Raids are directly tied to the bosses, you get the Raid for your "next" boss only after defeating the current boss.

example, you can go basically forever on a map without ever experiencing any Raid other than Eikthyr Rallies Creatures. just don't defeat any bosses and you'll be good, only drawback to this is you won't ever progress into better tech (Pickaxes,improved armors, etc) by doing this.

Originally posted by Kraft51:

Raids are directly tied to the bosses, you get the Raid for your "next" boss only after defeating the current boss.

example, you can go basically forever on a map without ever experiencing any Raid other than Eikthyr Rallies Creatures. just don't defeat any bosses and you'll be good, only drawback to this is you won't ever progress into better tech (Pickaxes,improved armors, etc) by doing this.

Well if you play such a slow pace you can
* Let a troll with a log hit tin and copper for you so you can skip eikhtyr
* Farm the red slimes that can drop iron and make so a Iron pickaxe
* Search silver by luck (all 3-5 Biomes you will find Silver ore sticking out of the soil)
So it is possible to skip all bosses except moder, but you will need far longer this way
And it is extremly tedious and hard to do that

Originally posted by RequiemsRose:

Originally posted by wizard_of_woz:

I have never heard of killing Trolls having any effect on raids. Where are you getting your info?

Killing trolls is what enables "the ground is shaking" troll raid event, regardless of current boss progress. I've been having those events since before the first boss and still have them sometimes despite the (multiplayer) server being pre-moder at this point. It is also not the only raid event that is separate from boss progress, but I doubt our friend here has started killing off wolves or surtlings to worry about the other ones.

I never had one. Weird.

Originally posted by RequiemsRose:

Originally posted by wizard_of_woz:

I have never heard of killing Trolls having any effect on raids. Where are you getting your info?

Killing trolls is what enables "the ground is shaking" troll raid event, regardless of current boss progress. I've been having those events since before the first boss and still have them sometimes despite the (multiplayer) server being pre-moder at this point. It is also not the only raid event that is separate from boss progress, but I doubt our friend here has started killing off wolves or surtlings to worry about the other ones.

Valheim Wiki says, to enable "the ground is shaking" you have to kill trolls AND The Elder, the surtling event is triggered by killing surtlings AND Bonemass, and the wolf event is triggered by killing Bonemass.
We started a new world with H&H and intended to not kill any bosses, in order to build and explore without any building wrecking events. If one of us needs a particular boss power or material, we make a quick hop to our old world. So far (day 212) we have encountered NO troll raids, NO surtling raids and NO wolf raids, and we have killed more than enough trolls, my stepson has set up two or three "surtling core farms" by digging water under a surtling spawn, and in my attempts to find a 2 star wolf for taming I have killed TONS of wolves in the last few (real life) days... almost two wood chests full of pelt and teeth, and I doubled the stack size with Valheim+ . :D

Its impossible to fall behind so no worries there.

By what I've seen the game doesn't ramp up as the days pass. Which makes me wonder why it keeps track. For now there's no change but who knows what will happen in the future? Seems odd to keep track of days when nothing happens (no reason to bother coding it in) unless eventually there will be a reason.

The game does ramp up but uses player controlled events, so take your time.
The game ramps up as you take down the bosses, as in it will spawn invasions if you loiter too long (random time, could be a day or a week) but the invasion types depend on what bosses you have killed.
Pre 1st boss, its just boars and necks try rush you, its more a meat buffet for most players, you will see the 'invasion' area on the mini map, its a timed event so stay in the area.

Chill away! The game difficulty progresses with your progress in relation to mobs and bosses. You may get raided by Boars and Necks, but unless you kill a boss, a Troll (arguably harder than first boss) or a Surtling, the world will not progress in difficulty.

Thanks guys. Yes the invasion of boars and trolls just stocks the meat freezer.

Originally posted by redgreen999:

Sounds like are toons will die some horrible deaths. But I really am enjoying the 1st area where the game isn't tough yet. Got some tames bores, and alternate days between gathering berries/mushrooms - hunting - repairing/building and occasional rafting.

If I spend to much time lolly gagging though, will I fall hopelessly behind tech wise later and just get rolled with no other chance than to start completely over? Or can I just chill for awhile and pick berries?

The "best" way to play this game is to take your time, and fully explore the biome you are currently in, gather ALLthe different resources, learn ALL its recipes, upgrade your gear, and eventually kill the boss, before moving on to the next biome.

Each biome should be treated this way, as each biome contains all the resources and items, and new recipes and unlocks needed to eventually battle that biomes' boss, (which usually gives you some sort of special item or ability that unlocks something in the next biome) and get you ready to explore the next area.

If you go too fast or try to skip ahead, you will soon find out that you weren't ready, and die a horrible, fast death. Take your time, as much time as you want, to fully explore each area, and fully prepare yourself, before attempting to go further in the game.

As others said, you can take your time. Unless it's a multiplayer server where others are beating the bosses while you do putz around, it won't ramp up on you. There are even ways to advance beyond your current game difficulty. Like normally you get the means to make the pick from the first boss so you can start mining, which would then let you make a better axe to get those trees that currently say "too hard", but as it turns out, trolls are able to break both those trees and the ore deposits, so you can actually reach the bronze age without ever facing the boss and increasing your overall event difficulty.

Originally posted by redgreen999:

Sounds like are toons will die some horrible deaths. But I really am enjoying the 1st area where the game isn't tough yet. Got some tames bores, and alternate days between gathering berries/mushrooms - hunting - repairing/building and occasional rafting.

If I spend to much time lolly gagging though, will I fall hopelessly behind tech wise later and just get rolled with no other chance than to start completely over? Or can I just chill for awhile and pick berries?

There's no time limit, what you're describing is just based on how quickly you engage the bosses vs. how much you develop yourself up. In all likelihood what you call "lollygagging" will actually result in you being properly prepared for the game every step of the way because that's what the game is about.

Originally posted by Tekk:

but unless you a Troll (arguably harder than first boss) or a Surtling, the world will not progress in difficulty.

I have never heard of killing Trolls having any effect on raids. Where are you getting your info?

Originally posted by wizard_of_woz:

Originally posted by Tekk:

but unless you a Troll (arguably harder than first boss) or a Surtling, the world will not progress in difficulty.

I have never heard of killing Trolls having any effect on raids. Where are you getting your info?

Killing trolls is what enables "the ground is shaking" troll raid event, regardless of current boss progress. I've been having those events since before the first boss and still have them sometimes despite the (multiplayer) server being pre-moder at this point. It is also not the only raid event that is separate from boss progress, but I doubt our friend here has started killing off wolves or surtlings to worry about the other ones.

Day 275 and i have yet to go fight Moder. Odin has not filed a complaint yet.