Post by catherinecompton on Feb 13, 2011 14:54:00 GMT -5
YOUR FIRST TIME IN INDEPENDENCE:
There isn't a very good in-game tutorial for your first time... so here's what you need to do, to set off on the trail. First, look at the to-do list on the left, there are 4 steps you need to do before you're ready to go.
- Buying Supplies -
Go into the General Store. The left pile is supplies, the right side is wagon upgrades.
for your first trip, I recommend not upgrading your wagon, save the coins for food and supplies. Pay most attention to the food, get as much as you can. Don't waste coins on clothes at this point. Once you've picked what you like, leave the store.
- Choosing a Profession -
Each profession has different advantages, but most won't be available to you until you've leveled up a few times. Doesn't hurt to click them and take a peek at what each does, though. Pick one that is available to you, then move on to the next step.
(scroll one screen to the left)
- Trail Sign Up -
This is where you choose the rest of the people in your wagon.
- Click the little sign, and the screen will open up a book, showing you how to toggle the people and choose friends. Click the check mark when you're ready to do this on your own.
- You'll now see a screen with yourself, and 4 'green' people. You'll need to click each green person, one at a time, and either choose one of your friends (yes, they know this is a little cumbersome at the moment) or type in a fictional name in the space below your friends. Advantages for using your real friends - if they are playing T.O.T. they can hunt 1x a day for you, or fix your wagon 1x a day.
- Do this for all 4 green people, then click the green check mark on the bottom of the screen.
(scroll one screen to the left)
- Setting off on the Trail -
You should now see your wagon, and the people you chose, sitting at the exit of Independence.
- Click your wagon, and a pop up will appear asking you to choose the month to leave. For your first trip, choose MARCH.
**Don't try to go later until you've gotten the hang of the trail. (Because if December 20th arrives before you arrive in Oregon City, Winter has set in, you all will die, and you get to start over.)
-You'll have the option to publish this to your wall, up to you if you do this or not.
- The next screen is telling you a few hints/history.
- Click the check mark.
And now, you're off! You should see your wagon clattering along, with your people next to it, and you're ready to follow my below advice. =D
ADVICE FOR YOUR FIRST TRIP, OR, IF YOU'VE NEVER MADE IT TO OREGON CITY:
- Get as much food as you can hold in Independence.
- Run it on the Grueling speed. Only slow down if there's no food.
- Don't stop for sick people. Don't stop for weather.
- Don't spend trail notes for anything!! (Unless it's some super cool item in a shop.)
- Click as many gold nuggets as possible while moving. (Or, stop your wagon if you have trouble clicking them).
Use the shortest route possible (thank you, Brandan!):
- Independence MO
- Shawnee Mission
- Kansas River Crossing
- Alcove Spring
- Big Blue River Crossing
- RAFT down the Big Blue River to Rock Creek Station
- Rock Creek Station
- Ft. Kearny
- Platte River Crossing
- At this point you can take either the upper or lower route to Ft. Laramie (same mileage). Just make sure if you take the upper route you don't go to Courthouse Rock.
- Ft. Laramie
- Ft. Caspar (Friend locked, but worth it)
- Independence Rock
- RAFT down the river to South Pass
- South Pass
- The Parting of Ways
- Soda Springs
- Ft. Hall
- RAFT down the river to Shoshone Falls
- Shoshone Falls
- Salmon Falls
- Three Island Crossing
- Ft. Boise (By the South Shore)
- Blue Mountains
- Whitman Mission
- The Dalles
- RAFT down the river to Oregon City
(remember, not all stops will have stores, so watch your food carefully, and click the traveling peddler, or shoshone indian man when you can.)
The rest of this will be basic "How-To" information, filled with my personal opinions for handling events/money/etc...
CROSSING RIVERS:
If the river is 1-2 feet deep, Ford the river.
If the river is 3+ feet deep, Caulk the wagon and float across.
RAFTING RIVERS:
Use the arrow keys to navigate. be careful to only click each arrow once, as multiple clicks can be hard to 'undo' to turn the other way. At this point in time, I can't tell you if the coins you catch are yours to keep or not, but the crates are only there to add score. If you have difficulty steering as it is, don't try to go for them, just focus on keeping the wagon in the water and away from the rocks. Try NOT to go into the currents, as the speed boosts make the wagon really hard to control.
TRAIL NOTES:
In the beginning, trail notes seem hard to get. Don't use them on the trail to heal people, or to wait out bad conditions. Don't use them on the trail at all. Save them for the cool stuff in Oregon.
Getting more isn't too hard, once you get the hang of the game.
- 10 Trail Notes every time you get to Oregon City (this is way more than getting them each time you level up!!)
- 5 Trail Notes if a baby oxen is born, and you choose to sell for notes. (a *rare* random event)
- 5 Trail Notes if you find a Gold Bar when searching (usually on the dead end loops)
- 1 Trail Note if you find a Silver Bar when searching (usually on the dead end loops)
COINS:
Click the gold nuggets as you go, as those equal 5 coins each. If you can't click it while moving, then, click the mini games icon to stop the wagon. Close the mini games pop up, and click the gold nugget on the screen.
You will get more coins on completing the trip.
You can also find items to use for coins in the mini search game.
If you choose to be a banker, you have more opportunities to earn coins on the trail than other players, especially if you carry trade goods to Oregon.
SICK/INJURED PEOPLE & MEDICINES:
Members in your party are going to get sick or hurt. It's inevitable, and just when you think they're better, 5 steps later they're going to get sick again.
Here's how to deal with them:
- When you are first told about any illness, continue on - don't rest, and most certainly don't spend trail notes to heal them.
- When you are first told about an injury, you can choose to continue on, or rest, but again, don't spend trail notes on healing.
- If you have medicine in your inventory (either found, or purchased from a shop/peddler) and choose to use it on someone in the party, you can use it by clicking your inventory, clicking the medicine, and clicking the 'thumbs up' icon that appears above the item. If someone in your group can benefit from that medicine, they will 'glow' green. Drag the medicine to that person, and click them. You'll get a pop up saying whether it was effective or not.
- Most of the higher level players have found that running the trail with a sick person isn't going to kill that person unless you're out of food.
SUDDEN DEATH OF THE WHOLE WAGON PARTY:
This only happens when the date of the game reaches December 20th. It's officially winter, you didn't make it, so you don't survive. It will happen without warning, so watch the dates. You can tell if you're "on time" by clicking the status icon, then the third tab down.
HUNTING FOR BEGINNERS:
All Epic Prey take 5 shots,
Buffalo take 3 shots,
Bears/Coyotes take 2,
squirrels/rabbits take 1
To successfully hunt:
BEARS (100lbs) / COYOTE (25lbs)- shoot them as they appear on screen. Take 5 steps in a 90 degree angle from where it is coming, when you've reloaded, shoot it again. Walk over to pick up the meat.
BUFFALO (100 lbs)- shoot the first shot as it appears on the screen, take 5 steps in a 90 degree angle from where it is coming. Once reloaded, shoot the second shot, and try to move another 5 steps 90 degrees from where it is now coming. If you get hit, it's okay, just keep your aim on the buffalo. Once you hear the click of the reload, fire the third shot. Walk over and pick up the meat.
SQUIRRELS (5lbs) / RABBITS (10 lbs)- wait until these are closer to you, and stop moving. Shoot. Walk over and pick up the meat.
EPIC PREY - When you're in the hunting screen, you see little red arrows warning you of approaching prey. With the Epics, not only do you get the warning arrow, you also get the words "Epic Prey" flashing by the arrow, to warn you that it's not just any animal on its way. When the animal pops out, it should be at least 1 1/2 times the size of normal prey.
For the most part, the "shoot, then dodge at 90 degrees" is going to be your best chance.
You're most likely to see the Epic Bison/Buffalo in a stampede. Otherwise, in normal hunts - I've been on the trail 11 completions, and only seen one epic rabbit, and one epic bear, in all of those trips, so the Epic Prey animals are fairly rare.
SEARCHING THE TRAIL:
This seems really useless in the beginning. The reason it seems this way is because you're at lower levels. As you level up, more items unlock, making them available in searches, or in shops. Until you unlock it, that item can't be found, making it more likely to have nothing found in searches. the following is a broad spectrum list of things you can find...
- Items that give 50 energy
- Items that give 15-50 stamina
- Items that give both 50 energy and 50 stamina
- Items that give 10-100 coins
- Items that heal
- Items that can upgrade your wagon
- Items that give 1-5 Trail Notes
- Rocks... seemingly useless items, but, if held onto, these might be the item a Bandit steals, or a river claims.
REPAIRING THE WAGON:
This is a game, with Tetris shaped pieces that fit into holes. It's a drag and drop game. Pieces can be rotated or flipped before you drag them to your wagon. No, there's no way to throw out a piece, you have to use pieces available to you. Some games, you just can't do it in 8 pieces. If you overlap anything (borders or other pieces) you won't have a perfect game.
The scores for repairs are +40 for a perfect game (doing it with 8 pieces), or +20 if you do it with 9 or 10 pieces.
If you have the Apprentice's Tools, or the Journeyman's Tools, the bonus those add happens AFTER the game is over and you've closed it - you are getting the bonus, you just don't see it with the game open.
IF YOU'VE RUN OUT OF STAMINA...
With enough XP, you'll level up, and get a refill on your stamina.
Look at your friends, to see if they have you in their wagon party. If they do, 1x a day, you can either hunt for them, or fix their wagon. Not only are you helping them, you're building up XP for yourself.
If you have energy points, use them on mini games, since these will also boost your XP, and hopefully helping you level up.
Otherwise, leave the game for a little while, and come back.
You don't have to wait the full length that the timer shows. If you come back in a few minutes, you'll have some stamina points. Keep doing this until you get enough XP to level up and get a refill.
WHEN YOU MAKE IT TO OREGON:
- Spend 7 Trail Notes on the Repeater Rifle. It will be the best item you ever spend Trail Notes on, and you'll never see hunting as a pain again. (Epics = 2 shots, Buffalo = 2 shots, All others = 1 shot.)
- Spend the coins on the Journeyman's Tools. This will add +35 to your final score when repairing your wagon.
***Doing these two things will free up loads of energy, to start using for the Searching game, and by now, you've leveled up enough to see the cool stuff out there.***
- If you can afford it, and have room after the gun and tools, buy as much Bacon as you can, to help with those 'out of stamina' moments.
- If you have room, and can afford it, look into buying "Chicken Soup" as this item, when used, will give a health boost to all of your wagon party during travel for the next 48 hours, or until you make it to Oregon (whichever comes first.)
ON YOUR NEXT TRIP - WHEN YOU BUY FOOD IN INDEPENDENCE:
If you have the option to be a Farmer, use it before going into the shop. Farmers have the absolute cheapest rations available - 250lbs for 20 coins. After buying all of your food, then go back and change to the profession of your choice.
Some people are claiming that this no longer works, however, I was able to do it this morning (Feb 13th, 2011), so it still works for me.
Hope this helps!
- Catherine
*This topic may be edited as advice becomes outdated, or more helpful advice is discovered.
There isn't a very good in-game tutorial for your first time... so here's what you need to do, to set off on the trail. First, look at the to-do list on the left, there are 4 steps you need to do before you're ready to go.
- Buying Supplies -
Go into the General Store. The left pile is supplies, the right side is wagon upgrades.
for your first trip, I recommend not upgrading your wagon, save the coins for food and supplies. Pay most attention to the food, get as much as you can. Don't waste coins on clothes at this point. Once you've picked what you like, leave the store.
- Choosing a Profession -
Each profession has different advantages, but most won't be available to you until you've leveled up a few times. Doesn't hurt to click them and take a peek at what each does, though. Pick one that is available to you, then move on to the next step.
(scroll one screen to the left)
- Trail Sign Up -
This is where you choose the rest of the people in your wagon.
- Click the little sign, and the screen will open up a book, showing you how to toggle the people and choose friends. Click the check mark when you're ready to do this on your own.
- You'll now see a screen with yourself, and 4 'green' people. You'll need to click each green person, one at a time, and either choose one of your friends (yes, they know this is a little cumbersome at the moment) or type in a fictional name in the space below your friends. Advantages for using your real friends - if they are playing T.O.T. they can hunt 1x a day for you, or fix your wagon 1x a day.
- Do this for all 4 green people, then click the green check mark on the bottom of the screen.
(scroll one screen to the left)
- Setting off on the Trail -
You should now see your wagon, and the people you chose, sitting at the exit of Independence.
- Click your wagon, and a pop up will appear asking you to choose the month to leave. For your first trip, choose MARCH.
**Don't try to go later until you've gotten the hang of the trail. (Because if December 20th arrives before you arrive in Oregon City, Winter has set in, you all will die, and you get to start over.)
-You'll have the option to publish this to your wall, up to you if you do this or not.
- The next screen is telling you a few hints/history.
- Click the check mark.
And now, you're off! You should see your wagon clattering along, with your people next to it, and you're ready to follow my below advice. =D
ADVICE FOR YOUR FIRST TRIP, OR, IF YOU'VE NEVER MADE IT TO OREGON CITY:
- Get as much food as you can hold in Independence.
- Run it on the Grueling speed. Only slow down if there's no food.
- Don't stop for sick people. Don't stop for weather.
- Don't spend trail notes for anything!! (Unless it's some super cool item in a shop.)
- Click as many gold nuggets as possible while moving. (Or, stop your wagon if you have trouble clicking them).
Use the shortest route possible (thank you, Brandan!):
- Independence MO
- Shawnee Mission
- Kansas River Crossing
- Alcove Spring
- Big Blue River Crossing
- RAFT down the Big Blue River to Rock Creek Station
- Rock Creek Station
- Ft. Kearny
- Platte River Crossing
- At this point you can take either the upper or lower route to Ft. Laramie (same mileage). Just make sure if you take the upper route you don't go to Courthouse Rock.
- Ft. Laramie
- Ft. Caspar (Friend locked, but worth it)
- Independence Rock
- RAFT down the river to South Pass
- South Pass
- The Parting of Ways
- Soda Springs
- Ft. Hall
- RAFT down the river to Shoshone Falls
- Shoshone Falls
- Salmon Falls
- Three Island Crossing
- Ft. Boise (By the South Shore)
- Blue Mountains
- Whitman Mission
- The Dalles
- RAFT down the river to Oregon City
(remember, not all stops will have stores, so watch your food carefully, and click the traveling peddler, or shoshone indian man when you can.)
The rest of this will be basic "How-To" information, filled with my personal opinions for handling events/money/etc...
CROSSING RIVERS:
If the river is 1-2 feet deep, Ford the river.
If the river is 3+ feet deep, Caulk the wagon and float across.
RAFTING RIVERS:
Use the arrow keys to navigate. be careful to only click each arrow once, as multiple clicks can be hard to 'undo' to turn the other way. At this point in time, I can't tell you if the coins you catch are yours to keep or not, but the crates are only there to add score. If you have difficulty steering as it is, don't try to go for them, just focus on keeping the wagon in the water and away from the rocks. Try NOT to go into the currents, as the speed boosts make the wagon really hard to control.
TRAIL NOTES:
In the beginning, trail notes seem hard to get. Don't use them on the trail to heal people, or to wait out bad conditions. Don't use them on the trail at all. Save them for the cool stuff in Oregon.
Getting more isn't too hard, once you get the hang of the game.
- 10 Trail Notes every time you get to Oregon City (this is way more than getting them each time you level up!!)
- 5 Trail Notes if a baby oxen is born, and you choose to sell for notes. (a *rare* random event)
- 5 Trail Notes if you find a Gold Bar when searching (usually on the dead end loops)
- 1 Trail Note if you find a Silver Bar when searching (usually on the dead end loops)
COINS:
Click the gold nuggets as you go, as those equal 5 coins each. If you can't click it while moving, then, click the mini games icon to stop the wagon. Close the mini games pop up, and click the gold nugget on the screen.
You will get more coins on completing the trip.
You can also find items to use for coins in the mini search game.
If you choose to be a banker, you have more opportunities to earn coins on the trail than other players, especially if you carry trade goods to Oregon.
SICK/INJURED PEOPLE & MEDICINES:
Members in your party are going to get sick or hurt. It's inevitable, and just when you think they're better, 5 steps later they're going to get sick again.
Here's how to deal with them:
- When you are first told about any illness, continue on - don't rest, and most certainly don't spend trail notes to heal them.
- When you are first told about an injury, you can choose to continue on, or rest, but again, don't spend trail notes on healing.
- If you have medicine in your inventory (either found, or purchased from a shop/peddler) and choose to use it on someone in the party, you can use it by clicking your inventory, clicking the medicine, and clicking the 'thumbs up' icon that appears above the item. If someone in your group can benefit from that medicine, they will 'glow' green. Drag the medicine to that person, and click them. You'll get a pop up saying whether it was effective or not.
- Most of the higher level players have found that running the trail with a sick person isn't going to kill that person unless you're out of food.
SUDDEN DEATH OF THE WHOLE WAGON PARTY:
This only happens when the date of the game reaches December 20th. It's officially winter, you didn't make it, so you don't survive. It will happen without warning, so watch the dates. You can tell if you're "on time" by clicking the status icon, then the third tab down.
HUNTING FOR BEGINNERS:
All Epic Prey take 5 shots,
Buffalo take 3 shots,
Bears/Coyotes take 2,
squirrels/rabbits take 1
To successfully hunt:
BEARS (100lbs) / COYOTE (25lbs)- shoot them as they appear on screen. Take 5 steps in a 90 degree angle from where it is coming, when you've reloaded, shoot it again. Walk over to pick up the meat.
BUFFALO (100 lbs)- shoot the first shot as it appears on the screen, take 5 steps in a 90 degree angle from where it is coming. Once reloaded, shoot the second shot, and try to move another 5 steps 90 degrees from where it is now coming. If you get hit, it's okay, just keep your aim on the buffalo. Once you hear the click of the reload, fire the third shot. Walk over and pick up the meat.
SQUIRRELS (5lbs) / RABBITS (10 lbs)- wait until these are closer to you, and stop moving. Shoot. Walk over and pick up the meat.
EPIC PREY - When you're in the hunting screen, you see little red arrows warning you of approaching prey. With the Epics, not only do you get the warning arrow, you also get the words "Epic Prey" flashing by the arrow, to warn you that it's not just any animal on its way. When the animal pops out, it should be at least 1 1/2 times the size of normal prey.
For the most part, the "shoot, then dodge at 90 degrees" is going to be your best chance.
You're most likely to see the Epic Bison/Buffalo in a stampede. Otherwise, in normal hunts - I've been on the trail 11 completions, and only seen one epic rabbit, and one epic bear, in all of those trips, so the Epic Prey animals are fairly rare.
SEARCHING THE TRAIL:
This seems really useless in the beginning. The reason it seems this way is because you're at lower levels. As you level up, more items unlock, making them available in searches, or in shops. Until you unlock it, that item can't be found, making it more likely to have nothing found in searches. the following is a broad spectrum list of things you can find...
- Items that give 50 energy
- Items that give 15-50 stamina
- Items that give both 50 energy and 50 stamina
- Items that give 10-100 coins
- Items that heal
- Items that can upgrade your wagon
- Items that give 1-5 Trail Notes
- Rocks... seemingly useless items, but, if held onto, these might be the item a Bandit steals, or a river claims.
REPAIRING THE WAGON:
This is a game, with Tetris shaped pieces that fit into holes. It's a drag and drop game. Pieces can be rotated or flipped before you drag them to your wagon. No, there's no way to throw out a piece, you have to use pieces available to you. Some games, you just can't do it in 8 pieces. If you overlap anything (borders or other pieces) you won't have a perfect game.
The scores for repairs are +40 for a perfect game (doing it with 8 pieces), or +20 if you do it with 9 or 10 pieces.
If you have the Apprentice's Tools, or the Journeyman's Tools, the bonus those add happens AFTER the game is over and you've closed it - you are getting the bonus, you just don't see it with the game open.
IF YOU'VE RUN OUT OF STAMINA...
With enough XP, you'll level up, and get a refill on your stamina.
Look at your friends, to see if they have you in their wagon party. If they do, 1x a day, you can either hunt for them, or fix their wagon. Not only are you helping them, you're building up XP for yourself.
If you have energy points, use them on mini games, since these will also boost your XP, and hopefully helping you level up.
Otherwise, leave the game for a little while, and come back.
You don't have to wait the full length that the timer shows. If you come back in a few minutes, you'll have some stamina points. Keep doing this until you get enough XP to level up and get a refill.
WHEN YOU MAKE IT TO OREGON:
- Spend 7 Trail Notes on the Repeater Rifle. It will be the best item you ever spend Trail Notes on, and you'll never see hunting as a pain again. (Epics = 2 shots, Buffalo = 2 shots, All others = 1 shot.)
- Spend the coins on the Journeyman's Tools. This will add +35 to your final score when repairing your wagon.
***Doing these two things will free up loads of energy, to start using for the Searching game, and by now, you've leveled up enough to see the cool stuff out there.***
- If you can afford it, and have room after the gun and tools, buy as much Bacon as you can, to help with those 'out of stamina' moments.
- If you have room, and can afford it, look into buying "Chicken Soup" as this item, when used, will give a health boost to all of your wagon party during travel for the next 48 hours, or until you make it to Oregon (whichever comes first.)
ON YOUR NEXT TRIP - WHEN YOU BUY FOOD IN INDEPENDENCE:
If you have the option to be a Farmer, use it before going into the shop. Farmers have the absolute cheapest rations available - 250lbs for 20 coins. After buying all of your food, then go back and change to the profession of your choice.
Some people are claiming that this no longer works, however, I was able to do it this morning (Feb 13th, 2011), so it still works for me.
Hope this helps!
- Catherine
*This topic may be edited as advice becomes outdated, or more helpful advice is discovered.
Got letters to deliver hehehehe