Soulmask Tutorial

• The game adopts the most common movement controls: ①Press W, A, S, D to control the direction of the movement, ②left Shift key to speed up, ③left Ctrl key to squat, ④Alt key to roll, ⑤space bar to jump over obstacles, etc.
• Most command buttons support both mouse-clicking and pressing shortcut keys on your keyboard. E.g. To use an item, you can ①left click to select the item, move the cursor to the ②button at the bottom of the Function panel and click "Use", or hover the cursor on the item and press the shortcut key that corresponds to the ②button at the bottom of the Function panel.
• Normal attacks include ①left-clicking for rapid strike, ②holding the left mouse button for heavy strike, and ③left-clicking after jumping for falling attacks. Also, note the ④other special attack skillson the bottom right of the HUD, which come from the heroes' class (i.e. warrior, guard, hunter), weapons, and mask abilities. Try them out when you get the chance.
• Some weapons are rather bulky, while others have a limited range. Click the middle mouse button to lock the target and improve your accuracy. The bow is a unique weapon as it cannot lock a target in the same manner.
• Most weapons can enter the defensive mode and block certain attacks by holding the right mouse button. Due to size, some weapons are better at parrying than others. When you don't have a shield, parrying with a weapon is a good idea. However, tools such as axes, pickaxes, scythes, and butcher's knives don't count as weapons and cannot be used for defense.
• When pressing the Alt key to roll, for a short while foes cannot do damage to you. Take advantage of that wisely to avoid lethal blows.
• You make less noise and become less detectable when you squat using the left Ctrl key, unless the foe has sharp senses or you're crouch-walking right in front of them. After sneaking up on the foe, you can backstab by left-clicking and execute the foe when you see this icon.
• To put up a perfect defense, hold the right mouse button at the exact moment of the attack to disrupt and confuse the enemy. Then seize the opportunity in battle to left-click and execute them when the same icon appears.
• "①Resilience is an important defense stat that will be greatly consumed when taking attacks without defense. When resilience reaches zero, the body will enter the hitstun state and can be easily executed by the foe.
• Animals cannot be executed but will enter the ②vulnerable state when resilience reaches zero. As long as they are not attacked, resilience will recover automatically." Most of the interaction features are hidden in the detailed menu. Hover the cursor on a Building, Tribesman, Crafting Table, or Mount, and Hold E to open the detailed menu. Besides "View Item" and "Rename", the detailed menu also includes other features such as "Dismiss Tribesman", and "Retrieve Building."
• Press M to open the map, where you can mark locations and share with other players in the tribe. These markings will also appear on the HUD to show you the directions or take you to the destination. On the map, you can also see other locations available to explore, the campfires or bonfires of your clan or tribe, as well as the statuses of your friends, tribesmen, and mounts.
• Due to wear and tear, most features of the ancient mask are deactivated. You can press T and use various crystals to repair or enhance the mask on the Repair panel. These crystals can be obtained in Ruins. As you venture deeper, you'll unlock different forms of the mask. Besides the regular node, it also has special nodes that are each fantastic on their own, so it's best to collect as many of them as possible.
• As the Awareness Strength increases, you can learn more knowledge and technology from the mask. Press Y to open the Knowledge & Tech panel and see ①bonfires of different qualities. They are symbols of your tribe's civilization and must be unlocked first. Then, you can select the ②necessary technology, go to ③Technique Blueprint and hold the left mouse button to learn new techniques. When unlocking an unlearned technique, you can concurrently unlock all previous nodes, provided that your level and technology points satisfy the necessary requirements.
• One of the very few perfectly preserved features of the mask that is functional without repair - press Q to detect lifeforms ahead. When your vision is obstructed in a jungle, this ability will help you avoid attacks by warning you of danger in advance. As the mask nodes get restored, the ability expands and you can hold Q to perform precise scouting and obtain detailed information about the target. Sufficient mask energy is needed to use this ability. When energy is low, you can replenish it with sunstones.
• At the bottom of the HUD, you can monitor the fluctuations in ①mask energy, morale, load, satiety, and hydration. On their left is ②HP, and on their right is ③stamina and resilience. Pay particular attention to ④morale. When it's too low, max stamina and max load will also go down. This is when you need to rest on the bed to recover morale. When you are dying due to very low HP, your buddies can save you. If your recovery is high or if you have bandage and meds, there is a chance you can survive even being alone. Some foes aren't interested in dying creatures, so it's better to play dead than to struggle in this situation.
• You can't adventure or fight on an empty stomach. When you're short on food, the nuts grown on trees, locusts in the grass, mushrooms after a rain, and even bloody raw meat will do the trick (though it's better to skip rotten flesh). The best option is to build a campfire and cook the meat and mushrooms. When it's safe, build a stove and cook staple meat, even make hot drinks, for various buffs. Pumpkin salad, for instance, make sure you have enough Stamina and good mood for the day. Eating it with a steak can even let you make it through the whole rainforest.
• Press F10 to check food buffs, as well as their specific effects and durations. Besides buffs, it also shows certain debuffs such as poisoned and injured. Water comes from rivers, lakes, or rainfalls. When you're thirsty, find a river and press E to drink to your heart's content. You can build a rain barrel in your tribe to collect rainwater, but there's no telling when the rain will come. Digging a well is a better choice and you'll get plenty of water out of it.
• Portable water containers are convenient, and the most practical one is a water bottle made from animal hide. You can use it to refill water at a river, lake, well, or any water source and it will be enough for daily consumption. Buckets and water tanks aren't exactly portable or convenient, they are better for other uses such as irrigation, feeding animals, crafting, and cooking.
• Excessive load will slow your movement down, cost more Stamina, and increase falling damage. Generally, you'll have difficulty moving when Load reaches 80%. When you're carrying a barbarian, his weight and that of the things in his backpack also affect your Load.
• As long as you're not resting, you'll keep losing morale. In certain extreme environments, you'll lose it even faster. Low morale will not only stop you from carrying a heavy load, but it will also make your stamina worse, and even make you unconscious. Timely bedtime rest is the best way to recover morale. Certain things can slow down or stop morale reduction temporarily.
• Certain special powers of the mask cost mask energy, such as life detection. Also, you'll spend mask energy when going through a portal to ensure that you're not torn apart. Expanding the mask energy capacity and keeping it at a high level will be helpful in times of emergencies.
• Sunstones can be found in most boxes in the ruins. It is a very common rock, but few locals know its origins and uses, besides using them as pretty decorations that provide some warmth. Only mask wearers know it's a source that powers the mask. The mask can also absorb a bit of energy through sunbathing, it's better than nothing.
• As long as you haven't evolved into a mechanical being, bandage is always the best thing to stop bleeding and treat wounds. Hence, it's always safer to collect bandages as you go or have enough bandage supplies in your backpack. Even when your tribe becomes more powerful, it's better to make more effective bandages by adding herbs. Pick some herbs whenever you happen to see them, as they are also good for treating snake venoms and minor injuries. It would also be helpful to collect splints, so that you won't have to log trees and make splints using your fractured limbs.
• See the rocks and branches on the ground? If you don't have a stone axe or pickaxe, these materials are essential for your survival. Press E when you're adjacent to pick them up.
• Like the rocks and branches on the ground, you can press E to pick the bushes with bare hands or cut them with a scythe.
• In the blueprint, select the ①item you want to craft and craft one item, or use all materials in the backpack to craft all. You can drag the items around to set the ②crafting queue or change the quantity. You can also cancel crafting, but not when the crafting has begun. Since the materials cannot be returned, it's better to finish the process.
• The search feature is extremely useful. You can use it to find out where a certain item can be crafted, what materials are required, or what items can be crafted from a particular material. When searching for how to craft an item, it can even tell you that you have not learned how to craft it. When this happens, you can hold C to quickly open the Knowledge & Tech page.
• Tools such as felling axe, pickaxe, scythe, and skinner knives can help you gather materials that cannot be collected using bare hands. Higher-level and sturdier tools can collect more higher-level materials quickly. For instance, copper coal that cannot be mined using a stone pickaxe can be easily crushed using a metal pickaxe.
• Handmade tools, weapons, and armor are repairable by hands, but they will be more brittle and have lower max durability. Tools made on the crafting table can only be repaired on the crafting table, though a repair bench will also do the job.
• Fire is the witness of your clan's development. At different stages of civilization, the uses of fire will expand and give rise to new technology. On the first row in "Knowledge & Tech", there are campfires, bonfires, and various metal pit bonfires. These fires fueled the crafting of metals – melting of bronze, molding of iron, and forging of steel.
• The cost to build a campfire is very low and you can use it to barbecue, keep warm, and respawn. While bonfire is a very important structure. It is the symbol of a tribe that connects all tribal structures and tribesmen alike. Extinguished bonfires cause structures to decay, and clanfolk to become uncomfortable. A tribe without a bonfire is a prey and target of sacrifice for the primitive tribes. You can also build a roof to keep bampfires away from the rain.
• The Crafting Table will begin crafting an item immediately if there are sufficient materials in storage. If not but the character's backpack contains available materials, they are transferred to the crafting table by default.
• Choosing your own materials is a more flexible way to craft items. If crafting a tool requires 10x rock or flint, you can choose either 10x rock or 10x flint, or even 10 of a mixture of both items. Click blueprint to expand the page and select materials you wish to prioritize to avoid accidentally using materials you wish to keep.
• Storage boxes are key to your tribe's operation. Items collected and crafted by the tribesmen will first be stored before anyone takes what they need from the boxes. This is why it is important to "Set Storage Items". With the feature to name your storage boxes, you and your tribesmen can easily find what you need in a snap. If you empty out the only food box, it is time to whip up some steak for your tribesmen.
• When you appoint someone to take charge of a crafting table, that person has to handle and complete any and every crafting job for that workbench. Generally speaking, you should find the guy to work a bench that he's best suited for. Then you just have to add projects to the list and he'll churn them out as soon as possible.
• Whether it is the Work or Clan page, you can find jobs that are undertaken by each tribesman. As the jobs are done in order, if the previous job stops somehow, the tribesman will begin the next job until all jobs are done. You can drag and rearrange each job in order of priority. The higher it is on the list, the more urgent it is for the tribesman to complete, even if he has other jobs on hand. At the earliest opportunity, he'll drop everything and work on a job of a higher priority.
• Queue planning and setting queue cycles require wisdom and foresight. If you are low on gold ingots, while one of your kilnmasters is getting them ready, you can queue your weaponsmith for the next task and he will work on it as soon as the gold ingots are ready. When you wake up the next day, the weapon chest will have enough weapons for the entire clan. A queue cycle sets tasks that repeat automatically. If you are away (on a vacation, for instance) and unable to command your tribesmen, this puts your tribe on autopilot and be self-sustainable.
• There are three different levels: ①Awareness strength, ②mask level, and ③character level. Awareness Strength EXP can be obtained from combat and work, and its level and progression are displayed at the bottom of your HUD. High awareness allows you to repair more mask nodes, and learn more knowledge and technology. When obtaining Awareness Strength EXP, both the mask and the character will also gain an equal amount of EXP. A higher mask level allows you to unlock more unique mask nodes, while a higher character level increases the character's stats, unlocks more positive talents, and eliminates the negative ones.
• You or your tribesman will gain Proficiency EXP during work. The Max Proficiency is determined by the person's talent and expertise. Press Tabto see all buff effects and the available bonus buffs from level rewards on the Proficiency page. You must fight with a weapon to increase your Combat Proficiency. Unlike Crafting Proficiency, Weapon Proficiency offers a mastery bonus that allows you to learn a new skill when you qualify for level rewards. Press Tab to see and change it in the Mastery page.
• Deterrence is the first step in recruiting a tribesman. When you attack a barbarian and reduce their HP to a low enough level, he will be too weak to resist the mask's intimidating presence. A deterred barbarian will fall unconscious, during which the mask will show him how to become stronger and mightier, enticing him to acknowledge and serve you.
• "Liquid Food is the only type of food that a comatose barbarian can take. Broth and Stasis Dissipation Soup are great options. You can place liquid food in their backpack and press E to feed them. You can also bandage them using the same method. If conditions allow, it will be good to put the comatose barbarian on the bed but this isn't necessary."
• Once a barbarian regains consciousness under your care, his Recognition toward you will increase to over 500. This is when you can convince him to join your clan and become your tribesman. You can also view his personal details, and find out his expertise as well as strengths and weaknesses before deciding whether to keep or dismiss him. Don't forget to check his proficiency potential and talents.
• Tribesman deployment refers to commanding a tribesman to fight with you. He'll drop everything on hand in favor of following and protecting you. Give him proper weapons, enough food, water, and bandage, and he'll fight your foes to the best he can while keeping himself alive. Taking a clever follower along on an adventure not only makes battles easier but also brings you more loot.
• In the mysterious ruins of eastern rainforest lie technological remnants of an advanced civilization. They can restore the mask's control module, enabling you to transfer the mask to any of your fellow clan members. Once transferred, you can control the production and combat of your tribesmen, who are excellent warriors or craftsmen that survived a prolonged tribal conflict. They should be superior physically or in skills to the remnants of annihilated tribes.
• You'll see marks like these on the map. These indicate scout checkpoints of the primitive tribes, and each scout of a checkpoint holds information on an exploration point nearby. On the first interrogation, they'll describe the terrain of the area they're responsible for simply to save their lives and the map fog will no longer bother you. Every follow-up interrogation will reveal more accurate info about an exploration point.
• You can see them on the map, identifying them as either ruins, remains, or barbarian camps, and whether it's guarded by beasts or humans. All small locations are hidden with some treasures, such as green crystals and sunstones, whereas the larger ones generally have barbarian barracks, large ruins, or pyramids. You should be well-prepared before exploring the locations.
• The surface ruins are occupied by several formidable plunderer leaders. The leaders and their most powerful warriors are mask-wearers like you, too. As they recruited warriors and promised them what you promised your tribesmen, these plunderer warriors cannot be deterred or convinced by you.
• Underground ruins belong to more advanced civilizations. Their entrances are usually lairs of beasts or seized by plunderers, but neither of these brutes are able to delve deeper into the dungeon due to the rumored presence of the invincible mechanical warriors.
• Flint, Claw, and Mystery are the three powerful primitive tribes that are formed at the end of the prolonged war. The tribesmen have kept their own bloodlines, with unique expertise and combat styles. Those exiled from the three tribes are called the outcasts. Some of them are still wandering, while others have turned into plunderers who live by raiding.
• Of the three major tribes, all barracks of medium size or larger are equipped with smoke signals and banner scouts who patrol around the clock. Upon detecting intruders, they will send smoke signals as an alert. Everyone in the camp will put away all their valuables immediately, while the roaming warriors will assemble and head out to provide reinforcements, inundating the invaders with their sharp blades. The good news is, the smoke signals are as weak as the scouts.
• The key to open the stone doors is implanted within the guardians of the pyramid. To summon them, you will need to prepare offerings, which can be checked on the sacrificial altar in front of the pyramid. The materials required for the offering are also written in the blueprints, and you can look them up anytime in case you forget.
• Open the door of the pyramid with the key and you'll see a stone platform at the end of the path. Place the mask on the groove of the mysterious instrument to restore certain special nodes. These nodes will grant you completely different abilities, such as mimicry and recording the biological data of tribesmen. Obtaining the tribesmen's biological data is an important way to remodel their bodies upon death, or they will be gone forever.