Revision 5

Overview

The Moonlit Forest is the main exploration and combat area in Starsand Island. It is described as a hidden world brimming with mythical scenery and fantastical creatures. Mysterious ruins sit inside the forest, shrouded in fog and filled with corrupted creatures, mineral veins, and rare treasures. Your mentor is Zephyria, leader of the Exploration Club.

This is where the game stops being a cozy farming sim and starts asking you to fight. The developers hope the area adds an extra spark of fun for those who love to explore and seek their fortune.

Structure

• 12 campsites with portal checkpoints for fast travel and saving progress

• 3 epic boss encounters at the end of major dungeon sections

• Corrupted creatures throughout

• Glittering ore scattered around the ruins, which you mine with your pickaxe and smelt into versatile tools

• Unique plants found only in the ruins that you can gather and bring back home to grow on your farm

• Precious treasures tucked away in forgotten corners, in various chest styles

Portal encampments act as checkpoints. You push forward rather than retreating. There is a corruption storyline that unfolds through the boss encounters and the ruins you explore.

Combat

Combat is third-person and ranged. Your very first weapon is a slingshot. You will have different kinds of ammo, and using different ammo types gives you distinct combat styles and experiences. Bows unlock later with elemental arrows that exploit creature weaknesses.

Sentinel Robots

You can craft Sentinel Robots that assist you in battle. These are automated companions that fight alongside you, making deeper dungeon runs more manageable. If you do not want to do all of the combat yourself, you have the option to make a robot to help. They are part of the crafting progression.

Boss fights

Powerful bosses lie dormant deep within the Moonlit Forest. Three epic boss encounters sit at the end of major sections. These are the hardest content in the game and require upgraded weapons, knowledge of elemental weaknesses, and good timing. Defeating bosses unlocks advanced profession upgrades, generous rewards, and the ability to summon the Moonlight Divine Deer.

The Moonlight Divine Deer

If you defeat the bosses deep within the Moonlit Forest, you can earn generous rewards and summon the Moonlight Divine Deer. You gain its loyalty as your most trusted companion. It becomes a rideable mount, one of the most impressive creatures in the game. Getting to it requires clearing a significant portion of the forest.

Mining and smelting

Grab your pickaxe and mine the glittering ore scattered around the ruins. You can smelt the ore into versatile tools. The forest contains mineral resources you cannot get anywhere else, and the rare materials are needed for the best crafting recipes.

Unique plants

You can gather unique plants that grow only in the Moonlit Forest and bring them back home to grow on your farm. These expand your crop variety beyond what is available at shops and add to the exploration reward loop.

Creature taming

You are not killing the creatures. Combat removes their magical corruption, which cleanses them. Cleansed creatures can be domesticated and brought back to your homestead. The creature designs are roughly 80% realistic animals and 20% fantastical.

Once tamed, creatures join your ranch or roam your property. Larger animals can be ridden as mounts.

Treasures

Treasures are scattered throughout the forest in different areas, tucked away in forgotten corners. There are all kinds of treasures in various styles of chests. Finding them adds exploration incentive beyond combat and mining.

Tips

• Bring food. Combat eats stamina fast.

• Upgrade your slingshot before the first boss. The base weapon is not enough.

• Experiment with different ammo types. Each gives a distinct combat style.

• Craft elemental arrows once bows are available. Exploit creature weaknesses.

• Craft Sentinel Robots for backup in tough sections.

• Mine every glittering ore vein you see. Smelt them into tools.

• Gather unique plants and bring them home to grow.

• Search forgotten corners for treasure chests.

• Use all 12 campsites as fast travel points.

• Watch the clock. Do not pass out at 2 AM deep in the ruins.