Quick Links
Diseases are one of the most common threats to your population in Farthest Frontier. Usually a single Villager will become sick or injured, preventing them from working for a time. While it's nearly impossible to get through a game without at least one disease popping up, taking steps to prevent illness will keep your town (mostly) happy and healthy.
Let's take a look at how disease, injury, and healing works in Farthest Frontier. With foresight and a little luck, your Healers won't have very much to do around town most of the time!
Farthest Frontier is currently in early access, and as such the game's systems may be altered or updated. This guide and the information within are subject to change.
How To Prevent Diseases
Every Villager risks disease or injury as they go about their tasks. The base chance of an individual getting sick or hurt is fairly low, but quickly increases as the Villagers are exposed to risk factors. In general, any Basic Need that goes unmet makes it more likely that a Villager will get sick.
You can always see which diseases are the most likely to appear by clicking on your Town Center. The center panel lists any diseases at which the town is currently at an unusually high risk of facing. The right-hand panel, which shows current sources of discontent, can also give clues as to what diseases may be on the horizon if you don't act.
For example, Villagers without a good pair of shoes are at risk of contracting worms. If your Villagers are complaining that there aren't enough shoes to go around, but worms aren't yet listed as a potential disease, set up a Cobbler Shop right away to prevent it from becoming a problem.
The most common risk factors are as follows:
|
Risk Factor |
Disease(s) |
How To Fix |
|
Lack Of Clean Water |
|
|
|
Lack Of Shoes |
|
|
|
Unbalanced Diet |
|
|
|
Rough Terrain |
|
|
|
Waste Buildup |
|
|
|
Rabid Animals |
|
|
|
Rat Infestation |
|
|
Ailments like Wound and Broken Leg aren't technically diseases, but are treated in the same manner for gameplay purposes.
Armor and Shields, even low-q♛uality ones, make it much less likely that a Villager will sustain an injury in combat.
What Happens To Sick Villagers?
If a Villager suffers from a disease they are unable to work and will remain confined to their home. If the town has a Healer, they will attempt to go there for treatment instead. The Villager r꧒🌌emains bedridden until one of three possible outcomes occurs:
- The Villager gets better.
- The Villager's condition worsens, spawning a different disease (usually Incapacitated or Chronic Illness). In some cases the Villager may be able to return to work, but their efficiency will be reduced for the rest of their life.
- The Villager dies.
Removing the risk factors that caused the disease and receiving treatment from a Healer greatly increases the chances th𒆙at the Villager will recover with no long-term effects. If the Villager has a contagious disease such as Cholera, Typhoid Fever, or Bubonic Plague, they risk spreading it to others - especially other members of their household and Villagers with similar risk factors.
Healers And Hospitals
Healers' Houses are unlocked after upgrading the Town Center to Tier Two. At Tier Three, Healers' Houses can be improved to Hospitals. Both serve the same purpose; isolating and treating sick Villagers.
A Villager suffering a disease will temporarily move into the Healers' House, reducing the risk that they will transmit their malady to other townsfolk. Hospitals have more beds than standard Healers' Houses, but this will only be a factor in the case of a major outbreak - usually of Bubonic Plague.
Healers' Houses and Hospitals also increase the Desirability of nearby homes, giving you yet another reason to build them. If you can afford the upkeep, try to have one in each neighborhood - it can't hurt to have too many doctors in town!
A Villager treated by a Healer always has a better chance of recovery than a Villager convalescing at home, but the success rate is vastly improved if the Healer is well-stocked with Herbs and Medicinal Roots. If you're lucky enough to have these on your map, be sure to have a Forager dedicated to gathering them at all times. Even the most-prepared settlement can still suffer an outbreak, so it's best to be ready for the worst.