Wireless networking for item storage and machine crafting, an exposition=.

[Cantide1]

Hi! This is my first post on these forums, it's cool to be here.  Been playing Don't Starve for a while and I have to say that the use of the controller is the best I've even seen in any game so far. The way the player navigates the menus and moves and interacts with objects is just brilliantly done and so intuitive. It feels good, too, which is something that is ethereal and so difficult to do correctly. That being said, let me get to the topic at hand.

 

So I've been playing for a while, like i said, and the one thing that I've noticed is that I spend a lot of time moving items around and picking up/putting down inventory. Moving things from the hotbar takes SO much time. This problem is exacerbated when I have several chests literally littering the ground. This frustration led me to an interesting but not unique solution: a shared storage system.

 

Now I know tackling this adds a new tech and cost balance issues, but let me explain first. In minecraft modded there is a system known as the ME system. If you are unfamiliar with this system it is basically a computer system that has harddrives in it and it stores all your items. There is a computer terminal which you use to remove/place items. Crafting machines can be attached to this system using wires.  I'm not positing anything as complicated as all that, but I think it would be cool if there was a way to link your machines and chests together.  Maybe wifi.  Yeah, wifi.

 

So now all you have to do is make an addon that is crafted that can be attached to a chest which would then broadcast its items to the network.  The network is controlled by a tower that has a range limit, so you can't just place a chest infinitely away.  The tower has no interface, it is just a building. Now, when you make a chest and then put on the wifi adapter (give it a quirky name I know you're good for that lol) when you open the chest you now get a new UI. Maybe the old chest ui now has a slider bar, that's simple. Or you could go all out and do something cool with it.

 

So now that the chests are out of the way, I want to say that we could attach it to the machines as well. The same wireless adapter could be used and seamlessly attached. There are many opportunities for fun here. Maybe when you put it on a machine it becomes a hat. Or a nose. Or maybe every time you put it on there is a random chance for 1 of 5 configurations and now you have an incentive to make a wifi network, increasing playability. Woops, too much meta.

 

That's the bare bones of the idea, for now. As the game evolves, as it invariably has in the past, I expect that this system could be expanded to include any number of enhancements. Conversely the system would also function perfectly well as a standard and unchanging feature that would just enhance gameplay.

 

I believe the merits of a system like this are self-evident by now, so I won't waste your time expounding on them.

 

I welcome everyone's input.

 

Signed,

 -Cantide1

 

Some thoughts:

What would the model of the tower be, considering the crafting materials available? 

-Do we have to make a new refinement for this?

--Cost balancing, obviously.

What would the model of the wifi adapter be, considering the crafting materials available?

-Do we have to make a new new refinement for this?

--Cost balancing, obviously.

The design of the chest UI

-How much does it have to change?

-How much should it change, in relation to what's being added to it? (re: canon and integration)

The tower and the wifi adapters, should they have animations?

-Wifi is invisible but do the ends of both have an animation, like the science machine?

-Does it have to?

--How much visual impact should this feature have?

 

 

[ShadowClaw]

 I know all about the minecraft ME system with the crafting terminals, certus quartz and stuuf. Your suggestion does not fit in don't starve. while there is lightning rods and things like that, DS is have logic in it. You won't expect a guy in the wilderness with towers and wifi. If you make it magic in someway then yes. BUt computors and stuff like that. No

[Petzi]

Wait, so what does the wifi have anything to do with item management?

[RalphKastro]

isn't there a subforum specifically for requests and discussion about mods?

[Mobbstar]

Eh, I guess you can use my mod "IR" as a base for that. It features electricity and related basic thingsonastick.

[RalphKastro]

related basic thingsonastick.

sounds awesome!