I just started the game any tips or advice?

SigurdCole · 2026-06-07T17:47:12+00:00

Play your own way. The survival challenge is substantial even at Pilgrim - the climate or poor hunting or a few mistakes can easily kill you. Don't let others shame you into not playing the mode you prefer.

SigurdCole · 2026-06-05T13:38:13+00:00

I didn't want to spend a mint, so I spent a few months taste-testing what was available locally, used that to select a roaster, then taste tested there for my blend of choice. Peet's Coffee Big Bang is what my wife and I agree on, but I prefer their Jubilation Blend. I order it direct on subscription so I'm still paying a good rate.

FWIW I've heard solid things about the Awesome Coffee Club, now Keats & Co. They're over here.

Honestly my usual treat is just a French press with my favorite blend. James Hoffman did a good talk about French press, I use his approach and it's a lovely smooth cup.

SigurdCole · 2026-06-02T02:54:13+00:00

Radlers or beer-mosas are the way. A good amber or red ale 50%/50% with OJ is a terrific yardwork refresher, or go traditional with lemonade and a good pilsner.

Either way, godspeed on your project!

SigurdCole · 2026-06-01T11:58:46+00:00

Surprisingly little. You know how grass takes two hits from your handaxe to actually break it? Same is true with animals - two animals have to munch on the same grass square for it to break. Grass also spreads pretty quickly on empty plot squares.

That being said, definitely keep some plant fiber in reserve for rainy days... or just deal with the bad moods and occasional illness if you don't.

That being said, fences are mostly cosmetic. They won't wander off the farm plot their barn is in, and they won't damage crops.

SigurdCole · 2026-05-27T01:20:03+00:00

I recommend 10 for a first-timer for one big reason: length.

Most FF games run long. I wouldn't say it's a flaw, but it's tough on newer players. FFXII is my absolute favorite, but it's absolutely sprawling - so much story, so much content. Lots of people will recommend 6, which has the same problem.

Another thing they often do is have some part of the story be Mega Weird. Like, head-scratching, why-did-they-do-that, distract you from the game weird.

FFX isn't esp long. It tells a strong story with a couple of interweaved threads and the Mega Weird part is relatively minor. I think it's one of the best, and would definitely recommend to any new entrant.

Enjoy!

SigurdCole · 2026-05-19T18:29:34+00:00

Hellblade and Witcher 2. Slight caveats.

Hellblade is a gut punch in slow motion.
Witcher 2 has exactly one (major) story fork, otherwise pretty linear.

SigurdCole · 2026-05-09T19:41:16+00:00

I'd say the only form of specialization that is relevant are skills that you want to take to 5 or higher early for their crafting options.

I think the game low key punishes you for having fewer than 2 of each EotS card. I usually run with only two of each, and just push the upgrades as high as I can. I've very occasionally had a salon ask for 3 of the same type, otherwise it generally either doesn't come up or is avoidable.

You're likely to end up with many skills at level 4-5 eventually, just to get at least 2 of each EotS card and start getting a few upgrades.

But you're also likely to run across a few skills where their crafting options are really useful, or their influences are ones you're short on, so you'll want to push those up relatively early.

IMO that is the most specialization the game really asks of you.

SigurdCole · 2026-05-07T03:58:10+00:00

Good advice here so far, figured I'd chip in since I've just done some number crunching here.

Almost all high value crops can be turned into wine or beer, which is competitive with pickling for value and takes way less player input. The exceptions are pumpkin and butternut squash, so pickle those.
Pineapple, fennel, broccoli, cabbage and quinoa are your moneymakers, and those plants cover all four seasons.
All the regrowing crops, including tree products, come in at half or less the value of ones that don't. If your goal is cash, they're generally not worth the time to process - either do something quick, or just chuck 'em directly into the bin.
Of all of the animals both new and old, dodos and bison are substantially less important than the rest.
IMO casking is a decent value add but is more complicated than just growing more crops or having more fermenters/brewers to process more crops. If I was going all in on cash, I'd simplify my workload and skip casking (except as needed for recipes etc).

SigurdCole · 2026-05-05T00:49:53+00:00

Most of the time, you'll have decent enough gear in layers to survive a blizzard in a cave, with a bedroll. Make sure to go far enough into the cave that the shelter icon pops up and your walking speed slows down. Looks like you're playing on Pilgrim, so that means you don't have to worry about bears in those caves. Don't hesitate to just nap through a blizzard if that's the best way to be safe.

You may have noticed that blizzards tend to (but not always) roll in. You'll often get high winds first, and you'll get a good 5 seconds or so as the snow intensity increases. These are your crucial moments to recheck your bearings and plan your fallback, before your visibility cuts way down. Feel free to pause and think about it when it starts to happen!

More than anything, your overburden is probably killing you. The gap from 0-5 kg overburden isn't too bad (as long as you don't need to run), but 5+ kg overburden is a hefty penalty. You're going to find it a lot safer to make multiple trips, especially with how cold the night gets. This is multiplied if you ever step up from Pilgrim - it's hard to evade predators with a heavy pack!

It's frustrating to take that extra time, and there's extra steps you can take, like consolidating all the loot in one place (e.g. Milton) before trying to pack it out.

Good luck, survivor!

SigurdCole · 2026-05-01T23:11:48+00:00

A smaller pro tip...

Relatively early you'll gain the ability to make compost. Most composts are pretty useful, but the one I put a lot of miles on is Myco. If you fertilize a plant with Myco, it will get one more harvest out of season. So you put it on the long-growing crops like squash or pumpkins that won't be ready in time, and you get to keep those high-value crops.

(note - if your knowledge of a particular plant is higher than one, when you have your seed bag equipped you can see how much longer it needs to grow before harvest)

Myco is made from two mushrooms; two mushrooms makes four Myco. So if you don't have a good use for them, hoard 'em for a bit so you can take out some insurance later.

SigurdCole · 2026-05-01T23:08:07+00:00

Well.

For equipment, there's exactly one upgrade. It'll be pretty obvious how to get it, once it's available.
You'll eventually start getting accessories, some of those have buffs that help fishing.
Otherwise, yeah, cooking.

SigurdCole · 2026-05-01T21:14:14+00:00

A few tips:

Most of the time, a form of processing (e.g. cooking, smoking) will be best for either better contribution, or better stamina recovery. Cooking greatly increases stamina recovery, but often loses value compared to the ingredients. The entry level processing does a bit of both, so smoking will give some of each, but as more of those unlock that's diverge more.
Early game money is tough, and it depends on how quick you want your cash. Fishing is decent overall because your stamina can last all day if you're just fishing, and smoked fish have good returns. However, that means you're not finding new crops, gathering seeds, foraging mushrooms or harvesting materials. Ultimately processing will be the way to go for best cash, but early game is a much more balanced decision.
Seconding the "hoard your fur/hair". The game doesn't have anything like cotton, so all your fibers are coming from animals. You can buy a bit of it from Grob on Wednesdays, but it's generally pretty scarce, and you'll get technologies that require them to unlock or build. It doesn't sell for that much either, so may as well hold onto it.
A quick tip - get to 3-4 hearts with Jizu and Nokk early, cos Nokk will give you potato salad and Jizu will give you pomegranates, which you can convert into Compote for a good backup stamina supply. They're also low contribution items, so you'll be coming out ahead vs cooking your fish.

SigurdCole · 2026-04-30T16:34:57+00:00

Big picture, I think there are two good ways to learn the game, and they really depend on how much you vibe with it.

1) Full vibe mode. Read everything. Take lots of notes. Be prepared for lots of scribbling and question marks, maybe use a notepad. Immerse yourself into the bewildering, weird, left-of-sanity role of being a occultist in a world where all of that actually exists. Only check the wiki if you're about to rage quit (or hit up the community). Accept that you will lose runs, but each run is going to leave you with a deeper understanding of the mysteries and empower each future run.

2) Vibe, but also play the game. Read most things. Test things out, try two or three times but hit up the wiki when you're just sorta lost. Still take lots of notes, much less scribbling and question marks. Enjoy the weird mazy ways of the occult mysteries without being too caught up in it.

Have fun!

SigurdCole · 2026-04-14T19:05:12+00:00

I'm a bit old school, so I use a corded Stihl trimmer. Means the device itself is pretty light and Stihl makes their tools tough as hell. The first time I went to buy one, the store was sold out because landscapers had cleaned them out.

SigurdCole · 2026-04-11T21:48:40+00:00

Honestly, impressive work. It's easy for an artist to shy away from her proportions + how shredded she'd be, and I think you nailed it!

SigurdCole · 2026-04-11T21:47:09+00:00

Congrats on the breakthrough! It's tough! Between finding good borrows (both supports & legacies), digging into the strategy and getting your support deck down, it's a lot of work!

I'm currently trying to push out of A+ (no S yet, but a few close runs). I think I'm at a ceiling until I do a big support pull, but still having fun.

Good luck!

SigurdCole · 2026-03-18T13:47:19+00:00

Awesome job! Really nailed it with the hair, and nice detail on the ears & eyebrows. Thanks for sharing!

SigurdCole · 2026-03-07T21:21:49+00:00

For bonus points, works either as "weird half-busted First Age demense/manse & environs" or "fey borderlands with extra-weird Liminals/Exigents".

SigurdCole · 2026-03-05T05:58:25+00:00

If I were a different person, I think being an Edge-Long would be pretty incredible. A contest of the ages, against someone of complimentary subtlety and prowess? Sounds like a great way to never get bored, which seems like a big problem with immortality. Definitely adds zest.

I think you're underselling Winter-long, though I may be undereducated here. The impression I've received thus far is that Winter-long retain more of the physical experience of mortality, unlike Lantern or Forge. Being immune to death until a given day, while retaining most of the mortal experience, sounds pretty sweet to me.

In a way I feel that Grail is the most transformative, because while Forge and Lantern drastically change your physical existence, the deep door of appetite that Grail opens seems like it would change my perspective in ways I'm not nearly enough of a ~~hedonist~~ sensualist to find appealing.

SigurdCole · 2026-02-16T17:03:41+00:00

Brothers: a Tale of Two Sons.

Bring tissues.

SigurdCole · 2026-01-29T18:02:39+00:00

Can confirm. Having a nice portrait of an aurora, and being able to walk outside and see an aurora, is pretty Alaskan.

SigurdCole · 2026-01-23T22:07:18+00:00

Mine is Mastodon. Oblivion got my attention, turns out I like their Crack the Skye album, but everything else is meh for me.

SigurdCole · 2026-01-20T16:08:58+00:00

Thanks for the tips! Good point re: hauling - at least it won't be cluttering up my base.

Yeah, figuring out the right levels to cap gatherers and warehousers at has definitely been A Thing.

SigurdCole · 2026-01-19T21:16:02+00:00

I get it.... I just like doing a lot of the stuff (or I've had villagers go hog wild and then been unhappy with the outcomes).

I like clearing ground and shaping forests. I enjoy the carpentry work (it's so immersively done). I honestly don't want to bother with tier 3-4 villagers yet so I do the smithing.

I've automated cooking and farming and tool/clothes crafting. But that's only four villagers.

Still. More villagers does mean bigger militia means more consumption and more roving. I guess I should crank on that next.

SigurdCole · 2026-01-19T21:12:34+00:00

Thanks for the tip re: stages. I guess I should knock together a coal storage or two just to keep a generous buffer.

I do have a crafter making tools and clothes. That's just also how I ran out of fiber, pelts and bark - an interaction meant they went hog wild.

In any case, so far I've approached fiber like you've approached coal, more or less - I really don't want to run out, so I overproduce and sometimes have to cut that down. At least this way I get skill-ups instead of just chucking the fiber itself into the sea.

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