The problem with Ruin
In this post, I will be doing my best to explain why Ruin is far differentiated from any other hex perk, and therefore needs another rework/nerf.
Ruin is an unbalanced perk because it provides far too much value for simply existing. Compare to other hex perks which:
- Have limited uses (Haunted Grounds, Retribution)
- Only activates after five generators are powered, as well as needing at least one dull totem remaining at that time (No One Escapes Death)
- Has a cooldown (Blood Favour)
- Only exist to protect itself and other hexes (Thrill of the Hunt, Undying) or
- Require the killer to perform actions to build up their strength in tokens (Devour Hope, The Third Seal, Huntress Lullaby)
As detailed above, it is evident that Ruin is the only hex perk that gets full potential from the beginning of the trial until all the generators are powered or it is destroyed. Even if Ruin is cleansed, Undying can be in play, allowing its oppression to continue.
My proposed fix ideas are:
- Ruin has to build up tokens to affect more generators, or
- Only affects up to two (maybe three) generators at a time, at a stronger regression rate (250/275/300%).
The tokens can be acquired the same way as the other hex perks: hooking survivors, or another way someone more creative can imagine perhaps.
Comments
It should also be worth noting that of the perks you listed besides Ruin, only two of them are worth potentially using (and NOED is problematic itself).
TAG got it in one. Ruin is useful *because* it has its full effects from the word go and more Hex Perks should work that way. Perks that both have to stack up to be good and can get deleted from your loadout will always be unreliable and niche. No One Escapes Death is kind of the same way. It is useful because it hits the field at full power.
Edit: Hrm... I wonder how difficult it would be to rework most Hex perks to have their full power from the word go. Except Devour... that's the only stacking Hex Perk that's powerful enough to be worth it anyway.
Ruin is the level that hex perks should be at. Strong effect from the start that survivors would want to cleanse instead of just ignoring.
Besides Ruin is still easy to counter even if you can't find the hex totem. Splitting up and working on gens solo means that someone is going to finish a gen regardless of what the killer does, because it's impossible for the killer to be in multiple places at once.
Ruin is absolutely fine on its own in its current state. It's a passive, yes. But the killer only gets use out of it by playing well.
People don't use those other perks because the effect is either too weak to justify it being potentially cleansed 3 minutes in (Devour, Lullaby, Third seal which is only good against a 4 man solo) or takes too long to build up risking it being cleased the second it triggers.
Than you have the absolute trash (Retribution and NOED against a smart team, even if it triggers you'll probably only get 1 down off of it).
These perks are too high a risk for their reward. Nerf Ruin and we'll go straight back to the Pop/Corrupt meta from before Undying. And while I personally don't like to use slowdown perks much I completely understand why many killers do.
Ruin is absolutely not a problem.