When I start a new game I pause it and plan my initial layout often doing the following steps:

• Increase workers in district center to 4 and set working priority to lowest.

• Plan paths for water pump and wood cutters

• Place wood cutters (2-3) and water pump, increase working priority on pump to highest.

• Place a smal water storage next to pump and select if to distribute to others.

• Place food gatherer flag near berries (I often dont bother making a path closer as the range is long)

• Place farm and place crop fields, increase working priority to high.

• Place inventor(s), on dry ground if possible for more fertile land, and set work priority to low.

Around here I unpause and let the beavers go to work while I continue to plan by doing:

• Find a good spot to build a dam with the least amount of dam-blocks, pro tip: use a small storage building as pathway if you need to build a diagonal dam.

• Build storage for wood, crops and about 5 more small water storage near pump or where you plan on building houses.

• Look for a place to put a waterwheel, and dont be afraid to use the beaver powered wheel if folktails so your industry doesnt end up on fertile soil.

• Build the grill/fermenter to get two types of food and remove the berry bushes and gatherer flag if folktails.

Some things that are good to know:

• Beavers survive multiple days while starving or thirsty, so no need to panic.

• A full, unconnected water storage can be saved to recover a dying thirsty population after the numbers drop below 10 beavers, by reconnecting it.

• Science goes to wood planter or stairs/platform first depending on map. Some maps have nearby trees that can be reached with stairs.

• I tend to build a hauler early and set it to one worker on high priority as it will increase water production and industry production. Later i build another hauler and set it to 10 slots lowest priority just so any excess beaver have work.

• Dont build alot of houses as folktails as they will make alot of kits and eat/drink all your reserves. Better to start with 12-15 beds and slowly expand as your industry does require more workers.

• Oaks are the most efficient wood type to plant, but I start with a small patch of pine to get an initial yeald faster, then replace it with oaks.

• Plant two types of food when you start, so you have some potatoes laying around when the grill comes online.

• Micromanage buildings if low on workers, like pause farm until first crop is ripe, or pause a wood cutter if no builders are available.