Fastest way to level skills?

[Shiro]

So outside of spending points (because obviously), what's the fastest way to gain skill in each type of crafting? Specifically Tools, Weapons, Gunsmithing, and Tailoring; though the fastest item for other types of crafting is good, too.

[Phoenix]

You only have to craft wooden clubs for the weapon smithing, and craft fiber clothes to quickly level up your tailoring.

[CatPerson]

Weapons seems to be arrows/crossbow bolts, because it's a lot easier to craft a 250 stack of those while doing other things than to try to make iron clubs or whatever over and over.

I haven't found anything that feels reasonable for Tools outside of making literally 1000's of stone axes, if only because grass and wood is super cheap and easy to gather. It's possible spamming something else like iron/steel tools might be better - haven't tested - but that would also require a lot of forged iron.

Tailoring - grass fiber boots or gloves. Cheap. Just drop them, don't bother to scrap them, just slows things down.

Gunsmithing, no clue, I don't use guns much.

[UFFU]

When you repair items it gives you some skill. Also, if you use the tools, like the pickaxe, it levels you up and gives you points you can put in toolsmithing. I tend to craft a lot of Misc items and use the points I get for levels on tool and weapon smithing, Also, you can make wooden clubs and go beat grass for blunt skill.. :/ which gives you levels and you can put the points in tools, use the grass to make plantfiber clothes and scrap repeat at night.

here's my dilemna though. If I put points in a skill, and then use that skill, what skill will I gain to level up?

game is terribly unbalanced in this aspect.

So, you know you're going to use your mining a lot, so I don't put points in that, or any weapon skills, like blunt or blade. I haven't leveled up medicine once, either spending points or by using meds, so I'm sure that's going to be a slow one. I guess I could spam bandages and maybe get a point or two, not sure it will give points in tailoring or meds though. Like I said, I think this aspect is unbalanced and.. probaly cuz it's noo

one other thing is once you get the wrench, you can use the pipes you get from dismantling toilets and sinks to make new wrenches, I never repair wrenches, I just let them break and make a new one or wait til they almost break, scrap and make a new one.

[Hazard Pay]

If you feel like cheating (in single player), you could edit your progression.xml file a bit

In it theres a section on player and how many skill points you get per level

<player
max_level="200"
exp_to_level="2000"
experience_multiplier="1.02"
skill_points_per_level="5"
skill_point_multiplier="1.0482"/>

im sure if you put skill points per level to 50, it would speed things up.

If you're on multiplayer servers, I would advise waiting till after they fix caves. the patch notes for 13.6 say: Added: VERY rough first draft of caves. Still more to do with the noise values yet.

I find that all the multiplayer servers I'm on, delete the map and wipe the characters every time theres a change. Hence, the first rough draft of caves = 4 or 5 wipes coming up till they are happy. Don't get caught making 2400 stone axes and then wake up next day naked in a field with a stick in your hand.

[Yabaji]

take a look at my ealier thread: http://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/0/458604254461759813/
It shows the weapon smithing. I've done the exact same test with stone axes, but haven't posted the results. Compiled it all into a word document, but unsure where I should upload it.

[Hoodini]

Weapon smithing is easiest, as catperson said, with arrows as they stack and are useful. Also if you craft any arrowheads in the forge sitting with the forge open adds to the level of what you are forging.

The only way I've got gunsmithing up is by crafting shotgun shells.

As for tool smithing it seems that crafting 1000s of stone axe's is the only easy way other than saving points for a certain skill.

[Yabaji]

arrows depends on feathers which in turn depends on loot setting - you might not have access to a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of feathers, but if you do - go for it.
And it takes 4319 stone axes (to go from 1 to 100 tool smithing)that means:

8438 - stone, wood and plant fibers.

I suggest saving all skill points for quality joe and armor skills - rest is pointless to spend points on.

[Nimbull]

Stone axes are easy to produce in mass if you hit a desert and start hacking away at cactus plants. Bird nests are a dime a dozen out there and you'll quickly get feathers. Stone and wood can be gathered in the desert in small amounts but if there's a forest next door you can hit up a big rock and some trees for a quick shot of stone and wood.

As fun as it is to play the skill grinding game I fired up 11.6 again just to have some fun instead of leveling skills.

[zz]

Camp ... cut all the fabric blocks of tents for cloth. Craft and scrap chest armor.

[Yabaji]

ZZ you misunderstand - Heavy armor and Light armor skill can only be gained by wearing the appropiate armor and TAKING damage. Theese are probably the hardest ones to level, and thus I suggest saving all points for thoose 2 skills.

[Ozzy OzBorn]

Weaponsmithing - making arrows and watching iron arrowheads get forged.
Tailoring - making grass fiber gloves and scrapping them to get fibers back to make more.
Gunsmithing - making any ammo.
Building tools - building stuff and repairing wood spikes.
Miscellaneous - watching stuff in the forge and making wood spikes.
Tool crafting - making stone axes.
Athletics - collecting plant fibers with your fists....quickest way to get plant fibers too.

[Evil_Lee]

Yea, weaponsmithing is easiest by making arrows and bolts but gathering the feathers can be a bit of a pain in the butt especially in a forest biome where the grass hides the nests. Wood clubs will also level it up and you can use the wood clubs to attack something as well which levels your blunt weapons (useful if you prefer clubs or sledgehammer for melee weapons). You can use dirt as a practice dummy to level up blunt weapons and most other things by digging it up with whatever you are trying to level (example wooded club), replacing the dirt, and repeating. Digging up dirt with a stone shovel will level mining quite fast I believe and crafting those shovels will help with your tool crafting. Crafting wood spikes and/or wood frames will level up your misc crafting which may not seem very useful but doing it will earn you exp/levels which is always useful (I always make sure to burn wood frames or wood spikes whenever i need to cook or use forge for this reason and after I have maxed misc crafting i only burn the frames because it will draw less hordes). Reading books/blueprints will give you a level in whatever skill that book teaches (example pistol book levels gunsmith skill). Aloe cream levels both science and medicine plus you can use that aloe cream to make medicated bandages which also level both those skills and since none of those are done over the campfire you can do them while you make alcohol to lvl up quite quickly. Taking vitamins and possibly other pills will also increase a skill. I think you should also keep in mind that if you are wanting to craft armor you will probably want the ability to make leather and that is something you may need to use points to get (I said that because Yabaji claimed the rest of skills were pointless and perhaps at the time that was posted it was the case but now leatherworking skill is almost always needed). Thats all the tips I can remember on this subject that have not already been mentioned by others.

[Kainybutt]

Shadow[x] Nice ... you revived post from 7 months ago .

[Boresight]

You can exploit the game by spending all night crafting clubs and beathing the ground with one. Depends if you want to earn the skill or get the skills by anymeans necessary. Personnaly I feel more satisfied when I earn the skill by crafting clubs when required and chopping down trees when I need wood. Also you can increase your atheletics skills by constantly running for nothing.

[Sanquin]

It's a bit of a waste to spend points on things you can easily get higher by just playing. Best save those points for skills that cost more than 1 point. And after you have those, for harder to level skills like armor or specific guns.