QUICK START
- Pick a PvE scenario first (Manibus) if this is your first run — PvP can wait.
- Don’t overthink your first base location. You can move it later at no real cost.
- Character weight affects carry capacity and stamina — check it before you dump points elsewhere.
- Every 5 levels you pick a Memetic Specialization. Mistakes cost you 30% of spent resources to fix, so read before you click.
This Once Human guide covers what actually matters when you’re starting out — the systems the game throws at you in the first hour without explaining any of them.
Once Human Guide: Choosing Your Scenario
Your first decision happens before you even load in: which scenario server you join. If this is your first time playing, start with Manibus, the original PvE scenario. It’s the standard entry point, your base and progress are safe from other players, and it gives you a clean baseline before you try PvP scenarios like Evolution’s Call.
Scenario servers reset roughly every two months. Your account level and Eternaland items carry over between resets — only your in-world base and territory position reset. Don’t panic about “wasting time” on a scenario that’s about to end; nothing permanent is at risk.
Character Weight Actually Matters
Most survival games hide a stat like this in a submenu you never open. In Once Human, your character’s weight directly affects carry capacity, melee attack speed and damage, and stamina recovery. You set a baseline at character creation, but it also shifts during play — eating certain foods (French fries, for example) will push your weight up over time.
If you’re building a melee-focused character, keep an eye on this early. It’s an easy stat to ignore for the first ten hours and then wonder why your stamina regen feels sluggish.
Your First Base: Don’t Overthink the Location
New players often spend twenty minutes scouting the “perfect” base spot. Don’t. You can relocate your entire base later without losing what you’ve built, so the priority for your first base is simple: near a tree line (you’ll burn through wood constantly early on) and close enough to a resource node that early runs aren’t a slog.
If you don’t want to design a base by hand, open the build menu (default key: B), right-click to bring up the radial menu, and go to House Blueprints. The Presets tab has ready-made layouts — Plain Villa, Survival Cottage, Small Tower, even a Travel Trailer you can bring with you. These stack on top of whatever you’ve already built, so using a preset doesn’t lock you out of expanding manually later.
Gear, Durability, and Blueprints
Weapons and armor both have durability, and both degrade with use — factor repair time into how far you push a single expedition. You’ll find gear two ways: looting it in the world, or crafting it at a workbench once you’ve unlocked the blueprint.
Prioritize collecting non-memetic blueprints and recipes early, along with mods and accessories for weapons you’re already using. Leveling up a blueprint you actually use beats hoarding recipes for gear you haven’t touched yet.
Memetic Specializations: Think Before You Pick
Every 5 levels, you’re offered a Memetic Specialization — a branching choice that shapes your survival and combat skills going forward. This is the one system where a wrong pick has a real cost: resetting a specialization only refunds 70% of what you spent on it. Read what each option actually does before committing, especially in the early levels where you’re still deciding whether you’re building toward combat, survival utility, or a mix.
PvE or PvP: How to Decide
Once Human scenarios split into PvE and PvP variants. On PvE servers, your base and territory are protected from other players — the world itself is still dangerous, but no one can raid what you’ve built. PvP scenarios like Evolution’s Call allow territory raiding and open confrontation.
If you’re still learning the game’s systems, PvE removes one entire category of threat while you get comfortable. Players who already know the base-building and combat loops tend to move to PvP scenarios for the added stakes.
Don’t Skip the Main Story
It’s easy to get pulled into exploring, crafting, and expanding your base and let the main questline sit untouched. Worth avoiding that: pushing through the early main story unlocks a motorcycle blueprint that meaningfully speeds up how you move around the map. Everything else you’re doing gets easier once you’re not walking everywhere.
What to Do in Your First Few Hours
- Join a PvE scenario (Manibus) if this is your first run.
- Build a rough base near trees and a resource node — don’t perfect it, just start.
- Check your character weight if you’re going melee.
- Collect blueprints and mods before you commit points to a Memetic Specialization.
- Push the main story far enough to unlock the motorcycle blueprint.
- Keep gear repaired — durability loss sneaks up on you mid-fight.
FAQ
Do I lose my base when I pick a scenario that’s about to reset?
You lose the base itself, but not your account level or anything moved into Eternaland. Build normally — nothing is wasted.
Should a beginner play PvE or PvP first?
PvE. It removes player raiding while you learn the base-building and survival systems, which is enough to manage on its own early on.
Is there a quick way to build a base?
Yes — the Presets tab in the build menu (press B, right-click, House Blueprints) gives you ready-made layouts you can drop in and expand later.
What should I prioritize in the first few levels?
Blueprints and mods for gear you’re actually using, and reading each Memetic Specialization option before picking — respeccing only refunds 70% of the cost.
