newbie first impression

[Potjeh]

I don't suppose you have any travel weariness left? You can teleport to Novigrad from Brodgar crossroads (west of their idol, skull on minimap), and there's plenty of apples there. Just don't chop down any trees, please.

[Shades]

will be in trouble soon if i dont stumble upon a way to get myself some food :<

Fruit trees (and their RSI inducing method of use) are the best way to get food as a newbie. At least that is what I found.
Baking bread is pretty easy too but you need to locate some wheat for that and have time to grow it.

[Jevon]

THis game really does have a suicidal learning curve.

Less of a curve, more of a very tall cliff.

You start at the bottom.

[jorb]

I wonder how many players the early game has scared off, all in all...

[Russaria]

Without any help?...about 90% I would imagine. After reading the "4000th member" post, it's pretty clear that althouh it is a tremendous earning curve, that the beginning hour or so is a harsh killer thanks to the lack of ESP in the human race overall...lol I think many would stay if they had basic knowledge of what to do suring that first hour to begin the road to having all the things they see around them upon beginning the game. If there was someway to instruct each newB that "Hey , go north to village idol crossroads and warp the hell out to somewhere where you can have trees, build a few fires, make a few twig baskets , buy pottery skill, find a fruit tree, eat, go to rivers edge and dig clay, buy skills, rinse, repeat and you are then on your way" A great many more players would give it a longer try I believe.

[warrri]

If they quit they're not worth playing this game. There are enough tutorials in the How Do I forum. Everyone who quit simply didn't want to put any effort in it.
Also you don't find this game magically. You read about it in a game forum or get it from a friend, so why not ASK there what to do.

[Dondy]

Can't find an apple tree or a mulberry tree?

Foraging costs 200 lp - with that you will start finding mushrooms to eat.

Hunting costs 200 lp - with that you can catch rabbits and chickens. Have a 2 x 2 set of empty squares in your inventory. Wait until your prey is not moving. Stand as close as possible to it and right click on it to pick it up.

Fishing is only useful if you have some string, bones for hooks, something for bait or a lure, and of course a source of water. Get hunting first and then you can make hooks out of the rabbit and chicken bones.

[sabinati]

it might be nice to make the starting fishing pole come fully equipped... of course there would still be the chance that your line/hook/lure would break. but i guess you can use chicken or rabbit bones to make new hooks, and you can dig for worms, or get leeches from a swamp. the problem really seems to be the plant fiber. maybe the starting rod could come equipped with an unbreakable q10 line... probably a stupid idea but the only other real solution would be some kind of foraged plant fiber.

[kimya]

or you just get a second string... yarn, for instance. seems nice for newbs, either you make a dreamcatcher or use it for a rod, just as you need it...

[Russaria]

it might be nice to make the starting fishing pole come fully equipped... of course there would still be the chance that your line/hook/lure would break. but i guess you can use chicken or rabbit bones to make new hooks, and you can dig for worms, or get leeches from a swamp. the problem really seems to be the plant fiber. maybe the starting rod could come equipped with an unbreakable q10 line... probably a stupid idea but the only other real solution would be some kind of foraged plant fiber.

This idea is a real good one, I never understood the naked fishing pole thing. Make it fully equipped with the low tier stuff and I think alot of the new players would have something to do of interest right off the bat. give em a equippted pole and an extra fibre and they can get a thrill/accomplishment when they catch a fish right off the bat.