Keeping suggestions feasible

[Excess]

Hi everyone. I'm Excess, a commoner from the internets who would like to make a suggestion, but not about the game... but a suggestion about the suggestions.

Don't Starve ain't our game. It's Klei's. They obviously have an idea about how they want it to be, and they'll pursue that idea.

We, as early-accessors, have the privilege to influence over little things which we think are unbalanced, and perhaps, if we are lucky, to add something that Klei hadn't thought about. The thing is, making games ain't easy, so we should keep suggestions feasible.

There are lots of things I would love to see on a survivable game, but don't think would fit on Don't Starve particularly.

Because of that, every suggestion I made involved things that would be relatively easy to do, by either tweaking some simple things or re-using various things that are already on the game.

I see two main reasons why a suggestion wouldn't make it to the game:

[*]It doesn't fit the general idea/theme that Klei has in mind.

This encompass both the theme of the graphics (timburtonesque?) and the theme of the gameplay (explore/survive). Adding RPG or RTS things to this game is probably a no-go (unless you happen to hit a groundbreaking combo of two different styles that result on a completely new game mechanic).

[*]It's to complicated to implement currently.

As of right now, the game consists of a single 3D plane where the player moves, populated by 2D sprite entities spread around which you can interact with. Suggesting tunnels, or building 3D structures like houses would be quite complicated to implement.

I just wanted to point out this for everyone to keep in mind when suggesting things.

The more realistic we keep our suggestions the better chance we have to see them implemented.

[Mr.Pandastic]

Well I understand your point of view in regards to suggestions but don't forget that some of the ideas on this forum is simply brain storming. Many of the users here are simply excited for this game and putting their ideas out there. I don't really think anyone here is trying to mess with Klei's development process, we are simply showing our enthusiasm. I also don't think that implementing a house system would be too difficult although you are free to disagree.

[Mr.Pandastic]

Although I will say that I don't really want a housing system as I feel that it wouldn't really add anything to a game such as Don't Starve where the objective is to survive.

[Toaster Fu]

Implementing A house system no, but implementing a good, fun, balanced house system I think would be quite hard. Maybe not a "house" but at least somthing more then a tent.

[Mr.Pandastic]

Yeah, but I actually am interested in a "dungeon" system of sorts. Perhaps a more appropriate term would be a mine where you could look for rare materials and perhaps even build up the story behind the game.

[ParallelBlade]

A grotto, maybe?

Like so:

[Mr.Pandastic]

I don't care how much flint and gold is down there. I'm not going down that thing.

[ParallelBlade]

In Towns, there is a ground-level map, and an underground map that you can access via putting a ladder down a hole you dug. To cut it short, you can access dungeons in Towns by digging holes and putting ladders in them.

[Excess]

I never meant to discourage brainstorming, just to direct it to something a little bit more productive suggestion-wise.

I just think that suggesting things that are more doable will help us all in the long run, keeping us interested by seeing those small changes happen.

In Towns, there is a ground-level map, and an underground map that you can access via putting a ladder down a hole you dug. To cut it short, you can access dungeons in Towns by digging holes and putting ladders in them.

That's from the players point of view. I encourage thinking as developers. Towns was build with levels in mind. I don't think Don't Starve was, and implementing it would mean unloading the "surface" map with all its entities (saving their states an position), and loading a whole new map. Basically, reloading the whole game.

It would be a mayor change to their current engine.

[Vulturas]

I usually look at other people's suggestions and go like "Guys... this is BETA... stuff will be added later, think of what they could improve game-play wise, not what stuff to add as monsters or things like that". But I stopped because some people just like to ***** about you being a critic for their ideas.

[Excess]

[...] some people just like to ***** about you being a critic for their ideas.

It's not about being critiqued, but HOW they are critiqued. You DO have a harsh way of saying things, and a specialty for making things personal. At least that's what I feel from READING you. It doesn't matter how you meant to SAY things, because in here, things are written and you have to be very careful about that. A lot of the people in here are from diverse countries around the world where English ain't their primarily language (for eg: myself) and they can misread your intentions or aggressiveness. I feel somewhat similar to you about the out-of-reach suggestions, but instead of attacking the ideas personally I decided that the grownup thing to do was to make this thread and let everyone be.

[Cellusious]

What would be fantastic, is if (this is probably already happening) the Dev's gets inspired by all the suggestions and ideas, then they sculpt them to fit in a form that works for the main plot and gameplay.

[Zalamier]

So the housing idea... I get your point on implementing it and how it would take a lot of work. But I think you may be thinking too hard on that one. If it was similar to the tent where it was a specific item, not one that you can walk inside, I think would be easier. I mentioned it before and said for the player to be able to customize it. I wasn't specific enough. What I meant was like to research a lean-to and then be able to build it onto the house. With the lean to acting as like a chest or something of the sort. Nothing big, just something you can add onto like that. As for surviving. Three things you need when you "survive". Food, water, and shelter. So the house would fit in with surviving. As a game designer, the players are an important part of deciding what to put into the game. It's not really what I would like to play as the designer, but what would make this game a hit with the majority of the people that play it. Basic concept design ideas come from input from players. You can make the most dynamic game in the world but if no one is interested then it defeats the purpose of making the game. Let the people say their ideas, you don't have to put them in the game, but there may be that one suggestion that takes the game to a whole new level. If you tell them to quit expressing themselves and giving their thoughts on what they think would improve the game, you may be silencing that stroke of genius one person may have that could make this from a good game to a great game. It is in beta, and beta is the time for testing and implementing ideas from the developer or the fans. Vulturas, I don't think people are complaining about you being a critic, but for the way you put things. A critic criticizes and lets people know how to improve. "this is beta", is not a way to improve. Take their ideas and improve on them, let them know why it can't work, or find a way to help the developer be able to implement it if he so chooses. It is beta, so lets pretend that we are "testing" the game.