Asciilands beginner companion: workbench first, town later

Asciilands is a multiplayer survival and building sandbox game that can be played in a web browser. It is free to play, with optional donations supporting development and hosting. The game can be accessed via desktop and laptop browsers, with potential mobile support in the future. Players can create a character using a Discord account to access their character across different devices and create towns with friends.

Progress is saved on the server, including for guest players, though leaving a session may result in losing access to the saved character. The game can be wiped, but this is not guaranteed or scheduled.

The beginner's guide focuses on a repeatable loop of gathering resources, crafting tools, and building a shelter before expanding to a town. Players must first gather wood, stone, and fiber materials, using the gather action on trees and rocks. These materials can be processed into planks, sticks, and rope using the Crafting interface.

Building a workbench and crafting stone tools, such as axes or picks, is essential for efficient gathering. Players should prioritize crafting a tool that addresses their current bottleneck, such as an axe for gathering wood or a pickaxe for gathering stone. Stamina management is crucial, as activities like sprinting and combat deplete stamina, while rest points replenish it.

A campfire or campsite can be built and used to set a rest point, which retains inventory upon death or respawn.

When building a shelter, it is important to remember that structures begin decaying after 24 hours, though this is an onset of decay and not a guarantee that every piece will vanish exactly after 24 hours. Regular maintenance using a wooden hammer and appropriate materials is necessary to prevent decay. Chests and stations are accessible to anyone within reach, and town membership does not grant private access to chests.

Doors require both ownership and town building permissions. The regional building limit is set at 4,096 pieces across all players, and the Build UI displays the Region Cap. When ready for metal, players should focus on crafting metal heads and blades at a forge, repairing items at an anvil, and assembling finished heads with handles and optional bindings at a workbench.

It is advisable to maintain a reserve of materials before expanding the crafting setup. Towns and parties can be explored once players have progressed past the solo stage, but Discord is not required to play the game.