For other quick basic tips:
- always check at the smithy if you can upgrade your weapon or craft another in a different tree with better damage. Elements/Effects are nice, but not as nice as raw damage, so using the biggest number you have access to will help.
- armour is important, but not as much for numbers (many sets are close) as for the skills each part provides. Look at them and select the pieces that contribute to your build (some skills increase attack, defense, HP, evade iframes, specific elemental damage, bowgun ammo, etc...). Or, if you feel comfortable enough, sod it and go with fashion. That works too.
- break to sharpen your blade as needed. You want to maintain your highest sharpness as much as possible: more damage and less chance for the weapon to bounce off the hide/shell.
- always eat before hitting the grounds, there's a canteen at the campsite too. Feel free to play and discover food combos (plenty of quests later will add ingredients) but otherwise, the Chef's recommendation will net you a fair bit of bonus health and stamina.
- about stamina, carry or make a few well-done steaks to replenish your stamina gauge if needed on a long quest.
- herbs and honey are plentiful and farmable at the HQ, so you should pretty much always go out on quest with 10 Mega Potions, 10 Potions and 10 Honey (the latter two to craft into Mega Potions after you used the first 10).
- for captures, you'll want ivy and spider webs (to make nets and therefore pitfall traps), lightning bugs (for shock traps) as well as parashrooms and sleep herbs (for tranq bombs), so always pick up these if you see them. Even if you don't try to capture yet, they'll come in handy at some point.
- always check at the smithy if you can upgrade your weapon or craft another in a different tree with better damage. Elements/Effects are nice, but not as nice as raw damage, so using the biggest number you have access to will help.
- armour is important, but not as much for numbers (many sets are close) as for the skills each part provides. Look at them and select the pieces that contribute to your build (some skills increase attack, defense, HP, evade iframes, specific elemental damage, bowgun ammo, etc...). Or, if you feel comfortable enough, sod it and go with fashion. That works too.
- break to sharpen your blade as needed. You want to maintain your highest sharpness as much as possible: more damage and less chance for the weapon to bounce off the hide/shell.
- always eat before hitting the grounds, there's a canteen at the campsite too. Feel free to play and discover food combos (plenty of quests later will add ingredients) but otherwise, the Chef's recommendation will net you a fair bit of bonus health and stamina.
- about stamina, carry or make a few well-done steaks to replenish your stamina gauge if needed on a long quest.
- herbs and honey are plentiful and farmable at the HQ, so you should pretty much always go out on quest with 10 Mega Potions, 10 Potions and 10 Honey (the latter two to craft into Mega Potions after you used the first 10).
- for captures, you'll want ivy and spider webs (to make nets and therefore pitfall traps), lightning bugs (for shock traps) as well as parashrooms and sleep herbs (for tranq bombs), so always pick up these if you see them. Even if you don't try to capture yet, they'll come in handy at some point.