Why do we have no catch-up mechanic?
A simple question: why do we have no catch-up mechanic?
Some games are evenly matched, you are down to 3 gens by your first kill, 2 survivors make it into the exit gate opening phase, and then you hook one during the EGC and have a cat and mouse game with the last one!
But most games aren't like that. Most games have a clear winner early on. You either hook and pressure the survivors constantly, so that they have no chance to actually do gens and finish the trial with a 4k at 4 gens, or the survivors just slam gen after gen, while you picked the wrong survivor for the first chase, and by the time you get your first hook you're down to 1 gen and the whole team can easily swarm the hook, rescue their mate and manage a full escape.
When you lose, you often see it coming. Endgame perks can sometimes tip the scale a bit, but this weakens you in other departments and you actually have to play with reduced strength, while expecting to fail, in order to power up.
How about some hard coded catch-up mechanics and buffs or debuffs?
If you got no kills by 2 gens remaining, give the killer permanent Bloodlust give the survivors a debuff to gen repair speed.
If the killer hooks and hooks, maybe auto sabo to closed hook, or give an auto-adrenaline to everyone slugged and/or deliverance when the first survivors dies at 4 gens.
This are just wild ideas, but something along that lines. Something that keeps the ball for the losing side rolling so that they don't all suicide on hook or sulk in a corner, but keep the spirits up and offer a real chance to turn this desaster around!
Obviously this buffs and debuffs must not be stronger then actually be doing good, but they should be cool enough to tip eve scale back again into manageable territory.
Comments
Because no one would like to lose due to a mechanic saying 'You're playing too well' and rewarding their opponent, and then that snowballing.
Imagine if I had 2 people slugged, 1 on hook, and 1 on my shoulders, and the game said 'Na, fam.' and gave the 2 slugged Adrenalin, they get up, unhook the 1, and now I have 1 hooked and 3 running around. There goes my sure win, not because of Survivor skill, or me making a mistake, but because the game decided 'Here's a free pick-me-up for being out-played'.
This were just some brainstorming idea and I sure got overboard with it, but at least some few percentage buffs and debuffs could be implemented? Of course just as long as one side is clearly winning. And tbf, we already have a penalty for playing too well: the sweaty heights of MMR.
I know but I still think it's not for this game. I mean, not all games HAVE a catch-up mechanic.
Hell, I really only think some racers do. I can't think of an FPS, RTS, TBS, or 4X game that has a catch-up mechanic.
I know what you mean. But I see it too often these days that people give up when they are losing, and catch up mechanics could be a flexible bonus that keeps people in the game instead of giving up.
Mario Cart gives the last player way better items from item boxes, and this is not the most beloved mechanic, as there are many instances were the leading driver was hit by a super shell and thrown toward the last place :D that's not a good example of a catch-up mechanic.
Lots of problems with the idea, first of all I'm pretty sure no one will ever be able to agree as to what counts as losing or winning, if you put up a situation where buffs are given to the killer for ''X'' reason, I'm pretty sure lots of survivors will not agree that they are really winning and would argue that the buff should not be granted and same for the other side.
I personally dont like catch up mechanics, I'm not gonna play my best just to have a BS mechanic S**** me at the end of the match, I feel like they beat me not because they had more skill than me but because the game gave them enough brute force to beat me over, Thats why I dont like bloodlust already, sometimes I can loop the killer but ultimately he will catch up to me not because he outplayed me at a loop but just because he had bloodlust 5000.
I like where you're head is at. I like the idea of balance mechanics like that. Of course I can see this going negative and positive. Of course no one likes a shut out match. Even when I'm on the winning side and I just straight up destroy the killer/survivors I am left unsatisfied wishing the game was a little closer. So overall I'd be 75% for this idea.
Honestly what killer needs is a literal "catch-up" mechanic that lets them cover distance in a straight line, like a weaker version of blight's charge. Many survivors just hold W against non-mobility killers and it takes a long time to catch up to the most of the time. A mechanic to punish that sort of play style and make survivors actually play the loops, as well as giving the killer more ability to get across the map, would be useful.