(Lots of ) Questions about Enlightenment and the Island (spoilers, probably)

[kiwikenobi]

I understand that, obviously, this content is still in beta and might change, but the way things currently are, I have some questions.

 

[SPOILER WARNING, I guess...]

 

I haven't played the beta myself, but I've seen some videos (made by people who didn't really understand what was going on, either). I'm trying to understand the enlightenment mechanic. It seems to replace the sanity meter while on the island. Does being more sane equate to being more enlightened? Or is it the reverse? Or are they completely separate? If being enlightened makes you slow and sleepy and susceptible to attacks from a ghost thing, is there any benefit to being in that state? Is it just like being insane again, but with slightly different side effects? If you change your amount of enlightenment, when you leave the island, does this change reflect in your sanity, whether directly or reversed, or does it go back to the way it was before you went to the island?

 

Also, what benefit does the island give, other than the unique crafting station and the materials needed to craft the exclusive stuff? Or is that the main reason to go there? I assume there is/will be a boss there as well, so, the challenge part, I can understand. But in terms of just playing the game, what do you gain by visiting the island at all? Why go to the trouble of going there? I'm not saying there isn't a reason, I just want to understand more what it is. Is it just like another, harder-to-reach ruins, with unique monsters and things to craft and probably one or more difficult boss battles? Or is there more to it than that?

 

And don't even get me started on my questions about the lore. Just... Just don't even get me started. XD

I'll try to hold off on my lore questions until it's in a more finished state.

[Lemonsnoot]

Ive only played a little bit of it so far, so I’m far from an expert but heres a rough summary:

On the island, your sanity is essentially inverted. This is Lunacy. So when you are more sane in the normal land, you have higher llunacy and are enlightened. When you are less sane in the normal land, you are less enlightened and dont suffer the island’s drawbacks as hard. When you are enlightened, Creature similar to nightmare creatures spawn, called ‘Gestalt’. They try to run into you, and when they do, you gain lunacy and get tired. You will eventually fall asleep after contact with them. I also believe you passively gain lunacy (and sanity) when you stay on the island. 

 

As for reasons to raid the island, theres a new resource, moon glass, that you can use to create tools of better quality, which are renewable. There are also creatures that can drop otherwise difficult to obtain items, like dragonfruit. 

The main focus is obviously atmospheric, and likening it to an inversion of the ruins wouldnt be far off. It looks like the island will be less outright hazardous than the ruins, but still have its dangers and spooks

Edit: yeah, when you leave the island, your lunacy becomes sanity again, so you can effectly gain sanity there

[kiwikenobi]

Thanks for the information! I had sort of intuited that the island was a bit like a new ruins. I'm glad to understand it all better now. And it seems that the island basically makes sanity work backwards.

 

I have a new question: do things that lower sanity lower lunacy as well? Will people on the island be avoiding nice, cooked food and eating raw monster meat and raw green mushrooms instead, because it makes them feel better somehow? Will Willow avoid fire like the plague? Will everyone be hanging out in total darkness for as long as possible, going to the light only long enough to avoid being attacked by Charlie? Will Maxwell be at a horrible disadvantage, constantly getting more and more "enlightened" no matter how hard he tries? That... answers at least one of my questions about the lore that I didn't ask yet, if it's true. Is it?

[Zeklo]

4 minutes ago, kiwikenobi said:

I have a new question: do things that lower sanity lower lunacy as well?

Yep, there's even a new garland-type thing that lowers sanity to help you stabilize your lunacy. 

[kiwikenobi]

I think stabilizing lunacy and lowering lunacy are the same thing. Making the points in the meter go lower. Right? Or am I mistaken? Reducing lunacy makes you less sleepy and not able to be attacked by the ghost things, yes? Or does stabilizing mean something else? I genuinely don't know all how it works yet, so maybe stabilization is something different.

 

In any case, that's super interesting to me, lore-wise. The island is basically backwards land in terms of sanity. So many implications about the beings that live there, and the shadows on the mainland.

[Zeklo]

Just now, kiwikenobi said:

I think stabilizing lunacy and lowering lunacy are the same thing.

Yeah, I just mean stabilize as in: get you out of the Enlightenment threshold.

Also for the record, being Enlightened doesn't make you sleepy. You get a very "out of it" animation, but it's the Gestalt's attacking you that causes the drowsiness—and sleep if you get hit enough. 

[kiwikenobi]

This is all very useful and interesting information. Thank you!

[Rellimarual]

4 hours ago, Zeklo said:

Yep, there's even a new garland-type thing that lowers sanity to help you stabilize your lunacy. 

I missed that! What tab?

[Electroely]

59 minutes ago, Rellimarual said:

I missed that! What tab?

[Rellimarual]

I wondered what that kelp was for, thanks!