Mud walls, seasons and inventory

[ZaCormyr]

Hey guys,

I´ve been playing for a few days now and have some suggestions. Hopefully I don´t repeat stuff others have posted... Sorry if I do. I may touch on some ideas others have posted but with the purpose of adding to it, or just commenting.

First off, I know the devs don´t want to add a lot of ¨turtling¨ structures like cabins etc.. but I have an idea which would increase the usefullness of the shovel. I think it would be great to be able to dig up mud. Each scoop being a little pile like manure in the inventory. Now, to add a bit more of a sandbox element, plus more crafting, you can add the mud to straw and then use it to create mud walls. The mud walls could be built up by adding more mud/straw and have ¨growth¨stages like trees etc... and of course it will reduce in size the same way, meaning the mud walls will erode over time. I think it would be best if you couldn´t just keep adding more mud to the wall to keep it full size. The eroding will keep people from crazy turtling since after your walls are gone or near gone, you might decide to move on. But also it will help make the game more personal, lots of people, like myself, want to invest in their game, something to call their own and thus it will increase the interest in surviving because you don´t want to lose what you´ve worked on. There will be some turtling or camping otherwise why is there farms and why replant berry bushes etc..? The roaming comes more from needing resources from other biomes etc... and to fight nasties in other areas. Anyways, the mud walls can be placed where you want, in the design you want. This idea really fits well with the winter (hopefully there will be a full 4 season cycle, more on that to come). Mud walls can help shield you from crazy winds and blizzards. Maybe you can add sticks to the mud and straw to create even better protection from the elements: a lean-to. The lean-to can also erode over time and fall apart since it´s part mud wall. Where you dig could just be a little texture change to something like the rabbit hole. Or you can only dig mud from special spots like the ponds for fishing. I know it looks like fence will be added, but fence won´t protect against the elements, just the nasties. Maybe mud walls have the weakness that nasties can easily destroy them.

Seasons: I´d love to see a full 4 season cycle in Don´t Starve. With the winter idea, it would be great to have a spring (for planting food plants), a summer (growth season for plants), and a fall harvest to prepare for the harsh winter coming. People like to camp, and it would seem that winter is the time for that. The other seasons are more for exploration, collecting new food plant species, finding new animals and of course new nasties. The season can serve other purposes, like collecting a lot of water for your farms in the spring to survive the harsh drought of summer. Maybe you could build a large water container so you don´t have to make a ton of chests to hold buckets of water... So during the spring and summer, you would need to eat more meats, thus more traps etc... and winter will be more of a veg diet since the animals will be hibernating. Also, you wouldn´t be able to get honey in the winter, so to have an abundance of honey will pay off in the winter. Maybe you can only harvest honey in the spring when there´s tons of flowers out.

Inventory: I really wish that if you put you axe in slot one, that it always goes back to that slot when you swap for another tool etc... then you could keep your food in a specific place and use the number keys to eat or change tool/weapon.

Tool belt: Maybe something can be done along the lines of a tool belt? Crafted out of leather? Another way to increase the slots available or to fix the above inventory thing, partially anyways...

A bug that´s bugging me.. when a bird is trapped in a normal trap, the bird still flies straight up, as if there were two birds.

Anyways, I have more but can´t recall it all atm. More later.

[Captain Potato]

I fully agree with the 4 seasons.

I agree with adding a new body slot. This could add other items aside from the toolbelt such as amulet,eyepoping glasses,a " I will survive! " banner, bee mine, elbow pads...

[mobius187]

I´ve been playing for a few days now and have some suggestions. Hopefully I don´t repeat stuff others have posted... Sorry if I do.

No worries, I often repeat my responses to repeated suggestions.

However I would suggest that you may find it easier to break-up your posts into small more topic-specific threads. I know it may seem like a good idea to group all your ideas, but this often creates a "wall of text" that can intimidate users and reduce the number of responses you will receive. I mean, I've responded, but I'm just being me.

First off, I know the devs don´t want to add a lot of ¨turtling¨ structures like cabins etc..

I think the real issue is that the Devs don't want us to lead boring lives in the game. They want us to face adversity and challenge, rather than the day-to-day status quo of going through daily routines (i.e. pick vegitables, fertilize garden, plant seeds, harvest berries, ect). Personally I often "turtle" in these types of games, but building a shelter just seems like a good idea when you're trying to survive.

but I have an idea which would increase the usefullness of the shovel.

You had me at "idea". Go on.

I think it would be great to be able to dig up mud. Each scoop being a little pile like manure in the inventory. Now, to add a bit more of a sandbox element, plus more crafting, you can add the mud to straw and then use it to create mud walls. The mud walls could be built up by adding more mud/straw...

Now when you say "mud", where would this mud come from? I mean, I know where mud comes from, but are you suggesting that the game include mud puddles? The idea of creating bricks from mud and grass is interesting, however my concern is, based on your own description, mud and manure will appear very similar in your inventory, which could lead to confusion. Also, rather than creating bricks maybe it could create an entire wall (i.e. x20 grass + x20 mud = mud brick wall)?

...and have ¨growth¨stages like trees etc...

Well trees grow naturally, but I'm assuming you don't mean the wall grows on its own; rather that you can build-up your wall. Correct?

...and of course it will reduce in size the same way, meaning the mud walls will erode over time. I think it would be best if you couldn´t just keep adding more mud to the wall to keep it full size. The eroding will keep people from crazy turtling since after your walls are gone or near gone, you might decide to move on.

Heh. I'm pretty sure the Devs don't want to drive their players crazy by maintaining this type of wall. Funny as that would be, as I could just imagine myself doing it.

As a note, the Devs has expressed an interest in allowing us to build walls, so in that regard you will be seeing your idea in some respect Soon enough. However if I were to hazard a guess, the walls will likely use one or more of the following materials: logs, wooden boards, and/or stone blocks. I'm also fairly confident that while the walls won't erode, they will be damaged and can collapse. But don't hold me to that.

But also it will help make the game more personal, lots of people, like myself, want to invest in their game, something to call their own and thus it will increase the interest in surviving because you don´t want to lose what you´ve worked on. There will be some turtling or camping otherwise why is there farms and why replant berry bushes etc..? The roaming comes more from needing resources from other biomes etc... and to fight nasties in other areas. Anyways, the mud walls can be placed where you want, in the design you want.

Again, what it comes down to is game play balance. Right now the Devs are working to resolve these and certain aspects of the game are being vetted. Right now it's players exploits and habits that are associated with turtling. For example, people complained about how easy it was to survive by replanting berry bushes, so the Devs added the Gobbler. Players still complained, so the Dev added in bushes wearing out (withering) if harvested too often or when initially replanted. More complaints... and now hounds. Especially the flame hound. In time everything will balance itself out until we have the proper level of difficulty.

This idea really fits well with the winter (hopefully there will be a full 4 season cycle, more on that to come).

The general assumption is yes, there will be seasons. This is based on the fact that the Devs have informed us that "winter is coming". We assume they don't mean December. Also we've been told beefalo will behave differently from, I assume, season to season.

Maybe mud walls have the weakness that nasties can easily destroy them.

Yup, as previously noted, the walls added to the game will be destructable. Or so I'm led to believe.

Seasons: I´d love to see a full 4 season cycle in Don´t Starve. With the winter idea, it would be great to have a spring (for planting food plants), a summer (growth season for plants), and a fall harvest to prepare for the harsh winter coming. People like to camp, and it would seem that winter is the time for that. The other seasons are more for exploration, collecting new food plant species, finding new animals and of course new nasties. The season can serve other purposes, like collecting a lot of water for your farms in the spring to survive the harsh drought of summer. Maybe you could build a large water container so you don´t have to make a ton of chests to hold buckets of water...

So far water hasn't come up too often, unless you consider suggestion threads about a Thirst meter or the coffee/tea/drink threads. The idea of watering crops during a summer drought was briefly mentioned by me, but not so much in a topic on seasons, but rather weather during seasons. It was assumed it would rain more often in Spring and Autumn, while Summer would be hot/dry and have only the rare storm... thunderstorms.

So during the spring and summer, you would need to eat more meats, thus more traps etc... and winter will be more of a veg diet since the animals will be hibernating. Also, you wouldn´t be able to get honey in the winter, so to have an abundance of honey will pay off in the winter. Maybe you can only harvest honey in the spring when there´s tons of flowers out.

I wouldn't say you would need to eat more meat, but rather you would need to store more food away in preparation for winter. And yes, I agree with your assumption, animals would be scarce as most would be sleeping. Or simply, rabbits outside their holes would be very uncommon and birds would be reduced in number. Gardens and hives would also be blocked off as food supplies. I even suggested that ponds be frozen over to prevent fishing.

Inventory: I really wish that if you put you axe in slot one, that it always goes back to that slot when you swap for another tool etc... then you could keep your food in a specific place and use the number keys to eat or change tool/weapon.

Ah yes, this is a common request. Basically people want the option to switch items. Or simply, when you LMB on a tool/weapon to equip it, whatever tool/weapon was previously in your hand now switches places with the tool/weapon you just equipped rather than dropping into the first empty inventory slot. I wouldn't be surprised if this was eventually added to the game.

Tool belt: Maybe something can be done along the lines of a tool belt? Crafted out of leather? Another way to increase the slots available or to fix the above inventory thing, partially anyways...

But... we have the backpack. You can put all your tools in there.

A bug that´s bugging me.. when a bird is trapped in a normal trap, the bird still flies straight up, as if there were two birds.

Hmmm. Feel free to check the bug forum for that issue, and if it's not there, you may want to post it so the Devs are aware. Odds are they know... but who can say?

[ZaCormyr]

However I would suggest that you may find it easier to break-up your posts into small more topic-specific threads.

Yeah I hear ya. I was short on time (I´ve got a toddler), but I´ll definitely be breaking up my posts.

Now when you say "mud", where would this mud come from? I mean, I know where mud comes from, but are you suggesting that the game include mud puddles? The idea of creating bricks from mud and grass is interesting, however my concern is, based on your own description, mud and manure will appear very similar in your inventory, which could lead to confusion. Also, rather than creating bricks maybe it could create an entire wall (i.e. x20 grass + x20 mud = mud brick wall)?

At first I was thinking of just digging up dirt/mud from anywhere, but thought it best if there was a specific place in say, the swamp biome. Similar to ponds, just a small spot where it´s particularly muddy and you can dig up the mud. I don´t want it to look like manure, just was an example of how it can stack in your inventory. Personally I wish cooked morsels looked different, too similar to logs imo. I wasn´t thinking of actually making bricks, just a mix of straw and mud so it holds together better. Bricks are too permanent. The mud wall I´m interested in isn´t permanent at all. Forcing you to go out and collect more mud and straw if you want to rebuild your wall(s). Also, I´d like it to simply be placed on the ground instead of crafting a whole wall, then placing it. IMO it would be better to be able to shape the wall how you want it, create curves, gaps etc.. where you want. That way it´s more hands on, and also takes longer to build. The growth stages are just to represent the erosion, the tree thing was an example to put an image in your mind of how it could erode back down to nothing. That way mud walls can be the size you want, and thus have more or less protection. For mud walls to have more use than just in winter, maybe they could help protect crops from high winds/storms... meaning storms etc.. could damage crops if not protected, adding to the hardships of the game.

Well trees grow naturally, but I'm assuming you don't mean the wall grows on its own; rather that you can build-up your wall. Correct?

Exactly, as said above.

As a note, the Devs has expressed an interest in allowing us to build walls, so in that regard you will be seeing your idea in some respect Soon enough. However if I were to hazard a guess, the walls will likely use one or more of the following materials: logs, wooden boards, and/or stone blocks. I'm also fairly confident that while the walls won't erode, they will be damaged and can collapse. But don't hold me to that.

I wouldn´t want to see wooden or stone walls, it´s too permanent. Muds walls are good because they naturally erode in the elements. But not so fast that you´re constantly having to rebuild them.

The general assumption is yes, there will be seasons. This is based on the fact that the Devs have informed us that "winter is coming". We assume they don't mean December. Also we've been told beefalo will behave differently from, I assume, season to season.

I sure hope there´s more than just winter.

So far water hasn't come up too often, unless you consider suggestion threads about a Thirst meter or the coffee/tea/drink threads. The idea of watering crops during a summer drought was briefly mentioned by me, but not so much in a topic on seasons, but rather weather during seasons. It was assumed it would rain more often in Spring and Autumn, while Summer would be hot/dry and have only the rare storm... thunderstorms.

The water idea for me was to make it more difficult to grow crops. If there´s a drought then you best be there watering every day or the crops will die and you have to start all over and hope you have a harvest before winter. So to do this, you need to store water while it´s plentiful in the spring. Also, if they will add tamed animals, you´d need to provide water. But from what I´ve seen I doubt that will happen. The tamed animals part I mean, although I think it would be cool to tame them. Taming animals could pose a risk because it would attract more nasties etc...

I wouldn't say you would need to eat more meat, but rather you would need to store more food away in preparation for winter.

Storing food for winter yes! But what I meant was that during the spring and part of summer, you probably won´t have much vegetables left after winter and can´t harvest them yet since the spring is when you do your planting. So you´d need to spend more time out in the wilderness hunting/trapping.

I even suggested that ponds be frozen over to prevent fishing.

Agreed!

Ah yes, this is a common request. Basically people want the option to switch items. Or simply, when you LMB on a tool/weapon to equip it, whatever tool/weapon was previously in your hand now switches places with the tool/weapon you just equipped rather than dropping into the first empty inventory slot. I wouldn't be surprised if this was eventually added to the game.

What I meant was that wherever you put an item on the toolbar, that´s it´s spot. If you swap tools then the tool you were using goes back to it´s spot. I hate hunting the toolbar to find where the pickaxe went etc...

But... we have the backpack. You can put all your tools in there.

Yes but if we had a tool belt, tools could be kept there and fix the issue I mention above. Plus having a little more toolbar/backpack space for when you´re out and about.

Hmmm. Feel free to check the bug forum for that issue, and if it's not there, you may want to post it so the Devs are aware. Odds are they know... but who can say?

I hear ya.

Sorry for the long response, tis the way I am. But I will be posting different threads for different ideas etc.. Thanks for the responses guys!

[mobius187]

Yeah I hear ya. I was short on time (I´ve got a toddler), but I´ll definitely be breaking up my posts.

No need to explain, you're not the first new member to post a lot. I just try to make it my policy to let users know so they don't feel like their ideas were being ignored. Rather no one felt their had the time to answer everything properly. Or at least that's how I feel sometimes.

Of course that's not to say you shouldn't post lots of ideas. Feel free to start as many threads as you like, but be sure to search first and see whether there's an existing thread on your topic. If there is, feel free to just add your own ideas to it, like how I did here. But you probably knew/guessed that already...

That way mud walls can be the size you want, and thus have more or less protection. For mud walls to have more use than just in winter, maybe they could help protect crops from high winds/storms... meaning storms etc.. could damage crops if not protected, adding to the hardships of the game.

Hmmm. IMHO, crops shouldn't grow at all during winter. I would also like it if rabbits become rare, birds become uncommon, the pond becomes frozen, and berry bushes stay barren. At least until Spring arrives.

As for storms damaging crops... that's a reasonable idea, if it's a thunderstorm. On the topic of thunderstorms I've preferred the idea that lightning would strike random spots and potentially cause whatever is struck to burst into flames. However, as it's raining, the fire wouldn't spread.

I wouldn´t want to see wooden or stone walls, it´s too permanent. Muds walls are good because they naturally erode in the elements. But not so fast that you´re constantly having to rebuild them.

Well you may want to raise a fuss then, because word has it they're on their way. As for me, I'm fine with the idea. Then again this is coming from someone who built a base camp surrounded by a wall of chests, back when chests still blocked pathfinding. An exploit that I helped get nerfed by frequently commenting on how amazingly well it had worked.

I sure hope there´s more than just winter.

Me too. And I think the odds are good.

The water idea for me was to make it more difficult to grow crops. If there´s a drought then you best be there watering every day or the crops will die and you have to start all over and hope you have a harvest before winter.

I might agree with this... it depends on whether this will only chain players to their base camp. Right now crops are planted and then take care of themselves, so I often leave and go off on my own and later come back to find them fully grown. If you place the need to monitor crops then players won't leave their base camp as often as they'll need to be constantly looking after the crops. An alternative suggestion is to give crops stages of growth and requirements to reach the next stage.

There was a crop mod for Project Zomboid that had you plant seeds (each indicated how long they needed to grow), and then both fertilize and water them in order to help them grow. If the player didn't do a good enough job of attending to the crops' need it growed more slowly. If they ignored the crops' needs then they wouldn't grow beyond that stage (i.e. paused growth). I don't know about the pausing, but I like the idea that the amount of care you provide helps with growth. That, or you could just let them grow slowly.

I'm also against manure "speed growing" crops. Manure is just too plentiful...

So to do this, you need to store water while it´s plentiful in the spring. Also, if they will add tamed animals, you´d need to provide water. But from what I´ve seen I doubt that will happen. The tamed animals part I mean, although I think it would be cool to tame them. Taming animals could pose a risk because it would attract more nasties etc...

Not sure about watering animals, however I did once discuss the idea of needing to feed tamed/domesticated animals. The main reason was to prevent the problem prevailant in Minecraft, namely that you can have almost a limitless number of animals... and you don't need to look after them at all. It's crazy. This way if you have more animals than you have food, or time to feed them, then they should starve and die. Then a player will end up realizing exactly how many animals they can take care of without becoming overburdened.

Now factor in that I think beefalo (wild & domesticated) should eat grass, and the suggestion that maybe grass shouldn't grow during winter... and you have some problems. What do you use your grass for? Your craftables, your torches (fire), or feeding your beefalo? Same for tallbirds, back when I suggested they eat berries (like the Gobbler... just not as annoyingly). As a note, the tallbird was suggested as a mount for travelling across the islands faster.

Storing food for winter yes! But what I meant was that during the spring and part of summer, you probably won´t have much vegetables left after winter and can´t harvest them yet since the spring is when you do your planting. So you´d need to spend more time out in the wilderness hunting/trapping.

Yes, you would start to run out of those foods that you cannot acquire during winter, and fruits/vegetables would be at the top of the list.

What I meant was that wherever you put an item on the toolbar, that´s it´s spot. If you swap tools then the tool you were using goes back to it´s spot. I hate hunting the toolbar to find where the pickaxe went etc...

Ah, well for me I usually assign an area of my inventory bar. So I like my tools on the far right and foods on the far left. It may be harder to remember a specific spot since you could move around your inventory and have another item in a tool's slot when you equip another tool. Then that unequipped tool wouldn't be able to go to its slot because there's another item there already. Something like that.

Yes but if we had a tool belt, tools could be kept there and fix the issue I mention above. Plus having a little more toolbar/backpack space for when you´re out and about.

You really like to keep your tools orderly.

[ZaCormyr]

Hmmm. IMHO, crops shouldn't grow at all during winter. I would also like it if rabbits become rare, birds become uncommon, the pond becomes frozen, and berry bushes stay barren. At least until Spring arrives.

Yeah that´s what I was getting at.

As for storms damaging crops... that's a reasonable idea, if it's a thunderstorm. On the topic of thunderstorms I've preferred the idea that lightning would strike random spots and potentially cause whatever is struck to burst into flames. However, as it's raining, the fire wouldn't spread.

Damaged crops from the weather, I tend to like things realistic when it comes to survival and things like that. Mind you, I wouldn´t change the overall look and feel of the game, it´s great. But my idea would add to the survival part, not to mention it´s another way to keep people from mass producing veg in farms.

Well you may want to raise a fuss then, because word has it they're on their way.

I´m ok with it too! I like having a base camp that´s secure. But it seems to go against them not wanting people to turtle, my mud wall idea helps keep things less turtlie.

I might agree with this... it depends on whether this will only chain players to their base camp. Right now crops are planted and then take care of themselves, so I often leave and go off on my own and later come back to find them fully grown. If you place the need to monitor crops then players won't leave their base camp as often as they'll need to be constantly looking after the crops. An alternative suggestion is to give crops stages of growth and requirements to reach the next stage.

I like the idea of needing to water your crops, not to keep people at their base camp, just to add more realism and more risk involved in having farms, again to keep people from mass producing veg.

More later

[Dom-Sithe]

I wouldn´t want to see wooden or stone walls, it´s too permanent. Muds walls are good because they naturally erode in the elements. But not so fast that you´re constantly having to rebuild them.

One of the teasers we've been given already is going to other "worlds", where things will be quite different. So yes, while walls and such aren't needed now, in a hostile world they could be required!

[ZaCormyr]

Ah, hadn´t thought they would change it that much since they´ve said they don´t want people turtling too much. Honestly I´m more than happy to camp out with a main base. Just trying to come up with ideas which fit what I´ve learned about where the devs wanna go with this game. But really, I´d be up for cabins etc..

[Dom-Sithe]

I think cabins are too protective if you get my meaning. I get the feeling the devs are aiming more towards the Africaan Savanah defenses. Palisades, thorns, sharp sticks, and such. No buildings.

[ZaCormyr]

sounds good to me, then my mud wall fits right in!

[mobius187]

Damaged crops from the weather, I tend to like things realistic when it comes to survival and things like that. Mind you, I wouldn´t change the overall look and feel of the game, it´s great. But my idea would add to the survival part, not to mention it´s another way to keep people from mass producing veg in farms.

Well I agree there is a need to limit the amount of crops players can feasibly grow. In Minecraft, for example, there are no real restrictions... except that when you or a monster walks over growing crops it damages/kills them... but other than that there's nothing to stop you from creating a massive farm. In Don't Starve I think we need to focus on pests and caring for crops as a means of placing limitations. For example, birds already eat seeds, so would it be hard to imagine them landing on your garden plot where you planted a seed... and eating it? Then there are rabbits. They already eat vegetables that are on the ground... they should also eat crops growing in garden plots, even before they're ready to harvest. To combat these pests players would need to craft/place scarecrows (to frighten birds away) and build walls/fences to keep rabbits out. Of course all of this takes resources and time. And of course, as we discussed above, if crops also need care from the player to grow and players can't speed grow crops with manure, then I think that places a fair number of restrictions on crop growing.

I´m ok with it too! I like having a base camp that´s secure. But it seems to go against them not wanting people to turtle, my mud wall idea helps keep things less turtlie.

IMHO, I believe it's not so much building a base camp that the Devs dislike, but rather players becoming too secure in their defenses that they don't feel thtreatened at all. They also want players to explore, but of course we all do that... we just need more to explore.

I think cabins are too protective if you get my meaning. I get the feeling the devs are aiming more towards the Africaan Savanah defenses. Palisades, thorns, sharp sticks, and such. No buildings.

Yes, I agree with everything you just stated.

[ZaCormyr]

They also want players to explore, but of course we all do that... we just need more to explore.

I made a suggestion in another thread about having advanced prototypes hidden in different places, or kept by bosses. Dangerous ruins to explore and find new plans for prototypes. Old broken down cabins with a chest of stuff from a previous victim of the evil dude that put Wilson on the island. Just another reason to be out exploring. The game needs more secrets to discover.

[mobius187]

I made a suggestion in another thread about having advanced prototypes hidden in different places, or kept by bosses. Dangerous ruins to explore and find new plans for prototypes. Old broken down cabins with a chest of stuff from a previous victim of the evil dude that put Wilson on the island. Just another reason to be out exploring. The game needs more secrets to discover.

I'm not sure I would want to find prototypes... however... both the science and alchemy machines "unlock" the potential to research new inventions, right? Well I think it would be interesting if your character could be inspired by other static objects found in the game world. For example, maybe you could have an ancient ruin... and among those ruined walls is a strange obelisk upon which are carved Cthulian sigils. If you examine it you lose sanity... but in your insanity you grasp a greater understanding of the universe and its mechanics, allowing you to "research unlock" a new invention.

I want to suggest the invention only be unlockable while near the obelisk, but the new research system coming in January will require us to feed resource into the science/alchemy machines to unlock those specific inventions... rather than awarding us points that we can spend, say, while standing before an alien obelisk. With that in mind, I suggest that once examine the invention is simply unlocked and can be researched at either the science or alchemy machines to unlock it (by feeding the required resources into said machine).

Other ideas for objects could be connected to the Cthulhu Mythos (i.e. rare tomes, like the Necronomicon, ancient devices of alien origin, and scrying to glimpse the secrets of the past/future).

Another idea I had a while back was connection inventions to the items dug-up from graves. For example the jumble of old wiring. Obviously the player cannot create the wiring, so that means to craft that invention they would first need to find the wires in a grave... which may or may not be possible depending on their fortune. I almost want to suggest this in connection to my previous idea, so the "strange inventions" you can unlock only by finding "inspiration objects" on one of the islands may need an item you can only find by digging up graves (i.e. rare or uncommon) thus limiting how many of the craftable item you can create. This way you could create an interesting unique item that has limited uses, but fantastical effects or unlimited uses, but only a slight beneficial effect (i.e. illuminates area immediately around you at all times for you're never "in the dark" at night... but it doesn't show much else so it's not as effective as a torch in terms of light).

Edited December 6, 2012 by mobius187

[ZaCormyr]

For example, maybe you could have an ancient ruin... and among those ruined walls is a strange obelisk upon which are carved Cthulian sigils. If you examine it you lose sanity... but in your insanity you grasp a greater understanding of the universe and its mechanics, allowing you to "research unlock" a new invention.

This would work also and is actually more interesting because it would add more content in the game, not just a piece of paper with a plan on it, meaning the obelisk.

I wwant to suggest the invention only be unlockable while near the obelisk, but the new research system coming in January will require us to feed resource into the science/alchemy machines to unlock those specific inventions... rather than awarding us points that we can spend, say, while standing before an alien obelisk. With that in mind, I suggest that once examine the invention is simply unlocked and can be researched at either the science or alchemy machines to unlock it (by feeding the required resources into said machine).

Yeah that´s why I was thinking of ways to have research involve going out in the world, not just standing next to the science machine, thus the ¨plans¨ for prototypes that could be found and brought back to the science machine. But you´re idea of simply unlocking something by the ruins then researching by the science machine is probably the only way they would add this idea to the game. And that would be fine! I just think having a list of ALL the things you can make right there is a bad idea. New research is a great reward for killing bosses, finding cool places like the ruins with obelisk, the secret door in a cave...

Other ideas for objects could be connected to the Cthulhu Mythos (i.e. rare tomes, like the Necronomicon, ancient devices of alien origin, and scrying to glimpse the secrets of the past/future).

nods

I almost want to suggest this in connection to my previous idea, so the "strange inventions" you can unlock only by finding "inspiration objects" on one of the islands may need an item you can only find by digging up graves (i.e. rare or uncommon) thus limiting how many of the craftable item you can create. This way you could create an interesting unique item that has limited uses, but fantastical effects or unlimited uses, but only a slight beneficial effect (i.e. illuminates area immediately around you at all times for you're never "in the dark" at night... but it doesn't show much else so it's not as effective as a torch in terms of light).

I like that you´d need to find more than one object to finish the inspiration for a new prototype, then you´d find stuff with no use and know there´s a new prototype to discover. And I´m with ya on the effects obtained from such an item.

[mobius187]

I like that you´d need to find more than one object to finish the inspiration for a new prototype, then you´d find stuff with no use and know there´s a new prototype to discover. And I´m with ya on the effects obtained from such an item.

Another game that had a similar premise was Fallout 3. You found tons of junk in that game, but once you could invent a new weapon you suddenly found a need for some of that junk (i.e. lawnmower blade + oven ignitor = flame blade). Of course it's for this reason why I didn't want Don't Stave to just have schematics lying around... it would remind me too much of Fallout 3. Rather I wanted the characters to realize new inventions by grasping strange and alien ideas, beyond those of normal mortal minds, and then almost reverse-engineering these ideas into something they can use.

[ZaCormyr]

Rather I wanted the characters to realize new inventions by grasping strange and alien ideas, beyond those of normal mortal minds, and then almost reverse-engineering these ideas into something they can use.

I´d love for that to be added to the game. It´s a good way of adding community content. People could come up with an idea, say some new tool, provide the end result but also all the components, and even where some parts might be hidden.

I knew that paper plans weren´t the best idea, just the word prototype makes me think of blueprints etc.. lol also, i thought it might be a use for papyrus (making paper)