Stardew Valley: Indie Harvest Moon on PC

[Blaine]

 

[SirSingAlot]

perfect relaxing derp game.
even makes me think i could do smtg remotely productive ike growing vegetables or cutting trees.
level of challenge is just right (hint: you cannot fail)
graphics are georgous, music is love.

and holy cow (pun intended), this game is selling like nuts (pun intended).

 

[Cyberarmy]

Wait, there's no fail state in this game?

Nope, there is always a way to make money even when you lost all your crops and waste your money on hookers and booze.

 

[Talby]

Does that mean there's no end state as well? It's just an ongoing sandbox ala Minecraft/Terraria?

 

[Blaine]

Typically in Harvest Moon-type games (though not always), you can go on planting and harvesting forever, yes. However, the theoretical end state is when you've finished all of the story and town progression and build-up, grown and shipped every crop at the highest quality, cooked every meal recipe, maximized every NPC relationship, finished every collection and bundle, fished every fish, slain every monster, and collected all the best and rare items, furniture, crafting stations, and equipment.

Rune Factory 4 had ending scenes and end credits, but you could continue playing if you wanted.

Wait, there's no fail state in this game?

You can't lose the game, but you can fuck up plenty—lose a once-per-year event, bungle catching a legendary fish, lose your crop, and so on. Also, the penalty for dying in the mines (or getting hit by the train) is quite harsh.

 

[Rahdulan]

In comparison, Harvest Moon - Back to Nature gives you a three year limit to basically succeed at reviving the farm and integrating into the society, so to speak. From what I remember you CAN fail at the end because the major shows up and tells you how you didn't get along with the villagers which results in game over screen. Although I really can't remember the specifics in what you have to not do exactly to fail. Just be anti-social and avoid everyone?

 

[Blaine]

FUCKING THUNDERSTORMS RUINING MY CROPS!

One neat thing though is that lightning can fell trees, apparently, and possibly also fuck up fences. I heard something crack and fall over.

 

[Cyberarmy]

If you hate thunderstorms that much wait for that frigging meteor to hit your precious crops...

 

[Blaine]

If you hate thunderstorms that much wait for that frigging meteor to hit your precious crops...

Nah, the meteor already landed way off to the west side.

I didn't care too much about the lightning taking out a couple of summer mix sprouts and flowers, but the blueberries were a low blow. That's my cash crop and preserves fodder.

People who think there's no risk or challenge in these sorts of games don't know anything about them. It's true that you can muddle through like a retard without being permanently killed or getting a game over screen, but in some types of simulations that's often beside the point.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Still having fun playing ave explorer. I've gotten pretty close to what I'd assume is the bottom, and started befriending the dwarf and wizard- annoyingly, his text wasn't actually a proper cipher, so all the notes on his speech I was taking proved pointless. Also, I unlocked the minecarts, which aren't terribly useful but definitely feel like progress to have.

 

[SirSingAlot]

best thing is, you can rpg as a total loner nerd.

i am in my first year and didnt even greet all neighbours cuz i am busy with important things.
if i wanted relations, i wouldnt become a farmer.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Your wife helps you with farming, not much but still free energy.

 

[Harpsichord]

Does that mean there's no end state as well? It's just an ongoing sandbox ala Minecraft/Terraria?

If you go to the Northwest corner of your farm you'll find a shrine that upon activation gives you a message from your grandfather's ghost. He says he'll show up in three years to see how things have been going.

In every HM game I've played, there's a similar mechanic, 3 years and you get what basically amounts to your end state based on your performance during those first three years.

 

[Havoc]

I loved the SNES Harvest Moon, not so much the later creations. How is this compared to the old HM?

 

[Harpsichord]

I loved the SNES Harvest Moon, not so much the later creations. How is this compared to the old HM?

It's most similar to the SNES and N64 versions.

Main difference is that UI and controls are (greatly imo)improved and it has on-the-fly crafting mechanics in addition to the usual blacksmith upgrade path.

 

[Turisas]

I loved the SNES Harvest Moon, not so much the later creations. How is this compared to the old HM?

It's like that, and then some.

 

[Havoc]

So worth the buy? That is the question.

 

[Mozg]

This game gives me severe "I could do so much unconnected random shit without losing that it makes me want to just shut the game off" syndrome.

I need a farming game where the sharecropper landlord will come by and beat my character to death at the end of the week if I don't grow enough turnips

 

[Damned Registrations]

Mods will fix that for you. Except instead of beating you to death he'll drag you back to his sex dungeon to pay your debts.

 

[Blaine]

So worth the buy? That is the question.

If you've played any other HM-style farming sim and enjoyed it, then yes, it's worth the buy. Stardew Valley is almost certainly at least as good as it, and possibly better.

 

[SirSingAlot]

if you are just remotely interesting in a well done relaxing simulation game that doesnt focus on tough strategic decisions but still keeps you interested and busy for like 50hrs+ min, than yes, ship it.
its just 13.99 and sells like the truth on steam for a reason (also 98% positive feedback from the plebs)

 

[Blaine]

Relaxing my fucking ass, I take a break from this game to de-stress by doing chores around the house. Shit's nerve-wracking in the first year, and if you forget something important? Well, FUCK YOU.

 

[Blaine]

 

[Cyberarmy]

So, about grandpa...

He is a major jerk who is very hard to please it seems.

 

[Blaine]

Have you tried sucking his dick?