map transport

[angrysquirrel]

Okay, how about crafting a riding beefelo?  Or a cart ala Gilligan's Island?  Or a hoverboard?  Or having a pigman or spider that you can ride on their back?  Or a giant bunny rabbit that you can name (but you should name him Frank) that will pull you on a rickshaw that you crafted.  

 

Yeah, you got wormholes for fast travel.  And footpaths.  It's so tedious walking from point a to point b and sometimes wormholes don't put you where you need to be.   

[Blewcheese]

Okay, how about crafting a riding beefelo?  Or a cart ala Gilligan's Island?  Or a hoverboard?  Or having a pigman or spider that you can ride on their back?  Or a giant bunny rabbit that you can name (but you should name him Frank) that will pull you on a rickshaw that you crafted.  

 

Yeah, you got wormholes for fast travel.  And footpaths.  It's so tedious walking from point a to point b and sometimes wormholes don't put you where you need to be.   

Hoverboard? WHAT

 

Okay, ignoring that part, the combination of road + walking cane is good enough to get you where you need to be, even the walking cane alone should be good enough. But here, allow me to delve into some psychological stuff.

 

So, what is Don't Starve? You're stranded on an island with mysterious stuff all around you. You need to not starve. So, you get a fire, grab some berries, yada yada yada. And then you find a tallbird. I remember my first reaction to that thing. "OH GOD WHAT." Sums it up. Maybe you find some beefalo. Or some pigs. Huge spiders. Now, as we know, huge spiders aren't the most creative mob in the world. But the Don't Starve feel is supposed to put YOU in the shoes of Wilson. Or whoever it is you're playing as. This is why Don't Starve is classified as a horror game! It's not because of the grue that jumps out of you in the dark. Contrary to popular belief, Horror games aren't just jumpscares! In Don't Starve, it's making the player feel helpless. Especially the ending, which I won't spoil, but you should know what I'm talking about. It makes you think, "Oh, man, what if that was me?". There's always the looming threat of Them, in a mysterious land with non-explainable creatures. But what if you could ride them?

 

That, in my opinion, would put you on top of the creature. Both mentally and physically. You're not supposed to be able to be the boss of anything except a pig mercenary you hire for a day, a smallbird that grows up and betrays you, and a meek pumpkin-dog thing. And rock lobsters and bunnymen. Okay, sure eventually you grow stronger and make your camp cover the entire map or something, but there's always supposed to be a looming threat, something you can't control. Be it the mobs that you can't tame permanently, the looming feel of Them peering into your soul, or again, the ending. Riding an animal would advance you in the hierarchy, which is what Don't Starve should avoid as it is a game that's supposed to make you always feel insignificant, even if it is in the subtle details.

 

And there we go. That's it, I guess.

[Grumpy]

You do know about the walking cane, right?  Acquiring it is one of my top priorities right after finding gears.  There are other late-game items that will help too, though I've never used them myself.

 

Now, this next part is not personally aimed at you or your suggestion but is rather a general comment...

 

It's interesting to me that most everyone who has played this game for a significant amount of time complains that it gets too easy once mastered.  Then we see all manner of suggestions for ways to make the game easier.  Bigger stacks.  Faster movement.  Stronger weapons.

 

Moving about faster does fall under the category of making life less tedious but it also makes the game far easier to conquer.  I know that personally once I acquire a walking cane (and a Tam) I almost feel like it's game over at that moment.