Raubritter – Beginners Guide (with Tips)

This guide describes the basics of Raubritter, how to get started and what a new player should look out for. It’s also pretty barebones.

Tips and More for New Players

All credit goes to Richy!

Disclaimer

Before diving into the guide, it’s important to note that this game is still in Early Access and will therefor likely change drastically often. Depending on the size of the changes, this guide may become obsolete.

Raubritter: What Is It?

The store page for the game is accurate as to what you can expect from this game: You get to build, hunt, rob, fight and trade in a medieval setting. It has some overlap in that regard to a game such as Medieval Dynasty, although that title seems to focus less (at least for now) on fighting (human) enemies.

All of the above named things take place in a fixed map. As of Version 0.3, there are some settlements, ruins, locations of interest and NPC-paths. The store page promises a few things that aren’t (properly) integrated in the game just yet, but aren’t far fetched to actually see added.

Location Finding

Raubritter has a tutorial in-game as of Version 0.3, however it is rather barebones. It’s obviously suggested to finish it regardless, but it doesn’t really teach you the ropes.

After doing what you’re told by Hamish (the initial quest-giver), you’re on your own. He suggests you go North and find a good location for a settlement. It’s important to note here that there are some resources that are found in specific location on the map and are required for making better gear or settlement-items/buildings. These are:

• Clay
• Iron
• Copper
• Limestone

Clay can be found near a copper mine in the south-east directly after leaving the initial valley. Clay deposits are easy to recognize, as they consist of several mounts near each other. Iron deposits, as well as copper is only found in mines. Naturally, these mines are found around the map edges. Iron is found in the second valley after leaving the initial one (so technically the third valley), directly to your west. There’s a small path leading to it on your map, so it should be easy to find. Limestone can be found on the dry riverbed north of the ruined castle in the same valley as where the iron mine can be found.

As all of these resources are rather heavy, it’s suggested to find a location to build which is close to all of them, or at least some of them. As of Version 0.3 (with limited locations for the resources), it will still require you to do a lot of walking. Also note that the valleys have increased dangers in them: the initial one is considered safe, the second one has some wolves and moose and the third one has boars and bizons. Seeing as the third valley has iron, clay and limestone, it would be the preferred valley for your settlement.

You could attempt to ‘cheese’ the bandits out of the ruined castle and settle there (however there are as of yet no options to restore the castle and enemies might respawn), or find a nice flat piece of land near some water.

Building/Crafting

After finding a location you are content with, you should being crafting some of the most basic things. Wood (logs), fibers and stones are the most rudimental of crafting items and can be picked up (stones, sticks and fibers) or chopped (trees for wood and fibers). Meaning you can always craft the most basic axe (stick, stone and fiber) to collect logs.

Logs in turn can be made into planks (or boards a the game calls them) as a an advanced crafting material. Same with fibers into rope (or cloth). However, this requires the use of a crafting station; planks via the saw table, rope via the loom. Aside from those two, there’s also the workbench which can made advanced tools, materials and crafting stations. The player can also create certain items and stations via their inventory-crating.

What the game doesn’t tell you is that the player levels up after gaining a set amount of experience points. After gaining a level, you can spend the gained skill points on individual skills (strength, endurance etc.) or skill levels. These skills allow you to mine more resources (gathering/mining), brew better potions or build/craft more/better items.

Initially, you won’t be able to make any proper weapons or armor. This means even a normal bandit or boar can end your life in Raubritter rather easily. Not to mention you don’t even have to bother with the knight-hideout in the top north-west…

Spend some skill points in crafting and you’ll be able to craft increasingly better gear. Gaining experience points is done as one might expect: do stuff. Whether that is pick plants (1xp per plant), create items, chop trees or mine ores or hunt animals. Or as Hamish suggests: rob merchants.

Regardless, you’ll quickly realize that certain items require certain other items or stations, which in turn require certain items. You will need charcoal to create steel (or a proper furnace), which requires a charcoal kiln. The good thing about Raubritter is that you can pick up any placed stations. Meaning you can make a huge mess of your settlement by just placing things in a line as you get them, to then later clean it up!

And if it weighs you down: yes, you won’t be able to run and your stamina will deplete to the point where you can’t walk anymore. Just drop your items, wait for the stamina to replenish and then pick your stuff back up.

Exploring/Dangers

So, you’ve got the basics set up and are ready to do some exploring. Great, sadly the world of Version 0.3 is rather empty. There are some fixed locations where merchants/knights walk (they don’t seem to walk anywhere other than a very specific straight piece of road. And there’s a massive traffic jam because of it), settlements, ruins and points of interest. The latter ones are the one you should visit first, as they contain ‘shortcuts’. They’ll contain steel swords, a pickaxe, a better hatchet (although broken), items you can sell or plain cash.

Whereas some ruins/points of interest are abandoned, some will be guarded (such as the ruined castle in the final valley). In Version 0.3, the AI isn’t brilliant. And with that I mean enemies are rather blind, dumb and incapable of jumping. So even with the most basic bow and a few arrows, you could ‘cheese’ the bandits (6 of them) in the keep and steal their items (money, steel ingots and some swords).

Animals are the biggest threat as of Version 0.3, as they will continue to hunt you down and are often faster. Especially if you are just on your way back to your settlement hoarding an inventory full of iron ore. Your most basic bow might take down a rabbit in 1 shot and a deer in a handful, a boar or moose won’t be impressed by it. So pick your route and battles wisely.