Characters (pt1) (Don't Starve Reign of Giants - Beginner's Guide Series)
Time to learn about each of the playable characters in Don't Starve - Reign of Giants. In this, part 1 of my Characters Guide in my RoG Beginner's Guide Series, we'll cover Wilson, Willow, Wolfgang, Wendy (and Abigail), WX-78, and Wickerbottom. Along the way we'll cover a little bit of lore, some gameplay mechanics and tips, and where applicable, the differences between a character's single player version and their Don't Starve Together Version.
Which character is your favorite?
CONTENTS:
00:00 Introduction
02:12 Wilson Percival Higgsbury
04:30 Willow
08:40 Wolfgang
12:12 Wendy & Abigail
15:20 WX-78
18:01 Wickerbottom
New to the series? Check out the rest of the episodes in the full playlist!
• Don't Starve RoG Begin...
Please like and subscribe, and let me know in the comments if you have any questions or other suggestions for future videos and tutorials. And check out my community page for my livestream and video posting schedule for the week!
/ salendrak
Game footage is from Don't Starve - Reign of Giants (with a few snippets from Shipwrecked and Hamlet), and Don't Starve Together, the delightful action-adventure sandbox survival games by slightly less indie than they used to be developer Klei Entertainment. Interested in trying them out? Visit these links to learn more and/or purchase!
www.klei.com/games
store.steampowered.com/app/21...
store.steampowered.com/app/32...
Music is from the Don't Starve Soundtrack, and was arranged and composed by Vince de Vera, Jason Garner, and/or Emmett Hall. Tracks featured in this video are "Work to be Done", "Main", "DR Style", "Ragtime", and my own remix of the "Spring Cleaning - Reign of Giants" track that I personally arranged as "Waltz of the Fallen Sister". Game footage, graphical assets, soundtrack, and sound effects used consistent with Klei Entertainment's "Player Creation Guidelines" as stated on their website:
support.klei.com/hc/en-us/art...
Nothing in this video is sponsored by Klei Entertainment, and the commentary and information in this video do not represent the opinions or positions of any other entity whatsoever. Only Willow was harmed in the making of this video, and I'm pretty sure she still deserved it.
"Man is rock now! Very trick..." lol
Wolfgang has some great lines! WX-78 too!
The guess of relationship between WX and Wagstaff was actually surprisingly close, yet WX was actually built and is "possessed" by a former accomplice of Wagstaff.
Crazy twist!! But WHO exactly was that person? Wonder if we'll ever find out?!
Salendrak: Wendy is quite depressed Wendy when examining a lava pool: I could jump in and be done Me: Sure...
Yeah, I sometimes wonder if they went a little too far with some of her comments. I mean, the game is meant to be dark, but promoting suicidal ideations in a game?!
@@salendrak true but i dont think they are promoting it after all the eerie Style of DS completes it
@@salendrak i reccomend you read the rope quote lol "that could be a way out of this place
@@urbanfrog Totally - there's a lot of them that are like that!
@@urbanfrog yeah lol "This would be the easy way out of this place"
PS - I forgot to mention that Wickerbottom's "Applied Horticulture" book was recently tweaked (aka nerfed) in DST. Instead of growing just about anything and everything around her, it was split into two books with less powerful effects. Still extremely useful, just not as crazy OP as it was before. I'll update this post if I think of anything else later.
Thank u for making this video even tho I'm already a pro at it Xd
Mean while I still abuse wickerbottom on switch Don’t starve
@@thegrimgamer8323 Working as intended for single player!
di you know a reason for why I don’t have wagstaff? i have rog ds and have unlocked all exp characters, but i don’t even have the silouette for him
@@valeriomastroeni8454 Do you have the hamlet DLC because you need it to get him
Love your videos so much! They got me back to playing don't starve rog and dst. KZhead pls recommend this channel more.
Great games like this really do stand the test of time!!
I'm a new player, so I could change my mind in the future, but since unlocking and trying out Willow, her dynamic of using a coping mechanism to turn a weakness into a strength and her overall playstyle really resonated with me and I have been loyal since. She gains so much sanity passively while running around doing errands with the lighter. And while taking a break at a fire, you can superboost it. I also like to sometimes burn down clusters of trees for a bit of sanity and charcoal. You also get rain protection and warmth. I also like that I can go crazy with "fire traps" and "burn parties" when I'm being attacked. You may have to be more careful about her sanity falling too low, but everybody have to deal with sanity and Willow will struggle a lot less in maintaining a high sanity. The random burns really aren't that bad because you know when you have to worry about them and you can take proper precautions. Willow have the tools to force the sanity back up from almost any location. I have accidentally burned down half my base one time, but there were a bunch of mistakes on my part that contributed. That's the fault of me and my inexperience, not the character. Regardless, random fires could happen to anyone, so it's not like Willow is the only one who needs to worry about fires.
Yeah, she definitely has her quirks, but if properly managed, can be a lot of fun!
Man, you are a real natural at making youtube videos! I am tellin' ya', you are gonna be big in a while!
Sounds good to me!!
@@salendrak ye, the way u talk and stuff. It's entertaining. And the video layouts, editing. If only u did Minecraft videos lol 😂.
Thank you so much for this. Wendy has always been my favourite character but back when I was playing the most (2017 to 2018) I honestly did not know how to play her. I have been getting back into don't starve and your videos have helped me a lot. I am way better at the game and I am planning on trying wendy again since she now seems like something I can play as.
Awesome - go for it! Wendy and Abigail really are a lot of fun!
You're the best person to do these kinds of videos! Thank you! I actually like playing Willow, she makes excellent snarky comments... and I detest playing Wolfgang, I hate obsessing about food all the time.
Oh, Willow is definitely snarky LOL. WX also has a lot of great lines that are pretty amusing. And yeah, I agree that the amount food Wolfgang goes through is a bit of a pain, what what I dislike the most about him is the delay from changing forms. Seems like it always happens when I'm in the middle of doing something else!!
Thanks for these great guides! You helped me survive 2.5 years (so far) when before I could barely get through winter. Really looking forward to your caves and ruins video!
Awesome - love that you've been able to progress!!
Finally, another video! I've been really enjoying the beginner's guide series
Happy to be of service!!
I loved the willow fire thing. Finally everything was put out and them she said "I'll need a fire soon" perfect.
Right?! Crazy Pyro LOL
WX is absolutely BROKEN I originally played him for adventure mode, but I started a regular playthrough with him, which as long as you get past the RNG start for finding gears, he is the best character. The gears not only heal you up after you tanked a few hits from the clockworks, you can also gather them as "emergency foods" and eat them when you're close to death or before facing a boss. Overall, WX is my favourite and main simply because he is just so overpowered, especially in RoG.
Yeah, he really is quite strong, and the effect of eating gears is crazy good. And they never spoil!! He also has lots of great lines that crack me up LOL
@@salendrak PATHETIC TREE DROPS NO BABIES
Can't wait for the next guide!
I honestly had a lot of fun making this one, and have gained a new appreciation for some of the finer points of each character. If only I had more time to play as each of them!!
Man the production quality on these is amazing. Thanks so much for your work, I don't play Don't Starve anymore but that playlist was hella entertaining. Can't wait for more! :)
Awesome - thanks! Have you checked out my Wagstaff playthrough series? You just might like it too!!
I wanted to say thank you for helping with your guides. I've been watching them over the last couple of days and it's been great for figuring everything out!
Awesome - thanks for letting me know, and I'm happy that they've been useful! 😊
Bro i really liked that not only was it informative but you style of speaking is Just Gold! Keep it up my man
Thanks!! I really appreciate that!! 😊
Man i dont have RoG just vanilla and thanks to your guide i could survive a full year kill deerclops clear the ruins and adventure mode so really thanks salendrak
Keep an eye out for when they go on sale, I got a bundle with all the dlcs, day, and oxygen not included for $25.
Yeah, definitely keep an eye out for sales. RoG really adds a LOT more content to the game, and doubly and triply so with Shipwrecked and Hamlet added to the mix!! And as far as I know, they go on sale pretty often!
@@salendrak I've definitely noticed them going on sale a lot! It's a steal considering the amount of content you get
true i am waiting for the sale its like a dollar or so
I'm still fairly new to Don't Starve (you actually gave me the final push to buy it with these Beginners Guide videos and the Wagstaff playthrough!), but so far Wendy is definitely my favorite to play ❤️
Awwww - my videos prompting someone to get the game is probably one of the best compliments EVER!! And yeah, Wendy and Abigail are a lot of fun!!
I've been waiting for something like this for so long thx salendrak
Awesome - happy to have provided!
These are really helpful videos. I learned so much from these
Awesome - happy to be of service! 😁
Love your videos bro, keep good work!
Thanks - will do!!
I have a lore theory for willow and wickerbottom. Here's my story theory for them. Some time after burning the orphanage, willow went down to the library. The one where wickerbottom worked. The nightmares were targeting both at this point, so willow ended up panicking, lighting the library on fire, which would cause the problem of there being no safe exits. This might be when maxwell would end up pulling both into the constant after making a deal with them
Oooooh that would be super interesting if there was a link between the two - I like it!
This was really helpful!
Awesome - thanks!!
@@salendrak can't wait for next episodes love your guides!
i enjoy these guides they helped me a lot im waiting for the next one!
Awesome - thanks!!
Just made it through most of this playlist and i'm excited to (hopefully) not starve! You didn't cover him but I think I wanna play Wormwood, he's adorable and calls plants friend, which makes me quite happy. This comment isn't asking for anything i'm just saying thanks for the guide and hopefully some of what you've talked about is applicable to my wooden boi :D
Awesome - I'm glad you've found the series helpful! As for Wormwood, I'll cover him when I get to doing guides for Hamlet, or maybe in conjunction with some DST content that I might start producing later this year. But I'll get to him eventually!!
I like your guides very much, they are very useful, can you make guide about caves and ruins? It would be awesome.
Coming this summer!
I love ur videos man they are so extremely good!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!!
Hi! Love your videos, they super informative and even if I’m not playing don’t starve at the moment, they really interesting. Could you do a video about adventure mode? I want to try it but I’m afraid I’ll die in the first day 😂
Yup - it's on the list! I had hoped to get that done over the summer, but ended up being too busy keeping my kids entertained. Hopefully I will get to it in September or, at the latest, October 👍
@@salendrak that’s awesome! Thank you so much! Hope your kids had a great summer! 😸
Dang, didn't realize how good wickerbottom actually was!
Yup - she's got a lot of good tricks up her sleeves, and her downsides are easy to work around!
Why is no one talking about the intro xD It was witty and hilarious !!
YAY! Someone appreciates my attempts at humor! 😆
great video
Thanks buddy!!
I love this series! When's the next episode coming?
Hopefully next week sometime!
Great Video Keep it up! I do have some questions (sorry) :) 1 - Do you think you could make a video on how you edit your videos? 2 - How did you get the special don't starve themed borders in some of the other guide videos I have been inspired to make videos and would help quite a bit! 3 - Are you ever gonna do some DST videos or streams? 4 - Is there anyway to change the menu in DS? I have all dlc's But got shipwrecked and hamlet at the same time and never got to see it! Edit: What would happen if DS & RoG were refunded and I still owned hamlet and SW
1 - Maybe! Not sure if I'll do it on this channel or perhaps someday make a meta channel where I help other people make gaming videos, but it's something I've considered doing at some point. Just don't know when! 2 - Like for the little infographics? I found the base image of that background on the Klei forums at some point (I think). A few of the other borders, like for the "Subscribe" button thing I just drew myself using an iPad. 3 - At some point! Maybe I'll start to dabble more with DST once I finish the core RoG Beginner's Guide Series. Not sure yet. 4 - Do you mean the title screen? As far as I know, it's totally based on whatever the most recent DLC is that you have installed. I personally like the RoG and SW music more than Hamlet, but other than maybe a mod that can change it back, I don't think there's a way have it play the original music or show the original title screen stuff. Edit: If you refunded the base game I'm pretty sure none of it would work. Hamlet and SW REQUIRE the base game in order to function. You could uninstall the DLCs though to get the original game title screen active, which is what I did when I started making videos, and only added SW and Hamlet back in later.
@@salendrak Thanks for taking the time to respond this was helpful! I appreciate this very much!
Salendrak, this is a long comment, but I wanted to get your take on something, if possible. Been looking to get back into Don't Starve after many, man years, and this guide has been super helpful! The first time I played, I did everything blind and learned solely by dying time and time again. But now that I'm looking to get back into it, I've decided to get some tips and tricks this time :) Not sure if I should feel guilty about this, as in my initial playthroughs many years ago I refused to look up ANYTHING AT ALL (and died to every single new thing that would show up). That's my one issue with DS (or with me?), and Idk if it can be fixed. I want to do things blind, but then a few seasons in you learn beefalo go into heat, and BOOM you just died after a few hours of gameplay to learn that one piece of game knowledge. Then you start in Fall and spend hours and hours getting to spring, just to discover how wetness works, and now you spent hours just to learn that. I feel like it's just so punishing that every little thing in the game that's new to you can have a good chance of killing you. And there are A LOT of new things to learn. At first, the deaths quick and I didn't mind it. "Oh, hounds come get you around this day, gotta be prepared." "Oh, winter will causes these challenges, gotta prepare". But eventually there are SO many things that can kill you with very little room for forgiveness. On day 50, you might discover bats for the first time, and if you don't switch to armor fast enough, you can be dead in literal seconds. So that's my struggle. I like the idea of learning for myself, but there are SO many little things that can kill you, so anytime you see ANYTHING out of the ordinary you're thinking "OMG, I don't know what that does and it could end my 10 hour run." And also, it can be hard to find nuanced things. I played so many times and never discovered how to make perogies, or that you could hit butterflies with ease with CNTRL+F, or that you could transport moles, etc. Do you have any thoughts on this issue? Love your series btw. I can't believe you said the first video in this playlist was the first video you mad for KZhead (if I understood that right). Because your videos are just SO high quality, with editing, voiceover, pacing, information, absolutely everything is phenomenal, so to find out that episode 1 was your first vid made your KZhead was so shockingly impressive! Anyway, sorry for the long message, but thanks for the amazing content!
Honestly, I think it comes down to personal preference and how YOU like to approach games in general, and especially games where a little lack of knowledge will most definitely get you killed, potentially ending a run that was several hours of effort. For me personally, I actually enjoy learning about games from outside sources (video guides, wikis, etc), and then putting all that research into practice when I'm actually able to sit down and play the game. Part of this is simply the fact that my free game time is so limited these days (kids, life, etc) that I just don't have time to try to figure things out on my own. But part of it also is simply the fact that there are sooooo many non-intuitive mechanics in these games that I probably wouldn't ever figure stuff out on my own, and I don't particularly enjoy beating my head against walls over and over again. All that said, going in blind can certainly be fun, initially at least, and I plan to do that for one or two livestream sessions in Project Zomboid the first few weeks of may, but after that I'll probably start reading guides and stuff to learn how to play, and then see where things go from there. If you've already done plenty of blind play in Don't Starve, I would absolutely go ahead and watch guides, read the wiki, etc, so you can fully ENJOY the game, without the gnawing fear that one small gap in your game knowledge will end you world at any given moment. But again - it really does come down to personal preference. Games are meant to be fun, relaxing, entertaining, etc. If playing it one way gives you anxiety, figure out a way to mix things up so it really will just be entertainment!
@@salendrak Thank you so much for this well-thought-out reply. I almost missed it completely in my notifications, which would have been a real shame. This really does isolate the issues to their core components, re blind vs looking things up. i think you've helped me find a balance as I've returned to DS :) Thank you.
Looking forward to the Wigfrid section of the next vid. Do any of your videos contain info about the magic tab by any chance?
Nah, I haven't really covered the magic tab other than the offhand mention here and there. For the most part, I honestly don't use many items from the magic tab most of the time, except for maybe a darksword now and then. There's some interesting niche uses for certain items, but they're pretty optional. And of course Meat Effigies if you're worried about using up your touchstones or have used them already.
ur vids r so good
Thanks!
ThiS is the GreateSt gUide Ive evEr sEen siNce Dont starVe WaS reLeaSed... gUd. TrUly gUD!
And, AND, AAANNNNDDD - no pigs were harmed in the making of this video! ... ... ...I think......
BoNUs poIntS I GueSs?
In my opinion willow's downside in dst off getting more damage from cold is so little. You can just stand inside a burning tree and get a lot of warmth.
Agreed! I haven't played as her in DST much, but from what I understand it really isn't very bad. And certainly a WHOLE lot less painful than randomly burning you base (or boat) down in single player!
Your guides are amazing, keep it up. But also has anyone told you that Abigail died because she fell off a cliff? Wendy was hallucinating that Abigail just fell into a flower bush in the animated short and when her father comes and tell her to come inside, Wendy’s realisation hit her like a truck and accepts it.
Has that been confirmed though? I think all of the playing in the Wendy short was imagined, and as far as I know the only official word on how Abigail died is that it was under suspicious circumstances. Or something like that.
Oh, and the guy in the short is her father. Her uncle is actually Maxwell!
@@salendrak crap i got mixed up sorry lol, i meant to say her father, but yeah, lots of theories, imma stick with the cliff theory but its interesting to hear others sides
@@jrirch2089 I think it's a solid theory - that the daydream is part real part imagined. But knowing Klei they'll keep many aspects of the story shrouded in mystery!
@@salendrak yeah! Its exciting
You forgot to stress that when playing Hamlet with Willow you should make sure to not visit poor shopkeepers while being batshit-crazy ^^
I think the overall best advice with Hamlet is to simply NOT be Willow! 😆
I love your video's
Thanks!! 💖
can u make a video about all the dlcs? talking about the difficulties, the story on each, and which ones u recommend. thx!
Ooooh - that's a good idea! Like a compare and contrast video of all the different variations of Don't Starve? I like it!
I don't know about WX. I had a bad first experience with him. I started a RoG run with him, and it rained on the second day, for the entire day. Suffice to say, I took a lot of damage in that time, and didn't last much longer after that. His weakness to water is quite a drawback, and I'm certainly glad I didn't try him in Shipwrecked.
Yeah, the RNG of the early game can definitely make it tough, but once you get established and gobble some gears, he's quite powerful! And in shipwrecked, amassing large amounts of gears is really easy, and those gears are OP when eaten by WX! As for the rain issue, the key there for an early rainstorm is to get ANYTHING to add to your wetness protection. Even a pretty parasol and a straw hat will give you 70% protection, which will reduce the damage you take by the same amount! All that said, one of the great things about this game is there are so many characters, if one doesn't jive well with you, there are plenty of others to try!
_AHH yes._ *Another game from my golden age game collection >:)*
And - you got FIRST!!
@@salendrak yay~ ^^
I like WX cause he a robot, Webber cause spider go hiss, and Maxwell for obvious reasons :)
All three of of them have great "voice" sounds too!!
I died from blinking
Recommendation - eye drops!
Love the beginner series sohelpful as I am stupid
Well, given that Don't Starve does basically NOTHING to teach you how to play the game, and all sorts of things are completely non-intuitive, you definitely shouldn't feel stupid about anything! That said, I still make "stupid" mistakes all the time - but I learn to roll with it and still have fun!! It's all part of the experience!
Will you ever do a final character guide now that they're done updating the game?
For Reign of Giants? It doesn't get the character updates....
Honestly, my fav character is Wickerbottom. Crazily OP support in DST, very solid one in singleplayer. Her downsides are almost inexistent, the first one because she can just spawn more food, the second one because she doesn't really need to sleep.
Totally agree! I almost never use a sleeping structure / item on ANY character, and food freshness is really a non-issue, especially if you have bundling wraps.
Willow and Wendy are my fav to play 🥰
Willow? WILLOW?!?! ... ... ... ugh.... And yes, I still might be bitter 😆
@@salendrak 😂😂😂 i like to burn things... just so happen sometimes that includes my things 😂😂
@@NotAurichu willow mains be like: haha pyromania go brrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Cool video mannn I am playing like weeebber and it is super easy With 2 spider nest around the base and a lot of traps around you have basically infinite food Can’t find Chester though :(
Yeah, Webber is a favorite for a lot of people. Being friends with spiders is fun - as it making them have a civil war with each other LOL Hard to use Chester though with all the spiders around. If only there was a costume for the little guy so the spiders wouldn't keep trying to eat him!
Sir, I love your voice.
Thanks! 😊
Honestly I really like Willow?!? I have a RoG world on day 40 with her and there was only one time where she was low sanity enough to burn up something (which was a food item I meant to pick up). I make fire every night so it's really easy to keep sanity high and I wouldn't want to intentionally lower it to fight shadow creatures so win win for me.
Yeah, and with proper prep, going crazy is pretty manageable too. Before making this video I had never tried the sanity refueling station you can do with her. It's super effective!!
All those W’s
Rumor has it the trend started as a coincidence, and they just ran with it!
Do you have any advice on how to reliably activate system overload in single player? Hammering broken pseudoscience stations requires the ruins and is finite, and fighting moslings is only doable in spring. Tele staffs is late-game and needs lots of purple gems. Can’t think of any more, help appreciated!
Hands down, the best way to get TONS of overcharged is to visit Hamlet. There's a mob there that lives up to its name - the Thunderbird!
@@salendrak I’ll be sure to check it out, thanks. Would you know anything about Shipwrecked/RoG not linked to Hamlet, or is the best plan either above or hope for a random strike? I didn’t enable Hamlet in my RoG world, and I’m fairly certain there’s no way to change that
8:35, Jesus how did the dragonfly do 72 damage, one-shotting Willow, when she even had a head piece of armor on at 68% durability? Does Willow take extra damage for some reason or is that normal?
Beefalo hat isn't armor - something I had assumed for a while before learning that painful lesson way back in the day! 😆
Thank god they reworked wx he was op
And he's not now? (In DST anyways - single player doesn't get those reworks)
@@salendrak In don't starve together he's great and is basically a better Wilson but from how you described how he is in single player he sounds busted
Would be nice to see a DS ROG live play once per week. Hamlet's nice, but it's not ROG!! ;-]
Starting in the fall (when my youngest is in 1st grade instead of half-day kinder) I'll hopefully be able to bump up my schedule. A combo world is definitely in my future at some point, but maybe I'll also do a straight up RoG one too!
Is wagstaff in dspe
Unfortunately, no - he isn't. As far as I know, Wagstaff should be available on any platform that has the Hamlet DLC available, but so far as I know, they don't have Hamlet for pocket edition, and hence there isn't an option to be Wagstaff.
@@salendrak ok
Can't survive past their first year? Bro I can't survive more than 3 days 💀
Keep at it!!
@@salendrak I did it. I survived for 11 days straight until the whole spider army got pissed and murdered me.
Fun fact: Bernie's pronunciation sound is similar to "burny"
Hah! I never thought of that!!
Just made it past my first year in ds! But i played on baby settings so.....
Hey - progress is progress!!
This video has the best like - dislike ratio I have ever seen
Maybe they trolls haven't found me yet! 😆
I didn't notice all the characters names start with W.
All except Maxwell. But M is just an upside down W, and his real first name is William soooo....
@@salendrak Yeeep! Been binging your videos btw, lol. Keep up the good work!
Aayyyeeee
😁
make a guide on dont starve together
It's on the list - I'll get there eventually!!
Pog
WOOT!!
'just like most characters, he has bone in his hair'.. Wait, what?
How else do you think they maintain their hairdos in a wild environment?! Makes perfect sense!!
Just got the game for like $5 on PSN. Bro, me and 2 other people can't even pass day 15.
Keep at it! The game has a pretty steep learning curve when you're just getting starting, but learn a thing or two, get some experience, and soon you'll be breezing past obstacles that used to seem insurmountable!
i dont think it cause shes a child she hurts less because of walter
How old is Walter though? I'm not sure we know, but I'm pretty sure Wendy is only 10. Although technically, at least according to the wiki, her decreased combat damage is to balance the effect of Abigail. If she did regular damage and had Abigail's damage on top of that, it would be pretty OP! Oh, and I was a boy scout back in the day, and we could do some serious damage when we put our minds to it HAHAH!
U should speed out ur stuff so all of it won't charm on fire
That's certainly an option - but I personally like it to be pretty consolidated. And I practice good for safety... Usually!!
Sorry. Sorry.... My wife and I. 12:18 Again, so sorry.
Nooooooo the grammar!!! 😆
wiker op food book get nerf
Only in DST! Still the same in single player!
Oof. Can't relate. I've only ever played Willow. Had no issues. Imo, she's the best overall character. Having a hard time agreeing to the final opinions of... all the characters. :/ Love the rest of the guide vids tho. The character aspect is big off tho.
Only ever played Willow?! You should try the others - you don't know what you're missing out on!!
@@salendrak I've attempted multiple other characters. They're not as fun.
@@jentheend3624 Fair enough!