A Brand New DLC. For the Kiddos.

[invalid_user]

I'm aware that some people didn't really like he whole Shipwrecked DLC. Presumably this was because of it's entire overhaul of Don't Starve- new items, enemies, biomes, even an entire new world layout. But personally, I really liked the Shipwrecked DLC. It brought enough changes to almost feel like a new game, but also kept the whole play style generally the same and keep the same dreary atmosphere. Recently I've become infatuated with watching nature documentary (well, more so than normal), and it got me thinking about all about how amazing Earth is and all that nonsense. One thing in particular I was attracted to: the arctic.

I'm sure you can figure out where this is going.

Of course, Don't Starve already has winter, and that's all cool (haha). But think about it. There's a low-latitude DLC (Shipwrecked) and a mid-latitude one (nermal doont sturve), so why not take the next step? The arctic provides it's own set of challenges, even without creepy monsters that want to kill you. Also, keep in mind that this is merely only an idea, not really a suggestion, although I wouldn't complain if something similar was added.

 

Seasons:

The arctic, I think we can all agree, is cold. Like really cold. This might pose a problem to poor ol' Wilson. However, you'd be surprised how warm it can get in certain areas in the summer time. So, naturally, spawn would be around late summer/early fall (or "autumn" if yur a Brit). Up there, seasons change fast. David Attenborough told me that in some areas the day and night length can change an entire 40 minutes over the course of 24 hours. In fall, nights become radically longer, and in spring, the opposite. During Winter, resources are extremely scarce, including sunlight. Above the Arctic Circle, day becomes literally nonresistant. In Don't Starve, this translates as: "HoLy CrUd! I'm insane." During the darkest of the dark, a brief period of light could be possible with a little help fro our good friend the aurora. At this time, sea ice freezes over, creating a possible new biome filled with opportunities (or hazards). When spring rolls around, sea ice melts, along with much snow. Summer brings another challenge. No, not overheating, but rather insanity. I'm not sure about you, but to me it seems like a "midnight sun" wouldn't be the ideal conditions for sanity to thrive, especially if you wanted to sleep. Wildfires do actually occur in the summer, believe it or not.

 

Biomes:

The first thing you likely think of when you hear the word "arctic" is the tundra. A vast plain of little more than grass, this area actually contains a fair amount of rabbits, and an insane amount of voles. The seaside becomes crammed with life during the ice-free months, especially bird life. Fishing is always an option. Further south, where sunlight is more abundant throughout the year, the Boreal forest arises, wrapping around the globe in the largest forest on the planet. In Don't Starve, we can push this forest a little further northwards for the sake of biome variety. Sea ice becomes a unique area, freezing in fall and melting again in springtime. Mountains exist here too, just like anywhere else. This can be translated as a new rock field of sorts.

 

Wildlife:

There's quite a bit to eat during many months of the year in the Arctic. most of this is meat, but often times quite a bit of vegetation can be found if you know where to look. There's foxes, wolves, caribou (reindeer), and a lot of rodents. Bears become a problem, as the polar bears are actually one of the few animals that actively hunt humans, sooo.... yeah. Not terrifying at all. And you thought they were cuddly. The buffalo (beefalo... wink wink) here are the largest on Earth. Once Don't Starve-ified, I think a lot of these animals can become something unique to the game.

 

Items:

First and foremost, keeping warm becomes a huge issue when trying to survive arctic conditions. Early game clothes are a necessity in order for this to work. Sanity also becomes a major issue, and more items should be added to counter this. That's really all for this section. Moving on.

 

Characters:

I haven't really thought about this, but off the top of my head I can think of a possible native American character. They have, in fact, been living in Canada and Alaska for quite a while, and know how to survive. They could possibly come with a set of warm clothes, or something. A whaler too, maybe? It's a stretch, but whalers did seem to know how to navigate ice, you know, back when murdering innocent whales was what the kool kids did.

 

Wat does thou thinketh? Yay? Nay? Didn't read the novel because I wrote to much? Me neither, It's not proofread.

 

Best wishes from planet Earth,

Some guy on the internet

[Trapjaw]

I like it. It's the deep north! Would there be a possibility of an antarctic-style season cycle as another option, that cycle being 6 months of day and 6 months of night? That would pose a challenge for sure. You got yourself a gem of an idea. What would be the "hounds" of this DLC idea? There are hounds in vanilla/RoG Don't Starve, and we got the Crocodogs in Shipwrecked. White wolves, maybe?

[invalid_user]

Yeah. It’s basically a huge cycle of really long days and really long nights. There would have to be another way of replenishing sanity, because I feel like that would have a huge toll on it. As for the hounds, they’d probs just be white hounds or something similar. Maybe a reskin for them would be in order to make them look a little more arctic-y.