Don't Starve Together Roadmap 2023

[_zwb]

1 hour ago, Mike23Ua said:

“Vital” would mean you can’t live without it right?? 

You mean "mandatory" and not "optional"?

[nameorsmthnidk]

On 3/14/2023 at 4:55 PM, Pelontriques said:

laughing in one of the images displaying wilson with a log suit and a backpack bc it's something that isn't in vanilla DST

ikr

 

[nameorsmthnidk]

On 3/14/2023 at 4:43 PM, JoeW said:

Anybody interested in a roadmap?

NOTE: Please remember that the roadmap is provided to give the community a sense of what we are working on and what is driving our decisions and what we are focused on in the coming year. None of this is a promise or a guarantee. We always prioritize quality over deadlines and all dates and timelines are estimated to the best of our current ability. Many long-time fans will know that we often add new things to these plans which often shifts things around a bit, so it is recommended that you avoid scheduling your vacation plans around our dates.

This roadmap is subject to change at any time, but as we have done in the past, we will let you know if any of these plans change significantly.

2022 Recap
Our goal for 2022 was to “Set the Stage” for what was to come next for DST. 

In the 2022 roadmap we saw the Year of the Catcoon and Bunnyman. We released refreshes for Maxwell, Wickerbottom, WX-78 and Wilson is right around the corner. We released QOL updates all over the place including a revamped Crafting UI, a redesigned Ancient Guardian, Map QOL changes, World Presets and New World Settings. 

We released DST on Nintendo Switch and introduced Shared Unlocks and Offline Skins. We added more games to the Midsummer Cawnival and we released the Curse of the Moon Quay and A Little Drama updates. 

We released 10 sets of Twitch Drops and 50+ hotfixes with bug fixes, tweaks, and balance changes. 

2022 was a busy year for Don’t Starve Together. While it may not have been as content heavy as some players were hoping for, the changes were necessary to prepare for 2023 and we’re ready to talk about that a bit. 

This is going to be a pretty substantial post, so I am going to give a bit of a brief TL;DR summary first, then get into the meaty bits. Additionally, I should mention that we’re still doing a lot of experimentation and tweaks to how these plans are being implemented at the moment, so I have to be light with the details (surprise, surprise). But we want you to know what you have to look forward to. 

What’s coming up in 2023? (TL;DR)
Our goal for the next roadmap is to smooth out the experience for less experienced players and provide longer lasting endgame challenges for veteran players.

• 3 Content Updates
• 2 Core Game Enhancement Updates
• All the usual events
• A secret bite-sized crossover
• Don’t Starve 10 Year Celebration

Additionally, this roadmap does not cover a full year, because the last Roadmap ran into 2023. 

 

What we’re doing and why. 
Don’t Starve Together is arguably one of the most challenging survival games out there right now. However some of the design principles that were used to create the original single player game can feel unnecessarily unfriendly in a multiplayer game. The original Don’t Starve was designed around the idea of players being self directed. However multiplayer isn’t always compatible with this design and was largely why we resisted multiplayer for the original Don’t Starve. 

With DST, we have smoothed some of the rougher edges over time, but most of the focus has been on providing group based challenges up until more recently. We think there are still a few areas that we would like to see improved upon, and many, MANY of you have suggested the same. The areas that we are going to focus on in this roadmap are in early game discovery, and the late to end game loop.

Now - before you start getting worried, know that we understand that we’re stepping into some weird territory here. Our goal isn't to make the game easier, or even to make the game harder (overall). The goal is to make the game more interesting in the ways that those who love Don’t Starve and Don’t Starve Together will enjoy while also providing people who don’t know the game more opportunities to understand what the game expects of them.. 

But not all Don’t Starve Together players are the same. To some, DST is too easy, to some it’s too hard, and to others it “is what it is” and they don’t want it changed. Our goals here are to offer all players something interesting, fun and engaging and to improve the game in areas we think will have a lasting impact. This roadmap should result in a game that is easier to understand and harder to master.. 

We have a few areas that we want to focus on to accomplish this. In terms of content, we plan to delve deeper into the stories surrounding Charlie and Wagstaff, and explore the impact of their actions on The Constant. The introduction of late-game world challenges will change The Constant in ways that players will need to adapt to, either by working with or against them. This will also provide Survivors with the opportunity to discover new resources and items that will be vital for their survival as they progress throughout all areas of the game. 

Some of this has been introduced as part of the Wilson Refresh, and we will continue to build upon them throughout the year.

And what about the newer players?
Something that we have seen time and time again is that some newer players have a hard time understanding what they should be doing, or where they should be going and may become frustrated or miss a lot of content if they don’t know what else is out there for them. With this in mind, we are going to work toward making it a bit easier to understand what should be happening in the game without necessarily making the game easier. 

To that end we will be working on additions to the compendium and other elements of the game that will provide more information about what is happening, as well as progress indicators that help players see themselves grow through what they have learned in the game. 

Some of you may have noticed that some elements of the Wilson Refresh are a part of this effort as well. Wilson now acts as a sort of guide through the progression of the game, without directly telling the player what to do, his new skill tree can guide a player toward long term goals as they explore the world. He’s still rather vanilla, he just has some sprinkles now. Nothing too intimidating to a new player.

It should also be said that the “Core Game Enhancement” updates are foundational and are likely to grow and change over time. This means that we’ll implement systems or features that we can tweak or add to over time and while it’s probably not accurate to call these QOL updates, they will be Quality of Life oriented in the sense that they are meant to make the overall game better for most players, but not always by improving existing systems. 

What’s next?
The Wilson Refresh will be released Thursday and the update following that is currently planned for April will be a content update as part of the new Story Arc. This will be the first content update as part of this roadmap and should be quite interesting.  

i love that wilson is waving a torch around during a full moon

[xhyom]

Uh looking here now is actually quite saddening actually, not that I dislike the tree idea, but that with Core Enhancements Updates they meant Characters Refresh 2 as it was almost as if the images where hinting changes to how we use armors and backpacks, so it could have meant that there would be more balancing to equipment too, in resume a huge change to the meta. Not that I want backpack and armor combo, but seeing a less two dimensional, less "too bad or too good" equipment would be really refreshing...

[Antynomity]

5 minutes ago, xhyom said:

Uh looking here now is actually quite saddening actually, not that I dislike the tree idea, but that with Core Enhancements Updates they meant Characters Refresh 2 as it was almost as if the images where hinting changes to how we use armors and backpacks, so it could have meant that there would be more balancing to equipment too, in resume a huge change to the meta. Not that I want backpack and armor combo, but seeing a less two dimensional, less "too bad or too good" equipment would be really refreshing...

Seriously though... If the trees are the core enhancement updates then I'm fully disappointed, they won't help new players discover the entire game at all, they will still need the wiki, streamers or THE BEST CONTENT CREATOR FOR DST ON YOUTUBE  to even find out how to summon the AFW or CC, the game needs so many changes yet they (I assume) chose to name reworks 2.0 'core game enhancements' when they don't actually improve the game at all just add to the already powerful character roster.

[xhyom]

10 minutes ago, Antynomity said:

Seriously though... If the trees are the core enhancement updates then I'm fully disappointed, they won't help new players discover the entire game at all, they will still need the wiki, streamers or THE BEST CONTENT CREATOR FOR DST ON YOUTUBE  to even find out how to summon the AFW or CC, the game needs so many changes yet they (I assume) chose to name reworks 2.0 'core game enhancements' when they don't actually improve the game at all just add to the already powerful character roster.

It's even presumptuous to call a character update a "core enhancement" update, if only they removed part of the characters' upsides to make them part of the tree so you could customize the character, then at least it would be a more drastic change in how we play, but simply adding a few extra benefits to characters can't be a change with that name all embellished

[GiltGbros2]

On 3/14/2023 at 8:43 PM, JoeW said:

Anybody interested in a roadmap?

NOTE: Please remember that the roadmap is provided to give the community a sense of what we are working on and what is driving our decisions and what we are focused on in the coming year. None of this is a promise or a guarantee. We always prioritize quality over deadlines and all dates and timelines are estimated to the best of our current ability. Many long-time fans will know that we often add new things to these plans which often shifts things around a bit, so it is recommended that you avoid scheduling your vacation plans around our dates.

This roadmap is subject to change at any time, but as we have done in the past, we will let you know if any of these plans change significantly.

2022 Recap
Our goal for 2022 was to “Set the Stage” for what was to come next for DST. 

In the 2022 roadmap we saw the Year of the Catcoon and Bunnyman. We released refreshes for Maxwell, Wickerbottom, WX-78 and Wilson is right around the corner. We released QOL updates all over the place including a revamped Crafting UI, a redesigned Ancient Guardian, Map QOL changes, World Presets and New World Settings. 

We released DST on Nintendo Switch and introduced Shared Unlocks and Offline Skins. We added more games to the Midsummer Cawnival and we released the Curse of the Moon Quay and A Little Drama updates. 

We released 10 sets of Twitch Drops and 50+ hotfixes with bug fixes, tweaks, and balance changes. 

2022 was a busy year for Don’t Starve Together. While it may not have been as content heavy as some players were hoping for, the changes were necessary to prepare for 2023 and we’re ready to talk about that a bit. 

This is going to be a pretty substantial post, so I am going to give a bit of a brief TL;DR summary first, then get into the meaty bits. Additionally, I should mention that we’re still doing a lot of experimentation and tweaks to how these plans are being implemented at the moment, so I have to be light with the details (surprise, surprise). But we want you to know what you have to look forward to. 

What’s coming up in 2023? (TL;DR)
Our goal for the next roadmap is to smooth out the experience for less experienced players and provide longer lasting endgame challenges for veteran players.

• 3 Content Updates
• 2 Core Game Enhancement Updates
• All the usual events
• A secret bite-sized crossover
• Don’t Starve 10 Year Celebration

Additionally, this roadmap does not cover a full year, because the last Roadmap ran into 2023. 

 

What we’re doing and why. 
Don’t Starve Together is arguably one of the most challenging survival games out there right now. However some of the design principles that were used to create the original single player game can feel unnecessarily unfriendly in a multiplayer game. The original Don’t Starve was designed around the idea of players being self directed. However multiplayer isn’t always compatible with this design and was largely why we resisted multiplayer for the original Don’t Starve. 

With DST, we have smoothed some of the rougher edges over time, but most of the focus has been on providing group based challenges up until more recently. We think there are still a few areas that we would like to see improved upon, and many, MANY of you have suggested the same. The areas that we are going to focus on in this roadmap are in early game discovery, and the late to end game loop.

Now - before you start getting worried, know that we understand that we’re stepping into some weird territory here. Our goal isn't to make the game easier, or even to make the game harder (overall). The goal is to make the game more interesting in the ways that those who love Don’t Starve and Don’t Starve Together will enjoy while also providing people who don’t know the game more opportunities to understand what the game expects of them.. 

But not all Don’t Starve Together players are the same. To some, DST is too easy, to some it’s too hard, and to others it “is what it is” and they don’t want it changed. Our goals here are to offer all players something interesting, fun and engaging and to improve the game in areas we think will have a lasting impact. This roadmap should result in a game that is easier to understand and harder to master.. 

We have a few areas that we want to focus on to accomplish this. In terms of content, we plan to delve deeper into the stories surrounding Charlie and Wagstaff, and explore the impact of their actions on The Constant. The introduction of late-game world challenges will change The Constant in ways that players will need to adapt to, either by working with or against them. This will also provide Survivors with the opportunity to discover new resources and items that will be vital for their survival as they progress throughout all areas of the game. 

Some of this has been introduced as part of the Wilson Refresh, and we will continue to build upon them throughout the year.

And what about the newer players?
Something that we have seen time and time again is that some newer players have a hard time understanding what they should be doing, or where they should be going and may become frustrated or miss a lot of content if they don’t know what else is out there for them. With this in mind, we are going to work toward making it a bit easier to understand what should be happening in the game without necessarily making the game easier. 

To that end we will be working on additions to the compendium and other elements of the game that will provide more information about what is happening, as well as progress indicators that help players see themselves grow through what they have learned in the game. 

Some of you may have noticed that some elements of the Wilson Refresh are a part of this effort as well. Wilson now acts as a sort of guide through the progression of the game, without directly telling the player what to do, his new skill tree can guide a player toward long term goals as they explore the world. He’s still rather vanilla, he just has some sprinkles now. Nothing too intimidating to a new player.

It should also be said that the “Core Game Enhancement” updates are foundational and are likely to grow and change over time. This means that we’ll implement systems or features that we can tweak or add to over time and while it’s probably not accurate to call these QOL updates, they will be Quality of Life oriented in the sense that they are meant to make the overall game better for most players, but not always by improving existing systems. 

What’s next?
The Wilson Refresh will be released Thursday and the update following that is currently planned for April will be a content update as part of the new Story Arc. This will be the first content update as part of this roadmap and should be quite interesting.  

Do the core game enhancement update refer to the Skill trees that other survivors are getting or something like a combat update?

[bloopah]

8 hours ago, GiltGbros2 said:

Do the core game enhancement update refer to the Skill trees that other survivors are getting or something like a combat update?

I doubt an update would come to update the entirety of combat, but it could mean reworks of bad bosses and their mechanics.

[Jakepeng99]

When will the roadmap update happen?

On 7/19/2023 at 12:02 PM, bloopah said:

I doubt an update would come to update the entirety of combat, but it could mean reworks of bad bosses and their mechanics.

I hope they rework bee queen. It is just enemie spam.

[PetulantPansy]

"We don't have a teaser or more information on the next update at the moment, but we do want to let you know that we are going to be checking in with a roadmap update soon and we'll be sure to drop something interesting in there. "

 

ummm? is this still happening or is the crossover the update?  The crossover doesn't really feel like it merits an update since it's part of the roadmap

[kroban]

On 3/14/2023 at 9:33 PM, slendyproject said:

 

The point is that the backpack literally does the job 10 times better while doing other things. Eyebrella is irrelevant because we are talking about body slots.

Either way present an argument for the vest. Or keep assuming that I always carry a backpack full of thermal stones and whatnot  and not demonstrating a point if that makes you feel better.

Well...TECHNICALLY, body slots became a bit more useful right now, atleast in late game. With rifts sets you only need to wear the head slot to gain the armor bonuses, which means you could for example use Brightshade helmet and a vest if you are fighting during Winter

[Pe Dabliu]

On 3/14/2023 at 9:25 PM, Pe Dabliu said:

If the crossover isn't with cult of the lamb I'll go crazy. These games have been flirting on Twitter for a bit now, it's about time to make it official 

Hell yeah!

On 3/14/2023 at 9:25 PM, Pe Dabliu said:

 

 

[Jakepeng99]

I remembering them saying they would revisit this roadmap

[MasterDos]

Hello everyone
I have not been a beginner in DontStarve for a long time, but I completely agree that beginners need help. Just so that you don't have to read the Wiki half of the game time (although it may be useful for someone to read something)

In my opinion, another creation of KLEI, that is, in "Oxygen" there is a great example of survival tutorials. The situation there is similar - you appear in a world where you don't know anything and don't understand mechanics. But the game offers you hints in which you can watch a fun animation. Thus, you cheer yourself up and get the information you need to cope with the difficulties of the game.

[bloopah]

4 hours ago, MasterDos said:

The situation there is similar - you appear in a world where you don't know anything and don't understand mechanics.

There's a Database in-game that shows you information about everything you see...

[Jakepeng99]

1 hour ago, bloopah said:

There's a Database in-game that shows you information about everything you see...

Honestly a video preview of a few items would be funny.

[Jakepeng99]

What qualifies as core enchsncment updates?

[Mike23Ua]

On 9/9/2023 at 4:35 PM, Jakepeng99 said:

What qualifies as core enchsncment updates?

I don’t know.. but I was very very hopeful it would be something OTHER than Skill Tree Updates, Sure skill trees are Okay-ish I guess, But I would like more ways to interact with and play the game that aren’t character specific, or locked behind super late game progress.

I don’t know.. something like new ways the game world can generate when starting a new Day 1 map, broken up into Archipelagos or maybe I can choose crazier options such as reversing the size of the Mainland and Lunar Island (meaning Lunar is MASSIVE & Mainland is now the tiny island) I’d personally like to see a Moon Quay biome the size of the games average swamp.

Just a bigger mass of land so I can actually move about on it, explore, and dodge/kite mobs.

Also I hope those Core Enhancements covers Brightshades spawning on Pearls island.. because THAT is an unfair & highly annoying fight.

[Creatorofswamps]

I won't blame anyone for anything. But if I'm not mistaken, we were told that the changes in the roadmap will be shown in the near future?

[BalkanCockroach]

7 hours ago, Creatorofswamps said:

I won't blame anyone for anything. But if I'm not mistaken, we were told that the changes in the roadmap will be shown in the near future?

What's changed?

[Mike23Ua]

4 hours ago, BalkanCockroach said:

What's changed?

Nothing, Klei promised 3 game content updates for the From Beyond arch, we’ve gotten 3 game updates Lunar Rifts, Lunar Rifts 2, Shadow Rifts.

There’s another update coming to Beta in Late November- I expect this one to be another skill tree update seeing as how the roadmap stated 2 Core Game Enhancement Updates, I’m assuming Klei meant skill trees.

[BalkanCockroach]

15 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

Nothing, Klei promised 3 game content updates for the From Beyond arch, we’ve gotten 3 game updates Lunar Rifts, Lunar Rifts 2, Shadow Rifts.

There’s another update coming to Beta in Late November- I expect this one to be another skill tree update seeing as how the roadmap stated 2 Core Game Enhancement Updates, I’m assuming Klei meant skill trees.

You think we'll get Wx, Wes and Wendy? or is just coincidence? cause there's no theme unlike the first 3 being grizzled manly man.

[lenship2]

10 minutes ago, BalkanCockroach said:

You think we'll get Wx, Wes and Wendy? or is just coincidence? cause there's no theme unlike the first 3 being grizzled manly man.

wasn't it confirmed to be wx, walter, and wurt on stream? or am i just remembering wrong

[BalkanCockroach]

1 minute ago, lenship2 said:

wasn't it confirmed to be wx, walter, and wurt on stream? or am i just remembering wrong

dunno didn't watch it. but ill check it out thanks.

[Mike23Ua]

1 hour ago, BalkanCockroach said:

You think we'll get Wx, Wes and Wendy? or is just coincidence? cause there's no theme unlike the first 3 being grizzled manly man.

I would prefer for “Core Game Enhancements” to not include character skill trees at all if I’m going to be perfectly honest about it…

To me skill trees are no different from Character Refreshes/Reworks..

When they say “Core” I expect it to impact the actual way I’ll be playing and experiencing the core gameplay loop, character skill trees only impact that particular character- hence why it should’ve just been labeled as a Refresh.

However- there actually IS content Klei has been adding throughout the updates that DO impact core gameplay, like the scrapbook, and that new “discoveries” waypoint guide, or even something as adorable as being able to “Sit” in Chairs (if chairs weren’t so difficult to obtain) that’s been talked about enough so I won’t go into detail again here.

What I would consider core gameplay updates would be stuff like new ways worlds generate, such as: Broken apart into multiple archipelago islands, or while highly unlikely to happen anytime soon- Mountains and slopes. Or new Weather effects or updates to existing weather effects and Seasons (Aka new mobs for winter/summer, etc..) Perhaps even some new world set pieces that let for example: PigKing spawn in a Swamp telling a story of how Merms are attempting to overthrow his Kingdom.

Something that prevents players from just always knowing where to go to find Pig King, etc…

CORE Gameplay Enhancements that effect everyone- Regardless of which character your playing as. 

I was excited when every character had been reworked and we could finally move on to bigger better game content updates & was disappointed when we started reworking them AGAIN (for a third time..) with character specific skill trees.