What do you look for in a claim?

[Jomme]

I've seen two caves in my travelling so far. Both have been littered with skeletons outside. I take that to mean that there was some fighting, and I'm in no shape whatsoever to fight. So that seems like something to look at a bit later, maybe?

As for clay, I'm not totally sure I'd know good clay from bad clay right now with skills such as they are.

I don't think you'll find an unclaimed cave though. It was just what you do at the start I guess.

[Serani]

I've found two caves, well neither had walls outside. Again, I didn't venture inside to peek.

[Jomme]

No claims either?

[Serani]

No claim, and the walls outside were gone. You could see that the walls had been paved underneath. Both sites were totally picked clean.

I thought to settle at the last one, but all the skeletons sort of scared me away.

[Jomme]

Kinda strange then. I don't know, if you had looked inside you could've known but alas.

[Serani]

I have a bad habit of looking, then going farther and farther, until I find "bad". I was just delaying the inevitable, really.

[Amanda44]

I don't think you'll find an unclaimed cave though. It was just what you do at the start I guess.

There are loads of unclaimed caves you just need to look around a bit, which incidentally is good advice on it's own. Try to settle away from any activity, away from area's with lots of abandoned claims and away from the river systems.

A cave is a good start enabling you to grow more rapidly out of sight and hopefully giving you access to iron, keep a small farm above and pali it. Once you find the metals for your brickwall you can then expand above and wall it in if that is where you decide to settle.

Good luck.

[Mageinta]

I've yet to find an unclaimed cave but I've only ever traveled to the most northern edge of the map (I literally could not keep walking north anymore) and that was W6. My only issue with going inside unclaimed caves is if they're claimed you can't leave them due to the claim so you have to hearthfire out.

[Serani]

This is actually kind of cool as far as timing, since I just found another cave. Decisions, decisions!

I walked in and there was no claim and no one there. Trying to decide if this might be camp for a while.

[ZeggyZon]

This is actually kind of cool as far as timing, since I just found another cave. Decisions, decisions!

I walked in and there was no claim and no one there. Trying to decide if this might be camp for a while.

If your lucky you can even find an old claim that you can take over. You'll have to bash any gate to be totally secure.

One of the reasons a cave might not be claimed is because it doesn't really lead to anywhere so exploring it would be wise to make sure.

Also a cave is an additional security weakness you have to patch if your going to build a palisade or brickwall outside. Your going to have to secure the cave by building a palisade or BW around it or even inside if your going to store valuables there.

ZZ