After at least 100 hours of play, I've run through over a dozen adventurers who, almost without exception, died from MY decisions. I learned some bad lessons early on. Small female bears/with cub leave one with the mistaken impression that bears are not TOO bad. Papa Bear will correct that fallacy. While the first five Njerpez may seem to be relatively soft, the sixth has uncanny skills with just his knife. Foxes can run on thin ice. Don't follow them. Robbers have a lot of friends.
My dead Father apparently took me hunting while barely clothed. Perhaps he traded most of my clothes for the Fine Kaumo spear and Fine knife? Anyway, with those, and a handaxe, I set out.
So, the first year, mid-summer, on a new start, determined to avoid previous mistakes. Settled next to rapids on a long river. After many futile weeks of hunting just to watch my javelins run away in some wounded deer or elk, I stopped trying. It would soon be too damp to dry meat, anyway. No meat is drying, at all!
The plan was to build a cabin/smokehouse, then to trap and smoke what I could trap. I'd snare some birds, kill squirrels with rocks, and fish for daily food. Having completed building I FINALLY lucked out and killed a deer. I then wasted 180+ cuts after learning there were a few building flaws in my cabin. By the time I fixed them, the meat was spoiled. Well, another lesson learned- TEST your smokehouse, first.
Built a trap fence, nothing trapped so far. Built a shorter one. Ditto. Started building a trap fence around a small lake.
Bumped into my first Njerpez. Seen robbers once and avoided them, likewise bears. But, by this point, though, I was despairing of any success, so, I did not run. Killed him, taking 26% injury. Got his spear and some very damaged lamellar. But, the spear was the start of a good run of luck. Traded that and his iron helm for better tools. Found a quest treasure and with that and the Njerp loot, bartered for Master woodsman, hand, and splitting axes, a 'Perfect' shovel, a Fine Fishing rod, a pot, a Fine Carving ax, Master Longbow, nets, a dog, all the things I'd drooled over before.
On the way back from hiring my first companion, I found I'd finally trapped a reindeer. Huzzah!
So, I'm still working that small lake's fence, not even 1/4 completed yet. Just started the Advanced missions line. I used my rewards to improve Cooking, Carpentry, and Hideworking. ALL I have to do is avoid stupid decisions now...fingers crossed!