How to Pick Up Stardew Valley Again
Not every great video game needs fantasy and flashy storylines of the world almost ending; sometimes the story of leaving the city behind and taking the plunge into a new humble farm life is all players need to have a good time. Stardew Valley doesn't need all the bells and whistles to be considered a great title; the mundane feel of everyday farm life is its main appeal.
In the flurry of all the fun new things to do in this new life, one can find themselves a bit overwhelmed, but don't worry. Every new farmer eventually finds the routine that works best for them. But there are a few tasks and details that most dedicated fans would recommend newcomers to prioritize before it's too late, and year 1 has already come to a close. Here are a few things every new player should do right away when starting Stardew Valley.
Updated January 16, 2022 by Christine Mendoza : Despite its initial release being all the way back in 2016, Stardew Valley continues to thrive and grow. Developer, Eric Barone (a.k.a. ConcernedApe) is dedicated to giving his fans and supporters all he's got, and continues to add more exciting updates and helpful quality of life fixes. Of course, with how much continual support and updates that Stardew Valley gets, it's only natural that the fanbase grows day by day. While these new updates may be exciting to long-time fans, to newcomers, they may seem overwhelming. For any new fans that need a few pointers on what to move to the top of their to-do list for year 1, this article has been updated with a few helpful tips to run a successful farm (and have fun while doing it).
15 Get Accustomed To The Map
Time is money, and travel/commute time can suck precious hours out of the day. Avoid wasting time trying to find the way around town; getting lost when tracking down citizens, store locations, or finding the best way back home after a long day can ruin the overall profit made.
Don't just go about the day wandering about; instead, get accustomed to each important location. It's best to make an effort in learning the map and where each building, shop, or NPC is for the sake of saving time going in the wrong direction or constantly bringing up the map. When starting out, make a point to find and plan out the best routes to each frequently visited location in order to keep things efficient right away.
14 Unlock The Minecart
The minecart is one of the most valuable assets, as it can maximize the amount of work done in the span of a regular workday. Although it is a good idea to work on all bundles at the community center, it's most efficient to prioritize the "Boiler Room" bundle. (For the JojaMart route, this would be purchased for 15,000g.)
Unlocking the minecart essentially creates fast-travel points around town at the mines, bus stop, and the quarry. One of the most helpful things is the route the minecarts create between the mines and the bus stop near the farm. This quick shortcut home makes for longer days fighting through levels in the mines and grabbing monster loot, all without succumbing to exhaustion at the end of the day.
13 Find And Equip The Glow Ring
The glow ring and the small glow ring are obtained via special monster drops, fishing treasure chests, or breaking barrels underground in the mines. Once found, it's best to equip it right away. The mines are a dangerous place and are often dimly lit, so the glow will prove a useful aid.
The glow ring emits light around the player's avatar, making navigation through the mines much easier. Not only is the glow ring a helpful starter item, in the mines, but also it aids when farming or walking through the town at nighttime when there aren't any other light sources around. The glow ring's effects can be stacked with another glow ring, a small glow ring, or even an iridium band to create an even larger radius of light.
12 Repair The Bus Stop
The bus stop is another means of transportation in the game, but this time, it's not merely a shortcut. Instead of allowing the player to get from one place to another in town quickly, repairing the bus stop means unlocking an entirely new area.
Repairing the bus stop involves purchasing every vault bundle, totaling a whopping 42,500g (40,000g for the JojaMark route) to get up and running. Of course, this can't immediately be accomplished when beginning the game, but it is worth saving up for as soon as possible. A bus ride will take the player to the Calico Desert, where an entirely new set of sights, faces, environments, and profitable produce will be available.
11 Light A Path Home
At the beginning of the game, many players are surprised by how dark the town can get after sunset. Navigation is near impossible when just starting out as there's no familiarity with the map, nor are there enough light sources around. A simple, yet genius, solution is to craft one's very own light sources for themselves; but rather than carrying around a fire all night, it's best to craft multiple lights and place them around areas that need illumination. Not only is the farmland free to be decorated, the areas near the farm or leading to them (such as the bus stop or the path north of the farmland) can also be illuminated with handy light sources.
While there are a plethora of fancy (and expensive) light sources that can eventually be crafted, the best bet for beginners is the simple torch, as it only needs a single wood and two sap to craft. Simply craft and place them on any frequented path, and finding the way home at night will become a breeze.
10 Watch TV Every Morning
Making the transition over from city life to country life doesn't mean saying goodbye to all pastimes. Taking a quick TV break isn't a bad thing; in fact, it's encouraged. Before each day of hard farm work begins, make sure to watch a bit of TV before heading out. Specific programs will help with various aspects of the game; from giving useful tips to new recipes. Those few extra seconds taken to check what's on TV will pay off in the long run.
The weather report is especially useful for picking out the perfect day to upgrade the watering can as it'll then be with the blacksmith for the next couple of days.
9 Invest And Build Scarecrows
Crops are a farmer's bread and butter and unfortunately, crows just can't keep their greedy beaks away. Ensuring all crops are flourishing and ready to be sold every morning means protecting them from nearby critters.
Don't allow these pests to have their way. Invest in foraging and harvesting items to build a few scarecrows right away. This simple fix will ensure that there aren't any missing or ruined crops every morning that, if left alone, would cost a hefty amount of lost profit.
8 Check The Bulletin Board Everyday For Quests
The beginning month of the game can feel a little hopeless at times with money being so tight. On top of caring for the crops every morning, it's best to make a habit of always checking the bulletin board just outside of Pierre's shop. There, the player will find the occasional listing written by other residents of the town, asking for help with miscellaneous tasks.
These little quests are a great way to busy oneself if in the beginning stages of simply waiting for crops to grow. Not only does it help the player get acquainted with the townsfolk, but most importantly, it's a great way of making extra coin each day.
7 Prepare For Upcoming Seasons
Keeping track of the ever-changing weather is important for everyone, but for a farmer, it means their livelihood. Keep an eye on the calendar, don't just keep a routine of tending to the garden and buying up the seeds in Pierre's stock. Nothing is worse than buying up a fortune of expensive seeds to plant, just to have the weather change and for them to stop growing.
Each season within the game lasts 28 days. Make it a point to begin planning out if it's possible to grow a crop within the appropriate time frame before the season ends and ruins the whole garden!
6 Make Friends And Gift Everyone
Although Stardew Valley is a game revolving around farm life, that doesn't mean there's no time for socializing. Half the game's appeal is within the incredibly detailed and intricate stories each town resident has behind them. Make sure not to keep a one-track mind and only focus on the farm life; play the character and explore the town!
Talking to each member of the town is fulfilling on its own but for those that are looking for even more profound relationships, gifts are a great way to show affection. Remember to gift all the townsfolk to get their friendship meters up; and who knows, maybe that friendship could flourish into something romantic as well.
5 Keep Some Grass On The Farm
Once livestock is available to purchase, those animal friends will become a valuable asset to the player's farm. Along with companionship, these animals will bring new resources to sell for good coin. However, these animals, like any other living creature, need sustenance.
Make sure to leave a few patches of grass when clearing the plot of land for crops as these tall grass bushes can then be harvested for hay. Buying hay can be pricey and will ultimately dampen the overall profit that comes from the livestock. Using grass and saving up to build a silo will help with the costs of livestock maintenance in the long run.
4 Save Materials To Repair The Bridge On The Beach
Aside from profits from selling crops, there's a good amount of money found in the simple act of foraging as well. Foraging is important; simple flowers or berries can really rack up in the end and help with paying off expenses. However, it's important to consider saving up materials to repair the broken bridge in the beach area of town as that area is filled with more valuable items to forage for.
Make sure not to neglect this valuable resource! This bridge requires 300 pieces of wood to repair, so it's best to make it a point to save some up to unlock this new area as soon as possible.
After a few days, the Community Center will open up, allowing the player to donate bundles to help repair certain parts of the town. These bundles consist of various items found in-game, ranging from things that are only obtained from livestock to things that can only be found when mining.
These bundles also range in difficulty of obtaining them as well and are separated into seasons. Once the season is over, and say one or two items of a bundle are missing, the player will be out of luck. Those items won't be available to harvest or forage for an entire year until the season makes its round again. It's a good idea to start collecting these bundles right away, so progress can be made all year round.
2 Make Sure To Plant Crops Near Water
One of the most common mistakes when starting up the garden area is planting seeds wherever seems "okay." Plan ahead! It's difficult to keep building around the initial plot of soil, then realizing another location would have been better when it's far too late.
For starters, make sure to plant the first batch of seeds next to a nearby pond. Watering can be fatiguing and making the trip back to a water source for a quick refill when tending to crops can take up a lot of time. Avoid this by ensuring that the very first set of seeds planted are next to a pond for easy refilling access.
1 Prioritize The Backpack Upgrade
Bigger inventory means getting more tasks done for the day. Upgrading the backpack should be one of the first things every player should aim to save up for! Inventory upgrades should almost always take priority. Making trips back and forth from farm to chest, chest to store, and back can be a waste of time and energy.
Players can do themselves a huge favor by putting this upgrade at the top of their list in the beginning stages of Stardew Valley for the sake of convenience, profit, and efficiency.
Stardew Valley is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Playstation Vita, iOS, and Android.
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Source: https://gamerant.com/stardew-valley-first-things-to-do/
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