Don't Starve

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:45 am

I had been eyeing this one on Steam, but my friend gifted it to me before I got around to buying it. Apparently it's buy 1 get 1 free and you can gift that second copy to who you want.

Played a few games so far, and it lives up to it's name! First game I starved to death on the second day, second game I was eaten by something in the darkness when I decided to see what happens when you walk away from your campfire at night, and the third game I starved to death on the third day. Progress!

The gameplay seems interesting so far. Basically once you wake up you can explore the map (which is random each game) and harvest various resources. Gathering twigs and flint will let you make an axe, pick, or a shovel and those lead to better materials: wood, stone, & gold among others. Once you make a pick and can mine a bit that also gives you the materials to make a science machine that you can put resources in and get research points in return that can be used to unlock new technology.

That's about as far as I've gotten in a single game so far. My main problem is coming up with a reliable source of enough food to get by. The first source of food you have are berries & carrots around the map, but I've found out the hard way these are better saved to be used as bait in the first traps you get. Those are best built next to rabbit holes and baited with berries or carrots to try to trap a bunny. Unfortunately I haven't perfected how to do that on a large enough scale yet to really feed myself.

There also seems to be some sort of level/reward system where the longer you survive in a game, more experience is added to your profile, and that can unlock new characters to play.

At any rate it seems like a clever, well thought out game so far and for the price it gets my thumbs up.

Random tips:
+ Shovels can be used to dig up and relocate grass stumps, berry bushes, etc to better locations
+ The pig people are friendly. They can be bribed with food to work for you and will also protect you from spiders if you build your camp near them
+ The single most important thing in the very beginning is getting some flint and a few logs in order to build a fire the first night.
+ Don't wander into the dark without light!
+ Certain terrain types seem to have different resources, sometimes drastically different.
+ Careful of swamps early on... they are home to tentacle creatures that don't like gentleman scientists.

Mr Bismarck · Post by **Mr Bismarck** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 12:37 pm

If you can work out which hole the rabbit came from and come at it from the direction of that hole, then you can swat it with your axe for a tasty morsel. Even more tasty if you have a fire.

Alternately, if you find a herd of cows, you can make a farm plot or five going, then you can grow seeds into food. I got a pomegranate last night about four seconds before I was going to starve, thanks to a cow that wandered into the light of my fire place and crapped on my feet, giving me the last bit of fertiliser I needed for my farm plot.

My problem thus far has been not paying enough attention to the fire, or trying to time it so that it goes out exactly as the sun comes up, so that I don't waste fuel. Although, the pine cone - tree - pine cone loop provides plenty of fuel, so I shouldn't worry so much about it.

I like it when dinner delivers itself...

Citizen · Post by **Citizen** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:12 pm

I found cooked monster meat to be a giant boost in food, so naturally I started hunting spiders in the evening hours. I had 3 cooked monster meats, 11 cow paddies and 1 seed. I think i just needed a few more items to start my farm plot and dig a fire pit. Well I ate the monster meat and instantly died. A poison meat? Allergy? The first meat went down fine.

-

* I wonder, is Don't Starve what Salem (the free MMO) is like?

silverjon · Post by **silverjon** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:16 pm

Just a thought, but did your first monster meat come from not-a-spider? Because the game could code spider meat as poison based on the idea that spiders are venomous.

Citizen · Post by **Citizen** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:53 pm

It appears to be intended to some degree, but maybe also bugged? And yes, both my meals came from spiders.

Spoiler:

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 6:20 pm

According to that thread raw monster meat does 5 damage to you, while cooked does 33. I suspect that's supposed to be 3 damage, but who knows for sure.

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:32 am

Got up to day 5 in a game last night, and still going. I think my flaw before was I didn't think to cook the rabbit meat before eating, so it wasn't giving me very much nutrition. After cooking them it only takes a few to fill you up, so now I'm looking good. The island I'm on now seems pretty good, although I haven't been able to locate any more stones to mine after the first few I found near my camp.

Definitely an intriguing game, although I think I'm close to the point where I'm going to hold off until it's closer to finished.

Mr Bismarck · Post by **Mr Bismarck** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:45 pm

I stole a pig's house last night.

By which I don't mean I moved in like a squatter, I mean that he got up in the morning and went for a walk and when he came back his house was missing. He wandered over to me a little later crying and I was sitting on the steps of my shiny new house, eating a bacon sandwich.

Also, any game that measures your progress in beard length is fine with me.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:49 pm

I'm confused. How are you playing this now if it hasn't been released on steam yet? It looks like a nice little distraction that my daughter would get a kick out of.

Mr Bismarck · Post by **Mr Bismarck** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:52 pm

If you buy it on Steam you'll get two keys, (one you can gift), and early access. The game will download in your steam library.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:55 pm

Oh sweet. Think I'll grab it tonight then. Even my wife wanted to play it. Said it reminded her of a Tim Burton movie.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:04 pm

Octavious...I can gift you my extra copy. Don't think I have you in my Steam list. PM me the details and I'll send to you.

Edit: Saw you online in Steam so sent you a friend request

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:08 pm

Cool thx! I'll check it when I get home.

Post by **godhugh** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:11 pm

If anyone else has an extra copy, I'd love to check this out

.

Semaj · Post by **Semaj** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:20 pm

this looks really interesting.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:22 pm

Somehow I totally missed seeing this on STEAM. I'll keep an eye out for more impressions and look for a sale when it's released, but it sounds rather interesting.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:40 pm

Octavious wrote:Cool thx! I'll check it when I get home.

Just a fyi, my wife is a teacher and it's parent/teacher interviews tonight so she'll be late getting home which means I will be watching our 18 month old son so I could be delayed in responding. If you pm me your email I think I can send it to you that way and there won't be any waiting for me.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:42 pm

PM sent, no problem I think I can wait on getting free stuff.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:03 pm

I sent it via email so hopefully it'll be there waiting for you.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:05 pm

Yup I got the email.

Thanks!

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:16 pm

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:42 pm

If anyone has a free copy and doesn't need it, I'd love to try it.

Lordnine · Post by **Lordnine** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:51 pm

Me too! I’ll even throw in a copy of The Ship, Portal and or Bioshock.

Mr Bismarck · Post by **Mr Bismarck** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:12 am

I appear to have gained a permanent pet cow. Every night he wanders up to my camp to sleep.

Mr Bismarck · Post by **Mr Bismarck** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:01 am

A week later and he's still hanging out with me... to the degree that I've named him Mr. Poopsmith and he's keeping my three plot farm going.

With the four berry bushes I have at the top and a plethora of rabbits to the south, I'm able to survive now, without too much issue. Provided I remember to replant trees. Every few days I go out exploring, looking for another Beefallo herd, so I can set up my farms over there, but I haven't found anything yet. The island to the north of me is mostly gold nuggets and spiders, which is a bit of a good news/bad news situation. I'm stocking pine cones, so I can go up there and burn those eight-legged mothers out.

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 2:37 pm

Alright.. game definitely sounds strange enough to give it a try. And I certainly like survival games a lot better than generic FPSs... and I think it's on sale on Steam atm too... Let's see how this plays out.

Mr Bismarck · Post by **Mr Bismarck** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 3:14 pm

Well, the good news is I didn't starve.

The bad news is a tree came to life, wandered through my cooking area setting itself on fire and then punched my face off.

I'm sorry Mr. Poopsmith!

Citizen · Post by **Citizen** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:18 pm

Why are you still living like a vagabond after 30 days? I expected to see walls and log armor and a home (with a roof) like a civilized creature would own.

Mr Bismarck · Post by **Mr Bismarck** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:27 pm

I'm entirely too busy crafting an attractive range of hats and nowhere near busy enough advancing the useful side of the tech tree?

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:17 pm

ill be trying this out later today thanks to MF. Looks so fun...and difficult.

EzeKieL · Post by **EzeKieL** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:36 pm

Damn that forum effect ;_;

Just bought it and can't wait to try ^^

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:26 pm

Whoever wants a free copy, PM me.

ETA - gone.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:54 pm

Suitably Ironic Moniker wrote:Whoever wants a free copy, PM me.

pm sent

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:54 pm

Thanks to all those sharing their extra copies.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:17 pm

I was doing good. Had survived 2 days and 2 nights. i went searching for more food and items to build a better fire and maybe some dung to grow food when I saw something to attack. i attacked it and its was a nest of spiders. I thought ahh food and killed a couple but then just fell over from them. That was that.

Mr Bismarck · Post by **Mr Bismarck** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:45 pm

Spiders are mean in mobs, but once you have a spear they can be farmed.

If you need to clean out the nest because it's too close to your home, then Prometheus has provided the means. Just don't stand and watch -

Spoiler:

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:54 am

Is it better to make a camp area in one spot and venture out from there every morning in a direction and then return at night or is it better to just keep traveling?

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:35 am

Daehawk wrote:Is it better to make a camp area in one spot and venture out from there every morning in a direction and then return at night or is it better to just keep traveling?

My only success, (I'm now on Day 22) came from venturing out and finding a herd of cows that was near a rabbit community.

Setting up bushes at one camp, and having a bunch of farms being fed by the manure seems to be critical. I'm still not totally comfy - and I have 6 farms and a huge heard of beefalo to keep the farms cranking... I've just now begun to "research".

EzeKieL · Post by **EzeKieL** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 4:48 pm

It sure is slow going to always get your resources.

I planted a whole lot of trees near my camp. When I wanted to chop some, one suddenly came alive ^^
In panic I thought, KILL IT WITH FIRE. Which set all my other trees on fire -_-. That does give you charcoal when you chop them though ^^.

Took a long while before I could kill it too

. Always setting it on fire and running away ^^.

So now I have a base with a load of trees on the right, on the left there are a lot of bushes.
I have 3 patches of land to grow those vegetables on and that science engine thing.

So now I'm always on runs to find special ingredients ;_;.
My own island is all grass, the one below me is more tundra with the cows (where I get the manure) and the top island has a lot of rocks to mine.

Then there's another island on the right that I briefly visited, but that almost killed me with tentacles spreading out A_A!

Loving this game ^^

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 5:35 pm

So if you pick and area clean does it regrow with stuff?