Noob's questions.

[trungdle]

Hello guys, I want to get started in Salem but the problem is, I don't know what to find or what to do yet. I read some guides but they are so general, there's no step-by-step for newbie to follow or anything...
I know I should spend some more time to find out myself but time is not what I have in plenty so I decided to get help from vets players... if possible
So I have some questions:
-What is the quickest path toward a peaceful homestead with a garden and some food? ( I don't mind dying and losing everything because I'll die sooner or later as a noob, I can redo them)
.I don't want to be good at doing anything, but I do want to have a beautiful garden. The crops doesn't need to be perfect or even "good".
-Which skills should be taken first and what items should I focus on finding?
-What are the most relaxing activities for a chilling guy to do in Salem?
Thank you for reading

[Mereni]

The things to start with are Gluttony and Skills. Sounds like you want to get Settling, Agriculture, and Gardening first. You'll need to get most of the skills eventually, but you can rush those without hurting yourself.

For starters, you can get a lot of materials for the first inspirationals you can make, and a lot of newbie Gluttony food just wandering the Boston Claim, and that's not a bad idea for your first couple days of playing. Just don't step off the Boston claim, especially not with other players around, unless you want to see what happens when you die. Try this link to the Tribe Wiki to learn about Gluttony and how to do it:

http://www.salem-wiki.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Gluttony

Next, either contact Ikpeip about joining the tribe Treaty and settle in the treaty area along the coast, or use the wilderness guide to be teleported a way out into the wilderness. You won't settle there though, you want to keep going almost to darkness and find a very lonely spot to settle. Not on the edge of darkness or inside it as that is actually a pretty populated area. Be sure to regularly build leantos and claim them for homesteads so if you KO, you won't be set back too far. You need Hiking for leantos.

You can use the Inspirationals page on the wiki and the Skills page to help you get what you need to make a settlement. You need Settling if nothing else, to make a claim stone.

[trungdle]

TY, I'll try to do that.

[troubleis]

Mereni was spot on with the advice she gave; I just want to emphasize the fact of waiting to settle. The longer you wander, exploring and gaining skills and humours, the stronger and wiser you will be in the long run. There are 5 tips that I would recommend to any player first starting out, on top of what Mereni said.

First is to alt vault any valuables you have. Alt vaulting is making a new character that stays in Boston and just holds valuables, this is only safe way to store items.

Second, for your less valuable items that still need some protection from random people who stumble upon your camp, put your items into a container such as a wicker basket or crate, or even a hollow log and put that container into your leanto. Just lift the container and right click on your leanto and you will see a potato sack looking thing in it, that is your container, your leanto holds 2 containers. People can still steal things out of your leanto, but they will leave scents to do so, which will deter most people.

Third, all buildings decay that are not on a personal claim, including your leanto, so if you see any object turning reddish color try repairing it. If you travel to Boston and your leanto decays its final tick and disappears, you are effectively a Boston refugee.

Fourth, I recommend when you fill up a pilgrim's purse or snakeskin purse (both are cost effective) to alt vault that purse instead of buying a bigger and more expensive purse. Even if your main gets murdered, you won't be flat broke. Alts are free, but the fancy purses aren't cheap lol.

Fifth, Depending on how much time you have to play, I would start a second character that you level up alongside your main (or more even if you choose too).
You can get them both the basic skills and get their humours up, while later you can choose to specialize them. This is essentially following the Salem Proverb: "Don't put all your turkey eggs in one basket"tm . Even if you lose your main, you don't have to start from scratch. Treat your characters like tools in a toolbox, they are the most valuable tools you have, but they can still get lost or broken.

I hope this helps you out some or helps out some other new players.

[royalcheesecake]

Mereni and Troubleis great advice! Just thought I'd add a few more things.

If you look on the very bottom left hand side of your screen there is a little button that you can turn on that shows town claims. That will keep you from accidentally leaving Boston and possibly getting murdered.

I personally never leave the Boston area with a new character without the skill of hiking, which allows you to build a leanto to teleport to Boston. I also like to have the swimming skill, and I also never leave without making 2 hay to take with me, which is required to build a leanto. Some of the biomes the wilderness guide might leave you in don't have grass to make hay. I also like to have a few extra pieces of food with me just in case. An axe is also a priority.

Make sure to check all the old logs and stumps you see especially outside of the Boston area. You can sometimes find snakeskins you can sell to the white stalls in Boston for 4 silver. You can also occasionally find Indian arrowheads you can sell at the same place for 2 silver, and Indian feathers you can sell for 12 silver. You should try to get the skill Indian tracking as quickly as possible (it can usually be gotten in the first few hours) which will allow you to combine the latter two into a savage charm which you can then sell for 35 silver in the same place. I've made many thousands in silver from selling those few items.

Often when you are wandering you will find empty homesteads you can make your own, by buying a homestead claim for 150 silver from the white stall, and adding more silver to expand the claim. Priorities when choosing a homestead spot is access to water close, but not within sight. A lime pit the same. You need access to an iron mine for many essentials made from iron. Either on your property or close.

Once you settle, your first priority should be security. A fence is important, also a homestead claim at the minimum, and a town claim is even better. You will need braziers for security, these are also made from iron.

Once you have things secure and organized the fun of making things pretty can begin! If you take your time finding the right spot, and building your skills, proficiencies and money while always looking over your shoulder for hostiles( bears, snakes, and most importantly other players!) then your time playing the game will be more rewarding and fun.

Good luck and welcome to Salem!

[trungdle]

Thank you royalcheesecake and troubleis, your ideas do help a lot. I have since seen the light at the end of the tunnel and that keeps me from going, despite the annoyingly few inventory slots.

[royalcheesecake]

Trungdle, one of my top priorities starting out is to make the 250s needed to buy a backpack from the white stalls in Boston. Those eight extra inventory slots will really help save your sanity! You can also make a birch bark backpack that holds only four items instead of buying the larger store one. Myself, I find it easier to find the 250s than boiling the birch bark and drying it, especially on the move, but that is my personal preference.

I forgot to mention what I consider to be the most important advice: TRUST NO ONE!

Good luck, and have fun!

[Mereni]

make the 250s needed to buy a backpack from the white stalls in Boston.

Absolutely not. Contact one of the traders in the tradewinds forum and get a backpack for much much less. Some are selling backpacks now, some are selling leather and would probably be happy to make you a backpack if you lack the skill. They go for half price from another player.

Buy your first iron and nails from other players too, and your seeds.

[troubleis]

despite the annoyingly few inventory slots.

Another option besides only a barkpack or backpack is to drag a wilderness sled with 2 containers. You lose some mobility, because you walk slightly slower and you must go around any deep water (you can carry the containers over the shallows). With even 2 hollow logs you get an extra 16 slots, and if you find an abandoned homestead while wandering you can upgrade to double crates (30 slots) or even double chests (50 slots). Some people will obviously think this is stupid, but if you are wandering while essentially "living out of a suitcase" then having extra slots really help. Either way its definitely a different play style, but it might just be the solution to your needs.

[Kandarim]

also if you're foraging either way you'd be walking exactly as slow as dragging a sled. The main issue with that playstyle is that your expanded inventory is vulnerable when logged out.