How do I progress in Iron Will?

Question

I just reset my kittens game, with 71 kittens (the bare minimum for paragon) and I thought: let's try the Iron Will mode. As far as I know, that means that I cannot buy any housing. So no huts, log houses or mansions (or any other things I do not yet know about). I gathered some catnip, build a field, harvested more catnip, and more catnip, and even some more. Then I got some wood and build a library. But I have no kittens to be a scholar! I have three libraries now and hit the maximum of catnip (5005) and wood (200.2) and no new buildings to build. What do I have to do?

Answer 1

In an Iron Will run, the resources that kittens normally gather are obtained thusly:

• Catnip: Fields or trade.
• Wood: Refinement or trade. As a bonus, Lumber Mills' effect boosts the return from refinement in Iron Will.
• Science: Astronomical events. As a bonus, Iron Will runs always have at least a 25% chance of these auto-succeeding, even without observatories. Remember that science buildings boost the reward from these.
• Catpower: Zebras will help you hunt. Each zebra is worth .15 Catpower per second.
• Minerals: Meteors will still fall. As a bonus, meteors are more common in Iron Will mode, and are also worth 10% more. Remember that mines do boost the reward from these.
• Gold: Once you have the Gold Ore upgrade, Zebra hunters have a 25% chance to obtain gold. Also, the usual rate of gold gain from Smelters is still available after that same upgrade.
• Maximum Catpower: Each upgrade to Catpower (bolas, hunting armour, etc.) will increase this, since you can't normally boost it without housing. Composite Bows make the maximum 200, Bolas make the maximum 400, and Hunting Armor gives you exactly 1000 max (before Paragon and the like) so you can discover people to trade with.
• Faith: Chapels will be your only source of faith while playing in Iron Will mode.
• Coal: Quarries will still provide coal. So will Smelters, after getting the Coal Furnace upgrade.

Also, although Zebras' hunting abilities are enough to get Unicorns, because max Catpower is so limited early on, there is a slight chance every tick of a Unicorn simply showing up at your village, as long as you are in Iron Will mode, have Archery, and have less than two unicorns already.

Answer 2

Hmm, while I was waiting for an answer, the first astronomical event happened. That gave me 31 science, enough to buy the first technology. I think that (clicking events) is the only way to get science for now, and keep advancing in the game.