First impression

[kLauE]

Also I haven't done combat yet but I've seen some youtube videos and that looks like by far this game's biggest failing

TRUE

[RedRamen]

Also I haven't done combat yet but I've seen some youtube videos and that looks like by far this game's biggest failing

TRUE

I agree 100%...

[DatOneGuy]

To answer a few of your questions...
Houses can only be built on paved land it seems (I've yet to be able to build them off of it, so plow/pave).
You'll need a lot more than 8 Exploration to find rustroot, I believe it's PER*EXP >= 400

Don't bother with a bow and arrow, you don't have enough Marksmanship, make a sling, use that.

There are no pets in the fighting sense.

Taming cow/sheep can be found Here.

Chickens are simply picked up and put in a chicken coop (you CAN temporarily put them in a cupboard but they will die because they cannot eat outside of a coop.

If you can find a nice area with:
Water
Sand
Clay (preferably of a decent quality)
Trees
Grassland
Soil (preferably of a decent quality)

You're probably set for the most part outside of the mine. You could always setup a temporary thing there and once you get a chance and find a mine, relocate.

To warp an alt to you whne he's being made, you go to the top guy in the spawn chamber and enter your hearth secret, he will then spawn at your hearth.


I'm not sure if macros are actually against the rules or not, but if they are it's not enforced, and it's hard to tell if everyone is actually using them or not, although it seems a few of the larger towns have admitted to it. If you want one, you're probably going to end up making it yourself, it's not that hard.