Ch2
EARLY SURVIVAL - MEETING NEEDS
I survived my first day! I didn't immediately die. But now I must look to the future. I'll need food and water, and I can't live under a tree forever - the seasons will change and this might not be enough.
FOOD AND WATER
I am a bit thirsty. Suffering from dehydration is bad.
Luckily I already know that Tangkal are edible, and have some water content. Unfortunately its hard to get many, and I fell out and got hurt.
I need a better water source, but this is a barren land. What to do?
It's raining and this ground is wet, so I've dug some puddle holes. These will fill up with water. I do risk disease drinking out of a mud hole.
BREAK TAKER
Back to camp to rest the Break taker message has come up. That means I've been playing for half an hour. This is a reminder because it is easy to lose track of time. Now is a good time to take a real rest.
You can ignore this message, but after an hour it will become a nag - you really should at least stand up and stretch after that long!
WATER POTS I
I'm going to make pots to collect the rain. These are unfired, and useless.
I need a kiln.
I've made a kiln out of dirt. Sealed inside are two pots. The fire will heat them up, turning them into pottery. It's raining so I put a shelter over top, to prevent water related mishaps. (Note: Fires needs to be kept away from wet soil too, unlike in this shot - this was made during a final bug testing run!)
IMPROVING CAMP
While I wait, I've make camp more accessible and tidy. This will save energy, and potentially my life in an emergency.
FIRST EXPLORATIONS
I'm doing well. So I explore a bit, gather plants and resources. I always take a survival bag of essential gear. I don't go far, I’m not ready. I collect anything that looks interesting.
Back at camp I'm exhausted, but I've got a safe space that's warm and dry so I'm okay. If I was still out wandering lost I'd be in trouble.
FARMING
I've made a little farm with the plants I found. These might be useful, but growth takes time.
I used the digging stick to till the soil. Plants need to be in the sun. Wet loam soils are best. Dry gravel and sand are very bad soils. Tilling the soil improves it, but risks erosion, and will become depleted. Unless depleted soils are fertilized (punch with a fertilizer e.g. ash) then they will degrade.
Extreme weather can inhibit or kill young plants. Animals can eat plants.
BED SET UP
All this work in cold rain is leaving me exhausted. I improve my resting spot. I make a better bed so I can recover faster. I have a fire place, crafting spots, and storage all easily accessible.
WATER POTS II
My pots are done. I can punch the kiln fire while holding any sediment to put it out. I put the pots in the rain to collect water.
EATING MYSTERY PLANTS SAFELY
I’m getting hungry. I have a good supply of maraka nuts here ... but are they poisonous? How do I find out?
I have to eat them. If eating this goes horribly wrong I need to be ready to ride out an illness. I am currently safe at camp. I have food and water. Time to eat mystery nuts ...
I eat one ... seems fine ... I eat more ... seems good ... more ... oh no! I have a health condition.
This disease seems fairly harmless. And I'm in good condition to begin with. Through luck and caution I ride it out easy.