My Feedback and Suggestions

[fredsarw]

I've been having great fun with Don't Starve over the last few days. It's a great survival-game, even though it's only in beta so far. I am genuinly happy that I bought it.The playthrough I'm currently playing on has lasted 44 days so far, with me having no problems of surviving an unlimited time. I have several magical farms with meat growin' out of 'em, a meat effigy at my main area along with the materials to make a second one, a tent for regenerating health, a pig village and fire-pits every few metres, allowing me to walk around my base at all times. All of this is incased behind a wall of trees protecting me from anything out there, though I did make sure to kill off any nearby spider nests. Oh, and I also have a tophat. Hell yeah.The game's been great fun, and at first it definitely was trial and error. I died a few times, though because of my stupidity, and curiosity. This is a way of making you learn that I really like. It's a survival game, I want it to be hard to learn. And stuff like flint, grass, saplings etc. all show quite clearly that they can be interacted with, making you know at least where to begin experimenting.I was kinda confused about the whole scinece machine thing, because I didn't think it fit into the game, but then I read a bit about Wilson, and the thing began making sense. It definitely is an interesting way to make you unlock things that needs to be later-game content.Now, as for things I don't like, there are a few things. I know this is a beta, but if possible, I'd like confirmation that certain things will be either subject of change or be made better later. So, let's start off.1. Trapping. It's an interesting part of the game, and should be expanded upon. As of now, only rabbits are a thing you can catch with traps, and it's less expensive and easier to just go to the other side of the hole from where the bunny is and block it's path. The game should make you want to trap it, by making it very hard to catch it without the trap. It could be done by making the bunny avoid you, even if you're in front the the bunny hole. It would then run around you, trying to get in, but you wouldn't be able to catch it, since it would change route when you began moving towards it.2. Armor. The armor, I feel, is important to have, though it shouldn't be as effective as it currently is. I don't wanna be able to survive anything by putting on armor. The damage shouldn't be negated, just minimized. But if it was to be nerfed like that, the armor would have to hold a bit longer. Of course, there could be added tiers of armor, but that depends on the ressources the developers wants Wilson to be able to collect.3. More monster variety. Of course, this is going to be done for sure. However, the monsters should fit into the style of the unknown land, and be something realistic. Perhaps snakes in areas with a lot of grass? Bears in the darker forest-areas? Crocodiles near the water? The possibilities are endless with this.4. Difficulty. The game needs to be more difficult at later parts. It would certainly be interesting to have the same amount of monsters and other dangers from the beginning of the game to the end of the game. However, it could make it a bit too challenging at the start. If the danger of the game were to increase with the number of days you survived, it wouldn't become too easy quickly.5. Character variety. I know that there are more than Wilson. However, this isn't the point I wanna make. The point I wanna make is that Wilson is the only beard-growing character. I feel, unless a character has a huge advantage over another, all characters should be able to make the meat effigy, or at least a kind of meat effigy.Now, I also have some suggestions. Mostly things to make the game harder to survive in, which, of course, is what the game is about.1. Natural disasters. When I'm in my base, I'm completely safe, because I have a wall of trees around me. But what if there were occasional lightning storms that could set fire to my trees? That could quickly remove the safety of my shelter. Or just rain in general, which would make flame die down three times as fast, and perhaps destroy any crops that were left without shelter. An overhang made from sticks and beefalo wool would suffice to keep the rain out, though.2. More traps. In my opinion, it's quite cool to make traps, so I'd like to see that expanded as much as possible. A good thing would be to make it better than farms, because it takes more effort than farms generally take to maintain. Traps could include you getting something otherwise impossible to obtain. Like making a hole in the forest and putting down a net there. When the night was over, you might've caught bugs, with scientific properties.3. More things you need to survive. Like hydration. You would need to drink water every now and then. To make this a feature, you'd have to be able to easily get the water, be able to make large containers for the water, so you wouldn't have to gather as often, or make rain fill up any containers left outside. The reason the water would need to be an easier thing to get is because you need time in the day to progress. If you have to collect food and water daily, you've got a lot less time to gather other things.4. Crafting ideas:An overhang made of sticks and beefalo wool to save crops from bad weather.Some kind of rain-summoner to get rain, as a last resort item if you're dehydrating and have the materials to make it.A hoe, which would be neccesary to grow things on your farm. At the same time, it'd make farming more tedious, which would only be a good thing.A net, which you can use to catch fish with, either in the swamp ponds or in the ocean.Containers to hold water.A spiggot, which could extract sap from trees. The sap could act as a kind of glue for construction.That's all the ideas and feedback I have, hope you keep up the great work with Don't Starve, and I am eager to see where this title goes.

[Toaster Fu]

Welcome! In regards to number 5, they plan to give each character a unique item that only they can make but, you'll be able to change characters in game by using the tent.

[sloth]

Great feedback, I'm a fan of the problem and solution method you posted with. We've stumbled onto some of those problems ourselves, but good to know others are having similar thoughts. Again, thanks for the time you put in, it really helps us make the game better.