General questions to the community about the state of the game's updates

[Frosty_Mentos]

Do you think that everyone's expectations for the game content has risen or fallen as of since A New Reign and Forge/Gorge events to the current free expansion Return of Them?

Answering that, what do you think of the recent updates, direction of the roadmaps that been presented and (or have not been) delivered? And your own take of what the community thinks on what Don't Starve Together is heading for?

Optionally: As the updates are still not over since I'm putting these questions here, do you think you're happy(unhappy) of the game's current state? 

[Well-met]

I've joined the game shortly after A New Reign so I literally have no idea how it feels like to have new mainland content. 

I guess farming revamp is as good as it gets

[tulips]

You can do a poll.Give a score.

Two years later, they came back, and it was the end.

 

In my opinion, in terms of content, it is far inferior to shipwrecks or towns, even Canyon and furnace activities.

This update, plus a higher level of moon technology, is better. On the whole, the experience is average. It's time to start the next series of updates.

A lot of people in the community like to boast, even if it's not very good content.

Well, I'd better not say it. I hope my English translated by app won't be abused.

[BezKa]

I like it. Many updates brought a lot great stuff to the game, QoL updates are loved by everyone. I think people are expecting too much sometimes, you can't completely override the entire game with an update to make it unrecognizable. Expanding the world can't be easy, especially while trying to keep the base intact. People voice their disappointment on forums very loudly, but if content was bad and upsetting everyone, devs would have removed it. The fact they don't means people are enjoying the updates enough. 

[thegreatJash]

I wasn't around during the Forge or Gorge events, but, from what I can tell, that were when DST was the most popular? (Correct me if I'm wrong).

I think that a lot of people weren't as exited for the new lunar stuff as they were for A New Reign content. I think a reason for this is because the new content isn't exactly game-changing and if you don't go out of your way to participate in it, it barely changes the game at all. On the other hand, when A New Reign added Bee Queen and Klaus and Fuelweaver, all that stuff was game defining, Bundling Wrap, Bee Queen Crowns, Bone Armor and all the other stuff they added was worth the effort put into getting it and many people cannot imagine playing the game without these items. The same can't be exactly said with Glass Cutters, Malbatross Sails, and the Strident Trident, because many people decide to not participate in the ocean content at all. I can't say that for myself, because I personally really like the new lunar and ocean content that Klei has been adding. It's great stuff in my opinion. However, I think the excitement and expectations for these next few RoT updates will automatically be raised, since it seems like these updates will be the last of RoT and will most likely add something game-changing, which we have yet to see from the current update chain in my opinion. 

[tulips]

My partner told me that it was a free update. Just say it. Good, good, great.

Sadness

[Owlrust]

To tell you the truth, I don't know what the community wants anymore. Some people want the game to return to its roots as an uncompromising survival game, whereas others are fine with quirky mechanics. Overall I just don't see the devs satisfying everyone in the community.

As for myself, I feel that the devs are trying their best to fill in the main world with content and that limits how much (or what) they can do with it. I think it's getting time for them to move onto a different world/atmosphere like what they did with H or SW; in my opinion those dlcs worked because they had a vastly different environment which allowed for different mechanics and encounters/interactions. 

TL;DR: I think the series would be better off if it explored different avenues in similar vein to the way they created the dlcs. 

[ZTheNecromancer]

48 minutes ago, Owlrus said:

To tell you the truth, I don't know what the community wants anymore. Some people want the game to return to its roots as an uncompromising survival game, whereas others are fine with quirky mechanics. Overall I just don't see the devs satisfying everyone in the community.

From what I can tell from a couple observations. It seems there's just a very loud, picky few that wants the game to return to its roots (Particularly on the forums). Exclaiming things along the lines of "You're killing the game.", "This is useless.", or criticizing it for taking a direction that doesn't focus on pure survival or is an overlap of what they like. Thing is, everything seems a lot better when you're new. Overtime their tastes can change or their standards can be raised the longer they're there.

Although if Imma be honest too, I'm not 100% sure either. The thing above me is just a conclusion I made from stalking various threads and a couple other places.

[Mike23Ua]

What I like: Character reworks, new biomes to explore, new mobs to fight, new resources to pick, chop, mine or just generally make places look pretty, QoL updates like more control over world Gen.

What I dislike: Small updates, little to explore or do, mostly meaningless boss fights.

That said.... the updates aren’t fully completed yet and I will reserve my final judgement of the game when we reach that conclusion but in the mean time I’m starting to feel like the open world wilderness survival game that I played to enjoy surviving in randomly generated open worlds of wilderness- is instead becoming more akin to an MMO full of bosses you fight just to fight them and seemingly no other real reason at all.

We still are no closer to finding out who/what “Them” even is or why exactly they’re “Returning”

[ShadowDuelist]

I think the ocean was kind of an overwhelming effort for the devs, It would seem that  it took a higher amount of time to complete than they probably thought it would (while up to this day its still unfinished) and delayed the "real" meaty and lore updates with semi-boring early updates, like fishing n such.

That said, I think they read the feedback and decided to take a big turn over more meaty content and lore , the archives was the start of a series of well aimed updates, and I personally like where this is going. The survivors actions are now having more permanent effects on the land.
Or you can ignore them entirely and dedicate your life to an endless cycle of building a megabase, its up to you.

I do hope that at some point the ocean and sailing ends up feeling like a finished content, with places to explore, adventures to be lived and loot to be gained. But even if they keep going this route with the updates, I'm happy with it.

[Maximum124]

4 hours ago, thegreatJash said:

I wasn't around during the Forge or Gorge events, but, from what I can tell, that were when DST was the most popular? (Correct me if I'm wrong).

I think that a lot of people weren't as exited for the new lunar stuff as they were for A New Reign content. I think a reason for this is because the new content isn't exactly game-changing and if you don't go out of your way to participate in it, it barely changes the game at all. On the other hand, when A New Reign added Bee Queen and Klaus and Fuelweaver, all that stuff was game defining, Bundling Wrap, Bee Queen Crowns, Bone Armor and all the other stuff they added was worth the effort put into getting it and many people cannot imagine playing the game without these items. The same can't be exactly said with Glass Cutters, Malbatross Sails, and the Strident Trident, because many people decide to not participate in the ocean content at all. I can't say that for myself, because I personally really like the new lunar and ocean content that Klei has been adding. It's great stuff in my opinion. However, I think the excitement and expectations for these next few RoT updates will automatically be raised, since it seems like these updates will be the last of RoT and will most likely add something game-changing, which we have yet to see from the current update chain in my opinion. 

as someone else who wasnt around for those events I agree with all of this. Lunar stuff seems neat but I guess I just have this problem of being like "why do I have to go beat this huge boss?" Maybe its because ive been gone for so long before this I just find it hard to "find" the new content naturally.

[Warpspeed10]

I want more monsters that require positioning to defeat. I really liked those scorpions from The Forge that shot acid in one direction, forcing you to swing around and hit them from the other side.

[Frosty_Mentos]

Sorry that I didn't make this as a vote to those who might have wanted it, I was considering to do it but it's better to make this thread to be perhaps more on voiced out opinions of what the community thinks of the state of the game.

In this case, words can tell more than numbers.

[.]

I believe game started to corrupt their style. It turns a magic based quest game and lost focus of surviving which game focused at first.

[minespatch]

1 hour ago, Slagger said:

I believe game started to corrupt their style. It turns a magic based quest game and lost focus of surviving which game focused at first.

Besides Charlie deciding to take the role of Martha Stewart.

[NoscopeFelix]

I would really enjoy new tiny islands that make driving a boat more important/interesting. I don’t even care if they had new stuff on it or if they are just some interesting set pieces.

[W0l0l0]

Playing Don't Starve Together since Beta, not been following things closely until around 2019, so from my perspective A New Reign was great, the ocean content was not as good, but just fine, never engaged in the Forge or Gorge (I apparently missed out with that big time), so update wise it was kinda a dead period to me. I liked the new islands, farming and QOL stuff, but the ocean simply feels too unapproachable for me to have been utilising it much. Despite the Return of Them content being mostly unused by me, my expectations are high. I didn't kill the fuelweaver until like 2 years after it was added, maybe I know that this new stuff will be the same.

Best update was obviously higher skin drop rate for Winona's refresh

 

[MondayNight]

For now I'm satisfied by current DST's state in general. Am waiting a "Return of Then" conclusion before I can form some comprehensive opinion regarding this latest macro DLC-like expansion. Still, I would fancy furthermore if KLei focused on core-content (in future) like progression a la "Through the Ages" concept, with complex and evolving Seasons & Weather patterns, true seasonal randomness, new & evolved variant mobs, diverse sea content (seasonal weather & mobs, more critters, 1-2 more thematic islands akin Pearl's, aquatic vegetation etc), more main-land Constant's Forest biomes, plenty-more biotope and biocenosis for current biomes, plus stuff for Cave shard biomes, even seasonal objectives (let's say in Winter, in Mosaic Mushroom biome a particular useful mob - loot-wise - spawns, players may wanna hunt, with a tricky mini-battle ensuing). Also more focus on the mandatory Survival faced of the game, that pretty much took a very-back seat in favor of optional Sandbox elements, aside raid Bosses (till now all "Return of Them" content is facultative and/or raid-boss oriented).

[sudoku]

Hopefully after the ROT arc of updates ends, the developers will take the concept of refreshes and apply it to the base game. I remember making a thread a year ago detailing how we have been playing the same game for 4 years and it was time for stuff like seasonal and boss variants instead of optional content. That thread, now deleted, gained the attention of the devs in their 2020 roadmap, and well now its been 5 years and the sentiment still rings true a year later. I want to see them refresh not just characters but seasons, adding to their mechanics or maybe reworking some things and more mechanically in depth boss refreshes would be welcome as well but I don't think klei really likes designing boss fights. At the end of the day the most popular update by a long shot was the farming update which wouldn't you know took base game content and refreshed it. 

Per the 2020 roadmap : We're also aware than some players would like us to make more substantial changes to the overall base game of Don't Starve Together and change things up a bit. While this is not a focus right now, we do understand this is something that is being discussed and I invite you to continue those conversations. Don't Starve Together isn't going away any time soon, so keep it coming.

Lets make this a focus please.

[Friendly Grass]

It’s sad that ocean content gets so much hate but there are many of us that do enjoy it.

[.]

6 hours ago, Friendly Grass said:

It’s sad that ocean content gets so much hate but there are many of us that do enjoy it.

Even only old cartoon ocean look worth all of those sea updates. Sea is just a dessert.

[Mike23Ua]

7 hours ago, Friendly Grass said:

It’s sad that ocean content gets so much hate but there are many of us that do enjoy it.

I think the sea isn’t hated so to speak but there’s really not much to do WITH it.

Let me explain: Klei added a Malbatross Sail for faster ship sailing, that’s all fine and dandy but what’s the point? 
 

They added upgrades to the mast so you can sail peacefully without Zeus Smitening your boat down, they added a fishing bin for storing foods at sea in, they added pinching winch for fishing things up out the ocean but... what’s the point in all this if most of its a one way trip to lunar and then never bother going back?

I think what people are more accurately trying to say is they do not hate ocean content in its entirety.. they simply hate that there isn’t more to it.

Such as Ballphins from Shipwrecked, Swordfish from Shipwrecked, crazy glider water spiders for Webber to make friends at sea, new islands to sail to and explore new biomes, mobs and weather hazards etc.

Basically the TL:DR- Ocean content still feels like Unfinished Beta gameplay for something that still needs fleshing out.

[Friendly Grass]

3 hours ago, Mike23Ua said:

what’s the point in all this if most of its a one way trip to lunar and then never bother going back?

This is the argument everyone makes. My whole point was that many enjoy other aspects of ocean content that you may have neglected to mention such as sea fishing, Pearl’s tasks, treasure hunting, sea weeds, ocean bosses, mysterious energy creation.

I’m not saying it’s perfect, I’m not saying it doesn’t need more, I’m saying it’s not the disaster it’s made out to be.

And if you’re upset that it’s not rewarding enough, I’m sorry you’re too entrenched in your metas to consider your inventory slots personal enjoyment in a sandbox game.

I haven’t gotten a chance to play with the beta content and I don’t want spoilers, but setting up the mysterious energy definitely requires more than “a one way trip to lunar and back”.

[ArubaroBeefalo]

2 hours ago, Friendly Grass said:

This is the argument everyone makes. My whole point was that many enjoy other aspects of ocean content that you may have neglected to mention such as sea fishing, Pearl’s tasks, treasure hunting, sea weeds, ocean bosses, mysterious energy creation.

I’m not saying it’s perfect, I’m not saying it doesn’t need more, I’m saying it’s not the disaster it’s made out to be.

And if you’re upset that it’s not rewarding enough, I’m sorry you’re too entrenched in your metas to consider your inventory slots personal enjoyment in a sandbox game.

I haven’t gotten a chance to play with the beta content and I don’t want spoilers, but setting up the mysterious energy definitely requires more than “a one way trip to lunar and back”.

exactly. Is still work in progress but the things we got are really fun and well implemented in my opinion. Maybe they want to finish the moon stuff before focusing in sealing in general

Not many games have such fun and deep fishing mechanic. The fish desings are great (some of them are just hilarious) and 2 of them have thermal effect

Sea weeds are a balanced source of food in terms of amount of food that you can harvest, recipes avaraible and danger. The desing is so original and i love that they look like alice in wonderland flowers

i like a lot malbatross and his loot table. If someone says that the sail has no point is because that person didnt sailed, it makes the experience much better (making travels to pearl, lunar island, a treasure close to you or simply looking for fishes) and, obv, is focused in the long term when klei would add more stuff

Pearl tasks for her pearl and fishing to get extra bundles are a great adition that brings fresh air into the game

the treasures might seem underwhelming but in my opinion is a good loot to get by the way (not intencionally looking for it) and a beauty decoration (i wish klei add some kind of key to reutilize them as portable storage)

moon island is beutiful and has good resources and recipes (i hope they will add more recipes to the celestial tab (infused glass should be used to make new stuff)), the atmosphere is well done and just for the saladmanders are worth xD. I play solo most of the time and the addition of the moon glass axe makes toad and misery toad much less grindy which, at the end, makes the game funnier and you feel like you earned. Going to the moon island to craft the axes (now is the only axe i use in the long term) and the glass cutter (even when arent 100% needed) breaks the RoG routine which is very welcome.

The new moonstorm mechanic has a great potential of being another original way of farming new materials. A new weather in our old RoG map. I just hope it will be useful for something else than summoning the new boss. Talking about it, it needs some changes and a reason to be fought more than 1 time per player but the fight is very dynamic and isnt grindy but there is no room for mistakes for how hard it hits

The only thing i think they should take a look is crabking since his loot is kinda useless when you already defeated him and the fight could be more fun. It is suppose to be fought sailing in a boat but even groups of players are stuck in the purple gem+icestaff strat which isnt the most fun. The gems mechanic has potential to be something unique not just number ajustments. Each kind of gem should change the fight and the atacks and the abilities he uses and more gems of each kind would make that ability stronger or add more side effects to them

i think klei is doing well with the updates, people just complain about the ocean being empty like if that wasnt obvious but isnt like they stopped on adding sea stuff

[minespatch]

Just now, ArubaroBeefalo said:

Maybe they want to finish the moon stuff before focusing in sealing in general

That's why I assume they'll get back to doing more QOLs in the future. I just need to be patient.