Question: Charcoal?

[Daemonic]

A good idea is to collect pinecones and have two areas of trees far away from each other, one is just an easy source of wood, the other is specifically for burning into charcoal.

[VrtraTheory]

OK... I've died several times (sigh), but, I think I've figured out a decent basic strategy... Once I get 20 or so berry bushes plus a few farms set up, and I build 2-3 crockpots, then I can easily trap rabbits (or, even easier, pick up monster meat while farming silk) and have meatballs always sitting around.  Whenever I feel like expanding, I slowly build another farm, another crockpot, etc.

 

Right now I'm in winter, which is in no danger of killing me (plenty of food and wood to burn), but progress has slowed dramatically.  I've finally managed to build a birdcage and stick a snowbird in it... But I still haven't found any way to use "corn seeds" or "carrot seeds" (attempting to plant them in a farm has not succeeded).

[23rd]

OK... I've died several times (sigh), but, I think I've figured out a decent basic strategy... Once I get 20 or so berry bushes plus a few farms set up, and I build 2-3 crockpots, then I can easily trap rabbits (or, even easier, pick up monster meat while farming silk) and have meatballs always sitting around.  Whenever I feel like expanding, I slowly build another farm, another crockpot, etc.

 

Right now I'm in winter, which is in no danger of killing me (plenty of food and wood to burn), but progress has slowed dramatically.  I've finally managed to build a birdcage and stick a snowbird in it... But I still haven't found any way to use "corn seeds" or "carrot seeds" (attempting to plant them in a farm has not succeeded).

Winter screws farms, nothing grows. All those berry bushes and farms are amazing in Summer, but only in Summer. Winter places a large emphasis on hunting, so you'll want to be making sure you're always well stocked on different meats in the Winter seasons. You find any of those suspicious dirt piles yet? I couldn't figure them out the first time around, but once I realized how they could help me they've become a massive luxury during long Winters, although I should tell you now to make sure you have a ranged weapon (Boomerang is the cheapest) if you're going to hunt the thing that leaves those behind. To make your meats last longer (and add some other nice benefits) use the longer downtime by the fire pit to make drying racks. I usually make around nine.

[the truthseeker]

And regarding needing something to revitalize berry bushes and grass, they're all full of crap  

[VrtraTheory]

Aha... OK, good to know.  I'm sure I would find that out pretty soon -- I just replanted all my farms after harvesting, so I hadn't noticed they weren't growing yet.  (IS there eventually a use for a "corn seed"?  I was excited at first because I thought they were for growing specific crops, but that doesn't seem to be the case.)

 

On the subject of drying racks... I'll try them again.  I feel pretty secure with my chest full of live rabbits, since I can whip out a full-on meat stew or lots of meatballs at any point.  (Although in my last playthrough, I did have quite a scare with this strategy... mumble mumble evil flowers mumble beardlings...)  But hey, I suppose a chest of full live rabbits AND a row of drying racks, is even better.

[Sporb]

Try feeding your bird different things. The birdcage can be almost game-breakingly useful if you know what you're doing.

[VrtraTheory]

Winter screws farms, nothing grows. All those berry bushes and farms are amazing in Summer, but only in Summer. Winter places a large emphasis on hunting, so you'll want to be making sure you're always well stocked on different meats in the Winter seasons. You find any of those suspicious dirt piles yet? I couldn't figure them out the first time around, but once I realized how they could help me they've become a massive luxury during long Winters, although I should tell you now to make sure you have a ranged weapon (Boomerang is the cheapest) if you're going to hunt the thing that leaves those behind. To make your meats last longer (and add some other nice benefits) use the longer downtime by the fire pit to make drying racks. I usually make around nine.

 

 

I decided to follow your advice about suspicious dirt piles... Somehow I managed to escape with 3 (THREE) health after poking it with my spear.  At least winter is finally over!  (And I'm still alive!)

[MilleniumCount]

So close to another hilarious morgue entry.....nah just kidding. 

What was your status before poking the Fant? If you keep hitting it you shouldn't be near dead that quick.

[HoneyHam]

Look up guides about Don't Starve kiting. @Ortorin has an amazing guide, but I can't find the link. Kiting is basically fancy dodging, but it's VERY VERY VEEEEERRRRRY important.

[VrtraTheory]

I think I was a little under a hundred, I know I wasn't at full health.  For some reason, because it was running away from me, I assumed that when I started whacking it, it wouldn't whack back.  Not only did it whack back, it chased me a LONG way.  All the way back to my camp.

 

I'll have to work on my fighting strategy at some point.  My few fights generally end in disaster, so I've evolved strategies that ensure I never fight anything.  Spider farming? Lay down 9 traps and run around until they're all full.  Anything bigger than a spider?  Run to the nearby beefalo herd.  Etc.  I've noticed that hounds have never dropped anything but monster meat, though, so maybe I need to kill them myself to get better drops.

[MilleniumCount]

Hmmm, armor helps the cause a little bit. Log suits aren't that expensive. Worth a try.

 

 I've noticed that hounds have never dropped anything but monster meat, though, so maybe I need to kill them myself to get better drops.

 

Oh they also drop their different stuff this way. If I have other ways Beefalo, Pigs, Treeguards etc. I never kill them myself.

[23rd]

Aside from Koalephants, I also avoid fighting anything that I consider dangerous by myself. You should definitely have a log suit anytime you go into combat, it's not like you only get some minor protection; that baby will stop 80% of all incoming damage, it only breaks after it's soaked up 450 damage. By the time one breaks you'll undoubtedly have the materials to make another. Drops won't be affected by whether or not you deliver the killing blow to something, so using Beefalo to take out anything chasing you is always a fantastic strategy.

 

@TooMuchHoneyHam, look harder! That was the fourth result I got from typing "kiting guide" in the search bar.

[HoneyHam]

@VrtraTheory, there it is. Go read that thread for all your kiting needs.

And thanks for the link 23rd.

[VrtraTheory]

Got him!  I did craft a log suit, but I didn't get hit once.  Not even sure what to do with all this this, I'm used to making everything out of monster meat!

 

(The only reason I've avoided the suits is that I can't carry the backpack, which has seemed like a necessity to me.  But putting it on in combat and then picking up the backpack certainly works, as long as I don't misplace it.)

 

So... Without spoilering too much... What should I be trying to do (if anything)?  By the time next winter comes, I should have more than enough supplies to be comfortable... On previous playthroughs, I've seen weird stuff like ring things, box things, handle things, etc... Are these basically what you want to search for to unlock more "story" stuff?

 

(Related question... I've got this patch of tall grass protected by a bunch of annoyingly hostile pigmen, surrounded by torches.  I'm really tempted to burn the whole thing down and run away... Are these guys important in some way?)

[23rd]

Uncovering the entirety of your should always be in the back of your mind as a general goal if nothing else takes priority. Somewhere you'll find the chess biome. Chess biome's got it all. Stuff trying to kill you, statues made of marble, a giant circle made of wood. The "Things" are going to be used in said biome that's out there somewhere on the map. Once you collect them all, clear out the enemies, and set up something that's come to be affectionately known as the Teleportato you can teleport out of your world into a new one that will start you on day 1 again with a new character of your choosing (assuming you don't just pick the one you're playing for the new world) and all the items you went through the Teleportato. There is an Adventure Mode, which expands on the story and lore of the world, but that's from something else entirely. You'll know when you see it.

 

That thing surrounded by the Guardian Pigs isn't particularly important, it's sort of just there. That being said, Pig Torches never burn out (I think) so if you burn away the grass and kill the Guardian Pigs you've got a hellacious camping spot. I've never done it, but I sure would love to see someone else do it.

[Sporb]

That thing surrounded by the Guardian Pigs isn't particularly important, it's sort of just there. That being said, Pig Torches never burn out (I think) so if you burn away the grass and kill the Guardian Pigs you've got a hellacious camping spot. I've never done it, but I sure would love to see someone else do it.

It's best not to keep the pig torches around, actually. They do indeed burn out (the pig guards keep refueling them with their poop, after all) and the torches will keep spawning more pig guards.

[VrtraTheory]

Well, I made it to Day 56!

 

First, I killed myself with my own boomerang.  Then I was so startled at being resurrected (apparently I'd touched some kind of resurrection rock earlier), I failed to run from a pack of blue hounds and a giant walrus that was standing next to me when I woke up.

 

Just when you think you've figured everything out...

 

(Damn that boomerang.  I swear I pressed spacebar.)

[23rd]

That is hilarious, you should post a screenshot of your morgue. Glad to hear you managed to get past at least one Winter, that's progress!

[HoneyHam]

Uncovering the entirety of your should always be in the back of your mind as a general goal if nothing else takes priority. Somewhere you'll find the chess biome. Chess biome's got it all. Stuff trying to kill you, statues made of marble, a giant circle made of wood. The "Things" are going to be used in said biome that's out there somewhere on the map. Once you collect them all, clear out the enemies, and set up something that's come to be affectionately known as the Teleportato you can teleport out of your world into a new one that will start you on day 1 again with a new character of your choosing (assuming you don't just pick the one you're playing for the new world) and all the items you went through the Teleportato. There is an Adventure Mode, which expands on the story and lore of the world, but that's from something else entirely. You'll know when you see it.

 

That thing surrounded by the Guardian Pigs isn't particularly important, it's sort of just there. That being said, Pig Torches never burn out (I think) so if you burn away the grass and kill the Guardian Pigs you've got a hellacious camping spot. I've never done it, but I sure would love to see someone else do it.

I believe Guardian Pigs spawn from the Pig Torches, so you can't make a base there. Unless you wall it in and make an automatic meat farm by filling it with rock lobsters.

I'm a genius. 

[Silentdarkness1]

Glad to see you've cut your teeth on Don't Starve.

 

As far as food goes, once you get a decent amount of summer honey going, your food supplies have a backbone. xD

 

And yeah, boomerang. Not good to use at close range, since there's a virtual guarantee you won't be able to catch it in time.

[mahaishaq]

Charcoal is a light black residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen 

[Daemonic]

Charcoal is a light black residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen 

I'm sorry, but what does that have to do with Don't Starve charcoal?

[tiagodg]

It's awesome to read experiences from a beginner in the game, especially when the guy is trying to learn everything by himself.

I kinda ruined my game by looking at the wiki too much, I just didn't wanted to die after getting through the first winter and ended up reading too much info instead of just figuring it out myself

 

Well, too bad you died, next time you should prepare some basic stuff at your Touch Stone (the thing that you touched, it's a one-use only respawn point), that way you can be a little bit prepared for the worst, be it Winter or Monsters. I suggest a backpack (for quick equipping) with some basic materials, some armor and warm clothes. A crockpot with a nice food ready is also a good idea. Make sure to drop the backpack not too close to the Touch Stone otherwise it will burn when you respawn

[mahaishaq]

Charcoal is made by setting a Tree on fire using a Torch (or any other source of Fire) and then chopping the tree down once it has finished burning. Except for the recently planted trees (sapling size), each burned tree yields 1 Charcoal when chopped regardless of how big it is. If a burned tree is burned yet again before being chopped down, it will only yield ashes. Sapling sized trees will also only yield ashes. For efficiency, multiple trees can be planted (with Pine Cones) close together, given time to grow into at least the smallest size beyond sapling, and then ignited. The fire will jump from each tree in close enough proximity, but to prevent the unwanted spread of fire, care should be taken to clear away any other flammable objects beforehand. After the fire dies out, the entire grove can be harvested. Extra Pine Cones will sometimes drop from burned trees, but, unlike chopping down larger trees, they are not guaranteed. In most Adventure Mode worlds, Charcoal can be collected on the first day due to burnt (or burning) trees spawn at the spawn point. 

[23rd]

Charcoal is made by setting a Tree on fire using a Torch (or any other source of Fire) and then chopping the tree down once it has finished burning. Except for the recently planted trees (sapling size), each burned tree yields 1 Charcoal when chopped regardless of how big it is. If a burned tree is burned yet again before being chopped down, it will only yield ashes. Sapling sized trees will also only yield ashes. For efficiency, multiple trees can be planted (with Pine Cones) close together, given time to grow into at least the smallest size beyond sapling, and then ignited. The fire will jump from each tree in close enough proximity, but to prevent the unwanted spread of fire, care should be taken to clear away any other flammable objects beforehand. After the fire dies out, the entire grove can be harvested. Extra Pine Cones will sometimes drop from burned trees, but, unlike chopping down larger trees, they are not guaranteed. In most Adventure Mode worlds, Charcoal can be collected on the first day due to burnt (or burning) trees spawn at the spawn point. 

This goes beyond "little hint." Besides, his original question had been answered ad nauseum.

 

EDIT: Holy hell, you just copy-pasted that straight from the wiki..