Everything set to none... challenge accepted.

[fimmatek]

The idea came from a completely different thread where people were arguing about if changing the world settings is cheating. There was a post with a picture of the world configuraiton with every resource set to less. That gave me the idea: what happens if I set everything to none? 

So I decided to make a challenge how long can I survive in such a world. I was also curious what can be there. (Well, not much.) And as I didn't find any other tale about a challenge like this on the forums (someone mentioned it in the DS forums, but just as a suggestion, they didn't try it, as far as I could see), I decided to share my experiences so far. I'd also like to know if some of you did also a similar challenge (I can't imagine no one did here) and how and how long you could survive.

(I put the pictures into spoilers to make the post a bit smaller, I'm afraid it'll be long and unoverviewable enough. )

Preparations

First, the exact settings: I set the seasons to random, to make it a bit even more interesting. (Not sure if it was clever.) All the resources, foods and animals are set to none (except the Spiky Bushes, I don't know why. Maybe because on that picture these were left on default. But it didn't help at all.)

I left the monsters on default. The world doesn't have caves or any mods. And last: I set the starting to "dark", to give a little help with the beginning. I didn't want a "plus" starting, that would have been way too much, and actually until now I didn't use anything I have taken from the chest at the portal, I wanted to see how long I can survive without these. So they have just taken up space.

Later looking at the pictures I realised that I forgot to disable the Combined Status mod, but I didn't notice it in-game. It certainly helped a little, but luckily did not really affect the gameplay. I also had the minimap mod (not accidentaly) which was quite helpful in the long runs though the darkness during almost every night. 

The surviving begins

At the very first, I did my biggest mistake, I chose the random character. As you see, I didn't really thought about who should I take... but I hade a huge luck: I became Willow... now I not only had a really good lighter but also bernie.

Spoiler

So, what did I find in this world? You guessed it: literally nothing. Some twigs, I believe they're automatically spawned in to help in the first days. Well, at the beginning I couldn't really craft anything! I mean, I could have, but I decided to survive without the items from the chest as long as possible.

I also found some merms and pigs fighting each other, was really cool, I had food for a few days. Oh, and another huge advantage of Willow: I could cook using the lighter. I saved tons of health and sanity on it. I just can't believe how lucky I was!

There were also some nice set pieces (hah, worldgen had enough space now to place them! ), in one I found a spear (came really handy) and gears. And knights, which I left in piece.

I found many spider dens too (logically, I left them on default), they were my main food-source and the glands were really useful for healing. I did need them.

It was also interesting to see how well the set pieces fit Willow: I found more skeletons, one with a fire dart and one with a gunpowder. Now I only miss the fire staff!

Spoiler

As you might see on the minimap, there were some trees too. Totally Normal Trees, in a Totally Normal World. Seems these are the only ones that aren't affected by worldgen.

On day 3 I found the decidious forest. Eh, well, forest?... Biome. All that was there was the Pig King with his obelisks, Glommer's Statue with the Pan Flute and a Goose nest. I doubt I'll see it and its Moslings in this world...

Oh, and most importantly, this:

Spoiler

A cemetary set piece with the marble statues. Do you know what did it mean? I had a free pickaxe and a shovel. Now, what's luck if not this? Also there were some pines which became useful later. 

As my sanity was already at bottom, I had no fear of digging up all the graves (except one, because the sculpture was too near to it and I couldn't get to it). I got a really nice, though mostly useless loot, but one life giving amulet! That was proven also useful, as you can guess...  Later I dug up other graves too in the world with this shovel, where I found another one. 

Another important thing that were to be found in the world were mandrakes. +60 health (and 75 hunger) can be preatty nice.

I also found the marsh biome where I yould get tentacle spikes and spider loot easily. This made me renewable weapons so I didn't have to kill every spider with my own fists, as I was afraid of.

I was really annoyed as I somehow managed to be killed by the spiders. Honestly, I don't know how I let it. But it happened...  Oh well... at least I still had an amulet left. 

I also found the hollowed den, which made me really sad. How on earth could I lure out a cute pet if I can't even make a crock pot?...  

Spoiler

(A small plus: as you can see, I have 51 hp... I had to waste my frog legs and stuff myself to be protected if something would go wrong and I am accidentaly hit by a terrorbeak. I wanted to go for sure.)

And by the middle of autumn I had the materials to make a science machine! Couldn't believe it. I had rocks from 4 moon boulders which were already spawned in the mosaic, just enough!  and I had logs from the trees of the graveyard's trees, because form the boulders I had flint, so I could craft an axe (by day 12! oh my, in a regular world that would be hilarious).

Spoiler

All I could prototype was the shovel, the bird trap and the top hat. Not much, but way more I have ever expected!

By the way, I used the full moon on day 11 to meet Glommer:

Spoiler

I decided to kill it so that I may get a Krampus Sack. A Krampus Sack! Oh my, I think that wasn't a clever decision, its goop which gives 40 health would have been more useful. But eh, I did it. And I was able kill the Krampus, I could kite it on the road without being injured. That was the point where I were really scared, without any kind of armor (not even a grass suit...) it was more than risky. But I survived it without a scratch.

Oh, an importand thing to mention: I died on day 10 to a terrorbeak. I left Berny on the ground, but once as I was healing it somehow attacked me and not the teddy bear, which I didn't expect. So, two deaths in 10 days and actually both of them could have been avoided if I had listened more / had been more careful. Well, happens... I learnt something new again.

On day 13 I encountered the first hound attack (had to wait pretty long, eh?), but with good kiting (and the help of some tentacles) I survived this also. After all, this should be the easiest in a world without food!

What more is there worth to be mentioned? I've found the compulsory moonbase, Chester and two touch stones, which maybe of use. I was really surprised as I found a walrus camp, I thought I set it to none, but after that, I figured out that it's a monster, and I left all monsters on default. Oh yes, and I found the Stagehand. Totally useless, except that it has roses! If I'll decide to touch the given suplies (from the chest), I can make a rope to make a new lighter... I'll have fire twice as long!  Maybe I'll even survive winter!

The oasis is also there which is interesting only because of its skeleton's loot. Unluckyly I can't fish as there are no ponds (and I really don't hope to make it to summer), and the straw roll... well, if I'll be that well fed, I'll sleep a bit!

A nice intermezzo was a pig that I found on day 16 left from the merm-pig battle. As I had enough monster meat, I transformed it to get normal meat and pig skin. Edible food at last!

Back at base I realised that I can prototype the bird trap (will be very useful... ) and the umbrella, which actually could be really useful if I make that long. We'll see!

I finished today's session on day 18, I'm tired enough to make big mistakes, which I want to avoid. So I'll continue and update later.

The summit of the game (so long) was that I found a failed survior with a grass suit. High-end protection at last!

 

 

Conclusion so far:

It was really interestin to see how empty a world can be... no trees, no grass, no saplings, no animals... a normal DS world is pretty cozy compared to this. What stayed: the Totally Normal Trees. Even more creepy. All I could find were some twigs laying on the ground, I guess they're part of a DST mechanic that is not configurable in the world settings. Oh, and a few mandrakes. And the graves, from which I could make quite a lot gold by the Pig King.

Oddly I found cactii in the desert of the Antlion even though I set them to none. Maybe it affects only the cactii of the main desert (with the Dragonfly) but not the other ones? Maybe it's a bug?

It also seems that pre-placed moon boulders aren't included in the "boulders" setting... but at least I had some basic tools and could make a science machine thanks to it.

I survived the nights with equipping the lighter for a moment and immediately deequipping, this way I could save quite a lot of it's durability (it still had 9% on day 18). I also used the fireflies and if I run out of torch I'll have to spend all nights in romantic bug-light. (I just wonder how will I survive winter?... Dragonfly's lava ponds, maybe? Or maybe I won't even reach winter, hehe.)

Thanks to the world regrowth (I think), trees appeared in the world after a few days. First I just found a pine sapling, then a twiggy tree sapling, then these started to grow... I don't know if I'll have the tools to chop enough trees, but we'll see. I might use them. 

If anyone's interested, here's the map. By day 18 I have discovered the whole world:

Spoiler

Actually, it's so full of trees compared to what I have found on the first days. I should have made a map-screen on day 3-4 too, but didn't think that it would change at all. Next time maybe.

If you got ideas, stories, suggestions, I'd really like to hear them!

(I really hope this post wasn't too long or boring, I tried to meintion only the interesting or important experiences about my survial.) 

 

[ImDaMisterL]

Man, that's an awesome challenge you took! I should really try that out some time

[RosaNom]

I think you could survive for long enough to build a decent base for yourself, but you might die of boredom before then

[fimmatek]

On 2017. 07. 06. at 11:00 PM, RosaNom said:

I think you could survive for long enough to build a decent base for yourself, but you might die of boredom before then

Well, I would feel bored I'm sure, it's a survival game after all. But I don't know. Maybe I should continue to find out. I didn't play this world because in the last month I played mainly with others, so not even on my solo world. 

A bigger base would be nice, but there is no source of grass, unfrotunately. No caves, no gekkos, no tumbleweeds. Also there are not meteors, so I don't think I'll get more rocks for a firepit or a crock pot. And I don't even dream of a scaled furnace!