Should Tree Guards be changed for together?

[or1239]

For a big enemy that counts as a Boss, tree guard is kinda boring to fight in together...

I mean I love him, he's the first genuine threat i had when i played the original game for the first time and it is really scary, just popped out and started walking towards me with his slashy arms, definitely made me think twice before chopping down a tree again.

But when you actually fight the thing and realize its just a matter of kiting 3 hits, run, repeat... its a little disappointing although it works for an early boss i guess, not too tough not too easy and late game you spawn more then one so they scale nicely and work fine.

In DST however, you get more then one player to fight with so whenever you get a tree guard to spawn the battle is rather awkward for the the tree guard, players juggle the aggro ( from an already barely moving enemy ) and tick down his health so an already rather easy early boss battle becomes even easier, even if more then one spawns just split them between players and at that point its the same. 

 I feel like tree guard is one of those creatures that didn't translate well into multiplayer, just like a lot of other creatures simply giving him more health just made him a more tedious job to fight.

I really think he needs some sort of change to scale up better, maybe an Aoe attack or minions (although maybe not minions since we need to keep him differentiate from Poison Birchnut Tree ) 

something to make him a threat again and give him a fair shot at fighting multiple players without counting on more then one guard to spawn.

                                                                                 

So what do you think about the current state of Tree Guards? >_>

[Mario384]

I agree.  Treeguards really got the shorter stick in DST.

[CarlZalph]

6 minutes ago, or1239 said:

But when you actually fight the thing and realize its just a matter of kiting 3 hits, run, repeat... its a little disappointing although it works for an early boss i guess, not too tough not too easy and late game you spawn more then one so they scale nicely and work fine.

Pretty much all AI in the game is the same to fight, since there are patterns that will net success without being hit for each.

Mostly "Kite for Y seconds, hit X times, repeat" pattern is used.

[or1239]

21 minutes ago, CarlZalph said:

Pretty much all AI in the game is the same to fight, since there are patterns that will net success without being hit for each.

Yeah i know, but each Boss at least has some sort of twist to him.

Bearger got his Aoe attack which works  independently of his attack period and can heal from eating stuff.

Deerclops has insane sanity drain effect on you.

Goose will make you drop your weapon, also moslings are around and such.

And dragonfly well..you know...

Not to mention the seasonal factor, but those who can be fought at any season still have the twist. Tree Guard doesn't have that past "maybe there's another guard that spawned with me " and again, this is fine for singeplayer but I think that on DST it just doesn't scale well.

[Rily]

The combat in don't starve is boring when you learn the H&R efficiently, almost every boss or huge foe becomes boring and tedious to beat and give them more HP isn't the answer, it could be way better give them more attacks, the bosses could have more attacks you should be focused to anticipate their moves, that could make the battles more interesting. The bosses should have different kind of moves, ones faster than others, how about attacks that deals sanity damage instead of healt, stun the player, steal inventory items, deal damage in a large row hard to dodge just running or a way to heal themselves, well, maybe not so hard but you understand right? more variety, the bearger makes you drop your weapon, makes you sleepy and heal himself eating food, he is awesome already

If all hostile mobs have at least 4 or 5 diferent attacks with different speed and AoE fighting them would be more hard and fun no matter how much you know their attacks and their behavior

[TheKingofSquirrels]

47 minutes ago, Mario384 said:

I agree.  Treeguards really got the shorter stick in DST.

UGH!

Wood you cut it out with the puns?!?!

[DarkXero]

Well, that's because this treeguard is the quintessential big baddie.

It's basically a combat check. An exercise in coordination.

If you can fight it without losing health, then you are set for the rest of the challenges of the game.

 

I would be wary of making it difficult and more powerful, since you can pacify it and then lure giants to it.

[GiddyGuy]

4 hours ago, or1239 said:

Goose will make you drop your weapon,

4 hours ago, Rily said:

the bearger makes you drop your weapon,

lol

4 hours ago, Rily said:

makes you sleepy

When does anyone ever put the Bearger asleep? I just fight it out right then and there.

[thesamon]

3 hours ago, GiddyGuy said:

When does anyone ever put the Bearger asleep? I just fight it out right then and there

EDIT: I just realised what you said and that i'm a potatohead.
Nothing to see here move along

[Rily]

4 hours ago, GiddyGuy said:

When does anyone ever put the Bearger asleep? I just fight it out right then and there.

He likes to take a nap when he eats enough food, sometimes my fridge has enough, then I only can offer potato cups to charlie in order to save my camp, his yawn is insanely OP

[GiddyGuy]

2 hours ago, Rily said:

He likes to take a nap when he eats enough food, sometimes my fridge has enough, then I only can offer potato cups to charlie in order to save my camp, his yawn is insanely OP

Oh...well I usually lead him away from my base so he doesn't destroy anything, and beat him in a alleyway so getting rid of the evidence is easier, so I never really get to see the yawn much unless some people are smoking some mandrakes.

[Arlesienne]

Treeguards could perhaps summon more (weak)... no good idea... sproutguards? If the player continues to fight it and/or perseveres with chopping trees for a very long time.

[TheKingofSquirrels]

Treeguards aren't a boss, I think they are fine as they are.

[AnonymousKoala]

9 minutes ago, TheKingofSquirrels said:

Treeguards aren't a boss, I think they are fine as they are.

They are.

However what you mean is:

They're not a giant.

Spider Queen and Treeguard are bosses. But they aren't giants. Giants have unique craftables based around them, pop up to screw you over, and are generally tougher than bosses.

[WildWesternWilson]

19 hours ago, Mario384 said:

I agree.  Treeguards really got the shorter stick in DST.

Perhaps it wood be a good idea to buff them a bit. 

[or1239]

19 hours ago, Mario384 said:

I agree.  Treeguards really got the shorter stick in DST.

 

12 minutes ago, WildWesternWilson said:

Perhaps it wood be a good idea to buff them a bit. 

[Bahlsen]

Was their number scaled ? I don't think it was. More treeguards for dst than for ds seems logical, we'll have more living logs so several people can have access to magical goodness (I'm fond of the star caller staff and the dark sword).

I think I'd increase their number (by increasing their spawn chance) before changing their way of fighting.

[unitato]

I reckon an aoe attack and maybe a buff to the hp and drops would make the treeguard alot better. Maybe the first time you fight it, or it catches you unaware without armor and a good weapon, it might be able to kill you but otherwise its just repeating a pattern for a long ass time. If he got a strong aoe attack like how bearger works (i think its after 3 normal attacks he does this weapon drop thing) and then a buff to his drops and hp it would be alot more intriguing to fight.

[rezecib]

8 hours ago, Bahlsen said:

Was their number scaled ?

1.5x

Like most mobs, they could have more interesting combat, sure. I wouldn't want to see them "stronger" because they already contend pretty well with giants. But as for something that would make the fight interesting, while keeping with their design... I'm not really coming up with anything good. Maybe some sort of needle-rain attack? That still sounds like it'd look really weird, though.

[Zackreaver]

I don't feel like treeguards really need a change, they fit their role as is.

 

Like DarkXero mentioned, you can actually pacify them and have them fight the giants.  They are more a tool than a boss, instead of changing the treeguards how about if we just get new creature types.  Hostile or Passive, just new obstacles to encounter and deal with that's unique to together.

 

Remember when the Ewecus was introduced?  That creature encouraged teamplay and punished those who approached it solo, it's an interesting addition that either encourages you to travel in groups or recruit followers before hunting.  More additions like that would make together more compelling rather than adjusting these existing creatures.  The reworked giants are already pretty interesting for together as they function differently to account for the different amounts of players.  Deerclops is essentially the same, Goose has nests all over, dragonfly is an incredibly bulky raid boss, and bearger is much bulkier but sheds his fur to allow crafting without the need to kill him.

After all, Don't starve isn't a combat oriented game, combat is merely just one of it's features, the thing that kills you isn't so much the boss your fighting, but the other circumstances happening at the same time (Lack of light/sanity drain/hunger/temperature/other mobs attacking at the same time).  The thing that always gets me during a deerclops fight is when I'm playing woodie and a fullmoon happens, the mixture of beaver starving and massive sanity loss kills me far more than the deerclops' actual attack.

[hyiltiz]

On 5/27/2016 at 5:29 PM, Mario384 said:

I agree.  Treeguards really got the shorter stick in DST.

Nah, we became better. That's all.

On 5/27/2016 at 6:12 PM, Rily said:

The combat in don't starve is boring when you learn the H&R efficiently, almost every boss or huge foe becomes boring and tedious to beat and give them more HP isn't the answer, it could be way better give them more attacks, the bosses could have more attacks you should be focused to anticipate their moves, that could make the battles more interesting. The bosses should have different kind of moves, ones faster than others, how about attacks that deals sanity damage instead of healt, stun the player, steal inventory items, deal damage in a large row hard to dodge just running or a way to heal themselves, well, maybe not so hard but you understand right? more variety, the bearger makes you drop your weapon, makes you sleepy and heal himself eating food, he is awesome already

If all hostile mobs have at least 4 or 5 diferent attacks with different speed and AoE fighting them would be more hard and fun no matter how much you know their attacks and their behavior

Do pvp?

[hyiltiz]

22 hours ago, Arlesienne said:

Treeguards could perhaps summon more (weak)... no good idea... sproutguards? If the player continues to fight it and/or perseveres with chopping trees for a very long time.

Those have a name already.

[Arlesienne]

2 minutes ago, hyiltiz said:

Those have a name already.

Those are birchnutters. And appear only next to a poison birch.

[thesamon]

I think treeguards (or atleast the evergreen ones) should have a Fan of Knivsish attack where they shoot their "needles" around itself. Somehow.

[PoofQuiz]

56 minutes ago, thesamon said:

I think treeguards (or atleast the evergreen ones) should have a Fan of Knivsish attack where they shoot their "needles" around itself. Somehow.

oh god please no haven't you already suffered enough from those poisonous purple wooden sadistic monsters!?