What is a good strategy for this game?

[james_mcbride]

I LOVE this game a lot, and reading through all of these discussions about it just makes me love it even more.

I am forever running out of food (and thus sanity), leading to very short games.

What are some things that I need to know in order to survive longer....I love roguelike games, but I die A LOT in them.

[platoscum]

Be on the lookout for a food strategy based on what you start out with and whom you recruit. So if you get a Scottish soldier e.g., you need to buy or trade for whiskey any chance you get. And choosing the Black Market perk is a must if you are given that option. Another example: If your explorer can do Anthropological studies, then it makes sense to get a translator to get bonus sanity when resting in villages. And maybe a trader. In other words, have your team and equipment synergize to support each other. A combat team for instance should have a cook to make use of the meat you'll inevitably pick up.

[Mustardoish]

Use your food just before you are about to rest. Once your sanity is over 30, resting won't negatively affect you. Afterwards it becomes an exercise in how to get from camping spot to camping sport with having 30 sanity left over.
Remember, your ship is also a camping spot. It can also be very helpful to read up on how the sanity costs of movements are calculated. You can use that to build up a number of strategies to reach the goal of going inbetween campsites without losing party members.

[Deocyn]

While learning don't feel you need to try and visit every point of interest on the map, as unnecessary travel will start to tank your sanity if you don't have a reliable recovery method. The Tent item can significantly help with this allowing you to set up camp along your path without needing to rely on rest areas (as mentioned the Black Market perk will also help with your chances for it being available to buy).

You'll find as time goes on you are often able to work out what a Question Mark on the map is before it is revealed. For example, Waterfall rest points are always next to a body of water with some shallow river tiles, and villages also follow patterns such as being next to a small lake / surrounded by some mountains. As time goes on you'll learn to recognise these and it'll inform your travel decisions (for example, avoiding visiting what is obviously a shrine because you have no extra inventory space for treasures).

And as has already been mentioned, prioritise party members with sanity restoring perks such as the Scottish Soldier (a fully leveled Scottish Soldier with a good Whisky supply can keep you going for entire expeditions). Certain other party members are generally never worth it in my opinion, such as Cultists whose perk is fairly useless using an uncommon item and who have a tendency to disappear. Other members can be useful but are quite situational like an Artist who has little carry capacity and occupies a lot of inventory space with their artworks and canvases. For general survivability prioritise Soldiers, Cooks, Missionaries and Translators.

If you start the game with the quest to deliver a Missionary to the native village you can simply keep them for yourself by avoiding visiting the village. You can also kidnap the Journalists dog by recruiting him at the harbour and then instantly dismissing him for a useful party member who doesn't take up a slot.

Perks such as Fresh Air Fanatic (extra sanity restore from resting in nature) and Impetus (reduced base sanity cost for travel) can be huge in helping save sanity. Additionally try and mount any pack animals you have while travelling for the -25% sanity cost.

Hope this is at least a little bit helpful as I've just done it off the top of my head!

[minlala]

Originally posted by Mustardoish:

Use your food just before you are about to rest. Once your sanity is over 30, resting won't negatively affect you. Afterwards it becomes an exercise in how to get from camping spot to camping sport with having 30 sanity left over.
Remember, your ship is also a camping spot. It can also be very helpful to read up on how the sanity costs of movements are calculated. You can use that to build up a number of strategies to reach the goal of going inbetween campsites without losing party members.

I never knew negative events disappear when sainity is over 30! Thanks for the tip!

And, to add on some tips, I always find it a plus to sell all your belongings in the first and second run, to accumulate enough cash. If you end the first and second expeditions first, It is enough to compensate the amout of fame in later games with much more prepared gear, although this depends from situation. With the extra cash, you can buy alot of food.

Also, stone circles are always surrounded by rocks, and I think the most beneficial way of using them is to discover caves, not because it allows you to maneuveur towards them, but because when there are alot of caves, it gives you a general Idea of direction, which helps you reduce the amount of sainity spent. Also, each discovery gives you level up points, which can further sthrengthen your crew.

You can also use hills for advantage, climbing up hills gives you a wider view, helping you plan your next move, thus reducing your sainity. But beware, one climb eats up alot of your sainity, so plan accordingly.

Knowing which items are more valuable for different trades is also helpful, since it gives you a general Idea where to get your food and sainity sources. Don't rely 100% of food from London. Sometimes traders will have chocolate rations, which you can trade with game.(hunting trophies)
Always keep teeth, since they never catch up space, and can be traded nearly everywhere for profit.

I think there are more tips, but that is about all I can think up for now.

(edit) The first game has little caves, so figuring out locations of shrines is also a good alternative. I just realized this after posting.

[NineCities]

Cubes counter shrine curses by swapping the cube for the treasure, (and/or are consumed/used automatically) in portals worlds to permit a longer stay). Also good for the sacrificial alter (high alter value per unit)
Guns are good, Gold Guns great. If you plan on shooting alot, bring a cook.
Keep your crews loyalty high with native trinkets.
Lots of things p'off the natives, if they like you they treat you good.
Chasmosaurus is the dino cadilac, really roomy. If you can get one early and develope it...
Lots of items give you more bang for the buck at traders and shaman huts than at the auction block. (ie: natives love machettes, traders dont)
You can stash some items at Monasteries and on your ship which will be with you when you return to civilization. Remember that monasteries can be destroyed by shrine events or fires. If they're destroyed, your stored loot is also destroyed.

[Deocyn]

Originally posted by NineCities:

Cubes counter shrine curses by swapping the cube for the treasure

I never knew this!! Thanks for the tip. So many hours into this game yet I still keep on discovering new things :)