some personal, opinionated tips for ppl coming to wilds that I've thought of while playing the beta.
the important universal one:
set both of your seikret control options to the non-default options.
the first one is the autopilot disengage option, which by default makes it so you can only break off pathing at max speed. the other choice allows you to end the pathing at any time by pressing the cancel key regardless of speed.
the second option changes how you control your seikret, making it much closer to how you control your hunter. how far you've pressed the joystick in a direction determines the speed, and it controls much easier.
more general tips and opinions under the cut:
radial menu option 2 is more foolproof than the default
if you're like me and often either accidentally hit the radial menu button or can't seem to get the release timing right on the menu to use items properly, option 2 has been my automatic adjustment since they introduced it in world. pressing the joystick in to use an item makes so much more sense to me
put your most used items on a radial menu wheel and learn the shortcut
the default wheels are alright but not the best. having a wheel where your rations, buffs, and other items you find yourself using a lot, or even crafting combos you often need (such as mega potions), is incredibly helpful and prevents a lot of panic scrolling through your inventory. it's a bit of work to remember it, but doing so will help your monster hunting career in the long run.
don't be afraid to be a bit aggro
it can be really scary running at a monster that is enraged or flailing around, but you don't learn attack patterns, telegraphs, and hit boxes without getting hit. also, many monsters have a safe zone right under their noses for most of their attacks. I have avoided attacks i had no right to survive many, many times simply because I was too close to the monster's body to get hit.
know your place
each weapon has a specific core damage type from slashing, bludgeoning, and shot. slashing damage is needed to sever tails and tends to break things like wings easily, bludgeoning builds up KO status when hitting the head and tends to be necessary to break horns and shells, and shot is specific to ranged weapons.
knowing what kind of damage you're dealing helps you figure out what part of the monster you should be focusing on, especially when the monster is flailing on the ground. it's not so bad now that they've reduced the stagger from other players' weapons considerably, but some veteran players may get irate if you're a longsword trying to hit the head of a downed monster and there's a hammer or horn present. you can check which parts of a monster you've seen are susceptible to your damage type in your hunter notes.
elements matter
as tempting as it will be in the full release to pick one weapon and not build any others, weapon elements and statuses are incredibly important. building multiple kinds of your weapon of choice will help you out in the long run by helping you set up a diverse elemental spread to choose from. you can check what the elemental and status weaknesses and resistances of monsters you've encountered are in the hunter's notes.
the above also goes for armor. if you're having difficulty surviving to a specific monster, it may be time to think about making a set that is a little more resistant to that element. the elemental resistances and weaknesses of the armor set almost always match those of the source monster, so it's pretty easy to figure out who you need to go bully to get a set of specific resistances.
try out multiple weapons
you may not choose your ideal weapon right off the bat. you may like the aesthetic of something and then realize the reality isn't fun for you. you might realize once you start hitting more monsters that are The Floor Is Lava champions that maybe you need something more mobile or with more reach. learning and trying out multiple weapons is the best way to find something you enjoy, and the weapons themselves can be deceiving in how you think they play versus how they actually play.
there is no one single best weapon
each weapon plays very differently from each other and excel at different things. you also may find that it is difficult for you to play some of the "better" weapons, like charge blade. don't feel bad about not being able to wrap your head around different playstyles and just play what works for you. every weapon in the game is 100% viable. don't let people tell you you're playing the game wrong for your weapon choice.
(disclaimer: I know there will be specific weapons that wind up breaking the game. these are usually very build and skill dependent, so arent what im talking abt here. im specifically thinking of "gs/cb/hbg is best dps why would u use sns" type ppl)
as long as you're having fun, you're playing the game right
don't worry about meta builds or optimal gameplay. if you are having fun, you're doing it right. you may run across people who try to shit talk you for a poor build in a Max DPS Meta sense, but if it works for you and how you play the game, that's all that matters.
