What are your Early Game construction priorities?

[DanielCoffey 30]

I am a new player to Ylands and would like some advice on what priorities you set yourself for the early game, specifically to do with shelter, storage and protection from animals.

I understand how to look around and find surface resources (clay/flint/iron) as well as collecting plants for seeds (flax). I have managed to survive long enough on the first island to just break into iron tools but I don't know what I should be doing as far as base building is concerned.

In the early game, do you tend to move into (and repair if necessary) an existing structure or do you just scavenge the ruined buildings and strip them of any useful resources?

If you are looking for a suitable site, do you prefer having your back to the sea? Is a large flat area more useful? What about a hilltop for visibility? Do you tunnel into a cliff?

Do I need to worry about walls or fences to prevent roaming surface predators from encroaching? Do herbivores eat my crops?

Do I need to plan for a roof over crafting areas? Is cold during the heavy storms an issue?

Do you tend to construct watch towers from which to snipe nearby predators or do you just charge in spear waving?

Thanks in advance and I appreciate the help.

[TheSparkPlug 128]

At the moment, you can safely ignore anything relating to predators... they won’t be a problem unless you accidentally walk right up to them, and even then the chances are they will be glitched and unable to move.

if you haven’t explored other islands yet, I would focus on getting a ship. You can put all your crafting stations on that and use it as a temporary base until you find the island you want to settle on.

A roof over your bed and any crafting station that needs to be lit will prevent the rain from stopping you sleep/smelt.

Using an existing structure is not a good idea as it probably won’t be aligned to the grid, making improvements/repairs difficult (or ugly!)

 

[DanielCoffey 30]

Cheers - I have noticed the cats and bears roaming a little but the wolves just like to pile in a heap and sleep all day. Do herbivores damage your crops at all or can I ignore them too?

[TheSparkPlug 128]

Apparently they can, though I have never seen it happen.

However, the real pests you have to watch out for are horses... they will eat your magic blossoms.

[kimbuck 746]

and they turn into unicorns and   f@*t   rainbows?

 

[Onedown 28]

8 hours ago, DanielCoffey said:

I am a new player to Ylands and would like some advice on what priorities you set yourself for the early game, specifically to do with shelter, storage and protection from animals.

The multiplayer part still does not seem stable enough for me to find it enjoyable but as far as I was able to get in single player I'll relate my strategy.  I like to find a spot on the northern shore because it's easier to make a pier out into the water with dirt or gravel when facing north as I didn't seem to get many unexpected results when plopping down a splat of dirt.  Facing other directions can be troublesome.  The reason I like to use dirt or gravel is that it at least used to show up on the map (I'm not sure it it does now with the new map changes). I also try and find a spot where wild animals do not spawn as even rabbits and crabs have disturbed my sleep.   At first if you don't have the resources to build a shelter to stay out of the rain you can dig a small cave to protect you so you can sleep.  Then its just a matter of building the suggested items and a shelter until you can no longer progress without leaving the island.  This is when I turn my attention to building a ship so I can explore to find the rest of the materials that are not on my island.  I suggest not going to far into caves until you have a propeller pack and at the very least a mining helmet and iron armor and weapons.  I use stone chests which you can stack manually and have the highest number of slots.  If you try and craft all the essentials which are marked as soon as they become available you should be fine.  One thing I don't like are the bamboo blocks so I avoid starting out on a jungle biome as the bamboo just reminds me too much of the horrid plaid pants I used to wear in the seventies ( don't ask me why it reminds me of that I dont know,  it just does ).  Yikes!!  Once I got proficient at progressing through the crafting is when I got  a little pickier about locations and making things look nice on subsequent playthoughs.

[DanielCoffey 30]

Much appreciated, thanks.

Can predators climb stairs or cross player-made barriers? I have a location with a huge dogpile of three or four wolves and can only take them on one at a time at the moment. I was considering a raised platform but when I first tried engaging one from a Discovered treehouse, it simply ran under the platform below me and stayed there, moving around to match what I was doing above and I couldn't see it to shoot.

[Energritz_ 107]

From a MP stand point this is my strategy.

Find a relatively stable server that's been around for awhile (eg my server #sellout) there are few of us here that run maintained servers.

Stay away from official servers, if things go wrong and sometimes they do, don't hold out on getting help at least not for a long time.

 1) i gather materials, while avoiding predator areas (lions, hyenas, bears,  etc), this includes Ores, Wood, Food etc (vital things)

 2 ) I construct a temporary area of machines in a quiet area, not spawn.. or near houses..

 3)  craft only the necessary things to build a boat, because i don't wanna hang around on spawn island.

 4) Set sail in any direction looking for birds in the sky, usually nearby islands are habitable.

 5)  find preference island, dock, claim island for yourself, as i have found out, a lot folks just chill on spawn island.. unless the server is populated.. which is rare...

 6) Setup base, progression, ???, profit, expand to whole island (choice is endless only limited by resources)

(Your mileage my vary, based on your particular server rules and MP issues)

Edited May 4, 2018 by Energritz_

[kimbuck 746]

My tactics  are :

grab  food,  grass stones and craft a outfit for warmth,  and a mace for protection, and then a stone pick for  flint, wood pieces and sticks.  Keep to the shores and for the  first 2  nights  camp on a peninsula where you can place fires to deter predators.

Make a grass sleeping mat, and a  stone  axe and  knife. if you see any clay  or iron,  mine some  and then assemble a raft.  craft 2 basket containers and  put on stern of  raft,  store any items  in them you collected  and wait until daybreak, then  set out away from spawn and  griefers! Look for birds

Find and claim a spot on an island.... i prefer tropical ... others  desert  , each has its  own  unique  predators!

Choose a spot  for a base...  i usually  select  somewhere  close to deep water  to  deploy a ship later,  or  even a small island....  and   somewhere handy to  both stone and    wood    bamboo ...

Build a small  square floor   as a platform and place on the  ocean side  your  PB... ( to protect later  ships..)

Construct a ramp out to your platform.... all this  can be wood , and later on after you have  your  smelter and forge,  with iron tools  ( lots of  hammers..they break easily!)   you  can deconstruct the  wood parts and reuse  for a  ship  ..and replace  flooring  etc  with stone.

Make a crossbow and  saber asap ...  the  crossbow  for long  distance  shots at predators  from hilltops, and the saber for close in melee defense ( crossbow  takes a few seconds to reload ...)

Make your base secure from intruders... you can  add windows  etc  later ..

Look  for   tips from other posters here ...   start small and secure and  add extra  as you progress and   get more resources. If you met up with someone  you  can trust,  share resources and work stations  ..even  explore together..  that way one can   help defend you and   even mark any  tombstones with a  fire to help you recover  your  stuff  if  you  get eaten  by a wolf/panther/puma/bear etc.

before  exploring  and sailing   craft a map ..( paper press and pencil)

and  have fun!

 

 

 

[bojo2736 1016]

I don't know about others, but I die a lot in early game due to predators.

First I start gathering grass, sticks, rocks, flint (you need at least three) and food.  I tend to head to the high ground first to get a good look. I craft stone ax, stone pic, grass clothing.  After I look at the island from the hills, I will try to get down to the shore and work my way around.  I think it's important to get a map as soon as you can.  

I gather clay, iron, flint, grass.  I will look for other bases set up.  If I can craft better weapons I will do so.   And I don't spend a ton of time on spawn island.  As soon as I can I will build a raft with a couple of wicker baskets. If I am able to upgrade my weapons and tools at a borrowed workstation, I will craft herb pouch, seed box, soil box and coal bucket. And I generally always carry those always.

I don't mess about with flax or cotton in the beginning.  Trying to build your boat with those takes for.ev.er...  I am the sisel queen.  I try to get sisel agave as soon as possible.

I tend to like to build on the arid biome.   But in any place I build, I am looking for someplace I can dig into. I also want deep water for my ship.  I tend to make hobbit holes for my work stations.  I dig deep in the protected area, this allows me to be safe from griefers.  And it is quick.  

I build my ship and THEN worry about a house. Once you have your ship, it opens up the whole world for adventuring and getting resources. 

Edited May 5, 2018 by bojo2736

[WijkagentAdrie 384]

Shelter wise: build a door with a wooden/stone block frame (3 blocks deep i recommend) around it and place a teepee tent with its opening on your door. You now got a really cheap working shelter if you need more space, either repeat or make some sort of tunnel to connect them.

[DanielCoffey 30]

Thanks for all the tips, folks.

I am currently still on Single Player mode so don't have to worry about anti-social issues obviously.

[bojo2736 1016]

5 hours ago, WijkagentAdrie said:

Shelter wise: build a door with a wooden/stone block frame (3 blocks deep i recommend) around it and place a teepee tent with its opening on your door. You now got a really cheap working shelter if you need more space, either repeat or make some sort of tunnel to connect them.

Teepees are craftable?

 

[bojo2736 1016]

5 hours ago, DanielCoffey said:

Thanks for all the tips, folks.

I am currently still on Single Player mode so don't have to worry about anti-social issues obviously.

If you want a fun group to play with, @kimbuck and a few others and I all play cooperatively.  It is fun and not as much issues with PVP.  

[WijkagentAdrie 384]

4 hours ago, bojo2736 said:

Teepees are craftable?

 

Yes they are  I can't quite remember what you need for them but I know it's quite a lot of cloth, and I think at least a sewing kit and some poles.

Also one of the colors has a different opening that's less useful for this idea unfortunately.

[bojo2736 1016]

Looks like it needs 10 cloth.  Not so bad if you are a sisel farmer.