Stardew Valley |OT| Resetting Under a Harvest Moon

[Uncivilized Elk]

I finally gave the game a brief whirl (only played about 5 in-game days) and I don't know if I should stick with it.

Instead of the game being relaxing and soothing as I expected, it gave me some rather unpleasant anxiety, something most video games never do. Harvest Moon never did, although I'm in a worse mental state now than back when I played HM games I guess.

Something about the day timer being short, your energy levels even shorter, not being able to afford food in the early game (at least not if I wanna save up to upgrade my measly inventory), time passing even inside of houses making me feel like I need to leave immediately rather than check out how the townspeople live. HM had these systems too obviously but the cumulative experience never made me feel as uneasy and stressed as I did with only a few SD days (although again, maybe I'm just in a different state of mind and HM would cause the same sensations in the present).

And I guess the art style doesn't really resonate with me either (I thought it would but after actually playing... nope) so I'm not particularly appreciating the slow-paced wandering around.

Kinda bummed that this feels like it might just not be for me.

 

[Deleted member 3082]

I finally gave the game a brief whirl (only played about 5 in-game days) and I don't know if I should stick with it.

Click to shrink...

The passage of time affects nothing except what crops you can plant and the holidays, obviously. There's nothing you can miss (except one very minor cut scene), and there's no time limit on making progress since you can visit the shrine on your farm and have your progress evaluated at any point after the first two years. Nobody leaves, nobody dies (except Grandpa, but that's right at the start of the game), all of your progress is forward. Take your time and enjoy the ride.

If it ends up not being for you, don't feel too bad. At the absolute worst, you've supported a super positive indie developer.

 

[bananab]

What helped me relax was the first time I pretty much totally blew a season and my farm got pretty overgrown. Made me realize how low stakes everything is, you're never really punished for failure to rush around doing things. Especially in year one, you basically cant screw up bad enough to make your farm any worse than it would be at the start of a new season anyway.

 

[Negative]

It's hard not get that feeling of having to rush, even though you don't need to. I also wish time wouldn't pass in buildings.

But there's plenty of time to do things. You can just spend one day entirely on fishing, or one just exploring and talking to people, etc. You don't have to cram in farming, fishing, mining, socializing into each day.

You'll soon figure out your own pace you're comfortable with.

 

[AuthenticM]

My girlfriend is playing on the Switch. She's at the mermaid house with the seashells. How do you interact with the shells? Google just says "right click on them" or "hit them", but we can't find out how.

help please

 

[Tfritz]

My girlfriend is playing on the Switch. She's at the mermaid house with the seashells. How do you interact with the shells? Google just says "right click on them" or "hit them", but we can't find out how.

help please

Click to shrink...

i think you have to sit through the whole show before you can interact with them, then you have to press them in a certain order (the answer is in a Secret Note, and also right here: Mermaid Show: 1-5-4-2-3

 

[AuthenticM]

i think you have to sit through the whole show before you can interact with them, then you have to press them in a certain order (the answer is in a Secret Note, and also right here: Mermaid Show: 1-5-4-2-3

Click to shrink...

Yeah she had waited until the curtains closed again, but nothing was working. Then suddenly it worked. I think it was glitched.

 

[AuthenticM]

I'm thinking of getting this game on GOG. What are some must-have mods? Also, is it complicated to install mods with this game?

 

[Tfritz]

I'm thinking of getting this game on GOG. What are some must-have mods? Also, is it complicated to install mods with this game?

Click to shrink...

I feel like the Content Patcher has pretty straight forward directions and was enough for me personally to follow despite not knowing anything about computers.

https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/2449

Seasonal Villagers outfits is nice, adds a little variety. There are a ton of portrait ones out there, but a lot of them are either unfinished or are just for the Hot Local Singles, and I'm not sure how many are compatible with 1.4

I haven't done any specific gameplay mods, just aesthetic ones, but I remember a lot of folks liked the "harvest anything with a scythe" one?

 

[Pancho]

Hey guys, so I have a question, if anyone can help me.
Been planning on getting my SO a Nintendo Switch this Christmas. She LOVES Stardew Valley, clocking in over 200 hours over multiple farms. She plays on my Switch and I was wondering if there is a way I could transfer all her save data to her Switch if I end up getting her one.

 

[Deleted member 49179]

Do we know when the new 1.4 update will hit iOS?

 

[GJ]

Hey guys, so I have a question, if anyone can help me.
Been planning on getting my SO a Nintendo Switch this Christmas. She LOVES Stardew Valley, clocking in over 200 hours over multiple farms. She plays on my Switch and I was wondering if there is a way I could transfer all her save data to her Switch if I end up getting her one.

Click to shrink...

If she has her own profile on your Switch you can.

Update 1.4 came with 14 new songs ❤️

 

[Swig]

Can you play the game well without fishing? I keep running into situations where I need fish, or it would be good to fish, at least. I HATE the fishing mechanic (playing on Switch), so I never go fishing. Is this going to be a problem? I'm new to the game.

 

[Negative]

Can you play the game well without fishing? I keep running into situations where I need fish, or it would be good to fish, at least. I HATE the fishing mechanic (playing on Switch), so I never go fishing. Is this going to be a problem? I'm new to the game.

Click to shrink...

Well, you miss out on a decent source of income early in the game. Townspeople will sometimes ask for fish on the town bulletin board, and some recipes require certain types of fish. Fishing will also give you treasure chests which is a great way of finding some missing artifacts and other cool items.

Fishing also gets easier as you level up the skill and get better equipment.

But yes, it's possible to play without fishing.

 

[MonthOLDpickle]

Also some of the special fish and such are needed for the community center.

 

[Swig]

Also some of the special fish and such are needed for the community center.

Click to shrink...

I think this is my biggest issue. Outside of buying fish from random vendors when they have them, I don't have a way of making progress on that part of the community center. I just wish the fishing mechanic was better. It's not enjoyable and just frustrating, which is not what I want when playing a game.. lol. I really don't care for the idea of going through it hundreds of times for game progression.

 

[Negative]

I think this is my biggest issue. Outside of buying fish from random vendors when they have them, I don't have a way of making progress on that part of the community center. I just wish the fishing mechanic was better. It's not enjoyable and just frustrating, which is not what I want when playing a game.. lol. I really don't care for the idea of going through it hundreds of times for game progression.

Click to shrink...

Are you finding it difficult? They added a simple fishing rod that you can buy at Willy's. I played on both the Switch and the PC with a controller. You just have to tap the button to hold the bar over the fish. Some fish (like catfish) are more difficult than others and will require a higher level to catch. But the regular fish should be no problem.

 

[Swig]

Are you finding it difficult? They added a simple fishing rod that you can buy at Willy's. I played on both the Switch and the PC with a controller. You just have to tap the button to hold the bar over the fish. Some fish (like catfish) are more difficult than others and will require a higher level to catch. But the regular fish should be no problem.

Click to shrink...

I'll go give it a few more tries. Maybe I just hooked difficult fish to catch, but every time I've tried fishing has been miserable. I know how the minigame works, the controls to control it are just awful (I get that's what makes it a challenge) and it's frustrating.

 

[Negative]

I'll go give it a few more tries. Maybe I just hooked difficult fish to catch, but every time I've tried fishing has been miserable. I know how the minigame works, the controls to control it are just awful (I get that's what makes it a challenge) and it's frustrating.

Click to shrink...

Definitely go buy the training rod at Willy's. The green bar is much larger on it. The only downside is that you can only catch basic fish with it (no silver or gold star fish), but it will help you catch the fish and increase your fishing skill. Also, fish up at the mountain lake for Carp, they are the easiest fish to catch. they always stay at the bottom of the bar.

Early in the game you will lose several fish, just due to the fact that your fishing skill is low (green bar is small) and some fish dart around too much. Later on you can attach different types of tackle to the pole to help even further with fishing (some increase the size of your fishing bar, others cause the fish to escape more slowly when you're not reeling it in).

I think after a while you will wonder how you ever had a problem with it.

 

[Negative]

I just realized you're playing on the switch so it doesn't have the new update, meaning the training rod isn't available. My bad.

I still suggest fishing up at the lake for Carp, though.

 

[GJ]

Just to be safe; I believe the training rod is only in 1.4, so that would only be available on PC for now. The Switch update is supposedly coming in Jan 2020.

edit: Lol, beaten by mere seconds.

 

[Deleted member 3082]

 

[Swig]

Thanks for the tips. I'll give it another try. I'll see if I can update and get the training rod.. lol.

 

[GJ]

Click to shrink...

Or not. Damn. ConcernedApe is working fast lately.

 

[Negative]

Oh well there you go

 

[Deleted member 49179]

Any news about the 1.4 iOS release?

 

[GJ]

Any news about the 1.4 iOS release?

Click to shrink...

Still January for now.

 

[Edge]

Time for triple dipping with the Switch version.
I always wanted to import the physical version, but with this high price at the moment, buying the digital version first for 14 bucks doesn't hurt if I import for the collection later.
Haven't played it in at least 2 years but I was so into it when it was new, couldn't get my hands off of it.
Was thinking on which farm I start this time since I always only played on the standard map since I never wanted to go too specific, but I really love the look of the new four corners map and even starting a new single player save, this map is perfect for separating your map into specific things while still having enough place to build.

Anyone else starting solo on four corners or are there any negatives?

 

[Mengy]

So I finally just got around to buying SDV last week. I was pretty sure I'd like the game but I've never been in a rush to get it. Well let me tell you, man I'm hooked on it now. This game is fun, relaxing, great, and extremely impressive work for one guy. I should be working on my own games I'm developing yet I keep coming back to Stardew Valley instead! Time to start excercising some good old fashioned willpower, lol.

I'm only at the start of my first summer, barely made any money in the spring but I'm now getting the hang of the game and my farm is starting to take shape. Think I'm going to start spending more time in the mine though, I need some ores.

What a wonderful game, I keep singing the music to myself.

 

[Easystride]

So I finally just got around to buying SDV last week. I was pretty sure I'd like the game but I've never been in a rush to get it. Well let me tell you, man I'm hooked on it now. This game is fun, relaxing, great, and extremely impressive work for one guy. I should be working on my own games I'm developing yet I keep coming back to Stardew Valley instead! Time to start excercising some good old fashioned willpower, lol.

I'm only at the start of my first summer, barely made any money in the spring but I'm now getting the hang of the game and my farm is starting to take shape. Think I'm going to start spending more time in the mine though, I need some ores.

What a wonderful game, I keep singing the music to myself.

Click to shrink...

This is me to a T right now. I picked up a Switch Lite on Black Friday and just got this game. I have two RPGs in my backlog and all I want to do is play Stardew Valley lol. The Switch Lite and Stardew Valley are the perfect match.
I'm only just getting the hang of the game now towards the end of the first spring but I still have a lot to learn. Hardly done any crafting(fences, etc.) because I'm too broke.

 

[Negative]

What a wonderful game, I keep singing the music to myself.

Click to shrink...

I picked up the soundtrack on vinyl. It's great.

 

[Deleted member 49179]

I picked up the soundtrack on vinyl. It's great.

Click to shrink...

This is beautiful!

 

[Negative]

I like that you can now easily take a screenshot of your entire farm.

And house

 

[Mengy]

I like that you can now easily take a screenshot of your entire farm.

Click to shrink...

Oh, how do you do that? I'm on PC...

 

[Negative]

Oh, how do you do that? I'm on PC...

Click to shrink...

It's in the options menu, the controls tab. All the way at the bottom.

 

[Mengy]

So I spent my weekend gaming time playing nothing but SDV. I'm already through my first year and into the start of spring of year 2. My little meager farm did okay, I managed to make profits and improve the farm while experimenting and exploring along the way. Spring 2 is going much better for me now with a mixture of sprinkler crops and cows + chickens. I also started experimenting with the artisan stuff, making some jelly and cheese and such. Got down to about 90 in the mines as well. Gonna try to push down farther next winter but for the growing seasons I'm trying to make cash to further build the farm up. Going to work on those community center quests too.

This game is seriously impressive in its design. The seasonal mechanics are genius as the feel of the game changes and cycles as you play. And there is so much to do in the game yet its not overly punishing as to discourage experimentation. That plus the creative aspects and freedom of it all just meld into a wonderful gaming experience. Master class game design.

And the music, damn I've been humming the music to myself all week! I need to get the OST for this game.

Oddly enough, SDV reminds me of Chrono Trigger. Sure it's a different type of game but it has the same fun optimistic feel, and the graphic style plus it's music just scream Chrono Trigger levels of game quality to me.

 

[Dutch Masters]

For anyone who's played through Stardew Valley before and is looking for a fresh replay I highly suggest downloading Stardew Valley Expanded, it adds a ton of new content and will give that magical first playthrough feeling again.

The only real gripe I have with it is that it extends the bus driving scene into the desert which normally wouldn't be a big issue but in multiplayer the time doesn't stop so driving to the desert eats up roughly 40 min of in game time.

 

[Buttchin-n-Bones]

For anyone who's played through Stardew Valley before and is looking for a fresh replay I highly suggest downloading Stardew Valley Expanded, it adds a ton of new content and will give that magical first playthrough feeling again.

The only real gripe I have with it is that it extends the bus driving scene into the desert which normally wouldn't be a big issue but in multiplayer the time doesn't stop so driving to the desert eats up roughly 40 min of in game time.

Click to shrink...

Does SDV expanded conflict at any new content from 1.4?

 

[Dutch Masters]

Nothing I've run into so far, it's been updated after the 1.4 patch dropped so I'd imagine it was built with 1.4 in mind.

One thing I haven't tested yet is using any of the new fish in the fishing ponds.

 

[ilikesanta]

I played for the first time over a year ago, got to year three and had my first child, but eventually got burnt out and moved on. Flash forward, some friends were wanting to play muti-player, so now I have a switch and am playing on 3 different farms (1-offline, 2-online). Them hooks are in deep.

 

[bananab]

I'm jealous, I got 90 hours in on mobile, picked it up on switch but am having a heck of a time getting started because I gotta start over + learn different controls to boot. Gotta power through I need my addiction back

 

[Bluforce]

So, I am in year 6, almost 7 billion in money, I did all the bundles (even the last one), I reached level 100 in the mines and 100 in the Skull Cavern, I shipped almost every item (missing just tea stuff), I donated almost every artifact at the museum.

How am I supposed to get a prismatic shard?
175 hours of gameplay and I didn't find any of those.
I only got two mystic stones, and they gave me just basic stuff!

I think that the rarity of prismatic shard is too exagerate. It's not fun.
Moreover, I need at least two of those, one for the museum, one for the sword.

 

[Negative]

So, I am in year 6, almost 7 billion in money, I did all the bundles (even the last one), I reached level 100 in the mines and 100 in the Skull Cavern, I shipped almost every item (missing just tea stuff), I donated almost every artifact at the museum.

How am I supposed to get a prismatic shard?
175 hours of gameplay and I didn't find any of those.
I only got two mystic stones, and they gave me just basic stuff!

I think that the rarity of prismatic shard is too exagerate. It's not fun.
Moreover, I need at least two of those, one for the museum, one for the sword.

Click to shrink...

That's weird, I get them all the time. I'm currently in Fall Year 2 of my new farm and I've already found 3 of them. Used one for the museum, one for the sword, and one is sitting on a table in my house for display. They're also supposed to be more common as an enemy drop once you've reached the bottom of the mines, but I guess you've only reached level 100? 120 is the bottom.

 

[Bluforce]

That's weird, I get them all the time. I'm currently in Fall Year 2 of my new farm and I've already found 3 of them. Used one for the museum, one for the sword, and one is sitting on a table in my house for display. They're also supposed to be more common as an enemy drop once you've reached the bottom of the mines, but I guess you've only reached level 100? 120 is the bottom.

Click to shrink...

My bad, i meant 120 in the mines.
It's really weird :(
Now I have circa 50 Omni Geodes. I'm sure I'll find stone and copper ore XD

 

[Bluforce]

Great news, folks!
Yesterday I opened 183 omni geodes and I found TWO prismatic shards!!!

 

[Pudie]

Anyone have any mod suggestions for a newbie on mobile?? Not looking to add or change too much, just some QoL mods.

 

[Aurica]

Just started playing again after only playing a bit at launch, and I'm honestly blown away by the content.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

I like that you can now easily take a screenshot of your entire farm.

Click to shrink...

This is gorgeous by the way! Makes me want to revisit my farm. I think I left my game on winter of year 3, and I wanted to rearrange a lot of stuff.

 

[Rodney McKay]

I posted this over in the mobile gaming forum, but I thought people here would like to know that the 1.4 update should be coming to iOS and Android soon!:

I was trying to find any new info about when Stardew Valley was going to get the 1.4 update on mobile, and it sounds like it's pretty soon according to a blog post on the Dev's website a few days ago!

"Also, the mobile 1.4 update is currently in the process of rolling out to players over the next several days… first with android, and then followed by iOS."

I've had the game on Switch since it first came out, but I've actually been waiting to start it on my iPad with the 1.4 update.

Click to shrink...

 

[Triggerhappytel]

I revisited my farm last night for the first time in about 6 months, and I'm not happy with it at all. The place is a mess, with treasure chests everywhere and things like furnaces and ornaments scattered around my farm in any place they'd fit. I'm about day 21 of winter year 3, and most of my money has been coming from ancient fruit and some starfruit growing in the greenhouse. I've also got some barrels in the basement of my house to turn those fruit into wine, but this seems to take ages so it's not been producing much.

Will try to get back to it soon. I've watched a few videos for it on YouTube recently and that has put me in the mood to play it again.