Which Weapon Upgrades Should You Prioritize Early?
If you are not sure where to spend early resources in DAVE THE DIVER, start with your harpoon. It is your core/default dive weapon, and firearms are the ones that consume ammo. That is why early iDiver investment gives reliable value every run. Build steady, always-usable damage first, then commit to one firearm path instead of splitting materials across multiple unfinished weapons.
When you find a weapon chest (the underwater crate with a weapon icon), treat it as short-term power plus long-term progress. Chest finds can grant dive-only weapons or boosts, and repeated finds contribute blueprint progress for permanent crafting in Duff’s Weapon Shop. Early on, prioritize consistent options you can use in most fights, and delay niche branches until your economy is comfortable.
Simple Upgrade Path (Early to Mid-Game)
Use this order to stay efficient and avoid wasted crafting:
- Upgrade harpoon damage first for universal value every dive.
- Pick one primary gun line and push it to a useful tier before starting a second.
- Add a tranq option (tranquilizer tools put fish to sleep so you can collect them alive, which is tied to higher-quality catches) once tougher fish get harder to secure safely.
- Keep a small buffer of materials and gold so story encounters do not force emergency crafting.
As you unlock blueprints (weapon plans completed through chest finds), prioritize the weapon you use in normal dives, not a situational maybe-later build. Practical rule: if it helps in almost every run, upgrade it now; if it only solves one specific fight type, delay it until your economy is stable.