Coop Adventure Mode, Your ideas!

[Serpens]

Hi all

I had the idea to make a mod that allows playing the DS adventure mode in DST with friends.

But the problem is, that I neither own, nor know the DS game. I only read a bit here and there.
So I need YOUR help.

Tell me if the adventure mode contains DLCs and post ideas how the chapters could be balanced for DST.
Eg. I read that in adventure mode DS it rains during summer. This is of course not possible in DST, so I guess we have to add spring. But how long should it be?
And what other things are important, when porting the adventure mode to DST?

[MidrealmDM]

There is some good info on the wiki here

There are 5 chapters in adventure mode, to travel to the next chapter you must find the things and assemble the device to advance to the next chapter. The goal is not just simple survival, but survival long enough to move to the next chapter.
" Players can take up to four items of their choice with them when teleporting between chapters. Wilson's Beard does not count as an item, so it is maintained. WX-78's stat increases from eating gears also is carried over between chapters. Any character-specific item will also be replaced, meaning you do not have to bring them with you. Also, any built but not yet placed structures will carry over with the player, ready to be deployed in the next world."
I would like to suggest that all players be alive and present to advance to the next chapter, but since some players may drop out of the game and not return to the server again, that seems like a game-killing requirement

However, if not all players transport to the next chapter at the same time, then it would probably require that each 'chapter' be maintained as its own world, much like the caves are handled in DST right now.
Alternatively, when players assemble the things and start the next chapter, any new player joining the server should start at the new world/chapter. However this means the new player might be disadvantaged by not starting with any carryover items or any crafting recipes learned from the previous chapter.

Idea: If the server were ever empty (no players) the chapters would reset to chapter 1, and the players would have to start over. This alone might make it challenging enough for DST, since they would have to always keep at least one player active on the server. And player would have to marathon through the chapters.

Idea: Several chapters use wormholes, since the goal is to work together in DST it might be an idea to implement some sort of variant "Wormhole Gates" that required a player activate it with a switch or something, to turn it on or open it temporarily. Or perhaps for as long as the player stands on a 'pressure plate'. Locations of the switch may require that a second player stay behind to re-open the wormholes, otherwise the first player may become trapped.
By placing aggressive mobs near the switches, you can further increase the level of cooperation by requiring a third player to run interferance/distraction, while the second player used the switch to allow the first player to use the wormhole.
These gates could serve as key factors in almost every adventure mode chapter.

Cold Reception (chapter 1,2, or 3)- Short Seasons (3 days of winter 6 days of rainy summer/spring) and and very short daylight hours (see the wiki for more details on hazards, dangers, and resource shortages).
Although the shortage of food makes it difficult at first, once players start harvesting any frogs (from Frog Rain), it becomes almost a non issue.
The short seasons make for little time to prepare, in DST I imagine that it would be easier since the duties can be divided, for this reason I would think it might be necessary to make it harder in DST.
Idea: Adjusting the insulation level for clothing etc, to lower resistance to cold, and then give each character an 'aura' the provides warmth/insulation in a nearby area. Players would find that they may have to stay in groups of two or three to keep their body temperature up, making division of tasks a bit harder.

King of Winter (chapter 1,2,3, or 4)- Never Ending Winter, with very short periods of daylight.
The cold here is a relatively minor annoyance compared to the difficulty in keeping sanity up. With so little daylight and long periods of dusk and night, loss of sanity becomes problematic. further there are sections that require players pass obelisks.
With the winter causing shortage of food and other resources, I think DST would be very difficult. Although a coordinated effort to find the things and get past the chapter quickly might work well.

The Game is Afoot (chapter 1,2,3, or 4)- Starts in Winter, after 10 days changes to Neverending Spring (or summer without RoG) - a Central 'safe' area surrounded by dangerous areas or islands.
Groups of mobs block various bridges that connect the other areas or islands. these blockades can be spider nests, hound mounds, tallbirds, killer bee hives, clockwork monster, and tentacle laden swamps.
I would imagine that an organized group could distract the enemies letting a single player dart past to the other side. this means that the threat to DST players should be increased.
 

Archipelago (chapter 1,2,3, or 4) - Six islands connected by wormholes, each island predominantly a single biome, although many have a second smaller section of a different biome.
Each island (aside from the one you start on) has one of the things on it. Wormholes may lead into the middle of aggressive mobs (such as spiders or killer bees)
Again the divide and conquer aspect may give an advantage to DST, particularly if using a ghost character to scout areas.

Idea: The idea of wormhole gates would make archipelago more difficult, since the players would never know if they would need to leave someone behind or if they would all need to pass through the gate.

Two Worlds (chapter 3, or 4 only)- Here Maxwell asks for a truce, the starting world is rich with resources and long day cycle. In order to find the things to reach the next part of adventure mode, you must use wormholes to reach a new world. Some wormholes are one way.
Idea: Although expressed as a different world, this is possible to achieve as simply an isolated island.
In the new world and traveling through certain wormholes will cause a time shift, changing the length of the day night cycle, meaning you can enter a wormhole during day, and arrive at the other end during night.
If the time changing aspect is kept, then it bring difficulties for DST players, who may find themselves plunged into night due to another players actions.

Darkness (chapter 5)- There is no daylight, only eternal night. This chapter has several difficulties associated with it (see the wiki)
The overall lack of resources make this level difficult, and with each player needing a light source, resources can be burned through quickly. In DST the best option would be to stay together in groups, to conserve light building resources.
Players who can't work together to complete this will have enough difficulties.

 

 

[Jayween1]

Hey, how is this project going? I would really love to see Adventure mode for DST!

[Serpens]

Hi

for the past weeks I stopped development, because the map archipel is very very hard to realize. Island generation is broken in DST and I'm not such an expert like Kzisor =/  And at the moment I have not enough knowledge to make a workaround, like making connected "islands" but blocked with basalt. I would need to spend several days to learn how I can generate my custom world, for what the motivation is lacking ...

If there are any experienced modders who would like to help me, they are welcome, also with other stuff

The basic concept is already done, so with connected "islands" you can already play all the worlds, find the teleporato parts and go over to the next world   And I introduced the basic concept of minor quests, to make the game more interesting plus a handfull quests.

But I have no clue how to introduce real Coop concepts , since the number of players can variate...
And of course there is a ton of things that can be added to an adventure mod, which would make this mod a endless mod.. and I don't want to spend endless time on it
That's why I lack important motivation at the moment ^^

Edited December 9, 2016 by Serpens

[Serpens]

I stopped development of the mod, cause I have not enough time/motivation to continue at the moment.

I uploaded the unfinished version here:

Any modder can download and continue working on this project, but of course with some credits to me
Maybe, with some help, I will get new motivation and we can finish this project in a team