Is Monster Combat Rewarding?

[Atalvez]

As I've been playing the game there's one major thing I've noticed: Monster combat can be ridiculous. It feels like the player has very little incentive to really interact with monsters in any way other than to run. I can build a self-sufficient survival system able to keep me alive for a long time, until at some point I get one-shot gimped by a mob. It seems like in the current stage monsters are either too strong or too difficult to interact with. The goal of survival is overcoming challenges, your hunger bar doesn't suddenly drop to zero and shout "tough luck," so why should monsters one-shot you without any interesting interaction?

I'm curious to see how you all feel about this.

[thegokkun]

You kill them for meat... and stuff to make your gathering equipment with.

If you're not going to challenge yourself by killing some mobs, then obviously you aren't going to feel like there is any challenge in the game at all.

[ARN64]

I don't really feel that you constantly have to run from monsters. As long as you have good equipment you can deal with most of the monsters without running. For example if you have a log suit you should be able to take on a large group of spiders pretty easy.

But I see that you don't like that most mobs can one/shot you. The only mobs that can be really dangerous are tallbirds, tree guards, beefalos, hounds, swamp monster and sometimes pigs. To be honest I think the only one you'll need to run of is tallbirds, since you can't afford to kill them because they drop those valuable eggs.

[Critter79]

When I first started playing I avoided pretty much everything except spiders. Now though I even take on tentacles without even losing my armor, much less my life. And you are right, you could go without encountering any monsters... on purpose anyway, and escape the ones you do encounter without ever having to kill them (aside from the hounds [unless, as I have heard but not done, you lure them near beefalo]) but I'm sure this will all change once story mode comes into play. Then you may be required to have specific materials to progress through the storyline.

[Xuhybrid]

Make a Log Suit and you won't die instantly.

[plinky4]

Tentacles, treeguards, tallbirds, hounds, spiders and pigs all have very slow startup on their swing animations, and also get stunned when you hit them - you can repeatedly hit and then walk out of their range without them hitting you. These things can all be killed without taking any damage. In fact, the only mob that can't be melee'd flawlessly is Krampus, because his kick is very fast.

If you're having difficulty with incoming damage, have you tried logsuit or football helmet? Just having one of them already significantly increases your defense; wearing both of them makes you nigh-invincible.

Edited December 14, 2012 by plinky4

[Jay667b]

There is no mob in the game capable of doing 100 damage in one swing, so even if you have no armour on you did not get one-shot.

If you want to actually engage in combat effectively I have two words; Kite & fight - I can clear waves and waves of spiders without taking a hit with that simple tactic and the same goes for every other mob.

Also a good tip for hounds would be to drop one meat when you hear the audio cue; they'll rush straight for it so you can drop the first one while he's trying to eat and the same for his pals too.

[Reshy]

Why should monster combat be rewarding? This is a survival game not an unpaid pest removal service. You don't want to fight and you shouldn't because you'll get wounded or killed. If you were stuck in the wilderness you wouldn't go looking for trouble to why should you be given incentive to do so in a game meant to emulate being stuck in the wilderness.

[sirmentlegen]

monster meat is good for the crock pot.

[yiffy]

I made all the spiders move to the swamp after I killed all the tentacles

[Raveneye]

Fighting monsters gives plenty of rewards, such as monster meat (crockpot it if you don't want to be poisoned), silk (makes various survival tools needed for gaining other higher-tier resources), spikes (great weapon and a decent research material), and much more. All you need to do is research three items (rope, spear, and log suit), make them, and you should be nearly invincible (so long as you don't stand there and trade blows with the critters, do hit-and-runs).

On the subject of one-shots, nothing in this game one-shots you, though a few can screw you up really bad really fast if you don't escape it (ex. the night stalker). If you find yourself dying in one hit, you were probably never healed from the last monster that attacked you. If you are low on health and see a monster coming at you, as the Monty Python Knights said, "RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!".

[Reshy]

Doesn't the largest Tree Guardian kill you in one hit if you don't have armor?

[sirmentlegen]

Doesn't the largest Tree Guardian kill you in one hit if you don't have armor?

he hits for 150 you can only live if you are wolfgang.

[Zind]

To be honest I think the only one you'll need to run of is tallbirds, since you can't afford to kill them because they drop those valuable eggs.

Actually, they do respawn daily. I've been killing them and snatching their eggs everyday for at least 20 days. The only creatures I avoid killing are the beefalos, since they take a very long time to respawn (and I kind of need them alive for their poop).

[JebusTheFrog]

I do find the combat system a little unsmooth, it's just not clean enough yet, you should be able to stand and fight some spiders but it is very easy to get chain stunned so you have to be careful for that, the easiest thing for me is to send an army of small birds in and they fix all my problems for me xD

[amigo240480]

hi when i eat monster meat it damages my health can you do stuff later on in the game to fix that ?

I have the purchased version from steam

[Vigil]

^ Stupid request.

Don't ever post again. Ever.

[Zind]

It wasn't a request to the devs if you read his post correctly. Maybe you should use your head a little more before getting so aggressive.

He's only asking if there's a way to eat monster meat without taking health damage. And yes, there is : http://dont-starve-game.wikia.com/wiki/Crock_Pot

There are usually better ways to satiate your hunger though, like standard meat or veggies.

[Solnaga]

I love killing monsters Once you've mastered timing, you will rarely be hit (technically never be hit if you truly mastered it). I've killed a swarm of 8 spiders last night while only being hit 3 times. And it only took me an extra 3 seconds than if I were to tank them all. Also monster meat is useful for cooking

[winddbourne]

I love killing monsters too, it's less boring than sitting at camp all day contemplating my belly button, and it's not super dangerous. Of course it is a risk, unlike gathering veggies so you always have a small chance to die if you make a mistake I've died at day 54 a couple times now. lol

[Inkognito]

Killing monsters is really easy. I learned the movement fast. At first i used beefalos as the main defense then i addeted spiders. now I got a good amount of pigs arround my camp. Tipp: allways build near beefalos in the beginning they are really awesome. enough poop good defense and you can make an awesome hat x) (they are really good at fighting dogs)

and monsterdrops can be used for science!! e.g is farmed like 3 stacks spider silk and that gave me sooo many research points i dont even need to dig for artefacts anymore monster flesh can be used for science too => therefore monstercombat is rewarding

the strongest enemy is the big tree but when he tries to hit you you can make 2 steps back and hit him 2 times befor he tries to hit you again. This walking birds are easy with logsuit and spear you can just stand there and kill them.

all other mops: hit => runn back => hit => run back. If you are fast enough then the mob is stunnend and wont try to hit you then he will be faster then the other monsters of the group so you can hit him again without casualties

i think the game needs harder enemies x.x

the 3. time i was playing i did suizide (having 2 voodo puppets) because i wanted more characters to unlock

i think it was day 43 i got 5000 exp that is the cap

sry for my bad english x)

Edited December 16, 2012 by Inkognito