Yesterday I started my Rising Star journey. If I was being honest, I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into, but decided to give it a whirl. Initially, the game felt a little bit clunky, but with a bit of perseverence, a bit of help from the discord community, and tips from my friend 
If you're a new player, as it turns out, you are straight into grind mode. Really, the only thing you can do is start Standard missions and go like crazy on repeat.
The first mission you come across (basically the only thing unlocked) is 'Illegal Busking'. In this mission you start to farm the in-game currency, 'Starbits'. At 1-10 starbits only per mission, they're basically worthless, but you'll start to accumulate XP to power up your accounts level.
There is a little bit of story involved in the missions too, so far I've received:
- Pizza, which replinishes energy.
- Coffee, which makes your energy recharge rate faster.
and, most significantly:
"7 drunks love your music and became your fans! Your maximum STARBITS per mission has increased. They will probably forget who you are when they sober up though so make the most of it!"
This is really key, because after you've 'accumulated' enough drunks, you will have access to the 2nd mission, which is a bit more efficient with energy use/rewards:
Now, what I should have expected, was overnight when I was sleeping, my 'drunk fans' seemed to have wandered off. This meant that on starting Day 2 in the game, I was back grinding in the 'Illegal Busking' mission. From what I understand, better card/upgrades will ultimately help to support a higher fan level.
So anyhows, here's where I currently find myself:
At the moment, I'm continuing to grind on Open Mic Night, and I'll pull up Level 5 today at some point.
Again, moving into the next mission level will be key, as it will allow me to make more productive use of my energy, earning 1.45 XP by 1% energy used. This compares to 1 XP for 1% energy on Open Mic Night, and 0.67 XP for 1% energy on the Illegal Busking mission.
Longer term, I'm hoping to get more involved in the game. It seems like it has a lot of potential to really get me hooked. Any advice you can offer a new young star in the comments would absolutely be appreciated.
Final Notes:
In truth, I am a Splinterlands player - and have come to Rising Star through Hive. The thing that got me in about Splinterlands was the community around me. Regardless of the game itself, I know it's the whole game experience - that is, you guys, who make the game what it is. Thanks to those who have already shown a willingness to help me with tips and tricks!
Thanks, Tim
IGN; LordTimoty