TK's Tweaks: Don't Starve

[torikamal]

This is my ongoing attempt to catalog tweaks that I think would work well for the game. That said, I absolutely love this game!

Create Item Directly From Recipes.

A small, but useful addition would be the ability to create items by clicking on their icons in the recipes. For example, if you want to create something that requires rope and you don't currently have any rope, you have to back out, go to the Diamond, create rope, then go back to the first recipe. I propose being able to create rope directly from the icon in the recipe.

Allow One Backpack In Your Inventory

To balance the fact that you need to make a choice between your armor and backpack, allow the backpack to be placed in your inventory, but make any items in it inaccessible unless you put it on your back (or you put it on the ground). Right now, you have to drop the backpack, and that doesn't seem necessary.

Smarter Right-Click Interactions And Equipping

Example: Auto-equip a shovel and dig up a berry bush if you right-click on it. By default, it should pick the crappiest/most worn item (in case you have more than one of the same tool). Be able to light a tree on fire by right-clicking if you have a torch in your hand.

Keep Making Night Time Scarier!

Nothing specific yet. I just really loved the way I felt the first time I played the game, and night time was all freaky. Keep it up!

Experience

As it is, it's not very fulfilling. What I think might be more interesting is that whenever you survive to a certain length of time, you regain a memory (or something like that). Even if your character dies, this "memory" would remain. The more memories you unlock, the more of the story is revealed. Using the cool posters Klei makes could work really well as memories, so it would be sort of a pictograph that you could keep scrolling the more you memories you get. To ensure that you don't just live until (say day 25), and then kill yourself so you can start over and unlock the next memory, have different lines of story. So maybe if you reach day 50 (or whatever the actual length should be), you'll unlock a memory from a different story. Maybe 1 story-line would be how the demon captured you. Another story-line could be what your character did that caused the demon to want to capture you. A third story-line could be who/what the demon actually is.

Each character should be unlocked from the outset. While many of the story-lines would be shared (any unlock of a tier 2 story would advance that story), each character should probably have their own story-line, giving players another incentive to play the different characters.

Optional: If a story-line is completed, it would unlock an item, new environment, resource, or creature in the game, somehow related to the memory. I think not only would this be interesting, and serve as a way to increase the mystery of the game, but it also presents the player with goals and rewards that are granted through survival, which is what the game is all about.

Cook Book

We could record our recipes we have discovered by hand, or we could just look it up on the internets, but I'd rather discover stuff myself and find a way to have the game record what I have done and keep it.

I think it would be pretty cool (and useful), if whenever we cook and discover a new recipe, it would be recorded in a cook book.(assuming we have made a cook book). To do this, we would drop the cook book onto the crock pot, and it would pop up with a little book symbol next to it.

We could then click on the cook book and it would open up showing us recipes we have discovered (just like the recipes for tools, etc. on the left).

Cook books would be carried forward from death to the next character(s), and would be created in the alchemy machine.

We could make the recipe for creating a cookbook whatever we want, but something like this might be cool:

6 sheets of paper.

1 black feather (a quill for writing).

6 flowers (we'll assume that the character creates a dye from them and turns it into ink. Just not worth a separate refinement step at this point)

1 pig skin (for the covers).

Edited December 7, 2012 by torikamal

[torikamal]

Experience:

As it is, it's not very fulfilling. What I think might be more interesting is that whenever you survive to a certain length of time, you regain a memory (or something like that). Even if your character dies, this "memory" would remain. The more memories you unlock, the more of the story is revealed. Using the cool posters Klei makes could work really well as memories, so it would be sort of a pictograph that you could keep scrolling the more you memories you get. To ensure that you don't just live until (say day 25), and then kill yourself so you can start over and unlock the next memory, have different lines of story. So maybe if you reach day 50 (or whatever the actual length should be), you'll unlock a memory from a different story. Maybe 1 story-line would be how the demon captured you. Another story-line could be what your character did that caused the demon to want to capture you. A third story-line could be who/what the demon actually is.

Each character should be unlocked from the outset. While many of the story-lines would be shared (any unlock of a tier 2 story would advance that story), each character should probably have their own story-line, giving players another incentive to play the different characters.

Optional: If a story-line is completed, it would unlock an item, new environment, resource, or creature in the game, somehow related to the memory. I think not only would this be interesting, and serve as a way to increase the mystery of the game, but it also presents the player with goals and rewards that are granted through survival, which is what the game is all about.

[mobius187]

Create Item Directly From Recipes.

A small, but useful addition would be the ability to create items by clicking on their icons in the recipes. For example, if you want to create something that requires rope and you don't currently have any rope, you have to back out, go to the Diamond, create rope, then go back to the first recipe. I propose being able to create rope directly from the icon in the recipe.

I wouldn't mind this option as it would speed up crafting. Of course this is working on the assumption that every craftable item already starts with every basic craftable resource unlocked (i.e. rope). However, if at a later stage you craft items that require other, potentially locked, craftable resources, then an icon would need to indicate whether it's still locked (i.e. a lock on the icon) and prevent it.

Allow One Backpack In Your Inventory

To balance the fact that you need to make a choice between your armor and backpack, allow the backpack to be placed in your inventory, but make any items in it inaccessible unless you put it on your back (or you put it on the ground). Right now, you have to drop the backpack, and that doesn't seem necessary.

The key issue with the backpack is that the Devs don't want you to be able to place items into the backpack and then store it in your normal inventory, as this would lead to inventory space abuse (i.e. multiple backpacks filled with items all in your inventory). Of course someone already suggested a solution to this issue, namely that you should be able to place a backpack into your inventory if it's empty. However, as in most cases a backpack has something in it, I think we'll just have to make due with dropping it on the ground.

I'm just glad they don't allow you to put a backpack into another backpack.

Smarter Right-Click Interactions And Equipping

Example: Auto-equip a shovel and dig up a berry bush if you right-click on it.

But what if you don't want to dig up the berry bush? Odd, yes, but a perfectly valid option if you choose it. I wouldn't want auto-equipping as the game would just be guessing what I really want to do.

What I would like is that when you LMB on a tool, to auto-equip it, that any currently equipped tool should switch places with it. I hate how the current system just arbitrarily drops the equipped item into the first free inventory slot.

Be able to light a tree on fire by right-clicking if you have a torch in your hand.

I agree. I'm sure it will lead to horrific forest fires as players accidentally click on trees during the night while navigating a forest, but meh, that still sounds like a fun accident.

Keep Making Night Time Scarier!

Nothing specific yet. I just really loved the way I felt the first time I played the game, and night time was all freaky. Keep it up!

Yup. The new Sanity meter will play a role in this request. Apparently as you start losing sanity your character suffers delusions which are worst at night. The fact that these mental horrors can kill you is just another concern...

Experience

As it is, it's not very fulfilling. What I think might be more interesting is that whenever you survive to a certain length of time, you regain a memory (or something like that). Even if your character dies, this "memory" would remain. The more memories you unlock, the more of the story is revealed. Using the cool posters Klei makes could work really well as memories, so it would be sort of a pictograph that you could keep scrolling the more you memories you get.

Mmm. I wouldn't be against the idea... but I'm not 100% for it either. Then again, I'm all for Klei keeping a decidedly vague storyline for every character. I mean, each character should hint at a different story, but I don't require anything definitive. I know that it was mentioned the XP system would be changing so you wouldn't need to die to cash in on it, so there's that to consider too.

Each character should be unlocked from the outset.

I like the fact that characters are locked. Not only does it give you something to strive for, but it means you're more likely to try each character as they're introduced. My only complaint about the current XP system is that it unlocked too many characters too quickly. For me, after Wilson died, it unlocked Willow and Wendy... so I skipped straight to Wendy and I've been playinga as her ever since.

[torikamal]

Create Item Directly From Recipes.

A small, but useful addition would be the ability to create items by clicking on their icons in the recipes. For example, if you want to create something that requires rope and you don't currently have any rope, you have to back out, go to the Diamond, create rope, then go back to the first recipe. I propose being able to create rope directly from the icon in the recipe.

I wouldn't mind this option as it would speed up crafting. Of course this is working on the assumption that every craftable item already starts with every basic craftable resource unlocked (i.e. rope). However, if at a later stage you craft items that require other, potentially locked, craftable resources, then an icon would need to indicate whether it's still locked (i.e. a lock on the icon) and prevent it.

That definitely makes sense.

Allow One Backpack In Your Inventory

To balance the fact that you need to make a choice between your armor and backpack, allow the backpack to be placed in your inventory, but make any items in it inaccessible unless you put it on your back (or you put it on the ground). Right now, you have to drop the backpack, and that doesn't seem necessary.

The key issue with the backpack is that the Devs don't want you to be able to place items into the backpack and then store it in your normal inventory, as this would lead to inventory space abuse (i.e. multiple backpacks filled with items all in your inventory). Of course someone already suggested a solution to this issue, namely that you should be able to place a backpack into your inventory if it's empty. However, as in most cases a backpack has something in it, I think we'll just have to make due with dropping it on the ground.

I'm just glad they don't allow you to put a backpack into another backpack.

2 points that have to go hand in hand to make this work:

1) Only allow 1 backpack in your inventory that has anything inside of it. Empty backpacks shouldn't be a problem.

2) When a backpack with items in it is in your inventory, they are inaccessible unless you wear the backpack.

Yes, this will result with us traveling along with our backpack in our inventory while we have armor equipped, but it's really effectively the same as equipping armor and auto-dropping your backpack every time we see an enemy (which is what we do now).

I think the original choice was meant to be either have a backpack, or wear armor. Unfortunately in practice, we just end up doing a lot of unnecessary equipment swapping every time we see a bad guy. The only effective way to force this choice is to only allow a backpack or armor anywhere on your body or inventory.

Another solution: Advanced craft: You can make some advanced armor that has a built-in backpack.

Smarter Right-Click Interactions And Equipping

Example: Auto-equip a shovel and dig up a berry bush if you right-click on it.

But what if you don't want to dig up the berry bush? Odd, yes, but a perfectly valid option if you choose it. I wouldn't want auto-equipping as the game would just be guessing what I really want to do.

I think this could currently work if it was relegated only to major tools (no torches, etc.), as I don't think there are any objects that have multiple choices yet. If the game introduced additional object manipulations, this would no longer work.

What I would like is that when you LMB on a tool, to auto-equip it, that any currently equipped tool should switch places with it. I hate how the current system just arbitrarily drops the equipped item into the first free inventory slot.

Agreed.

Keep Making Night Time Scarier!

Nothing specific yet. I just really loved the way I felt the first time I played the game, and night time was all freaky. Keep it up!

Yup. The new Sanity meter will play a role in this request. Apparently as you start losing sanity your character suffers delusions which are worst at night. The fact that these mental horrors can kill you is just another concern...

I can't wait!

[mobius187]

2 points that have to go hand in hand to make this work:

1) Only allow 1 backpack in your inventory that has anything inside of it. Empty backpacks shouldn't be a problem.

2) When a backpack with items in it is in your inventory, they are inaccessible unless you wear the backpack.

Yes, this will result with us traveling along with our backpack in our inventory while we have armor equipped, but it's really effectively the same as equipping armor and auto-dropping your backpack every time we see an enemy (which is what we do now).

I think the original choice was meant to be either have a backpack, or wear armor. Unfortunately in practice, we just end up doing a lot of unnecessary equipment swapping every time we see a bad guy. The only effective way to force this choice is to only allow a backpack or armor anywhere on your body or inventory.

From one persepctive, the idea of allowing a player to place one "full" backpack into their inventory makes sense when you consider it as part of a swap when auto-equipping a log suit. However the other perspective is this would allow a player to carry two backpacks, one equipped and another in their inventory. Then players would complain, "Why can we only have one full backpack in our inventory? Why not 2? Or 3?" and so on. The logic just wouldn't be there to explain the limitation. I believe Klei opted to avoid the inventory exploit altogether and instead provided an alternative. Rather than worrying about dropping your backpack to equip your log suit, just craft/wear the football cap. It's just as good as the log suit.

In short, it comes down to your choice: do you want double armor (cap & suit) or extra inventory (cap & backpack)? If you want both, you can do it, but you have to juggle your inventory by dropping your backpack to wear your log suit.

Another solution: Advanced craft: You can make some advanced armor that has a built-in backpack.

That's certainly another option, and one I've seen mentioned before, so you wouldn't be the only person asking for it. In fact, I think they called it the "spikey backpack".

[torikamal]

Another option that would make people less likely to do the constant armor equip, backpack swap, would be to have creatures try to snatch your backpack (or other items), when they were on the ground. For example, maybe spiders would snatch them up and stash them in their webs.

This would also incentive more use of boxes, too. I know some food gets taken by creatures, but I've never seen them take any tools/apparel yet.

[TylerTheDragon]

Honestly , the easy solution with backpacks would to have an extra slot for a backpack , maybe a "back" equip thing , where you could wear different back items.

[mobius187]

Honestly , the easy solution with backpacks would to have an extra slot for a backpack , maybe a "back" equip thing , where you could wear different back items.

I don't know... adding a new slot is a slippery slope my friend! There are already people demanding a Feet slot... once they get that then they'll demand a Neck slot, followed by Ring slots... and so on. Before we know it we'll have 10 hat slots!

[ZaCormyr]

There are already people demanding a Feet slot...

but ya gotta admit, the current three slots are a little limiting.

[TylerTheDragon]

I don't know... adding a new slot is a slippery slope my friend! There are already people demanding a Feet slot... once they get that then they'll demand a Neck slot, followed by Ring slots... and so on. Before we know it we'll have 10 hat slots!

Though , have you seen this ? :

http://www.dontstarvegame.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ds_updatePoster_BirdsBeesDogs2-552x1024.jpg

It shows that wilson is wearing his backpack WITH the dapper vest.

[mobius187]

but ya gotta admit, the current three slots are a little limiting.

It is restrictive... so it's up to Klei to balance screen real-estate vs extra functionality.

It shows that wilson is wearing his backpack WITH the dapper vest.

I'm fairly sure they just wanted to show off both...

[ZaCormyr]

It is restrictive... so it's up to Klei to balance screen real-estate vs extra functionality.

I can understand the screen real-estate thing vs functionality. One thing they could do is introduce GUI transparency.

[mobius187]

I can understand the screen real-estate thing vs functionality. One thing they could do is introduce GUI transparency.

You could always start a thread on the topic.

[ZaCormyr]

haha I suppose I could. #5 I believe in the list of new threads I gotta create.. once I hash out my ideas

[torikamal]

Cook Book

We could record our recipes we have discovered by hand, or we could just look it up on the internets, but I'd rather discover stuff myself and find a way to have the game record what I have done and keep it.

I think it would be pretty cool (and useful), if whenever we cook and discover a new recipe, it would be recorded in a cook book.(assuming we have made a cook book). To do this, we would drop the cook book onto the crock pot, and it would pop up with a little book symbol next to it.

We could then click on the cook book and it would open up showing us recipes we have discovered (just like the recipes for tools, etc. on the left).

Cook books would be carried forward from death to the next character(s), and would be created in the alchemy machine.

We could make the recipe for creating a cookbook whatever we want, but something like this might be cool:

6 sheets of paper.

1 black feather (a quill for writing).

6 flowers (we'll assume that the character creates a dye from them and turns it into ink. Just not worth a separate refinement step at this point)

1 pig skin (for the covers).

[Toaster Fu]

Take a look at this thread torikamal, it seems everybody wants a cookbook.