Having a bit of difficulty..

So after a couple of hours viewing you tube videos, reading the xsyon forums for new players, i decided to purchase the game, as the whole concept seems very interesting to me, so i logged in and started playing, even after all the info i read up on, tutorials and the like, i wandered around for 2 hours utterly lost. Everywhere i went i was "encroaching" on someones territory, when i finally did find a spot where there were no claimed territory, i spent the better part of the time picking up grass and making thread, then turning thread into string, and so on. after i had made enough string i made rope, and thats where i stopped. as i do not really understand what im supposed to do with any of this stuff. Im the type of player that likes a community to interact with on occasion and stick to solo play for the most part, and from what i read, going solo is totally possible, granted you have the time and patience, which i do, but i am still at a loss, as to what im supposed to do, i cant build a fire, as i dont have the tools or materials. I was a little bummed to realize i cannot make a tent/hut/etc unless im in a tribe? if i understand that correctly, correct me if im wrong.

I guess what im really getting at is, im feeling as though i wont accomplish anything if at all nothing as a solo player. Im not asking for it to be easy, or things being handed to me, id much rather work at it myself for the personal achievement factor, but i cant seem to grasp the learning curve.

Having said that, i really enjoy the atmosphere of the game, and global chat is friendly as far as ive seen, which is a nice change from the normal MMO.

I suggest you join a tribe for a training period and as a time to collect tools and bare neccessities until you know how all things work.
If you want to do things alone, you have to think more about totems. You can place your own solo totem - this makes your own homestead in which people can't steal things - "encroaching"
When you were unable to take things, you were in another tribe's land, which has a radius depending on their size. Your solo one will be smaller than theirs. But when you find a good place and put it, you can build there as much as you want. Don't worry, it's not permanent so you can always move it later after cooldown.

But I still suggest you join a tribe to make connections and learn. Good luck

Thanks for the quick reply, ill take your suggestion into consideration, I was hoping i'd could learn the ropes of the game on my own before joining any tribe, but i think perhaps this game works in the other direction than most traditional games, also thanks for the info about homesteads - i had no idea that was possible.

Tips from me for your solo enjoyment.

When you create your character, choose basketry as first profession. You have a 25 Skill in basketry at the beginning and you are able to craft storage bin's with it. Now you craft your first storage bin and put it on your character instead of the starting bag. Another storage bin on your tribal area is yoru first bank. You can all do this without tools.

As gathering skill i would choose fishing and terraforming if that is possible. atleast fishing should work

After you are done doing this you start to skill up toolcrafting.

Ask where some active tribes live and start near that area and place your homestead there so you are able to trade for some stuff