Saturday, December 6, 2008

Special Birthday Gift Items in Rune Factory 2

In most Harvest Moon games, when you give an individual any item he/she particularly likes as a birthday gift, it will be acknowledged as such and heart levels in many circumstances increase far more than they would on any other day.

This is the case, for example, in HM DS and Cute DS, where a birthday gift of ANY item that is liked by the character will have its ordinary value multiplied by 5.

In Rune Factory 2, however, birthday gifts are treated a little differently from other Harvest Moon games. For each individual, there is only ONE item that will be recognised as a proper birthday gift. If you give the character any other item on his/her birthday, there will be no recognition whatsoever of it as a birthday gift.

This information has been included now in a special section in my Characters Guide but it may be helpful to post it here as well.

Here is a list of all characters and their responses:

Julia for Seafood Pizza: I don’t really want to eat something so fattening right now. If it were my birthday or something it’d be different.
ROASTED YAM for Mana:
Mana: I love this, but I would’ve preferred it on my birthday.
EMERALD RING for Alicia:
Alicia: I love this, but… I would have liked it on my birthday.
HOT MILK for Rosalind:
Rosalind: Thank you, Freya, but I’d hoped to get this on my birthday.
STRAWBERRY JAM for Dorothy:
Dorothy for Strawberry Jam: Thank you… I’d love to get this for my birthday…
AQUAMARINE BROOCH for Cecilia:
Ceci for Aquamarine Brooch; I really like those, but I’d prefer one on my birthday.
CABBAGE CAKES for Yue:
Yue: Oh, it looks delicious! Is that really for me? This would taste even better if it was my birthday!

Other 1st Generation Characters:
SNAPPER SASHIMI for Max:
Max: Thanks! But it really would have bene perfect for a birthday present.
PLATINUM for Jake:
Jake: Don’t give this to me when it’s not going to mean anything. You’re supposed to give it to me on a special day. Like my birthday, for example.
SKIPJACK SASHIMI for Barrett:
Barrett: What’s this, all of a sudden? Is that a present for me? That would be a perfect gift if you gave it to me on my birthday.
GRAPE JUICE for Ray: 'It's my birthday.'
RUBY RING for Tanya:
Tanya: Oh, that’s lovely. Is it for me? This is like… a birthday present, isn’t it!
FRIED RICE for Douglas:
Douglas: I love these, but I would prefer one on my birthday.
FRIED UDON for Natalie:
Natalie: I love this, but… I would have liked it on my birthday.
CURRY RICE for Herman:
Herman: (Much obliged!) Thaaaaaank you! Incidentally, I’d be really happy if you gave this to me on my birthday too.
Egan is Stew: This looks really good. It’s definitely the kind of thing I’d want to eat on my birthday.
AMETHYST RING for Gordon:
Gordon: You’re giving this to me even though it’s not my birthday? I’d enjoy it more then. Ba ha ha ha!
SEAFOOD DORIA for Byron:
Byron: Oh, this looks wonderful! What’s brought this on? It isn’t even my birthday! This would make the perfect birthday gift, though, wouldn’t it? Hah hah hah!
FRENCH FRIES for Roy:
Roy: Heh heh heh, that’s my favourite. Maybe some one will give it to me for my birthday…?
HOT CHOCOLATE for Cammy:
Cammy: That looks delicious! I’d love to eat that on my birthday!

Here is a little 'visual guide' I made of all Birthdays and Special Gift Items for each character:




If any one has noted a different response from Ray when he is given Grape Juice, please let me know. My information is taken from the test version of the game.

Finally, I need to make a public apology for a false assumption I made very early in the game. I should know better by now than to make assumptions in ANY Harvest Moon game based on previous games...

In my Characters Guide, I wrote that Herman liked 'all cooked dishes', basing this on his negative response to a raw ingredient, assuming that he would be like the Gourmet in other Harvest Moon games.

In fact, in Rune Factory 2, there are only a couple of items that ANY character truly likes, and only one item that is recognised as a birthday gift, as stated previously in this post.

Herman loves Pineapple Juice, for example. He will state: (Much obliged.)
Isn't this... a PINEAPPLE JUICE???). Are you giving this to me? Thaaaaaank you!

Another false assumption I made in the 1st Generation, as one could not cook at the time in order to TEST his statements, was that I believed Herman when he spoke admiringly about specific items such as Tomato Juice. In fact, if you GIVE him Tomato Juice, he will ask you what in the world he should do with it, which is his standard response to an unwanted gift! His warm recommendations, like the 'urban legends' he and Rosalind tend to spread at specific heart levels, must be taken with more than one grain of salt!



I intended to correct this aspect of the Characters Guide sooner, but it slipped my mind with my recent focus on the birthday items and the Bestiary and Caves aspect of Rune Factory 2. The Characters Guide will be updated PROPERLY today!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi--

This isn't strictly relevant to this post, but it is sort of related. I gave Herman the fried eggs you can buy from Douglas, and he didn't like them. (He gave me the "What in the worrrld can I do with this?" response) I thought of them as a cooked dish. Are they just an exception to the "Herman likes all cooked dishes" rule (like cornflakes), or is it a cultural thing where some people would think of fried eggs as an ingredient rather than a cooked dish? Thanks! --Jen

Freyashawk said...

Jen, I'm afraid this is a case where I must apologise for making an assumption very early in the game. 'Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!'

I assumed that Herman, like the Gourmet in so many HM games, would like ALL Cooked Dishes. In fact, Rune Factory 2 operates quite differently from other HM games where likes and dislikes are concerned. There are only a couple of items that each character truly LIKES, and only 1 item that a character will recognise as a birthday gift. I intended to change the Guide last week but overlooked that change in the last couple of updates. It WILL be done now! With my apologies!

Anonymous said...

Hey, thanks for the response. I can't imagine anyone blaming you for getting one detail (out of 5 million or so) incorrect. Ego te absolvo. =)

So does that mean that you can't give him anything he likes in the 1st generation? He's lagging behind everyone else in hearts and I want him to catch up. I suppose I should be more patient.

Anyway, thanks again! --Jen

Freyashawk said...

Jen, I can't recall offhand if Yue sells Pineapple Juice or not. That's the item he likes to receive ordinarily as a gift, but you CAN buy his birthday item from Yue in the form of Curry Rice and give THAT to him on any day. To be honest, though, gifts aren't worth as much as Requests or speaking to people every day and especially on Festival Days.

Anonymous said...

This is kind of off topic, but how do you find out someone's birthday in RF2?

Just curious- Sary

Anonymous said...

To find out the bdays of every1, talk to them at each lvl of friendship, and they'll tell you their birthday. Don't worry about writing it down because your calender automatically updates itself. Hopes this helps.

Freyashawk said...

It is at 4 hearts that the character divulges his/her birthday and it then is added to the Calendar on your wall. All the Birthdays as well as the Special Birthday Gift for each character are included in my General Guide in the Calendar section and in the Calendar Guide.
Links are on the right side of this page. If you did not obtain the 'confession', all you have to do is give the individual the special item on his/her birthday and the date will be added to the Calendar.

Elle said...

I'am trying to raise Herman's FP in order to get into his house after 6. But after doing 2 of his requests on the notice board, he doesn't post anymore. I did talk to him everyday and well, he is in charge of all the festivalsso I do talk to him. So my question is, if I give him curry rice on and other day besides his birthday, will that help? - Elle

Freyashawk said...

Elle, as Requests are linked to Friendship levels, giving him items he likes will boost his Friendship. There are Requests both in the 1st and 2nd Generation, however. Which Generation are you playing at the moment?

Elle said...

1st generation.

Razpberrie said...

Dear Freya,

I love your blog. It's so complete. I want to ask. Why can't I find hot chocolate at Yue's shop? But can see it AFTER Cammy's birthday. Is it normally like that, or there IS, but I didn't notice it?
Hope you'll answer through email. Here is my email: jdelias.27@gmail.com
Thanks again Freya! =)

Anonymous said...

What is your fave harvest moon game cause i gots alot i have island of happiness tree of tranquility rune factory 2 a wonderful life SE, so which one is best P.S whats your email me and u r both smart(intelligent) at the games.

Freyashawk said...

Anonymous, it isn't a contest. I perform a service by making information available to all players with access to the internet. Players who are able simply to PLAY the games rather than spending over half of their time logging events and testing responses obviously have some advantage over me. I sometimes spend six months on a single game in order to try to cover it properly.

I am not certain I have one favourite. I tend to prefer the DS games to the console versions as I feel they really are more detailed in a sense. I love the Rune Factory series because of my own interest and involvement in martial arts and fencing and as a collector of edged weapons. On the other hand, Harvest Moon was my first love and I always will remain devoted to it.

You did not mention Harvest Moon Cute DS, which has to rate as a favourite with me because of the way it combines Mineral Town and Forget-Me-Not Valley characters and because of the delectable Skye.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the info call me nicola i love how you told what they like and also there birthdays but which girl is best to marry in the first generation of rune factory 2?

P.S whats ur email

Anonymous said...

hello whats your email or do u want me to tell u mine? sorry off suject this is nicola on my other file i did all the mock marrys and everyone has 10 fd and i'm rich but is there anything else to do other than find the tablets and where are the tablets?

Freyashawk said...

Nicola, my email address is included in my Profile information but I would be very grateful if you read my General Guide or Bestiary and Caves Guide for Rune Factory 2 as you will find information about ALL the Bosses, Monsters and Shrines in both of those Guides. I spent many months working on my Rune Factory 2 Guides and it really pleases me when players use them.

Anonymous said...

in the second generation do u ever find your dad. Also from nicola
(off subject) how old r u and r we friends?

Anonymous said...

nicola- where do i find the profile info ps my real name is cassie

Gwen said...

just wondering, when you first played this game, which girl did you marry? I'm undecieded between Mana (cause she's the default woman to chose and goes along with the story more I guess? plus I feel bad if she ended up not marrying at all), Yue(she seems lonely if she were by herself plus she's nice) , and Rosalind (she's very nice and I would chose her but it seems weird to let Ray marry Yue...)

Freyashawk said...

Gwen, your 'true love' really is supposed to be Mana, but of course, being Harvest Moon, you have the choice to look elsewhere. I would marry Mana in my next game. So far, I married Alicia and Yue. Yue's schedule changes a little if you marry her or marry a girl with a rival, which would create a situation where Yue marries the rival instead. As much as I adore Yue, therefore, I wouldn't recommend her as your first choice.

Anonymous said...

Hi Freya. I'm a big HM fan and I played many of them games. However, being a beginner, when I came across the rune factory series (which is very different to the other HM games), I kind of, actually, really am stuck on the first day. So, my request is, you don't need to answer my questions, but if you can send me the links to them, that would be very very helpful. And you guessed it, I haven't read all of your guides yet. So these are my questions:
- 1st day of the game is Douglas's birthday, so should I try and buy him his special gift? That’s lots of money for a starting farmer. This question goes to all the other characters as well.
- Does it worth giving every villager gifts they like every day? Or is it better to just talk to them & spend time completing their requests?
- fighting monsters seems really hard for some reason. I only went to get Ray a CHEAP CLOTH on my first day, and it cost me most of my HP and RP. Monsters keep appearing and I have no time to rid the hole, which I believe to be where they come from. Are there any fighting tips you can give me?
- should I grow certain crops in certain caves? If I should then what's the point of having the big field? Also does it affect the crop’s growth rate?
- What are the first basic goals I should achieve to have a good start-off for my game? Buying weapons, purchasing as many seed bags as possible?
- What should I spend time on doing most every day? Quests? Train? Farm? Talk to villagers?
- Is there a mine somewhere in the game, or do you fight monsters to obtain gems?
- is there fertiliser in the game? The magnifying glass said something about checking fertiliser... how do you use it anyway?
I’m really sorry for asking too much, or if the questions are so obvious, but I have absolute no idea what to do now that this series is so different to the previous harvest moon games. I really like it though, since it has a story line.
Anyway, if you can help me, I’d really appreciate it.
P.S: If writing guides is your job, you’re doing awesome ;)

~Red~