Requests, Romance and Deceit

I think I mentioned before that I find Max oddly compelling as a character in Rune Factory 2. In fact, were my 1st Generation character a girl, I would court him instantly. His personality is so ingenuous. His arrogance, rather than being infuriating, is rather charming for some reason. Perhaps I cannot justify or explain it fully, but I like Max immensely. (Could it be nothing more profound than an attraction to guys with long blonde hair? Could be, I suppose.)

The only time Max slightly disturbed me was when he offered my 2nd Generation character a kiss on the cheek as a reward. I am quite certain he was offering in a purely avuncular manner, but it smacked a little of inappropriate behaviour by an adult towards a child. At the age of 9, a kiss on the cheek by an uncle is natural... I suppose it disturbed me mainly because I didn't feel like a 9 year old child and actually would have liked that kiss. (Meanwhile, to my fury, my character automatically rejected it with utter disdain and repugnance.)

In any event, there are a number of Request Events in Rune Factory 2 that involve deceit of one kind or another and one of them involves Max. Here are three of them. The first features Max, and his desire to 'prove' himself an action hero. The second and third are 'Heart Events', although Alicia's Request typically requires that you romance ANOTHER woman in order to prove her fortunetelling abilities.

Finding Characters during Requests in Rune Factory 2

This information is included in my General Guide and my Requests Guide as well, but perhaps is worth a post here.

Every character in Rune Factory 2, both in the 1st and in the 2nd Generation, has a set schedule of movements. As in any Harvest Moon game, locations may vary according to the day of the week, the time of day and the weather. I have added some of this information to my Characters Guide and intend to add ALL of it as time permits.

Meanwhile, however, this information is not really as important as it may be in other Harvest Moon games simply because there is a character in Rune Factory 2 who is willing to tell you the current location of ANY individual in Alvarna! Alicia's fortune-telling skills include the option to discover the current location of any character for 20G. In many cases, you will get two or three locations for the price of one, as some characters are grouped together in her locations menu.

This can be particularly useful during a Request situation when characters may NOT be in their usual location simply because the nature of the Request requires that the individual be somewhere else.

For example, when Natalie asks for a housesitter, the fact that she is out and about gathering rare herbs means that she will not be in her usual location.

Here is the Event from my game journal:
Natalie’s Request
Natalie: I need to prepare some medicine, so I need some wild herbs.
Me: You want me to collect them? But the posting said…
Natalie: It’s an herb that’s hard to spot, so it’d be too difficult for you, Freyr. I’ll go and get it, but could you watch over the clinic while I’m gone? Ray and Dorothy are also here, but I’d feel better if I knew you were keeping an eye on things.
Me: (with tear): (I don’t think I’m any more responsible than Ray, but if it makes Natalie feel better…)
Natalie: Will you watch over the place for me?
Me: Well, okay, but… What should I do if a patient comes?
Natalie: I won’t be long, so you shouldln’t have to worry, but if a patient comes, just tell them to wait.
She strides out at once.
I turn to face the door.
Me: She’s gone… I wish she had at least told me where she was going… Anyway, what am I going to do if someone with an emergency comes? Oh, Dorothy is here, so maybe it’ll be okay.
Dorothy: No… no way! I’m just an apprentice nurse. A nurse can’t do a medical examination, anyway!
Me: Really?
Dorothy; Yes… So, um, if something happens…
Me: If something happens, I should go get Dr. Natalie?
Cammy enters now.
Cammy: Whaaaaaa! Whaaaaa! My stomach hurts!!!
Me: Cammy! Are you okay?
Cammy: Ow! It hurts! Hey, where’s the doctor?
Me: Uh, she’s out at the moment.
Cammy: What?! But my stomach hurts!!!! Whaaaa! Whaaaa!
Me: Uh, wait just a minute. I’ll go get her right now.
Cammny: Okay…
Me: (I’d better find the doctor while the clinic is still open, or this will be serious! Gotta hurry!)
The quickest way to find Natalie is by asking Alicia for a Location reading.
She will tell you: Natalie is in Messhina Valley – Serene Garden.
Natalie is near the river on the screen with the Buffamoo where there are two garden plots.
Natalie: Oh, Freyr, is it an emergency?
Me: Yes. Cammy says her stomach hurts.
Natalie: Oh dear, that’s awful. Let’s hurry back.
Me: Okay.
Go back to the Clinic. You’ll have to speak to Natalie to continue the Event.
Natalie: Ok, Cammy. Let’s see how you’re doing. Does it hurt here?
Cammy: No, that feels okay.
Natalie: How about here?
Cammy: Ough! That hurts!
Natalie: Okay. You’re fine. You just ate too much. You’ll feel better in a little while.
Cammny: Really? Oh, good! I was so worried since it hurt so much.
Natalie: What did you eat?
Cammy: Popcorn, pancakes, and then apple juice with a steamed jellyroll cake.
Natalie: No wonder! Of course your stomach will hurt after pigging out like that! Why did you east so much?
Cammie: I had a fight with Roy and I got so mad I just ate everything.
Natalie: Binge eating… You’re about 10 years too young for that sort of thing.
Cammy: Really?
Natalie: Yes. No more overeating, okay?
Cammy: Okay. Thank you, doctor! My stomach feels better now, so I’m going back home.
She leaves.
Me: Great job once again, Natalie.
Ntalie: Well, it was an easy diagnosis. The problem usually is something simple.
Me: Huh. Live and learn.
Sorry to take so much of your time. But, thanks to you, I found the hearbs I needed. Thank you! Here’s a token of my appreciation.
You got: 300G!
Me: Thank you very much. By the way, Natalie, how can you go to a place with so many monsters?
Natalie: Oh, my scalpel has some very serious enchantments on it. No monsters would dare mess with me.
Me: Oh, really?
Natalie: Yes. It’s incredibly sharp. You can tell that Tanya made it.
It’s so rare, even the royal doctors of Norad are envious of it.
Me: Wow, that’s really something.
Natalie: I think she spends a little too much time with swords, but she certainly is talented.
Me: Yes.
Natalie: Thank you for your help today. I couldn’t have done it without you.
If I speak to her again after:
Natalie: Next time you have a bad injury, Freyr, I’ll fix you up for free, okay?
Me: Sounds good1 I’ll try to be careful not to get hurt in the first place, though.

Rivals actually react to others in Rune Factory 2

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In most Harvest Moon games, your relationship with any eligible girl or bachelor has no effect on other eligible partners. Jealousy, except in a few exceptional instances, is not a factor. One exception to this is Ann from Mineral Town in Harvest Moon DS, who will react to Muffy's interest in your character in no uncertain terms. On the whole, though, eligible girls/bachelors tend to ignore the very existence of any rivals in most Harvest Moon games.

In Rune Factory 2, however, you will find yourself in an uncomfortable situation if you invite one girl to a Festival but then speak to other eligible girls afterwards. They will express their disappointment. At the Flower Festival, you actually can invite a second girl to gaze at the flowers with you after taking some one to the cherry trees, but if you do, beware her ire!

Even on other days, there are three girls who tend to tease one another and make references to their rivals' romantic interest in you. These girls are Mana, Alicia and Cecilia. If you go to Mana's bedroom on the day prior to the Dance Festival after 6.00 p.m., you will experience more than one embarrassing conversation!

On the morning of the Dance Festival on 19 Summer, the three girls collect in their usual Festival location outside your Monster Barn.

It is difficult to choose a partner for the Dance, to be honest. Each girl has such an emotional investment in the occasion. If you do not save your game afterwards, you can experience the charming dance with each of the girls. The result, however, of experiencing the Event is to raise a girl's Heart Level in terms of Love by 1 point. Your final choice therefore does matter.

I will post some of the dialogues here to give you an idea of how each girl responds to an invitation. Some are more poignant than others.

Girls tend to be found in the same locations on the day of any Festival. Mana, Alicia and Cecilia gather together outside the Monster Barn. Yue will be found alone next to the Pool 'to another world' that allows Wi-Fi connection. Rosalind will be found at the West End of Alvarna on the main street.

Barrett and Dorothy stand on the Falling Star Path near the crossroads. My hope that Dorothy could have fun at the Festival with Barrett if I chose some one else was dashed when I spoke to Barrett.

He declared quite plainly:
Barrett: Today’s the Dance Festival. I don’t want any part of it… Why don’t you go enjoy yourself?

Max and Julia can be found side by side at the port near the ship that sails to Blessia Island. One has no doubt whatsoever that Max will be more than happy to squire his companion to the Dance should you fail to ask her and that he is a fabulous dancer himself.

Max: Is that what you’re wearing to the dance, Freyr? Well, to each his own, I suppose.
Still, I hope you’re prepared to impress the ladies with some fancy footwork. Nothing impresses a woman like a man who can dance!

The responses each girl will make are very different, but the actual dance is the same in every Event. Alicia's responses may be the most entertaining, as one might have guessed.

Alicia: So today is the Dance Festival… My fortune predicted that you’d come up and say to me…

My choices:

Please dance with me.
Um… never mind.

I asked her to dance and she said:

Alicia: Uh? Oh, really? Yes, I would love to!
Me: Shall we dance, Alicia?
Alicia: (My reading was right! I did get asked to the dance!)
Me: Did you say something?
Alicia; What? Oh, no, it’s nothing.

In the end, my own choice was determined by pity.


Here is the event with Alicia:




Actually, though, in the end, my final choice was determined by compassion rather than any other consideration. Yue looked so lonely there by the Pool. With neither family nor friends in Alvarna, I felt compelled to ask her to the Dance. Her responses were the most poignant as well, even more than Dorothy.

Yue: Today is the Dance Festival. I doubt any one’s going to bother asking me out, but I can’t help being a little nervous anyway.
Yue, would you like to dance with me?
Umm, never mind.
Yue: Who, me? Really? Are you sure, Freyr? Or are you just joking? If you really mean it, I’d love to.
At the square:
Me: Shall we dance, Yue?
Yue: I’ve got to warn you. I’m a terrible dancer. But we can have fun anyway, right?
Me: Of course we can.
After the dance:
Me: Thank you, Yue. That was nice.
Yue: Yeah, I had fun! I didn’t know you were going to be such a good dancer!
Me: I’ve never really had much practice.
Yue: I had so much fun, Freyr. You don’t know how happy it made me to be asked to dance. Thank you. Well, I’ll see you later, Freyr.

Whomever you ask, you will be forced to endure verbal expressions of disappointment from some of the other eligible girls if you speak to them after you have danced with some one else.

For example, Ceci will remark:

Ceci (with cross hurt): Oh, you already danced with some one else? But I was really hoping... Never mind.

Mana (with cross hurt): You danced with somebody else, didn't you? Why didn't you ask me instead?

Alicia (with cross hurt): Haven’t you already danced with some one else? According to my fortune, that’s not going to lead to a very happy future.

Rosalind will ask;
Rosalind: Hmm? Freyr, where exactly were you leading me today?

Julia is one exception. As I had expected, she will be quite happy to dance with some one more skilled than I.

Julia: Did you enjoy the dance? I had a great time with my partner.

Actually, Yue and Dorothy are too polite to make a fuss.

Yue will simply say, rather sadly: 'Hi, Freyr. You look like you're having fun.'

Likewise, Dorothy will ask: 'Did you have fun?'

It may be coincidental that Julia was at a lower heart level than any of the other girls and was most complacent where my own behaviour in asking another girl to the Dance was concerned. I would be interested to know whether she would have given a different response had she been at 8 hearts like Mana or Yue. When I play my second game, I'll work harder at the start to court Julia as 4 hearts is on the cusp of romantic interest as it were. At 5 hearts, a girl will show up on Alicia's romantic radar as one who has an interest in you. (I rather doubt the girls' post-dance responses if you dance with another girl change according to heart level, but it is one of those details I'd like to confirm later when I have time.

Note: I should make it clear that, for all their verbal reactions to their rivals and any interest that you take in another girl, doing so will NOT lower any girl's heart level.

Paths of Romance in Rune Factory 2

When I first began to play Rune Factory 2, a player asked whom I intended to marry. I had not made a choice at the time. I wished to become better acquainted with the characters first... As my character is a male, I need to choose a wife from the eligible girls in the game.

A strange thing happened, however, as I continued to play. I find my own character incredibly attractive! He is the ideal male in many ways. He is the epitome of a caring, easy-going guy with good manners who is brave and hard-working, impervious to despair and who always tries to encourage others. He meets insults with good humour and tries to understand why other characters behave badly rather than responding in the same fashion. He is very sweet. As I experience the romantic events with each of the eligible girls, I become more and more impressed with my own character! It makes me feel a little schizophrenic. As I am a woman in reality, it kind of makes sense I suppose, although I usually get into character when I play a male role in a game.

In Island of Happiness, one could play a male and marry the female counterpart or play a female and marry the male counterpart. Both characters in IoH are attractive, but there is something exceptional about the male character in Rune Factory 2, whose default name is Kyle. I'd like to be able to court and marry HIM.

In the events with Dorothy, a pathologically shy girl who never is seen without her hood, he demonstrates a lot of sensitivity and good humour. I am including the event that occurs at 5 hearts below... It is in the form of a pretend interview and your character must choose between two questions each time. I am including the 'correct' choices here.
Dorothy: You see… I … want to become a nurse.
Me; I know that. I think wanting to become a nurse is a wonderful goal.
Dorothy: (…)
Me; There’s no need to be so embarrassed! (She’s turned bright red!)
(Oh no! I need to make her more comfortable.)
Me: So working as a nurse is actually pretty tough, I guess, isn’t it?
Dorothy: Yeah… that’s right… And so… So… there’s something I’d like to ask you, Freyr… Just hold on a minute… okay…?
Me: Dorothy, stop! Let’s talk without Fern, okay?
Dorothy: Huh…? Um, well… I’m not sure…
Me: You want to take the nursing exam, don’t you, Dorothy?
Dorothy: Th-That’s right… and the written part is no problem, but…
Me: But?
Dorothy: The interview…
Me: Ah, the interview. I can see how that might be a problem.
Dorothy: That’s right… So, I was hoping you might help me practice a little… You know… to get me ready…?
Me: Yeah. No problem, Dorothy.
Dorothy: Th-Thanks…
Me: Okay! I’ll be the interviewer. Let’s practice. Hello, Dorothy. First…

My choices now:
Let’s start with an introduction.
Let’s start with self-analysis.

Choose the introduction, of course.
Dorothy: Okay… my name is Dorothy…
Me: That was easy. Let’s keep going!
Dorothy: Okay…
Me: Next…

My choices:
What do you like?
What don’t you like?

Me: What do you like?
Dorothy: I like Cymbidium orchids. They are also called boat orchids, and their name comes from kumbos, meaning hole or cavity.
Me: Wow. You know a lot about flowers.
Dorothy: Ah… well… I do like flowers…
Me; That was good. Well done. Well then…

My choices now:
Will you lend me that doll for a moment?

What’s the name of your doll?
Me: What’s the name of your doll?
Dorothy: Fern… that’s her name.
Me: did you choose her name, Dorothy?
Dorothy: Ah… yes, I did…
Me: That’s quite a rare name. And a good one, I think.
Dorothy: Oh… thank you…
Me: so…

My choices now:

What’s the best way to maintain beauty?
What’s the best way to maintain health?

I chose health.
Dorothy: Wake up early… and go to bed early…
Me: Ah, so that’s the secret to good health?
Dorothy: That’s right… Don’t work too late yourself, Freyr…
Me: I’ll be careful not to. Finally…

My choices:

Do you have lots of friends?
Do you have a very close friend?

Me: Do you have a very close friend?
Dorothy: Yes… Some one called Freyr…
Me: Hah hah hah. Thank you. I’m very happy to hear that.
Dorothy: (…)
Me: (She’s clammed up again. Well, she did pretty well without Fern.)
That’s all for the interview. Well done!
Dorothy: Thank you. I think… I’ve found some confidence.
Me: Great! Now you’ll be able to ace the interview too.
Dorothy: Well… I hope so.
Me: If you keep on talking to people, you’ll keep getting more and more confident, too!
Dorothy: O-Okay… Well… I know I could count on you, Freyr. Thank you …very much…

Very amusing if less poignant is one of Julia's requests, that you find her something healthy to eat at the Market:

Douglas is behind the counter when I follow Julia’s request to bring her hearlthy food.
Douglas: Well, I have some CABBAGE CAKES and SALAD.
Me: Oh, well, maybe I’ll take the SALAD.
Douglas: What?! You’re a man, boy! Whaddaya want a SALAD for?
A man should go with CABBAGE CAKES! They’re deep-fried and delicious! SALAD’ll never make ya big ‘n strong! Ga ha ha!
Me: Oh no, it isn’t for me.
Douglas: I’m tellin’ you, you want the CABBAGE CAKES!

Your choice now:
I’ll take the CABBAGE CAKES
I’ll take the SALAD.

Me: I want the SALAD!
Douglas: Ga ha ha ha! That stuff’s for sissies! You’ll never grow up to be big ‘n strong like that! Be a man, boy!
Me: (It’s not for me, for goodness’ sake…)
Douglas: Here, here’s your little SALAD, Miss Freyr.
You received a SALAD.
Me: Thank you.

Salad: 2560G
A combination of raw vegetables. Very, very nutritious.
Give it to Julia:
Julia: wow! You got me a salad?! (with music) Great! This is just what I wanted! Perfect! Just what I wanted! You’ve got great intuition, Freyr.
Me: I’m glad you’re happy. But Douglas thinkis I’m the one who’s going to eat it. He kept telling me that salads are for sissies.
Julia: Oh dear! How terrible for you! You went through all of that for me? You have my gratitude. Thank you, Freyr. Here’s something for you! (musical note)
You got FORMULA A!
Why not try using that on your crops? It should do them some good!
Me: Thank you.

If I had taken the Cabbage Cakes:
Douglas: Atta’ boy! Eat these dvery day, and you’ll be bigh ‘n strong in no time! Ga ha ha!
You received a Cabbage Cakes.
Me: (Boy, Douglas really knows how to push a sale.)
Give it to Julia and she’ll say;
Julia: Just … what were you thinking…?
Me: Ah… I’m sorry. Douglas really insisted that I take this.
Julia: Hold it! You seriously think I’m going to eat that?! Do you want me to put on weight?! Freyr, you moron! I can’t bear to look at you right now, Freyr! Just get out of here!
Me: Sorry!

These requests occur at different heart levels and you then will find them posted on the Bulletin Board in the Town Square. They are the equivalent of 'heart events'.
In fact, when Max warms a little to you, he will begin to give you all sorts of romantic advice and will tell you:

Max: If there’s a girl in this village that you like, you should actively make use of the bulletin board. There should be some concern or request from that girl among the postings there. Check the postings frequently and find a solution for them on your own. If you do, before you know it, you’ll have a romantic relationship started with the girl that you’re interested in.
Alright, you’ve got some choice information. I’ll let you borrow that advice, but you have to pay me back 1 million times!

Possibly the Request that required the greatest sacrifice on my part so far was Rosalind's Request to catch a cold so that she could try her new medication on me. For two consecutive days, I had to stay up all night in order to catch a cold. Whenever you stay up all night, you lose 4 hours in the morning, only recovering control at 10.00 a.m. rather than 6.00 a.m. It was one of the most rewarding, however, in financial terms as she paid me 8000G. when I drank the medicine. Incidentally, the medication does WORK. You recover instantly from the cold.

The events need not be romantic in nature in order to raise Love Points as well as Friendship Points. Rosalind's Request wasn't particularly romantic, after all. In some cases, though, the girl actually asks you to meet her for a romantic tryst. When that occurs, there usually is no material reward. The increase in affection is deemed sufficient...

One of the oddest Requests was Alicia's Request to meet Mana (a rival) for a date in order to prove her prediction correct. My character was too honest and scrupulous to allow Mana to meet me under false pretences. He had to confess it was Alicia's idea, although he admitted that he wanted to meet Mana nonetheless.

'Most Favs' for Characters in Rune Factory 2

As with the original Rune Factory, you do not have to raise heart levels much in order to be told what a character likes to receive as a gift. Even in the first week of Spring, characters were confiding their likes and even their dislikes:

Yue will give you a bag of Daikon Seeds when you complete her quest for Honey. In case you do not get the point, she will continue to tell you afterwards:

Yue: I couldn’t ever turn down a good DAIKON RADISH. I don’t care how many I’ve eaten.

With the sly humour I am beginning to expect from RF2, Tanya will refer to her love of edged blades obliquely when she confesses one of her favourite foods:

Tanya: I like any fruit, but my favourite is APPLE. I like both eating APPLE and peeling it.

Barrett: I like fish… SALMON, for example. That’s all you need to know.

Herman: (with music) I can never have enough TOMATO JUICE after breakfast. Whenver I get my hands on some TOMATO JUICE, I can’t hold back.

Gordon: I really like a good PUMPKIN. But I always eat too much of it! Ba ha hah ha!

Ceci: Do you know what my favourite thing in the world is? It's DIAMONDS. And RUBIES. Oh yeah, and EMERALDS. Oh yeah, I can’t forget SAPPHIRES. Plus AMETHYST. I like that, too.

Alicia shares Ceci's love of diamonds.

Alicia: I really like a nice DIAMOND. What do you like, Frey?

Max appears to focus on war trophies. He has given me 'tips' on three different war trophies that he likes, calling it 'background knowledge' each time.

Max: For some reason, I’ve beens strangely captivated by PROOF OF WARRIOR since I was young. Well, just a little background knowledge you should remember.

Max: FLUFFY SCARF is so enchanting the way it’s so fluffy. I just love this. Well, just a little background knowledge you should remember.

As a total non sequitor, he made a comment one day to the effect that:

Max: I don’t like PLATINUM at all.

Byron: I must admit, I do love a good EGGPLANT. I just can’t stop eating them.

Egan: I really like WHITE CABBAGES. They’re very healthy.

Ray: I like PINK MELON.

Douglas: I like SKIPJACK, kid. Don’t forget that, now.

Natalie: My favourite things are PUMPKIN PUDDING and TOMATO. Do you like them, Frey?


True to form, you have to pry information loose from Dorothy, who is almost pathologically shy. (One is reminded a little of Candace in ToT.)

Dorothy: Is something wrong?
Me: Oh, no, but… What’s your favourite thing to eat, Dorothy?
Dorothy: Oh, um… I like… I like fish… and, um… I really like… CHAR.

Incidentally, for the record, I absolutely LOVE this game. I have to stress, however, that I was not tired of playing Island of Happiness and fully intend to return to it when time permits. Everything about Rune Factory 2 embodies my own fantasies in terms of the landscapes, the graphics, the beauty in the depiction of the characters... and as some one who loves fencing in real life, how could I not respond to a game that allows me to farm AND wield a blade in combat?

The spiritual premise both of Rune Factory and Rune Factory 2 that allows you to use a weapon to TAME a creature rather than killing it makes it superior to other 'combat' games. It is true to the essential philosophy of Harvest Moon which insists that one must live in harmony with the land and all living creatures if possible.


Note: With respect to the text in screenshots, I'm afraid I can't do much better. It does not translate well in this build, as it is not a 'bold' font. It is perfectly legible on the DS but not as easy to read here. As I have added the actual text to my post in every case, it shouldn't matter.

Predictions in Rune Factory 2

A fascinating option in Rune Factory 2 is the ability to pay for a change in the weather. It is not a guaranteed success when one pays, but the possibility is there. When you speak to Alicia and ask her to use her fortune-telling abilities, you have the following options:

Choose:
Weather reading.

Then:
Tomorrow’s weather.
I want it to be sunny tomorrow.
I want it to rain tomorrow.
Oh, never mind.

If you ask for a specific result, like rain, she will say:
Alicia: That will be quite difficult. But, for 1000G, I’ll give it a try!

If you ask for tomorrow’s weather, she will give it, THEN exact the price of 10G.

In other words, if money it tight in the first couple of days, you may wish to opt out of a weather prediction until you have purchased other real necessities. Even so, it is a very cool option indeed, especially after IoH, where the weather was set 6 days in advance...

I rather suspect this is Harvest Moon's answer to all the players like myself who reloaded their games again and again in other HM games (apart from IoH) in order to control the weather! For a mere 1000G, you can do it in an honest way.