Hello

[Gram57]

I've just recently started playing.  I'm finding it a bit frustratingly slow, but then I'm a very conservative player. I do not want to DIE.  It takes 3 days to dry a rabbit skin, so I wait around collecting firewood and boiling water. I think I will store water here and leave in 3 days with my stuff. I've decided I'll imagine I'm a map maker.  Wish there was a survival end date. Example: Its winter survive until summer??? What other ways can I challenge myself to survive without risking I lose the entire game. Also, I would start again with so much more knowledge that I wonder if I should just go out and die and start over repeatedly to learn ? How do you play? 

[greatwhitegamer]

Welcome to the forums @Gram57! I could go on and on with your questions, but I won't spoil it for you. Q: Its winter survive until summer???  A: Nope. Eternal winter. Q: What other ways can I challenge myself to survive without risking I lose the entire game? A: You could try fishing for all your food, or hunting. Try to collect all the animal hide clothes. Those are just some examples. Q: How do you play? A: Well, I try to play it safe. If the weather is bad and I have plenty of food and pass times (ex: skill books) I spend the day inside. I hope this helps. See you elsewhere on the forums, cheers! 

[Cr41g]

dying is inevitable...its part of the game and you will die many, many, many, times. It is something you are just going to have to get used to

[Mroz4k]

Welcome to the forums, @Gram57 ! Hope you will enjoy your stay around here

I am not going to lie to you either. Since you are still new to the game, you will probably make mistakes, and those mistakes may end up with you, dying. It is important not to dwell on it - it happens in games, right? The thing is - it is okay to make those mistakes if you learn from them and don't repeat them next time. That is how we learn.

It all comes down to how careful you are. If you don't panic, take things slow and easy, and are careful (looking around, keeping in mind your needs, don't take risks) - then you probably don't have much to be worried about. If you are playing on Pilgrim difficulty, the animals are passive, and the weather is rather calm most of the times. It is a good mode to start with - for exploration. You can still die, but it is unlikely.

If you chose the Voyager, that is a bit harder already. The wolves, bears and moose can become hostile to you - and if you are not mindful of your condition (HP), you can die to them. But once again, if you take things slowly and carefully, you should be fine.

The problem here is that once you start doing all the tasks mechanically, just "get food, get firewood, get water, craft things, repeat" - then the game soon becomes a routine, even boring. This is the point where most newbies die the most - they get bored, and start taking risks.

I usually recommend people to not take the game so seriously. It is just a game - so instead of worrying about dying, just enjoy it. Don't focus just on surviving - gathering food, water, items - but explore the game! Go for pointless walks, and just observe the "ingame nature" - the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the amazing artwork this game has...

Other than that, I hope you will keep enjoying the game like I do, many years later and I still haven't lost my passion for it.