Lack of communication and information on new content releases (@skins&updates)

[t1morino88eex]

Hello,

I would like to express my dissatisfaction with the way Klei handles the information and the amount of it when releasing new content and would like to use the last Winter Theme update thread as a flag on why I decided to open this topic.

I started feeling that Klei might have an impartial view of how much information they release as update logs right about the time when the skin system got in. Slowly with every update we got fewer and fewer bullet points about the new content which was fine for awhile, but slowly it turned to not mentioning any of the new skin items inserted into the game files at all. I remember posting my irritation about this only to be dunked by certain users whose opinion, which I respect, was that they preferred to discover the new items and content on their own during their playthrough. But not everybody thinks like that, and I am one of those people.

A New Reign updates started being announced, with nice posters like the way Klei used to have for beta Don't Starve singleplayer, and I loved this. The points with the new content for every patch thread are wonderful, the mentions of new skin items and certain was still lacking. Lucky for us that there are users who sneak around the files to get the tidbits of new information.

But I don't have the time to wait for those users who post the new findings, do not want to feel like I need to read dozens of pages of new posts to find their findings, reason for which I want to make my desire known: I would like for every update thread to be not necessarily detailed but more precise. I work and have chores to do, and when I do visit the forum and see an update thread I feel it useful to have new stuff included and centralized in the update post. I don't expect detailed content, only short points about new stuff (which already happens), new cloth items included.

As an example I feel the Hallowed Nights were handled quite good on announcement. This was really good actually, I knew from reading the announcement that there are going to be new treats, new limited available skins and skins that will be available all year long but only drop during the event.

The Winter Feast thread update is just completely lackluster on the new content. What was the reason for that? Why couldn't it have some basic information about the event? I had to scroll through a lot of pages to find someone posting the new stuff in spoilers, stuff which needed a lot of digging in the game files. It seems there are skins, but are they limited to the event? Is the Krampus boss limited only to the event? Does it drop loot from all the giants? Why is it hard to mention all these like it was in the Halloween thread? I need to know some basic information so I can plan for the playthrough I am going to have these holidays.

For real now, this is common sense and just useful to be informed about. Don't let me hanging, so far the latest updates have been managing to provide good short bullet points, don't stop doing so for an event such as Christmas, or for any of the future update threads.

I don't even want to play at the moment because I don't know if I should skip krampus boss this winter and do something else or if I should go in turbo mode and make sure to kill it every winter during the event for any unique loot it might have. Not to mention that the skins found by users in the game files aren't even dropping it seems? Is it not possible to just include an update line in the update "Ten new item skins are now available as drops"?

This is a little frustrating, Klei. It adds up to a sensation of a slight turn off towards the game and towards, well, Klei, in the end.  Yet I believe this can be easily avoided with a little bit more transparency and openness about the new game content during patches and updates.

 

[Zeklo]

Well, this update is having to run through the Beta branch first while the Hallowed Nights didn't. So it's technically not even released. I would wait until it is before making assumptions.

 As for information regarding skins found in the files. Again, these are not implemented yet, so there isn't much reason to mention them just because players are sticking their noses in the code. 

[Aquaterion]

I don't think they ever put too much information about skins, but the addition of a new boss could have been noted.

[CaptainFun]

Patch notes are one thing; it would be nice to know what new content we could expect going into a new build of the game. Some things could be marked as spoilers or you could just choose not to read them if you want. The lack of change notes lately also caught my attention these past few updates.

What I really miss, as far as communication from klei goes, are the fireside chats and development roadmaps. It was nice to get (semi) periodic writeups from the devs on the direction the game was headed and what specifically they were going to address. I don't want to sound like a whiner because I know klei is working on several projects right now and don't always have the time for that, but without that communication from the devs it feels kind of like player feedback isn't really being read. 

[DarkXero]

I think stuff wasn't specified because:

a) Skins aren't in yet.

b) Klei maybe thinks the "run deer into tree for antler" is common knowledge because it was shown on stream.

c) The antler looks like a key, and the sack with a big lock spawns naturally in all worlds. People that find these can work out the rest.

d) The ornaments and foods naturally appear in the loot drops.

Basically, the update is obscure, but not that obscure in comparison to beefalo taming.

 

Also, this comparison isn't fair. This was the Hallowed Nights beta announcement:

So in reality, the Winter's Feast is better since it came with a free picture.

Wait until the announcement of Winter's Feast is done on the release branch.

 

And finally, yes, I agree on "communication should be clear". I don't like them putting the investigation work weight on everybody else, and then people don't find stuff, and then they dare say on stream "wow people didn't find X yet?". Of course, everybody should delve into the files and write findings on the wiki. It's clearly my fault for not compiling all the code changes for people to see. It's also people's fault that they didn't figure out they had to run around the Pig King in a circle 72 times holding a Morning Star and then mine the closest rock to trigger that leaf falling down the nearest tree.