Idea/suggestion for Hopeless Exile Realm
I have an idea that could make this part of the killer’s power actually worth using. If a survivor gets sent to the Hopeless Exile Realm, it should count as a hook state. They could still complete the mini-game to escape the realm, but the realm itself could be expanded to make it more meaningful. For example, the longer a survivor stays inside, the closer they get to a second hook state, while successfully completing the mini-game either lets them escape or slows that progression to the second hookstate.
This would make the mechanic a real risk-reward decision for both sides. The killer would get meaningful progression for using that part of their power instead of effectively throwing the game by sending an unhooked survivor there and gaining nothing. Right now, it looks like you’re just wasting time without advancing your objective. Making the Exile Realm count toward hook progression would give killers a genuine incentive to use it instead of simply ignoring that part of their power and just hooking cause each side will prioritize there fun which usually entails trying to win not passively losing the game.
Comments
Why are we talking about killer that hasn't even come out so we are not aware of what she/he actually will be in a final state?
Hello Elan
If you’ve been keeping up with the chapter news and the developers’ updates, they’ve actually shown us a lot of detail about what the killer is shaping up to look like at release. Yes, some things are still subject to change because the killer hasn’t been released yet—that’s exactly why I made my post. However, there are also certain design decisions that become increasingly difficult to undo or significantly change as development progresses and the mechanics become more established.
The developers have been showing the community the direction they’re taking with this killer, including the mechanics and design elements that are already beginning to take shape. That’s why I wanted to make this suggestion now, before the core mechanics become too set in stone. From what has been shown so far, the killer’s power seems heavily focused on making the experience more fun and interactive for survivors, potentially at the expense of the killer’s enjoyment. I’m not against that concept at all—in fact, I think being banished to a unique realm with a mini-game to escape could be really fun and interesting from the survivor's perspective.
My question is: what does the killer gain from sending survivors to the Hopeless Exile Realm?
Hopefully, there is still some unrevealed incentive or progression tied to the Hopeless Exile Realm that makes it worthwhile for the killer to use. But based on what has been shown so far, it seems like banishing a survivor mainly just removes them from the trial temporarily and buys the killer some time. If there is no hook-state progression or some other meaningful benefit attached to it, then the killer is essentially spending time on a mechanic that does what hooking already does—temporarily remove a survivor from the trial—without providing the progression that comes with a hook.
And time is arguably the most valuable resource a killer has in DBD.
If banishing a survivor to the Hopeless Exile Realm only delays them, is easily countered, and provides no meaningful progression for the killer, then there is very little reason to use that part of the power. In that case, it becomes a weaker alternative to simply chasing and hooking the survivor. The mechanic could be incredibly fun for survivors while still feeling unrewarding or even detrimental for the person actually playing the killer.
That is ultimately the point I was trying to make with my suggestion. I think the Hopeless Exile Realm should remain interactive and unique for survivors, but there should also be a balanced incentive and some form of meaningful progression for the killer. Otherwise, the mechanic risks becoming something that looks great on paper and is fun to experience as a survivor, but that killers simply avoid using because it costs them time without advancing their objective.
I’m all for making this a fun and interactive killer to go against. I just think the killer also needs a reason to actually use the power. Otherwise, it risks becoming another temporary “take a survivor out of the chase” mechanic without the progression that makes hooking worthwhile. Hopefully, there is more to the Hopeless Exile Realm that hasn’t been revealed yet, but based on what has been shown so far, that incentive has not been made clear.
I really do hope, as we get closer to release, the developers will enlighten us on why sending a survivor to the Hopeless Exile Realm is actually a good incentive for the killer. Until then, I hope they see my post, because I genuinely think my suggestion offers a more balanced incentive than simply giving survivors beneficial buffs for being sent to a realm that is supposed to function as an interactive punishment.