Setting up camp

[_BroMega_]

I have played DST a few times. It seems that we don't really get through any of the crafting. I spend most my time finding food(Not starving together). Is there a special rule to where we should setup our fire pit, so that we can be more effective? I have survived 7 days, but barely got a science machine up. I really enjoy the gameplay and art style, so I am going to keep playing. I would love some tips.

[thesamon]

Heya! 

First of all you should explore! Picking up twigs, grass and flint as you go, and try to find a rock biome, for gold, rocks and more flint! So you can make more tools and get even more resources! (Logs, rocks) Also, one thing you can do during the nights are crafting torch, burning trees as you go, so you get both light and productivity without having to stop. You will be needing the charcoal for Crockpots later on.

After that I usually put up a early science machine (Since they're really cheap). Prototyping a Backpack, spear and a shovel! So you can dig up those berry bushes, saplings and grass tufts.
The firepit should be put down somewhere at day 7-8, or earlier ofcourse if you find a spot that suits your needs! One great spot is close to Beefalos, but not too close as they will start, ahem, making baby beefs first half of Winter and Spring!

I would say more, but i'm afraid I would spoil the experience, so I will leave it at that. Feel free to ask questions if you have any! 

Have a great time starving together with your friends, buddy!

[_BroMega_]

So I can light trees on fire? That's pretty awesome. Ok, well we have been working towards a fire right away. But if the torches last long enough then that should be good. Cool. Thanks for the advice.

[CaptainChaotica]

Oh yeah, you can...and if you're not careful, it'll take out an entire forest!  Try to set _isolated_ trees on fire.  Preferably they should also not be near a berry bush, grass tuft or sapling/twiggy tree, 'cos poof! there goes that resource.  (Although sometimes that's not possible, as those things like to spawn near each other.)

One piece of advice for where to put your firepit?  In winter, no plants grow back.  So try for someplace near a good MEAT source--rabbits, for example. They're renewable, and can also be used to make earmuffs.  Near there, and then go exploring to gather plantstuffs that haven't been picked yet.

Science machine is a REAL early priority, as without that you can't make logsuits, spears, crock pots, or backpacks.  Wigfrid especially needs the crock pot for more filling meals before she starves; other characters can fill up on just berries and carrots.  And you'll want armour and weapons before...well...at 7 days I'm not sure if you've run into that yet.  Let's just say you'll want them Before.

Basic advice:  Always, ALWAYS have at least, say, 10 logs, grass, and twigs on you, and at least a few flint.  The first three are like _the_ most-used crafting materials in the whole game.  And the flint is so you don't run out of axe before you have enough logs for a fire.

...Notorious

[AnonymousKoala]

45 minutes ago, CaptainChaotica said:

Oh yeah, you can...and if you're not careful, it'll take out an entire forest!  Try to set _isolated_ trees on fire.  Preferably they should also not be near a berry bush, grass tuft or sapling/twiggy tree, 'cos poof! there goes that resource.  (Although sometimes that's not possible, as those things like to spawn near each other.)

One piece of advice for where to put your firepit?  In winter, no plants grow back.  So try for someplace near a good MEAT source--rabbits, for example. They're renewable, and can also be used to make earmuffs.  Near there, and then go exploring to gather plantstuffs that haven't been picked yet.

Science machine is a REAL early priority, as without that you can't make logsuits, spears, crock pots, or backpacks.  Wigfrid especially needs the crock pot for more filling meals before she starves; other characters can fill up on just berries and carrots.  And you'll want armour and weapons before...well...at 7 days I'm not sure if you've run into that yet.  Let's just say you'll want them Before.

Basic advice:  Always, ALWAYS have at least, say, 10 logs, grass, and twigs on you, and at least a few flint.  The first three are like _the_ most-used crafting materials in the whole game.  And the flint is so you don't run out of axe before you have enough logs for a fire.

...Notorious

Rabbits are not a good meat source.

They provide you with morsels(lame meat basically), dont spawn in spring, and earmuffs are crappy.

Good meat source is pretty much...anything alive that's more efficient than rabbits. Even 1 monster meat does the trick and is faster to obtain

[CaptainChaotica]

Okay, well, the point is:  Set up near meat, not just veggies.  In winter that won't help much.  Sure, rabbits are not efficient, but meatballs can be made out of a morsel and 3 ice, and it WILL keep you fed.

Also I KNOW they don't show up in spring; I was talking specifically about _winter_.  Only.

Geezus, why do you have to pick apart, correct, and scold me on EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION I EVER SAY?!  I swear it's been happening a lot.  Just because I'm not saying THE most perfect optimal strategy, _does not necessarily mean I'm wrong_!  There's more than one right answer, you know.

Sometimes the best isn't available.  If this person has only made it to 7 days, they might be happy with ANY winter gear or food they can get!  You can get the better stuff later, maybe...AFTER you have SOMETHING.  If they make the newbie mistake of putting their camp near berry bushes and not ANY meat, that'd be worse than just being near "worthless" rabbits, yes?  Earmuffs are better than NO winter clothing, which is what you might have if you haven't found the beefalo yet.  Etc. And once you have your meatballs made out of morsels and ice/sticks, and your earmuffs on, you can then explore longer to FIND the better stuff...

Stop being so harsh and critical, especially to someone who's trying to _help_!  If you wanna be a pedantic nitpicker, how 'bout you turn that on one of those "git gud" jackarses?  Now THAT would be constructive!  Or at least fun.

...don't mind me, BroMega.  This has nothing to do with you; you've obviously done nothing bad here.  I'm just really, really tired of being told "No, you're wrong, let me show you how wrong you are, Little Miss Wrongface" all the time.  ARGH. 

Koala?  STOP.  FRAKKING. CORRECTING ME.

...Notorious

[AnonymousKoala]

6 minutes ago, CaptainChaotica said:

Okay, well, the point is:  Set up near meat, not just veggies.  In winter that won't help much.  Sure, rabbits are not efficient, but meatballs can be made out of a morsel and 3 ice, and it WILL keep you fed.

Also I KNOW they don't show up in spring; I was talking specifically about _winter_.  Only.

Geezus, why do you have to pick apart, correct, and scold me on EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION I EVER SAY?!  I swear it's been happening a lot.  Just because I'm not saying THE most perfect optimal strategy, _does not necessarily mean I'm wrong_!  There's more than one right answer, you know.

Sometimes the best isn't available.  If this person has only made it to 7 days, they might be happy with ANY winter gear or food they can get!  You can get the better stuff later, maybe...AFTER you have SOMETHING.  If they make the newbie mistake of putting their camp near berry bushes and not ANY meat, that'd be worse than just being near "worthless" rabbits, yes?  Earmuffs are better than NO winter clothing, which is what you might have if you haven't found the beefalo yet.  Etc. And once you have your meatballs made out of morsels and ice/sticks, and your earmuffs on, you can then explore longer to FIND the better stuff...

Stop being so harsh and critical, especially to someone who's trying to _help_!  If you wanna be a pedantic nitpicker, how 'bout you turn that on one of those "git gud" jackarses?  Now THAT would be constructive!  Or at least fun.

...don't mind me, BroMega.  This has nothing to do with you; you've obviously done nothing bad here.  I'm just really, really tired of being told "No, you're wrong, let me show you how wrong you are, Little Miss Wrongface" all the time.  ARGH. 

Koala?  STOP.  FRAKKING. CORRECTING ME.

...Notorious

Oh, for sure, I'm not trying to correct you every time. I never want to do that unless its someone arrogant(which you're not).

And you have a good point. I was more talking generally, forgetting the specifics of the situation that you did count. I never intend to be harsh and or critical. If it came out that way I am deeply sorry. 

 

[applebottom]

Spend first few days just looking around.

Don't be afraid to walk around with just a torch at night. You'll uncover more of the map this way.

Like others said, veggies and fillers aren't a problem later on. You just need a regular meat source for a good camp. Spiders count as meat source! Just don't put more than 1 monster meat in the crockpot when cooking.

The fillers are easy to find (either by making farms, replanting berries, or turning monster meat into eggs).

Personally, I camp by the desert because the tumbleweeds are there all year round. You don't have to replant saplings and refertilize grass to get twigs and grass. You also get the random gears or treasure which you can give to pig king for gold. So you can make luxury axes instead of wasting flint which is less renewable.

 

And ironically, the #1 tip to Not starving together is to not stay together. If you explore the map as a group, you'll be competing for basic resources like flint, grass, twigs, or berries. So it's best to spread out and then meet up later once you've figured out roughly where important biomes are. Then you can decide as a group where to put up your camp.

[kirbyhung]

Rabbit land is great for starter, then find your material for your best friend "cook pot", that's what I would do most of the time

 

[Arlesienne]

A tip for simple morsels early on no matter the season: moleworms. They spawn near their holes during dusk and night, wander around trying to steal minerals, and are passive. You want to do it this way: ready a weapon, though even an axe will work, drop a rock or a piece of flint on the ground near holes and wait. The moleworm will creep towards the object. When it rears its head out of the soil, you attack. Fast enough, you get that flint back too.

How to get a science machine early on? You make a pickaxe first to get flint for axes, not the other way around. You can survive a night by setting a lone tree on fire with a torch made of twigs and grass, whereas flint, with rocky trees as a variant, tends to be more difficult early on. I want a pickaxe first, then an axe. Your priority of mining is:

1. gold veins

2. normal boulders

3. flintless (blackish) rocks

You can also find gold lying around graveyards, but those may not spawn close to the portal.

A pro tip: SWAMPS!