Tricks and Tips

Here you'll find answers to some common questions, tricks and tips provided by community members, and any noteworthy information the developers have shared.

Common General Questions

 * Can I stop Tiki Goblins from spawning? Yes. Tiki Goblins spawn from their huts (the largest circular structures in their villages). With at least one colonist selected, right-click a hut and select the "Destroy" option. Preparation and caution are advised when engaging Tiki Goblins; they may be stronger than they look! Note: As of Alpha 8.0.6, Tiki Goblin huts are the only means by which Tiki Goblins spawn, and destroying them is irreversible.


 * Can I remove crystals/stones/trees? While there is currently no method of instant or "quick" removal, crystals, stones, trees, and iron ore deposits will eventually be removed from the landscape once they have been gathered from for a sufficient period of time. Unless the area is built over or the saplings are removed manually, new trees will eventually grow in the areas where the island's initial trees generated. However, as of Alpha 8.0.6, crystal, stone, and iron ore deposits do not regenerate. These natural resources are finite.


 * Can I move something after placing it? You can move placed objects and certain structural features (such as doors and windows) by emptying your cursor, clicking and holding on the desired object, and then dragging it into a new position. For best results, ensure that you are in the proper build mode for the type of object you wish to move.
 * How many colonists are available? As of Alpha 8.0.6, you start the game with two (2) colonists and, through gameplay, may attract and accept up to nine (9) additional migrants for a maximum of 11 living colonists. Dead colonists do not count towards the maximum.
 * Is there a way to improve colonist Job experience without doing the associated work? Yes. Once you have completed the Writing research you will unlock the construction of a Bookshelf. Once a Bookshelf is constructed, you may select a colonist and right-click the Bookshelf to have them learn about any Job except Combat. While this is useful for any of these Jobs, it is particularly useful for the Doctor job. To improve a colonist's experience with the Combat job, you will need to complete the Tailoring research to unlock the construction of a Training Dummy. Only one colonist may use a bookshelf at a time.
 * How do I get Scrolls? As of Alpha 8.0.6, Scrolls are only obtainable by purchasing them from the Trader if he has some for sale.
 * How do I remove dead bodies? In construction, under the life menu is an option of Grave. Build a grave.  Select a colonist, right click a body and select 'bury'.  Make sure you remove equipment from the body first.  Once buried, any equipment is lost forever.

Common Technical Questions

 * How can I take better screenshots? Enable the custom camera functionality with the F4 key. Once you have the camera in the desired position, take a screenshot with the F12 key. You can find your "Screenshots" folder from the game's Options menu, located in the Key Bindings window.

New game startup tips
When choosing a spot to build a new colony you should consider the following:
 * Needed/advisable preparing the first winter:
 * Nearby trees. Wood is always needed, especially when building your base.
 * Nearby stones to cut
 * Nearby crystals for research. You'll want to research farming fast.
 * Food:
 * Nearby apple trees for summer harvest. They give a stable income through summer, but none in the winter.
 * Nearby cows for milk. They give income all year through.
 * Nearby pigs for raw meat. Butchering excess animals is not that steady food income.
 * Nearby cotton plants for making sleeping bags.


 * Nearby iron to mine. This requires an experienced miner.
 * Nearby goblin villages that might attack
 * Distance to shore, for new migrants and traders
 * or sheep granting wool/cotton for cloth.

Gameplay Tips

 * A colonist may accidentally build themselves into a corner or enclosed space and become stuck. Depending on the situation, moving furniture, placing a door, or removing a tile of wall should help free them.
 * The game considers a "big" room to be any room with 15 or more total tiles of space. This includes the tiles taken by staircases either up or down.
 * A colonist can only carry one tool or weapon at a time. If you tell a colonist to equip a new tool or weapon while he has one equipped, they will approach the new item, put away their current one, and equip the new one.
 * Graves can be deleted without causing a buried colonist or enemy to reappear.
 * You can cut fallen trees.
 * As long as you first clear away any nearby trees, stumps, and saplings, you can build structures and place objects on the brown ground of wooded areas.
 * You will likely produce more food from farming if you directly assign tasks instead of leaving it to the game's AI. Bug infestations, for example, are not automatically dealt with by colonists; you must direct them to remove infested plants manually.
 * On the topic of bug infestation, the best way to handle the problem is to pause the game when you get an infestation warning, unpause it for 1 - 2 seconds, and then pause it again. Now look among your growing crops for clouds of black insects. Typically, only one type of crop will have been infected, but ANY crop of this type on the island may be infected. It does not matter if the fields themselves are separated. When you identify the infestation, select a nearby colonist and right-click on the infested plant near its base, where it joins the soil. From the options available, choose "Remove All Infested Plants". A bug infestation will always result in the loss of some crops, but by issuing seperate "Remove All Infested Plants" orders to enough nearby colonists, you can drastically reduce how many crops you lose. If left alone, this event will wreck havoc on your farms and destroy all or nearly all of a generation of crops.
 * You may "queue"or "chain" commands by holding Shift when issuing a command. It will be placed at the rear of the current command list.
 * You can delay the actual consumption of food by canceling the "Eat Food" order after the colonist has chosen something to eat, but before they have actually started eating. If you do so, you can issue another "Eat Food" order later to have them eat what they took without having to return to a food basket or shelf. However, if they get hungry enough before you re-issue the command, they may eat it on their own anyway.
 * Scrolls for research are not always available, but when they are, they typically cost 150 coins per Scroll. But the price may vary. Plan ahead!
 * The Trader's list of items for sale, how many of those items they have in stock, and what they're willing to buy will be different each time they visit. Items in the list of what the colony has for sale are gray if he is willing to buy them but you have none in stock.
 * The Beauty of a House, and bedroom can be found by clicking on a bed in that house.

Combat-Specific Gameplay Tips

 * Be sure to right-click dead colonists and fallen/dead enemies to check for the option to "Remove Equipment", especially as the game advances. This will help you recuperate losses, make enemies less dangerous if they regain consciousness, and serve as loot you can either use in future battles or possibly sell to the Trader.
 * If you want to completely defeat the Tiki Goblins, aim to destroy the huts in their village. As of 8.0.6, guerilla tactics can be effective; the goblins have no way of reconstructing huts.
 * Consider your colonists' personality traits and arrange them carefully for battle, especially when either you or your enemy is using bows; the game uses friendly fire. For example, put Killers in the front lines and Limping colonists inherently are a better choice for archers.
 * Spoils of war need not only be weapons - search Tiki Goblin villages for any furniture the game will allow you to move back into your colony!

(Yellow portrait = combat mode)
Sources: Thanks to Malhalla see the original post here: Forum Post