Lunar/Shadow Rift Questionnaire

[oregu]

This is mainly out of curiosity, I would of course like to know what people think in the replies, as long as you keep it classy, as usual. I've seen people with a lot of different opinions about this. I want to see people defend both popular and unpopular opinions about this because I feel like it hasn't been discussed enough, especially as techniques for Lunar/Shadow Rift stuff have developed.

This isn't so much about aesthetics (I think most think they're both generally aesthetically pleasing) but more about utility.

When it comes to comparing the items, character perks are going to make one side much better than the other for a character (like if you're a Wormwood main, your only choice is likely Lunar in practicality) but this is more about which one is better overall. Try to put who you main aside if you have one. I am more asking which side is better overall if every character had to use Shadow/Lunar items in question and every strat you can think of to your disposal, not the highest potential an individual character can bring out of a side. Capiche?

[Frashaw27]

I have only really started to engage with the rift content in my current Wortox world and it's overall pretty good but I do have some gripes with it. Getting Dark Tatters is very annoying imo, especially when compared to the uber eats style that the Brightshades give. I always found the 1 cycle of ink blights per nightmare phase is not really worth it and that it needs more in my eyes when you have to take the exponential trip there. Obviously, the tools from each are very useful, specifically the brightshade smasher, I use that thing alot. The void robe is in a strange place as it is very hard to compete with the Bone Armor, which you practically have to get in the process of getting the robes. The Brightshade chest armor also has a similar conflict with the bone armor but it also is much easier to find uses for it like stunning the wide jawed blights. the brightshade helmet is on of the better upgrades as it replaces the vision gear entirely with headslot protection and also some light. It's definitely become my main armor head piece. The void gear is alot better for bosses but it's hard to really get the scalling up when you just clearing spiders or something. I could go on but my general consensus is that the shadow rift is mostly about killing bosses while the lunar rift is more about getting a better quality of life and spreading out the effects. I am excited to see what Klei makes in terms of shadow equivalents for the mutated bosses.

[wormwood123]

I’m a big fan of the content from both rifts and use both sets of items often. I enjoy the associated fights and it adds an extra layer of depth to the game but I do wish they did more 

[Ohan]

I think its hard to say which one is better overall without taking the survivor im playing into consideration. I always end up using stuff from both anyway. 

What is easy to say for me is that shadow rifts are a lot more fun and have a much more interesting effect on the caves vs lunar rifts on the overworld.

Cave rifts have added so many new creatures, it makes the caves more interesting. Meanwhile lunar rifts 90% of the time is literally JUST brightshade/grazer monotony interspersed with the rare, occasional zomboss and even rarer lunar frog. The new bird was a much needed addition. 

Unlike lunar rifts i dont ever visit the shadow rift itself though since i just dont need that much pure horror. 

The cave rifts could use a resource/spawn rate rebalance or something like for the masks, the icker spam on every single corridor, the literal ton of NM fuel u can get from ickers and the ton of pure horror from mimic chests thats forced on u when ur clearing the labyrinth lol. 

——

Perhaps the inkblights should drop more tatters and a lot less pure horror so all the other creatures that drop pure horror arent useless. 

Edited August 28, 2025 by Ohan

[Edible Coal]

the polls should not have the word "only" if is suppose to be multiple choice

also for the 4th question , you can gather all the materials you need for rift equipment in a single fight for shadow

but lunar requires you to fight 2 times 

 

 

[Radicaljoe]

for #4 there's no good answer for "Lunar bosses are fine but brightshades are so annoying I actually move all my plants downstairs so I don't have to deal with them."

anyway Shadow>Lunar, we got cool scythe friend that talks to us.

[oregu]

7 hours ago, Edible Coal said:

the polls should not have the word "only" if is suppose to be multiple choice

I used the word only because I was curious to see which players didn't go to dreadstone outcrops for dreadstone and just tatters, and then players who don't use dreadstone outcrops/shadow rifts areas at all.

7 hours ago, Edible Coal said:

also for the 4th question , you can gather all the materials you need for rift equipment in a single fight for shadow

but lunar requires you to fight 2 times 

Hmm yes, there I did notice some overlap between question 3 and 4 while making the pole but I didn't really know how to address it. I probably could've asked if the creatures were a fair fight for what you get out of it but I felt like maybe a lot of people would've misinterpreted the question. The question is really more like "would you change what this creature drops."

8 hours ago, Frashaw27 said:

Getting Dark Tatters is very annoying imo, especially when compared to the uber eats style that the Brightshades give. I always found the 1 cycle of ink blights per nightmare phase is not really worth it and that it needs more in my eyes when you have to take the exponential trip there.

I could go on but my general consensus is that the shadow rift is mostly about killing bosses while the lunar rift is more about getting a better quality of life and spreading out the effects. 

If I had to guess, pure horror is more of the supposed counterpart for brightshade, even if it feels wrong. You usually see bits and pieces of pure horror everywhere in the caves, while pure brilliance/tatters are supposedly confined to more specific situations. You can automate brightshades, and I think you can somewhat automate pure horror as well from masques (but this is arguably more niche/harder to set up). 

I think the main trouble when it comes to comparing materials is getting lots of tatters is significantly more difficult than getting lots of pure brilliance (mainly due to Wilson using infused moon glass). Wilson doesn't have a recipe for converting dreadstone -> dark tatters, even though that would probably make the most sense instead of pure horror -> dreadstone. Wonder how others feel about that.

Edited August 28, 2025 by oregu

[Clopsy627]

My post rift gear is lunar multitools lunchbox and repair kits and shadow armor weapons umbrella bell saddle and repair kits

[Uedo]

I was gonna answer, but it's a bit difficult to really answer if you just make choices based on what you need. I get the lunar stuff first usually, then I use that stuff to open the shadow rifts, replace lunar armour for shadow, replace my sword for the scythe, get what I can open up without the shadow atrium stuff. come to the surface, get the rest of the lunar stuff (get W.A.R.B.O.T ready as a bit of a passive task) whilst I get more atriums, get the rest of the shadow stuff, fight warbot, make pretty base with skins in the shallow waters between the mainland and lunar.

I guess my aim after that (Just building up to Warbot again on a new world with Willow) will be to make some areas for each character.... or other games get their updates and I play them instead.

[hyoton123]

1 hour ago, Uedo said:

I was gonna answer, but it's a bit difficult to really answer if you just make choices based on what you need.

I second this post.

[Well-met]

I open rifts when I'm done with everything else in the world.

the fact that there's any other answer at all is pretty wild and astounding to me

[Hungry French]

7 hours ago, Radicaljoe said:

Что касается #4, то на вопрос «Лунные боссы — это хорошо, но яркие тени так раздражают, что я вообще переставляю все свои растения вниз, чтобы не возиться с ними» нет хорошего ответа.

в любом случае Shadow> Lunar, у нас есть классный друг scythe, который с нами разговаривает.

Just don't replant the plants)

[oregu]

21 hours ago, Uedo said:

I was gonna answer, but it's a bit difficult to really answer if you just make choices based on what you need.

Hmm, that's true. I guess it depends how far you think ahead. If you're unsure, I'd say it's more about which one is easier to do at the end of the day, whether you find doing lunar before shadow easier or vise versa. And then in effect, which tools are stronger (whether it be for what you get out of them, or how they perform based on the work you do for them). It boils down to which side you find more overall useful. Like, I would imagine megabasers lean on the shadow side because of the petrifying solution, or people who try to kill bosses often would maybe pick shadow as well, but it just depends what kind of player you are at the end of the day.

[Frosty_Mentos]

I get Lunar Rifts first because it's a generally longer but better choice to go after before doing shadow rifts. Brightshade staff against fuelweaver beloved.

I like the resources the both give me, I farm lunar ryftstalls more than ink mites from shadow one. But I do go after dreadstone outcrops cause tatters do feel slightly rarer than lunar related ones just because you gotta go after those than they come after you.

I prefer shadow side weaponary as Maxwell, but I don't deny or not use lunar side ones. Brighthshade bombs and staffs are great utility.

I don't got any comments on shadow side fights because Wagstaff got three mutations while Charlie has whole ruins and werepig. Shadow side has a lot more content from the beginning compared to lunar, but I feel like they equal each other out once Charlie gets her final(?) fight.

[Echsrick]

moon rift is never worth it...too much nonsense....the champion to get the crown? sure...give wagstaff the thing? never

[Mike23Ua]

I toggle rifts on from day 1 in my worlds (or day 70) I mean the entire RPG Questline and the Boss checkpoints you have to clear to reach that point of the game were only added as “Skill Checks” to make sure players could handle the harder content without having the game become too hard on for them to progress. 

But from my point of view: the Lunar Rift Weapons & Tools aren’t THAT Op, and in fact… you can argue that it’s the equivelant of playing Solo DS with SW or Hamlet Compatibility (so you can use things like Corking Bat or Machete in Vanilla worlds)

DST does not feature this sort of “World hopping” to obtain better gear and items so I treat Rift Content as this Equivalent

Brightshade Hammer = Slightly upgraded Spear, etc..

I actually wish that Rifts just started on their own after X amounts of Days survived, the more game content Klei locks behind rifts: The more content a large majority of players will never get to to experience & enjoy.

I understand that Klei wants to tell a story of You the player doing X, Y & Z to progress the plot, but….. They could’ve just explained it away too by stating that Wagstaff & Charlie are out there doing their own things, while we do whatever we are doing.. & their actions are impacting the constant around us with or without our involvement in their activities.

Personally I prefer a world that progresses with the player based on days survived, not how many rpg quests & bosses I’ve killed.

But that’s my opinion & I'm entitled to it.  

Edited August 31, 2025 by Mike23Ua

[Hungry French]

13 hours ago, Mike23Ua said:

Я включаю разломы с первого дня в своих мирах (или с 70-го дня) Я имею в виду, что вся цепочка квестов в ролевой игре и контрольные точки с боссами, которые нужно пройти, чтобы достичь этого этапа игры, были добавлены только в качестве «проверки навыков», чтобы убедиться, что игроки справятся с более сложным контентом и игра не станет для них слишком трудной.

Но с моей точки зрения: оружие и инструменты Лунного разлома не такие уж и крутые, и на самом деле... вы можете возразить, что это всё равно что играть в Solo DS с совместимостью SW или Hamlet (то есть вы можете использовать такие предметы, как Corking Bat или Machete, в ванильных мирах)

В DST нет возможности «перемещаться между мирами» для получения более качественного снаряжения и предметов, поэтому я рассматриваю контент Rift как эквивалент этого

Молотобой = слегка улучшенное копьё и т. д.

На самом деле я бы хотел, чтобы разломы открывались сами по себе после того, как игрок проживёт определённое количество дней. Чем больше игрового контента Клей скрывает за разломами, тем больше контента большинство игроков никогда не увидят и не смогут оценить.

Я понимаю, что Клей хочет рассказать историю о том, как вы, игрок, делаете X, Y и Z, чтобы продвинуться по сюжету, но… Онимогли бы просто объяснить, что Вагстафф и Чарли занимаются своими делами, пока мы делаем то, что делаем.. и их действия влияют на происходящее вокруг нас, независимо от того, участвуем мы в их деятельности или нет.

Лично я предпочитаю мир, в котором игрок развивается в зависимости от количества прожитых дней, а не от того, сколько ролевых квестов и боссов он убил.

Но это моё мнение, и я имею на него право.  

Well, that's a question of lore. You're helping to open portals. The problem is more with the bosses themselves. Not everyone is interested in doing boring quests and killing boring bosses. 
Although someone won't even like to summon them...

Edited August 31, 2025 by Hungry French

[AveHortor]

I have several solo worlds with the Shadow Rift open, but only one with the Celestial Champion defeated (and all Lunar content explored due to it).

The Lunar Questline™ is not worth the hassle to just stop at Enlightened Crown, and tenfold for the rifts that leads to the destruction of the world.

Edited August 31, 2025 by AveHortor
Enlightened

[Waywarbler]

1 hour ago, Mike23Ua said:

I actually wish that Rifts just started on their own after X amounts of Days survived, the more game content Klei locks behind rifts: The more content a large majority of players will never get to to experience & enjoy.

Unless they join a server that already has rifts enabled, or they just turn on rifts in the world settings (y'know... like you do).

I do agree though, it would be nice if there was another world option for the rifts to have them be "timed" so they show up on their own eventually.

[Edible Coal]

7 hours ago, Waywarbler said:

Unless they join a server that already has rifts enabled, or they just turn on rifts in the world settings (y'know... like you do).

I do agree though, it would be nice if there was another world option for the rifts to have them be "timed" so they show up on their own eventually.

nah, the step to open rift are suppose to show you that you are capable of handling harder challenges 

[Swiyss]

On 8/28/2025 at 3:05 AM, Frashaw27 said:

The void robe is in a strange place as it is very hard to compete with the Bone Armor, which you practically have to get in the process of getting the robes

both are situational, the bone armor is for removing damage completely mainly from unavoidable damage and the void robe best use is to fight things that drain your sanity a lot, like host of horror bosses.

On 8/28/2025 at 3:51 PM, Well-met said:

I open rifts when I'm done with everything else in the world.

I go for the cc quest when I get bored usually, and it really doesn't take that long and it's not that uninsteresting as people talk about. Only thing that I can't stay happy about is the crab king fight, I really wish they wouldn't rework the fight, it was not that hard before, people just didn't practiced enough I think.