The game needs more living log crafts

[HowlVoid]

Think about the number of living log crafts actually present in the game (Excluded shadow manipulator as it's a station):

Weapons:

Darksword, thulecite club, Bat Bat

Utility:

Deconstruction staff, Star caller staff

Niche:

Telelocator focus, Telelocator staff

Beef:

Glossamer Saddle 

Out of all of these crafts your most likely to see the darksword and Star caller staff in frequent use. Bat Bat, glossamer saddle and Deconstruction staff in infrequent use depending on availability (or use as needed) or play style. The telelocator focus and staff rarely for niche use (teleporting mobs). And almost none at all, the thulecite club, as a matter of taste or playing as Wes. 

Living logs have yet to make their appearance in:

Farming, Fishing, and Boating

As more and more activities are added to the game, we seem to be neglecting the "magic" side of dst in favor of the "science" portion.

I know this is more of a qol update but I thought it important to bring up.

As a qol update though, there is a small demand for a risky and reward mechanic in the game that allows you to trade in increased risk in exchange for damage. A small hole left in after getting a taste for pre-re-refreshed Wendy. This mechanic could be added in to the thulecite club to make it more appealing over the darksword. The idea would be that the lower the players HP the greater the chance for the club to spawn tentacles. The club would be reacting to the players dire need to stay alive. Alternatively, you could lower the risk by tying the tentacle spawn rate to the characters sanity (with a spawn rate cap for both ofc). You could balance it by lowering it's base spawn rate and reaching a higher caped spawned rate (than current spawn rate) when in critical health or when insane.

The club's tentacles are flat damage increase which would benefit none combat characters the most. In terms of DPS, weapon uses, and availability the thulecite club is still in a bad state. 

[ArubaroBeefalo]

i couldnt resist 

[loopuleasa]

I came here to see if OP had a wormwood profile pic.

Was not disappointed.

[HowlVoid]

58 minutes ago, ArubaroBeefalo said:

i couldnt resist 

Dang you caught me, .

[NoodlemanNed]

while we're at it i think battle spears should also be used in more recipes :>

[Flarezen]

Only if a boat made of living logs scream in agony when caught on fire.

[DajeKotlyar]

1 minute ago, Flarezen said:

Only if a boat made of living logs scream in agony when caught on fire.

... and when hit in boulders 

[MadMatt]

I actually wouldn't mind more living log crafts so long as it is only added to farming, fishing, boating, etc. as suggested. It's a critical resource for widely sought after tools/weapons so it gets plenty of use, but I always seem to have so much of it gathering dust until the next boss fight. Even then it rarely gets used in favor of a Hambat if I care about inventory management. Having more uses for it on it the side wouldn't benefit me personally but would make gathering living logs more impactful to a diverse group outside of there being a Wickerbottom.

[Bumber64]

Don't mushroom planters count as farming? You need a constant supply of living logs to replenish them.

[HowlVoid]

29 minutes ago, Bumber64 said:

Don't mushroom planters count as farming? You need a constant supply of living logs to replenish them.

You're right, I completely forgot about them. I'm still hoping Klei will allow us to protect them from becoming useless in winter somehow. They've been outclassed once again by a new supercrop (banana bushes). But by farming I meant more of the traditional shovel and hoe form. 

I really wish mushroom planters were a tad bit better given their cost and upkeep. Klei seems to have forgot them they need a desperate QOL improvement. 

[Milordo]

Apart some good jokes (wormood main here too! eheheh), I would like in combination with this, more ways to gather even Living logs. Should I remind that apart a Wormwood player, which is the best source to gather it, the best one you have are Treeguards. Sure Gnomes exist and you could tecnically stay there and farm, but after a while you get bored. The spawnrate of them is not fast and you're confined in a biome with little things to do. I also remind, many people riot during some Wickerbottom changes because you don't have a lot of reliable living log sources. 

[dzzydzzy]

OP also left out that it's used for T2 magic in Shadow Manip recipe & now in Wicker's bookcase recipe, as well as applied silviculture. This, plus Wormwood's Bramble husk, and bramble traps.

[Pedro cc]

Wasn't there an apocalypse because wicker's crafts now require living logs, I swear I saw people making analytics in living logs 

[HowlVoid]

27 minutes ago, dzzydzzy said:

OP also left out that it's used for T2 magic in Shadow Manip recipe & now in Wicker's bookcase recipe, as well as applied silviculture. This, plus Wormwood's Bramble husk, and bramble traps.

Shadow manipulator was mentioned, I distinctly mentioned I left it out because it's a station, aka a one time cost.

And mentioning character exclusive crafts isn't a compelling case as that character may not always be present. The only item I actually forgot, as pointed out, are mushroom planters which fall in the uncommonly used category.

[NoodlemanNed]

5 hours ago, HowlVoid said:

I'm still hoping Klei will allow us to protect them from becoming useless in winter somehow

you can put mushroom planters in the caves to keep them working during the winter.  This doesnt even require some weird exploit/glitch, it just works exactly how you want it to.

[HowlVoid]

2 hours ago, NoodlemanNed said:

you can put mushroom planters in the caves to keep them working during the winter.  This doesnt even require some weird exploit/glitch, it just works exactly how you want it to.

Yeah, I've known this for years and years.

The problem is that you need a nearby sinkhole. Too far and you waste time getting there, too close and you deal with bats or the rot build up  I've made posts before where I've pointed out that because they work exactly the same underground, then what's the problem with making them work aboveground? All that's in the way is a loading screen or annoying bats that don't add anything.

[abrocator]

I don’t know. I don’t think Wurt and her woodchoppers need a buff.

Anyway while I don’t care about using living logs for the sake of it, it would be cool if some living log items would lean into the fact that they are made of living trees. Maybe the item would have a mind of its own that you would have to appease. Like Lucy except functional and not just annoying sounds.

[Mike23Ua]

Screaming Tree should be used to craft the mostly useless Scarecrows, or some sort of “Alarm” anytime enemies get near it it lets out a terrifying scream that frightens away everything but the most fearsome foes.

Think of Ark and how a Dinos growl tells others below it to “Back Off”

Thats the first logical new craft idea I could come up with for a Tree log that literally screams when burned.

[ArubaroBeefalo]

8 hours ago, Flarezen said:

Only if a boat made of living logs scream in agony when caught on fire.

yes pls!

[Qairon]

12 hours ago, HowlVoid said:

Yeah, I've known this for years and years.

The problem is that you need a nearby sinkhole. Too far and you waste time getting there, too close and you deal with bats or the rot build up  I've made posts before where I've pointed out that because they work exactly the same underground, then what's the problem with making them work aboveground? All that's in the way is a loading screen or annoying bats that don't add anything.

I would make the argument, based on a bit of realism compared to real life fungi, benefit much more from being in the caves, and this is Klei's way of "balancing" it. Damp air, protection from the higher freezing temperatures above ground, as well as constant water access from the runoff rain and snow into soil, benefit fungi immensely. That's also why the fungal underground biomes in-game seem to always be doing well, and can regenerate their trees when chopped down even. They're happy down there and can take a beating.

All of that nerd stuff aside, man I wouldn't mind a buff to mush planters too lmao. They're pretty dang hard to make early on, and even harder to maintain, so I think they should still work in the winter but just at lowered efficiency? That would be so nice.

At the very least, Blue Mushrooms should be growable in winter on the surface, since they begin their spore cycle naturally in winter, there's an argument they should be more resistant to the cold.

[HowlVoid]

11 minutes ago, Gramugazy said:

I would make the argument, based on a bit of realism compared to real life fungi, benefit much more from being in the caves, and this is Klei's way of "balancing" it. Damp air, protection from the higher freezing temperatures above ground, as well as constant water access from the runoff rain and snow into soil, benefit fungi immensely. That's also why the fungal underground biomes in-game seem to always be doing well, and can regenerate their trees when chopped down even. They're happy down there and can take a beating.

All of that nerd stuff aside, man I wouldn't mind a buff to mush planters too lmao. They're pretty dang hard to make early on, and even harder to maintain, so I think they should still work in the winter but just at lowered efficiency? That would be so nice.

At the very least, Blue Mushrooms should be growable in winter on the surface, since they begin their spore cycle naturally in winter, there's an argument they should be more resistant to the cold.

Yes, at the very least blue mushrooms. You can't even take advantage of the blue spores first winter too much unless you bundle them or collect them towards the end. Other wise you have a bunch of spores that are near rotting. 

I was hoping that if they were under the canopy of an above average tree or near a furnace perhaps the could keep working or a special new fertilizer. Everytime they add a new supercrop these fall further and further behind it's so sad.

[Qairon]

59 minutes ago, HowlVoid said:

Yes, at the very least blue mushrooms. You can't even take advantage of the blue spores first winter too much unless you bundle them or collect them towards the end. Other wise you have a bunch of spores that are near rotting. 

I was hoping that if they were under the canopy of an above average tree or near a furnace perhaps the could keep working or a special new fertilizer. Everytime they add a new supercrop these fall further and further behind it's so sad.

That honestly sounds like a genius idea, would totally be worth spitballing in the suggested changes section! I'd also personally love more uses for spores besides mush planters and funny light machine juice (for the Lamps and Enlightened Crown.)

[goblinball]

Living logs are already used in plenty of recipes compared to some other “less important” materials. I don’t see the point in giving it more.

[Evelo]

From a Wormwood main to a Wormwood main, I approve.
I'm sure it's been said though that the Mushroom thingy uses Living Logs so that kind of counts as "farming" even though it is pretty trash.