Feedback: Bosses and Late game

[Tokubetsuna]

PREMISE

Let me start by saying that this post is in no way shape or form hate towards the game, or the awesome developers;
I love the game, i've been playing and watching it since so much time and i see myself doing that for a long time aswell;
This post is 100% constructive feedback for the developers to read and it attempts to make it as easy as it can for them to extrapolate valid points and insight.
Being a developer myself, i know the importance of posts like this.

BOSS DESIGN

Some bosses present challenges that feel unfair or lack clarity in their mechanics, making them hard to interpret.

Achieving a balanced encounter is crucial—finding the middle ground between exploiting certain mechanics/items to easily overcome a boss and facing overwhelming difficulty.

Rather than the necessity of abusing specific items that completely circumvent a boss's mechanics, it'd be more engaging to encourage player interaction with these mechanics. For instance, using items creatively to make certain mechanics more manageable rather than rendering them obsolete.

Take the Bee Queen, for example.

Currently, she can feel unfair and exploit-prone, requiring specific characters or a large amount of pan flutes to circumvent the encounter entirely.

My suggestion would be to introduce more in-encounter counterplay.

What if, instead of simply spawning bees, she first released larvae that players must address before they mature? This adjustment could enhance the encounter's readability, fostering a dynamic of responding to and managing mechanics, rather than solely facing repercussions (such as the bee spawns) and enduring further penalties for not addressing them. (this hint applies to a lot of encounters in the game currently)

Improving boss telegraphing and reducing 'cheesiness' across the board would enhance the gameplay experience.
Implementing visual indicators like swirlies on the ground prior to a certain boss attack, penalizing players for being in that area, could add clarity and fairness.

For instance, take the Dragonfly encounter. It's disheartening that the encounter is only deemed 'fair' when players exploit the mechanic by walling off lava pools to disrupt the lava larvae's pattern. It's essential to find ways to make the encounter engaging without resorting to unintended workarounds.

LATE GAME

The introduction of late-game tools that alleviate early game challenges is a fantastic concept.

It sets the stage for newer, more intricate challenges and rewards the players for their achievements.

Some aspects have seen improvements, such as darkness management post-Lunar Champion's defeat with the crown (and Brightshade sword), or the slower food spoilage via the portable fridge in the latest update.
Tending to plants also becomes more manageable with the Friendly Fruit Fly from the Lord of Fruit Flies.

However, certain IMPORTANT late-game aspects remain untouched to date. 

Storage, in particular, becomes a hassle as items accumulate, even with the increased capacity from Dragonfly chests. It would be beneficial to introduce a centralized storage unit capable of synchronizing data from all chests within a designated area. This central unit could offer features like item filtering, sorting, and easy item retrieval and deposition, it could be a craft in the shadow forge and have a “shadow hands managing the chests for you” theme and I feel like it would be amazing.

Other options that would be interesting to have some sort of automation for:
Plant watering, plot fertilizing, item repairing, items that “combine” the utility that other items offer (cold insulation + heat insulation, or less hunger drain + night vision)

 

WEAPONS / ARMOR DIVERSITY

Expanding the arsenal beyond the typical 'deal more damage' or 'melee/ranged' dynamic for weapons would add depth and excitement to combat.

Taking inspiration from the weapons featured in The Forge event, integrating them into DST's late game could introduce a whole new level of strategic combat.

Imagine weapons that possess unique abilities such as healing teammates, summoning creatures for various tasks or combat support, or creating zones where allies are healed or enemies are damaged, armors that let you take damage for your allies.

These kinds of inventive tool not only diversify combat strategies but also encourage cooperative play and strategic thinking among players.

CONCLUSION

Thank you for reading this post!
If you are a player like me i would love to read every idea my post sparked as well as hearing your feelings when it comes to the points i touched.