O the Delights of Harvest Moon Trivia! Wild Animals have been added...

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Harvest Moon and Rune Factory fans tend to be rather literary individuals who delight in dialogue and social interactions. In fact, if you do not enjoy dialogue in a game, you really are NOT going to gain the greatest benefits from playing any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game. Rune Factory, with its elements of combat, evidently does attract a few gamers who view the dialogue as a nuisance. but for the most part, players of both series delight in the dialogue, perceiving it properly as a reward for dedication and persistance.

New dialogues tend to occur as heart levels are raised, as new items are introduced in the course of social interaction in the form of gifts or when seasons or weather changes. If you fail to interact with a Character regularly, you may not ever be aware of this, but social interactions often are the key to unlock new options and therefore are not really optional in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game.

Those of us who are veteran fans of both Harvest Moon and Rune Factory tend to be thrilled by each new tidbit of information or trivia. New Events and new dialogue really often are one of the most satisfying rewards for your investment in continuing to play past the first couple of years even more than the wealth that your Character inevitably obtains.

In both Animal Parade and Sunshine Islands, befriending Wild Animals actually serves a practical purpose as they will gather items for you. In doing so, they visit different areas of the Map. Unfortunately, you cannot take them into any Building but you can show them to any Character who is outside. The results can be illuminating or simply hilarious and actually may aid in raising heart levels.

In Animal Parade, you need to 'adopt' a Wild Animal before you can take it for a walk and show it to other Characters. In Sunshine Islands, on the other hand, you can 'hire' Wild Animals to collect items for you when they attain a specific Friendship level. The number of Animals of each type increases as you give them Gifts of Food. You therefore can find up to 20 Wild Animals of a single variety roaming across the map if you have hired them for the day.

Wild Animals include Badgers, Ducks, Mice, Monkeys, Rabbits and Sparrows. Each Character will have unique responses to each Animal type. Unfortunately for the poor Badgers, they appear to be generally repulsive to most iindividuals.

I have included some screenshots of the Responses of various Characters when shown a Badger. Mark endeared himself to me by being the only Character I was able to find who actually responded warmly to the Badger. I have to confess that I was a little surprised that Charlie did not show any positive interest. Even Martin, who keeps 10 cats in his little cottage, was not kind to these wild creatures. It is apparent that no one on Sunshine Islands listened to tales from 'The Wind in the Willows' as a child. If they had, they may have displayed a little more acceptance of the Badgers.

Befriending the Wild Animals on Animal Island may not be a necessary act in terms of the plot of Sunshine Islands, but it is richly rewarding both in terms of dialogues and gifts of rare and valuable items.

Note that these Wild Animals exist IN ADDITION to the four actual Pets you can keep in the form of a Dog, Cat, Horse and Pig. For animal fanciers, Sunshine Islands offers an incredible variety of animal interactions.

Usefulness of Dialogue in Animal Parade

A friend of mine who is playing Animal Parade and who tends to be very impatient by nature, complained bitterly when he discovered that the Purple Bell Quest required that he raise at least 10 Characters to three hearts.

He wrote: 'Your help with HMAP has brought me into my first winter and I've hung
all the bells and encountered the bell in the church -- and learned the
grim news that I must make lots of friends (your guide says 10 with 3
hearts each) before that final bell will ring. To me that sounds
extremely boring -- making the same rounds day after day with a gift
list in my hand, talking to people as I've already done for a year. The
only hearts I have are from my cow!'

By reading the Walkthrough, he then discovered that there was a further Quest AFTER the Purple Bell Quest as well as a multitude of subsidiary Quests and goals. If 'the only hearts' he has are from his Cow, he obviously has not experienced ANY of the Courtship Events either! Courtship and Marriage often are the most popular aspects of any Harvest Moon/Rune Factory game. To many players, the actual plot is subsidiary to the excitement of winning some one's heart and having a family.

Obviously, every player is different where any Game is concerned, but in terms of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, a player who does not enjoy dialogue or Events really misses much of the point of these games. In Animal Parade, moreover, the variations in dialogue are incredible. For example, in logging dialogue for the Harvest Festival, I discovered that there were at least THREE different possible dialogues for Characters on the day of the Harvest Festival. There may have been more than four, but I logged four for many of the Characters.

This by no means exhausts the dialogue possibilities in terms of the Harvest Festival actually, as every character spoke of the upcoming Festival on the previous day as well.

On the actual day of the Festival, speaking to some one BEFORE your character entered any Contest early in the day elicited one dialogue. Speaking to some one AFTER your Character entered and won any Contest elicited another dialogue. Finally, speaking to some one after the Festival ended elicited another dialogue.

On any ordinary day, there are at least four different dialogues that can be experienced with any Character. One relates to the weather, one relates to the season and one is based on current Friendship/Heart Level. Beyond that, there is a set phrase that each Character has that is constant throughout the game.

In terms of Festival dialogue, you often can learn useful facts by speaking to Characters. The Harvest Festival, with its Cooking Contest revealed a wealth of useful information about various characters.

Here are some of the dialogues on the day of the Harvest Festival:

Chloe: I made Baked Potatoes for the contest today! They’re hot and delicious! (pink heart)
Toby: There are a variety of ways to cook fish. A lot of thenm are quite simple, too. I can always give you a few pointers.

Maya: I entered Seafood Stew into the conteset! But my grandma said my secret seasonings aren’t so secret!

Gill: I entered my Ratatouille in the Cooking Contest. It has vegetables, so it’s healthy. I actually don’t like bell peppers, but I don’t mind if they’re cooked.

Selena: I was going to enter a dish I learned from my dad in the cooking contest... But it came out all burned! Sigh...

Witch Princess: have you been to the Harvest Festival? What won first place? Was it ice cream? Actually... I’m not really interested!

Bo: I’ve made a mushroom saute for today’s cooking contest. I may not win, but I did as well as I could’ve!

Mira: I entered a vegetable dish in the cooking contest. My husband didn’t like carrots, so I had to get creative for him to eat them.

Ramsey: I love buckwheat noodles. I often make my own... I hope we harverst plenty of buckwheat this year.

Luke: I learned to cook by watching my father. I can make all kinds of stews! Bo’s always telling me to stop though!

Kathy: I love cheese, so I entered my seafood gratin in the Cooking Contest. The only problem is that it’s not that great when it’s cold.

Hayden: They’re holding a cooking contest for today’s Harvest Festival. Are cocktails okay?

Luna: Hey, what did you enter in the Cooking Contest? I made my specialty, pumpkin pie. It’s not too sweet, and it’s also in season!

Candace: Today is the Harvest Festival. Is your dish ready? I decided on a dish that uses herbs, since I like herbs...

Renee: I’ve entered my salmon cream stew in the cooking contest. The salmon and milk really complement each other.

Barbara: I made stir fry for the contest. It’s quick and easy ... and it’s full of vitamins.

Phoebe: Did you enter anything into the contest? I’ve entered tempura noodles. It takes longer to make the noodles by hand, but the taste is worth it.

Shelly: I made a chestnut pie for the cooking contest. Peeling chestnuts is a pain, but you can use them for a lot of different desserts.

Irene: Did you make something for the Harvest Fstival? I made croquettes!

Ruth: I submitted my spinach risotto for the Cooking Contest. Spinach is good for you, and it’s quite popular among burly sailors!

My own personal favourite, if not particularly useful in terms of likes and dislikes of Characters, was Calvin's declaration:

Calvin: In ancient times, these festivals would involve sacrifice!

Some of the declarations are more overt than others. In some cases, you must 'read between the lines' but most of the Characters speak of a 'Most Favourite' when they announce their entries. Other information that is provided, in Gill's case, is a Most Detested Item. Apart from information that is useful in terms of giving gifts to an individual, dialogue can tell you what sort of dishes are likely to win 1st Place. Bo speaks of 'Mushroom Saute' as his entry and confesses that he 'may not win' the Contest with it. In fact, it is only dishes with a very high shipping value that will win 1st Place. The same is true with respect to the Vegetable Contest, the Fruit Contest and the Flower Contest. Shipping value is ALL that counts!

Small but Certain Value of Dialogue in Animal Parade

Relationships must be built slowly and with infinite patience in Animal Parade. It takes longer than it did in Tree of Tranquility, as the ability to give multiple gifts on a single day that existed in ToT is not an option in Animal Parade.

Players have been doubtful, in fact, of the value of simple dialogue in Animal Parade, but I have confirmed, more than once, that 'Meeting and Greeting' any Character each day, even if you cannot give that individual a Gift, DOES have a point value in terms of increasing Friendship and/or Love.

It is when I was collecting wishes from Characters that I received confirmation of this fact. More than once, a Character who had been at 2 Hearts attained 3 Hearts when I first greeted him/her even before I presented a Gift. The Character responded to my simple greeting with his/her Wish.

The value of Dialogue is not as great as the value attached to any preferred Gift and certainly not comparable to a Most Favourite Gift. Nonetheless, it is worth the effort to meet and greet EVERY Character on a daily basis, even when you have to do it with empty hands. I myself have erred on occasion by passing by a Character, thinking to myself that I would return later with a Gift... It would have been better to make the greeting, no matter what. Often, one does not have the time to return later to a specific district on any given day.

In terms of Greetings and Dialogue, I confess I have been a little careless in not confirming whether or not dialogue about the Season is based on heart level. I have noticed that Characters have more than one 'seasonal' Dialogue for each of the Seasons, but I have not confirmed yet whether it is randomly chosen or based on heart level. I believe that Animal Parade contains a greater variety of dialogue than any other Harvest Moon game to date. Characters will speak of the weather and of the season as well as giving the set dialogue that is associated with each Heart Level. In addition, there are at least two set Dialogues that are associated with each Festival. One occurs on the day prior to the Festival and the other occurs on the actual day of the Festival. If you show a Pet to any Character, he/she will respond to that action as well. Finally, there are dialogues that are linked to the main Plot. Each time you ring a Bell, specific Characters will remark upon it. You will find that only certain Characters speak of any Plot development but if you do not speak to every one, you will not know which individuals do make a point of commenting upon the Melody of a Bell or the change in the Seas or Winds.

I should not neglect to mention one of the most interesting set of Dialogues in Animal Parade, which is the response to a specific outfit or Hat/Accessory. I have posted about this aspect of the game previously. Each of the Eligible Bachelors and Girls is linked to a specific Hat or Accessory. When your Character speaks to the individual while wearing that Hat or Accessory, you will experience a special comment that acknowledges your outfit.

Of course, in addition to all of the above, there are the responses to Gifts, which vary widely according to the degree of liking or detestation the individual possesses for that particular item. Furthermore, there are special Birthday Gift dialogues that acknowledge Most Favourites and Favourites when given on the Character's Birthday.

I have not been able to confirm yet whether or not the act of showing a Pet to a Character has a value in Friendship Points, nor whether or not wearing the special hat or accessory actually affects Heart Level. Obviously, if there is an effect, it is not significant, but it would be useful to know the precise point value if any.

It is interesting to note the effect that Heart Level has on the subject of Dialogue for each Character. At low heart levels, the Character tends to provide general advice about practical matters, whether it is farming, cooking, energy, fishing, ranching or mining. As heart levels increase, the dialogue becomes more personal. He/she will confess likes and dislikes, emotions and will relate personal history. Animal Parade is very 'true to life' in this respect.

Unlocking New Options in Animal Parade

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My Walkthroughs tend to be very detailed. In fact, some players may consider them TOO detailed, because I enjoy the text of character Dialogues and Events and therefore often include them in my Guides.

If you read my Animal Parade Walkthrough, it still is not quite as detailed as I would like it to be, but I do update it daily. It will include all necessary Events and Dialogues and at present, includes the entire Animal Whistle Quest, the Red Bell Quest and the starting Events and Dialogues for all the other Bell Quests apart from Edge's Bell.

If you do not read my Walkthrough, there is a general rule that you can follow that will allow you to unlock every new option that does not depend on obtaining actual Items:

TALK TO EVERY ONE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE!

This is the key to most Harvest Moon and even Rune Factory Events and the key to unlocking new options in both series. If you do not experience a key Dialogue, often you cannot unlock a new Character or option. Coversation is important in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game for other reasons as well. It provides vital information about a Character's likes and dislikes. It usually raises Heart Levels, although not as much as an actual desired Gift would.

In Tree of Tranquility and Animal Parade, enter every Shop or building that is open to speak to every Character inside. Go behind the counter to speak to any individual who is working. If you see some one wandering about outside anywhere on the Map, speak to him or her. Follow EVERY path on the map. Use the 'Check' option when it appears.

Note that you must enter specific screens in order to trigger Events. You will encounter Chase for the first time when you enter the Church Grounds, but you have to walk in the right direction to do so. If you cannot trigger the Event, leave the screen and re-enter. You simply have to walk towards the right area in the Church Grounds.

Meeting Mira for the first time in Tree of Tranquility required a similar movement. In my first game, I triggered the Event immediately. In my second game, I forgot to walk towards the right path and failed to trigger the Event until I remembered to do so.

An excellent, but too often ignored resource both in Tree of Tranquility and Animal Parade is the Map that you carry everywhere you go. In Animal Parade, simply press the '1' button to open your Map. (In fact, this proved awkward for me initially, as the '1' Button had a quite different function in the last game I played on the Wii, so I initially would press it, thinking I would open my Rucksack and open the Map instead...)

The Map not only shows you where places of interest are located. If you use the 'Zoom' function by pressing the 'Z' Button, then press 'A' at any designated location, you will see the hours of operation of any business, as well as the day on which the business is shut. Referring to your Map therefore can prevent you from wasting considerable time in the early stages of the game when you are likely to slog off to a shop only to discover that it is shut...

Much time is spent in both games in walking to and from different Districts. Do not waste any of that time. When you visit a District, take Gifts for every one. Speak to every one and visit every Shop, not only in order to buy items that you need, but to trigger new Events. If you fail to find a Character who should have been unlocked at the start of the game, it is because you did not experience the necessary dialogue or event...

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!