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Tools, items and character for when exploring the ruins first time


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First, are ruins suppose to be so hard that with almost any gear except perhaps thelucite to explore? I made pumpkin cookies for sanity and dragon pie for health. Is there some easy way to fend off the shadow creatures, because even from days of preparation I die eventually. When fighting the ruins guardian do I have to carry 20 mandrakes or a few pan flutes in order to not die? I have 55 slots RPG GUI mod to help but then to gather all the food for healing and sanity raise and then it spoils really fast before you can explore a chunk of the ruins? What do you take with you when you explore the ruins? I tried using the miner helmet but the fireflies aren't renewable. If I were to have dark armour and a dark sword it would drain my sanity. I mean my world is already messed up from this because from several deaths I did manage to get some resources from the ruins and now it's just boring. I'm planning to start a new world for exploring the new ruins.

What would be the best item set up for the ruins?
What would be the best character (except Maxwell and Wes, but inc. RoG characters) for the ruins?

Regards
Aqualight

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I'm no expert, but I'll share what I learned so far.

 

I use Wigfrid - Chester carries her meat if I'm using bunnymen, and her equipment and healing powers are very useful.  She can deal with shadow monsters and other mobs as long as she doesn't take on too many at once - you may need to lead them away from each other.  And if I'm having trouble I might go and fetch some bunnymen to help, even if all they do is cause a distraction.

 

The best tip I found was to use a Bush Hat during the Nightmare Cycle - find a spot not too near any lights or fissures and hide in it.  Only problem will be if there's an earthquake and something hits you, you'll have to re-hide.

 

I make a small base not too far from the rope, where I can still just see the flooring to get warning of the nightmare cycle and know when it's finished (I try to do this when hiding while exploring too, or be just in sight of a light so I can see it starting to close and know it's safe to move).  I make a crockpot, icebox and firepit (which I have prebuilt before going into the caves) and a box or two to store loot.  I make meatballs with berries/carrots/mushrooms and the monster meat I get.

 

I carry a lantern and a miner's helmet and use whichever suits my need at the time - I stock up on lightbulbs as I'm travelling through the caves, as you can use these to refuel either.  With the lantern, you can wear a helmet for armour, and put it on the ground if you're going to have to fight.  If I'm collecting resources or exploring I use the miner's hat so I can carry a walking cane or pickaxe/hammer.  Not sure what changes were made with RoG, but I assume you're using RoG anyway as you say to include those characters.

 

Other equipment - stones & gold so I can make extra helmets/spears.   Plenty of wood for log suits.  Food.  I don't carry healing items for Wigrid, unless I happen to collect some spider glands.

 

The important thing is not to rush, explore a bit at a time, don't take risks, and keep an eye on that nightmare cycle. 

 

I can't give any advice for the guardian as I haven't got that far yet (got bored with my world and restarted).

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Like Barbarian I have a base to retreat to, although mine consists of only a fire pit and is located back on the caves level right next to the hole to the Ruins. This means I can light a fire and take a break without having to worry about some monster stumbling into my camp (the occasional Depth Worms attack notwithstanding). I've occasionally entertained the idea of having a Crock Pot and Bird Cage to extend my trips but never actually built any.

 

I have a Snow Chester with me packed with green mushrooms (for sanity) and Bacon & Eggs that I leave at my camp site. Leaving the mushrooms uncooked will let it keep for a bit longer, and Snow Chester can help preserve both them and food together. Going into the Ruins is a very late game project for me, and by that time I rely heavily on Honey Poultices for healing (making regular visits to the swamp for Reeds and not using Honey for anything else); I usually have around 40-50 of them.

 

As Barbarian expressly stated, the key to using the Miner's Hat effectively lies in collecting Light Bulbs. I don't bother heading down to the Ruins until I've managed to secure a source of them at the Caves level. When in the Ruins pick only what's needed so that you don't end up with a rotting oversupply of Bulbs. My equipment is rounded out with a Log Suit and Walking Cane. I've experimented with having a Tam O'Shanter (to preserve sanity) together with a Log Suit and Lantern, but that makes exploration take longer and makes it hard to evade enemy attacks. For weaponry I use Tentacle Spikes and Spears, nothing special. Exploring only during autumn cuts down on the other items you need (Rain Coat/Eyebrella, Thermal Stones, Breezy Vest, etc) and allows you to focus only on armor, lighting and sanity (if you use the Tam O'Shanter).

 

I must add that my style is for short and planned trips as I don't bring enough to spend whole seasons underground, even though like you I also use RPG HUD 55. I keep exploring even during nightmare cycles so that I can find out where all the resources are (Slurpers, thulecite walls, the Pseudoscience Station, etc); having Splumonkeys, Depth Worms and Horrors chasing me across the entire map is pretty common. On subsequent trips I plan journeys to these locations, kill anything in the area, mine/harvest/use whatever is there, then return to the surface within 2-3 days.

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I also only explore caves/ruins during Autumn. I take a stack of Jerky with me for healing, sanity and hunger. I use a mod called Lunch Box and keep the jerky in there. For the most part, bunnymen don't seem to know what's in there so I'm pretty safe from them turning on me.  I almost only use the miner's helmet and collect lightbulbs as I go. I found bringing the Tam with me only uses up a slot and that I'll almost never use it.

 

When I'm in the Ruins, I run! Lol. Sounds simple but really isn't with all the shadow creatures following me around. Once the nightmare cycle ends I turn around and pick up all the fuel that's left behind. I always carry these items when going into the caves or ruins.

 

Walking Cane (equipped)

Log Armor (equipped)

Tentacle Spike

Spear

Miner's Helmet (equipped)

Twigs (20)

Cut Grass (40)

Logs (20-30)

Spare Log Armor (2)

Lunch Box (Jerky, 3 open slots for Glow Berries, Light Bulbs, Green Shrooms I acquire while in the caves) 

Opulent Pickaxe

Hammer

 

I try to keep as many open inventory slots that I can so I can get as much loot down there as possible.

 

As for the Ancient Guardian, I've been pretty lucky. I almost always seem to find him In the maze of roads with the Dangling Depth Dwellers are. What I can usually do is run him into some of the Nightmare Lights and get a few hits in, trying to stay out of his way in case he charges (somehow I'll still get hit every third or fourth ram). Sometimes, I can get him hung up between the Lights and the edge of the path or the pillars that are around there and I can just wail on him. Be careful that he's not too close to the edge or his drops might fall off and never be seen again!

 

Also, what I've done is found a ton of tentacle spikes in the upper cave and brought a bunch down. I put a few at the entrances to the larger sections so in case I'm needing a replacement I can easily go grab one without having to go back up to the caves.

 

Take your time, leave while you still have healing stuff and food, cause when you get back to the surface, you'll probably be facing hounds or a Giant is on the way. And most importantly..... Have fun and don't die! (Easier said than done)

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I skink at caves still, so not much contribution from me. Barbarian nailed it IMHO and the only few things I can think of adding not mentioned here:

 

The lantern can be dropped and kept lit, so you can fight while still having a light source and not have to worry about using a tam or Helmet for defense for example.

 

The whole bacon and eggs/mini-camp with ice box was already mentioned a lot as well as the Bush hat for the Nightmare Cycle, but if you can survive them, the dropped fuel from nightmares can be used as a fuel source as well. After a while, you just start swimming in it.

 

And assuming you took care of food from the tips, have you considered using Fur/Straw rolls when a tam and Mushrooms won't help your Sanity regen?

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I play wx-78, because its the easiest one to play, +(not sure about that) when you hammer science station lightning strikes and you get all your health back,

 

I use insulated backpack, walking cane and mogles, in chester I put all my loot or things that I use rarely, I ALWAYS try to have bush hat to hide while nightmares are lurking around, is good to have sewing kit in case you run out of glowberies, for me lantern is must have as well, because while wearing bush hat you cant use mogles.

 

As for the guardian I fought him only one time, but that was my easiest boss fight: he ran in to one of the nightmare lights and got stuck, because he could fit between the nightmare light and cave wall, so I could easily take him down without getting damaged.

 

I also have base near ruins exit with 4 farms and some beehives, both fire pits, ice box, and a tent. i grow trees near my base, so I can get wood without getting to the surface. Bird cage is recomended, so you would have renewable seeds.

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I play wx-78, because its the easiest one to play, +(not sure about that) when you hammer science station lightning strikes and you get all your health back,

 

I use insulated backpack, walking cane and mogles, in chester I put all my loot or things that I use rarely, I ALWAYS try to have bush hat to hide while nightmares are lurking around, is good to have sewing kit in case you run out of glowberies, for me lantern is must have as well, because while wearing bush hat you cant use mogles.

 

As for the guardian I fought him only one time, but that was my easiest boss fight: he ran in to one of the nightmare lights and got stuck, because he could fit between the nightmare light and cave wall, so I could easily take him down without getting damaged.

 

I also have base near ruins exit with 4 farms and some beehives, both fire pits, ice box, and a tent. i grow trees near my base, so I can get wood without getting to the surface. Bird cage is recomended, so you would have renewable seeds.

Just remember to use a raincoat when you don't want to be struck by lightning. And there are times when you don't want to mess with your sanity, health or not. 

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I have a bush hat and an amulet. When the cycle is going to start I hide in the hat and go make myself some tea and biscuits.

 

The only other things I can think of is that I think jerky is the perfect food for caving because it restores sanity, hp, and hunger.  NEVER WEAR A BACKPACK WHILE CAVING - USE ARMOUR ALLLLLLL THE TIME - NOT DOING SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR DEATH. Ahem and use the miners hat, it's refillable and leaves your hands free - perfect for caving.

 

Never use the lantern, it is inferior to the miners hat.

 

Always use a walking cane because swag.

 

Always use gold tools because swag.

 

Always play Wilson he is the best and his beard is swag.

 

Always collect lightbulbs to refill your miners hat, light = swag.

 

Don't Starve

 

 

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I have a bush hat and an amulet. When the cycle is going to start I hide in the hat and go make myself some tea and biscuits.

 

The only other things I can think of is that I think jerky is the perfect food for caving because it restores sanity, hp, and hunger.  NEVER WEAR A BACKPACK WHILE CAVING - USE ARMOUR ALLLLLLL THE TIME - NOT DOING SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR DEATH. Ahem and use the miners hat, it's refillable and leaves your hands free - perfect for caving.

 

Never use the lantern, it is inferior to the miners hat.

 

Always use a walking cane because swag.

 

Always use gold tools because swag.

 

Always play Wilson he is the best and his beard is swag.

 

Always collect lightbulbs to refill your miners hat, light = swag.

 

Don't Starve

Don't be silly. You can also use headgear as armor and use a lantern with your backpacks. And while Jerky is  all-in-one, bacon and Eggs restore hunger much better. Jerky should be topping off food which doubles as healing/sanity restoring when not using fur rolls and tents.

 

Lanterns are also refillable and can be dropped to allow hands free combat. 

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Don't be silly. You can also use headgear as armor and use a lantern with your backpacks. And while Jerky is  all-in-one, bacon and Eggs restore hunger much better. Jerky should be topping off food which doubles as healing/sanity restoring when not using fur rolls and tents.

 

Lanterns are also refillable and can be dropped to allow hands free combat. 

 

I hate having to switch between things when using a lantern. I just find the miners hat so much more, efficient... Plus when I use the lantern I can't use the walking cane, so I feel really damn slow.

 

Maybe it's just me

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I prefer to go with just a pickaxe, a lantern (drop it in case of win-able combat), a weapon of course, a log suit, a helmet for combat, a dapper shanter for sanity regeneration, some food (preferably honey ham/dragon pie), and of course the heroic Chester*.

 

As for character, you can go with anyone really, but I greatly recommend you to not take Wolfgang, since he wets himself all the time because of the dark.

 

Use a berry bush during nightmares, or stick around out in the mud fields and collect light bulbs. Stay away from all those hairy beasts, the ones which light up when moving as much as the ones which throw around with their own biodigestive by-products.

 

*don't take him to loot the labyrinth, since he'll either get swarmed by danglers inside or worms at the entrance.

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I have a bush hat and an amulet. When the cycle is going to start I hide in the hat and go make myself some tea and biscuits.

 

The only other things I can think of is that I think jerky is the perfect food for caving because it restores sanity, hp, and hunger.  NEVER WEAR A BACKPACK WHILE CAVING - USE ARMOUR ALLLLLLL THE TIME - NOT DOING SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR DEATH. Ahem and use the miners hat, it's refillable and leaves your hands free - perfect for caving.

 

Never use the lantern, it is inferior to the miners hat.

 

Always use a walking cane because swag.

 

Always use gold tools because swag.

 

Always play Wilson he is the best and his beard is swag.

 

Always collect lightbulbs to refill your miners hat, light = swag.

 

Don't Starve

About armor and backpack, thanks for the tip and it maybe helpful to others but in my case as I've mentioned I have RPG Hud mod which gives you additional backpack slot so you can wear a backpack and armor.

Thanks for the replies, I read the don't starve wiki very often but before reading the replies I never knew Bush Hat even existed. And for the nightmare cycle, well in the ruins I just fought the nightmare creatures and kept exploring through all the cycle. I'm not sure if this is a bug for me or real, but in caves and ruins my items never get water-logged, soaked or soggy and the rain meter is not even there, but as soon as I get out to the surface the rain meter is full and all items almost instantly become soggy etc.

I think I'm going to use Wigfrid then. I'm gonna get Snow Chester, however, are there any mods that vastly reduce spoiling rates because honestly, this game has Jerky spoil in 20 days, but in reality in spoils in 1 to 2 years. That's just extreme.

Regards

Aqualight

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