25% Profit Margins

[Phirestar]

I just want to give my recommendation to try out the profit margins option under the game options tab when you start a new file.

I’ve been playing with profits set to 25% of their original values, and I’ve really loved the way it has changed the pacing of the game. Making money takes a lot more work, as a valuable item like the Battery pack goes from 500g down to just 125g, and that in turn makes upgrades feel much more impactful to acquire. You have to be quite thoughtful about what exactly you spend your gold on, because early on you can basically only save up for a single purchase: a tool upgrade, a building, a house expansion, or one of the Vault bundles. So far I’ve made 17K total profit, nearing the end of the first Summer, and I have spent 4K on upgrading my pickaxe and axe to Copper, and about 8K on seeds / Traveling Cart stuff.

I find that it also pushes you to gather products from as many sources as possible, and focus more on refining raw materials into more profitable items. For instance, turning crops into jams / pickles is a lot more beneficial due to the raw fruits and vegetables now selling for barely anything. For example: a gold quality Blueberry with the Tiller profession is worth 20g. In comparison, Blueberry jam is 37g, and that’s before the +40% bonus from Artisan. You’re basically making double profit by preserving it into jam, which goes a long way when you consider that you’re making less gold than a regular quality Blueberry on 100% profit margins (50g).

If you’ve not messed with this game setting before, give it a go. It’s a lot more satisfying to progress in the game, in my book.

[Snowy Sprout]

I've taken a screenshot of my crop area, and uploaded it to my profile. I can't see how to paste the picture here, though. I'm sure I used to be able to do that, and I know I didn't used to have to upload it to my profile first because I don't have any other Stardew screenshots there.

I'm not saying my crops are impressive to look at. But the spacing does have advantages. The space it wastes doesn't matter on the Standard farm, which is so large to begin with. The paths between the plots give a nice place to stand for using the upgraded watering can.

Still, I'm thrilled to say that it worked out well for me to focus harder on mining. It has barely been a week in game and now I have sprinklers in all the spaces (unlike what's shown in the screenshot). It is SUCH a relief to not have to water any more! I may still water the big wheat field someday just to finish it off, but that's all.

[NBOX21]

Originally posted by Snowy Sprout:

I've taken a screenshot of my crop area, and uploaded it to my profile. I can't see how to paste the picture here, though. I'm sure I used to be able to do that, and I know I didn't used to have to upload it to my profile first because I don't have any other Stardew screenshots there.

Simply click on the screenshot you've uploaded and at the top of the window, there should be a hyperlink which leads to the screenshot you've uploaded. Simply copy and paste the entire hyperlink into your comment and if done correctly, it should appear as you see below once posted:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3127565598

[Nakos]

Originally posted by NBOX21:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3127565598

Cool, makes it much easier for me to comprehend. Thanks for posting it!

That actually looks like a pretty good way to do Trellis plants (in a farm that lets you do sprinklers anyway (as opposed to the Beach Farm)).

If I'm doing the Beach Farm, I tend to pack things pretty densely in the Sprinkler section:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3020361334

I like being able to put down sprinklers everywhere, buuuuut ... I really like all that space on the Beach map.

This was my most recent run (sorry, kinda low rez): https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3112670128

I was planning on adding in 3 more Fish ponds in the upper left area. The section right near the farmhouse has a big section for flowers (which I water to maturity and then just leave for the rest of the season), and a bunch of crops that I just let grow via rain (Wheat mostly, but any 4 day crop will work, sometimes I might even plant a 6 day crop). Eventually, I usually start using the lower right section for more wheat too.

[Snowy Sprout]

Thank you for all the help about screenshots! I'll post them more often now.

This 4x3 plot layout can be made vertically or horizontally, and one scarecrow covers it perfectly. I have two vertical groups in the screenshot, so you see I have two scarecrows tending them.

I like how it breaks up trellis crops when planted along a vertical path, like how the cranberries and grapes are planted in the picture. You can reach each side to water or harvest easily, and still walk through the field to get to a water source or whatever.
The 5 crop spaces on the outside of the trellis crop row are good for planting various crops. It is easy to harvest all five by standing beside the sprinkler.

I generally like to plant in vertical rows, and like layouts that let me run up and down rows easily to collect all the harvest. I hate when I have to duck around sprinklers to harvest on odd sides that I can't reach.

[Snowy Sprout]

Originally posted by Nakos:

I like being able to put down sprinklers everywhere, buuuuut ... I really like all that space on the Beach map.

This was my most recent run (sorry, kinda low rez): https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3112670128

I was planning on adding in 3 more Fish ponds in the upper left area. The section right near the farmhouse has a big section for flowers (which I water to maturity and then just leave for the rest of the season), and a bunch of crops that I just let grow via rain (Wheat mostly, but any 4 day crop will work, sometimes I might even plant a 6 day crop). Eventually, I usually start using the lower right section for more wheat too.

This is a great layout for the Beach Farm! I admire your idea of planting flowers just to leave them as decoration all season. Every time I try to do that I end up picking them because i'm obsessed with harvesting. But it's a very nice thought to imagine beautiful stuff left growing just to enjoy the look of it.

When I do Beach Farm I tend to focus mainly on animals. All the extra grazing area just seems to welcome that idea. Fish ponds are also good here, better than most places, since they take up so much room and Beach has more of that than anybody.

Mostly when I keep fish ponds I don't focus on the products they give like roe or treasures, but I raise them just to harvest the fish themselves. It's very helpful for cooking specific dishes like fried eel, or to give as gifts like super cucumber for the wizard.

[Nakos]

This is a higher rez version of the Fish Pond section:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3128002175

Let's see... that's Two Largemouth Bass ponds (because those are a fairly profitable, reliable early fish to get), two Catfish (because they're extremely profitable), 3 Blobfish (because they're also extremely profitable). One Sturgeon (because they produce Roe veeeeeeerrrrry slowly) and ... I think there's one Midnight Squid too.

As you can see, I've got a lot of Jars, because I do tend to focus on the Roe. What you're seeing here is the big harvest day, but all 7 of the mature ponds produce pretty consistently, so .. I think the big harvest day hits every 2 to 3 days? They're pretty profitable. Obviously it's a lot of infrastructure to set up, build and afford (and yes, that is a 25% profit margin run). You can also see that I've got some Jelly and Pickles there too, I've got plenty to run through the Jars if I run out of Roe, though the Roe does get priority.

(Really, I probably ought to fish out the Largemouth Bass and replace them with something else, because by this point, they're kind of low profit. But they're a very steady consistent producer, and they're usually what i find most accessible during the early game. So ... I'm kinda sentimental about keeping them around (as opposed to just replacing them and going for maximum profit).

I do tend to use the newest pond to reproduce key fish I need for quests and/or the Community center, but eventually, I do set them up with something I want long term.

You can also see the Flower section here too. It's Spring, so I didn't do too much with the non-flower portions of that area (I probably planted Parsnips or maybe Garlic, but it's all been harvested by this point and it's too late to plant any other spring crops). As you can see, I do have some hives, but Hives and Jars compete for my coal, and the Jars tend to win. Little by little, I do add more Hives though.

Oh, and I've got a bunch of Tappers too, those are another great thing to run on the Beach farm. I could do with a lot more of those (either on the farm or elsewhere in SDV, (I think I have a bunch at the Quarry too)).


And yeah... there are rustic, uncontrolled sections of the farm because I just kinda like it that way.

And ... this is the Greenhouse for this run:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3128015323

Really, I'm being lazy about planting more fruit trees.

Eventually, I'll probably convert more of it to Ancient Fruit, but ... I kinda like having a variety of things in there.

[Dimensional Traveler]

Originally posted by NBOX21:

Originally posted by Snowy Sprout:

I've taken a screenshot of my crop area, and uploaded it to my profile. I can't see how to paste the picture here, though. I'm sure I used to be able to do that, and I know I didn't used to have to upload it to my profile first because I don't have any other Stardew screenshots there.

Simply click on the screenshot you've uploaded and at the top of the window, there should be a hyperlink which leads to the screenshot you've uploaded. Simply copy and paste the entire hyperlink into your comment and if done correctly, it should appear as you see below once posted:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3127565598

Some of your beers have leaves in them.

[Au Revoir]

╔╗╔╦══╦═╦═╦╗╔╗ ★ ★ ★
║╚╝║══║═║═║╚╝║ ☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆
║╔╗║╔╗║╔╣╔╩╗╔╝ ★ ℕ𝔼𝕎 𝕐𝔼𝔸ℝ ☆
╚╝╚╩╝╚╩╝╚╝═╚╝ ￥☆★☆★☆￥★☆★☆￥★☆￥
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⢸⡿⠄⠄⢈⣿⣿⠄⣿⡿⠄⠄⢹⣿⡆⠸⣿⠃⠄⠄⣿⣿⠄⢸⣿⡇⠄⠄⣿⠄
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⢀⣴⣿⡿⠃⠄⠄⠄⣿⣧⠄⠄⢸⣿⡇⠄⣠⣾⡿⠋⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣿⡇
⢸⣿⣿⣶⣶⣶⣶⠄⠙⢿⣷⣶⡿⠟⠄⠸⣿⣿⣶⣶⣶⣶⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣿⠃

[Snowy Sprout]

Originally posted by Dimensional Traveler:

Some of your beers have leaves in them.

That's the secret ingredient for extra flavor!

[Snowy Sprout]

Happy New Year!

I hope 2024 will be full of fun challenges, and that you get to grow in all the ways you hope for!

[Snowy Sprout]

It's the tenth of Winter now for me, and for about a month now I've been enjoying daily income in the 1500-3500 range, which means I can upgrade more tools and buildings. I'm just now getting my coop up to maximum, and look forward to getting a few rabbits.

My barn is already up to maximum, but I only plan to buy pigs after the 17th. Then they'll grow up just about by springtime, and begin hunting truffles right away. Until then, I've filled my barn with cows, which have had time to grow up and start producing milk, even large milk, which is a better use of the barn space than just housing and feeding pigs all winter.

I think I maybe just turned in enough artifacts to open the sewer and start trading with Krobus. But I haven't paid for the bus yet, so that will be my priority. Then I can try Skull Cavern and maybe make some iridium sprinklers. My axe and pick are still only steel quality though.

The greenhouse is planted in mostly pumpkins for the moment, with one ancient seed doing its best to grow up and take over. I have a row of hops for food, some strawberries for jam, my first coffee plant, and a few leftover spaces with random stuff. Once that ancient seed empire takes hold, then my money worries will be pretty much over. Even at 25% profit, it will keep me wealthy enough to make whatever choices I need.

The CC is just about finished. I even found a red cabbage seed at the travelling merchant! All that remains is the bulletin board. I need to brew some wine and get a rabbit's foot, and get a truffle, and that's about it. So I should be done in early spring, because I don't see how I'll get a truffle before then. Oh, and the vault room too. IDK how soon I'll have 42,000 to spare. But I know it won't take very much longer. I'm sure it'll come before the end of spring, if not much sooner.

[Snowy Sprout]

I got the Prismatic Slime quest, and finally found the slime at nearly 10pm on Sunday, the last day it could be turned in. I used the minecart to get to town and ran as fast as possible to the wizard's tower, but arrived there at 11:10, when it is closed.

Now I have this prismatic slime, and no way to turn it in. :(

[Nakos]

Ouch, that sucks :(

[Gold Dragon]

In Actual fact, there is more than 1 way into the Wizard's tower....... and the other way isn't lockable.....

[Snowy Sprout]

Originally posted by Gold Dragon:

In Actual fact, there is more than 1 way into the Wizard's tower....... and the other way isn't lockable.....

True, but I haven't unlocked that way yet. It only comes after the CC is completed.