LadyWYT

Unless you're like me, and don't bother to pick them back up after filling mineshafts and caves with them. Part of it's sheer laziness, but part of it is also to help leave behind some indication that I've explored that cave already. This is true, but sometimes you don't want to pillage the entire countryside to support a massive bee farm, and sometimes cattails are in short supply. I think it would probably see the most value in cold climates and large multiplayer settings. Could probably also nerf the straw requirement for skeps if it's too overpowered, so that cattails offer better value if you can get them. As for why one might want a lot of honey...mead. Candles I find useful for selling to traders; they might not bring in a lot of gears, but they're cheap to make and often in demand.

Under the World Generation tab, look for the following options: Upheaval Rate: This setting determines how common cliffs, hills, and mountains are. By default it's 30%, so they're somewhat common. Landform Scale: This setting determines how big features like lakes, mountains, and hills are when they generate. By default it's 100%, so these features will be rather large. If you turn both of those settings down to the lowest possible values, you should get a world that is fairly flat with small, gentle hills and practically no mountains.

This is what I usually do, though it hinges heavily on having access to borax or a good source of limestone. If you don't have either of those, it's a lot harder to make the jump from handbaskets straight to leather backpacks. Or the new scrap bomb from 1.20. Of course, if you have access to scrap bombs, you probably don't need the wolves for leather anymore.

Excluding amaranth and rice, as I'm not sure that either really works for producing straw...but the main purpose of having straw as a byproduct is to have a better way of farming materials for rope, baskets/chests, and thatch without needing to transplant loads of cattails/tule or mow a ton of grass. Plus you're going to be planting grain crops anyway, so why not? It also gives players more wiggle-room if they need to use cattails as a food source in the early game, or in multiplayer servers with larger populations. The mass-production of handbaskets and reed chests isn't that useful later in the game, but it's there if you wanted to, of course. It does have more value though in cooler climates, where cattails don't really spawn. Regarding thatch, straw could either replace dry grass entirely for the recipe, or otherwise function like tule in that it's more efficient to craft thatch from straw than it is from dry grass. Useful if you like to build with thatch, and somewhat easier than needing to harvest tule or dry grass. Straw could also be substituted for dry grass in other recipes, such as mud bricks. It may not be more efficient, but it does mean that you won't need to spend as much time or tool durability on cutting grass, since you'll be getting straw anyway as a crop byproduct. Probably the biggest advantage to having straw is the mass-production of rope and skeps. Not that cattails don't work for this, but not everyone wants to scour the countryside clean of flora(which my understanding is that happens a lot in multiplayer). It's also useful for players that settled in colder regions, as they'll have an alternate method of producing these items efficiently without needing to transplant loads of plants. Now of course, there's also a limit to how much straw one really needs at any given time, and if straw is always a byproduct of non-flax grain crops then it's going to pile up pretty fast. No one wants to clutter their storage space with material they don't need, and it's also annoying to have to throw items away/burn them. To give excess straw a use so it doesn't go to waste, I propose allowing it to be soaked in a barrel with water to produce wet straw, which will then decay into a small amount of rot. This way, players can still turn extra straw into something useful, rather than throwing it away.

Deer aren't the most realistic option, no, but they are plausible and something different than the standard. I also agree that cows(and their relatives), donkeys/mules, camels, and elephants would all be nice to have as well, and while I have ideas for how they could function I'd going to save that for another time and post. And while I do like having lots of variety, in the case of mounts I think it's also quite important to make sure that there are distinct advantages/disadvantages to each type, rather than simply have it being a model swap. Takes more work, but is more interesting. As far as mythological animals go...best to leave these to the realm of mods. I could see some sort of mechanical contraption added as a vehicle, maybe even some sort of Rust monster to "befriend"(although that's highly unlikely), but otherwise I don't think they fit into the vanilla setting.

I do like the idea, but requiring boards doesn't make the most sense, not the least of which is that if you can craft boards, you also have access to the stuff that allow you to craft a quern. Probably better to allow a mortar/pestle to be crafted from sticks and rocks. Stone is more durable than wood, plus it allows access to flour/mineral powders prior to accessing the tools required for a quern. Now I'm not sure why you would go to this trouble given that you still need an oven to do anything with flour, which will require a lot of fire clay, but the option would be there for those that desire it.

Oof, yeah, that's a detail I forgot about. Used picks don't work for the quest, but if there is still 95% durability or better, you can at least still sell it to a trader if you don't want to use it yourself.

As Thorfinn said, welcome to the forums! In my experience, twelve wolves in one location isn't exactly normal, but I wouldn't say it's unheard of either. There's usually 2-4 to a pack, so my guess is that you have at least a couple of packs that spawned in the general area, that have managed to chase prey into the pit and now can't escape.

This probably isn't the problem, but just to make sure that all the bases are covered: make sure it is a tin bronze pickaxe, as the other bronze types will not work for the quest. Otherwise, you'll need to start with the "Know of any interesting places are here?" question to begin the quest, which it sounds like you've already done. In that case, exit the dialogue with the trader, then talk to the trader again. There should now be a dialogue option to give him the pickaxe in exchange for a map to the Resonance Archive. If for some reason the dialogue option isn't there, try reloading the world and see if it appears. If there's still no dialogue option for it, then it's probably a bug.

Welcome to the forums! I beg to differ that it's entirely unimmersive/unrealistic--depending on the condition of the mortar holding rock walls together, you can take them apart using your bare hands. That being said, I'm guessing it's probably coded that way in-game in order to allow for a more readily accessible, less frustrating building material to work with in the early game. There are technically quite a few things you really shouldn't be able to break with your hands in the game, but can anyway for the sake of less frustration.

About 3-4 months, depending on whether or not you want to judge by snowfall, or musical cues. Mid-November to April sounds about right though, for standard settings. It also depends somewhat on what altitude you settled at, and not just your climate zone. In my current world, I went with the default temperate start, but got plopped on top of a high-altitude plateau. So while I'm in the temperate climate zone, the actual environment behaves much more like the cool climate zone throughout much of the local area. The game tries its best to simulate a realistic environment, but it does have limits--hence scenarios like this. Though to be fair, it's not out of the question to get little pockets of warm/cold like that in real life either, especially in regions with a lot of mountains or hills.

Good luck!

Welcome to the forums! I would reset the render distance to default and see if the problem persists--if it does, then the problem likely isn't the render distance itself, but something else going on with your machine. The most likely culprit though, I'd wager, is that the render distance is just turned up way too high. I'm fairly certain that if you can see the chunk, it's probably loaded in as well, or if nothing else it's going to be causing several many more chunks to generate at once when you go exploring than it would at the default settings. Even with good hardware, that's a lot to handle. If it runs fine after you reset it to the default, then you can turn the distance back up in smaller increments, stopping when you have one that is pleasing to play with without strangling your machine.

Sounds like a glitch to me. But now I know what happens if you try to go an alternate route!

Good idea for a mod that Game of Thrones fans or those looking for a more fantasy-type playthrough will probably enjoy. As for Vintage Story's setting...it doesn't fit the lore at all.

I have mixed feelings about them; I prefer to keep flying devices out of medieval-type settings(aside from flying creatures, anyway), but as a late-game tech option they aren't unreasonable, especially with the crazy steampunk tech we already have. That being said though, they seem like they wouldn't be that useful when we have teleporter technology, at least in terms of efficiently traveling long distances. A small airship or flying machine might be a better option; expensive to build, but useful for transporting cargo over short-medium distances since it can just fly over terrain. It might still be useful for long distance travel too, but that might not be very feasible due to fuel cost. The main concern I'd have is how a flying contraption of any sort balances against the other methods of travel. If it's too expensive for what it can offer, players aren't going to bother with it. If it's too cheap, then it can end up too easy to acquire and trivialize too many other things(especially parts of the story). One method of combating that is to make it require a blueprint, and then lock said blueprint behind one of the later story chapters. Personally, I'd rather skip air travel and have better teleporters available instead. Ground and water travel stay relevant throughout the game that way, but it still allows for traveling quickly between two points of your choosing, provided you're willing to set up the infrastructure. I do expect to eventually see a mod or two though that adds in balloons or some other method of air travel.

It doesn't actually take as much time farming as you might think. Just plant bigger fields and make sure they are irrigated so you don't need to spend time watering/relying too heavily on rain. That way all you have to do is work on other things until your crops are ready to harvest, and you'll get a much bigger yield per harvest as well. That strategy does require that you have more seeds to plant to begin with, but with all the extra time you have finding seeds isn't going to be hard(unless of course you opted for some extreme environmental conditions in your world).

I mean, when I first started playing Vintage Story I burned through several worlds due to mistakes. Sure, I could have kept those worlds and pushed through the consequences, but it was a lot easier and less frustrating to just start over with a better plan. Really just depends on player preference. Twelve days per month is a sweet spot if you want more time with each season, but also want years to pass somewhat quickly(livestock, fruit trees, storytelling purposes). The default nine-per-month isn't bad either, but it does leave you with a bit less wiggle room when timing certain things. I did once, mostly because I was still learning the game and wanted more time to cautiously figure things out without the pressure of feeling like I needed to rush winter planning. It was fun, and while the longer seasons mean you have a lot of extra time to do stuff, it also means you need to do some extra legwork when preparing for wintertime. Not that stocking supplies is terribly hard to do; it pretty much just means planting more crops and being more diligent about preserving food, along with digging an extra cellar or two. It's also nice having a realistic length of month and year, though I don't recommend picking this setting if you don't enjoy a slow-paced game. Time will drag quite a bit, especially if you don't often sleep through nights. To my knowledge, 30 day months aren't used very often outside of multiplayer.

As an Arkansas native, this comparison is oddly specific. So there are two modes for the propick: density search and node search. Density Search: This is the one you'll use to get a reading of the chunk and what you're most likely to find there in terms of ore. After you sample the rock in three different spots within a small area, you'll get a list of what's potentially there, with a description and percentage values. Ignore the percentage values--the descriptors are more useful in most cases. You want to dig in spots that are listed as Decent or better; ie, spots that are yellow or green on the map. You can take a chance on a Poor or Very Poor reading if you're desperate to find a particular thing(or if it's a very rare thing like gems), but your odds of finding it there are low. Node Search: This is the one you'll want to use once you've found a spot you want to dig in. You only need to sample one block in this mode, and it will tell you exactly what ores are nearby(a six block radius by default). Since it has such a short range, you'll only want to use this mode to pinpoint the location of ore. Mining in general: When you're out exploring, I recommend bringing a propick along with you to sample chunks every now and then, even if there's not a specific ore that you're after at that moment. That way you've recorded the data for later so you can have an easier time figuring out where to look for specific things. When you've found a spot you want to mine(an Ultra High reading is ideal), you'll want to dig a shaft straight down and sample the blocks every so often with the Node Search until you get a definite reading on the ore vein. Use ladders to help make sure you won't fall to your death, since your character will cling to a ladder unless they are moved off of the ladder's space. Once you have a definite reading on the ore vein, continue using the Node Search as needed to triangulate the vein's position, as well as make sure that you've excavated all the bits of ore that there were to find.

This isn't so much a suggestion that they should be added, as I expect them to be at some point, but rather how they could function when they are added and what could set them apart from the elk. Travel: Horses handle the same as elk, but can only navigate one-block heights with ease, not two, making the elk the more attractive choice for exploration or navigation of rough terrain. Equipment: Horses lack the slots for cooking pots and bedrolls, meaning that you'll need to pack these items into the saddlebags if you wish to bring them. The medallion slot is the same, though in the case of the horse an ownership medallion can be combined with metal plates/chains/scales/leather to craft armor for the head/neck(cosmetic). A lantern can be hung from the saddle, rather than the neck. More armor can be crafted for the horse's front and back, respectively, and protects from incoming damage while providing a small penalty to movement speed. The blanket slot can be occupied by either a standard saddle blanket, or by a much fancier(and therefore more expensive!) caparison. Some caparisons are only available through trade, or are exclusive to the Tailor class(there could be other equipment pieces that are exclusive to other classes though). Color Variety: The most obvious trait that sets horses apart from elk--they come in all sorts of colors. Combat: When galloping, horses are able to trample over medium or smaller creatures, doing some damage in the process. Assuming that it's feasible to code, they could also have a chance to kick nearby hostile entities, doing damage and knocking them back. How to Acquire: Horses can be found in the grassy plains of temperate and cool climates, congregating in herds(for the sake of simplicity and less frustration, adult males do not try to kill each other like roosters do). This means that you can not only acquire them for free or before pursuing story content, but that you can acquire them on the Homo Sapiens game mode as well! Of course, if you are playing with lore content enabled, you can also purchase horses from vendors in certain locations(though none of the ones that currently exist in game). Horses are never for sale at trader wagons though, as traders find elk much more useful for navigating the wilderness. How to Ride: Horses need to be tamed before they can be reliably ridden or claimed for ownership/decorated, but you can kit them with a saddle and bridle and ride them at any time. If they aren't fully tamed, however, they have a chance to buck you off, and the chance of that happening is greater the wilder they are. To tame a horse, you need to feed them from a trough; each time they eat, they'll become a little less wild. This way, you don't need to go through multiple generations of animals to acquire a mount, but early generations will still take a long time to fully tame(100 portions for gen 0). In contrast, generation 10+ will be born tame(horses purchased from NPCs will always be generation 10 or better), making them very valuable in multiplayer scenarios for players who have invested the time and resources into horse ranching. As for the chances of getting bucked off--it depends on the tamed percentage. A horse that is 0% tame will buck the player off 100% of the time. A horse that is 25% tame will buck the player off 75% of the time, whereas a horse that is 75% tame will only buck 25% of the time. Horses only buck when they are mounted or when they are damaged, but never when they are fully tamed. If a horse bucks a player off, they will become stressed and need to calm down before they can be mounted again. Stressed horses will either flee a short distance or try to kick the player should the player try to mount them before they calm down. Edited to add concepts for donkeys and mules... Like horses, donkeys can also be acquired from the wild or purchased from certain vendors(again, not trader wagons). They use the same equipment as elk(so no armor or caparisons), and like elk are capable of traversing two-block heights with ease. They are, however, slower than elk, and cannot jump as high. The main advantage to donkeys, outside of offering elk-functionality in Homo Sapiens mode, is that they can be used to power a quern for a slower but more consistent rate of grinding than wind power. You will, however, need a tame donkey to do this, and you will need to keep the donkey in Decent condition or better to keep them working, as they will lose condition over time when harnessed to a quern(perhaps losing one stage of condition for every 8 hours worth of grinding). To get a mule, one needs to breed a horse with a donkey, or otherwise purchase one from a vendor if possible. Mules cannot reproduce, though they will still follow the same generation rules as other animals when they are born. Mules use the same equipment as donkeys and elk, and use the same movement constraints as donkeys with the exception that they can run as fast as an elk. Like donkeys, you can also use mules to power querns, and mules can tolerate this work longer before they will need to be fed.

It was underwhelming. I had forgotten its existence when adventuring through the second chapter, and sorely missed having it. Let's just say I spent more time than I'd like to admit as a Blackguard pancake. Now I'm also pretty sure chapter two is able to be completed without the glider, but I would highly recommend bringing one with you, just in case. Better to have it and not need it, than to want it but not have it.

It's probably just one quartz deposit--they're quite large.

@Vratislav I toyed around with the flute range a bit today--it's a decent range, but not a huge one. I'd say around 50 blocks, maybe, certainly no more than 100. So it'll work for getting your travel buddy around tricky obstacles, but it won't work for cheesing them through teleporters, unless there is some unknown exploit there.

The difficulty curve for Vintage Story goes somewhat as follows, at least to me: Early game: Easily the most brutal, unforgiving portion. You start with nothing, it's very easy to die, and it's also fairly easy to make mistakes that will end up throwing a wrench into your plans later on. Mid-game: This is usually where the game gets easier, since the player has secured decent equipment, shelter, a good source of food, and some method of healing themselves. This is also usually where players can start thinking about starting the main story by locating and visiting the Resonance Archive. Late game: Could be classified as the point that the player acquires steel, but I think completion of the Resonance Archive is perhaps a better marker. Resources generally aren't a problem by this point, the player has the best equipment for dealing with all manner of threats, and the world really begins to open up. As for whether it's that much easier...your mileage may vary... Which brings me to my next point...I'm not going to spoil too much here, but the reason I said "your mileage may vary" above regarding the difficulty of the late game: there are a few things that won't hesitate to kick the fire out of you, if you get complacent. Some of them have to do with the story, but some of them are just the new monsters, especially during temporal storms.

While I'm thinking about it--this mod will probably solve most of the problem posed in the original post. https://mods.vintagestory.at/show/mod/6561