Arcanus

I'd forgotten there is an ore map. As regards digging on a chunk border, I hadn't considered that tbh. My thinking was simply by mining out the visible ore in a particular chunk (once found) I would move to the center of the next viable chunk and start prospecting from there, rather than being,say, in the corner of the chunk and trying to locate the ore in the opposite area of the chunk. I saw it as being more efficient in locating ores in any particular chunk.

Posed as a question for discussion. Whilst I like the new update, I was using the excellent ProspectorInfo mod by P3t3rix which showed the chunk borders and thus that greatly helps with planning your next dig. I'm not sure if the mod will be updated but I have lost all my prospecting info with the game update but that was to be expected but it would be nice to see what it did as a standard feature in the game (perhaps with an option to toggle chunk borders on/off for those that don't want it)

Not sure if it's the same for other animals but I have had gen 1 piglets and a lamb climb over 2.5 block walls. They seem to only be able to do it when in a corner so to overcome this I put a slab 'roof' at the end of each pen wall. I've noticed that frightened animals tend to run into the corners first. I might even have caught a glimpse of a tiny pickaxe as one of the piglets scaled the wall but then again I might just be playing too much of this game

From the Wiki (under Reed Basket Trap): I had an issue where if you directly selected the basket and right clicked on the ground, I simply threw the basket! I had to select a hotbar slot first, then scroll to the backpack slots using Ctrl and mousewheel as described

Another tactic I have just employed to get around one of the forests is to dig a tunnel. Sounds extreme but the more I though about it, the more it made sense. It took nearly two bronze picks and half or so of a bronze shovel but I now have a 'fast' travel through the forest without having to go up and down over the local topography. Looking at the map I routed it to pass a trader in the forest so I surface next to his caravan which is ideal. To stop mobs spawning I place stones on every floor block of the 2x1 tunnel. At some point I'll put some more surface tunnels in so I can emerge in the forest and explore the local area to see what resouces it has.

I'm fairly new to the game too and just about to enter Spring in my second year. I'll try and answer your questions: Not really other than what you would expect - groups of trees. Pointing the cursor at the ground and it identifies as 'forest floor' is another way. Loot is random. It's worth adding that there is sometimes more than one pot in a ruin and other goodies. Craft a shovel and dig around. Take any bone soil back and try panning it to collect other stuff of interest. The best loot from the pots I have had was two tin-bronze scythes. Traps are designed and built by players, not craftable. I have two built (unashamably copied from YT content creators), one to run bears to (so I can safely collect resin from the pine trees in that area) and another for Storms to farm the rifters. At some point I will see if I can improve on them but they are perfectly fine for now. Don't be sorry this is a tough game with a fairly steep learning curve. I'm not aware that the handbook content is available outside the game but I suspect most of it is in the Wiki. I think you'll find it very tough if you just try and go it alone without at least some homework. Winters in temperate regions are especially hard (December - March) so you need to try and make sure you have enough food to last, along with some warm clothing. A cellar is perfect to help keep foods edible for a long time (with the help of crocks and storage vessels) and a fur coat/boots/gloves will help you survive the cold. The latter items can be easily made with hides and fat, you just need to allow the time for them to cure. I have yet to venture too far from my home as it too appears to be surrounded by forests. Each time I have tried to make my way through them, some beastie or other manages to find me . In the meantime I've setup a home with farm, workshop with a windmill operated helve hammer, a greenhouse, and have some breeding sheep and pigs. I will be looking for some bees in the spring to populate the skeps I have waiting. In the surrounding area I have copper, tin and iron, blue and fire clay and peat. Although I have some iron tools I lack the resources to go 'full' iron so I will need to venture further. I have also yet to find much in the way of lore (no translocators yet either). BTW one last thing, you can set your spawn point with temporal gears when you get one. Default setting (in world creation) limits it to 20 uses. It can be set to unlimited but that has to be done at the time the world is created.

Glad I was able to help

Are you using freshwater and not saltwater to provide the moisture? That's all I can think of tbh. From the wiki: TBH I don't know if saltwater will change the moisture content although I suspect it should but there may be a mechanic that stops it as it is useless for farming.