WX-78 the soulLESS automaton? And other things weird with DS.

[XirmiX]

By the title you wouldn't consider this in S&F section, but hei, read on!

One of the weirdest things in DS is the humanity of WX. Sure he's a robot and has some robotic perks such as gears upgrade and system overload from being a walking lightning rod. But all in all he or rather it is not robotic enough, especially ever since DST came out.

So I'll stop blahbouring and get straight to the point: WX-78 the soulless automaton becomes a ghost upon death... I mean upon system shut down? Srsly? Well, I got to hand it to you, that what I thought of isn't what every other person could think of... Sorry, rather RELATE to in this game for WX. I suggest ghost to be taken away from WX.

Instead make him appear as a blue-light-transparent HOLOGRAM (Anyone else thought of this before?). And instead of haunt mechanic give him and electicution mechanic. Also instead of the smooth and flowing ghost haunt animation, give him a pixelized break down, where his HOLOGRAM breaks down into pixels and electricutes the thing that the person selected to electricute.

Tbh, first I was impressed of the haunt mechanic having haunted this to do this and have a chance of doing this. But looking back to all the other stuff in the game and more in depth of this ghost feature: I got disapointed. We always get hyped for something in Don't starve, however sometimes it just doesn't get as cool as it first might be presented to us. My point is that the haunt mechanic is great and all, but it's repetitive. It would be more appealing if what happens to a certain prefab that gets haunted to change.. Or have a chance to change for OPness matters depending on what character you're haunting something with. Say you haunt an evergreen tree. After a few haunts nothing would happen, if you're unlucky, but if the program chooses for the haunt to affect the tree, then:

If you had Willow the tree would have a chance of lighting on fire

If you had Maxwell the tree would have a chance of turning into a tree guard

If you had WX-78 the tree would have a chance of being struct by lightning, due to his electricution mechanic

If you had Wickerbottom, the tree would have a chance of growing to next level

If you had Woody, the tree would have a chance to be fully chopped down

If you had Webber the tree would have a chance of turning into a Totally Normal Tree

Or something along those lines. This is just a suggestion, btw, so whether you like it or hate it write your opinions below so I know what you, other DS players think of this idea. And remember, just don't judge.

EDIT: I just noticed that my title says "souldLESS" instead of "soulLESS". It's because I'm on my mobile and getting every single letter right is quite the pain, so if any mods are out there, could you edit that tiny little detail for me?

[The Letter W]

Interesting idea, so basically just an alternate Ghost sprite for WX?

 

As for the other stuff, I imagine some characters would become more valuable than others with a system like that.

[Silentdarkness1]

I like the idea regarding WX-78's ghost being a hologram.

 

EDIT: And what my friend above me just said.

[XirmiX]

As for the other stuff, I imagine some characters would become more valuable than others with a system like that.

It was just an example. There are enough options to what could happen to a prefab after it gets haunted, so I'm sure there could be found a balance between them.

Like particular characyer's haunt features would be better for some prefabs, but less useful for other prefabs - that is one thing that could be taken into account for balance. This way being a ghost in DST... Or a hologram wouldn't be so boring after all, if it doesn't last for too long.

[Halved]

Im ok if it's only esthetical

[Shenny]

Making WX-78 into a projection instead of a ghost is pretty neat. I wonder how they'll make Webber's ghost. Will he still be inside the spider that tried to eat him?

[shigad]

Making WX-78 into a projection instead of a ghost is pretty neat. I wonder how they'll make Webber's ghost. Will he still be inside the spider that tried to eat him?

yes, because that is his character, and his stats are based on being eaten by a spider, and they are not going to invent a new character.

 

If you had Willow the tree would have a chance of lighting on fire

If you had Maxwell the tree would have a chance of turning into a tree guard

If you had WX-78 the tree would have a chance of being struct by lightning, due to his electricution mechanic

If you had Wickerbottom, the tree would have a chance of growing to next level

If you had Woody, the tree would have a chance to be fully chopped down

If you had Webber the tree would have a chance of turning into a Totally Normal Tree

forgot wilson and wolfgang.

 

also i think it's unfair that only wx-78 gets a special ghost, willow's one is almost un-unique, what about making her ghost blazing? and wilson's ghost having a bread? and maxwell's ghost shadowy?

but then it would be unfair to wolfgang and wickerbottom and etc, but maybe devs can find something unique for them too. but then ghosts won't be white anymore and that won't be unique!

[Shenny]

yes, because that is his character, and his stats are based on being eaten by a spider, and they are not going to invent a new character.

 

I know they won't change his character, but it's fun to brainstorm.

 

also i think it's unfair that only wx-78 gets a special ghost, willow's one is almost un-unique, what about making her ghost blazing? and wilson's ghost having a bread? and maxwell's ghost shadowy?

but then it would be unfair to wolfgang and wickerbottom and etc, but maybe devs can find something unique for them too. but then ghosts won't be white anymore and that won't be unique!

 

I actually like Willow's ghost, the pigtails are hilarious. Wilson's ghost doesn't need a beard, he has his hair to fall back on.

[XirmiX]

yes, because that is his character, and his stats are based on being eaten by a spider, and they are not going to invent a new character.

forgot wilson and wolfgang.

also i think it's unfair that only wx-78 gets a special ghost, willow's one is almost un-unique, what about making her ghost blazing? and wilson's ghost having a bread? and maxwell's ghost shadowy?

but then it would be unfair to wolfgang and wickerbottom and etc, but maybe devs can find something unique for them too. but then ghosts won't be white anymore and that won't be unique!

The deal is that WX isn't human and has no soul. Having to become a ghost for WX would make zero sense. That's why him being a hologram after dying is necessary.

[shigad]

The deal is that WX isn't human and has no soul. Having to become a ghost for WX would make zero sense. That's why him being a hologram after dying is necessary.

yes but it would make the others feel very unfair, and also WX is a human by it's mechanics anyway. yes, his special abiilities are of a robot, but all characters have special abilities. making his ghost different is like making webber's ghost the that is inside the spider, which we never saw. it just doesn't make sense. what i mean is that you need to think the robot as an organic form that can eat gears. for example, WX is not a picky eater. but why he needs to eat at all? have you ever heard of a robot eating berries, rot, and meatballs? i mean, outside the DS universe? he is just like webber, it is more of a skin than himself.

what i meant is, why couldn't webber just be a spider and not a "kid inside a spider"?

[RalphKastro]

for example, WX is not a picky eater. but why he needs to eat at all? have you ever heard of a robot eating berries, rot, and meatballs? 

well, his own explanation for this is that he uses food as some kind of "fuel".

I like WX getting a different ghost(a rocket ghost doesn't really make a lot of sense, it's just a bit funny and silly.), and I don't think it's that unfair for him to be different, as he is(part) robot and stuff.

I also like the idea of haunting having different effects depending on the character, but it should still remain on the "good stuff can happen, terrible stuff can happen" pattern there is right now.(so, there should be a good possibility, for example, for willow to haunt trees.)

[XirmiX]

well, his own explanation for this is that he uses food as some kind of "fuel".

I like WX getting a different ghost(a rocket ghost doesn't really make a lot of sense, it's just a bit funny and silly.), and I don't think it's that unfair for him to be different, as he is(part) robot and stuff.

I also like the idea of haunting having different effects depending on the character, but it should still remain on the "good stuff can happen, terrible stuff can happen" pattern there is right now.(so, there should be a good possibility, for example, for willow to haunt trees.

Hmm, a risk. Sounds really nice. Combining risk with specified haunt mechanics would be quite awesome. I think that may be if willow haunts a tree, lets say 60% of the time nothing happens to it, 35% of the time the tree would turn into a burnt tree (without getting burnt) making charcoal collecting for the living players safer to get (in a way) and 5% of the time the tree would light on fire, giving a risk of forest fire happening. Does that sound good to you guys?

[shigad]

Hmm, a risk. Sounds really nice. Combining risk with specified haunt mechanics would be quite awesome. I think that may be if willow haunts a tree, lets say 60% of the time nothing happens to it, 35% of the time the tree would turn into a burnt tree (without getting burnt) making charcoal collecting for the living players safer to get (in a way) and 5% of the time the tree would light on fire, giving a risk of forest fire happening. Does that sound good to you guys?

 a bit too safe.

I also like the idea of haunting having different effects depending on the character, but it should still remain on the "good stuff can happen, terrible stuff can happen" pattern there is right now.(so, there should be a good possibility, for example, for willow to haunt trees.

right now only two good thing that can happen, which are lighting a tree on fire during the night, and chopping a tree. is it good to make a flower to an evil flower? is it good to burn the whole camp? is it good to aggresivitate (or whether is the way you need to say/write that) a passive mob?

[RalphKastro]

right now only two good thing that can happen, which are lighting a tree on fire during the night, and chopping a tree. is it good to make a flower to an evil flower? is it good to burn the whole camp? is it good to aggresivitate (or whether is the way you need to say/write that) a passive mob?

then why would anybody haunt anything if it's just bad for the living? There are some good stuff that can happen right now(like the crop growing or the confusing of aggressive mobs). And what would incentivize people to haunt more than a chance of something good/interesting happening? Besides, some variaty is good.

[Desblat]

Cool idea.

But takes too much work. It's much easier for Klei to say, that he is kiborg (or a soul in a robot), rather then add tons of new things because of weird thing(s).

[RalphKastro]

Cool idea.

But takes too much work. It's much easier for Klei to say, that he is kiborg (or a soul in a robot), rather then add tons of new things because of weird thing(s).

well, I don't think it would actually take that much more of work. Yes, They would have to do lots of new art for WX, but after that, it's just changing the "Haunt" text to something else(not eletrocute, though. That doesn't sound all that nice or Don't Starve-y to me).

The other changes are directer at making haunting better, which it really needs right now.

[rezecib]

@RalphKastro, No, haunting is way too strong right now. If anything, it needs to be toned down. But really, the main post's suggestions for haunting were misguided (or maybe I'm misinterpreting them?) because haunting can already do these things, and it's already a random chance to do it.

 

But the purpose of haunting isn't to be an awesome new mechanic; it's to be something to do while you wait to be revived, instead of just sitting around.

[DragonDePlatino]

WX-78 being a hologram? In theory, this is a great idea and makes sense, but it wouldn't really fit in with Don't Starve. Whenever characters are struck by lightning, all of them have skeletons as if they were human (including WX-78). For the sake of consistency, I think WX-78 should have ghost sprites like all of the other characters. BUT...I think a hologram WX-78 would work if its lightning sprite was changed as well.

[RalphKastro]

@RalphKastro, No, haunting is way too strong right now. If anything, it needs to be toned down. But really, the main post's suggestions for haunting were misguided (or maybe I'm misinterpreting them?) because haunting can already do these things, and it's already a random chance to do it.

well, I said better, not... well better to do. It's kind of confusing, now that I think about it... Anyway, I meant better, as in a better, more fun mechanic, not in better as more powerful.

Now, yes, haunting does those things, but what the OP meant, was that haunting was more diversifyed for the characters, so that each ghost have different effects and risks/rewards for haunting.

 

But the purpose of haunting isn't to be an awesome new mechanic; it's to be something to do while you wait to be revived, instead of just sitting around.

 

aside from crying and repeating "please don't kick me, I won't die again"?

Haunting has a lot of Gameplay potential, but it's way too underdeveloped right now. It's not supposed to replace living, obviously, but I don't think that it shouldn't be fun. It should be a nice thing to do while playing with a friend or something.

[XirmiX]

@SethR

That's as much as I can do here. If devs don't notice this, this isn't gonna go anywhere.

Seth, first post, please read. Important!