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(I don't know if there's an established term for this, but I refer to it as dead-ends. Dead-ends are part of the DS gameplay where the effort-reward or existence-purpose balance is off. It's a bit subjective, but things I consider dead-ends include spiky trees (no purpose), fern (no purpose), RoG summer (no reward), walrus tusk (over-reward/no purpose; it drops easier than the ToS and can be used for nothing except the walking cane which is eternal while the ToS can be worn out and given to pigs), and my personal favorite mosquitos and mosquito sacks (mosquitoes are way less logical to use in "chest bombs" than bees and only drop mosquito sacks, which are a less useful medicine than spider glands because they can't be upgraded and it isn't like the only place you can get mosquito sacks isn't overrun with spiders either). There's overlap with non-renewables, but it's not quite the same thing.)

 

What draws me to DS is its extensive cost-benefit web that makes up most of the gameplay, especially if there's multiple routes to accomplish a goal. It's fun to not only figure out how to get what you want but also experiment with what the best/most pleasing method is for yourself. To be clear, I'm not negative about dead-ends. Even if they have no gameplay purpose, they might still help the world feel fuller. I mean, spiky trees definitely give an own look to the swamp and the desert that the useful trees could not manage.

 

My favorite kind of update brings new content that gives (more) purpose to old content. For instance, the DST water balloon is a great idea that I hope will make its way to sp DS one day (+ blood sausage recipe utilizing mosquito sacks for non-RoG, plz). RoG's addition of mini glaciers makes pengull hunting a lot more rewarding, and don't get me started on how the moggles changed my attitude regarding depths worms from "oh dear lady, no..." to "come out, come out wherever you are, lovelies!". When I first tried RoG I worried the extra difficulty would dampen the fun, but it turned out that the undoing of several non-renewables and dead-ends + new content easily made the new difficulties a fun compromise/challlenge instead (give or take Summer, because Summer only takes). Heck, I'd like the game to be even harder (caged birds have no reason not to starve if not fed for a while) if it'd allow the player to get more use out of the items and environment.

 

But I know there are people who consider non-renewables and dead-ends part of the experience, as they add consequences to choices and have their part in the exploration of the game's possibilities. I've been curious for a long while what the preference overall is among players and how big the division is. So, well, I'm hoping you'll share what your views on DS's gameplay are and whichever tweaks you'd make if you could.

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I would say that if everything had a purpose, it would detract from the uncompromising-ness of the game. I mean, people are sometimes just waiting, sleeping through every night so they can get a giant, but there is none of that in the summer time. It is the one season that is purely dreadful, and you have to try to make it through, which isn't true of the 2nd spring/winter.

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I shouldn't have watched The Beginner's Guide before reading this...

I apologize, but I don't know what you mean to say. Are you referring to the spiritual successor to TSP?

 

I would say that if everything had a purpose, it would detract from the uncompromising-ness of the game. I mean, people are sometimes just waiting, sleeping through every night so they can get a giant, but there is none of that in the summer time. It is the one season that is purely dreadful, and you have to try to make it through, which isn't true of the 2nd spring/winter.

I've spoken about RoG Summer many times already, so keeping this short. My problem isn't how difficult Summer is, but that there's no activities to plan for it. Once you've mastered it, and you will, that's it, unlike spring and winter. I could choose worlds with no/minimal Summer and lose nothing, especially not if I put the Dragonfly on many for its scales. Compare night, which is also something purely to survive. Still, I never remove night despite that I spend most of it stuck at a fire because it takes away blue mushroom time, firefly gathering time, beefalo shaving time, general creatures-that-sleep-are-easy-prey time, and full moon effects time, all of which I might want to make use of. There's an imperative to not just live, but to take on the danger, which makes it an altogether more engaging part of the experience. RoG Summer effectively only offers the cactus flower, which you need protection for to harvest and which can't be used for anything lasting, and is the only season to specifically discourage travel both for your own sake and the world's.

 

I mean, I understand the argument that purposelessness is part of the gameplay, but Summer's like a fourth of the entire thing. I've got trouble understanding people enjoy that.

 

I'm all for that blood sausage.

Team "More Marsh Cuisine"!

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I've spoken about RoG Summer many times already, so keeping this short. My problem isn't how difficult Summer is, but that there's no activities to plan for it. Once you've mastered it, and you will, that's it, unlike spring and winter. I could choose worlds with no/minimal Summer and lose nothing, especially not if I put the Dragonfly on many for its scales. Compare night, which is also something purely to survive. Still, I never remove night despite that I spend most of it stuck at a fire because it takes away blue mushroom time, firefly gathering time, beefalo shaving time, general creatures-that-sleep-are-easy-prey time, and full moon effects time, all of which I might want to make use of. There's an imperative to not just live, but to take on the danger, which makes it an altogether more engaging part of the experience. RoG Summer effectively only offers the cactus flower, which you need protection for to harvest and which can't be used for anything lasting, and is the only season to specifically discourage travel both for your own sake and the world's.

 

I mean, I understand the argument that purposelessness is part of the gameplay, but Summer's like a fourth of the entire thing. I've got trouble understanding people enjoy that.

 

 I see where you are coming from. I feel like the game would be improved if summer had a higher level of reward, and maybe make that reward extra dangerous. Like you can get a treeguard boss that drops burnt living logs that can be placed as fires for one night, and maybe used in a crafting recipe. Maybe not another boss, but something along those lines. Like fire spiders or something

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