RuneScape Dragonwilds wound up becoming a surprise hit seemingly overnight. Itâs a far-cry from the original RuneScape, which was a grind heavy MMORPG with way too many skills to count. This is something more, something akin to Valheim or Enshrouded. But even if you have experience in survival/crafting games, this one does things a little differently. After spending an hour with the game, there are a few things you should know before diving into RuneScape Dragonwilds!
1. Source food and water
2. Grind through your Woodcutting levels
3. Donât rely solely on magic
4. Get your first base up quickly
5. Keep an eye out for treasure chests
Source an abundance of food and water
Seriously, the biggest shocker when playing RuneScape: Dragonwilds, besides how extremely fun the game is overall, is how quickly your hunger and thirst meter drops as you explore, fight, and forage. Despite your stature, your character seems to have the metabolism of a bodybuilder, because they need food every ten minutes or so, sometimes less, depending on what youâre doing.
Sure, you could harvest a few berries, as the tutorial suggests, but those donât last. Instead, craft a campfire at your base, then cook up various meals, including dried berries and, for the love of all things holy, cow. Those damned cows charge you anytime you walk past, so slaughter them all!
Grind through your Woodcutting levels
Almost every crafting and construction recipe in the game requires wood, and while youâll inevitably unlock magic to help make woodcutting more accessible, itâs not enough. Youâll want to grind your Woodcutting levels early and often, decreasing the amount of stamina necessary for each swing of your axe. Youâll also unlock abilities, like the overhead swing, which make cutting logs easier and faster.
Trust us when we tell you that wood is about to become your best friend.
Donât rely solely on magic
Magic is one of the more interesting parts of RuneScape Dragonwilds, allowing you to chop down streets or zip through the air like a superhero. However, casting magic requires runes, and while youâll find plenty of rune-farming locations around the map, theyâre not overly abundant. You will run low, unless youâre constantly scouring the world for farming locations.
As such, itâs best not to solely rely on magic. Take some time to level your other skills, that way you can use magic as a fall back.
Get your first base up quickly, but have fun with it
The old man will explain that the surrounding village, while infested with goblins, should provide an advantageous point for your first settlement. Heâs not wrong. Itâs centrally located within this early-game zone youâre exploring, and thereâs plenty of flat, clear ground around the ruins themselves to build.
However, if youâre at all like me, youâre keen on exploring more of the world before settling down in a single spot. Thatâs the joy of the game, though. You donât have to settle in one place; you can construct multiple bases across the land. This, however, should be your first. Get a little plot down, even a 2Ă2 base, with a door, a crafting bench outside, and a sleeping cot on the floor so that you can rest and recuperate.
Keep an eye out for treasure chests
The first time you stumble upon a treasure chest, itâs part of the tutorial path. Thereâs one sitting atop the ruins beside the abandoned village, right where youâll meet the old man for the second time. Inside, you can find Runes, resources, and best of all, crafting and construction plans to help you expand your base.
After that, keep an eye out when exploring the world to discover more. Theyâre usually scattered throughout points of interest, surrounded by enemies and animals, all of which want to consume you. Yes, even the rabbits attack on sight!
RuneScape Dragonwilds, a survival crafting action-adventure from the studio behind the long-running MMORPG, RuneScape, is out now on Windows PCs.
