Wilson Refresh in Beta!

[djturner]

I'll join the chorus of feedback that likes the idea overall of the progression and skill tree, but is a bit disappointed in the content of the tree. The beard storage meme isn't really my cup of tea, but even excepting that, the vast majority of the alchemy tree is comprised of pretty miserable resources trades. I really like the idea of progression based on mastery of the game, so I also would recommend locking more behind clearing certain boss fights rather than just raw days survived, but maybe that's controversial.

I also think - especially if respecing and not just filling out the whole thing is a central idea of the skill tree - that one alternative to the design problem of "Wilson has no downsides, so the upsides can't be too great" would be to build drawbacks into some of the (stronger) potential choices on the tree. That way, if you like vanilla Wilson and just want a brighter torch and a thicker beard, it's there for you. But if you want some wackier alchemical options, potentially with more radical or interesting upsides, the drawbacks would come as part of those unlocks, free for players to engage with or not. Depending on how that was done, you may have to add an inconvenience or cost to the process of respecing, but it's potentially an alternative to being forced to confine Wilson to the edges of mediocrity just due to his "out of the box" lack of downsides.

[twitchgabo]

46 minutes ago, CyberSkink said:

Agreed, wormwood is a good tree boi

Wormwood is adorable and deserves more LOVE 

[Mike23Ua]

Food being stashed away inside the beard of a survivor who’s trapped on an island, stranded & alone (yeah yeah yeah it’s dst he isn’t alone, IDC!) Beard Hair Storage is an old school Survivalist trope- it’s been featured in several cartoons and Tv shows throughout the years- most namely: Looney Tunes & Tom & Jerry. I’m also pretty certain there’s a hobo-like character in Fortnite who also dawns an overgrown beard with food stashed inside of it. If you grew up in the 80’s or 90’s this isn’t just a “Forum Meme” it’s something that was COMMON when it came to overgrown beards of men being stranded on an Island in cartoons & Tv shows.

THIS is why Wilson has this skill perk, plus I mean.. it literally gives yet another use to growing out that Majestic Wilson beard other than shaving off to help Willow get Beard Hair to craft Bernie Dolls with. +1 on Beard Hair Storage Klei <3

The skill tree I’m on the fence about is the torch skill tree… ???? Why is this even a thing? What’s it even do?? And how in the Heck does this relate to the starting animation of DST where Charlie lifts him from the Nightmare throne and then quite literally blasts the heck out of him with a bunch of shadowy magic energy? I was kinda hoping for some super late game perk relating towards that.. 

[gamehun20]

21 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

was kinda hoping for some super late game perk relating towards that.. 

Shadow transmutation also something interesting happens when you reseach that perk

Edited February 28, 2023 by gamehun20

[abrocator]

I figured that the only way to free him would be with the telelocator staff. He still seems stuck though?

 

[Gabonzo]

Good job on making the "face of the brand" character also the most intising begginer character to be played, which will reward surviving and will keep progress, while also giving seasoned players a reason to choose him and still keeping the choice of playing him like the "old days" for a guy like me, Perfection is a word that's thrown around so much it looses its meaning, but i trully belive this to be the perfect Wilson Rework, good job guys.

On a side note the knockback mechanic on the new boss fight seems a bit weird to me, both mechaniclly and stylistic ( looks to much like modded content honestly ) and i hope the skill tree thing is kept for Wilson

[Stonetribe]

Wow, I was not expecting to ever see a skill tree in don't starve, let alone as the basis for Wilson's refresh. But honestly? I think it will work out pretty nicely!

[Soul7k]

I dont know if I am missing something, but you might not be able to navigate to skill reset on controller. I had to back out and switch to mouse and keyboard to reset my skills.

[DimaH20]

I like the idea of the tree skill I like but the torch section seems pointless why I need to pump it when there is alchemy much more useful I would like to add something related to shadow wilson and alchemy some potions or personal science station if you remember wilson likes to do experiments on animals why not add his ability to improve pigs and hares with zels
they didn't add crafts that use hair but they did add making hair from bifalo hair for some reason. why would i need that when i have hair of my own?
conclusion - so far rework is very crude i hope they redo a lot of things

[Tytan]

I expected more, not that it's bad, but I expected more from the great scientist... I expected more efficient crafts or something... him using all his science and constant magic to buff a torch and his beard seems very strange to me...

the idea of transmutation is wonderful, all that was missing was the philosopher's stone and being able to transmute things in the game like trees into other versions of them, who knows, maybe even petrified.

[noonereedus]

@Jason and dear Klei, I'd love to suggest the way to drastically improve this rework with rather small tweaks. 

Every survivor is essentially not their skills but a role, a character with a core that defines them. Wes is defined by being challenged and morally rewarded, Wortox is played for his trickster-like ability to teleport. WX-78, be it the old gear eater or reworked circuit user, is in its core a character that constantly seeks greater power. It might not even be the character's main ability, just their most memorable quirk. Warly has his powerful recipes, but his core is the portable crockpot and quicker starvation, it's his gamestyle of seeing food in everything. Take the pot away and allow to use his recipes in default crockpot - the core is gone. One of the reasons Walter is often disliked is because his abilities do not make a unique and defined experience, but even he offers an exclusive ranged fight style. A core defines both personality and gamestyle, creating an experience. 

Wilson's rework does not really do that. Torch, Alchemy and Beard skills do not create a personality nor a playstyle, they are not streamlined enough to have an effect. I would love to see a focus on his medical background or that fan concept of a mad scientist who gets powerful yet dangerous crafts when under 5% sanity, but I don't think you would change so much during Beta. Instead, I can suggest a way to make this existing rework more character defining and help Wilson find his core in 2 steps:

1. Wilson's beard is a good character core. Not only is it noticeable, but it also has 2 important perks: it helps him revive and dissapears with death. It almost screams trying to avoid and cheat death and does something important for a default character: rewards simply surviving. The only problem is that it's not really rewarding. Ability to store food in the beard is an amazing step in this direction, but, unfortunately, it is the only actual skill in the tree of "7". Add the beard carpets from Hamlet. Allow to shave off only 1 beard level so that insulation vs. beard hair stops being a choice. Maybe actually add a beard meter which gives one free prototype when achieving 100% to emphasize the researching nature of Wilson? Make the beard rewarding, make players glad that they lived for long enough to get it. Make enduring death the core of Wilson. Those are small tweaks but they would make Wilson a more focused character that rewards not dying.
2. Alchemy offers an amazing set of skills, but they do not feel Gentleman Scientist. Wickerbottom or Maxwell could possess this skill lorewise, all the characters could have transmutation, it would be the same if it's just a recipe to turn meat into morsels. A core is not just power, it is the role we take when selecting the survivor. An interesting animation different to basic crafting would provide enough stylistic difference to his abilities. Be it mixing contents of two tubes or turning a stone to gold in his hands, it would visually scream FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE and science and provide both a narrative and more unique-feeling gamestyle, thus creating a core.

all the love to you and thanks for so much hard work! <3

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by noonereedus

[Baark0]

wow might actually have a reason to return to the game now (not the wereprig but the skill tree unlocking seems interesting)

[ansuman]

the helmet and armor seems pretty meh for the trouble , we can have a perk like double durability against shadow creatures like the way glass cutter functions.

[rellajoa]

Klei wanted to give special individiality to Wilson, but seems it doesnt.

For now, first showing of Wilson refresh, he will spent most of time to work as carpentor which tearing logs till endgame.
Maybe he can do amazing trolling that wipe out whole nitre in the base, and nitre got more rarity than gold in DST.
And again, the last skill which available with killing Fuelweaver after collecting dozen of skillpoints is just another item switcher. Jeese.

Klei put a skill tree with variant ability, which influences on other session for him. those are never seen before in this game.
Nonetheless, Wlison just became a item convertor like one of buildings in Oxygen Not Included.

Torch tab got no personality tho. So neither excists or be ruled out, torch skills wont influence on gameplay.
And about beard lunch box, well. Honestly, I have no idea how should I say about that.

C'mon, Wilson got a sobriquet called 'Scientist' bruh. Is that the best thing for him, Klei?

[BB Marioni]

initial thoughts on the beta update:

Were Pig Boss:

- Personally not  fan of requiring pick/axe to start the fight. I feel like this would have been a perfect alternative source for gears that are at a similar level to thulecite. However, requiring me to get to a thulecite crafting station to farm a thulecite alternative seems to beat the purpose. 
Suggestion: Make it require something else line something from Lunar island, or a shadow equipment

- Boss only drops 4pcs of the horror thingies it seems? This is only enough to craft 1 armor part every 20 days. I get most bosses drop only 1 gear, but: eye/twins - gear can be repaired with food and can last forever, deerclops - eyebrella repairable, fuelweaver - drops 3 gears, celestial champ - crown last forever
Suggestion: Make it drop 8 horrors, OR have alternative sources for the horrors

- I'm fine with the  stats of the armors, if only they were more accessible. Also I think werepig needs a setpiece together with his spawn

Wilson:

- A bit more complicated, seems decent but might need more interesting stuff. 

- Torch skill tree maybe would be better is applicable to all light source. the throwing skill can remain with only torch

- Alchemy seems fine, maybe some tweaks with available recipe, but no ideas for now

- Beard tree for me is good, as it means more beard hair for effigies, and I like the extra storage, don't really mind how "silly" it is. free mini backpack is always good

- One thing I feel that lacks though is having a unique craft and something to share to other players. I always love characters who can share their stuff- Wigfrid's helms/spear, Wendy's sisturn, Maxwells magic box, Winona's catapults, Willow's bear, Walter's tents, etc

[ArubaroBeefalo]

1 hour ago, BB Marioni said:

Suggestion: Make it drop 8 horrors, OR have alternative sources for the horrors

even if they add other sources i would prefer if the boss drops more materials so is worth refighting him

[Loonytoony]

Oh Wilson finally got that promotion

[HiraaCaan]

On 2/28/2023 at 12:56 AM, Ornge said:

the inspiration skill tree is very cool, I wonder if they will add it to other characters

but that doesnt makes wilson speacial :/
if they add this skill tree to other characters

[Echsrick]

48 minutes ago, HiraaCaan said:

but that doesnt makes wilson speacial :/
if they add this skill tree to other characters

but what if the skills are differend for every character? i mean in a way wx got something simmilar to wilsons skills allready

[gamehun20]

3 minutes ago, Echsrick said:

i mean in a way wx got something simmilar to wilsons skills allready

not really, you are required to craft the circuits and those can get disabled if you are not careful it also requires you to you know get stuff and do stuff instead of waiting days and give bonuses to stats like health and sanity

[Echsrick]

1 hour ago, gamehun20 said:

not really, you are required to craft the circuits and those can get disabled if you are not careful it also requires you to you know get stuff and do stuff instead of waiting days and give bonuses to stats like health and sanity

i mean in the way of "build your own character" way is simmilar, since one wx player may choose differend addons then the second one, wich is just like wilsons skills, 1 player may use differend skills then another one

[maciu67]

New boss must be Wilba's father.

[Lucas Rego]

Guys, please make the torch refuelable,

it could be just for Wilson, using twigs, it would be fair in order to make him lass swappable

[Cloakingsumo198]

Am I the only one that isn't really impressed by his new perks? 

The torch efficiency is more suited for willow while the torch throwing seems like it could have just been something everyone could do.

The transmutation is probably good for megabuilders or late game worlds where resources are stacked but I think it's applicability is too limited especially since it's not really possible to revert the "transmutations" along with the fact that it's not 1:1 ratio since some material is either lost or the price doesn't even out.

The beard changes are pretty standard and they just feel right.

I don't really understand the point of the skill tree if it's skills are so "underwhelming" while also lacking a "variety" of skills to actually pick from.

It feels less like wx's pick and choose circuits and more like a progression tree where new players will have the weak wilson while people who put in a couple hours get the "slightly" better Wilson or they can just avoid his upgrades all together.

I hope they reconsider his torch abilities because I think they can serve a greater purpose instead of feeling like a placeholder for wilson while also making room for wilson to have something more "fitting".

[CyberSkink]

15 minutes ago, Cloakingsumo198 said:

Am I the only one that isn't really impressed by his new perks? 

The torch efficiency is more suited for willow while the torch throwing seems like it could have just been something everyone could do.

The transmutation is probably good for megabuilders or late game worlds where resources are stacked but I think it's applicability is too limited especially since it's not really possible to revert the "transmutations" along with the fact that it's not 1:1 ratio since some material is either lost or the price doesn't even out.

The beard changes are pretty standard and they just feel right.

I don't really understand the point of the skill tree if it's skills are so "underwhelming" while also lacking a "variety" of skills to actually pick from.

It feels less like wx's pick and choose circuits and more like a progression tree where new players will have the weak wilson while people who put in a couple hours get the "slightly" better Wilson or they can just avoid his upgrades all together.

I hope they reconsider his torch abilities because I think they can serve a greater purpose instead of feeling like a placeholder for wilson while also making room for wilson to have something more "fitting".

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit underwhelmed too. I don’t want to be mean to the devs, but I was expecting something far greater from the mascot of don’t starve.