Bleakbane... Farms...? 04 [Stardew Valley] · 12:07pm Jul 14th, 2019
Part 4: Water lot of effort farming is...
Another big one, since I have been playing basically every night and will be for all of today, like as not. Fair cop to it, it IS as addictive and relaxing as folk have said. (And would functionally work as a "I only have an hour to kill" game...)
(Finishing my first proper run of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is going to have to wait for a bit. (Being as I am at the stage I'm max level and most of the way through, there is jst not as much goal-orientating to go for. Stardew Valley is a bit like the Grand Stratagy Games - there's always some continuous planning, which seems to just work for me. That said, I usually start to lose steam (pun unintended) after about a hundred hours or so of a game, and I've passed that point with PoE 2 now.))
Sunday, Summer Day 5, Year One
Illy watched a bit more of Mr Pator today and has Learned Some Things...
For a kick off, Illy is fracking knackered after watering all her crops. So some messing around in town seems like it will be today's option. She's first going to visit Marnie.
Well, Robin has finished Illy's silo, but Illy has no idea how to use it...
Ohhhhh, Illy automatically gets hay from chopping plants down! Neat!
Hi Marine.
Oh ho, this is where Mayor Linkara's purple shorts are!
Well, Illy is in no position to judge, she's over two hundred and trying to get in the pants of someone a tenth of her age, so she can only nod her head and remember to give Mayor Linkara a high-five when she sees him next.
(Illy is not as surprised as she might be, because of Mr Pator...!)
But, this means she will have to become friends with Marnie. Illy hopes Marnie likes silver dandelions...
Oh dear, poor George! Illy can help!
No, Penny has this covered!
Why is half this town a load of grumpy old meanies?
Don't you listen to him, Penny, you keep doing good stuff!
Well, George is sorry he got snippy, so everything is forgiven. Illy nods sagely. Young people do get so impatient these days.
George and Penny both get a bit of a thousand yard stare as they contemplate that.
George wheels himself back inside.
Penny reflects is must be difficult to grow old.
Illy say it isn't actually very hard, she managed it with no problems! Penny will be fine!
Penny doesn't really have a response for that. Her mouth opens several times, but she doesn't say anything, so Illy assumes she must be practising goldfish impressions for the children. Bye, Penny!
Haley wonders what Alex-short-for-Alexander is doing today. Illy hopes he is being buried in a shallow grave. Actually, she would happily help him, given half a chance.
Illy thinks she might be able to get some bait for her crabpots from Willy. Willy, however, is apparently the worst fishing shop ever and only has trout soup and a bamboo pole for sale. What kind of fishing shop is he running where he doesn't have bait? *sigh*
Illy has a cat!
Wow, thinks Illy, this is kind of ridiculous how well matched they are, isn't it?
Ahaha! This is where the earthquake uncovered something!
Huh. Well, this is where the train is. Illy wonders why no-one in the village actually bothered trying to clear the landslide that blocked it or something. Actually, things look like they are in pretty good nick, considering. Illy wonders if anyone is around...
In the bathhouse, Illy is almost tempted to see what happens...
But she is a good, lawful girl and will only go on the ladies side. (Also, in Illy experience, the majority of boys are rather icky, and Pelican Town has done little to change her mind...)
Well, it is ever likely to if this place has been shut off for heavens know how long.
...
Illy takes a deep sniff anyway, which is not creepy at all. Really. She's checking for atmospheric poisons. Shoulder!Alluria does not believe her.
Where... did... Illy get that bikini from?
Really, who the heck has been maintaining this place?
Illy has a nice swim.
Shoulder!Alluria suggests there may be many advantages to no-one else using the bathhouse if Illy brings Abigail here. Or Haley. Or Penny. Or Leah. Or all of them at once. Illy dunks Shoulder!Alluria in the water.
...
She also needs a cold shower now. Dammit, Shoulder!Alluria!
The farm is locked (whoever lives here cannot get out much), but at the summit, there is a telescope.
Maru would probably like this? Illy has recalled her mentioning about stargazing sometimes.
Oops, it is late, Illy has better head home to bed sharpish!
Summer Day 6
Illy's hot peppers have produced their first crop. Today Illy will go to see if Clint has done with her damn axe yet.
Haley thinks farming sounds boring. She wonders what Illy does all day. Illy, wanting to sound cool - and judging Haley being a bit shallow, says she digs for treasure. This is not an untruth...
Hooray, Illy's axe is done! Illy hurries home to try it out. (Maybe if she's lucky, she also might find some ores or something in the stone around the farm. All the plant watering is leaving her with little energy to go down the mines...)
To Illy's enormous annoyance, the first thing her new axe does is destroy on of her plants by accident. That's incredibly tedious.
(But not quite worth a reload...)
Illy can chop up all those big tree stumps now with her new copper axe.
Illy wonders what the hell material her tools are made of, if copper is an upgrade. Did they give Illy plastic tools or something...?
But not those logs, apparently. Darn it.
After a bit of yard work - which at least nets her a reasonable load of hard wood, Illy is tired and turns in for an early night, after some telly.
Well, that's good news!
Oh, wait, Illy has to pick one. Well, double foraging items sounds a lot better than increased wood price, since Illy does a lot of gathering and hasn't ever sold any wood.
Summer Day 7
That's nice! Emily has given Illy a recipe for salad in the post.
Illy thinks Emily may be dropping hints...
Actually, Illy can't make any food yet, so it is a bit pointless...
Illy's radishes have sprouted. She harvests them and plants some wheat. Illy thought she'd planted wheat, but if so, it's been more than four days and waving her scythe around has had no effect, so..
Abigail is so cool!
Hmm. Forest sounds cool!
Score another one for Illy!
Illy has never looked in Abigail's room before and...
Holy crap, Abigail is sooo. Awesome...!
Oh, sorry, Alex-short-for-Alexander, excuse Illy for making you look like a chump. Actually, Illy doesn't care if she is excused or not. Because you suck.
Illy drop by the community centre. Her new axe has allowed her to get all the hardwood she needs to complete the construction bundle... Which nets her a charcoal kiln! Now, that is handy!
After running around and seeing everyone she's currently trying to butter up and gifted flowers, Illy heads back home.
she puts the kiln next to the furnace.
Little more housework, then bed!
Radishes are worth quite a bit (90g), peppers less so (40g)...
Summer Day 8
Illy's two poppies have grown. Well, that is two less things to water?
It's Gus' birthday, so maybe Illy will give him a flower (as she has no idea what he likes...)
Ooh, Rasmodius wants a melon. Well Illy will take the quest and MAYBE tomorrow, she can actually complete it, if her melons have grown...
Foraging, then...
Apparently, a large mouse lives in the ruined farmhouse and sells hats.
Illy learns something new every day.
Illy has a very poor day's foraging; except for some coral, she finds a solitary spice berry.
She spends the rest of the day on more yard work, but forgets time a bit and is slightly late to bed. Darn.
Summer Day 9
Illy finds a note from hat-mouse (which she doesn’t need, since she saw yesterday...) And some more money from Alluria, who is really committed to that "dad" joke...
Well, Rassy won't be getting his melons, Illy's are still growing. Though some of her flowers have grown, and her second round of hot peppers has come in.
Illy is so in there!
Illy goes to process the geodes she found yesterday in the rocks around the farm... Coal (woo) and calcite - for the museum...
By the time Illy has done all her rounds, she has got a few more flowers, at least. Back to the farm for more clearing of stones.
Illy REALLY needs ores, so she can spend less energy farming and get some sprinklers down (she's not going to make it to the mines at all, at this rate!)
By nine, she's running out of energy, so Illy decides to call it an early night.
Summer Day 10
It's raining!
Right, Illy is going STRAIGHT to the mine!
DARN IT DARN IT DARN IT!!!!
Of all the days, it... GRAAAGH!
*sigh*
Well, at least all those wild seeds have finally sprouted, that will drop Illy's workload a FAIR bit!
To the beach, then... Illy is a little early, so she forages for a bit. Huh, the weird old man is back.
Hang on, the Luau is tomorrow. She didn't read that first word, did she? Silly Illy!
MINE!
Golems and bats are new...
Still, Illy makes fair time, and gets to level 35 before nine. She mines all the stone there, and then calls it a day and goes home, picking up some more foraging as she goes.
She has plenty of energy left, so she hacks a few more trees down, before it gets too late.
Her mining has gone up (finally!)
Summer Day 11
Ill thinks that she ought to make a nice preserves jar and start turning some of those excess fruits clogging up her chests into jam!
Illy's melons are finally ready... She'll keep three handy, and sell the other six. Before she goes to the Luau, she'd better drop by the store for some more seeds...
Or not. It is closed.
Well, guess that's all Illy's doing today.
Luau, then...
Who the frack broke Illy's bridge?!
If Illy has to fix it again...!
Apparently, Marnine says, Illy can add some ingredients to the soup. She'll come back, socialising first.
Emily is enjoying herself, at least; everyone else is concerned about the soup and the governor’s presence...
After Illy does her rounds, she goes back to the soup. Okay, Illy guesses, since the only she has on her is some silver grapes, they can go in the soup. To add some... interesting flavour...?
Time for the luau to start...
Uh-oh...
Phew!
The luau was a success! Time for bed!
Wow, melons are worth 250g each! Illy will try and get another load down tomorrow!
Summer Day 12
Big harvest! The tomatoes are in - oh neat, they keep growing - as well as the hops, more peppers and the starfruit.
Clint wants some ore, so Illy will take a quick trip down the mine. She's not going to go down, just whip about and try and grab some copper.
Nice. With a bit of to-ing and froing (since she has to go down a bit, because you can only exit from the stair up apparently), Illy manages to get 20 copper ore - it might be too late to take it to Clint today, unless she can catch him in the bar - but tomorrow should be fine! But it is sufficently late, Illy goes straight home.
Illy plants the seeds she bought earlier (wheat, for definite this time), cuts another tree down and goes to bed.
Tomorrow, it sounds like a storm, which means it will be ideal for another trip down to the mines - after seeing Clint!
Ooh, Illy's farming is now level 5...!
Illy will go with tilling, since she hasn't got any animals yet. (It's on her list of things to do soon, now her money is creeping back up!)
Tomatoes are worth 66g, not bad...
Summer Day 13
The storm waters the plants, so Illy delivers Clint his ores and heads off down the mine!
After a bit of effort, she reaches level 40!
Yay...?
Illy pops down another level, which is mostly rock and ice, and finally just noses down one more and grabs a little bit or iron ore before legging it topside, since it's ten o'clock. Still, Illy has had a good day! Tomorrow, she will be doing her flower rounds again, and it seems like it would be a good time to upgrade her pickaxe.
Illy spends the last time re-organising her inventory. Oh, finally her jam has finished! That took a while...!
Then she can't get passed Kittymancer to get to bed! Eventually, with a combination of screaming and sword-waving, Illy get Kittymancer out of the way and she can go to sleep!
Huh, hops are only worth 25g....
Summer Day 14
Pam has left a note asking for Pale Ale. Illy has no idea how to get that, but okay... It's probably not a timed quest, so if Pam is not in a hurry...!
Well, hops at least seem to come very regularly, so that's actually not as bad. Oh, great, Illy's blueberries have started! Community centre is another job today!
Hahaha, Yesterday was Alex-short-for-Alexander's birthday! Oh no, Illy missed it, shame!
Hmm, a quest to kill slime frost slimes in the mines. Maybe Illy might manage that, either today or tomorrow, depending on how she gets on...
Oh, Illy hopes they will be much more than neighbours, if Abigail knows what she means...
Illy gives Haley her don't-be-mean flower, and then one to Emily.
Emily heads outside...
Pretty birds...
Illy shouldn't laugh, she did that one time when she was flying and it chuffing hurt. Mind you, she got her own back, as she lured Alluria (when they were still evil) into the same thing a bit later on and beat the crap out of her... Fun times. Sorta...
Emily sees the bird has broken its wing, and takes it in to nurse it back to health. Illy isn't sure this is a great idea with a wild bird (Emily's room is going to be covered in bird poop...), but the thought is very kind.
The geodes Illy has don't bring anything new, so the non-ore stones will be sold later. Illy gives Clint her pickaxe to upgrade and gores to the communuty centre.
Summer crops bundle done! And the reward is... a quality sprinkler! Niiiiice! That waters the eight tiles around it automatically. That might warrant a new crop field...
Illy's quick trip into the mine nets her five of the six slimes, so that's good.
It nearly didn't end well, though... Ouchouchouchouchouch!
Illy just barely makes it to the adventurer’s guild, since the other day, she completed one of their bounties (killing 125 insects) and gets... an Insect Head. Well, despite sounding unimpressive, it is a level 6 weapon, and like her steel sword, has a +2 speed. 10-20 damage instead of 4-8! Excellent! (Buying one from Gunthur is like, 10k!)
Back home!
It's going to rain tomorrow - a good day for a mine trip, then!
Oh, hey, there's a new channel, the "queen of sauce..." Illy learned how to cook pancakes! At some point, she should probably get a kitchen...
Time for bed!
Summer Day 15
Illy checks her plants and her corn and peppers are sprouting! Illy dumps them in the chest and rushes off to give Abigail her quartz - now she is at five hearts! (Out of ten. Illy is so in there!)
Illy nips into see Haley and Emily.
Oh dear, Haley can't get a jar open...
Yeah! No jar can withstand Illy!
Yes, Illy is! That's because she's a devil, Haley.
Illy's pickaxe isn't ready, oh well. To the mines anyway, but she won't be getting much other than that slime killed...
Ooh, Abigail is out in the rain, playing a lovely tune!
Illy likes rain, because it means she doesn't have to water plants. Also, Illy lived in a hell for a while, so anywhere that is not always on fire is also good.
Oh, this isn't sombre, Illy could tell you about sombre ambience...!
Abigail came to spend some alone time - but she doesn't mind Illy's company. (Shoulder!Alluria punches the air.)
Yeah, Illy agrees.
Yes! (Abigail doesn't want to know where Illy keeps it.) Illy decided she ought to take up harp lessons, as that might make her seem a bit more angel-like.
Shoulder!Alluria is doing a little victory dance.
Illy and Abby make beautiful music together.
(Not quite like Shoulder!Alluria would like, but it is a start!)
To the mine!
It takes Illy a couple of tries - sadly the lack of pickaxe is as hamstringing and she feared - but she finds and kills that last slime. Wow, her insect head is so much better than her sword!
She had better find Mayor Linkara, then...
He is at Robin's house. Illy discovers she needs 10k gold before she can get a kitchen.
Typical.
Maybe she should get a coop next... Actually, if she's really fast, she might be able to get Robin on that today, it's not like she's got much else to do!
No, no, dammit, not fast enough.
Tomorrow, then. Community centre, then...
Oh, Jodi wants a melon! Illy can provide that! Tomorrow, it's too late to find Jodi now.
Illy decides, against her better judgement, to finish up trying to do some fishing...
She catches, a broken CD, two broken pairs of glasses, trash and a soggy newspaper. And doesn't even see any fish.
Well, at least her fishing is slightly improving...
Time for bed.
And there we shall leave her for today...
Here's hoping the game actually lets you be a lesbian. Would be rather unfortunate for this entire playthrough if that wasn't allowed.
5088733
You can be romantically involved with any of the availible single characters regardless of your character's gender.
5088740
Ah, good. Frankly, that's probably the first innovation I'd add to any Rune Factory clone, because it would score me brownie points with the LGBT community while being literally no work at all. (The collective realization that this is the case is why we're getting so much of this kind of pandering recently)
5088744
The thing that tickles me about this sort of thing is that it is actually LESS coding to do that and be inclusive than it is to make specific exceptions. If you think about it, it means, like, instead of having to add a modifier of "player_gender = female" or whatever to every bit of relevant dialogue, you don't have to do it at all! Sure, it's not a big time-saver, but it is one.
(Like the way BATTLETECH and Deadfire for instance allow you to pick and portrait and voice set you want, regardless of male/female; it's just a fraction less work, innit?)
5089076
Exactly, It's a negative amount of work for a significant PR boost. (Although for verisimilitude's sake, you may still need those variables to decide the hows and whys of babies)