Does Permadeath wear on you after you've played a ton?

[CarterG]

This poll makes a lot of sense.

People who seem to like the feature for the benefits it brings, but dislike the feature for the harm it causes.

If only there were a way to give players the benefit of permadeath, without the negatives.

[Cynical Cynicist]

Danger should be routine, not an option for fun. Camping or "turtling" is encouraged which is another source of the problem.

[CarterG]

Danger should be routine, not an option for fun. Camping or "turtling" is encouraged which is another source of the problem.

 

So you think that if the player was always mobile, it would change things drastically?

Like in Adventure Mode? That encourages a more nomad lifestyle, and discourages turtling.

[Cynical Cynicist]

So you think that if the player was always mobile, it would change things drastically?

Like in Adventure Mode? That encourages a more nomad lifestyle, and discourages turtling.

 

Well, I don't disagree with having a base, but it's the fact that nothing compels you to crawl out from under your rock. With "turtling" you can become completely self-sustaining which suits the purpose of survival for this game, but is also a design flaw. Humans are at the top of the food-chain, which means that all other animals or competitors can kiss their asses goodbye.

 

It really comes down to this compromise:

 

Hunger > Adventure = It's a constant fight for survival, looking for new food everyday because food rots even on crockpots and drying racks. Getting to day 100+ would then be more admirable. However, this significantly limits the time you have to explore and experience new things around the environment, because you will naturally seek out consistent and reliable methods instead.

 

Adventure > Hunger = The same as now, except there isn't all that much to explore or experience anymore. Your main motives regarding this game become trivial (like decorating your campsite).

 

Even though I don't really play as Wolfgang, I like his system regarding how hunger affects his power. I feel that this could in fact be applied to all characters. On an empty stomach, you'd barely be able to penetrate the thick skin of a walrus with a spear that's fighting back at you. I also think Koalefants (given the nature of real elephants) should be found in herds, whom protect one another.

[Spazmatic]

I have always found enjoyment in the permadeath feature of the game, it's just that the better I became at the game the less it  became a looming threat. In fact, it's been months since I died for good, and no I'm not just sitting in my camp counting farms and drying racks etc . I gotta say I liked the feeling when permadeath was still omni-present for me, back in my newbie time so to speak. Back in the day where you could only get beard hair with Wilson's beard(so he was the only who got the meat effigy) and there were no touchstones! A time where high tier spider dens had more warrior spiders than regular spiders aswell

[Hugeisno1]

Permadeath is a wonderful thing for a survival horror game. It brings a level of threat that a simple respawn couldn't replicate.
It's meant to suck, If you don't fell upset at dying then you haven't invested enough time in your world. yet It's for the same reason that I play Minecraft on Hardcore. If you simple respawn somewhere without your gear it;s like a slap on the wrist compared to Permadeath, it makes you more willing to take foolhardy risks. Even before Harcore was implemented in Minecraft I used the Ironman rules, meaning after you die you delete your world.

In either case it's heart breaking to suddenly lose everything you worked so hard for. Weeks spent making your base "just so" making it unique to yourself. After I died in games of +80 days I'd swear off Don't starve and try something more forgiving, like Dark Souls for a while before drifting back to Don't Starve.

Well there is one good thing for Permadeath, every time you perma-die you get a new world to explore, new challenges in food and resource collection to get exited about. In my most recent game I managed to find a spot with a blue mushroom circle a stone throw from my firepit. Now the mushrooms that I've largely ignored because it takes so much effort to collect viable amounts suddenly becomes an important part of the game.
In another much shorter game I set up camp close to a Tall Bird Fort setpiece, lots of fighting but I lived like a king on the meat, also the reign was short due to too many combat risks taken.

Well it could be worse, they could make it that you only earn experience if you successfully survive and escape the world. Now that would be brutal.


The Important thing about Sandbox games like Don't Starve or Mincraft is that you have to make your own entertainment, If you don't have a goal to strive for it becomes stale without a story although there is a story of sorts it's completely optional.  Right now I'm aiming to reach the lower levels of the cave and claim a crown. I just emerged from the cave after many days to restock food and grass, only to find that the hounds were very pleased to see me above ground again, so were to Batilisks and the hormonal Beefalo.