Walani, and why she's perfect for Return of Them

[Canis]

Spoiler

Before I get into this, I want to get some things out of the way. I have a reputation for elitist and ignorant idea threads as of 2019, and the threads that encapsulate these I look back with really poor feelings, save for maybe the Willow-related ones. In my previous Walani thread I even popped a joke that was in poor taste. But none of this is going to happen this time, I assure you. I'm also posting a thread about Walani again because JoeW specifically said in the 2020 roadmap that they're listening to conversations about new content, and I want it to be known that there's an audience for her to be added to DST.

Im not writing this at midnight like the last thread, so there's actually good thought put into it this time.

 

Let's talk about Walani. More specifically, let's talk about her possible relation with Return Of Them.

RoT is based on ocean exploration, focusing on the lunar island and other materials / spoils you can gather from the ocean. However, traversing the waters is slow and clunky. That's where Walani comes in. She could be the character that allows players to easily explore (and focus on) RoT content, since she as a character is also inherently based on the ocean, with her being a surfer and all. She would of course require a refresh similar to Warly as her Singleplayer perks/stats are just... awfully bland. However, I am not going to give ideas for said perks and stats, because ultimately she'd be based around the ocean, and only Klei can possibly know the end-result of the ocean, meaning only Klei can possibly know how to make Walani the most fun and balanced.

Before you cry "OP" about Walani being able to b-line towards Lunar Island, Woodie can reliably and consistently find Lunar Island on the first day or two with his goose form. In regards to Woodie not being able to interact with anything while in Goose form, Woodie doesn't *specialize* in the ocean. He is a generalist that has the ability to get to Lunar Island. Walani, on the other hand, WOULD specialize in the ocean, allowing her to reap all of the ocean goodies without the hassle of sailing. Maybe Klei could even make Walani favor a boat base in some way, who knows?

I *do* have some small ideas regarding a Walani refresh. Some are salvaged from the previous thread, some are newly thought up (ily @Axelocke)

Spoiler

 

*She could make surfboards, big shocker, but could make different versions, such as a Driftwood Surfboard which gives a use to Driftwood other than it's very limited crafting recipes. This version of the surfboard could be faster than a regular surfboard, but could have less max durability. Another upgrade beyond that could be the "Sea Queen's' Surfboard". I salvaged this idea from the last thread mainly because the name sounds cool, BUT it could be used in mid-late game, giving players a reason to keep playing as her. It's crafting recipe could call for, say, living logs and gold?

* Sanity Auras and modifiers would have less of an impact on Walani, possibly both positive and negative. Instant sanity changes could also possibly be affected) The only item that isnt affected by these modifiers would be sleeping, which goes well into the next idea.

* She could create a hammok, which works like a tent except stats increase/drain at a faster rate. This means that you would go hungry faster, but gain health/sanity faster as well. This sorta alleviates the downside of sleeping (and why you don't see pros doing it), which is the fact that they are a time sink.

*For the next Hallowed Nights, she can be a Slurper.

*Not directly related to Walani, but the ocean could have naturally occurring waves like SW, allowing Walani to surf on them for extra speed, but move around boats without an anchor. Waves are already in DST (Malbatross and the gnarwail's horn) so it shouldn't be *too* hard. It may even be a secret planned feature, which I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

 

 

If you have ideas or opinions on DST Walani, share them here. Let's hope this doesn't turn into a dumpster fire like the last time.

 

[-Nick-]

Nah. I want papa Wagstaff reunite with his rebellious teenager son WX-78

[Canis]

Just now, Nickolai said:

Nah. I want papa Wagstaff reunite with his rebellious teenager son WX-78

boi I know you didn't read the entire post in that amount of time.

[Primalflower]

nah wilba epic

[-Nick-]

1 minute ago, Canis said:

boi I know you didn't read the entire post in that amount of time.

[Mike23Ua]

I say let her craft Surfboards that she can give to other players to use, but let them degrade over use so she isn’t a One and then Done character.

Why WOULDNT they degrade over use? Wurt Masks Do.. and those actually prevent people from being horribly murdered in a couple of seconds when Wurts friends realize her “Other Friends” Don’t have Scales.

Wigfrid Spears and Helms Degrade as Well.

Meanwhile Walani Herself should have a special non-degrading board as part of her Kit like Woodies Lucy Axe, The Codex Umbra, Abigails Flower Etc. (please let this look distinctively different from the boards she crafts for others by maybe perhaps looking more Professional and with the trade mark Shark Bite in it?)

Walani should also be able to “Plant” her surfboard into the ground and rest propped against it (Chill Surfer Gal) I have absolutely no idea what this would do in terms of Stats and effects- so I’ll just leave that entirely up to Klei to decide.

As I had mentioned before in another Walani thread- What can Walani Surfboards Do that the current Boat Cookies can not? Easier maneuverability, can fit into tiny streams Boat Cookies won’t fit into, and.. you won’t have to build a fully functional ship to pick a few Kelp that’s near the shore.

But don’t look at Surfboards as an answer to everything (Except For Walani of course haha.) Because they will degrade over use.. and you will Wipe Out.

TL:DR Walani’s special perk has always been a Surfboard, I don’t expect that to change much.

[ButterStuffed]

Walani in DST would be pretty nice. Obviously though like you said she would have to be completely reworked.

What if we worked off of Walani's inherent apathy towards things. Basically beefing up her original 10% reduced sanity multiplier for everything and making it actually substantial. Something along the lines of a much higher resistance towards all sanity effects when some threshold is met. Maybe it could be based off of how hungry Walani is or maybe even have it so that this resistance only occurs when her sanity is above say 75%. This would enable her to more effectively use insanity inducing items but only if given a little preparation. Walani could get like a 60% resistance to sanity reduction in exchange for some of her hunger or something like that.

They would have to make more items that are actually useful but consume sanity type of items though to make it actually a really useful ability.

Also the ability to more freely travel through the water with her surfboard would be pretty sweet. I can't see how it would be all that overpowered since there isn't much going on in the ocean at the moment.

[me real life]

I'd like Walani in DST, but I feel like most the ideas people come up with for her just don't fit the spirit of her SW gameplay. Personally the kind of thing I'd like is:

- The surfboard is now equipped in the hand slot, and Walani automatically does a sick flip onto it whenever you approach the water with it equipped, and does the same when you approach land from water. It can also be used as a very very low damage weapon that breaks like a prop sign after a few attacks, so that there's a way to dispose of unwanted surfboards.
- Since the surfboard takes up the hand slot, Walani can't use tools or weapons on the water (but can still do any action that doesn't involve the hand slot, like picking up items), and it's impossible to unequip the surfboard if you're not on land.
- Surfboards can only be driven by Walani (anyone can use them as a weapon), but each one has a passenger slot. A passenger can jump onto the surfboard from land while Walani's using it, and they'll stand behind her and hold onto her shoulders (with either excitment or extreme fear depending on which survivor it is), Once Walani goes back onto land, the passenger is automatically ejected with a much less graceful landing.
- The passenger can't interact with anything while on the surfboard, but they'd have an "abandon ship"-esque option and maybe the ability to use a few emotes?
- The surfboard loses durability over time but can always be repaired by boat patches.
- She's affected noticeably less by any sort of sanity drain except from food, and dries off way faster than in SW. The problem with those perks in SW is that they're not noticeable at all, so the numbers should be cranked up a lot.
- Hunger drain stays the same as SW. It's a good downside that doesn't matter much in regular gameplay, but makes a noticeable difference when trying to rely on low hunger food strats (like honey or nettles... or blubber.)

Other smaller notes are that I want a lotus-patterned surfboard skin, and a skin for Walani that shows her directly after a wipeout, with her wet hair out of the buns and in her face. Neither are gameplay related but I have such a vivid image of them in my mind.

I think this fits the spirit of Walani very well. Walani in SW is a character with a boat that's usually more useful than any other (due to more extreme speed boosts from waves than regular boats get), and then some bonus attributes that don't stop you from playing mostly the same as anyone else while on land. While waves are irrelevant here, the surfboard would still be really good for everything except non-deep-bass fishing. You could ferry people to and from the lunar islands, you could find a shoal and immediately plop down a boat to fish (and then fight the Malbatross), and you could clean up the salt that friends mine from the brine shoals.

Also you could hunt people down in PvP and stunlock them to death with a full inventory of surfboards, that's pretty cool.

[Canis]

10 minutes ago, Sunset Skye said:

snip

What's this? Something we agree on? Blasphemy.

I never thought of the surfboard taking the hand slot, primarily because I envisioned Walani being an "errand girl" and going and using a pickaxe to get salt and stuff.

I am enticed by sick flips, though.

[ShyRo-Zyerenzy]

I want her able to use tools in while surfing, jump into a boat . ( so you can literally also craft and place instantly boats around you. It would be easier to find specific locations as her to setup that. )

Be able to fight obviously in the sea while surfing. 

I like the tent upgrade Canis , thats really interesting.

A bonus-penalty trait in the sea. Something like.. less hunger drain in the sea, but gets high on ground. You know, when you get in the mood to surf, you literally forget about everything else. ( it doesnt have to be specifically this, but something similar to encourage living in the sea , not something that literally screams this is your only option. Just something that says, here is better )

Hmmm... sharing or being able to carry one in the surf boat its really nice suggestion aswell. But i would like that they also can atleast hold an item, like for example a lantern, or being able to mine too. So it would make this feature friendly and interesting if a duo wants to go with her. They should be able to jump to the boat too.  One part insides me says they should also be able to use tools heh.. it would be more fun and interesting as a feature. Imagine mining in the dark while your friend holds the lantern (ofc you can just.. miner hat, but its a duo and flexibility is always welcome )

I would like, an item that can be used as a marker in the sea. But idk if it should be a crafting that she can make .

Like sea buoys , like different tiers, just to make hey this path, or a higher tier that has a tiny ilumination radious. ( is that out of character?.. )

[Anomen77]

Quote

3 hours ago, Sunset Skye said:

I'd like Walani in DST, but I feel like most the ideas people come up with for her just don't fit the spirit of her SW gameplay. Personally the kind of thing I'd like is:

- The surfboard is now equipped in the hand slot, and Walani automatically does a sick flip onto it whenever you approach the water with it equipped, and does the same when you approach land from water. It can also be used as a very very low damage weapon that breaks like a prop sign after a few attacks, so that there's a way to dispose of unwanted surfboards.
- Since the surfboard takes up the hand slot, Walani can't use tools or weapons on the water (but can still do any action that doesn't involve the hand slot, like picking up items), and it's impossible to unequip the surfboard if you're not on land.
- Surfboards can only be driven by Walani (anyone can use them as a weapon), but each one has a passenger slot. A passenger can jump onto the surfboard from land while Walani's using it, and they'll stand behind her and hold onto her shoulders (with either excitment or extreme fear depending on which survivor it is), Once Walani goes back onto land, the passenger is automatically ejected with a much less graceful landing.
- The passenger can't interact with anything while on the surfboard, but they'd have an "abandon ship"-esque option and maybe the ability to use a few emotes?
- The surfboard loses durability over time but can always be repaired by boat patches.

Of all the Walani suggestions I've readen this is the one I like the most. People seem to forget that the reason Klei hasn't added Shipwrecked boats into DST is because they want people to use the new coop boats. A character that can craft boats for everyone would just turn the DST sea into Shipwrecked 2.0: No waves edition.

However, if only she can use the surfboard and be limited to a transportation role without being able to interact with anything, still requiring the coop boats for fighting, fishing, salt mining, and any future content, I can get behind. I'd still prefer some other new character over her, though.

[ArubaroBeefalo]

I dont see the point of wetness resistance and surf in this game. If they release her will need a huge rework of her perks. When you have discover the hot spots of the sea, walani will be almost useless (even in SW her perks are so weak)

[Psychomaniac]

Nah, Wilbur is better.... you know because Reasons.

P/s: Just kidding, your Walani as you said sure perfect, but i only love Wilbur , and you know people usually say: "love is blind".

[Guest]

i'd prefer woodlegs over walani

https://forums.kleientertainment.com/forums/topic/114550-woodlegs-into-dst/

 

[maciu67]

Wilba, Wheeler, Wagstaff > Walani, Woodlegs, Wilbur

[Mike23Ua]

People Say “Only Walani should be able to use Surfboards” But How does this help her at all with new TEAM perks?

AND What If Klei Adds other peoples Ideas to the game too like @FuffledBeeQueen Elevated Plots of Land (Which we all know they’re Closely watching)

So Imagine Two walls of Canyons with a River Small enough that large Boats won’t fit into the center of. Walani needs to be able to share Surfboards for that reason alone.

Let her craft them for others, but for Non-Walani’s they have a Durability Meter and can’t be used to surf all the way out to the Lunar Island.. because they wouldn’t last that long, Surfboards main use for everyone who is NOT Walani would be for picking up little things on short trips, such as kelp close to shore or you can hop off the boat and use them as a means of quick escape should your boat meet an untimely demise.

Characters who are NOT Walani do not have EXPERT Surfer Skills so they would have a harder time not wiping out? (Which is why they would have the Durability Meter in the first place..) Non-Walani Characters will start to Lose balance & Wipe out into the water.

I Disagree with the board taking the HAND SLOT though, because How would you hold a Torch or Lantern through the night?

————————————-

A BETTER Idea is just like in Reality.. a Surfboard would only be able to carry so much WEIGHT, so maybe be a BACKPACK SLOT and used for short trips to gather very limited amounts of Resources?

[ArubaroBeefalo]

1 hour ago, Psychomaniac said:

Nah, Wilbur is better.... you know because Reasons.

P/s: Just kidding, your Walani as you said sure perfect, but i only love Wilbur , and you know people usually say: "love is blind".

actually wilbur could be op if splumonkeys dont atack him xD

[DavePlaysDST]

there i did what i knew how to do done did deleted you happy now you person that draws walani nudes?

[ShadowDuelist]

Unless the game adds many threats in the water that require a side player "scouting" the ocean, or the possibility to literally live moving across islands I see no point to add Walani, even with the changes suggested. She'd be a character that would fall flat really fast in the game, adding nearly nothing interesting to the team. 

I can see that she is liked due to her personaility and the fact that she is a surfer, which is indeed pretty cool, but I don't find any interesting mid to late game uses in the perks suggested.

If a sea character is added it needs to complement the other players and the current boating system, not just give them surfboards or take them for a ride. We already have a sea scout as Woodie, its redundant to add "just a beter one".

Also there are other sea mechanics that a sea character could focus on, like easier fishing or befriending the sea life.

[Desblat]

The question about Walani is not "Does she suit for high seas of DST?". She suits perfectly.

The thing is: Walani is not Walani w/o her board. But her board requires mechanic of single-player small boats. And that's what Klei doesn't want to port.

Porting entire big mechanic for a single character isn't likely.

[WoodieMain45684]

11 hours ago, Canis said:

explore (and focus on) RoT content

I would like Walani for DST, but I think that the ocean needs more resources for Walani's surfboard based perks to really be effective. If they continue to add resources to the ocean that surpass the stuff we find such as stone fruit bushes, salt, and surf and turf. Then Walani's perks would be worth it and make her a viable character.

55 minutes ago, ShadowDuelist said:

Also there are other sea mechanics that a sea character could focus on, like easier fishing or befriending the sea life.

I like quicker sea fishing, it would give a character a support style role IMO maybe she can get fish fast enough to surpass the healing rate of jellybeans.

I just thought of a pretty interesting downside as well that probably will change the gameplay. Gimme your thoughts about it. What if Walani get better hunger restoration from sea based foods (fish, bull kelp), but less hunger restoration from land based foods. This also doesn't have to be tied to Walini as well, this might be a more interesting perk for Woodlegs than just sanity loss on land. 

 

[GenomeSquirrel]

she's a surfer, on a surfboard, surfboards are comparable to floaties for ocean travel

why not pick the pirate guy who uses a good boat and spent days in the ocean compared to her hours slightly off shore, with no intention or capability of exploring

[WoodieMain45684]

3 minutes ago, Desblat said:

The thing is: Walani is not Walani w/o her board. But her board requires mechanic of single-player small boats. And that's what Klei doesn't want to port.

Porting entire big mechanic for a single character isn't likely.

They don't have to port sw boats to make this work ya know? They could use similar code from the goose and a different set of animations to allow Walani to have a surfboard without the whole boat system being ported. Just wanted to let cha know, ya know.

[ShadowDuelist]

Also a naval type of character would get more interesting if they add lakes or smaller oceans with new and different threats in the caves. Otherwise any water related perks would not have any meaning in the underworld.

The only 2 "water related" characters at this point, Wurt and Woodie, have many other advantages at the caves, not making you miss water down there.

[Desblat]

2 hours ago, WoodieMain45684 said:

They don't have to port sw boats to make this work ya know? They could use similar code from the goose and a different set of animations to allow Walani to have a surfboard without the whole boat system being ported. Just wanted to let cha know, ya know.

Your point doesn't contradict mine. Making surfboard basing it off goose is exactly as hard as porting entire boat system from SW, the thing is - small boats/surfs are a big mechanic that changes enteraction with water.

Walani launches surfboard:

Can she hold items in hands? - No? How does she stay in ocean in night? No way? = Very odd design. I don't believe klei would go in that direction.

Yes? Walani equips weapons and tools = SW mechanics port.