Growing my raft

Taking your raft up a level is what unlocks everything else. It is done in /radeau, Upgrades button.

You need two things at once

Money in the raft bank, not in your pocket.
Raft value, from level 5 on.

If either one is missing, the button refuses and tells you which.

Careful: the window shows you the price in money but NOT the value required. Here are the thresholds, and you will not find them anywhere else:

Levels 2 to 5: nothing, money is enough.
Level 6: 10 value.
Level 11: 200.
Level 21: 750.
Level 26: 2,000.
Level 31: 4,500.
Level 41: 15,000.
Level 46: 40,000.
Level 51: 70,000.
Level 61: 400,000.

To give you an idea: the Golden Scarab, one of the items you reel in while fishing, is worth 25 points all on its own. Level 26 therefore comes down to 80 scarabs, or to a lot more small items.

How many hours it really takes to climb, with nothing dressed up:

How long it takes

What it really costs

Level 1: 5,000 $
Level 5: 9,100 $
Level 10: 19,000 $
Level 25: 180,000 $
Level 40: 1,600,000 $

Each level costs roughly 16% more than the one before.

The right order when you start out

Aim for level 11 first, because that is where you get your fourth member slot, going from 3 to 4, and your very first warp point. Lapis has just arrived at level 10, and gold follows at 12, in what you fish just before.

The next tier that really counts is 31, the one that opens your Nether.

Then be clear-eyed about the scale: level 25 costs 1.2 million in total, and level 40 costs 11.5. The first one plays out in weeks, the second in months.

Continue with: Making money