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!

Curiouser and Curiouser... Dance of the Pregnant Women...

Three of my erstwhile Rivals left the Island to have their babies in Mineral Town, followed instantly by their husbands. Pierre returned the very next day, claiming a need to continue to search for good ingredients, but Denny and Elliot remain absent.

Rather to my surprise, however, I arrived at the Harvest Goddess Festival to find all three pregnant women there with their husbands dancing attendance on them.


Natalie: Yo, Freya! I came back for the Harvest Goddess Festival.

Julia: Hi, Freya. I cam back today for the Harvest Goddess Festival.

Lanna: I wanted to see the Harvest Goddess Festival, so I cam back!

Elliot: Hello, Freya. Julia insisted we go to the Harvest Goddess Festival.
I just came along with her, but I’m glad that I did. It’s exciting!

Denny: Yo, Freya!
Lanna insisted on dancing at the Harvest Goddess Festival.
We got the doctor’s permission to come back for the day.

Pierre: I’m here with Natalie.
I’d really prefer that she rest…
But she looks happy, so I’m glad we came.

As their appearance had not chaqnged, it was difficult to tell whether they were pregnant or recovering from the delivery of their babies... whatever the circumstances, they remained 'Absent' on the Individuals List and the next morning, had taken the ship back to Mineral Town apparently.

This is a most intriguing game! If their 'couching' were similar to mine, they would no longer be pregnant but would be recovering from the blessed event. My child was born two full seasons after the announcement of my pregnancy. The Rivals left the island two full seasons after the announcement of THEIR pregnancies. This would have led me to suspect that the birth of their children would be accomplished immediately... but until the women return permanently with their children, I shan't be able to confirm anything.

The appearance of all of them at the Harvest Goddess Festival was a surprise, however, and it is characteristic of the creators of Harvest Moon to have entered that detail into the game, changing the dialogue of all the individuals involved to suit the circumstances!

Incidentally, see my later post on the return of the Rival Couples for the solution to this mystery!

Allowing Denny and Lanna to Marry

I have been receiving emails from players who meet all the 'official' requirements for unlocking characters and yet still cannot persuade them to arrive on the island. Island of Happiness is a very interesting game... and I daresay it will be another six months before every hidden requirement is uncovered.

In most cases, players (including myself) have no trouble in unlocking a new character or option, thereby never knowing what they may have done that another player failed to do.

For example, a player shipped far more than 100 mayonnaise and yet Wayne has not appeared. This meant there was another requirement, one that other players, including myself, met without realising it. In fact, that requirement simply was that the 100 Mayonnaise had to have been made in the Mayonnaise Maker rather than being made in the Kitchen. I had assumed that players WOULD make their Ranch Products in the Maker, at least when they were making THAT quantity of product. I never should have made that assumption!

My own problem was the failure to trigger Denny's 4th Rival Event at the start of the 4th Year. It is supposed to occur at the Beach in decent weather between 1.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. on any day when the weather is fine. I had Lanna and Denny on the Island almost immediately in the first year. All other Rival Heart Events for this couple triggered instantly once I had married. It is only the 4th Rival Event for Denny and Lanna that gave me trouble.

I finally managed to trigger it on Wednesday at 1.00 p.m. near the end of Spring on a cloudy day. The only element that had changed from day to day apart from the weather was the amount of fishing I had done during the season. Having failed to trigger the event in the first week or two, I began to fish furiously. Could it be that there is a requirement in terms of the number or size of fish that you have caught or shipped in the current season? The event deals with a Large Fish and a 'record number' caught by Lanna...

I had shipped 1000 fish when I finally triggered Denny's 4th Rival Heart Event but I now believe it is a requirement in terms of catching a specific number of items in the current season...

Here is the text of the 4th Rival Event:

At 1.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 Spring, a cloudy day, I finally managed to experience Lanna and Denny’s 4th Rival Event. Lanna is on the beach in the morning on Wednesdays but leaves before 1.00 p.m.

A Fishing Challenge

Denny entered the beach area to find Lanna there at the shore's edge fishing.

Denny: (!) Hey, Lanna. How’s it going?

Lanna (with music): I’m great!
Yesterday, I caught a record number of fish!
It’s a shame you weren’t there to see it! I was simply amazing!

Denny: Wow! That must have been something!

Lanna (…): In fact, I think I’m the best fisher on the island now!

Denny: Hey, now. That’s a pretty bold claim! I still think I’m pretty good.

Lanna: Oh yeah? Well, I challenge you to a contest!

Lanna (with black cloud that continues to move above her head)

Denny: (…) Okay! Let’s go fishing together tomorrow. I can’t wait to see how you do!

Lanna now turns from the sea to face Denny.

Lanna (with music): Great!
I’m going to be awesome!
You won’t have a chance!

Denny (…)

He turns towards the sea now.

Denny: Hey, you better be careful.

Lanna (?) : Huh? What do you mean?

Denny turns to her.

Denny: Don’t get too cocky! I want a good contest!

Lanna: Don’t worry! You’re in for the fishing battle of your life!
Okay! I’ll see you tomorrow, Denny! This’ll be so fun!

She walks away from the beach.

Denny watches her leave.

Denny (…): … Can she really be that good already…?

End of Event

What changed for me between yesterday and today? Well, I fished after neglecting that activity for some time. On another day similar to this, when Lanna was on the beach in the morning, I could not trigger the Event.

Other players have had trouble triggering some of the other Rival Heart Events even when all ostensible requirements were met and it is possible that all Rival Heart Events are linked to a specific activity, whether farming, mining, fishing or cooking.

A shipping requirement has surfaced with respect to Elliot's Purple Heart Event, but it appears that the same requirement exists with respect to Natalie's Purple Heart Event. You need to have shipped at least 200 items in order to be able to trigger the Event. It is possible that 200 items need to have been shipped in the CURRENT season or that they need to have been placed in the Shipping Container outside Taro's house. These details still need to be confirmed. I will try to confirm it in my next game.