i killed the first boss a while ago and still dont have a pick axe

You should have gotten a 'resource' from the first boss (antler) that will let you make a pick. A pick does not drop, merely what you need to make the pick.

There's an additional use when pressing shift when leveling. If you're standing in front of a mound of dirt you can reposition the leveling circles up and down with forward/backward mouse movement. It will start to form a slope. It seems easiest for me to start at the highest point and work your way down. Backing up your character a bit can help also. Mess with it a bit and you'll be able to make a relatively smooth dirt ramp that you can easily walk up and not consume stamina. I prefer this sometimes instead of stairs/steps.

Happy hoe times!

Originally posted by sarteck:

I will add that it's quite possible to get a PERFECTLY flat area with a bit of elbow grease. Even very large ones, like this roughly 50m x 100m area.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2799324054

(I know it's ugly, it's still a work in progress and stuff. :P )

LOL sarteck, that made me think of the holy grail for some reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNaXdLWt17A

Impressive build, it won't fall over though it might sink!

I will add that it's quite possible to get a PERFECTLY flat area with a bit of elbow grease. Even very large ones, like this roughly 50m x 100m area.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2799324054

(I know it's ugly, it's still a work in progress and stuff. :P )

One thing I found very useful with leveling, and it took me a while to figure it out! - is the little vertical line in the middle of the leveling circle. It indicates the diff between where you stand and where you're pointing. In other words, once the vertical line is just a point, you have perfect flat ground.

It levels the ground to the elevation where you are currently standing, if it can. It is limited in how much it can change. To go deeper, you need a pick axe (kill first boss first). To go taller you need rocks and a workbench to raise terrain. And even with that, it's hard to get it looking perfect.

Pathen only removes grass and doesn't level. It's mostly to mark trails, which can help if you're planning a build over a large area, or marking up the ground to make navigation easier.

Until you get your pickaxe, it will be a pain to truly level ground (and even then it's a bit complicated). First let me give some tips, then I'll explain how I go about it.

Just clicking with the Hoe equipped attempts to level the ground relative to where you are standing. This is great for making flat foundations for buildings (or gardens). However, it can only increase/decrease the level of terrain so much.

Holding Left-Shift and then clicking attempts to level the terrain in relation to wherever you click, NOT wherever you are standing. This is mostly useful when trying to make paths/roads.

When I am trying to make a flat foundation for a building, I typically level out a small area, then place some wood flooring down. I stand on the flooring, and attempt to level out further, then build more floor, etc. The floor helps me to see what is perfectly level and what is not. When there are bumps/raised parts, I take out my pickaxe, mine it down a bit, then take out my hoe and re-level it, until I get it just right. If there are areas that are LOWER, I use the hoe's right-click menu to raise the ground just a bit, then go back to level it immediately afterwards. Using this method, with patience, you can have a perfectly flat area for building.

Good advice Sarteck, I would add one thing. Use the hoe to raise land and then pat that down on areas that are being a pain. It is also a lot easier to level up than to level down.
But do not expect a billiard table flat area, I find it easier to build on stone tiles or stilts, then cover the sides up.

The hoe is a tricky instrument, but as always, practice makes perfect... Well, not in the case of the hoe, but, let's say, good enough.

You can get decently flat surfaces, even large ones with the hoe. I've done it numerous times now. It needs practice, and sometimes do overs till it's almost perfect. But so far it has worked for me.

if you don't mind a rock floor or embedding support posts in the ground, good enough is fine: the rock floor is so thick you have to have a major error before it affects your build, and the same for buried supports. Its only when placing directly on the ground with wood that you need perfection. Basic and iron chests can serve as a thick flooring as well, offering 'hidden' storage in spades while hiding the ground imperfections.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2775728477

I really like this idea, @jonnin. ;)