Three Questions

[elGato3000]

1st off, I've only been at this game for a couple days --- and yes, I've read these forums, the FAQs, and done a search. Not helping.

1. How do you make string? Not under the Crafting menu. I have a spindly taproot, can't do anything with it.

2. Character Sheet: Worship: The Ancestors: Forfeit button and the three items that randomly appear when you press it. Obviously I'm supposed to sacrifice these items. HOW?

3. Travel Weariness: I haven't seen any straw or cows --- and from what I've read, trying to kill a cow would only get me killed anyway --- so no bed. Also, no alcohol anywhere around. So how is Travel Weariness supposed to be alleviated?

Thanks in advance.

(Bonus fourth question: Could this game be anymore noob-unfriendly?)

[Chakravanti]

1) the taproot IS string, requires no crafting to use it AS string.

2) grab item with cursor right click on alter. Build alter under furnature menu assuming you bought the AW skill. FYI you have no anscestors and thus AW is completely useless to you.

3) MAKE alcohol or beds. that's the only way. You're best bet is to get the winemaking skill and plant grapes build a winepress and barrel. takes a couple days to turn from grapejuice into wine.

[HerrMansen]

1. To expand on Chakravanti's response, see the Wiki entry for a list of what counts as "string" in the game.

This game is very heavy on the "discovery" aspect. I only started two days ago and I was completely lost at that point. Now I have a big wooden cottage, a growing farm and plenty of wildlife to kill for food and fur.

[elGato3000]

1) the taproot IS string, requires no crafting to use it AS string.

As the completely non-related string icon makes so blatantly non-obvious.

2) grab item with cursor right click on alter. Build alter under furnature menu assuming you bought the AW skill. FYI you have no anscestors and thus AW is completely useless to you.

As are many other things in this world, I'm coming to realize.

3) MAKE alcohol or beds. that's the only way. You're best bet is to get the winemaking skill and plant grapes build a winepress and barrel. takes a couple days to turn from grapejuice into wine.

Yes, I know I have to MAKE them --- unfortunately, as I already pointed out, the components are unavailable to me. Something of a major handicap for beginning players wanting to spread out and find some habitable area to settle, doncha think?

Oh, and speaking of unavailable crafting items --- since I can't MAKE bandages (no sheep = no wool), where / how do you attact leeches? I've spent the good part of a day marching around in a swamp (at least, I think it's a swamp --- again, thanks for not having a terrain key for the strategic map), and nothing has attached itself to my inventory.

[Alamarian]

3. Travel Weariness: I haven't seen any straw or cows --- and from what I've read, trying to kill a cow would only get me killed anyway --- so no bed. Also, no alcohol anywhere around. So how is Travel Weariness supposed to be alleviated?

Just so you know, a boar or deer hide seems to work in every recipe that says "cow hide."

[sabinati]

beds are not really useful anyway. it would be nice if they helped regen HHP damage while you were logged out or something.

as for leeches, look for the swamps that show up as bright green on the minimap. be careful with those.

[Dondy]

You can also make a bed out of cloth and wood and chicken feathers. It is generally easier to make this type of bed than it is to make a straw bed with a hide. To get straw you have to find or trade for wheat. To make cloth you have to find or trade for either flax or hemp so your chances of obtaining the raw materials doubles. You don't need to be able to kill anything bigger than you are to get the hide if you use cloth. The drawback is that you have to be able to make a loom and that is not one of your early basic skills.

There are three types of "marsh". By marsh I mean terrain where you are visibly wading and it isn't water. One type is pale purple and as yet produces nothing. The two other types are both greenish and look very similar. The way to tell them apart is to check your mini-map. One type appears white on the mini-map and has no leeches in it. The other sort appears greeny on the mini-map and if you simple stand in it up to your knees leeches will start to appear in the empty slots in your inventory screen.

Use leeches with caution and close attention if your hard hit points have gotten very low. Save the leeches. They can be used afterwards for bait and feeding them on your own blood makes them into higher q bait. Or for another healing session...

Remember the game is in Alpha, so yes, it is unfortunately still very noob unfriendly, or at least highly perplexing. Some recent updates which now dump starting characters who climb the ladder into uncharted wilderness full of impossible to kill animals are actually an improvement. Previous to that you used to spawn in the foreclosure neighbour hood of Detroit: nothing but seemingly abandoned, heavily secured claims everywhere and no way to find your way out to the very basic supplies you need to prevent yourself from starving.

You might want to put an entry in the "Bugs" forum regarding the misleading string graphics issue. The devs know about it and someday (Ragnarok, perhaps?) they will fix it, but they could stand to be nagged.

There is no official manual because things are changing too fast. But many players are happy to answer questions.

[Etienne]

About 3, I think rabbit skin will do. (How the hell anyone fits under it, assuming the leather is indeed a blanket, I don't know.)

[kazgar]

I read that the gauze/newbie problem is being looked at?

ant salve!