Old HM players

[Cerberus]

Do you guys play this game seriously or just relaxingly... like, we do have a certain knowledge of knowing what's going to happen and the things to look out for, but do you actively use that knowledge to minmax stuff or just... let things happen naturally?

[Algester]

let things happen naturally really I mean returning players more or less already know what to do even if you cop out the added features

[Gabbo1313]

as a veteran (using that terms loosely) i play seriously but also having fun with it, i usually let things happen naturally instead of seeking out certain events (fishing rod is the only exception)

i knew from the get-go that spring/summer is the seasons to do both cropping and speaking to residents, soon as autumn/fall comes around its money-making time and with the QoL of walking through crops... man o man its yam city

[owl]

Minmaxing is the way I play in the beginning. But after running out of things to do, I created another save file, playing as the opposite gender, and just generally have fun doing whatever I feel like doing.

[lilin08]

I just go with the flow. I didn't plan too much in this game. I've just realized that compare to recent Story of Seasons/BokuMono games, this was simple and straightforward which was a welcome change. I do miss the variety of dialogue though found in the recent entry of the series.

[Cerberus]

It's nice to hear you guys enjoying it.
I keep forgetting that life can sometimes be simple, and I keep stressing myself out about having to get things done... I guess that's why I enjoyed this game so much in the past when I was a kid who didn't knew much. I was afraid to pick this game up because "it may be just another game to play". But you guys have reminded me that I can actually take things easy and to not think too much about it... I still remember how I used to single-mindedly pursue Popuri and wanted to become a successful farmer just for her. Well, it won't feel the same as an adult now, but I guess I shall try best and give it a go.

[nonamen]

I sort of finish all the hard stuff on year 1 and then have fun and do whatever

[Caprontos]

Mostly didn't min-max and just did whatever each day. I manged to miss the pet shop to rain every month so far. I only grinded tools at the start of winter because I was above 80% on two finished with three and so only needed to really finish the fishing rod to get the cursed tools. I did get the harvest sprites help very early this time. I never did that on the GBA, usually got them mid-late game.

That said I forgot just how much of FOMT is based around you save scumming your way through. The mines is built on you save scumming(it'd be a nightmare without it, its pretty bad with it)..

The weather likewise. If you ignore it you just don't get pets. It takes an extra month for Lou to show up (apparently it rains every single sunday) . Feels like a lot of once a week events depend on weather to. So if unlucky they just can't happen. If your not thinking two days ahead you can take a lot longer to get some things.

[Michael Scott Paper Company]

I played a whole lot of BtN back in the day, imported and played the For Girl version back in the early 2000s on the PSX, and wrote an FAQ back then, so I'd say I'm a veteran.

I'm surprised how easily I slipped into the old routines here in SoS: FoMT, but I forgot some small details. My morning routine is pretty much the same in-game as it was 20 years ago in-game, but I wouldn't say I'm min-maxing. I'm just sort of going with the flow, but remember a fair deal and am having a very easy time.

How do newcomers to this iteration feel about the gameplay? BtN/FoMT are pretty tight in terms of time, so I imagine it can be stressful for those who haven't played this one before.

[Kai]

I do minmaxing at a relaxing pace. I like to optimize but if it's too big of a hassle I don't stress it and go at my own pace.

[TysonL]

i cant seem to get into the newer harvest moon games. for me n64 one is the best one made. i will try pick this one up for Halloween sale. I wish we got Rune Factory games, like them over the animal harvest moon clones.

[MightyMidgit]

I play seriously until marriage, then I just play relaxingly as I finish off all the other aspects of the game. I married Karen midway through the first summer in this game because I wanted to see how fast I could do it, optimizing every day. Now I am more chill with my daily activities.

In BtN I managed a first month marriage to Karen, and that was a level of burnout-inducing min-maxing that I would never want to repeat again.

[Metaspark]

Spend the first year getting all the important stuff like farm upgrades, marriage, heart maxed animals, and cursed/blessed tools, then spend the rest of the game coasting in comfort

[gayming_the_system]

I like to take things slow, but I do find myself more frantic early on, but in Summer I hit a groove. Usually by then I have a nice nest egg and have befriended Won enough to take advantage of "Van's Favorite" to get an easy 50,000~ a dayish so I start focusing on upgrades and stuff.

The "hardest" thing I gotta do is woo Kai , but I'll probably be married to him by 2nd year.

[funewchie]

I've pretty much always just did things at my own pace.

I do tend to spend the first spring and summer collecting flowers/herbs, fishing, and mining for money, so that I can get the bigger backpack and start upgrading my tools (especially the watering can. Watering crops one at time gets old fast)

But, I don't go crazy with it.
Even crops, I go with what I feel like.

With relationships, I mostly just settle for chitchatting with the villagers and bachelorettes for a long while.
Once I've got some upgraded tools and and bigger backpack, and can afford to, then I might start with the presents.

I've worked fast in these games, but it can be a bit much.
Like the Cursed tools, I could speedrun to get them, but I'd rather just take my time. Maybe by the first winter I might be ready to start looking for them.

[Makoto Naegi]

I always take it at a relaxed pace. For example, I only ever have about 8 3x3 areas with seeds in them. Almost the entire rest of the field is covered in grass, so I don't have to worry about annoying weeds popping up. Soon the grass will reach the southwest corner, and then it'll just be grass, the handful of crops, and the fence to keep the grass from getting to the crops. Oh, and those L5 boulders that I haven't smashed yet. Gotta use the hammer a bit more first.