Request to Restore the Floating Statue Mechanism

[Sofy Happy]

I sincerely urge the developers to reconsider the removal of the floating statue mechanism. Due to its complexity and inherent limitations, this feature has minimal impact on core gameplay. On the contrary, it significantly expands creative possibilities for scenic builds—a vital sandbox element of the game. Removing it would ultimately deprive the community of a cherished creative outlet without tangible benefits.

The practice of floating statues is by no means a niche activity. This mechanism has existed for at least six years and has given rise to a highly sophisticated system of 3D statue construction theory. 3D statue architecture is one of the key elements that extends playtime in long-term saves—some larger builds require collaborative efforts spanning hundreds of in-game days. For players who prioritize creativity over linear adventure content, this represents a fundamental source of enjoyment. Tutorials showcasing these techniques are widely circulated within the player community—here is an instructional video demonstrating the construction of a 3D pyramid.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV13gTjzKEki/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click

Unfortunately, when existing 3D builds are loaded in the beta branch, these structures collapse entirely.

I fully understand the rationale behind this change, as it directly addresses a bug I recently reported regarding statues being stuck in maelstroms. However, I never anticipated the solution would involve outright removing such a beloved sandbox feature. It was only through my extensive building experience that I discovered the maelstrom statue bug in the first place. If bug reports consistently lead to fixes that compromise creative freedom, dedicated players may become hesitant to report issues in the future.

Practically speaking, the maelstrom statue issue is not catastrophic. A simple workaround exists: placing a boat near the maelstrom’s suction zone to redirect the statue—once the boat sinks, the statue returns to safe waters. Thus, there is no urgent need for a blanket fix. Even if the bug persists temporarily, I trust the developers can devise a simpler, more elegant solution that preserves creative freedom while addressing the exploit.

I respectfully reiterate my request to revert this change before the official release. @V2C @JesseB_Klei

Edited September 17, 2025 by Sofy Happy

[Mike23Ua]

I have never seen anyone on Xbox use this method of decorating.. in fact I’m not even certain if it’s even possible to do in any platform outside of PC, & If it isn’t possible on other platforms then more then most likely: It wasn’t intended. If it was not Intended then not patching it could cause issues with gameplay, such as for example: Drastic lag spikes for you or for other players.

The images you show off look pretty, but if Klei intended for this to actually be possible, Walls and Statues would be “Stackable” & that would be as easy as tapping the D-pad (for controller users) to Upgrade Pearls Hermit Home or Something.

However, if such a thing were to actually become officially supported, then we would be able to build 2nd layers of floors, stairs, slanted slopes between the two layers of floor (think Sonic 3D) and at that point: Klei should literally just start designing the games world generation to support Elevations in Gameplay.

[Sofy Happy]

24 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

I have never seen anyone on Xbox use this method of decorating.. in fact I’m not even certain if it’s even possible to do in any platform outside of PC, & If it isn’t possible on other platforms then more then most likely: It wasn’t intended. If it was not Intended then not patching it could cause issues with gameplay, such as for example: Drastic lag spikes for you or for other players.

This mechanic is platform-agnostic, and I believe it should be achievable across all platforms. I encourage you to click on that video tutorial link—I'm confident you'll reach the same conclusion after seeing it in action.

29 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

The images you show off look pretty, but if Klei intended for this to actually be possible, Walls and Statues would be “Stackable” & that would be as easy as tapping the D-pad (for controller users) to Upgrade Pearls Hermit Home or Something.

I see it differently. Isn't the charm of sandbox games precisely about allowing players to leverage game mechanics to achieve innovative functions, rather than designers dictating what players should or shouldn't do—then erecting barriers that stifle harmless creative expression? Take the Ice Flingomatic for example: its intended purpose was certainly not to create biological freezing machines, yet the developers never suppressed this widely used feature.

[SilverSpoon]

I'm sorry, but I can't agree with this. This is clearly a bug, and considering the possibility that we'd have to give up somethings to keep it, it would be better to fix it.

A compromise on this issue would be to not destroy existing 3D buildings, but to prevent future 3D buildings. Or, to introduce 3D buildings as a feature in game like "Pedestals."

[Sofy Happy]

19 minutes ago, SilverSpoon said:

I'm sorry, but I can't agree with this. This is clearly a bug, and considering the possibility that we'd have to give up somethings to keep it, it would be better to fix it.

A compromise on this issue would be to not destroy existing 3D buildings, but to prevent future 3D buildings. Or, to introduce 3D buildings as a feature in game like "Pedestals."

At the very least, please consider reverting this mechanism until proper 3D building tools are introduced. As I stated earlier, the direct issue caused by this mechanic—the maelstrom statue glitch—does not have a severe impact on gameplay. We could temporarily leave this issue unaddressed and, upon the official release, implement a compromise solution such as: "Maelstroms, waves, and water currents can slightly shift statues (causing their Y-axis position to gradually decrease when moved)."

[SilverSpoon]

23 minutes ago, Sofy Happy said:

At the very least, please consider reverting this mechanism until proper 3D building tools are introduced.

You are right. I think that would be the best dealing. If Klei is still working the way they have in before, I expect they’ll add alternative options, as same they did when void-walking was fixed, by clarifying the Atrium-bound Tentapillar and introducing the Bridge Kit.

However, also I have to say that Klei is not very under obligation to do so. This isn't limited to 3D building, but if you're exploiting bugs, I think you have to be prepared for them to be suddenly removed like in this case.

Edited September 17, 2025 by SilverSpoon

[Lovens]

I support your request, I myself never built anything using this glitch but I can see how devastating it is to lose such unique and meticulously constructed builds that you spent many hours constructing. The bug fix could have been implemented in a different way - say, only disable floating statues on the Y axis in the region of the whirpool, or straight up make them bounce off it when they appear near it. 

[Ugur01]

Maybe if the game detects an altar near the giant whirlpool, it can teleport it to the portal. I remember something similar happens with the altar dropped by Crab King. If the game can’t find a suitable location for the Celestial Tribute, it sends it to the portal.

Edited September 17, 2025 by Ugur01

[Mike23Ua]

I think that your actually missing the bigger picture here so I’m going to take a quick screenshot of the IPhone game that I’m currently playing that will explain it better.. 

As you can see in this image elevated obstacles can be used to create “Depth” in a game that otherwise: Wasn’t intended to support it, Lakes that dip down lower, hills, slopes and stairs that elevate the player higher, or even entire walls like you see on the right side of this screen shot that can block the players progression.

Edited September 17, 2025 by Mike23Ua

[Uedo]

18 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

I think that your actually missing the bigger picture here so I’m going to take a quick screenshot of the IPhone game that I’m currently playing that will explain it better.. 

As you can see in this image elevated obstacles can be used to create “Depth” in a game that otherwise: Wasn’t intended to support it, Lakes that dip down lower, hills, slopes and stairs that elevate the player higher, or even entire walls like you see on the right side of this screen shot that can block the players progression.

No Mike. You didn't understand their point, they had no problem understanding yours. The random image doesn't make sense with how the game handles the Z axis, it's more flexible than your example already.

Edit: Also, your example is a game that DOES support 'depth' - i'm watching it literally utilise the Z axis, shadows also seem to account for it. I'm not sure you're understanding what you've posted.

Edited September 17, 2025 by Uedo

[adminaaassh]

I believe that whether something is considered a bug or a feature, the key question is: does it bring joy to the players? Does it prevent the game from running? Does it increase player enthusiasm and engagement? If it encourages more players to be motivated, to explore the game, and does not negatively affect the gameplay, then regardless of whether it’s seen as a bug or a feature, I think it should be preserved. That’s because it benefits the game overall. For example, take the snowball launcher’s projectile offset, which still exists today. I think this requires more understanding from players. It’s actually a very simple and straightforward principle.

Look at more widely known cases, such as Minecraft’s rail duplicators or string farms. Do you think that with a development team as massive as Minecraft’s, they couldn’t fix those things if they really wanted to? Why haven’t they? That’s a question worth reflecting on.

Edited September 17, 2025 by adminaaassh

[V2C]

Hey guys, when we saw the images of the 3d structures using the bug/exploit, we were blown away too!  We asked around and were super surprised that none of us have ever seen these before!  That being said, the physics bug has been fixed, but we're going to try to find a way to preserve existing saved objects that are using this exploit, and provide a command for those who want to continue using it in the future.  Keep in mind that if you knowingly use this physics bug/exploit, we cannot provide any support for other errors caused by it.

We'll try to get a hotfix out so you can test your saves before the live build tomorrow.

[adminaaassh]

47 minutes ago, V2C said:

大家好，当我们看到利用这个漏洞/漏洞制作的3D结构图像时，我们也惊呆了！我们四处打听，惊讶地发现我们之前竟然没人见过这些！话虽如此，物理漏洞已经修复，但我们会尝试找到一种方法来保存正在使用此漏洞的现有已保存对象，并为那些希望在未来继续使用它的用户提供一个命令。请记住，如果您故意使用此物理漏洞/漏洞，我们将无法为由此导致的其他错误提供任何支持。

我们将尝试发布修补程序，以便您可以在明天正式发布之前测试您的保存内容。

I really want to know why you won’t roll back the changes. Is it just to reduce the developers’ workload? In reality, this situation arose because the developers’ lack of understanding of the game led to impulsive modifications. The decision you’ve made now will cause this interesting game mechanic to disappear, so I really want to ask again: why not roll back the changes?

For ordinary players, the moment you choose to use commands or code to do something, you’ve already lost the gameplay experience of a regular player. Simply put, if you’re already using commands, why not just turn on invincibility and fight all the bosses? That’s roughly the mindset. I think this is a mentality that any sandbox creator player can understand. Take Minecraft or Terraria, for example—players can choose to build these things without having permissions or wanting to enter creative mode to type commands. The consequence of removing this is permanently losing this fun technique!

This mechanic is quite mature and has existed for over six years!

If you want to see more specific constructions in the saved worlds, you can check out the video in a feedback post I shared before. You’ll see many creations from long-term players.

 

47 minutes ago, V2C said:

Hey guys, when we saw the images of the 3d structures using the bug/exploit, we were blown away too!  We asked around and were super surprised that none of us have ever seen these before!  That being said, the physics bug has been fixed, but we're going to try to find a way to preserve existing saved objects that are using this exploit, and provide a command for those who want to continue using it in the future.  Keep in mind that if you knowingly use this physics bug/exploit, we cannot provide any support for other errors caused by it.

We'll try to get a hotfix out so you can test your saves before the live build tomorrow.

I have to emphasize this again: using creative mode or commands to access this feature comes at the cost of permanently losing this skill. The so-called “errors” are not actually errors at all—this technique has been tested and refined over a long time. The key to this technique lies in players working hard to transport statues from different places to construct floating buildings, gradually accumulating piece by piece.（You’re not creating these things through effort—you’re doing it through cheating.）

The joy comes from building what you want through your own effort—not from entering a command in the console to preserve these things. Once you choose to use commands, you could easily add dozens or even hundreds of unique items to the world—but tell me, is that fun? How do you think other players will feel when they visit the world? Do you know the joy players feel after spending hundreds of hours building these things, searching for materials with friends, thinking through their constructions, and rushing to complete them late at night or in the early hours of the morning?

 

I’ve also suggested another way to modify it, which is much simpler: just add a ghostly haunting effect so that the statues move slightly. This would perfectly solve those so-called potential problems.

Even when my group and I were discussing these possible fixes, we even asked why this option isn’t simply added in the world settings.

Here’s the English translation of your sentence:

---

The so-called “fixes” at the time only applied in extremely rare cases involving malicious or destructive players, and even then, it wasn’t really an error. It’s comparable to someone taking a torch and setting fire to everything in your saved base.

Edited September 17, 2025 by adminaaassh

[Bumber64]

The issue with just leaving it is that it shouldn't be on the player to figure out how to get a mysteriously floating object down. It should just fix itself.

It sounds like you're being given a method to disable the check and take on the responsibility for dealing with any issues that result. I think that's reasonable.

[adminaaassh]

I believe that whether something is considered a bug or a feature, the key question is: does it bring joy to the players? Does it prevent the game from running? Does it increase player enthusiasm and engagement? If it encourages more players to be motivated, to explore the game, and does not negatively affect the gameplay, then regardless of whether it’s seen as a bug or a feature, I think it should be preserved. That’s because it benefits the game overall. For example, take the snowball launcher’s projectile offset, which still exists today. I think this requires more understanding from players. It’s actually a very simple and straightforward principle.

Look at more widely known cases, such as Minecraft’s rail duplicators or string farms. Do you think that with a development team as massive as Minecraft’s, they couldn’t fix those things if they really wanted to? Why haven’t they? That’s a question worth reflecting on.

[Mike23Ua]

7 hours ago, Uedo said:

Also, your example is a game that DOES support 'depth' - i'm watching it literally utilise the Z axis, shadows also seem to account for it. I'm not sure you're understanding what you've posted.

The game I posted an example of DOES support Depth, DST however: Does not, yet the players “3D Castles” using what the developers refer to as a Bug/Exploit.

Gives DST: A game that does not support Depth, the ability to have Depth.. AND if Klei is planning to add an actual Console Command to the game that allows the player to toggle this “Depth” on a Structure by Structure Basis then they too will be able to take the Flat world of DST & create 3D fields of Depth.

OR in short: This-

 

is ALSO This:

And when there’s an Official toggle that allows players to DO this: DST just became Minecraft. (Not Quite.. but you’ll see a lot of fascinating builds and things being done with it that are far far more creative & on a much larger scale than what’s ever been done before)

Edited September 18, 2025 by Mike23Ua

[adminaaassh]

12 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

The game I posted an example of DOES support Depth, DST however: Does not, yet the players “3D Castles” using what the developers refer to as a Bug/Exploit.

Gives DST: A game that does not support Depth, the ability to have Depth.. AND if Klei is planning to add an actual Console Command to the game that allows the player to toggle this “Depth” on a Structure by Structure Basis then they too will be able to take the Flat world of DST & create 3D fields of Depth.

OR in short: This-

 

is ALSO This:

And when there’s an Official toggle that allows players to DO this: DST just became Minecraft. (Not Quite.. but you’ll see a lot of fascinating builds and things being done with it that are far far more creative & on a much larger scale than what’s ever been done before)

Actually, I don’t think that really counts as a reason. To give a simple example, all the newly added bosses and new weapons—aren’t those just like the late-game content in Terraria? So has Don’t Starve Together suddenly turned into Terraria? Of course not. A game won’t become another game just because of a single change.

“All of these sentences were translated by AI. If any of them sound impolite or unclear, please let me know, and I will use AI to make the appropriate adjustments.”

What makes a game unique should be considered from broader aspects, such as its visuals, music, gameplay mechanics, and storyline, rather than just a few simple changes.”

[Uedo]

25 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

The game I posted an example of DOES support Depth, DST however: Does not, yet the players “3D Castles” using what the developers refer to as a Bug/Exploit.

Gives DST: A game that does not support Depth, the ability to have Depth.. AND if Klei is planning to add an actual Console Command to the game that allows the player to toggle this “Depth” on a Structure by Structure Basis then they too will be able to take the Flat world of DST & create 3D fields of Depth.

OR in short: This-

 

is ALSO This:

And when there’s an Official toggle that allows players to DO this: DST just became Minecraft. (Not Quite.. but you’ll see a lot of fascinating builds and things being done with it that are far far more creative & on a much larger scale than what’s ever been done before)

No, DST does support depth. Things are locked to not travel along the z axis, however, they are able to.

14 minutes ago, adminaaassh said:

Actually, I don’t think that really counts as a reason. To give a simple example, all the newly added bosses and new weapons—aren’t those just like the late-game content in Terraria? So has Don’t Starve Together suddenly turned into Terraria? Of course not. A game won’t become another game just because of a single change.

“All of these sentences were translated by AI. If any of them sound impolite or unclear, please let me know, and I will use AI to make the appropriate adjustments.”

What makes a game unique should be considered from broader aspects, such as its visuals, music, gameplay mechanics, and storyline, rather than just a few simple changes.”

With no malice whatsoever, he's talking from how he feels - so i understand what he's saying, He's just misunderstanding. Mike has very wonderful suggestions but he doesn't consider how things work or why they work the way they do. 

I think he's just saying that there's the possibility of interesting builds people can make, he's a fan of being able to customise the world to provide a fresh take on the gameplay - which is a nice idea in all fairness. I don't think he's aware that this has been possible for years (Lots of lovely builds from our Chinese community, very impressive creations!) or that he can have everything he wants if he invested in modding or at least seeing if someone will create modded content he's designed (albeit, I think he'd appreciate being able to play it - no mods on console).

34 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

And when there’s an Official toggle that allows players to DO this: DST just became Minecraft. (Not Quite.. but you’ll see a lot of fascinating builds and things being done with it that are far far more creative & on a much larger scale than what’s ever been done before)

@Mike23Ua - If you like Minecraft, you should really get something to play Vintage Story. Such a good game and something I'd think you'd like (not sure if it's on console though)

[adminaaassh]

**“In fact, I don’t think the developers are currently thinking from the players’ perspective. They may feel that changing game settings, using codes to add or modify certain things, or setting specific states is reasonable. But as a sandbox game player, I believe the default should be that all updated content and items are playable, and both short-term and long-term saves should work normally. On top of that, it should be up to the players themselves to decide whether to install mods, make the game easier or harder, or choose between short- or long-term playthroughs.

From my point of view, making modifications through world settings or codes to achieve certain goals is, in plain terms, no different from cheating. Imagine this: you spend countless hours building a great wonder in a sandbox game, and then someone visits your save and asks how you created it. If you hesitate for a while and finally admit, ‘By using codes and changing game settings,’ all the sense of achievement and effort would instantly vanish, leaving you feeling uneasy. The admiration, envy, and respect in others’ eyes would disappear as well. These are the kinds of issues I believe developers should reflect on.

To me, the role of sandbox game developers should be like creating a vast, beautifully decorated plate. What items to place on it, where to place them, and how to use them—that should be entirely up to the players.”**

Edited September 18, 2025 by adminaaassh

[SilverSpoon]

They're officially deal to keep 3D building. I don’t think we can reasonably ask for more than that.

Stop insulting the developers, otherwise I must gradually be forced to turn against you.

[Sofy Happy]

9 hours ago, V2C said:

Hey guys, when we saw the images of the 3d structures using the bug/exploit, we were blown away too!  We asked around and were super surprised that none of us have ever seen these before!  That being said, the physics bug has been fixed, but we're going to try to find a way to preserve existing saved objects that are using this exploit, and provide a command for those who want to continue using it in the future.  Keep in mind that if you knowingly use this physics bug/exploit, we cannot provide any support for other errors caused by it.

We'll try to get a hotfix out so you can test your saves before the live build tomorrow.

  Thank you so much for your understanding and efforts. You've truly proven to be developers who genuinely listen to player feedback. From this compromise solution, we can see that while you remain committed to fixing the floating statue mechanism to prevent future bugs like the "maelstrom statue" issue, you've ultimately created this solution as a hidden "Easter egg" to preserve creativity. Though there's some regret, we are truly delighted and grateful that existing 3D structures can be preserved, and we hope an official 3D building system may be designed in the future.

  However, I was truly astonished to learn that the development team had limited awareness of the long-standing applications of the floating statue mechanic. This incident made me realize that the forum community's discussion of deep game mechanics may be far less extensive than in my community. The forums seem more focused on survival and adventure elements, rather than construction, automation, or speedrunning (which account for nearly 50% of discussions in my community). This has led to situations where mechanics developed and refined by players over years may be almost unknown to the developers—mechanics we believed were intentionally left as sandbox elements. When these are inadvertently affected or removed in an update, it dismantles years of research and experimentation, like pulling out a nail that has grown into flesh—causing intense pain among players (examples include: floating statues, Lureplant and fossil fragment positioning, and Ancient Fuelweaver key extraction techniques).

  Therefore, I will share some in-depth and commonly used mechanics in the General Discussion section of the forums in the future, hoping the developers will take notice. Understanding these mechanics thoroughly can help avoid removing features that players have researched for years before designing suitable alternatives. @V2C @JesseB_Klei

Edited September 18, 2025 by Sofy Happy

[Schneid_101]

@adminaaasshI think adding a fix or workaround to something that isn't an intended feature of the game is already accomodating the players, no?

[Bellium]

9 hours ago, adminaaassh said:

I really want to know why you won’t roll back the changes. Is it just to reduce the developers’ workload?

From what I gather, the developers are actually creating more work for themselves by not only attempting to preserve existing 3D structures, but creating a setting to allow the exploit to persist.

10 hours ago, V2C said:

That being said, the physics bug has been fixed, but we're going to try to find a way to preserve existing saved objects that are using this exploit, and provide a command for those who want to continue using it in the future.

Klei is typically very good about this stuff when it comes to aesthetic gameplay

[Popian]

If this is meant to be the solution to what's happening in the bug report I don't think it has properly been addressed.

From the disconnect sound during the black screen, it sounds like Wanda entered caves before the object dropped in the water, leaving it suspended in midair. What is expected is for us to see the object drop in and Wanda entering the whirlpool, which can probably be done with a proper transition or delay.

 

If it was done to prevent the problem of objects placed high enough to get their interaction "blocked by the ceiling(?)" or out of practical camera view a cap on the height objects are dropped to can be set.

[adminaaassh]

3 hours ago, SilverSpoon said:

They're officially deal to keep 3D building. I don’t think we can reasonably ask for more than that.

Stop insulting the developers, otherwise I must gradually be forced to turn against you.

If you want to insult me, I would completely accept it and wouldn’t be angry at all, because I truly appreciate that you spoke up for me before. I also deeply appreciate you debating with all kinds of strange people in the forum, because that really takes both courage and patience. Honestly, arguing with people who lack logic and cannot put themselves in others’ shoes is a waste of time. That’s why I respect you from the bottom of my heart.

They could have rolled things back. Do you think I’m insulting them? I’m only stating the facts. They haven’t really observed what kinds of players exist, and the so-called “preservation of 3D building” is simply because they don’t want to roll things back. What they actually fixed were only extreme cases, caused by extreme players, under extreme conditions—and there were extremely simple ways to address them, which I’ve already demonstrated. To put it simply, the issues they fixed weren’t even one-tenth as dangerous as a malicious player just walking in with a torch and burning down your whole base.

And do you really think it’s only about 3D building? Other related mechanics have also been affected.

I respect you, because you once spoke up for my post. But I think you still have too good an impression of the developers. They always manage to add some strange and frustrating thing into what could otherwise be a good loaf of bread. They have a pile of legacy issues that remain unresolved. When players raise problems, instead of adjusting their design choices, they rush to release patches—patch after patch—without addressing the root causes. For example, the massive destruction caused by Depths Worms was, and still is, a huge threat to underground bases.

I used to, like you, hold expectations for the developers. But in the end, all they did was churn out new items while never fixing the flaws in older designs. Do you know? They even insulted players directly through in-game dialogue: “Can’t always get what you want. Some never do.” That line belongs to Wendy. Back when her skill tree was heavily criticized, this line—which is triggered only under the very specific condition of checking the Picnic Casket without clicking it—was discovered by Chinese players almost immediately. But nobody bothered to raise it in the forum because they already believed the developers were beyond hope. They had given up, resigned to the developers repeatedly ruining the game. (Of course, if you want to be charitable, you can assume the developers just didn’t know—but I still have more examples.)

Back then, the players who gave feedback felt mocked by Wendy’s line. Of course, that’s looking at it in the worst possible light. There’s also Maxwell’s line when examining a Spirit Vessel filled with souls: “I have to be nice to dead people now?” —which was also seen as mocking the players who raised concerns at the time. Of course, if you want to take it positively, you could argue that these were simply mistakes or unintentional choices.

Not long ago, the developers finally fixed a crash bug where inserting a Geode Fruit into a Cratered Moonrock would cause the game to crash. Do you know how long it took them? Nearly a year. Ever since the Geode Fruit was introduced, that crash existed, and it took them almost a year to fix it. Even after someone posted a fix in the bug report section, and the game had gone through several updates, they only then realized and fixed it. A crash bug that takes a year to fix—is that reasonable?
Bug Tracker Reference

And then there’s Jason, the lead game designer. As the lead designer, he couldn’t even row a boat properly—something that takes up one-fifth of short-term gameplay. (All you need to do is drag lightly, but he kept clicking the mouse.) In livestreams, even with v2c reminding him twice in a row, he still managed to summon the Ancient Fuelweaver on the surface. (You might not realize how significant that is, but if you test the game content regularly, you’d know just how absurd that is.)

• Video: Jason rowing poorly, 32:07

• Video: Jason rowing again, 42:56 (Please manually skip the video to the specific timestamp.42.56)

• Video: Jason summoning Ancient Fuelweaver on the surface, 31:47

Jason even once said: “If you don’t like a setting, just turn it off.” This statement spread widely among Chinese players. Why? Because at that time, the Great Depths Worm was destroying bases built by long-term save players. This boss was part of a game update. But in order to enjoy new content while also protecting their bases, long-term players had to turn off game settings entirely. How absurd is that? Isn’t it fair to say the developers aren’t thinking from the players’ perspective? Should modifying game settings with console commands really be considered a default expectation for players?

Wendy’s skill tree issues haven’t even been resolved to this day. Her “Vengeful Ghost” ability can still attack friendly units.

 

Of course, you might think I’m singling out the lead designer, Jason. But the fact is, he is the lead designer, and so many of these issues are tied to him. On top of that, Wendy’s skill tree was his design (yes, the livestream replay confirmed this). And these problems weren’t just noticed by one or two people or a small group—they were widely shared out of frustration within several parts of the Don’t Starve community at the time.

Of course, this is only part of it. In fact, if you look at the developers’ design choices and their attitude toward feedback, you can really feel a deep sense of despair. I truly respect you, and I genuinely envy the fact that you can still remain passionate about this game without feeling angry at the developers’ decisions or the atmosphere on the forums. You’ve even seen some of my earlier posts about this.

And again, this is only part of it—I could come up with even more specific examples if I tried. What I want to say is that everything I’ve written here, I actually put down in one go, without carefully thinking it through.

Some Rational and Angry Criticism/一些带着理智与愤怒的批评 - [Don't Starve Together] General Discussion - Klei Entertainment Forums

https://forums.kleientertainment.com/forums/topic/159719-the-destructive-power-of-the-great-depths-worm-is-immense-and-irreversible/page/3/#findComment-1748456

I used to have a lot of expectations for the developers. Because of the time difference, I often stayed up until two in the morning on my Friday nights off, just to wait for one of their updates. Back then, when they made changes that destroyed certain gameplay techniques, I would always try to find reasons to justify their decisions. But after everything that has happened, I can honestly say I feel truly hopeless now. If you want to know more, I can still come up with other examples.

And of course, it’s not just about the developers themselves. It’s also about certain bugs, other members of the dev team, the way they handled issues, and the order in which they chose to deal with them. On the Chinese internet, many bugs have been discovered, but players really don’t want to come to the forums to report them.

For bugs that enhance gameplay, players don’t want to report them because they don’t want the developers to patch them. (Well… never mind, please just look at the posts I mentioned earlier.) As for the more harmful bugs, players are simply too tired and unwilling to bother reporting them anymore. Many Chinese players have already fallen into complete despair with the developers.

To borrow the words of a friend of mine: the only reason this game still has such high popularity is because of its solid foundation and strong moddability. Right now, nine out of ten servers on the list are running mods. If it weren’t for these mods, for AFK servers, and for the skins handed out by the developers, then given the way they usually operate, this game probably would have declined long ago. Of course, that’s just my friend’s opinion—so take it only as a reference.

Of course, we are fully aware of our own position. The so-called “certain players” I mentioned are actually just a small minority. They dig deep into the game, examine the code, release videos, and even create Chinese wikis. Of course, no matter how you look at it, these people are the minority. The majority of the game’s audience consists of short-term players who finish the game in a few hundred days—we are very aware of this. It’s just like Minecraft. But at least Minecraft doesn’t suppress players like us.

Of course, I know some people might say, “Well, why don’t you just play Minecraft then?” But tell me, why would I bring up these issues on the Klei forums if that were the case?

Now, all I feel is disappointment. In the past, I would look forward to new content, but now, with each update, I only pray that they won’t change the things that have existed before.

Another point is that when some of their designs have issues and players discuss them, the solutions they offer usually come in the form of patches rather than rollbacks or removing certain mechanics. Instead, they often add new designs, which frequently fail to address the root problems. I’m not sure whether this is related to their workload, but when a design is implemented, it often becomes effectively unchangeable—unless the design has an extremely large or extremely small impact (like the old disease system or the bat knife attacking Shadow creatures to drain health).

Let me add a few more points I just thought of. The world regeneration setting for Palmcone Trees doesn’t actually work at all. According to some experienced players in past community groups, it seems the developers never even wrote the proper scope for it. Also, the setting for meteor fields doesn’t work either. Both of these issues are things people can’t even be bothered to report anymore.

Edited September 18, 2025 by adminaaassh