[Archived] Original Mod Collaboration Thread


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"Up and Away" is the current title of a large collaborative mod between:

 

Coders!

@debugman18

@simplex

 

Artists and Animators!

@lifemare

@Willette

@MilleniumCount

@Sukoushi

@Lord_Battal

@TheDanaAddams

@thelefthelix

 

Writers!

@Luggs

@TeoSS69

 

Testers!

@Craig_Perry

 

 

TeoSS69

 

Former members:

@KidneyBeanBoy

 

And those of you whose suggestions we implement!

 

It sets to add a multitude of new content to Don't Starve, including, but not limited to, a new world type, new monsters, new structures, new fauna, and whatever else happens to end up in the final version of the mod.

 

It resembles the "Jack and the Beanstalk" story, with quite a few twists to the normal tales.

 

The mod is currently in Pre-Alpha. This means that the mod is still in its infancy, and most of its content is not implemented yet.

 

This thread is for the purpose of discussion and development of the mod, including its features, its ambitions, its eventual release, and its art. Discussion is not limited to those involved in the project, but rather for anyone who wants to make themselves involved, even its its just thoughts and/or suggestions.

 

More will be added to this post in the future as the project progresses.

 

For those of you collaborating on the mod (or for the curious) the mod contents can be downloaded from:

 

https://github.com/debugman18/UpAndAway/archive/master.zip

 

Documentation can be found at the following link:

http://debugman18.github.io/UpAndAway/

 

Warning! The above download is a developmental version not designed for regular play. It will probably contain bugs, may crash, and could even make your game unplayable. Please only download it if you understand the above.

 

The link below is a compilation of things that exist in the mod already, as well as content still in the planning stage.

 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tdbs-30BDY8eGRQKWfLx-UIFSJZjYPIUBligpdjf_pU/pub?https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tdbs-30BDY8eGRQKWfLx-UIFSJZjYPIUBligpdjf_pU/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000#slide=id.p

 

Inside of this spoiler is a textual compilation of information about the mod in its (near) entirety. Currently moving everything over in a clean and readable format:

Core Concept:

 

Somewhere around the map, the Shopkeeper will appear. He will give you a short speech, and you will go fetch him some Beefalo. He will give you some magic beans for them. They can be planted somewhere special, to growinto a giant beanstalk.

 

The beanstalk can be climbed, and the player will be transported into a cloud level. There will be various new creatures, fauna, structures, and mechanics. It will be permanently winter, and we haven't come to a conclusion on the phases of a day. There are currently no waves, but perhaps the waves here will be replaced with clouds or something similar. Maxwell does not appear, and the map is dysfunctional (up for discussion ofc).

 

 

Monsters/Fauna:

 

Duckraptors. Basically the geese that lay golden eggs. Act similarly to tallbirds.

 

Lionant. A lion-ant hybrid which likes to jump out of hiding places to attack the player. Like a gobbler, except has anger issues and a mane. Should not have a threatening appearance.

 

Sheep. A simple, docile, sheep. That transforms into an...

 

Electric Sheep/Storm Ram. An aggressive form of the sheep, the Electric Sheep/Storm Ram attacks in large, angry, packs.

 

Rainbowcoon. Pretty self-explanatory.

 

Bean Giant. A large enemy that wanders the landscape. They can grow from a special bean pod if a magic bean is used while in the sky kingdom. May drop Beanlets(?) whilst roaming around.

 

Golden Golem. A large golden automaton that transforms from the Monolith structure under certain circumstances. Similar to an ent, except it will stalk you before it transforms.

 

Structures:

 

Monolith. A tall golden monolith with runes and and crystals. Appears after you've mined your first crystal. Will stalk the player (will not move where it is visible) until the player has destroyed enough crystals, and then it will transform.

 

Plants:

 

Skyflowers. Pretty flowers that litter the landscape. Turn into...

 

Datura. A bad, bad plant. No use yet, but they'll be bad.

 

Cloudberry Bush. Self-explanatory, I think. Only grows berries during static(?).

 

Other:

 

Shopkeeper. He trades you the magic beans, of course.

 

Cloud Turf. This can be obtained in various ways.

 

Static(?). A major mechanic in the world above. Will affect the entire world in various ways.

 

 

In the meanwhile, have a screenshot of nothing in particular!

 

TZ3il1X.jpg

Edited by debugman18
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This will be one interesting project! 

Sounds awesome. Can't offer much more help than ideas. Maybe I could help write the strings but anyone could do that.

Sure, anyone could write strings, from a technical perspective. But writing them well is a whole different thing. Creativity is always a valuable asset. Welcome aboard!(also, just because the game itself doesn't make much use of speech, it doesn't mean a mod couldn't: it's entirely possible to script complete dialogues, both in a time and event oriented way)Since Willette is doing at least some of the art, I feel she should be mentioned. And I'll also mention MilleniumCount just because I think he'd like to know about this thread's existence. Edited by simplex
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Then allow me to throw my hat at the beanstalk quotes

 

Wilson: It reaches the clouds.

Willow: That would make a spectacular fire.

Wendy: All I'd need to do is let go.

Wolfgang: Is big beanstalk. Reminds Wolfgang of home.

WX-78: IT HAS GROWN OUT OF CONTROL.

Wickerbottom: The end of the stalk is covered by a layer of cumulonimbus clouds.

Woodie: Even Lucy can't chop through it.

Maxwell: Somethings were too big to fit in the caves.

Edited by Luggs
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I'm not much for coding, but i can bake ideas for items, set pieces, mobs and the sort. It would help if you told us about a general idea for it, would you would want it to be, and we can expand for that. For instance would you want there to be a permanent winter weather up there since with altitude temperature lowers*, like it'sperma dark in the caves?

Edited by TeoSS69
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Here are some ideas i had: have some chickens that can lay eggs and sometimes gold, vine mobs (probably be like tentacles), a giant boss, "cloud bushes" that grow fruit, angel mobs, a castle setpiece/biome, and beans that could spawn other beanstalks. Just some quick thoughts i had, they probably suck lol.

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Then allow me to throw my hat at the beanstalk quotesWilson: It reaches the clouds.Willow: That would make a spectacular fire.Wendy: All I'd need to do is let go.Wolfgang: Is big beanstalk. Reminds Wolfgang of home.WX-78: IT HAS GROWN OUT OF CONTROL.Wickerbottom: The end of the stalk is covered by a layer of cumulonimbus clouds.Woodie: Even Lucy can't chop through it.Maxwell: Somethings were too big to fit in the caves.

Very fitting, sir! Both into the mod's concept and into the general look'n feel of Don't Starve. I like them! :grin: 

I'm not much for coding, but i can bake ideas for items, set pieces, mobs and the sort. It would help if you told us about a general idea for it, would you would want it to be, and we can expand for that. For instance would you want there to be a permanent winter weather up there since with altitude temperature lowers*, like it'sperma dark in the caves?

That makes sense. And having a permanent environmental threat is nice. 

Here are some ideas i had: have some chickens that can lay eggs and sometimes gold, vine mobs (probably be like tentacles), a giant boss, "cloud bushes" that grow fruit, angel mobs, a castle setpiece/biome, and beans that could spawn other beanstalks. Just some quick thoughts i had, they probably suck lol.

They don't suck at all. In fact, debugman was already thinking of things on that line (and FYI, the beanstalk in that screenshot is based on the tentapillar!). They do help to stitch the whole concept into a cohesive experience. I'm just not sure about the angel mobs. :razz:@debugman18, you should compile the info/ideas you posted around for the mod (possibly adding more things you hadn't shared) and post them here!Oh, and do you know how to use git? Edited by simplex
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That makes sense. And having a permanent environmental threat is nice.

Would also explain where deerclopses go during summer... Also i was wondering if the beanstalk generates naturally or we could make it a mission to get the magic seeds an plant them.
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Would also explain where deerclopses go during summer... Also i was wondering if the beanstalk generates naturally or we could make it a mission to get the magic seeds an plant them.

I think they should be planted. debugman posted his thoughts on that somewhere. I think it was in Willette's thread.
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I think they should be planted. debugman posted his thoughts on that somewhere. I think it was in Willette's thread.

Well, no time to check that now, but here's my 2 cents : Either make it so normal seeds have a low chance of growing into it (imagine coming back to your base and finding a giant beanstalk where your farm should be), make it spawn 100% of the time from the Giant Ornate Chest in the ruins, or implement the shopkeeper from the game files and to trade it with him.Gonna go sleep now, will come add more stuff tomorrow.
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Well, no time to check that now, but here's my 2 cents : Either make it so normal seeds have a low chance of growing into it (imagine coming back to your base and finding a giant beanstalk where your farm should be), make it spawn 100% of the time from the Giant Ornate Chest in the ruins, or implement the shopkeeper from the game files and to trade it with him.Gonna go sleep now, will come add more stuff tomorrow.

If we're gonna use the shopkeeper, we need some cows.But sure, going through Willette's thread is no small task (even using Google, or perhaps the new forum search I have yet to test). For reasons such as this I think debugman18 should compile that info and post it here (updating the OP, preferably).
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If we're gonna use the shopkeeper, we need some cows.But sure, going through Willette's thread is no small task (even using Google, or perhaps the new forum search I have yet to test). For reasons such as this I think debugman18 should compile that info and post it here (updating the OP, preferably).

Instead of a cow, a Beefalo. Use a horn to get them to follow you.
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A simple thing: turf should not be diggable. It is a cloud after all.Attempts to dig up turf: I'd rather not dig up the ground from beneath me.

Makes sense. Though it would be fun to have the digged ground just be open, unwalkable sky. But if taking this latter approach, the result of digging cloud shouldn't be turf, properly speaking, because (assuming it would allow extending the walkable ground of the "cloud world") it would seriously mess up path-finding. Edited by simplex
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This will probably be a great mod, it fits well with the game and its quotes about classic stories. If you are acepting suggestions, i think that the golden eggs chicken, should be dangerous, maybe it can attack the player sometimes and like a tallbird ocasionaly lays eggs (In this case golden eggs) so it would be in a certain way a treat.

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The shopkeeper's little speech when you first talk to him. If we go that route.Hello there, (fella/darling). You look tired.What if I told you I had something that could get you out?That could whisk you away from this miserable plane?Interested? Then lets make a deal.I have need of some Beefalo.Those hairy beasts you've seen roaming the grasslands.Bring me a few, lets say three.And I'll give you the ticket out.Get to it.

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Sorry for that delay, I was away from my computer.

 

@Luggs

Those are awesome! Glad to have you on board!

 

@simplex

I'll update the OP soon to elaborate on my outlines.

 

To expand on what has been said already by everybody:

 

You should have to obtain the beans somehow to grow a beanstalk. I think that they should grow a beanstalk that randomly matures, probably.

 

I really like the shopkeeper idea and have even considered using it for that purpose. (With beefalo.) Maybe he could appear randomly on the map (with a minimap icon) whenever it is raining?

 

For turf, I actually had something in mind, where chopping down a beanstalk (with possibly a new type of axe) would drop a special cloud turf.

 

For the golden egg laying, I actually had something I call a Duckraptor in mind. It would have ducklings that would follow it, and it would only attack you if you take a duckling. The ducklings would be carryable, and would grow into a passive Duckraptor that would lay golden eggs if you fed it cloud fruit. Think chester, but instead of inventory space, you get golden eggs, which can be eaten, or crafted into gold nuggets.

 

As for permanent winter, I have implemented the level as it is currently, both permanent winter and permanent day. It is something that is definitely on the table in terms of what it should actually be, though.

 

A note about terrain:

Currently I have waves disabled in the level. This is, of course, also on the table in terms of what it should be. We could use the method Ipsquiggle shared, in the lava level topic, or we could implement some alternative. I think clouds could be placed everywhere that isn't taken up by the ground, although lag is a concern. As for the ground, an undiggable cloud turf comes to mind.

 

I'll update the OP more soon. Tomorrow I plan on elaborating much more on what I have already outlined, and we can begin to better mold the shape of the mod.

Edited by debugman18
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For the shopkeeper, perhaps he spawns in his own set piece. His "shop", if you will. After journeying to the cloud world for the first time (Is that what we're calling it?) when you visit him, he has a new deal.Oh. Don't look at me like that.Even I can't take you back home.I promised you a way to get out of this plane and so I did.Fine. If you're going to be like that, how about a new deal?There are a few things of interest to me up there.Golden eggs, insert other valuable items hereBring them to me, and I'll reward you handsomely.

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@simplexIf we do, during that time, you're invincible. Just so you're not murdered by a hound wave or something when you can't defend yourself.

 

@LuggsThese speeches are so good. So much that I think we should make them "cutscene-like", Maxwell-intro style.

That's pretty easy for us to do, actually.

 

Edit: I do like being able to click out of it whenever we like would be ideal, but invincibility until that point makes sense.

Edited by debugman18
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