My main strategy is to amass as many tech points as fast as possible at the beginning. Of the three initial workers I'll put two on research and one on farming. If I'm lucky and get a food bonus with an island event I'll switch the farmer to research as well temporarily - but don't forget to switch him back to farming if food levels begin to get dangerously low! When the tech points reach 5000 I'll get L2 Engineering and put as many as possible on the building the dam. When the oldest child turns 14 he or she will be trained as a builder and put on the dam unless I still need the points, when they will first become a scientist. Meanwhile I'll be scouring the area for collectibles and mushrooms. The 100 for a duplicate common collectible is useful and the 1500 for a rare one is a great step. I have always managed to complete the dam and have the farmer harvesting crops well before the coming of the algae since I developed this way of playing.

Once the dam is built I can take time off to possibly have a cup of coffee and a cigarette; maybe even to visit the bathroom. While the danger of starvation is not over, it has receded by this time and I can return a scientist to research and make a start on hut-building, etc.