Difference between revisions of "New Player Walkthrough"
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''N.B. Some items in the table have been omitted for the sake of simplicity. | ''N.B. Some items in the table have been omitted for the sake of simplicity. | ||
− | {{Notice|IMPORTANT!|Avoid {i|Waxing Toadstool}}, {i|Witch's Hat}}, and {i|Yellow Morel}} mushrooms as they will give you {i|'Shroom Poisoning}} and preparing them properly is not worth the hassle right now.}} | + | {{Notice|IMPORTANT!|Avoid {{i|Waxing Toadstool}}, {{i|Witch's Hat}}, and {{i|Yellow Morel}} mushrooms as they will give you {{i|'Shroom Poisoning}} and preparing them properly is not worth the hassle right now.}} |
=====Hunt Crickets===== | =====Hunt Crickets===== |
Revision as of 11:18, 19 May 2023
Introduction
Salem is a lovely game “focused on all manner of crafting (farming, building, invention and so forth) and developing [the] required character skills for doing so. It also features free-for-all PvP combat with the possibility to permanently kill player characters.”[1] This can be very intimidating for new players who fear losing all their progress at the hands of veterans. This walkthrough aims to help new players by going a little further than a guide and outlining, step-by-step, how straight-forward it is to get started or back on your feet after a setback.
Progress in Salem is understood by the fact that increasingly stronger characters can make increasingly stronger bases that can in turn make increasingly stronger characters. While it is tempting to put all of one’s eggs in one basket and follow the path and progression of a single “main” character through the game, you will likely enjoy more success playing several characters. If you already have experience managing multiple characters in other games (e.g., party members in Final Fantasy, Sims in a household, etc.) then managing different characters in a Salem homestead may feel familiar to you.
One of the interesting features of Salem is that the “world is persistent and mutable, meaning player characters are able to make permanent changes to it by destroying and building landscape and houses etc.”[2] In fact, the current Providence server has persisted online since February 2014 and many veterans have by this point built extensive industrial complexes behind heavy fortifications. The in-game economy is quite stable and it is very easy for new players to procure more advanced foods to quickly boost the strength of their characters and procure more advanced materials to quickly build more advanced defences, tools, and structures at the start of their journey.
Most of the early game mechanics can be skipped entirely if new players plan on joining an established town, buying from established players, or taking over an abandoned base and salvaging from other abandoned bases. The early game is outlined here in detail for new players who wish to practice these mechanics or for those (who like me) were drawn to Salem for the rewarding challenge of venturing out and establishing a self-sufficient homestead in the wilderness.
Create a New Character
The Tutorial
Collect:
Tumbleweed (1x) Hickory Nut (4-8x) Branch (6x) ( Stray Chestnut or Smooth Stone) (2x) Flint (3x) Myrtle Oak Leaves (2x) Oak Duff (3x) Maple Leaf (2x) |
After crafting and equipping the Flint Axe:
Woodblock (1x) |
After learning Colonial Tradesmanship:
Broken Bough (3x) |
The Tutorial will teach you the basic game mechanics. Once the in-game tutorial is completed and your character travels with the Native Guide to select a homestead in Providence, the character is saved on the server and you can log out without losing your progress.
- Collect the listed items. Tip: Open the Abacus Window (Ctrl+A) in a 3rd Party custom client.
- Follow the tutorial instructions, using a Stray Chestnut or Smooth Stone to learn the skill Survival Skills and then again to learn the skill Lore of The Lumberwoods.
- When prompted to build a Drying Frame, a building window pops up requesting 5x Branch. Hover over that branch icon in the building window and Shift+Scroll Wheel to quickly fill it with appropriate materials from your inventory.
- When prompted, glutton one Hickory Nut and proceed.
- When prompted to increase your proficiency cap, craft 1x Leafy Leftovers (3 uses), study it once, and then click the Flora & Fauna proficiency bar to upgrade its cap from 500 to 700.
- When prompted, Study Leafy Leftovers again to learn the skill Colonial Tradesmanship.
- Eat a hickory nut to replenish your biles.
Learn Collector
- Start collecting branches from a tree and continue until you receive 3x Broken Bough among them, discarding (Ctrl+Alt+Click) any regular Branch to save weight.
- Study the 3x Broken Bough. Study 1x Oak Duff. Craft and then study 1x Rock Maracas.
- Learn the skill Collector. This allows you an additional 5kg of carry weight.
Craft 1x Wooden Shovel
Collect:
Woodblock (1x) Branch (3x) Pinecone Scale (2x) |
Woodblock (17x) |
A shovel is a handy second tool to have for digging soil and quarrying useful materials like clay and lime. You can craft one in the tutorial area, before heading out to the New World.
Learn Whittling
- Collect the listed items.
- With your axe still equipped, right-click 1x Woodblock in your inventory to split it into 2x Wood Choppings. Study both to upgrade your Hammer & Nail proficiency from 500 to 700.
- Craft and study 1x Lumberwood Figurine to learn the skill Whittling.
- Collect 17x Woodblock and use 10x to build a Whittler's Bench and 7x Woodblock to craft a Wooden Shovel.
Craft 4x Clay Pot
Collect/Craft:
Any Stone (10x) Branch (10x) Tinder Drill (1x) |
Any Stone (20x)
Branch (20x) Tinder Drill (2x) |
Unburnt Clay Pot (12x) |
- With your axe still equipped, chip 10x Stones and craft a Fireplace near the clay pit to the north. You can add fuel to it by right-clicking a Branch on the stones. Tip: You can do this faster (and indiscriminately) by holding down Ctrl as you right-click the ring of fireplace stones once.
- Craft a Tinder Drill and light the fire. Right-click the Fireplace and use the Roasted Nuts recipe to roast Any Nuts you collect and get much more energy from them. If you get any precious Gelatinous Lard during roasting, save it for later.
- Build, fill, and light 2 more Fireplaces.
- In the bottom left of the User Interface, next to the chat icon, click the “Display Landscape Tool” and then click the button in the “Select area” window that pops up. Click and drag a rectangle over the clay pit to practice with this tool. Click the “Release” button. This tool will be useful when you are quarrying materials or flatting terrain for construction.
- Equip your Wooden Shovel, dig the Clay, and craft 12x Unburnt Clay Pot. To save weight, discard any branches and craft pots as you collect clay. Close the Landscape Tool.
- Place 4 of these Unburnt Clay Pot in each of the 3 Fireplaces. Make sure all 3 Fireplaces are lit (smoking). This crude firing process takes 20 minutes and can result in either a Clay Pot or a Pottery Shard. Hopefully at least 4 clay pots survive for your trip to Providence.
Gluttony, Part 1
The previous task highlighted how tiresome it is to do strenuous activity and how frequently one has to replenish one’s biles by eating food. By raising these 4 humours, the character can carry more, work longer and replenish biles less frequently. To do so, we will practice the gluttony mechanic one more time before leaving for the New World, and only focus on a single Food Group for the sale of simplicity: Nuts and Seeds.
Roasted Chestnut (8-10) | ||
Roasted Myrtle Acorns (8-10) | ||
Roasted Pine Nuts (8-10) | ||
Roasted Hickory Nut (8-10) |
'We will build on these basics on the Providence server in #Gluttony, Part 2'
Tip: In a 3rd Party custom client, you may wish to enable the follow checkboxes in the options menu:
|
- Begin by collecting and roasting some Stray Chestnut, Myrtle Oak Acorns, Pine Nut, and Hickory Nut. If you get any precious Gelatinous Lard during roasting, remember to save it for later.
- Click the forks under the biles to open up Gluttony Mode. Click 1x Roasted Chestnut to raise the “red” bile from 5 to 6. Click 1x Roasted Myrtle Acorns to raise the “blue” bile from 5 to 6. You may need more than 1x Roasted Myrtle Acorns if your Nuts and Seeds efficiency was previously reduced from 100% down to 50%. Repeat this with Roasted Pine Nuts to raise the “yellow” bile from 5 to 6. Assuming you previously gobbled a hickory nut during the tutorial; your biles are likely an even 6/6/6/6 now.
- Immediately after you raised your biles for the third time, the gluttony forks likely reset and the Nuts and Seeds efficiency reset back up to 100%.
- Click the gluttony forks again to repeat this exercise for another 3 increases (always aiming to increase the blue, red, yellow, and black evenly) before the gluttony forks reset so you can repeat the cycle.
- Roasted Nuts are relatively “weak”. Even if you had a lot of nuts, you will eventually struggle to increase your biles. At higher levels, more roasted nuts will be needed to go up by a single point, and as you gobble more nuts, more will be needed to overcome the resulting drop in efficiency. As you progress in the game, you'll not only be able to prepare foods that are both “stronger” and more efficient but also foods in different food groups that each start at 100% efficiency at the beginning of the gluttony session.
- Move your fork cursor outside your inventory and right-click to exit gluttony mode. Hovering over the Full and Fed Up debuff icon in the top left corner of the user interface will tell you how many minutes you need to wait before the gluttony forks reappear for your next session.
For more information, please consult the extensive wiki pages on Humours, Gluttony and Craving.
Learn More Skills
Collect/Craft:
Sand (2x) Wood Choppings (5x) Leafy Leftovers (1x) Rock Maracas (2x) Flaming Pinecone (1x) Oak Duff (1x) Squirrel Stash (2x) |
Simple Crucifix (1x)
Broken Bough (1x) Grass Whistle (1x) Spinning Top (1x) Stray Chestnut (2x) |
Heated Stone (4x)
Sand (1x) |
Heated Stone (10x)
Sand (4x) Smooth Stone (2x) Rock Maracas (1x) |
Spinning Top (3x)
Wood Choppings (4x) |
Learn Exploration
- Study 1x Leafy Leftovers (from Tutorial, 1x Sand, and 1x Wood Choppings to learn Exploration.
Learn Acute Tree Harvesting
- Study 1x Wood Choppings. Craft 1x Leafy Leftovers, study it once, and then click the Flora & Fauna proficiency bar to upgrade its cap from 700 to 900.
- Study 1x Leafy Leftovers. Craft 1x Rock Maracas, study it once, and then click the Flora & Fauna proficiency bar to upgrade its cap from 900 to 1100.
- Study 1x Leafy Leftovers. Craft 1x Flaming Pinecone, study it once, and then click the Flora & Fauna proficiency bar to upgrade its cap from 1100 to 1300.
- Study 1x Flaming Pinecone and then click the Herbs & Sprouts proficiency bar to upgrade its cap from 500 to 700.
- Study 1x Flaming Pinecone. Study 1x Oak Duff and then click the Herbs & Sprouts proficiency bar to upgrade its cap from 700 to 900.
- Study 1x Flaming Pinecone and then click the Stocks & Cultivars proficiency bar to upgrade its cap from 500 to 700.
- Study 1x Leafy Leftovers and 1x Squirrel Stash to learn Acute Tree Harvesting.
- You can now craft Novice Toolbelt and can now gather more nuts, bark, and inspirationals (e.g., Squirrel Stash) from trees.
Learn Bark Gathering
- Study 1x Squirrel Stash to learn Bark Gathering.
- You can now gather Birch Bark to make early game Tanning Fluid, Bark Boots, Barkpack, and Barkcup
Learn Foraging
- Study 1x Rock Maracas and 1x Wood Choppings to learn Foraging.
- You can now craft, among other things, Berries-on-a-Straw for early game Gluttony
Learn Indian Tracking
- Study 2x Rock Maracas, 1x Sand, and 1x Simple Crucifix to learn Indian Tracking.
- You can now craft Savage Charm as a great source of income when you travel to Providence.
Learn Simple Cooking
- Study 1x Broken Bough and 1x Grass Whistle to upgrade your Sugar & Spice proficiency from 500 to 700.
- Study 2x Rock Maracas, 1x Sand, and 1x Simple Crucifix to learn Simple Cooking.
Learn Patchwork & Rags
- Study 1x Spinning Top to learn Patchwork & Rags.
- You can now craft Jute Cap, Jute Pants, and Bark Boots.
Learn Bug Hunting
- Study 1x Stray Chestnut and 1x Wood Choppings to upgrade your Hunting & Hideworking proficiency from 500 to 700.
- Study 1x Stray Chestnut and 1x Wood Choppings to learn Bug Hunting.
- You can now craft a Slingshot.
Learn Essential Mineralogy
- Study 2x Heated Stone to upgrade your Mines & Mountains proficiency from 500 to 700.
- Study 2x Heated Stone and 1x Sand to learn Essential Mineralogy.
Learn Quarrying
- Study 2x Heated Stone and 1x Sand to upgrade your Mines & Mountains proficiency from 700 to 900.
- Study 3x Heated Stone and 1x Sand to upgrade your Mines & Mountains proficiency from 900 to 1100.
- Study 3x Heated Stone and 2x Sand to upgrade your Mines & Mountains proficiency from 1100 to 1300.
- Study 2x Smooth Stone and 1x Rock Maracas to learn Quarrying.
- You can now dig the Lime Pit in the SW and chip some Lime
Learn Carpentry
- Study 1x Rock Maracas and 1x Wood Choppings to upgrade your Arts & Crafts proficiency from 500 to 700.
- Study 1x Spinning Top to upgrade your Hammer & Nail proficiency from 700 to 900.
- Study 1x Spinning Top and 1x Wood Choppings to upgrade your Hammer & Nail proficiency from 900 to 1100.
- Study 1x Spinning Top and 1x Wood Choppings to upgrade your Hammer & Nail proficiency from 1100 to 1300.
- Study 1x Spinning Top and 3x Wood Choppings to upgrade your Hammer & Nail proficiency from 1300 to 1500.
- Study 1x Lumberwood Figurine and 1x Spinning Top to learn Carpentry.
- You can now craft Stone Saw
Prepare for your Departure
Collect, craft and equip the following items before talking to the Native Guide to end the Tutorial and travel to Providence
- Slingshot
- Jute Cap
- Jute Pants
- Bark Boots or Haybales
- Novice Toolbelt
- Clay Pot (at least 4x but preferably 6x or more)
- Birch Bark (28x)
- Lime (2x)
- Granite (11x)
- Hay (2x)
Arrive in Providence
Choose your First Homestead
Once the in-game tutorial is completed and your character selects a homestead in Providence, the character is saved on the server and you can log out without losing your progress (Type :act lo and hit Enter to log out safely). The Providence server consists of the Town of Providence and the wilderness that surrounds it. The Tutorial's Native Guide will take you to a random Lean-to in the wilderness near the town of Providence and ask if you would like to make that Lean-to your Homestead or skip to another random Lean-to location. This process can be repeated until you are forced to accept the 5th and final option. As you will only be at this location for 1 day and you only care about the proximity to water, accept the first location that has a nearby lake or river and is not crawling with snakes (e.g., Badlands).
The game allows Travel between your Homestead ... Home and ... to Providence with items in your inventory. Traveling to either of these destinations from other locations in the wilderness requires that you first clear your inventory.
PvE Dangers in Providence
It is advisable to read the article on Humours. When any one of your Humours reaches zero, you will become Knocked Out. For new players, this most commonly occurs through exhaustion (i.e., continuing to work despite depleted humours) or an encounter with an aggressive Creature:
- Timber Rattler can be found in nearly all the biomes of the New World, but is most commonly found in the Badlands. A single bite of their venom can poison you, slowly drain your Phlegm down to 0 and eventually knock you out. Timber Rattler Poison can be treated with Rattler Serum which is available from NPC Stalls for 250s or from other players for cheaper. While a snake will not follow you into shallow water it is best to outrun the snake as it will stop pursuing you once your are outside render distance. If you can't yet afford Rattler Serum, you can keep eating to keep your biles up while collecting reeds in shallow water (or autumn grass). You can place your valuables in the containers you construction giving you more time to return to this location to recover them after you pass out from the venom.
- Bear should be avoided at all costs. Even if a Bear is across an impassable stream of water, their Roar causes Fear which will slowly drain your Black Bile down to 0 and eventually knock you out. It is best to remain vigilant, keep your camera zoomed out when hiking in the wild, and Run away if you are spotted by a Bear.
- Cougar should be avoided at all costs. This is challenging because cougars are translucent and very fast. It is best to remain vigilant, keep your camera zoomed out when hiking in the wild, and Run away if you are spotted by a Cougar.
PvP Dangers in Providence
Like other Skills, players can learn how to commit crimes such as trespassing on someone else's property (2000 Cloak & Dagger), taking someone else's property (4000 Cloak & Dagger), and destroying someone else's property (5000 Cloak & Dagger). They can also assault, batter, and murder (37500 Cloak & Dagger) non-criminals 'if they are online'. Committing crimes drains Humours and leaves Evidence on the ground that other pilgrims can gather to seek justice.
For example, destroying a wall on someone else's claim, will leave Evidence of Waste on the ground for 11 days which other pilgrims can pick up to (1) send that criminal to the Stocks in the Town of Providence or -- and this is disproportionately extreme -- (2) hire a bounty hunter to exact Revenge in a Trial by Combat. That bounty hunter will themselves leave scents for 9 days.
Continuing with the example of Waste, players with criminal characters (i.e., "alts") carefully consider their investment in Skills and Humours.[3] For a veteran, walking through an unlocked gate is easy, destroying a Stone Hedge is a breeze[4], destroying a Plank Fence requires a 200+? biles character[5][6], and destroying a Brick Wall requires a 400+? biles character (i.e., several months in a massive base). In addition, aggressive defense structures like the Torchpost and the Blazing Brazier will hasten an attacker's black bile drain.
Visible valuables behind a weak fence are tempting (e.g., a full stockbin of black sand that suggests the player sifts[7]) and can potential for glass and gold within can yield high rewards for a relatively low investment in a criminal alt.
Permanent Death in Providence
It is advisable to read the article on Permanent Death. For new players that don't engage in crime, Permanent Death is rare but could occur if they:
- Reach Level 10 Madness. Avoid this by simply not doing insane things.
- Get Knocked Out due to Max Disease. Avoid the often naked and frequently vomiting "disease alts" that are sometimes placed by other players in the Providence town square to spice things up. If you contract a Disease, note the relative frequency of each of the 4 symptoms to diagnose the disease. If you've progressed enough in the game, you can craft a cure or ask for help on Discord.
- Get Knocked Out while Outside under a Blood Moon season. Either be extra careful or avoid Providence and take the opportunity to create another "alt" for your homestead in the safe Tutorial instance.
- Are murdered by a criminal landing a Killing Blow. This is currently very rare for new players. Avoid interactions with strangers in the wilderness. Trades are best done in the Town of Providence where PvP is disabled.
Begin your Journey in Providence
Boil the Birch Bark, Part 1
At your homestead in the wilderness:
- Build, fill, and light 4x Fireplace
- Fill 4x Clay Pot with water and 16x Birch Bark and boil them over the Fireplace for 30 minutes. Tip: You can set a 30-minute timer in a 3rd Party custom client.
- Craft 2x Woven Basket and fill them with heavy valuables (e.g., Granite, Lime, extra Clay Pot, etc.).
- Lift each Woven Basket and right-click your Lean-to to store them there.
- Move to the centre of your Lean-to and Travel to Providence.
Visit the Town of Providence
While the 1st of 2 batches of Tanning Fluid is boiling at your homestead (2 batches x 30mins), you can visit the Town of Providence for the first time. The Town property covers many biomes for many tiles and since PvP is disabled, it is a safe place to peacefully gather basic resources. For the next hour of gameplay, you will have 4 objectives. They are presented here in order of increasing importance and risk:
- Start your first Trade Order
- Raise your Humours
- Hunt Wartbite Cricket to learn the skill Tanning
- Sell valuables in order to buy 2x Nails (2x30s) and 1x Rattler Serum (250s)
If any point the 30-minute timer ends for the 1st batch of Tanning Fluid, skip ahead to [[#Boil the Birch Bark, Part 2]] to set up the 2nd batch and then return to this section.
Visit His Majesty's Stall
- Right-click His Majesty's son to receive your first Trade Order.
- Visit the nearby berry bushes, across the bridge and near the barn, and pick 20 berries.
- Grab each berry in your inventory and right-click the trader order to deposit them.
- Return to His Majesty's son, grab the completed trade order in your inventory and right-click him to hand it in and then receive your second order.
Most entry-level Trade Orders can be completed on the safe grounds of the Town (with some delay between orders). The one exception is the request for 6x Granite, which you have conveniently brought along from the Tutorial and stored in your Lean-to in the wilderness.
Gluttony, Part 2
You may have noticed the icon for a specific food recipe next to the Gluttony forks. This is your current Craving and satisfying it by eating it (not via Gluttony) will grant your 1 point to each Humour. If you don't satisfy that specific craving but instead inadvertently eat an item in the same Food Group as your Food Craving you will gain 1 point to a random Humour.
Building on the basics of #Gluttony, Part 1, your Gluttony options now span several food groups. If convenient, collect and craft some of these items below when you can so you're ready when the Gluttony forks appear. As this isn't an immediate priority, short 1 or 2 item Gluttony sessions are fine. The Full and Fed Up debuff won't last long between sessions.
During a Gluttony session, focus on raising one Humour at a time by focusing on one row at a time in the table below. Keeping these 4 clusters of Gluttony foods organized on-the-go (e.g., "red" foods, "blue" foods, etc.) will be easier once you craft a Barkpack later on, which has 4 rows of inventory space.
We will build on these basics, and introduce Froghetti (40+ Biles), at our new base in #Gluttony, Part 3.
Nuts and Seeds | Berries | Mushrooms | Vegetables and Greens | Slugs Bugs and Kritters | ||
*Blood | Roasted Chestnut (8-10) | (Cranberry) Berries-on-a-Straw (11-12) |
(Lobster Mushroom) 'Shrooms-on-a-Stick (10-16) |
Wild Garlic (6-7) | N/A | |
*Phlegm | Roasted Myrtle Acorns (8-10) | (Crowberry) Berries-on-a-Straw (13-14) |
(Sugar Caps) 'Shrooms-on-a-Stick (10-16) |
Milkweed Roots (6-7) | Sizzled Slug (8-11) | |
*Yellow Bile | Roasted Pine Nuts (8-10) | (Huckleberries) Berries-on-a-Straw (13-14) |
(Lobster Mushroom) 'Shrooms-on-a-Stick (10-16) |
Ostrich Fiddlehead (6-7) | Sizzled Grub (8-11) | |
*Black Bile | Roasted Hickory Nut (8-10) | (Blackberries) Berries-on-a-Straw (13-14) |
(Sugar Caps) 'Shrooms-on-a-Stick (10-16) |
Oakworth (8-10) | Beetle (6-9) |
N.B. Some items in the table have been omitted for the sake of simplicity.
Hunt Crickets
Collect:
Dead Wartbite Cricket (22x) |
Dead Wartbite Cricket (1x)
Crab (1x) Frog (1x) Virginia Snail (1x) |
Wee Menagerie and a Cricket Team are great inspirationals for leveling up your Hunting & Hideworking proficiency and learning the skills Small Game Hunting, Hideworking, and Tanning.
Sell Valuables and Buy Nails
Unfortunately there are no valuable forageables so we will Fast Travel back to our ... Home in the wilderness.
While keeping an eye on your Humours and an eye out for any aggressive Creature, look inside any Hollow Stump or Hollow Log.
Collect or Craft the following valuables:
- Dried Timber Rattler Skin (Sells for 4s at the NPC Stalls)
- Indian Arrowhead (Sells for 4s at the NPC Stalls)
- Indian Feather (Do not sell. Use it to craft Savage Charm)
- Savage Charm (Sells for 30s at the NPC Stalls)
- The occasional Silver Coins (5s)
While not mission critical, you should also grab any of the following valuables:
- Wild Columbine (Used in the cure for Frontier Flux)
- Leech (Used in the cure for Maroon Fever and for a beginner Trade Order)
- Orange Easter Egg (Used to access The Den to reduce Madness)
- Purple Easter Egg (Valuable and useful later for leveling Cloak & Dagger for hunting weapons)
- Porcupine Spines (Valuable and useful later for leveling Cloak & Dagger for hunting weapons)
- Whispering Snake Skull (Valuable and useful later for leveling Cloak & Dagger for hunting weapons)
Boil the Birch Bark, Part 2
30 minutes
Learn Tanning and Prospecting
Craft New Tools
- Buy 2x Nails
- Craft a Sawbuck and Tanning Tub
2x Leather
...under construction...
Prepare to Scout New Location
Collect/Craft and pack the following items before heading back into the wild to scout a new homestead location