@Zara It took me a long time to figure out the salt bit.
Also, Better Learning is a good skill to have, but it takes a long time to learn and really doesn't shave off that much. I'd say learn it while you're not really actively in the game. Or try to make it your End of Test skill like I am.
In addition to salt being the most asked question, I'd say the 2nd most is how to make cheese. Plus also start off saying that there really is no right or wrong in this game. Have fun clicking and experimenting and enjoying the humor :)
Harvest everything. Pick up everything. If you're short on cash, sell (or auction) everything. If your short on energy, eat everything. Otherwise, donate it to a shrine so you can learn faster.
Go to this Thread and install some Grease Monkey Scripts. The Skill Queue is one of the most helpful things I have found. After that, the Locations script is Tops and will help you see where you have been and where you can go.
My tip would be just to explore, have fun and ask if you've tried properly, but still need help.
I don't like being spoon fed or spoon feeding others. I explored the game by myself and that's what made it fun for me. Discovering things I could, by myself. On the couple of occasions I did get stuck, I found the group forums most helpful. I just liked that pretty much most of it was straightforward enough that if I took the time I could do it myself.
Maybe I'm just a grumpy old fart, but I hate it in games when you get people coming in and expecting/demanding to know how to do everything straight away, they use all the hints, tips and tricks to level up as fast as they can, then a month or so later they're whining on the forums that they're bored and have nothing to do, because they're not used to doing anything for themselves.
I think the best thing to do with a newbie is leave them alone to fall in love with the game for themselves. If they survive, they're a keeper. If they can't figure out a basic tutorial and basic game play instructions, do you really want them hanging around and whining constantly?
My tip would be just to explore, have fun and ask if you've tried properly, but still need help.
I agree with Ebil, (also on the personal preferences of how to discover new games myself) however I would advice new players to join the faq group.
That group can answer questions that aren't basic, or explain better, is full of other new players with whom you can discover the game together, and there are also some more experienced players who can answer questions. A good way to interact with other people and make friends :)
About hints, tips, best builds or ways to make money: Ask them what their goal of the game is. Is it to level up as fast as possible and then be bored? Leveling is part of the fun. I think leveling goes very fast now allready, so I don't need tips on how to go even faster. And make lots of cash? Just finish quests, that whould give you a good amount of cash to buy a small house and the necessary crafting tools, + some extra for special bags.
In addition to harvesting everything you can, I think mining is a great way to earn currants early on. Initially, you don't have the skills to plant and grow a lot, you can't cook yet, and currants are scarce. I am a relative newcomer myself (I just finished my third go round) and it was mining and quests that gave me enough currants to buy a place so I could grow food, get a piggie, etc.
I was also bold and and said hello to everyone I ran across, and asked many to be friends. (Thank you to all of you who kindly befriended a pesky newbie!). Friends are indispensable.
The last thing that helped me as newbie was truly "the kindness of strangers" lol, whether it was total strangers asking me if I needed anything, or sometimes not asking, but just handing me a sammich or cocktail as they zipped on by. Scavenging things dropped by others also helped, so I advise newbies to look around and pick up anything you have room for, to sell or use later.
@Ebi: I kinda think this tread is going be more for veterans (or someone who was just a newbie like me) to discus things that helped them out. I mean, this is a sandbox game and eventually, you have to learn certain skills or you have to gather certain resources. I know I just share things that I found to be surprisingly helpful, like learning meditation and using it early on. I think for the most part, people can catch on quickly and don't need this but it's kinda fun seeing what other people said helped them the most.
Learn about Giants and their emblems early on. So if you're interested in mining, which will earn you currants, lots of currants, you need to about donating to Giants gain favor to speed up learning. you'll want to earn Zille's emblem which will enable you to advance to the higher mining skills which give you more gems which increases your favor with Giants. And, do some research into Extremely Hallowed Shrine Powder - you'll be glad you did.
I agree with marycontrary Scavenging dropped things was an amazing help when I started off. Especially from the lovely people who dropped empty bags. I remember being so happy when I hit 1k and then running out of room and having to pay most of that for my first bag and that was quite depressing lol
I only could afford to upgrade completely to larger bags this time round, so I went around naming the small bags "Steal This Bag", and dropping them around the place for others. I know I appreciated finding bags, even if they were empty, so hopefully others will like them too. There's nothing else that can be done with them really (unless shrines like them, I've not tried), so I figure it's better to pass them on.
Also, I was helping my partner start out yesterday (couldn't get signed in on that account on previous tests, but luckily it decided to play ball a few hours before last test was done). One thing that helped my partner when starting out was looking for a house that had been previously occupied. We were going through the listings and I saw a few with a larger number of pigs, butterflies, chickens. So when we got to one that looked like it had to have been recently occupied, I said "You should buy that one". When we got in, we found the previous owner was kind enough to leave a bunch of stuff in storage closet, music blocks and emblems laying around the floor and crops all planted and ready for harvesting, plus some seeds next to the crops, which was really sweet of them.
Sure, not everyone moving house will leave stuff around, but quite a few do, sometimes due to not being able to cart all their stuff away, and sometimes just to be 'nice'. So that can help big time.
I know that whenever I've moved, I've always left stuff behind as a welcome present, and if I ever move again, I'll do the same. Just seems a nice thing to do.
Actually - my advice would be to explore, have fun and don't try and stampede to complete everything straight away. Its the journey that's important not the destination.
I agree Feylin! I got into Glitch fairly "late" compared to a lot of players. This is not a particularly easy game to learn -- so much to take in at the start! I'd have been really lost if I hadn't asked a gazillion questions! As far as scavenging goes -- I'm still doing it at level 24! :) I'll pick up planks, drinks, some food. some "interesting" items. In the case of relatively "expensive" items -- gems, tools, some rocks that you might see on the ground in the mines -- I always wait a bit to see if someone put it down so they could eat something to make room for it.
Off of what has already been said, two pieces of related advice:
1) Nothing you do can to any real harm to you. So experiment with everything!
2) When you first start, it may seem like there are a thousand things to do and learn. But you can do it in any order. There is no wrong way (except abusing Sneezing Powder) and you (eventually) will have all the time in the world. So just follow what interests you at the moment. The other stuff you don't know/understand yet can wait/be learned later.