Skills

Skills is a system in the game that determines what you can do; certain skills lets you make certain tier stuff, while others determine what fish you can catch or what you can farm.
Currently, there are 9 skills in the game. 
The skills are:
Foraging - Determines how quickly you can gather items. Increase by gathering items.
Smithing - Determines what kind of metal tools you can make. Create metal tools to increase. 
Crafting - This is for a lot of early game things, get at least crafting 3. Increase by making woven leaves.
Cooking - Increased by baking bread, making pies, or autocooking. Chance of autocooking success based on cooking skill.
Fishing - The more you fish, the more this goes up, and the less you need to buttonmash to catch fish.
Swimming - Swim to be able to swim longer next time. (this is nearly useless, don't bother with it.)
Shipbuilding - The more you make naval ships, the more complex the ships you can make increases/
Chemistry - A hidden gem, higher chemistry allows you to make poisons. Increase by making charcoal and medical remedies
Farming - The more you farm, the more plants you CAN farm. Simple.