Which is better to settle at?

[Triss]

So obviously if you choose somewhere to settle, nearby resources should be the big factor. What would you say is the most important single resource, if you could choose from any, to settle by? That's the hypothetical question.

The substantial actually relevant question I have for you, is if I had to choose between high quality water (from a well) or soil, which is better? I know it's unlikely to get lucky enough to find both together. The situation I have right now is where I am currently settled I have a q12 well, but the soil is the worst you can get. After searching though, I've found q57 soil with a well right next to it I've built but it's q10 water. Both spots are otherwise similar. So should I move to the soil? I'm still a newbie so I haven't even built a palisade yet, moving is no big deal. Or should I look for better water instead of soil? There is a lake/river nearish to the soil I could look for water in.

[Procne]

ql 12 water is still very low. Ql 57 soil is pretty nice. Settle near soil node. You will find good quality water sooner or later

[Triss]

What would be considered good quality water? And which is a more "valuable" commodity? Like if I were to suddenly find high quality water from a well, should I say forget the soil and uproot and move myself to settle at the water instead?

[Procne]

If you are new player then I would say that soil is more valuable, since quality of crops increases quickly towards soil quality and then slower above it. So if you don't have seeds of quality above 60 it's better to stay near good quality soil.

As for the water - I know of at least 4 spots with ql 40+ water, each claimed, but you can still get ql 40 water on borders.

[Radenk]

Settling near a clay spot is really going to help you with the brickwall.

[min_the_fair]

I find that a lot of the time I actually want low-q water, so as to get hungry faster. I find it easy enough to get barrels of good water (I know a couple of places with q40+ water just outside of claims, and more unclaimed q30+ places) when I need them. So unless you find a well with water good enough to sell, go for soil instead, because whatever happens you'll be filling barrels of water for some reason.

[Chakravanti]

Settling near a clay spot is really going to help you with the brickwall.

in the end, this is the most important. Once you get around to taming and building a wagon you can trek out to gather other quality resources while foraging for LP and hunting for food as a low/mid level player anyway.

[FictionRyu]

Once you get Hearth Magic and then you craft a Dowsing Rod you'll be able to find "well spots" as I call them. Which then could possibly gain you a good high q water well.

[MagicManICT]

Really depends on what you want to put a priority on. Farming will go up no matter what, but soil helps get it up faster. Mining really needs all three of the major resources, though clay can be traded for more easily than water. Where the mining really needs help is in tree growing for charcoal, which goes through a lot of soil and a good bit of water. For anything else, it doesn't matter where you live, but secure would be a preference.

[Potjeh]

Settle near a variety of different terrains, for good foraging.