Article: At this point, the game is pretty straightforward. To create a fresh game to start your adventure, you must first decide on a town name, create a random map seed by clicking the paper icon to the right side of the bar, and then select through the rest of the options you deem suited to your gaming level. Terrain Type. Choose between two terrain types, namely Valleys and Mountains. Valleys are great for beginners as they have more flat land and forests which make for great building spaces and resources respectively. Mountains have a lot of uneven ground which makes constructing buildings difficult. Also, getting through one side of a mountain to the other requires tunnels that demand a lot of resources. Terrain Size. Choose the size of your map, from Small, Medium, and Large. Any will do, but most players prefer Medium. Climate. Climate determines the level of climate change in your game. Mild has shorter winters; Harsh has longer, earlier cold days; and Fair is somewhere in between. Choosing Harsh may mean starvation as farming becomes impossible. Fair is a good choice for starting gamers. Disasters. This activates the possibility of disasters in your village, such as tornadoes sweeping across town and fire spreading to nearby buildings. There will be starvation, or possible death even, when food is scarce. Freezing occurs when there isn't enough firewood or coal to heat homes. If you have crop fields, pasture, and orchards, infestation is a possibility. During a breakout, you can also infect nearby fields growing the same crops or raising the same animals. Citizens in poor health are in higher danger of sickness, and Traders and Nomads increase the risk of diseases. This option is preferably left ON for challenges. Starting Conditions. This option determines the conditions and resources you hold at the start of your game. "Easy" begins with six families with a large amount of clothing, food, firewood, building materials, and tools provided. Homes and storage areas have already been built, and seeds for fields and orchards are available as well as herds of livestock. "Medium" begins with five families with clothing, food, firewood, tools, and construction materials provided. A Storage Barn has also already been built, and you're given some seeds for fields and orchards. "Hard" begins with four families with only a small amount of clothing, food, firewood, and tools. No seeds for farming are available either. For new players, it's best to choose Medium to give you a feel of the game, and experience the importance of resources and food. As you start the game, especially on medium or hard mode, keep a watchful eye on your resources. Low on food means your people will starve and die, decreasing the population of your town and leading to days of struggle. Fewer workers means gathering food and building homes slow down. To avoid this situation, establish a source of food such as the Fishing Dock, Gatherer's Hut, Hunting Cabin, Crop Field, Orchard, and Pasture. Logs. Produced by cutting down trees, logs are use for buildings, tools, and firewood. Foresters help maintain the forest trees, and cut adult ones. Stone. One of the most important construction materials, it's produced by harvesting stone piles around the map or by building a quarry. Iron. Used for the construction and making of tools, it is found around the map and can be harvested, or you can build a mine for constant supply. Firewood. Used to heat homes during cold or winter months, chop logs into firewood with a Woodcutter. Coal. Gained through mining or by trade, a Blacksmith can make steel tools out of it. It can also be an alternate heat source to firewood. Leather. Gained from operating a Hunting Cabin or by slaughtering cattle in pasture, use it to make clothes to help your people work and stay outside longer during winter. Wool. Gained from pasturing sheep, use it to make clothing. Food. It is produced by Gatherers, Fishermen, Hunters, Crop Fields, Pastures, and Orchards. Herbs. Collected by an Herbalist, they are your people's source of medicine to keep them healthy when their diet is poor. Tools. Made by a Blacksmith, they're needed by all workers to perform their jobs more quickly. Clothing. Crafted by a Tailor, it is particularly important to keep citizens warm in winter. Alcohol. Produced by a Tavern, drinking ale can make your citizens happier. At the age of 10, citizens can start working. Just like in real life, people grow old and die because of sickness, disasters, accidents, or just old age. To keep your town going, steadily increase your population while keeping in mind that a sudden population boom may lead to food shortage. To grow your town, you need to build homes for your citizens to move in and start their families. Citizens become adults at the age of 10, and can start a family.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Create a new game. Focus on your resources. Control your population.
Article: Start by sprinkling pebbles into the container you've selected. The pebbles will provide a foundation for the potting soil and also help drain excess water which can cause succulents to die off or rot. If your planter features holes for drainage, make sure they're not covered up by larger stones. For best results, this initial layer of stones should be at least an inch thick. When working with stones of various sizes (like those you've gathered yourself), put the larger stones in place first, then fill in the gaps between them using smaller rocks and pebbles. Shake a few ounces of soil into the planter over the pebble base. Break up the soil to keep it from clumping and becoming too dense. The soil will need to be at least an inch thick in order to hold most succulents securely and allow them to take root. Use a spoon to funnel the soil into containers with smaller openings. Consider mixing in some sand with your potting soil. This will keep the consistency light and well-ventilated, which is beneficial to the growth and survival of succulent plants. Formulate some ideas about what you might want the general configuration of your succulent garden to look like. For instance, you might arrange tufts of senecio around a sweeping mound of kalanchoe or jovibarba, accented with brilliant Adenium blossoms. Let your imagination run wildthe layout of your garden should be a unique showcase of your personal sensibilities. Placing a few different types of succulents in close proximity will create a look of eye-catching diversity. Plant "filler" succulents like aptenia cordifolia around the edges of the planter to act as a natural perimeter and fill out the appearance of the garden. For succulents with beautiful coloration, try ruby ball cactus, Epiphyllum, Echeveria or Queen's Tears. Remove the plants from their existing containers carefully, brushing away any clinging soil until you expose the root ball. Use the tip of your finger to burrow into the potting soil and carefully place the succulents in the holes you made, making sure the root of each plant is nestled down deep. Pat the soil around the bulbs or stems lightly to anchor the plants. Let your succulents sit above the rim of the planter, rather than deep down within it. This will create much-needed airflow between the plants and keep water from pooling around their base. If you're growing your succulents from cuttings or leaves, place them directly on top of the soil in rows and water them using a spray bottle. Once you've gotten your succulents where you want them, scatter more pebbles and larger rocks over the uppermost part of the soil. The added weight of a second layer of stones will hold the plants in place and help distribute moisture more evenly when you water them. After you've covered the topsoil, stick in whatever accessories or decorations you please and call it a day! A second layer of stones will also help protect against wind and water erosion. Accent your garden with colorful glass beads or gemstones. They'll provide the same function as pebbles, but with a more elegant and personalized appearance.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Spread a layer of stones over the bottom of the planter. Cover the stones with a layer of planting soil. Design a scenic arrangement of plants and decorative accents. Transfer the succulents to the soil. Use another layer of stones to cover the soil.