Welcome to Brighter Shores! Starting your journey in this expansive world can be a bit overwhelming, especially with an unexplored map and various skills to learn. This guide will walk you through the essentials of early game progression in Hope Port, covering main quests, skill leveling, and efficient ways to advance through the initial stages.

1. Starting in Hope Port

When you first arrive in Hope Port, your map will be mostly empty. Exploring and uncovering locations is a fundamental part of Brighter Shores, so begin by wandering around to familiarize yourself with the area. As you do this, hit Control + S to activate your senses, revealing points of interest on the map, like resource nodes and enemy locations. This will make it easier to navigate and find valuable resources as you progress.

2. Main Story Quest

Upon starting, your main focus should be the Main Story Quest. Initially, the main quest will guide you to level up the Guard profession to level 15. This requirement is pivotal because reaching level 15 unlocks more of the main storyline and grants you essential items like a bow from the training ground, which will help in future combat encounters.

After achieving level 15 in Guard, your next objective will be to raise your overall Hope Port level to 60. This goal is crucial for unlocking additional content and progressing the main story, so make it a priority.

3. Completing the Obelisk Quest

An essential early quest to complete is the Obelisk Quest, which enables you to attune untuned weapons and gear. As you acquire items throughout your adventure, some will be labeled as “untuned” and will require attuning before they can be used. The Obelisk Quest allows you to utilize this equipment, which can significantly improve your stats and abilities early in the game.

4. Exploring the Map and Gathering Resources

While progressing, it’s advantageous to explore the map as much as possible. Brighter Shores features a vast world with various resources to collect, each essential for leveling up skills and completing quests. As you explore you will accumulate more and more items, selling the excess for Brighter Shores Gold. If you haven’t explored thoroughly, be sure to venture into different regions, uncovering areas like the overgrown field, Bugman’s hideout, and resource nodes like nettles and pondweeds. This exploration will set you up for smoother progression by making resources more accessible.

5. Leveling Skills Efficiently

After completing the essential main and Obelisk quests, focus on leveling multiple skills to diversify your abilities. While leveling Guard is important, several other skills offer unique benefits:

Fishing and Foraging

East Beach is an excellent starting point for leveling Fishing and Foraging. Here, you can gather low-level resources such as flounder and kelp.

Jellyfish Landing is another nearby spot with kelp, which can also be used for making potions.

To streamline leveling, aim to reach level 2 in both Fishing and Foraging. Once you achieve this, resources like eel at Eel Street Bridge and wall plants in Old Street East/West will become accessible. Having resources like these close to the main areas allows you to gather them passively while traveling for quests or other objectives.

Alchemy

Once you have foraged enough kelp, you’ll be able to craft basic potions by visiting the Apothecary. Leveling Alchemy to level 2 early on is advantageous since potions can aid you in combat and other tasks. The kelp you gather from East Beach and Jellyfish Landing will supply the ingredients you need for your first potions.

Cooking

Cooking is another skill to consider leveling early. Although flounder cannot be used in cooking at level 0, you can create “Basic Bacon Sandwiches” by purchasing bacon and bread from Kevin. Here’s how to get started:

-Visit Kevin at the top of the map and purchase one bacon and one bread.

-Use a frying pan to cook the bacon and then a preparation table to assemble the sandwich.

Each sandwich costs 400 copper to make (200 for bacon and 200 for bread) but sells for 560 copper, netting you a profit of 160 copper per sandwich. This method provides an early way to make money and level your cooking skills. At level 2, you’ll be able to cook items like jellied eels, which use resources you can easily gather from nearby locations.

6. Generating Income

In addition to leveling skills, generating income will help you buy items and progress more efficiently. The cooking method above (selling sandwiches) is one great way to make money in the early game. Another option is selling excess flounder at the Eel Street Fish Stall, as it’s not required for cooking and can take up valuable inventory space.

7. Side Quests and Total Leveling to 60

Once you’ve explored and leveled essential skills, it’s time to resume your journey toward level 60 in Hope Port. Completing side quests scattered throughout the world is an excellent way to earn experience points and learn more about the lore and gameplay mechanics of Brighter Shores. These quests often involve fetching items, defeating monsters, or interacting with various characters, providing both experience and useful rewards.

8. Additional Tips for New Players

Fishing Supplies: If you’re looking for fishing supplies, visit the Fishing Supply Shop. While it might seem intuitive, it’s easy to overlook this essential location when you’re new to the game. Buying fishing gear early can expedite your progress in the Fishing skill.

Inventory Management: Keep your inventory organized by dropping or selling items you don’t need, like floundering, after foraging or fishing. This frees up space for valuable materials like kelp.

Utilize the Map: Regularly check your map to remind yourself of discovered locations and resources. Familiarity with your surroundings will make your gameplay experience more efficient and enjoyable.

Conclusion

Brighter Shores is a game that encourages exploration and skill development right from the start. By following the main story quests, completing the Obelisk Quest, and leveling essential skills like Fishing, Foraging, Alchemy, and Cooking, you’ll set yourself up for success in Hope Port. With this guide, you’re well on your way to achieving the total level of 60 and unlocking more content in Brighter Shores.

Remember, the key to thriving in this game is balancing your main quest objectives with skill progression and exploration. Best of luck in Hope Port, and happy adventuring!

MMOexp Brighter Shores Team