If you're one of those who hit the play button early on, there has to be some questions you have, as the game is expecting the player to know or at least figure out some portion by him/her self, I have decided to share a main proper outline to pinpoint most of these perks to save you guys some time. This should hopefully also compose a fine beginners' guide to us all.
This is mostly a recap of game mechanics, usually game would have you play around making experiments to resolve but here we are making it short, giving away the formula.
Before you ask, use the utility button in settlement zones; this will attempt to use settlement construct utility to allow further actions. For settlement outskirts this is the expedition management screen, others are world map in tower and diplomatic actions in emissary.
Inventory
Game will not tutor you on this, if it's an item you can carry out and use it, if it's a story quest item you use it to advance your task, and of course you hide your consumables when the job demands it.
Game inventory uses a 'false' inventory system, better way to put it is to point out it's a settlement inventory, and not a personal one.
Construction
Units construct based on their dexterity stat and most actions have a chance to trigger a stat gain. Higher dex units build faster, expedite faster, the bigger your group dex the better rewards you get.
Construction upgrades differ in benefit and mechanics. Some are direct upgrades while some are improvements. When the structure is lost it will downgrade but keep the improvements. In which most functionality is supplied by upgrades ehile improvements are either housings or settlement benefits like inventory space, population cap bonuses or the charm bonus.
Expeditions
While the expedition system is pretty easily laid out, you have to scout a world zone to do anything else to that zone. And you want other expeditions at work.
Every world zone contains it's own dangers and your expedition may be facing threats on their way. The higher the difficulty and the longer you survive the more difficult threats will get.
World Settlements
World settlements are ai controlled settlements that has generated properties; in which they all have unique but simple ways in behaviour.
Some are more friendly, relatively passive and sometimes it's aggressive and may or may not be on your side.
In order to interact with them you must expedite to the world zones they reside in at least once.
Emissary Expeditions
While regular expeditions are to world zones, world settlement ecpeditions require you to build an emissary cabin in your settlement. And every improvement you have will allow further types of diplomatic actions.
World Run Difficulty
As you play through you will notice the world getting colder, heavier rain, or snow, this does mean slower expeditions, and higher world difficulty every 45 game-days.
Invasions
Invasions can occur every game-week, you have to be able to defend and respond, have the resources and man power in order to do so.
These units have flat stat layouts but will grow in numbers based on world difficulty.
Unit Housing
While game does not allow direct commanding of units, housing allows the player to position some units strategically, allowing those units to take hits head on, deal damage in distance or farm food in hiding. While this may not be a good solution in some cases it does make up when you have a settlement filled in population and charm.
Why Enhance Units
Units on their own do not fight, they have stats but no way to defend themselves.
Even if you only want to endure you need better aligned units to get there faster, and to have then perform better too.
Settler Unit Enhancements
Enhanced units do not just fight they have better stat gains, in game bonuses in combat and during building actions.
The madness driven have higher stat gains on endurance and strength, they also deal double damage by strength.
Broken has higher star gains on strength and dexterity, they also have bonus on attacks based on dexterity.
Survivalists have fair stat gain overall but the highest on dexterity, in construction they gain heavy bonuses through dex stat and additional perks.
Militia is a very effective combatter in early game, has great stat gains and has flat bonuses on attacks.
Storm clairants (also see, a storm is coming) have very weak endurance gain, half the hit points but they use dexterity stat instead of strength stat on attacks and will summon a skeletal to fight on your side occasionally.