First Useful Thing Quest Guide in Ashes Of Creation
The "First Useful Thing" quest is part of the early Wisdom questline. It is designed to help new players understand how crafting, gathering, and NPC interactions connect. It acts as a tutorial for one of the more intricate systems in AoC, bridging the gap between simple questing and meaningful item creation.
Starting the Quest
After completing the initial tutorial and introductory quests, players are directed to Briarmoor Farms, where they will meet Loretta Briarmoor, an NPC central to the early Wisdom path. Loretta introduces players to tasks that involve crafting and material gathering, encouraging exploration beyond simple combat mechanics. Once you interact with her, you will be directed to speak with the Workhand Nobles, a group of NPCs located nearby. These NPCs formally issue the "First Useful Thing" quest.
At this stage, players may notice that the quest is different from previous tasks: it does not involve defeating enemies or collecting random drops. Instead, it focuses on acquiring specific items through both gathering and purchasing, then processing them into a crafted product. This approach teaches the interconnectivity of various game systems and encourages strategic thinking about inventory, resource management, and crafting choices.
Step 1: Gathering Herbs
The first objective requires players to collect at least five herbs. This task introduces the gathering system. To begin, you must equip a Sickle, which is a tool provided during early gameplay. Using the sickle, you can harvest herbs from environmental nodes scattered across the area.
Herb nodes in Briarmoor Farms typically appear as small clusters of flowers on the grassy terrain. They can be white, yellow, or lightly colored, depending on the type of herb required. Players should explore areas north of the Workhand Nobles for the most abundant patches. When you approach a node, interact with it to gather the herb. Each successful interaction adds one unit of herb to your inventory.
It is wise to gather extra herbs beyond the minimum requirement. Extra materials can be useful in case of failed crafting attempts or future quests that demand similar resources. Keep in mind that herb nodes respawn over time, but immediate respawns are rare, so thorough exploration may be necessary if nearby nodes are depleted. This step not only familiarizes players with gathering mechanics but also emphasizes environmental awareness and planning.
Step 2: Acquiring Vendor Materials
After gathering herbs, the quest requires two items that cannot be collected from the environment and must instead be purchased from a vendor. Players should consult their map for the Textile Mill, located south of Briarmoor Farms, marked with a small textile icon. Here, you will find a Textile Vendor who sells the necessary materials:
Drawtwine Wax, a key component for crafting thread
Packwright's Universal Strap Set, required for assembling the rucksack
It is important to manage your inventory and ensure you have enough Ashes of Creation Gold to purchase these items. Selling unwanted or duplicate items can help free up space and provide the necessary currency. These purchased materials, combined with the gathered herbs, form the foundation for crafting the final item in this quest.
Step 3: Processing Materials into Coarse Thread
With both gathered and purchased materials in hand, the next stage involves material processing. Players must take the gathered herbs and Drawtwine Wax to a Weaving Machine located within the Textile Mill. Here, raw resources are transformed into Coarse Thread, an intermediate crafting material.
The Coarse Thread is essential for the next step and serves as an introduction to the idea of workstation-based crafting. Players learn that crafting in AoC is not limited to simply combining items in the inventory; it often requires interacting with specialized stations. Crafting multiple units of Coarse Thread is recommended, as this provides extra material for future tasks and reduces the need to gather or purchase additional herbs immediately.
Step 4: Crafting the Simple Rucksack
After producing Coarse Thread, players proceed to the Tailoring Station, also located in the Textile Mill. At this station, the final task is to craft the Simple Rucksack. This item is more than a symbolic reward; it increases the character's inventory capacity, allowing players to carry more resources, crafted items, and loot, which is especially valuable during early exploration and questing.
Once all ingredients are provided, the crafting process begins. Crafting times for low-level items like this are short, but players must remain near the Tailoring Station until the process completes. Successfully crafting the Simple Rucksack marks the completion of the main objective of the "First Useful Thing" quest.
Step 5: Turning in the Quest
With the Simple Rucksack crafted, the final step is to return to the Workhand Nobles to complete the quest. The crafted item remains in your inventory and can be equipped to increase carry capacity immediately. This step reinforces the reward loop of crafting quests in AoC, where completing the task provides both progression and tangible benefits for the player.
Equipping the rucksack is particularly impactful in the early game, as it reduces the need for frequent trips back to vendors or storage points. Players can now carry more harvested materials, crafted goods, and quest items, streamlining future gameplay.
Lessons from the Quest
The "First Useful Thing" quest serves as more than just an introduction to crafting; it provides several fundamental lessons about interacting with the game world:
Gathering Mechanics: Players learn to equip the correct tools and identify harvestable nodes in the environment. This skill is essential for resource collection in all AoC professions.
Vendor Interactions: Purchasing specific materials highlights the importance of economy and planning. Players see how items must sometimes be acquired through NPCs rather than the environment. You can get these materials with cheap Ashes of Creation Gold.
Workstation Crafting: By processing raw materials into intermediate goods, players understand that crafting involves multiple steps and specialized stations, adding depth to the system.
Reward and Utility: The Simple Rucksack illustrates how crafting can provide practical benefits beyond aesthetics, emphasizing player choice and progression.
Integration of Systems: The quest seamlessly combines gathering, purchasing, processing, and crafting, showing how AoC's systems interlock and contribute to meaningful player experiences.
Completing this quest gives players confidence in handling more complex crafting and gathering tasks later in the game. It also introduces the principle of resource management, which is crucial in AoC, where inventory space, materials, and economic decisions affect both solo and group gameplay.
Conclusion
The "First Useful Thing" quest in Ashes of Creation is a carefully designed introduction to the game's crafting, gathering, and economic systems. By guiding players through the process of gathering herbs, purchasing materials, processing them into Coarse Thread, and crafting the Simple Rucksack, the quest teaches essential skills while providing a practical reward.
"First Useful Thing" is not just a tutorial; it is a microcosm of AoC's design philosophy: systems that interconnect, choices that matter, and rewards that empower. By following this walkthrough, players can approach the quest with confidence, completing it efficiently while gaining insight into the crafting systems that will shape their adventures throughout the game.