The Meat-Grinder Tactic

[Morda]

I found an interesting tactic when playing. I basically set up my base camp in a swamp. The tentacles serve as excellent protection, but there was a pretty big benefit to having them around. To clarify on the protection, my base camp is in a forest so I have Optimus Pine coming after me about once a week, all I do is kite him into the tentacles and he dies fairly quickly, takes out two tentacles, but will eventually fall.

I planted a bunch of spider eggs around my camp, not right on me, but nearby. Tentacles killed a bunch of spiders so I have piles of silk and monster meat. pPiders have an interesting mechanic in that they seem to seek out monster meat to eat. Well after about 10 days or so the tentacles kept whooping up on the spiders and I had massive piles of spider silk and monster meat in areas where the tentacles were. Naturally, the spiders absolutely never bother me because they're too busy fighting the tentacles. After enough spider "waves" the tentacle gets defeated, but will grow back and the meat-grinder starts all over.

What does this mean? Basically I have a never-ending supply of monster meat (for delicious stew) and spider silk. Can't quite figure out what to do with the silk other than feed it to SCIENCE! but the meat makes sure my character will absolutely never starve. Picking the silk and the meat up can be tricky because tentacles aren't discriminatory in who they try to murder, but you can quickly run in, pick up an item, and run out.

My character is basically invincible, with no dangers and an infinite supply of food. I'm considering killing him off to try again. I'm on day 50 now and don't see any real imminent danger to me in the forseeable future. Also, fantastic game this is, I'm a sucker for survival games, been playing rogulikes for years now, and this hits all the right buttons for me, especially in the fact that there is virtually no story to intrude on my own creativity.

[cptCalavera]

Nice, i thought about setting up camp in a swamp several times but never did it. Will try to set up an alternative swamp camp in my current world now though Would be nice with a local pond next to my tent

Also I have to dissapoint you. There is a story to Dont Starve. We just havent been told it yet. But when the game is official, the story will be there. Not sure how detailed it will be though.

[Morda]

I don't mind story as long as it's not intrusive. It seems that the whole point of Don't Starve is the developers trying to avoid holding your hand for anything, so I don't see them force-feeding us a story.

My swamp tactic worked only because there's a patch of forest in the middle of the swamp, I wouldn't set up a camp right in the swamp because the tentacles are indeed dangerous, but being on my little "island" I am safe from anything due to tentacles being vicious murderers. Whenever I venture out to restock on poop for my farms I run into plenty of monster meats from what I would assume are monsters trying to murder me. I lost one game because I set up a camp next to a pig village (they're friendly piggies, right?) and then got viciously murdered by Kevin (why, Kevin? I gave you food you backstabbing bastard!). I also replanted the entire berry population right next to my campfire, so I get about 30 berries every 3 days, that's approximately 7 fruit medleys, and my character needs 2 fruit medleys to get through each day, do the math and you'll see how I am actually at a food surplus here, hehe, I just know that next patch they're going to add something that will destroy me though lol.

[Toaster Fu]

How does the monster meat not kill you?

Edit: hehe you named the pig Kevin? And he did something evil? Seems somewhat fitting…

[Morda]

If you mouse over the pigs without anything in your hands they all have names. The one that murdered me was named "Kevin" by the game hehe.

THe monster meat loses its toxicity if you throw it into the Crock Pot. Four monster meats in a Crock Pot makes delicious Meat Stew which gives you a pretty massive amount of hunger-fill. Alternatively, I have about 5 beehives so I am almost literally drowning in Honey. Honey is a fantastic health regenerator, you can eat a monster meat and 2 Honey to heal yourself back up if you don't want to bother with the Crock Pot.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Morda

[Toaster Fu]

Heh, that must be a new feature, Kevin is one of the Devs so it makes sense.

[Excess]

Heh, that must be a new feature, Kevin is one of the Devs so it makes sense.

Pigs have names since at least 2 updates FU. You have to "examine" them to see their names. I never had any Kevin yet, that's a new one

[Bogpad]

After enough spider "waves" the tentacle gets defeated, but will grow back and the meat-grinder starts all over.

how long does that take? My swamps are tentacleless for about 20 days now after I tried to get the mats for the feather hat... would love if they would grow back for another try to make the hat, but as of now, I came to the conclusion that my tentacles are extinct.

[Morda]

I'm not sure how long it takes, I just see the post-apocalyptic monster meat, spider silk, tentacle (the spear weapon) and tentacle spots, and there's a new tentacle growing there already. Never timed exactly how long it takes, but it's short enough to keep the spiders entertained and off my butt.

[501105]

how long does that take? My swamps are tentacleless for about 20 days now after I tried to get the mats for the feather hat... would love if they would grow back for another try to make the hat, but as of now, I came to the conclusion that my tentacles are extinct.

You will never look at the mats the same way once you know what they really are.