So, you’ve found yourself interested in a curious survival game called Nightingale, and you’ve fallen in love with the setting and (literal) world-building — good! Of course, since the game is a survival title where you craft and build your way to success, the first order of business is to figure out how to do just that.
With such a highly anticipated title, it’s only natural to want to explore every nook and cranny, but we’ve got to learn to crawl before we can walk. Let’s start with this handy little guide focused on the basics!
Building Basics Guide | Tips & Tricks
The first thing you have to learn is one of the most important aspects of Nightingale — fortunately, it’s as easy as pressing the B button on your keyboard. Pressing B will open the Build Menu, which is about as basic as you can get. Remember the key, as you’ll be using it a lot throughout your journey!
The first thing you’ll notice when you get to this menu is that you’ll start with Crude Buildings. Doesn’t sound too great, does it? Of course, you’ll get to broaden your horizons once you’ve made some progress, so crude will do just fine.
Remember that you won’t be able to place anything onto the world unless you’ve added a Foundation, so you’ll start with that, first. You’ll notice from the build menu that you have access to the Crude Foundation (requiring x5 sticks, x6 wood bundles, and x4 plant fibres), as well as the Stone Foundation (requiring x6 stone blocks).
All you have to do is ensure you have enough resources, choose the foundation you want, and click place. After that, it’s a simple process of placing the structure wherever you feel is best.
There are also other options that make it easier to place the object wherever you want with the help of some handy on-screen instructions. This involves using the mouse wheel to rotate the object, holding the R button alongside the wheel to adjust the height, and more. Once you’re happy with the position, you can hit confirm and you’ll get an outline of your chosen foundation.
Once that’s done, all you have to do is approach and hit the E button to Auto-Add Resources and build your foundation.
SIDE NOTE: We have a FAQ (Frequently-asked-Questions) article for Nightingale. Make sure to check it out for more information!
Extra Tips For The Curious Builder
One thing you’ll probably notice while you’re trying to add foundations and other parts to build is it can sometimes be pretty tricky to maneuver your chosen object for placement.
If the game is giving you a hard time because of how the structures like to snap onto each other while you’re trying to place walls in just the right place, then here’s a handy tip:
It’s a good idea to point toward what you’d like to snap the piece onto, rather than slowly try to move your chosen outlines into place. It’s a pretty good way of saving time, though make sure to rotate and adjust the height of the structure, so it’s exactly the way you want it!
Also, you’re probably wondering how you can get better schematics for building materials to expand your little repertoire. Since these are just the basics, let’s have a look at a few handy ways you can get the job done:
- First and foremost, you’ll find some of these schematics around the realm. Exploration is key!
- You’ll also get these schematics from the Essence Trader. To purchase these schematics, you’ll need Essence Dust.
- If you need help gathering resources, you can get a Companion to help! For now, however, we’ll focus on the basics of building.
Interested in gathering essence dust to purchase that cool new Crude Wood Advanced Roof? Okay, I know that doesn’t sound too cool, but things get so much better, trust me. Anyways, one of the easiest methods to gathering essence dust involves dealing with Challenges, which you’ll naturally accomplish as you play the game.
Fortunately, you get essence dust just by trying your hand at building. Practice makes perfect, right?
Last but certainly not least, you’ll want to learn how to edit the objects and structures you’ve placed in the world. All you have to do is press the X key and you’ll be given another set of on-screen instructions concerning what you can do.
These instructions include Q to copy, moving the item with R, and removing said item with X. For removing items, not only do you have to hold the X button — ensuring you don’t accidentally remove an item you want — but it will also give you all the resources you spent back to you!
Hopefully, this Building Basics Guide was able to help you get your feet wet, ensuring you have every tool at your disposal to get started in your journey through Nightingale. Don’t forget to bring your friends!
While you’re here: We have a piece on the different biomes available in Nightingale during Early Access. Give it a shot if you’re interested!