Feedback suggestion: new gameplay element - "The Fear" status for survivors

Introduction:

Each of us remembers how scary it was to play this game, the first hours...when you sneaked in tall grass and was afraid to lean out, with the slightest heartbeat from the radius of terror.

And how the attitude towards the game has changed after hundreds of hours of play. You are no longer afraid of anything, and the whole point of the game is to run faster than a maniac, fast repair while maniac try to catch our partner, and very often - we even tease maniacs in the game.

no fear and no horror...

And my suggestion is: to return horror style to everybody, even after 1000+ hours of playing.

What i suggest:

I noticed that your development team adds 1 new gameplay element every year (the last was - collapse). and I hope that something new and big will be added in 2020 too. This my suggestion - as one of the possible variants, if you will like it, after reading.

I propose adding a new status for survivors - fear. Which will increase/decrease, faster or slower depending on the frightening/calming events around.

Why i suggest this:

To return horror to the game for players who have played 100-5000 hours.

During running and making noise the survivors will very quickly accumulate the game scale of fear, which as a result: paralyzes their activity. After a couple of matches, the players will understand how it works, and endless running from everyone will be removed from the game, and everyone will begin to move carefully with trying to reset the fear scale

And as result:

1.    Gen.Rush will cease to be possible. After the generator is fully repaired, survivors will need time to relieve fear, before starting the next generator.
2.    but in order not to ruin the balance, the basic generator repair: shorter from 80 seconds to 60.
3.    but the level of fear and the events around will greatly influence the repair process. And a shorter time (60 seconds) often can be more difficult than the old 80 seconds of the repair. But not always (you can understand all, by reading further the mechanics of fear)
4.  It’s also will unprofitable to tease a maniac (running a group after a maniac, clicking behind a flashlight, and e.t.c) => fear scale will grow too quickly. And this will disappear from the game too.
5.  if the maniac is not experienced, but survivor is the master, the endless running vs 1 survivor will disappear from the game. The survivor will be able to distract the maniac from the team, but for a maximum of 2 minutes, before the level of fear begins to interfere with the escape.
6.   But, If the maniac is too experienced, and the survivors are weak. Fear will help them resist longer (to understand, read the description of mechanics). But again - only for a short time. A short chase with medium fear will give an advantage to the survivor, and a long chase or too big fear will give an advantage to a maniac.
7. also. cursed totems will receive basic protection. All they are "easy farming" to survivors now. But with fear, their clearning would be harder (see mechanics of the fear - about clearing and stress effect)

Fear STAGES:

I believe (I have tested everything: situation when 3 people repair 1 generator, or 3 people repair 3 generators at the same time, each perk and situations vs different maniacs) that it is optimal for fear to have five stages, from complete calm to complete shock.

(0-49 fear) Calm Status:

0 effects.

have you watched horror movies? where the victim runs away from the maniac or the monster and runs to the door, and you need to pick up the key, but out of fear the victim cannot insert the key into the lock or the keys fall out. Exactly the same situation with bullets, when a frightened person cannot insert a bullet into a weapon, or even drops it.

Motivated by this, I decided that fear should influence the victim in this way - to slow down and interrupt.

Therefore:

(50-109 fear) Scared: 

heal actions: 5% slower

repair/sabotage actions: 10% slower

open gate: the same time

SkillCheck chance: +5% (+15% with frightful presence)

Arrow rotation speed during SkillCheck: +10%.

(110-179 fear) Horrified:

survivor is too scared that to start a new sabotage action (but will not stop the current sabotage if the level of fear rises during this)

survivor stops getting reassurance from companions nearby or from remote calming events, while this level of fear is active or above

heal actions: 10% slower

repair/sabotage actions: 20% slower

open gate: the same time

SkillCheck chance: +10% (+20% with frightful presence)

Arrow rotation speed during SkillCheck: +20%.

(180-269 fear) In Panic:

When this stage begins - survivor make short scream, but without notification to maniac

survivor is too scared that to start a new repair / open gate / heal other / crouching / item use action (but will not stop these actions (except crouching and heal other) if the level of fear rises during process)

auto-stop sabotage if this level of fear, raises during sabotage

survivor ignore all fear/calm effects, except: 1. chase 2. 0-25% terror distance 3. contacted generator explosion 4. hits by maniacs on distance 0-8m 5. locker 6. passive fear decreasing if no 1. or 2.

heal self: 15% slower

repair actions: 30% slower (you can't start new repair, but when you doing repair, when this stage of fear raises will be this effect)

running speed (panic run): +0.2 m/s

vault through windows and other: +30% longer (too scared that cling and get stuck)

SkillCheck chance: +15% (+25% total, with frightful presence)

Arrow rotation speed during SkillCheck: +30%.

(270 fear) Total Shock:

Survivor lose control and auto-sit with shocking emotion, until the level of fear drops to 150 or won't get hit.

full ignore of all fear effects, including chase

Shock will be changed to Panic (180 fear) after 10 seconds or after hit without dying effect

or to Horrified (110 fear) if downed

what soothes (decrease) fear:

per second:

(All this stacks)

-1 per second => passive (during any actions, including moving, but not running)

-1 per s. => if any amount of other survivors are on distance 0-4m or while visible any amount of survivor aura. This effect pauses during generator repair.

-1 per s. => crouching (but not a fixed position) (-2 total with passive)

-2 per s. => crouching (a fixed position) (-3 total with passive)

-3 per s. => inside locker (-4 total with passive)

-1 per s. => during self healing (perk or item)

-2 per s. => during other people healing

-3 per s. => while healed by other people

-1 per s. => on distance 0-8m near finished generator

-3 per s. => on distance 0-4m outside (or any distance inside) near opened Gates

-1 per. s. => during chest checking with Perk "Plunderer's Instinct"

-1 per. s. => during chest checking with Perk "Ace in The Hole"

-2 per. s. => during chest checking with Perk "Pharmacy" (so, 3 perks on chest can give stack -4 per. s)

-7 per s. => while Haste (+50%) Effect triggers (Adrenaline, Sprint, Balanced Landing, Dead Hard e.t.c)

-1 per s.=> while Perk "Hope" working

instant:

(this working even during "per second" increasing fear effects)

next 3 will not work during Scared and Calm Stages:

***

-15 => escaped after chase

-20 => after received hit

-50 => when you was hooked

***

-10 => escape from the chase (stacks with previous "escape after chase" if fear stage is higher than Scared, when not highher - then works only this fear decrease)

-5 => when fully healed any other survivor not by you

-10 => when fully healed any other survivor by you

-10 => when downed survivor healed to injured not by you

-15 => when downed survivor healed to injured by you

-15 => when you is fully healed

-10 => when you unhook other survivor

-20 => when somebody else unhook other survivor

-15 => safe unhooking (stacks with previous 2)

-10 => repaired generator on distance bigger than 32m to you

-15 => last generator - repaired (stacks with previous)

-30 => opened Gates

-10 => when you stand up after downed by other people or by himself

-10 => when triggers any Perk with "Exhausted"

-15 => finished sabotage of Dull Totem by you

-30 => finished sabotage of Cursed Totem by you

-10 => finished sabotage of Dull Totem by other people on distance 0-8m to you

-20 => finished sabotage of Cursed Totem by other people on distance 0-8m to you

-20 => pallet/flashlight/perk stun

-10 => pallet/flashlight/perk stun but by other eurvivor, on distance 0-16m to currtent survivor

-10 additional => if our stun have rescued carried survivor

-10 => blind by flashlight

and e.t.c. (this is only suggestion, so if you will like all this, you can continue with other things)

what will BLOCK fear INCREASING:

(this section does not reduce fear, but blocks effects that increase fear)

all - stacks

2 per s. => inside locker

2 per s. => during (not self) healing (not important who heals whom, if you are one of the participants, then this will work)

1 per s. => while you see aura of the killer

3 per s. => during struggling (on the Killer)

4 per s. => during first phase on the hook

full blocking => during Struggle Phase (on Hook)

1 per s. => while you are injured

1 per s. => while you are downed (stacks with injured)

1 per s. => second phase of doctor' madness

2 per s. => third phase of doctor' madness (stacks with previous phase)

1 per s. => Brave people less vulnerable to Fear. That to be Brave, needed that you will have at least 1 from the next perks (don't stacks, only determination brave or not): Any Means Necessary, Babysitter, Boil Over, Breakout, Deliverance, Diversion, Flip-Flop, Iron Will, Leader, Unbreakable, Vigil)

1 per s. => with Perk "No Mither" (stacks with Brave status)

1 per s. => during collapse with perk "No One Left Behind"

2 per. s. => if you are last survivor with Perk "Left Behind"

1 per s. => while you are injured and have one or both perks: "This Is Not Happening / Resilience"

1/2/3 per s. => with Perk "SoloSurvivor" and 1/2/3 depends on how many killed people

and e.t.c.

HOW GENERATORS will INCREASE FEAR:

here are two effects: repairing and noise

repairing:

+3 per s. => while you repair, and repair progress 1-24%

+4 per s. => while you repair, and repair progress 25-49%

+5 per s. => while you repair, and repair progress 50-74%

+6 per s. => while you repair, and repair progress 75-99%

(if player repair with short touches, each not finished second of contact calcs as finished and gives score to fear)

noise

(not cumulative with repair, if survivor working - he receive repairing fear, if survivor stays - then noise fear):

(each not finished second of "be within radius", calcs as finished and gives score to fear)

+1 per s. => while you are within 0-4 meters of the silent generator, or within 5-8m of the generator with noise 1-24% (repair progress)

+2 per s. => while you are within 0-4m of the generator with noise 1-24%, or within 5-8m of the generator with noise 25-49%

+3 per s. => while you are within 0-4m of the generator with noise 25-49%, or within 5-8m of the generator with noise 50-74%, or within 9-12m of the generator with noise 75-99%

+4 per s. => while you are within 0-4m of the generator with noise 50-74%, or within 5-8m of the generator with noise 75%+

+5 per s. => while you are within 0-4m of the generator with noise 75-99%

full repaired generator:

decrease fear (already written above) and does not give fear from noise

HOW MANIACS will INCREASES FEAR

Terror Radius:

+1 per s. => if survivor within 50-100% of the radius (example: terror radius 32m, then +1 per s. will be when distance to maniac will be 16-32m)

+2 per s. => if survivor within 25-50% of the radius (example: terror radius 32m, then +2 per s. will be when distance to maniac will be 8-15.9m)

+3 per s. => if survivor within 1-24% of the radius (example: terror radius 32m, then +3 per s. will be when distance to maniac will be 1-7.9m)

+4 per s. => during chase

+8 per sec. => first 3 sec after "surprise meeting"

Pallet/Generator destroying:

0-8m distance: +20 fear (checking during end of the destroying)

9-16m distance: +10 fear (checking during end of the destroying)

17m+: no effect

Hit vs other survivor (not you):

0-8m distance: +30 fear (+20 fear vs Brave status)

9-16m distance: +20 fear (+10 fear vs Brave status)

17m+: +10 fear (no effect vs Brave status)

attacks with Deep Wound gives only half of this score

+10 fear: if survivor downed after hit (on any distance and vs any status)

+10 fear: if survivor catched from Locker (it calcs as hit and checks distance, and after checking: +10 more fear)

+20 bonus fear (first hit/catch in the match)

+10 bonus fear from scream (if player is silent - then no bonus)

+5 fear: basic attack vs hooked survivor (only this fear, all other vs hooked - don't calcs)

Hooking:

0-16m distance: +40 fear (+30 fear vs Brave status)

17m+ distance: +30 fear (+20 fear vs Brave status)

+20 bonus fear (if basement)

+10 bonus fear (if hook inside main house of the map, or hook on the hill)

+30 bonus fear (first hooking in the match)

+20 bonus fear from scream (if player is silent - then no bonus)

+1 fear per sec. => while at least 1 survivor is on the hook

Killing/sacrifice/Disconnect:

0-16m distance: +50 fear (+40 fear vs Brave status)

17m+ distance: +40 fear (+30 fear vs Brave status)

+20 bonus fear (first death in the match)

+5 fear per sec. => during first 10 sec after death/sacrifice

+1 fear per sec. => while at least 1 survivor is dead/dc

Trapper:

+2 per s.: during disarm trap

+3 per. s.: while other survivor inside trap

when a survivor falls into a trap, fear and distance considers as fears from the hit

+20 fear: when trapper finishes setting the trap on distance 0-8m to survivor.

+10 fear: when trapper finishes setting the trap on distance 9-16m to survivor.

Wraith:

+20 fear => if Wraith starts chase of you in the next 3 sec after removing the invisibility

+10 fear => as bonus to "hit: fear check" to all survivors, if hit will be in the next 3 sec after cloack removing

+5 fear => to all survivors after finish of each disappearance/appearance

+4 per. s.: during (not silent) bell on distance 0-11

+2 per. s.: during (not silent) bell on distance 12-18

Hillbilly:

+5 fear => bonus to fear from pallet destroying (if distance to survivor not bigger than 16m)

+3 per s. => during charge on distance 0-9m to survivors (doubled for chainsaw sprint while within radius)

+2 per s. => during charge on distance 10-19m to survivors (doubled for chainsaw sprint while within radius)

+1 per s. => during charge on distance 20+m to survivors (doubled for chainsaw sprint while within radius)

+20 bonus fear (to hit calc) => if other survivor hitted by chainsaw sprint on distance 0-8m to current survivor

+10 bonus fear (to hit calc) => if other survivor hitted by chainsaw sprint on distance 9-16m to current survivor

Nurse:

+4 per s. => during charge, on distance 0-10m to survivors (doubled during blink while within radius)

+3 per s. => during charge, on distance 11-20m to survivors (doubled during blink while within radius)

+5 fear => after each blink on distance 20+m to survivor (checks positions after blink)

+10 fear => after each blink on distance 0-19m to survivor

Shape

+1 additional "terror" fear per sec. => during Evil Within 2 (while survivor is within terror radius)

+2 additional "terror" fear per sec. => during Evil Within 3 (while survivor is within terror radius)

+1 additional "terror" fear per sec. => during Evil Within 3 (while survivor is outside terror radius)

+10 bonus fear => for "surprise" meeting with maniac

+10 bonus fear => for "interrupt" attacks

+20 fear => when Evil Within 2 starts

+40 fear => when Evil Within 3 starts and survivor is within terror radius

+30 fear => when Evil Within 3 starts and survivor is outside terror radius

Doctor

madness blocks fear - already written above, but:

+10 fear => when other survivor screams (Shock Therapy or from Madness Stage 3 or from Madness stage increasing) on distance 16+m to survivor

+20 fear => when other survivor screams from the same, but on distance 0-15m to survivor

+5 fear => when doctor finish casting of Shock Therapy

+10 fear => when doctor hit current survivor with shock therapy

Nightmare

+1 fear per sec. => while survivor is in the dream world

+15 fear => when survivor destroys dream pallet and inside dream terror radius (no effect when outside)

+30 fear => when survivor trigger Dream Snare

+20 fear => when other survivor trigger Dream Snare on distance 0-15m to current survivor

+10 fear => when other survivor trigger Dream Snare on distance 16+m to current survivor

+4 fear per sec. => while generator spew blood and survivor is within 0-8m

+2 fear per sec. => 10 seconds, when generator have finished spew blood and while survivor is within 0-8m

Pig

+2 fear per sec. => while inactive reverse bear trap on the head

+4 fear per sec. => while active reverse bear trap on the head and left more than 50% of the time

+8 fear per sec. => while active reverse bear trap on the head and left less than 50% of the time

+2 fear per sec => during search of jigsaw box (stacks with fear from the reverse bear trap)

+20 fear => after finish of the sereach incorrect jigsaw box (-20 for correct)

+20 fear => if ambush attack launched from distance 0-8

+10 fear => if ambush attack launched from distance 9-16

Plague

+1 fear per sec. => while infected and infection indicator 0-49%

+2 fear per sec. => while infected and infection indicator 50-99%

+3 fear per sec. => while infected and infection indicator 100%

+15 fear => if other survivor vomit on distance 0-12m

+10 fear => if other survivor uses Pool of Devotion (noise)

+20 fear => if Plague uses Pool of Devotion (noise)

+4 fear per sec => while plague doing Vile/Corrupt Purge on distance 0-12m to survivor (as bonus to chase fear)

Other Maniacs

are simple and fear effects can be invented easily

WHAT ELSE WILL INCREASE FEAR

+2 fear per sec => during Hook sabotage

+3 fear per sec => during Dull Totem sabotage

+5 fear per sec => during Cursed Totem sabotage

+1 fear per sec => if 2-3 other survivors are injured/downed (self - not calcs)

+1 fear per sec. => while at least 1 survivor is downed (stacks with previous fear)

+2 fear per sec => first 25% of the collapse

+4 fear per sec => 25-50% of the collapse

+6 fear per sec => 50-75% of the collapse

+8 fear per sec => 75+% of the collapse

+10 fear => any own rush noise outside terror radius, , this can trigger 1 time per 5 sec

+20 fear => any own rush noise within terror radius (but not in the chase), this can trigger 1 time per 5 sec

+20 fear => any other survivor rush noise outside terror radius and distance to current survivor 0-10m, this can trigger 1 time per 5 sec

+30 fear => any other survivor rush noise within terror radius and distance to current survivor 0-10m and current survivor is not in the chase, this can trigger 1 time per 5 sec

+2 fear per sec => when running within terror radius but without chase (no effect whn run outside terror)

running => blocks passive fear restore

+10 fear => skillcheck fail outside terror radius

+20 fear => skillcheck fail within terror radius and no chase

and e.t.c.

When fear stage will be increased

Will triggers short Stress Effect which can be displayed as icon in the HUD. 10 seconds and during this time => all fear increases (except chase) are doubled.

So, when fear stage raises - better to pause all fear actions for the short time.

(50-109) Scared will be decreased to Calm, when fear will decrease to 0 points.

(110-179) Horrified will be decreased to Scared, when fear will decrease to 50 points.

(180-269) Panic will be decreased to Horrified, when fear will decrease to 110 points.

And how will decreases Shock Stage - already written above.

Also..

Each maniac hit will decrease fear score on -50, but not less than to Scared Stage (50 points).

If survivor will fall (downed) after hit, then will be additional -50 (100 total), but not less than to Scared Stage.

Conclusion

Now you go to nerf HEX:Ruin and would be gen rush in each game.. Adding of the Fear will stop any attemps of the rush. Also, i'll repeat: this will add basic protection of cursed totems sabotaging, this will remove endless running all time by all survivors, this will remove toxic behavior and bullying of maniacs.

You add each year ==> one big element as new part of the gameplay. If you have other perfect ideas what to add, then - good. But if you read feedbacks and analize our ideas, then i suggest to analize idea of the fear.

ALL, what i have written, it is only basic and fast variant how to add fear. If you like this idea, you can change ways, formulas and everything, for balance.