutely terrible. Your idea is for Haunted Ground to basically hard-punish survivors for doing the totems (Which is what your goal was supposed to be) by mashing together NOED and a version of Blood Warden on steroids, having Third Eye be the be all end all of intel perks, and Thrill of the Hunt give you a permanent 5% movespeed boost if you pressured survivors into not getting time to do totems.
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So your solution to totems is to give killers a massive, blanket buff?
That's what a secondary objective does, it's supposed to give the killer more time or hinder the survivor if they refuse; which essentially is more creative than, you HAVE to do this. Gives a bit of choice because survivors can decide on when to stop doing totems once they know the Hex Perk has been weakened enough to be more than survivable.
Also, didn't you not see this?
Ah, just making sure you seen everything because obviously you didn't if you said: "So your solution to totems is to give killers a massive, blanket buff?" Don't worry, I didn't leave the survivors hanging in the wilderness. ❤
I preferred the idea someone had of making totems not ground-bound, allowing them to be placed on top of objects and crammed into weirder spots.
Would work, until [
key word: UNTIL] survivors memorized the new locations. Then, as I read your mind, we're back at square one, but this would be nice to have WITH this rework since it would give totems a bit more of life instead of being on the ground mindlessly. Good idea!But it has to be considered that this should also come with nerfs to some hexes. It's a gamble you take, since some of these hexes are inordinately powerful and can kill games really fast or really effectively if they're not found and cleansed.
Of course, I don't claim to be an expert at balancing perks, which is why I stressed the part where I wanted EVERYONE to focus on the idea rather than looks at the numbers and freaking out. Things can balanced accordingly, but to make sure you know — you can see how many totems are standing, so it wouldn't be hard to do a few bones and weaken the Hex Perk to a level acceptable for survivors.
Also, it's good that you mention that those last three perks are examples, because they are absolutely terrible. Your idea is for Haunted Ground to basically hard-punish survivors for doing the totems (Which is what your goal was supposed to be) by mashing together NOED and a version of Blood Warden on steroids, having Third Eye be the be all end all of intel perks, and Thrill of the Hunt give you a permanent 5% movespeed boost if you pressured survivors into not getting time to do totems.
Don't focus on the numbers, focus on the idea that doing bones would weaken the Hex Perk. This gives a bit of strategy since survivors could deactivate the Hex Perk completely by doing all totems (remember, they have a totem counter) or they can weaken it and spend the rest of their time doing generators. That's what I wanted EVERYONE to get from this, a creative risk and reward while giving the survivors something else to ACTUALLY do.
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Having a totem counter doesn't exactly weigh well against a full fifth perk slot!
'But it's only for hexes!'
Yeah, but there's a couple of hexes that are extremely strong. Freely bringing Ruin every match? That'd do so much damage to general gameplay.
'But the hexes can be rebalanced!'
And the only way you can rebalance them back to a healthy state is by making the hexes negligible in the first place, otherwise, as you say, the killer gets a bunch of extra time out of survivors being forced to hunt totems. Which, again, is a blanket buff to killers. That includes buffing Nurse and Spirit, for example. And I'd honestly rather not have a totem counter at all if the tradeoff is that Nurse and Spirit get an extra minute or more to hunt people down.
I get the idea of binding hexes to all totems and making them weaken gradually with every totem destroyed, but a free fifth perk slot for the killer is a very, VERY hard no.
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The point of bringing a hex perk is because they are supposed to have pros and cons; and it's always a gamble whether devour hope or ruin gets cleansed immediately or stays up the whole match. So if the killer has devour hope, you better break five bones or get instadowned trying to find them. We already have a super heavy ruin + undying killer meta, even after the huge nerfs to both of those hex perks.
Some hex perks are obviously weak, and I agree that hexes need to involve more strategy, but this just looks like a buff to every killer that makes the solo queue experience more difficult. A better way to incentivize totems as a secondary objective would be to grant certain bonuses or introduce more totem-focused perks like inner strength that encourage survivors to not ignore dull totems. Also don't forget about Noed lighting up a totem at endgame.
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down for the 5th perk slot, anything to help against SWF with comms
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I'm still waiting for you to take my offer about how to become better at Killer, and beat swf with no issues. Hopefully you will see one day that Swf isn't hard to beat. Killers don't need a 5th perk slot. I will give you a consolation prize for letting me teach you. Feel free to hit me up if you are down, because I want to help you.
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I like the idea of hexes getting progressively weaker as totems are cleansed. Getting a free slot for a hex is problematic though.
What I think would work is making monstrous shrine in to a hex that is always in use. That way there is always 1 hex in play to encourage cleansing and light the bones Essentially a locked 5th perk, but let's be honest not a great one.
Noed could also be reworked using this idea. It could give tokens when activated depending on how many totems remain. Each hit on a survivor expends a token and destroys a random totem, thus weakening other hexes in use
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Having a totem counter doesn't exactly weigh well against a full fifth perk slot!
It does when it directly tracks and broadcasts how many totems everyone needs to do. You're splitting 60 seconds worth of cleansing amongst your team, that won't be the end of the world. I will mention later that most Hex Perks will be balanced around survivors doing a few bones, so really you're doing less than that.
Yeah, but there's a couple of hexes that are extremely strong. Freely bringing Ruin every match? That'd do so much damage to general gameplay.
Most Hex Perks will be changed to were they can usually be ignored once they lost at least 3 totems and they won't be as strong as our current build. However, don't expect Hex Perks to be weak, they will pack a punch if you and your entire team doesn't do bones. That's what happens in the current game, if you ignore bones, you will be in for a world of pain.
And the only way you can rebalance them back to a healthy state is by making the hexes negligible in the first place, otherwise, as you say, the killer gets a bunch of extra time out of survivors being forced to hunt totems. Which, again, is a blanket buff to killers. That includes buffing Nurse and Spirit, for example. And I'd honestly rather not have a totem counter at all if the tradeoff is that Nurse and Spirit get an extra minute or more to hunt people down.
Well, as I mentioned, they can be rebalanced and I won't explain again since I already covered that. However, if you don't want this rework because of Nurse and Spirit, then I believe your problem is not with my rework and more to do with Nurse and Spirit.
I really wouldn't mind this rework, it's way better than sitting on generators all day long. Adds a bit of variety and interaction to the survivors.
I get the idea of binding hexes to all totems and making them weaken gradually with every totem destroyed, but a free fifth perk slot for the killer is a very, VERY hard no.
I can't convince everyone, if this is your final stance, well... I guess we should agree to disagree. 😁
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Pretty cool that you asked this, you can use multiple Hex Perks, but all of them will be tied to all totems. Gradually getting weaker everytime a totem is getting destroyed, but to make sure this doesn't get out of hand, each Hex Perk you use after the first one will suffer a stackable 12.5% penalty to their positive effects. 😁
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