The logistics of finding the right combination of ore sources, to me, adds to the replay value of the game. Each map really is unique in that aspect.

I actually wonder, when we finally get to the Far North, if we will need to bring everything with us. They even have a larger ship in the code already.

So this is how the game is going to be? Endless travels? x_x
Consider I'm playing solo, so probably the grind is bigger...
I know there is a mod that allows you to let metals through portals, would you say that ruins the game experience?

In the end if you can find a black forest between a decent swamp and a mountain on the same island as some plains to farm on you can set up a "permanent" base at that point as the content does not really go beyond that.

Once mistlands get involved all bets are off.

IMHO, yes. I'm playing no portals now and I really enjoy the much more relaxed experience.

Rushing this game is depriving you of most of what makes this game good: The Journey. Sailing the (not so) fair seas, enjoying nature, building, sowing, harvesting, mining, crafting, all of it...

That is the game. Killing monsters? Just a byproduct of it. Bosses? I'm leaving them alone right now in my "No Bosses - No Portals" run.

It's great.

Originally posted by electricdawn:

I'm leaving them alone right now in my "No Bosses - No Portals" run.

It's great.

How do you get the key to the swamp without killing the second boss?
And how do you get your first pickaxe without killing the first boss?

There are ways. And I don't mean cheating or exploiting. Just by using the game mechanic.

My character Gudrun is decked out in full lvl 3 Wolf silver gear, has a lvl 3 silver sword, lvl 3 Draugr fang and lvl 3 silver shield.

No cheat, just maybe a bit of cheese.

Originally posted by マルコ:

So this is how the game is going to be? Endless travels? x_x
Consider I'm playing solo, so probably the grind is bigger...
I know there is a mod that allows you to let metals through portals, would you say that ruins the game experience?

It's a grind if your supply line is inefficient, but if you explore you may find a very suitable location to set up a base for better resource exploitation. Use of portals can help quickly set up bases, use of shipping routes can bring in those non-teleport items fast and easy.

Originally posted by マルコ:

Originally posted by electricdawn:

I'm leaving them alone right now in my "No Bosses - No Portals" run.

It's great.

How do you get the key to the swamp without killing the second boss?
And how do you get your first pickaxe without killing the first boss?

The more you play this game the more tricks you will learn. There are many alternative ways to acquiring things. Not sure about the key but there are ways for the pickaxe.

You never enter any crypt. No key needed.

Location location location.

Once you find the merchant you can buy a belt that adds to your maximum carrying capacity for weight (from 300 - 450). Even with a cart about the maximum you can move in the cart is 450 on you and about 900 in the cart unless you are travelling on absolutely flat terrain.

The Karve only has 4 cargo slots but once you have iron nails and ancient bark you can build a longship that has 18 cargo slots. That's enough space to shift 2-3 crypts worth of scrap iron.

Your starting island is in the exact middle of the game world. You can see it by pressing "M" to bring up the map and scrolling all the way out. Many of the islands have navigable rivers that run their entire lengths. You can build a main base in the center and build roads (clearing rocks and trees and smoothing the terrain) in each of the cardinal directions and build a small port on each coast (though I have found that East and West seems to be enough).

You can find an island that has a long thin peninsula and put a smelting base at the center of the narrowest point. Unsmelted ore, metals, and dragon eggs can't go through a portal but every thing else can (including finished metal products like nails, armor, and weapons). Its entirely possible to sail around and explore to find prime real estate for your base(s) and while exploring you can carry enough materials around with you so that you can build a crafting bench and a portal where ever you land. You can portal nonmetals through and store metals in a chest or load up your boat and once its full you can sail it back, unload the boat into carts and haul it to your main smelter. You can start smelting and make another run to carry more ore. Once the boat is empty make sure that you have enough inventory space and weight to carry your ship, jump on it, stand on the mast, and take your axe to the boat. This will allow you to recover all the parts required to rebuild he boat, which you can then portal through and rebuild your boat and continue mining.

Once you have cleared the island out you can build a small base or portal hub if the island can be farmed for other materials or you can dismantle every thing and push on again if the island isn't useful once you have cleared out every thing that you need.

Once you defeat Moder you get the fair winds forsaken power which makes sailing ore around a "breeze."

A ship.

it's a problem that has a few solutions.

What I do is I'll have my main base, the mining fort where I smelt and produce things with the ore, and roads to connect them. ideally both would be next to water so they can be shipped but it's not always possible.

The road and smelting base are worth the effort. If you find you need metal at your main base for furniture or crafting stations or whatever having a road is ideal to portal over, pack up the ore in a cart and haul it back home.

If your base is too inland from any coast/rivers, I highly recommend you make a second base next to a body of water so that way you have quick access to the ocean to establish a fast shipping route. Carts are very useful but long hauls with them is not recommended.

just make another world, bring all of the metal to there, go back to your first world, go through the portal, then go to your 2nd world and grab the metal, then rejoin your first world. Kinda long winded but it's the fastest way to get ores from point A to point B.

The crafting stations also require ingots.

The casual solution is to go mining, grab enough metal to max out a boat, and sail the entire boat back to your main base. It's easy to build a first base close to a black forest, but every metal after that wants a dedicated boat trip.

It is possible to cheese the portals by hiding your ingots in another world. Drop the ingots in the 2nd world, do all the portal stuff in the first world, and grab the ingots again. It's faster than sailing for sure, but boating with a load of valuables is a fun way to stress your nerves.