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Solo Player Guide [2018 / UPDATED]

By harrison bergeron

An updated guide for solo players that will be constantly revised.

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Created by

harrison bergeron
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Category: Crafting, Gameplay Basics, Loot, Multiplayer, Secrets, Walkthroughs, Weapons

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

Jan 31, 2018 @ 3:26pm

Jan 28 @ 5:06pm

11,445	Unique Visitors
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Guide Index

Overview

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬

𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐭

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬

Comments

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Disclaimer

This guide consists of knowledge from my solo experiences on low-pop servers, and my 1000 hours "spread across multiple accounts." Along with things I have learned from other people.

Vanilla might be too daunting or difficult for some players, especially official servers. If it is, there is always the option of trying a modded server. A good medium is a slightly modded server that has 1.5x or 2x. Or if it's all too much you can try out a solo / duo / trio server, but I've found that they die quickly.

I will be updating this regularly, and I would appreciate any criticism or suggestions.

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This was written in mind of more experienced players, but if you have any questions about the guide or just the game in general I will try my best to answer them.

" 𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬 "
" 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐈 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 "

𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬

𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬

You're sitting in your base doing whatever, and you think you hear someone outside. A way to confirm this, aside from opening the door and checking for yourself, is a campfire.

If you have a campfire active, you will have 50% comfort. When it is placed next to a wall and the person(s) outside your base pass by it, the comfort will increase. Indicating that someone is outside.

𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞

If you are worried that you are going to get raided when you log off, there is a way to save your loot. This does require building somewhat close to a large body of water -- one that isn't shallow.

What you do is grab all the essential loot from your base, things that you do not want to lose. This could be:

Vital Resources
Weapons
Armour Sets
Food

Then go to the body of water and swim to the deep area. Go as deep down as you can, then disconnect. ( If you are worried about losing these items in the process, you can do this at night when it is pitch black. )

As long as somebody didn't follow you, when you connect back to the server you and your loot will be safe. Now you just need to swim back up and head back to your base. If it was raided then they only got what you left behind.

If you wanted to you could do this for the entire wipe!

𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

With the newest update, you are able to use key locks instead of code locks. This can save you metal fragments which can go to better use, this works on sheet metal doors.
Instead of using a code lock, you just put a key lock on your door and lock the door. You will still be able to open and close the door, and still be able to create new keys. This method can also be used on your tool cabinet.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐠

Bringing up the combat log in console will show you the results of a recent fight. It shows the damage done to you, and the damage you did to the attacker. Along with how much health you and the attacker had before and after the damage was done, and how far away the shot was.

In a fight you can use this to your advantage. An example is if you headshot a player when peeking, then instantly duck back behind cover. Using combat log you can see how much health he has left, knowing this you can decide whether to push out, retreat, or if that shot was the killing blow.

But opening up console and typing it in takes away from the fight and is tedious. Which is where a keybind comes in.

Open the console using F1
Write the following below inside the < >
< bind (key) "consoletoggle;clear;combatlog" >
< writecfg >

Now whenever you hit the key you binded it to, the most recent damage event will open up. You can quickly assess the information then press ESC to close it and get back to the fight.

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

It's a day or two into the wipe and you have a semi-automatic rifle. You land a good shot on your opponent and he hides behind a tree for cover, but he isn't safe. With 5.56 ammo, you can shoot through trees. The damage reduction is really high, but if he is low enough a few bullets through the tree should down him.

𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥

This is purely preference, or you might already have done this. In this game when you scroll you switch through items in your hotbar, in an intense battle you could accidentally scroll and unequip your gun which gives the enemy a serious advantage.

Go into the settings and then input. Just above the miscellaneous section there is "Next slot" and "Previous slot" click next to them and press ESC to unbind them.

𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝

If your base positioning wasn't the best or a large group ended up building next to you, there are some ways you can defend if they catch you online. If coming back to your base and you see people outside raiding you need to get a pick, sneaking up with hopefully a shotgun you need to try and full dead one then run, reload, and go again.

It is always a good option to place a sleeping bag in a bush with a small stash or small box if it's hidden well. Inside should be a shotgun with the best ammo you have for it, a building plan and hammer, and a stack of wood and stone. And if you can, a sheet metal door and key lock.

If your first attempt failed you need to spawn in it quickly. If they got through the door grab a new one and place it on. If they went in through a wall build a new one, same for roof. Then it's up to you to try and take out each one.

If they didn't get inside, grab the shotgun and continue to try and pick them off one by one. But if all else fails, there is a hail mary. Announce your base location in chat and try to get others to counter, some might have already tried in which case you should clean up the fights.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

Mushrooms. If you have decent health and some bandages you should keep mushrooms in your hotbar, and when you get hit in a fight instead of hiding and bandaging you can just eat the mushrooms behind cover. They give 3 health each and in some cases can win you fights, because other players will usually just bandage.

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐠𝐮𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐭

If you're behind cover and somebody starts shooting at you, when you dip around the corner to heal they will think you are weak and begin to push. You wait at the wall with a shotgun and when he turns the corner you can down him, you could also listen for his footsteps and peek out beforehand to get an advantage. If there is more than one you should not do it at the same corner, or if he had a better weapon you can grab that and try to make a play.

𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠

The minigames just make the process faster, and in the dark you can't see them. So at night you can just go to a forest with your hatchet and hit a tree until it falls, you will still get the same amount if you did a minigame it just takes longer. Doing this allows you to farm in peace, and if someone does initiate a fight you have a better chance of getting away in the dark.

𝐍𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬

The minigame for nodes are the bright spots around it. To farm one faster, you can hit the node itself-- not the bright spot; once. Then hit it normally by hitting the bright spots afterwards, this makes mining it faster, with no loss.

( i actually ran out of space)

𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞

As soon as you spawn in you have two options. If you have the time or are just feeling it you could join in on the countless rockfights and carnage of wipe day. Or you could get yourself situated on the server. Before we talk about finding a place to build, let's discuss how to get there.

Personally I go straight for stone tools and a bow to defend myself with, then start to farm barrels or at this point if you wanted to -- other players. I recycle every component I get from this process, getting a lot of cloth and most importantly metal fragments. On my way to my chosen location I will also farm animals and get enough for some furnaces, along with other basic resources. ( But go with any method you prefer )

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚

Finding the perfect spot to build is cruical when solo, a few defining factors go into this. As where you build determines if you will prosper or have your day ruined.

Pretty standard but you don't want to build next to large groups, as to them you are an easy target. Once they have the resources they'll most likely go for you, even more so if you've had encounters with them; ones that might be unsuccessful for you as numbers overpower.
Unless you're going for a strong base and are very experienced, I wouldn't built close to a monument. This plays in with the point above because large groups also build next to these. The easy access to loot doesn't balance out the constant harassment from other players and higher chance of your base geting raided.
The best place to build your base is on a peninsula, or location on the map that is a good distance away from any major monuments -- but still close enough to a mining outpost / supermarket / gas station and a road. As you will need to still be able to farm components with ease and recycle them.

This is perfect because not many players will build out there, and there will be a good supply of trees and nodes all for you. An added bonus is a river being close because food grows along the side and it's water. It's an even better spot if there isn't a naked spawn near it.

𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

You're a solo player. You don't have the luxuries that people in groups have, you have to leave morals behind to get ahead.

Scout other bases, see if the person(s) who live there are geared. If multiple live there you need to play it smart, by picking off the straggler when they leave. Or wait by their door and blast one, grab the loot and book it.

Camping and playing it smart is how I survive, even at monuments. If you get there and the crates have spawned you can wait for someone else to come, get in an advantageous position and wait for them to start opening.

Baiting at recyclers is another good option, when you're recycling just hang back in a hidden spot and wait for somebody to creep up and take the stuff then kill them.

Alliances also form in the early game, and you can take advantage of this. If you engage in a fight and they are calling out asking if it's someone you say yes, usually they run up to you thinking it's safe then you kill them.

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩

You might die and lost a lot this early on, but if you pull through and keep going you can get a base down and it'll go uphill from there.

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐔𝐩𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩

It's simple, just don't build a base that you don't have the time to farm for. If you have a base design in mind, you can build it on a creative server and it'll show you the upkeep and you can plan accordingly. Or if you're going from a video it will probably tell you.

If you build a nice and small compact base in the beginning, then go hard and farm a lot of nodes you could potentially farm enough to cover the upkeep for the entire wipe. Or if the upkeep is too stone heavy you could turn some things to sheet metal, it's easy to smelt and put in the cupboard.

𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬

Putting half walls all around your roof and putting ceilings on them offers an extra layer of protection to your roof, if you don't plan on having access up there.

If you want more storage you could make your base even more compact by adding a basement, if you want you can make it a hidden one by having a ladderhatch and rugs over it. Or have the entrance be twig and cover that with boxes, then when you want to access it just pick up the box and break the twig.

Always have a triangle airlock, an airlock is just good in general in case somebody is trying to go deep on you. This one is also useful because when both doors are opened you are able to see through a small gap and fight through there, and they can't get inside.

If you're going for compact, you can fit three furnaces on a triangle with a door frame and walls. And if you put a cupboard as far back on a triangle as you can, you can put a work bench in front of to preserve space.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐭

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐧

If there are more than two and it's out in the open, that's not a good fight to take; you have no cover and if you try and retreat it's easier for them to track you. Unless you get the jump on them. If you can take out one right away or severely damage him you can push, or if you bring cover like a barricade or wall you can give yourself an advantage.

𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

If you are patient you will be rewarded. If you engage in a fight and kill one or two, always remember that there might be more. Do not loot until you are positive that nobody is else coming, or if the body is in a safe position you need to loot quick. Waiting outside of a base with a double barrel in hand and not waivering, when he finally comes out geared and you get stacked. Waiting in the distance as a fight breaks out, inching closer as more people die until there is one left grabbing all the loot and booking it you'll be waiting. Another example is watching a fight and waiting for one to get low and heal, kill and run after looting.

𝐀𝐥𝐭

You should always be using this, it should become a habit. Spotting an enemy before they spot you is important, even better if you see them and they think you don't see them. This gives them a false sense of security and they won't pursue with caution, I usually lead them behind a rock where I wait. I only do this if I am confident I can take on the fight, if there are more than three and you have this advantage just run.

𝐉𝐮𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

I always try and bring my fights into a forest if I need to get an advantage on a group or if I need to just book it. Sound is very important in this time because knowing where they are based on their footsteps can help you out immensely. Hiding in a bush and slowly rotating around based on where they are will hide you better, and in most cases they will keep going straight through the forest trying to find you. Once they pass you can either follow close behind and get a pick or run. You can also do this with large areas of rocks. Another thing you can do if they start pursuing is cut into the forest but loop through it until you are behind them.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬

These are amazing. I always carry a few on me when I am roaming, and they can be used in a lot of different situations. Most of the time I use these when I have finished farming and hear a fight I want to go contest, I put it down throw all my loot in there then hide it.

Always make sure to remember where it is, they despawn after 3 days in real life. To remember you can open your map and take a screenshot of the exact position it is in, or have it above the surface and look directly at it then take a screenshot. You can use the second method to pin point where it is exactly if you are having trouble. Using both of these methods will guarantee success in finding them. And another thing is to make sure nobody is watching you, if you are being watched then they might try and find your stuff.

Another situation I use this in, is when I encounter a fight I cannot take and they start to chase me. I try and gain some distance then hide behind something and quickly put the essentials in, armour and weapons-- not clothes, unless it's that primitive into the wipe. You can do more than one but you need to make sure that you have enough time, being quick at this also helps. You can practice this if you want to.

These can also be used as early game storage, if you're making plays and need to hide some essential loot, or if it's primitive you can put it next to a sleeping bag and hide some resources to get a bow etc.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬

These are some guides that have helped me out, either by boosting my performance or giving me easy access to vital information.

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=913516437
Having decent performance is crucial, because you're on your own and if you have any disadvantage against you it's going to be harder. If you're lagging and in a group you'll have people to fall back on, but as solo you're alone and need every advantage you can get.

𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=727054914
In the past you didn't need to reserve an extra spot for charcoal, it would just spit out. With this guide it tells you the exact amount of wood and ore and how long it's gonna take to smelt. This is personal preference, some people just like to throw everything in and start smelting.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1227882607
This is useful for experimenting, as it's handy to know what you might get.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

https://rustlabs.com/entity/recycler

This is a link to a wiki where it shows you every item in the game and what you'll get from recycling, this is useful for when you are recycling components or if you have some junk that you want to get rid of.

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