Enemies scaling with number of connected players

[Scott28]

Hello everyone, first post here

 

I've been trying to run a DST server lately, in order to play with 3-4 friends. Obviously, with that many people monsters NEED a buff from DS, and my understanding is that there is a "hard" buff in DST, ranging from +50% to +300% depending on monsters (source).

Which is excellent when playing with 3-4 friends.

 

However, we've all experienced the late-into-the-night games that turn into "just me and a friend" if not "just me now". And, when we hit that spot, the hard scaling makes some things unnecessarily painful.

Likewise, having a full 6-ppl server makes most fights very easy.

 

I was wondering if it was possible to have an additional "difficutly scaling" server-configuration option, that would allow more control over this aspect of the game, by allowing to

 - "Scale to [1-10] players" (higher values for teams looking for a challenge)

 - "Scale to current number of players" (every monster current & max health adjusted whenever someone joins/leaves)

 

Cheers

[Kanasuke]

Good idea

[Shamy]

What happens when you are fighting a Deerclops with 6 people on, the monster being scaled to 6 players, then 3 players disconnect?

[RalphKastro]

I don't really like the idea of artificial buffs based on the number of people. It both creates the problem above, and also creates a fake feeling of difficulty, as things don't quite become harder, just longer and more exhausting.

I believe that there are quite a few good buffs already in place for the DST experience, like the spider spawn based on the number of players, the hound attacks attacking each player individually, the Ewecus, The Invisible Lag Monster. There's also the Giant changes, but I haven't quite played with them properly yet because all my gaming friends are occupied having an LoL Overdose.

[Arcita]

I don't really like the idea of artificial buffs based on the number of people. It both creates the problem above, and also creates a fake feeling of difficulty, as things don't quite become harder, just longer and more exhausting.

I believe that there are quite a few good buffs already in place for the DST experience, like the spider spawn based on the number of players, the hound attacks attacking each player individually, the Ewecus, The Invisible Lag Monster. There's also the Giant changes, but I haven't quite played with them properly yet because all my gaming friends are occupied having an LoL Overdose.

Gotta give props to Klei on this one. Quite an ingenious source of difficulty. ;p

[Scott28]

What happens when you are fighting a Deerclops with 6 people on, the monster being scaled to 6 players, then 3 players disconnect?

 

Well the idea would be linear adjustement. If we take a basic example, +50% health by player, with 6 players connected :

 

Default max health is 2k (solo), so that would make him 8 000 hp (max) against 6 players (for reference he currently has 6k max health in DS:T vs 2k in DS)

 

If the team managed to down him to half-dead (4 000 / 8 000), and 3 ppl disconnect, he'd scale down to +150% instead of +300%. His max health would become 5 000 and his current health would still be 50% of max, so 2 500 current health & 5k max health.

Should the other 3 reconnect, he'd go back up to 4k/8k (so you can't drop out, make him weak, join back in).

[Kuldiin]

This has my full support.

Had a few times friends havent been on, DC spawns and its game over.

[XirmiX]

Look, in order to be successful in DST, a lot of the time players need to scatter to scavenge for resources. Not everyone can stick like glue together to fight all the mobs. It would be boring as hell; it would be like you and pigs, but instead of pigs following you, it's players. Because of this scattering that happensbin the game we have a lot of things more of, such as some giants and hounds. Merely buffing health not only makes players stivk like glue, but the loot is the same as in skngle player, so if you were to fight a Gmoose with 3000 health and get normal loot in single player, it would be unfair if something like 6 players fought Gmoose which would have 18000 health as the Gmoose would drop the same amount of loot; basically more effort for the same value of benefit.

[SageKun]

The way you're describing it. If two players were fighting deerclops and say 3 people just connected middle of winter. The two players now have to fight something with the health of five people fighting it. Theres also the issue of "Deerclops is coming, disconnect so host can solo it" which takes the together out of don't starve together.

[Mario384]

I generally believe it would unbalance the game, honestly.  While something like this wouldn't be hard to do, it's just that if you had tons of people, and say you're a lone Wes (you apparently don't have good moral choices either, in this case) and Deerclops comes for you.  Now, you have to fight this overpowered boss?  See, the way Klei does it now, is that it's just a bit harder to kill mobs than in Singleplayer.  But with more people, the task becomes easier and it rewards friendship and teamwork while not punishing a lone survivor either.  So, to me, it seems the system is already good.  Except for ghosts, who really need a tuning.  I still think they should be more like regular  ghosts.  Oh well, I guess that's a mod for another time...