How Hex Totems Naturally Weaken Over Time
Due to the core design of how hex totems work, all hex perks will naturally become weaker over time. The longer hex totems are in the game, the earlier into the match they will end up being cleansed until there's basically no point in running them at all. This is due entirely to the fact that there is a finite number of places where totems can spawn.
As the playerbase becomes more experienced, players will start to learn where totems can spawn. And once a player has memorized spawn locations for a map, your hex totem WILL end up being cleansed one way or another. You just have to hope survivors don't think your hex's effects are powerful enough to necesitate instant action. Ruin, however, if your MMR is high enough, there's basically no point in running.
Although every time a new map is introduced, hexes will typically be pretty strong on that map in particular. At least for a little bit, until players memorize the spawn locations on that map. At which point, running hexes becomes pointless again.
Some sort of action needs to be taken to keep Hexes from becoming obsolete altogether. There are a few changes that I feel are the most likely to happen. For one, hexes as a whole could be given some sort of new feature or mechanic that extends their longevity. Two, which I see being most likely, is BHVR continues to introduce new hexes that either benefit the killer when they're cleansed, or some sort of action needs to occur before the hex totem even activates. This is probably my least favorite potential action, but the one that feels the most in character for the devs. My last idea I think is unlikely, but it would nice to see hex perks have some sort of effect that persists after the totem's cleansing.
Whatever route BHVR goes down, some changes need to be made to hexes as a whole to keep them from naturally becoming obsolete over time.
Comments
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I am with you on this here. Hex totems were a pretty co idea, but the core concept, ie "high risk, high reward" no longer works, because survivors have become so apt at finding and cleansing your totems. A lot of todays Hex perks could easily be turned into regular perks without tipping the balance. I also vividly remember a discussion about CoH, when that perk was at und hight of popularity and when it was suggested that you could snuff them out permanently a lot of survivors cried out in union "Noooo! Then I could use its effect a maximum of 5 times per match and be left with a useless perk. Under this circumstances I would never use boons again.", while totally ignoring the fun fact that this already was a reality of every killers daily life with a good portion of their perks.
I don't want to turn this into any ol'" us vs them" mud brawl, but just throw that tidbit in there for a little spice.
So, back to Hexes. My idea has always been this: Hexes work just as always from the beginning of the trial, BUT the actual totems will only spawn on the map after 1min has elapsed and then chose any remaining totems.
So survivors can cleanse any dull totems they come across in order to potentially limit Hex spawns, activate their various Inner Healings/Overzealous or just boon them.
This gives the killer a guaranteed time for which their totems will stay up and encourages survivors to do gens, while not impacting the various ways in which survivors can use totems.
The 1min timer is just a number I threw out there, maybe 1.5min would actually be better, as 1min is sometimes not enough to start the first chase, but I think that the basic concept is very sound.
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I do like that idea quite a bit. It would be a solid way of adding longetivity to hexes and almost guaranteeing you get at least some use out of them.
Who knows, maybe by the time that minute has passed survivors might be wrapped up in other tasks that require more immediate attention, which would further improve the longetivity of hexes.
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The best way to do Hexes was, and still is:
- limit hex perks to 1 per build
- the hex lights up all five totems
- every totem the survivors cleans/bless weakens the perk by 1/5th
- redo every hex perk that only exists to protect other hexes or doesn't have numbers that can be dialed down
At this point, the only hex worth using is Devour Hope + Undying. NOED might still be good for one down at end game, but its long-term value is gone. None of the others provide a buff even remotely useful enough to justify being able to be turned off in the first 15 seconds of a match.
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I think Plaything is more the way to go. Get more somewhat weaker hexes that spawn several times over the course of the match, so you can't really do a full hex build with them unless you sacrifice some of your own potential, but you still do have that option if you want, and the hexes aren't one-and-done so you'll get slowdown from several cleanses even if the effect itself keeps getting whack-a-moled.
Unrelatedly, the last two maps they've made have had really derpy totem spawns where most totems are sitting out in the open. That kind of thing is terrible for both hexes and boons and I'm disappointed to see it make a comeback. Nobody needed any more Autohavens or Ormonds.
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This is pretty good, too. What both our ideas show is, that it's not really hard to come up with a new mechanic for Hexes.
Both are rather rough drafts, but sound like they would work pretty well. Dbd has many holes that are in dire need of patching and Hexes are probably not that high on the list, but that's quite the pitty as Hexes make up a very good portion of the total killers perk roster.
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Hexes haven't necessarily weakened over time. We've been given more tools to build around them. Either introduce risk to cleansing (Haunted Grounds), extend the totem life (Undying), re-light the totem for additionally slowdown (Pentimento). The drawback is that you have to devote your entire build to totem synergy to really benefit from totems. Yeah, if you just run Ruin by itself, it's probably not going to do much. Ruin/Haunted/Undying/Pentimento? It's hard to lose.
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Personally, what I've always wanted to see for hex totems is a combination of DH, Plaything, and Pent.
All hex totems have an effect that increases or adds effects with the number of totems on the map (ala Devour and Pent). You start with zero totems out, but every time you hook a survivor a totem is spawned as long as you are more than 24m from the hook. Discourages camping, yet makes hooks more time consuming for survivors (healing up plus chasing down thier totem spawns). Possibly make it so even if a totem is broken, a hex can spawn there, but it has a down side like it's aura is shown if it spawns on a busted totem.
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Honestly? scrap hexes altogether and rework everything, it's mostly only hurting newer players and pretty much useless against better players, maybe keep NOED but that's about it.
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Last Halloween they made pumpkins spawn at almost every Totem location. They could make Iridescent vases spawn on each map (always 12) and 5 of them would contain a Totem. This way survs wont spot totems easily during a chase or at gens hooks etc. They would first have to interact with them. To spice it up some vases could have traps which hold survs in place like bear traps but without injuring also 2 tries maximum to escape
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Idk about scrap hexes, but how about make a simple change?
Make all hexes have an activation requirement, similar to noed. The requirement doesnt need to be anything big.
Say for Ruin you need to kick 3 gens and then it would activate or Devour only becomes lit once you have 2 stacks.
This way Survivors cant spawn right next to your totem and get rid of it straight from the get go since your totem would activate on a random Dull once the requirement is met.
This could have the secondary effect of another objective since this encourages Survivors to cleanse Dull Totems more
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I kind of disagree with the new map part, because eerie, haddonfield, garden of joy, all have atrocious totem spots that aren't hidden in any way, and exist just to be boon spots.
Honestly, a fix I can see actually happening is making the totems actually hidden, and not in the middle of a road surrounded by nothing. Totems just should not be in loops or on top of gens, aren't they supposed to be hidden? In all honesty they should be in the border loops on the edges of the map or wedged INSIDE of walls covered by a bush or something, anything is better than just tucking it in a corner of a loop. Survivors should have to actually find it instead of seeing it while going to their objective.
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Better hiding spots is certainly a welcome change, but would likely be a temporary solution. Eventually people will figure out the new hiding spots, and we'll be back to square one.
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