Research and Technology

[Laura]

First of all I want to say Hello to everyone here in the community forums! and I want to congratulate the developers behind "Don't Starve" for making such a fun and successful game!

Am I the only one who doesn't like the idea of destroying "anything" to get "research points" in order to research for new technologies?

This is one of the few game mechanics that I think is not fund and doesn't make any sense (theme / immersion wise). Some game mechanics that don't make sense are implemented for the sake of game play. But this particular game mechanic actually serves no purpose! It's not fun, it's not hard, it's just tedious.

Collect junk, throw at the machine...rinse repeat.. get Research Points... Spend. I was disappointed.

Suggestion

what I would suggest is to scratch all this research points mechanic and just make it so we learn items through different methods, like:

1. If you automatically learn to make a specific item if you used a lower-tech same item x amount of time (for instance, you create/used the axe 10 times now you can make Gold Axes).

2. By doing a specific action / event. For instance when you catch your first rabbit now you can make other kind of traps.

3. Object Requirement. Example: You need a bench to create complicated tools. You need an alchemy table to make potions...etc

4. Scrolls scattered in the world. Example: You can find the secret of a food recipe or blue prints of advanced technologies hidden in the world (guarded by hostile creatures?)

This way we'll remove the tedious "throw junk in the machine" and promote exploration, doing specific items/ specific tasks, More freedom and more fun.

What do you think?

[Dom-Sithe]

Let me begin by saying, Welcome aboard Laura! We all hope you enjoy your time with us on this most dapper of forums!

You will be most pleased to know that the Devs greatly agree with you. In fact, they started a post about it here!

The model they are going to introduce is a prototype model, where you use extra resources to build the very first example, but from then on you would require the normal amount we use today. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of this model. I would rather have the research structures work more like a RTS research structure. Where having the structure opens up some things available, and you can put things into it and research more structures or equipment.

IE, you normally can't make boards, but the instant you build the research machine, the commodities (advanced resources created from basic resources like rope, boards etc.). Then, you can put a board into the machine and it will show you what new ideas could be researched. You put the board in, it gives you, lets say, 20 seconds worth of time to devote to research. Each research has a set amount of time needed before building it. Each new research would require at minimum one of each resource, but once the minimum has been used, you could just throw any component into researching it.

[Laura]

Let me begin by saying, Welcome aboard Laura! We all hope you enjoy your time with us on this most dapper of forums!

You will be most pleased to know that the Devs greatly agree with you. In fact, they started a post about it here!

The model they are going to introduce is a prototype model, where you use extra resources to build the very first example, but from then on you would require the normal amount we use today. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of this model. I would rather have the research structures work more like a RTS research structure. Where having the structure opens up some things available, and you can put things into it and research more structures or equipment.

IE, you normally can't make boards, but the instant you build the research machine, the commodities (advanced resources created from basic resources like rope, boards etc.). Then, you can put a board into the machine and it will show you what new ideas could be researched. You put the board in, it gives you, lets say, 20 seconds worth of time to devote to research. Each research has a set amount of time needed before building it. Each new research would require at minimum one of each resource, but once the minimum has been used, you could just throw any component into researching it.

Thank you Dom-Sithe!

Oh I missed that post, great I'm glad the devs agree for this particular matter. They are heading in the right direction.