how to recognize hunts and/or ghost events?

[Senpai so Ecchi]

since the last few patches, im having really big trouble recognizing when the ghost is hunting or doing a ghost event.

the biggest issue i believe is the fact that the heartbeat soundeffect plays both in the hunt AND in ghost events now.

this makes me run away everytime the heartbeat sound effect starts, and it is getting really annoying.
add to the that the removal of the flickering flashlight and checking the radio static to see if a hunt is going on (both actions will propably kill you now).

so, for any players here with more experience.
how the heck do you distinguish a hunt from a ghost event?

[Huiléole (FR)]

The easiest way is to turn a light near the ghost room on. When most ghost events start, the lights will be turned off. The only exception is the red light I think.
When a hunt starts, the lights will always flicker instead of being turned off.
Also you can't turn on or off any light during a hunt, so it helps knowing when the hunt has ended.

But there are also some other indicators :
- If the ghost appear instantly, it is a ghost event
- If you hear some special sounds, it is also a ghost event
- If you hear the door being locked (and not just shut), it is a hunt. The sound is so loud that you can hear it at the total opposite of any map, even on Asylum

And don't forget to reopen the main door after any hunt, so you can hear the door being locked.

[thrythlind]

This video goes over some basic tips:

https://youtu.be/iR8l2jUT2J8

[StaticR]

During ghost events:
• The ghost can only do a ghost event somewhat near a player.
• The ghost will teleport for a ghost event so a follow up event a few seconds after will likely not be from the same place where the previous one ended.
• The ghost won't flicker and stay constantly visible. (Can appear as fullly visible, only a shadow or stealth invisibility effect. It can also appear as a floating mist ball which is often confused which freezing temperatures)
• The ghost will appear immediatly.
• Depending on the type of ghost event the ghost may not appear at all.
• The room lights turn off (or on) right at the start.
• The ghost will make different noises each time (notably the "ring around the rosie", low pitch "relaxed" humming and heavy breathing while running towards you immediatly give it away as a ghost event, but it can also do random hunting noises).

During hunts:
• If the sanity is low enough for the ghost to be able to hunt, the ghost can start a hunt at any time from anywhere it was currently at.
• If it hunts right after a ghost event it will be wherever the ghost event had just ended.
• The ghost make the same ghost noises every hunt (randomized per round).
• The ghost will have a grace period and won't be visible immediatly, but make it's typical hunting sounds. (Grace period lenght is 2s-5s depending on difficulty)
• After appearing the ghost will flicker in and out of visibility constantly. (Can appear as fullly visible, only a shadow or stealth invisibility effect)
• During a hunt, all light switches in the map will not be interactable. (useful to check when far away)
• After a hunt has ended all light switches in the map will switch off.

[Shiny cursed Potato]

Originally posted by Huiléole (Fr):

The easiest way is to turn a light near the ghost room on. When most ghost events start, the lights will be turned off. The only exception is the red light I think.
When a hunt starts, the lights will always flicker instead of being turned off.
Also you can't turn on or off any light during a hunt, so it helps knowing when the hunt has ended.

But there are also some other indicators :
- If the ghost appear instantly, it is a ghost event
- If you hear some special sounds, it is also a ghost event
- If you hear the door being locked (and not just shut), it is a hunt. The sound is so loud that you can hear it at the total opposite of any map, even on Asylum

And don't forget to reopen the main door after any hunt, so you can hear the door being locked.

Dont forget, doors also shut if the ghost event is in a room/corridor leading to the main door it also shuts them. And with the chaos thats happening with a hunt its easy to miss the locking sound