Should the combat with the giants be more challenging?

[Shin]

I know that the giants are already made a bit harder, but it seems like they only have more hp or do more damage. The strategy didn't change. Kiting works with deerclops, bearger, and Moose/Goose very well. You just need a spear, hit them 2 times, run when they attack and repeat it. They are just passive threats. Deerclops destroying the base, Bearger is eating your food, Dragonfly set your world on fire and Goose/Moose is not really doing anything. There is no need to prepare for them, even hounds seem like a bigger threat. Only the dragonfly is a really scary giant and fighting him is really exciting and fun. I just wish the other giants would be also a bit more interesting to fight. They are like giant versions of regular mobs. Maybe they should get a more random attack pattern or more range or something? But that is just my opinion.

So I just want to ask you what do you think? Should the combat with the giants stay like that or should it get more challenging?

[9wpuv]

Maybe they should get a more random attack pattern

rng at this level never works well, sometimes it goes downright horrible. I think an "alternating more complicated but fixed attack pattern" would do the job.

[Silentdarkness1]

I think them having attacks that knock the weapon out of your hand is a bit silly. It's artificial difficulty because you're sent scrambling for your weapon every 2 hits or so.

[Pyromailmann]

No, I recently lost A LOT of a deciduous forest while fighting the bearger. It nearly killled me and I lost a good portion of my walls, a Glommer Statue, a pig house, a catcoon den and a whole bunch of birchnut trees.

[9wpuv]

It's artificial difficulty because you're sent scrambling for your weapon every 2 hits or so.

Well, just more hp + attack damage than a normal mob could also be considered artificial and lazy. It's a fine line. I think bosses, what I, as a gamer understand by the definition of a "boss fight", should have more impact on the world itself. For example a boss that makes it so it's eternal night until it gets killed, it could even be passive, so that you'll go for it not to stay alive or to get a drop but because you want daylight. Yes, it's terribly gamey but it's a first hand example of how a boss should change the entire world, one way or another.

[Silentdarkness1]

The giants simply lack a real unique feature, except for the Dragonfly, which lights everything on fire.

[Shin]

rng at this level never works well, sometimes it goes downright horrible. I think an "alternating more complicated but fixed attack pattern" would do the job.

Yeah, that sounds a lot better.

 

 

I think them having attacks that knock the weapon out of your hand is a bit silly. It's artificial difficulty because you're sent scrambling for your weapon every 2 hits or so.

That's true and it's not really difficult to run by and pick it up with space and go into the fight again.

[GalloViking]

Actually I don't fear giants as ennemies but as base destroyers. That's all.

[Shin]

No, I recently lost A LOT of a deciduous forest while fighting the bearger. It nearly killled me and I lost a good portion of my walls, a Glommer Statue, a pig house, a catcoon den and a whole bunch of birchnut trees.

But you can't lose the glommer statue. It just get damaged and you get the blueprint for the old bell. So Glommer will still spawn.

If you fighting bearger bring him to a not important biome. He follows you around peacefully.

[Tumalu]

The Goose/Moose's kids are pretty interesting, but you generally don't see them when you fight it. It's the most tame giant overall though in any case; it doesn't destroy things (as far as I could tell?), and doesn't have any sanity drain, and isn't all that fearsome in combat, although having to fetch your weapon does make it a lil' less straightforward.

 

edit:Nevermind, it does wreck stuff, it just can't do it nearly as well as the other giants.

[9wpuv]

No, I recently lost A LOT of a deciduous forest while fighting the bearger. It nearly killled me and I lost a good portion of my walls, a Glommer Statue, a pig house, a catcoon den and a whole bunch of birchnut trees.

that sounds like an absolut disaster... not...

[Shin]

Actually I don't fear giants as ennemies but as base destroyers. That's all.

Yes, same. Only Goose/Moose does nothing to your base. But I think they should be feared enemies as well and give the player some reason to build better weapons, armor, traps etc. not just a spear.

[Pyromailmann]

But you can't lose the glommer statue. It just get damaged and you get the blueprint for the old bell. So Glommer will still spawn.

If you fighting bearger bring him to a not important biome. He follows you around peacefully.

Here's what I remember:

-It was night

-When he spawned he took out my walls and attempted to run away with a lantern.

-The bearger knocked the lantern out of my hand and I lost 100 health (leaving me with 20)

-Killed it with 30 blowdarts while it tore down most of the forest.

Also you should know I couldn't even hear the bearger was coming towards me so there's that. I literally thought it was a hound attack. And I have fought the bearger before.

[GalloViking]

Yes, same. Only Goose/Moose does nothing to your base. But I think they should be feared enemies as well and give the player some reason to build better weapons, armor, traps etc. not just a spear.

Well with a cane I can take every giant down... Even if it's long.

[9wpuv]

not to mention bearger is a boon. easy to kite and hibearnation vest is too op. well maybe not for turtlers but for teleportato looping, my god.

[Shin]

Here's what I remember:

-It was night

-When he spawned he took out my walls and attempted to run away with a lantern.

-The bearger knocked the lantern out of my hand and I lost 100 health (leaving me with 20)

-Killed it with 30 blowdarts while it tore down most of the forest.

Also you should know I couldn't even hear the bearger was coming towards me so there's that. I literally thought it was a hound attack. And I have fought the bearger before.

So you accidently run into him when it was dark? Normally he do nothing except following you and eating everything. Maybe this was bad luck. But even if you didn't hear him the screenshake tells that the bearger is near. (except you turned it off)

[Silentdarkness1]

That's true and it's not really difficult to run by and pick it up with space and go into the fight again.

Yes, but it's a constant interruption of the flow of combat. It's not cool, it's not challenging. It's ANNOYING.

[brummbar7]

Not everyone is a pro at this game, giants are fine.  If you want them to scale up as the game goes on that's something else but there's no reason for them to be more powerful than they are when newbs can encounter them from season 1.

[Shin]

People who vote for they should stay like that, please explain why you think so? I want to understand.

I mean look at these gifs. If you know how to kite, they are all the same. And kiting is not that hard.


 

[Shin]

Not everyone is a pro at this game, giants are fine.  If you want them to scale up as the game goes on that's something else but there's no reason for them to be more powerful than they are when newbs can encounter them from season 1.

You don't even have to be a pro to do this. It is a simple move. Noobs will die more by hounds, kiting pigs or other creatures. And after a bit fighting they will also know the trick. And than giants will be boring to fight.

[brummbar7]

You don't even have to be a pro to do this. It is a simple move. Noobs will die more by hounds, kiting pigs or other creatures. And after a bit fighting they will also know the trick. And than giants will be boring to fight.

You've been around enough Shin, I know you've seen the awesome stories newbs bring of their first encounters with giants.  I love reading about those.  If the giants get a bunch harder then all I'll no longer have newb adventure stories to read, but newb "I'm leaving" rants.  Boo.

 

The answer is not straight-up making the giants harder.  It's either making them scale in difficulty as the game goes on, or adding another threat for the later game.  And I'd much prefer the latter.  There has to be a progression.

[GalloViking]

I think that giants should become stronger the longer the game lasts. Or maybe spawn two giants at the same time after day 100, or something like that...In Don't Starve, a monster alone is a piece of cake to kill. Once they are two or more, it's another story. Just look at vargs. They are stronger than giants imo.

[Pyromailmann]

So you accidently run into him when it was dark? Normally he do nothing except following you and eating everything. Maybe this was bad luck. But even if you didn't hear him the screenshake tells that the bearger is near. (except you turned it off)

I didn't turn of screen shake.

[Shin]

You've been around enough Shin, I know you've seen the awesome stories newbs bring of their first encounters with giants.  I love reading about those.  If the giants get a bunch harder then all I'll no longer have newb adventure stories to read, but newb "I'm leaving" rants.  Boo.

 

The answer is not straight-up making the giants harder.  It's either making them scale in difficulty as the game goes on, or adding another threat for the later game.  And I'd much prefer the latter.  There has to be a progression.

Ok, I can understand that you want to read the first encounters because they are interesting and don't want to make it to hard for new players. And your solution sounds fair for both sides. I also would be happy if they would get more difficult in the late game. But not hp or dmg wise. That would just take longer but not make it more challenging. Kiting should be less effective. Not all giants are my problem. The dragonfly is fine. But the rest of them are a bit disappointing.

But yes, I have to agree that there need to happen something in lategame.

[9wpuv]

Well is the consensus that new players can't kite them? If so then more complex attack patterns would indeed be a good idea. That would a) not make a difference for new players, since they don't kite anyway and b) make it more interesting for players who have been playing the game for longer.

 

edit: this and the warg leading hound attacks in late game poll. is this a straight up boss issue or a more general late game kinda "meh"?