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Chloe Jewel's son Billy is presumably Billy Joel? Nothing else caught me. Except maybe something about salamanders.
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Jan 22, 2020 18:25
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quote:Once I realized how little help my partner was in the beginning, I just stopped asking. This is why the partner irks me. I am enjoying the personality and writing of Pete -- it's the sheer incompetence and laziness that gets my goat. The partner is so laughably awful, it's more work to ask them than it is to do it all oneself. Since the major resource management is time, it seems like the game is going out of its way to troll you with just how bad the partner is at doing anything useful, and seeing how they are when they're at full friendship doesn't help their case. --game mechanics aside, the laziness/incompetence is a pet peeve of mine. It's not Pete - who is a lot of fun to read - it's the game deliberately making the partner annoying.
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Jan 23, 2020 06:58
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Kacie posted:This is why the partner irks me. Er, this next update might surprise you then. It seems there's more than a 00-FF value hiding behind the friendship system, though I'm not sure how far the rabbit hole goes. I might have to play around with the variables sometime to see how in depth it is. It might even become a bonus update of its own. (That being said, the game is going to troll us at more than one point, especially regarding Pete, unfortunately.) Black Robe posted:Chloe Jewel's son Billy is presumably Billy Joel? Nothing else caught me. Except maybe something about salamanders. Yep, that's one of the names. You've earned yourself a double vote! I'll admit some of them are minor/obscure, but hey, where's the fun without a little challenge? --- I've already recorded this week's events, and the good news is we're doing significantly better than we were. The bad news is that the definitions of what the Farmer Union demands for animals is still unclear. Also, it turns out that random Asparagus seed bag I couldn't explain was actually Bird's fault. I figured it was a typo when the guide I use claimed Gray Cats bring summer seeds in spring, but apparently it's not. That also means pink cats are possibly the least useful pet of them all. Why would I need spring seeds in summer? I'll remedy these errors in my next bonus update. Also Bird is major credit to team. The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 07:23 on Jan 23, 2020 |
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Jan 23, 2020 07:17
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The Flying Twybil posted:Also Bird is major credit to team. Sounds like the cat is more useful than a built surfer dude partner.
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Jan 23, 2020 08:19
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Trade Pete for another cat.
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Jan 23, 2020 08:40
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Bringing Summer seeds in Spring actually seems great, because while it's delayed it gives you time to get everything up and running / find the six power berries on the farm before you have to plant all your cat-gotten gains.
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Jan 23, 2020 15:31
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DACK FAYDEN posted:Bringing Summer seeds in Spring actually seems great, because while it's delayed it gives you time to get everything up and running / find the six power berries on the farm before you have to plant all your cat-gotten gains. It's pretty nice considering that some of the summer seeds take a long while to grow. I just initially figured it would be bring seeds for the present season. I still can't fathom the mechanical use of a Pink Cat, though. There aren't any pet exclusive spring seeds and it only brings said seeds to you in the summer, which means you've got another 2 month wait before they're useful. Bird, a gray/summer cat has been bringing non-summer seeds though, so I have to wonder how correct these old guides are.
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Jan 23, 2020 20:05
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The Flying Twybil posted:It's pretty nice considering that some of the summer seeds take a long while to grow. I just initially figured it would be bring seeds for the present season. Maybe the pink cat is like some sort of weird hard mode option? There are a few games I can think of where there isn't anything like a set difficulty level, but you can make choices about things that effectively create varied difficulty levels.
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Jan 24, 2020 23:06
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Lazyfire posted:Maybe the pink cat is like some sort of weird hard mode option? There are a few games I can think of where there isn't anything like a set difficulty level, but you can make choices about things that effectively create varied difficulty levels. If you wanted hardmode, you could just leave the pet indoors. Their abilities don't function inside, as far as I've been told. Regardless, its really odd and I'd like to find out more because something's telling me these 17 year old guides aren't completely accurate. This being said, the next update is coming, but I've had my hands full with a few other things that decided to briefly show up. It'll take me some time to get it done, but it'll be a decent bit late in regards to the schedule. Apologies for this, but the next update should have some interesting stuff in it to compensate. Edit on the 29th: The next update is still coming along. I've got some of it done, though I'll need a good bit more time to get it done. I've had my hands full recently, and though that cleared up, they're a bit full again. It doesn't help I've been a bit sick recently. It'll take another few days to get it done, but I'll have the next update out eventually. Apologies! The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Jan 30, 2020 |
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Jan 26, 2020 06:16
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Cripes, it's been nearly a whole week already? Again, I apologize for the delay. Long term, I'm likely going to migrate to a once a week schedule for a bit until I've got a lot more time on my hands, but I'll still need some time to get this one update finished. I've got a good bit of the update done already, but it'll take me another day or two to finish it up. I've got some other projects that gained some creative momentum recently, but feel free to blame this delay on my other LP. In the meantime, I believe I've discovered that the cats act a bit different than most of the guides suggest and what I previously thought. It's a minor spoiler, but Bird brought only spring seeds so far for this week, including a rare one. I won't know for sure until next month, but our Grey/Summer cat brings Spring seeds for Spring. I don't know if it's a typo or what, really. Again, there's unfortunately a lot of conjecture on my part as only one of the guides for this game is majorly detailed, but it's even filled with some inaccurate information. I've never played with a cat before, always a bird, and it never brought anything. Ever. The requirements for getting animals still seems a bit unclear, but I'll see what I can do. (And I was also wrong about there not being spring exclusive seeds. There are two flower types I entirely forgot about for Spring.) Also, archaeology proves to be incredibly effective and has earned a large amount of money on its own. It's not very interesting, but I can't complain with it as an easy supplement to our cash flow.
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Feb 5, 2020 02:49
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Stuff happens sometimes, no need to apologise constantly. I follow plenty of LPs that can go months between updates.
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Feb 5, 2020 10:49
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I'm just glad I didn't miss too much. Been busy, so I'm happy that it hasn't gone on too far ahead of me. I really enjoyed this game a lot, I would spend hours on it, playing it secretly in my bed when I was sick. When mom came to check and see if I was sleeping I had to slide it between the mattress and the frame and pretend I was sleeping.  Fun times and great memories.Take your time, we'll still be here when you're ready.
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Feb 5, 2020 14:11
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Update 4: Acadecultria (Spring 8 - 10) Spring 8th Music: The Working Life  Bess is acting a bit better, though she's still being fussy. I think things are going to be looking up for me. It was just a rough start, that's all.  The grass in the cow pasture is starting to grow up pretty well, but I did some thinking this morning and I'm thinking it might be better if I go for chickens first. The paperwork from the Farmer's Union had less strict requirements on getting them.  I needed to kill some time until the stores on the mainland would be open, so I went ahead and started cleaning up the chicken field.   It was mostly a lot of breaking rocks. I still kinda wish I had a pickaxe, but the maul works alright enough.  At about 10 AM, I went and checked on Pete's progress. I'd asked him to clear up a small section of the lower field for me.  The results were about as expected at this point.  : Nothing like farming to get you woke up in the morning, huh, Ms. Alex? : ...Sure. It's a start, at least.: Oh, and we've got some good lookin' potatoes as well, my dude! : They're underground, how do you know what they look like?: Uh...the flowers are big and pretty! That's why!: Really?: Yep, yep, Ms. Alex! It's a guaranteed fact!I mean, it's plausible, but with Pete I really just don't know anymore. : I'm going to get these and head to the mainland for a while today. I'll take it from here, I guess.: Aye aye, captain! I wouldn't know how to define a good looking potato, but they looked fine enough. Not great, but fine. I wish I'd ended up with more as I hardly broke even with what I had today. Once I bought seeds and supplies for the week, I was going to head for the bookstore I'd heard about in the upper level of the mall. I was hoping they'd have something on planting there- a gardening book even, anything to help me figure out how to set this up better. I mean I thought this is how my father did it when I was young, but I guess I'm misremembering a lot of things.  I wish I had a bigger bag, though. I'm not going to lie that it's a bit of a hassle to run back and forth all morning just for a few potatoes. I figured I'd be able to save some money on supplies for the week, if I opted to keep a few potatoes around. Some baked potatoes could keep us going for lunch. When I gave them to Pete, I got an unexpected response to say the least. Music: Pete's Theme (Tutorial BGM)  : Do you think we could use some of them for lunch throughout the week?: I... woah...: Pete? : WOOOAAAAAAH! We grew these!? : Mrrrooooow!: I mean, I guess you technically helped-: Woo! These are like, the best looking potatoes I've seen in a long time! This is the best day ever, EVER!: I think that's a bit hyped for some-: There's never enough hype for farm grown carbs! Mixed with greens and some protein and you've got the best food in the WORLD!: ...Right. Well, uh, here you go. : I'll get right to making lunch!: Make it dinner. I'll be a bit late coming back from the island.I don't know what to do with this guy anymore. I mean, they're just potatoes, right? After whatever that was, I was more than ready to head to the island.   : Any particular time you're planning on getting back?: In a few hours. Be ready by... 2 PM, maybe?: I'd prefer a more specific time, you know.: 2 PM on the dot, then.: Haha, fine. I'll hold you to it.Music: Mainland Stores   The first thing on the list after making what money I could off those potatoes was to buy some more grass seeds. I don't know why they're always so terribly expensive, but I guess long term it seems milk sells better than crops. I clarified some stuff about the shipping process while I was at the Union: I just needed to call them and tell them what I had to sell the day before I came to town. Oh, and by this point, the phone to the island seems to be fixed, but it doesn't seem like they'll have the line open for a while. I should probably write some letters to Mom in the meantime, but those stamp prices are pretty bad.  Before I got too far, a lady at a table near the flower shop waved me over.   : Hi, I'm Daisy! You're a farmer, am I right?: Yeah. How'd you know?: Well, you're dressed for the part. Anyways... : ...am I right?: I'd say so. What I planted came up pretty well.: Ah, thank you! I mean, for answering my question.: It's nothing really, but couldn't you have just asked the store owner?: True, but I work in sales and I'm... er, checking the public opinion first. After all, one's going to promote what they're selling as much as possible, am I right?: Uh, sure, I guess?: Oh, have you tried their turnips yet? I've been wanting to grow some of my own but I want to be sure of the quality.: I haven't yet, but I was planning on it.: If you do, tell me how they turn out! Anyways, thanks for your time!That was an odd encounter to say the least. Luckily, I got it clarified pretty quickly.   : Long time no see! How's it been, Alex?: It's been good, and you?: Well, I can't complain. Don't worry about her over there.: Daisy, you mean?: Yeah. I don't know what she told you, but she's actually one of my seed suppliers.: Huh. So she's checking out how well her stuff sells then?: Mhm. She's a bit eccentric, but she has her heart in the right place.: Yeah, I'd say so.: Say, I could swear I've seen those hips swinging in the step fields before. Were you ever at Magnolia's?: You might have seen me there before. I've used this specific dye number pretty often and I was at a lot of the clubs.: Well, if you ever end up with some time off, maybe we can have a girl's night out.: Heck, it's only been a few weeks for me. Anyways, I'm pretty busy most of the time with the farm, but sure. If ever get some time, I'll call!: I doubt we'd be running any monarchies any time soon, but reliving some old memories would be nice. See you around Alex!: Catch you later, Lukia!You know, after spending some time away from the club scene it's only really just struck me how odd the slang is. I mean, I knew it was odd before, but it really feels that way now. Mrs. Jewel looked busy so I only called out to her for the time being. That, and I really needed to check out this bookstore before it got too late in the day.   Going up the stairs, I came face to face with what I think is a small furniture store. The owner hardly made eye contact and spend most of his time reading through this rather large book, though he seemed a bit fidgety.  : Hey, hey, how's it going? I'm Lucus.: Alex. Nice to meet you.: I mostly sell furniture and appliances here if you're ever wanting for that kind of thing. I've got some other odds and ends around as well, so feel free to take a look around.: Alright, but I must say I'm pretty tight on money right now. I probably won't be able to buy anything.: No worries, this is just a day job for me anyhow. He did have some nice things for sale: some carpets, a televison, and even a saddle (which is what I suppose he meant by odds and ends.) It just seemed a bit odd that he had so little for sale. I didn't bother prying into it, but it still bothers me.  : I wonder what channels we'd get on the island... : Just the news, missy.: I'm sorry, what?: They've only got the news on the island.: Er... thanks.: Don't get me wrong, Lisa's got some of the best news around. Oh! Apologies, I'm one of the cable men around here. I've got a habit of being nosy, apologies for that.: ...Right. Well thanks for getting the phone lines to the mainland fixed.: Not a problem, missy. Hey, if you've ever got the cash... I'm not one for prejudice, but the cable guy was rather intimidating. Actually, the whole furniture section made me a little bit uneasy, and I'm not sure why. Needless to say, with only a bit of change left in my pocket I headed for the bookstore. I'm sure they'd just let me browse for now.  Upon seeing me approach, the young lady at the counter took her eyes from the magazine she was looking through and gave a friendly smile my way. I could tell it was practiced, but it felt a lot nicer than the reaction I got from Lucus.  : Hey there, welcome to my little bookstore. Got anything you're looking for today?: Do you have any gardening manuals? Something specifically related to working in the fields?: I'm sure I've got something on the subject in here. There was this one older book...here, give me a second and I'll find it.: It might be a bit of an odd question...but I'm a bit short on cash. Do you mind if I just read the book here?: I don't mind at all. I always wanted a library, but my mom said I had to make at least a little bit of money. I hardly sell anything to begin with, as I'm really more of a collector.: ...Er, how are you still in business then?: That's easy: my mom owns the whole mall. She doesn't really charge that much anyways, but its not like I have to pay anything.At this point her polite smile had been replaced with a wide grin. She really liked talking about her money, and judging by the diamond earrings I caught flashes of from underneath her hair, she liked showing it too. She's spoiled rotten it seems, but at least she's not mean about it. : Anyways, here's the book I was thinking of. It was bound by hand and everything, one of a kind, never published.: Thanks! I'll take a look at it.It definitely looks like it had been written a long time ago, and the only name written in it to suggest an author was "Alexander". Though you could tell the pages were aged, it was in great shape and the words upon them were greatly helpful. I didn't have nearly enough time to read through it all, but I did find some precise answers to crop layouts alongside some clarification on things I still wasn't sure of. I copied the most important parts onto a sheet of paper that I tucked into my diary. Music: Tools and Seeds "Excerpt from Alexander's Almanac" posted:
: Find what you needed?: Yep, thanks! Say, do you have something on geology? I've got some rocks-: Ooh, really?! No need for a book there, I can tell you anything you want about them! I collect those too!: Really?: Yes, now c'mon and show 'em to me!Apparently, she collects a lot of things. While she went over the rocks and metal shards I had, she rambled on and on about all the things she collected and also more about herself. If you haven't noticed at this point, she really likes talking about herself. She did tell me which of the things I had were actually worth something, so at least I know now what to not bother picking up. : You found some pretty good pieces there, nothing terribly expensive, but definitely some good pieces. Alright, how much do you want?: Huh?: You heard me, I'm buying these for my collection. That is, they are for sale, right?We ended up striking a deal and I left with more money than I thought I'd have. Honestly, it was more money than I'd gotten from farming! It was about time to head back, but I did strike up one last conversation on the way with the other girl at the bookstore. She was shy, but she didn't seem too bothered by me.   : ...book, I've got... a friend who I was thinking of knitting a sweater for.: That sounds like a nice idea for a gift.: Yes...well, my friend is very...large. It might take me a while...: There's still two seasons to go before it gets cold, I'm sure you'd have time for it. I'm never been great at knitting though, so I don't think I'd make it past the first stitches in that time.: Haha...Keep at it then, I was that way too...After that, I used my newfound money to buy some more crop seeds and left for the harbor. That conversation did give me a funny thought, though: how many sheep would you have to shear to make a sweater for Pete? I mean, you'd have to have a whole flock or something to get enough yarn for that.  I didn't see anyone on my way back to the farm, but that was fine as I really needed to get planting. If last time taught me anything, I'd need all the time I could get to get these planted. Music: The Working Life  First thing to do was to set up my new rows. I went going for the most efficient design, those rows with the U shape cut in them, as I have a farm to save.   Unfortunately, where the maul had been designed mostly for smashing rocks, it didn't do too good at removing tilled areas of land. As unusual as it sounds, dropping a wide rock seemed to do the job. It also did a number on me with all that lifting, but hopefully I wouldn't have to do it again any time soon.   After some more work, I got one row done. It had hit about 3 PM, so I figured it would be good to go ahead and plant some while I could see. That way, if I couldn't get it all finished today, I'd at least have some seeds in the ground.  Strangely, I found a bag of seeds in my bag I didn't recognize. It looked a lot like the asparagus seeds at Lukia's store, but I can't be sure. I...I really don't know where they came from. Maybe she gave them to me by accident? I decided to plant them anyhow- I could pay her back later if that was the case.  The first row is all turnips, leaving me with about two bags left.   I realized I didn't yet have all the seeds I'd need to truly capitalize on the long row method, so I did the traditional method in the upper left of the field for a few of the bags. It let me save a bit of time by using more of what work I'd already done. I still could've done the long rows, but some of those potatoes from before were still growing and I didn't want to waste them.  Nearby, I even planted those asparagus seeds.  It started getting dark pretty fast after that, so I ended up staying up pretty late watering the crops.  I got them all in the end, which I'm pretty proud of. Though, I have to admit I was so tired I did this whole journal entry the next morning.  Oh, right, I was up until midnight planting grass seeds in the chicken field. I kinda had to call it there for the day, given the day was officially over. Spring 9th  I woke up pretty groggy this morning, but no sickness like that rainy day. I suppose I should take that as assurance to stay out of the rain from now on.  I'd had an idea yesterday, and even though I was still somewhat exhausted, I wanted to try it out. I got Pete to help me clear out the area for it some. : ...do you think you can manage that? It's a change of pace from watering.: Shouldn't be a problem, Ms. Alex!: Alright, thanks! Just get what you can done, there's really no rush for it. With Pete helping to clear that portion of the field, I went off and collected my usual set of supplies to handle Bess.  Like some sort of miracle, she was fully back to her old docile self. There wasn't any hassle milking her or brushing her, she was just as calm as ever. I suppose she finally got over that one mistake of mine. With a significant amount of good quality milk, I think this week's really looking up.  The grass in the cattle pasture seemed to be taking well. Hopefully I'd be able to arrange something with the Farmer's Union soon, because for all the work I've been doing in the fields, I've hardly spent much time with the animals.  I planted the rest of what I had in a bag there. I know I needed a good amount more of grass before they'd let me get another cow.  On my way to the cellar under the storehouse, I saw Bird doing her usual thing by upsetting dandelion puffs and chasing down the seeds. I've tried feeding her, but she usually doesn't take anything before. Pete has a bit more success, but it seems more like she's not hungry. I guess there must be more mice and such than I thought.   : Did a good job, didn't I, Ms. Alex?: Er, sure.: Okay, I'm headed off to get started on those baked potatoes!: Yeah, that'd be great.You know, I would be able to give him a better answer on that if I could actually tell any work got done. I don't think even a thing changed. ...One day, I'm going to have to have a talk with him or something.  Anyways, I got to work harvesting all the potatoes that had finished growing. There was a lot more than I thought there would be, so I figured I'd keep a few around to give to some folks. What can I say? I was in a good mood today.  It still takes forever to drag all of these over to the root cellar.   With so many crops, watering them all takes quite a while, but I don't really have anything else taking up time.  I did realize that this one potato would be in my way if it grew up, so I had to accept removing this one or having the potato conundrum happen again.  It's really only because of the slight curve in the field near the water.   With that done, it was time to work on the project I'd thought up.  After clearing all the weeds out of the spot, I started to make a border for it out of rocks.   With it all clear, I'd have it ready to work on tomorrow. The plan was to do some digging in an area to see if I could find any more of those rocks and metal shards. It was starting to get late though, so I didn't have time to worry about doing it now.  Setting aside that mining or whatever you'd call it for tomorrow, I decided to work on more rows now that I had some of the potatoes out of the way.  Once you get used to it, the layout's not that hard to do, surprisingly.   What is surprising is the revelation that I had another set of asparagus seeds in my bag that I hadn't noticed. I don't know where they're coming from, but given that it seems my assumption about them coming from Lukia wasn't correct, I decided to just plant them whenever they showed up.    The rest of today was just me taking a break. I took a bath in the springs, went and collected some more berries to cool off, and by that time it was more than dark enough for me to get home. Here's to hoping tomorrow goes just as well! Spring 10th Music: The Working Life  Pete's been using those potatoes a lot, given we had hashbrowns and that odd rice thing again this morning. He's really into carbohydrates it seems, but I always thought it was supposed to be protein that big guys like him were all over. Of course, if you mention protein, he goes off into his tangents as well. : -Hey, Pete, do you think I could get you to help with some watering today!: Oh, yeah, like, sure! It's what I'm here for, Ms. Alex! : Can you get the crops in the upper left field?: Sure can, my dude! With that done, it was just another nice morning of me and Bess with the daily chores. I can't begin to express how much nicer it is to have her acting nice and calm.  I did a count of the potatoes we had so far, and it was far more than I'd imagined. Despite how much of a struggle that first week was, I was still going to make some profit off of it.  : ...Ms. Alex? : ...It'll lower the workload on me some, at least.: Say, you've got a whole lot of crops growing- when are we gonna fill this whole field up like I did back home?: When I have the time and money, maybe. I'm still trying to get everything on the animal side fixed up. Those pastures don't have nearly enough grass yet.: Sounds like you've got a plan, dude! Well, Bird and I are headed off to cook lunch!: You go do that.He was getting...better, maybe? There was an actually noticeable number of crops watered this time. This week really is looking good for me.   Though it does seem like a few of my crops didn't take. I... I'm not sure why, but maybe conditions just aren't right. Once I got them all watered, I decided to take a trip to town. I hadn't had time to hang around in the last two days, and since my schedule was open, I didn't want to be a stranger after all.  Music: The Sleepy West Isle (World Map Theme)   : Hey, how's it going?: Pretty good! I've been pretty busy, but I don't mind. How about you?: The fishing could be better, but I think I've got a new place to try it at. You won't hear me complaining.: Hey, you think your mom would want some potatoes to cook with?: H-huh? I mean, I guess so, but don't you need those to sell?: Nah, I'm good. I ended up with more than I thought I would, and I really don't have that much space in the cellar presently.: Well, in that case I guess I'll take some off your hands. : No problem!  : It's like, totally my girl, Alex!: Hey! What's with the accent this time?: Just trying to talk like that total hunk I met the other day.: What hunk are we talking about, now?: Somebody back on the mainland! He was the dreamiest guy I ever met! So big and muscular...and that fashion sense...: Hey, you might want to snap out of it before you drool on your shoes.: Wh-what!? N-no, it's not like that! And- and I wasn't drooling either!  : You were starting to! Little Kate's got a crush it seems.: H-hey! I've only met him once! I haven't even spoken to him yet! And, and...and you're not much older than me!: Alright, alright... I guess that's why I didn't see you here on Monday?: Yeah...Hey, do you, um...: Hm?: Do you think you could give me some, er...advice about...guys...? : I'm not really the dating type... but I could tell you what I know, sure. Not today, though, I've gotta get going here.: Hehe, thanks Alex! It was nice seeing you!: You too!Truth be told, I don't know how much younger Kate is than me, but you'd meet a girl in the city with a crush like that every other week at the very least. I never was much of one for the dating scene, even at the clubs. I was mostly there to dance anyways, and I usually managed to blend into the crowds. There was one or two guys I can think of, though...  Music: The Working Life Er, right. Back to farming.  With nothing else to do for today, I took to digging that spot I set aside. It wasn't too difficult of work, though there was a lot to do. I did turn up results within the first few swings though, finding what amounted to a decent bit of pocket change for only a half and hour's work.  Once I dug a significant area, I went back through with a stone and flattened it back out. After doing that, I dug it back up hoping it would turn up anything I might've missed.    It gets pretty exhausting after a while...  ...but who am I to complain with these kinds of results?  Once it got dark, I checked on Bess and headed in for the night. When I went inside, I found Pete dancing alongside Bird. Music: Pete's Theme (Tutorial BGM) : "...twistin' the night away~! Twistin'~!": Mrow-wow!: "Twistin', yeah, twistin' the night away~!": Mrooow-wow~!: Sorry to interrupt, but what are you doing? : Come on, Ms. Alex, dance with us!: I...I think I'm fine for the moment. I'm a bit tired, honestly.: No worries, me and Bird've got this talent show in the bag! Yeah, ain't that right, my little dudette?: Mew!: ...What talent show is this exactly?: Don't know yet, Ms. Alex, but I know there will be one! You can never be too ready!: ...R-right. Well, I'm going to write today's entry and I'm going to bed.I'll never know what's running through that guy's head. I suppose the reason I see so little of that cat is because he spends all of his time with her. His dance rountine was surprisingly practiced, though, which might explain why he hardly ever gets anything done out in the fields. ...It's not a bad dance, but Pete's not necessarily the best singer, so... Next Update: Pete Does A Thing ---- Apologies for taking so long to get this out folks, but I've had a lot of stuff going on and the brief bouts of sickness I had really didn't put me in the right frame of mind to work on this when I had time to. I know it's only 3 days, but its 90 screenshots and nearly 600 lines, so that's enough for me to call it and split this week in two. I'll have the next part out soon enough, hopefully in about a week. Just to note, yes "mining/archaeology" is actually just me digging the fields constantly to profit from random money gains. Those profit numbers are slightly inaccurate, as we probably only made 1000 G that day. Voting on what to do next will be in the next update, of course.
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Feb 8, 2020 18:54
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Charlett posted:I really enjoyed this game a lot, I would spend hours on it, playing it secretly in my bed when I was sick. When mom came to check and see if I was sleeping I had to slide it between the mattress and the frame and pretend I was sleeping. I'll admit that I did this a lot when I was sick too. The Gameboy's simple design made it really good for hiding, same for the GBA. You just had to be sure to not accidentally turn the volume up while hiding it. What? No, that never happened to me! Of course not!
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Feb 8, 2020 18:58
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While I still enjoy the older games, the change to let you actually walk through crops makes growing them so, so much easier in the later HM/SoS games.
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Feb 8, 2020 21:59
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Do the crops not take, or do crows eat the seeds?
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Feb 8, 2020 22:34
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AngryRobotsInc posted:While I still enjoy the older games, the change to let you actually walk through crops makes growing them so, so much easier in the later HM/SoS games. Same here. This whole calculation about efficiency and gaining one crop overall per 7 tiles is completely out the window then. I mean, it's realistic for a lot of real life crops, but I doubt people play these games for realism. It's part of the reason why I hooked onto the RF series spinoff more, because it doesn't have crop collision and the later games lets you farm impressively fast. Kacie posted:Do the crops not take, or do crows eat the seeds? I'll go ahead and say that it's crows. Their existence is probably already known due to me including the Scarecrow on the purchase list/ Stardew Valley, but I was keeping it a bit of a secret. Occasionally, you'll get an event where you find a crow outside your door and it flies away. I don't know what it means, given they eat your seeds randomly anyways. Actually, they'll eat whole crops too, the greedy buggers. They're actually probably the most realistic thing in this game, or would be if your scarecrow didn't actually work. Crows suck when you're trying to grow fields.
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Feb 8, 2020 22:55
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Fat C or  
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Feb 9, 2020 00:29
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The Flying Twybil posted:Same here. This whole calculation about efficiency and gaining one crop overall per 7 tiles is completely out the window then. I mean, it's realistic for a lot of real life crops, but I doubt people play these games for realism. I know I'm not playing them for realism! Mostly for chill farming fun. Never really played much of RF besides the first one, but I'm considering picking up the ones coming to Switch.
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Feb 9, 2020 00:35
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100 HOGS AGREE posted:Fat C or This, I like. (I made those in traditional form because I like them more- I had plenty of space to make more of the hyper-efficient design, but gotta stick true to childhood.) AngryRobotsInc posted:I know I'm not playing them for realism! Mostly for chill farming fun. I play the HM games if I really want a chill experience. I've done actual fieldwork before, and at the least I can say it's a very different experience. I find a certain kind of entertainment in it, but it's far more strenuous than sitting back and killing a few hours on Harvest Moon. RF1 is very rough around the edges, and can honestly end up being slower than some HM games depending on what you're trying to do. (It's beatable in 16 minutes, if you're speedrunning, though.) I still enjoy it, but I honestly wouldn't recommend it to anyone that's not a dedicated fan. I'm one of those people who personally didn't like RF4 at all. For me, it was a giant bundle of missed opportunities and design decisions I disagreed with, most of which I think were the result of Neverland's looming bankruptcy. It's also more of an "anniversary game" given it references good chunks of content from the previous games and also spends a lot of time congratulating itself for all the little changes it made and things it can do as proof of being on a new system. That being said, I'm not sure what I even think about the new one in development as I've hardly looked at it and the series has been going downwards for me as of its last two entries. It's worth noting, though, that I have very strong opinions and a heavy bias towards RF3- it's the one I will consistently claim to be the best in the series and serves as my base line of judgement for the games. So...yeah, take my words about the series with an appropriate grain of salt. I can throw out my opinions on the other games if anyone wants me to, but I'm not looking to start a giant debate over it. (I've seen it happen, believe it or not. Also, I'd like to avoid entirely derailing my own thread.)
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Feb 9, 2020 02:39
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Oh, I'm sorry - I didn't realize that was meant to be a reveal later. I've played Stardew Valley where crows are a Thing, and was wondering if it was crows or the also realistic "some seeds don't sprout."
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Feb 9, 2020 04:17
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I'm amused by a farming sim where you're more successful if you ignore the farming entirely and just dig up rocks over and over. Do they eventually run out if you dig the same field enough?
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Feb 9, 2020 11:10
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Kacie posted:Oh, I'm sorry - I didn't realize that was meant to be a reveal later. I've played Stardew Valley where crows are a Thing, and was wondering if it was crows or the also realistic "some seeds don't sprout." Don't worry about it, it's not much of a reveal anyways. The crows here just randomly destroy growing crops, until you buy and put down a scarecrow- I was sure a lot of people would think of it due to Stardew Valley. One guide assures me that one covers the whole field, while another assures me that it only covers a 9x9 area. These guides aren't that helpful sometimes. Black Robe posted:I'm amused by a farming sim where you're more successful if you ignore the farming entirely and just dig up rocks over and over. Do they eventually run out if you dig the same field enough? No, it's effectively infinite. In the actual gameplay, whenever you till a tile it rolls on a random table and shows one of four things: nothing, a small bag, a gold coin, or a mole. The bag and the coin gives you a certain amount of cash (either 10G or 100G), but I don't know what the mole even does. The first 6 power berries were also part of that random table, but they're very easy to find. I wrote it in as collecting valuable rocks and artifact pieces as opposed to Alex finding random piles of cash buried in the fields. Money-wise, up to a certain point, digging for money is actually more profitable than growing things provided you have good luck. If you've got a field filled with crops, your long-term profits might end up being better than just digging. Although, we have more than enough time now to dig a section of a field twice, so why not do it? (There's another moneymaking method we haven't gained access to yet, and it's even more effective- to the point farming struggles to keep up with it.) In the real world, this is actually incredibly bad for the soil. Potential erosion aside, you'll eventually end up leaching all the nutrients out of it, making it very hard to grow anything there. The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 15:54 on Feb 9, 2020 |
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Feb 9, 2020 15:38
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Hey, folks, it'll take me another week or so to get this next update out. I'm working on some other stuff to get it out of the way, and I should have it done soon enough. When I've got it done, I should have plenty of time to work on this again. Apologies for the delay! Edit: The thing that was slowing me down is entirely off my schedule now. I'll just find a way past a little bit of writer's block I've got, and I'll be good to get this next update out in a day or so. Don't get me wrong, I've got ideas on where to go with this, I'm just getting caught on the intermediary stuff like I usually do. I might've figured out a few little things to help me with that, though. We'll see how it works out. The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 16:03 on Feb 23, 2020 |
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Feb 16, 2020 04:06
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Update 5: Pete Does A Thing (Spring 11 - 14, Year 1) Spring 11th Music: The Working Life  It was just another Thursday, but luckily today wasn't rainy like last week. That means I'd be able to go to town today, and sell what I've got. Actually, I spent a good bit this morning just getting my rock samples sorted. Despite all the work from yesterday, I was feeling pretty energized. : Say, Ms. Alex, what's the deal with the rocks?: Oh, right. I found a girl in town who buys these, and these turn up in the field pretty often. It's helping me afford some more seeds.: Ahey, expanding our horizons? Sounds good to me, my dude!: Though I don't really see why they're so valuable.: Honestly, neither am I, but I'll take it. I'll be heading across today to sell what we've got, and then I'll be back to work on the field rows a bit more.: Got any work for me in the fields?: ...Hm. I think I've got it all for today. Thanks, though! : *Mrrooow!*: Sounds like my little buddy wants to keep working on our routine!: *Mew!*: Oh, you want a rematch for the other day? You're on!I left Pete to settle what contest he was having with our cat while I went to work on the daily chores.  Bess was still acting nice today, and I can't express how much of a relief it is. I never thought cows were that moody. She's a good girl now, so I'm fine with leaving all that in the past.  With that done, it was time to gather up what I had available in the field so far...  And to water what I had growing so far.  It doesn't seem like any more have disappeared, so I'm happy. It's all actually turning out so well, I can't believe it. Music: The Sleepy West Isle (World Map Theme)  With that out of the way, it was time to check out the town again on my way to the mainland.  : Not too busy, but it's going well so far. How about you? : Getting my stuff ready again to head out to sea as always. Been looking for a new spot to fish at, trying to see if I can beat Billy.: What, you two have competitions?: Well, in either trying to bring in the biggest haul or the most valuable one. We do it from time to time to keep things fresh. After all, we both enjoy fishing as a relaxed occupation.: Sounds like a good idea to me. Maybe one day I should give it a shot.: I remember that you can't sit still for long though, might be a bit hard for you.: Hey, I could do it if I tried. Though, you're right, it might not be up to my speed.: Well, you never know until you try. Anywho, I gotta get back to setting up or I'll never set sail.: Alright, well, see ya!I'll think about giving fishing a shot when I'm not so worried about making ends meet to keep the farm afloat. Which, being honest, I'm not too worried about right now, but it's still early. It's hard to believe I haven't even been here a whole two weeks! You know, I'd probably also need at least a fishing pole. Music: West Isle Mainland  : I know it might be a bit much to ask, but do you think you could make today's trip somewhat quick?: Hey, I usually come back on time.: What? Oh, no, that's not what I meant. I've got some other business I'd like to get to today, the sooner the better.: So you're saying I take too long?: Yes, but most people do, so that's nothing against you. So, what do you say?: You know, for asking a favor, you could sure be a lot nicer about it, Captain. : But, fine, I'll make it quick today.: Thanks.I was hoping for more than just a "thanks" there, but its fine. I suppose business-wise I don't really have to spend that much time on the mainland. I mostly only had time for some minor chat as result, but most of everyone was rather busy today. I did kinda have some other things I wanted to do today as well   : Their pink noses are just adorable!: Hey, I think Bird's nose might be pink.: You mean you don't know, dear?: Well, not for sure, at least. I don't really see much of her, come to think of it. She's always mousing, I think.: Hmm! Sounds like you've got yourself a hard worker there! I must ask, why "Bird" for her name?: You'd have to ask my partner. I've no clue.  : Now, this Pete, is he just a helper or is he a "partner" partner?; H-huh? He's just a co-worker, nothing's going on.: Are you sure? I'd hate to break the news to my little Billy-: HE'S JUST A COWORKER, MRS. JEWEL.   : ...time and read another book?: Sorry, can't today! In a bit of a hurry, but I did bring back some more finds though.: Aah! Do show me, I want to see!: Say, aside from collecting, do you ever do anything with these?: Of course! Sometimes I'll take the ones shape isn't important to and get them converted to some fine jewelry.: Sure, it might be unconventional, but no convention is resistant to being broken. Besides, it makes it easy to find other true connoisseurs such as myself! Can you believe...Needless to say, I had to work my way out of that can of words I opened. Lyla's nice, but that girl can gab for way too long. If you ever needed a way to burn a few hours, or heck, a whole day... I made it back to the ship in not too long. I'm not sure how long it took me, but Kirk seemed appreciative. He didn't give me much more than another thanks, but he seemed pretty sincere in giving it.  When we got to the port, he didn't take long in all in tying the boat down. Whatever it was, he was in a hurry.  Music: The Working Life I for one, also had something I needed to get back to. A good amount of the grass I had already planted in the field had grown tall enough to cut for hay. It seemed like it should've taken longer, but I'm not complaining.  I also planted some more seeds I'd bought back in town. I should have enough for another cow sometime soon. Probably by the end of the month, I'd guess.    With my father's sickle still being so sharp after all these years, it cut through the grass like hot butter. It's honestly a bit scary. I still remember he'd sit in a chair in the late afternoon and slowly go about treating the edge with a whetstone. I suppose I'll need to figure out how to do that sometime.  After doing some more work in the field, it had gotten dark pretty quickly as some clouds rolled in. I still spent some time digging around anyways. Wasn't much longer until I could hardly see where I was swinging, let alone what I unearthed, so I headed back inside. Back at the house, I'd found Pete staring outside at the clouds.  : This little farm's up and running pretty well already, you know, Ms. Alex?: I suppose it is. A bit of a rough start, but I'd say we're getting there already. You getting homesick?: What? Me? Nah, my dude! I'm all for this farm- wherever there's crops growing, it's like home to me!: Why do you look so... less happy, then?: Whoa, dude, there you go being perceptible again! It's nothin' really, I'm just seeing these clouds and hoping a nasty storm hasn't hit my farm while I was gone.: Oh, huh. Are big storms common there, then?: Wow, how'd you know?! Yeah, occasionally we pick up a bad hurricane or two, sometimes they'll surf in a season early.: Well, I wouldn't worry yourself about it. I'm sure it's still just as you left it.: Aw, thanks, Ms. Alex! You sure know how to cheer a guy up!It was at this point he started shaking my hand, though I think he was going for a hug at first. I mean he already practically threw me into the roof as is, but it was better than being crushed in a bear hug, I guess. I sometimes forget Pete comes from a farm, I think even his father's farm too if I'm remembering right. It's easy to given he does so little farming. Aside from cooking, I don't really know what he's doing most of the time. : *Mrrrow!*: Aw, c'mere Bird! I'll shake your paw too, little buddy!Well, that and he acts like a kid most of the time as well. Spring 12th Music: Pete's Theme (Tutorial BGM)  This morning, I was met with an unexpected conversation from Pete.   : ...to meet in the future! Why don't we try and get like, 3 of each animal, maybe?: Uh...sure? Where's this coming from exactly?: Oh, and, uh...300! Let's ship 300 crops too!: That doesn't answer my question.: Huh? C'mon and catch up, Ms. Alex, we've gotta set long term goals for ourselves! It's what I did back on my farm!: Oh, okay. That makes sense I guess. So three of each kind of livestock and 300 crops shipped by when?: Uh...hmm....: ...: ... Next winter, maybe?: Yeah, sure. That'll be do-able, I think.: YEAH! That's what I like to hear! Goals, get ready to be met! Woooooo!Sometimes he gets excited by the smallest things. The crop shipping quota shouldn't be too hard to meet. The animal one, possibly a bit more so, but I've got plenty of time.  Music: The Working Life Anyway, the daily chores for the day were just as usual. Bess is still producing good again, and she's really liking the freshly grown grass.  The grass in the chicken field is looking nice. Hopefully I'll be able to have some soon.  I was met with the sight of a whole lot of turnips when I went to the crop fields.   I went ahead and started watering the other crops first, given as the weather had been warming up a bit recently. I'd rather be pulling turnips in the sun than hauling a heavy watering can across the fields.  I thought these turnips had grown awfully fast, but was a bit surprised to see how large they were in full. There must be something in the ground around here, or I'm just doing things right.  There was about thirty something of them. I didn't really bother counting yet, I'd just do that on the morning I bring them to the Farmer's Union. I was planning on keeping a few for myself anyways.  With that done, I went on to do some more digging. Turns out some of those clouds from yesterday stuck around, and it kept the sun off pretty well for most of the morning.  I must've gotten carried away, because I soon found it was already about 3 in the afternoon by the time I stopped.  I could dig all I wanted to, but I started getting a little bored of it after a while. I was still in a working mood, so I went around cleaning up the rest of the field a bit. Perhaps Pete's goal-setting energized me today, as I sure got a lot done. I guess there wasn't much to write about for today, though. There's only so many times I can say "then I picked another turnip". Spring 13th  We had some turnip related things for breakfast, though I can't say it makes much of a breakfast food. They're still pretty good though. Pete had already set his mind to pickling a few, which I can't complain about either. It'd make a good palate cleanser, I suppose.  There wasn't many crops left for this week, so I sent Pete to have a go at watering them. : That's all you need me to get?: Well, pretty much. It's the mystery asparagus and a few potato plants. There's really nothing else out there to get.: Sounds like you need to stock up on more seeds, Ms. Alex! Don't worry about the crops, I've got 'em!: You do that. Bess is still giving good milk, and she's really settled into our schedule now. She's usually waiting on me every morning now, and what fidgeting she does do is hardly anything to how she was before.  After cleaning out the barn, I went to go check on the field and found Bird chasing after dandelion puffs again. She really seems to enjoy it, I suppose. And I did check, her nose is about 3/4 pink. She's got a little freckles in the upper left side. I don't know why I felt compelled to check, even though it seems every conversation with Mrs. Jewel leads to embarassment somehow.   :  : Ms. Alex, you there? You look like you saw Bird fly!: Huh? Oh! Y-yeah! Um, great job today!: Aw, I'm just doing job is all, nothing to be surprised about, my dude. Well, off to make lunch!I neglected to mention the most surprising part was that he noticeably did his job for once.  Everything was watered, only a few spots could benefit from a bit more. I quickly covered those in no time, and I guess I stood around in disbelief for a bit longer before heading off.  The sun was getting a bit hot, so I decided to head the eastern side of West Isle to explore the rest of what used to be the grassland. There were a few trees here before, but it was a straight-up forest now.  Music: Twisting Roads and Undergrowth (Far Wilderness Theme) There were visible trails through the forest, goat paths really. I didn't know which direction to head in first, so I just started going.   I don't think I could tell you the path I took on my first way through.   The paths were a bit twisty, and I'll be honest in saying I didn't know what direction I was facing anymore.  I just kept following the paths, figuring they'd eventually lead somewhere. It eventually straightened out, though, and made for a pleasant surprise.  Whatever path was that I had taken, it brought me to the pond we used to swim in as kids. It was nice and secluded now with the forest around, and was surprisingly not that difficult to find the exit of the forest from. I did get spooked now and then from a suddenly fleeing squirrel or bird, but it was interesting seeing how the island had grown up.  However, it seems I somehow dropped my watch out there along the path, so I went looking for it.  Now, I'm pretty sure I was heading along the same path as last time, but it really didn't look like it.  I did find my watch, but it's location only confused me more. I was very sure I'd never seen the section of the forest before that I found it in. I mean, I looked all around in a circle, but I absolutely don't remember seeing any of it. It's... really strange, actually.   ...Especially since I quickly found myself back at the pond from a one way road, from the same entrance that brought me to it the first time. Either my memory is bad, or I'm very terrible at navigation, it seems. I don't know what else to say. I felt like investigating this a bit, so I headed to the town.  Music: The Sleepy West Isle (World Map Theme)   : Social obligations define that I should inform you of the typical and obvious objective state of the weather in expectance of mutual agreement. Thusly, nice day, isn't it?: Uh...Sure. I wish there was more of a breeze going. So, how's that novel of yours going?: If by "novel", you refer to literary medium and my endeavors of it, I shall inform you that it is "going well" to refrain from complaining, unless prompted.: So...how's it going, really?: There is a statistical likelihood it could be progressing faster and it is not. Therefore, I have a moderate amount of annoyance in regards to it.: That's... unfortunate, I suppose. Say, do you know anything about the forest on this island, by chance?: I must inform you that I do not. Is there something worthy of conversational note regarding it?: I don't know if it's just me, but it feels like the pathways changed behind me.: Highly unlikely, thus I implore you to explain.: Well, I dropped my watch while I was walking through, and it was in an entirely different place when I found it. It was a spot I'm sure I never went to.: I must ask, did you check your bearings while doing so?: Yep. Didn't recognize a thing.: Hm, this is an intriguing anecdote regardless of its possible meanings. I have no further elaboration upon the topic, but I am inclined to ask if I could use this as inspiration for my novel. Would you permit this?: Um... sure. I don't see why not.: You have my gratitude, for I believe my idiomatic "writer's block" has been alleviated.: You're welcome, I guess.I asked around town some more, but I didn't find anything out of note. At this point, I'm willing to assume it's a mistake on my part. Either way, it made for an entertaining distraction, so put that thought away for the day.  Music: The Working Life After all that, the sun had run down a bit, so I got to digging again. I'm thinking I should probably try digging in a new spot for a while and see what I find. Maybe I just need to wait for it to rain again.    My arms are actually starting to get decently worked up from all of this extra tilling, so there's at least still a benefit to it.  It definitely makes me ready to sleep by the end of the day. Spring 14th Music: Song of the Gentle Breeze (Personal Arrangement) A Letter to Mom posted:Dear Mom, Next Update: The Third Week of Spring
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Feb 25, 2020 02:18
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 Time for participation again!Purchases (We have 5620 G): Crop seeds we can buy: Turnips: 120 G, Potatoes: 160 G, Asparagus: 320 G, Stardust Flower: 400 G, Grass: 600 G (needed for animals) If we buy Grass seeds, I'll also need you to say where to plant them. (Horse, Cow, Chicken, or Sheep Field.) We have planted what is said to be the requirements to buy animals, but it seems like we might need more of it cut as fodder first too. That'll just take time. (This thing's really inconsistent sometimes.) We could also buy a Scarecrow for 3200 G, though crows haven't been too much of an issue. We could also buy Cow Medicine for 1000 G, which could be useful in the future, though Alex likely won't be making any mistakes anytime soon. Future Actions: Should Alex (pick any you want to see): Clear out the lower field? Focus on clearing out the other animal fields? (Horse/Sheep) Go see a movie at the Theater? (1500 G per ticket) Take a look at part-time jobs/ shipping quotas? Gather lots of berries to sell to improve income? Shall we continue digging for valuables? Alex has met quite a few people so far, is there anyone she should spend more time with? (Who should I write more about?) - Pete, our unpredictable helper and supposed farmer - Bird, our odd cat - Billy Jewel, the mild childhood friend, - Ezla, the louder childhood friend, - Bigbee, the peculiar inn owner, - Katiekins (Kate) Albertina, the excitable country girl, - Lukia, the fellow hair dye enthusiast, - Daisy, the flower seed supplier, - Lucus & Gen, the strange folk in the furniture store, - Lyla, the chatty rich girl, - Mary, the quiet girl from another town, - Sea Captain Kirk, Kate's terse father, - Mrs. Jewel, Billy's mom and cat enthusiast, - Elder Graham, the jolly flower enthusiast and island leader, - Mr. Hans, the busy mayor of the mainland, - or Mr. Heinz, a friend of our father, but somewhat of a stranger. - We could also possibly get in contact with one of our friends from the city. Lastly, I've just been writing in my "creative writing" style the whole time. Is there any adjustments to it you'd like to see? Extra: Other things we can afford, though probably not very useful: Flower Vase - 3000 G Small Rug - 3000 G Saddle - 1000 G Chicken Medicine - 800 G Sheep Medicine - 1500 G Horse Medicine - 2000 G Fodder Bag (32 Uses) - 500 G Shampoo - 800 G Clippers - 2000 G Twybil's Comments: Pete's Sudden Usefulness: So, work done by the partner also seems internally influenced by the number of gifts given. I've been handing Pete potatoes every once in a while off-screen, and we must've hit some sort of threshold. I know for a fact that my memory editing does affect the relationship, because the relationship events would trigger every day. So apparently the game stores both relationship and gifts as separate values...? I'll look into it when I get some time. It's either that or a list of flags. The Arrangement: That arrangement isn't much really, I did it a long time back and it's mostly just a well tuned synth to a midi. It's the main farming theme from Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life.
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Feb 25, 2020 02:21
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Bigbee reads like some sci-fi android or space alien, and it's kinda terrible to read. Nobody talks like that. I get that you're going for "uses a lot of big words in order to sound smart", but maybe tone it down a bit? Unless of course he is actually an android or space alien. Then keep on keeping on. Commander Keene fucked around with this message at 08:59 on Feb 25, 2020 |
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Feb 25, 2020 08:56
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We could continue focusing on getting animals so plant grass for chickens in the chicken field Alex should get to know Lukia & Kate better. They seem like interesting people And buy a rug because cold feet in the mornings lead to tired days
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Feb 25, 2020 12:51
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Commander Keene posted:Bigbee reads like some sci-fi android or space alien, and it's kinda terrible to read. Nobody talks like that. I get that you're going for "uses a lot of big words in order to sound smart", but maybe tone it down a bit? Thanks for catching that. That was probably the part I was most sure about. Part of it is that he's supposed to be overly factual and speaks primarily in statements as all of his original dialogue is simply stating the obvious. That being said, I was pretty sure I'd gone a bit overboard with it since I haven't done any writing involving him for a few weeks now. He needed some screen time, so I went with whatever note I could hit there. I'd never write uselessly roundabout dialogue like that unless its intentional, and it's definitely something that would require an editing pass. That being said, I haven't confirmed either of those possibilities, so we'll see where we get to. The advantage of being able to talk to the readers and this coming out like a serial story is that I can find ways to roll with the punches. Slaan posted:We could continue focusing on getting animals so plant grass for chickens in the chicken field We should have enough planted to get some chickens in time, but they're the least consistent and clear of all the animals. There's no good definition of how much growing grass or stored fodder that you need for them. That being said, any grass planted now still leads to fodder later, and 6 patches of grass seems to be the usual for most animals. A lot of the difficulty in this game is from the old fashioned problem of obscured mechanics. I've played through to near the end of the game at least once, and I still can' t tell you what's exactly necessary to get animals.
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Feb 25, 2020 13:42
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Can never go wrong with potatoes, big starchy tubers that store. I think Alex should continue working on the farm, specifically in clearing the lower field. Crops are our main moneymaker rn, so expanding the fields mean more payday. From my experience in harvest moon, you give rocks to people you want to marry (i played gamecube). So talking with our future partner Lyla would do well. also, get a rug. We take our shoes off at the end of the day and the early morning cold floors is hell for morale on the feetsies. Plus, where will Pete sleep once we commandeer his bed?
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Feb 25, 2020 19:59
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Pete seems like the kind of guy who likes cheese fries (and by that I mean he has a pulse) so I say potatoes
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Feb 25, 2020 20:16
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Just want to say I’m really enjoying the LP. I ended up getting the first two Harvest Moon games on Gameboy/GBC as a kid and they literally ate my life for a few months. I actually went back and played the first one on Virtual Console (harvest moon gbc is the name) and oh man, although it was great to play for a little bit for nostalgia it’s not aged terrible well. Plus I have no idea how you can feasibly use all the field space you’re given. I’m now onto playing Grand Bazaar that I’ve never played before, (seeing the thread has kicked me off on a play through of some of the HM games I’ve never played.) I had read up a lot on 3 back in the day but I can’t remember if it was never released in Europe or I just didn’t get it. It’s really neat and I wish I’d gotten it at the time! Being able to explore different locations, having a farming partner, etc would have been my jam. Digging the narrative style. I say continue playing Pete with gifts so he can eventually become some sort of harvest god.
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Feb 26, 2020 18:46
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Serenity Dove posted:Just want to say I’m really enjoying the LP. I ended up getting the first two Harvest Moon games on Gameboy/GBC as a kid and they literally ate my life for a few months. I actually went back and played the first one on Virtual Console (harvest moon gbc is the name) and oh man, although it was great to play for a little bit for nostalgia it’s not aged terrible well. Plus I have no idea how you can feasibly use all the field space you’re given. I’m now onto playing Grand Bazaar that I’ve never played before, (seeing the thread has kicked me off on a play through of some of the HM games I’ve never played.) These games were quite great for their time, but I'll agree they definitely haven't aged all too well though they're still great in my eyes. If I wasn't doing this in narrative form, then I'd have far less material to show. Glad to hear you're enjoying it though! HM3 did get a European release, it's just it's release time was incredibly late into the lifespan of the GBC, as the Advance already had been released in Japan by that point, I believe. I'd have to check again to be sure. Being able to explore different places is neat and it makes the game feel a little less claustrophobic than, say, A Wonderful Life's small map, yet the locations for the most part only serve a few purposes. The Grassland is just for infinite berries/weeds/ and wood, the Forest Lake is for a mechanic we haven't seen yet (it's fishing), the Cliff is only for a few character events, the Mountain has one purpose we'll see far later into the game, and the rest of the locations around town are either stores or have similarly minor uses. We will, however, be able to explore a lot more later on, but it'll take a few seasons before we get to that point. Speaking of, I'm closing the poll on this week's update so I can get to recording sometime here soon. It looks like we'll be buying a rug, a lot of potato seeds, and a little bit of grass seeds; clearing out the lower field will be a goal; and the 3 new girls, Lukia, Kate, and Lyla are going to be our focus in conversations! Oh, and we'll try and see if we can bond with Pete over potatoes, seeing if he becomes a ripped farming machine.
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Feb 27, 2020 23:18
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I've got an update for you, but it's just a status update this time, folks. I've gotten all of this week recorded, and I think it'll make for an interesting update. Some news of note is that we got a chicken, some more Primerose seeds, and Pete's doing okay-ish at watering. Unfortunately, we'll only have a small amount of money for our Monday purchase and summer's too close to grow any more potatoes. But hey, we do have cow and chicken purchasing available now. It seems that having a large amount of stocked fodder is the key. (We've already capped out, by the way.) Edit, as of 3/4: With my other LP entirely out of the way now, I'll be onto working on this a whole lot more. I've been dealing with a bit of writer's block, but then again, I started this LP to fight back against it. Doesn't help I've got a few other things going on, but I should be able to work past it. I'm really just getting started on it now, but I have an outline and that means I should hopefully have it out in a few days. Edit, as of 3/8: You know, every time I say I should have it out soon, something always comes up. I haven't been able to catch a break these last few days, but hopefully it'll start looking up. The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Mar 8, 2020 |
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Feb 29, 2020 02:26
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So the good news is that I'm back working on this again, which is great. I've written up maybe a third of the next update in the time I've had today. The bad news is that something funky is going on with my screencapping all of the sudden. In the past, all my screenshots were PNGs and retained a very low filesize, because of the highly limited color palette. For reasons I haven't yet determined, my screenshots are coming out a 150 - 200KB size now. Nothing's changed about them, they just insist on being far larger now. Now you might be thinking: "Well, heck, Twybil, you sure are fretting a lot over what really ain't that much." To which I reply: "Gee golly, that's just how I am!" But the point of the matter is that this is really way too high considering a usual update has about ~100 screencaps, and each page usually has about 2 updates on it. That amounts to about 40MB a page and that's a bit ridiculous for an LP of a GBC game. If anyone's got any ideas about what to try, don't hesitate to suggest something in the meantime. I can do a partial conversion that'll run the size down to about 70kb presently, but I'd really like to have my 9KB screenshots back. I'm still proceeding with working on this regardless, so let's hope I find the magic solution to whatever is going on here. At least all the other stuff that was hindering this is mostly out of the way now- money isn't easy to make these days.
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Mar 15, 2020 00:05
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use this: https://psydk.org/pngoptimizer 100 HOGS AGREE fucked around with this message at 01:48 on Mar 15, 2020 |
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Mar 15, 2020 01:46
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Strangely, this optimizes the incredibly small PNGs from previous updates to very small numbers (7KB to 2KB, for example,) but has virtually no effect on these new, oversized ones. The small-to-small gets its bit depth set down to 4 from 24, but it was still small in the first place. I honestly have no idea what's going on, but going through batch setting the bit depth and then then running through the optimizer seems to help a whole lot, bringing down one image to 15KB. Unfortunately, a screenshot of the exact same scene taken in the past was only 2KB. Regardless, I can work with this for the moment, I just wish I knew why it stopped working like it did before. Thanks for the help! Edit: I can't believe it- for some reason, the images are getting ever so slightly compressed at some point in my pipeline and that's what's loving up the sizes. Curse you, image compression!  The worst part is, is that I have no idea if it's either VLC or IrfanView deciding that it needs to blur my images ever so slightly and making them more cumbersome as result. I don't know why, how, or what's been changed, but it really sucks that everything around me seems to want to break recently. Gah, whatever. I'll just have to learn to put up with the files being about twice as large as before. The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 23:05 on Mar 15, 2020 |
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Mar 15, 2020 02:16
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If you accidentally resized VLC a little, that would cause it to apply a scaling filter to the video and even a less than 1% size change would cause the file size to bloat. Check the resolution of one of the old shots vs one of your new ones.
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Mar 16, 2020 03:08
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Commander Keene posted:If you accidentally resized VLC a little, that would cause it to apply a scaling filter to the video and even a less than 1% size change would cause the file size to bloat. Check the resolution of one of the old shots vs one of your new ones. Trust me, that was the first thing I thought of as I had problems with it in the past. What I usually do is set it to minimal interface, always fit window, and zoom x1 and that causes it to always realign to the original size of the video. It worked for all the previous ones. All of the images are 480x432. There's no stretching, it's just got this minor jpg-like compression going on. Irfanview is set to capture .png with no compression whatsoever, so I don't know what's going on. For reference, here's Alex in front of Pete before: And this is a very similar scene captured now:  It's like the dreaded LP curse has decided to strike in the most minute way possible.
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Mar 16, 2020 06:12
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 07:52 |
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Maybe check the encoding on the video? If your recording or encoding software decided to change the encoder on you to something lossy, it could've resulted in some artifacting. Also check the bitrate on your recordings, make sure that hasn't changed.
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Mar 16, 2020 06:20
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