Meat Effigy Balance

[Will]

I think the Meat Effigy shouldn't just require Wilson's beard hair, it should also be only make-able by Wilson, since it looks like him. That way, you have to take a break from your character for at least 12 nights to make an effigy, and you can't just save a whole lot of hair and make tons of effigy.

Also, the closer you are to death, the more you should look like a meat effigy, and the more your effigy should look like you. It makes it look like your body, before getting hit by the killing strike, swaps you and the meat effigy.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Prussia
Added Effect

[BarovSoap]

Or possibly make it only revive him.

[Will]

Or possibly make it only revive him.

I just had an idea thanks to you.

[BarovSoap]

And what would that be?

[mobius187]

I think the Meat Effigy shouldn't just require Wilson's beard hair, it should also be only make-able by Wilson, since it looks like him. That way, you have to take a break from your character for at least 12 nights to make an effigy, and you can't just save a whole lot of hair and make tons of effigy.

First I'm taking your word "make-able" and I'm going to mentally upgrade it to "craftable". Done.

That said, the Meat Effigy has had a long running series of threads about it and its exploits. Not the good kind of exploits, the bad kind. Like infamy. Personally the best suggestions I've seen to date include:

1) Allow Wilson to only craft a single Meat Effigy. If he attempts to craft a second one then prevent it and have him comment, "But I already have one.".

2) If rot is added to the game allow Meat Effigies to rot (due to the meat inside them) and after 5 days it becomes useless/broken, forcing the player to craft another.

3) Prevent the tent from switching characters, instead use it for tallying XP and unlocking new characters. If you want to play any new characters you need to start a new game.

The last suggest involved what you said, namely that only Wilson should be able to craft the Meat Effigy. To this end players suggested other character-only inventions or items that functioned differently based on the character using it.

Also, the closer you are to death, the more you should look like a meat effigy, and the more your effigy should look like you. It makes it look like your body, before getting hit by the killing strike, swaps you and the meat effigy.

Not sure, but how about at the moment of death your body is replaced with the Meat Effigy? So the monsters end up "killing" it instead and you end up next to where the Meat Effigy once stood.

I just had an idea thanks to you.

Me too. What if the Meat Effigy... ONLY worked for Wilson? Great idea, huh?

[QuadroMan1]

Everything Mobius said sounds like an EXCELLENT way to balance the effigy.... Like I can't even explain how perfect it seems. Once you have 8 effigies your pretty much set for the rest of your way. (Plus any amulets you find/make.)

[Ran]

3) Prevent the tent from switching characters, instead use it for tallying XP and unlocking new characters. If you want to play any new characters you need to start a new game.

The last suggest involved what you said, namely that only Wilson should be able to craft the Meat Effigy. To this end players suggested other character-only inventions or items that functioned differently based on the character using it.

I never really liked the idea of being able to change characters in-game. It kinda messes up with the whole character selection, makes it kinda pointless. And while giving other characters their own craftable objects is a nice idea, it wouldn't be necessary, really. I mean, Wilson's "special ability" is a craftable object, other characters have their own ability.

Still, even being character-specific, I think there should be some further effigy-nerfing to make other characters viable too. I like the "only one crafted at a time" one.

[urteem]

Wait... the other characters can be revived by an effigy?

I just assumed it only worked on Wilson because it uses his beard hair and looks like him.

[Lordfiscus]

What about effigies tailored to each character? Beard hair for wilson, charcoal and redbird feathers for willow, crow feathers for Wendy, and a log suit, football helm, and tentacle spike for a Wolfgang effigy. When you die as Wilson, but revive with a willow effigy, you'll revive as willow. Or Wendy reviving as Wolfgang, fully equipped.

[McMatthew]

What about effigies tailored to each character? Beard hair for wilson, charcoal and redbird feathers for willow, crow feathers for Wendy, and a log suit, football helm, and tentacle spike for a Wolfgang effigy. When you die as Wilson, but revive with a willow effigy, you'll revive as willow. Or Wendy reviving as Wolfgang, fully equipped.

That would not only nullify Wilson's only perk, but would also make the game easier, which is something we don't want.

[sirmentlegen]

Now we are going to make a good item useless ugh.

[TheVukelich]

I think that meat effigies not working for other characters would really balance out the game. Once Wolfgang's unlocked, the game plan will always be to play as Wilson until you have a few effigies, then switch to the overpowered Wolfgang. This basically gives all other characters Wilson's perk. Needs to be balanced out.

[BarovSoap]

Wilson running away before making a meat effigy.