Grave relocation ability noticeably dropped in utility and flavor value after the latest update (because of broken shell in the recipe)

[Pig Princess]

Obligatory note: I don't mind whether Wendy relocates graves via shovel or putting spirit into special vessel, I don't mind relocation being more costly than a shovel use (well, actually more costly than having shovel and inventory space). What I dislike about recent change in relocation method is that I can't do it as early as possible, specificallly before meteor shower (flavor complaint) and before going relatively deep into the caves/ocean exploration (utility complaint). This means 2 things that I'm going to describe below.

1. I have to let object I frequently interact with to be ruined by meteors (dug up graves aren't a pleasant sight), unless I specifically rush broken shells (of all things) to relocate them from mosaic biome - the biggest and most convenient to relocate cluster of graves in the world aside from labyrinth (and those graves also suffer from the same problem since it isn't practical to relocate them before AG fight that usually leaves them open). Usually I don't pay much attention to graves because I rarely see them and seek them, not to mention that I'm unable to preserve their nice look anyway. But Wendy is one character who is encouraged to interact with graves (to relocate and pay attention to them while travelling), and considering graves stay dug forever and nothing can be done about it once they are open, I face weird choice when I play as Wendy: either I hardcore roleplay and rush broken shells (weird), or I'm deliberately going to let them be defiled by nature and watch them like that for eternity. It's not very good for fullfilling character fantasy, in my opinion.

So weird situation occurs: as Wendy letting graves to be ruined because I'm busy is deliberate choice I (kind of) have to make if I want somewhat interesting early game/variety in early game tasks. Shovel was cheap enough to somewhat circumvent such problem, but it would be better to have proper solution to this case, like to be able to restore look of dug grave. And there needs to be a way to relocate and restore graves without headstone as well, there is no reason why graves without one should be left without care, considering Wendy's attitude towards death, dead and memorials to the dead. Also can we make grave orientation to be forgotten on relocation, like before recent patch?

List of possible solutions:

•  make Wendy to be able to restore graves (for example, by burying something grave loot/funeral-related in them)
• make spirit vessel recipe require something more available (like stone/wood) - it doesn't produce resources directly after all so low cost should be fine
• make graves indestructible by everything except player (I don't like this approach, but it's an option)

2. I can't use skill in situation when it's advantage is the most significant, i.e. early game, usually before ruins rush/boss rush/ruins rush after boss rush. Even for some challenge worlds I play (desert island mod, uncompromising winter start with only winter and summer among seasons, lights out worlds, worlds with minimal resources) it doesn't change: relocation matters the most before helping first few pipspooks, later it looses significant part of it's value because game pace is not so tight and one has some mouring glories for immediate crafts already.

Relocation is valuable for combating randomness of pipspooks and I like it. It allows to place multiple graves together to raise the chance of finding pipspook by visiting this grave cluster; moreover, one doesn't have to run to far away location only to find out that pipspook didn't spawn, instead one can check this graveyard at base immediately. I don't like to rely on luck (at least heavily), to spend time for nothing and to be unable to do anything about it, especially when it matters the most. Cheap and accessible grave relocation perfectly addressed my concerns in this regard.

Relocation allows to save time. I like nice things and I like to work towards getting them early. I like to strategise in which order to do things. I enjoy multiple activities in the game from boss fighting to sailing and farming, but I enjoy them in particular circumstances and at particular stage of the game. Specifically, I don't enjoy sailing on empty boat and like to make boat base instead, and I don't enjoy investing most of the autumn into cool boat but loose on ruins items, endgame boss quest line progression or loot of partucular bosses depending on my settings, which leads to the situation when I'm just not going to feel good about sailing on empty boat in hopes to find Pearl and shells. I also enjoy ruins activities and loot, but don't enjoy just exploring caves, so the idea to go to the caves for days only to farm second most annoying mob in the game (no one beats pirate monkeys) as the sole purpose of the trip makes me anything but excited to try. On the contrary, idea to rush ruins or bosses as Wendy excites me, especially since there are really nice things skill tree gives her, and I liked how nicely grave relocation can be woven into this shedule and help me to execute it by combating randomness and boring parts (travelling to mosaic/between scarce graves in evergreen forests). So I want this synergy of skill and shedule back, or at least I want this skill to be useful in combination with other possible early activities/shedules, but broken shell requirement doesn't let me because of how obscure it is and because of specific nature of it's sources. My point is that I don't enjoy how current recipe shapes my possible game plan choices if I want to make personal graveyard a priority.

As a bonus, early relocation synergyses well with mouring glory/pipspook branches, especially if the goal is stockpiling on nightshade nostrum for early mouring glory crown (for ruins, for example), or one wants to be able to use butterflies with shadow Abigail a lot and idea is to not need to "recharge" by catching new critters (I admit that this one has questionable utility, but it's more of a problem with resurrection cost and utility outside of shadow alignement; still, recipe requirement for vessel makes potential combo farther from reality).

Possible solutions:

• recipe chance (see p.1);
• make broken shells more accessible in early game or associated with something else that is desirable. It could be additional source(s) or ways to locate/get toward existing sources (shells, snurtles(slurtles), moon quay island (crustashines)), and/or it could be enhancement of shell-generating activity themselves so, for example, fighting snurtles(slurtles) would be itself interesting activity with more rewards than just broken shells for the time spent on travelling and fighting them;
• give player something one can do to guarantee pipspook in early game (I don't like this option because grave relocation itself is already elegant solution, and I would like this ability to retain it's value).

It's worth mentioning that grave relocation is also useful for farms due to bigspooks, but this part didn't experience much change, and while it can noticebly contribute to game experience, it doesn't justify loss of another important application of this skill. I think power level of this ability was fine before the recent change and utility reduction was not the thought behind the current recipe.

[Debruh]

I personally think that you should be able to stuff dug up graves with like flowers or ashes or something. Maybe w decorated grave gets un-dug up. Because even accounting for meteors, teammates might want to dig them up for gems or gold.

I think it requiring a broken shell is pretty fun. Kinda neat that you get a lot from pearl's island, as well as lune blossoms. But I can see it getting changed to cutstone. The relic vase looks kinda similar to the spirit vessel and it does need two custone

[IAmAFurrz]

i dont see this change in method of moving graves as a bad thing. i definitely feel the lack of ability to move graves early, but ive come to learn that moving graves early will only slow my prep down instead of just basing in a forest/near mosaic graves. they often serve their purpose of giving pipspooks on day 3 onwards well enough and i only need to get em like once a day to prep all i need for a ruins rush by day 7-8. after i rush, often i just run thru to the slurtles and it didnt take too long for 4-6 shells.

moving graves being a bit slower (locked behind slurtles/shells on pearl's island) doesnt affect her gameplay much, it seems you just don't want the nerf to the way you play before the update (i won't say no to more accessibility to shells but its so dirtcheap that i dont see any issue with it)

[Siren11]

I like the idea of being able to “fix” dug-up graves somehow. Since moving gravestones is now part of Gravestones by Wendy, maybe restoring graves could be part of Grave Beautification. It would certainly make them prettier, and it fits with that skill line’s theme of making graves nicer for the spirits that reside within. Though I think I like the idea of having to actually “bury” something over the graves just fixing themselves when they get decorated.

I don’t really mind the change in recipe. It slows down the early game a bit, but I do like the idea of quests. I have accepted that skill trees will force me to change certain things about how I play. I can fight it, or I can embrace it and have fun.

[JazzyGames]

I too vote strongly in favor of grave restoration! Even nature-induced defiling aside, I can’t tell you how many times I accidentally dug the grave with my shovel instead of relocating the gravestone.

[DaDa_waw]

I think anyone should be able to dig up tombstones with a shovel and place them, and Wendy can receive additional rewards through her ghost jar. It's like anyone can obtain and place spider eggs, while only Weber can enjoy additional benefits.

[Thieta]

1 hour ago, DaDa_waw said:

I think anyone should be able to dig up tombstones with a shovel and place them, and Wendy can receive additional rewards through her ghost jar. It's like anyone can obtain and place spider eggs, while only Weber can enjoy additional benefits.

This is actually a pretty elegant solution tbh, I like this the most.