Cheating is Okay - Stardew Valley Hot Takes

[@augustzoldyck2309]

After you build the community center and Shane loses his job he should help Marnie out! He could stand at the counter while she stares at the microwave

[@MissRyukkie]

Or work for Pierre.

[@slwrabbits]

Maybe interacting with customers would give him too much anxiety. Marnie says he's helping out in other ways, so I'm happy if they're content with the arrangement.

[@leonardoishiviana3640]

He could become homeless buddies and start a second community center but just for the homeless

[@jamesdinius7769]

@@slwrabbits I'd agree with this, but it would be cool if he ran the store on one or both of Marnie's days off.

[@melaniescribbles]

@@MissRyukkieWholeheartedly agree with this; Such a missed opportunity. If you haven't fixed the Community Center yet, then you see Shane standing in the bottom right corner of Pierre's every week. So it would make sense if he helps out there after Joja Mart goes out of business. I'm fully new to the game (only just started my new save file) and haven't really built up ny hearts with him so I don't know much about him (wasn't going to marry him in my game). But clearly he's not fully on board with working for Joja; I can tell that he definitely hates that job, though.

[@moony647]

On my first play through when I finally got enough friendship with George for him to say, “Let me turn off this darned television and we can have a little chat. So what are the young people doing these days?” I legit teared up a bit

[@mattball8622]

My family were coal miners in my grandparents generation, and when George finally opened up to me about why he's in a wheelchair I was in bits. I will protect that cranky but caring old man with my life.

[@janeenschultz8502]

I absolutely love George. He's curmudgeonly and cranky because of a lifetime of pain and nobody caring about him besides his wife. Once you become friends, he's a teddy bear.

[@moony647]

@@BoojieD I play on switch, but your mod sounds awesome, maybe someday I’ll get a pc (I would love to play modded 😭)

[@BoojieD]

@@moony647 Whoops! You're totally right. It looks like I just moved the line from one spot in the file to the other; I didn't write that one. Yikes! I just accidentally committed a li'l bitta fraud!

[@Amsayy]

I fully believe George, Marlon and Grandpa traversed those mines together as a band of brothers 😭 I imagine George and Grandpa taking in a younger Marlon into the mines for the first time 😭

[@MedusaPurple]

My biggest hot take is Marnie has very generous store hours considering you are the only one that shops at her store front.

[@kathat7549]

She's only closed 2 days of the week that is a Normal Weekend Length and considering you are the *only person who buys animal things* it's completely fair for her to take a couple days off. I am So Tired of people complaining about her store hours lmao

[@mertensiam3384]

​@@kathat7549I mean from an in-universe perspective it makes sense, but for an gameplay perspective it's just annoying

[@delecti]

I think she'd get way less hate for that if she was open Monday. Any two days off would be fine, as long as one isn't Monday. I don't know what it is, but it seems like the day I randomly decide to get hay or another animal is Monday more often than it should be by chance.

[@Amoebatirith]

Right? It's only Monday and Tuesday that she is always closed. It's not Marnie's fault that the farmer didn't plan and keep track of their food for their animals. The other exceptions are two days out of the year for clinic visits for Jas and herself.

[@mertensiam3384]

@@Amoebatirith I think it would be fine if it was two days in a row or if it was a Saturday and a Sunday, but Monday and Thursday feel so random

[@planescaped]

My mother needs cheats that slow down and/or freeze time in order to play Stardew anymore ever since her stroke. She wouldn't be able to play the game without it.

[@SirenPandaSabo]

I hope she is ok ❤

[@MissRyukkie]

Maybe if there was a built in option for time to slow down like a potion or accessibility controls at the beginning. That would help your mom and others who might not have the ability to use mods.

[@planescaped]

@@SirenPandaSabo She recovered pretty well from her stroke, though it did definitely affect her reflexes and ability to think on her feet. Hence why she needs the time to be slowed. She can still play it, just takes her a lot longer to do things. Stardew was her favorite game, though she also loved FFX and Mount and Blade Warband believe it or not. I still can barely believe she used to play Warband all the time at age 70. Or that Khergits were here favorite, lol. She always told me how much she regretted thinking she couldn't play games her whole life, and not starting until her late 60's.

[@GeekyMina]

I hope your mother has recovered well from the stroke. Wylde Flowers has the trick to change day length, she could try that if the fancies, it's very chill on long days mode and quite enjoyable ❤

[@Ned47628]

That's an interesting point. My 6 year loves Stardew but can't manage it on his own. In the past he's played Don't Starve which has much more customisation so you can make it easier.

[@RecklessInternetting]

I'm going to back up that George comment. My grandfather was named George, was bald, and was a coal miner who had an accident which affected his legs (he wasn't wheelchair bound though). I imagined George talking in a thick Greek accent because the similarities was so similar that I might as well go full tilt. I miss you, Papou.

[@ChaosandKirby]

That’s so cute. :,)

[@trulynotsimon]

My condolences but that's so damn wholesome, I love this community💚

[@selensewar]

Sebastian moving to Zuzu city might be an event the outcome of which depends on the player. Imagine if at 8 stars he's like "my friend, i'm finally done, but i have doubts now. Since you came, i started to see the valley in a different way. Should i really go?" And then you can tell him to either pursue his original plan or stay for now. Jas and Vincent just turning into teens would've been great as a show of passage of time.

[@brickbot2.038]

Would be awesome if he sends you letters. Then maybe you can mail something to him to get him to come back.

[@md-vq8sp]

@@brickbot2.038 like I've seen in another comment is that sebastian might come back for big events or to visit his family where you could then ask him to come back/ marry you. Him disappearing completely would be unrealistic

[@MarkBonneaux]

Jas and Vincent grow up to teens Evelyn and George pass away eventually, possibly even Linus? Unmarried bachelors and bachelorettes may start dating and marry Shops passing to the next gen Maybe even a couple of new people moving into town to like the Hat Mouse's house? Not anything fast, but like over 10-15 years in-game. Something to show the world doesn't stop once you min/max the money making of your farm

[@mabel1487]

Maybe someone else getting sick and having to be checked out at the hospital or staying there for 2-3 days. Of course, no deaths

[@Porkey_Minch]

All these ideas suggested would make me not want to play more than a couple of years and would ruin the game for me.

[@cass6020]

I never get tired of the Pam/Leah dialogue from year 1 to year 2 of the egg fest "Hehe.. I put something nice into the punch" "Mmmm...This fruit punch tastes unusually good!" to [comment about eggs instead] "Hmm...the punch isn't as good as last year. It's missing something!"

[@nephew_alan]

lol

[@Hyperlophus]

Magic realism is a style that’s existed for a long time, in art and in literature. One of it’s defining characteristics is that fantasy elements are treated as commonplace with little to no explanation or recognition as abnormal. Miyazaki’s work has elements of this and a bunch of Ghibli movie Easter eggs are included in the game. It’s a style I’ve liked ever since reading a bunch of Latin American literature in school.

[@salmence100]

Yes! It's very much like that too! I'd bet that's also a direct inspiration due to how many Ghibli references there are

[@Rikrobat]

I love Magical Realism as a genre, though I like when stories interact with their fantasy elements as being part of everyday life. The villagers of Pelican Town don’t need to treat the fantasy elements as “abnormal,” but I would like them to talk about them a little more often. If it’s part of everyday life, then where is the “mundane talk” about hearing a witch cackle across the valley a few nights ago or there being more noise in the mines since the farmer moved to town or why an adventurer’s guild is needed if some villagers “don’t think monsters are real”? Make it more every day rather than just on the periphery with the farmer. 😊

[@thewinglessowl]

i think that might be what inspired sdv's magical modern world! there's a rarecrow that looks exactly like the scarecrow from howl's moving castle as an easter egg (i fink)

[@julianbello8376]

Amo el realismo mágico

[@tarniabook3076]

@@julianbello8376 El comentario en español que no sabía que necesitaba.

[@fable23]

How about we kill two slimes with one stone; have an end game quest where the player character can replace Lewis as mayor, after which, Lewis can start dating Marnie for real? I mean, the player character basically becomes the entire economy of Pelican Town by the end of the game anyway, so mayor is honestly the next logical step. Lewis could be upset at first, but get over it when he realizes a lot of responsibilities are no longer his, and he is free to pursue Marnie to his heart's content. It could even have a few extra tasks for the player, to give them just a little more to do outside of their increasingly automated and industrialized farm.

[@jessicadragonare7993]

This. I love this.

[@dbrx758]

@@jessicadragonare7993 Dude this does sound pretty good

[@WitchyGeek]

If ConcernedApe doesn't add this, could someone please make it a mod? 🥺 I'd download the heck out of that in a heartbeat!

[@AlexiSonic]

If this game ever needed an ending, that would be a great one. Which would kill 3 slimes with one stone (solving the issue of the game feeling like it stagnates past a certain point).

[@alanafreaky]

this is actually a sick idea for vanilla, or a mod. could totally change the landscape of the game depending on what choices we make for pelican town etc

[@bryanstrahm9961]

Anyone who seriously gets mad about other people cheating in a non-competitive SINGLE PLAYER GAME feels a lot like "NO, STOP HAVING FUN, YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO ENJOY WHAT I ENJOY".

[@ValiantChicken]

YEP! I’ll every so often do a save with no cheats just to remind myself I could do it without them, but the whole point of games is to HAVE FUN.

[@henryhunter9643]

You want to cheat infinite money and give yourself loads of items to decorate your town? Cool, go ahead. You want to cheat and claim how you're a pro gamer because you got to floor 300 of Skull Cavern while using time freeze and infinite health cheats? No, screw off with that.

[@eviehazel-o8k]

@@henryhunter9643 at that point you don't have an issue with people cheating though, just an issue with people lying.

[@Zombina638]

And? Why are u cheating in the first place. I will always bash ppl like u in those games

[@Zombina638]

@@ValiantChickenno😊

[@elizabethshaw7472]

Honestly I wouldn't mind vanilla having a setting in the startup menu that lets you decided if you want characters to age up/move out, kinda like the setting that lets you start your farm with or without monsters.

[@Estarile]

I'd like to see a range. Because I'd love for Jas/Vincent (and my kids actually) to grow up a bit, but I don't want anyone to die or move away.

[@adrs1380]

Sounds like a good idea. I'd like that.

[@faimynth6030]

While I think this is a fun idea I feel like the bigger reason of why characters don't age and such is just How much that would be on the technical side

[@elizabethshaw7472]

@@faimynth6030 Good point

[@escritora84]

I would love for Abigal to retire from the egg hunt after Year 2 or 3, or have a year where either Jas or Vincent win, just to see her reaction lol

[@theoncomingdork1]

"Penny's a good spouse her 14 heart event is great" "Believe it or not, JAIL" i snorted

[@newcamomile]

Her 10-heart event is surprisingly steamy! Girl is a secret freak.

[@soaperon1]

@@newcamomilemost sheltered “good girls” tend to be lol

[@victiniboi1015]

I hate jail :( but glad i made you laugh

[@TheRationalPi]

I love when Salmence just comes out of left field with these deadpan deliveries. Great every time.

[@kathrynm5891]

@@victiniboi1015 Can't believe you got sent to jail just for being right! It was very funny though.

[@getspaded]

something i was super disappointed by after my first time competing the community center was learning that it doesnt get used even after you complete it. it just sits there completely empty and not actually being a community center, just a building thats supposed to be ine

[@PiedmontPerkYT]

++

[@PinkGlassesGaming]

Yeah would be nice if like the yoga class moved there instead of pierres, things like that

[@getspaded]

@@PinkGlassesGaming thats actually such a cool idea, i love that! i was thinking one of the rooms could be repurposed into an actual school space for jas and vincent as well

[@the_rabidsquirel]

Hey now, it's not completely unused. Lewis goes in to stare at the vault and Clint goes in to stare at the boiler. Can't get much more social than that.

[@PinkGlassesGaming]

@@getspaded That would require penny actually doing something useful for once....

[@Risuna]

I appreciate that you pointed out that most people's "hot takes" are lukewarm at best. I'm getting increasingly tired of "controversial takes" that are actually very cautiously tailored popular opinions rewritten to appear controversial while being widely accepted.

[@Mari_Izu]

"Hot take:" *proceeds to tell the most popular takes*

[@jessicalindly2118]

Instead of an arc where we convince Marnie to dump Lewis it would be nice to have a cut scene where we can tell Lewis he’s kinda being a ding dong and should treat her better. Then they can go public.

[@Anticlockwise1206]

Actually, I would love to see Sebastian move out of town tho, just so we can feel that the town doesn’t stop in time after Year 1. However, maybe not making it like… a permanent thing? Like, maybe you see him less in town, but he would still come back every now and then to hang out with Sam and Abigail, visit Robin, attend festivals, or seeing Harvey! And once you marry him, he moves back, that would be super cool.

[@PrincessOfTheEnd]

Maybe if it were a friendship based thing, so it only happens if you've maxed out his friendship (and aren't dating him)? That way no chance of it causing problems with that.

[@ShiningStarlight101]

I would love it if time moving was a mode you could access, and maybe you can use the witches hut to turn back time? so if you miss out, you can reset to a certain date and stop events from happening

[@Rikrobat]

My headcanon is that there is a certain reason he sticks around in the valley, even though he talks about hating it there. 😏

[@sleepyzzz1638]

Maybe you could use the bus to visit him, It would be cool to have some town things to do too Maybe there could be some stores where you could buy and sell things Even a market where you could be the suplyer of some things

[@TheEmeraldWeirdo]

I'm actually brainstorming a hypothetical Stardew-inspired game, and one of the ideas I came up with is having a villager or two who, once you get their friendship high enough, occasionally leaves town for a bit to pursue a hobby or passion.

[@stillparking]

"Even if God doesn't forgive you, I do" was lowkey funny af

[@Noclue-yz9ls]

The Wizard and Mr Qi are SO underutilised in terms of worldbuilding, they're such interesting characters and we never really get to see that, same goes for The Dwarf and Krobus to a lesser extent.

[@goddeath6425]

Emily the most so imo. She's just like the Farmer in that she's also a bridge between the magical and the mundane. Also, very weird how she never interacts with Leo once.

[@thegodofpigeons]

i think that's because making her explicitly magical would ruin the mystery of who the wizard's child is because it wouldn't really make sense for it to be anyone else but her if that was the case, and right now you can argue that she is magical or you can argue that she's just high 😭

[@silentpartner9957]

The case with Alex is so interesting to me, because I (male) remember telling some of my female friends I was planning on marrying Alex in one of my playthroughs and they were like, ew, Alex? Why him? And I was surprised by that response at first, but learning how differently he treats the farmer based on whether you’re a male or female farmer means some people are going to have a drastically different impression of him than others, which I find so interesting. I also agree that both outcomes feel pretty realistic for his character which makes him more compelling, though I also see why it can lead people to thinking he’s significantly better as a male farmer than a female farmer lol

[@ValeriaPaper]

To be honest, as a female, i never really thought that his gender specific dialogues towards female farmers are THAT bad. At worst i was just mildly weirded out by the "bikini" dialogue and that's it.

[@ชัยชนะใส่เสี้ยว]

I play on both genders and after read his dialogs a lot. I can tell that Alex is suck on impressed the girl's heart ( think only Haley who stick with him all the time. ) , that's why he deserved to get a boyfriend instead. XD also as male protagonist on Alex's 10 hearts event. he do confess that he "fell in love on the first sight" but he try to be a jerk in the first bc he just can't accept that he like a dude. ( in my opinion it's kinda cheap classic bl plots but it's ok. )

[@James2210]

I like penny because it feels like she's the only one that you're not taking away from her life by marrying her and having her move into the farm. There's only one bedroom in the RV and as far as I can tell, Pam just sleeps on the couch (haven't unlocked house upgrade yet). She still makes trips to the library and teaches Jas and Vincent like she usually does. I was looking into NPC schedules a while back and it surprised me just how gutted some of them can be after you're married.

[@robertskitch]

I do wish that bug with Penny's married schedule would get fixed though. The one where she walks the Jas and Vincent home even when it's raining and they're not there.

[@jasminmorley]

I married Harvey (this is my first time playing) and I was surprised to learn that other characters get so gutted. He goes into the clinic on tues and thurs and the rest of the time he pursues his hobbies and interests. It feels realistic to me, he’s an older man and he’s married to a wealthy farmer so he invests more time into himself! He’s also a really sweet husband but that’s besides the point (and he looks exactly like my SO lol)

[@aruvius]

no kidding lol. I regret marrying Shane cause now all he does is stand inside the house. I miss seeing him go to work.

[@arcticbanana66]

I always felt like Haley and Shane benefit the most from your friendship (Haley becomes a total sweetheart instead of a petty self-centered b!tch, and Shane gets help with his depression and alcoholism), while Penny and Alex benefit the most from marriage (Penny gets out of that living situation, and Alex's goal of being a professional athlete is, while not _impossible,_ extremely improbable at this point of his life). Everyone else seems to be doing fine as it is.

[@Luke-l7i]

​@@aruvius Shane works? Where?

[@mackenzie3009]

People tend to make fun of mods like skull cavern elevator, skip fishing minigame, tractor mod etc for “ruining” the point of the game, but I’d argue that they function as accessibility features for many people (as well as able people who just want to vibe and play the silly cute little farming game)

[@bluehawk7]

Imma be honest. I don't like grinding staircases for skull cavern and I also don't like having to place each ladder down one by one so I got that elevator mod and its been so much more fun since.

[@v.crowley]

I HATE fishing with a passion..

[@Rikrobat]

People who make the “ruining the point” argument are clearly misguided. What is the “point” of a game? Presumably it’s an entertainment thing intended for the player to HAVE FUN. If players are still having fun while playing with mods, then what is the problem? I cheat by having the Wkik open so that I don’t have to chronicle every loved gift and schedule detail on my own. I have fun by planning out my Stardew day on what I can do before and after interacting with certain characters. I don’t see how forcing myself to discover and chronicle all of the information on every playthrough enhances the experience or makes me engage in “the point of the game.”

[@v.crowley]

@@Rikrobat there is a story to it; the learning how to manage everything.. I get "ruining" by ignoring the effort devs put into the game and missing out on things if they cheat their first play through.... But that's ruining the gamer's experience by choice... So it's whatever to them... Waste money on a game you're just gunna bs through

[@v.crowley]

@@Rikrobat I said nothing of the sort... Try actually reading comments and not attacking people out of self-righteous entitlement... I said I UNDERSTAND why people are like that...

[@madmaster0015]

I think Dwarf doesn't get enough love. Krobus is a shadow person. You can live with Krobus and bond with them. Krobus gets all the attention. Meanwhile Dwarf is a dwarf. Not even given a name. We know of their history and some artifacts, but the character is limited.

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

I feel like it would be a lot more fun if the Community Centre was actually used by all the townspeople after you complete it. That would be all the 'reward' I'd need. Lots of people seem to think the same, so I'm hoping that something like that might be added, either in the upcoming 1.6 update, or in the distant future. I'd add more to the festivals, and make the potential items you can get at the Feast of the Winter Star all have some kind of special meaning for each character, instead of just random items mixed in with the elusive Tea Set.

[@plantszaza9002]

All? Nah, I don't want another Ginger Island incident where Pam is not working because she is relaxing at the resort.

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

@@plantszaza9002 I was thinking more along the lines of specific days, or once or a month, rather than just 'everyone hangs out at the Community Centre all the time'.

[@WitchyGeek]

​@@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146would make gifting easy, though 😂

[@trashmammal111]

@@plantszaza9002you can turn off townspeople visiting ginger island to prevent things like pam & gus being MIA to go to the island. after i build the resort i immediately shut it off because i hate not being able to do things like travel to the desert or stock up on coffees because they took off to ginger island.

[@MahoganyDesk]

The Stardew Expanded mod does this very well. After you complete the community center, they have Community Day, where they all hang out in the community center once a month. I think some people don't spend all day there, so you can still get some shopping done but it's been a minute since I've played the mod. It's so nice to see everyone using the spaces and talking with each other.

[@nattapakniranittikul]

I never notice this but when you walk in the back of krobus in this video, you can see your character part through krobus mouth and eyes. So that's mean krobus literally didn't have eyeball and both his eyes and mouth is just hollowed out.

[@CAlonghair]

this is true of all the shadow people

[@mertensiam3384]

Yeah but when he looks away from the camera, there's no holes in his back. Idk how that works

[@rambam791]

It might be surprising, but it's this thing called ''video game logic'' xD@@mertensiam3384

[@slwrabbits]

magic, clearly

[@mertensiam3384]

@@idlegameplayer3756 that's not really how perspective works It's probably just to make it clear he's facing away anyway

[@benjaminklos9637]

I like going to the SDV Fair every year to flex on the other grange displays

[@slwrabbits]

I discovered that I can flex my rabbit products - three cloth, three iridium rabbit feet, and three iridium wool - and still win handily. It was hilarious.

[@the_rabidsquirel]

It would be nice if Marnie or Willy could win, but since that's not an option I definitely go just to spite Pierre.

[@aeongies]

same here + i like seeing how many more points i can get compared to the year before

[@danielthompson392]

​@@the_rabidsquirelagreed. If Pierre is gonna showcase MY produce as his? Boy you FUCKED UP if you thinking I sell you my quality products

[@ringss_]

I plan to show up with my 9 iridium chubs again and get first prize

[@_tyler32]

Personally, i really enjoy playing sdv slowly and like. not rushing things so if i had to like hurry to marry sebastian i wouldve not liked the game nearly as much. a huge reason why i love the game so much is that i can take my own time with things. i can technically play for 20 in game years and feel like i still have time to do everything BECAUSE its so calm and still, so having everyone grow up and stuff would be very damaging to that experience. Imagine like Evelyn dying if you play the game for too long that would be fucking heartbreaking 😭😭

[@tundra4331]

fr, having everyone move out before you even done the community centre (going onto year 4 and i still haven't finished that shit) would suck balls. there has to be a balance and making everyone you like just leave would reduce the title of cozy game by how much your rushing to "trap" characters back into the town

[@RykerJones28]

Yeah I'm a sloooow player. I never aim to finish the community centre in Y1 (I've done it once by pure luck) and I barely focus on relationship building until Y2. To me this feels realistic that a new farmer would take a year to really gain enough farming experience to be able to focus their energy on socialising and finding love. It can take me a whole year just to reach the bottom of the mines. Some days I'll literally do nothing but water crops and other days ill be running around gifting, fulfilling requests and getting a whole lotta stuff done. The thing that keeps me coming back to SDV is that there is no right or wrong way to play.

[@charlierogers5403]

Maybe not for the vanilla game, but instead of marriage candidates moving away after however many in game years, maybe they could marry each, like Leah and Elliot or Abbey and Sebastian or even Penny and Maru or something. Maybe they could even have kids so it doesn't feel like the world revolves around the player and only they can marry and have kids. But definitely agree on keeping a hard line of Jas and Vincent (and Leo) aging only to teenagers (and not be romanceable! that would be too much!)

[@trashmammal111]

i just started playing with a mod that pairs all of them up and can choose to have them start dating and then get married. all the main pairs (seb/abigail leah/elliot penny/sam hayley/alex even some lesbian variations with leah/hayley iirc can't remember but i know it's leah and another woman as well as letting marnie & lewis get together. you can configure which couples you want to actually get together so you can leave any that you wanna date/marry for yourself and it's been really cool and interesting to see them all have different dialogue, cut scenes, and change their schedules. honestly the mod creator added a TON of realistic and interesting scenes/storylines into my gameplay and i haven't even gotten to see them married yet (since you get their cutscenes and their relationship advances as you get the same amount of heart with each respectively) and it's just given me actual reason to wanna pursue full hearts with all the bachelor/ettes aside from perfection. ❤❤❤

[@obyn6751]

​@@trashmammal111 Do you have the name of the mod? That sounds really cool!

[@trashmammal111]

@@obyn6751i can't remember off the top of my head cause i have like over 100 mods on my game now 😂😂 but before i play tomorrow i will go through my nexus download history and let you know 😊

[@charlierogers5403]

@@trashmammal111 now I wish the switch version could have mods! That sounds so good, just adds so much to make the valley seem like an actual place!

[@trashmammal111]

@@charlierogers5403the first two years i only had it on switch, after multiple perfection runs, including a multiplayer one with my fiancé i was so bored of the game but love it so much!! buying it for the pc & adding mods was the only way i could still play my favorite game without it feeling stale. 😢❤ if you ever have the option to get it on pc i would *highly* recommend it, but forewarning: once you play with mods, even just quality of life ones, there is no going back 😂😝

[@Dasgewt1]

On the community center rewards: You can't count the movie theatre, Ginger Island, or the Wizard's ink quest as rewards for it, because those also happen when you do the Joja Route. On Time moving on in the valley: I think it would be interesting to have a system like Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. You have 7 in game years where things progress, your kids grow up, people change, and after the "ending" you can play forever in a time locked city. That gives plenty of time for a playthrough to feel like it's not stagnant, while letting a slower player unlock everything with no time limits. That said, it definitely would be better as a mod, rather than a base game thing.

[@kashino55archive94]

I mean, yes and no regarding the Community Centre I suppose the CC-exclusive rewards aren't plentiful, but I'm not sure they need to be? A lot of the fun of the Community Centre is completing it rather than just buying everything, and I'm not sure if it would be great if one route was objectively better to complete, rather than simply being more emotionally satisfying. But, as with most things, I suppose it's just a matter of opinion.

[@Dasgewt1]

@kashino55archive94 I wasn't making a judgment on the rewards being worth it, just that you can't argue that those rewards weren't really countable because you could get them from Joja. Personally, I think the reward is fine. It seems like most people do Community Center, and Joja is ahead of it as an objectively better route. It's less expensive, faster, and offers 2 tangible unique rewards, one of which is kind of meh, (Cola dispenser) and the other is easy access to auto-petters, which only come from treasure floors in the caverns otherwise.

[@cass6020]

Instead of removing/changing existing characters to show time passing, which can feel like a punishment, the game could add characters in subsequent years. Like Kent returning home, the added egg fest dialogue or the trash bear, you could be rewarded for continuing to play. You can account for the way the houses don't have empty space now by having Robin build an upstairs or add-on to houses to add space for townfolks's family, or build a new house (maybe near Marnie and Leah?) (I would say that someone could move into the place a bachelor vacates, but that doesn't feel right) I love the ideas about Sebastian moving out and continuing to visit and stuff like that, but it makes more sense as opt-in content like a dlc or mod.

[@WitchyGeek]

Given that almost every marriageable character lives in other people's homes except Leah and Elliot, it would be kind of weird to have other people move in instead. I could see Haley getting a new roommate (who else would clean everywhere else apart from under the cushions if Emily moves out?! 😯) or Emily because it gets too quiet and she has an entire house just to herself, and either getting someone new in Leah's or Elliot's cottage or being able to do something fun with them would be really cool. But Abigail's room is one of the only private spaces in a house that the whole town has access to because of the shrine, Sam's is the biggest room in a house that still has three people after he leaves, Penny lives in her trailer with her mom etc., so in those cases it would seem kinda strange. Although, I guess I could see Jodi renting out Sam's room for extra cash. She mentions shopping at Joja because it's cheaper even though she doesn't think it's the best for her family and with his heavy PTSD Kent doesn't seem to be able to add much to the family finances (or general running of the family and doing chores), instead basically just being another mouth to feed. I guess the main problem with utilising previous abodes of one's spouses is just that - the possibility of divorce and marrying someone else. What happens to the new person living there if they come back because you divorced them? Or, conversely, what happens to your now former spouse if someone else is now living in their old home? Totally could be done, but it would be a lot of work to implement, I expect.

[@cass6020]

@@WitchyGeek for sure. I think that idea is theoretically fun, but way too messy with the divorce option. It would still be cool to see ways to reward extended play with more residents or cutscenes, or even the really little things like changing dialogue some years at festivals.

[@otheraccount5193]

Honestly, I think a toggle for cycles of characters marrying/moving out/moving in/growing up could be an added function to the Golden Clock. It's helpful as is, but not really worth all 10 mil unless it's for bragging rights. It could also be a way to add post-game content through new characters moving in. I'm not sure how well this would work out in practice, but it's a cool thought to have

[@cass6020]

@@otheraccount5193 I think that's a really fun way to play that concept! I'm working towards perfection on a file now mostly for the sake of it and it would be awesome to know there's more pay off to the clock

[@AeonKnigh432]

My hottest take is that Harvey is good. Like. Most of the people who say he's boring haven't ever done his heart events, and they usually prefer the people who are actively rude to you

[@lilly_koii]

theres no huge drama with Harvey, that's why he seems more boring to some. i love seeing him try and push past his fears, it reminds me of how i got the courage recently to become a nurse. but also for real!! it's nice that haley, alex, and shane get character development but why do people only notice/value a mean to nice change? like i understand we all have our flaws but if someone in real life said "ew" or "what? i have better things to do" to me when i said hello, i would absolutely not have any interest in speaking to them again.

[@KyzylReap]

As a ham radio operator I connected with Harvey once I got a look at his house!

[@YanzerTheRagdoll]

I love harvey so much ;w; and he's kinda one of the few who actually wants to stay to be the town doctor. I just wanna learn radio lingo from him and paint his model planes as like a minigame or something x)

[@GamextraMC]

He doesn't heal you for free or discounted if you marry him. Disappointment-

[@EspeonMistress00]

May be if he shaved his mustache and lost his bulky coat

[@Amy_Huntley]

I honestly don't see mods as cheating, especially since CA even said he wanted to make it easier to mod the game. He's seriously one of the best game devs. And I would love to hear more hot takes on the game. This was fun. Also, congratulations on 200k!!!

[@Jaybug58]

On the topic of “marriage candidates should move away” I think it would be really cool to (after your marriage) have them be able to marry each other.

[@brickbot2.038]

I wouldn't mind the villagers "growing" a bit, but I think it should be based on your relationship with the villagers, rather than the passing of time. That way, you as the player, are still in control without having to feel rushed, and it would give an excuse to continue talking with and gifting villagers after you've reached 10 hearts with them. "Character Development" could be some sort of hidden relationship stat.

[@TotalNoobAtEverythin]

YESSSSI love George! He was actually one of the first non-datable villagers that I befriended! Entirely on accident, mind you, but his attitude becoming warmer as our hearts got higher made me smile He is so underrated. He’s not a mean person, he’s just grumpy and a little cynical and can you blame him? He’s old and disabled, life is not easy, and he doesn’t seem to have much in his life to entertain him like a hobby, like Evelyn with her gardening and baking. Once you’re friends and he starts calling you kid, and saying you’re doing a good job with the farm AH he makes me want to cry 😭

[@slwrabbits]

I think I lowkey fear becoming George one day.

[@nicaaizawa4171]

Hot take but I wish there was more to Maru's heart events other than just her building a robot or Demeterius getting over his over protective attitude.

[@Great_Olaf5]

9:54 I would tie it to some kind of progression rather than time. Like how harvest moon has "canon" pairings that get married as your befriend them unless you specifically pursue one of them enough to beat your competitor out (at least Tree of Tranquility had this, not that it ever came up for me given my apparently bad habit of so heavily prioritizing the person I'm trying to romance that I forget that rivals even exist most of the time). Maybe characters can move out, but it's more related to screwing up a relationship than time passing. It does risk the game world feeling too player centric, but I'd say that's a risk worth taking.

[@belseygell9258]

the fall fair IS worth going to every year. if only to decimate pierre in that crate-of-goodies competition thing. worth it every time to me. pierre: i can't believe i lost! me: sucks to suck.

[@playingwhitstationery]

I get the sentiment of no longer wanting to attend events after the 1st time, especially the Egg Festival. It also took me 7 in-game years to beat Abigail at the egg hunt, and that was the only motivation I had to go. 😭

[@EelsTyrant]

I just pretend I know what I’m doing, and it somehow works every time lol, even though I try to take a different path each egg festival

[@playingwhitstationery]

@@defaultio3354 Yeah, it took a lot longer than it probably should have. 😭🤣

[@SilverDragonMoon18]

My hot take is that taste is subjective, so no bachelors or bachelorettes are objectively “the best.” That’s why there’s multiple to choose from

[@someguywithatophat7599]

except penny ofc (/s)

[@victiniboi1015]

@@someguywithatophat7599 i got put in jail for that opinion 11:13

[@someguywithatophat7599]

@@victiniboi1015 oi, you havent served your full scentence, get back in there

[@victiniboi1015]

@@someguywithatophat7599 its been 2 months! How long do i have

[@someguywithatophat7599]

@@victiniboi1015 life

[@Chalo122790]

So the passing time could be an option. Just like the remix or complete year 1. And would not mean all would move out but During year say 3 or 4, the default bachelors start getting married and no longer available, also could make Leo also become a teen.

[@SinNombreYQueWea]

I like this video but.. "Wouldn't it have been nice for Pierre's prices just went down 10% because now he doesn't have a competitor"? huh? A competitor would be a reason to lower prices, not a reason to hike them up

[@helloofthebeach]

I think the idea is that he'd be able to more effectively operate in bulk, as he's also now getting the business JojaMart used to get. If he's buying twice as many seeds from his suppliers, he can get a discount, which he can (partially) pass on to customers. More realistically, I think Pierre would leave his prices unchanged and keep the difference as profit, and nobody would notice or care.

[@gelbert12]

The community center take keeps being the most real, because the after content you can also access it by the Joja Route, so the only difference is you can go the Joja way and only complete the community bundles that you are interested in...

[@anaclaramoraes4639]

What bothers me the most is that a lot of players have zero tolerance to the traits that make the characters seem so real. This only reinforces the idea that people need to be perfect in order to be worth it when perfection doesn’t even exist. Also, please stop with the “you can’t fix Shane”. Of course we can’t fix him, he doesn’t even need to be fixed to begin with. People with mental health problems want to be loved and accepted just as much as everyone else.

[@SamiiSam128]

Fair point I only tell people "you cant fix shane" when they claim they can fix him. Like its a toxic mindset thinking u can fix someone and be their savior. Now, if you just like shane for his character and genuinely want to embrace their flaws, then yeah for sure, no judgement from me.

[@MononymousM]

louder for the people in the back. Relationships are not projects!

[@ludairewah5937]

I think the complaints about the community center reward and lack of rewards for festivals is putting too much emphasis on mechanical rewards for things. I think both are cases where you're invited to enjoy the game for its intrinsic joy. Gathering all the various items for the community center is a fun and interesting challenge intrinsically, and the festivals add some extra fluff that can break up potential monotony with some beautiful moments. I think both are cases that invite you to enjoy the game for the play itself rather than enjoying it for the reward it offers and invites you to slow down and stop to smell the roses. My favorite festival is the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies because it's this little pause to watch something beautiful with the rest of the community and take a deep, relaxing sigh before jumping into the always super busy first of fall. The fact that time freezes is great, meaning I can take my time to enjoy the quiet atmosphere, the little tidbits of conversation, and the beautiful music that concludes the whole thing. The whole thing ends up being both relaxing and invigorating, making the next day of rushing around to get fall crops going more enjoyable. I think this interpretation fits really well within the themes of the game, and it's a way those themes come through the mechanics. I think adding more extrinsic rewards reduces this beauty, and it makes the festivals into more of a checklist item.

[@Rikrobat]

While I agree with enjoying the aesthetic reward versus mechanical ones, I’d argue that I don’t get as much intrinsic joy from completing the community centre as you’re suggesting there is. I think it’s because the villagers don’t really remark on it being fixed. Some hang out there, but there isn’t a lot of dialogue about it or seeing how the characters are interacting with this revived town landmark. Why does Clint enjoy hanging there on Fridays? Who uses the pantry and kitchen in there and for what purpose? Do they hold little town activities there, like bingo, or festival meetings? Having more acknowledgement of the achievement would feel more fulfilling, I think. Also, the Moonlight Jelly festival is the best one, yes!

[@Mari_Izu]

I roleplay while playing, so I don't care about the reward of going to a festival, but the experience of going to a festival like these as a person xD My town also has some festivals where people just go to talk, eat and drink something, then leave xD

[@asiaspyro]

i feel like with the festival hot take, it's more that you dont have an incentive to spend time and talk to people. it's more like run in, buy your strawberry seeds and get out. or throw your item into the soup, skip the dialogue, and get out cause it's all the same

[@asiaspyro]

the might market you actually have a lot of things to do like fishing and seeing what all the shops are offering. plus it doesnt start at 8am and then skip you to 10pm for being there for 2 seconds and waste a whole day

[@princessdaisy9511]

The funny thing about the fantasy-esque setting to me is the dialogue that doesn't change around characters not believing in it. Specifically, Shane talks about believing in science, and I'm like, my guy, you're married to me. We have junimos working on the farm. What are you talking about?

[@TheEmeraldWeirdo]

Yeah, it always annoys me when characters refuse to believe in the supernatural when it's LITERALLY RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM.

[@goddeath6425]

Why Emily is the only person I marry. She's the only one who actually acknowledges all the fantasy stuff. Plus, she knows how to do magic just like the player as well.

[@BubblrCat]

I think Marine and Lewis' relationship should be made public once you get to 4-6 hearts with each of them. And once you get to 10 hearts with each of them they should get married. The only cuts scene of their relationship is the 6 heart one and I think CA could have expanded on that.

[@Amy_Dunn]

It's so funny that this video from 2mo ago popped in my feed after I started playing on PC for the first time (after playing for about a year on switch) and was finally able to try some little "cheats" (just the item code in the names) I did the animals first, then today I was finally able to change my characters name to a couple item codes and was startled when a little chat popped up with 2 messages. The first said "Concerned ape: is mad you're are cheating!" Then the next one said "Concernedape: I'm not really mad, have fun!"

[@Cheez-It92]

I am honestly pretty dissatisfied by Pierre choosing to work more once you finish the Community Center. I wish instead that he would have hired the guys that worked at Joja to watch the store while he spent weekends with his wife and daughter, letting them become a more functional and close family. And on top of that, due to the increase in business and extra help, he could then lower his prices and expand his stock. That way the expanded stock is a reward from the CC rather than a Qi reward. And on top of that, the extra money would help them afford better things and we could see the holes disappear in their clothes for their portraits. And once Joja is gone, there would be more opportunities for personal businesses. Would love to see other people in the Valley open up small businesses of their own that gave you access to some hard items easier in the late game. We would get to see the Valley grow organically without Jojas shadow. And none of that would happen if you go the Joja route. My Dad told me that small towns fought to keep WalMarts from moving in because they kill local business and stop growth in small areas. Joja surely did the same.

[@ratspew932]

It happened in my country too over the last I think 10-15 years. I'm from a big city, but when I was a kid (00s) we had a lot of small local shops, but most of them ended up closing bc of bigger chains. It always made me sad because of nostalgia and how local shops always had more interesting and unique stock you can't find anywhere else. So more local shops opening would be amazing! Like if Emily opened a small clothing shop or Caroline having her own tea stand or something.

[@Great_Olaf5]

4:40 Uh... I don't how a lack of competition works. With Joja there, Pierre probably kept his prices as low as he could manage in a desperate attempt to compete with theirs. Realistically his prices would actually _increase_ slightly or stay the same. If you wanted a positive consequence, his slightly increased absolute profit (as opposed to relative profit) could mean he could afford to stay stocking some new things that Joja had previously been the only supplier for. Note, I'm talking purely in terms of lore, not gameplay, I'm not sure if Joja actually supplied anything he didn't aside from their corporate products.

[@takodachi1239]

not having an auto petter is a big lost for Pierre compare to Joja

[@Great_Olaf5]

@@takodachi1239 I consider getting an auto petter cheating. And I _actually_ cheat with no shame.

[@risktaker1300]

@@takodachi1239 you can still get the auto petter from the skull caverns loot actkualy 🤓

[@danielmallory4687]

I figure he could keep stock of last seasons crops cause he can buy excess now

[@Bloodglas]

I don't have an issue with characters not changing as the game goes on and is "just you learning about them" because that's pretty realistic. people irl don't really change their personality just from getting a new friend. not everyone needs to have a dramatic character arc. I think for the topic of having characters actually aging over time it'd work best as an all or nothing. having only some of the characters age up to adulthood and then just stop would be odd, unless the game is secretly about a vampire village where people only get turned after they pass childhood. the community centre reward being lackluster and festivals not being worth redoing aren't controversial opinions imo.

[@notacatjustahuman]

Here's my hot take: I like Pierre unironically. I exclusively shop with him not because it's anti Joja, but because he really is just trying to keep his shop running AND family fed in a town of less than 50 people! He buys your goods for a fair price and sells at a price that's reasonable for him. You know what? He's also charming in his own way. He does genuinely care for what could be his illegitimate daughter and tries hard for his family. An honest man just trying to make a living. Overhated for the meme. Also, he fully deserved that victory over Morris, I loved seeing his professional boxing come into play.

[@slwrabbits]

I don't have any beef with Pierre. I don't sell to him so I never get those bits of dialogue from the other villagers. And, yeah, he tried to upsell the quality produce and failed. He's allowed to make dumb mistakes. He also makes a really inspiring speech about reuniting the community if you choose to avoid violence. Sure, maybe not my favorite character, but let's face it, that's always going to be Krobus.

[@88porpoise]

I can kind of agree with the lack of Community Centre rewards one. Mostly because the new content opening isnt rewlly tied to the Community Centre. A lot of people doing one or two causaul playthroughs may not even realize it is because they compelted thr Community Centre and just think it is a coincidence they happened at the same time. My big thought is that the Community Centre itself should be the reward. Give it functionality. I shouldnt invest all that time and money into the Community Centre to immediately ignore it, it should become the centre of the community. Give me usable facilities, new ways to build relationahips, have smaller or informal events take place there, etc. For example, after you put rare fish in the fish tank, Willy will comment and you get a relationship boost. Have the kids go there an evening a month for games night where you can play with them. I am sure people a lot more creative than me can come up with better ideas. It is just absurd that the dilapidated Community Centre is the centre of the game. And the repaired Community Centre is nothing. The most disappointing thing, playing through the game, has been (by far) completing the community centre. The second most disappointing has been getting your pets happiness up has no impact.

[@TheLordTash]

Kitchen - Cooking classes for new recipes. People often leave an item in the fridge that can only be used in recipes. (for example, if someone leaves some eggs in the fridge, you can't take the eggs, but you can use them to cook an egg dish) There should also be random events where villagers cook something you sit down to eat with them. Pantry - Allow the player to put a request for a specific item. So like if you need 2 turnips for whatever reason and don't feel like spending a week growing them, you have a way to get them. The rarer the item, the less chance of actually getting it. Broiler Room - Trade junk items that you have millions of and can't do much with (pincones) for matches, which are functionally just charcoal that goes into a key item so it doesn't waste your inventory space and you don't have to worry about forgetting to grab it Aquarium - Make the fish the community pets that people take turns taking care of. Add unique dialog outside of the community center where villagers will talk about them by name. Make even a quest where you can be in charge of feeding/cleaning them for a week. Really, it LOOKS like it should be such a fun thing that opens a bunch of new features, but then it just doesn't do anything.

[@macazootie]

George's growth in his old age, when you'd assume someone would be very set in their ways, reminds me of my own grandfather when he turned 93 & he was in experiencing an 'epiphany' as he explained it & said that he'd had everything backwards & apologized to me for never treating me as well as his grandsons, which was just about the best moment I'd ever had with the man; sadly this was at the beginning of his decline & he was only with us for a few more years.

[@crowshroud]

Glad people seem to be coming around on cheats/help mods. Absolutely fine if someone doesn't want them! But I stopped playing for a long while because I felt guilty for not doing 100% legitimate normal playthroughs and losing steam on them pretty quickly, and only through adding some cheats did I finally go and start to enjoy the game without stressing. I could never fish all because my RSI (repetitive strain injury) meant the rapid clicking for the fish minigame hurt my arm. Now, I just have that part auto complete. Is it cheating? Am I denying myself a central core part of the game? Sure! But I'd rather not be in pain for the next day and a half because I play. And even without injuries, disabilities, or other stuff, who cares? Sometimes I just wanna spawn in some decorations to make my farm look nice.

[@Rikrobat]

That’s absolutely valid! People trying to gatekeep how to enjoy a game need to take a seat, no matter what side they’re coming from. I’ve had people get on my case for not playing with mods-they consider the vanilla game too boring. And it’s like, will you let me enjoy the game how I want? And same for you, just play however is most comfortable and allows for a relaxing experience! Anyone who gets on your case isn’t worth listening to. ❤

[@lazuliartz1296]

People seem to have this mindset that if you can't or don't want to play a game as was originally "intended," than you don't deserve to play the game. People seem to feel really personally attacked that someone gets to experience the "reward" of enjoying a game they bought for less "effort" than they did. It's honestly mind boggling to me. This comes up so often when discussing difficulty levels it accessibility options, and it's infuriating. Just let people who bought a product and aren't hurting anybody else's experience play the game how they want

[@Rikrobat]

@@lazuliartz1296 - This is especially the case when the creator is supportive of mods and actively works on his coding to make mods more accessible. It’s one thing to be a little “as the creator intended” if the creator wants players to play the game as produced-honour the creator’s wishes if that’s so important. But CA is all about the modding community and encourages players to play as they want. People who get snarly towards those who play with mods aren’t respecting the creator in this case.

[@xBrokenMirror2010x]

4:40 Pierre is a capitalist, if Joja goes out of busniess, his prices go up, not down, because he no longer has a competitor and you have to buy from him, he has a monopoly on selling seeds in the valley. A lot of his dialogue is about how he can't compete with Joja Prices so people chose his shop over Joja. Competitors are bad for businesses and good for consumers, the farmer is a consumer, arguably we don't benefit from Joja leaving, only Pierre does. I'd actually like to see more stuff that shows Joja being good for the valley. Stop blaming them for every fault, make Joja prices cheaper then Pierre's so we have a reason to want to shop there. I would actually love a 3rd Route where we act as a mediator between Joja and the Valley, and we can have the best of both worlds, we get both the community center, and Joja. They'd have to add a 3rd spot for the movie theater, but I think its doable, there are a few spaces that don't really have anything, like the route that goes from the farm to the mountain. 10:30 I think you're focusing too much on the part of the comment about Sebastian Moving to Zuzu. Having the children grow up, and adding a few more children would be BIG. You can place it deeper in the timeline, Year 4 or Year 6 perhaps, but he's right, the town feels frozen in time. Maybe to circumvent deadlines, the Wizard has something that allows you to rewind the time in the NPCs, unage the children, and make Sebastian move back, etc. Alternately, they could offically add Zuzu city, and Sebastian can move, and you can go to Zuzu City to visit him. But I also agree, hardline stop before killing characters, or removing them permenantly. Stardew is a fun happy game, I don't want to go to a Funeral, and I bet concerned ape wouldn't want to write the dialogue for one either. "You can cheat in a single player game" is also an ice cold take. The hot take (or should I say, Idiotic) is that cheating in a single player game where you don't effect anyone except yourself, is morally wrong to other people, somehow.

[@commonplant5920]

In terms of time passing, i agree with the idea that characters moving away, jas and vincent growing up etc would make a good mod but i DO think that it would be cool to have more villagers moving IN in the base game over time, similar to Kent

[@riverroad1083]

My personal gripe with finishing the community center is that there's basically no reason to enter it again from the moment you finish it. A few characters occasionally visit it (messing up their schedules) but you can't play any games in it, there's no events for it, you can't even use the kitchen and pantry you built! They could at least have added a mechanic to leave snacks in the pantry to slightly increase friendship with random villagers or to put more money in the safe to unlock some small improvements of minigames.

[@SuckleHoney]

On top of the elvish Jewelry and Elf Blade, there’s also the page in a lost book that brings up elves.

[@Silentgrace11]

This is probably a bit of a lukewarm take at best, but it hurts me a bit that it often feels like we’re marrying our favorite spouses to their detriment. This perhaps is just me lamenting in self bias because I grew up in a small town much like Pelican town, but it feels like these characters all have different prospects and joys and aspirations, and most of them just end up stuck standing in your house for the rest of their lives. The 14 heart cutscene inclusions made this feel a bit less hurtful, as some of them include them trying to redirect their interests in other ways (like Sam shifting to make music for cartoons) but I feel like in my pursuit for an arbitrary video game relationship I ultimately end up leaving NPCs worse off. And aside for Lewis (I will gladly dig through his trash right in front of his face and slip his shorts into every public soup) I really don’t want my existence in this little world to be a hinderance, idk.

[@nickchabot1302]

I think it’d be cool (or more realistic rather) for Pierre to increase prices after Joja leaves. Pierre is shown to be greedy in general, and the town only puts up with him since his store is one of the few gathering areas (aside from the library/community center) and since he is the only place to buy food if Joja leaves. If given power/influence, I could see Pierre wanting an empire similar to Joja, the only thing stopping him is just the fact that he’s in the valley. Perhaps this could give a heart event where the player/town talk some sense into him, since let’s be honest, it would give the player base a major sense of catharsis

[@treacherous-doctor]

Hey, it's so cool to have been featured in this video!! I would like to say, the reason I mentioned the SDV Fair is because I just really like the mini games, haha 😅 I am glad you told me about the unique Egg Hunt year 2 dialogue though, because I actually didn't know about it

[@Materaz17]

I've played this game through to perfection 3 times and have sunk days into other farms and yet somehow I'm just now learning there's a shop in the dance of moonlight jellies event

[@theatricsunflowerxxx2726]

SAME

[@Isabeiiia]

My hot take, is that I am tired of seeing people complain about Harvey taking 1000g from you. Even if you are married to him, it it only right to keep personal and work finances apart. If Harvey didnt charge you for passing out when married, then he would have a gameplay advantage. He would be picked more, instead of people picking who they really like. Also I never understood why people think Harvey is taking your stuff, and not the people getting out of the caves ? Or you dropped it when passing out? You can go to the adventures guild and get the dude to find it, so it makes no sense Harvey would have it.

[@eledeog]

I always figured the monsters took your stuff after you passed out...

[@Porkey_Minch]

Some spouses already DO have a gameplay advantage with the items the give you, but it's not very significant. But even if Harvey did revive you for free it wouldn't affect me since I almos always reload when I die because I hate losing my stuff.

[@CuriousMothling]

My hot take is, as an autistic person, Demetrius' cut scenes are what makes me love him as a character(not really counting the Maru one). I see him as autistic like me. I know its not really the best exsample, but i doubt concernedape made him with that intention.

[@christianzombievampire]

I think autistic characters have the right to be assholes LOL If Demetrius is autistic, I see him as a guy who’s never been diagnosed and since he’s not aware of the way his mind works differently to his non-autistic peers, he doesn’t make any effort to consider how their perspectives may differ. I personally headcanon Emily as autistic (collects rocks, cannot comprehend Clint’s flirting, enjoys public transportation)

[@CuriousMothling]

@@christianzombievampire oh Emily IS DEFINITELY Neurodivergent in some way. It's a spectrum after all lol

[@spacegirlsgf]

Demetrius has autism but in a really evil mysterious threatening way

[@FenrirInFlowers]

My hot takes: 1. With easy auto petters and not being locked out of anything, the Joja route has actually started to surpass the community center route in terms of rewards. It changes the feeling of the story to me. 2. Changing spouse schedules so that they fall asleep at 10pm and cannot be spoken to after going to bed was a mistake that didn't take their schedules into account and makes the game less immersive. I try to get all of Sam's possible daily dialogue after marriage. I used to talk to him before bed to get his nighttime dialogue, and it was great, especially if he gave the flirty line about offering you a massage later to help you relax. Since 1.4, he wanders off to bed and falls asleep super early like a little old man who needs Viagra. Worst of all, his schedule makes it impossible to get any night spouse dialogue from him on Fridays, and you can pretty much only get the return from parent's house dialogue on Mondays. I can't even remember the last time I got the massage line. I want more spouse interaction/dialogue, not less.

[@josie8997]

doesn't the joja route lock you out of getting junimo huts?

[@FenrirInFlowers]

@josie8997 - Nope. Once you finish The Goblin Problem, you can still buy Junimo Huts from the Wizard.

[@jplayzow]

I want to see Joja actually present an (optional) threat. I love how much freedom in the infinite time you have to fix stuff but I really want to see them taking over a bit more and then for Anyone to do Anything with the cc we worked so hard to fix

[@countrycoffeecup7772]

I like how the haunted maze now changes every year.

[@ABeanofCans]

I had this idea where after the community centre was restored, Pierre should become mayor since he pushes (or punches) joja out of the valley and lacks a bit of flavouring that would make his character more interesting Then Marnie can move in with Lewis since he's no longer juggling job and relationship, and Shane can take over Marnie's shop to take care of Jas and maybe even sell his blue chickens as a bonus reward for the community centre's completion, to show how he has become more responsible and strong-willed thanks to the farmer's help

[@Maqya]

I agree with the Marnie breaking up with Lewis hot take cuz that means I get full dibs on marrying Lewis myself.

[@fosamil]

Type shi, no homo but bro can lowkey get it 😭

[@gerardjagroo]

Just remember to stock up truffle oil first 😂😂😂😂

[@christianzombievampire]

This makes me feel less weird for loving Clint

[@christianzombievampire]

This makes me feel less weird for loving Clint

[@anelson1419]

*booing in the distance grows louder* /jk

[@emmalution]

loved hearing your takes on these! also congrats on 200k, you're doing amazing!!!

[@abee7238]

There’s so many little details in this video! I loved seeing the hat on the sea urchin and knowing exactly what it’s a nod to

[@BeccaBoo12]

With the community center one I think they meant like the player didn’t get anything from the mayor for helping out the town so much, the player just got more work.

[@foolishfife]

back when I first played stardew valley with absolutely 0 context about what it was other than a farming style sim, i was DELIGHTED about the casual wizard character. it was sooo sick, it felt kind of hilarious somehow, not sure what made it such a subversion for me but likewise, my friends who i've shown the game are also like "wait what there's just a wizard?!" too as one of their initial comments. did anyone else have that response?! i adore the exact level of fantasy in stardew, how it expands during your time in the valley, and how the world interacts with it, i agree with your comment about this and it reminded me of how funny it was to realize for the first time that yes this game does have magic stuff in it actually!

[@eledeog]

I don’t think ConcernedApe minds speedrunning. He doesn’t mind how anyone plays the game, he just wants you to enjoy it. So if you enjoy speedrunning, he wants you to do that; if you don’t enjoy speedrunning, he doesn’t want you to do it. And if enjoy the game more when you cheat, he wants you to cheat. The only way CA does not want you to play is not enjoying it. So if the way you play it is stressing you out, change the way you play. CA only wants us to have fun with the game he made... ❤

[@MrsTae-ss1nj]

I love George, he always reminded me of my great-Grandfather. So I always would pop in and say hello to him, taking his 'rudeness' as just normal, 'old man gruffness' etc etc. I didn't expect a character arc with him and when he said to me "Tae!! Let me turned this darned television off so we can have a chat! What are you young people up to?" Or something along those lines I was so happy I almost teared up, haha ♡ glad others like him too

[@sealsnoot]

I know I don't need permission to use cheats and mods in my games, but thank you for the validation nonetheless. 😅😭 And it's nice knowing I'm not the only one who does that just for the fun / relaxation of it.

[@Chalo122790]

I think part of the Magical / Modern is fixed on SVE, as you said it yourself, they mention and also use the magic so there is this more conection of the people in the valley and that magic that seems to be just player powers

[@Chuni_MD2]

I have cheated a lot in single player games, mainly to make my life easier or, to make the game more fun for me. I know a lot of people out there can’t accept any of these, but I rarely care about other’s thoughts, life is hard and I just want to have fun playing games.

[@almythical1096]

I got my a 2nd Ancient Doll from Vincent on my current v1.6 main playthrough, from the winter star present. I was holding 1st I found for a while to donate one and use the other for event thing. It was a welcomed surprise. And speaking of Vincent and Jas the aging to teens would be dope, with their last characteristic trait being wondering what they wanna do in the future, or one of the other having a secret crush they tell you about and ask advice for now and then. Sebastian leaving could literally be a choice of the player, when he eventually builds up the nerve and reason but asks you what to do, depending on the heart level could depend on how he asks. And if he leaves maybe he returns to the Valley for the Feast of Winter Star or another event or randomly once a year or every two years. Brings you a special item from the city each time lol

[@vividscavenger8791]

I actually got the tea set from Haley on one of my playthroughs. Didn't know it was exclusive to that.

[@Ragetiger1]

Same I was given it first year from Sam of all people. Sadly doesn't look like you can place it anywhere, so it gathers dust in a chest.

[@meh8982]

@@Ragetiger1 You can put it on a table like virtually any other object.

[@ToastAndJellyfish]

@meh8982 That depends entirely on what platform you play on, though. I have literally never been able to place it on a table in mobile because it’s bugged and nobody cares about fixing mobile bugs (and there are some bad ones in there, like game-breaking). So it’s now gathering dust in a chest, which sucks even harder because I got incredibly lucky and Caroline gave it to me… in year one. Y’know, the one character it actually makes sense to receive it as a gift from, and at the earliest possible time. I didn’t even know it was rare. I thought it was scripted to happen if you’d completed her tea event. There’s apparently a really jank settings workaround involving the controls that you can use, that I still need to try, but like… the settings that the majority of people will be using, it literally cannot be placed on a table.

[@ringss_]

I think that just a trophy for completing the community centre is apt because it's one of those things that in-lore sounds like it's done out of the farmer's goodwill, and I don't think that it should be seen as just a way to get to Ginger Island and whatnot

[@irxssxp]

the "marriage candidates should move away" topic is pretty easy to solve just make 10 hearts "friendships" events, like when you marry someone, every character unlocks an 10 hearts event that is different to the dating one this events shows them moving up with their lives. it doesn't have to be them leaving the city or anything like that, but just them doing anything that shows that their life exists without you this could even be locked in year 2 or 3. and if you want a divorce and marry another character they would leave their lives behind for you

[@lolli_popples]

Legit adore that Leah says the punch is missing something in year 2 of the Egg Festival and it’s because Pam didn’t spike it this year.

[@thistle_ish]

i think you've misinterpreted the "there should be more fantasy" take. i feel like the original commenter wasn't saying that there should be more fantasy, only that the two sides of the town--modern and fantastical--seem to be entirely separate. i agree with them in that i would have liked to see a little more acknowledgement that these two aspects are in the same universe and not just completely removed from each other.

[@tl1326]

Its better if they are separated, otherwise the dwarf, krobus, wizard and witch surviving would make no sense.

[@Silburific]

​@@tl1326It would make sense if it was established that Pelican Town is an insular haven of sorts for the fantastical. Maybe some characters like Demetrius or Maru don't believe in such things because they're "magic is just highly advanced science" people, but other characters like Evelyn could talk about the old stories and traditions that the founders of the village wanted them to be kind to and respect the non-human creaturea that live there with them.

[@accelleratiiincredibus446]

Same. Besides the Spirit's Eve festival, it feels like Pelican Town exists inside some sort of magic barrier that hides all the fantasy elements from the townspeople. The only time they acknowledge anything fantastical, it's always outside of town in a cutscene with the player, which just further solidifies how separate they are. It's not even a thing where they just treat the fantasy elements as mundane; They just straight up never talk about them at all.

[@goddeath6425]

Emily is the only person in town to fully acknowledges all the mystical stuff. Which is sad since that makes people see her as some crazy lady when she's not like that at all.

[@iamspotpanda]

Oh wow I made it on the video! Glad you agree with my take!

[@suziegomez7564]

Love this! These hot takes have some great points and I hope to see some nice changes in the upcoming updates for the vanilla game

[@TheMarioBBB]

The moving away idea is awesome imo, as long as we can still visit them so we dont miss out on content

[@Ultragamer63]

I feel like there should be more events that happen with time, but maybe have it as a togglable option when making your save, and talk to the Wizard if you wanna stop time or keep it going.

[@Cyanability]

I'm glad they added the prize tickets cause now I feel compelled to go to most festivals again. Sure late game prize machine rewards aren't the best but a free good item is a free good item

[@artific3r_]

i actually kinda have begun making plans for a mod where things change in the valley. I dont really think i'll ever do it, but its fun to think about what could change. like for example, in base game, its implied that seb and abigail like each other romantically at least somewhat, but stop once you get close enough with one of them. but if you don't get close with them they never start dating. i think part of an issue a lot of people have with the game is that the world only changes where you the player touch it, so like, if they do change, do they get together? does one stay single if you get with the other, or do they end up with someone else, like if seb marries the player then maybe abigail gets with sam? but if that happens then does penny end up with anyone? or are their goals more important to them? and you can run this idea through for each character, even the non romancable ones. each change results in a cascading affect on the other characters. also the thing you said about half the bachlors leaving the valley empty, i kinda think it could be interesting if new people moved in, like leaving your hometown and coming back to find new people living in your old house, but thats also probably controversial. idk its something i think about a lot

[@sakuradream4660]

Initially I was so open to helping rebuild the community centre because I do love me a reward system. But then after watching it sit there like it did before being rebuilt and having nobody use it, made me realize it's exactly the reason why it got disheveled in the first place. It's for everyone's own good to put it out of its misery. Like did I really have to evict the forest spirits for this?

[@LegoBatman2fr]

I enjoy Joja route more. Yes, story wise CC is best. But, Joja Mart is the funnest route for me personally. I like to grind my saves as fast as I can to perfection. I can progress way faster doing Joja, and i dont have to stress about all things i need and about how long its taking me to progress (as much) . Im on Xbox so i cant animation cancel and i dont seed manipulate so this just helps alot. The fastest ive been able to complete Joja so far is Summer 28, year 1.

[@EvelynWn]

For the Pelican Town changes hot take, I'd kinda like a system like Harvest Moon Animal Parade. Where marriageable couples get married to each other and can start families of their own. It's triggerable by a specific requirement that takes effort so it's not timing based. If you want to marry someone, just don't become friends with their partner until you're ready to get married. The couples in Stardew valley are already kinda paired up (Alex and Hailey, Elliot and Leah, etc) but there's no way to see a satisfying conclusion to their relationships. Animal Parade even had a few options that never got married regardless. I think it would be a great way to simulate change without adding stress beyond just ageing up the kids.

[@galaxi6585]

I romance Sebastian. For casuals having him move away at the end of Y1 would be insane. Of his accessible loved gifts, one is locked behind 3 hearts with Linus and access to cooking, and the other is from the Mines. Neither are items with quality. He notoriously never leaves his room most of the time so the first 2 hearts suck to get. His birthday is in Winter so you can't even use that to help you because you can't get natural rain, and Rain Totems need Truffle Oil which you probably don't have in Y1.

[@devancanipe1978]

I just wanna say how much I appreciate you, I get a lot of guilt about playing games with cheats, that I'm not a 'real gamer' but I don't like stress and frustration, I like to be efficient and have fun in my own way, and I just really appreciate you not judging people for how they play games, and I can't express enough how much it means to me to have such a cool guy validate me.

[@ASmidgeOfPidge]

I wish there was more to the Clinic than just the shop counter (which no one uses anyway). I literally romance Harvey every save and I don’t think I’ve stayed in there for more than 30s at a time 😅

[@turingtestingmypatience]

George gets even more as of 1.6 - check his house during the very first green rain. We all knew his "bah humbug" thing was a facade for his vulnerability because of his cutscenes about his wheelchair, but seeing him COMPLETELY drop it when everyone thinks they're actually in danger? Whole new level of touching. (Also, Linus better not have known that everyone would be scared. Shame on him if he did.)

[@LadyKEM]

I don't think that the gold Lewis is from taxes. Yeah, it's embarrassingly prideful, but he has dialogue about how he used to go into the mines... I totally think it's the last trophy of his glory days

[@MononymousM]

huh, that's a genuinely interesting take. I like it!