Changing facecamping, tunneling and gen rushes
This is kind of spitballing an idea. As noted in how emblems work, a game that lasts longer and allows for more interaction is more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the most efficient strategy on the killer side is to rush a player out of the game ruthlessly and the most efficient way to get out as a survivor is to rush gens. Neither of these tactics are enjoyable for the other side.
As an idea, what would happen if gen repair speeds were given a debuff to speed that was reduced by the passage of time for every gen done? As well, every survivor killed would give a buff to generator repair speed that was reduced by the passage of time for every survivor killed.
By doing so, the devs could then say, as an example, an average match should last 10 minutes. By giving a debuff of, hypothetically, 20% repair speed for every gen with time passed reducing the debuff by 10% per minute of gametime.
Killing a survivor would give a buff to generator repair speeds that diminished with the passage of game time. As facecamping, tunneling and gen rushing are all interconnected issues so both would have to be implemented at the same time.
This type of mechanic would shake up the meta as tunneling and camping would become suboptimal strategies. It would be optimal to put multiple hook states on survivors. As well, with it becoming harder to genrush killers would get more of a chance to play the game.
Chase mechanics might need to be looked at but, if a short enough time frame was chosen, at most minimal changes would be needed as the average match lasts about 10 to 15 minutes anyway. What a mechanic such as this would do would help ensure everyone gets to play the game with interaction from both sides.
It might be too complicated to add into a well established game but DbD is fun when you get the chance to play it. Anyway, I hope the idea is found at least an interesting read if it doesn't prove useful.
Comments
I don't like passive effects that players have no feeling of control over.
It also doesn't shake up initial gameplay for Survivors as it's just "Your gameplay is the same it just takes longer".
If you want to add an early-game collapse it should be something controlled by the Survivors rather than controlled by a timer.
It would also be beneficial to take stock of existing features that are largely written off in the competitive scene.
Take for example, the ideas presented about Generators requiring "Parts" to start repairing.
Then, look at an existing Feature that might be beneficial to incorporate into the main gameplay loop.
EG: Chests.
Unlike Lockers which can net a time-benefit if used properly, Chests are for the most part always not worth the time to open if you don't pull a Med-kit while injured or a Key if the Hatch is closed.
So, Take the concept of Finding Parts, and incorporate that into Chests.
Also; one of the main reasons to camp, if you ignore 'just being a jerk' is to SLOW DOWN gen speeds; We want a Survivor dead so that's less Survivors on gens.
Why would we want gens to go FASTER when Survivors die? That's basically ignoring how 1v4 games work; As the Killer kills, Survivors have less gen speed and it's harder to escape.
If you change it so Killers are frankly punished for getting kills: Killers will just slug, so they can hunt for Survivors without giving the rest a buff to gen speeds that makes it even harder for them to find Survivors.
Yeah, it adds a negative connotation with regards to the currently established objective of a Killer Killing to Killing a Survivor. It doesn't really align with the intent of what the Killer is attempting to accomplish.
If you make it harder for survivors to run killers around, killers will be incentivized to chase survivors instead of guarding hooks. Camping: Solved.
If you make it easier for killers to down survivors, killers will not be penalized so hard for not taking a player out as quickly as possible. Tunneling: Solved.
If you make it easier for killers to injure, down, and hook survivors, it will force other survivors to get off of gens and unhook/heal their team, slowing gen progress without increasing the amount of time it takes to do each generator. Gen Rush: Solved.
The answer to all of these problems is to weaken every loop and take away the host of second chance perks that survivors have to keep chases going for 2, 3, 4 minutes at a time.
It may seem counterintuitive, but the game is a lot more fun and dynamic when killers actually have a chance to catch you.
From the responses, it doesn't seem I'm getting the point across. It's not a one-sided proposition; if killers kill quickly then the gens go faster. If survivors do gens too quickly the gens go slower. After a preferably short period of time, it doesn't matter. It shakes up the meta on both sides. Killers are incentivized more to spread hooks. This lengthens the game. Survivors can't just slam out gens and leave so the killer has the time to spread hooks around and still get kills. Currently, the best way to win is to play ugly and playing clean means you throw games.
Unfortunately, just making it easier to down survivors won't, in my opinion, reduce camping and tunneling. I think it will increase it. The way to replace camping and tunneling is by providing something that makes it less efficient and effective than more fun options.
The problem here is that gens can be done too quickly and camping and tunneling prevents a player from playing the game. Both survivors and killers have legitimate complaints about how the game is and both sides would be better off if they couldn't be prevented from playing the game.
The game already tries to incentivize this as the most BPs and pips are gained by spreading hooks around. This would increase the incentive.
Conversely, I don't see slugging as a bad thing. It delays the game and gives altruism points to the survivors. It also allows pressure to be put on the survivors but in a way that allows the survivors to interact with the game and gain BP.
What I suggested wouldn't stop a snowball but it would allow survivors to actually play as long as all 4 aren't slugged at the same time (in which case nothing is different from the current game and my suggestion above).
I do like the parts idea as a replacement but I find what is missing is how to counter facecamping and tunneling. Gen speeds are fast because survivors can be camped and tunneled. Camping and tunneling exists because gen speeds are fast. Gen rushing prevents the killer player from playing. Camping and hard tunneling prevents a survivor player from playing. It doesn't matter which came first; what matters is that it's prevalent and not fun.
In the end, gen speeds can't be addressed without addressing camping and tunneling. The converse is also true. Right now, in my opinion, the main issue is that winning in the most efficient way possible involves doing something very unpleasant to the players on the other side.
I mean that just enforces a stealth/immersion meta rather than a chase meta if chases are assured to be quickly ended. Not to mention making chases more easily hyper-lethal will increase the effectiveness of tunneling/camping if that isn't addressed in tandem.
RE: Facecamping and Tunneling
If Killer has not spread Hooks, give Survivors DS/BT
"But Survivors now have open Perk slots to genrush better!"
Implement Parts.
That sounds good
Yes, a more stealthy approach would be more useful. Good thing there are already stealthy perks for survivors to take and all survivors have stealth options with the crouch button and copious lockers to lay low in across every single map.
The game was DESIGNED as a Hide & Go Seek simulator. It was INTENDED to be a stealth game.
To your worry about tunneling: that's entirely up to the team. If the guy unhooking you hides and the person off the hook goes running out in the open, yeah, the killer is going after then. If the unhooked guy hides and the unhooker runs off, no tunnel. If they BOTH hide, then killer has an equal chance of finding one versus the other. And, in any event, if a killer isn't spending 4 minutes to get two hits, the appeal of going after the low hanging fruit isn't as strong. The point of tunneling is that it takes way more time currently to get a healthy survivor injured and downed than it takes an injured survivor to get downed. If the chase timer is significantly shorter, killers can feel free to chase whomever they please. Plus, there's BBQ and now Grim Embrace that encourage killers to spread out hooks.
As for camping: What? If a killer can actually down survivors, there's no good reason to sit at a hook guarding one of them. You hook 'em and move on to looking for the next one. If you sit camping, the gens fly by exactly as they do currently. The whole POINT of camping is acknowledging that you will never be able to catch another survivor before all the gens get finished so you want to get at least ONE kill.