Guides/How I Don't Starve

==Why are you here? ==
You've played a few games of Don't Starve, but you often have problems with your real goals? Or you just have problems surviving? 
In this guide I'm not going to tell you how to play, but open your eyes for the essential gameplay elements in Don't Starve. I won't give you recommendations for characters and for how to build your base, just some tips for how to go ahead in an endless world with only one way of redemption. 
[Notice that everything in this guide is my personal opinion and also includes the new Reign of Giants content, if I deal with threats that are irrelevant in the vanilla version, then feel free to ignore them]
==Before I build my base==
This is pretty much for the beginners, but everyone has been a beginner once, that's why I can't just skip this step.
When you enter your world start collecting Twigs, Grass and Flint as usual and craft an axe to chop trees. Be sure to collect a full stack of grass and twigs with you and even a full stack of wood. Berries and carrots are also essential to survive, just pick them up. 
Craft a pickaxe, but if possible only mine rocks that contain gold, because nitre is not too important right now. You can craft the prototype machine to consume some of the recources and place it whenever you like to - not having to worry if you carry enough resources with you.
Now start exploring the map! What? You do not have your base yet?
Ye, the whole map, or at least its outline. Before starting to build a base, you need to know what the map looks like. The reason therefore is quite simple: The availability of recources is paramount when playing Don't Starve. 
Your survival often depends on special items like warm clothing, or a Fridge and many other things that will make your life a lot easier. 
That's why you should walk around the edges of the world and get a sense of where the biomes are and where to find and gather recources when you need them. Food is not going to be a problem since berries, carrots and seeds will be found all over the place during your first days. 
Do not hesitate to use worm holes since they will help you to explore the world even faster and you will know which worm holes are connected
This seems to be pretty basic, but will have a great impact on your time management, when things get really serious. 
==When things get serious==
Once you managed to run a circle (or polygon) you open your map and lean back to just have a look and paste that overview into your mind. 
Around 5–10 days passed by, you maybe got attacked by 1 or 2 hounds, but for now they are not too difficult to deal with. You now need to think of a nice position for your base.
[Inner monologue: Hm I might do that over here to take those reeds fast and more often, but over there are some nice rocks and there are a few spider dens and a graveyard]
Be sure to know what resources are most important to you:
- How often/ much do I need that resource? (Basics: Twigs, Grass, Wood (And with it Ashes, Charcoal...) 
- Can I move the source itself and how tricky is it to do so? (Turfs, Saplings, Spider Dens, Beefalo herds) 
- Is the resource renewable or the supply limited? (For example, rocks are gone forever once you mined them) 
Keep all of these factors in mind when you place your base somewhere and try to imagine what your home might look like in a couple of days. Get an idea of where to place your buildings and walls and so on. Constructing structures closer to each other will take less space, but makes your base more vulnerable to fire. Just think of how reasonable things can be done and you for sure will get your own solution - else you gonna see what happens when things are messed up. 
You will have your own storage system: Where do I store my minerals? Shall I leave my weapons on the ground? How about putting inflammable stuff into that fire-proof chest? 
This is one of the parts I really love when playing Don't Starve
==The Circle of Life - A Festival of Preparation==
You got a base with a very nice location, but the fun has just begun. You can't just do what you are up to. Especially in the earlier stages of the game, there are lots of threats that you will be forced to adapt to. Since you don't have so many resources collected yet, it is important to know which preparations should be 
First of all there are the seasons with their specific climates e.g. Cold, Heat, Rain. There is not much to be mentioned. You mine ice for summer, craft an umbrella for rain and shave some Beefalo for warm clothing in winter. But be sure: If you forgot to mine glaciers and summer just begun, you are pretty much done for... 
Secondary there are hostile mobs and to be more precise: The giants in Reign of Giants or at least the Deerclops. Even if you manage to overcome the seasons, you need to take care of these monstrous enemies which easily crush your base within a second. Of course there are special strategies to fight these giants, but the best way to deal with them is fighting them prepared (and if possible away from your base). Same counts for hound attacks. These nasty wolves are easily distracted with some walls and Tooth Traps, but having these traps placed before is indispensable.
The longer you survive, the better easier you survive. You will manage to amass a more and more impressive collection of science and magic, the only thing that could eventually stop you at this state is your own carelessness. 
Safety first folks - or if necessary get a meat effigy
I hope you enjoyed reading my guide, how useful do you find it?
A: I dislike this guide, boring, inaccurate and to be honest I play the opposite way
B: This guide is awesome! Please tell me more!
C: Not so useful simply because I always played this way.
Leave a comment below, I will be pleased.