QuickStart Guide

This page works off the assumption that you are a brand new player to the BTW mod and are looking at how to get a very quick start to the mod. If you are instead interested in reading up a bit more it is suggested that you take a look at the Beginner's Guide. First off this mod is not like a lot of other mods, in that there are some changes to the core game mechanics so if you are coming from Vanilla or other mods, please be prepared for strange stuff, and with that we shall start.

Tools

First off we will go over some crafting changes that have been made from vanilla, more so the early game changes. If you have already been playing for a bit you may have noticed that you can not make a wooden sword, hoe or axe. The sword and hoe may only be crafted with iron or higher resources. The axe may be crafted with stone and higher and the pickaxe and shovel are the only tools that are able to be crafted with only wood (noted that the wooden pick has the ability to only mine one block, so use it wisely) There have also been changes to the recipes for the axe and fishing rod.

Also note that in order for the fishing rod to be useful it should be baited. Bait can be anything of that of fleshy monster drops. And if you happen across a bow and some rotted arrows, Steve must have the arrows on hand in order for them to be used in conjunction with the bow.

Food

Food is one of the aspects of Better Than Wolves that catches many players off guard. Firstly, your character becomes hungrier much faster, and second food is much harder to gather

• Some good early game plans are to:
  1. Hunt animals with an Axe, or (if you can't make that yet) a club. Axes and weapons use a lot less energy than your fists.
  2. Craft a fishing rod and bait it with drops from monsters (Rotten Flesh, Creeper Oyster, Spider Eyes.)
  3. Seeds can be found in baskets (above ground) and chests (below ground)
  4. Use seeds to lure chickens into a safe enclosure.
  5. Use an iron hoe within four squares of water to make irrigated farm land.
  6. Plant any seeds you find and wait for their final stage of growth before harvesting.
  7. Use Shears to collect tall grass to lure cows into a farm.

Game Mechanic Changes

Here we will note on some of the more early game changes to mechanics:

• Hunger Depletion
  1. For the love of your deity of choice, do not sprint or jump (unless in immediate danger)
  2. You can get fat, having a bit of fat is more healthy than just skin and bones
  3. If you get too hungry it will negatively affect your physical abilities.(i.e unable to jump, decreased speed of mining, etc...)
  4. Try to make a Dirt Slab. Use this instead of jumping to conserve your hunger greatly.
• Punching Things
  1. Your fists are fleshy, they absorb shock. Use something harder.
  2. Again your fists are fleshy, therefore slower than a tool.
  3. Of course if you punch something its going to run away.. unless it's mad.
• Seed Sources
  1. Pumpkin seeds: Found below in chests.
  2. Hemp Seeds: You have to use a hoe
  3. Other Seeds: if the village looks abandoned, find one further out.
• Hardcore Bedding
  1. Beds do not save your spawn point or make night into day like in Vanilla Minecraft.
  2. Morning after first spawn, if you die you will respawn at a random location within a huge radius. It will be difficult to locate your last base.
  3. Construct a compass to point you towards your original spawn location which is your only fixed point of navigation.
  4. Darker Harder Stone? See Hardcore Stratification

Dying

Yes, dying really sucks now. Yes you are in a different place each time, but yes it is technically possible to get back. You may not see anything familiar within waking distance from your new spawn. Although it seems like an entirely new map each time, it isn't. There is a limit to the distance you are transported from your initial spawn (albeit a large limit). With enough deaths, you may eventually spawn in an area you've been to before. In fact, the spawning algorithm currently seems to favor areas already generated. So, the more you explore, the less familiar respawns you may see. Try not to die just in case though.  ;)

Tips

1. Mining is much more difficult in Better Than Wolves, one of the best way to get Iron/Redstone is to locate a natural trench or wide chasm in the earth.
2. You Don't have to find a cave that goes all the wayfrom the surface to the redstone region, you can just tunnel above the third strata and listen for mobs and water/lava to try and find a cave.
3. Staying alive is your number-one priority.
4. At night wolves become aggressive and can fit through 1x1 blocks. Keep this in mind when designing your shelter. They also become aggressive if they run out of food and become hungry.
5. Zombies no longer destroy doors, but they do have the ability to use ladders (but not always intelligently, or intentionally.)
6. If your house is in total darkness you will be affected by Gloom and begin to take health damage if not avoided. Make grates out of sticks as a transparent block if you do not have a furnace yet.
7. Squids are hostile and have a 2-3 block ranged attack that launches you into the air toward them. If you're not careful, they will be able to mount your face. You can still kill said hat with weapon use. It takes about 1&1/2 Stone axe durability to kill a hatsie. They can also destroy boats and swim in shallow waters. They are very dangerous.