Best build order for noobies

[MattWithAHat]

Hey!

 

My friends and I just rediscovered this super awesome game and played a couple of times. However we don't really get very far, since we don't really have a good plan on how to advance through the game. It's everytime "OK, what do we do now?", "What is the plan now?" but we just do "something" without really knowing what would be the best next step. So is there something like a good build order to follow so as to be able to cope with whatever comes next? I know I'll be much faster, if I have a build order.

[CaptainChaotica]

Uh...well, probably some will disagree with me, but two of the very first things I always make are a science machine, and then when possible a crock pot.  Also a backpack.  Having more filling meals and the ability to carry more around are huge early helps.  (Heck--"early" nothing, I keep using them through the entire game!)  Also obviously a firepit; this is not only permanent but shows up on the map while the campfire doesn't, making your base way easier to find again after a long day of foraging/exploring.  And the crock pot means that all those normally poisonous red mushrooms and chunks of monster meat can suddenly become useful food ingredients, thereby way broadening your food sources.

Then/at around the same time, logsuit and spear.  Definitely at least logsuit.  Hounds can happen earlier than you think and sometimes dodging doesn't work very well.  Shovel is a good useful thing to make earlyish on, as you can dig up tree stumps and not waste all those nice extra logs.  When you have more charcoal, drying racks, as jerky is healing/sanity-helping. But watch out that you have a good supply of grass--each rack takes 9 pieces! 

Farms are of course good, but not everybody finds beefalo right away, which is why I don't list them as a starting thing to build.  If you CAN make them early on, good, if not, don't.  Rabbit traps are your friends, as they are a good no-science-needed way to get food, and later on, at least earmuffs for winter.  They also work on spiders.

Oh, wait!  I forgot my favourite early alchemy-engine-tier thing to make--LIGHTNING ROD!  Always always make one of these as soon as possible, even if you don't have a large amount of berry bushes/trees/saplings/whatever near your base yet.  In Together/Reign of Giants _everything_ can catch & spread fire, so _always have a lightning rod_.  You'll thank me.  Especially if you start in spring.

...Notorious

[AlternateMew]

It varies from person to person.

For my personal order, the first thing is to border the world until I feel I've found enough to settle. During that time, I make sure to pick up at least 5 gold and as many rocks as I can. If I pass a desert, I loot tumbleweeds on the way for a quick and easy stack of twigs/grass. Food during this period is berries, butterflies, and seeds. (Don't pick carrots. They're for emergencies later.)

While traveling, I may plop down a science machine. When I do  that, there are four vitals: A backpack, a shovel, a spear, and a prototyped (but not placed) alchemy engine. This way, the moment I choose to settle, I skipped the science machine phase at base. If you have charcoal at this time, it's also good to prototype a crock pot. The shovel is to grab berry bushes and maybe grass tufts for the future base. I only make a spear normally since I can fight early-game threats without armor, but making a logsuit at this time is good as well if you can spare the time and materials.

When I make base, it's usually this order: Firepit > Alchemy Engine > Crockpot. Everything else is randomized. High priority for me includes a birdcage and a Ice Box if I found gears, and a beefalo horn for that sweet hat that really helps in Winter.

[AnonymousKoala]

Smartest is to explore the world for the first few days, like mew said, and plop down a science and alchemy engine when you got the stuff for them, to build a log suit, a football helmet, and a spear. Also a backpack.

I agree with Mew about the high priorities as well.

The way I go about it usuallly is settle down in a spot near unmovable, valuable things. So Pig King, Cacti, Reeds, places with a lot of shrooms, etc. all work for that. I usually end up settling down in the desert, near swamp, or in the pig king decidous forest for these reasons.

After that I get a firepit at the base spot, birdcage, drying racks, an icebox, a crock pot, a shovel and replant things near me(berry bushes, saplings, grass tufts, etc.), kill a beefalo and make the beefalo hat, and then i mainly just expand base until winter. I usually also put spiders close-ish, so that they won't bother me but I can go kill them if I need meat(1 monster meat is perfectly good meat for the crockpot recipes. but more than that will usually result in monster lasgna which is bad).

I gather resources, make chests, begin organizing them at some point(i drop 1 thing from their contents in front of them too, to help me remember which chest stores what), and then keep preparing for the other seasons, later on spelunk, work on making the magic machines(Prestihatitator and later on the Shadow Manipulator), and after the first in game year I really just basebuild, kill bosses, spelunk occasionally and in the normal game worldhop.

Also in DST if you're playing with the beta, getting moon rocks for cratered moonrocks and an ocuvigil, and having compasses, are great. I probably skipped over a bunch of things, but this is largely what I do.

[CaptainChaotica]

Also DON'T put your base right by a cave entrance, as the second somebody opens that particular one...you'll regret it.  Bat attacks _every single day starting at dusk_ for the rest of your run, until you give up and move base. 

Trust me, I've seen enough YouTube videos of people doing that and then being driven crazy every night.  You want to be nearISH to a cave for easy access...but not so close that the bats will wander right into your face all the time.

...Notorious

[Arlesienne]

1 hour ago, CaptainChaotica said:

a firepit; this is not only permanent but shows up on the map while the campfire doesn't

A little correction: the deal with campfires not showing on the map is that they expire. Simply put, a firepit lasts forever (or until something/someone breaks it) while a campfire eventually turns to ashes.

Now my order of things? This somewhat depends on what's in this world (and if I'm Wickerbottom or anyone else), but excluding Wicker, you want a science machine first. Mind you, firepits in places you know you will frequent often, especially in even distances to facilitate travel at dusk without worrying about plopping down new campfires, cannot hurt.

With a science machine, you want a crockpot to stop worrying about food much. Make a logsuit (preferably a spear as well, though you can as well find tentacle spikes in the swamp resulting from swamp wars), a backpack, a fishing rod, an umbrella (I like a straw bedroll too for cheap sanity and health), prototype healing salve if you fought spiders and BY ALL MEANS PREBUILD A DRYING RACK AND AN ALCHEMY ENGINE. With prebuilt structures, you can both conserve inventory and be ready to start a serious camp soon. As @AlternateMew and @AnonymousKoala said, you will want to get a grasp of the map first: remember where you find ponds, moleworms, rabbits, grass, beefalos, spiders, pigs and those shiny tentacles. Try to get firepits in such locations for easier life in the wee hours. If you find reeds and somehow (unlikely) obtain feathers, darts of all kinds can be prototyped with just a science machine; you are likely to require a bird trap, possibly a boomerang, first, though. A shovel can't hurt either and is quite cheap.

After finding a spot for a more permanent camp (I prefer the swamps or rather the edge of the swamp and something else, later on, a second camp in the desert too where I build a little oasis), plop down the alchemy engine and spam racks. I find farms of little use, actually, mostly because I don't bother with manure much and prefer to trap meaty animals for... well, meat. With this ready, I rush a birdcage and a bird trap (you will need them together, so check if you have all the necessary resources beforehand; if you're low on silk, it MAY be better to get a fishing rod first), a thermal stone and a tent. I definitely want a crockpot there as well. Afterwards, try getting an icebox and some winter clothes - a beefalo hat is ideal, but requires luck when killing beefalos, so ensure you have a winter hat at hand (shaving beefalos is possible outside of spring, and their wool regrows, on top of a winter hat being warmer than a catcoon cap or earmuffs, so push for it). Interestingly, the winter hat can be made with just a science machine - so if you can kill a beefalo AND get a horn, you're good! A football hat, possibly a marble suit and a hambat, are both great as you will prepare for the deerclops and stronger hound attacks. Give love to tooth traps - those babies are the bane of most enemies and one can deal a whopping 1000 damage (if you reset it ten times, that is - enough to kill a beefalo). As always, an alchemy engine gives you access to golden tools which are more durable.

Top hats and dapper vests are good for sanity, but not a priority, starting an apiary is a fine idea as long as you have a bugnet (because you need live bees for it and butterflies to plant around as flowers), a bushhat can be handy for hound attacks, as your loot amasses (and you live close to moleworms), you will want tier-one chests too. Clothes are generally tier-two. Finally, you will want magic research labs - at least for this shiny ice staff, panflute and life-giving amulet (maaaybe). To preserve your clothes, use tier-two sewing kits.

You don't need to prototype a flingo before spring, but be certain to have a beefalo hat by this season to avoid mating beefalos. Rain protection will be a must. Before summer, you must know how to make flingos and endothermic fires (preferably endo-firepits, actually). And iceboxes, of course. Cooling items will be needed, but those require an alchemy engine, most of the time, which you will certainly have.

There are also items more necessary for certain characters: Webber needs sanity items, possibly a tad like Wolfgang; Wolfgang will need food-making structures (a belt of hunger if you have caves or a hibearnation vest if you don't are precious). Wigfrid MUST have a crockpot as soon as possible, with racks following close. Wickerbottom won't be able to use tents and siesta lean-tos, OR gain sanity from prototyping any tier-one recipes, but sanity can be replenished in many ways (additionally, her "hates spoilage" perk makes her vulnerable without crockpots, iceboxes and drying racks for jerky). WX absolutely requires an umbrella at all times. Maxwell must get armour, like Wes, and preferably ranged weapons. Wes and Wendy want arms which ignore damage modifiers, that is darts, boomerangs, weather pain, traps and staves.

Just bear in mind I'm one of those odd quasi-nomadic people who don't build megabases or - gasp - replant everything. I prefer several smaller bases and roaming around. I suppose players favouring settlements would have a different order, for example they'd want shovels to replant, farms and pig houses.

Finally, you don't need a science machine if you have an alchemy engine and there's no need for Prestihatitators with a shadow manipulator around.

[CaptainChaotica]

Actually I'm kinda with you on the smaller bases/not replanting thing.  I find that there's really not much point in replanting stuff if it's already pretty close to you. Plus--if you've been gathering every, say, berry bush you see, and there's a fire...suddenly you have no berry bushes left at all!  At least, nothing within a good few days' worth of travel.

Keep things in their natural state, away from your base, whenever they're already convenient to you. That way, one unlucky wildfire can't wipe _everything_ out.    And they don't need fertilizer to regrow!  Also always PICK mushrooms, not dig.  Digging takes away their renewability.

I'm not totally nomadic usually, but I am also of the keep-firepits-scattered-around-the-place mindset.  Also I often put a crock pot and/or drying rack or two there as well, for a little base-ette.  Your Home Away From Home!

Also, when mining early on, keep the nitre you find, rather than leaving it there because "Eh,it's not gold, why do I care?"  Come summer, you WILL need it.  Prototype an endothermic fire so you can make one on the fly while out exploring/foraging in the summer, trust me.  And hope to god you've found gears by then for an icebox.  Before that it's really nice to have but not deadly necessary; by spring, however, you'll really need a way to preserve that melting winter snow to make a fling-o-matic.  And it can cool off thermal stones.

Umbrellas help with both rain AND heat; keep one around and sew it up when needed, if you can spare the silk for a sewing kit.  I typically have an umbrella on hand for the entire spring and summer.  And bear in mind that in early autumn you CAN still overheat; in spring you CAN still freeze.  Especially at night/when raining.

...Notorious

 

[Rellimarual]

It does depend on the character you pick. I main as Wigfrid, so my top priorities starting out are 1. Gold, to make the science  Machine first of all, but also the helmet and spear you need to that character. Then you have to get more meat immediately, because she'll start to starve on day two without it, and she can't just eat random seeds and berries she finds along the way. 

[Arlesienne]

12 minutes ago, CaptainChaotica said:

Actually I'm kinda with you on the smaller bases/not replanting thing.  I find that there's really not much point in replanting stuff if it's already pretty close to you. Plus--if you've been gathering every, say, berry bush you see, and there's a fire...suddenly you have no berry bushes left at all!  At least, nothing within a good few days' worth of travel.

Keep things in their natural state, away from your base, whenever they're already convenient to you. That way, one unlucky wildfire can't wipe _everything_ out.    And they don't need fertilizer to regrow!  Also always PICK mushrooms, not dig.  Digging takes away their renewability.

I'm not totally nomadic usually, but I am also of the keep firepits scattered around the place mindset.  Also I often put a crock pot and/or drying rack or two there as well, for a little base-ette.  Your Home Away From Home!

Also, when mining early on, keep the nitre you find, rather than leaving it there because "Eh,it's not gold, why do I care?"  Come summer, you WILL need it.  Prototype an endothermic fire so you can make one on the fly while out exploring/foraging in the summer, trust me.  And hope to god you've found gears by then for an icebox.  Before that it's really nice to have but not deadly necessary; by spring, however, you'll really need a way to preserve that melting winter snow to make a fling-o-matic.  And it can cool off thermal stones.

Umbrellas help with both rain AND heat; keep one around and sew it up when you can.  I typically have one with me for the entire spring and summer.  And bear in mind that in early autumn you CAN still overheat; in spring you CAN still freeze.  Especially at night/when raining.

...Notorious

 

Good point. For me, such more sustainable lifestyle is half for my fondness of challenges in the game and half due to hosting for many people, most of whom are base-builders, hence I try to make myself as cheap on upkeep as possible. Funnily, this also removes the fear of disease for me - no replanting, no disease!

[CaptainChaotica]

Aha, yes.  As Wigfrid, ESPECIALLY prioritize a crockpot early on.  I also tend to play as her a lot (my longest runs are as Wigfrid) and she not only needs more filling food because of her high metabolism, but meatballs means you CAN actually make use of all those berries and carrots!  And also prioritize drying racks early on.  They're a favourite of mine in general because jerky is so good when you're going crazy or need healing after a big attack, but ESPECIALLY when you can't get sanity back from green mushrooms or cooked cactus.

(Seeds take a little longer to use, as Wigfrid, so I typically only pick those up as her to give to other players...until I have farms.  Yes, I do use farms as Wigfrid.  Veggies are filler and filler = more food.)

...Notorious

[Rellimarual]

Having a sinkhole nearby is also not a no-no for Wig, since bat wings are great food and killing a flock of them, or spiders, is Wig antidepressants.

[Arlesienne]

25 minutes ago, Rellimarual said:

Having a sinkhole nearby is also not a no-no for Wig, since bat wings are great food and killing a flock of them, or spiders, is Wig antidepressants.

Wig antidepressants are the hit of the season for me.

Anyway, batilisks aren't bad. You just need to stay tuned during dusk and night - and their wings are useful.

[TheGreatMav]

The people that commented so far are way more experienced than me, so I have only one thing to add: read the wiki.

Keep in mind, if you're new to the game you'll find many, many spoilers, and as any Dwarf Fortress player would tell you: losing is _fun_. That said, some people prefer to discover things as they are presented with challenges, while other people prefer to read up and know exactly what's coming.

Nevertheless, the wiki can provide you with recipes and clear a explanation of what almost any item or mob or thing in the game does, so it's invaluable for new players, even if you don't delve into the game's secrets. Example: learning that certain items protect against rain, or that desert cactus when cooked restores sanity. Just type the name of the item/enemy/thing at the top.

http://dontstarve.wikia.com/wiki/Don't_Starve_Together

[AlternateMew]

11 hours ago, CaptainChaotica said:

I find that there's really not much point in replanting stuff if it's already pretty close to you. Plus--if you've been gathering every, say, berry bush you see, and there's a fire...suddenly you have no berry bushes left at all!

This is a good point. I normally will keep around 15 bushes max, and maybe the same amount of grass tufts. But normally I grab those from far away from my base. (Especially those wonderful exotic ones in the non-PK pig village. MINE!) But close-yet-natural resources so often come in handy. Not just for fire, but for when I used all my stuff in the middle of Winter and I need more. Chances are I forgot about the out-of-sight ones until I needed them, and voila! Unharvested grass and berries!

I'm ignoring twigs, because who needs saplings when you have Twiggy Trees. Twiggy Trees are the best.

[AnonymousKoala]

4 hours ago, TheGreatMav said:

The people that commented so far are way more experienced than me, so I have only one thing to add: read the wiki.

Keep in mind, if you're new to the game you'll find many, many spoilers, and as any Dwarf Fortress player would tell you: losing is _fun_. That said, some people prefer to discover things as they are presented with challenges, while other people prefer to read up and know exactly what's coming.

Nevertheless, the wiki can provide you with recipes and clear a explanation of what almost any item or mob or thing in the game does, so it's invaluable for new players, even if you don't delve into the game's secrets. Example: learning that certain items protect against rain, or that desert cactus when cooked restores sanity. Just type the name of the item/enemy/thing at the top.

http://dontstarve.wikia.com/wiki/Don't_Starve_Together

Wiki occasionally lies though, so do take what it says with doubt on a bunch of places.
 

[CaptainChaotica]

You know how I learned my basics of how to play the game? Let's Plays.  Since then, I've looked up a few things on the wiki when I was just curious about how something worked or couldn't get a recipe right (and almost ALL my lore knowledge comes from there, as I was too late for all the puzzles) but for the most part, my getting-started knowledge came from watching JackSepticeye's old, old playthrough and (part of) Sips's long but fraught-with-problems one...

...and laughing at them.    I mean, in a nice way.  I very much enjoy watching a total newb stumble through something at first and gradually get better, playing it the same way YOU would, as another newbie, and making funny comments about it...than a total expert giving you a super-factual walkthrough run of advanced stuff.  There's just something really satisfying about seeing another ordinary player's journey.

And oddly enough, this method really worked for me.  I mean, I still had a lot to learn, but I _started off_ knowing that darkness will kill you, hounds will come, trees can get mad if you chop them too much, beefalo with red butts are not your friends, and winter will happen...

Which means that if somebody had been around to watch me play Don't Starve on my own for the very first time, they would've been robbed of the "die on the first night" newbie experience and been like "Awww, darn...!  She already knows!" but, to be fair, I HAVE played Shadowgate.  You don't let that torch go all the way out.  Ever.

...Notorious

[Tree45]

Besides the obvious backpack, fire pit, science and alchemy machine I go....

Find frog ponds (a lot of them) 

crockpot>drying racks>icebox>birdcage>tent>bee boxes (especially if somebody is wicker)>pig houses

At some point in there you want to transplant saplings, grass, berries and a spider den or 2.

Beef are overrated, why farm when you can get 30 frog legs a day. By myself Ill have 40 small jerky by winter as wigfrid, Wendy/Abigail could probably do even better.

I can get most if not all of that up within the first season the toughest part is usually finding gears or multiple frog ponds.

[Rellimarual]

2 hours ago, Tree45 said:

Besides the obvious backpack, fire pit, science and alchemy machine I go....

Find frog ponds (a lot of them) 

crockpot>drying racks>icebox>birdcage>tent>bee boxes (especially if somebody is wicker)>pig houses

At some point in there you want to transplant saplings, grass, berries and a spider den or 2.

Beef are overrated, why farm when you can get 30 frog legs a day. By myself Ill have 40 small jerky by winter as wigfrid, Wendy/Abigail could probably do even better.

I can get most if not all of that up within the first season the toughest part is usually finding gears or multiple frog ponds.

Do you use traps for the frogs? I find the toughest aspect of drying racks is just getting enough grass, but with traps as well, you'd need to pick half the tufts on the map!

[NotStarvnMarvn]

Day 1

Get at least 10, twigs, 10 grass, and 3 flint. The first day is spent getting food and what I just stated. For the night, use a torch. When it gets to ~60%, burn a tree and wait out the rest of the night. DO NOT eat anything that can be cooked, cook it on the second night. The rest of the torch can be spent on the third night.

Day 2

This should be spent exploring and gathering. In the late evening start chopping wood and make a  campfire near trees and start cutting wood overnight (after you eat your cooked over the campfire). 4 logs is a bare minimum here.

Day 3-8

Get more grass, twigs, and logs (~30 logs) then keep exploring, look for rocks to mine rocky biome mostly (beige or grey). I suggest spending most of this time mining only gold, rocks, and flint. 40 rocks, 10 gold, and 20 flint is enough to set up a base. Once you have your minerals make a science machine, craft a alchemy engine (DO NOT PLACE IT), backpack, log suit, and a spear. You are ready for the hound attack. Remember to keep getting food all the while. Look for beefalo (yellow grass turf) and set up your camp in the dark green forest patch in the middle of the savanna.

Day 9-11 (o shet 9/11 xd)

By now you should have your camp that consists of: Alchemy engine, campfire, at least 1 chest, lighting rod, and 1-4 crock pots.

Day 12-Winter

This time should be spent making shovels, then using said shovels to dig up at least 10 saplings, 10 grass, and 20 berry bushes. These should be fertilised be day 15. Hunt some beefalos for meat, wool, and horns (leave 3 if there aren't many). Shave all the beefalo at night for wool, and make a beefalo hat (winter hat if needed). All of your spare time should be spent:

Making 2 lightning rods, 1 at camp and 1 at the plants.

Getting gears.

Small preparations for winter (thermal stone, enough twigs/grass/food/logs.

Bee boxes (optional)

Drying racks (optional, recommended).

 

 

I left out a lot but eh, I don't want to type much. In saying that, you only wanted a good build order. 

[Tree45]

20 hours ago, Rellimarual said:

Do you use traps for the frogs? I find the toughest aspect of drying racks is just getting enough grass, but with traps as well, you'd need to pick half the tufts on the map!

Very right you are! Lots of grass required but for frogs I use 2 or 3 traps and just kite big groups into the traps over and over, if it's just 1 or 2 i fight them but agin I main wigfrid so that makes it a bit easier.