Thoughts on the WX-78 Hotfix

[Modus_99]

Full disclosure, part of this post I had already sent in the Klei Discord server, but I do have more to add on.

I think some of these nerfs are too extreme and make WX pale in comparison to other survivors. This was a concern of mine initially because in the current version of the game (not the beta branch) they are a fairly underwhelming survivor. They have average stats that will rarely be affected by what sets them apart from other survivors because most of their (now beta) circuits are much more useful aren't something most other characters have (Light Aura, Speed Boost, Sanity Aura, etc.)

The Rework in the beta was a much-needed change and worked well with the Stat nerf (100/100/100) because now WX can utilize all of their circuits. But as soon as the beta released, there were calls to nerf some of WX's circuits (Specifically the Upgrades granted by Skills) because they were busted.
Some things were bugs, like the Beanbooster granting Ludicrous HP Regen, while others were just slightly powerful like the DMG reduction from Super Hearty Circuits. Nevertheless, they got nerfed and it wasn't the end of the world. I feel like a reason people thought these nerfs weren't bad was because there was still time in the beta to see things change. We had an entire line of circuits to be added to the game that might make these nerfs seem justified.

But now we have the circuits. And now we have more nerfs.
The electrification circuit in its entirety?? Nerfed.
Super Illumination Circuit? nerfed to where it's better to just invest in the cheaper optoelectronic circuit.
Beanbooster Circuit? a manageable nerf but almost completely unjustified
And the Three stat changing circuits? Now they are just worse.

 

The Hardy Circuit giving less health? This is fine in practice if you weren't sacrificing your other stats and their related Benefits.

It's the same idea with the Gastro Circuit. You are sacrificing Health and Sanity for what is effectively more time spent not starving. Which sounds busted, but I cannot even really think of a time where hunger has ever been so much of a problem for me that I would want to stay at 100 Health and 100 Sanity.

The Sanity circuit giving less sanity regen for sanity clothes is something I haven't really seen in game yet but That also feels kind of redundant? I remember seeing clips of it allowing WX to stay sane for a long time, so I feel like a much simpler nerf would've sufficed.

But again, you're sacrificing your stats to invest in one type of circuit. I feel like the reason why these circuits were nerfed was because WX would have the Gamma Circuits added in the hotfix, and because they had access to the Beta Circuits. However, in this very hotfix, they nerfed some of the Beta Circuits as well.

One nerf would be the base electrification circuit. I don't think anyone was complaining about it. In fact, I've seen more people complain that it really isn't that good, especially its upgrade in the skill tree that only procs after taking damage enough times.

This is the same with the super illumination circuit. It is easier to haul a lantern around than it is to be bothered using the new super illumination circuit. They are easier to get, easy to refuel, and provide a much better light without costing a circuit slot. The reason why the illumination circuit was used was because it provides a light to your teammates and saves you a circuit slot. In the beta, the Super Illumination can still provide a light to your teammates while saving more circuit slots at the cost of providing less of an immediate aura.

But I don't want to dwell on the beta nerfs, because I feel as if the main focus of this hotfix is the addition of the Gamma circuits. These were probably some of my most anticipated circuits in the entire beta, and I was really hoping these would be what drives home the Skilltree for me. Circuits that would really set WX-78 Apart from the other survivors.
And the kind of do that, actually.

To start off, the Redigestion Circuits effect is, to my knowledge, fairly useless. It's fun in concept, WX being able to eat Stale and Rotting Foods, and then either gain more benefit from them by eating the Redigested food themself or giving it to other Survivors, but the food you gain from the circuit seems to be pretty bad and not really worth anything of note. I think it would be much better if the Redigestion Circuits idea was used elsewhere. Maybe in a Survivor Specific structure, like a Compost Bin. It would also be nice if it could be used in its own crockpot meals that produced fairly unique foods. Maybe these unique dishes could also provide unique benefits?

The next circuit is the Block Circuit, which I'd argue is fairly useless all things considered. I haven't gotten this circuit to work on my own, but to my understanding it provides only an 80% Damage Reduction when used. It's a good idea, it gives WX an ability that is truly unique to them, yet its recipe is fairly expensive and is simply outmatched by kiting enemies, something that is made easier by the Speed circuit. It just feels redundant and kind of pointless. Furthermore, it costs 4 entire circuit slots, which means that you can only equip one redigestion circuit and nothing else in your Gamma slots. This is made even worse if you have the extra circuit slot from the circuitry skills, as there are no Gamma circuits that only take up 1 slot. Maybe if the circuit could protect other survivors too, or if WX was able to create a shield of some kind that deflected attacks, then maybe it would be worth using.

Continuing the trend of "Active Ability" Circuits, the Sonic-Invoker Circuit is certainly another Active Ability Circuit. Much like the Block Circuit, I could not figure out how to make this one work. I don't think they use the regular Character Command Wheel, and I was not getting any notification on how to use the skill. But, to my knowledge (again), this skill just scares enemies, which I'm assuming is like haunting a creature. This and the block circuit are weak for what I would consider an active ability. An active ability is something like Maxwells Magic, Wigfrids charges with her spear, or literally any item in the game that can be used that causes an immediate effect, such as Wickerbottoms Books and Wigfrids performances (although these may not be active abilities debatably.) Could this circuit have done anything else? Maybe stun enemies like they're getting Shellshocked? Out of the other three available gamma circuits, this one feels the most undeveloped. 

The final gamma circuit currently is the Spin-Cycle Circuit. This one is planned to have more mechanics, such as being able to move while swinging and being able to swing faster, and this is the only Gamma circuit where I can confidently say that this feels like the most impactful circuit WX has. It introduces a new mode of attacking, something no other character has, and it doubles as a way to gather resources, specifically wood, much more efficiently. Unfortunately, I have issues with this circuit too. For instance, while can WX only use an axe with this circuit? By all accounts, most weapons in the game can be used in similar manners, such as the Glass Cutter, Dark Sword, Thulecite Club, Ham Bat, Bat Bat, Morning Star, Shadow Reaper, Brightshade Sword, and the Tentacle Spike. I really don't see why it's locked to specifically axes when all of the weapons I just listed are either used as blunt objects already or have blades that facilitate similar cutting capabilities to the axe. If the circuit won't be available to every weapon, could WX at least deal more damage with Axes? I feel as if, at a certain point in the game, most weapons would outclass axes (outside of the shadow maul). This point is a bit nit-picky, but being able to mine Stone faster would be nice too, although I understand why it wouldn't work with the circuit. Another issue I have, however, is that this is the hardest gamma circuit to get to my knowledge. You must scan and kill a Mosling, an enemy that only spawns in Spring, and an enemy that is typically accompanied by the Moose/goose. While the Moose/goose fight isn't hard, it is obtained way later that most other circuits which makes it feel fairly redundant in a way. For starters, wood is most crucial in Autumn and Winter, and you may not need it as much by Spring if you go out of your way to make a Tree Farm with a Rook. Depending on how fast you progress through the game, you may also have access to better weaponry than axes, such as Dark Swords, Thulecite Clubs, or Glass Cutters, although you will also have access to Moon Glass Axes as well if you have access to the latter. I believe it would be better if you could unlock the scan from a creature like the Mush Gnome, who also spins in a fast manner, and if you needed resources from elsewhere.

Although I'm done going over the Gamma Circuits individually, this is the part where I express my general dislike of the current lineup of Gamma Circuits. I thought these would, at the very least, affect WX-78's in a meaningful way, but as of right now they feel like circuits that you just add onto your circuit slots without much thought. In my own speculation of the Gamma circuits, I thought that they would be circuits unlocked potentially later in the game in terms of progression, or that the abilities would simply be more active. It would've been interesting to see WX inherit abilities from more clockworks than just the Rook, such as the Bishops lighting blast or the Knights extended attack range, both of which could've easily been turned into not just gamma circuits, but also Beta circuits with a reach extension circuit and potentially an electrification circuit upgrade. One last thing I would like to touch upon with the Gamma Circuits is that we simply do not have that many of them. I wasn't expecting as many circuits as there are beta or alpha, but having only four to use, with one being almost exclusively passive, and none of them providing just 1 Circuit Slot, feels a bit wrong.

I still have hope that the nerfs will be walked back on and the Gamma circuits will be re-evaluated, WX-78 has been my main for almost as long as I have been playing Don't Starve. I felt like the initial Rework did WX-78 some justice but left a lot to be desire, and this Skill Tree feels very similar to that. It has a lot of potential and showed a lot of promise but I fear that it is going to leave WX to be outclassed by most other survivors in almost everything they do.

[Eden_come_back1]

I wanted to write a similar post myself. I think WX was nerfed too early; we didn't even see WX full kit. We only got the gamma schematics. It would be great if the nerfs are eventually cancelled or made more fair, since it's a circus right now.

[Ruperstiltskin]

6 hours ago, Modus_99 said:

Maybe if the circuit could protect other survivors too, or if WX was able to create a shield of some kind that deflected attacks, then maybe it would be worth using.

That would be so ******* cool, i wish wx would create a dome of protection around them for the blocking circuit that have the same effect as the shield the beanbooster does with those hexagones of light and that it would redirect all damage inside the dome to wx???? Thats a good circuit in multiplayer in my opinion that puts the tank into the wx playstyle