Rod's Return to Mineral Town in Sunshine Islands

*****************************************************************

Those of us who played Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town hoped in vain to witncess Rod's return to his devoted wife, Lillia. He had gone off to distant parts in search of a rare flower to cure her... Events in More Friends of Mineral Town included a letter from Rod, but that was as close as he ever came. Urban legends to the effect that he secretly had returned and was living on the boat moored to the pier were nothing more than frivolous fantasies.

Here is the entry for Rod from my Characters Guide:

ROD:

Birthday: unknown

Rod is Lillia's absent husband. He went off on an expedition to find a rare flower that grows only in the desert, hoping that this would be the cure for her illness and has not returned. There is one cutscene involving this business. It is one of Popuri's heart Events but is included here because it gives so much information about Rod:

Popuri and Rick projecting their 'hurt', then:
Rick: I can't believe how irresponsible Dad is! Leaving Mom like this and going off in search of some flower we're not even sure it exists!!...
Popuri: Don't talk that way about dad!
The whole reason he went away is to cure Mom!
Lillia: Both of you stop it now! Please don't argue about your father!
Lillia: Freyr, you're here at just the right time.
Popuri and Rick are fighting about their dad, you see.
They won't listen to me at all...
Will you talk some sense into them for me?
Popuri: Our dad was brave enough to go out hunting for a rare flower to cure Mom. Rick blames him for leaving us, but I think that's horrible!
Dad only left because he loves Mom...
Rick: Can you believe it? ! Dad left without any real information about the flower, or a plan about how to find it! He'll never find it! That's why he's irresponsible!

My choices were:
I agree with Popuri.
I agree with Rick.
Poor Lillia.

I said: 'Poor Lillia'.
It was obviously the correct response because:

Popuri: .............. I'm sorry, Mom...
Rick: Sorry, Mom.
Lillia: (with music): Just... Please stop arguing about your father!!... Ohh... This is all my fault!
Popuri: Nothing's your fault, Mom!
Rick: Popuri's right. It's not your fault at all, Mom... I'm sorry for talking that way about Dad...
Lillia: That's OK. I know you just talk that way because you're worried about me.
Popuri: Sorry for worrying you, Freyr. Everything's OK now.
Rick: Sorry for dragging you into this.
Lillia: Thanks for stopping the fight, Freyr.

If I had said:
I agree with Popuri.

Popuri: (music)
Rick: (hurt)
Popuri: See, even Freyr thinks I'm right.
Rick: Freyr! Don't butt into other people's business!
Popuri: Don't get mad at Freyr just because he doesn't agree with you!
Rick: .... Popuri...
Popuri: Thanks for taking my side, Freyr.
Lillia: I'm glad the argument's over. Thank you, Freyr.
Rick: ................

If I talked to them after...
Popuri: Thanks for taking my side, Freyr.
Rick: Yeah well... What do you know about it?!
Lillia: Thanks for stopping the fight, Freyr.

If I had said I agreed with Rick:
Popuri: But... Why?! How could you say that!
Rick: See, even Freyr thinks Dad is wrong!
Popuri: Mm... Looks like I was wrong about you, Freyr!
Rick: Popuri! Don't be mean to Freyr!
Popuri: What!
Lillia: Now they're arguing over Freyr!
Will they ever stop?
After...
Popuri: I can't believe you took my brother's side.
Rick: I'm glad you understand me.
Lillia: I just hope they don't start again...

There is another Event involving the absent Rod in MFoMT that can be experienced before 1.00 p.m. in your third year or later in the Summer season, provided Popuri remains unmarried. (In one game, I experienced it on Saturday, 3 Summer at 12.50 p.m. in my third year.)

A Letter from Rod

At 12.50 p.m. I went out of the forge and into the Poultry Farm and experienced an Event inside with Lillia, Popuri and Rick. Poupuri was standing on the right, in front of the counter and Lillia and Rick were standing together in front of the table.

Popuri: Hello, Freya. How are you?
Rick: Hi.
Popuri: Hi there, Freya.
Me: ?
Lillia: What? You say I look in a good mood? That's because I am! Do you want to know why?
Me: ?
Lillia: You see... tee-hee... I got a letter from my darling today... It was the first time ever! Do you want to hear what he wrote?
I nod.
Lillia: Dear Lillia, How are Popuri and Rick? I am fine. I'm writing from a vast desert, where the search for the flower to cure you has lead me. I am confident I'll find it soon, so do not give up hope. Look after the store.
All my love, your husband.
Isn't he wonderful...?
Rick (with hurt): 'Look after the store'... Easy for him to say!
Popuri (with angry face): Why can't you just be happy like Mom, Rick?
Lillia: This mean's he's safe, don't you see? I'm so happy...

After:

Lillia: Tee-hee... I'm so happy!...
Rick: Letters are nice... But I want him to come home now!...
Popuri: I'm so glad you are, happy, Mom!

Now, in both Island of Happiness and Sunshine Islands, four Characters from Mineral Town visit the Islands in different seasons. Karen and Popuri travel to the Islands together in Autumn, staying during the Winter season and leaving at the beginning of Spring.

In Sunshine Islands, at 5-6 Hearts, Popuri will tell you: My mom gets sick a lot... But she feels better when my dad's with her.

Admittedly, this is not real evidence that he returned from his quest for the rare flower, but the fact that she mentions this rather matter-of-factly made Freya suspect that Rod HAD returned...

Basic Rules of Gift-Giving in Sunshine Islands

Using Taro as a primary example, this video gives the basic rules of Gift-Giving in Sunshine Islands. In many respects, it may be useful to players of Island of Happiness as well, although there are differences between the two games, mainly in terms of the rewards for Gifts and increased Friendship Levels.

Characters who appear in both games do tend to have the same likes and dislikes in both. Taro is a pivotal Character in Island of Happiness as it is he who will give your Character his/her Fishing Rod. In both games, speaking to him each morning will give your Character an infallible prediction of the weather for the next day.



N.B. I usually publish the link to the actual video as soon as it is created by YouTube, but often the video has not been processed fully at that point in time. If you try to access the video and receive a message to the effect that it is 'unavailable', it simply means that YouTube has not processed it completely yet. Wait half an hour, then try again. Thanks!

Taro and the Fishing Rod in Island of Happiness

I know I have written about this before, but it still remains the aspect of Island of Happiness that represents a problem for the greatest number of players. As it is based on a fundamental aspect of Island of Happiness, it is worth exploring here once again.

In Island of Happiness, a character will not accept any gift from you if you have neglected him/her. Neglect in this respect means that you have not done your regular 'meeting and greeting' in the immediate past. Your level of Friendship with the individual will not protect you. Ignoring an individual who has a high level of Friendship with you can result in a refusal of your gift until you have spoken to him/her regularly again.

The number of days that your gift will be rejected is based on the length of time that you neglected the individual. If you did not speak to the individual for a couple of days, your gift may be rejected only for a single day. If, however, you neglected the individual for a week or so, it may take six consecutive days of 'meeting and greeting' that character before he/she will accept a gift from you.

This is a very interesting aspect of Island of Happiness of which every player must be aware. Many players only become aware of it, however, when they attempt to give Taro one of the Coloured Herbs/Wild Grasses that he loves and he rejects it. As Taro must be at 2 Hearts before he will give you a Fishing Rod, cultivating a relationship with him is essential.

Note that gift-giving is not the only way to raise Love and Friendship in Island of Happiness. Simply speaking to an individual will raise levels, albeit more slowly than gift-giving. In fact, my Walkthrough for Island of Happiness urges players to visit Taro's house each morning not only to speak to Taro and obtain the weather report from him but to speak to Elliot and Natalie as well in order to begin the process of raising Heart Levels. Elliot is an Eligible Bachelor if your character is a girl and Natalie is an Eligible Girl if you are playing a boy. You can raise Heart Levels to the next level by speaking to any character daily even if you never give a single gift. It will take a long time, however!

Giving Taro a Coloured Herb/Grass each day will raise his Friendship Level to 2 Hearts faster than simply speaking to him will and, because you really need a Fishing Rod as early as possible in IoH in order to make money and bring members of the Fishing Team to the Island, I advise players to make the gift of the Coloured Herb/Grass. It is not necessary, however. What IS necessary is 'meeting and greeting' him each day. As his weather predictions are totally accurate, it is a good idea to do so even if he didn't have the power to give or withhold a Fishing Rod. Knowing if a Typhoon is set to hit the Island the next day can be critical information.

The rules of Neglect are as follows: The number of days you have failed to greet a character determines the number of days that your gift will be rejected BUT six days is the maximum number of days that a character can refuse a gift. Even if you fail to speak to a character for a fortnight, he/she will refuse your gift for six days only. You do need to speak to the individual EVERY day, however, in order to 'clear the slate'. In other words, in such a case, six consecutive days of greetings are needed to persuade the character to accept a gift from you.

I always stress the importance of avoiding 'tunnel vision' in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game. Friendship, not money, is the backbone of success. If you grow and harvest all the crops in the world but fail to greet your fellow villagers, you will not succeed in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game. IoH demonstrates this by placing the Fishing Rod in Taro's hands. Many Harvest Moon games in the past have done likewise by making a Fishing Rod the one tool that cannot be purchased.

Gift-Giving in Island of Happiness

I know I have addressed this point in the past and the information IS included in my guides for Island of Happiness. Even so, most of the emails I receive with respect to the game ask the following question:

How can I get the Fishing Rod from Taro when he refuses my gift?

In Island of Happiness, you must speak to every individual DAILY or risk the refusal of any gift you offer. If you have neglected a character, he/she no longer will accept any gift from you. This is true of all the characters.

The solution is to continue speaking to the individual daily and to persevere in offering your gift. The number of days the character will refuse any gift is based on the length of time that he/she was ignored but there is a limit. The maximum number of days, I believe, is six. After six days, the individual WILL accept a gift again if you spoke to him/her daily.

This is a very interesting aspect of Island of Happiness and one that makes it more challenging.

The answer to the question ultimately is:

Speak to Taro DAILY and continue to offer him the gift. He will accept it before a full week has passed.

In every Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game, the secret to success in personal relationships really is regular contact. You neglect characters at your peril. In other games, there is no penalty for ignoring a character for awhile, but in Island of Happiness, there is.

The lesson here is to speak to every one regularly even if you cannot afford a gift.

Walkthrough for Perfect IoH Game

I continue to receive so many emails about Island of Happiness that I thought I should post this Walkthrough of mine for a 'perfect game' again:

Walkthrough for Perfect Game in IoH

I wrote this Walkthrough last year and it IS included in my General Guide for Island of Happiness, but evidently there are a large number of players who have not noted its existence.

If any one is having trouble with Taro and the Fishing Rod, or obtaining the Event with Mirabelle that allows you to obtain a Dog... or ANYTHING else in the first year of the game, please read this little Walkthrough.

Making Money in IoH at the start

All Harvest Moon games are most difficult when you first move into your farm. After all, the farm has been allowed to deteriorate. You arrive at your new home with no skill in Farming, Ranching, Mining or Fishing. In some cases, you are a child of an urban civilisation, who presumably spent more time at a desk than striving towards physical stamina and strength. Your Energy Levels therefore will be very low.

Each game offers its own solution at the start. It is a matter of discovering the activity that can be exploited best. In HM DS/Cute DS, that activity is performed at the Excavation Site, where you can dig for jewelry and artifacts that are worth 2000G when shipped and almost twice that when sold to Van.

Island of Happiness is a little more difficult. You will not even be able to access the Mine until you have built the Bridge to the Forest. The most valuable Crops must be unlocked before you will be able to grow them. In fact, you will be required to unlock almost everything of value in this game...

The best exploitations early in the game probably are the Wonderfuls, but your first Wonderful will be given to you only when:
1. You win any Festival Contest;
2. You reach the 255th Floor of the Mine AFTER having met the Harvest Goddess by making an Offering at her Spring; or
3. You reach the Winter season.

You can control the colour of the Wonderful that you obtain by judicious use of Tools or shipping. Whether or not you have sufficient energy to do so in the first few seasons is another matter.

Possibly the most profitable Wonderful is the Orange Wonderful that will double your yield when set in a Tool. This means that the product obtained through use of any Milker, Clipper, Hammer or Sickle set with an Orange Wonderful will be doubled. This is extremely useful when you need to harvest Grains with the Sickle, increase your yield of Milk and Wool and your yield of any Ores and Gems in the Mine.

Until you are able to obtain any Wonderfuls, however, you probably will make the most money by fishing. In IoH, as in many other HM games, you will not have a Fishing Rod at the start of the game. It is only through friendship with a specific individual that you will be able to obtain one. That individual in IoH is Taro.
Speak to Taro daily to raise his friendship level. As he will give you a weather prediction for the next day that never is wrong, it is a good idea to speak to him in any event... Giving him a Coloured Grass will raise his Friendship more quickly.

Once you have a Fishing Rod, fish as much as you can. This activity will bring new arrivals to the Island and will allow you to make money quickly. Denny and Lanna will arrive only when you have caught specific numbers of fish.

Although you need to fish at every possible location in order to complete your Fishing List and catch the legendary King Fish, you should restrict your fishing probably to the Beach in the early stages of the game as this is the only location where Large Fish are to be caught. Furthermore, in Summer, you can catch Pirate Treasure that ships for 10,000G. In Autumn, you can catch Fossils of Fish that ship for 5,000G each.

To maximise your Fishing profits, save your Game BEFORE you cast your Rod. If you fail to catch a valuable item, reload and try again. That having been said, you probably need to catch a few small fish before you ever will be able to catch the more valuable items. I need to test this in a new game, but that usually is the way it works in Harvest Moon. Chances of catching valuable items increase only when your Fishing experience increases.

Even if you catch only Small Fish, however, shipping them will bring you more profit early in the game than anything else.

A comment by a reader reminded me of another early source of income, although you need to balance shipping with your own need for Recovery items. In your first Spring, your very first source of income will be items that can be collected from the Wilds. Any Wild coloured Grass, Flower or Seaweed can be shipped for profit.
It is only the Flowers that cannot be eaten, so you definitely should ship all flowers.

As far as coloured Wild Grasses and Seaweed are concerned, the Rank of these will depend on the point at which you gather them. Wild Grasses and Flowers gain in Rank, Quality and Size the longer they are left to grow. It is not time of day but the number of days that Flowers and Wild Grasses are left uncollected that is significant here. That is why, when you first unlock any area, the Wild Grasses and Flowers you find there may be of 'S' Rank. If you unlock the area at the start of the season, the rank may be lower, but if it is later in the Season, you may find all wild items to be of 'S' Rank.

Seaweed on the other hand, loses Rank as the hours pass and the best Seaweed is collected at 6.00 a.m. If you wait until the end of the day to gather Seaweed in Spring from the large boulder at the Beach, you probably will find it to be of 'B' Rank. There is no guarantee, however, that an early collection will bring anything higher. I have collected both 'A' and 'B' Ranks at 6.00 a.m., but on a day when I was able to collect 'A' Rank from the rock at 6.00 a.m., it was 'B' Rank when I collected it from the rock later in the day. This occurred on more than one occasion. Like so many details, however, it could be coincidence.

Note that Seaweed is available only in the Spring Season.

'B' Rank Seaweed, which is the 'average' rank for any item, will ship for about
830G. 'S' Rank Seaweed will ship for over 1000G. If you are diligent in going to the Beach early each morning to gather seaweed in your first Spring, you can augment your income by shipping high Rank Seaweed. You may need to keep some of it for use in restoring your Energy, however, depending on your total resources in the early stages of the game.

Once you have unlocked Festivals by building the bridge to the Meadow, you will be able to participate in Contests to win Wonderfuls. Another exploitation available is the ability to fish during Festivals without losing any time. The only risk here is in terms of your Energy levels. You will not be able to see your Energy Bars at any Festival but you can watch your character for the telltale physical signs that indicate depletion of energy. Make certain that you have Recovery items in your Rucksack and USE them if you are fishing during a Festival or you will pass out, negating the value of this exploitation device!

Remember, however, that you need to succeed in ALL aspects of life in order to achieve true success. You need to grow crops, raise animals, mine, fish AND cook as well as fulfilling social obligations on a regular basis.

Cheating Time in Harvest Moon

In any Harvest Moon game, finding the time to perform all your tasks or aims in any given day can be one of the greatest challenges. As Friendship and Courtship are important in these games, it is not farming tasks alone that require a judicious use of your time.

In terms of transport, it is vital, therefore, to acquire a transport animal as early as possible, whether that animal is a Horse (in most Harvest Moon games), an Ostrich (available in Tree of Tranquility) or one among an assortment of exotic Monsters (in Rune Factory). Having a Horse or other transport animal essentially cuts your travel time in half.

Even better than a transport animal is a Teleport Stone. These do not exist in all Harvest Moon games and when they do, the means of obtaining one will differ from game to game. In FoMT/MFoMT, the teleport stone is found in a Mine. In HM DS/Cute DS, it is purchased with medals in the Casino. In Island of Happiness, it can be purchased ultimately from Chen at his Market once unlocked for a rather high price.
It definitely is worth having, however. On an Island that is large enough to require three different bridges, you would be unable to make or sustain friendships with every one important if you did not have a Teleport Stone.

Travel by teleport is instantaneous and it can be used in your own Field, once you have unlocked the Rice Paddies, to save time. A tip on how to do this when watering your crops is given in my General Guide.

It is not with respect to travel alone that one needs to find ways to 'cheat' time.

In HM DS/Cute DS, there are Necklaces that, when equipped, allow a player to perform any task inside any building. If you have an upgraded Necklace that corresponds with the highest level of Tool that you are using, you even can charge your Tools while using them inside buildings. This is an official way to 'cheat time' and players, including myself, really loved having the option.

In other Harvest Moon games, however, it is a little trickier, but there are ways and means for the clever player.

In FoMT/MFoMT, you can transform some of the Cursed Tools into Blessed Tools if you use them during a Festival. As usual is the ability to fish during Festivals and Events. That option did not exist in HM DS/Cute DS, but was not needed with the Necklace option.

In Island of Happiness, once again your character can fish to his/her heart's content during any Festival. As the Festivals occur at the Meadow, however, you will be restricted to river-fishing, which means that you cannot catch Large Fish. Even so, it is a valuable option. The appearance of many characters, including one of the Eligible Bachelors and one of the Eligible Girls, is predicated upon your Fishing accomplishments. Early in the game, Fish are one of the few Recovery items that exist. Make certain that you do USE your Recovery items while fishing during a Festival, however. Your actual SR (Stamina Recovery) and FL (Fullness) bars will not be displayed during Festivals, but watch your character carefully for the physical responses that signify energy loss and eat raw fish to counteract this if you have nothing better.

Even later in the game, you may find that time still is one of the greatest challenges. As you need to fish regularly at all points in the game to keep characters on the island, it is a good idea to catch a few fish at each Festival and ship them when you return home in order to meet your character quota.

Mining in Harvest Moon may or may not consume time. Even when it does, time will pass more slowly in the Mines. In Island of Happiness, time does pass in the Mine, but more slowly than above ground. Even so, if you need to ship items from the Mines before 5.00 p.m., make adjustments in your mining schedule for that. Until you have a Teleport Stone, it will be a long journey from your Ranch to the Mine...