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Once Human, developed by Starry Studio, is a thrilling open-world multiplayer survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by an alien substance called Stardust. As a Meta-Human, you must navigate a vast, eerie landscape filled with mutated creatures, resource scarcity, and other players vying for survival. The game blends survival mechanics, base building, crafting, and combat, creating a complex and immersive experience. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned survivor, mastering Once Human requires strategic planning and knowledge of its intricate systems. This comprehensive guide provides essential tips and tricks to help you thrive in the corrupted world of Nalcott, covering everything from character creation to advanced end-game strategies.
Before diving into the world of Once Human, selecting the right server and crafting your character are critical first steps. The game offers two server types: PvE (Player vs. Environment) and PvP (Player vs. Player). PvE servers focus on cooperative play and world boss events, making them ideal for players who prefer fighting monstrous enemies over other players. PvP servers, on the other hand, introduce the risk of player conflicts, especially during specific events or base raids, catering to those who enjoy competitive gameplay. Choose a server based on your preferred playstyle, and pay attention to server population and phase tags to ensure a balanced experience.
Your character’s weight, adjustable during creation, impacts gameplay significantly. Moderate weight (65–85 kg) offers a balanced mix of stamina recovery, load capacity, and damage reduction, making it ideal for beginners. Lighter characters (<65 kg) have higher agility but lower carrying capacity, while heavier characters (>85 kg) can carry more but sacrifice speed. You can adjust weight later by consuming specific foods, like fried foods to gain weight or spoiled food to lose it. Prioritize a moderate weight for versatility early on.
Base building is a cornerstone of Once Human, serving as your safe haven for crafting, storage, and recovery. Choose a location with access to water, ore, and food sources like deer or mushrooms to streamline resource gathering. Avoid building near obstacles like bridges or roads, as these can limit your buildable area and cause boundary issues. Building in the center of your territory maximizes space and prevents conflicts with environmental structures.
Once Human’s unique relocation feature allows you to move your entire base without dismantling it, making it easy to adapt to new areas as you progress. Start with essential facilities like a crafting bench, storage chests, and a bed to restore sanity and health. Unlock the Disassembly Techniques and Smelting Essentials nodes in the Memetics tree to enhance resource processing and crafting capabilities. Use preset blueprints for quick base setups, which you can later customize to suit your needs.
As a Meta-Human, you must manage hunger, thirst, and sanity to maintain peak performance. Low hydration reduces stamina and sprint speed, while hunger depletes health. Cook food like roasted meat or grilled mushrooms using a stove (unlocked via the Logistics Memetics tree) and purify water to stay hydrated. Avoid spoiled food, as it can cause sickness and weight loss, impacting your stats.
Sanity is a unique mechanic that degrades in polluted areas or during combat with corrupted enemies. A low sanity meter reduces max health and triggers Whims—random buffs and debuffs like faster sprinting but quicker dehydration. Restore sanity by sleeping in a bed or consuming sanity gummies. Always carry food and water when exploring, and build a refrigerator to store perishables.
Deviants, or Deviations, are unique creatures that enhance gameplay through combat support or passive resource gathering. Combat Deviants, like Mr. Wish, assist in battles by dealing damage or applying status effects. Territory Deviants, such as those that mine ore or chop wood, automate resource collection at your base. Capture Deviants by exploring polluted areas or completing specific quests, and interact with them regularly to boost their mood and efficiency.
Place Deviants strategically in your base to maximize their output. For example, position a mining Deviant near an ore vein to increase yield. Check the Deviant menu to understand their abilities and optimize their use based on your needs. In the Way of Winter scenario, new Deviants like Shiny Deviants offer enhanced capabilities, making them worth seeking out in northern regions.
Once Human offers dynamic PvE and PvP events that test your skills and reward high-quality loot. PvE events, like world boss fights or Securement Silos, are instanced dungeons designed for groups of up to four players. Use the server-wide team finder to join pick-up groups easily, even if you’re shy about online interactions. These events yield rare materials and blueprints, crucial for late-game progression.
PvP events, exclusive to PvP servers, involve base raids or resource competitions. Your base is safe from offline raiding, but participating in PvP events flags it for potential attacks, so fortify it with defenses like turrets. Joining a Hive—a group of players—enhances your ability to tackle these events, as you can share resources and coordinate strategies. Check the Once Human Discord for teammates if you’re looking to join a Hive.
Choosing the Right Server and Character Build
Before diving into the world of Once Human, selecting the right server and crafting your character are critical first steps. The game offers two server types: PvE (Player vs. Environment) and PvP (Player vs. Player). PvE servers focus on cooperative play and world boss events, making them ideal for players who prefer fighting monstrous enemies over other players. PvP servers, on the other hand, introduce the risk of player conflicts, especially during specific events or base raids, catering to those who enjoy competitive gameplay. Choose a server based on your preferred playstyle, and pay attention to server population and phase tags to ensure a balanced experience.
Your character’s weight, adjustable during creation, impacts gameplay significantly. Moderate weight (65–85 kg) offers a balanced mix of stamina recovery, load capacity, and damage reduction, making it ideal for beginners. Lighter characters (<65 kg) have higher agility but lower carrying capacity, while heavier characters (>85 kg) can carry more but sacrifice speed. You can adjust weight later by consuming specific foods, like fried foods to gain weight or spoiled food to lose it. Prioritize a moderate weight for versatility early on.
Tip: Experiment with Weight
Test different weight classes by eating specific foods to find the balance that suits your playstyle. Keep an eye on your stamina and inventory capacity as you adjust.Mastering the Tutorial and Main Quest
The tutorial in Once Human is designed to familiarize you with core mechanics like combat, crafting, and resource gathering. Completing it is essential, as it unlocks critical tools, including your first motorcycle, which significantly improves map traversal. Follow the main questline, known as the Journey, to learn the game’s basics and earn rewards like EXP, Energy Links, and crafting materials. These tasks guide you through building your first base and fighting your first boss, setting a strong foundation for survival. Ignoring the main quest can slow your progress, as it provides blueprints and resources that are harder to obtain otherwise. For example, completing early story missions grants access to the motorcycle blueprint, allowing you to craft a vehicle for faster exploration. The Journey also introduces you to V, your bird companion, who offers commissions—optional tasks that reward generous XP and resources. Always keep commissions active, as they often align with your regular activities.Pro Tip: Track Commissions
Access commissions via V or a settlement vendor. Completing these weekly tasks, like crafting ammo or boiling water, grants significant XP, helping you level up faster.Setting Up an Efficient Base
Base building is a cornerstone of Once Human, serving as your safe haven for crafting, storage, and recovery. Choose a location with access to water, ore, and food sources like deer or mushrooms to streamline resource gathering. Avoid building near obstacles like bridges or roads, as these can limit your buildable area and cause boundary issues. Building in the center of your territory maximizes space and prevents conflicts with environmental structures.
Once Human’s unique relocation feature allows you to move your entire base without dismantling it, making it easy to adapt to new areas as you progress. Start with essential facilities like a crafting bench, storage chests, and a bed to restore sanity and health. Unlock the Disassembly Techniques and Smelting Essentials nodes in the Memetics tree to enhance resource processing and crafting capabilities. Use preset blueprints for quick base setups, which you can later customize to suit your needs.
Key Facilities to Prioritize
- Crafting Bench: For basic gear and tools.
- Storage Chests: To organize resources and prevent clutter.
- Bed: Restores sanity and health, crucial for long-term survival.
Gathering and Managing Resources
Resources are the backbone of survival in Once Human. Regularly explore the map to gather materials like wood, ore, and food, which are essential for crafting weapons, armor, and base upgrades. Looting buildings, chests, and furniture in settlements provides crafting components, with higher-quality loot yielding rarer materials. Mystical Crates, marked by purple icons on the map, often contain valuable blueprints for weapons and armor, so prioritize these when exploring. Efficient resource management involves maintaining a steady supply of raw materials. Set up automatic farming with Deviants—unique creatures that can gather resources passively at your base. For example, Territory Deviants can collect wood or ore, reducing the need for manual gathering. Keep your crates stocked and consider crafting a refrigerator to preserve food, as items like meat spoil after 24 hours, impacting your health if consumed.Resource Hotspots
Focus on areas like Dayton Wetlands for copper ore and food, or later regions like Red Sands for iron ore. Use the map’s filters to locate resource-rich zones.Crafting and Gear Customization
Crafting is central to progressing in Once Human. Early on, build a Gear Workbench to craft weapons like the Tier II Crossbow, which offers a significant damage boost compared to basic weapons. Calibrate your weapons at the workbench to enhance their stats, using materials gathered from enemies or loot. Unlock crafting recipes through the Memetics tree, prioritizing nodes like Crafting Memetics for better tools and weapons. Gear customization enhances survivability and damage output. Equip mods to your weapons and armor to add effects like increased critical hit chance or elemental damage. For example, the Frost Vortex build uses cold status effects to freeze enemies, making it ideal for crowd control. Regularly check your inventory for modifiers and use the inspect menu to understand their effects, tailoring your gear to your preferred playstyle.Best Early Weapon: Crossbow
Craft a Tier II Crossbow as soon as possible. It’s ammo-efficient and powerful, especially when calibrated with high-tier materials.Surviving Hunger, Thirst, and Sanity
As a Meta-Human, you must manage hunger, thirst, and sanity to maintain peak performance. Low hydration reduces stamina and sprint speed, while hunger depletes health. Cook food like roasted meat or grilled mushrooms using a stove (unlocked via the Logistics Memetics tree) and purify water to stay hydrated. Avoid spoiled food, as it can cause sickness and weight loss, impacting your stats.
Sanity is a unique mechanic that degrades in polluted areas or during combat with corrupted enemies. A low sanity meter reduces max health and triggers Whims—random buffs and debuffs like faster sprinting but quicker dehydration. Restore sanity by sleeping in a bed or consuming sanity gummies. Always carry food and water when exploring, and build a refrigerator to store perishables.
Sanity Management Tips
- Sleep regularly to reset sanity degradation.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to polluted zones marked by dense fog.
- Carry sanity gummies for quick restoration during long expeditions.
Exploring the Map Efficiently
The vast map of Once Human is filled with points of interest, enemies, and loot. Use your motorcycle, unlocked through the main quest, to traverse long distances quickly. Activate Teleportation Towers, marked by gray satellite icons, for fast travel between regions. These towers also allow world-switching within the same server, useful for joining friends. Always check the map for nearby teleporters before leaving an area to simplify future travel. When exploring, use the map’s filters to track quests, towns, or world events. Middle-click to place custom markers for key locations, such as resource nodes or Mystical Crates. World events, like the Wanderer bus, offer unique loot opportunities—shoot its legs to access a chest inside, but be quick to avoid enemy spawns. Prioritize completing area tasks, like finding chests or defeating enemies, to earn rewards and 100% map regions.Exploration Checklist
- Activate all nearby Teleportation Towers.
- Track Mystical Crates for blueprints.
- Mark resource nodes for future farming.
Utilizing Deviants for Combat and Base Efficiency
Deviants, or Deviations, are unique creatures that enhance gameplay through combat support or passive resource gathering. Combat Deviants, like Mr. Wish, assist in battles by dealing damage or applying status effects. Territory Deviants, such as those that mine ore or chop wood, automate resource collection at your base. Capture Deviants by exploring polluted areas or completing specific quests, and interact with them regularly to boost their mood and efficiency.
Place Deviants strategically in your base to maximize their output. For example, position a mining Deviant near an ore vein to increase yield. Check the Deviant menu to understand their abilities and optimize their use based on your needs. In the Way of Winter scenario, new Deviants like Shiny Deviants offer enhanced capabilities, making them worth seeking out in northern regions.
Top Deviants to Capture
- Mr. Wish: Provides combat support with unique abilities.
- Logging Beaver: Automates wood collection for base building.
- Mining Deviant: Gathers ore passively, saving time.
Engaging in PvE and PvP Events
Once Human offers dynamic PvE and PvP events that test your skills and reward high-quality loot. PvE events, like world boss fights or Securement Silos, are instanced dungeons designed for groups of up to four players. Use the server-wide team finder to join pick-up groups easily, even if you’re shy about online interactions. These events yield rare materials and blueprints, crucial for late-game progression.
PvP events, exclusive to PvP servers, involve base raids or resource competitions. Your base is safe from offline raiding, but participating in PvP events flags it for potential attacks, so fortify it with defenses like turrets. Joining a Hive—a group of players—enhances your ability to tackle these events, as you can share resources and coordinate strategies. Check the Once Human Discord for teammates if you’re looking to join a Hive.
PvP Preparation
Before engaging in PvP, ensure your base has strong defenses and stockpile resources to repair any damage. Coordinate with your Hive for optimal results.Preparing for Seasonal Resets and End-Game Content
Once Human features a seasonal reset system, where servers wipe every six weeks, resetting character progress but retaining blueprints and quest progress. This mechanic encourages experimenting with new builds and strategies each season. Permanent scenario servers, introduced for players who prefer no resets, allow indefinite play in the settlement phase. Plan your gameplay around these resets by focusing on unlocking blueprints early, as they carry over. End-game content, like Eternaland (an alternate build-only mode) and high-level areas, requires optimized gear and builds. Farm high-tier resources like Stardust Ore in Red Sands and calibrate your weapons for maximum damage. Engage in activities like Morphic Crate hunts or Securement Silo runs to collect rare loot. The Way of Winter scenario introduces new challenges, such as harsh northern environments and unique Hides for armor, so adapt your build accordingly.End-Game Priorities
- Farm Stardust Ore for high-tier crafting.
- Complete Morphic Crate challenges for unique rewards.
- Experiment with new builds each season to stay competitive.
