Beefalo Clothing System

The Beefalo Clothing system in Don't Starve Together provides cosmetic customization options for domesticated beefalo. This system allows players to dress up their beefalo companions with various themed clothing sets, offering visual personalization without affecting gameplay mechanics.

Version History

Build Version	Change Date	Change Type	Description
676042	2025-06-21	stable	Updated documentation to match current implementation and corrected symbol override details

Overview

The beefalo clothing system serves multiple purposes:

• Cosmetic Customization: Allows players to personalize their beefalo's appearance
• Collection Gameplay: Provides collectible items through various acquisition methods
• Visual Identity: Helps distinguish domesticated beefalo from wild ones
• Themed Sets: Offers cohesive visual themes across different clothing pieces

The system is purely cosmetic and does not affect beefalo stats, behavior, or gameplay mechanics.

Core Architecture

Clothing Structure

Each beefalo clothing item follows a standardized structure:

beefalo_clothing_item = {
    type = "clothing_type",           -- Body part category
    skin_tags = { "TAG1", "TAG2" },   -- Classification tags
    symbol_overrides = { "symbol1", "symbol2" }, -- Graphics to replace
    symbol_hides = { "symbol3" },     -- Graphics to hide (optional)
    rarity = "rarity_level",          -- Item rarity
    rarity_modifier = "modifier",     -- Special rarity modifier (optional)
    release_group = number,           -- Release batch identifier
}

Clothing Properties

Property	Type	Description
type	String	Clothing category (beef_body, beef_feet, beef_head, beef_horn, beef_tail)
skin_tags	Array	Tags for categorization and filtering
symbol_overrides	Array	Animation symbols to replace with clothing graphics
symbol_hides	Array	Animation symbols to hide when clothing is equipped
rarity	String	Item rarity level (Complimentary, Spiffy, Distinguished, Elegant)
rarity_modifier	String	Special modifier like "Woven" for premium items
release_group	Number	Identifies which content update introduced the item

Clothing Categories

Body Parts

The beefalo clothing system covers five distinct body parts:

Type	Slot	Description	Symbol Overrides
beef_body	Body	Main torso clothing	beefalo_body, beefalo_body_heat
beef_feet	Feet	Hoof coverings	beefalo_hoof
beef_head	Head	Facial modifications	beefalo_beard, beefalo_facebase, beefalo_headbase, etc.
beef_horn	Horn	Horn decorations	beefalo_antler
beef_tail	Tail	Tail accessories	beefalo_tail

Clothing Themes

All clothing items are organized into thematic sets:

Beast Theme

Wild, primitive appearance with natural materials.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_beast	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_beast	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_beast	Complimentary	Includes beefalo_eye override
Horn	beefalo_horn_beast	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_beast	Complimentary

Doll Theme

Cute, toy-like appearance with fabric textures.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_doll	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_doll	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_doll	Complimentary	Does not override beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_doll	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_doll	Complimentary

Festive Theme

Holiday-themed decorations and colors.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_festive	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_festive	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_festive	Complimentary	Does not override beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_festive	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_festive	Complimentary

Formal Theme

Elegant, dress-up appearance for special occasions.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_formal	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_formal	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_formal	Complimentary	Does not override beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_formal	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_formal	Complimentary

Ice Theme

Frozen, crystalline appearance with cool colors.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_ice	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_ice	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_ice	Complimentary	Hides beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_ice	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_ice	Complimentary

Lunar Theme ⭐

Premium woven set with celestial motifs.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Modifier	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_lunar	Distinguished	Woven
Feet	beefalo_feet_lunar	Spiffy	Woven
Head	beefalo_head_lunar	Elegant	Woven	Does not override beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_lunar	Distinguished	Woven
Tail	beefalo_tail_lunar	Spiffy	Woven

Nature Theme

Natural, plant-based appearance with earthy tones.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_nature	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_nature	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_nature	Complimentary	Hides beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_nature	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_nature	Complimentary

Robot Theme

Mechanical, futuristic appearance with metallic textures.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_robot	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_robot	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_robot	Complimentary	Does not override beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_robot	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_robot	Complimentary

Shadow Theme ⭐

Premium woven set with dark, mystical appearance.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Modifier	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_shadow	Distinguished	Woven
Feet	beefalo_feet_shadow	Spiffy	Woven
Head	beefalo_head_shadow	Elegant	Woven	Does not override beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_shadow	Distinguished	Woven
Tail	beefalo_tail_shadow	Spiffy	Woven

Victorian Theme

Classic, vintage appearance with period-appropriate styling.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_victorian	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_victorian	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_victorian	Complimentary	Does not override beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_victorian	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_victorian	Complimentary

War Theme

Military, armored appearance with battle-ready styling.

Slot	Item Name	Rarity	Special Notes
Body	beefalo_body_war	Complimentary
Feet	beefalo_feet_war	Complimentary
Head	beefalo_head_war	Complimentary	Does not override beefalo_eye
Horn	beefalo_horn_war	Complimentary
Tail	beefalo_tail_war	Complimentary

Rarity System

Rarity Levels

The clothing system uses a four-tier rarity system:

Rarity	Description	Acquisition
Complimentary	Standard items freely available	Various in-game methods
Spiffy	Uncommon items with enhanced appearance	Special events or drops
Distinguished	Rare items with unique designs	Premium content or achievements
Elegant	Ultra-rare items with exceptional quality	Exclusive content or limited releases

Rarity Modifiers

Special modifiers can enhance rarity:

Modifier	Description	Examples
Woven	Premium items obtained through special weaving system	Lunar and Shadow sets

Release Groups

Items are organized by release groups for content management:

Release Group	Description	Themes Included
112	Initial beefalo clothing release	Beast, Doll, Festive, Formal, Ice, Nature, Robot, Victorian, War
158	Premium woven clothing update	Lunar, Shadow

Implementation Usage

Accessing Clothing Data

-- Get all beefalo clothing items
local clothing = require("beefalo_clothing")

-- Access specific clothing item
local lunar_body = BEEFALO_CLOTHING["beefalo_body_lunar"]
print("Type:", lunar_body.type)
print("Rarity:", lunar_body.rarity)
print("Modifier:", lunar_body.rarity_modifier)

Filtering by Category

-- Get all body clothing
local function GetBodyClothing()
    local body_items = {}
    for name, item in pairs(BEEFALO_CLOTHING) do
        if item.type == "beef_body" then
            body_items[name] = item
        end
    end
    return body_items
end

Filtering by Theme

-- Get all items from a specific theme
local function GetThemeItems(theme)
    local theme_items = {}
    for name, item in pairs(BEEFALO_CLOTHING) do
        if string.find(name, "_" .. theme .. "$") then
            theme_items[name] = item
        end
    end
    return theme_items
end

-- Get all lunar theme items
local lunar_items = GetThemeItems("lunar")

Rarity Filtering

-- Get items by rarity
local function GetItemsByRarity(rarity, modifier)
    local filtered_items = {}
    for name, item in pairs(BEEFALO_CLOTHING) do
        if item.rarity == rarity then
            if not modifier or item.rarity_modifier == modifier then
                filtered_items[name] = item
            end
        end
    end
    return filtered_items
end

-- Get all woven items
local woven_items = GetItemsByRarity(nil, "Woven")

Symbol Management

Symbol Override System

The clothing system uses symbol overrides to replace beefalo graphics. Each head item has a different set of symbol overrides:

-- Access symbol override data
print("Override symbols:")
for symbol in pairs(BEEFALO_CLOTHING_SYMBOLS) do
    print("  " .. symbol)
end

-- Check if symbol is used by clothing
local function IsClothingSymbol(symbol)
    return BEEFALO_CLOTHING_SYMBOLS[symbol] == true
end

-- Example: Compare head item symbol overrides
local beast_head = BEEFALO_CLOTHING["beefalo_head_beast"]
local doll_head = BEEFALO_CLOTHING["beefalo_head_doll"]

print("Beast head symbols:", table.concat(beast_head.symbol_overrides, ", "))
-- Output: beefalo_beard, beefalo_eye, beefalo_facebase, beefalo_headbase, beefalo_jowls, beefalo_lip_crease, beefalo_mouthmouth, beefalo_nose, beffalo_lips

print("Doll head symbols:", table.concat(doll_head.symbol_overrides, ", "))
-- Output: beefalo_beard, beefalo_facebase, beefalo_headbase, beefalo_jowls, beefalo_lip_crease, beefalo_mouthmouth, beefalo_nose, beffalo_lips
-- Note: Does not include beefalo_eye

Symbol Hiding System

Some clothing items hide specific symbols:

-- Access symbol hide data
print("Hidden symbols:")
for symbol in pairs(BEEFALO_HIDE_SYMBOLS) do
    print("  " .. symbol)
end

-- Check if symbol is hidden by clothing
local function IsHiddenSymbol(symbol)
    return BEEFALO_HIDE_SYMBOLS[symbol] == true
end

Complete Theme Sets

-- Validate complete theme set
local function HasCompleteSet(theme)
    local required_types = {"beef_body", "beef_feet", "beef_head", "beef_horn", "beef_tail"}
    for _, clothing_type in ipairs(required_types) do
        local item_name = "beefalo_" .. clothing_type:sub(6) .. "_" .. theme
        if not BEEFALO_CLOTHING[item_name] then
            return false
        end
    end
    return true
end

Animation Integration

Symbol Replacement

-- Apply clothing symbols to beefalo animation
local function ApplyClothing(beefalo, clothing_item)
    if clothing_item.symbol_overrides then
        for _, symbol in ipairs(clothing_item.symbol_overrides) do
            beefalo.AnimState:OverrideSymbol(symbol, clothing_item.build, symbol)
        end
    end
    
    if clothing_item.symbol_hides then
        for _, symbol in ipairs(clothing_item.symbol_hides) do
            beefalo.AnimState:HideSymbol(symbol)
        end
    end
end

Clothing Removal

-- Remove clothing and restore original symbols
local function RemoveClothing(beefalo, clothing_item)
    if clothing_item.symbol_overrides then
        for _, symbol in ipairs(clothing_item.symbol_overrides) do
            beefalo.AnimState:ClearOverrideSymbol(symbol)
        end
    end
    
    if clothing_item.symbol_hides then
        for _, symbol in ipairs(clothing_item.symbol_hides) do
            beefalo.AnimState:ShowSymbol(symbol)
        end
    end
end

Best Practices

1. Theme Consistency

-- Good: Apply complete theme sets
local function ApplyThemeSet(beefalo, theme)
    local types = {"body", "feet", "head", "horn", "tail"}
    for _, part in ipairs(types) do
        local item_name = "beefalo_" .. part .. "_" .. theme
        local clothing = BEEFALO_CLOTHING[item_name]
        if clothing then
            ApplyClothing(beefalo, clothing)
        end
    end
end

-- Bad: Mixing incompatible themes
-- ApplyClothing(beefalo, BEEFALO_CLOTHING["beefalo_body_formal"])
-- ApplyClothing(beefalo, BEEFALO_CLOTHING["beefalo_head_robot"]) -- Visual mismatch!

2. Rarity-Based Availability

-- Control clothing availability based on rarity
local function CanUnlockClothing(player, clothing_item)
    if clothing_item.rarity == "Complimentary" then
        return true -- Always available
    elseif clothing_item.rarity_modifier == "Woven" then
        return player:HasWeavingAccess() -- Check special access
    else
        return player:HasRarityUnlocked(clothing_item.rarity)
    end
end

3. Performance Optimization

-- Cache clothing lookups for frequently accessed data
local clothing_cache = {}

local function GetClothingByType(clothing_type)
    if not clothing_cache[clothing_type] then
        clothing_cache[clothing_type] = {}
        for name, item in pairs(BEEFALO_CLOTHING) do
            if item.type == clothing_type then
                clothing_cache[clothing_type][name] = item
            end
        end
    end
    return clothing_cache[clothing_type]
end

4. Validation

-- Validate clothing data integrity
local function ValidateClothingItem(name, item)
    local required_fields = {"type", "skin_tags", "symbol_overrides", "rarity", "release_group"}
    for _, field in ipairs(required_fields) do
        if not item[field] then
            print("Warning: Missing field '" .. field .. "' in " .. name)
            return false
        end
    end
    return true
end

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Clothing not appearing: Check that symbol overrides are correctly applied

-- Debug clothing application
local function DebugClothing(beefalo, clothing_item)
    print("Applying clothing:", clothing_item.type)
    for _, symbol in ipairs(clothing_item.symbol_overrides) do
        print("  Override symbol:", symbol)
        -- Verify override was applied
        if beefalo.AnimState:IsSymbolOverridden(symbol) then
            print("    ✓ Applied successfully")
        else
            print("    ✗ Override failed")
        end
    end
end

Symbol conflicts: Ensure clothing items don't conflict with other overrides

-- Check for symbol conflicts
local function CheckSymbolConflicts(clothing1, clothing2)
    local conflicts = {}
    for _, symbol1 in ipairs(clothing1.symbol_overrides) do
        for _, symbol2 in ipairs(clothing2.symbol_overrides) do
            if symbol1 == symbol2 then
                table.insert(conflicts, symbol1)
            end
        end
    end
    return conflicts
end

Missing clothing data: Verify clothing item exists

-- Safe clothing access
local function GetClothingSafe(item_name)
    local clothing = BEEFALO_CLOTHING[item_name]
    if not clothing then
        print("Warning: Clothing item not found:", item_name)
        return nil
    end
    return clothing
end

Debugging Tools

-- Comprehensive clothing debug information
local function DebugClothingSystem()
    print("=== Beefalo Clothing Debug ===")
    print("Total clothing items:", GetTableSize(BEEFALO_CLOTHING))
    
    local type_counts = {}
    local rarity_counts = {}
    local theme_counts = {}
    
    for name, item in pairs(BEEFALO_CLOTHING) do
        -- Count by type
        type_counts[item.type] = (type_counts[item.type] or 0) + 1
        
        -- Count by rarity
        local rarity_key = item.rarity .. (item.rarity_modifier and ("_" .. item.rarity_modifier) or "")
        rarity_counts[rarity_key] = (rarity_counts[rarity_key] or 0) + 1
        
        -- Count by theme
        local theme = name:match("_([^_]+)$")
        if theme then
            theme_counts[theme] = (theme_counts[theme] or 0) + 1
        end
    end
    
    print("\nBy Type:")
    for type_name, count in pairs(type_counts) do
        print("  " .. type_name .. ": " .. count)
    end
    
    print("\nBy Rarity:")
    for rarity, count in pairs(rarity_counts) do
        print("  " .. rarity .. ": " .. count)
    end
    
    print("\nBy Theme:")
    for theme, count in pairs(theme_counts) do
        print("  " .. theme .. ": " .. count)
    end
    
    print("\nSymbol Statistics:")
    print("  Override symbols:", GetTableSize(BEEFALO_CLOTHING_SYMBOLS))
    print("  Hidden symbols:", GetTableSize(BEEFALO_HIDE_SYMBOLS))
end

See Also

• Character Systems - Player progression and unlockables
• Clothing System - Human character clothing
• Skins System - General skin system
• Beefalo Domestication - Beefalo taming mechanics