"Everything requires materialsâflint, wood, grass, spider silk, and gold nuggets..."
As she chopped down trees across the map, Wang Han picked up flint, flowers, grass, and berries scattered on the ground.
Gradually, the items in Wang Hanâs inventory increased.
Through the function panel on the left, she realized there werenât many things she could craft yet.
Axes, hoes, torches, and campfiresâbasic toolsâbut combat equipment still required additional materials.
Many grayed-out, Unlocked items required a prerequisite: building something called the Science Machine.
But that item required one Gold Nugget, four pieces of wood, and four Shelter Stones.
Wood wasnât an issue; sheâd already gathered more than enough from chopping down several trees.
As for Shelter Stones, she hadnât found any yet, but judging by the hoeâs description indicating they could be dug up, they clearly werenât rare.
The only problem was the Gold Nuggetâshe had no idea where to find it.
Compared to the previous life version of Don't Starve, Chen Xu had added some beginner guidance hints.
For example, when Wang Han first approached a tree, Wilson from the game gave a prompt, indicating she needed an axe.
At that moment, a small arrow would point toward the Inventory panel.
The same applied to ores and other resources.
This helped players understand the most basic in-game guidance operations, instead of forcing them to figure everything out through trial and error.
For most low-budget games, the biggest issue isnât necessarily Gameplay Content or mechanics.
Rather, itâs often the finer details of the player experience.
Beginner tutorials are a perfect example.
Many Independent Game designers adopt an unconventional, individualistic style, creating unique gameplay experiences akin to indie films, yet often fall short in polish and attention to detail.
Moreover, games and films are different mediumsâfilms are passive experiences, but games demand active participation.
With major games, regardless of whether theyâre fun or have excellent story, at least the experience never leaves players confused about how to play.
Even hardcore titles like Dark Souls might make players sigh with emotion over their difficulty, but fundamental operationsâattacking, defending, rolling, lighting a bonfireâare made crystal clear so players quickly understand how the game works.
Regarding Don't Starveâs beginner guidance, Chen Xu didnât go the mobile games route, bombarding players with instructions or holding their hands through every step.
Instead, he adopted a phased approach. For example, when a player discovers ore, Wilson would prompt them to build a pickaxe, accompanied by a line of dialogue: "Perhaps these rocks contain some gold."
By combining Wilsonâs dialogue with subtle hints, players received gentle guidance.
Of course, for Wang Han at this moment, what she was doing could best be described as⌠picking up trash.
She clicked on every interactive objectâloose stones, Tall Grass, berries, saplingsâanything she could interact with.
Midway, she spotted some butterfly-like insects, but whether due to unmet conditions or other reasons, she couldnât catch any.
She also noticed rabbit holes in the grasslands. When she clicked on one, Wilson delivered a corresponding line, helping her understand that rabbits ate carrots.
If she could make a trap using carrots, perhaps she could catch one.
"Hmm, this is kind of interesting⌠though the map is really huge!"
Wang Han wore an expression of curiosity.
Though she hadnât played long, her sensitivity to games allowed her to sense that this gameâs Gameplay was completely different from Chen Xuâs previous titles.
What surprised her most, however, was just how massive the game map was.
After opening the map and scrolling with her mouse wheel, she realized her current location was just the tip of the iceberg.
In percentage terms, she had probably explored less than 0.1%.
Wang Han used her collected materials to craft another axe and a hoe, then began wandering across the map.
She still didnât clearly understand how to play the game, so for now, she simply roamed, exploring new areas and collecting various materials.
Gathering materials was, in itself, a somewhat boring activity.
Yet Wang Han found herself oddly enjoying it.
Mainly because she could clearly see her Inventory filling up, growing richer with each collection.
Moreover, the sound effects for actions like chopping trees or picking berries were incredibly engaging.
And of course, there was an even more crucial factorâpicking up trash was genuinely addictive.
At this point, Wang Han had completely forgotten her initial goal: finding gold to build the Science Machine.
Now, she just kept running across the map, collecting all sorts of âtrashâ.
Meanwhile, tools like the axe and hoe had durability.
Once their durability reached zero, the tools would break.
But since the raw materials were easy to obtain, breaking them wasnât a big loss.
"Huh! Whatâs this? A beehive?"
While chopping trees and scavenging near a river, Wang Han heard a buzzing sound through her headphones and noticed a structure resembling a beehive.
"I wonder if attacking it will drop honey!" Staring at the beehive, Wang Han gripped her axe, barely able to resist.
She stepped toward the hive and swung her axe directly at it.
As the axe struck, a loud buzzing erupted, and five or six Killer Bees burst out from the hive.
"Wait! Not beesâKiller Bees!?"
Staring at the Killer Bees, axe in hand, Wang Hanâs eyes widened. That name gave her a terrible feeling.
The next moment, the Killer Bees charged straight at her.
The screen flashed red repeatedly, and the health value in the top-right corner plummeted.
Wang Han didnât immediately flee. Instead, she stood her ground, stubbornly trying to fight back with her axe.
But to her Taken Aback surprise, each swing felt completely ineffective. After two or three hits, not a single bee was killed.
"This is insane! How am I supposed to fight this!?"
Wang Han was stunned. She finally decided to run.
But it was already too late.
With the final sting from a Killer Bee, Wilson collapsed onto the ground.
ăDay Oneă (Everyone has their First (achievement). While thatâs true, dying this quickly is admittedly a bit awkward.)
Staring at the achievement screen that popped up, Wang Hanâs eyes widened in disbelief.
Official Taunt!
This was definitely Official Taunt!
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