What Do You Do In The Beginning?

[the truthseeker]

I play very similar to Estel and Fdru listed. I play nomadicly gathering all resources from my starting area or look for a green grasslands (the mixed resources place with the twigs, grass, berries, flint, that often is near where you start at that swatch.) I gather at least two stacks of grass and one stack of sticks (often two stacks of sticks.) While doing this, i chop down two to three large trees and when night hits, I make a campfire and cook my gathered berries (and sometimes seeds) for more hunger restoration, then make a torch and continue exploring after eating. Generally i avoid harvesting carrots saving them for emergencies and/or winter. If I find a little gold, when I have the resources I make a science machine, backpack, shovel, 5 ropes, a spear, logsuit, hammer and a sign to be able to mark stuff I want but can't get and want to go back later. Signs can be pre-made so i don't have to place it when I make it then.  I then hammer the science machine and continue exploring. If I find enough gold, I also pre-make an alchemy engine and chest before hammering it. If lucky, I make healing salve (finding a spider's nest before making the science machine) or make one again to learn it and hammer it again if I find it later on. 

 

 

I continue exploring the area until I find either beefalo or enough pigs and flowers or a lot of expendable food for manure then I look for a close by grasslands or desert savanna near a road to make a permanent camp. All of this takes around 5-9 days to accomplish and i often find many Boons and Things along my journey 

 

 

If I have the space, sometimes I even save up a third stack of grass  if I find a place with a lot of rabbits (Dessert) I make as many traps as I can (why I need so much grass) often one or maybe two traps per hole (any more they fail or don't catch rabbits) which can not only help stockpile food and building a future Presdihatinator, it can help with gathering and killing innocent rabbits for Krampus quickly later.

If i can, I could even go up to 25-26 traps if I have the time (and why you could need two stacks of sticks and definately up to three stacks of grass then.) 

 

 

Finally, once camp is established, i make sure I have my (pre made) alchemy engine, fire pit and chests set. Since my traps are ready, I now can focus on planting-burning trees a bit away for multiple drying racks and one (or more) crock pot(s.) If I have the time, i can also dig graves and look for Maxwell's Ches Biome so I can get gears for an ice Box. 

 

If playing WX-78 however, I find it easier just to stay Nomadic and get the Things and leave before winter starts so I can use the gathered gears to upgrade first; then I follow these above  steps for the second world, ready to make camp in the first couple of days since a lot of stuff is pre-made or gathered already before I left. Once one learns to stay nomadic for a number of extended days, this is quite easy to do, the only thing to look out for with WX-78 is his lowered stats (until you find gears of course.) 

[TeoSS69]

Things i learned through the months:

Starting to make a garland before losing 60 sanity is a waste for making one the first time will give 75 sanity.

Chopping down 6 big trees and 1 middle one will give you a full stack of logs and use your axe fully.

Pick rocks on the ground if there are, instead of mining the boulders nearby. That way you won't have over-abundance of rocks and the boulders are marked on your map, unlike the rocks on the ground, for you to come back when needing them. 

Don't make gold tools until you're left with only 20 flint. Gold is better used on things like,SM and AE, lightning rod, ice box and bird cage.

If you stumble upon a forest with level 1 spiders, destroy all the dens! 3 spiders are easy to cut, and better hit the dens while they're still in their first tier. That means you'll get plenty of silk.

When hitting a beehive and running away from the killer bees, wait for them to lose interest in you and follow them back to the hive. You'll notice that once they enter it, they'll come out immediately as normal bees, letting you destroy the hive in piece, and more bees to catch with the net.
 
If you find points of interest with useful items but your hands are full make a trap to mark the spot on the map, and come back for it later.
 

[the truthseeker]

Regarding Garlands:

 

 

They are used until you can make better hats like the Silk Hat (until winter and the Tam 'O Shanter shows up of course.) Don't pick all 12 flowers and make the hat immediately. Just pick the flowers needed the next day to recover sanity (and use prototypes not requiring a machine the next day when you can those first days if possible.) When finally at 12 flowers if (mostly full or ) full on sanity, save making the hat until the next day to gain the prototype sanity bonus. The silk hat also will be useful for your Presdihatinator so it has uses to learn early on, even if used in a created and hammered (nomadic) science machine only.  

[Semigod]

For me, it is boring to search always for a perfect spot to set up a base. I'm placing my home in the first grassland big enough to have room for my base (mostly huge ones..), and then.. I just fit my playstyle to the neighbourhood ;p

When I find good spot I make pitchfork and "edge" my base. Then I prearrange where all zones of my base would be. Those are: trapped beefees, pigs, bees, crocks/racks, farms, twigs/grass, spiders/bunnys, panic room, main room. Then I start to build. It usualy takes about 100-150 days to finish most ;D And this is what I consider a beginning

 

Also, I'm always setting my world to full-all so it's little HC at first days when tallbirds/spiders are all over and a treeguard is showing every 10 cutted trees...

 

Sorry about my grammar, I'm not a native english user

[Crown_king]

i go punch a tier 3 spider nest to death

[Blucher]

I wait until I find a cave entrance and build my camp at the best spot near there, with the "best spot" being either on a frog pond and/or near 4+ rabbit holes.  Being near a cave entrance is the only must have item on my list though.

[the truthseeker]

For me, it is boring to search always for a perfect spot to set up a base. I'm placing my home in the first grassland big enough to have room for my base (mostly huge ones..), and then.. I just fit my playstyle to the neighbourhood ;p

When I find good spot I make pitchfork and "edge" my base. Then I prearrange where all zones of my base would be. Those are: trapped beefees, pigs, bees, crocks/racks, farms, twigs/grass, spiders/bunnys, panic room, main room. Then I start to build. It usualy takes about 100-150 days to finish most ;D And this is what I consider a beginning

 

Also, I'm always setting my world to full-all so it's little HC at first days when tallbirds/spiders are all over and a treeguard is showing every 10 cutted trees...

 

Sorry about my grammar, I'm not a native english user

 

 

And if you find a better place, just build there leaving the fire pit and possibly chest and sometimes walls as a "forward operating base" for things you want to fight but not in your main base (eg Krampus, Deerclops, etc.) 

[Semigod]

And if you find a better place, just build there leaving the fire pit and possibly chest and sometimes walls as a "forward operating base" for things you want to fight but not in your main base (eg Krampus, Deerclops, etc.) 

Probably I could do this but only if my first base is complete. But it never happens, there is always something more to do

 

But thanks to You I have an idea. I'll have to add some kind of second smaller base, couple of hours from my main. Just in case of deerclops and/or other annoying stuff..

[Zourin]

Days 1-5: Wander and collect what I can. A stack of Grass and Twigs are a max (until I establish a camp). Carrots, berries, and seeds as I go. If given the chance, go ahead and pick up a stack of logs and two stacks of rocks. Travel along roads ONLY at night, but explore/scavenge during the day.

 

Follow the roads as much as possible, crossing biomes as quickly as possible to find Beefalo OR Pigs, Frog ponds/Beehives, Spiders. Finding sources of Poop and Silk is mandatory before settling down.

 

Set up in the nearest grassland that has Berries, Twigs, and Grass nearby (easy local supply) in proximity to the Frogs. From there it's a resource and build race before winter to establish as much food as possible.

 

If I cannot find a source of silk, manure, and gears within five days, I will give up on the world and reroll. I've lost too much time.

 

Days 6-13: Spent in a frenzy of harvesting and building a crockpot, fridge, 2-3 chests, 4-6 drying racks, 1 advanced farm, and as many basic farms as possible. Silk collection is also on the list.

 

Day 14-15: Frog blitz, and a seed/manure dump on the advanced farm before winter settles in. Craft a heat stone, wool cap, a logsuit, and a spear and go koalephant hunting before winter sets in full.

 

First Winter: Survive on Meatballs/Froggle bunwiches for travel (usually for firewood). If I have no pressing needs, I will make Meaty Stew and use a Tent to fast-forward through the night. Most of winter is spent setting up a logging camp away from base camp (with Pigs huts if available)

 

I also remove my vest/cap when around fires to preserve their durability. I leave the backpack at home through winter

 

Second summer is spent building more farms, ~3 beehives, replanting berries/grass/twigs, relocating a spider den or two (to somewhere more accessible), and getting a caged bird to deal with spoiling meat/farming. Craft a sewing kit and use the leftover teeth to establish a kill-zone camp for red hounds/angry beefalo.

 

Second winter is a LOT of time spent at the lumber camp, because my major project is usually wood flooring and log walls. I don't opt for stone because A) deerclops doesn't care and B) I won't fight red hounds in my base

[gummie]

Those were really long guidelines there. Me? I just go on berry picking contest vs gobblers. I just love to see them get mesmerized by a veggie on ground and smite them with my axe and get the spoils of my victory 

[dharthoorn]

Everything except the bare essentials is on hold until I find gold to make a science machine. The start is also the most stressful for me because I have had plays wandering DAYS without encountering gold. Do NOT disturb me at my PC at this point because I bite. Seriously.

 

Once I have a reasonable supply of gold I'll settle somewhere central, near rabbits/beefalo if at all possible.

 

From then on I'm usually fine.

Apart from getting killed mauled/eaten/smashed to a pulp by monsters or buttraped by beefalo in heat.

[the truthseeker]

Probably I could do this but only if my first base is complete. But it never happens, there is always something more to do

 

But thanks to You I have an idea. I'll have to add some kind of second smaller base, couple of hours from my main. Just in case of deerclops and/or other annoying stuff..

 

Cant take the credit. many other have made/discussed 'fallback bases" before me, including this guide I like on Steam. Although i don't like the term FOB. reminds me of a keychain

 

(And to save double posting,) I also like Zourin's tips above (apologies for not quoting it but it's long,) I do have one suggestion: If you find you can't the stuff in five days, try going nomadic, finding the Things and leaving before winter. That way you can leave with an inventory full of of materials ready to start on day one, World 2 (and if you make and hammer Machines, you can also leave with Pre-fab stuff too.) 

[chicorita126]

I just go to the savannas where there are a bunch of grass and rabbits.

Those places are very vast and since there are some beefalos, I don't have a bad time with those hounds.

 

At summer, I would place as many drying racks(they save flowers), put traps right above those holes and travel other places to plant more grass and saplings.

In winter, I would just stay in my camp, just checking those traps to get food just for a day and making small jerkies for a few days.

 

And Krampus.... I have done this for good whole 3 weeks and I haven't seen a glimpse of him. Maybe since it was winter, I suppose?

 

I haven't played that long, since my computer automatically backs up and my saves are always erased, making me start from day 1 everyday....  So the longest playtime was day 50.(done this for 10 straight hours, which killed Wilson's and my sanity)

But I haven't died so far in the standard mode, though I have some perils like forgetting to turn on the fire at night.(haha?)

 

So following this would be a bit useful for those who don't have any idea for survival in winter.

[Zourin]

There are two types of savannah.

 

One type has a lot of grass and rabbit holes, the other type has less grass, very few rabbit holes and beefalo.

 

There are also four types of 'meadow'. Normal meadows have a healthy supply of berries, carrots, grass, twigs, flint, and sparse trees.

 

Then there are the 'Mandrake' meadows that have very little food.

 

Then there are Frog/Bee meadows where you'll (obviously) find clusters of frog ponds and beehives. There are a lot of flowers here, but very few grass, twigs, and trees.

 

Then there are the killer-bee meadows. You probably know what's there already: Almost nothing but huge killer bee clusters.

 

 

The first type of meadow is one of the best places to set up camp, since you don't have to replant the nearby resources, and berry bushes are usually well-scattered against gobbler annihilation.

[the truthseeker]

There are two types of savannah.

 

One type has a lot of grass and rabbit holes, the other type has less grass, very few rabbit holes and beefalo.

 

There are also four types of 'meadow'. Normal meadows have a healthy supply of berries, carrots, grass, twigs, flint, and sparse trees.

 

Then there are the 'Mandrake' meadows that have very little food.

 

Then there are Frog/Bee meadows where you'll (obviously) find clusters of frog ponds and beehives. There are a lot of flowers here, but very few grass, twigs, and trees.

 

Then there are the killer-bee meadows. You probably know what's there already: Almost nothing but huge killer bee clusters.

 

 

The first type of meadow is one of the best places to set up camp, since you don't have to replant the nearby resources, and berry bushes are usually well-scattered against gobbler annihilation.

Actually, it's called Grasslands. Mandrakes only spawn in Grasslands when outdoors, and in caves when "inside."  Killer bee meadows can have some grass (around the frog pond level) and other items besides the abundance of flowers next to them, but one often does not stay near the hives to notice this. Sorry in my last death where they also had grass as I ran into them at night carrying a torch run through I didn't take screen shots  

You are correct regarding the variants of Savanna, and an earlier post of mine strongly supported Grasslands of the "first type," especially if it bordered several other biomes. 

[Zourin]

The two worst (overworld) places to set up a camp:

 

Spikey tree forest (great place for charcoal though!)

Junk/Mottled terrain (I HATE THIS!)

 

That's not counting swamp. You would have to be suicidal to set up there.

[the truthseeker]

The two worst (overworld) places to set up a camp:

 

Spikey tree forest (great place for charcoal though!)

Junk/Mottled terrain (I HATE THIS!)

 

That's not counting swamp. You would have to be suicidal to set up there.

 

 

Not suicidal, just not suggested at the very beginning either. 

 

From the Guide:

 

• It is possible to set up a Base Camp in theSwamps even at Day 1-10. Exploration of this large biome, though, while looking for your best spot might prove difficult for some. For starters, you may set up a Base Camp just near the Swamps (and to get a feel of what's going to be your life here).

 

[TeoSS69]

Junk/Mottled terrain (I HATE THIS!)

That's a great place to set up camp if you like caves. There's always 2 caves in that biome.

[i already starved]

Just unlock woodie yesterday so if i play him i immediately use that one thing and destroy alot of the map. Wake up, pick berries and flowers then go collect all the wonderful things.

[Guest]

I chop trees and gather foodstuffs. Then I set up camp near beefalo and rocks. 

 

average joe strikes again

[Rabbitfist]

Day 1-4. collect materials and explore the map until i find a location with

 

-beefalos*

-spiders

-grass and berry bushes

-pig village

-frog ponds

-swamp

 

Day 5-21. build up a good and safe base and build it larger before winter comes.i usually build

 

-crock pots

-drying racks

-farm plots

-lightning rods

-garss, twig and berry bush farm

 

 

*if i find no beefalos for poop i build a cage for  koalefant, also another poop source

[Estel]

Funny, as I (almost) never herd befs. They're loudy and irritating, I just skin them for enough fur and gather enough manure for cluster of farms, then, rely on Guano and rot instead. Not to mention facing hounds in my stonekeep, with trapped entrance tunel, boomerangs, and spear/spikey/darksword. It seems than eye defense turrent will help with that, too, never build one yet.

/Estel

[Zourin]

I'm probably going to revise my game plan for the first stretch to summer.

 

It may be better, rather than spending manure on more basic farms to 'hold' food (which strains wood and grass supplies while I'm in a time crunch), to use the extra manure to 'supercharge' the single advanced farm just before first winter. First winter is usually pretty scace especially if my koalephant hunt goes sour.

 

Aside from propping up a lumber camp (campfire, lightning rod, 1-2 chests, ~4 drying racks for pig bribes) , I may have to try (although time is pretty constrained in winter) to get the farms built in time for spring.. normally I only have time for one project, so this will definitely keep the pace up.

[the truthseeker]

I'm probably going to revise my game plan for the first stretch to summer.

 

It may be better, rather than spending manure on more basic farms to 'hold' food (which strains wood and grass supplies while I'm in a time crunch), to use the extra manure to 'supercharge' the single advanced farm just before first winter. First winter is usually pretty scace especially if my koalephant hunt goes sour.

 

Aside from propping up a lumber camp (campfire, lightning rod, 1-2 chests, ~4 drying racks for pig bribes) , I may have to try (although time is pretty constrained in winter) to get the farms built in time for spring.. normally I only have time for one project, so this will definitely keep the pace up.

Just before that first winter, using collected manure (or more in number of rot) on that advanced farm does work to squeeze out that last harvest/storing unharvested food for emergencies. 

[ThatGuyNamedJon]

I normally find food, get enough supply's for starting up an early base then look for a pig town and start camp. Feed them monster meat, make them work for you. Dont die.