Junimo Kart is unenjoyable, but can be fixed with minor tweaks.

[Luke Puke]

Junimo Kart made a lot of people rip off their hair. As for my hair, they fell of by themselves shortly after turning pale. I think Junimo Kart gives too little power to the player, whilst creating great amount of uncertainty. I would like to kick start a discussion of what can be done to make the game a little more enjoyable (or more bearable). I would like to begin by putting forward several suggestions myself. I aimed these suggestions to be minor tweaks which I imgaine to be comperatively easy to implement; which do not need a considerable overhaul of the game. These suggestions are applicable to "Progress mode" and are not intended to be implemented all at once.


1. Continue system - Junimo Kart is an arcade machine in a bar. Why can one play it for free? Charge money! But for the price paid, provide the player with the ability to pour as much money as desired in order to get as many continues as one wishes. People who like challange can brag about beating JK "with one coin", while the rest can farm enough money to power through.

2. Air-control - RNG can be very unfair, making jumps extremely-precise or plain impossible. Later levels feature projectiles, which are extremely hard to avoid. Precise platforming and deadly projectiles call for an air-control! There is too little control for required precision. Without air-control, it's a gambling game at best. Especially on the later levels, with singular platforms AND projectiles falling onto them! Sometimes these projectiles unavoidably lead to death. For example, I had situation on lava level 5 where I lost all my six lives on a single spot: rock fell in such way, what I died jumping on it (bouncing into a pit), jump over it (again, fell into pit), nor just drive causally (killed by rock).

3. Practice mode - to practice later levels, one has to master levels before them. Considering the randomness, pretty daunting task. It would be nice to at least have a possibility to practice levels you have reached so when you encounter them in "Progress mode" you may be familiar enough to beat them.

4. Different check-point system - the current check-point system is flimsy at best, and works against the player at worst. Sometimes checkpoint is every 2 steps, sometimes you can traverse half the level without meeting any. It is especially bad on the later levels, where singular platforms are not suited for checkpoints, and one can go considerable distance, where every jump has to be precisely times, without a single checkpoint. That's absurdly hard. Old system which brought you forward was much better, in my view, and allowed to save up lifes to power through later levels. Or at least surely get pass impossible moments. Now, if you encounter an impossible moment - that's it; dead end.

5. Cheats, secrets, aka "anything to allow players make this game easier" - a secret note with cheat combination, a special item to give lives, a friendship reward where "pro shares a trick", increase in Luck directly affects RNG favourability, etc. Just anything in-game to allow players to "cheat" the game or alter it to make it easier. Make it a choice.


Now, I've heard the opinion "don't like it, don't play it". Fair enough for someone who is not a nut-head completionist like me, who cannot stay away from every corner of a game and collecting every item just for the sake of it. I just want to have an in-game method to complete the game without spending 20-30 hours learning it. It's fair to say, allowing players to make Junimo Kart is beneficial for everyone: hardcore and casual players. Hardcore can avoid using "cheat" options, causals can make it easier.


Thank you for your attention. I hope this thread will lead to a positive change. I love Stardew Valley, but Junimo Kart makes my eyes pop out due to steam accumulated from my anger.

[Mami The Beer Baron]

air control is honestly a huge need for it just so it isnt atrociously RNG-heavy.

[Kleyguerth]

I think air control would be missing the point of jumino kart. The game is all about calculating the correct height for your speed, air control would just make the game too easy.

I agree with all the rest. It would be best to not have impossible sections at all, but having a death place you forward is a simple fix and a lot of games like jumino kart do that.

If the coin idea gets implemented, then the player should only get the arcade machine prize by beating it with a single coin. Otherwise gus might as well just sell the machine.

[gongher]

I actually like what Junimo Kart has currently become, it was literally unplayable in the previous versions of the game but it's actually fun now. But I agree that JK can become somehow frustrating due to how luck-based everything is. (And even with decent RNG it's not too easy)

While I don't agree with everything you said (No offense, but beating the game itself should be a challenge after all-the letter you get with the arcade machine even says you're the only person to beat Progress Mode in the entire Ferngill Republic lol), things like practice mode sound nice.

Only a few people seem to enjoy JK or JotPK due to difficulty issues, and it really is a shame considering how fun those can become if you just get the hang of it. Maybe some easy mode options to make those more 'generally enjoyable' would be nice, like CA added the practice fishing rod for people who had trouble with the fishing mini game.

[Luke Puke]

Originally posted by Kleyguerth:

If the coin idea gets implemented, then the player should only get the arcade machine prize by beating it with a single coin. Otherwise gus might as well just sell the machine.

Originally posted by gongher:

While I don't agree with everything you said (No offense, but beating the game itself should be a challenge after all-the letter you get with the arcade machine even says you're the only person to beat Progress Mode in the entire Ferngill Republic lol), things like practice mode sound nice.

Only a few people seem to enjoy JK or JotPK due to difficulty issues, and it really is a shame considering how fun those can become if you just get the hang of it. Maybe some easy mode options to make those more 'generally enjoyable' would be nice, like CA added the practice fishing rod for people who had trouble with the fishing mini game.

Great stuff! I agree with both of these statements, could not express them better myself. Combining the two, I would like to offer a new idea:


Junimo Kart implements the coin-based continue system, but the prize can only be won if the game is beaten without using continues; one-coin run. Lore wise, it can be realized this way: the player beats Junimo Kart for the first time using continues. Next day, a mail arrives. It states there is a competition where the first one to beat Junimo Kart one-coin will get "the ultimate prize". This way, beating Junimo Kart becomes an adventure! A quest for the ultimate prize. With continues, the player can practice all Junimo Kart levels and not being stuck on the first two or three. When enough experience is accumilated, one-coin run can be attempted. Yes, the game is unfair, but mastery can beat it! When jumps are perfected and random terrains tamed, the player goes for the final one-coin round and wins the competition... Only to recieve a home version of Junimo Kart as a slap in the face (or blessing, if you really enjoy Junimo Kart). It also makes sense marketing-wise: gaming company initiates a competition which encourages people to sink in tons of coins into their machines. I mean, real arcades did it, holding local competitions, and it was super-effective.

I really love the idea. Thank you gongher and Kleyguerth, you formed my image of what I want from Junimo Kart! I hope people will like the idea and share my enthusiasm, so there are enough voices to be heard in order to make it come to life!