The knight rework suggestion (reworked)

Good afternoon! Recently I was flipping through a YouTube video and found a short guide on the knight, which lasted about two minutes. The essence of this video was simple - to show what the knight can do and how to play it, but in it I was hooked by the phrase at the end:” The knight’s playstyle = anti-loop killer”. The fact is that in the description of the killer, the developers wrote that this is a strategic killer, however, its main gameplay really consists in closing areas by spawning a guard. Therefore, I believe that the developers are deceiving their audience by claiming that they will be able to play strategically by creating patrols, but it all comes down to the most effective way of playing- pallet-looping, and this cannot but upset, since there are not so many set-up killers in the game for obvious reasons, but nevertheless they can also be played effectively, despite the fact that they do not have a certain power in chase. However, the knight has much more potential in controlling the map than other set-up killers, and therefore I have created a new rework, which, in my opinion, will allow players to finally play the “strategic killer”, creating interesting patrols and dividing into several parts on the map. I'll warn you right away, I use only approximate numbers (in balance) in my rework, that is, at the moment I can't balance the killer with this rework, since I simply don't have the opportunity to test it.

Basic gameplay

As I said earlier, the most profitable way to use the knight's ability is to spawn the guards right next to the survivors, closing loops. Of course, you can sometimes use guards to patrol, intercept survivors, but think about it, can a simple walk of 32 meters be a patrol, a strategic potential to control the map? Personally, I don't think so, because the patrols should be much longer, and the knight should not conduct them every time they end. Now let's move on to the most interesting thing - what is the concept of the knight's power rework. To create a patrol for each guard, the knight is given approximately 90-120 meters, and depending on the length of the patrol created, the guards will receive improved characteristics and abilities. Also, with the new rework, the guards patrol itself will change, after creating a patrol, the guardian goes from the starting point to the end point and disappears, after which the knight can conduct patrols for the rest of the guards, and after the last guardian reaches the end point, the very first one will automatically appear at the point where he reached last once. For clarity, I will give an example: On the map of the Thompson house, I create a patrol for the carnifex from the main building to the shack, he reaches the shack, after which he disappears. I create patrols for the assassin, and then for the jailer, and when the jailer disappears, the carnifex appears and goes from the shack to the main building along the route laid out, and then the patrols go in a circle. This is the main essence of the rework, to create long patrols to control the map at several points, but at the same time, making them quite unpredictable so that the survivors could not guess where the next guard would come from.

Now let's move on to a more detailed disclosure of the rework, let's start with the process of creating patrols. Since new patrols will endlessly alternate without the need to create them again and again, you need to introduce restrictions, and first of all on the length of the patrol, for this I introduced 3 stages (or 3 levels) of the patrol, the higher the stage, the stronger the guard, but more on that later. As soon as the knight begins to create a patrol, ghost walls appear around him in the form of a circle within a radius of 30 meters, and in the interface he sees the current number of meters that he can use, as well as the patrol stage. Also, the knight will be able to press LMB to cancel the creation of the patrol, RMB - to create it (starting from stage 1), CTRL - to set the initial appearance of the guardian, at the end point of the patrol, or at the knight's place. Initially, the patrol stage will be 0, and the number of meters for the knight will be 40, the knight's task is to take the orb outside the walls using these meters. If the knight fails to get the orb out of stage 0, then the patrol is automatically canceled. If the orb goes beyond the walls, they immediately close, not allowing the orb to return, after which the patrol stage becomes 1, and the knight gets about 25-30 meters more for further patrol, and walls with a radius of 20 meters reappear around the orb, passing through which the knight will transfer the patrol stage to level 2, closing these walls, as well as opening new ones, while getting about 20 more meters of patrol creation. As soon as the knight reaches patrol level 3, he will be given a few more meters, while all the ghost walls will open, allowing the orb to return to the starting point of the patrol as far as possible. Thus, it is possible to avoid typical situations in which a knight will create incredibly short patrols to close 3 generators, or one of the gates, although this is not the most effective solution, but ahead I will also provide an option on how the survivors can counteract the guards. Now a few numbers: the 1st stage of the patrol is from 30 meters to 50 meters. The second stage of the patrol is from 50 to 70 meters. The third stage of the patrol is from 90 meters.

Now let's get to the essence of the patrol stages. At each stage, the guards will receive various bonuses to the characteristics that will allow them to find survivors more effectively or pursue them. At the first stage, the characteristics of the guardians may remain the same as they are now in the game, I will attach them for clarity.

The carnifex

Patrol speed: 3.4 m/s (default)

Hunt speed: 4.1 m/s (default)

Attacks cause Deep Wound: no (default)

Hunt duration: 24 seconds (longest)

Spawn Vision range: 2 metres (default)

Patrol Vision range: 8 metres (default)

The assassin

Patrol speed: 3.4 m/s (default)

Hunt speed: 4.4 m/s (fastest)

Attacks cause Deep Wound: yes (damages)

Hunt duration: 12 seconds (default)

Spawn Vision range: 2 metres (default)

Patrol Vision range: 8 metres (default)

The jailer

Patrol speed: 4.1 m/s (fastest)

Hunt speed: 4.1 m/s (default)

Attacks cause Deep Wound: no (default)

Hunt duration: 12 seconds (default)

Spawn Vision range: 2 metres (default)

Patrol Vision range: 14 metres (farthest)

At the second stage of the patrol, the characteristics of the guards improve: The radius of detection of the carnifex and assassin becomes 14 meters, their movement speed becomes 3.8. The radius of detection of the jailer becomes 18 meters, and his movement speed during the hunt becomes 4.4. The duration of the hunt for all guards increases by 6 seconds.

Now let's move on to the third stage. Since in this concept the guards will not be able to break pallets, doors and generators, and also they will not have any differences in the duration of the patrol, since it will directly depend on its length, I considered it necessary to give them new abilities, unique for each, and they will receive them only when they reach stage 3 patrol.

The radius of detection of the carnifex and the assassin becomes 18 meters.

The carnifex

Increases the duration of the hunt by 4 seconds, and also breaks pallets by passing through them (once per hunt) Special ability: Breaks generators by passing near them during a patrol, taking away 5% of their repair.

The Assassin

The speed of movement during the patrol becomes 4.4. Special ability: The Assassin loses his personal terror radius, as well as the visibility of the detection ring for survivors during the patrol.

The Jailer

The detection radius becomes 24 meters. Special Ability: The jailer can detect survivors in the detection radius when they run (even through walls. Works only on one floor).

I think that these abilities greatly diversify the guards, and they also suit the main essence of the rework quite well - the game through the creation of patrols. +in this way, players on the knight will be encouraged by creating long patrols.

Let's move on to interacting survivors with the guards. In terms of hunting, everything will remain the same, the guard finds a survivor- he flies to the point of detection (I would add the ability to start hunting earlier, if the survivor runs straight towards the guard after detection, this will allow the knight to close the survivor, knowing in advance that the guard will soon be next to him), and after the chase begins, however he will not leave the standard, that is, the survivor, being discovered by the guard, will have to run away from him until the hunting time expires. The question arises, where did the standard go? I will answer it. After the guard reaches the end point of the patrol, and then reappears on it after a circle, then 2 seconds after the start of the patrol, a standard will appear that the survivor will be able to pick up. As soon as the survivor does this, the guard instantly disappears, and the next patrol will not begin while the standard is in the survivor's possession. Depending on the patrol level, the capture of the standard will be accompanied by additional objectives. If a survivor carrying a standard is hit by a guard or knight, then the standard disappears from the survivor's back and the next patrol begins. If the survivor fulfills the goal, then the standard also disappears from his back, but for the guard from whom the standard was stolen, you will have to create a patrol again. Now let's move on to the goals of the survivors, when taking the standard. (the aura of the standard, while it is standing, is visible to the knight constantly, as well as the end point if the standard is stolen)

Level 1

The survivor is given 14 seconds to save the standard, after which it will disappear and the objective will be completed.

Level 2

Before starting the objective, the survivor will see the aura of the end point of the sentinel patrol, and after 3 seconds the countdown will begin. The survivor is given 19 seconds to carry the standard to the end point of the patrol, while being oblivious.

Level 3

Before starting the objective, the survivor will see the aura of the end point of the sentinel patrol, and after 3 seconds the countdown will begin. The survivor is given 20-26 seconds to bring the standard to the point, while being oblivious, and also as soon as the survivor takes the standard, after 3 seconds the current guard, from whom the standard was stolen, will chase him, he will appear in place of the standard.

Thus, it becomes not particularly profitable for the knight to create short patrols, since the survivors will be able to steal the standard, hide with it, and at the same time a new guard will not appear for 14 seconds, and moreover, the knight will have to create a patrol again for the guard from whom the standard was stolen. In the next stages, the knight can stop the survivor by intercepting him on the way to the end point of the patrol, this will allow him to quickly find the survivor and start chasing him, and if he does not, he will have to create a patrol again, spending time on it. I believe that such a fine is justified on both sides.

Now I would summarize the new gameplay of the knight with this rework, and also clarify a few details on the visual. In this idea, the knight really becomes a strategic killer who pre-plots routes for the guards, who can independently catch up with the survivors thanks to their abilities, as well as increased hunting time. A player has a huge number of possibilities on how to use patrols. He can conduct them to protect generators, to control the desired area, to intercept survivors during the chase, while taking into account the new abilities of the guards, creating their own patrol for each, for example, it will be more profitable to use an assassin in winding corridors, since survivors will not be able to detect him due to the lack of detection radius and sound, for The carnigex will effectively conduct patrols to protect the generators, and the jailer can be used to intercept the survivors, as he can hear them running. Also, the knight will be able to decide where the patrol of the guard will start from, whether he will appear near the knight, or at the end point of the patrol creation. All this creates a huge potential of the knight's power, strategic. (now compare this concept with the current knight gameplay, how strategically oriented is it?). However, survivors can also experience the atmosphere of this killer by hiding behind obstacles from the guards, following them, finding the location of the standard that will appear soon. The knight game will become very intense, where the survivors are essentially trying to escape from four killers with different abilities at once.

Now a little bit on the visual, and what will need to be added. Ghostly green walls in the form of a cylinder, an updated interface that will show the patrol stages, as well as the number of remaining patrol meters (in patrol creation mode), an image of a standard on the survivor's back, animation of a generator breakdown, if the carnifex of the 3rd patrol stage passes nearby (you can add a ghostly green explosion), you can also make a a sound at the beginning of the patrol in the form of a bugle, it can be different for each guard, so that the survivors understand who is patrolling now, and also need the sound of taking the standard, perhaps also a special bugle sound, and also the sound if the survivor completed the task of stealing the standard (brought it to the end point). We also need sounds that indicate the beginning of a new stage of patrol creation. (More visual changes may be needed, but without a test of what is there, it's quite difficult).

A little bit about controls

RMB (without the current guard) - start creating a patrol

CTRL (with the current guardian) – cancel the patrol (the knight can cancel the current patrol, after which the guardian instantly disappears and the next patrols begin. When the turn comes to the canceled guard, the knight will be able to patrol for him again)

Creating a patrol

RMB- create a patrol

LMB- cancel the creation of a patrol

CTRL- assign the direction of the guard during the creation of the patrol (it will be displayed as an arrow in the interface)

I will also attach a short video with an approximate gameplay of the knight with these changes. Unfortunately, I don't have many resources and opportunities to make this example better, but I think this will be enough to demonstrate the rework.

This is the main essence of my rework ends. I hope you liked my ideas and you will appreciate my efforts. The best way to thank me is to leave a comment under this discussion, I will be glad to read them, especially if you have any questions about this rework. If you are not satisfied with this rework for any reason, I ask you not to ignore it, but to leave a constructive comment on this, I will take into account your claims and improve my rework thanks to you, this is important to me, since I practice game design. Thanks for your attention!

(actually i don't know how to upload videos here, can someone help with that? xd)