Welcome to the third Alpha Playtest for Ardem! Ardem is a third person, survival game so if you’ve not been in one of our playtests before, or if you’ve never played a survival game before, we’ve put together this little guide that should help get you started!
This guide should get you to the point where you know what you’re doing and can begin to fend for yourself in the world of Ardem. There are many threats, from robots to other players. But there’s always the chance you might make a new friend and build, survive and thrive together in the ruins of society.
It’s worth noting that the entire map is not available in this playtest as we are still actively working on the game so you will encounter walls as you play. Rest assured, this will not be in the final release.
If you find yourself stuck, or with any other questions about the game, please head to our Discord where we, and the community, will be able to help you out!
First Steps in Ardem
Spawn Location
As a new player, you’ll start on either the west or south coast, with spawn points scattered along the beaches. While each location has different distances to loot spots, the overall experience is similar.
Gathering Basic Resources
The beaches are a great place to find driftwood and drift metal—essential for crafting tools early on. Tools can also be looted, but crafting lets you stay safe in the wild and avoid other players. You’ll need wood, metal, and rope. For rope, either search or craft it yourself using plant fibres.
- Fishing rod: Helps with food.
- Bow and arrows: Good for defense.
- Axe: Essential for firewood
To bring up the crafting menu press tab on your keyboard and head to the crafting menu. You’ll find most things you need in the tab menu! It’s worth noting that not all tools are craftable, many of them you’ll have to find in the world.
Securing Food and Water
Early survival means ensuring you have enough food and water:
- Water: Drink directly from rivers or lakes, find bottles to fill, or loot canned drinks.
- Food: Find canned goods, gather forest berries, hunt fish or animals, and grill meat for higher nutrients. A grill grate is needed for proper cooking.
Night Preparation
Be ready for nightfall with your flashlight and spare batteries, which you will spawn with. Campfires are useful for visibility but remember that light and fires can be seen from a distance. If you don’t want other players to see you, be careful. Build fires with stones (found on roads or beaches), add wood, and use matches or a fire drill to ignite.
Using Vehicles
Vehicles are excellent for fast travel but require fuel and maintenance. Use a gas canister or an empty bottle to siphon fuel from wrecks and salvage parts with a wrench. Keeping your vehicle in good shape is essential to avoid permanent damage.
Building and Storage
As you gather loot, consider your storage options:
- Storage boxes: Place them in a secure location.
- Vehicles: Carry storage boxes for mobile loot.
- Bases: Build a small base for safer storage.
Base Building Basics
To start building, find a hammer (available in industrial or residential areas) and open the build menu by pressing "X". In multiplayer, a plot pole is required first, located under the Misc category. Build frame walls first, and add wood, metal, or stone paneling by selecting them with a middle-click while holding the hammer.
Electricity and Decoration
To add lighting, you’ll need a wire cutter. Use the Electricity category in the build menu to install power components and find fuses to manage circuits. Decorate with furniture and customize your base. You can take any furniture you find in the world, simply pick it up and it will be packed into a convenient box for you. But you will have to carry this box back, so a vehicle might be important.
Farming
For a reliable food source, grow crops like tomatoes and eggplants by planting seeds on grassy or muddy ground, found in garages and sheds.
Robot Dangers
Beware of robots patrolling high-risk areas like cities and military checkpoints. You can either avoid or flee from them when encountered. You may, however, find weapons, which can be used to take these robots out as well as protect yourself from others, if needed.
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With this, you should be ready to get started in Ardem!
Most items can be found in places you might expect to find them. For example, car parts in a garage or food items in an abandoned homes kitchen. However, as we mentioned above, if you find yourself lost or confused, come and talk to us on Discord and we can help you!
If you encounter any bugs, you can press the * button which will let you add details and a screenshot. If you get stuck and just want to know what to do, please also let us know in Discord!
We hope you have as much fun playing as we have making this Alpha, thank you for joining us to test and shape the future or our first game!
- Techtive Games.