Choose your side

[Keknutui]

The new update, which is due to be released soon, is an update of shadow rifts, which was very lacking over time by host of honors for the lunar rifts. I've been thinking about it and I want you to make a decision, which extension for rifts do you think is better? For convenience, I put all the content from the 2 updates on the screenshots, but since the new update is still in beta, then even more content can be added to it, as was the case in the recent patch. If you have something to say, then feel free to write in the comments

 

[ZeRoboButler]

I voted in favor of the lunar rifts and I feel that I should back it up a bit. beforehand I would like to preface a few things -

1. I can't include the sawhorse into any of my decision making due to it not being actually involved with the rifts
2. obviously the shadow side is still in beta, so somethings are subject, but I will try to focus on the subject matter of completeness and compliments to the rift content

For starters, the lunar side had brightshades and portals of pure brilliance to start, then we received host of horrors adding corrupted/possessed bosses with updates to the way they are fought as well as thematic items based on each one. The lunar frogs are far too rare a sight, not to mention not having anything unique about them aside from looks. The drops are the same.

Then we have the armor that wagstaff presented, I do still consider this somewhat of a flop as instead of having some sort of research functionality similar to wx or integration with the scrapbook and the information it holds, we got a very very niche armor that can be used on rift content, but as it stands is not worth the trouble.

As for shadow, we got (as of this moment) Item mimics (punishing people who don't use chest or just generally messing with the player, amusing but i'll just make more chest I guess).

A new shadow added to the ruins to really amp the threat level, empowered by the rifts as well. 

I feel as though I shouldn't even bother mentioning the rabbit king as it has nothing to do with the rifts, same goes for the worm as much as I like the big monster.

4 new shadow items, with 3 needing interaction with the mimic and shadow atrium, feels weird that the bell and the saddle are not combined but it is whatever, more importantly the saddle make beefalo a lot more useful for rift combat outside of running around with the empowered tooth dart gun. 

The maul is a odd item, feels a bit goofy to manage at the moment, but I guess nothing is stopping a person from leveling it and just bundling it.

Ickers are cool, and the rictus interactions seem like they could be fleshed out a bit more but they are also cool.

 

I won't lie, I mostly wrote this down to better cement my own thoughts on which is more complete and has better things complementing the rifts directly rather than the whole update. I think that I would say still that Host of horrors does feel like it makes the lunar side feel more complete, still feel like more is planned for both sides anyway, but just the way that the themes are done is great. The "moon's" influence on the dead reflected in hounds and pengulls taken a step further with the undead bosses, and wagstaff aiding in the design of 3 new items based upon his research is very cool. Although, that is kinda the highlight of the lunar side at the moment, I supposed the shadows theme is that the "Mirror" in charlies play (being the entity within the portal) Is trying to investigate the constant that it was cut off from presumably by the ancients.

The whole thing allowing for more shadows to spill in to that plane of existence, potentially leading to what the fuelweaver was warning us about, some sort of great shadow apocalypse that charlie was trying to use in some way or was duped into doing due to a promise the entity made.

I think I trailed off a bit there but... I guess if I am considering things in a unbiased light, both sides have things they added due to the rifts, I pretty much can only say that shadow rifts won due to the fact that the mimics, chest and item, as well as the new nightmare add the most permanent changes to the world as well as the rift. With the lunar side, the permanent changes are based off weather effects which kinda stinks. I guess I just liked the the bosses more.

(I will say though if the item mimics stay as is, I may get killed from something silly on the surface, they seem to mimic stuff that is in complete darkness and when the rifts are open. Not sure they are meant to be on the surface)  

[Echsrick]

nothing realy, they still feel not finished and kind of feel questionable like the items you make because they work best for the rift for the most part

[NPCMaxwell]

I was forced to vote for lunar. I probably wouldn't have voted this way, if shadow didn't feel so neglected, even after this update.

[Frosty_Mentos]

Nothing is finished but I voted shadow just because I like shadow a lot. Caves as a whole with ruins just make shadow stuff more relevant to gameplay than anything lunar, while lunar mostly brings great utility and resource farms in general which isn't as exciting till both rifts open and two halves kinda complete each other more or less.

There is a lot of work to be done still. We still gotta figure out where this 'lategame' is leading us to and what will happen next, cause somewhere will either end or there will be more developments for DST and it's engine all together to bring something more surprising.