How do I design a decent downside for my character?

[Wonderlarr]

Hi there modders! I released a character mod a while ago, Hat Kid: The Homesick Hatter, and the main complaint I get is that although the upsides are interesting and fun, there isn't a major downside. I came up with a couple ideas, like making her a picky eater, or having some downside to wearing armor, but all of them make the character quite annoying, without providing any real challenge in my opinion. I'd like some advice on how to design a decent downside that players might get a challenge from, without making it so annoying people would choose not to play them.

Edited October 20, 2022 by TheSkylarr

[rmls]

In my opinion, the most interesting downsides are the ones that relate to both the character itself AND their upsides.

For example, WX-78 is damaged by water. In this case, it's related to both his character (because he's a robot) and it's an opposite of his upside (charged by lightning).

I like the idea of a clothing downside more than an armor downside, as armor is practically necessary for survival in DST. Since your character enjoys wearing hats, perhaps she could only wear hats, and no other clothing item. This would make surviving summer & winter more challenging (although perhaps it's only a minor downside, as I don't find myself using clothing items much).