Rust beginners guide: The complete checklist - Part 1

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Published: 20th July 9:47PM

What is Rust? The Beginner’s introduction

Rust is a popular online multiplayer survival game developed by Facepunch Studios. Originally released as an early access game on Steam in December 2013, Rust has grown substantially over the years and is now considered one of the top survival games on the market.

When you first begin playing Rust, you start out with nothing on a procedurally generated map. To survive, you must gather resources like wood and stone to craft tools, weapons, clothing and shelter. The core gameplay loop involves scavenging items, hunting animals, farming, cooking food, and completing various missions. A major component of Rust is base building, allowing you to construct elaborate fortresses to protect yourself and your loot from other players.

Since Rust has full PvP enabled, you must always be cautious of hostile players looking to kill you and take your stuff. The game features both melee and ranged weapon combat along with a complex crafting system. While challenging for new players, Rust offers an incredibly immersive survival experience like no other once you learn the ropes. With regular updates from Facepunch, Rust continues to evolve and improve nearly a decade after its initial release. Our Rust Beginner’s guide is here to cover all of the bases that you’ll need to understand to get a headstart in the game.

Choosing The Right Rust Server As A Beginner

Rust has a variety of server types to cater to different playstyles. The main types are modded, vanilla, and community/roleplay. Modded servers have custom plugins and mods installed that alter the core Rust experience, such as increased gather rates or teleports. Vanilla servers adhere closely to the default Rust gameplay with no modifications. Community and roleplay servers emphasize interaction and cooperation between players.

For beginners, vanilla or slightly modded servers are the best option. Heavily modded servers often drastically speed up resource gathering and gear progression in a way that ruins the intended survival experience for new players. Lightly modded servers offer some quality of life improvements while maintaining the core gameplay loop. Vanilla servers provide the full authentic Rust challenge. Community and roleplay servers can also be great for beginners as they provide a less hostile environment to learn the basics. Avoid high population servers at first as they tend to be chaotic. Look for a server with good ping and an active but not overwhelming userbase. Be sure to check the server rules as well before joining. Starting on the right server will make the early days of Rust much more enjoyable as a new player.

How To Create Your Character In Rust

When starting Rust for the first time, you will need to create your character. Customizing your character is simple and straightforward. You can choose between several different skin tones, hairstyles, facial features, and clothing items. This allows you to make your character look unique from the other players you will encounter in the world.

How To Edit Your Character In Rust

Once you have finished initial character creation, you will spawn into the game world. Don’t worry if you want to change your character’s appearance later on. Rust allows you to modify your character at any time by accessing character customization from the main menu. You can change your hair, face, skin colour, and clothing as often as you want. The only thing you cannot change is your character’s gender. Adjusting your character’s look is a nice way to switch things up as you progress through the game. With regular content additions from Facepunch since its initial early access launch in 2013, Rust provides players with plenty of character customization options to represent their own personal style and stand out on the island.

What to expect when you first spawn into Rust

Spawning into the world of Rust for the first time can be overwhelming. You will start with only a rock and a torch in your inventory along with a couple of bandages. Your first priority needs to be gathering wood to create a pickaxe for mining stone. Be sure not to attract attention from hostile players or animals during this vulnerable period.

Once you have a pickaxe, start collecting stone by hitting rocks. After obtaining at least 500 wood and 100 stone, find a secluded area to place your first sleeping bag and campfire. Use the wood to craft things like a hatchet, spear, and wooden armor for protection. The campfire will let you stay warm and cook any food you obtain from hunting animals like chickens and boars. Avoid areas containing monuments and lots of buildings – these are likely occupied by experienced players. Finding a safe spot to start stockpiling resources and basic gear is the key to surviving those initial vulnerable hours after spawning in Rust’s harsh world. Take time to learn vital survival skills like how to heal wounds, manage hunger and thirst, and craft necessary tools and weapons in order to make it through the early game.