[updated] Wilson major rework ideas + perks

[Mortalbane]

Why rework?
Because he sux. Back in the day, when he was a singleplayer starting character with no special things, it was ok. But as others gained new stuff and kept evolving, poor Wilson was becoming more and more useless. He was probably only played by people who wanted to be hipster, by not hipster enough to play Wes.
When his character refresh, the final and long-awaited refresh of the most iconic (and boring) DS character, came out and turned out to be a skill tree, that was okay. Kinda. I mean, most skills were useless, but at least Wilson had a unique feature.
Then it turned out that everyone will get a skill tree, so our Wilson guy can say goodbye to his pick rate again.
Because seriously, who thought that spending 7 (!) skill points on torch, and still not make it better than lamp, is a good idea?

I know it is "assumed" that Wilson made all the science stuff - science machine, ice flingomatic, prestihatitator, etc - but that was somewhere outside of the game, and i'd like something inside it.
Also in the loading screen tip it is said "I have made a compass, and it turned out that my camp mates have already crafted similar compasses of their own". That's right, Wilson, you suck as a scientist - Wolfgang invented a compass before you.
At least i'm happy that Klei acknowledged Wilson for an alchemist and added some stuff.
 

Lore
Idk why Wilson's hands are black and have pointy fingers - maybe those are some weird gloves, or shadow thing (Maxwell's hands look the same), or just an artist's decision.
Allow me to assume that it was indeed a shadow thing, and the initial "deal" with Maxwell was gaining some shadow powers and some knowledge of the Ancients (whose tech you can now see in the ruins). When Charlie took over, she stripped Maxwell and Wilson of their powers, that's why Wilson has none, and Maxwell only relies on the Codex.


Base kit
- Wilson now can't grow a magnificent beard naturally
- he is a Dropout Alchemist

Dropout Alchemist - while others only use the Alchemy Engine as an upgraded science machine, only Wilson knows how to use it for its true purpose. He can now open it to see a crock-pot like interface. It cooks, but not dishes. And does so fast, with the speed of current prototype animation. Cooking any 4 items in it will result in Alchemical Goop. You should have finished your studies!

Alchemical Goop - it's like wet goop, but alchemical. It also happens to be very flammable. It can be applied to a torch to increase its burning time and light radius. The goop has maximum fuel value for campfires and such, like grass tuft.



Skill tree
Alchemy branch
Learn some new recipes! For example:

Transmutation
option A
Klei's approach was to add it like a crafting recipe. So, it can be added as a crock pot recipe for the alchemy engine. For example, you cook 4 stones and receive 2 flints. Each recipe has to be a perk in the tree then, like they did. Also this option "burns" your resources, cuz you get less than you've put in.
option B
Allow to truly transform resources. For example, the first 3 slots of our crock-pot-engine are the "matrix", or the "example", and the fourth has to be a similar resource. You put 3 gold pieces into the "example slots", and a rock or a flint into the last slot. And bam, you get 4 gold pieces. Is it broken? Maybe. And cheesing bosses isn't? =) Anyway, it's a cool concept.

Elixirs
All of the elixirs require you to "cook" an empty bottle and 3 other ingredients. The bottle is returned after use, unless you throw the elixir. Perks can change the elixir effects, or allow to use fillers instead of some ingredients.

Empty bottle - is crafted manually out of Glass Shards and one other ingredient, maybe flint. You get shards, if you break the bottle.

Magnificent Beard Elixir - drink it, and pretty soon you will enjoy a third-growth-stage Wilson's beard. Perks can upgrade the elixir to add insulation or food slots to the beard. But, you know, not seven perks.
Idk why Wilson has the built-in beard in the first place. He is an icon of DS, his face is everywhere. His clean-shaved face. I remember that he indeed has a beard only when i play him. And with the elixir, everyone can enjoy beards! I think it's fun. Also, sell away the beard skins, Klei, you are welcome!
Also i'd suggest removing the Webber's beard too, and allow him to grow his silk beard only by consuming this elixir. Cuz Webber has zero problems with silk, and how is a spider and a child capable of growing a silk beard?

Extra Flammable Oil - can be used the same way as the Alchemical Goop (and uses it in the recipe), but has greater effects. Can be thrown at mobs to increase the fire and burning damage they take, while increasing the burning time. Throwing the elixir breaks the bottle. The broken glass won't burn, unlike the mob's loot. Stupid burning. At least it will now deal some damage. And Willow will be in love with you.

Elixir of Enlargement - the character who drinks it grows in size, his damage and hp increases, but move and attack speed decreases. So, is this a buff? Who cares, when it is fun! Can be thrown at mobs to apply the same effect to them and break the bottle. Enlarged mobs drop more loot when they die. Can be thrown at the farm crops, and it affects the whole farm tile (tile, not field). Each affected crop then makes a check, and can grow into giant, grow into giant and rot, or simply rot.

Stomach Cleaner - upon drinking, deals several ticks of low damage to hunger and health, and each time you poop. Can be given to players, but can't be fed to them. Or can it? If Klei ever adds poisoning or food poisoning to DST, this will cure it. No, Wormwood, i don't know what you are talking about, go photosynthesize like a good plant boy.

This list can go on. Should Wilson be able to make potions of speed, healing, flying, turning into a Deerclops? Maybe. But does he look like a guy who can produce anything really good?



Pseudoscience branch
You know, i am somewhat of a pseudoscientist myself.
This branch revolves around making various gadgets using the knowledge of the Antient guys from the ruins. For example:

Findalyzer - basically the Wheeler's Navigadget from Hamlet. A hand-held tool with an item slot - you put in an item, and it shows the distance to the closest instance of that item in the world, or the thing where this item can be broken out of.
If used on anything while empty, it examines that thing (as a character then you alt+click). But its comments are usually better at hinting at the properties or purpose of the item. Also makes a note in the scrapbook.

Contained Dimensional Rift - a placeable structure, which serves as one end of a portal. Build the other one, and you're golden. Except that each use has a chance of spawning some shadow creatures to chase you. Or it can just teleport you to the middle of nowhere, randomly selecting a point on the map.
Wilson builds portals all the time in the animated shorts, so why not allow him to do it. Perks can improve and stabilize portals.

Portable Shadow Manipulator - with his black pointy fingers Wilson can craft this hand-held item, which can be used to prototype magic crafts. While the PSM is equipped, shadow creatures will be neutral towards you. Also the shadow hand, which usually steals fire, now will instead pull out a random item from the darkness, and put it at your feet.

Affinity branch
perk examples:

Planar Transmutation - this perk can be in the Shadow or in the Lunar branch, or in each. Allows to transmute one lunar/shadow material into another, or lunar into shadow and vice versa.

Shadow Clone - with Charlie giving Wilson some of his shadow powers back, he can summon a copy of himself similar to Maxwell's. Wilson's maximum sanity is permanently reduced by small amount, and the clone can't be despawned. The clone has unlimited life time and follows Wilson. If killed, the clone respawns soon after. The clone repeats actions after Wilson, helping with chores and fighting. Wilson can right-click the clone to "merge" with it, hiding in its shadows, as if using the Bush Hat.

Stable Wormhole - with Wagstaff's help Wilson improves his portals. Now they can be used to teleport from surface to caves, they will never teleport you to random locations or spawn shadow creatures.

Fuel Withdrawal - if Klei finally makes all the ancient pseudoscience crafts use nightmare fuel as fuel, this perk can "purify" the crafts, restoring them to pre-fuel state. Now they can't be refueled with nightmare fuel, but are quickly recharged under the moonlight or in the enlightenment zones. Carrying an iridescent gem in your inventory slowly recharges all pseudoscience crafts in your inventory.



So, the idea is to make Wilson a proper and unique character, who can bring something to the table.
But still he is not strong, and his abilities are more fun than effectiveness.
His crafts can be useful, but often malfunction or misfire. Because that is science, baby!
I just wish that Klei would do something similar.

[Dr.Webber]

Pretty cool 

[Mortalbane]

3 hours ago, Dr.Webber said:

Pretty cool 

I know, right? =)

[Mortalbane]

added affinity perk examples

[Antynomity]

I'll just copy paste it here:
"The torch tree should be changed into a tree that encompasses all light and temperature sources, making them have more range when wilson adds fuel to them, and making them more intense with heat / cold when he also adds fuel to them, wilson could fuel light sources for teammates and as long as the campfires dont run out of fuel or in case of portable sources, until it doesnt get fueled by a non-wilson with those skills (so he doesnt have more swappability like he does with some transmutations) which would make him save fuel for himself and his teammates in the short and long run.

Beard skills deserve to be more interesting and useful, an assortment of crafts related to different seasons and weathers tied to an entry skill and then ones that empower those crafts to make them more potent should replace the flat winter insulation skills that you get right now.

As examples, you'd get crafts that increase insulation til death or next shave for winter, crafts that do the same for summer, crafts that add some water proofness to your beard, for more interesting ones we could get ones that add some normal or planar defense respectively to your beard (I just like the idea of your beard protecting you from damage, let's say 5% normal armour defense per stage and for the planar one you'd get 1, 3 and 5 planar defense respectively each stage.

Those are all the ideas I could come up with on a whim for the beard and the torch replacement I believe I have suggested something similar back in the wilson refresh beta in the forums."

These are my ideas, hope you like them.

[Mortalbane]

10 minutes ago, Antynomity said:

These are my ideas, hope you like them.

Yeah, if i wanted to simply tweak what Klei did, i'd probably come up with something similar to your suggestions - better fuels and beard care products.
But i wanted to expand the alchemy a little bit =)

[Hormiga89]

I think he could learn a few things from Wagstaff. Specifically the telebrella, telipad, and the thumper. Also so newbies could actually starts picking him, give him a few healing/revival perks. Healing items like honey poultice and healing salve will be more efficient. Revival items like the telltale heart will not have as many penalties as if another character would use them. Also the booster shot would be more efficient. Also give him a few exclusive healing and revival items. That would go with the fact that he has a doctor skin and the healer skill from the forge.

[Mortalbane]

2 hours ago, Hormiga89 said:

I think he could learn a few things from Wagstaff

I was thinking about that as well, since Wagstaff probably isn't going to be playable. I was thinking more devices and even drones.
But i understood that Wilson has enough to offer if his scientist and alchemist background is explored, which i did in my suggestions.

Healer Wilson would be nice, if Klei would implement the Forge fighting system into DST. But they instead made Rotwood.
So currently i'd prefer alchemist Wilson over healer. So that they did something similar to my suggestions, or their own Mad Scientist thing.

[Hormiga89]

On 7/31/2023 at 3:56 AM, Mortalbane said:

I was thinking about that as well, since Wagstaff pro
Healer Wilson would be nice, if Klei would implement the Forge fighting system into DST. But they instead made Rotwood.
So currently i'd prefer alchemist Wilson over healer. So that they did something similar to my suggestions, or their own Mad Scientist thing.

The main reason I said doctor was so he can be the new player friendly, but now that I think about it relax mode makes it kind of useless. He would be a good jack of all trades if klei would give him just a little more thought.

Thanks to Wagstaff he can have a few engineer based inventions that Winona doesn't have. Or Wagstaff can show Wilson how to examine boulders, glaciers, etc. to get a better chance of getting extra items. That can help with getting things like fossil fragments and gold.

His medical history can help new players survive longer with better healing and revival items.

With his cemetery he can make better fuel and explosive items. It would be cool to make an explosive that freezes instead of burning. If not electrocute or temporary stun enemies.

They already have the alchemy in the skill tree, but I think the other things can be just add-ons.

[Dr.Webber]

Could you add a second shadow skill sense you have one On both sides one for shadow two for lunar it would really even things out