Totems: Objective Placement Suggestion
One of the things that improves a game is more Player Agency, i.e. more choices to make. I think that instead of starting the game with Totems placed around the map, the Killer should have to place them and spend activate them. Or, none of the Totems start lit, and the Killer goes up and lights one. *There would be exceptions like NOED of course that don't light until triggered.
I think having all the Totems dull, and requiring the Killer to go ignite them (and potentially place) some of them would add an interesting facet. It would remove the instantly dead Totems at the start of a match. For coding simplicity, all Totems would have to probably spawn Dull somewhere, and the Killer sees them (same as Generators) and can choose to go up to one and light it. This requires the Killers active involvement, and gives up some Ruin time for example, but as a positive, the Killer can choose which Dull Totem they think is the best hidden or most defensible. It is just a thought. :)
Then later release a Perk that allows the Killer to MOVE a Totem or Place it from the start, or relight a Totem with a significant investment in time. Undying relights a Totem once, but thing about the possibility of a Killer's lost Totem being reset by him/her going and finding a dull one and having to spend time (at least as much as the Player do cleansing one) lighting one again. I think expanding on Totems (and not just from the Killer side) would add another dimension to the game.
Comments
I have to disagree. Killers already have only 6.66 minutes (or less) to find and hook Survivors 12 times (if they do not 'camp', 'tunnel' or other Survivor-biased buzzwords).
Adding yet another mechanic to waste a Killer's time won't be well received. Plus, if a Survivor sees him light a totem; they now know where it is.
And if they are in a SWF; now everyone knows where it is.
Perhaps but more choice can cut both ways. If you choose where to light the Totem you can defend it or make sure it is the most hidden Totem. You could wait to light it in an area they have already brought the Generator up so are less likely to even pass it. More to the point, an option to bring a Totem back up (with appropriate effort) would add new facets to the game.
While I don't disagree with you that a certain level of play things move REALLY fast, that is a separate issue and will get dealt with in due course. Right now I'm talking about ways to expand the game and make Totems a bit more involved for everyone playing. They are largely too passive and rely on luck currently. I think more objectives, and more complex ones would add something to the game.
But again, I think the speed issue you are talking about is distinct from this issue and affects everything else through the entire game. :)