A fan of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory sent me an email containing a forward from the official Natsume forum. She was delighted and surprised by the message which was simply to wish her a Happy Birthday from Natsume.
I wanted to share this because to me, it represents the attitude of Natsume and is the reason why I continue to volunteer to write Guides for Natsume games. Natsume never loses the personal touch, despite an increasingly heavy workload with all the new games that are being produced.
The philosophy of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory is one of placing friendship above financial considerations and selfish gain. In every Harvest Moon game, a player is encouraged to pay attention to the birthdays of all the other Characters in his/her community. It is apt really that Natsume should take the trouble to remember the Birthdays of the members of its Official Community Forum.
Bravo, Natsume, for embodying the principles of Harvest Moon in your corporate actions!
A Website for all Harvest Moon fans providing Links to all Guides by Freyashawk: Actual Links on Right Side of Webpage
Showing posts with label Harvest Moon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harvest Moon. Show all posts
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Farming Fanatics...
A Neighbour of mine in the wonderful game of Lovely Farm kindly allowed me to post her Facebook photo here. It is very apt I think for any one who plays Farming Simulation games, whether Farmville, Lovely Farm, Fantasy Kingdoms or Harvest Moon!
Thank you for graciously allowing me to share this!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New Features on Harvest Moon Forever
After some thought, I have added a few new features to my Sites, including direct links to Harvest Moon and Rune Factory games sold by Amazon as well as a detailed 'Search' engine for this site at the bottom of this page. Another 'widget' of Amazon links is included at the bottom of the page as well, leading to some of my favourite literary Classics. (I will add to this one. At the moment, it contains only links to books by E. Nesbit.) The link to Harvest Moon and Rune Factory games includes the upcoming 'Hero of Leaf Valley'.
Unfortunately, where older Harvest Moon games are concerned, the prices on Amazon sometimes are higher than the original retail prices. I do not condone this particularly, but at least it does provide players who do not own the games with a chance to acquire them if they are willing to pay the price.
There should be 'buyer protection' for any products bought from Amazon sellers.
Unfortunately, where older Harvest Moon games are concerned, the prices on Amazon sometimes are higher than the original retail prices. I do not condone this particularly, but at least it does provide players who do not own the games with a chance to acquire them if they are willing to pay the price.
There should be 'buyer protection' for any products bought from Amazon sellers.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Russell Crowe's Oscar lives with his Chickens
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The famous New Zealand actor, Russell Crowe, one of the more notorious 'bad boys' of the cinema has performed one action that might give him 'Hero Farmer' Status if Harvest Moon Halls of Fame existed in the 'real world'. He reportedly keeps the Oscar he won for his performance in the film 'Gladiator' in a chicken coop on his ranch in Australia where, he claims, it has inspired his hens to lay larger eggs.
Hmm... if only we could place the Trophies we win in Animal Parade in our Barns and Coops to inspire our Animals to produce superior Ranch Products instead of endless brushing and petting...
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Profits made from Seeds and Accessories in Harvest Moon
In the second half of my Items and Shipping List Guide for Sunshine Islands, you will find lists of items that cannot be shipped. In some cases, these can be a source of valuable income for your Character.
The sale of Seeds and Accessories to a special merchant for profit is not a new strategy in Harvest Moon. In More Friends of Mineral Town, Van’s Wednesday visits provided a golden opportunity to sell certain rare items for a tidy profit to the merchant from Forget-Me-Not Valley. With the sale of multiple 'TV Changers', my character was able to afford to buy her second home next to Saibara's forge.
In HM DS and Cute DS, Van’s orange box stall on the 2nd floor of the Inn is a venue for the sale of Seeds and Accessories, some of which realise huge prices from the same entrepreneur. In HM DS/Cute DS, the sale of upgraded Seeds in particular provided a source of great profit.
In Sunshine Islands, the opportunity to make a profit selling items that cannot be shipped is available as well but the merchant who buys these is none other than Chen.
For example, although Seeds cannot be shipped, they can be sold to Chen. In the case of Crops that are worth very little when shipped, such as Strawberries, you will obtain a larger profit from these if you convert them into Seeds to sell to Chen. Bananas are another Crop that, when converted to Seed and sold to Chen, result in a far larger profit than the actual Fruit when shipped. Note that Seeds have no Rank, Quality, Size or Freshness and therefore a Crop of low quality can be transformed in Seeds that will be bought at the same price as a Crop of S Rank when converted to Seeds.
In the Crops section of my Items and Shipping List Guide, I have added the price that Chen will pay for each variety of Seed. For each Crop entry, therefore, you now will find the Shipping Value of each Crop, its Energy Value in SR and FL, the price of Seeds when purchased from Chen, the price he will pay for the same seeds, whether those seeds would yield a single or multiple harvests and finally, the method, if any, by which the Seeds initially are unlocked at his Market. Players therefore can compare the average shipping value of the Crop with the profit, if any, they would make if they converted the same Crop into Seeds to sell to Chen instead.
Multiple Harvest Crops tend to be more valuable as Seeds. For example, if you look at the information that is given for Spring Crops, you will see that it is Strawberries and Cucumbers, the two Multiple Harvest Crops, that yield the best profits when converted into Seeds.
The difference between the shipping value of Turnips at 60G and the price that Chen will pay for Turnip Seeds is only 12G. The difference between the shipping value of a Potato and the price that Chen will pay for Potato Seeds is 10G. If you look at Cucumbers, however, you will see that Cucumber Seeds bring DOUBLE the amount that a Cucumber would bring if shipped. A strawberry, shipping for only 30G, when converted into Seeds and sold to Chen, yields 90G, triple the shipping value of the orignal Crop. A Cabbage, another Single Harvest Crop, actually will gain a better price when shipped than when sold as Seeds. You lose 50G if you convert the Crop into Seeds and sell it to Chen.
Remember that the shipping value of any Crop is an estimated value. The actual value will depend on Rank, Quality, Size and Freshness. If your Crops are S Rank, you would do better probably to ship them or use them as ingredients in Cooked Dishes, even if they are Strawberries. The prices that Chen pays either for Crops or for Seeds, on the other hand, do not vary.
Turnip: 60G
Energy Value: 3SR, 2FL
Turnip Seeds: 120G
Selling Price: 72G
Single Harvest Crop
Seeds available in Spring at the start
Potato: 80G
Energy Value: 3SR 2FL
Potato Seeds: 150G
Selling Price: 90G
Single Harvest Crop
Seeds available in Spring at the start
Cucumber: 60G
Energy Value: 3SR 2FL
Cucumber Seeds: 200G
Selling Price: 120G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Seeds unlocked at Farming Level 5, available in Spring
Strawberry: 30G
Energy Value: 5SR 2FL
Seeds: 150G
Selling Price: 90G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Seeds unlocked at Farming Level 7, available in Spring
Cabbage: 350G
Energy Value: 3SR 2FL
Cabbage Seeds: 500G
Selling Price: 300G
Single Harvest Crop
Seeds unlocked at Farming Level 10 with Shipment of 100 Wheat
Chen will pay only 18G for Orichalcum but when this Ore is used to create Accessories, you can sell the Accessories to Chen for fairly handsome sums. Accessories that you no longer need or use can be stored in your Beauty Box or sold to Chen. Once you have made all possible Accessories, you can order duplicates from Charlie to sell to Chen for an added source of income.
The prices that Chen will pay for each Accessory have been added to the section on Accessories in the Sunshine Islands Items and Shipping List Guide.
Note that Cooked Dishes are a category of item that can be shipped but cannot be sold to Chen. In the case of Crops, Ranch Products and other 'raw ingredients', you will obtain a far better price if you ship them. Chen does not recognise Rank or Quality where Ranch Products are concerned and will offer only 30G for either a C Rank Egg or an S Rank Egg.
In many cases, as I have explained in previous posts, the greatest profit you can made from certain items are when you use them to create Cooked Dishes. The same Strawberry that ships for about 30G can be made into Strawberry Jam which may ship for over 100G.
Desperate Measures
You do have the option of selling items to Chen rather than shipping them. This should be done only in the direst circumstances as he pays less than the item’s shipping value. Any items purchased from Chen can be sold back to him as well but he will pay only 60% of the item’s original price. Furthermore, as shipping items is the method by which many new items are unlocked, it is a poor policy generally to sell Crops to Chen.
As previously indicated, there are exceptions to this, however, in the form of items that cannot be shipped. Accessories created by Charlie can be sold to Chen. Tools that you purchased from Gannon but no longer need can be sold. Likewise, Seeds that you create in your own Seed Maker, although they cannot be shipped, can be sold to Chen.
The prices you will receive for these items are as follows:
Any Tool apart from Fishing Rod: 600G
Fishing Rod: 3000G
Selling your precious Fishing Rod at a loss is a desperate measure at best, but it is good to know that you CAN sell it and when you do, another will appear at Gannon’s shop for the price of 5000G. If you are desperate for quick cash, therefore, you can sell your Fishing Rod and buy a replacement when you can afford to do so.
Teleport Stone: 60000G
Like the Fishing Rod, this is an item that can be sold to Chen in desperate circumstances, if you must have 60,000G instantly for some reason… As soon as it is sold, another will appear in his Menu for a price of 100,000G
The sale of Seeds and Accessories to a special merchant for profit is not a new strategy in Harvest Moon. In More Friends of Mineral Town, Van’s Wednesday visits provided a golden opportunity to sell certain rare items for a tidy profit to the merchant from Forget-Me-Not Valley. With the sale of multiple 'TV Changers', my character was able to afford to buy her second home next to Saibara's forge.
In HM DS and Cute DS, Van’s orange box stall on the 2nd floor of the Inn is a venue for the sale of Seeds and Accessories, some of which realise huge prices from the same entrepreneur. In HM DS/Cute DS, the sale of upgraded Seeds in particular provided a source of great profit.
In Sunshine Islands, the opportunity to make a profit selling items that cannot be shipped is available as well but the merchant who buys these is none other than Chen.
For example, although Seeds cannot be shipped, they can be sold to Chen. In the case of Crops that are worth very little when shipped, such as Strawberries, you will obtain a larger profit from these if you convert them into Seeds to sell to Chen. Bananas are another Crop that, when converted to Seed and sold to Chen, result in a far larger profit than the actual Fruit when shipped. Note that Seeds have no Rank, Quality, Size or Freshness and therefore a Crop of low quality can be transformed in Seeds that will be bought at the same price as a Crop of S Rank when converted to Seeds.
In the Crops section of my Items and Shipping List Guide, I have added the price that Chen will pay for each variety of Seed. For each Crop entry, therefore, you now will find the Shipping Value of each Crop, its Energy Value in SR and FL, the price of Seeds when purchased from Chen, the price he will pay for the same seeds, whether those seeds would yield a single or multiple harvests and finally, the method, if any, by which the Seeds initially are unlocked at his Market. Players therefore can compare the average shipping value of the Crop with the profit, if any, they would make if they converted the same Crop into Seeds to sell to Chen instead.
Multiple Harvest Crops tend to be more valuable as Seeds. For example, if you look at the information that is given for Spring Crops, you will see that it is Strawberries and Cucumbers, the two Multiple Harvest Crops, that yield the best profits when converted into Seeds.
The difference between the shipping value of Turnips at 60G and the price that Chen will pay for Turnip Seeds is only 12G. The difference between the shipping value of a Potato and the price that Chen will pay for Potato Seeds is 10G. If you look at Cucumbers, however, you will see that Cucumber Seeds bring DOUBLE the amount that a Cucumber would bring if shipped. A strawberry, shipping for only 30G, when converted into Seeds and sold to Chen, yields 90G, triple the shipping value of the orignal Crop. A Cabbage, another Single Harvest Crop, actually will gain a better price when shipped than when sold as Seeds. You lose 50G if you convert the Crop into Seeds and sell it to Chen.
Remember that the shipping value of any Crop is an estimated value. The actual value will depend on Rank, Quality, Size and Freshness. If your Crops are S Rank, you would do better probably to ship them or use them as ingredients in Cooked Dishes, even if they are Strawberries. The prices that Chen pays either for Crops or for Seeds, on the other hand, do not vary.
Turnip: 60G
Energy Value: 3SR, 2FL
Turnip Seeds: 120G
Selling Price: 72G
Single Harvest Crop
Seeds available in Spring at the start
Potato: 80G
Energy Value: 3SR 2FL
Potato Seeds: 150G
Selling Price: 90G
Single Harvest Crop
Seeds available in Spring at the start
Cucumber: 60G
Energy Value: 3SR 2FL
Cucumber Seeds: 200G
Selling Price: 120G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Seeds unlocked at Farming Level 5, available in Spring
Strawberry: 30G
Energy Value: 5SR 2FL
Seeds: 150G
Selling Price: 90G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Seeds unlocked at Farming Level 7, available in Spring
Cabbage: 350G
Energy Value: 3SR 2FL
Cabbage Seeds: 500G
Selling Price: 300G
Single Harvest Crop
Seeds unlocked at Farming Level 10 with Shipment of 100 Wheat
Chen will pay only 18G for Orichalcum but when this Ore is used to create Accessories, you can sell the Accessories to Chen for fairly handsome sums. Accessories that you no longer need or use can be stored in your Beauty Box or sold to Chen. Once you have made all possible Accessories, you can order duplicates from Charlie to sell to Chen for an added source of income.
The prices that Chen will pay for each Accessory have been added to the section on Accessories in the Sunshine Islands Items and Shipping List Guide.
Note that Cooked Dishes are a category of item that can be shipped but cannot be sold to Chen. In the case of Crops, Ranch Products and other 'raw ingredients', you will obtain a far better price if you ship them. Chen does not recognise Rank or Quality where Ranch Products are concerned and will offer only 30G for either a C Rank Egg or an S Rank Egg.
In many cases, as I have explained in previous posts, the greatest profit you can made from certain items are when you use them to create Cooked Dishes. The same Strawberry that ships for about 30G can be made into Strawberry Jam which may ship for over 100G.
Desperate Measures
You do have the option of selling items to Chen rather than shipping them. This should be done only in the direst circumstances as he pays less than the item’s shipping value. Any items purchased from Chen can be sold back to him as well but he will pay only 60% of the item’s original price. Furthermore, as shipping items is the method by which many new items are unlocked, it is a poor policy generally to sell Crops to Chen.
As previously indicated, there are exceptions to this, however, in the form of items that cannot be shipped. Accessories created by Charlie can be sold to Chen. Tools that you purchased from Gannon but no longer need can be sold. Likewise, Seeds that you create in your own Seed Maker, although they cannot be shipped, can be sold to Chen.
The prices you will receive for these items are as follows:
Any Tool apart from Fishing Rod: 600G
Fishing Rod: 3000G
Selling your precious Fishing Rod at a loss is a desperate measure at best, but it is good to know that you CAN sell it and when you do, another will appear at Gannon’s shop for the price of 5000G. If you are desperate for quick cash, therefore, you can sell your Fishing Rod and buy a replacement when you can afford to do so.
Teleport Stone: 60000G
Like the Fishing Rod, this is an item that can be sold to Chen in desperate circumstances, if you must have 60,000G instantly for some reason… As soon as it is sold, another will appear in his Menu for a price of 100,000G
Saturday, December 26, 2009
A real Petting Glove...
My Harvest Moon friend and comrade, Mars-Frog sent a wonderful Christmas box containing a number of treats for the kittens as well as a lovely box of fudge. Among the gifts for the kittens is a real Petting Glove! I did not know that these existed except in Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, yet here one is! It is too large to be used on the kittens at this point, but both Beauty and Ashleigh love it. Thank you, Mars, from all the felines and from me.
Meanwhile, many thanks to my Harvest Moon/Rune Factory comrade and friend, ILuvHM and Nate for sending a box of gorgeous homemade sweets and warm gloves and socks. With an early, rather devastating snowstorm, the gloves and socks will allow me to continue to use the laptop even on the coldest days.
All proof that the worlds of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory are not the only universes where people are thoughtful and care about others.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Running A Cottage Industry in Autumn making Perfume
Making Perfumes in Autumn
The most valuable Flower, Blue Mist Flower, can be grown in Autumn. The cost of the Seeds is 50G when purchased directly from the Marimba Farm and the Flower has a shipping value of 390G.
Decent Perfume can be made by placing two Flowers of any value or type in the Mixer. Its shipping value is 390G. You therefore can make Decent Perfume in any Season. Purple Perfume, requiring 4 Lavender Flowers is a Spring project but in Autumn, there will be three new types of Perfume that can be made. These are Red Perfume, requiring 4 Roses, Yellow Perfume, requiring 4 Moondrop Flowers and finally Shining Perfume, requiring 5 Flowers with a combined shipping value of 1600G.
The values of Autumn Flowers are:
Blue Mist Flower: 390G
Growth Rate: 3-7 Days
Chrysanthemum: 90G
Growth Rate: 3 Days
Cosmos: 100G
Growth: 3 Days
Moondrop Flower: 120G
Growth Rate: 3 Days
Rose: 220G
Growth Rate: 3-5 Days
The Recipes for all possible Perfumes are:
Decent Perfume: 390G
Ingredients: Any Flower x 2
Energy Value: 10 SR
Purple Perfume: 430G
Ingredients: Lavender x 4
Energy Value: 10 SR
Red Perfume: 910G
Ingredients: Rose x 4
Energy Value: 10 SR
Shining Perfume: 1710G
Ingredients: Flower x 5*
*The combined shipping value of the five Flowers must be at least 1600G
Energy Value: 10 SR
Yellow Perfume: 510G
Ingredients: Moondrop Flowers x 4
Energy Value: 10 SR
If you study the shipping values of the different Flowers that can be grown in Autumn, you will find that only the valuable Blue Mist Flower has sufficient shipping value to make Shining Perfume. Although Roses have a higher shipping value than the other Flowers of Autumn, at 220G, the combined value of 5 Roses is only 1100.
You need not use 5 valuable Blue Mist Flowers in order to create Shining Perfume. It is more profitable to use the fewest number of Blue Mist Flowers in the Recipe, augmenting the quantity required with less valuable Flowers.
There are a number of possible combinations:
4 Blue Mist Flowers (1560G) + 1 Cosmos (100G) = 1660G
4 Blue Mist Flowers (1560G) + 1 Chrysanthemum (90G) = 1650G
4 Blue Mist Flowers (1560G) + 1 Moondrop Flower (120G) = 1680G
3 Blue Mist Flowers (1170G) + 2 Roses (440G) = 1610G
As you can see, as the value of Shining Perfume will not vary, whatever the combined total value of its ingredients, you should use the least valuable Flower, such as Cosmos or Chrysanthemum as the 5th Flower for maximum profit. 3 Blue Mist Flowers with 2 Roses is the most efficient use of shipping values, as it exceeds the required 1600G only by 10G.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A Perfectly Stunning and Splendid Birthday in Harvest Moon
Without giving away any surprises, I was delighted by my latest birthday celebration in the Harvest Moon game I am playing at the moment. Shocked... thrilled... I think that players will be well pleased!
I have been playing Harvest Moon and Rune Factory games for a few years now but I still am capable of being startled by new options in these games. The creators appear to have boundless creativity and enthusiasm and although they build on beloved characters and traditions, there always is something new and wonderful added to the mix.
I personally would recommend that players try to play ALL of the games in each series if they can find them. A number of players have been asking whether they should invest in Sunshine Islands or Island of Happiness. I think it would be a mistake to dismiss Island of Happiness at this point. Much of my pleasure in exploring Sunshine Islands is derived from my experiences in Island of Happiness. The two games are similar in many respects but each is unique. I don't see these games as being progressively better, but rather as a continuing saga.
Long ago, when I explored the Library in 'More Friends of Mineral Town', I was able to appreciate the books about Forget-Me-Not Valley because I had played 'A Wonderful Life'. HM DS and Cute DS drew upon previous games set both in Mineral Town and Forget-Me-Not Valley. Island of Happiness introduces many new characters but still includes references to Mineral Town and indeed, characters from Mineral Town visit the Island annually. Frantic Farming, a different sort of Harvest Moon game, still has wonderful Events that involve the characters from Island of Happiness. As for Sunshine Islands... well, more about that later.
Players have begun to discuss Rune Factory 3 but I should hate to play any future Rune Factory game without having played the original Rune Factory, Rune Factory 2 and Rune Factory Frontier. All these games are linked by a common history.
I have to confess that I enjoy the sense of familiarity I experience whenever I explore a new Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game. I am glad that I have some idea of what I can expect... but the little surprises and changes are very exciting as well. The creators of these games appear to have a very fine sense of balance where any new game is concerned. Without jettisoning the traditional aspects of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory that fans have grown to love and expect, they always introduce enough new surprises to keep our experiences fresh and exciting.
I have been playing Harvest Moon and Rune Factory games for a few years now but I still am capable of being startled by new options in these games. The creators appear to have boundless creativity and enthusiasm and although they build on beloved characters and traditions, there always is something new and wonderful added to the mix.
I personally would recommend that players try to play ALL of the games in each series if they can find them. A number of players have been asking whether they should invest in Sunshine Islands or Island of Happiness. I think it would be a mistake to dismiss Island of Happiness at this point. Much of my pleasure in exploring Sunshine Islands is derived from my experiences in Island of Happiness. The two games are similar in many respects but each is unique. I don't see these games as being progressively better, but rather as a continuing saga.
Long ago, when I explored the Library in 'More Friends of Mineral Town', I was able to appreciate the books about Forget-Me-Not Valley because I had played 'A Wonderful Life'. HM DS and Cute DS drew upon previous games set both in Mineral Town and Forget-Me-Not Valley. Island of Happiness introduces many new characters but still includes references to Mineral Town and indeed, characters from Mineral Town visit the Island annually. Frantic Farming, a different sort of Harvest Moon game, still has wonderful Events that involve the characters from Island of Happiness. As for Sunshine Islands... well, more about that later.
Players have begun to discuss Rune Factory 3 but I should hate to play any future Rune Factory game without having played the original Rune Factory, Rune Factory 2 and Rune Factory Frontier. All these games are linked by a common history.
I have to confess that I enjoy the sense of familiarity I experience whenever I explore a new Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game. I am glad that I have some idea of what I can expect... but the little surprises and changes are very exciting as well. The creators of these games appear to have a very fine sense of balance where any new game is concerned. Without jettisoning the traditional aspects of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory that fans have grown to love and expect, they always introduce enough new surprises to keep our experiences fresh and exciting.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Site for Favourite Harvest Moon/Rune Factory Events
Still recovering from the events of the past few days, my energy is very low and I am not certain how many contributions I can make at the moment to the Harvest Moon/Rune Factory universe. I did, however, discover a site I had created some time ago yet never promoted (evidently) for Favourite Events in Harvest Moon (or Rune Factory.
Favourite Events in Harvest Moon
I had hoped that other fans of Harvest Moon or Rune Factory would submit their favourite Event from any Harvest Moon/Rune Factory game. Any one who wishes to do so should send the piece to me in the body of an email and I then will post it on the site.
Favourite Events in Harvest Moon
I had hoped that other fans of Harvest Moon or Rune Factory would submit their favourite Event from any Harvest Moon/Rune Factory game. Any one who wishes to do so should send the piece to me in the body of an email and I then will post it on the site.
A Note of Thanks
I would like to thank all the readers who expressed their concern for Beauty's little kittens, for those who sent their good wishes and those who prayed for the little ones. It is a tale, alas, without a happy ending for them, although I pray that Beauty is recovering fully. I established a very close bond with the two kittens and still find myself reaching towards the place where they rested in my pocket to see if they are warm enough. Even though the little girl exhibited more energy and interest initially, something must have been wrong internally with her as well. All the kittens were premature, although the two who were born live were fully formed externally, giving me hope that I could act as their surrogate mother.
I have neglected Rune Factory and Harvest Moon a little during the past few days, and only now resumed the Harvest Moon game on which I currently am working.
The irony is that I immediately experienced an Event in which I was offered my choice of kittens from two that were born of a large litter... I shut down the system without saving, simply because it reminded me of poor Beauty and her loss, but I have no doubt that I will enjoy the Event when I experience it again. Perhaps the Harvest Goddess is trying to ease my pain...
I have neglected Rune Factory and Harvest Moon a little during the past few days, and only now resumed the Harvest Moon game on which I currently am working.
The irony is that I immediately experienced an Event in which I was offered my choice of kittens from two that were born of a large litter... I shut down the system without saving, simply because it reminded me of poor Beauty and her loss, but I have no doubt that I will enjoy the Event when I experience it again. Perhaps the Harvest Goddess is trying to ease my pain...
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Foraging Tip for Harvest Moon and Rune Factory
I am playing a Harvest Moon game that is very similar to Island of Happiness and working on guides that will be available when the game is released. As in Island of Happiness, some items that are found in the Wilds are more common than others. In ANY Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game, however, you may note that there are specified 'drop' squares where items tend to appear. Keeping these squares CLEAR of any items will allow more items to appear. When the item is rather rare and is found only in a specific location, it can be vital to visit that location regularly if not daily in order to clear any other items from the spaces. Items such as stones and branches can be transformed into Materials for Building but even if you do not have time or a need to do that, pick up the stones and branches and stash them in your Rucksack. Doing so will clear all the potential 'drop' spaces, giving you a better chance of finding the rare item you seek on the following day.
This is true in Rune Factory as well as Harvest Moon. In any Rune Factory game, wild items can be found on tillable fields in the dungeons. Tillable squares can be cleared, ploughed and used to plant Crops but if you wish to continue to find wild coloured grasses as well as materials for building, you may wish to clear some fields in each Dungeon without tilling them. That way, you preserve a location for
branches and wild grasses to be 'dropped'.
In Rune Factory Frontier, Black and White Grass tend to be rare compared to wild grasses of other colours. They both can be found on your field randomly after a severe storm and throughout the Winter season. Set a tame Monster to the task of gathering them in order to collect as many as possible, and keep your field cleared of branches and stones in Winter in like fashion, with tame Monster labour. White Grass is an ingredient in Energy Drink X. It can be found in Urns in the Snow Ruins and in a Tower on the Floating Chamber of Whale Island randomly as well.
This is true in Rune Factory as well as Harvest Moon. In any Rune Factory game, wild items can be found on tillable fields in the dungeons. Tillable squares can be cleared, ploughed and used to plant Crops but if you wish to continue to find wild coloured grasses as well as materials for building, you may wish to clear some fields in each Dungeon without tilling them. That way, you preserve a location for
branches and wild grasses to be 'dropped'.
In Rune Factory Frontier, Black and White Grass tend to be rare compared to wild grasses of other colours. They both can be found on your field randomly after a severe storm and throughout the Winter season. Set a tame Monster to the task of gathering them in order to collect as many as possible, and keep your field cleared of branches and stones in Winter in like fashion, with tame Monster labour. White Grass is an ingredient in Energy Drink X. It can be found in Urns in the Snow Ruins and in a Tower on the Floating Chamber of Whale Island randomly as well.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Birthday Wishes
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From the age of 10, I often have found myself living on a different continent from my family and home on my birthday and therefore have experienced every sort of birthday emotionally as well as actually, from lonely to wonderful and incredible.
When I began to play Harvest Moon, I discovered that my character's birthday often would be celebrated by his/her family and therefore always chose the date that most closely approximated that of my real birthday. In Animal Crossing, your Animal Neighbours actually bring you a Birthday Cake on your birthday...
I often add my character's birthday to my Calendar Guide in jest. Only once or twice did a player email me asking how she could meet the character Freyr/Freya in her game!
In Island of Happiness, it was rather annoying to discover that I shared my birthday with Nathan... I believe there is an Animal in Animal Crossing with the same birthday as mine but there are so many Animals that the likelihood of having that Animal in my village on the occasion of my birthday is fairly remote.
So much for Birthdays and gaming... I really am writing this post to share two wonderful Birthday wishes that I received this morning from thoughtful friends.
With the power of the internet, I doubt that any Birthday of mine ever will be ignored, even if no one celebrates it in the real world in any given year... (I do suspect there may be some one locally who will organise something later in the day... at least one hopes so. One can't orchestrate one's own birthday really. It simply isn't done!)
I would like to thank the friends who went to all the trouble to send me special Birthday Greetings this morning! Now, if I only could find my ACWW cartridge and persuade a Neighbour to bring me a Cake despite the fact that the village no doubt is choked with weeds and the house infested with cockroaches in every cluttered room from LONG, LONG neglect on my part.
Monday, August 24, 2009
A Brief Tour of Frantic Farming
Here is the second of two videos I made to introduce Frantic Farming:
When contests are time-based, it is extremely difficult to take screenshots or clips and try to perform game actions at the same time!
When contests are time-based, it is extremely difficult to take screenshots or clips and try to perform game actions at the same time!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Video Introduction to Frantic Farming
Here is a brief video introduction to the upcoming Harvest Moon game, 'Frantic Farming'. It is not really a tutorial, but rather designed to show a viewer a few of the different options that are available as well as some of the entertaining dialogue between characters who are well-known to players of Island of Happiness:
Without wishing to give away too much surprises, I did include some dialogue that should be of interest to all Island of Happiness fans. Was any one previously aware of how forgetful Lanna really is? We all knew that she was the dominant partner in the relationship with Denny but she now has no qualms in displays of absolute power.
Popper, who in Island of Happiness never made a squawk, now speaks up FOR Denny from time to time... There are many entertaining exchanges of this sort in Frantic Farming. You won't be able to experience them, however, if you do not prove that you are an expert farmer!
I daresay that the Multiplayer options will be fun, as Harvest Moon fans compete against one another. In one Mode, you can sow Rocks on your opponent's field rather like Brodik in Rune Factory Frontier!
Without wishing to give away too much surprises, I did include some dialogue that should be of interest to all Island of Happiness fans. Was any one previously aware of how forgetful Lanna really is? We all knew that she was the dominant partner in the relationship with Denny but she now has no qualms in displays of absolute power.
Popper, who in Island of Happiness never made a squawk, now speaks up FOR Denny from time to time... There are many entertaining exchanges of this sort in Frantic Farming. You won't be able to experience them, however, if you do not prove that you are an expert farmer!
I daresay that the Multiplayer options will be fun, as Harvest Moon fans compete against one another. In one Mode, you can sow Rocks on your opponent's field rather like Brodik in Rune Factory Frontier!
First Look at Frantic Farming by Natsume
Frantic Farming could be considered a 'sequel' to Island of Happiness as the game is set on Sunny Island AFTER you have made the island a prosperous and popular location and persuaded all main characters to live there.
Those of you (including myself) who were rather infatuated with the silver-haired Vaughn will be able to unlock him as a playable character in Frantic Farming. In fact, you begin the game with only two playable characters in the form of Mark and Chelsea but each time you complete the game in Story Mode using a character, it will unlock some one new.
The Story Mode is based on a recurring theme in Harvest Moon (and Rune Factory). You are called upon to save your community from impending disaster. The other fundamental basis of the game is FARMING, which should come as no surprise to veterans both of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory.
The graphics are wonderful and the music is great. In fact, one of the 'unlockables' is a music player where you can play all the themes from the game on vinyl records. (It is interesting how vinyl refuses to become obsolete in ANY world, despite IPods and Zunes...)
Frantic Farming is a puzzle game and it is precisely what its name suggests: a game wherein one must harvest crops as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to move forward in the Story. There are other Modes apart from the 'Story Mode' in which a player can compete against other players as well.
Those who have grumbled about DS games that do not exploit the 'Touchscreen' option should be thrilled with Frantic Farming. The stylus is used almost exclusively. Crops are displayed on a small grid in squares in various stages of growth. Outside the grid, the Harvest Sprite awaits your orders. When you touch him with the stylus, he will move into the grid and begin to harvest ripe crops. It may sound simple, but quite a lot of strategy is involved. Whenever the Harvest Sprite harvests a crop, he then will water a specific number of squares surrounding that crop. Chains can be created that allow him to harvest more quickly and earn special bonuses. The legendary Gold Crops and Big Crops appear in Frantic Farming as well.
The puzzles can be quite addictive in themselves.
Note that the actual Mode of solving the various puzzles will depend somewhat on the character you play, as each character has a 'Special Skill' that can be utilised when a gauge is filled. The Special Skills can be dramatic or amusing. For example, Shea's Special Skill is a 'Crop Dance' complete with fire juggling while Natalies' Special Skill is the 'Sandwich', wherein a large Sandwich is given to the tiny Harvest Sprite to empower him to greater efforts.
What will make this game particularly attractive to Harvest Moon players, however, are the dialogues of characters in Story Mode, as they often offer added insight into their lives and histories. For example, Popper, the black bird who sits on Denny's shoulder, actually SPEAKS in Frantic Farming!
When I first began to play Frantic Farming, I was reminded a little of 'Princess Debut', another game that offered stylus action with an ongoing Story. Instead of practicing ballroom dances, one harvests Crops but in other respects, the two games are rather similar. There is a gallery of 'Memory' photographs to be unlocked for each character by completing the game for each in Story Mode. Records of scores are kept and players can compete either against their own previous records or against other players in Multiplayer Mode. There are differences, of course. In Princess Debut, you played a single character and it was the partner that you chose who would create variations in the Story. In Frantic Farming, you actually can play different characters and the dialogues and even the Chapters change in EACH Story.
I certainly would recommend Frantic Farming to any one who loves puzzles, any one who loves Harvest Moon in general and any one who particularly loved Island of Happiness.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Time Out from Rune Factory Frontier
I am NOT finished with Rune Factory Frontier by any means. I still need to upload a few Proposal/Wedding videos I created last month as well as adding more details to all my guides. On the other hand, Frantic Farming is due to be released very shortly and I would like to have a completed Guide for that game on IGN on the day it is released.
I have not received official permission to post about Frantic Farming yet but I think I safely can state that it is a very addictive, fast-paced game that is certain to appeal both to gamers who enjoy puzzles as well as any one who loved Island of Happiness. For reasons which I will explain in my general review of the game, I believe that players who liked Princess Debut will enjoy Frantic Farming. I hope to be able to post a detailed review in a few days and perhaps a few videos as well.
I have not received official permission to post about Frantic Farming yet but I think I safely can state that it is a very addictive, fast-paced game that is certain to appeal both to gamers who enjoy puzzles as well as any one who loved Island of Happiness. For reasons which I will explain in my general review of the game, I believe that players who liked Princess Debut will enjoy Frantic Farming. I hope to be able to post a detailed review in a few days and perhaps a few videos as well.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Guys who play Princess Debut...
A visitor to this site asked if it were strange that a guy would play 'Princess Debut'. I have seen comments on the internet in the past on various sites intended to discourage any 'right-minded' guy from playing a female character in any game. I personally think that is utter rubbish.
It really is similar to a statement that a boy or man shouldn't read any books that feature female protagonists as though his real character would be effected or his manhood diluted by the experience.
Video games such as Harvest Moon and Princess Debut are interactive novels. We explore other worlds and other characters in these games, and one need not BE anything like the protagonist in order to play the game successfully and enjoy it thoroughly.
It could be perceived as even more challenging intellectually for a guy to play a game where he must assume a female persona, as it might require more thought and more inventive reasoning. I certainly enjoy playing games that feature male protagonists.
Often, one of the greatest gifts a game offers is the ability to free oneself of all the restrictions that real life imposes. At the same time, games that involve romance allow us to explore our own emotional responses to various situations and characters and sometimes even to learn from the experience.
The difference, when one plays the opposite gender, may be that you are a little less involved personally, especially where a game has a strong romantic component to it. Your character is involved and you want him or her to succeed but you don't go away and daydream about it as much as you may when you are playing your own gender in a game that involves romance. That having been said, one may hesitate to admit that one sometimes daydreams about fictional characters in Harvest Moon or Princess Debut, but the truth is that any truly powerful work of fiction creates its own reality in your psychic landscape.
In Rune Factory 2, your character in the 1st Generation is male and you have no choice in the matter. What happened to me was that I developed a very profound admiration and liking for my own character. I caught myself wishing that I knew more guys like him... Being female myself, I could not BE him in my own life, but I could respond to all of his sterling qualities. I enjoyed his Events immensely, and although he was the protagonist, I watched the unfolding of his life both as a participant and as a spectator.
In Princess Debut, because the protagonist is female, I find that I sometimes am in danger of losing my objectivity. I want to experience all possible results and events and yet, there are times when my own personal emotional reactions almost make that impossible. Witness the Event in Foxtrot Forest where I was able to betray Klaus with Kiefer. I couldn't stand it! (Even so, there was the guide-writer aspect of my character who was delighted to have discovered another twist in the game.)
As far as guys who play games that feature female protagonists are concerned, I admire their creativity and their ability to enter into the spirit of another role. I think it requires courage in a way, not least because there are elements in society that would sneer or view it in an absurdly negative fashion. If you are given a chance to experience a very different sort of existence in a game, why on earth would you not take advantage of that possibility? A game does not commit you ultimately to ANYTHING.
Male and female humans are two halves of a single species. If you are a guy, you probably have a mother, grandmother, aunts, female cousins, even sisters... Why should you not be able to see what it is like to play a female role in an adventure? I sometimes have found American culture to be particularly negative in terms of its expectations of what is allowed to a 'normal' male. In England, for example, it is quite common for guys to dress as girls or women strictly 'for laughs'. No one ever would extrapolate anything serious or significant from that.
Actually, many perceived differences between genders often are cultural rather than real. Every one has the right to create boundaries in his/her own personal life, based on his/her social or cultural traditions or preferences, but games should be free from those considerations. Enough said.
It really is similar to a statement that a boy or man shouldn't read any books that feature female protagonists as though his real character would be effected or his manhood diluted by the experience.
Video games such as Harvest Moon and Princess Debut are interactive novels. We explore other worlds and other characters in these games, and one need not BE anything like the protagonist in order to play the game successfully and enjoy it thoroughly.
It could be perceived as even more challenging intellectually for a guy to play a game where he must assume a female persona, as it might require more thought and more inventive reasoning. I certainly enjoy playing games that feature male protagonists.
Often, one of the greatest gifts a game offers is the ability to free oneself of all the restrictions that real life imposes. At the same time, games that involve romance allow us to explore our own emotional responses to various situations and characters and sometimes even to learn from the experience.
The difference, when one plays the opposite gender, may be that you are a little less involved personally, especially where a game has a strong romantic component to it. Your character is involved and you want him or her to succeed but you don't go away and daydream about it as much as you may when you are playing your own gender in a game that involves romance. That having been said, one may hesitate to admit that one sometimes daydreams about fictional characters in Harvest Moon or Princess Debut, but the truth is that any truly powerful work of fiction creates its own reality in your psychic landscape.
In Rune Factory 2, your character in the 1st Generation is male and you have no choice in the matter. What happened to me was that I developed a very profound admiration and liking for my own character. I caught myself wishing that I knew more guys like him... Being female myself, I could not BE him in my own life, but I could respond to all of his sterling qualities. I enjoyed his Events immensely, and although he was the protagonist, I watched the unfolding of his life both as a participant and as a spectator.
In Princess Debut, because the protagonist is female, I find that I sometimes am in danger of losing my objectivity. I want to experience all possible results and events and yet, there are times when my own personal emotional reactions almost make that impossible. Witness the Event in Foxtrot Forest where I was able to betray Klaus with Kiefer. I couldn't stand it! (Even so, there was the guide-writer aspect of my character who was delighted to have discovered another twist in the game.)
As far as guys who play games that feature female protagonists are concerned, I admire their creativity and their ability to enter into the spirit of another role. I think it requires courage in a way, not least because there are elements in society that would sneer or view it in an absurdly negative fashion. If you are given a chance to experience a very different sort of existence in a game, why on earth would you not take advantage of that possibility? A game does not commit you ultimately to ANYTHING.
Male and female humans are two halves of a single species. If you are a guy, you probably have a mother, grandmother, aunts, female cousins, even sisters... Why should you not be able to see what it is like to play a female role in an adventure? I sometimes have found American culture to be particularly negative in terms of its expectations of what is allowed to a 'normal' male. In England, for example, it is quite common for guys to dress as girls or women strictly 'for laughs'. No one ever would extrapolate anything serious or significant from that.
Actually, many perceived differences between genders often are cultural rather than real. Every one has the right to create boundaries in his/her own personal life, based on his/her social or cultural traditions or preferences, but games should be free from those considerations. Enough said.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Happy Boxing Day
I would like to wish every one a very happy Boxing Day! One hopes that Christmas, Yuletide and other Holiday Cheer continues and that Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing continue to provide entertainment and delight throughout the world.
I would like to thank a good friend for making my Christmas very special indeed by providing a treasure hunt in Animal Crossing City Folk that was created solely for my benefit, complete with clues and some of my favourite AC items! It made my day.
A very heartfelt 'Thank you' to Mars the Frog.
I would like to thank Alyssa for sending a charming Harvest Moon story, now posted on my 'We Love Harvest Moon' page.
For any one who doubts that the Christmas Spirit exists in our time, acts such as these provide ample evidence to the contrary.
Please take the time to read Alyssa's story and if inspired to do so, feel free to write your own Harvest Moon story and send it to me for publication.
I would like to thank all the Harvest Moon players who visit my site regularly for their continuing interest in my guides and posts.
Monday, December 8, 2008
When your Rucksack/Pocket is Full in Harvest Moon
In a comment, a player asked me why the Seed Maker did not work in Rune Factory 2. I will add this warning to my Rune Factory 2 General Guide but thought it merited a brief post here as well.
In most Harvest Moon games, including Rune Factory 2, you must have empty slots in your Rucksack or Pockets if you wish to perform any activity that yields an item. Whether in Harvest Moon DS/Harvest Moon Cute DS or Rune Factory 2, if you attempt to create Seeds using a Seed Maker, you will be unable to do so if you do not have an empty slot in your Rucksack for the resulting bag of seeds. There is no other special requirement in Rune Factory 2 where any of the Makers are concerned. If your Rucksack is full, you will be unable to use the Seed Maker.
Even the game itself will warn you about this potential problem when you press ‘A’ in front of the Seed Maker. You will obtain a prompt to the effect that:
‘Creates seeds from Crops. It won’t work if you don’t have room in your Backpack.’
Seeds, unlike Cheese or Yarn, are treated as tools rather than items and therefore cannot be held in your hands. You need to clear a slot in your Rucksack for the resulting product whenever you wish to use the Seed Maker.
Remember here that when items can be stacked, you need to be aware of the fact that separating ONE item from the stack to use in a Maker will create a new item that cannot be added to the stack and cannot occupy the slot where the original item lived! If you have 9 Tomatoes in your Rucksack and wish to create one bag of Tomato Seeds, therefore, you need an empty slot for those seeds. Unless you use all 9 of the Tomatoes to create 9 bags of seeds, the resulting product will not be able to occupy the slot that the original item occupied.
There is one situation where, even if your Rucksack has sufficient slots for a new Product, you will be unable to use the Seed Maker. This will occur whenever you attempt to create Seeds after accepting any Request. For the duration of any Request, the Seed Maker will not function!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A 'Gift' for Harvest Moon fans...
As Rune Factory 2 now is available to the general public, this may or may not be of interest, but here is the entrance to the 2nd Generation. It includes the 'theme' of the 2nd half of the game.
I intend to spend most of the day with Animal Crossing City Folk's Harvest Festival, after I deal with real world duties... but I thought I would share this as a little 'gift' for Thanksgiving Day.
If I were to express my 'thanks' on this day, it would be to Marvelous Interactive and Natsume for the incredible series of games that fall under the umbrella of 'Harvest Moon'...
My gratitude for 10 years of fabulous interactions with the wonderful world of Harvest Moon!
I intend to spend most of the day with Animal Crossing City Folk's Harvest Festival, after I deal with real world duties... but I thought I would share this as a little 'gift' for Thanksgiving Day.
If I were to express my 'thanks' on this day, it would be to Marvelous Interactive and Natsume for the incredible series of games that fall under the umbrella of 'Harvest Moon'...
My gratitude for 10 years of fabulous interactions with the wonderful world of Harvest Moon!
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