Don't Starve Together -- Multiplayer Alpha Officially Coming Summer 2014

[the truthseeker]

In order to play Together, will we have to have two separate computers? Or will 2 people be able to play off of one screen/piece of hardware?

. As noted in the Pinned Progress report:

 

 

What we know. 

So, now that we got that out of the way, here is what we know. Again, much of this is pretty light on the detail, but this is really to give you more of a sense of how we are approaching answering all the same questions that you have.

We know you guys have a lot of ideas and opinions on what you would like to see in Don't Starve Together. Thanks for all the awesome feedback and suggestions, they really have gone a long way to let us know your concerns and it really gives us some great things to think about as we move toward giving you guys something to check out for yourselves.

We know you guys need choices. This means that many things in Don't Starve Together will be optional. We will provide you many choices for how DST will be played. This means, similar to the world generation options in single player Don't Starve, DST will include several toggles and options for you to choose how your game will be played. Persistence/Session, PvP/Co-op/, World Size, possible alternate game modes and Chat will all be optional in your game.

 

How you'll play.

So how will your games be played? Well we aren't all the way there yet, but we are working toward a few things here. This is pretty straightforward stuff.

First, dedicated servers. We will provide a standalone server that will allow you to set up your own dedicated servers on whatever host you want whether it be from home or from a 3rd party host.

In addition, you will also be able to play local games that you will not need to run a dedicated server to play. So, all you couples and families can not starve together

 

both local and Server play will be done. The idea for both is multiple computers (whether local or not.) Even the old mods done by players for Multiplayer play in the old game (this SP one) used the  split screen option, although again, different pieces of hardware. 

 

So even locally, it's exceptionally unlikely this will use one machine, but (especially due to the PS4 Console and future Vitas) it's too early for us to say what future development options would be done as we give feedback like this. 

Edited August 18, 2014 by the truthseeker

[jj5437]

Honestly I find this hard to believe, but I am in full support of it and cannot wait for this to come out. For all you people who don't like multiplayer in don't starve I have only one question. Why don't you want multiplayer no body is forcing you to play it and it will not in any way affect single player game play. But whichever side of the argument your on, you should defiantly continue to play don't starve.

[Palpetinus]

Honestly I find this hard to believe, but I am in full support of it and cannot wait for this to come out. For all you people who don't like multiplayer in don't starve I have only one question. Why don't you want multiplayer no body is forcing you to play it and it will not in any way affect single player game play. But whichever side of the argument your on, you should defiantly continue to play don't starve.

 

It will affect SP, since they have less resources to focus on it and have to focus on MP aswell, meaning patches and much more importantly bugfixes will not be released as fast and polished.

[the truthseeker]

It will affect SP, since they have less resources to focus on it and have to focus on MP aswell, meaning patches and much more importantly bugfixes will not be released as fast and polished.

First off:

 

One item=less

Two or more items=fewer. 

So it's fewer resources. 

 

Two,  the Don't Starve Together team is(exceptionally likely) a separate project team (if their was one ever needed, see below.) Resources are not sacrificed and people could go where needed. Even with a small company, this is true. 

 

But let's deal with the elephant Koalaphant in the room. 

 

 

Three, Don't Starve is finished with its normal run. It's not going to be regularly updated, have frequent additions or even need hotfixes and patches like an active project. One or two people could easily do this, with others pitching in if something comes up big enough to warrant a hotfix. edit--if another Add-on is done, they will most likely build a team the way they did on RoG, and i don't remember reading people worried about missing resources for the vanilla game then either. 

 

 

But realistically, this likely has not been needed since the hotfixes for the post-RoG release and feedback. (For instance, i doubt a whole bunch of people dropped everything and worked on the Crock Pot instantly making rot sometimes, yet it was fixed eventually.)  

 

Since the game was going to be released (now that makes it about over a year ago) the team number was seriously reduced from its development phase. Now a few people are there on this project who occasionally monitor things, but (realistically) everybody else is working on other things primarily (and those few people were likely also helping on other things until DST.) So the team that needs more people is DST itself, and not the core DS, ironically. 

 

Of course I will fully admit to being wrong in some/all of these things if Klei posts otherwise. 

Edited August 20, 2014 by the truthseeker

[Palpetinus]

First off:

 

One item=less

Two or more items=fewer. 

So it's fewer resources. 

 

Two,  the Don't Starve Together team is(exceptionally likely) a separate project team (if their was one ever needed, see below.) Resources are not sacrificed and people could go where needed. Even with a small company, this is true. 

 

But let's deal with the elephant Koalaphant in the room. 

 

 

Three, Don't Starve is finished with its normal run. It's not going to be regularly updated, have frequent additions or even need hotfixes and patches like an active project. One or two people could easily do this, with others pitching in if something comes up big enough to warrant a hotfix. edit--if another Add-on is done, they will most likely build a team the way they did on RoG, and i don't remember reading people worried about missing resources for the vanilla game then either. 

 

 

But realistically, this likely has not been needed since the hotfixes for the post-RoG release and feedback. (For instance, i doubt a whole bunch of people dropped everything and worked on the Crock Pot instantly making rot sometimes, yet it was fixed eventually.)  

 

Since the game was going to be released (now that makes it about over a year ago) the team number was seriously reduced from its development phase. Now a few people are there on this project who occasionally monitor things, but (realistically) everybody else is working on other things primarily (and those few people were likely also helping on other things until DST.) So the team that needs more people is DST itself, and not the core DS, ironically. 

 

Of course I will fully admit to being wrong in some/all of these things if Klei posts otherwise. 

 

About the first, this thread doesn't exist to discuss grammar really, so I'll put it in a spoiler.

I was thinking that "less" is used when something either has no plural or cannot be counted.

As we're talking about developing games, resources can be a lot: time, money, available people, etc. So you can't just say they have 10 fewer resources, because what specifically would that be. Therefore I would have said less resources here.

 

 

As for second and third:

I've given it a lot of thought and I concluded that I cannot really say things like "they should focus on fixing more bugs" or "the main game could have more content", since I cannot see behind the curtains. I only hope that Klei executes everything properly and doesn't leave one of them, either the main game or DST, partially unfinished to focus more on the other.

[BradyHarvie]

...

Edited August 28, 2014 by BradyHarvie

[AquaAtia]

its the end of summer i think thay are going to release it at the end of the year

Please read a bit before you post. The end of Summer is actually September 22 at 11:59 PM. Joe himself said look for a Closed beta release around September 23, we can probably expect an open beta around Mid October.

[the truthseeker]

But if new posters read what we posted, my blood pressure would be low...oh, you meant for positive reasons

[Crykov]

I personally think they were never going to add anything else to Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together will probably be a last addition, so I approve. I can't wait to have fun with my friends in our own private little world.

[the truthseeker]

Never as in before the Reign of Giants add on or never as in after the add on? 

[Sweetdeal]

Is it true, that we get "Don't Starve Together" after PAX? Can't wait to play with my friends!

[the truthseeker]

Their Pinned threads have more info, but basically, they will be working on it more after PAX and should have some working closed Beta before calendar northern hemisphere Summer ends (or before September 23rd.) That's all we know so far. 

[Rarumaru]

When it's comming? I need to know 

[Mobbstar]

When it's comming? I need to know 

 

...

Look up. Right above you.

It says all there is to be said.

That's all we know.

[Pyromailmann]

When it's comming? I need to know 

It'll be after PAX Prime, read what SethR said.

[LadyD]

Keep Calm. 
Stay Polite

It is coming. It will happen. 

The gods at Klei are only human..
....wait that doesnt work....
Never mind


Be Patient please ^_^ 

[the truthseeker]

Keep Calm. 

Stay Polite

It is coming. It will happen. 

The gods at Klei are only human..

....wait that doesnt work....

Never mind

Be Patient please ^_^ 

 

Well, the Greek/Roman ones were all too "Human." And those Norse ones died too they were so "human."

 

(I feel there's some point I'm missing here...oh, right,)

 

Running around asking what's next and when, when a guide was already given to us is like rushing into the parklands in Yellowstone asking when Old Faithful should erupt. We're given a guide we can follow, and asking for it sooner likely won't help, and even that sometimes changes from events beyond typical expectations. You have to read what was given to you, and wait for the next thing listed to happen, understanding it may not happen exactly as planned and use their local dates and times (and not where you originally came from.)

 

 

When Klei is done with their PAX work showing off Invisible Inc (and maybe, what they have come up so far with DST a little bit,) they will continue to work on DST after they get back this following week.

 

But plans are just that, planned. Things change and often not speeding those plans up.

 

It will happen when it is ready, and nitpicking on dates doesn't expedite it, as much as we want it to. 

 

I hope that explanation makes sense and is overall right (as it is for most development projects.)

[melomana91]

will we be able to play reign of giants in multiplayer, too?

[the truthseeker]

will we be able to play reign of giants in multiplayer, too?

 

 

Eventually. But (and this one is not easy to find in the post replies) they are starting with the vanilla game first. 

[Menasay]

Is this still a thing?

[the truthseeker]

Yes. Go to PAX and try DST out right now!

 

 

(Or wait if you can't make the con)

 

Edited August 29, 2014 by the truthseeker

[Midnight140]

Will the locks on the chests or icebox?))) This is because the game with friends)))

[metalpuritan]

The last official weekend of summer is now upon us, you all are kinda cutting it close on this one.

[J20hawkz]

The last official weekend of summer is now upon us, you all are kinda cutting it close on this one.

Just curious to know. Where do you live?

[Yay]

Coolio.