Originally posted by GeekGirl717:

I didn't know villages even exist... I typically die before I get too far. I guess I will try exploration vs. immediate building?

Villages or farms often exist at the edge of the meadows close to a black forest(pine trees). They have several houses and berry patches with fences. They are a good place to set up a base after you kill the first boss. Then dig a ditch with steep sides around the whole thing, and space workbenches or campfires around inside, to defend against invaders

But, if you're having trouble staying alive in the meadows you might want to avoid those for now because higher level things can wander out of the black forest. If you are dying in the meadows, it's probably because you aren't eating. Meadows food includes berries, mushrooms, honey and three kinds of cooked meat. Food will give you more health and stamina, and very importantly, health regeneration. If you don't eat, then you can easily die to a boar or two. If you do eat well, then nothing in the meadows can hurt you very much. You don't even need a house to put a couple cooking racks over a fire.

Speaking of fire, the smoke needs a full square of open space to vent outside. Those smoke particles are huge apparently. You will end up with it venting sideways because you need one roof piece above the fire to protect it from train. Or, you don't even need to put it inside. Outside the wall close to your bed with one piece of roof to shelter it from rain will work.