So... What does Elsewhere mean for Together?

[sealnados]

Will Together still be getting updates after the insight trees and the current update storyline? Will they be sunsetting Together in favor of Elsewhere? What will happen to me precious skins!!!1

[Maxil20]

TLDR from Klei themselves:


The long haul will most likely entail that DST has a slower rate of updates, but is not completely stopped. I imagine after the arc finishes, they go back to updates like Waterlogged/Moon Quay; Content that is accessible immediately and comes with QOL benefits/improvements for a variety of playstyles.

I feel both games will have equal reasons to exist for a long while. Elsewhere seems like a very different experience than DST. I know a lot of people will like that, but a good chunk of them won't enjoy that. Regardless of what people's opinions are on the game's state, this game is home to a lot of people who find comfort in the game they have played for years at this point. I don't see everyone flocking off to play Elsewhere, at least not in the long term.

Regarding skins, given how Elsewhere is going for an entirely new artstyle, I highly doubt most, if any skins, will transfer over to Elsewhere. If they do, it will most likely be things like the proof of purchase skins for buying the plushes.

Overall, this is very likely going to impact DST's development, but it shouldn't stop it. DST is still fairly robust (especially compared to the codebase of DS), and should likely sustain updates for a good while without significant technical challenges. Remember, DST was developed when DS was getting SW, and it still got HAM and a massive QOL update, even with it's much more difficult to work codebase!

[Kwaik]

I assume this is discussed in the road map 

 

But my TLDR educated guess is 

2  heads till early access for elsewhere is over 

1 year of overlap (ie content for both) 

In 3 years DST is predominantly done with story content and skill trees.  And then  probably only sees small/seasonal updates. Which will include a focus on new skins, because games gotta make some money. 

Once the player base dwindles to where that's not profitable then no more

Edited April 9 by Kwaik

[Well-met]

I assume they finish the skill trees, then add in that weird clay charlie boss, then that's the end of it.

[DegenerateFurry]

I would like to see them finish all the skill trees for DST at the very least before they decide to wrap things up with it. Well, that and the shadow rifts.

[BezKa]

I am so curious why they added skill trees to together while they had a whole another game cooking. Why change an established game so much when you have a fresh, clean slate already in the making?

 

[Kwaik]

1 minute ago, BezKa said:

I am so curious why they added skill trees to together while they had a whole another game cooking. Why change an established game so much when you have a fresh, clean slate already in the making?

 

 

Could easily argue the new game is the best reason to experiment on the old game. 

See how they play out in practice/how the reception is.  Helps them figure out the best direction for the new game. 

Plus there's no reason they can't  use them as a starting point for skill trees in the new game. 

Basically think of it as an incredibly long beta text 

[BezKa]

Just now, Kwaik said:

snip

Maybe. What a waste though, both of DST and potential appeal for the new game if the trees were exclusive to it

 

[sealnados]

personally it would suck for them to take together out back to work on a game that looks to be completely different from base dont starve but i guess we'll have to wait and see

[Kwaik]

4 minutes ago, BezKa said:

Maybe. What a waste though, both of DST and potential appeal for the new game if the trees were exclusive to it

 

If they're not in the initial launch. My guess is they'd be holding it back for later releases as a way to address power creep and content drip over time. 

Which isn't an unreasonable approach either 

[Mysterious box]

56 minutes ago, Maxil20 said:

TLDR from Klei themselves:


The long haul will most likely entail that DST has a slower rate of updates, but is not completely stopped. I imagine after the arc finishes, they go back to updates like Waterlogged/Moon Quay; Content that is accessible immediately and comes with QOL benefits/improvements for a variety of playstyles.

I feel both games will have equal reasons to exist for a long while. Elsewhere seems like a very different experience than DST. I know a lot of people will like that, but a good chunk of them won't enjoy that. Regardless of what people's opinions are on the game's state, this game is home to a lot of people who find comfort in the game they have played for years at this point. I don't see everyone flocking off to play Elsewhere, at least not in the long term.

Regarding skins, given how Elsewhere is going for an entirely new artstyle, I highly doubt most, if any skins, will transfer over to Elsewhere. If they do, it will most likely be things like the proof of purchase skins for buying the plushes.

Overall, this is very likely going to impact DST's development, but it shouldn't stop it. DST is still fairly robust (especially compared to the codebase of DS), and should likely sustain updates for a good while without significant technical challenges. Remember, DST was developed when DS was getting SW, and it still got HAM and a massive QOL update, even with it's much more difficult to work codebase!

I think dst could end up like ds but to a lesser extent unless dse ends up not very profitable. While I doubt it'll get everything dst has much like dst never got everything ds has. What they do add will likely eventually make it the definitive version as it has a shot at fixing long standing issues players have with dst and adding new mechanics more organically which is something players have wanted for awhile. Will it kill dst? I doubt it however it does have advantages dst Will just never have due to engine limitations.

[-Nick-]

1 hour ago, Maxil20 said:

I feel both games will have equal reasons to exist for a long while. Elsewhere seems like a very different experience than DST. I know a lot of people will like that, but a good chunk of them won't enjoy that. Regardless of what people's opinions are on the game's state, this game is home to a lot of people who find comfort in the game they have played for years at this point. I don't see everyone flocking off to play Elsewhere, at least not in the long term.

Honestly best to treat Elsewhere almost like DS DLC's

Shipwrecked and mainly Hamlet play drastically different from regular Don't Starve.

[NotGabriel]

Elsewhere seems to be a true sequel to Together / next big title in the franchise. In the trailer we see Bernie and Abigail Vexing which tells me that the characters will have their DST abilities and maybe skill trees. I agree with another take on here that modern DST updates have served as a sort of beta test for features in Elsewhere.

DST has been going for a long time, and if the devs think Elsewhere is the next step for the franchise then I’m all for it. Together surely wont be abandoned, but I think it will be considered complete and its development will slow down. Don’t Starve Together turns 10 on the 21st y’all!

[DegenerateFurry]

1 hour ago, -Nick- said:

Honestly best to treat Elsewhere almost like DS DLC's

Shipwrecked and mainly Hamlet play drastically different from regular Don't Starve.

It does look like it plays quite differently from what we're used to in DST. I'm hoping you're right.

[Cheggf]

I'm hoping that Elsewhere can be Don't Starve Together: Don't Starve Edition and then Don't Starve Together can continue to be Don't Starve Together: RPG Edition. Both games could exist at the same time if Elsewhere keeps a unique identity instead of just morphing into DST. 

[sealnados]

2 hours ago, -Nick- said:

Honestly best to treat Elsewhere almost like DS DLC's

Shipwrecked and mainly Hamlet play drastically different from regular Don't Starve.

thats what i was thinking when i first saw elsewhere

[HowlVoid]

Im more surprised more people dont think that this is completely separate from dst and does not affect dst.

Klei works on multiple games at once and has been steadily expanding since they got money from tencent. 

Why would this not have a separate team and completely separate developement? Just because they share a name? Hamlet was worked on alonside DST, and that was when they were smaller.

[sealnados]

1 minute ago, HowlVoid said:

Im more surprised more people dont think that this is completely separate from dst and does not affect dst.

Klei works on multiple games at once and has been steadily expanding since they got money from tencent. 

Why would this not have a separate team and completely separate developement? Just because they share a name? Hamlet was worked on alonside DST, and that was when they were smaller.

its good to be wary

[HowlVoid]

9 minutes ago, sealnados said:

its good to be wary

Wary of what? Theres a pattern to work with that klei doesnt just abandon games. Even ds got some stuff from dst.

Making conclusions to make yourself worry when you have so little information is called paranoia. With what little information we have to work with, its better to wait for the roadmap.

Otherwise people worry and worry until they start making stuff up. I guarantee you someone will make a thread telling klei not to abandon dst. Just like how people keep complaining in skill betas that the betas "feel unfinished". People worry and worry until their brain starts filling in the gaps on its own.

Edit: Sorry if my tone sounds hostile, its not i promise lol

Edited April 10 by HowlVoid

[Kwaik]

17 minutes ago, HowlVoid said:

Im more surprised more people dont think that this is completely separate from dst and does not affect dst.

Klei works on multiple games at once and has been steadily expanding since they got money from tencent. 

Why would this not have a separate team and completely separate developement? Just because they share a name? Hamlet was worked on alonside DST, and that was when they were smaller.

Hamlet was a single player, paid DLC. 

DST relies on a trickle of income by getting players to regularly give them more money (via skins) 

Don't starve elsewhere almost certainly relies on the same model (unless they make it a one and done, no content updates, which I doubt) 

Having two games that are mostly the same game, competing with itself for money, while doubling overhead, is just a bad business venture.

I can't imagine imagine there's many examples where you have a company regularly updating two versions of the same game for an extended period of time. 

One or the few examples I can think of was final Fantasy 11 and final fantasy 14, but the two were basically compeltely different games. 

[sealnados]

32 minutes ago, HowlVoid said:

Wary of what? Theres a pattern to work with that klei doesnt just abandon games. Even ds got some stuff from dst.

Making conclusions to make yourself worry when you have so little information is called paranoia. With what little information we have to work with, its better to wait for the roadmap.

Otherwise people worry and worry until they start making stuff up. I guarantee you someone will make a thread telling klei not to abandon dst. Just like how people keep complaining in skill betas that the betas "feel unfinished". People worry and worry until their brain starts filling in the gaps on its own.

Edit: Sorry if my tone sounds hostile, its not i promise lol

no no youre good lol

[HowlVoid]

20 minutes ago, Kwaik said:

 

Don't starve elsewhere almost certainly relies on the same model (unless they make it a one and done, no content updates, which I doubt) 

 

You literally dont know that lmao. This is exactly what im talking about. This is wild that i even have to read this. Sorry im not responding after this.

[Kwaik]

1 minute ago, HowlVoid said:

You literally dont know that lmao. This is exactly what im talking about. This is wild that i even have to read this. Sorry im not responding after this.

I said giving them money regularly. 

Never said when or how. 

What we do know is it's not a single player game. 

[Jussatoon]

5 minutes ago, HowlVoid said:

You literally dont know that lmao. This is exactly what im talking about. This is wild that i even have to read this. Sorry im not responding after this.

You have to understand, the roadmap is sooooo far away, a week is surely a long time. 

People have literally no other choice but to be impatient and share conspiracies in the meantime.

[Mike23Ua]

45 minutes ago, Kwaik said:

I said giving them money regularly. 

Never said when or how. 

What we do know is it's not a single player game. 

Yes, but… to what extent? What if “single player” still features 4 player coop but with NPCs playing the characters? We never see more than 4 players on screen at once. 

kinda like how the Lego games let a group of characters walk around in the same world and you can freely hot-swap between which one your actively controlling.