The Amazing Bathing Suit and a Summer Date

This video shows what happens when you ask more than one Eligible Girl on the same Date as well as some responses to the offer of an Amazing Bathing Suit in Rune Factory Frontier:

Illusory Profit in a Wedding Bouquet in Rune Factory Frontier

Players often speak of the profit that can be made by shipping Wedding Bouquets in Rune Factory Frontier, but in fact the actual profit made by shipping a Level 1 Wedding Bouquet is only 73G.

If you look at the shipping values of the individual ingredients, you will find the following:
Baleen: 20G
Green Grass:10G
Moondrop Flower: 217G
Toy Herb: 900G
Pink Cat: 520G
Blue Rose: 1040G

The total value of the ingredients, if all are Level 1 Items, is 2707G. The shipping value of a Level 1 Wedding Bouquet is 2780G. This makes the actual profit only 73G. Where you will make a 'profit', of course, is in the gain to your Skills at the Crafts Bench. Furthermore, if you can create the Wedding Bouquet 'with expertise', boosting it thereby to Level 2, its value will increase to 3336G. THAT does constitute a nice profit of 556G. It may not be an incredible profit, but it is a profit.

What you should not do is use higher levels of ingredients to create the Wedding Bouquet as the Baleen is Level 1 and that will reduce the level of the final product to Level 1 or, at best, Level 2. You therefore would be best served by using your high level flowers to create other high level items or simply ship them individually.

Note that the Blue Rose has a higher shipping value than a White Rose. A Level 1 White Rose ships for 810G. A Level 1 Blue Rose ships for 1040G. Leaving the White Roses blooming in any field in a dungeon for a few days therefore not only grants you the benefit of the Rune Points created but transforms the flowers into a more valuable product.

I know this information is rather like the depressing mathematical equations provided to a gambler who has the winning ticket at the Kentucky Derby and is jubilant to see that the winner pays $5.00. 'Yes,' declares the mathematician, 'but you know you didn't WIN $5.00, don't you?' 'What do you mean?' 'Well, you paid $2.00 for the ticket. Your winnings, therefore, are $3.00, not $5.00.'

Another case where maths might be useful is in deciding when to use Greenifier in Rune Factory Frontier. Greenifier costs 9200G and works only on a single square where seed has been planted. It will have NO effect, by the way, once the seed has sprouted, so must be applied early.

A Level 1 Golden Turnip, a Crop that is fairly valuable but not incredibly so, ships for 500G. A Level 2 Golden Turnip ships for 600G. A portion of Greenifier, as previously stated, costs 9200G. If dumped on a level 1 Golden Turnip in the field, it will produce a single Level 2 Golden Turnip. Obviously, there is no point in shipping this. You have to feed it into the Seed Maker to produce a bag of Level 2 Golden Turnip Seeds. Plant those and you will have 9 Level 2 Golden Turnips. The difference in shipping value between those and the original Level 1 Crops is 900G for 9 Level 2 Golden Turnips. That is not even one-tenth of the price paid for the Greenifier...

You can make Greenifier in your own Laboratory but it is a labour-intensive project with Skill Level 99 and the following ingredients: Formula C, Earth Crystal, Water Crystal, Fish Fossil, Fairy Dust and Demon Blood. Formula C requires Formula B as an ingredient. Formula B requires Formula A as an ingredient... White Grass and Black Grass are ingredients in Formula C as well... All in all, kind of a headache especially if you intend to make Greenifier in bulk.

Where, then, is it worth 9200G to use Greenifier to boost the level of a Crop? On Flowers, of course, as Flowers are ingredients in many Weapons and Accessories. Even the common 'garden-variety' blooms such as Moondrop, Toy Flower, Pink Cat and Charm Blue benefit from the use of Greenifier.

Lunar Eclipe requires a Moondrop. Heaven's Tear requires Pink Cat and Charm Blue. A Crescent Axe uses a Moondrop The Hammer requires a Fireflower. Miracle Axe requires a Noel Grass. Legend Sickle requires Ironleaf. The Joy Can requires a Four-Leaf Clover. The Blessed Hoe uses Cherry Grass and the Sacred Pole requires a Noel Grass. Steel Sushir uses Ironleaf.

It is with respect to Accessories, however, that you will find the most frequent demand for Flowers. Although two Accessories use Farm Crops in the form of the Pumpkin for the famed Pumpkin Head and the Turnip for the Turnip Head, Flowers are more common ingredients.

In Headgear recipes alone, you will find flowers prevalent. The Stylish Hat and Fluffy Hat both require a Toy Herb. The Headdress uses a Moondrop and a Charm Blue.
With respect to the rare flowers, the Golden Hairpin requires Ironleaf, the Elephant Mask uses Four-Leaf Clover, the Tiara require Emery Flower and the Whale Hat uses Lamp Grass.

In terms of Neckgear, Critical 7 requires a Four-Leaf Clover, the Rosario uses Lamp Grass. For Torso Equipment, you will find that the Furry Belt uses Toy Herb, while all four Elemental Capes require flowers: Moondrop for the Wind Cape, Pink Cat for the Fire Cape, Charm Blue for the Water Cape and Toy Herb for the Earth Cape. To make the Cat's Tail, you will need Pink Cat and to make the Black Robe, you will need a four-Leaf Clover. The Corsage requires both Cherry Grass and Emery Flower.

In terms of Arm Equipment, the Silence Ring uses Pink Cat, the Para Ring uses Charm Blue and the Poison Ring uses Toy Herb. The Magic Ring uses Fireflower and the Diamond Ring requires Emery Flower.

Where Weapons are concerned, a higher level of Weapon requires less RP Use than a Level 1 Weapon. Where accessories are concerned, higher levels produce higher Defence. Both your RP Use and your Defence can be critically important. It therefore DOES make sense to dump a bag of Greenifier on a Flower to produce a higher level... and to keep doing that, if possible, with successive flower crops until you can produce a Level 10 Flower.

When working in the Laboratory, you will find that Flowers are required to create the items that boost your character's abilities. Fireflower is an ingredient in Dexterity Bottle. The rare 'Crystal' flowers are needed to create Vital Gummy (Green Crystal), Intelligent Vitamins (Blue Crystal) and Protein (Red Crystal)

Where raising the level of the items that you grow is concerned, it is not profit that is the motivation but the ability to create a superior item.

Drama between Uzuki and Tsubute

Heart Levels determine the progress of the 'stories' of characters in Rune Factory Frontier.

Uzuki and her loyal retainer Tsubute have a rather stormy relationship that ultimately leads to Tsubute's disappearance.

Here is a little video that shows some of the interactions between the two as well as the denouement:

The Quest for the Scriptures in Rune Factory Frontier

There are two basic types of Event in Rune Factory Frontier and in any Rune Factory game for that matter. There are the 'plot' or 'storyline' Events that are unlocked by your character's own actions, usually in the form of an achievement, whether it is a matter of tilling a specific field, planting a specific crop or defeating a specific Boss Monster. These Events allow the story to progress, unlocking new areas or new 'life' options for every one in the community.

The other type of Event actually consists of a number of different types of Events but all are distinguished by a Heart Level or Friendship Level Requirement. In other words, no matter how handy your character may be with a sword, however much money he has made or however many expansions he may have, the Event will not occur until a specific level of Love or Friendship has been attained either with a single individual or with every individual who is involved in the Event.

In the case of Rune Factory Frontier, there are a number of Events that are linked and could be considered a 'chain of Events'. The Quest for the Missing Scriptures is one of these. The 'Chain Events' usually are not Events that advance your prospect of marriage with a specific Eligible Girl directly but as they tend to require specific Heart Levels on the part of any Eligible Girls involved in them, they often will be triggered at the same time as romantic progress is made.

Note that in Rune Factory Frontier, you can give more than one 'Most Favourite Gift' on any occasion to boost Friendship Levels faster. You can give lesser favourites as well, but a second or additional less favourite gift will have no significant value in terms of raising Friendship Levels. Although a true 'Most Favourite Gift' will have less value as well as a second or subsequent Gift than it has as a first Gift, the value remains significant enough to make the effort worth your while in some circumstances. Note that the actual Love Level or Heart Level is affected only by the first gift of the day.

In the case of the Quest for the Missing Scriptures, if you fail to experience one link in the 'chain', increase Heart or Friendship Levels until the Event triggers.
Selphy will not 'confess' her irresponsible act to you, for example, until she has reached almost 6 Hearts. As with many Harvest Moon/Rune Factory games, the little Heart Icon that appears on the Relations Page is not the true determining factor where Events are concerned. Rather, it is a point total that the player cannot see.
In Harvest Moon DS/Cute DS, your character could equip a Love Bangle that would allow him/her to view precise point values of Love and Friendship. No such accessory exists in Rune Factory Frontier. The 'point' I am trying to make here is that you cannot rely completely on the number of 'Hearts' or 'Smiley Faces' on the Relations Page, although they give a fair indication of your progress with any character. With respect to Events, the trigger may be 'more' or 'less' than a full Heart.

In fact, it may be useful to note here that the Wedding Bouquet Recipe has a different point requirement than the ability to ask a girl on a date. 10 Hearts is 'maximum' heart level in terms of the Heart Icons, but when 10 Hearts is attained, the Love gauge will be empty still, signifying to the player that a higher level of affection can be achieved. At 8 Hearts, you should have the option of asking an Eligible Girl on a date. At this point, however, you will NOT be able to trigger the Wedding Bouquet Recipe Event with Stella. It is only when you have 10 Hearts AND the Love gauge is full that the Event with Stella can be experienced, placing you in possession of 'Happiness 101', the final Recipe Book.

All that aside, here is the complete Quest for the Scriptures in Rune Factory Frontier. This 'chain of Events' is interesting because it demonstrates that weather as well as the actual day of the week can be added requirements in Rune Factory Frontier as well, as it is in other Harvest Moon or Rune Factory games.



N.B. The Quest for the Missing Scriptures as well as the Wedding Bouquet Events are included now in my 2nd Year Walkthrough for Rune Factory Frontier. As with any Event or chain of Events that is predicated on Heart/Friendship Levels, you can experience these either earlier in the 1st year or later than the 2nd year, depending on your character's Friendship and Love Levels with the various participants.

New Rune Factory Frontier Walkthrough for 2nd Year

IGN has a limit on file size for guides, so I have divided the Rune Factory Frontier primary guides into the following:

Rune Factory Frontier General Guide
Rune Factory Frontier 1st Year Walkthrough
Rune Factory Frontier 2nd Year Walkthrough

Although I may revise the organisation of the Walkthroughs substantially in the future, at present I have confined the 1st Year Walkthrough to early options and Events that occur at fairly low heart levels.

The 2nd Year Walkthrough will include the Events that require a higher Heart Level or Friendship Level. So far, I have completed a Walkthrough only for Spring in the second year. It contains the Missing Scriptures Quest, Happiness 101 as well as details about obtaining the ingredients for the Wedding Bouquet. It includes Minerva's Introduction Event and Melody's Event at 10 Hearts, inter alia, as well as the Event that forces Selphy to work parttime at the Church. As time permits, the Events for the other Eligible Girls will be included as well.

Ultimately, both 1st and 2nd Walkthroughs will be re-organised completely. I must decide how to organise the Events for each Eligible Girl. Should I place all Events that occur at 4 Hearts or less in the 1st Year Walkthrough and all that occur above 4Hearts in the 2nd Year... or...? What I will not do ultimately is favour one character over another. As the organiseation of the original Walkthroughs were based on my first game, they ARE unequal at this point in time. That will be rectified as time permits.

Harvest Moon Fan Fiction

You will find a link to my site for Harvest Moon Fan Fiction, 'We Love Harvest Moon' on the right side of this page. My friend Mars the Frog sent me a very amusing account of the last days of Summer in the 1st Year of Rune Factory Frontier. ILuvHM sent an amusing tale of her character's experience of the Foliage Festival and acquisition of the Wedding Bouquet. I have published both on the 'We Love Harvest Moon' site as I believe that any player of Rune Factory Frontier will enjoy these accounts as much as I did.

Please feel free to send me your own stories. The purpose of these stories should be to give valid information about Events and Characters in any of the Harvest Moon and Rune Factory games while weaving an interesting or amusing story.

The Nature of Runeys in Rune Factory Frontier

There is a new system that players are promoting with respect to the Runeys. The maximum of each type that can be placed on any district is 60. The theory is that, if you place 60 of each type on every district, the only change that occurs will be the death of 2 Grass Runeys on each of those districts apart from your own Homestead where the crops that are mature will regenerate 2 Grass Runeys to take the place of those who have died.

I think this system ignores the essential nature of the Runeys and actually is WASTING the potential of the Grass Runeys in a way. The description of the four types of Runeys is:

Grass Runeys: They prefer open areas and do not eat other Runeys. When they grow too great in numbers, they sometimes suddenly decrease on their own.
Rock Runeys: They prefer to live near buildings. They eat Tree Runeys but do not reproduce in large numbers.
Tree Runeys: They prefer forests and unspoiled nature. They eat Grass Runeys and can easily multiply in numbers.
Water Runeys: They prefer to be near water, like the lake and beach. They eat Rock Runeys but do not reproduce in large numbers.
Some Runeys will eat Runeys of another variety. The secret of attaining Prosperity is placement and balance.

Note the description of the Grass Runeys: 'When they grow too great in numbers, they sometimes suddenly decrease on their own.'

In other words, if you have 60 of every type of Runey on any district other than the Homestead, 2 of the Grass Runeys will die each week. The others cannot grow beyond 60 but the Grass Runeys WILL die.

In my own game, having 50 of each type of Runey on my own Homestead at the start of the week and NO dead districts anywhere on the Map resulted in a gain of all four types of Runeys to the maximum of 60 of each type by the end of the week. The Water Runeys would grow fastest and in fact, there would be 59 Water, 52 Rock, 57 Tree and 52 Grass on the morning after I skimmed 10 of each off the Homestead. What would happen, though, is that the other types would catch up by the end of the week.

You therefore could skim 10 of each type from your Homestead to use in Rune Stones, Rune Miracles or in other districts at the end of each week and still have the maximum 60 of each type at the end of the next week.
Furthermore, as long as I had Crops growing at all times on my Field and at least 12 of each type of Runey in every other district on the map, my Crops would grow at least twice as fast if not more. Grass if cut would be ready to cut again the next morning. Strawberries if harvested would be ready to harvest again the next morning...

It therefore appears to me that it goes against the 'spirit' of the game to place 60 of every type in any district because that leads solely to the demise of the Grass Runeys in that district. The players who follow this system are required to replace the dead Grass Runeys regularly... They claim this is 'easier' than allowing Nature to have her way, but I am not certain that this is true either.

If you keep an eye on the Runey Distribution Map, have a state of Prosperity in the Homestead and simply make certain that there are at least 12 of each type of Runey in all districts apart from the Homestead, your own Crop growth will be maximised and general harmony and balance should be maintained.

I would be interested in the opinions and results of other players, as always.

Help with Dialogue Appearance in Rune Factory Frontier

I'd like to enlist the help of any players who would be willing to log their results in Rune Factory Frontier with respect to the appearance of dialogue that involves skill levels. I would like to know what triggers its appearance, whether it is the actual skill Level attained by yoru character, heart level or simply the date and year.

For example, Bianca mentions that your cooking has improved. At the same time, a letter arrives from Tart expressing amazement at your Cooking ability. These both occurred at the beginning of Spring in the 2nd year in my game. Is this the case with respect to all players?

A number of characters similarly mentioned an increase in my character's ability in combat and Ganesha mentioned an improvement in my character's forging skills...

I would be very interested to know when these dialogues appeared in the games of other players.

Thanks!

Comprehensive Calendar for Rune Factory Frontier

*****************************************************************************
I have created a new comprehensive Calendar for Rune Factory Frontier similar to those I created for FoMT/MFoMT long ago. It includes Crops and Constellations for each season as well as Birthdays and Festivals. A 'Most Favourite' Gift as well as an 'Easy Gift' have been included in brackets for each individual on his/her birthdays.


Calendar of Birthdays and Festivals

In any Harvest Moon/Rune Factory game, a Calendar is almost indispensible. Knowing when Festivals are due to occur and the birthdays of every individual in your village can increase the strength of relationships and bring you closer to marriage with the girl or bachelor of your dreams.

Calendar Dates

There are four season in a year and they follow the traditional wheel with Spring as the first, Summer the second, Autumn the third and Winter the fourth season. Crops can be grown in all seasons except Winter on your Farm. In Winter, you can grow Crops only in the Dungeons.

As in other Rune Factory games, the week has only six days rather than seven. The first day of any week is a Holiday, followed by the traditional Monday through Friday order.of the days. There is a Calendar beside your Diary Table in your farmhouse, but very few items will appear on it at the start of the game.
The following is a complete Calendar of Festivals and Birthdays with a Most Favourite Gift as well as an Easy Favourite Gift listed in brackets for each individual. Crops and Constellations for each Season are listed as well for easy reference.
If and when you give a character a gift on his/her birthday, the birthday will appear on the Calendar. At approximately 4 Hearts/Friendship, a character can be persuaded to confess his/her birthday. When this occurs, the date will be added to the Calendar even if you did not celebrate it previously with a gift.


Complete Calendar of Festivals, Birthdays, Crops and Constellations


Spring:

Spring Crops:
Single Harvest Crops: Turnip, Cabbage, Potato
Multiple Harvest Crops: Strawberry, Cucumber
Spring Flowers: Moondrop Flower, Toy Herb, Emery Flower, Cherry Grass, Lamp Grass, Blue Crystal
Spring Fruits: Cherry
Spring Constellations:
Turnip Constellation: between 6.40 p.m. and 7.50 p.m. (Mist’s Wish for Turnips granted by falling star)
Serpent Constellation: between 9.00 p.m. and 10.50 p.m. (Rosetta, Intelligence Increase)
Crown Constellation: after 12.40 a.m. (Selphy, Constellation Books)
1 Spring: New Year’s Festival (after 1st year)
Celebrate the New year. Rice Cakes are the present of choice.
‘Rice Cakes’ are termed ‘Mochi’ in Rune Factory Frontier. New Mochi is smashed with a Hammer on a special platform at the Square after 9.00 a.m. You can obtain a ‘New Mochi’ from Rita after 9.00 a.m. at the Public Square on 30 Winter. Smash it at the Square on 1 Spring to create 5 Mochi. Give these as New Year Gifts to individuals. (Responses and value in terms of LP/FP will vary by individual). You can bring your own New Mochi if you wish as well to make more Mochi or you can make the Mochi in your Kitchen using a Steamer.
2 Spring: Kross’ Birthday (Cat’s Tail, Warrior’s Medal)
8 Spring: Nolan’s Birthday (Wine, Strawberry)
11 Spring: Melody’s Birthday (Relax Tea, Wild Coloured Grasses)
17 Spring: Brodik’s Birthday (Apple Pie)
19 Spring: Sainte-Coquille Festival
Hosted by Bianca. She orders, I cook.
Will occur only after Bianca and Tabatha become permanent residents of Trampoli
This is a festival sponsored by Bianca in which you must guess the name of displayed dishes correctly. The prize is 5 Dishes of one category of Cooked Dishes.
22 Spring: Turner’s Birthday (All Ores except Scrap Iron)
26 Spring: Cinnamon’s Birthday (Magic Crystal, any raw Fish)
27 Spring: Candy’s Birthday (All Fruit Juices, Apple Pie)
29 Spring: Foliage Festival (after 1st year)
Give flowers to those you’re indebted to. Found out when Eunice was distributing flowers.
Give Flowers to Eligible Girls in the 1st year before Festival is set. In subsequent years, give flowers to all residents.

Summer:

Summer Crops:
Single Harvest Crops: Onion, Pumpkin
Multiple Harvest Crops: Tomato, Corn, Pineapple
Summer Flowers: Pink Cat, Fireflower, Ironleaf, Clover, Green Crystal
Summer Fruit: Orange
Summer Constellations:
Elephant Constellation: between 6.40 p.m. and 7.50 p.m. (Bianca, Diamond Quest)
Wooly Constellation* between 9.00 p.m. and 10.50 p.m.(Tabatha, Monster FP)
*You must have a Monster with you when you ‘find’ it.
Buffamoo Constellation: after 12.40 a.m. (Anette’s ‘Anonymous’ Letters)
1 Summer: Beach Opening
Start your summer at the beach. Don’t forget your bathing suit!
Festival begins at 10.00 a.m. at the Beach with Melon Pinata. Before 10.00 a.m., you can experience Events in the Changing Room with the Eligible Girls. The Eligible Girls who attend the Festival and who are found in the Changing Room on 1 Summer varies from year to year and game to game. Eunice will not participate unless she has lost weight pursuant to your own character’s encouragement.
6 Summer: Danny’s Birthday (Silver, Quality Cloth)
8 Summer: Bianca’s Birthday (Diamond, Jewelry such as Pendants, Rings)
Note that Bianca ordinarily is not impressed with specific items but will accept certain‘decent’ Accessories. She will scorn knitted Accessories, however and will respond to the gift of a Fan in the same fashion.
13 Summer: Lute’s Birthday (Chocolate)
15 Summer: Uzuki’s Birthday (Golden Hairpin, any Sashimi)
23 Summer: Erik’s Birthday (Garlic, Dried Fish)
25 Summer: Ganesha Cup Boat Race
May the best sailor in town win.
The Boat Race is held at Lake Poli. You can ask any girl at high heart level to accompany you. Steer your gondola over items in the water for various effects. Hearts result in an increase of speed if and only if an Eligible Girl is with you in the boat.
27 Summer: Stella’s Birthday (Four-Leaf Clover, Toy Herb)
30 Summer: Pumpkin Festival
Every one put on a pumpkin masque. Started by some one saved by a pumpkin-headed monster.
You will be able to buy a ‘Pumpkin-Head’ yourself from Rosetta in Summer to wear as headgear in combat. You may be able to forge your own Pumpkin Head once your Pumpkins mature. (You actually can give Headgear such as Pumpkins to Eligible Girls and they then will wear them but they will not change OUT of any Headgear until you give them a new item. Every one automatically wears a Pumpkin Head on the day of the Festival so there is no need to hand them out yourself…)

Autumn:

Autumn Crops:
Single Harvest Crops: Spinach, Carrot
Multiple Harvest Crops: Yam, Eggplant, Bell Pepper
Autumn Flowers: Charm Blue, Pom-Pom, Noel Grass, Red Crystal
Autumn Fruit: Chestnut
Autumn Constellations:
Hat Constellation: between 8.00 p.m. and 8.50 p.m. (Melody, Magic Skill)
Broom Constellation: after 12.40 a.m. (Eunice, Cooking Skill)
1 Autumn: Mist’s Birthday (Emery Flower, Turnip)
3 Autumn: Selphy’s Birthday (Sandwich, Rice Ball)
8 Autumn: Kanno’s Birthday (Cake, Magic Powder)
12 Autumn: Tabatha’s Birthday (Oatmeal, Rice, Flour)
13 Autumn: Harvest Festival
A time of thanks. Give veggies to people you’re indebted to.
Give Vegetables to Eligible Girls for boost in heart level and to all characters after the 1st year.
17 Autumn: Eunice’s Birthday (Mont Blanc, any Flower) *
*Do not give any Sweets, including her favourite Mont Blanc, if she is trying to lose weight!
21 Autumn: Rosetta’s Birthday (Roasted Yam, Strawberry, Hot Milk)
25 Autumn: Coming of Age Day
There is an annual treasure hunt to commemorate the day.
Many ‘false’ items will be located throughout Trampoli. See the Festivals section of this guide for details. Continue to look for the real item even if another individual pronounces himself/herself the winner. In the first year, you may wish to keep the Golden Turnip yourself to convert it into Seeds instead of taking 1st Place. In subsequent years, you can cheat by giving a Golden Turnip you have grown yourself to win a cheater’s prize in the form of a Toy Sword.
30 Autumn: Sea Surf Day
The day the Spirits prepare for hibernation. If Whale Island eclipses the sun, bear it.
Make Hot Milk and give it to every character in Trampoli to celebrate this Festival.
After your victory in the Era of Disconnect, speak to the Whale to discover why the sky is dark on the last day of Autumn. When you inform Stella of the reason, she will announce a new Festival in honour of the Spirits who give their blessings to Trampoli.

Winter:

Winter Crops:
Single Harvest Crops: None
Multiple Harvest Crops: None
Winter Flowers: None
Winter Fruit: Apple
Other Seasonal Items: Dried Fish
Winter Constellations:
Hairpin Constellation: between 6.40 p.m. and 7.50 p.m. (Uzuki, Weapons Skill)
Cross Constellation: between 8.00 p.m. and 8.50 p.m. (Lara, HP Increase)
Fish Constellation: after 12.40 a.m. (Cinnamon, Fishing Skill)
1 Winter: Lara’s Birthday (Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Jam, any Jam)
4 Winter: Anette’s Birthday (Pumpkin Tart, Strawberry, any Fruit)
7 Winter: Quiz Contest
Test your knowledge against others and come out on top!
There are ten questions, with a ‘commercial break’ in the middle of the Contest. It can be quite hilarious. There will be four contestants, including your character and each is represented by a different fruit. For each correct response, a piece of fruit will be placed on the ground. The winner ultimately will obtain all the fruit from each character’s correct responses. If you lose the Contest, you may receive ‘Fried Pike’ instead of the Consolation Prize of Int. Vitamins that is announced when YOU win the Festival.
8 Winter: Ganesha’s Birthday (Demon’s Blood, Any Ore)
19 Winter: Hotpot Convention
Every one in town brings an ingredient for one giant hotpot!
Some ingredients will result in a ‘good’ hotpot but others in a ‘bad’ one. Most Fish will have a good result. Many vegetables, however, will result in a ‘bad’ hotpot, including Carrots and Yams.
15 Winter: Minerva’s Birthday (Flop, Chestnut)
22 Winter: Rita’s Birthday (Wine)
23 Winter: Iris’ Birthday (both of them!) (Tomato Juice)
24 Winter: Night of Holies (aka Starry Night Festival in Harvest Moon)
This is the night designated for the formal Winter Date in Rune Factory Frontier. Meet the Eligible Girl at 9.00 p.m.
29 Winter: Marco’s Birthday (Curry, Curry Powder)
30 Winter: Year End Festival
Reflect on the past year and prepare for the next.
Go to the Public Square after 9.00 a.m. to speak to Rita. She will give you a ‘New Mochi’. This is the item that you will need on the 1st of Spring if you wish to pound Rice Cakes at the Square. Rice Cakes are ‘Mochi’ in Rune Factory Frontier. They, like New Mochi can be made in your own kitchen or at the Public Square only on New Year’s Day.


The times given for 'finding' each Constellation err on the narrow side rather than encompassing a larger time span than would be accurate. As you can see, any 'late night' constellation actually CAN be viewed before 1.00 a.m., but you must be quick to press 'Return' afterwards if you wish to go to bed before 1.00 a.m.

I included this screenshot primarily for the time displayed at the top. It is almost impossible to see the Constellation properly because of the Runeys that dominate the view! As you will note, however, the Fish Constellation CAN be 'found' without 'staying up late' to the point of being forced to oversleep the next morning.

List of Monsters in Rune Factory Frontier by Job Description

This is a list of all Monsters organised by task. I wanted to create this from the very start but was inspired to do it today after a friend asked where to find a Monster who would clear his Field of lumber. This list now has been added a section of my Rune Factory Frontier Bestiary and Caves Guide. Another section in the Guide gives a comprehensive list of War Trophies with all of the monsters and other methods for obtaining each.

Monster List by Tasks in Rune Factory Frontier


Watering Crops

Glace at Snow Ruins B1F, B2F
Little Emperor at Lava Ruins B3F and Whale Island, Tower of Rebirth and Tower of Life Garden
Little Wizard at Snow Ruins B5F and Whale Island, Tower of Rebirth and Tower of Life Garden
Mamoo , Snow Ruins at B2F and B3F
Sealy, Whale Island Drain
Sky Fish, Whale Island Flank
Tortas, Whale Island Drain

Harvesting Crops

Ant at Whale Island on Cave Surface, Green Ruins at B14, Lava Ruins at B1F
Blood Panther, Tower of Glory at Whale Island, Snow Ruins at B4F
Goblin at Whale Island Cave Surface
High Orc at Whale Island Tower of Rebirth
Hobgoblin at Whale Island Flank
Killer Ant, Lava Ruins at B1F
Orc, Whale Island, Cave Depths
Orc Archer, Whale Island, Cave Depths
Shadow Panther, Snow Ruins B1F and B2F

Cutting Grass for Fodder

Death Stalker at Snow Ruins B1F and B2F
Faust at Whale Island, Tower of Birth, Floating Chamber
Ghost at Lava Ruins B1F
Mantict, Tree at Whale Island Tail
Necro at Whale Island, Tower of Birth
Samurai, Tower of Plenty Garden at Whale Island
Scorpion, Whale Island Flank and Lava Ruins B3F

Transport

Buffaloo at Lava Ruins B4F
Elefun at Lava Ruins B1F
Hunter Wolf at Whale Island Tower of Glory, Snow Ruins, B4F and B5F
Silver Wolf, Whale Island Fin
Unico, Snow Ruins B3F and Whale Island Drain

Providing Ranch Products


Milk

Buffamoo at Whale Island Fin and Green Ruins B3F
Buffazoo at Whale Island Floating Chamber and Snow Ruins B4F

Eggs

Clucky at Green Ruins B3F
Duck at Lava Ruins B2F

Honey

Hornet at Green Ruins B3F
Hornet Queen at Snow Ruins B1F

Wool

Fluffy at Lava Ruins B4F
Wooly at Green Ruins B2F and Whale Island Fin

Seeds

Autumn, Snow Ruins at B1F
Spring, Green Ruins B1F and B2F
Summer, Lava Ruins, B3F and B4F

Ores/Gems

Gobble Box at Whale Island Floating Chamber, Tower of Plenty and at Snow Ruins B6F
Monster Box at Lava Ruins B1F, B4F and B5F

Rare Items

Big Muck at Green Ruins B2F
Tricky Muck, Snow Ruins B6F, Tower of Rebirth Garden
Micro Dragon at Snow Ruins B6F
Mini Dragon at Snow Ruins B4F and B6F and Tower of Glory on Whale Island


Harvesting Wild Plants

Chitter, Green Ruins B1F
Fairy, Tree at Whale Island Tail and Drain
Furpy, Lava Ruins B2F
Hardes at Whale Island, Tower of Glory, Tower of Rebirth

Clearing Lumber from Field

Blackbird, Floating Chamber at Whale Island
Ignis, Lava Ruins at B2F and B3F
Little Mage, Whale Island at Tower of Rebirth Garden; Green Ruins B3F
Minotaur, Lava Ruins, B4F and B5F
Minotaur King, Snow Ruins B3F, B4F and B5F and Whale Island, Floating Chamber and Tower of Life Garden
Soul, Snow Ruins B5F and B6F
Weagle, Lava Ruins B5F

Clearing Rocks from Field

Beetle at Tree at Whale Island Tail
Dark Slime at Lava Ruins B5F
Gigantes at Whale Island Tower of Life, Tower of Life Garden
Hammer Troll at Lava Ruins B3F and B4F
Heracles at Whale Island Tower of Plenty Garden
Mini-Golem, Whale Island Flank and Lava Ruins, B2F and B3F
Slime, Whale Island Cave Depths

A Rune Factory Frontier Mother's Day Tribute

The 29th of Winter in Rune Factory Frontier is Marco's Birthday. Even in your first Winter, you can experience a delightful Treasure Hunt that culminates in a very heartwarming Event. If you had any reason to doubt that Ganesha represents the ideal Mother, her painstaking efforts to make her son's Birthday a magical one must endear her to every player of Rune Factory Frontier.



This is one of those wonderful little 'extras' characteristic of any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game.

Creating Prosperity in Rune Factory Frontier

The Runey system in Rune Factory Frontier adds another challenge to the game, but even veteran players both of Harvest Moon and of Rune Factory have problems with it.
It may have been created to remind players of the very real problems that confront us in our own world, problems created partly by human beings who do not have any thought of how their own actions may affect the entire globe. As we face the problems of global warming and destruction of the ozone layer, the Runeys may represent an attempt to alert gamers to the reality of how actions in one area may affect the situation in others.

The Runeys represent four elements: Water, Rocks, Trees and Grass. One type will 'feed' off the other. The Water Runeys are at the top of the food chain. Establishing balance is a matter of establishing equal numbers of each type of Runey in a district. Prosperity is achieved when there are 35 or more of each type of Runey in a district. The maximum number of Runeys that can exist in any district is 60 of each type.

If you grow Crops on your field, your own Runeys will increase. When you have 60 of each type, you can reduce the number periodically in order to transfer those Runeys to other districts if needed. When your Homestead is in a state of Prosperity, your Crops will mature faster, but you cannot ignore other districts.

Runeys will fluctuate according to variables such as weather. Whenever it rains, Water Runeys will increase. Furthermore, the game arbitrarily 'seeds' the Map with Runeys randomly each week.

There are two ways to deal with the Runey population.

My solution is to have your Homestead at 60 across the Board at the end of each week. I remove 5 of each type on Monday and use these to replace any Runeys that are not balanced elsewhere. By Wednesday, the total on the Homestead is back to 60 across the board. I then remove 5 of each type again and either store these or use them where needed.

Everywhere else, I maintain at least 12 of each type of Runey at all times in as good a state of balance as possible. I actually try to have 20-35 of each type on every other district apart from the Homestead but for players who are short on Runeys, 12 of every type on every district will suffice. I noticed that at 35 (Prosperity point), the Grass Runeys usually start to die off. The game will release more Runeys onto the Map randomly as well each week.

If you keep a watchful eye on the Runey Distribution Map and restore balance once each week, you should have no trouble. I keep 99 of each type of Runey in storage for 'emergencies' but I never had any emergencies. My Homestead is in a state of Maximum Prosperity most of the time and my Crops grow much faster than they otherwise would. I do believe that the Crops in all Dungeons may be growing faster but not as quickly as those on the Homestead. I have not timed them yet.

Note that Runey Distribution is as important in Winter as in the other three seasons if you are growing ANY Crops in ANY dungeon. If you have dead zones on the Map, the Crops in the dungeons either will not grow or actually will wither.

Some players advocate the following solution:

The maximum number of any type of Runey that can be sustained on any single district is 60. Grass Runeys, however, begin to die off when they are on a district in large numbers, unless that district has ripened Crops growing on it. With 60 of each type of Runey on a district, therefore, only Grass Runeys will die and you will have to replace them either daily or weekly.

The players who use this method keep 60 of each type on every district but one. They use the one District that remains as a breeding ground for Grass Runeys to replace those that die off continuously.

I was persuaded by a player to post this solution awhile ago, although personally I do not care for it! I do not think it actually is in the 'spirit' of the game.


Whichever method you use:

The best way to deal with Runey distribution is to start as early as possible in the game by planting Turnips and Grass in your Field. Grass is a necessity for fodder for tame Monsters. If you keep at least a quarter of your field planted with Grass, you can keep it unharvested until you actually begin to need Fodder for the Monsters you have tamed. The ripe Grass will generate Runeys on the Homestead. Turnips are good because they mature quickly, allowing you to boost Runey production very early in the game. The biggest problem in the first Spring, however, will be income. You will need the income that the Turnips produce and, as they are single harvest crops, once they have been harvested, you will be forced to replant.

Strawberries may be a better choice than Turnips in terms of maintaining Runey production as, with a state of Prosperity on your Homestead, you may be able to harvest Strawberries daily, making certain that there are fully ripened Crops always on your Field while allowing you to skim off the ripened Crops for shipment. Grass will ripen almost as quickly when you have achieved Maximum Prosperity and Balance on your Homestead, allowing you to set a Necro or Ghost to the task of cutting your Grass for Fodder daily.

Whatever you do, try not to allow any District to become a 'dead' one, as this will affect productivity everywhere, including your own homestead. To recapitulate the ecological principle at the foundation of Rune Factory Frontier, the situation in other areas will affect your own home. Ignore the world at your peril. If you care only about your own Homestead, you will find that your own life will suffer if other areas are in a state of inbalance or attrition. No man is an island and no island is immune to a negative situation in another part of the world.

Store Runeys whenever possible for possible use in other districts rather than shipping them or converting all of them into Rune Stones. Be sparing with your use of Rune Stones until you have a healthy Map. When Runeys are not balanced, the food chain will not work properly and you will find one type in danger of dying out completely.

An obsessive player will work diligently to create a state of Maximum Prosperity and Balance throughout the map. Once this is accomplished, your workload will decrease as long as you religiously replenish the Grass Runeys that die each week.

A player who is not that concerned with perfection can maintain a state of Maximum Prosperity and Balance in his/her own field and allow all other districts to remain chaotic PROVIDED ALWAYS THAT NO TYPE OF RUNEY DIES OUT COMPLETELY IN ANY DISTRICT. Your Crops will continue to grow at a faster speed even when other districts are not in perfect balance, nor in a state of Prosperity, provided that you maintain a presence for every type of Runey in every district. As stated previously, it is better to bleed off excess Runeys if you do not have a store of Runeys to boost the smaller numbers to balance the larger than to allow one type to become too dominant in any district.

If your Crops wither and die or take far longer than they should to mature, it is because you have neglected Runey Distribution. Period. Full stop. This is true with respect both to Trampoli and to all the dungeons. The Runeys are vital to farming in Rune Factory Frontier. Ignore them at your peril.

N.B. The screenshot shows the Homestead in any early stage of Prosperity, before I had reached the Maximum Balance and Prosperity in my first game. Even at this stage, however, my Crops were maturing far more quickly than they would in any dungeon. With fully ripened Crops on your Homestead, it does not take long to reach maximum Prosperity at 60 Runeys across the board.

Quick Video Guide to Birthdays in Rune Factory Frontier

Here is a Quick Video Birthday Guide to all Characters in Rune Factory Frontier. For each Character, I include his/her birthday, Most Favourite Gift, other Loved Gifts and the Most Detested Item.



It may not be quite as much fun as the videos that contain actual dialogue from the characters but it is filled with useful information about all the Characters.

How to Win Friends in Rune Factory Frontier

One learns the most about any character's likes and dislikes from his/her own dialogue in any Harvest Moon/Rune Factory game. In Rune Factory Frontier, however, it often is not as simple as a person saying, 'I like this' or 'I hate that'. The information may be given in a story, in an aside, or may be presented obliquely. In fact, there is a lot of misdirection as well, similar to that in Rune Factory 2. The only way to make certain of an individual's Most Favourite or Most Detested Item is by giving it and paying attention to the response.

High-Powered Recipes in Rune Factory Frontier

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I posted easy Recipes for beginners in Rune Factory Frontier previously, but once your Cooking Skills are sufficient and your access to ingredients is complete, you will be able to make high-powered Dishes that far outmeasure the simple Cooked Items available to your character in Spring or Summer of the first year. I would imagine that, by the middle of Autumn of the first year, you should be able to make ANY dish in the kitchen.

I recommend the following dishes because they restore significant HP and RP and provide a boost to Maximum HP. If you are trying to defeat ALL Boss Monsters when your own character's experience levels are below 70, you may find that dishes that boost maximum HP are invaluable as they may make the difference between defeat and maintaining a presence at the battlefield!

Here are some old Harvest Moon favourites that have good values in Rune Factory Frontier. They all are made in an Oven:

Doria: 1080G
Skill Level 34
HP 190, RP 225, FX 120 sec. Max HP +85
Ingredients: Milk, Rice, Butter, Onion, Flour

Gratin: 1060G
Skill Level 46
HP 150, RP 200, FX 120 sec. Max HP +50, Earth Resistance + 35
Ingredients: Milk, Cheese, Onion, Flour, Butter

Potato Gratin: 1480G
HP 215, RP 325, FX 120 sec. Max HP +55, Earth REsistance +50
Ingredients: Potato, Milk, Cheese, Onion, Flour, Butter

Seafood Doria: 1230G
HP 210, RP 225, FX 120 sec. Max HP +85, Knock-back
Ingredients: Shrimp, Milk, Rice, Onion, Flour, Butter

Gratin de Mer: 1145G
HP 165, RP 200, FX 120 sec. Max HP +50, Magic +35
Ingredients; Squid, Milk, Cheese, Onion, Flour, Butter

I personally favour items that boost defence and survival rather than Attack. One problem during battles with powerful enemies is RP. If you use the most powerful Weapons available, they inevitably require more RP than a less powerful Weapon.

For example, using a Level 1 Souleater may give you ATK 89 and transfer HP from an Enemy to your character, but its RP Use is 33 which means that you need to have items with you that restore significant amounts of RP during battle.

Relax Tea is another old Harvest Moon favourite. In Rune Factory Frontier, Level 1 Relax Tea restores 175 RP and have a special effect of providing Status Defence for 90 seconds.

Relax Tea: 330G
Skill Level 95 (Pot Recipe)
HP 0, RP 175, FX 90 sec. Status Defence
Ingredients: Tea Leaves

Tea Leaves: 240G
Skill Level 88 (No Tools Recipe)
HP 5, RP 0, FX 0
Ingredients: Blue Grass, Purple Grass x 2, Red Grass, Yellow Grass, Orange Grass

Note that Tea Leaves are the equivalent of any 'raw' ingredient in RFF, offering very little HP, no RP and no temporary Special Effect. You need to boil them in a Pot to create Relax Tea in order to make them useful.

Drinks usually do not have any ability to restore HP in Rune Factory Frontier. They act only on RP but any drink can be consumed faster on a battlefield than a food item. In this sense, Rune Factory Frontier is very realistic. If you take food items to a battlefield, you must find the time and a protected spot where you can munch on them freely without being killed while doing so!

Sometimes it is faster to drink an Energy Potion and Relax Tea than to eat a Cooked Dish.

The Energy Potions that are useful in battle are:

E. Drink S.: 280G
Skill Level 30
HP 105, RP 0, FX 0
Ingredients: Energy Drink x 2

E. Drink X: 590G
Skill Level 70
HP 300, RP 0, FX 0
Ingredients: E. Drink S. x 2, White Grass

Obviously, if you have White Grass and sufficient skill levels in the Laboratory, you are advised to take E. Drink X rather than E. Drink S into battle with a powerful Boss Monster.

Another 'powerhouse' recipe that restores 195 HP and 400 RP, offering a boost of 20 points in your Defence for 120 seconds is the old Harvest Moon favourite, Pizza:

Pizza: 1830G
HP 195, RP 400, FX 120 sec. Element Defence +20, Stun Defence
Cheese, Flour, Ketchup, Bell Pepper, Potato, Mushroom

My own advice personally would be to wait until you have experience at Level 65 or Level 70 before you attempt to defeat Gelwein in the Era of Disconnect, but if you are determined to save Mist before you reach that level of experience, these are some of the items that will help you.

In terms of Weapons and Equipment, this partly will depend on your access to rare ingredients. If you have only the Four-Leaf Clover given to you by Stella, you will be obliged to choose carefully how to use it.

It can be used to create one superior item of Head Equipment, Neck Equipment OR Torso Equipment.

Elephant Mask: 6950G
Skill Level 80
ATK 15, DEF 100, MAG 95
Ingredients: Four-leaf Clover, Quality Fur, Sharp Fang, Sapphire

Critical 7: 7060G
Skill Level 70
ATK 17, DEF 77, MAG 77
Ingredients: Platinum, Four-leaf Clover, Magic Talon, Sharp Fang, Sharp Talon
or
Ingredients: Platinum, Four-leaf Clover, Ice Snake Tongue

Black Robe: 12440G
Skill Level 95
ATK 0, DEF 105, MAG 85
Ingredients: Fire Cape, Water Cape, Earth Cape, Wind Cape, Four-Leaf Clover, Demon Blood

My preference, provided you have sufficient skill at the Workbench, would be the Black Robe.

Good Arms Equipment can be created without any rare ingredients in the form of the Platinum Bracelet:

Pt. Bracelet: 970G
Skill Level 90
ATK 25, DEF 90, MAG 70
Ingredients: Cheap Band, Platinum x 4

What is good about this item is that you should be able to find ingredients of consistently high levels, boosting the final item to a much higher level than Level 1or even Level 2. The same is true of the good all-purpose Wristwatch, which can be created even earlier in the game.

Wristwatch: 590G
Skill Level 70
ATK 25, DEF 80, MAG 60, FX Stun Defence, Paralysis Defence
Ingredients: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Monster hide, Solid Point

The first Wristwatch I forged was Level 5, boosting Defence points to 96 instead of 80. Attack and Magic were not affected by the higher level.

Your Weapons choices MUST depend on your character's experience Levels somewhat, as the best weapons require a lot of RP to wield. The best Magic Wands, for example, require from 80 - 140 RP per use! Axes are less onerous as the most powerful axe, the Executioner, requires only 67 RP with an Attack power of 226. The Double Edge requires 50. The most powerful Hammer, however, in the form of Myurnil, requires 92 RP and delivers an Attack of almost 200 with the added special effect of Guts. If you wish to choose the Spear of the old Norse All-Father, Odhinn, in the form of Gungnir, you will find that it requires RP of 76 per use, with an Attack of 124 and special Effect both of Wind Attack and Guts.

The Rune Blade may be one of your best choices, with Attack of 121, RP Use of 74 and a special effect of Rune Power. It does require a Little Crystal, but you can find those by taking the Rope shortcut to the Tower at Whale Island, then using two Grass Rune Stones to open each of the Chambers. That probably is the quickest way to find a Little Crystal fairly early in the game.

Rune Factory Frontier, of ALL Harvest Moon and Rune Factory games probably is the one that requires the most 'multi-tasking'. Furthermore, it is one in which your Skill Levels in ALL aspects of the game should increase at equal rates, while increasing Friendship levels with all individuals at equal rates. In my own view, there is no particular advantage to an early marriage or in the increase of one individual's Friendship/Heart Levels at a faster rate than others. There are many events and options that require specific Friendship/Heart Levels for various characters. If you speak to every one regularly, whether or not you give gifts, you will increase Friendship and Love Levels. With respect to Love Levels, a gift of a preferred item will speed the process, but as in any Harvest Moon/Rune Factory game, I feel that it is a good idea to raise ALL Girls' Love and Friendship levels to the maximum before you propose marriage to any one.

There is a little more danger in Rune Factory Frontier in terms of jealousy on the part of other Girls if you actually go on a date with an Eligible Girl. There is no penalty for raising heart levels with gifts and conversation, however.

With all that should be accomplished in terms of raising ALL Skill Levels and establishing good social relationships with all characters, I do not recommend that you push your character too hard or too fast to defeat Gelwein in the Era of Disconnect.

When you reach an adequate level of experience, all other Skill Levels should be equally good to allow you to forge the best weapons and equipment as well as preparing the best food and medicine to take with you.

As Kanno advises your character when you first open the Portal to the Era of Disconnect: 'You should be able to travel to the other world where Mist is. Be sure to remember there is a fearful magical creature that awaits you there. It’s not too late even after you’ve made preparations.'

Note that ALL Recipes now are included in my Rune Factory Frontier Recipes Cookbook Guide. You will find links to all my guides on the right side of this page. The Cookbook Guide includes all Recipes for the Kitchen, Forge, Crafts Bench and Pharmacy. Each Recipe contains information about its shipping value, its HP and RP value as well as any temporary special effects. In this, Rune Factory Frontier offers a comprehensive information resources in-game with respect to all items that can be made by your character.

Possible Glitch in Rune Factory Frontier

A player wrote to me about a possible glitch in Rune Factory Frontier. She defeated the Giant Clucky for the first time on a Holiday in Winter and was unable to unlock the Lava Ruins at all. She waited and waited but the sapling never grew to the point where the Rune Stone could be inserted.

Incidentally, she waited for weeks and even in Spring, the sapling failed to grow any further.

She started a new game and had no trouble unlocking the Lava Ruins in her new file. She therefore believes that there may be a glitch that prevents the game from recognising the defeat of the Giant Clucky for the purpose of advancing the story when the defeat occurs on a Holiday in Winter. I need to discover still if she defeated the Giant Clucky on an ordinary holiday or a Festival Day.

This is not a problem ordinarily, by the way. I was able to obtain the Crystal Flowers from Eligible Girls on the day of the Hotpot Convention and open the Portal to the Era of Disconnect on that day. Other players have been able to defeat the boss of the Lava Ruins on the day of the Pumpkin Festival and move on to unlock the Snow Ruins... It probably is a very specific glitch, therefore, that pertains solely to the Giant Clucky and the Lava Ruins and a single Holiday in Winter.

Stella and the Four-Leaf Clover

Here is an Event with the 'Ghost' of a young maiden that allows you to gain a
Four-Leaf Clover in the first year. Incidentally, as I am writing my guides for Rune Factory Frontier in the form of a Walkthrough, I am allowing mysteries to remain unsolved until they are solved naturally in the course of the game.

The Hotpot Convention in Rune Factory Frontier

The Hotpot Convention in Rune Factory Freontier resembles the Harvest Festival in other Rune Factory and Harvest Moon Games. Deciding which ingredient to contribute to create a successful Hotpot can be a litlte more difficult in this game, however.

Here is a little video about the Hotpot Convention in the 1st Winter: