Suggestions - Natural Vegetation, Trees, Bones, Hats, Fixing Items

[mobius187]

I just had some thoughts on my mind and I wanted to share them.

First off, don't you find it odd that birds are carrying seeds to plants that we can grow, but that we never find growing in the wild on any of the other island, with the exception of berries and carrits. Of course the fact that berries grow on berry bushes differs from the small plant we harvest in our garden that gives us berries. I think that it would be nice if we could find naturally growing vegetation, like pumpkin patches. These plants could be categorized just like berry bushes and carrots are now. For example you could dig-up the vines to relocate the pumpkin patch, but say potatoes would be only dug-up and then no more would grow there.

On the topic of plant life I can't help but think we need more trees. Apple and pear trees, for example, that players could harvest for 3-5 fruit, but then would take several days to regrow and could not be moved/replanted due to their size. More tropical trees, for bananas and coconuts may not fit with the climate, but if that ever changes (i.e. multi-climate islands) banana trees would be great for "Munkeys"...

Moving from plants to animals, I would like to see bones make an appearance in the game. Don't Starve has a certain macabre sense of humor and there are graves... but no bones. I would like it that whenever a beast dies, like a pig man, beefalo, rabbit or tall bird, that along with meat there should be bones. Maybe the bones are useable for constructing an invention (i.e. Beefalo Bone Shield) or for baiting a trap (if there is even a beast that eats bones). If not, then they could always remain on the map for several days as a grim reminder of some animal's misfortune. Maybe rabbit bones could even frighten other bunnies away or keep them in their holes, reducing your overall food supply.

And what about hats? I suggested this in another thread where we discussed hunting fireflies at night and the need for a torch. I think it would be a great idea if you could create an old school mining helmet, the kind that has a candle on it. It could be made from beeswax, grass (wick), and gold (for lack of another metal). Then you could wear it on your head to light the darkness around you while freeing-up your hands. Then, like a cross between a torch and beekeeper hat, it would deplete over time until it was extinguished.

Another hat I liked the idea of creating would be a pith helmet (or safari helmet) and maybe matching clothes to wear. Throw in a blunderbuss or flintlock rifle and you could go on safari...

Lastly, fixing items. While it's fine to keep using a tool until it breaks, some items like torches or logsuits are too risky to use until they expire. I have islands littered with logsuits that have anywhere from 15-35% durability. In those cases I dump them and create a new one, since wood and rope/grass are abundant. However I wouldn't mind if these items could be repaired, or if that's not in the cards that the hammer (mentioned by Kevin for the next update) will allow us to dismantle items placed on the ground for a small refund in resources (based on remaining durability perhaps).

Edited November 10, 2012 by mobius187

[mobius187]

Son of a bi... wrong forum section. Why can't I delete my thread? Sigh. I'll just have to wait for an Admin to move this thread over to Suggestions & Feedback.

Until then I wouldn't mind hearing people's thoughts.

UPDATE: I see it's been moved.

Edited November 6, 2012 by mobius187

[Kaliflour]

I would have to say I more or less agree with all of these ideas. I certainly agree that we need more variety in plants and trees, and to have harvest-able plants grown naturally around the world would make a lot of sense. I find the fact that our only source of seeds is birds right now to be somewhat contrived.

As far as climates are concerned, I don't see why there can't be multiple climates along with the multiple biomes. This would introduce a good opportunity for weather and status effects (frostbite, sunburn etc) as well as different flora.

And bones are something I've thought about before as well. I found it odd that the morsels you get from rabbits look like they have bones in them, but you don't get to keep them. Surely bones could be useful for something?

Item repair seems to fit the idea of the game perfectly, and feels like a natural extension of the current system. Simply drag a material over the item to repair it (for instance, combine flint and a worn pick to sharpen it).

The only thing I don't necessarily agree with are the guns. On the one hand, they sound cool, but on the other I feel like it might fit the style of the game more to have something more low-tech, such as a sling or javelin or bow. That's just me tho.

Again, great ideas! Hope the devs pick up some of them!

[501105]

Fully agreed with the above poster. Vegetables and seeds should not only come from birds, though there must not be too much patches of them in the world, otherwise surviving might get a little too easy. Also great idea about frostbite and sunburn, that would add an even greater relevance of weather and seasons and how to act in a certain season or weather type.

Bones is a fun idea if they have a handy use like small bone weapons or the like. Repairing items and guns I cant really get behind. Guns would feel very out of place and repairing items could make it all too easy.

[Peggle20]

While I agree with the suggestions, I would also add that a greater variety of items would also make inventory space much more scarce. Maybe supplement all this stuff with a craftable backpack or several backpacks that add additional inventory tabs?

[mobius187]

While repairing items may or may not make an appearance in the game, we all do know that the next tool on the way is the hammer. And the hammer's ability is to tear down objects to regain a % of their original resources and in turn provides us with a means to clean-up older structures that up until now are static once placed. To this end I suggest that inventory items, dropped on the ground, should also be salvageable with the hammer, thus letting us remove gear we no longer want and not litter the world with discarded log suits.

As for backpacks, word has it that an inventory solution is coming and it will be more interesting than backpacks. There's another thread on that topic elsewhere...

[Kaliflour]

Hmm... maybe 501105 has a point, now that I think on it, repairing items on the fly could make the game too easy. And I think a lack of difficulty is a bit of a problem right now. But that doesn't fix the problem of just having a junk, nearly broken item sitting in my inventory. However I don't think the use of the hammer to get back items is necessarily the best way to go, either. Perhaps a system whereby we could combine two like items to restore their durability? I know it's been done before, but it's also worked before, such as in games like Fallout and Minecraft.

[Bogpad]

well, if I end up with a 5% axe or pickaxe (since showel never has useless uses I will not count that tool as beening "useless" at any point), I usually use it to hunt down rabbits for some extra morsels, so I don't have to break it on a stone or tree just for the cause of breaking it, don't have to drop it spamming my island with broken tools, and end up having something usefull from its last few percent.

one thing I always end up hoping for, if I have a low % tool or especially a logsuit, since we can't do anything with these thing, that this stuff can be used to fuel my fire at night.

- - - Updated - - -

well, if I end up with a 5% axe or pickaxe (since showel never has useless uses I will not count that tool as beening "useless" at any point), I usually use it to hunt down rabbits for some extra morsels, so I don't have to break it on a stone or tree just for the cause of breaking it, don't have to drop it spamming my island with broken tools, and end up having something usefull from its last few percent.

one thing I always end up hoping for, if I have a low % tool or especially a logsuit, since we can't do anything with these thing, that this stuff can be used to fuel my fire at night.

[mobius187]

Bogpad... your Update is not very... updated.

I agree, in most cases I'll use tools until they break. However I ran into an odd situation when I crafted my first gold tools, namely that I still had my flint tools. My gold tools were better, so it felt like I should just abandon my old flint tools. It reminded me of the "wooden tools" in Minecraft. Once you collect some stone and made stone tools your wooden tools (usually the pick axe) were garbage.

The log suit is the best example however, as you never want to risk your life wearing a log sit with less than 30% durability. This is by far the item that litters my islands and I wish I could get rid of them in a manner that didn't endanger my life.

[Kaliflour]

Yes, and it would make sense that a logsuit would be burnable, I mean it's a log for heaven's sake. That's the thing about the wooden tools in Minecraft, you can burn them in a furnace, so they're at least good for something after you've upgraded your tools. Though I still end up tossing them most of the time...