o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| HARVEST MOON |
| SNES/Virtual Console Edition |
| |
| FAQ/WALKTHROUGH |
| Version 1.2 (April 21, 2008) |
| |
| By The Admiral |
| Email: Admiral1018@yahoo.com |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Introduction
------------
When I originally read about the premise for Harvest Moon in 1997, I thought
the video game industry had truly come to a dead end. A game based solely on
farming? How did this one possibly get off the drawing board? Over half a
dozen sequels later, Harvest Moon has made me feel quite foolish. It did what
would seem to be the impossible – it made a repetitive, seemingly boring
concept into something fun and enjoyable. As with most RPGs, the enjoyment
comes from the continual progress: creating something from nothing, earning
rewards for your hard work, and finding new and effective ways to do the same
old tasks.
Yet despite its relatively simple objectives, the information available about
Harvest Moon remains some of the most inaccurate and incomplete I have ever
read. To make matters worse, people have conflated subsequent games in the
series with this one, resulting in numerous bad strategies and erroneous
tactics. That is why this guide was created. Whether you are a novice
looking for the most effective way possible to approach a task each day, or an
expert seeking the perfect score, this guide should help you. And most of
all, it should finally put an end to many of the egregious errors and time
wasting tips that have plagued gamers for years.
==============================================================================
D I S C L A I M E R HM01
==============================================================================
This FAQ is meant for personal use only and cannot be reproduced for
commercial use under any circumstances. No portions of this guide may be
reproduced, in part or in entirety, without the written consent of the author.
If you would like to use any part of this guide in your FAQ or website, I will
probably give you permission if you ask, but you must ask first (Email:
Admiral1018@yahoo.com). The Harvest Moon title, as well as all contents
within, is copyright of Natsume, 1997.
==============================================================================
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S HM02
==============================================================================
To jump to any section of this guide quickly, click the Edit option on the
toolbar, then go to Find and type in the index number listed in the right
column. You can also press Ctrl+F to bring up the search box in most browsers
and text editors.
DISCLAIMER................................................................HM01
TABLE OF CONTENTS.........................................................HM02
USING THIS GUIDE..........................................................HM03
OVERVIEW
1. STORY AND OBJECTIVE....................................................HM11
2. SCORING................................................................HM12
3. CONTROLS...............................................................HM13
4. LOCATIONS..............................................................HM14
5. TOOLS & ITEMS..........................................................HM15
6. FARMING................................................................HM16
7. HOUSE UPGRADES. .......................................................HM17
8. LIVESTOCK & ANIMALS....................................................HM18
9. SEASONS, TIME & WEATHER................................................HM19
10. FESTIVALS.............................................................HM1A
11. RELATIONSHIPS & MARRIAGE..............................................HM1B
12. THE DAILY GRIND.......................................................HM1C
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. STARTING OUT...........................................................HM21
2. RANCH..................................................................HM22
3. TOOLS..................................................................HM23
4. CROPS & GRASS..........................................................HM24
5. LIVESTOCK..............................................................HM25
6. FESTIVALS..............................................................HM26
7. RELATIONSHIPS..........................................................HM27
8. MARRIAGE & FAMILY......................................................HM28
WALKTHROUGH
1. SPRING – YEAR 1........................................................HM31
2. SUMMER – YEAR 1........................................................HM32
3. FALL – YEAR 1..........................................................HM33
4. WINTER – YEAR 1........................................................HM34
5. SPRING – YEAR 2........................................................HM35
6. SUMMER – YEAR 2........................................................HM36
7. FALL – YEAR 2..........................................................HM37
8. WINTER – YEAR 2........................................................HM38
9. SPRING – YEAR 3........................................................HM39
10. SUMMER – YEAR 3.......................................................HM3A
APPENDIX
1. POWER BERRY LOCATIONS..................................................HM41
2. SECRET ITEMS & UPGRADES................................................HM42
3. STAMINA USAGE..........................................................HM43
4. SELLING PRICES.........................................................HM44
5. THE HAWKER.............................................................HM45
6. RELATIONSHIPS & AFFECTION SCORE........................................HM46
7. RANCH DEVELOPMENT SCORE................................................HM47
8. HAPPINESS SCORE........................................................HM48
9. RANCH MASTER SCORE.....................................................HM49
10. ENDINGS...............................................................HM4A
11. TIPS AND TRICKS.......................................................HM4B
CONTACT INFORMATION.......................................................HM04
REVISION HISTORY..........................................................HM05
CREDITS...................................................................HM06
==============================================================================
U S I N G T H I S G U I D E HM03
==============================================================================
This FAQ is divided into 4 sections to help you most easily find the
information you're seeking. This will hopefully save you time and prevent you
from reading any unnecessary spoilers. The four sections are explained below.
1. OVERVIEW: This section contains the basics of gameplay, farming,
tools, livestock, events, and other fundamentals. Some parts of this
section are rudimentary and are intended for players who are new to the
game. Others, such as the ones on farming, livestock, and relationships,
are much more in-depth and will be useful to veterans and first timers
alike. In general, this section contains few to no spoilers, and even
potential spoilers are noted in advance.
2. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: The answers to some of the more common
stumbling points are contained here. This section is divided by
functional area of the game and is intended to address specific questions
without spoiling other parts of the game. If you are stuck on something,
see if your question is answered here first.
3. WALKTHROUGH: As its name implies, this is a detailed walkthrough of the
game. Since Harvest Moon is a non-linear, open-ended experience, this
section shows just one possible method of playing. However, the
walkthrough will give instructions on how to do everything as soon as
possible, assuming your intentions are to achieve a perfect score and
complete any goal as soon as possible. The walkthrough does contain some
spoilers as they occur, so please keep this in mind before reading.
4. APPENDIX: This is a reference section that contains information on special
items and upgrades, detailed farming and relationship statistics,
information on getting a perfect ending and scores, interesting secrets,
and more. The appendix is largely a reference source containing numerical
and statistical information about the game. This section does contain
spoilers, so please be warned in advance.
______________________________________________________________________________
O V E R V I E W
______________________________________________________________________________
The following section gives overview information on all areas of the game and
should give a solid framework for anyone playing this game. While some
sections are fairly basic, the later sections on farming, livestock, and
relationships are highly detailed and useful for veterans and new players.
==============================================================================
1. S T O R Y HM11
==============================================================================
You are Jack, a young man whose parents have just given him a ranch. Jack's
parents are going away for two and half years, and during that time they have
entrusted Jack to fix up the old ranch and begin a productive, adult life.
Jack's parents expect him to engage in farming, raising livestock, maintaining
and improving the ranch, getting married, and starting a family.
Despite Jack's parents' expectations, there are numerous styles of play in
this game. You can attempt to become a millionaire, amassing as much money as
possible. You can play as a serial bachelor, spending all day talking to
women and all night at the bar. You can become a rugged outdoorsman, choosing
to spend your days fishing and hanging out at the mountain. You can settle
down as a family man and have two children, forsaking any farm work to spend
time with them. Or, you can do a bit of all these things. The choice is
entirely yours.
=============================================================================
2. S C O R I N G HM12
=============================================================================
The game ends after two and a half years when Jack's parents return (after the
third summer), and you will be scored on the life you led during the time they
were away. The game scores you in three different ways. The first is on how
much of the ranch is covered and developed. This is called the Development
Rate. The second is on Jack's happiness, which is a measure of how
"satisfying" his life is. This is referred to as the Happiness score. The
third is on how well Jack manages the ranch and all other aspects of farm
life. This is referred to as the Ranch Master score. These scores are
loosely independent. For example, it possible to receive a high Happiness
score but low Ranch Master score, and vice versa.
In general, the game encourages you to balance as many activities as you can
for the best score. In addition to these scores, there are numerous endings
to this game, each depending on how you played during your time on the ranch.
The exact scoring calculations can be found in the appendix, but you will need
to excel at all the following categories to receive the best ending and score.
GENERAL GOALS
=============
- Save a lot of money
- Get married
- Have children
- Upgrade your house
- Grow and sell all four types of crops
- Raise as many cows and chickens as possible
- Brush and talk to all cows to increase their affection
- Develop as much of the farm as possible (with fence, crops, or grass)
- Develop strong relationships with the five single girls in town
=============================================================================
3. C O N T R O L S HM13
=============================================================================
The controls for Harvest Moon are simple and intuitive. You control your
character from an overhead point of view and the controls do not change at any
point in the game.
DIRECTIONAL PAD (UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT)
- Moves Jack vertically and horizontally in the direction pressed.
Y-BUTTON
- Uses the tool in the active hand.
- At the pond on the mountain, use the Y button to cast the fishing rod into
the water.
X-BUTTON
- Toggles between the two tools you are carrying.
B-BUTTON
- Cancels a selection or closes a screen.
- Used to sprint. You will sprint in the direction you are facing so long as
the button is held.
- Used to jump over the fence on your ranch and off cliffs at the mountain.
A-BUTTON
- This is the main action button. It is used to speak with people, pick up
items, examine objects, or interact with anything else.
- Selects a command on a menu screen.
R-BUTTON
- Causes Jack to whistle and summon his horse. It is most effectively used
when standing in a straight line facing the horse.
L-BUTTON
- Causes Jack to whistle and summon his dog. This is the easiest way to move
the dog. It is most effectively used when standing in a straight line
facing the dog.
START
- This exits the demo and takes you to the title screen. It is not used
during the game otherwise.
SELECT (Z-button if using a Gamecube controller on the Virtual Console)
- This brings up the menu screen, which displays the date, money, and shows
the item in Jack's active hand. This effectively pauses the game. It can
not be used while holding an item.
==============================================================================
4. L O C A T I O N S HM14
==============================================================================
There are three main locations where most of this game takes place: the Ranch,
the Town, and the Mountain. Below are maps and descriptions of each area,
along with several other key areas on your ranch.
=====
RANCH
=====
The ranch is where you will spend most of your time. The primary activities
include farming and maintaining livestock. Note that this is just the fenced
off area of the ranch. The ranch extends beyond this map and contains several
other structures (trees and well) that are important later on in the game.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------o
| RANCH MAP |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------o
| |
| |
| ################################# |
| # ================---- ############################### |
| # = =||||| ============ # |
| # = ________ =____| ======== ____ ========= # |
| # =/--------\ = E _______ / \ ________ # |
| # =| D _ | = __ /-------\( { } )/--------\ # |
| # |____|_|_| = |__|| G ||\____/|| I | # |
| # . ===== |--|| _ || || _ | # |
| # . F |___|_|_|| H ||_|_|____| # |
| # . . |______| . # |
| # .......................................... # |
| # . . # |
| ############## ### . ________ # |
| | # ___ . /--------\ # |
| |A C # |(_)| . | J | # |
| | __ # |_|_| . | _ | # |
| | |[]|# . |____|_|_| # |
| #### B |__|# ............ ###### |
| # ################################################### |
| ####### |
| |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------o
Location Purpose
--------- -------
A: Entrance Entrance to farm
B: Shipping area Place livestock here to sell it
C: Shipping bin Place crops/fruit/fish here to sell them
D: House Live/sleep here (see additional map below)
E: Wood shed Wood storage; get additional fence pieces from here
F: Horse stable Horse stays here once found
G: Cow barn Houses your cows
H: Grass silo Stores fodder; sign shows current fodder count
I: Chicken coop Houses your chickens
J: Tool shed Stores your tools
====
TOWN
====
The town is where you buy items and socialize. Most festival are held here,
and your future wife lives here. You will spend a decent amount of time at
the town, and it is important to be familiar with all the locations.
o------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| TOWN MAP |
o------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| ______________ + + + # |
| ==/--------------\== ___|___ + + # ``````````` |
| = | E | = / \ + + # ``````````` |
| = | /\ __ /\ | = ### / /\ \ + ...... |
| = | _|..|_ | = # | D __ | # . _________ |
| = |___| .. |___| = # |__|..|___| # . /---------\ |
| = .. = # .. #### . | C _ | |
| =========..========= # .. ```# . |___|.|___| |
| .. ####### .. ############ . ``` . ``` |
| .................................................................... |
| . .... .... . |
| . |------------|....|--------|....|-------------| . |
| . | | _____ . |
| . | |~~| | | & | . |
| . | |~~| | | | B . |
| . | |~~| | |_____| ...A
| . | | . |
| . - F - . |
| ... |````| ................... |
| . - |````| - _________ . |
| . | | /---------\ . |
| . | | | K _ | ## . |
| . | | |___| |___| # . |
| . | | # . |
| . | |################ . |
| . |------------------|......|-------------------| . |
| . ...... . |
| .................................................................... |
| . ################## . |
| . _________ _________ _________ # _______ # . |
| . /---------\ /---------\ /---------\ # /-------\ # . |
| . | G _ | | H _ | | I _ | # | J _ | # . |
| . |___|.|___| |___|.|___| |___|.|___| # |__|.|__| # . |
| . . . . ###-#######.###### . |
| .................................................................... |
| |
o------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Location Purpose
-------- -------
A: Entrance Entrance to town
B: Peddler Mat Peddler appears here on Sundays
C: Flower Shop Buy seeds and grass; Nina lives here
D: Church Services held Sundays
E: Mayor's House Mayor, his wife, and Maria live here
F: Town Square Festivals are held here; people socialize on Saturdays
G: Bar Open at night; Eve works/lives here
H: Restaurant Sells cake; Ellen lives here
I: Tool Shop Sells tools; Ann lives here
J: Livestock Dealer Buy/sell cows and chickens; buy livestock items
K: Fortuneteller Receive advice on dating and marriage
========
MOUNTAIN
========
The mountain is the embodiment of nature. It is meant to be a tranquil and
relaxing place. You can pick fruit and catch fish from here for money. You
can also chop wood for extra materials. The most useful location is probably
the hot springs, which restore stamina each time you jump in.
o---------------------------------------------------------------------o
| MOUNTAIN MAP |
|------------------------------------ ------------------------------|
| G | |
| |________________ | &&& |
|& | | &&&&& __ ______ |
|&& |_________________| &&& ||/~~~~~~\ |
|& &&& F |||~~~~~~| |
| &&&&& \______/ |
| &&& ___________________________|
|____________________________ #| /\ #|~~~~|#|
| #| /__\ C #|~~~~|#|
| #| #### ##|
| _ #| |
| |____| |______________ #| |
|& E | #| |
|&& |______________| &&& |
|& &&&&& |
|_________________________ &&& &&& |
| #|~~~|# |####### B &&&&& |
| #|~~~|# |________ &&& &&& |
|& @@ &&&&& |
|&& D ________@@_____________| &&& &|
|& # &&|
|########################### A &|
o---------------------------- -------------------------------------o
Location Purpose
-------- -------
A: Entrance Entrance to Mountain
B: Carpenters' House Upgrades your house
C: Fisherman and Pond Catch fish
D: Mysterious Spring Revealed later in the game
E: Mountain Cave Collect cave herbs
F: Hot Springs Restores stamina
G: Path to summit Entrance to mountain summit
============
JACK'S HOUSE
============
Jack's house begins as one room but can be expanded. This is where you save
the game and go to sleep at night. There are numerous trinkets and irrelevant
items within, so only the useful ones are denoted above.
________________________________
| |___| # \====/ | #|| ___ |
| | B C |____|||___||
| | D |_____|
|____| o E |
| _____ |
| | | |
| | | |
| |_____| |
|-------| o |
|-------| |
| |
|______________ A _______________|
Item Purpose
---- -------
A: Entrance Entrance to house
B: Diary Save game/activate sleep at night
C: Calendar Shows current date
D: Log Book Shows farm inventory (money, livestock, animals)
E: Television Shows the next day's weather
========
COW BARN
========
Cows are kept in the barn. Each cow has its own dedicated stall and feeding
bin. Cows only eat from their specific trough, so make sure this is where you
place the food. You can take cows outside, but it is strongly recommended
that you keep them here.
________________________________
| |
| ____ _ _ ____ |
| 12 | | | | 6 |
| ____|_| |_|____ |
| ____ _ _ ____ |
| 11 | | | | 5 |
| ____|_| |_|____ |
| ____ _ _ ____ |
| 10 | | | | 4 |
| ____|_| |_|____ __|
| /--|
| D |__|
| ____ _ _ ____ |
| 9 | | | | 3 |
| ____|_| |_|____ |
| ____ _ _ ____ |
| 8 | | | | 2 |
| ____|_| |_|____ |
| ____ _ _ ____ |
| 7 | | | | 1 |
| ____|_| |_|____ |
| |
| __ _ |
|/__\B | | C |
||__|__________ A _________|_|___|
Item Purpose
---- -------
A: Entrance Entrance to barn
B: Shipping Bin Place milk in here
C: Pregnancy Stall Pregnant cows rest here; has own feeding bin
D: Fodder Chute Take fodder out of here
#1-12: Cow Stalls Dedicated cow stalls; feed cows in the bins
============
CHICKEN COOP
============
Chickens are kept in the chicken coop. While you can take them outside, it is
strongly advised that you keep them in here.
______________________________
| | | |
| | D | |
| ========================== |
| |
|___ |
|---\ |
|___| C |
| |
| |
| ___ ___|
|/___\ B E ___|
||___|_________ A _____________|
Item Purpose
---- -------
A: Entrance Entrance to coop
B: Shipping Bin Place eggs in here
C: Fodder Chute Take fodder out of here
D: Feeding Bin Place fodder here to feed chickens
E: Egg Incubator Place egg here to breed chickens
==============================================================================
5. T O O L S & I T E M S HM15
==============================================================================
Tools and items are one of the more integral aspects of Harvest Moon. This
includes everything from mastering the basic farming equipment to acquiring
special items and upgrades to understanding fruits and produce. Listed along
with the description of each tool is the stamina usage. This is the amount
depleted each time the Y button is pressed while this tool is equipped. See
the Farming section for more on stamina,
This section is completely SPOILER FREE. Nothing is revealed here that is not
also revealed in the instruction manual or game's introduction. For the
information on how to obtain special items and upgrades, you will be referred
to the appropriate section of the appendix.
TOOLS
=====
Below is a list of basic tools in the game. Almost all of these are stored
and equipped in the tool shed.
HAMMER The hammer is used to break rocks and remove broken fence
pieces around the ranch. The hammer can destroy small
stones in a single blow, but requires 6 hits without moving
to split a large boulder. You begin the game with this tool
in your shed.
COST: Free
STAMINA USAGE: 2
SICKLE The sickle is used to cut a single square of fully grown
grass, which can then be used as fodder to feed the
livestock. The sickle can also cut down crops and bushes
around the ranch. You begin the game with this tool in your
shed.
COST: Free
STAMINA USAGE: 2
AXE The axe is used to chop up the large tree stumps on your
ranch and on the mountain. Cutting those stumps produces
wood, which is added to your wood shed. It takes 6 blows
without moving to cut up a stump. You begin the game with
this tool in your shed.
COST: Free
STAMINA USAGE: 2
HOE The hoe is used to plow the land around your ranch, which
is required before crop or grass seeds can be planted. The
hoe will plow a single square of land. Keep in mind that if
you plow a square and would like to undo that, you may do so
by placing a fence piece over that square. You begin the
game with this tool in your shed.
COST: Free
STAMINA USAGE: 2
WATERING CAN The watering can is used to water crops. It must be filled
with water at a pond before it can be used (press Y button
to fill) and can hold enough liquid to water 20 crops before
needing to be refilled.
COST: Free
STAMINA USAGE: 2 (water and fill)
GOLDEN HAMMER The golden hammer is imbued with a special power and allows
you to destroy even the largest boulders in a single blow.
Unfortunately, by the time you obtain this tool, there are
probably no large boulders left to destroy.
COST: Found or 2000 G from Tool Shop
STAMINA USAGE: 4
GOLDEN SICKLE The golden sickle is an incredibly useful upgrade, allowing
you to cut 9 squares of grass in a 3x3 pattern with Jack in
the center. This saves considerable time once you have a
lot of grass planted and need large amounts of feed for all
your livestock.
COST: Found or 2000 G from Tool Shop
STAMINA USAGE: 8
GOLDEN AXE This massive blade allows you to split wood stumps
in a single blow. The golden axe is very useful for
collecting additional wood from the mountain, which is
required before you can fully upgrade your home.
COST: Found or 200 G (yes, two hundred) from Tool Shop
STAMINA USAGE: 8
GOLDEN HOE The golden hoe rips through the ground in front of its user,
allowing you to plow six squares (6x1) at once. This is
very helpful if you are plowing long rows or entire fields,
but it can be annoying if you want to plow in tight area or
make specific patterns. Overall, it's a worthwhile upgrade.
COST: Found or 2000 G from Tool Shop
STAMINA USAGE: 8
SPRINKLER The sprinkler is arguably the single best upgrade in the
game. It allows you to water 9 squares at once (3x3 area)
AND it never needs to be filled up at a pond. It should
save you a considerable amount of time during daily
chores. The sprinkler works best with a parallel or extreme
"C" formation of crops (see Farming section for more).
COST: 2000 G from Tool Shop
STAMINA USAGE: 8
CROP SEEDS The flower shop sells seeds for different types of crops.
In the spring, you can purchase turnip and potato seeds. In
the summer, tomato and corn seeds are for sale (see Farming
section for more on crops). When used, Jack will throw the
seeds in the air and cover a 3x3 area of land around him,
assuming that the ground has been plowed.
COST: 200 for Turnips/Potatoes, 300 for Tomatoes/Corn
STAMINA USAGE: 1
GRASS SEED Grass seed is sold at the flower shop during the summer and
spring and is planted in a 3x3 area just as crop seeds are.
Once planted, grass grows on its own without watering and
can be cut after 9 days. Cut grass will then regrow and can
be repeatedly cut every 9 days. Grass grows in every season
except winter, but can only be planted in the spring or
summer. Grass even survives the winter, so there is no need
to replant it in the spring. Keep in mind that there is no
way for you to remove grass once planted, so carefully
choose a location that does not interfere with crop growth.
COST: 500 G
STAMINA USAGE: 1
PAINT Paint is used to coat your house in a soft, cream color.
Paint is not available until you have fully upgraded your
house, and has no use once the house is painted.
COST: 1500 G
STAMINA USAGE: 2
COW BELL The cow bell is used to summon and direct your cows. To
most effectively use it, stand in a straight line facing
your cow. The bell is given to you for free from the
livestock dealer when you purchase your first cow.
COST: Free
STAMINA USAGE: 1
BRUSH The brush is used to groom cows, which increases their
affection towards you by 3 points. Cows with higher
affection levels produce larger types of milk, so brushing
them every day is very important to your cash flow. See the
Livestock section for more on cows.
COST: 800 G
STAMINA USAGE: 1
MILKER The milker is used to get milk from your cows. Simply walk
up the cow and press the Y button to milk it (make sure the
cow is not moving). Keep in mind that only adult cows
produce milk (the ones you buy from the livestock dealer are
still calves). Cows can only be milked once per day, and
will not produce milk if they are sick, crank, or pregnant.
COST: 1800 G
STAMINA USAGE: 0
COW FEED Cow feed is a substitute for fodder. It provides 12
feedings. Despite what the game says otherwise, there are
no downsides to using this feed versus grass feeding.
However, cow feed is an extremely expensive way to nourish
your cows. Only buy it if you are stuck in the dead of
winter and have run out of fodder.
COST: 1000 G
STAMINA USAGE: 2
CHICKEN FEED Like cow feed, chicken feed is a substitute for fodder. It
provides 12 feedings. The chickens cannot tell the
difference between the two, so there is no adverse effect to
using it. However, since chickens do not get sick or die if
unfed, it's probably best to just not feed them. Save the
money for cow feed in a desperate situation.
COST: 300 G
STAMINA USAGE: 2
MEDICINE The medicine is used to treat sick or cranky cows. While
it's probably a waste if the cow is cranky, you definitely
need to use this on a sick cow to prevent it from dying.
This item also has an odd bug when combined with the miracle
potion below. It will immediately eliminate the pregnancy
period, so a cow will give birth the day after it is used.
COST: 1000 G
STAMINA USAGE: 1
MIRACLE POTION The miracle potion is used to make a cow pregnant. Pregnant
cows balloon up and are placed in the stall at the bottom of
the barn. Pregnancy normally lasts for 21 days, but it can
be sped up using the medicine bug above. The miracle potion
will not work on a cow if there are already 12 in your barn
(it will just be wasted). The miracle potion is also bugged
in that it will cure sickness and crankiness when used on a
cow. Overall, this item is a waste of money. When you
factor in the amount of time that is needed to produce an
adult cow, it is much more efficient to just buy them from
the livestock dealer.
COST: 4000 G
STAMINA USAGE: 1
SADDLE BAGS While not really an item in the same sense as the others
above, the saddle bags for your Horse become the single
greatest tool for increasing the money you can generate.
Once the horse is fully grown, the shipper will bring you
some saddle bags that serve as a mobile shipping bin. This
completely eliminates the time needed to run back and forth
between the bin and allows you to grow crops anywhere on the
farm.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECRET ITEMS
============
There are several very rare items that remain shrouded in mystery. Below is a
brief description of each. More details on all of them are found in the
"Secret Items & Upgrades" section of the appendix.
CLOCK The clock is a very useful item that tells you the time of
day whenever you press the Select button.
SNOW GEM Also referred to as the Seed of the Snow Flower, the snow
gem is a mysterious seed sold by the peddler at the Flower
Festival. It needs to be planted on the mountain summit.
MAGIC BEANS This item is truly a mystery, both in regards to its use and
how to acquire it. Like the snow gem, it also needs to be
planted at the summit.
TURTLE SHELL Little is known about this item, but it is rumored that the
shell protects from natural disasters. Even so, it may just
be another ornament.
MONEY TREE Farmers have always dreamed of a magical tree that sprouts
from the ground and literally grows money. Does such a tree
exist? Unlikely, but you may have the chance to acquire
something called a "money tree" at some point.
GOLDEN EGG The golden egg is a mythical object that is said to exist
somewhere within the clouds. No one in the game knows
anything about it, but it would most likely fetch an
extraordinary price if sold.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CROPS, PRODUCE, FRUITS, AND OTHER
=================================
Crops, produce, and fruits constitute the vast majority of money you can earn
in this game. Crops are planted and harvested on your ranch, produce is
collected from your livestock , and fruits are picked from the mountain.
CROPS Crops are grown from seeds you plant on the ranch. There
are four types of crops in this game: turnips, potatoes,
tomatoes, and corn. Once the crop is ripe, it is ready to
be picked and sold. You do so by lifting up the item and
putting it in the shipping bin. Fully grown crops will stay
good indefinitely until picked and no longer need to be
watered. Crops sell for varying amounts based on the type.
See the "Farming" section below for more.
EGGS Eggs are laid by the chickens in your coop. Each chicken
will lay one egg per day so long as it is being fed
routinely. Chickens will NOT lay eggs if left outside.
Eggs can be placed in the shipping bin in the bottom left
corner of the coop. Unlike crops, eggs do not last
overnight, so you must sell eggs in the same day they are
laid to be paid for them. The shipper pays 50 G per egg.
MILK Milk comes from the cows you raise in your barn. Only adult
cows produce milk, and each cow can be milked once per day
providing it is not sick, cranky, or pregnant. Milk comes
in three sizes: small, medium, and large. Small milk sells
for 150 G, medium milk sells for 250 G, and large milk sells
for 350 G. The type of milk the cow produces depends on its
affection score. See the "Livestock" section for more on
cows and milk.
POWER BERRY Also called Berries of the Power Tree, Power Berries
resemble reddish apples and are hidden throughout the game.
Eating a Power Berry will increase Jack's maximum stamina by
10. The garden at the top of the ranch displays the number
of Power Berries eaten (each flower represents a berry).
There are 10 Power Berries in the game, and you will need to
find them all to receive the best ending.
FISH Fish can be caught from the pond in the mountain during the
spring, summer, and fall seasons. Speak with the fisherman,
then walk to the bench next to the pond. Press the Y button
to cast the lure and eventually you will snag something when
the rod wiggles. Press Y again to pull it up and you may
have a fish (otherwise, you will have junk). The fish can
be eaten, given as a gift, or sold. The shipper pays
300 G for a fish, so it is a great source of money early on.
FRUITS Fruits and other edibles grow on the mountain during the
various seasons. Wild berries grow in the spring, tropical
fruit grows in the summer, mushrooms and poison mushrooms
grow in the fall, and cave herbs grow all year round. These
items can be eaten, given as gifts, or sold to the shipper
for 150 G (wild grapes and mushrooms) or 200 G (all the
others).
FLOWERS Flowers grow on the mountain and are sold from the flower
shop in the summer and spring for 300 G. Flowers can be
given as gifts to the various girls in the game, and this is
their primary use. They cannot be sold. The ones you pick
from the mountain are identical to the ones in the flower
shop, so buying them is a waste of money.
CAKE Cake can be purchased from the restaurant for 500 G. It can
be consumed to restore stamina (complete waste) or given as
a gift. Given its price, the cake does not justify a
purchase in either case. It cannot be resold if purchased,
so avoid buying this item.
FULLMOON BERRY The Fullmoon Berry is a special fruit that only grows for a
few days in the fall (day 10 to day 12) and is found on the
mountain summit. You can pick one berry during each of the
days the flower is in bloom. It makes a great gift but also
fetches 600 G from the shipper.
PERFUME Perfume is sold at the Flower Festival and is meant to be a
gift for one of the ladies in the town. There are three
types of perfume – violet, lilac, and rose – and each color
appeals differently to the various girls. Each sells for
1000 G. The perfume is a BIG WASTE of money and should
never be purchased. The effect on the girls' affection
towards you is minimal, so save the cash.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUYING ITEMS
============
There are several sources for obtaining new items in this game, and it will be
important to familiarize yourself with all of them.
FLOWER SHOP The flower shop sells crop seeds, grass seed, and flowers.
TOOL SHOP The tool shop will occasionally offer new tools, so you
should check in periodically. This store will also sell any
of the golden tools if you miss them along the way.
LIVESTOCK DEALER The livestock dealer buys and sells chickens and cows. He
also sells animal feed, cow medicine, and the miracle potion
for breeding cows. He sells chickens for 1000 G and cows
for 5000 G. If you purchase a chicken, he leaves the bird
behind his shop. If you purchase a cow, he delivers it to
your ranch.
PEDDLER The peddler appears in the town square on Sundays and
makes an appearance at certain festivals. The peddler only
sells two items in the game: the Snow Gem (at the Flower
Festival) and the Blue Feather. Information on how to
purchase the Blue Feather can be found by exploring the town
and speaking with the townspeople.
HAWKER The hawker is a wandering merchant who shows up at your farm
on occasion. He will often try to barter with you, asking
to exchange one item for another, but he does sell one item
as well. For more information on the hawker, see the
"Hawker" section of the appendix.
FESTIVALS At a few of the festivals, you are given the chance to buy
unique items like perfume and rice balls. With the
exception of the Snow Gem sold by the peddler, all items for
sale at festivals are novelties and are generally a waste of
money.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SELLING ITEMS
=============
There are only a few possible buyers for goods in this game, but it is
important to make the most of each.
SHIPPER The shipper is the main buyer and seller of goods in this
game. He stops by the ranch each day at 5:00 and collects
any items you have placed in your main shipping bin,
either bin in the coop and barn, or horse's saddle bags.
Any money for these goods will be automatically added to
your account by the time you wake up the next day. Place
anything you want to sell in these bins, including crops,
produce, and fruits picked from the mountain. You will NOT
be paid for any goods placed in the shipping bin after 5:00,
so save those for the next day. The shipper comes every day
of the week, including weekends.
LIVESTOCK DEALER The livestock dealer purchases your chickens and cows. To
sell an animal, place it in or lead it to the corralled area
just to the left of the shipping bin, then visit the
livestock dealer and tell him you want to sell the animal.
He will stop by your farm later in the day and pick it up
The livestock dealer pays 500 G for chickens and varying
prices for cows depending on the type of milk they produce -
5000 G for small milk, 8000 G for medium milk, 10,000 G for
large milk. He will not purchase chicks, calves, sick cows,
cranky cows, or pregnant cows. The livestock dealer is
closed on the weekends.
PEDDLER The peddler appears near the entrance to town on Sunday
unless it is raining or snowing. He will purchase almost
any item that the shipper will and usually pays a higher
price. To sell an item, place it on the table next to him.
DO NOT throw the item at him or it will be wasted. A
complete list of the prices the shipper and peddler pay for
items can be found in the "Selling Prices" section of the
appendix.
==============================================================================
6. F A R M I N G HM16
==============================================================================
Farming is the engine that drives your financial fortunes during the first
year of the game. This section details everything from clearing the land in
preparation for crops to advanced techniques for making the most money
possible in a season.
======
FENCES
======
Your farm starts with a small fence surrounding it. You can move the fence by
pulling the pieces from the ground and reorganizing them. New fence pieces
are obtained from the wood shed, but you need to first stock the shed with
materials by chopping stumps. Chopping stumps produces six pieces of wood,
and you can chop the ones on the mountain for additional materials once your
farm is depleted.
So what's the point of a fence?
- Looks nice
- Helps develop the ranch
What are the downsides?
- Fence breaks when it rains/snows and needs to be fixed
- Broken fence pieces attract wild dogs and make cows cranky
When it rains or snows, there is a chance that some pieces of the fence will
break. You should always inspect the next day after a storm. Broken pieces
can be removed with the hammer and then replaced. If you have any broken
pieces, there is a chance wild dogs will come at night. The dogs are
characterized by high pitched barking after you go to bed, and they will eat
any chickens you leave outside (you will find chicken feathers the next day).
The more broken pieces, the greater the chances that dogs will come. Once you
exceed about 15 or so broken pieces, the dogs will come every night until the
fence is fixed.
The interesting thing to note about a fence is that you do not need to have
one at all. If you don't have a fence, the pieces can never break, meaning
wild dogs will never show up and cows will never become cranky when left
outside. There is no downside at all to not having a fence, despite what some
sources claim. If you want to remove the starting fence, either throw the
fence pieces in a pond or walk off the screen while carrying them.
Similarly, a small corral or inner fence area will not protect chickens if
wild dogs show up, even if the chicken is safely enclosed from the rest of the
property. The poor bird will still meet its maker if it is anywhere on the
farm when the dogs appear.
Unlike other Harvest Moon games, stone fences (fences made from small stones)
are not practical in this game. While they cannot break, they are a hassle to
navigate (you cannot jump over them) and they hurt your development rate score
at the end of the game. Stones are not a good alternative, so avoid using
them.
The decision on whether or not to have a fence is up to you, but the main
rationale should be because you like the appearance. Since most players keep
their fence, this guide will assume you choose to do the same. However, going
fence-less is easier and probably wiser than keeping one, especially if you
ever leave animals outside.
====================
CULTIVATING THE LAND
====================
Before you can begin laying crops, you need to clear the ranch of the various
debris that litters it. There are four types of debris and each is removed in
different ways:
Type of Debris Method of Removal
-------------- -----------------
Bush/Weeds Pick up and throw or cut with sickle
Small Stone Throw in a pond or smash with hammer
Large Rock Break with hammer (hit 6 times without moving)
Tree Stump Chop with axe (chop 6 times without moving)
You do not need to clear the entire ranch on the first day, but you should at
least clear a large area south of the shipping bin. You should also do all
the clearing at night and leave the day for making money (from either crops or
from collecting fruit/fish from the mountain).
=======
STAMINA
=======
Stamina is a hidden numerical value that measures your ability to use tools.
Each time a tool is used, your stamina decreases by a small amount. Your
maximum stamina is 100 at the beginning of the game and increases by 10 for
each Power Berry you eat. You can see the number of Power Berries eaten over
the course of the game by looking at the secret garden behind Jack's house.
Each flower represents one Power Berry.
As you chop trees and smash boulders, you will notice Jack becoming physically
tired and eventually unable to work. Below are the gestures Jack makes based
on his stamina:
Percent of
Action Max Stamina
------ -----------
Pat Brow 50%
Panting/Sweating 25%
Stumble 12.5%
Collapse 0%
Once Jack collapses, he cannot use tools any more until his stamina is
replenished. Note that this does not include any actions involving the A
button, so Jack can still pull weeds and lift small stones at zero stamina.
To replenish stamina, you need to either eat something (like wild fruit), jump
in the hot springs, or go to sleep. Hot springs are the most efficient
method. You regain 24 stamina each time you jump in, so 5-6 dips will restore
you to maximum in the early parts of the game. A complete listing of the
effect that various items and actions have on stamina can be found in the
"Stamina Usage" section of the appendix.
=======
PLOWING
=======
Once the field is cleared of debris, you need to plow it before planting
seeds. Plow the field using the hoe from the tool shed. As you plow the
field, you may dig up various items. You can dig up one of each of these
items per day:
1. COIN (worth 10 G) or MONEY BAG (worth 50 G)
2. MOLE: Resident pest. Just ignore it.
3. POWER BERRY: You can find up to two from random digging.
Before you waste hours looking to get rich, keep in mind that you can only dig
up one money item per day (either the coin or money bag). After you've found
one, do not waste any more time looking for more that day.
Despite the various rumors about them, the moles you dig up randomly have no
purpose. They have no adverse effect on crops or livestock, so just ignore
them.
You can also find a couple of Power Berries at random, and you should spend
time digging until you unearth them both. These cannot both be found in the
same day.
===============
CROP FORMATIONS
===============
When you're ready to plant crops, it's important to keep different formations
in mind. Crop and grass seeds are thrown down in a 3x3 pattern. While you
can plant everything in a 3x3 pattern, you will actually end up wasting
considerably more time and resources than if you chose one of the other
formations.
The biggest drawback to the 3x3 pattern at the start of the game is that it
becomes impossible to water the center square once the crops start to grow.
This will result in crops growing to maturity on the outer eight squares while
the inner square stays unchanged. You can water the square again once the
other crops have grown and are harvested, but then you are forfeiting the
space for growth of a new batch of crops. The solution is to deliberately not
plant crops on one or more of those squares, and there are several ways to do
this. While it may seem wasteful to plant less than the maximum amount you
can from each seed bag, you will see in the next section why this is not the
case.
Below are five possible types of crop formations. In each image, an "X"
represents a square that has been plowed while the others are unplowed. If
you accidentally plow a square and wish to undo it, place a piece of fence
over that area. It will turn the soil back to the regular, unplowed variety.
3x3 X X X
Formation X X X
X X X
Donut X X X
Formation X X
X X X
"C" X X X X X X X X X X X
Formation X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X
Extreme "C" X X X X X X X X X X X
Formation X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X
Parallel X X X X X
Formation X X
X X X X X
=====
CROPS
=====
Once the land is plowed, it's time to plant the crops. Regardless of type,
all crops need to be watered each day to grow. After a few days, crops will
begin to sprout and will change appearance a few times before being ready for
harvest. Crops will not die if you don't water them, but they will never grow
beyond their current stage either. When a crop is ripe, approach it and press
the A button to pick the vegetable. It may be hard to tell when turnips and
potatoes are ripe, but you can see a picture if you watch the game's
introduction. If, for some reason, you wish to remove a crop once it's
sprouted, you can use the sickle.
To get paid for crops, they must be placed in the shipping bin before the
shipper arrives. He shows up every day at 5pm, just before it gets completely
dark. You are not paid for anything placed in the shipping bin after the
shipper has come, so DO NOT PLACE ANYTHING IN THE SHIPPING BIN AT NIGHT. Save
the crops for the next day.
Different crops grow in different seasons, and there are certain
characteristics you should keep in mind. In spring, you can grow turnips and
potatoes. These crops can only be picked once, and you will need to replant
them after each harvest. In summer, you can grow tomatoes and corn. After a
long period before the first harvest, tomatoes and corn will regrow every
three days if you continue to water them. This makes he overall profit margin
on summer crops a lot higher.
Before delving into strategies, let's look more closely at the different
crops.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------o
| Category | Turnip | Potato | Tomato | Corn |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Season | Spring | Spring | Summer | Summer |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Cost per bag | 200 G | 200 G | 300 G | 300 G |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Days to Grow | 4 | 7 | 9 | 12 |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Days to Regrow | N/A | N/A | 3 | 3 |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Revenue per Crop | 60 G | 80 G | 100 G | 120 G |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Revenue per Bag | 480 G | 640 G | 800 G | 960 G |
| ("C" Formation) | | | | |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Profit per Bag | 280 G | 440 G | 500 G | 660 G |
| ("C" Formation) | | | | |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Revenue per Bag | 360 G | 480 G | 600 G | 720 G |
| (Parallel Formation) | | | | |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Profit per Bag | 160 G | 280 G | 300 G | 420 G |
| (Parallel Formation) | | | | |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Maximum Harvests | N/A | N/A | 7 | 6 |
| per season | | | | |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Maximum Profit per | N/A | N/A | 5600 G | 5760 G |
| Season ("C" Form.) | | | | |
|--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------|
| Maximum Profit per | N/A | N/A | 4200 G | 4320 G |
| Season (Parallel Form.) | | | | |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------o
If it's not overwhelmingly obvious, summer crops are much more profitable than
spring crops. A single bag of potatoes can only produce a profit of 280 G,
but a bag of corn can yield 5760 G. This analysis may make spring crops seem
like a waste, but you can still make a great deal of money if you plant
enough. Also, the game cushions the margin on the summer crops because
hurricanes can occur during that season. As hurricanes can destroy up to 30%
of your crops, you need the extra margin to stay afloat.
=============
CROP STRATEGY
=============
Below are some valuable strategies for making the most of crops. The most
important tip is to harvest as many crops as quickly as possible, and these
tips should allow you to do that. When it comes to crops, Time = Money. Keep
this in mind as often as you can.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
During the first year, the single most important strategy is to plant crops as
close to the shipping bin as possible. I know the demo shows them just below
the tool shed, but do not do this. The best way to maximize profits per day
is to minimize the time it takes to pick all your crops. Even if you do not
have many crops, you can always use the extra time that day to pick
fruit/catch fish from the mountain for additional money.
FORMATION, FORMATION, FORMATION
Building on the last strategy, it should start to become obvious why a "C"
formation works better in the first spring than a 3x3 formation. If you use a
3x3 formation, the outer crops will all ripen before the center one. Once you
pick those 8 outer crops, you will have a lone crop that requires another few
days to grow. If this crop is near the shipping bin (which it should be), it
is now taking the place of other crops. Using the C formation, all crops are
picked and replanted in the same day. This saves time and allows you to make
more money. In the summer of year 1, you may wish to use the extreme "C"
formation once you have the sprinkler. This is less efficient monetarily, but
it allows you to water an entire patch of crops at once, saving significant
real-world time. In the second and third years, you should be using the
parallel formation. See the strategy three down on the horse for more.
FUNDING CROPS EARLY ON
It's possible to be harvesting 3-4 patches of crops each day by the middle of
the first spring. Many gamers are surprised to hear this and wonder how it's
possible to earn enough money to fund all those crops so early. The key is to
pick fruit and catch fish from the mountain. You can put fruit in the
shipping bin for 150 G and fish for 300 G. In a typical day, you can probably
pick 2-3 pieces of fruit or catch 1-2 fish, allowing you to earn 300-600 G per
day. This is enormous in helping you afford extra crops early. During the
first week, you should take care of whatever business you have in town, then
spend the remainder of the day on the mountain. Leave all chores until night
(clearing the ranch, planting/watering crops, etc.) where they can be done at
your leisure.
HARVEST CROPS EVERY DAY
The best way to build money early on is to make sure that you are harvesting
crops every day. To do this, you need to plant crops every day. It's best to
lay out your farm in advance and know where you will be planting and picking
crops on any given day. This allows you to harvest methodically and
accurately predict your future income.
USE THE FORCE, ER, THE HORSE
In the second and third year, the location of the crops becomes irrelevant as
the horse is a moveable shipping bin. If you use the horse right, you can
manage a ranch that is 50% or more covered with crops. The key is to keep the
horse as close to you as possible so that you minimize the walking distance.
You should never have to walk more than 2-3 squares to throw crops into the
horse's saddle bags. The horse works most effectively when crops are planted
in the parallel formation, and you should use this layout exclusively in years
2 and 3. Your crops should be in long rows or columns as shown below. An "X"
denotes a planted crop and # is a piece of fence. The fence acts to keep the
horse in place so it doesn't move up or down.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX#
E D C B A
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX#
The letters, A through E, denote places where your horse will be positioned
when you harvest. Leave the horse in those lettered spots and pick crops as
quickly as you can by throwing them at the horse. The horse sometimes
wanders, but if he is stuck between two rows of crops (or the two fence
pieces), he won't stray very far. You should alternate the direction you
harvest in the spring and summer to make sure the horse is pinned. For
example, in the spring, you may wish to position the horse at location B while
Jack starts picking crops at location A. You would then mount the horse and
get off at location C. In the summer, it would be more effective to position
to horse at location A and start collecting crops moving away from that spot.
When you reach location B, whistle by using the R button to call the horse,
then repeat. The reason for this switch is because the crops disappear when
picked in the spring but stay in the summer, so you can use them to keep the
horse from straying in the summer. In both seasons, the key is to remain as
close to the horse as possible.
Finally, some sources say that you must throw crops onto the side of the horse
or it will "eat" them instead of store them. This is untrue. You can throw
crops right at the horse's face or rear and you will receive credit. The
important thing to note is the saddle bags. They should flare up when you
throw a crop at the horse. Sometimes the horse will "freeze" in position for
a few seconds and the saddle bags will not inflate. Although this is pretty
normal, you are not paid for crops when this happens. If you notice it
happening more than once at a time, whistle for the horse or do something to
get him moving again. This should fix the problem.
HARVEST INTO NEXT SEASON
Although it may seem odd, spring crops will grow and can be harvested in the
summer. The one rub is that they must be planted during the spring. One
strategy is to plant as many crops as you can on day 30 of the spring. Since
summer crops take 9-12 days for a first harvest, the spring crops will still
allow you to generate crop revenue until the summer ones are ready. If you
take this approach in year 1, make sure to reserve the space closest to the
shipping bin for summer crops. Use the areas a bit further or to the north
for the spring ones. Also, do not stock up on spring crops at the expense of
summer ones. Make sure you have enough money saved to buy 12-15 bags of corn
or tomato seeds within the first 3 days of summer (this costs 3600-4500 G).
Only use anything above this for additional spring crops.
LEAVE CROPS OVERNIGHT
If you can't pick all the crops before the shipper arrives, just leave them
overnight. Crops will last indefinitely until picked. Once ripe, they do not
need to be watered either. Also, if the shipper comes when you still have a
crop in your hand, do not throw it away or waste it by putting it in the
shipping bin. Give the crop to your wife as a gift or take it to Eve at the
bar for some added affection points.
WATER WHEN IT RAINS
Odd as it may seem, if you plant seeds while it's raining, you still need to
water them. This is a bug in the game, but it's a bug you still need to
factor in as you play. In the summer, you also need to water tomato and corn
plants on the days you pick the vegetables if it's raining.
=====
GRASS
=====
Grass is the main source of feed for your livestock. Once grass grows long
enough, you can cut it with your sickle and store it in the feeding silo as
fodder. The exact grass requirements for the animals are discussed in the
next section.
Grass is planted the same way crops are, and should always be placed in a 3x3
formation. From the initial planting, grass takes 9 days to grow to its
maximum height and will change colors a few times as it matures. When fully
grown, grass is usually a deep, rich green (in the spring and summer) or dark
gold (in the fall). It will take a while to identify, but you should get the
feel for the right color after a few cycles. After being cut the first time,
grass will regrow every 9 days and can be cut repeatedly.
Grass can only be planted in the spring and summer, but it will still grow in
the fall. In the winter, the grass is covered by snow and does not grow.
Grass will survive the winter and does not need to be replanted in the
following spring.
One of the biggest flaws in this game is that GRASS CANNOT BE REMOVED ONCE
PLANTED. Because of this, it is vitally important to determine where you want
grass planted in advance. In general, you should avoid having any grass in
the southern half of the farm, as this is where crops should be planted. It's
best to either use the area east of the tool shed or north of your home,
around the secret garden.
Grass can be destroyed by summer hurricanes, and a few patches will also be
killed by the winter. These will remain eyesores until replanted.
==============================================================================
7. H O U S E U P G R A D E S HM17
==============================================================================
You can upgrade your house twice in the game. In addition to looking nicer
and improving happiness, house upgrades are required for marriage and a
family. You upgrade your house by speaking to the carpenter in the mountain.
The carpenter's house can be found just south of the fishing pond. Upgrading
your house requires both money and wood, and the upgrades are completed 3 days
after the carpenters begin work (or 4 days after you pay them). Here are the
costs of the upgrades:
Upgrade Money Wood
------- ----- ----
House Upgrade 1 5,000 250
House Upgrade 2 10,000 750
The first upgrade widens your house a little bit, but the changes are not
significant. This renovation is required before you can get married. The
second upgrade adds a new wing to your house where the beds are now placed.
You receive an additional bed and a baby cradle. Outside, your house now
receives a porch. This second upgrade is required before you can have
children.
Once your house has been upgraded twice, you can paint it. Paint will be for
sale at the tool shop as soon as the second addition is complete. Paint
increases happiness and stops your wife from nagging, but is purely for
aesthetic value otherwise.
To earn extra wood for the upgrades, you can chop the tree stumps on the
mountain. Each time you exit and re-enter the screen, the stumps will
reappear and can be cut repeatedly. It is recommended that you chop these
trees at night.
Finally, when you first speak to the carpenters, one of them tells you that
you will a special gift if you upgrade your house before the end of the first
summer. It is worth trying to meet this target to earn the reward.
==============================================================================
8. L I V E S T O C K & A N I M A L S HM18
==============================================================================
Animals play an integral role in Harvest Moon, both in terms of the money you
can generate and your overall happiness. There is an extreme amount of
misinformation regarding livestock in the various FAQs and other sources for
this game, so hopefully this section will clear that up.
This section gives details on the grass requirements for livestock, detailed
information about chickens and cows, and an overview of the other animals in
the game.
GRASS REQUIREMENTS FOR LIVESTOCK
================================
In order to buy animals from the Livestock Dealer, he demands that you have
enough grass to support them. Specifically, you must have 16 squares of grass
for each animal, and this grass must be planted before the animal can be
purchased. Each bag of grass seed can produce up to 9 squares of grass (3x3
area), so each animal requires just under 2 bags of planted grass. When
calculating the required grass, the Livestock Dealer counts chicks and baby
cows as well, even though these animals do not yet require any fodder. This
is the same number found by adding the chickens and cows total in the
inventory book inside your house.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|EXAMPLE |
|You want to buy a cow. You currently have 2 chickens and a baby chick on |
|the farm. How much grass do you need to have before the Livestock Dealer |
|will sell one to you? You need to have enough grass for the existing |
|animals (including the chicks) plus enough grass for the new animal. This |
|totals four animals. Each animal requires 16 squares of grass, so you need |
|64 squares of grass, or roughly 8 bags worth. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
There are no grass requirements for animals you breed yourself. Keep this in
mind during the winter and fall if you want to increase the number of
livestock but don't have enough grass to buy from the dealer. Another
alternative in that scenario would be to sell off all but one chicken (less
profitable and easy to breed) to buy as many cows as possible. Then, after
the cows are bought, you can start breeding chickens again.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHICKENS
========
Chickens are simple, low maintenance animals. They provide a nice addition to
your income without requiring much care or much time. The main downsides to
chickens early on is the grass requirement, but that should not discourage you
from raising them.
STAGES: Chickens begin as eggs, hatch as chicks, and grow into chickens.
GROWTH: An incubating egg takes 3 days to hatch into a chick. A chick
takes 7 days to grow into an adult. Note that chickens bought
from the Livestock Dealer are already adults.
FEEDING: Chickens require one piece of fodder per day. To feed them, place
the fodder in the trough at the back of the coop. Do NOT throw
the fodder at the chickens directly, as this does nothing. You
can use chicken feed as a substitute for fodder with no penalty
(despite what the livestock dealer says). Eggs and chicks do not
require any food.
HEALTH: Chickens are very resilient. They never get sick or die from
starvation, so you can ignore a chicken for the entire game and it
will be just fine. The only threat to a chicken is wild dogs. If
you leave a chicken outside and the ranch has broken fence pieces,
wild dogs will come at night and eat it. THERE IS NO REASON TO
EVER LEAVE CHICKENS OUTSIDE.
PRODUCE: Chickens will lay 1 egg each day if they were fed on the previous
day. If a feeding was missed on the previous day, chickens will
not lay eggs again until they have been fed for 3 consecutive
days. Eggs will disappear in one day if not collected.
MONEY All eggs sell for 50 G if placed in the produce bin in the bottom
left corner. Chickens themselves can be sold for 500 G.
BREEDING: To grow your own chickens, simply place an egg in the incubator
bin at the bottom right side of the coop. The egg will grow and
hatch into a chick on its own in 3 days.
STRATEGY There's not much to say about chickens. Feed them every day and
collect their eggs. Early in the game, when you are still
struggling financially and are starting to buy cows, chickens may
be somewhat of a burden as they all require 16 squares of grass
(including chicks). Instead of spending a lot on more grass,
simply sell off all but one of the adults.
If you are running out of fodder during the winter, stop feeding
chickens and save the fodder for cows. The only downside is that
the chicken will stop laying eggs until fed again for 3 days
straight, but this is far cheaper than the problems associated
with cows.
If you are breeding chickens to sell for money, you may want to
place the chicks in your house. This way, you will know when they
are fully grown and can save the trip to the coop. It also clears
up the coop a bit and prevents the extra birds from getting in
your way.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COWS
====
Unlike chickens, cows require a major investment of time and energy. However,
the reward is worth it. A full barn of cows producing large milk can generate
4200 G per day, every day of the year. Raising cows is also essential to
Jack's happiness and your ending scores.
STAGES: Cows have a fairly prolonged life cycle. The physical stages they
can appear in are the following: baby, child, adult, and pregnant.
See the Summary table below for more specifics on each stage.
GROWTH Baby cows grow to child cows in 14 days. Children grow to adults
in 21 days. When you buy a cow from the livestock dealer, it is
in the child stage.
AFFECTION Cows are sensitive creatures and have a hidden score that gauges
their feelings for you called the Affection Score. The cow's
affection score is what determines the type of milk it produces.
Unfortunately, there is no way to see the cow's score during the
game. The maximum affection score is 255. The actions that
change affection score are the following:
Action Effect
------ ------
Talk to cow +1 (once per day)
Brush cow +3 (once per day)
Cow becomes pregnant +10
Feed Cow 0
Use Medicine on cow 0
Cow gives birth 0
Cow misses feeding -8 (cow may become sick)
Cow is left in the rain/snow -8 (cow may become sick)
Cow becomes sick -20
Cow becomes cranky -30
FEEDING Cows require one piece of fodder per day. The fodder must be
placed in the feeding bin directly in front of the stall where the
cow appears when you enter. Cows will not eat food out of other
bins, and this will count as a missed feeding. Also, do not throw
fodder at the cow directly, as this does nothing. If you leave
cows outside, they will eat the grass and not require additional
feeding from you in all seasons except winter. Note that you do
NOT need to feed baby or child cows. They cannot get sick and
there is no penalty to affection score from a missed feeding.
Pregnant cows must still be fed. While they cannot get sick,
their affection score will still decrease each day they are not
fed.
HEALTH Cows are highly susceptible to illness and mood swings. The two
adverse states the cow can enter are "Sick" and "Cranky."
SICK Cows become sick from either missed feedings (in the barn)
or being left outside in rain or snow. The cow will not always
get sick from these things, but the chances are about 50% that it
will. Note that no more than four cows can get sick in any given
day. A sick cow's face turn grey and the animal becomes
sluggish. You will also receive a message when speaking to the
cow that it is sick. While sick, cows do not produce milk. You
can cure sickness by using the medicine purchased at the
livestock dealer. If not cured, cows will die 6 days after
becoming sick (do NOT let this happen, as it is very expensive
and destroys your happiness score). Note that only adult cows
can become sick. Babies, children, and pregnant cows are
immune.
CRANKY Cows can also become cranky under certain situations. A cranky cow
will have slanted eyes and appear generally angry and
unresponsive. Cranky cows do not produce milk. One way cows
become cranky is if you beat the animal with a tool. The
game stores the total number of times you hit each individual
cow over the course of the game. Once you have hit the cow 10
times, it will become cranky the next day. This can occur
repeatedly, so do not intentionally harm the cows. The other
way cows become cranky is when left outside with broken fence
pieces on the ranch.
Crankiness will typically wear off after 2 days, but you can
remove the condition immediately by using the medicine. Note
that if you leave cows outside in poor conditions and do not
improve them, the crankiness state will keep resetting each day.
This means you lose 30 affection points and prolong the period
that the cow will be unhappy.
PRODUCE Adult cows will produce one unit of milk each day. The specific
size of the milk depends on the cow's affection score. Cows will
not produce milk if sick or cranky. You must purchase the milker
from the tool shop to milk cows. Note that cows still produce
milk when left outside.
Type of Milk Affection Score
------------ ---------------
Small 0-95
Medium 96-191
Large 191-255
MONEY Different size milk and the cows that produce them sell for
different amounts of money.
Milk Money
---- -----
Small 150 G
Medium 250 G
Large 350 G
Sell Cow Money
-------- -----
Produces small milk 5000 G
Produces medium milk 8000 G
Produces large milk 10,000 G
BREEDING To breed cows, you need to buy the Miracle Potion from the
livestock dealer for 4000 G. Use the potion on the cow and it
will become pregnant the next day. Unlike subsequent games, cows
can still become pregnant after they have been milked for the day.
Pregnant cows balloon up and are moved to the special stall in the
bottom right. Use the bin by that special stall when feeding
them. Cows take 21 days to give birth after becoming pregnant,
and you can see the number of days remaining by talking to the
cow. After being born, a baby cow will be placed in a free stall
(you will need to name it) and the pregnant cow returns to normal.
If you use the Medicine on a pregnant cow, it will reduce the
pregnancy time to zero and the cow will give birth the next day.
This is a bug, but it is useful to save time. The Miracle Potion
will also cure a cow of sickness or crankiness when used (in
addition to making the cow pregnant). This is also a bug, but it
makes breeding cows more cost effective.
You cannot impregnate a cow when you already have 12 cows in the
barn. Using the Miracle Potion on a cow in this case will just
waste the item.
SUMMARY The table below summarizes much of the confusion from above with
regards to the cows' conditions and requirements.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| Type of | Need to | Type of | Can Get | Can Get | |
| Cow | Feed? | Milk | Sick? | Cranky ? | Notes |
o------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+----------------------o
| Baby | No | None | No | No | Born from pregnant |
| | | | | | cow. Grows to child |
| | | | | | in 14 days. |
|------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+----------------------|
| Child | No | None | No | No | Type of cow bought |
| | | | | | from livestock |
| | | | | | dealer. Grows to |
| | | | | | adult in 21 days. |
|------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+----------------------|
| Adult 1 | Yes | Small | Yes | Yes | Have an affection |
| | | | | | score of 0-95 |
|------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+----------------------|
| Adult 2 | Yes | Medium | Yes | Yes | Have an affection |
| | | | | | score of 96-191 |
|------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+----------------------|
| Adult 3 | Yes | Large | Yes | Yes | Have an affection |
| | | | | | score of 192-255 |
|------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+----------------------|
| Pregnant | Yes | None | No | No | Use Miracle Potion |
| | | | | | on adult cow. Gives |
| | | | | | birth after 21 days. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Note: All 3 adult cows appear the same.
There are may tips and strategies that will help you more effectively raise
cows. Keep the following in mind:
DO NOT LEAVE COWS OUTSIDE
If you remember only one tip you read, remember this one. Do not leave cows
outside! Unlike in later Harvest Moon games, there are no benefits to the
cows happiness or affection from being outside. However, there are
significant downsides. The cows risk both sickness and crankiness from being
left outside, especially if it rains or snows. Cows are also much harder to
milk since they move around, and milking them outdoors wastes valuable day
time. Time stands still inside the barn and has a convenient shipping bin in
the corner, so that is a much better place to do it.
DO NOT FEED CHILDREN AND BABIES
Only adults and pregnant cows need to be fed. Children and babies can never
get sick, and their affection scores are not lowered by a lack of food.
Conserve your time and fodder and don't feed them
DON'T BREED COWS, BUY THEM
Unless you just want to see what happens, do not waste time breeding cows.
When you factor in the pregnancy time and additional time as a baby, breeding
adds 35 days to the life cycle of the cows. That's 35 fewer days of milk
production from the new cow. You also lose milk production from the pregnant
cow for 21 days while it's pregnant. The only benefit I have ever seen in
favor of pregnancy is that the baby cow will produce large milk when it
reaches adulthood. This is true if you talk to and brush it every day, but
this is just a function of being able to raise the affection score while the
cow is a baby. It does not get you large milk any sooner than it would a
purchased cow; it just trades days when the cow is usually producing small and
medium milk for no production at all. Overall, you're at least 7000 G worse
off economically from breeding, and possibly a lot more depending on the milk
type of the pregnant cow. Just spend the extra 1000 G and buy it.
BRUSH AND TALK TO COWS EVERY DAY
Brushing and talking to cows each day increases their affection score.
Bushing adds 3 points and talking to them adds one point. These actions only
increase the score once each day, so doing it more frequently is a waste. You
can eventually stop brushing and to them (see next point).
GET ALL COWS' AFFECTION SCORE OVER 200
Cows begin producing large milk at 192 affection, and there is no practical
use for a score higher than that. However, your ranch master score at the end
of the game is calculated based on the affection rate of ALL cows (not just
the highest score), so you should raise them all to at least 200 to get the
most points. To ensure this affection score, you need to brush and talk to
cows for two days after they start producing large milk. Of course, if they
get sick or cranky, you will need to brush and talk to them again to restore
the affection.
WATCH THE BODY LANGUAGE
As you will often experience, cows will start moving away from you when you
begin brushing them. They may also enter a group and make it hard to tell who
is who. This is where body language is useful. If you brush or talk to a cow
for the first time, it will blink its eyes (semi-circles) and shake its tail.
If the cow starts walking away when you brush it but still makes these
gestures, the brush counted and increased its affection score. If you try
talking to or brushing the cow more than once per day, it will not make these
gestures. This should signal that your actions are not improving its
affection score.
EXIT AND RE-ENTER TO RESET POSITIONS
If you have a lot of cows and find them moving around a lot, exit and re-enter
the barn. They will reappear in front of their stalls.
COW SLOWDOWN
Once you have around 9 or more cows, the game will noticeably slowdown inside
the barn. There is really nothing you can do about this. Leaving the cows
outside causes an even more extreme slow down.
MOVE COWS WITH THE BELL
When you begin pushing a cow, it will start walking in that direction until it
hits something. You can guide them this way, but it is very annoying. If you
need to move cows (say, to sell them), use the bell that the livestock dealer
gives you. Stand in a straight line from the cow, use the bell, and the cow
will walk right to you. To move the cow outside, lure it to the barn entrance
with the bell, then push it into the door. Continue using the bell outside to
direct it.
YOU CAN LEAVE PREGNANT COWS OUTSIDE
This is the one real exception to the "no animals outside" rule. Pregnant
cows cannot get sick or cranky, so there is no downside to leaving them
outdoors. Since they are not producing milk anyway, leaving them outside
simply eliminates the need to feed them. You will need to move the cow back
inside when it's time to give birth, so keep track of the remaining days and
move it inside when it's time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOG
===
On the second day of the game, Ellen stops by and gives you her dog, Koro (you
may rename the dog if you would like). The dog will then remain with you for
the duration of the game and generally stays in whatever area you leave it.
You do not need to feed Koro or put any other effort into taking care of him.
Unlike the cows, he does not have an affection score.
There is a lot of incorrect information about Koro's purpose, both within the
game and from external sources. For the most part, Koro has no use. To
dispel some of the rumors, Koro does not bark or chase away wild dogs at
night, he does not increase your happiness, and he does not scare away moles.
You also do not need to take him in when it rains, despite what your wife may
suggest. Koro has been reported to cause some glitches when left in a barn or
coop with a lot of livestock, so you should avoid placing him there.
During the game, it does not matter where you leave Koro, so just put him
someplace out of the way. You can even bring him back to Ellen's house or
leave him on the mountain and it won't make a difference. To move Koro
quickly, press the L button and he will run after you. This is a lot faster
than picking him up.
With all that being said, there is one rumor regarding the dog that is true.
You do need to hug your dog 100 times to receive the best ending in the game.
This is a totally random requirement that is never hinted at during the game,
so I am mentioning it here to save you frustration. Hugging your dog just
means picking him up once with the A button, so you can actually fulfill this
requirement in a few minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HORSE
=====
You will find a baby horse (foal) on the first day you enter the crossroads in
the winter of year 1. You will be prompted to choose a name. The horse takes
refuge in the stall attached to the barn and does not need any feeding or
other care.
After 21 days, the foal will grow to an adult. When this happens, the tool
shop owner will stop by and give you saddle bags. These allow the horse to
carry crops and other saleable goods, transforming it into a moveable shipping
bin. You can also ride the horse by standing next to it and pressing the A
button. The horse runs very quickly and is a great way to travel across the
ranch. You can even jump over fences with the horse by pressing the B button.
Other than as a harvesting and transportation aid, the horse has no real
purpose. It does not have an affection score, so you do not need to worry
about its treatment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER ANIMALS
=============
The game features cameos from several other types of creatures. Many of these
sightings increase Jack's happiness, but almost none of them have much use
beyond that.
BIRDS When you leave the house in the morning, you may see a small group
of birds in the shipping area that quickly fly off. These birds
appear randomly and can show up in any season. They increase your
happiness by 2.
WILD DOGS Though never seen, wild dogs may enter your ranch at night if you
have any broken fence pieces. You will hear them barking after
you go to sleep. These dogs will eat your chickens if they are
left outside. Keep your fence repaired at all times to ward off
these pests.
MOLE When plowing land on the farm, you may unearth a mole. Moles can
be picked up and carried around, but will quickly burrow back into
the ground when dropped. Moles have no real significance in the
game. They do not adversely affect crops, and, despite guides
that claim otherwise, they do not bother the livestock or your
dog. They do have one "interesting" use if brought to the Harvest
Festival – they will be cooked in the stew and eaten by Jack!
Other than this, they play no role.
FISH Fish can be caught in the small pond on the mountain by borrowing
the fisherman's rod. Catching a fish will raise your happiness
by 2. You can then do whatever you want with the fish (eat it,
sell it, give it away, throw it back).
FROGS When cutting grass, you will occasionally see something jump/drift
away. It may be hard to tell, but this is a frog. Seeing a frog
will increase your happiness by 2.
P-CHAN This is Ellen's blue bird that she keeps caged in the back of the
restaurant. P-Chan is involved in a special scene with Ellen, but
he has no direct role otherwise.
SQUIRREL In the spring, you can see squirrels in the southeast corner of
the mountain, near the tree just below the carpenter's house.
Regardless of how hard you try, you can never catch a squirrel.
Seeing this creature boosts your happiness by 10, and you can spot
one on each day that it is not raining.
BUTTERFLIES Butterflies will appear on the mountain in the spring. They are
purely decorative.
MONKEY You will occasionally see a monkey in the hot springs on the
mountain in the spring. He is added for comedic effect and has
no other purpose. Ann even jokes about him later in the game.
RABBIT In the fall, you can spot a rabbit in the northwest corner of the
mountain, right near the area where Nina hangs out on Sundays.
Spotting the rabbit increases your happiness by 10. There is also
a special scene featuring the rabbit and the hunter that you may
experience later in the game. This is discussed in the
walkthrough.
FOX You can find foxes on the mountain in the winter by walking around
near the hot springs. As with the other seasonal animals, fox
sightings increase your happiness by 10.
==============================================================================
9. S E A S O N S, T I M E, & W E A T H E R HM19
==============================================================================
The following section describes how the different seasons, days of the week,
times of day, and weather factor into the game. These are important to fully
understand when planning any strategy.
SEASONS
=======
There are four seasons in the game, each lasting 30 days. There are a few
notable differences among the seasons.
SPRING During the spring, flowers are in bloom and everything is alive.
The spring crops are turnips and potatoes. On the mountain, you
can pick Wild Grapes and sell them for money. You can also spot
squirrels and butterflies in this season. The spring has two
holidays: the New Years Festival (day 1) and the Flower Festival
(day 23). You do not celebrate the New Year's Festival in the
first year.
SUMMER During the summer, heat sets in and everyone gripes. The summer
crops are tomatoes and corn. On the mountain, you can pick
tropical fruit and sell it for money. There are no unique animals
that appear in this season. The summer is also hurricane season,
and you can experience numerous disasters if you are really
unlucky. During year 1, your ranch will be hit by lightning
one night and create a very loud noise. There are no holidays
this season.
FALL The fall is dramatically different from the previous seasons.
Everything starts to die and no crops can be grown, although grass
can still be cut. You can pick mushrooms and poison mushrooms
from the mountain for money. You can also spot rabbits in the top
left corner of the mountain. The fall has two holidays: the
Harvest Festival (day 12) and the Egg Festival (day 20).
WINTER In the winter, the ground is covered with snow and nothing grows.
You cannot plant crops or pick fruit from the mountain. You can
still collect cave herbs from the mountain cave for money, as is
possible in every season. You can also spot a red fox near the
hot springs. In year 1, an earthquake will occur sometime during
the season. The winter has two holidays: the Thanksgiving
Festival (day 10) and the Star Night Festival (day 24).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAY OF THE WEEK
===============
The days of the week are the same as the real world ones, and stores are
closed as one would expect on the weekends.
WEEKDAYS Weekdays are Monday through Friday. During the week, stores are
open and the people are either at their jobs or working somewhere
around town. The bar is open every night. All holidays in the
game occur during a weekday.
SATURDAY Saturday is the day of rest and relaxation. Stores are closed and
most people are unwinding somewhere in the town, public square, or
mountain. Saturday is also the traditional day for marriage
proposals (except for Nina, whose day is Sunday). The bar is open
on Saturday night. The shipper will still come in the evening.
SUNDAY Sunday is the day for worship. Stores are closed and most
townspeople will be in church. Some of the less religious folks
will still relax around town or in the mountain. The Peddler also
shows up on Sundays near the town entrance and will buy your
goods for higher prices than the shipper. The bar is closed on
Sunday night. The shipper will still come in the evening.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NIGHT AND DAY
=============
Time plays an important role in the game, and most events will only occur at
certain times. If you obtain the Clock, you can see the exact time by
pressing the Select button – it will appear on the menu screen. Without the
clock, you will need to rely on the changing color of the sky to determine the
time.
DAY Daytime is when you should pick crops, collect produce, and
(6AM-3PM) take care of any business in town. In general, going indoors
during the day will stop the clock, although there are some
exceptions (mountain cave and underground passage). Some
festivals start mid-day (3pm), and you must arrive at the town
before that time if you wish to participate.
EVENING The evening sky is still slightly lit, but it signals the end to
(3PM-5PM) the day. Stores will close, people will say they should be
getting home, and the shipper arrives. It is very important to
make sure anything you wish to sell is in the shipping bin before
5pm, as you will not be paid otherwise. If you are married, your
wife will serve you dinner at this time (she starts serving it at
3pm). This is also when the bar opens.
NIGHT Once the sky turns black, it is nighttime. Night in this game is
(6PM) infinite, and it never gets any later than 6pm. You can play the
game for hours and the time will not advance. You should use this
to your advantage and take care of most chores at night
(water/plant crops, cut grass, maintain the ranch, etc.).
Remember, you are NOT paid for anything put in the shipping bin at
night, so don't do it. If you are married, your wife will go to
bed at 6pm.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEATHER
=======
Weather is determined randomly in the game for every day except holidays. You
can find the next day's weather by watching the television in your house.
SUNNY Most days will be sunny. When the sun is out, people wander about
the town and mountain and engage in usual daily activities.
You can propose to a girl only when it is sunny, and certain
other events will also occur only when it is nice out.
RAIN It rains in every season except for the winter. During the rain,
people avoid being outside and typically head indoors. The
mountain summit is also closed off in this weather. You do not
have to water your planted crops when it rains, and this can save
you a lot of time once you have a significant amount of the farm
covered (you still need to water any seeds you plant, however).
For this reason, rain is usually a welcome occurrence in the
spring and summer. The downsides to rain are that it breaks your
fence pieces, causes weeds to grow, and can make cows sick if left
outside.
SNOW Snow occurs in the winter and is effectively the same as rain.
Unlike rain, there are really no advantages to snow, as no crops
grow in the cold anyway. Some of the townspeople will have
different messages on the day before or day of a snow storm.
HURRICANE Hurricanes are vicious, destructive storms that occur during the
summer. Hurricanes are totally random, so you may survive the
summer without experiencing any, or you may incur three, four, or
more in extreme circumstances (the theoretical maximum is 10 in a
single season). Hurricanes can occur any day from day 2 to
day 30. During a hurricane, you are not allowed outside your
house and cannot do anything on that day. The hurricane will
destroy large parts of your crops and grass, and there is no way
to avoid this. On the day before and after a hurricane, all the
townspeople will have different messages talking about the
storm. To adequately prepare, make sure you watch TV every night
before going to bed to know if a hurricane will occur the next
day.
==============================================================================
10. F E S T I V A L S HM1A
==============================================================================
The game has its own set of holidays that are observed each year. You can
view a list of holidays by looking at the calendars in either the church or
mayor's house. You are required to participate in the Star Night Festival and
New Year's Festivals, but all others are optional. Still, it is recommended
that you partake in all the festivals, as many offer unique items or a boost
to happiness. On the day before a holiday, the townspeople will usually have
special messages describing the upcoming festival. Note that the holidays are
arranged so that they will always occur during a weekday in the course of the
game.
SPRING 1 – NEW YEAR'S FESTIVAL
During the New Year's festival, the townspeople gather on the mountain summit
at the first light and pray for a successful and productive new year. You do
not celebrate this festival in year 1.
SPRING 23 – FLOWER FESTIVAL
The Flower Festival commemorates the blooming of the spring flowers. The
festival begins at 3pm, so do all your daily chores before heading to town.
It is held in the town square and attended by all the townspeople. The
festival offers you a unique chance to buy the Snow Gem from the Peddler or
perfumes from the flower shop owner. The latter are a complete waste of
money, so do not feel the need to buy them. After speaking with all the
townspeople, talk to the mayor's wife and mayor on the left side to begin the
dance. You can choose any of the town girls as your partner.
FALL 12 – HARVEST FESTIVAL
The Harvest Festival is similar to the American Thanksgiving holiday. The
townspeople get together and share food, celebrating the recent harvest. This
is another optional festival, so complete any chores before heading to it at
3pm. It is customary that you bring something to eat to this festival, and
any edible item will do (there is no penalty if you forget, however). After
eating, speak with all the townspeople and finally to the mayor. The festival
ends with a dance.
FALL 20 – EGG FESTIVAL
The Egg Festival is similar to Easter, and the main event is the egg hunt.
You will need to search around town to find different colored eggs to win the
contest. The winner of the egg hunt receives a prize. The egg hunt can be
quite challenging. If you lose, simply reset and try again, as you need to
win the event in both years to receive the best ending.
WINTER 10 – THANKSGIVING FESTIVAL
Despite the name, the Thanksgiving Festival is similar to Valentine's Day.
All the women in town prepare cakes and give them to men they like. Speak
with all the single girls in town that day. You will receive a cake from any
girl who has more than 3 hearts in her diary. Unlike other holidays, the day
does not end when you leave this festival.
WINTER 24 – STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL
The Star Night Festival is supposed to be the night when the stars are most
beautiful in the sky. All the townspeople celebrate in their own way,
visiting different locations and partaking in various traditions. When the
day begins, you will be asked to choose one of five places to spend the night.
Each place is where one of the town girls is spending the evening. Talk to
the girls the day before to find out where they will be. There is essentially
no difference in any location, although some are occupied by more people and
have more engaging dialog. If you are married, be sure to visit the same
location as your wife.
==============================================================================
11. R E L A T I O N S H I P S & M A R R I A G E HM1B
==============================================================================
There is a considerable amount of incomplete or outright bad information
available about how to impress girls and what needs to be done once married.
This section is intended to help clarify exactly how the relationship system
works and how you can minimize the hassles of pleasing your wife. It also
details the exact requirements for having children. While no plot elements
are revealed, some players may consider this level of detail to be a spoiler
for the game, as this information is not readily available in the manual or
from playing tips. Keep this in mind before reading. The companion section
to this one is the "Relationships & Affection Score" section of the appendix,
and it contains numerical values for the various effects on affection score.
================
THE SINGLE GIRLS
================
There are five single girls in the town with whom you can develop
relationships and marry. It may be difficult to tell the girls apart at
first, as they do not use their first names very frequently, but the
descriptions below should help.
ANN
Ann is red-haired girl who lives in the tool shop. Ann loves working on
machines and creating new inventions, although she never seems to have much
success. Her mother passed away and she is raised by her father, who often
wonders if Ann's hobbies will prevent her from finding a husband. Ann is not
a very good cook, although she tries her best. She is probably the most
tomboyish of any eligible girl. Ann can be found inside the tool shop during
the week, in front of the tool shop on Saturday, and in church on Sunday.
ELLEN
Ellen is the brown-haired girl who lives at the restaurant with her parents.
She visits the ranch on the second day and gives you the dog. Ellen loves
animals and is often found hanging around the livestock dealer's shop, which
is owned by her uncle. Ellen's father is the town drunk, and Ellen worries
relentlessly about him. She is also an excellent baker, probably due to her
employment at the restaurant. Despite her somewhat tomboyish appearance,
Ellen is one of the more feminine and domesticated girls in the game. In case
you're curious, she does let her hair down after getting married. Ellen can
be found in front of the livestock dealer's shop during the week, behind the
shop on Saturdays, and in church on Sundays.
EVE
Eve is the blonde girl who wears a red cocktail dress and works at the bar.
She also lives in the back room there. Eve is probably the most complex
character in the game. No one knows what happened to her parents, but her
closest known relative is the hunter in the mountain. Eve worries about him
frequently and is terrified of losing him. This partly contributes to her
serious abandonment issues, which come out during scattered conversations in
the game. While not clearly an alcoholic, Eve has a definite affinity for
alcoholic ("juice") drinks and even brews her own. She is intended to be the
most physically attractive girl in the game and is definitely the most
outwardly flirtatious. It is somewhat fitting that she also comes with the
same baggage you would expect in this type of girl. She is constantly lonely
and extremely jealous. When married, Eve is the hardest wife to keep happy
(more on this below). She can found in the town square during the week
(although not in the early morning), at the bar during the night, near the hot
springs on Saturday, and skinny dipping in the hot springs on Sunday.
MARIA
Maria is the blue-haired, religious girl who spends most time inside or in
front of the church. Maria's parents are the mayor and mayor's wife, and she
lives in the mayor's mansion. She has the most stable family life of all the
characters, and is the typical goody-two-shoes type. She also likes children
and looks forward to having her own. Outside of prayer, playing the organ,
and raising kids, Maria does not have many other well developed passions. You
can find her in front of the church during the week and inside the church on
the weekends.
NINA
Nina is the pink-haired girl who lives at the flower shop. Nina loves flowers
and nature, but she hates when others disrupt it. She is raised by her
mother, the flower shop owner, and it is implied that her father has passed
away (her mother can be found in the graveyard on Saturdays in the fall).
Nina seems rather carefree and very in touch with the earth, although she is
also somewhat detached from the rest of the town. Along with Eve, she is the
only girl in the game who is not religious. Nina can be found outside the
flower shop during the week, inside the mountain cave on Saturdays, and in the
top left corner of the mountain on Sundays.
=============
FORTUNETELLER
=============
The Fortuneteller is a pretty good source of advice on marriage and the girls
in the game. The book in her house gives some useful basics on developing
relationships and marriage proposals, so it is advised that you read it. If
you approach her enough times, she will eventually ask you which girl you
like. After choosing, she will give you a somewhat helpful overview of that
girl and her likes/dislikes. Be cautioned that her information is not 100%
accurate with regard to the girls' preferences, so use the information in this
guide instead. Still, the Fortuneteller offers more color on relationships
than this FAQ can, so consult her throughout the game and listen to what she
says.
===============
AFFECTION SCORE
===============
Each of the single girls has a numerical score that represents her feelings
towards you called, simply, an affection score. The affection score increases
when you have certain conversations with the girls, give them gifts, or engage
them at the festivals or other events. You can get a rough idea for the
affection score by looking in the diary for each girl. The diary will show a
number of hearts, which are graphical representations of affection score
ranges. Affection scores go from 0 to 999.
Below is a list of how affection score translates into hearts in the girls'
diaries. The ranges are not linear, so the gap between hearts occurs at
different scores.
Hearts in Affection
Diary Score
--------- ---------
1 0-49
2 50-119
3 120-199
4 200-249
5 250-299
6 300-399
7 400-499
8 500-599
9 600-799
10 800-999
It's possible to set a girl's affection score higher than 999 using cheat
codes. When this happens, the diary just says "......Th-thank you." Once the
cheat codes are removed, the girl's affection score will return to 999 as soon
as you do anything that would normally affect it. It's never possible to see
this message without cheating, so it's an interesting touch added by the
programmers.
Affection score affects the girl's actions and dialog with you in some
conversations and determines if she will marry you. Your score at the end of
the game also takes the affection scores of each girl into account, so it's
best to maximize this value for all five girls, regardless of whom you marry.
Once a girl's affection score reaches 200 (or 4 hearts in the diary), you will
experience her special event. This always entails someone stopping by your
ranch first thing in the morning and informing you of some issue or problem.
Aiding the girl during her special event will result in a 50 point boost to
affection score. You will not receive these unique event scenes once you are
married, so try to experience them all before choosing a wife. A description
of these events is in the appendix.
=======================
RAISING AFFECTION SCORE
=======================
There are three main ways to raise a girl's affection score:
1. Have conversations where the girl asks you a question
2. Give the girl a gift
3. Engage the girl in certain events (like dancing at festivals)
By far, the easiest way to raise a girl's affection is through conversation.
The conversations that raise your score are the ones where the girl asks you
to choose between two options. Typically, the more flattering or affirmative
answer will increase the score the most, but even the second choice will still
have a positive effect. The exact impact of these scores varies by situation,
so consult the appendix for a complete list.
Whether or not a girl asks you a question depends on the season, day of the
week, and weather. If, for example, you find that Maria will ask you a
certain question on a sunny Tuesday in the fall, she will ask this same
question every weekday that season. You can exit and re-enter the screen
repeatedly to keep asking and answering the same question, earning points each
time. Keep in mind that most girls have two messages they will say at any
given point, so speak to the girl repeatedly if you know she is supposed to
ask you a question but hasn't yet.
The ideal scenario is to engage in these conversations with girls indoors.
When inside, time is stopped, allowing you max a girl's affection within a
single game day. It is not possible to do this with all girls, however, so
for some you will be forced to have conversations outside. Below is a list of
the times that an indoor conversation is possible.
Girl Season /Time Location
---- ------------ --------
Ann Summer and Winter, weekdays Tool shop
Ann All season, Sunday Church
Eve Spring, all nights but Sunday Bar
Eve Winter, all nights but Sunday* Bar
Maria All seasons, Sunday Church
* Eve does not ask you a question, she just serves you juice. You receive 2
points to affection score each time you talk to her and do not need to leave
the screen. This does not work on snowy nights or nights before special
events, where her comments are different.
The second best way to raise affection score is through gifts. In general,
you pick up an item and throw it at the girl to give a gift. She will usually
thank you or tell you she likes it, which boosts affection score. It is
possible to give a girl a gift that lowers affection score, and this is the
case with things like weeds and poison mushrooms.
The impact of gifts varies by girl, as each has her own preferences. A full
list of the effects of all items is list in the appendix, but below are the
top affection-boosting items for each girl.
Ann Ellen Eve Maria Nina
--- ----- --- ----- ----
Crops Eggs Flower Eggs Cake
Cake Milk Cake Milk Flower
Eggs Crops Eggs Crops Eggs
Milk Fruit Milk Fruit Milk
Fruit Fish Crops Flower Crops
Fish Flower Fruit Cake Fruit
The table above excludes perfume and the Fullmoon Berry, both of which are
available only at special times of the year. Also, some sources claim that
Nina likes only flowers that are purchased from the flower shop and not from
the mountain. This is false. The game treats both flowers the same.
The final way to boost affection score is through special events in the game.
These include things like dancing with the girl at festivals or joining her on
Star Night.
=====================
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
=====================
To marry a girl, she needs to have an affection score of 256 or higher. This
is just slightly more than 5 hearts in the diary (5 hearts = 250 affection
score). You also need to have upgraded your house once. If both of these
criteria are met, the Peddler in town will sell you the Blue Feather on
Sundays, assuming it is not raining/snowing. The Blue Feather costs 1000 G
and is the game's equivalent of an engagement ring. The feather is placed in
the tool shed and you equip it like any other item.
Before proposing, it is STRONGLY recommended that you get your wife's
affection score as high as possible, at least to 10 hearts in her diary. It
is much easier to raise this score while you are single, and getting married
with a high score allows for some leeway to neglect her when wed.
============
THE PROPOSAL
============
Girls will accept marriage proposals only on certain days. The day is
Saturday for all girl except Nina, whose day is Sunday. It must be sunny on
the day you wish to propose, otherwise the girl will not be in the right
location and will not accept. If you try to propose on a different day, the
girl will tell you to ask her another time. If you try to propose to a girl
whose affection score is too low, she will tell you it's "too soon" or
something along those lines.
When you wish to propose, the girls can be found in the following locations:
Girl Location Day
---- -------- ---
Ann In front of tool shop Saturday
Ellen Behind livestock dealer Saturday
Eve Next to hot springs on mountain Saturday
Maria Inside church Saturday
Nina Top left corner of mountain Sunday
To propose, walk up to a girl and press the Y button. This will display the
feather and the girl will accept the proposal if all the criteria are met.
The game will then cut to a quick wedding at the church and the day will end.
Because of this, make sure you have completed any farm chores before
proposing. Record or make a mental note of your wedding day. You will want
to remember your anniversary to receive a nice happiness boost later on (see
"Happiness Score" section in the appendix for more).
================
THE MARRIED LIFE
================
Once you are married, your wife moves in with you and switches her attire to a
rather boring lavender dress. Her hair color remains the same, however. Your
wife has almost no practical use. She never assists with farm work or does
anything else to make your life easier. She will, however, feed you dinner at
night, which serves as a useful recovery source of stamina. She will also
give you some common-sense type advice when you speak to her at times (e.g.
the shop is closed on Sunday), in addition to saying nonsense things (e.g.
take the dog in during rain) and nagging you repeatedly when she wants
something (e.g. paint the house). During the day, the wife hangs out around
the ranch and either does made up work (folding clothes) or works on her hobby
(brewing "juice" or working on inventions). It all depends on the girl, but
it's all still trivial. She is always asleep by 6pm at night.
The goal of marriage is to keep your wife happy enough to have two children.
This is required for the best ending in the game. There is probably more
incorrect information over this topic than anything else, so hopefully this
section will clarify things.
Your wife's feelings towards you are still represented by an affection score,
and this score can still be viewed by looking at her diary (same location as
it used to be). The following actions affect your wife's affection score
during marriage:
Action Effect on Affection Score
----- -------------------------
Go to bed with wife +2*
Go to bed before wife 0
Come home when wife is asleep** -2
Spend Star Night with someone else -30
Give gifts to wife Varies***
Special events Varies
* For Eve, this is -2. More on this below.
** This occurs each time you enter the house when she is asleep already.
*** Effects of gifts change once you are married. See appendix for more.
Surprisingly, this is almost the entire list. There are a few other special
occasions that are mentioned in the appendix, but everything of importance is
included above. Now, below is a list of actions that do NOT affect your
wife's affection score, despite what you may read elsewhere:
Action Effect on Affection Score
----- -------------------------
Talk to wife 0
Talk to other girls 0
Give gifts to other girls 0
Dance with other girls 0
Hold or talk to your child 0
That's right, you almost never need to talk to your wife, you never need to
even touch your own children, and you can freely flirt with other women. None
of this bothers your wife at all. What a great life!
=================
KEEPING HER HAPPY
=================
Most guides stress the importance of going to bed each night with your wife.
Practically speaking, this is a huge waste of time and money. It is nearly
impossible to make a decent amount of money in year 2 if you need to have all
your chores done by 6pm every night.
The best strategy is to stay out as late as you want to do your chores. This
will cause your wife's affection to drop by 2 points each day. You should
make up for this loss by giving your wife a gift. I recommend eggs, as they
are easy and don't cost you anything. Simply swing by the house after taking
care of the cows/chickens and give your wife the gift. An egg increases your
wife's affection score by either 4 or 5 points, so you more than offset any
loss from staying out late. This is actually an excellent way to maximize her
affection score.
As was noted above, going to bed with your wife typically increases affection
score by 2, but this is not the case with Eve. Eve's affection score actually
DROPS by 2! This could be due to Eve's issues of abandonment that the game
mentions, or it could be due to a bug. Either way, it makes Eve the hardest
wife to keep happy. Keep this in mind before getting married.
===============
WIFE LEAVES YOU
===============
If your wife's affection score plummets (below 200), she will leave you. When
this happens, she approaches you first thing in the morning and says "I'm
going back to my parents' home." This will lower your happiness score by 50.
Your wife can then be found in whatever room her diary is in (for Eve, you
need to wait until night). Simply visit your wife and talk to her to make up
– she will move back with you and will not leave again. Her affection score
will also increase by 100 when she returns, but this will still be far from an
acceptable level. Your wife will never leave you permanently, so you can wait
many days and you will still make up the next time you visit her.
========
CHILDREN
========
If your relationship with your wife is strong enough, she will get pregnant
and eventually have a child. You can tell if she's pregnant by talking to
her. She will let you know it happened and will ask you to think of names for
the baby. Children will grow slightly during the game (from baby up to
walking toddler), but they never grow enough to speak coherently or assist you
in any way. You can have up to two children in the game, and the requirements
for your wife to get pregnant with both are slightly different.
Child 1 Requirements
--------------------
- Both house upgrades
- Married for 20 days
- Wife's affection score is over 450
Child 2 Requirements
--------------------
- First child is 31 days old
- Wife's affection score is over 650
When a child is born, the preacher and midwife come to your house and your
wife enters labor. Talk to her and she will give you the option of staying
with her or leaving. Leaving allows you to exit the house and complete that
day's chores, but staying with your wife increases her affection score by 50.
You should still opt to leave, as animals will go hungry that day otherwise.
Once born, you will be told the gender of the child and asked to name it.
Your wife will always refer to the child as male when requesting a name, even
if it is female. Either way, the gender of the child is not important. The
sprites for both are the same, and the gender is not mentioned again after
birth.
Once your wife delivers the child, there is no additional work required on
your part. You never need to speak to or pick up the kid. Your wife does not
care and the children do not have individual affection scores, so there is no
effect at all. Children will grow on their own following a specific life
cycle, as illustrated below.
60 days 30 days 30 days
Wife is -------> Child is -------> Child crawls -------> Child walks
Pregnant born
Clearly, pregnancy and child growth take a very long time. It will take 80
days from the day you are married to have your first child under perfect
conditions, and 170 days to have a second child. If you want to make sure you
have enough time for two children, you need to be married no later than the
first weekend of the spring in year 2 (day 5 or 6). If you want to make sure
both children have grown enough to walk by the end of the game, you need to be
married by the first weekend in the summer of year 1. This is incredibly hard
to do and has no real benefit. You receive the exact same ending and score
whether your child is an infant or toddler at the end, so do not rush to get
married early for this purpose. The thing that's important is that you have
two children.
==============================================================================
12. T H E D A I L Y G R I N D HM1C
==============================================================================
Below is a general list of the tasks you should do each day, as well as some
common mistakes you should avoid. The most useful section may be the list of
things that are irrelevant, as most other advice has you waste time engaging
in these tasks. This list should help you prioritize your time a bit better
and optimize your daily routine.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO
--------------------
Every Day
- Collect eggs and milk from livestock as soon as the day begins.
- Feed all your animals after collecting produce. Brush and talk to cows as
well. Remember, time does not pass in the barn, and this helps make sure
you do not forget the feeding.
- Take care of any business in town once the produce is collected, including
buying seeds or livestock.
- Collect any crops. If the day ends and you have not picked all the crops,
save them for the next day. They will survive until picked.
- Collect fruit or fish from the mountain for extra money when not harvesting
crops. This is especially important in the first two seasons.
- Build relationships with all the single girls in town in your free time. It
is best to do this during the fall and winter when you have some down time.
- Maintain the farm. This includes fixing broken fence pieces and pulling up
weeds.
- Chop extra wood from the mountain at night. You will need to save up until
You have upgraded your house twice.
- Before bed, check the weather for the next day.
When Married
- Give your wife a gift every other day or so to keep her affection score
up. Eggs make excellent gifts.
Throughout the Game
- Get married and have two children. You should be married before the end of
the first year to make sure you have enough time for both children.
- Win the Egg Hunt in years 1 and 2.
- Upgrade your house at least once before the end of the first summer.
- Collect Power Berries at every chance you get.
- Hug your dog 100 times before the end of the game. This is not a rumor and
is, in fact, needed for the best ending. Other than this, the dog has no
purpose in the game.
THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO
------------------------
- Plow the field, water the crops, cut the grass, or plant new seeds during
the day. Save these chores for the night time. Daytime is when you should
be making money.
- Go to bed each night with your wife. Yes, this is contrary to most other
advice. Going to bed without her does lower her affection score slightly,
but you can easily make up for it with gifts. Staying up late is essential
to completing chores and making a lot of money.
- Place anything in the shipping bin at night. You will not be paid for it.
- Keep the livestock outside. There is no benefit to doing this and there are
some serious downsides. Keep them inside at all times.
- Buy perfume at the Flower Festival. It is a waste of money.
- Buy more than one chicken. After buying the first, breed the rest by
incubating eggs.
- Buy the Miracle Potion. Unless you are rich and just want to see the
effects, buy cows instead of breeding them.
THINGS IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU DO
-----------------------------------
Despite what you may read otherwise, the following actions have no effect on
the game, positively or negatively.
- Buy the Money Tree.
- Plant the Magic Beans. This is an interesting side event, but it is not
needed.
- Use fence pieces on your ranch. There is no negative effect or penalty from
not having a fence. Even if you leave chickens outside, wild dogs never
show up if there is not a fence (their appearance is triggered by broken
fence pieces only).
- Talk to or interact with your kids. Surprisingly, you can ignore them with
no penalty and are never rewarded for anything you do with them.
- Talk to your wife. Conversations (or lack thereof) do not affect her
affection score once married.
- Take your wife's advice or satisfy her requests. She will frequently tell
you to do things like "take the dog inside during the rain." You can ignore
everything she says without upsetting her.
- Flirt with or build relationships with other women once married. Your wife
does not care if you talk to or even dance with other women. The one
exception is the Star Night festival – she will get upset if you don't join
her.
- Pay any attention to your horse. You can ignore the horse completely after
you find it if you want.
- Screw up any of the scenes required to get the golden tools. There is no
permanent penalty for this. If you do mess them up, the golden tools will
appear for sale at the tool shop.
______________________________________________________________________________
F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
______________________________________________________________________________
The following section contains answers to some of the more frequently asked
questions in the game. If you're looking for a specific piece of information
or are strapped in a given area, the answer can likely be found here.
==============================================================================
1. S T A R T I N G O U T HM21
==============================================================================
Q: I'm in town on the first day and the shipper won't let me leave. What do
I need to do?
A: There are six people you are required to speak to on your first trip to
town before you can exit. They are:
1. Flower Shop Owner. You must go behind the counter to talk to her and
you must collect the Watering Can.
2. Livestock Dealer. Talk to him and collect the grass seed.
3. Nina: Pink-haired girl in the back room of the flower shop.
4. Maria. Blue-haired girl inside the church.
5. Eve: Blonde girl in front of the bar in the southwest corner.
6. Ann: Red-haired girl in front of the tool shop.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Some girl just gave me a dog. What do I need to do with him?
A: Give him a name and then move him some place where he is out of the way.
The dog has no direct use in the game and does not require any care, so you
can basically forget you ever received him. You can even leave him in town
or on the mountain and nothing will happen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Just began the game. What exactly should I be doing?
A: While it's still light out, you should be collecting wild fruit or fish
from the mountain and placing it in the shipping bin for money. The
temptation is to begin clearing the farm right away, but save that for the
nighttime. You will have infinite time to clear it then.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I make money?
A: At the very start of the game, your only source of money will be from
collecting fruit and fish from the mountain and selling them. Fruit sell
for 150 G each and fish sell for 300 G each, so you can make a decent
amount early on. Put this money towards crops (focus on potatoes in
year 1). Once crops start to ripen, collect them for money in the morning
and continue to collect fruit or fish with any remaining time before the
shipper arrives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: It just got dark. How long does the night last?
A: Time stands still once it gets dark. You are free to spend as long as you
would like at night doing chores without any penalty.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What is the chicken statue at the crossroads?
A: Very odd that a chicken statue would just be sitting there, right? See if
you can find a tool in your shed that will break it. If you are lucky, you
may be able to find an item inside. Try breaking it repeatedly until you
do uncover a reward.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I fish?
A: Speak with the fisherman, who gives you the rod (although you can't see
it). Next, approach the bench to the right of him in front of the pond.
Press the Y button to cast the rod and Y to reel it back in. Wait until
the rod starts to shake before reeling it. You will either pull up a fish
or some junk from the bottom of the pond, and which one you receive is
determined randomly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What should I do during the day and what should I do at night?
A: Daytime is for making money. You should sell crops, harvest fruit or
fish from the mountain, and take care of any purchases you need to make in
town. Nighttime is for chores. Use that time to water and plant
crops and clear the ranch. If you get tired and run out of stamina, you
can recharge by jumping in the hot springs on the mountain. Jump in 5-6
times and you should be fully restored.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What do Power Berries or "Berries from the Power Tree" do?
A: Power Berries increase your maximum stamina, which is the energy needed to
use tools. Each berry increases your maximum stamina by 10 points (it
starts at 100)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get the Power Berry I can see in the mountain cave?
A: Wait until a certain event occurs later in the game. It is not accessible
for a while.
==============================================================================
2. R A N C H HM22
==============================================================================
Q: The ranch is covered with rocks, weeds, and tree stumps. What do I do?
A: You will need to use the tools to help you clear the land. If you haven't
done so already, watch the introduction to the game. It shows how to clear
everything. In general, pick up bushes and discard them, pick up small
stones and throw them into a pond, break large stones with the hammer,
and chop tree stumps with the axe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What are these things I dig up randomly when I plow the farm?
A: You can dig up coins (small gold objects worth 10 G), money bags (white
bags worth 50 G), moles, or Power Berries. Moles do not do anything and
can be ignored. Note that you can only dig up one money item per day
(coins or money bags), so do not waste time trying to find more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What is the secret garden for?
A: The garden shows the number of Power Berries (Berries of the Power Tree)
you have eaten. Each flower represents a consumed berry. Each Power Berry
eaten also increases your maximum stamina by 10 (you start with 100), so
you can use the garden as a way to track this number.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I'm trying to fix up my farm and Jack keeps falling down when I try to use
tools. What should I do?
A: This happens when Jack's stamina is depleted and he is too tired to work.
When this occurs, you either need to go to sleep (restores all stamina),
eat something (restores a little stamina), or jump in the hot springs
(restores a good amount). The hot springs is the quickest way. Jump in
5-6 times to completely restore your stamina at the beginning.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What are the barking dogs I hear at night?
A: These are wild dogs that come to your farm. They will eat any chickens if
left outside and are a nuisance. They only come when you have broken fence
pieces, so inspect the ranch the day after hearing any to repair the fence.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I fix my fence?
A: Use the hammer to destroy any broken pieces. Plant new pieces by taking
them from the wood shed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Do I even need a fence on my ranch?
A: No, you don't. A fence actually has no benefits other than being
decorative. It does not keep away wild dogs or protect animals outside.
In fact, a fence does just the opposite. Wild dogs only come when pieces
of the fence are broken. If you have no fence at all, the pieces will
never break and you will never hear the wild dogs. Use a fence only if you
like the way it looks. To remove the starting fence, throw the pieces in a
pond or carry them off the screen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Sometimes I see birds in front of my house in the morning. What do they
mean?
A: Birds appear randomly on some mornings after you leave your house. When
you see them, they increase your happiness score by 2 points. They have no
purpose aside from this and do not signify any other event. Sightings of
most other animals also increase your happiness score.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I heard I can dig up Power Berries on the ranch. Where are they?
A: There are two Power Berries that can be found by plowing the ranch, but
both cannot be found in the same day. These berries are not "located"
anywhere, meaning there is no predetermined location where they exist.
They can appear on any square that can be plowed and are generated
randomly. Just keep plowing and you will eventually find them.
==============================================================================
3. T O O L S HM23
==============================================================================
Q: I am trying to clear the farm but cannot get the hammer or axe to work.
What am I doing wrong?
A: The hammer and axe require 6 consecutive blows to destroy large rocks and
stumps, respectively. You cannot move or leave in between blows or the
count resets. Do not press the Directional Pad at all when swinging, as
this interferes with the count as well.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I am using the hoe and plowed the wrong square accidentally. How do I
"unplow" or "unhoe" that spot?
A: Throw a piece of fence on top of that square. When you pick the piece up,
the ground will return to unplowed soil.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get the golden sickle?
A: During the first summer, you will hear a loud noise at night. Inspect the
ranch and find the tree that was destroyed the next morning. Head down the
hole and talk to the gnome. Tell him you do use the sickle and he will
upgrade it the next day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get the golden axe?
A: During the winter of the first year, you will hear an earthquake one night.
The next day, equip the axe and head over the mountain. The quake will
have opened the area just north of the entrance. Stand in front of the
pond and use the axe. This will cause the Goddess of the Spring to appear.
Tell her the golden axe is not yours (tell the truth) and she will give it
to you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get the golden hammer?
A: At some point near the end of the first winter, the carpenter will come to
your farm and ask to borrow the hammer. Let him and he will give you back
the golden hammer the next morning.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get the golden hoe? I think I missed it.
A: The golden hoe can be acquired in the fall of year 1 or year 2. On one of
the days, you will find an injured gnome outside your house by the shipping
bin. Give him a mushroom from the mountain and he will upgrade your hoe
the next morning. It seems random as to whether this event occurs in the
first or second year. In my experience, it always occurs on the second day
of the season.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I screwed up the event and missed [insert any golden tool here]. What do
I do?
A: If this happens, relax. You are not permanently screwed. Head over to the
tool shop and that item will be for sale.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I bought the Snow Flower Seed (or Snow Gem) from the peddler. How do I
plant it?
A: The Snow Gem needs to be planted on the mountain summit during the winter.
The correct location is just below the cliff near the top of the screen.
It does not need to be planted on day 1 or any day in particular, just
during that season.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I have tried planting the Magic Beans but the beanstalk won't grow. What
am I doing wrong?
A: First off, the beanstalk will only grow in the spring. This is a critical
piece of information that most sources omit. Stand just below the top part
where the cliff begins and plant the bean there. It should sprout
immediately if done right. Exit and re-enter the screen for the stalk to
grow to full size. The day of the week is also unimportant, so plant it
whenever you want.
==============================================================================
4. C R O P S & G R A S S HM24
==============================================================================
Q: I bought some seeds. How do I grow crops?
A: You need to plow the ground first by using the hoe. Once plowed, use the
seeds. They will work on a 3x3 area. Once planted, water crops every day.
They will slowly start to grow and can eventually be harvested.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I grew a 3x3 area of crop and can't water the square in the middle now they
have started to grow. What do I do?
A: Pretend the center crop never existed. In general, you should avoid
planting crops in a 3x3 formation, as this problem always occurs. Leave
one of the squares empty and plant in either a "donut" or "C" formation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What do I do once the crops are fully grown?
A: First off, make sure you are aware of what fully grown crops look like. In
the spring, especially, it can be hard to tell. The introduction to the
game is a good place to see this visually. Once the crop is fully grown,
pick it from the ground using the A button and throw it in the shipping
bin. You will be paid the next day for these crops.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Should I grow turnips, potatoes, or both?
A: In the first year, grow potatoes exclusively. Even though they take
slightly longer to grow, you will always make more money with this
crop than with turnips. During the first year in general, it's better to
stick with one type of crop in each season.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I picked one of the summer crops (tomatoes or corn) and the plant is still
there. How do these crops work?
A: Unlike spring crops, summer ones will yield multiple harvests. Just keep
watering the plants after picking the vegetables and they will regrow crops
within 3 days.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I remove grass I don't want?
A: YOU CAN'T. This is stressed here because it is vitally important to
remember. There is no way for you to deliberately remove grass once
planted, so you need to do some advance planning before placing the grass
seed. In general, grass should be out of the way of where you will grow
crops. The best areas are the area north of your house or east of the tool
shed. Leave the entire southern portion of the farm grass-free.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Do I need to replant grass each spring?
A: No. Once grass is planted, it's permanent and never needs to be replanted.
While grass does not grow during the winter, it returns to life and
continues to grow in the spring.
==============================================================================
5. L I V E S T O C K HM25
==============================================================================
Q: My chickens stopped laying eggs. What's wrong?
A: You missed a feeding or left the chicken outside. When feedings are
missed, chickens will not lay eggs again until fed for 3 consecutive days.
If left outside, chickens do not lay eggs either, but they will lay eggs
again on the next day you put them inside, provided they are fed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I breed more chickens?
A: Place a chicken egg in the incubator bin on the right side of the coop. It
will hatch into a chick in 3 days.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: The livestock dealer won't sell me a cow. He keeps saying I need more
grass. What do I do?
A: Before you can buy a new animal, you must have enough grass to support all
the existing animals AND the new animal. You must have 16 planted squares
of grass for each animal (roughly 2 bags worth). The number of animals
includes chicks and matches the number found by adding the chickens and
cows total in the log book in your house. The solutions to this problem
are to either buy more grass or sell some of your chickens.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I just bought a cow and it won't produce milk. What am I doing wrong?
A: The cows you buy from the livestock dealer are still children and will not
produce milk until they grow to adults in 21 days.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What is the brush for and why do I need to use it?
A: The brush is used on cows, and its purpose is to increase their affection
score. Cows with higher affection scores produce larger types of milk,
which in turn sell for more money. Brushing a cow once per day increases
its affection score by 3 points, and only the first brushing counts. You
should also talk to cows each day for an additional 1 affection point.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get my cows to produce bigger size milk?
A: By improving their affection score and avoiding anything that lowers this
score. In general, you should leave the cows inside and feed/brush/talk to
them every day. Eventually they will start producing medium and large
sizes of milk.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Do I need to brush cows forever?
A: No. Practically speaking, you can stop brushing cows once they begin
producing large milk. If you want a higher score at the end of the game,
it is recommended that you keep brushing and talking to them for another
two days after they start producing large milk. This will maximize their
affection score.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I heard I can keep livestock outside. Should I do this?
A: ABSOLUTELY NOT. Any source that claims otherwise is referring to another
Game in this series or is totally wrong. There are no benefits to leaving
animals outside but numerous downsides. Chickens do not lay eggs and risk
being eaten by wild dogs. Cows take much longer to care for and can easily
become cranky or sick if it rains/snows. Avoid this hassle and leave the
animals indoors. The indoor approach also saves valuable time, as time is
stopped inside the barn.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I ran out of food. Should I buy the cow and chicken feed from the
livestock dealer?
A: If it is the middle of the winter, you may have no choice but to buy the
cow feed to avoid costly illness. For chickens, never buy the chicken
feed. There is no permanent damage to chickens if they are not fed; they
simply stop producing eggs in the interim.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: My cows keep getting sick. What is going on?
A: Cows get sick either when left outside in the rain/snow or when left inside
and not fed. If the cow is in the barn, the reason was definitely a missed
feeding. When feeding cows, make sure to place the fodder in the feeding
bin directly in front of the cow. The cows will only eat from that bin;
they will not go to others to eat. Also, do not throw the fodder at the
cow. This does not count as a feeding either. If cows do become sick,
purchase the Medicine immediately. The cow will die in 6 days if not
treated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: The cow has crossed eyes and the game says it is cranky. What does this
mean?
A: It means exactly that – the cow is cranky. Cranky cows have been annoyed
by something and will not produce milk while they are cranky. Cows become
cranky either when you hit them with tools (10 times, cumulative over the
course of the game) or when you leave them outside and the ranch is not
maintained (broken fence pieces). When a cow becomes cranky, its affection
score also drops by 30 points. Crankiness will normally wear off after 2
days, assuming you remove the source of what is irritating the cow (that
is, move the cow inside or fix the fence). You can also use the Medicine
to cure crankiness immediately.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get the cow pregnant?
A: By using the Miracle Potion, which is bought from the livestock dealer for
4000 G. Use it on any adult cow and the cow will become pregnant the next
day. Cows are pregnant for 21 days before giving birth. There is a bug
that lets you speed this up, however. After using the Miracle Potion, use
the Medicine. This will cut the pregnancy time down to one day, and the
cow will give birth the day after becoming pregnant. Still, this process
is incredibly time consuming. It is always a better idea to just buy cows
than to breed them.
==============================================================================
6. F E S T I V A L S HM26
==============================================================================
Q: Do I need to buy the perfume at the Flower Festival?
A: No. In fact, buying the perfume is a waste of money. The boost in
affection score can easily be equaled by giving other, less expensive
gifts, as well as through basic conversation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I'm at the Flower Festival and the woman on the left side of the screen
will not move. What do I do?
A: Talk to everyone at the festival. This woman will move away once you have
had a conversation with each person, excluding the mayor behind her. If
she won't move, you missed someone.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What should I bring to the Harvest Festival?
A: If you spoke to the townspeople the day before, they mention that it is
customary to bring some type of food to the festival. You should bring
either a fish or a Fullmoon Berry from the mountain summit. Both of these
will get you a Power Berry as reward.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I win the egg hunt at the Egg Festival?
A: By finding three or more correct eggs before the livestock dealer. This
can be quite tricky given the time pressure. As soon as the game starts,
head north to the church and start opening the chests going clockwise.
Between the church and the fortuneteller's shop, there are five total
chests. In most cases, you can find enough correct eggs from these chests
to win the contest. Just remember the location of a colored egg when you
find one. Run back to the town square as soon as the bell rings to find
the color of the new egg. If you lose the egg hunt, reset and try again.
It is impossible to get the best ending in the game if you don't win in
both years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Some girls gave me cakes at the Thanksgiving Festival but some didn't.
What happened?
A: Any girl who has 3 or more hearts in her diary will give you a cake. The
cake increases your happiness score.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Where should I go during the Star Night Festival?
A: If you are married, go wherever your wife is going. She will be upset if
you don't. If you are single, it doesn't matter. Talk to the single girls
on day 23 and head to the location of whichever one you like the best.
==============================================================================
7. R E L A T I O N S H I P S HM27
==============================================================================
Q: How do I get a girl to like me?
A: The main way is by having a conversation with her where she asks a
question. Answering a question always boosts affection score, and the more
affirmative answer usually boosts the score more. Girls do not always ask
questions, and whether or not they do depends on the season and day of the
week. If a girl does ask a question, you can get numerous points by
answering it repeatedly. Just exit and re-enter the screen to talk to her
again. You can track a girl's affection for you by the number of hearts in
her diary. In addition to conversations, talking/dancing with girls at
festivals and giving gifts (see below) also works, though not as well.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What are the best gifts to give a girl?
A: The general answer is whatever is cheapest and easiest to give. You should
never spend money on gifts or waste considerable time retrieving them. As
for specifics, the effectiveness of gifts changes depending on where the
girl is located, so the list is highly variable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I have heard about "special events" for each girl. How do I get them to
occur?
A: They will occur on their own once you have 4 hearts in the girl's diary.
Someone will always come to your farm in the morning to begin the event.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I was told that Maria ran away, but I can't find her. Where is she?
A: Look for Maria in the carpenters' house on the mountain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Ann came to my farm and told me she lost her weather-cock. Where do I find
it?
A: Trying looking in the chicken coop.
==============================================================================
8. M A R R I A G E & F A M I L Y HM28
==============================================================================
Q: How do I propose to a girl?
A: First, you need to have 5 hearts in her diary. If you do, the peddler in
town should sell the Blue Feather on Sunday if the weather is nice. Buy
the feather and use it to propose to the girls. The proposal day for all
girls except Nina is Saturday; Nina's proposal day is Sunday. It must be
sunny when you make the proposal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How come I can't get married?
A: Assuming you already have the Blue Feather, either the girl's affection
score is too low or you are proposing at the wrong time. Make sure she has
5 hearts in her diary. If she does, wait until Saturday to propose (or
Sunday for Nina). The weather must be sunny or the girl will not accept.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Which girl is easiest to marry?
A: This is a bad question that seems to have become popularized by several
other guides. There is no such thing as "easy" or "hard." All girls
involve the same exact process for increasing affection score: repeated
conversations. Ann, Maria, and Eve all have times where you can talk to
them when inside, which is useful since it stops the clock. However, the
real-time requirement is the same for all girls. Just target the one whose
personality you like.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: When should I get married?
A: The best time is in either the fall or winter of year 1. This allows more
than enough time to have two children before the game ends.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What do I need to do once married?
A: There is a lot of bad information regarding what to do when married. Other
than gift giving, the only daily actions that affect your wife's affection
are going to bed with her and coming home after she is asleep. Going to
bed together increases the affection score of all girls except Eve by 2
points. For Eve, it lowers her score by 2 points. Coming home after your
wife is asleep will lower the affection score of all girls by 2 points.
With this in mind, you can balance out coming home late by giving your wife
gifts. A single egg every other day is all that's needed to keep her
happy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Can my wife leave me?
A: Yes. If her affection score drops below 200 (3 hearts or less in diary),
she will leave if she is not pregnant and you do not have children. You
can always win her back by simply visiting her in her old bedroom (wherever
her diary is kept). She will never leave a second time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I have children?
A: First, you must be married and have upgraded your house twice. Second,
your wife's affection score needs to be above 450 (between 7 and 8 hearts).
If both these criteria are met, she will get pregnant once you have been
married for 20 days. For a second child, your first child must be 31 days
old and the wife's affection score must be 650 or higher (between 9 and 10
hearts in diary).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What do I need to do with the children once they're born?
A: Nothing at all. The way you treat your kids has no effect on anything in
this game. You can ignore them entirely if you want.
______________________________________________________________________________
W A L K T H R O U G H
______________________________________________________________________________
The following walkthrough takes you through the game from start to finish and
explains how to play a "100%" game and get everything you can as soon as you
can. Please keep in mind that Harvest Moon is an open-ended, non-linear game,
so there are dozens of ways you can choose to play. Do not feel pigeonholed
by anything you read here. This is just one way to approach the game, and the
choice is up to you. Take whatever usefulness you can from this text and
apply it to your individual playing style.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
1. S P R I N G – Y E A R 1 HM31
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Before starting a new game, you see a brief introduction featuring your
character and his parents. They are leaving him for two and half years and it
is up to him (you) to cultivate the farm and become a responsible adult.
While you can technically do whatever you want, you are scored by how well you
maintain the farm, take care of animals, foster relationships with women, and
earn money. This guide will instruct on how to do well in all those
categories, but keep in mind that you are still free to play in any manner you
choose.
Here are some basic goals to keep in mind for the first season:
- Clear entire farm of rocks, stumps, and bushes
- Plow the field and grow potatoes
- When not harvesting crops, visit the mountain and collect fruit or fish
- Buy a chicken
- Plant at least 4 patches of grass
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 1 - INTRODUCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is the first day of spring. As soon as the game begins, you walk outside
your cabin and are greeted by the friendly shipper. He prompts you to enter a
name for yourself and explains that he will pick up items you leave in the
shipping box each night. He then escorts you to town, before you have any
chance to explore the ranch.
Once in town, the shipper prompts you to speak with the townspeople before you
leave. In fact, he blocks the exit, so you have no choice in the matter. It
is important that you become familiar with the town, as this is where you buy
seeds, livestock, and tools, as well as where you meet a girlfriend and
participate in many festivals. You can also sell items to the peddler
(Sundays only) and receive tips on farming, dating, and raising livestock.
All of these things are described below.
You should speak with everyone before leaving, although you are only required
to talk to six people before the shipper lets you go back to the farm (those
people below). Keep in mind that many people will give you a new message if
you speak to them a second time. This occurs throughout the game and is
important to keep in mind.
Spend some time exploring the following key areas:
- PEDDLER: Just left of the entrance is a ragged old man sitting on a mat. He
appears once a week and will buy (or sell) items. More on him later in the
walkthrough.
- FLOWER SHOP: This shop is directly north of the peddler and has four flowers
in front of it. This is where you buy seeds for crops and grass, and you
will be visiting here frequently during the game. There is also a useful
note on the counter explaining how crops work (which you should read). The
room in the back belongs to Nina, one of the single town girls. Her diary
is kept on the desk between the two beds (more on the girls below).
- CHURCH: Left of the Flower Shop is the church. The church holds weekly
masses on Sunday and is a good place to speak to townspeople. During this
visit, the priest is in the front near the garden. Inside is Maria, one of
the single girls in town.
- MAYOR'S HOUSE: the mayor's house is the large mansion to the left of the
church. It is occupied by the mayor's wife and, occasionally, Maria.
Maria's bedroom and diary are in the back.
- TOWN SQUARE: The town square is the large open area below the church and
mayor's mansion. This is usually where festivals are held, but the square
is pretty uneventful otherwise.
- BAR: Below the town square in the bottom left corner is the bar. The bar is
closed during the day and opens at night. Several of the townspeople are
regulars. Eve, who is one of the single girls in town, works here. Eve
will be standing in front of the bar during this visit and tells you that
it's closed.
- RESTAURANT: Found to the right of the bar. The restaurant sells cakes.
Ellen lives in the bedroom at the back of the restaurant along with her pet
bird, P-Chan. Her diary is on the left side of the room.
- TOOL SHOP: The tool shop is found to the right of the restaurant.
Occasionally, you will be able to buy new tools here. One of the single
girls in town, Ann, lives in the bedroom in the back. Her diary is there as
well. During this visit, Ann is outside in front of the store and will
introduce herself when you speak to her.
- LIVESTOCK DEALER: To the right of the Tool Shop in the far right corner of
the screen is the Livestock Dealer.
- FORTUNE TELLER: The fortune teller gives you some basic insight into what to
do next, but her primary purpose is instructing on the ways of love and
relationships. The book on her table has tips and guidelines for courting
and marrying a girl. You don't really need to focus on this yet.
If you have played the game before or just want to cut to the chase, there are
only six people you need to speak with before the shipper allows you to leave.
These include two people who give you items and four of the single girls:
1. Flower Shop Owner. You must go behind the counter to talk to her and you
must collect the Watering Can.
2. Livestock Dealer. Talk to him and collect the grass seed.
3. Nina: Pink-haired girl in the back room of the flower shop.
4. Maria. Blue-haired girl inside the church.
5. Eve: Blonde girl in front of the bar in the southwest corner.
6. Ann: Redheaded girl in front of the tool shop.
Once you're ready to leave, return to the shipper near the entrance and tell
him. He drives you back to farm and you go right to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 2 – GETTING STARTED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second day is where the farm life begins. You now have the freedom to
explore all areas of the game, clear your farm, and begin cultivating crops.
There is a pretty steep learning curve at this point, so do not feel pressured
to do everything this walkthrough suggests. Take the time to get familiar
with the game and comfortable with all the different elements of daily life.
The first and most important lesson is about how to prioritize your day.
There are some tasks that you definitely want to accomplish while it's
daytime, whereas others can be left until night. Nighttime in this game is
infinite, and you can stay awake as long as you want with no penalty.
Below is a table showing the tasks you should focus on during the different
parts of the day:
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| DAY TIME | NIGHT TIME |
o------------------------------------+---------------------------------------o
| - Harvest any crops or produce | - Plant crops |
| and place them in the bin | - Water crops |
| - Purchase seeds and other goods | - Clear the farm of bushes, rocks, |
| in town | and stumps |
| - Collect fruit from the mountain | - Move fences and maintain farm |
| and place it in the bin for | - Chop wood on the mountain |
| money | - Cut grass |
| - Fish at the mountain | - Feed and groom animals (this can |
| - Visit the peddler (Sunday) | also be done during the day since |
| - Talk to any people in town or | time stops in the barn) |
| at the mountain | - Visit the bar in town |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
The time-sensitive items during the day are harvesting crops and produce,
buying items from town, and collecting fruit from the mountain. Remember,
anything placed in the shipping bin at night will rot, and you will not
receive payment. This is why it is essential to place any for-sale items in
there before the shipper arrives.
Most of your farm chores can be completed at night, and doing them then is the
best way to optimize productivity and profit. The most important thing to
remember during the night is that you can recover stamina from the springs at
the top of the mountain. Each time you take a dip, you recover 24 stamina
(out of 100 maximum at the start). Five quick jumps and your stamina is
completely recovered. It is actually possible to clear the entire farm by the
end of day 2.
Before getting started on the farm, let's take care of a few things.
=======
NEW PET
=======
As soon as you leave the house on Day 2, you are greeted by Ellen, one of the
single girls from town, and her dog, Koro. Ellen needs to find a new home for
the pooch and kindly dumps him on you. You are given the choice of renaming
the dog if you want. Once Ellen departs, the dog is yours. He is pretty
useless save for a couple of events described later. For now, move him some
place where he is out of the way. The dog does not need to be taken inside,
fed, or cared for in any way.
============
BUYING SEEDS
============
Your first stop on Day 2 should be the flower shop in town. You'll want to
purchase seeds so you can begin farming as soon as possible. You only have
enough money for one bag, and I recommend buying the potato seeds on this day
(more on seed purchasing later). While in the store, be sure to read the book
on the counter near the shop owner. It describes the different types of crops
and is quite useful.
===============
CATCHING A FISH
===============
On the way back from town, stop by the mountain. The people will introduce
themselves the first time you visit. The local inhabitants include a couple
of carpenters, a hunter, and a fisherman. Exit and re-enter the screen for
the normal messages.
The most useful person at this time is the fisherman, found near the pond on
the southeast side of the screen. He will allow you to fish whenever he is
around. Fish can earn you a good deal of money if sold. Leave them in the
bin with the crops for 300 G, or, on Sundays, bring them to the Peddler in
town for the same price. Never eat the fish, as this is a waste.
To fish, speak to the fisherman and approach the bench on the left side of the
pond. Press Y to cast the fishing line. When you see the line shake, press Y
again to reel in the catch. You will find either an old boot, a tin can, or a
fish. You will need to have some patience when fishing. It is possible to go
an entire day without catching anything, so some luck is involved. One trick
is to pull in the reel after about 5 seconds and recast if nothing has bitten
yet. This can speed up the rate at which you find things.
After catching the first fish of the day, you can throw it back into the pond
to receive a POWER BERRY from the Water Imp. You can only receive the berry
during the day and only if you throw back the first catch of the day. Despite
what some sources say, you do not have the throw back the very first fish you
catch, just the first one you catch on that particular day.
The POWER BERRY adds 10 to your maximum stamina and will come in handy before
you begin clearing the farm. This is why collecting it now is recommended.
=========================
COLLECTING FRUIT AND FISH
=========================
If there is still daylight after you catch the first fish, you can earn some
money by collecting fruit. In particular, by collecting the "berry of the
wild grape." These look like yellow grapes, and the closest one is found
near the middle of the screen, directly north of the entrance. Bring the
fruit back to your farm and place it in the shipping bin. You will be paid
150 G for each piece of fruit, and this is a great source of income until the
crops are ready to harvest.
Try to come to the mountain every day for fruit. In most days, you will be
able to collect 2 pieces for 300 G before it gets dark. If you skip town
(like on weekends) and really hustle, you may be able to collect 3 pieces. On
Sundays, bring the fruit to the Peddler instead. He will pay you 200 G for
each piece.
Alternatively, you can try to collect fish instead of fruit. Fish sell for
twice as much, but catching one is less reliable. However, if you get lucky,
you may be able to catch 2 fish on some days for 600 G.
It's up to you to decide whether you are more comfortable picking fruit or
fishing each day. Fruit is more reliable, but fishing has more upside.
Regardless of the choice, you should be doing one of the other to earn extra
cash each day.
=================
CLEARING THE FARM
=================
Once night falls, you can begin the enormous task of clearing the farm. This
will take time, patience, and use of the tools in your shed. It is possible
to clear the entire ranch in a single night, but this takes about 30 minutes
to do. At the very least, you will want to clear the area south of the
shipping bin to make room for crops.
There are 4 types of debris scattered across the farm. The table below shows
how to remove them. Make sure you to equip the right tool from the shed
before proceeding (walk up to the tool and press A. You can carry two tools
at once).
Type of Debris Method of Removal
-------------- -----------------
Bush/Weeds Pick up and throw or cut with sickle (not recommended)
Small Stone Throw in ponds or smash with hammer (not recommended)
Large Rock Break with hammer (hit 6 times without moving)
Tree Stump Chop with axe (chop 6 times without moving)
Note that removing bushes and small stones does not require any stamina, so
you can completely clear the ranch of these objects without having to leave
the screen. It is probably easiest to work on these objects first. Large
rocks and tree stumps require the use of tools to remove, which depletes
stamina. When smashing large rocks or chopping stumps, repeatedly press Y and
do not move away until the debris is removed. It will take many blows with
these basic tools, and moving away will reset the number of hits needed.
Also, chopping up stumps produces wood (materials) that is automatically
stored in the wood shed next to your house. Materials are used for fencing
and later for house renovations. You can earn additional wood by chopping the
stumps on the mountain (more on this later).
After a while of using tools, you will eventually run out of stamina and fall
over. At this time, you cannot use tools without a boost. You can either
take this time to go to sleep or venture up to the mountain springs to
recharge. At the springs, jump in and out 5-6 times to restore all your
stamina.
During the trip around the ranch, you should notice a couple of odd objects:
- Secret Garden in the north. The number of flower blossoms in this garden
shows how many Power Berries you have eaten. This garden also allows you to
compute your maximum stamina: Max Stamina = 100 + 10*(number of flowers).
- Old Well in the southeast: Ignore this for now. Its purpose is revealed
later.
Before going to bed on Day 2, make sure to plant and water the crops (see
below). You may also want to spend time acquiring a couple more Power
Berries, which are available to you (two sections below).
==============
PLANTING CROPS
==============
Growing crops is as much an art as it is science in this game. Many gamers
have strong preferences on how and where to grow crops. The following section
describes ONE strategy for growing crops, which should be helpful for new
players. You are free to adopt whatever strategy you want and are encouraged
to be creative and have fun with your layout.
Regardless of what you decide to do, you should definitely have a plan in
advance for where all the season's crops will be going in advance. This type
of planning allows you to maximize the crops harvested (and money earned)
while minimizing wasted time.
Crops will grow only on soil that has been plowed. During this part of the
game, you will want to hoe soil in a "C" formation, as shown below. The "X"
represents a single square of soil that has been hoed.
X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X
All of these patterns leave at least one side square open. This is necessary
as it's not possible to reach the center square once the crops begin to
sprout. If you make a mistake when plowing and want to "unhoe" or "unplow"
that area, take a piece of fence and place it over the hoed square. It will
return the ground to normal once you pick up the piece.
Once the soil is plowed in one of the patterns above, stand in the center and
press the Y button to throw the seeds in the air. This seems like an awfully
odd way to plant them, but it's effective in the game. The soil should now
change and tiny seeds will be visible. Make sure to water each seed using the
watering can. The watering can is filled up by selecting it and pressing Y in
front of a pond. Continue watering the crops every day and they will grow
into sellable vegetables after 4 days (turnips) or 6 days (potatoes).
While digging in the soil, you may unearth a few interesting items. These
include the following:
1. COIN: Worth 10 G.
2. MONEY BAG: Worth 50 G.
3. MOLE: Resident pest. Just ignore it.
4. POWER BERRY: There are 2 buried on the ranch. You dig them up randomly.
In case you're thinking of spending hours plowing to earn lots of money, the
game does not let you dig up more than one money item per day (either coin or
money bag). Still, make sure you get this money item each day. This is the
only way in the game to earn money after the shipper has arrived, and this
additional income should let you buy another bag or two of seeds.
You can also find Power Berries in the course of digging. There are two in
total, and you should make sure you find both. Keep in mind that you cannot
find more than one per day.
Finally, you do not need to plow new squares to dig up items. You can
repeatedly plow the same square and unearth these goods. It may be convenient
to keep a designated "digging square" right near your house that you use each
day to find money items or Power Berries.
==============
PLANTING GRASS
==============
The livestock dealer gave you grass seed on Day 1, and it is used as feed for
animals. Even though you don't have any animals at this point, you should
plant the grass seed as soon as possible. It is planted similar to the other
seeds, but never needs to be watered. Also, grass should be grown in a
perfect 3x3 block, not in a "C" formation described above. After 9 days,
grass will turn a rich green and will be ready to cut with the sickle. This
is described a bit more later on.
You will want to think ahead about where to plant grass, as it can NEVER be
removed by you once planted. You generally want to plant grass out of the way
so it does not interfere with crop planting. The best places to put it are
either on the northern part of the ranch (west of the secret garden) or east
of the ranch. In general, avoid the area south of the tool shed and the area
near the shipping bin. Those are way too valuable for crop growth. Keep in
mind that you will need a lot of grass by the end of the game, so choose an
area that provides for ample expansion.
===========================
TURNIPS, POTATOES, OR BOTH?
===========================
So which crop should an aspiring farmer opt to plant? Or should he mix and
match? Below is a table summarizing some facts about both crops:
Days to Revenue per Profit per
Type Cost Grow Bag ("C" Form.) Bag
---- ---- ------- --------------- ----------
Turnip 200 4 480 280
Potato 200 6 640 440
Turnips produce less money per bag, but they do grow faster. However,
potatoes are still far superior for earning money. Once you get into a groove
-- meaning you are planting and picking crops every day -- the only difference
between the two crops is that you waited two extra days to start picking the
potatoes. This money is more than made up for in the profit difference during
the other days you are harvesting.
I recommend growing them exclusively during the first spring. You need as
much money as you can get, and this is the best way to get it. There is a
reason for growing turnips in either the second or third spring, and this will
be described then.
===============
CROP STRATEGIES
===============
If you want to make decent money from crops and get a jump start on some of
the bigger purchases, you need to have a crop strategy. Most players don't
have this during their first play through, and it often makes the spring a
giant learning session. This is useful for understanding the game, but it is
highly ineffective. Below are some helpful strategies and an example layout
for crop placement.
1. Plant crops as close to the shipping bin as possible. This allows you to
harvest faster and grow a larger number of crops.
2. If possible, you want to harvest crops and plant new seeds every day. This
smoothes out your income and really leads to rapid growth in wealth. It
may not be possible during the first week, but it should be the routine
after Day 10 or so.
3. During the first 10 days, the income you earn from collecting fruit or fish
on the mountain is critical to funding the purchase of new seeds. Spend
any free time at the mountain and always buy as many seeds as you can each
morning.
4. The most successful harvesting strategy involves picking crops during
almost the entire day. If you start working when you leave the house and
place the last crop in the bin just before the shipper arrives, you've had
a good day.
5. Despite what some sources say, crops never go bad if left out overnight.
In fact, crops will survive indefinitely until the season change. If you
fail to harvest all the crops in one day, do it the next day.
6. I find that potatoes are a better crop to grow, and you should stick with
them exclusively, as was described in the last section. While they take
two days longer to grow, they net you more money. You can never make as
much in a season planting turnips.
Below is one example of how to lay out the farm. Keep in mind that this is an
advanced layout, so do not feel you need to duplicate this or attempt to grow
this many crops if you are new to the game. Also, this is one of many
possible layouts. Adopt the design that you feel most comfortable with.
In the image below, the "#" designates fence and "X" designates planted crops.
| ###########
| Bin# #
|## []# XXX ######
| # ###### XX
| #### XXX
|
| XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX
| XX XX XX XX XX XX
| XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX
|
| XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX
| XX XX XX XX XX XX
| XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX
|
| XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX
| XX XX XX XX XX XX
| XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX
|
| XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX
| XX XX XX XX XX
| XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX
| 1 2 3 4 5 6
In case the illustration is unclear, the image above shows 24 patches of crops
(4 down, 6 across) placed below the shipping bin. I prefer planting all seeds
for a single day in the same column, which is what the numbers refer to. For
example, I will plant all seeds on Monday in column 1, all seeds on Tuesday in
column 2, etc. After the sixth day rolls around, the crops in the first
column will be ready to pick (assuming you grew potatoes) and you can plant
new seeds in their place. This makes it very easy to figure exactly when the
crops will be harvested. Yes, I move the fence up from its starting position
to allow another patch of crops closer to the shipping bin
At first, you will only be able to afford 1-2 bags of seed each day, so many
of these patches will be empty. After a couple of weeks, however, you should
be harvesting and planting 2-3 patches each day and raking in a ton of money.
=============
POWER BERRIES
=============
Power Berries increase maximum stamina by 10 and are the best friend of hard-
working farmers who stay awake late. It is actually possible to earn four
Power Berries by the end of day 2 and five by the end of day 3. However, this
takes an incredible amount of time and patience to do in one day. If you want
to give it a try but run out of stamina, visit the hot springs on the
mountain. Do not feel like you are pressured to get these Berries. You can
always find them at any time if you missed any one.
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| POWER BERRIES |
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| BERRY 1: Go fishing at the mountain and throw back the first fish that you |
| catch that day. The Water Imp will reward you with a Berry. |
| |
| BERRY 2: Dug up randomly when plowing the ground on the ranch. |
| |
| BERRY 3: Chop the tree stumps on the mountain and a Berry will randomly |
| appear. Note the stumps reappear if you exit and return to the |
| screen. |
| |
| BERRY 4: Equip the hammer and smash the chicken statue at the crossroad. |
| If the berry does not appear, exit the screen and keep trying. |
| Interestingly, this is the first possible Power Berry you can |
| find in the game. It will always appear if you rush to the statue|
| on the morning Ellen leaves the dog (while sky is still bluish). |
| However, if you prefer not to rush, just come back that night. |
| |
| BERRY 5: This is the second berry found while plowing the ranch. It also |
| appears randomly, but not on the same day as the first. |
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 14 – IN A GROOVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the second week, you should have several patches of crops planted and have
a nice routine down for selling fruit/fish in your free time. The primary
goal now is accumulating as much money as possible. Below is a look ahead at
some of the things you are saving for. If you are experienced at this game,
you may also want to start saving for some of the items listed in the expert
category.
Goal Money Needed Target Date
---- ------------ -----------
Purchase 1-3 bags of grass 500-1500 G Spring, Week 3
Purchase chicken 1000 G Spring, Week 3
Purchase summer crops 3600-4500 G Summer, Day 1-3
Buy Cow 5000 G Summer, Week 1-2
(Expert Only)
Purchase Snow Gem 2000 G Spring, Day 23
Purchase final spring crops >1200 G Spring, Day 30
Upgrade house 5000 G + 250 wood Summer, Week 2
==================
MAINTAIN THE RANCH
==================
In addition to harvesting and caring for crops, you should routinely inspect
the rest of the ranch for any damage or other problems. By this time, all the
stumps, rocks, and weeds from the beginning should be cleared. Every few
days, weeds will grow again, however. Walk around at night and tear up any
that appear.
Weeds often tend to pop up just after it rains, and the rain also destroys
parts of the fence. A destroyed fence allows wild dogs to get onto your farm
at night (you will hear them barking while you sleep). Wild dogs will eat any
chickens that are outside in addition to making noise each night. Remove any
broken fence units by hitting them with the hammer. Replace the fence by
grabbing lumber from the wood shed next to the house. If, for some reason,
you don't have enough lumber in the shed, you can collect it by chopping the
stumps on the mountain.
Finally, make sure you cut the grass as soon as it is long enough. It will
turn a dark, rich green color. If you planted it on Day 2, the grass should
be long enough by now. Use the sickle and cut all the pieces.
=============
WHEN IT RAINS
=============
By the second week, you will probably have experienced at least 1-2 rain
storms. Most people in town or at the mountain stay indoors during rain, but
the shipper still collects any crops or fruit as usual.
In general, rain is a welcome event. It saves you the hassle of having to
water the crops that day. Well, up to a point. If you plant any new seeds
while it is raining, you must still water them separately. Yes, this is very
odd and probably a bug, but the seeds will not grow that night otherwise.
Finally, don't worry about leaving your dog out in the rain. He is extremely
resilient and doesn't seem to mind.
================
FARM, FARM, FARM
================
Your primary goal during the third week of the spring is to grow and sell as
many crops as possible. You should still be picking crops and planting seeds
for new crops every day. If you have the financial freedom to do so, buy
several days worth of seeds from town in a single trip to save time on other
days. Going to town wastes a good couple of game hours and limits the money
you can make from harvesting or collecting fruit/fish on the mountain.
Once you have started to accumulate some money, you will want to buy some more
grass. Grass may seem like an expensive purchase at this point, but it is
necessary to begin raising chickens, which are very nice money makers. Buy at
least one and up to three bags of grass before the end of week 3.
===========================
I FEEL LIKE CHICKEN TONIGHT
===========================
Once you have two patches of grass planted (technically, 16 squares), you
should start saving to buy a chicken, which costs 1000 G. Tell the livestock
dealer that you are interested in this purchase and he will deliver it to your
ranch later that day.
Chickens are housed inside the chicken coop at the eastern side of the farm.
Chickens require very little maintenance and will produce 1 egg each day so
long as they are fed. Inside the coop, the feeding trough is up against the
back wall. Place one piece of fodder per chicken in the trough. Do NOT throw
the fodder in the chicken's face, as this will not count as a feeding.
The next morning, you should see an egg on the floor within the coop. You can
either place the egg in the shipping bin at the bottom left for 50 G, or you
can place it in the incubator on the bottom right. Incubated eggs will grow
into chicks in 3 days, which then grow into adult chickens in 7 more days.
Breeding chickens is an excellent source of money, both from their eggs and
from selling the chickens themselves –- the livestock dealer will pay 500 G
for an adult. During the spring and early summer, you probably will want to
sell any adult chickens if you have more than two. Numerous chickens will
start to quickly deplete your fodder reserve, so you want to take things slow
until you have an ample supply of grass.
As far as care, you should visit the chicken coop first thing each morning
before going to town or harvesting crops. Time does not pass when inside, so
there is no rush. Unlike crops, eggs will not survive until the next day if
you miss the shipper. Collecting them (and milk later) should always be the
tasks that begin your day.
Finally, you can leave the chickens outside if you choose, but there is no
incentive to do this. When outdoors, chickens do not need to be fed (they eat
grass on their own), but they also do not produce any eggs. In addition,
chickens are at risk of being eaten by wild dogs at night if you have any
broken fence pieces (if a chicken is eaten, you will find a feather the next
day). Given these risks, you should NEVER keep chickens outside. EVER.
======
DAY 22
======
On Day 22, the shipper comes by in the morning and tells you that the next day
is the flower festival. As is the case with all such holidays, he will still
pick up any items placed in the shipping bin that day.
If you go to town, the characters will have a special dialogue talking about
the festival. Nothing they say is of any real importance, however, so make
sure you place and crops and produce in the shipping bin first.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 23 – FLOWER FESTIVAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day 23 of spring is the annual Flower Festival. Attendance at the festival is
optional, and it is possible to miss it if you wait too long to go. After the
festival, you come home and go to sleep right away, so make sure any important
chores for the day are completed before heading to town.
At the start of the day, make sure you place any eggs in the shipping bin and
feed the chicken(s). Unlike most days, I suggest watering any crops before
picking ripe ones. Ripe crops can still be collected tomorrow, but unwatered
crops will not grow that day and end up costing real money. Once Jack eats
his lunch, this signifies noon. You should immediately start heading over so
you don't risk missing the festival.
The Flower Festival takes place in a closed-off town square, and almost
everyone is in attendance. At the top left, you can buy perfume for 1000 G to
give to one of the girls, but this is a huge waste.
===========
THE PEDDLER
===========
At the top right is the peddler, who offers to sell you the "seed of a snow
flower" for 2000 G. This seed is used in the winter to earn a Power Berry.
Do not buy this item unless you have the money and can spend it comfortably.
If you pass on it now, you can always buy it next year and still collect the
Power Berry.
=========
THE DANCE
=========
Before you can leave, you need to speak with every single person in the
square. Once you've done that, talk to the older, blue-haired woman on the
left side of the screen. She will move aside and let you speak with the
mayor, who tells you to pick a lucky gal for the dance. Pick whichever girl
seems to interest you the most and watch the "festivities." Dancing with a
girl will increase her affection for you, but there is no need to worry about
this yet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 24 – SPRING CLEANING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you enter the final week of spring, your main tasks will be saving money
and preparing the farm for the summer crops. Some gamers hold off on planting
new spring crops in the final days of the season because they think these
crops will not grow in the summer. Chalk this up to yet another piece of
misinformation. Any spring crops planted during the spring will continue to
grow during the summer. They only fail to grow if planted *during* the
Summer.
With that in mind, do not shy away from planting as many crops as possible.
As the summer crops take 10-13 days to grow, harvesting these spring crops
during that period will be a major source of income.
==================
PREPARE FOR SUMMER
==================
As the season ends, you will want to start preparing for the summer crops.
Most notably, you will want to make sure the area closest to the shipping bin
will be free on Days 1-3 when the summer crops will be planted. Any new
spring crops should be planted away from this main area.
For the summer crops, I tend to favor a different formation over the "C" used
in the spring. I prefer the parallel layout, since it allows for quicker
harvesting and MUCH quicker watering. This layout only uses six of the nine
possible squares, as shown below:
X X X X X
X X
X X X X X
Yes, this layout is much more wasteful. However, the summer crops only need
to be planted once, so I can easily justify the lower margin with the fact
that I make more money overall. However, do not feel you need to use this
method. You can stick to the "C" or any other you choose.
One example for a farm layout is shown below. The squares with an "X" mark
the area I set aside for summer crops, meaning I do not plant any new spring
crops there after Day 25. The formation I use is a series of long, vertical
rows as close to the shipping bin as possible. The squares marked with an "S"
are the spring crops, which I still plant using the C formation.
| ###########
| Bin# #
|## []# ######
| # ###### X X
| #### X X
| X X
| SSS X X X X X X SSS SSS SSS
| SS X X X X X X SS SS SS
| SSS X X X X X X SSS SSS SSS
| X X X X X X
| SSS X X X X X X SSS SSS SSS
| SS X X X X X X SS SS SS
| SSS X X X X X X SSS SSS SSS
| X X X X X X
| SSS X X X X X X SSS SSS SSS
| SS X X X X X X SS SS SS
| SSS X X X X X X SSS SSS SSS
| X X X X X X
| SSS X X X X SSS SSS SSS
| SS X X X X SS SS SS
| SSS X X X X SSS SSS SSS
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
In case it is unclear, the image above shows 3 rows designated for summer
crops using the parallel formation, planted just below and to the right of the
bin. This image shows a total of 15 patches of summer crops (meaning 15 seed
bags would be needed), but don't feel like you need that much space. You can
do well with as few as 9 patches.
As you clear this area for summer crops, it will make the task of harvesting
any remaining spring crops more time consuming, as they are farther from the
bin. Make an effort not to waste any time in the morning and get to work as
soon as the livestock have been taken care of.
===================
THIS GIRL NAMED EVE
===================
While relationship building with women is best left for the fall and winter,
the spring is probably the best time to work on winning over Eve. If this is
your first time playing or you can't be bothered, just skip this section. It
is certainly not necessary to focus on any of the girls yet, and the winter is
nearly as good for raising Eve's affection.
Go to the bar and talk to her repeatedly. When she asks if you want her
homemade juice, say "No thank you." Eve will think you came to see her and
will be impressed, which increases her affection towards you. Exit the bar,
re-enter, and repeat. As you continue to increase her affection, more hearts
will appear in her diary in the back room. Eventually she will stop asking
you questions (when you have 3 hearts in the diary). Go to the mountain and
bring her back some flowers. After 4 times, she should start asking you
questions again. This time, the inquiry will be if you are lonely at the
ranch. Tell her "Sometimes" and repeat for as long as you want. You can
raise her affection to 10 hearts in a single night if you choose.
======
DAY 30
======
If you have some extra money on this last day (meaning over 4000 G), you may
wish to purchase 6-10 final bags of potatoes and plant them all. This may
seem like an odd maneuver, but keep in mind that you will have no income from
summer crops until at least Day 11 of the next season. If you plant these
crops now, you can harvest them during the early days before the summer crops
have grown. Remember that you can leave ripened vegetables on the field as
long as you want, so you can harvest these potatoes over the course of several
days.
If you are short on money, don't worry about these final crops. You can still
pick fruit or catch fish and make a decent salary in the time being.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
2. S U M M E R – Y E A R 1 HM32
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
By the time summer rolls around, you should have a pretty good feel for the
basics of the game, especially how to grow and maintain crops. Now it's time
to build on that experience and really profit. The summer is hands down the
best season to make money. There are no festivals to distract you and the
crops have the highest profit margins. The other important tasks for this
season are the following:
- Buying cows
- Making sure you have a lot of grass before fall
- Getting some upgraded tools
- Upgrading your house (you get a special reward for doing it this season)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 1 – START THE SEASON RIGHT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's important to get off to a good start in the summer, as any mistakes or
delays will cost you a lot of money. The priority during the first 3 days
will be purchasing and planting the crops you will need for this season.
===============
TOOL SHOP OWNER
===============
Before you even get one foot out the door, the tool shop owner accosts you and
lets you know that he will be selling a new item on Day 20. Very hands-on
marketing technique! Put this day in your mental calendar and be sure to
visit him then.
============
SUMMER CROPS
============
In the summer, you have the choice of planting tomatoes or corn. Unlike
spring crops, the summer ones can be harvested multiple times from one
seeding. This means you only need to plant them once and they produce
vegetables all summer, which is very convenient.
The table below shows the differences between the two. The two figures under
"Days to Grow" show time to first harvest, then time to each additional
harvest. The two revenue and profit figures are what can be made using the
"C" and parallel crop formation, as was described at the end of the last
season.
Days to Revenue/Bag Profit per Max Harvests Max Profit
Type Cost Grow "C"/Parallel Bag Per Season per Season
---- ---- ------- ------------ ---------- ------------ ----------
Tomato 300 9, 3 800/600 500/300 7 5600/4200
Corn 300 12, 3 960/720 660/420 6 5760/4320
Unlike with spring crops, the difference in growth times has a real dollar
effect since all crops die on the first day of fall. However, the profit
margin on corn still makes it a superior financial choice, even given the one
fewer harvest. While a profit margin of 160 G per bag (960-800 G) may not
seem significant, this can be about a 5000 G difference by the end of the
summer depending on how active you are.
My recommendation is to stick with corn exclusively for the first summer.
Tomatoes have their place later on, and this will be discussed in years 2 and
3.
=======================
TRIP TO THE FLOWER SHOP
=======================
One good thing about the summer is that there are far fewer trips to the
flower shop. During your first visit on Day 1, buy at least 5-7 bags of corn.
This is what you will be planting today. Over the next two days, you will
want an addition 4-5 bags, so a total of 12-15 patches of crops on the farm.
This may seem like a lot to handle, but it is manageable using the parallel
formation described at the end of last season. Also, at least one hurricane
is likely to occur sometime during the summer that will wipe out a fair number
of crops. It's better to have too many now than not enough then.
=============
LOTS OF GRASS
=============
There aren't many expenditures after Day 3 of this season, so use any extra
cash to buy bags of grass seed. Before week 2, you will want somewhere
between 8-12 patches of grass. This is essential before buying cows.
============
A COW'S LIFE
============
Around the first or second week of summer, you will want to buy your first
cow. It is important to do it in this time period so that at least a few are
grown and producing milk by the fall, when money is hard to come by.
Cows end up being your single biggest and most consistent source of money in
this game. A barn with 12 fully grown cows will yield 4200 G each day in
milk. The quicker you buy them and raise them, the faster this money will be
yours.
Before buying the cow, visit the tool shop and pick up the Brush for 800 G.
You don't need the Milker yet, so you can hold on that for now.
To buy cows, simply visit the livestock dealer. Very often, players will find
the dealer saying they need more grass. Remember, you need 16 squares
(roughly two bags worth) of grass for every existing chicken and chick PLUS 16
squares for the cow before you can buy it. Too many chickens is most likely
the problem. If you can't buy more grass, sell off as many chickens as you
can.
Once the cow is purchased, the livestock dealer delivers the cow and asks you
to name it. You can give it a real name, a generic name like "Cow1," or, as a
real pragmatist suggested to me once, name it after the date (e.g. – you
bought the cow on Summer, Day 9, its name would be something like "Sm09").
The benefit of naming it after the date is that it makes it east to tell how
old the cow is, which helps you figure when it will be an adult and how long
before better types of milk are produced. The cow that the livestock dealer
delivers is still a child, and will not produce milk until it grows to an
adult (more below).
The livestock dealer also gives you a Cow Bell with the first purchase, which
he places in the shed. The Cow Bell can be used to direct the cows if you
wish to put them outside (more on this later).
==========
COW BASICS
==========
Unlike chickens, cows are very high-maintenance creatures, especially when
they become adults. Each cow has its own "affection score," which is the
numerical rating for how close the cow is to Jack. The higher the affection
score, the larger the size of milk produced by the cow (which means more
money). You can increase a cow's affection score by talking to it (+1) and
brushing it (+3) each day. These actions increase affection only once per
day, so doing them any more than that is a waste of time. There are no other
ways to raise this score, so you are essentially capped at +4 per day.
Cows in the child stage, which is what the livestock dealer delivers, DO NOT
need to be fed every day. This is a common misconception and often a big
waste of fodder among players. Cows at this stage are very resilient and will
never get sick or cranky from missed feedings or anything else. They do still
benefit from being brushed and talked to every day, so continue to do that.
Eventually the cows will grow into adults. A summary of their progression is
below:
21 days
Child Cow -------> Adult Cow
96+ affection 192+ affection
Small Milk -------------> Medium Milk --------------> Large Milk
The goal should be getting the cow to produce large milk as soon as possible.
Assuming you talk to and brush your cows each day, they will produce medium
milk in 24 days (just 3 days after becoming adults) and large milk in 48 days
(another 24 days after they start producing medium milk).
Once cows are in the adult stage, they become far more finicky. If you forget
to feed them, their affection will drop by 8 and they may get sick. Sick cows
do not produce milk and will die in 6 days unless given the Medicine, which is
purchased at the Livestock Dealer for 1000 G. Adult cows can also get cranky.
When cranky, their affection score drops by 30 and they do not produce milk
for the two days they are upset. Inside the barn, cows will become cranky if
you repeatedly hit them with your tools.
You can leave your cows outside, where they will eat the grass on their own
and not require feeding. However, it is strongly advised that you DO NOT do
this. The downsides to keeping cows outside are the following:
- Milking them uses day time, whereas time is stopped in the barn
- Cows will start to run when being milked or brushed, which adds even more to
their care time
- If it rains or snows, the cows will get sick
- If your farm contains broken fence pieces that are not repaired, they will
become cranky and stay that way. This causes affection to quickly plummet.
One final thing about daily care. Taking care of numerous cows can be a time-
consuming task, so any way to streamline that process will be very useful. I
find it easiest to milk all the cows first, then brush/talk to them, and
finally feed them. Many times a cow will start to move away when you begin
brushing it. However, watch the cow's eyes. If they turn to semi-circles,
this means the cow was still brushed, even if it has moved. The eyes will
also turn to semi-circles the first time you talk to each cow. If the cows
scatter too much, exit and re-enter the barn and they will be in their
beginning location. Finally, when feeding the cows, make sure to put food in
the stall directly in front of them. They will not eat food from other
stalls, and this will count as a missed feeding.
It is possible to breed cows, but this wastes a ton of time. Breeding is
discussed in the "Livestock" section of the Overview.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 10 – HURRICANE SEASON
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summertime is hurricane season, and these storms usually roll in around the
latter 2/3 of the season (although they can begin as early as day 2). A
hurricane is a vicious storm that does considerable damage to your crops and
farm, in addition to forcing you inside and wasting an entire day. The
occurrence of a hurricane is random – it may actually never happen at all
(lucky) or it may even happen two or three times in one summer.
You do get some advance warning before a hurricane. The TV will inform you
that one is coming, and all the townspeople have different messages. It's a
good idea to refrain from planting any seeds or doing any exterior changes on
the day before the hurricane. This work may all be undone.
If you happen to leave your chickens outside, one of them will always be
killed (but not more than one). You will hear the sounds of a wild dog eating
it (even if you have no fence), but not the usual barking the precedes that
sound. Cows also risk sickness and crankiness if left outside during a
hurricane. As there is never any benefit to keeping the livestock outside,
KEEP THEM INDOORS.
There are certain ways you can "manipulate" the occurrence of a hurricane. On
an emulator, this is easy. Just save state before going to bed and check the
TV the next morning. If it says a hurricane is coming, reload and try again.
If not, save state and repeat again that same night. If you're playing on a
cart or using the game's natural save feature, you're in trouble. The only
prevention is to avoid saving each night and reset if a hurricane does happen,
which then means replaying many previous days.
Regardless, if a hurricane does strike, just clean up the farm and move on.
Depending on how early it is in the season, you may wish to replant some of
the destroyed crops.
================
MYSTERIOUS NOISE
================
Sometime during the summer, you will hear a loud noise in the middle of the
night. Some guides say this is linked to the hurricane (which would make
sense), but this is not the case in the game. When the noise occurs, the
carpenter drops by and tells you to look around. Visit the location of the
tree that's southeast of the tool shed. You will notice that it's been
knocked over and there is now a giant hole leading underground.
Head down the hole and you will come across a couple of gnomes (really, they
could be elves or any creature, but this guide will refer to them as gnomes).
These strange fellows have taken up residence under your farm, but appear to
be somewhat benevolent. Talk to the top gnome and he will ask if you make use
of the sickle. The text is screwed up here, but choose the top response and
he will offer to upgrade your sickle. Head north from him and you will come
out inside the shed. From now on, you can return to this underground passage
using the shed door, but keep in mind that time does pass while underground.
When you revisit the shed, the sickle will be missing. When you return the
next day, it will have been replaced with the GOLDEN SICKLE. The golden
sickle is a very nice upgrade that can be used to cut 9 pieces of grass at
once. Once you start to amass a considerable amount of grass, this tool
becomes invaluable.
If you choose the second option when talking to the gnome, indicating that you
don't use the sickle, he will not upgrade it. You can still acquire the
golden sickle after this point by visiting the tool shop, where it will be on
sale for 2000 G. The tool shop works this way for all the golden tools, so
you do not ever need to worry about missing one due to screwing up a plot
event.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 14 – SUMMER HARVEST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around the middle of the season, your crops will finally be ready for harvest.
Pick them just as you did the spring crops. The plants themselves remain and
will continue to grow vegetables every three days. Just keep watering them
every night, including nights after you pick vegetables. If you cannot
harvest all the vegetables in one day, just leave them for the next.
One oddity to keep in mind during the summer is that you still need to water
plants after you pick vegetables even if it is raining that day. This is most
likely a bug, just as with planting seeds on rainy days. If you do not water
the plants separately, they will not grow that night. Also, you never need to
water fully grown vegetables. Those will remain on the plant indefinitely
until picked.
If you followed the instructions in this guide, you should have 12-15 patches
of vegetables (in total) and be harvesting every day. At these levels, you
should be making 2000-3000 G per day. Use any extra cash to buy grass and
more cows. You should also stash some away for a nice house upgrade...
================
HOME IMPROVEMENT
================
One of your goals during the first summer should be upgrading your house. A
larger house is one of prerequisites for getting married, but that's not the
main reason to do it this season. The carpenters are offering a special deal
where they throw in a free "gift" for completing it before Day 30.
To upgrade your house, you will need 5000 G and 250 wood. You should have
enough wood just from having cleared the ranch, but you can collect more by
chopping trees on the mountain if you need. Head over to the carpenter's
house and tell him you are interested in an upgrade. He will visit your house
the next morning and quote you a price. If you accept, he and his partner
will begin construction the following morning. They work quite diligently,
even late into the night, and there is nothing you or the weather can do to
aid or interfere. They will even work through a hurricane.
Once it is completed, you will notice that your house is slightly wider, both
inside and outside. The carpenters will also present you with a CLOCK as your
special gift. The clock tells you what time of day it is every time you press
the Select button from now on, which can be very helpful. The clock will be
visible on the table next to your TV inside the house. It must also include a
matching watch, because you can tell the time outdoors as well. Either way,
it's worth the hassle of saving and upgrading during the summer.
======
DAY 20
======
When Day 20 rolls around, head to the tool shop first thing in the morning.
The special project he was working on is now on sale for 2000 G-– the
SPRINKLER. The sprinkler replaces the watering can and is one of the best
upgrades in the game. The sprinkler can water a 3x3 area of crops and never
needs to be filled up at a pond. It should easily shave a few minutes off
your watering each night. If you don't have enough money for it now, come
back and buy it as soon as you do.
The sprinkler does work best using a parallel or extreme "C" formation for
crop layout. It does not work well using the regular "C" or donut formations.
In those cases, the sprinkler actually wastes more stamina than the watering
can. In case you are confused by these formation, examples are below:
Donut X X X
Formation X X
X X X
"C" X X X
Formation X X
X X X
Extreme "C" X X X
Formation X
X X X
Parallel X X X
Formation
X X X
If you are using either the donut or regular C formations, you may wish to cut
back on the crops by using the sickle (do not do this if you have the golden
sickle; it will cut all the crops in a 3x3 area). This will cost you some
money, but it does save considerable time. The choice is up to you.
Regardless, by the second year, all your crops should be planted using the
parallel formation.
===============
CASH MANAGEMENT
===============
As the dog days of summer roll around and the dollars start flowing from the
crop harvest, you should have quite a bit of excess cash to spend. By now,
you should have upgraded your house and invested in at least one cow.
Continue saving money and putting it towards grass seed and cows. You should
try to buy 3-4 bags of grass seed for each cow you purchase, as grass becomes
a serious limiting factor of total livestock in the coming season. In fact,
it's recommended that you save all the money you make in the last few days for
grass seed on Day 30.
======
DAY 30
======
Sadly, the summer comes to an end. And with it, so goes the money. However,
it is vitally important that you spend any money you have left on day 30 to
buy grass seed. This is the last day this year that grass can be planted, so
whatever you have now will limit the number of cows and chickens you can
accumulate in the next two seasons. There is nothing more frustrating than
having an extra 30,000 G in the middle of the winter and a barn with only
three cows. Livestock will be your primary source of income in the coming
seasons, so make sure your farm can support them.
If you have any extra crops after the shipper leaves, you can bring them to
the bar in town and give them to Eve. This takes a while, but is a fairly
easy way to boost her affection score. Any crops left overnight will be dead
the next morning.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
3. F A L L – Y E A R 1 HM33
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
If the frantic pace of planting crops and building your ranch during the
summer was stressful, the fall should be a welcome reprieve. There are no
crops to grow, so your days will be replaced with raising livestock and wooing
the local women. Some goals for the fall are:
- Sell poison mushrooms during the slow periods to make money
- Continue purchasing cows
- Sell chickens to make money
- Harvest as much grass as possible
- Start building relationships with the single women in town, especially Maria
and Ellen
- Bring a fish or Fullmoon Berry to the Harvest Festival
- Win the Egg Hunt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 1 – MAKING ENDS MEET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without crops or a developed barn of milk-producing cows, the Fall of year 1
is probably the toughest time to make money. Make sure you are talking to and
brushing cows every day, as you will want them producing larger varieties of
milk as soon as they reach adulthood. Now all you need is a day job.
=============================
THE POWER OF POISON MUSHROOMS
=============================
Just as you did in the early spring, you will want to pick goods from the
mountain to make money. This season, poison mushrooms are all the rave.
While completely inedible, they fetch a tasty price of 200 G each. Poison
mushrooms are distinguishable from regular ones by the odd dots on them. The
closest poison mushroom is in the bottom right corner of the screen, not far
from a regular mushroom. You should pretty easily be able to sell three
poison mushrooms each day for 600 G if you start first thing in the morning.
On Sundays, you can sell the poison mushrooms to the peddler in town for 300 G
each. While nothing compared to a full day of harvesting summer crops, you
can still make out quite well using poison mushroom sales to supplement daily
egg and milk sales.
=================
THE INJURED GNOME
=================
On Day 2, you may see an injured gnome crouched on the ground just above the
shipping bin. The gnome will request something to eat, and hints that you
should pick him a mushroom if you interrogate him further. In exchange for
your kindness and nourishment, the gnome will replace your standard hoe with
the GOLDEN HOE the next day. The golden hoe is a nice upgrade that allows you
to plow 6 squares of ground at once (in a 6x1 area). This will come in very
handy when plowing the land for the spring crop season.
If you do not find the gnome on day 2, you are out of luck for the year. You
will need to wait until the following fall for him to appear again. It seems
somewhat random as to whether he appears in year 1 or not, but it may be
linked to some action. If anyone has any theories, please email me.
===============
MEET THE HAWKER
===============
The Fall of Year 1 is the first time you can meet the elusive figure known as
the Hawker. The Hawker is a wandering peddler who will appear at certain
times to offer special "deals." In this season, the Hawker is in the market
for chickens. The first time you visit the livestock dealer and tell him you
want to sell a chicken, the Hawker will appear on your farm (assuming you
placed the chicken in the livestock shipping area). He offers to exchange
your chicken for some berries. You should definitely take his deal, as you
receive a POWER BERRY in exchange. The Hawker will never make this offer
again if you refuse, so do not pass it up. There is no other way to get this
Power Berry.
The Hawker will appear any time during the fall, so you have the entire season
to make this deal. If you fail to do it before the end of the season, you
will have to wait until the fall of Year 2 for him to make the swap again.
There is an entire section in the appendix dealing with the Hawker, which is
meant to clear up the abundance of misinformation that exists about this
figure in various guides and other sources. One thing I want to clarify here
is that no deal that the Hawker offers is tied to any other deal. In other
words, declining to sell a chicken now will not stop the Hawker from making
you other offers in the future.
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| POWER BERRIES |
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| BERRY 6: When you try to sell a chicken for the first time during the |
| fall (either year 1 or year 2), the Hawker will appear and offer |
| to exchange the bird for a Power Berry. If you decline his |
| offer, he will never make it again. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
============
AUTUMN GRASS
============
Do not forget that you can still cut grass during the fall. You cannot plant,
but it still grows just as it would during the spring and summer. It is
extremely important that you accumulate as much as you can this season, as
whatever fodder you have at day 30 will need to last through the entire winter
and first 9 days of the next spring.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 7 – RELATIONSHIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that the fall affords you some free time, you should begin building
relationships with some of the single girls in town. This serves a couple of
purposes. First, you need a girl to like you enough in order to get married.
Second, having high affection scores with all five single girls is necessary
for the best ending. You can get an idea of each girl's affection score by
reading her diary. This guide will assume that the goal is to woo over all
five girls.
================
THE SINGLE GIRLS
================
In case you've been ignoring the ladies completely to date, here is a quick
run down of each.
- Maria: Maria is the blue-haired religious girl who hangs out in front of the
church and plays the organ on Sundays. Her parents are the mayor and
mayor's wife, and she lives in the mansion on the top left corner of town.
This is where her diary is.
- Ann: Ann is the red-haired, tomboyish inventor that lives in the tool store
(this is where her diary is). Her father runs the store on his own, as his
wife has passed away. Ann will be found either inside the store working on
a new project or hanging out just outside the store.
- Nina: Nina is the pink-haired girl who lives in the flower shop. This is
where her diary is. Nina is very in touch with nature and with either be
walking around the flower shop or hanging around the mountain on the
weekends. Her mother runs the flower shop and is also a single parent. She
appears to have feelings for Ann's father, the tool shop owner.
- Ellen: Ellen is the brown-haired girl who lives at the restaurant. This is
where her diary is. Her uncle is the livestock dealer, and Ellen is
usually found hanging out around his shop. This has probably inspired
Ellen's love for animals. Ellen is also a very good cook.
- Eve: Eve is an interesting character. She is the blonde-haired girl who
works at the bar (where her diary is) and wears a red cocktail dress. Both
of Eve's parents have either passed away or left her, and her only family
members are the hunter in the mountain (grandfather) and bar owner (uncle).
Eve hangs out in the town square during the day, the bar at night, and the
mountain on the weekends (where she bathes nude in the hot springs on
Sundays).
======================
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
======================
Now that you're familiar with the ladies, it's time to begin building
relationships. The girls in this game will increase their affection for you
either through certain events, conversations or when given certain gifts.
Each girl responds differently to gifts, and a full list (with their effects)
is listed in the appendix. Giving gifts is a very slow and inefficient way to
win over a girl while she's single, so the focus should be on talking to her.
However, not just any conversation will do. The girl's affection will
increase only during conversations in which she asks you a question. Whether
a girl asks a question has to do with the day of the week and the season. If
the time is right, she will ask the same question every time you visit the
screen, allowing you to earn affection points with each trip.
During weekdays in the fall, the two girls who will ask you questions are
Maria (in front of the church) and Ellen (in front of the livestock dealer).
You may need to talk to them more than once, but they will ask a question each
time you visit. Once you answer, enter a building and return. They will then
ask the question again. In both cases, answer "yes" (the first option) to
their question. This will earn you 8 points. Choosing the second option is
only worth 2 points.
It will take several days, but you can boost each girl's affection to its
maximum. To view their feelings towards you, check out the diaries in their
respective homes. The greater the number of hearts, the more they like you.
Once you get 4 hearts on a girl (an affection score of 200), you receive a
special event for that girl. The special event entails someone showing up at
your house and asking you to find something or solve some problem. For Maria,
the special event is that she is missing and needs to be located. For Ellen,
the event is that her pet bird is missing. A complete listing of all the
events can be found in the appendix. If you complete the event successfully,
the girl's affection score will increase by 50.
Even after experiencing the event, you should continue talking to the girls.
To get the best possible score at the end of the game, you will want affection
scores of 999 with all five girls. Note that the girls' diaries only show up
to 10 hearts, which signify an affection score of 800.
You can also raise Maria's (and Ann's) affection scores on Sundays by talking
to them in church. However, those conversations only net you 4 points, which
is half the usual total. For this reason, it is better to speak with them at
other times. For more on affection scores, dating, and the specifics for each
girl, see the appendix. Marriage will be discussed in the next season and is
also found in the appendix.
==========================================
FORTUNE TELLER'S GRANDDAUGHTER AND THE EGG
==========================================
You may leave your house one day to discover the fortuneteller's granddaughter
waiting for you. She's not much for words, but requests that you give her an
egg. After doing so she pays you 20 G, and Jack's happiness increases by 30
points. I have always experienced this event in the fall, but it may be
possible for it to occur elsewhere. If anyone has more information on this,
including any additional effects of giving the girl the egg, please email me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 12 - HARVEST FESTIVAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Day 11, the shipper stops by to tell you that the next day is the harvest
festival. Anytime he does this, the townspeople will have special messages
discussing the next day's events. A visit to town will reveal that the
festival is a ceremony to celebrate the year's final harvest. People prepare
an assortment of different culinary items and share them with one another.
The owner of the bar points out that you are expected to bring a food item
yourself. This is something you should keep in mind the next day.
==============
FULLMOON BERRY
==============
For three days each year – fall day 10 to fall day 12 – a special plant is in
bloom on the mountain summit called the Fullmoon Plant. The Fullmoon Plant
produces a very rare berry each day that is highly attractive to women and
extremely valuable to merchants. Giving this plant as a gift is a waste, but
you can put it in the shipping bin on day 10 and day 11 for 600 G each day.
On day 12, you may wish to bring it to the harvest festival, as it makes the
perfect addition to the feast.
================
FESTIVAL ARRIVES
================
On Day 12, the usual rules for optional festivals apply – you have the morning
to complete your chores and ship whatever items you need to for the day. Make
sure the chickens and cows are fed and taken care of. It's then up to you to
find a suitable item to bring to the festival. A few acceptable items
include:
- Bush
- Fodder
- Egg
- Milk
- Poison Mushroom
- Mushroom
- Fish
- Fullmoon Berry
- Mole (Yes, a Mole!)
Any of the items will be thrown into a giant cauldron and turned into a
delicious stew for Jack. Most of the items actually come out looking like a
mole, and Jack just munches it right down. Mixing a mushroom will produce
something that looks like one of the four crops.
You really want to mix either a fish or a Fullmoon Berry. Both of those come
out as a POWER BERRY. This is the only time you will have for an entire year
to get this berry, so make sure not to miss the chance. You will want to head
over to the mountain fairly early in the morning to make sure you can get
either item before 3:00.
Once the stew is done, you need to mingle with the other townsfolk. The
Harvest Festival is a Thanksgiving-type holiday where everyone cooks different
dishes and shares them. Each of the girls has a concoction for you to sample,
and rice balls are sold by the shipper at the top of the screen (don't waste
your money). After talking to everyone, speak with the mayor's wife and then
the mayor on the left side of the screen. You will then be prompted to choose
a dance partner, so select whatever lady you would like. Dancing with her
increases her affection score by 30. Once the dance is over, the day ends.
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| POWER BERRIES |
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| BERRY 7: Bring either a fish or Fullmoon Berry to the Harvest Festival. |
| The stew you consume will contain a Power Berry. If you fail to |
| get this Power Berry in Year 1, you can still pick it up in the |
| second year. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 20 - EGG FESTIVAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The fall season is blessed with two relatively involved holidays within just
over a week of one another. The Egg Festival is probably the most active of
all the different gatherings in the game. As with any other optional event,
make sure to take care of the daily chores in the morning. Once you're ready,
head over to town.
The highlight of the egg festival is a giant egg hunt. As the mayor explains,
you need to find the most eggs in the allotted time period to win (you must
find at least 3). The winner apparently receives a special prize, though you
get several conflicting stories as to what the prize may be (none of which are
correct).
The egg hunt involves a lot of luck, so be prepared to reset if you do not
win. It is essential that you are victorious in this event, otherwise you
cannot achieve the game's best ending.
============
FINDING EGGS
============
As soon as the contest begins, the mayor will display a colored egg on the
table in front of him. You have about 15 seconds to find this egg and bring
the egg back to the mayor. The eggs are hidden in one of the eight purple
chests scattered around town. The chests are located at the following
locations:
- In the graveyard next to church entrance
- Top right corner of town
- Entrance to town
- Left of the fortuneteller's house
- Behind the livestock dealer's shop
- Above the bar
- Top left corner of town
- Next to the door to mayor's house
Each chest will have either a colored egg or nothing, and the contents are
randomized each time the contest begins. The best strategy involves heading
north to the chest by the church and then circling clockwise through the
nearby chests, all the way down to one by the fortuneteller's house. Within
this short area, you have access to five chests, which should probably be
enough. While people are looking for the first egg, focus on examining these
chests and remembering the color of the eggs inside them. If you happen to
find the right egg in the process, return it. Otherwise, it's more important
to learn the contents of these chests. If you can find 3-4 eggs in them, you
are almost assured of winning the game on the later rounds.
As soon as the bell rings, quickly return near enough to the town square so
you can see the next color. If it's in one of the five chests you already
opened, you're set. Retrieve the egg quickly. If not, you can either
frantically search the southern part of the town or just wait for the next
color to appear. Remember, you only need to find three eggs to win.
At the end of the contest, the winner is always you or the livestock dealer.
If you lose, reset and try again. If you win, congratulations. Your reward
is either the Turtle Shell or a Power Berry. The Turtle Shell is a memento
that sits in your home and supposedly protects you from natural disasters.
The prize you receive is random, and you will receive the other prize for
winning the festival again next year.
After your victory, and after the mayor is done talking, talk to the single
girls for some affection points (talk to each until they say "puff-puff").
The day will end on its own about 10 seconds after the winner is announced.
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| POWER BERRIES |
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| BERRY 8: Your prize from winning the egg hunt will either be a Turtle |
| shell or a Power Berry. If you do not receive the berry this |
| year, you will get it after winning the egg hunt in the second |
| year. The prize you win is determined randomly. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 21 – PREPARING FOR WINTER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other than accumulating as much grass as possible, there isn't much you
urgently need to do as winter draws near. Continue spending your days selling
poison mushrooms or working on relationships with Maria and Ellen. If you
bought the cows early enough, you should have at least one that is producing
milk and providing some income. Over the next season, any excess money should
be invested in cows.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
4. W I N T E R – Y E A R 1 HM34
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Winter is the least active season in Harvest Moon. Your days should be quite
free, as there is not even any fruit to gather from the mountain. Winter is
an excellent time to continue building relationships and to get married. Some
of the other goals this season are the following:
- Continue to buy cows
- Gather extra wood from the mountain
- Upgrade your house for the second time
- Continue to build relationships with the single women in town, especially
Maria and Ellen
- Get married!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 1 – WINTER ACTIVITIES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the calm and serenity of winter, the season is quite loaded with
several important discoveries and events, starting on the very first day.
======================
MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE
======================
On your first trip to the crossroads after the winter begins, you will
encounter a foal (baby horse). You will be asked to give it a name. The
horse then returns to your farm and hangs out in the horse stable next to the
cow barn. The horse does not require any feeding or other care.
After 21 days, the horse will grow into an adult. The tool shop owner will
then drop by and give you saddle bags for the horse. These bags transform the
horse into a moveable shipping bin. Any item you throw at the horse will now
automatically be sold at the end of the day. This is the single greatest
improvement to your farming potential in the game. Come the spring time, you
will be able to plant 2-3 times as many crops as you could in the previous
season, as the horse allows you to harvest them without wasting time running
back and forth to the shipping bin.
The adult horse can also be used to move around the ranch much more quickly.
Press the A button to mount him and use the B button to jump over fences.
Press the A button again to dismount. Note that you will dismount the horse
on Jack's left when facing up or down, but always the bottom when facing left
or right. Point the horse in different directions to control the side in
which you exit. You can also summon the horse to your position using the R
button. Additional uses for the horse in farming will be discussed next
season.
==========
CAVE HERBS
==========
If you're desperate for money during the winter, you can make a few extra
bucks selling herbs from the cave on the mountain (you can actually do this in
any season). The cave herbs sell for 200 G when left in the shipping bin.
The problem with harvesting the herbs is that it takes a lot of time to do so.
Time does not stand still inside the cave, so selling a single herb probably
uses half the game day. You are better off focusing on livestock and trying
to make money that way. Use the cave herbs as a last resort.
============
HARVEST WOOD
============
As the carpenters tell you, the winter is a good time to gather extra wood
from the mountain. You will want at least 750 pieces for your second house
upgrade. The stumps on the mountain can be chopped just like the ones on your
ranch in the beginning. Unlike those stumps, however, the ones on the
mountain reappear every time you exit and re-enter the screen. If you have
not already acquired it, you may find a POWER BERRY when chopping the trees
here.
At some point during the winter, you will acquire the Golden Axe, which makes
chopping MUCH easier. See the "Earthquake" section below for more on that.
You can save a lot of time by waiting until then to chop. However, the
earthquake may not occur until late in the season. If you decide to chop with
the standard axe, I recommend either doing so at night or on Sundays. Use the
daytime to work on relationships with the single women.
==================
PLANT THE SNOW GEM
==================
If you purchased the Snow Flower Seed from the peddler during the Flower
Festival, now is the time to plant it. Equip the item and head to the
mountain summit. Stand just below the small rocks at the very top of the
summit and press the Y-button. You should see a blue sprout emerge from the
ground and a fairy will appear. The fairy tells you that no one has ever
planted the seed before, and gives you a POWER BERRY as a sign of
appreciation.
Despite what some sources say, the seed does not need to be planted on the
first day of the season. It should be possible to acquire on any day. There
does seem to be some bug that prevents you from getting it on random days, so
just try again the next day.
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| POWER BERRIES |
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| BERRY 9: Use the snow gem (seed of the snow flower) that is purchased |
| from the peddler at the Flower Festival on the summit of the |
| mountain during any winter day in year 1 or 2. A special flower |
| will bloom and a fairy will give you a Power Berry. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
=====================
HOUSE UPGRADE, PART 2
=====================
If you intend to get married this season, which you should, it's a good idea
to get a second upgrade for your house. In addition to looking nicer and
cleaning up the ranch a bit, a second upgrade is required before your wife can
get pregnant.
The second upgrade is not cheap. It requires 10,000 G and 750 materials. As
mentioned above, you can collect additional materials by chopping trees on the
mountain. As for money, if you're making less than 600 G per day from milk
and eggs, collect cave herbs from the mountain for some extra money.
Like the first upgrade, the second is completed in 4 days after you pay the
carpenter (or 3 days after his crew begins renovations). Your house will be
noticeably larger this time, and a cradle and second bed will be added to the
sleeping area.
Once you have the second upgrade, the tool shop will sell Paint. Paint costs
1500 G and can used to make the exterior of your house a white/cream color.
Equip the paint like any other tool and use it on the front of the house, It
will take three strokes to paint the entire front, plus one more to paint the
door. You do not need to paint the other sides and can't use the paint on any
other structures on the ranch. Painting your house raises your happiness
score and appeases your wife, who will nag you incessantly if you haven't done
it yet.
==========
EARTHQUAKE
==========
At some point during the winter, you will hear a loud rumbling at night. This
usually occurs on some random day in the first or second week of the season.
The next morning, one of the carpenters will tell you to look around the ranch
and then visit the mountain. Visit the location of the well in the southeast
corner. The large board and rock that had been covering it are now gone,
allowing you to climb down and enter.
The well leads to another section of the underground tunnel you discovered
during the winter. After climbing down the rope, you will notice several
small rocks and two sign posts. Destroy the rock to read the sign on the
left. The bottom sign can be read (from what seems to be the back) simply by
approaching it and pressing the A button.
The two signs offer hints regarding a couple of the game's secrets. The
bottom sign mentions a strange chicken ornament that can be broken with a
tool. This refers to the chicken statue at the crossroads that can be broken
with the hammer to uncover a Power Berry. The left sign says to equip the axe
and use it in front of a spring on the mountain. At this point, the message
shouldn't make much sense.
Take the carpenter's advice and visit the mountain. Before going, equip the
axe as the sign recommended. You can use the underground passage that just
opened to reach the shed without having to climb back above ground.
On the mountain, the huge boulder blocking the small area just above the
entrance has been removed. You will notice a small pond, several stumps, and
a sign saying "don't throw things in the spring." Stand in front of the pond
and chop with the axe, as the sign under the well suggested. Immediately, the
Goddess of Spring will appear. She holds a golden axe before you and asks if
you dropped this item. Be honest and tell her No. She rewards your sincerity
by giving you the GOLDEN AXE. The upgraded axe allows you to chop tree stumps
in a single blow!
If, for some reason, you lie and are not given the golden axe, you can still
acquire it by visiting the tool shop in town. As soon as the Goddess departs,
the golden axe will immediately be put up for sale and can be purchased for
200 G (yes, two hundred). It may just be easier to reset if you haven't done
much else that day, but you do not have to worry about missing this item in
either case.
Test out the new axe on the two tree stumps found near the well. The stump
just to the right will uncover a giant hole when split. Drop down the hole
and you will discover a POWER BERRY. This is the one you could see on the
elevated platform in the mountain cave but could never reach. This is also a
slightly faster way to reach the cave herbs in the future.
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| POWER BERRIES |
o-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~o
| BERRY 10: After the earthquake occurs in the first winter, visit the area |
| in the mountain just above the entrance. Chop the tree to the |
| right of the spring to uncover a hole. Fall down the hole and |
| you will land on a platform inside the mountain cave, right |
| next to a POWER BERRY. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
=============
RELATIONSHIPS
=============
The winter is the best season to work on relationships with the girls in town.
Even if you are already married, you will want to maximize the affection score
with all 5 girls to receive the best ending. Here is a quick rundown on how
to woo each girl:
- ANN: She is the easiest girl to win over during the winter. She hangs out
inside the front room of the tool shop during the week. Talk to her until
she asks you if she's acting like a girl. Choose the first choice that
reads "No, not at all." While Ann may seem offended, this increases her
affection score by 8. The second choice only increases it by 2. Exit the
room through the back door, re-enter, and repeat. So long as you don't
leave the house, time never passes. This means you can get her affection
score to 999 in one game day.
- EVE: It is best to raise Eve's affection in the spring, but the winter works
nearly as well. Visit her at the bar at night either during the week or on
a Saturday if it isn't snowing. Talk to Eve and she will give you the
"drink and warm your body from the inside" line. Jack will then consume a
drink and go slightly crazy, as he always does. While there is no
conversation choice, you receive 2 affections points each time you speak
with Eve. You do not need to exit the bar for this to work – just keep
talking to her. This takes a while but makes it possible to reach a 999
affection score in one night.
- NINA: Nina hangs out in front of the flower shop during the week. Speak
with her until she asks if you believe in a flower that only blooms in
winter. Choose the first response and your affection score will increase by
8. Enter the flower shop, exit, and speak with Nina again. As time passes
during these conversations, you can probably only raise her affection score
about 200-300 points per day. It should take 3-4 days to reach 999.
- MARIA: Maria was easier to woo in fall, but you can still raise her
affection score on Sundays. Visit her in the church where she plays the
organ, and speak with her until she asks if you have come to listen to the
preacher. An affirmative answer raises affection by 4 points. You can
also raise Ann's affection on the same visit, as she sits in the last row.
However, it is easier to do Ann separately as described above.
- ELLEN: Ellen is the most difficult girl to impress during the winter. Your
best bet was to have done it during the fall, but you can also wait until
spring. The only real chance with Ellen this season is on Saturdays. She
appears behind the livestock dealer's shop and asks if you will be friends
with him. Answer "Yes" for 8 points. You then need to exit the town and
re-enter, which wastes considerable time. It's difficult to earn more than
60-70 points in a day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 10 - THANKSGIVING FESTIVAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Thanksgiving Festival is a special occasion where women bake cakes for men
they care about. It's sort of like a reverse Valentine's Day. Unlike other
festivals, this one does not automatically end the day, so you can head to
town at any point.
Once in town, the single girls will be positioned at various spots:
- Maria: Back of the church
- Ann: In front of tool shop
- Nina: In front of flower shop
- Ellen: Northeast corner of the town square
- Eve: Outside of the town square, southwest side
When you talk to each girl, she will give you a cake if you have more than 3
hearts in her diary (affection score of 120 or higher). Eating a cake
increases your Happiness score by 10 but doesn't raise the affection score of
any of the girls. There's nothing left to do once you have received your
cakes, so just continue on with the day as normal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 11 - MARRIAGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around the middle of the winter, you should begin plans to get married if you
haven't done so already. You don't want to wait too long, otherwise you risk
not having enough time for your wife to have two children before the end of
the game. Some great info on marriage can be found by reading the book in the
fortuneteller's house. It is a bizarre and somewhat complicated ordeal in the
Harvest Moon world.
Before proposing, it is STRONGLY recommended that you get your wife's
affection score as high as possible, at least to 10 hearts in her diary. It
is much easier to raise this score while you are single, and getting married
with a high score allows for some leeway to neglect her when wed.
You need to have just a little over 5 hearts before you can get married
(specifically, a 256 affection score). Once you have met this criteria and
chosen a bride, purchase the Blue Feather from the Peddler on Sunday. Hold
this item in front of the girl of your choice, and she will agree to marriage
if her affection score is high enough. You can try holding this in front of
other townspeople for some amusing conversations.
All girls except Nina can only be proposed to on sunny Saturdays; Nina's day
is Sunday. For much more on marriage and the married life, refer to the
"Relationships & Marriage" section at the beginning of this guide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 24 - STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Star Night Festival is the night each year where the most beautiful stars
are supposed to be visible. You are supposed to pay homage and reflect, but
everyone in the town seems to celebrate in a different way and gathers at
different locations.
On Day 23 you can visit the town and speak to the people about the festival.
Each of the five girls will tell you her special location when you talk to
them. The next day, you will be asked to choose one of five locations to
visit. It does not really matter which you choose if you are single, but you
should visit your wife's location if married. The locations where everyone
will be are as follows:
- Ann: Spa
- Ellen: Public Square
- Eve: Bar
- Maria: Church
- Nina: Mountain Top
When you talk to each girl at her Star Night location, she will say one of
four different messages depending on her affection score or if you are married
to her.
- Message 1: 0-200 affection score
- Message 2: 201-300 affection score
- Message 3: 301+ affection score
- Message 4: Be married, any affection score
A description of each scene and the messages you receive from the girls is
found in the appendix
PUBLIC SQUARE
Several members of the town gather in the nicely decorated public square and
celebrate the beautiful night. In addition to Ellen, the townspeople in
attendance include the mayor, mayor's wife, fortuneteller, and Ellen's mother.
The fortuneteller will read your horoscope and tell you the girl you have the
highest affection score with. Speak with everyone before you talk to Ellen.
CHURCH
Maria will be playing the organ at the church and several other people will be
in attendance, including the preacher, the church boy, the fortuneteller's
granddaughter, the shipper, the shipper's apprentice, and the lonely bachelor.
Everyone seems to be dozing off except the bachelor, who wonders if love can
really work. Speak to everyone and then talk to Maria.
BAR
The bar is lively as would be expected. Everyone is more preoccupied with
singing and drinking than with seeing the stars. In addition to Eve, you will
find two carpenters, Ann's father, Nina's mother, Ellen's father, and the
bartender. Eve will just say she's busy until you speak with everyone else.
MOUNTAIN TOP
It's just you and Nina. You automatically walk up to her and the screen
scrolls to show a shooting star. Nina then talks to you.
SPA
Ann is naked and alone in the spa, with no other characters on the screen.
Jump in the spa and speak with her.
Once the day ends, you receive 30 points to the affection score of the girl
whose location you visited. If you are married and do not visit your wife's
location, her affection score will drop by 30. Oddly, even if you do spend
the night with your wife, you will receive the 30 points but then lose 2
points because she goes to sleep before you. Guess married men can never
win...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 25 – ODDS AND ENDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first year nears the end. If you haven't already, you should experience
these events before the season is over.
=========================
SADDLE BAGS FOR THE HORSE
=========================
Assuming you found the horse on day 1 of the winter, the tool shop owner will
stop by on day 22 and let you know that it's grown up. He furnishes you with
saddle bags that can be used to hold crops and other items. This effectively
transforms your horse into a moveable shipping bin, and it is, by far, the
single biggest improvement to your farming efficiency in the game. It will
allow you to harvest 2-3 times as many crops as you could in the previous
seasons. Strategies for best using the horse will be discussed in the section
for next season.
=============
BORROW HAMMER
=============
On some random day around the last week of the winter, one of the carpenters
will drop by and ask to borrow your hammer. If you agree, he promises to
return it to you with added power (you also receive +20 to your happiness
score). Visit your shed the next day and you will find the GOLDEN HAMMER.
If, for some reason, you refuse to lend the hammer to the carpenter, you can
always buy it from the tool shop for 2000 G.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
5. S P R I N G – Y E A R 2 HM35
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Now that a full year has passed and you have a feel for how this game works –
from farming to raising livestock to improving relationships with women – this
FAQ will take a much more hands-off approach in letting you play the game the
game as you see fit. The remainder of the walkthrough will be fairly bare
bones, largely because most of the events in years 2 and 3 are similar to the
first year. However, if your goal is to achieve a 100% game, everything you
need to know is contained here.
During this season, focus on the following:
- Decide on your future plans: millionaire or retire in year 3
- Continue adding cows and chickens to your barn
- Diversify crops, especially if you are planning to retire in year 3
- Buy the Money Tree from the Hawker (optional)
- Acquire Magic Beans from the Hawker (optional)
- Continue raising the affection scores of any single girls
- If you are not already married, focus on it ASAP. You have until the first
weekend to tie the knot, or you can't have 2 children during the game
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 1 - ASSESSING THE FUTURE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the second year begins, it's important to decide what type of life you're
shooting for. Do you want to be a millionaire? Are you content making just
enough money to live comfortably? The distinction is important because it
affects the type of crops you should be planting, how you should look ahead to
the future, and how you should budget your time. Becoming a millionaire is
certainly achievable, but it is overkill for getting a perfect ending and
requires substantial time. You may still want to earn as much money as
possible during the next two seasons so you can retire completely in year 3.
All these points should be kept in mind during the upcoming year.
====================
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE
====================
If you are shooting for a perfect score, you will want to keep in mind a handy
cheat that lets you view the ending at any time. As you are writing in your
diary to go to bed at night, hold the following buttons:
START + SELECT + L + R
Keep in mind that Select is the Z button if using a Gamecube controller. If
you hold these as you confirm the diary entry, the day will end and the ending
sequence will being the next morning. I will not spoil any of that here, but
this cheat is being mentioned because it is the only way to see certain scores
that are needed for a perfect ending: namely, things like the number of crops
harvested and your exact affection score with girls. It is strongly
recommended that you do not use this cheat if this is your first time playing,
as it does remove some of the satisfaction if you already see the ending at
this point. Use it only if your goal is to achieve a perfect score. You
should also refer to the appendix, which gives detailed breakdowns for how all
the ending scores are calculated.
===================
NEW YEAR'S FESTIVAL
===================
After awakening on the first day of year 2, you will immediately be taken to
the mountain summit. Many of the townspeople have gathered to watch the first
sunrise of the new year. You need to talk to everyone before you can leave,
then to the mayor's wife by the entrance again.
The fortuneteller will offer to read to your fortune and asks you to pick one
of three cards. The card you pick will affect your happiness. The "excellent
luck" card increases happiness by 30, the "luck" card increases it by 10, and
the "misfortune" card decreases it by 10. You are not required to have your
fortune read and can just say "No" when the fortuneteller first asks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 2 - TRANSACTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day 2 of the new year opens the door for a couple of transactions with the
Hawker. However, focus first on getting your farm cleared and the crops up
and running.
===============
SURVEY THE FARM
===============
During the crossover between day 30 of winter and day 1 of spring, several
squares on the farm are damaged. This usually results in small chunks of
missing grass or unplowed field. Keep this in mind and make a mental note to
repair it in the evening.
=====================
HAWKER AND MONEY TREE
=====================
The Hawker will pay you a visit on the first day after year 2 begins that you
awaken with 30,000 G or more in your account. This could conceivably be day 2
of the spring if you saved during the winter. The Hawker will offer to sell
you a Money Tree for 20,000 G. While the item has nothing to do with money,
it is a bell tree that gets planted just outside the entrance to the barn.
The tree will allow you to quickly recall any cows in the field if you
happened to have let them out of the barn.
Despite all the rumors about this item, there is no positive or negative
effect of buying the Money Tree. It is purely a decorative item and the
purchase decision should be entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that the
Hawker will never offer this item again if you decline.
======================
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
======================
While on the subject of the Hawker, you can now trade him a cow for the Magic
Beans. Place a cow in the shipping area, then visit the livestock dealer and
tell him you wish to sell a cow. When you return to your ranch, the Hawker
will show up and offer to make the trade. This trick will work anytime in
year 2 or 3, but it is recommended that you do it in the spring. If the
Hawker does not show up, you probably do not have the cow in the right area.
Make sure it is in the special livestock pen below the entrance.
The cow you trade in this deal must be an adult (producing milk), but you
should swap the youngest one in your barn. Do not give up a cow generating
large milk or even medium milk if you can avoid it.
Once the trade is made, the Hawker puts the Magic Beans in the tool shed. The
beans can be planted at the summit in the SPRING ONLY. This is a critical
piece of information that most other sources seem to omit. It also does not
matter which day of the week you plant the beans.
Make the trek to the summit and use the beans when standing just below the
cliff edge. If your positioning is right, a tiny sprout will appear. Exit
and re-enter the screen to find a massive beanstalk. Climb the beanstalk and
you will appear in a special room in the clouds with a golden chicken. Tell
the chicken that you are working hard and it will give you a golden egg. As
soon as you exit the room, you will appear before the Peddler and will receive
10,000 G for the egg (does not matter what day of the week it is).
As with the Money Tree transaction, trading for the Magic Beans is another
entirely optional event with no real positives or negatives. The money you
receive from the golden egg is essentially a wash when you factor in the cost
of a new cow and the time you are losing milk production from the old cow.
Make the deal only if you're curious or haven't seen it before, but don't feel
compelled for any other reason.
====================
SPRING, YEAR 2 CROPS
====================
Before buying any seeds, you need to decide if you want to grow potatoes only
or potatoes and turnips this year. If the goal is to become a millionaire,
you will want to focus on potatoes exclusively. If the goal is to receive the
best ending, you will want to add in turnips as well, as your final score
depends on crop diversity. Even in that case, you may still wish to focus on
potatoes exclusively and hold off on turnips until next year. It all depends
on your current financial situation. If you have 12 cows and some money
saved, you may as well mix in turnips and take it easy in year 3. If,
however, your barn is half empty and you have no savings, you probably should
focus on potatoes only.
Once the crop type is decided, head to the flower shop and buy the necessary
seeds. If you have the financial freedom, trying buying seeds for as many
days as possible now to avoid trips to the flower shop again later. Since you
can use the horse this year, you are able to harvest a much larger quantity of
crops. While it's possible to harvest around 15 patches of crops in a day
(that is, 15 bags worth of seeds planted in the parallel formation), this
requires very precise picking and will take an enormous amount of time at
night to water and maintain. My recommendation is that you harvest 9 patches
per day, which should allow you some freedom to do other things as well. You
can overdo it a bit more in the summer, but spring crops are not profitable
enough to justify the extra 10 minutes you will need to spend each day caring
for them.
Once the crops are purchased, you will want to plow your farm appropriately.
I find that the best layout involves making long rows of crops horizontally
across the farm. See the diagram below, which shows a plowing layout for the
entire southern half of the farm. Note that this image is to scale, so each
"X" of other symbol matches a square in the game. The game's natural features
are incorporated into the diagram and worked around to minimize loss of time.
Note that "X" represents crops and "#" represents fence pieces.
Shipping Bin
[]#
|## ###### ##~~##
| ##### #~~~~#
| ##~~##
|
| #~#
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXXXXXXXXXX#~#XXXXXXXXXX# |
| |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XX&&&XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| &&& |
| #~# #XX&&&XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| #~# |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXX#~#XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| #~# |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
| |
| #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# #XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# |
O--------------------------------------------------------------o
You can probably get by with the six rows at the northernmost part of the farm
for now. The rows in the southern half are for the end of the spring, when
you want to make room for summer crops.
It is best to keep crops of the same type in one row. For example, the first
long row may be potatoes, then the next two rows can be turnips. Since you
should not be as strapped for cash now, plant several days crops at one time.
Some of these crop will ripen a day or two before you intend to harvest them,
but this will minimize wasted trips to the flower shop later
If you didn't visit it frequently in year 1, get yourself acquainted with the
hot springs in the mountain now. You will want to visit this location
frequently when you run out of stamina while farming. You will probably
require 1-2 trips there each night at least.
================
HARVESTING CROPS
================
The key to farming success in years 2 and 3 is successful use of the horse.
The horse is a moveable shipping bin at this point, but there are still
several strategies for using it effectively. The two main objectives when
using the horse are the following:
1. Keep the horse as close as possible, preferably within 3 squares. You
want to minimize the time it takes traveling to the horse.
2. Try to keep the horse from moving, as this wastes a lot of time. The
best way is to pin it between two rows of crops or fence pieces.
The strategy for using the horse is somewhat different in the spring than in
the summer, where crop plants remain and act as a nice barrier. See the image
below, which represents a long row of crops.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX#
E D C B A
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX#
The best strategy in this case would be to ride the horse to location B. Face
down so that you dismount the horse on the right, then harvest all the crops
from A towards B. Once this is done, get on the horse and move to location C.
Repeat by harvesting crops from B to C. Despite what some sources claim, you
can throw crops into the horse from any side and it will store them. Just
watch the horse's animation and make sure the saddle bags expand when you
throw the crops at it. Although it does not happen frequently, the horse
sometimes freezes and crops thrown at it do not count. If this happens for
more than a second or two, board the horse or whistle to activate it again.
If you move quickly and make sure to exit the horse on the right side, you can
harvest a significant amount of crops in a single day. That being said, I do
not recommend going overboard in the spring. Caring for a ranch that is 50%
full of crops can take upwards of 15 minutes each night just to water and
reseed. Spring crops are much more high maintenance and low profit than
summer crops, so it's a better idea to farm moderately and wait until summer
to really focus on crop revenue. If you harvest from 9 patches of crops per
day, which is a reasonable amount, you should be bringing in between 3000-4000
G or more per day. This should be sufficient when supplemented with your
produce income.
===================
SPRING CROP TARGETS
===================
This section is again dedicated to the "perfect game" players and is not
really relevant to first timers. It requires using the end of game cheat to
view your current crop totals. Most players should simply focus on making
money and ignore these targets.
To receive the highest score at the end of the game, you need to have sold a
specific number of crops. It is not the case that "more is merrier" when it
comes to farming. The targets you should shoot for are either:
1. Between 496 and 511
OR
2. Between 1008 and 1023
OR
3. Between 1520 and 1535
The end game scoring is odd, but these are the ranges that result in the
highest score. The pattern actually continues beyond this at the same 512
crop intervals, but anything outside this range is probably unrealistic.
Target 1 is relatively easy to achieve, and you may have actually surpassed it
in year 1 if you focused on one type of crop. In general, it's better to end
up just below these ranges than just above them. You receive more points at
the end for 495 turnips than for 512. For more on the end game score, see the
"Ranch Master Score" section of the appendix.
If you can hit these targets in year 2 while making enough money, there is no
reason to farm at all in the third year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 14 – SPRING CLEANING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Farming will take up most of your time during this season, but make sure you
don't forget about the other areas of the farm. Livestock are still as
important as always, and you should have or be close to having 12 cows by now.
After all, they are still your biggest money makers in this game, so do not
neglect them.
Also, don't forget about your wife. If you follow the farming strategies
mentioned above, you are certainly not going to bed with her each night. This
lowers her affection score, but you can make it up to her by bringing her an
egg every day. Periodically check her diary and make sure she stays happy.
If you got married in the middle of winter, your wife should be pregnant by
now. If she's not, this either means that you have not upgraded your house a
second time yet or that her affection score is too low. Immediately fix
whatever the problem is and get moving.
===============
FLOWER FESTIVAL
===============
If you purchased the Snow Gem in year 1, the Flower Festival is completely
optional at this point. It will probably kill half a day of farm work, so
weigh this cost before deciding to do. Remember, you will have another chance
to attend the festival in year 3.
If you do decide to go, the festival offers the single easiest way to boost
affection scores of one of the girls if you are married to Maria, Nina, or
Eve. Probably due to a bug in the game, you can talk to these women and
receive a boost to the affection score of one girl as many times as you want.
Here is how it works:
IF MARRIED TO MARIA
Talk to Maria until she says "Let's Dance Later, Darling." Each time she says
this message, you receive 4 points to her affection score. Use this to boost
her score as high as it goes.
IF MARRIED TO NINA
Talk to Nina until she says "Hey, I can dance much better now." Each time she
says this message, you receive 4 points to her affection score. Use this to
boost her score as high as it goes.
IF MARRIED TO EVE
This is probably the most interesting of the three possibilities. If you talk
to Eve, she is in a very jealous mood and says "You, I won't forgive you if
you pick up another girl." Ellen, who is standing right next to Eve, is
clearly amused by this. When you talk to Ellen, she says "It's good to be
merry at a festival sometimes." Every time you speak to Ellen, her affection
score increases by 4 points. Despite the warnings from Eve, she does not mind
if you talk to or dance with any other girls at the festival.
Other than these oddities if you are married, the festival is the same as it
was in year 1. Talk to everyone, then speak to the mayor and pick a dance
partner.
===================
PLANNING FOR SUMMER
===================
In the final week of the season, you should start designating land for where
the summer crops will be planted. If your layout is similar to the one given
earlier in this section, leave the first three rows for summer crops. Plant
spring crops at the southernmost part of the farm and even in the north, just
below the secret garden. These crops will grow during the summertime if
planted before the end of the spring, and they are the only farming income you
can receive until at least day 10 of the next season.
Also, if you did not marry Eve and have not maximized her affection score yet,
spend some time at the bar one night and do so. Repeatedly answer her
questions by exiting and re-entering. You can get her affection to 999 in one
evening if you want.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
6. S U M M E R – Y E A R 2 HM36
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You're approaching the stretch run of Harvest Moon now, and a letter from your
father on day 1 informs you of the ticking clock. The summer of year 2 is
probably the longest single season in the game. You will spend considerable
time farming, but know that the end is in sight. If you make enough money
now, you can take an early retirement and focus solely on livestock for the
rest of years 2 and 3. Below are the goals for the summer:
- Save as much money as possible. 200,000 G will allow you to finish the game
comfortably.
- Make sure your barn has 12 cows and that all are producing or are on their
way to producing large milk.
- Make sure the chicken coop has 12 chickens. A dozen birds add 600 G per day
and 18,000 G per season, which is nothing to scoff at.
- Make sure you have enough fodder to last through the upcoming winter. If
your fodder reserve is less than 900, plant more grass.
- Make sure your wife is pregnant by now. She should be giving birth either
at the end of this season or in the early fall if you got married in the
winter.
============
SUMMER CROPS
============
Summer crops are best planted in long rows as was suggested for the spring
crops. See the farm diagram from last season for an example. Since the
summer crops regrow, you don't need to cover as much land to make a lot of
money. However, you should still intend to harvest as much in any given day
as possible. While it takes some work, you can collect 18 patches of crops
each day (that is, crops from 18 bags of seed). This would generate over
10,000 G from farming revenue each day, and is far and away the single biggest
way to make money in the game.
If you have the money, buy all the summer's crops at once and plant them at
the end of the first day. Assuming you plan to harvest 18 patches of crops
per day, you will need to buy 54 bags in total for 16,200 G. You may also
want to purchase and plant additional crops now in case a hurricane occurs.
You may never even harvest these crops if you're lucky enough to be spared,
but think of it as an insurance policy on your farm.
Now is the time to decide on the mix or corn and tomatoes. If you're going
down the millionaire path, focus on corn. If you intend to retire in year 3,
diversify. Depending on what you sold in the first year, you will want the
corn:tomato crop mix to be either 1:2 or 2:1.
As you water and cultivate the summer crops, you should still be harvesting
the spring ones you planted at the end of last season. This is probably the
roughest period in the entire game in terms of work, as you could conceivably
be tending a ranch that is 70-80% covered in crops. Prepare for a lot of late
nights and many trips to the hot springs.
===================
SUMMER CROP TARGETS
===================
Once again, for the veteran players, the crop requirements for the best ending
score are:
1. Between 496 and 511
OR
2. Between 1008 and 1023
OR
3. Between 1520 and 1535
In case it is unclear, this is the total you need to have shipped for each
time of crop. You can view the amount shipped by using the ending cheat. You
may already be close to or above target 1 for corn if that was your sole focus
in year 1. In that case, try to sell 1023 corn by the end of the summer and
511 tomatoes. It does not matter which of those ranges you end up in, just so
long as you hit one of them.
=========================
SUMMER FARMING TECHNIQUES
=========================
Harvesting crops in the summer is easier than in the spring since the plants
remain and act as a barrier for your horse. This allows you to use the horse
more effectively. Let's take a look at the same layout as we used in the
spring.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX#
E D C B A
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX#
The best approach now is to dismount the horse at point A. Face upwards so
that you get off on the left side. Start harvesting all the crops between A
and B. When you get to B, press the R button to whistle for the horse. It
will then come to you at that point and you can continue. Do the same from B
to C, and whistle at point C. Whistling is much more time efficient than
mounting the horse and moving it. Regardless of the direction, keep this
methodology in mind; always harvest crops away from the location where you
plant the horse and keep it within 3 squares by using the whistle.
==========================
HURRICANE SEASON REVISITED
==========================
The summer still brings with it the risk of random hurricanes. As was the
case in the first year, you may be lucky and not experience any, or you could
get slammed with 3 or 4 that wreck your crops. Expect to be hit by at least
one, however. One safeguard against revenue loss is to plant excess crops on
day 1 that you can harvest if needed. Assuming a hurricane does destroy a
portion of your crops, it is not worth it to replant them more than a week
into the season. Just make do with what remains.
I would advise replacing any destroyed crops with fence pieces to help
maintain a barrier so your horse does not stray. Other than this, good luck.
===============
PLENTY OF GRASS
===============
It probably shouldn't be an issue at this point, but re-examine the amount of
grass you have before the end of the summer. This is especially important if
you experienced multiple hurricanes. If you do not have over 999 fodder in
reserve at this point, plant another dozen or so squares of grass. It will be
extremely costly at this stage to run out of food over the winter.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
7. F A L L – Y E A R 2 HM37
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The changing leaves usher in the final leg of your Harvest Moon experience.
Assuming you planned right during the spring and summer, you can very well
retire from farming altogether. Your sole focus can now be on the livestock.
While this is not a trivial or particularly enjoyable task, it is far less
time consuming than crop care.
With the financial portion of the game largely in hand, it's time to focus on
some of the intangibles so you can achieve the best ending. Some of the fall
goals are:
- Have your first child, if you haven't already
- Work on improving your happiness score (more below)
- Continue to brush and talk to cows until all produce large milk
- Work on maximizing the affection score of all the single girls
- Make sure you win the egg hunt
- If you did not do so in year 1, trade a chicken to the Hawker for a Power
Berry
Since your days are pretty free, you can probably start coming home before 6pm
and going to sleep with your wife. If you do this, you won't need to give her
daily gifts anymore (unless your wife is Eve, in which case you still need to
give her gifts).
================
THE FALLEN GNOME
================
If he wasn't there in year 1, the fallen gnome will appear on your ranch at
the beginning of the season. Bring him a mushroom from the mountain and he
will leave you the golden hoe in the tool shed the next day. While it's
certainly not as useful if you're just receiving it now, the golden hoe will
still gets its fair share of work before the day ends.
====================
NATURE AND HAPPINESS
====================
This guide has largely ignored any attempt at increasing Jack's happiness
score up to this point, but now is the time to begin focusing on it. If you
have loosely followed this guide's advice to this point, your happiness should
be quite high. You can do a quick check using the ending cheat if you prefer.
A good total to have at this point is at least 700. Even if it's lower than
that, don't fret. There is plenty of time to maximize it.
The easiest way to improve happiness is to visit the mountain. Two things
will increase it there: catching a fish (+2) and seeing a wild animal (+10).
Wild animals are the best way, and you can find one every day in all seasons
except the summer. In the fall, visit the top left area of the mountain.
Walk below the tree just before the final bend (this is right near the area
where Nina can be found on Sundays). You will eventually see a rabbit running
across the screen. This rabbit's appearance adds 10 points to your happiness
and can be seen on any non-rainy day. This should allow you to boost your
happiness by at least 250 points in each of the next three seasons.
In addition to animal sightings, you can boost happiness another 4 to 8 points
each day by fishing. This probably takes all day, but you should have plenty
of free time this season. Keeping these two items in mind, you should easily
be able to maximize happiness by the end of the game.
================
HARVEST FESTIVAL
================
If you received the Power Berry at this festival in year 1, you do not need to
attend this year (if you didn't receive it, attend and bring a fish or
Fullmoon Berry from the mountain summit). The only reason to go would be for
a quick boost to the affection score of one of the girls. Participate only if
you feel like it.
========
CHILDREN
========
Assuming you got married in the winter, your wife should be giving birth
sometime during the fall if she hasn't already. When the big day comes, you
will awaken to find the preacher blocking the door. The midwife and the
wife's closest relative will also be present. Talk to your wife and she will
say you can leave while she delivers. There is no penalty if you leave, but
her affection score will increase by 50 if you stay. However, the animals
will miss a feeding if you remain with her. It's best to leave and take care
of the daily chores. Nothing is more annoying than finding half your cows
sick the next day.
After enough time has passed, the child will be born. Talk to the
fortuneteller to find the child's real gender. Due to a bug, your wife will
always refer to the baby as "him." You will then be asked to name the child,
and the day will end.
The next day, you will awaken with a new baby sleeping in the cradle. As
illogical as it may seem, your new role as a father does not require any
additional work. You are never required to pick up, talk to, or interact with
your child at all. Even though your wife asks you to do this, her affection
score is not influenced by anything that happens with the child. In fact,
once the child is born, you can act as though it didn't exist at all without
any penalty. This may seem callous and unrealistic, but it is indeed the way
the Harvest Moon world operates.
=================
RABBIT AND HUNTER
=================
The fall of year 2 is one of the seasons where you can experience an
interesting cut scene on the mountain. One day, you will find a rabbit
sitting still just to the left of the cave entrance. You can approach the
rabbit and catch it by pressing the A button. This immediately summons the
hunter, who demands that you let his catch go. My guess is that the rest of
this scene was poorly translated, because the text does not really make much
sense. If you choose to "Let it Loose," the hunter gives you the option of
keeping the rabbit for 1000 G. If you agree to pay, he sees that you have a
kind heart and releases the rabbit without charging you. If you do not pay,
he steals the rabbit and runs off. Similarly, if you choose the "Just
Watching" option in response to the first question, he steals the rabbit and
leaves. These different conversation paths result in different effects to
your happiness score:
Response Happiness Effect
-------- ----------------
"Let it loose" and pay 50
"Let it loose" and don't pay 0
"Just watching" -10
I am not completely certain what the criteria are for experiencing this scene,
but it seems to only occur in the fall and winter. I have seen this occur in
the winter of year 1 as well, but it seems to be more common in year 2.
============
EGG FESTIVAL
============
Winning the egg festival is the big "to do" item of the fall. There is no way
to receive best ending without winning it, so make sure to save on the day
before and get ready to reset if needed. The strategy is exactly the same as
the prior year, so refer to the "Fall – Year 1" section for a full discussion.
After your victory, you will be awarded either the Turtle Shell or a Power
Berry – whatever item you did not receive the previous year.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
8. W I N T E R – Y E A R 2 HM38
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The winter of year 2 is a very boring time, with little more to do besides
care for the livestock. Treat it as you did the fall. Below are some of this
season's goals:
- Continue to improve your happiness score at the mountain
- Continue to brush and talk to cows until all produce large milk
- Work on maximizing the affection score of all the single girls
- Attend the Star Night Festival with your wife
- If you did not do so in year 1, plant the Snow Gem at the mountain summit
==================
THE DEAD OF WINTER
==================
After the livestock are tended, your day is basically over. If you still need
to increase the affection score of any single girl, head to town and do that
now. If you need a bump to happiness, head to the mountain. The wild animal
you can view this season is the red fox. It is visible by walking around the
tree to the left of the hot springs. If you do not need to do either of those
things, just go to sleep early. You've earned the rest.
===============
PREGNANT AGAIN?
===============
The soonest your wife can get pregnant with her second child is the day after
the first learns to crawl, which is 30 days after it is born. If your first
child is crawling but your wife is not pregnant again, her affection score is
probably too low. You wife needs an affection score of at least 650 for a
second child, which is more than 9 hearts in the diary (you should get 10
hearts to be safe). This is a much steeper requirement than for a first
child, so make sure she is happy. You need her to get pregnant again before
the end of this season if you want to see your second child's birth.
=====================
THANKSGIVING FESTIVAL
=====================
Assuming you have raised the affection scores of the other single girls, the
Thanksgiving Festival is a great day for boosting Jack's happiness. Start the
day by speaking to your wife. She gives you a cake that boosts your happiness
by 30 points. Next, visit the town and talk to all the girls. Maria is in
church, Nina is in front of the flower shop, Ann is in front of the tool shop,
Ellen is in the northeast corner of the town square, and Eve is on the
southwest side of town, just outside the square. Each cake you receive boosts
your happiness by 10 points. Not a bad score from a couple of minutes work.
===================
STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL
===================
The Star Night Festival is exactly the same as it was in year 1. This is one
of the only times where your wife actually gets upset at neglect, so do the
right thing and visit her location. Her affection score will drop by 30
points if you ditch her. In case you forget, below is where all the women
will be:
- Ann: Spa
- Ellen: Public Square
- Eve: Bar
- Maria: Church
- Nina: Mountain Top
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
9. S P R I N G – Y E A R 3 HM39
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As the final year begins, you should be a Harvest Moon master. At this point,
you should know what type of lifestyle you intend to lead. If you want to be
a millionaire, the next couple of seasons will be incredibly time consuming.
If you are content leading a more moderate life (which will still get you a
perfect score and ending), then you can take it easy this year. Here are some
goals for this season:
- Make sure all cows are producing large milk
- Make sure your wife is pregnant with her second child if it has not been
born already
- Continue improving happiness at the mountain
- Sell at least 200+ potatoes and 200+ turnips if you have not already done so
- Start buying lots of extra grass seed (more on this below)
=============================
DIVERSIFY YOUR CROP PORTFOLIO
=============================
If you have 300,000 G or more saved, you do not need to plant crops to make
any additional money. You may wish to plant crops strategically at this point
to ensure the best score and ending. Below is how many crops you need to have
sold for both
Best Ending Best Score
----------- ----------
Potatoes 200+ 496-511 OR 1008-1023 OR 1520-1535
Turnips 200+ 496-511 OR 1008-1023 OR 1520-1535
Note that the best ending (which is a cut scene) only requires over 200 crops
to be shipped, but the best score requires that you sell within a specific
numerical range. Again, the only way to see crops sold is to use the ending
cheat.
============================
CONTINUE IMPROVING HAPPINESS
============================
If you are taking the retirement approach and have some free time after
tending the livestock, visit the mountain and continue raising happiness
through spotting animals and fishing. This season's special animal is the
squirrel, which can be seen by walking around the bottom right part of the
screen, just below the carpenters' house.
===========================
GRASS AND DEVELOPMENT SCORE
===========================
The last leg of achieving a perfect score involves covering or developing as
much of the ranch as possible. This contributes to the ranch development
rate. You can cover the ranch in either grass, crops, or fence pieces to
receive credit. Fence pieces are not practical, and crops become impossible
to navigate once they start to grow. This leaves grass as the only real
alternative.
To give you an idea of what's required, there are 2968 squares on the farm
that can be covered or developed. Even if you could cover 9 squares with each
bag, you still need at least 330 bags of grass. Let's round this to 350,
which should take into account any overlap and give you credit for grass
already planted. You will need 175,000 G to buy 350 bags of grass.
The maximum number of bags of grass you can hold at any one time is 255,
although there is a bug in the game that allows the flower shop owner to
continue taking your money even though you have reached the maximum. Start
buying some grass now, but do not plant it. You will want to wait until the
end of the summer to avoid any hurricane damage. You can begin plowing the
ground now, however. The golden hoe will be a godsend in this task. More on
this next season.
===========================
FLOWER FESTIVAL, PART THREE
===========================
The Flower Festival in year 3 is the same as year 2. Attend if you need a
boost to any girl's affection score. You can once again use the festival to
quickly boost one of the girls' affection scores if you are married to Maria,
Nina, or Eve.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10. S U M M E R – Y E A R 3 HM3A
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As the game comes to an end, your focus should be similar to what it was last
season. Get all your ducks in a row for the best endings and tie down any
loose ends. Here are some final goals.
- Make sure all cows are producing large milk
- Make sure your wife is pregnant with her second child if it has not been
born already
- Continue improving happiness at the mountain
- Sell at least 200+ corn and 200+ tomatoes if you have not already done so
- Cover every square of the ranch with grass, crops, or fence
- Hug your dog at least 100 times
=================
CORN AND TOMATOES
=================
As was the case in the spring, you may wish to plant crops strategically at
this point to ensure the best score and ending. Below is how many crops you
need to have sold for both
Best Ending Best Score
----------- ----------
Corn 200+ 496-511 OR 1008-1023 OR 1520-1535
Tomatoes 200+ 496-511 OR 1008-1023 OR 1520-1535
============
SECOND CHILD
============
Assuming you followed the timing in this guide and your wife got pregnant
again in the winter, your second child should be born at some point this
season. As was the case last time, do not stay with your wife. Leave and
make sure all the livestock are fed for the day. Even if your wife is not
expected to give birth before the end of the season, you will still receive
credit for the second child so long as she is pregnant with it.
=================
DEVELOP THE RANCH
=================
Once you get to around day 24 or 25, it's time to start covering the ranch
with as much grass as possible. The reason for waiting this long was to avoid
the likely risk of hurricanes. There is still a slim chance you will
experience one before day 29, so you may choose not to save in the diary each
night before then.
The task is time consuming but the goal is simple: make sure that every square
of the farm is covered with either a fence piece, crops, or grass. Rocks and
broken fence pieces do not count, so remove those if they exist.
The grass planting will probably take at least 2-3 days given the limit on
what you can hold at one point. Just be patient and make sure that no square
is missed, particularly in the nooks and crannies around the barn and other
buildings.
=================
MAN'S BEST FRIEND
=================
One of the more obscure requirements for the best ending is that you hug your
dog at least 100 times. A hug just means picking up the dog. You can
accomplish this in a few minutes, so make sure it's crossed off the list
before the summer ends.
================
ENDING CHECKLIST
================
During the last couple of weeks, run down this list and make sure as many are
completed as possible. You will need these for the best score and ending, and
most can be significantly improved within a 10-day period.
- 12 chickens
- 12 cows
- Wife is at least pregnant with second child, if it is not born
- 900+ happiness
- All girls' affection scores are maximized
- Any available Power Berries eaten
- 100+ hugs to dog
- Ranch is completely covered
- 100,000 G saved
If you missed any Power Berries, refer to the appendix for a complete list.
Six of the ten are available at this point if they were not collected
previously.
======
DAY 29
======
Day 29 is the last playable day in the game, so say one last farewell to all
your friends in the town and mountain. Unfortunately, they do not have any
special messages for you. Some important things to keep in mind on this day:
- Make sure all the cows are fed. If any of them get sick, their affection
score will take a hit, and this cannot be corrected before the ending
- If married to anyone but Eve, make sure you go to bed with your wife. If
you come home late, the hit to affection score cannot be fixed before the
ending
- Since Eve's affection decreases even when you go to sleep with her, the only
way to keep her score at 999 for the ending is to go to bed in the middle of
the day when she is out of the house
Your parents show up the next morning, and what follows is the ending you have
earned through two and a half years of toil. Congratulations on making it
through Harvest Moon.
______________________________________________________________________________
A P P E N D I X
______________________________________________________________________________
The following appendix contains detailed information about many areas of
Harvest Moon. Please be warned that this section does contain major plot
spoilers.
==============================================================================
1. P O W E R B E R R Y L O C A T I O N S HM41
==============================================================================
Power Berries are the reddish, apple-like fruits that you find throughout the
game. These berries increase your maximum stamina by 10 when eaten. You can
see how many total Power Berries you have acquired by looking at the garden
north of Jack's house. The number of flowers will equal the number of berries
eaten.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| | Earliest you | |
| # | can obtain | Location |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Spring, Day 2 | Go fishing at the pond in the mountain. Throw the |
| | Year 1 | first fish you catch back into the pond and the |
| | | Water Imp will appear, giving you a Power Berry. |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 2 | Spring, Day 2 | Plow the ground on your farm. A Power Berry will |
| | Year 1 | appear at random. |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 3 | Spring, Day 2 | Chop the stumps at the mountain. A Power Berry |
| | Year 1 | will randomly appear underneath one. |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 4 | Spring, Day 2 | Break the chicken statue at the crossroads with the |
| | Year 1 | hammer. This may take several attempts, but a |
| | | Power Berry appears at random. |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 5 | Spring, Day 3 | This is the second berry found by plowing the |
| | Year 1 | ground at the ranch. It appears at random but not |
| | | on the same day as the other berry. |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 6 | Fall, Day 1, | In the Fall, try to sell a chicken to the livestock |
| | Year 1 | dealer. The Hawker will appear on your farm and |
| | | ask to trade the chicken for the Power Berry. |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 7 | Fall, Day 12, | Bring either a fish or the Fullmoon Berry to the |
| | Year 1 | Harvest Festival. |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 8 | Fall, Day 20, | Win the egg hunt. You may receive this prize in |
| | Year 1 or 2 | year 1 or 2, and this is determined randomly. |
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 9 | Winter, Day 1, | Visit the summit of the mountain and plant the Snow |
| | Year 1 | Gem that the peddler sold at the Flower Festival. |
| | | Leave the screen and return, then pick up the berry.|
|---+------------------+-----------------------------------------------------|
| 10| Winter, Year 1 | At some point during the winter of year 1, an |
| | | earthquake will occur. Visit the mountain and you |
| | | will notice that the area just above the entrance |
| | | has opened. Chop the stump right of the pond and |
| | | drop down the hole to find a Power Berry. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Based on the numbers above, the following Power Berries can be acquired at any
time in the game: Power Berries 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
The following Power Berries can be acquired at any time after a certain date
or event: Power Berry 10 (after winter of year 1).
The following Power Berries can only be acquired during a particular season:
Power Berry 6 (fall) and 9 (winter). These berries are both missable after
the fall and winter of year 2.
The following Power Berries can only be acquired on specific dates: Power
Berries 7 (Harvest Festival) and 8 (Egg Festival). These berries are both
missable after the respective festivals in year 2.
==============================================================================
2. S E C R E T I T E M S & U P G R A D E S HM42
==============================================================================
There are several special items or tool upgrades that can be found throughout
the game. Note that this section does contain SPOILERS, so be forewarned
before reading ahead.
SPRINKLER The sprinkler is sold at the tool shop beginning on day 20
of the first summer for 2000 G. This is the special item
the tool shop owner says he's working on at the start of the
season.
GOLDEN SICKLE During the summer of year 1, you will hear a loud noise at
the ranch one night. The particular night is chosen at
random. The carpenter will come by the next morning and
tell you to look around. Visit the hollowed out tree and
jump into it. You will run into a gnome who asks if you use
the sickle. Respond to him affirmatively and he will leave
the golden sickle in the barn the next day. If you screw up
the response and the gnome does not upgrade the sickle, it
will immediately be for sale at the tool shop for 2000 G.
GOLDEN AXE During the winter of year 1, you will hear a loud rumbling
one night. The carpenter will come to the house the next
day and tell you to look around your ranch and the mountain.
The quake will have opened the mountain area just north of
the entrance that contains a pond and some stumps. Equip
the axe and use it directly in front of the pond. The
Goddess will then appear holding a golden axe and will ask
if it is yours. If you tell the truth and say "No," she
will let you keep the golden axe. If you say yes, she does
not give the upgrade. She will never reappear after this
conversation, regardless of your choice. If you screw up
the scene and miss the golden axe, it will immediately be
put up for sale at the tool shop for 200 G.
GOLDEN HAMMER Some time in the winter in year 1, one of the carpenters
will drop by and ask to borrow your hammer. If you allow
him to, he will place the golden hammer in the shed the next
morning. If you do not let him borrow it, the golden hammer
will immediately be placed for sale at the tool shop.
GOLDEN HOE During the fall of either year 1 or year 2, you will find an
injured gnome by the shipping bin who requests something to
eat. If you bring him a mushroom from the mountain, he will
give you the golden hoe the next day. This event is rather
odd in that there does not seem to be any way of knowing in
which year it will occur. The golden hoe is obviously much
more useful if you get it in year 1, but I have not found
any trigger and assume the game determines its occurrence
randomly. In my experience, this event has always occurred
on day 2 of the season, although I am not 100% sure that it
always happens on this day.
SNOW GEM Also called the Seed of the Snow Flower, this item can be
purchased from the peddler at the Flower Festival for
2000 G. Plant the seed just below the northernmost part of
the mountain summit during the winter. The seed will
immediately sprout into a flower and free a fairy, who gives
you a Power Berry. You should be able to plant the seed on
any day of the season, although it does refuse to grow in
some instances. I have tested this thoroughly and cannot
attribute it to any in-game event, so I assume it is a bug.
If this happens, just try to plant the seed again the next
day. That will usually work.
MAGIC BEANS These beans are acquired by trading a cow with the hawker.
To make this trade, visit the livestock dealer in any season
during years 2 or 3 and tell him you want to sell a cow.
When you return to the ranch, the Hawker should show up and
offer to make the deal. The Magic Beans can be planted on
the mountain summit just below the northernmost point of the
screen. These beans MUST BE PLANTED IN THE SPRING. I
emphasize this because it is crucial information that most
sources omit. It also does not matter which day you plant
the beans (does not need to be Sunday), which is another
commonly repeated error.
Once planted, the seeds sprout slightly. Leave the screen
and return to find a giant beanstalk. Climb the beanstalk
and you will come out at a room in the clouds with a golden
chicken. Tell the chicken you work hard when it asks, and
you will receive the Golden Egg. After exiting the screen
(and regardless of the day), you immediately appear before
the peddler who pays you 10,000 G for the egg.
CLOCK The clock is a special item that you receive from the
carpenters if you upgrade your house once before the end of
the first summer. The clock is physically placed on the
table in your house, but it also lets you see the time on
the menu screen each time you press the Select button. This
comes in very handy when trying to be at the ranch before
5pm or making sure you arrive at festivals before 3pm.
TURTLE SHELL The Turtle Shell is one of the prizes you receive from
winning the egg hunt. Whether you receive this or a Power
Berry as prize is determined at random, but you will
definitely receive it in the second year if you miss it the
first. It looks like a purple hump and is placed on the
table in your house. The Turtle Shell supposedly protects
from disasters, but it will not prevent hurricanes from
occurring in the subsequent summer seasons or even reduce
their damage. In all likelihood, this item is purely
decorative. It does, however, contribute to your score at
the end.
MONEY TREE Once you have 30,000 G or more for the first time after year
2 begins, the Hawker will appear on your ranch and offer to
sell a "Money" Tree. He can appear as early as day 2 of the
second spring. If you pay him, the Hawker plants a the tree
right in front of the cow barn. The tree appears the next
day and is obviously not a money tree. It is, however, a
tree of cow bells. If you face the tree and press the A
button, it will ring the bells and recall any cows that you
have outside to the barn. It does not work perfectly, but
it does seem more effective than the cow bell tool. Since
you shouldn't be keeping cows outside, this item is mostly
decorative. There is no real benefit to buying it and no
penalty if you decline, so it's up to you. If you do
decline the Hawker's offer, there is no way to ever get
this item.
GOLDEN EGG This is probably the rarest item in the game. See the Magic
Beans description above for information on how to obtain
it. The egg has no use other than being sold for 10,000 G.
Note that there is no penalty at all if you never acquire
this item. It has no effect on the ending or any score, so
it is purely for amusement. Do not feel compelled or
obligated to try to obtain it.
==============================================================================
3. S T A M I N A U S A G E HM43
==============================================================================
The charts below summarize the effects on stamina of using tools and consuming
items.
Stamina
Tool Effect
---- -------
Feather............................0
Milker.............................0
Magic Bean.........................0
Snow Gem...........................0
Brush.............................-1
Cow Bell..........................-1
Medicine..........................-1
Miracle Potion....................-1
Seeds.(any).......................-1
Axe...............................-2
Chicken Feed......................-2
Cow Feed..........................-2
Hammer............................-2
Hoe...............................-2
Paint.............................-2
Sickle............................-2
Watering Can (water and fill).....-2
Golden Hammer.....................-4
Golden Axe........................-8
Golden Hoe........................-8
Golden Sickle.....................-8
Sprinkler.........................-8
Stamina
Item Effect
---- -------
Poison Mushroom..................-10
Wild Grapes...................... 10
Tropical Fruit................... 10
Mushroom......................... 10
Fish............................. 10
Lunch............................ 20
Hot Springs...................... 24
Dinner........................... 30
Cake............................. 50
Fullmoon Berry................... 50
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4. S E L L I N G P R I C E S HM44
==============================================================================
The table below summarizes the prices paid for items by both the shipper and
the peddler. The shipper visits the ranch at 5pm each day and pays you the
next morning for any items placed in one of the shipping bins. The peddler
only appears on sunny Sundays in town. To sell him an item, place it on the
table next to him. Do not throw the item at him, or it will be wasted.
Item Shipper Peddler
---- ------- -------
Cake...................N/A..............N/A
Flower.................N/A..............N/A
Turnip..................60..............120
Potato..................80..............160
Tomato.................100..............200
Corn...................120..............240
Egg.....................50..............100
Small Milk.............150..............200
Medium Milk............250..............300
Large Milk.............350..............400
Wild Grapes............150..............200
Mushroom...............150..............200
Cave Herb..............200..............200
Tropical Fruit.........200..............300
Fish...................300..............300
Poisonous Mushroom.....200..............300
Fullmoon Berry.........600..............600
Golden Egg.............N/A...........10,000
==============================================================================
5. T H E H A W K E R HM45
==============================================================================
The Hawker is a wandering peddler who appears on your farm from time to time
to sell or swap goods. There is a considerable amount of misinformation and
confusion regarding this character in various online sources. None of the
Hawker's three appearances have anything to do with one another, so you can
ignore any source that tells to accept one deal or else you will not be
offered another. There is nothing mysterious or random to this fellow at all.
His actions depend entirely on the season and year.
Note that every one of the Hawker's offerings is unique and cannot be acquired
by other means in the game. In other words, if you decline any of his trades,
you permanently miss out on the item. In the case of the Power Berry, this
means you can never get the best ending.
Below is a complete list of all the times this character will appear.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| | When does | |
| Event | it occur? | Description |
|---------------------+---------------+--------------------------------------|
| Exchanges Power | Fall of Year | When you try to sell a chicken to |
| Berry for Chicken | 1 or 2 | the livestock dealer in the fall, |
| | | the Hawker will appear and ask to |
| | | make the trade. He never tries to |
| | | make this trade again if you decline.|
|---------------------+---------------+--------------------------------------|
| Sells Money Tree | Any season in | On the first sunny morning after |
| | Year 2 or 3 | year 2 begins that you wake up with |
| | | 30,000 G or more, the Hawker will |
| | | offer to sell the Money Tree for |
| | | 20,000 G. The earliest this can |
| | | occur is day 2 of the second spring. |
|---------------------+---------------+--------------------------------------|
| Exchanges Magic | Any season in | When you try to sell a cow to the |
| Beans for Cow | Year 2 or 3 | livestock dealer in year 2 or 3, the |
| | | Hawker will appear and ask to make |
| | | the trade. He never tries to make |
| | | this trade again if you decline. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
==============================================================================
6. R E L A T I O N S H I P S & A F F E C T I O N S C O R E HM46
==============================================================================
This section outlines the effects of conversations, gifts, and other actions
on the affection scores of the different girls in the game. There is a
specific section dedicated to each girl as well.
===================================
COMMENTS ON CONVERSATIONS AND GIFTS
===================================
Conversations are the quickest and easiest way to raise a girl's affection
score. However, they will only occur in certain seasons and at certain
locations. The tables in the next two sections show the times and places
where these questions will be asked. The specific questions and affection
score values are listed under each girl's individual section.
Note that all girls have special conversations on Saturdays when their
affection is between 120 and 149 and again when it's between 150 and 200. The
latter range results in questions, and these are listed in the section for
each girl. Also, when affection score is between 200 and 249, the girls'
parents will have a special message for you (except for Nina's mother). These
conversations do not impact affection score, so they are not included below.
Gifts are also a good way to raise affection score, but the impact of the
gifts changes depending on where the girl is. Girls change their gift
preferences even more radically once married. The specific values at each
location are listed for each girl.
================
GIRLS' LOCATIONS
================
The single girls can be found at the following locations at these times. They
will be at these spots in all four seasons.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| Time | Ann | Ellen | Eve | Maria | Nina |
o------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Weekday | Inside | In front of| Town | In front | Outside |
| Daytime | tool shop | livestock | Square | of church | flower |
| | | dealer | | | shop |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Weekday | N/A | Inside | Inside | N/A | N/A |
| Night | | bar (1) | bar | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Weekday | Back room | Inside | N/A | Bedroom in | Back room |
| Rain/Snow | of tool | restaurant | | mayor's | in flower |
| | shop | (2) | | house | shop |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Saturday | In front | Behind | By hot | Inside the | Inside |
| Daytime | of tool | livestock | springs on | church | mountain |
| | shop | dealer | mountain | | cave |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Saturday | N/A | N/A | N/A | Bedroom in | Inside |
| Rain/Snow | | | | mayor's | mountain |
| | | | | house | cave |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Saturday | N/A | Inside | Inside | N/A | N/A |
| Night | | bar | bar | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Sunday | In church | In church | Bathing in | In church | Top left |
| Daytime | | | hot springs| | corner of |
| | | | | | mountain |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Sunday | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Rain/Snow | | | | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Sunday | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Night | | | | | |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
(1) Spring and fall only
(2) During winter, in back room.
================================
SEASONS WHEN GIRLS ASK QUESTIONS
================================
During some seasons, the girls will ask questions. These questions are
valuable for raising affection score. Below are seasons where questions will
be asked. Combine this table with the one above to find the appropriate
season and location for raising affection score through conversation.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| Time | Ann | Ellen | Eve | Maria | Nina |
o------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Weekday | Summer & | Spring & | None | Spring & | Summer & |
| Daytime | Winter | Fall | | Fall | Winter |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Weekday | None | None | Spring & | None | None |
| Night | | | Winter (1) | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Weekday | None | None | None | None | None |
| Rain/Snow | | | | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Saturday | None | All | All | None | None |
| Daytime | | seasons | seasons | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Saturday | None | None | None | None | None |
| Rain/Snow | | | | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Saturday | None | None | Spring & | None | None |
| Night | | | Winter (1) | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Sunday | All | None | All | All | Winter |
| Daytime | seasons | | seasons (2)| seasons | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Sunday | None | None | None | None | None |
| Rain/Snow | | | | | |
|------------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+------------|
| Sunday | None | None | None | None | None |
| Night | | | | | |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
(1) In the winter, Eve will just serve you juice. This increases your
affection score by 2 points each time. Unlike with questions, you do not
need to enter and exit the room to continue receiving points.
(2) Occurs randomly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ann is the tomboyish, red-haired girl who lives at the tool shop. She enjoys
tinkering with machines and creating new inventions, though she is seldom
successful. Ann enjoys cooking as well, although she does not seem to have
much talent there either. As a wife, Ann will spend her free time in the tool
shed working on new contraptions like an auto-milker and yogurt maker (she is
never successful).
===================
ANN'S CONVERSATIONS
===================
SUMMER, WEEKDAYS – In tool shop
"It'll be showcased at the shop one of these days so please try it"
> "Hum" +8 affection
> "I don't want it" +2 affection
WINTER, WEEKDAYS – In tool shop
"Aren't I acting like a girl?"
> "No, not at all" +8 affection
> "Not that bad" +2 affection
ALL SEASONS, SUNDAYS – In church
"Ho hum... it's boring, isn't it?"
> "Yes" +4 affection
> "Not really" +1 affection
ALL SEASONS, SATURDAYS – In front of tool shop (affection score is 150-200)
"Hello! Hey, look at this! This is the automatic pudding maker! I've put
eggs and milk in here. Now all you have to do is turn it on. Do it!"
> "Push" +10 affection
> "I don't want to" +2 affection
=================
ANN'S GIFT SCORES
=================
The table below shows the impact of gifts when at specific locations. The
locations are defined below and are different for each girl. Ann is the only
girl who has two different gift value sets when married. Also, Ann develops a
peculiar indifference to mushrooms when married, despite liking them when
single.
Single Single Wife Wife
Gift Location 1 Location 2 Location 3 Location 4
---- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cake 6 5 8 5
Flower 2 2 8 8
Turnip 6 5 5 5
Potato 6 5 5 5
Tomato 6 5 5 5
Corn 6 5 5 5
Egg 6 5 5 5
Small Milk 6 5 5 5
Medium Milk 6 5 5 5
Large Milk 6 5 5 5
Wild Grapes 6 5 5 5
Tropical Fruit 6 5 5 5
Mushroom 6 5 0 0
Fish 6 5 0 5
Cave Herb 0 0 0 0
Fodder 0 0 0 0
Weeds -2 -2 -4 -6
P. Mushroom -8 -8 -8 -6
Fullmoon Berry 6 5 5 5
Location 1 = Front room of tool shop or Ann's bedroom
Location 2 = Outside in front of tool shop or inside church
Location 3 = Inside Jack's house
Location 4 = Inside tool shed
==================
ANN'S EVENT SCORES
==================
The following table shows the impact of certain events if Ann is single or
your wife. Note that AS stands for Affection Score.
Event Single Wife
----- ------ ----
Flower Festival
Talk (AS is 0-100) 8 4
Talk (AS is 101-150) 8 4
Talk (AS is 151-300) 12 4
Talk (AS is 300+) 15 4
Dance 30 30
Give Perfume
Rose Perfume 3 3
Lilac Perfume 6 6
Violet Perfume 15 15
Harvest Festival
"Yes" to request 8 8
"No" to request 2 2
Dance 30 30
Egg Festival
Talk after contest 10 10
Star Night Festival
Visit location 30 30
New Year's Festival
Talk NA NA
Special Event 50 NA
Married Events
Go to bed with wife NA 2
Go to bed before wife NA 0
Come home when wife is asleep NA -2
Wife comes home after leaving NA 100
Stay with wife during birth NA 50
Visit another girl during Star Night NA -30
===================
ANN'S SPECIAL EVENT
===================
This event occurs once you have an affection score of 200 (or 4 hearts in the
diary). It will only occur while you are still single.
Ann will come to your ranch and tell you her weathercock (wind vane) is
missing. It can be found in your chicken coop, and usually appears in the
same spot as an egg. After picking it up, you immediately appear before Ann
for a quick scene, then the day ends. Be sure to do all your daily chores
before retrieving the weathercock.
============================
STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL WITH ANN
============================
Ann will be at the Spa and has the following messages based on her affection
score or if she is your wife.
Affection Score is:
- 0-200: Ann enjoys watching stars while taking a hot springs bath.
- 201-300: Ann figures you think she's a monkey or something
- 300+: Ann comments that people don't usually meet at the spa late at
night and is nervous. She scolds you for not listening...
- Married: Ann says the springs feel good and are the best spot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ELLEN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellen is the brown-haired girl who gives you the dog on the second day and
lives at the restaurant. She is usually found around the livestock dealer and
is a huge animal lover. Her uncle is the livestock dealer and her father is
the town drunk, whom she worries about considerably. Ellen is also an
excellent cook, largely due to her working at the restaurant. Although she
seems to have short hair when single, she lets it down when married. Eve is
surprisingly domesticated once married and spends the day outside the cow
barn, usually concerned about the dog or horse.
=====================
ELLEN'S CONVERSATIONS
=====================
SPRING, WEEKDAYS – In front of livestock dealer
"Hey, do you like animals?"
> "I love them" +8 affection
> "I don't like them" +2 affection
FALL, WEEKDAYS – In front of livestock dealer
"Hey, do you like sweets?"
> "I love them" +8 affection
> "Not really" +2 affection
ALL SEASON, SATURDAYS – Behind livestock dealer
"My uncle liked you. Please make friends with him. OK?"
> "OK" +8 affection
> "No" +2 affection
ALL SEASONS, SATURDAYS – Behind livestock dealer (affection score is 150-200)
"Hey, I baked a new cake. Will you have a bite?"
> "Yes" +10 affection
> "No" +2 affection
===================
ELLEN'S GIFT SCORES
===================
The table below shows the impact of gifts at specific locations. Despite many
tips telling you to try it, Ellen's affection score cannot be raised when she
is at the bar at night.
Single Single Single Wife
Gift Location 1 Location 2 Location 3 Location 4
---- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cake 0 0 0 6
Flower 5 0 0 6
Turnip 6 5 0 6
Potato 6 5 0 6
Tomato 6 5 0 6
Corn 6 5 0 6
Egg 8 8 0 4
Small Milk 8 8 0 4
Medium Milk 8 8 0 4
Large Milk 8 8 0 4
Wild Grapes 6 5 0 6
Tropical Fruit 6 5 0 6
Mushroom 6 5 0 6
Fish 6 5 0 6
Cave Herb 0 0 0 0
Fodder 0 0 0 0
Weeds -4 -2 0 -4
P. Mushroom -8 -8 0 -8
Fullmoon Berry 6 5 0 6
Location 1 = In front of livestock dealer or in front room of restaurant
Location 2 = Behind livestock deal
Location 3 = Bar at night or back room of restaurant
Location 4 = Inside Jack's house or outside barn
====================
ELLEN'S EVENT SCORES
====================
The following table shows the impact of certain events if Ellen is single or
your wife. Note that AS stands for Affection Score.
Event Single Wife
----- ------ ----
Flower Festival*
Talk (AS is 0-100) 8 8
Talk (AS is 101-150) 12 12
Talk (AS is 151-300) 12 12
Talk (AS is 300+) 15 15
Dance 30 30
Give Perfume
Rose Perfume 15 15
Lilac Perfume 8 8
Violet Perfume 6 6
Harvest Festival
"Yes" to request 8 8
"No" to request 2 2
Dance 30 30
Egg Festival
Talk after contest 10 10
Star Night Festival
Visit location 30 30
New Year's Festival
Talk NA NA
Special Event 50 NA
Married Events
Go to bed with wife NA 2
Go to bed before wife NA 0
Come home when wife is asleep NA -2
Wife comes home after leaving NA 100
Stay with wife during birth NA 50
Visit another girl during Star Night NA -30
* If you are married to Eve, Ellen's affection score is increased
by 4 each time you speak with her. This can be repeated infinitely.
=====================
ELLEN'S SPECIAL EVENT
=====================
This event occurs once you have an affection score of 200 (or 4 hearts in the
diary). It will only occur while you are still single.
Ellen will come to your farm and tell you that P-Chan, her pet bird, is
missing. The bird can be found near the fishing pond on the mountain.
Approach it and press the A-button, then Ellen will appear. She decides to
let P-Chan free, but is happy that you found him. The day ends immediately
after the bird is found, so make sure to do all your chores first. You can
still experience this event at night.
==============================
STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL WITH ELLEN
==============================
Ellen will be at the Public Square and has the following messages based on her
affection score or if she is your wife.
Affection Score is:
- 0-200: Ellen feels like she's floating when she closes her eyes.
- 201-300: Ellen prays for everyone's health and... a secret.
- 300+: Ellen realizes how improbable it is to find the right person and
is thankful she has you.
- Married: Ellen wonders if the stars will still shine when you become old.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eve is the blonde girl who works/lives at the bar. Eve has no parents that we
know of, and her closest relative is the hunter in the mountain. In her free
time, she enjoys nature, nude baths in the hot springs, and fermenting her own
"juice." Eve is outgoing and flirtatious, but she does have abandonment
issues and gets lonely very easily. As a wife, Eve is very hard to keep
happy. She carries her abandonment issues into the relationship and actually
loses affection for you if you go to sleep with her. You will need to give
her gifts regularly to maintain her happiness. In her free time, Eve will
ferment her own juice in the tool shed.
===================
EVE'S CONVERSATIONS
===================
SPRING, WEEKDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS – At bar (affection score 0-119 or 200+)
"It's my home made fruit juice. Do you want it?"
> "Yes" +4 affection
> "No thank you" +8 affection
WINTER, WEEKDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS – At bar (affection score 0-119 or 200+)
"Wasn't it cold outside? When it's cold, you better drink and warm your body
from the inside"
> +2 affection each time you talk
ALL SEASONS, Saturdays – Mountain, near hot springs
"Oh, what a coincidence to meet you here"
> "Yes" +2 affection
> "No" +8 affection
ALL SEASONS, SUNDAYS – In hot springs (random)
"You are pretty daring, aren't you? Shall I wash your back?"
> "Yes" +8 affection
> "N..N..No" +2 affection
ALL SEASONS, WEEKDAYS AND SATURDAYS – At bar (affection score is 150-200)
"I couldn't stand to be alone in that huge place. Don't you feel lonely?"
there?"
> "Sometimes" +8 affection
> "Not at all" +2 affection
=================
EVE'S GIFT SCORES
=================
The table below shows the impact of gifts when at specific locations. When
both married and single, Eve has a strong aversion to fish.
Single Single Single Wife
Gift Location 1 Location 2 Location 3 Location 4
---- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cake 8 8 6 8
Flower 8 8 6 8
Turnip 3 5 4 4
Potato 3 5 4 4
Tomato 3 5 4 4
Corn 3 5 4 4
Egg 3 5 4 4
Small Milk 3 5 4 4
Medium Milk 3 5 4 4
Large Milk 3 5 4 4
Wild Grapes 3 5 4 4
Tropical Fruit 3 5 4 4
Mushroom 3 5 4 4
Fish -8 -8 -8 -8
Cave Herb 0 0 0 0
Fodder 0 0 0 0
Weeds -2 -4 -2 -4
P. Mushroom -8 -8 -8 -8
Fullmoon Berry 3 5 4 4
Location 1 = Bar
Location 2 = Town Square
Location 3 = Mountain
Location 4 = Inside Jack's house or the tool shed
==================
EVE'S EVENT SCORES
==================
The following table shows the impact of certain events if Eve is single or
your wife. Note that AS stands for Affection Score.
Event Single Wife
----- ------ ----
Flower Festival
Talk (AS is 0-100) 8 0
Talk (AS is 101-150) 8 0
Talk (AS is 151-300) 12 0
Talk (AS is 300+) 15 0
Dance 30 30
Give Perfume
Rose Perfume 12 12
Lilac Perfume 4 4
Violet Perfume 8 8
Harvest Festival
"Yes" to request 8 8
"No" to request 2 2
Dance 30 30
Egg Festival
Talk after contest NA NA
Star Night Festival
Visit location 30 30
New Year's Festival
Talk 10 10
Special Event 50 NA
Married Events
Go to bed with wife NA -2
Go to bed before wife NA 0
Come home when wife is asleep NA -2
Wife comes home after leaving NA 100
Stay with wife during birth NA 50
Visit another girl during Star Night NA -30
===================
EVE'S SPECIAL EVENT
===================
This event occurs once you have an affection score of 200 (or 4 hearts in the
diary). It will only occur while you are still single.
The carpenter races to your farm first thing and tells you that the hunter is
trapped in the mountain cave. Do your daily chores first, then bring the
hammer and head to the mountain. The hunter is in the back near the cave
herbs, and you must clear away a few rocks to get to him. After freeing him,
Eve reiterates how worried she is and thanks you for freeing him.
============================
STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL WITH EVE
============================
Eve will be at the bar and has the following messages based on her affection
score or if she is your wife.
Affection Score is:
- 0-200: Eve cheers to the beautiful night sky.
- 201-300: Eve cheers to the stars for the fate of having met you.
- 300+: Eve is glad you came and wants to spend time with you next year.
- Married: Eve says you are late but wants you to join the fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARIA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maria is the blue-haired, religious girl who is often found around the church.
Maria is the mayor's daughter, and she enjoys reading, children, and playing
the organ. She is an obvious goody-goody and is probably the most upright
girl in the game. As a wife, Maria does chores around the barn and makes
mostly abstract comments about the time or weather.
=====================
MARIA'S CONVERSATIONS
=====================
SPRING, WEEKDAYS – In front of church
"Do you believe in God?"
> "Yes" +8 affection
> "No" +2 affection
FALL, WEEKDAYS – In front of church
"....Excuse me, do you love kids?"
> "I love kids" +8 affection
> "Not really" +2 affection
ALL SEASONS, SUNDAYS – In church
"Oh, you have come to listen to the priest"
> "Yes" +4 affection
> "No" +1 affection
ALL SEASONS, SATURDAYS – Inside church (affection score is 150-200)
"Aren't you lonely living in that big place?"
> "A little lonely" +10 affection
> "No, not at all" +2 affection
===================
MARIA'S GIFT SCORES
===================
The table below shows the impact of gifts when at specific locations. Maria
does not have any strong affections for anything until she is married
Single Single Wife
Gift Location 1 Location 2 Location 3
---- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cake 3 3 8
Flower 4 4 8
Turnip 5 5 4
Potato 5 5 4
Tomato 5 5 4
Corn 5 5 4
Egg 5 5 4
Small Milk 5 5 4
Medium Milk 5 5 4
Large Milk 5 5 4
Wild Grapes 5 3 4
Tropical Fruit 5 3 4
Mushroom 5 3 4
Fish 0 3 4
Cave Herb 0 0 0
Fodder 0 0 0
Weeds -2 -2 -4
P. Mushroom -8 -8 -6
Fullmoon Berry 5 3 4
Location 1 = In front of church (sweeping) or inside church
Location 2 = Inside bedroom in mayor's house
Location 3 = Inside Jack's house or outside barn
====================
MARIA'S EVENT SCORES
====================
The following table shows the impact of certain events if Maria is single or
your wife. Note that AS stands for Affection Score.
Event Single Wife
----- ------ ----
Flower Festival*
Talk (AS is 0-100) 8 4
Talk (AS is 101-150) 8 4
Talk (AS is 151-300) 12 4
Talk (AS is 300+) 15 4
Dance 30 30
Give Perfume
Rose Perfume 5 5
Lilac Perfume 15 15
Violet Perfume 8 8
Harvest Festival
"Yes" to request 8 8
"No" to request 2 2
Dance 30 30
Egg Festival
Talk after contest NA NA
Star Night Festival
Visit location 30 30
New Year's Festival
Talk 10 10
Special Event 50 NA
Married Events
Go to bed with wife NA 2
Go to bed before wife NA 0
Come home when wife is asleep NA -2
Wife comes home after leaving NA 100
Stay with wife during birth NA 50
Visit another girl during Star Night NA -30
* When married, you can talk to Maria repeatedly at the Flower Festival for 4
affection points each time.
=====================
MARIA'S SPECIAL EVENT
=====================
This event occurs once you have an affection score of 200 (or 4 hearts in the
diary). It will only occur while you are still single.
The mayor comes to your house and tells you that Maria is missing. Maria is
hiding out in the carpenters' house on the mountain. Finish your chores for
the day, then head over there before 5pm. Maria may remain missing for
several days, and you won't be able to find her on the weekends. Once you
enter the carpenters' house, they initially try to conceal her, but Maria
appears and heads home.
==============================
STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL WITH MARIA
==============================
Maria will be at the church and has the following messages based on her
affection score or if she is your wife.
Affection Score is:
- 0-200: Maria hopes to have a good dream.
- 201-300: Maria wishes she can spend some time with you next year.
- 300+: Maria asks you to see the stars with her after church.
- Married: Maria hopes everyone is happy and wants to go home after
seeing the stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NINA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nina is the pink-haired girl who lives at the flower shop. Nina loves flowers
and nature and is very in touch with the earth. She spends her free time in
the mountain and cave. Nina is a free spirit and, along with Eve, is one of
the two girls who does not attend church on Sunday. As a wife, Nina spends
time around the barn doing laundry and folding clothes. She often comments on
flowers, grass, or the wildlife in the mountain.
====================
NINA'S CONVERSATIONS
====================
SUMMER, WEEKDAYS – In front of flower shop
"Hello. Do you like flowers?"
> "Yes" +8 affection
> "Not really" +2 affection
WINTER, WEEKDAYS – In front of flower shop
"Do you believe that there is a flower which blooms in winter?"
> "Yes" +8 affection
> "You're kidding?" +2 affection
WINTER, SUNDAYS – At mountain
"Plants are alive under the snow. Isn't it wonderful?"
> "Wonderful" +4 affection
> "So?" +1 affection
ALL SEASONS, SATURDAY – In mountain cave (affection score is 150-200)
"I heard there was the 'Secret Garden' in the ranch. Is it so? I want to go
see it"
> "OK" +10 affection
> "I don't want to go" +2 affection
==================
NINA'S GIFT SCORES
==================
The table below shows the impact of gifts when at specific locations. Nina
gets very upset if you pick cave herbs, so never give those to her as gifts.
She also hates flowers of any kind when married. She is oddly open to poison
mushrooms when married, though, and is the only girl in the game to respond
favorably when given one.
Single Single Single Wife
Gift Location 1 Location 2 Location 3 Location 4
---- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cake 8 8 8 8
Flower 6 4 4 -8
Turnip 4 3 2 5
Potato 4 3 2 5
Tomato 4 3 2 5
Corn 4 3 2 5
Egg 4 3 2 5
Small Milk 4 3 2 5
Medium Milk 4 3 2 5
Large Milk 4 3 2 5
Wild Grapes 4 3 2 5
Tropical Fruit 4 3 2 5
Mushroom 4 3 2 5
Fish 4 3 2 0
Cave Herb -6 -6 -6 0
Fodder 0 0 0 0
Weeds -4 -4 -4 -4
P. Mushroom -4 -4 -4 5
Fullmoon Berry 8 8 8 8
Location 1 = Outside flower shop
Location 2 = At mountain or inside mountain cave
Location 3 = Inside bedroom at flower shop
Location 4 = Inside Jack's house or outside barn
===================
NINA'S EVENT SCORES
===================
The following table shows the impact of certain events if Nina is single or
your wife. Note that AS stands for Affection Score.
Event Single Wife
----- ------ ----
Flower Festival*
Talk (AS is 0-100) 8 4
Talk (AS is 101-150) 8 4
Talk (AS is 151-300) 12 4
Talk (AS is 300+) 15 4
Dance 30 30
Give Perfume
Rose Perfume 8 8
Lilac Perfume 8 8
Violet Perfume 8 8
Harvest Festival
"Yes" to request 8 8
"No" to request 2 2
Dance 30 30
Egg Festival
Talk after contest 10 10
Star Night Festival
Visit location 30 30
New Year's Festival
Talk NA NA
Special Event 50 NA
Married Events
Go to bed with wife NA 2
Go to bed before wife NA 0
Come home when wife is asleep NA -2
Wife comes home after leaving NA 100
Stay with wife during birth NA 50
Visit another girl during Star Night NA -30
* When married, you can talk to Nina repeatedly at the Flower Festival for 4
affection points each time.
====================
NINA'S SPECIAL EVENT
====================
This event occurs once you have an affection score of 200 (or 4 hearts in the
diary). It will only occur while you are still single.
Ann's father comes to the ranch in a panic. Nina went to the mountain to
retrieve an herb for her sick mother and hasn't returned. After doing your
chores, equip the hammer and head over to the cave. Break the rocks and talk
to Nina. She asks for herb. Bring her one and she recovers, thanking you for
helping her.
=============================
STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL WITH NINA
=============================
Nina will be at the mountain and has the following messages based on her
affection score or if she is your wife.
Affection Score is:
- 0-200: Nina says she sees a shooting star every year and asks you to
keep the place a secret.
- 201-300: Nina asks if you made a wish and says her wish is a secret.
- 300+: Nina looks forward to the shooting star every year but is much
happier with you.
- Married: Nina hopes she can see stars with you every year.
==============================================================================
7. D E V E L O P M E N T R A T E S C O R E HM47
==============================================================================
Development rate is one of the statistics presented at the end of the game.
It measures the percent of your ranch that is covered or "developed," and the
score ranges from 0-100%. Development rate only takes into account free
squares that you can interact with. Squares occupied by buildings, immovable
structures, or any other permanent object do not count. A square is
considered "developed" if it is free and you cover it with crops, grass, or a
piece of fence. The table below summarizes which objects affect the ranch
development score.
o-------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| Counts Towards Score | Does NOT Count Towards Score |
|------------------------------------+------------------------------------|
| - Crops | - Buildings or natural structures |
| - Grass | - House upgrades |
| - Fence | - Large or small rocks |
| | - Stumps |
| | - Weeds |
| | - Broken fence pieces |
| | - Money Tree |
o-------------------------------------------------------------------------o
===================
COMPUTING THE SCORE
===================
Overall, the ranch measures 60 squares horizontally by 57 squares vertically.
Within that space, 2968 squares can be covered or developed by you. The
formula for calculating the Development Rate is the following:
Development Rate = ROUNDDOWN("Developed Squares" / 29.5) * 100
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| EXAMPLE |
| Let's say your farm has 60 fence pieces to start, and you plant 3 patches |
| of crops in a "C" formation and 2 patches of grass in the 3x3 formation. |
| The number of squares of crops planted is 3*8 or 24. The number of squares|
| of grass is 3*9 or 27. The total number of developed squares is |
| 60+24+27=111. To calculate the Development Rate, we divide the 111 by 29.5|
| to get 3.763. This is rounded down to 3. After multiplying by 100, we |
| have a Development Rate of 3%... still a long way to go. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
You reach a 100% development rate with 2950 squares covered. This means you
can have 18 free squares (or two 3x3 blocks) and still receive a perfect
score.
========
STRATEGY
========
Covering the entire farm is an extremely daunting task. The cheapest way to
do this is with fence pieces, but it is completely unmanageable in the event
that one piece breaks. And you have no way of accessing it for repairs. You
COULD wait until Day 29 of summer in year 3 to cover the farm with fence
pieces, as this would assure none are broken. However, covering the farm with
fence takes many hours of time, both in chopping lumber and in positioning the
pieces. It is a very undesirable choice if you have an alternative. Crops
are an equally unmanageable choice, and they're expensive in addition.
The best, although most expensive, method is to cover the farm with grass.
You can keep certain squares occupied by crops and fence pieces, but fill in
all the others, including those around your house and between crops, with
grass seed. This actually looks quite nice when the grass blooms, but it
costs a small fortune – roughly 165,000 G. That's right, you need about 330
bags of grass in total, and this doesn't factor in overlap or screw ups. It
is certainly possible to save up enough money for this, and you may wish to
make grass planting a dedicated project in the spring of year 3. Regardless
of your tactic, reaching a 100% development rate is a very time-consuming
task.
==============================================================================
8. H A P P I N E S S S C O R E HM48
==============================================================================
Happiness is another score you receive at the end of the game, and it has been
mentioned throughout this document extensively. The maximum happiness score
is 999. In general, happiness reflects Jack's overall well-being and
contentedness. It is closely related to his work on the ranch, but it also
takes into account the effects of nature, family, and people that don't
directly result in money or a tangible reward. Happiness is tracked
throughout the game and cannot normally be viewed (although you can see it by
using the ending cheat mentioned in the Tips and Tricks section).
There are many possible ways to reach a maximum score. The list below shows
all the items that affect happiness. I have classified these items into
general categories to make it easier to follow. All the values listed below
show the effect on happiness EACH TIME the event occurs. For example, if you
visit the mountain and catch a fish each day, you will receive 2 points of
additional happiness each day.
==========================
EVENTS AFFECTING HAPPINESS
==========================
NATURE
See birds in morning 2
See frog in cut grass 2
Catch fish 2
See squirrel in spring 10
See rabbit in fall 10
See fox in winter 10
FAMILY
Receive dog from Ellen 10
Find horse 10
Get married 50
Give wife gift on anniversary 30
Wife leaves you -50
First child is born 50
Second child is born 100
Give any family member cake
on first child's birthday 10
Give wife cake on second
child's birthday 30
LIVESTOCK
Buy chicken 10
Buy cow 20
Sell chicken / give to Hawker -20
Sell cow / give to Hawker -50
Chicken eaten by wild dogs -30
Cow becomes sick -30
Cow dies -100
Incubate chicken egg 5
Baby cow born 70
FESTIVALS
Buy rice balls at Harvest Festival 1
Buy dumplings at Harvest Festival 3
Win egg hunt (Turtle Shell) 80
Win egg hunt (Power Berry) 30
Receive cake from a girl at
Thanksgiving Festival 10
Receive cake from wife on
Thanksgiving Festival 30
OTHER
Eat Power Berry 10
First house upgrade 50
Second house upgrade 100
Paint house (each stroke) 10
Read girl's diary -1
SPECIAL EVENTS
Gnome upgrades sickle 20
Gnome does not upgrade sickle -10
Give injured gnome mushroom 20
Give injured gnome poison mushroom -20
Give injured gnome anything else 0
Tell truth about axe 20
Lie about axe -30
Let carpenter borrow hammer 20
Do not let borrow hammer -20
Give egg to fortuneteller's
granddaughter when she asks 30
Cards drawn at New Year's Festival
Excellent luck card 30
Luck card 10
Misfortune card -20
No pick 0
Catch Rabbit in the Mountain
"Let it Loose" and pay 50
"Let it Loose" and don't pay 0
"Just Watching" -10
========
STRATEGY
========
If you're looking for an easy way to maximize happiness, look no further than
the mountain. Visit the mountain each day during the spring, fall, or winter
and you can earn up to 300 happiness per season just from viewing the animals.
Of course, since there are holidays and rainy/snowy days where animals cannot
be viewed, you should assume the realistic number is more like 220 per season.
In addition to the mountain, the second best way to raise happiness is to give
your wife gifts on your anniversary. You receive 30 points for each gift you
give her on your first or second anniversary. She will give have a special
message after receiving a gift on that day, which indicates that you earned
the happiness boost. The best way to take advantage of your anniversary is to
give her as many eggs from the chicken coop as you can. It is possible to
give her 12 eggs in a single day (especially if she hangs out near the barn in
the afternoon) for a happiness boost of 360. Nothing else rivals your
anniversary for happiness boosting potential, so be sure to remember the date.
Based on how you play the game using the events detailed above, you should be
able to gauge what else is needed to reach 999 happiness. As a rule of thumb,
you do not need to focus on your happiness score until year 2. Focus instead
on earning money in the first year and ignore any impact on happiness. It is
easy enough to reach 999 happiness before the end of the game even if you
begin the second year with 0 points.
==============================================================================
9. R A N C H M A S T E R S C O R E HM49
==============================================================================
Ranch master is really the "ultimate" score in the game. It takes into
account both the development rate and happiness scores and adds in many other
productivity factors. The maximum ranch master score is 999.
Unlike happiness, ranch master is not tracked throughout the game; it is
calculated at the very end based on the numerical progress you have made in
numerous categories. Also unlike happiness, there are not multiple ways to
reach a 999 ranch score. There is only one exact method, and you need to play
almost perfectly to achieve this total.
Before going any further, I think it is important to point out that it is
nearly impossible to reach a perfect score in the course of a normal game
without being aware of the scoring criteria below. I believe this is due to
several bugs in the game's calculation. The game gives more points for lower
values in some categories than it does for higher ones, which is likely due to
errors in the algorithm when values contain more than one byte in the memory.
More on this is discussed below.
=====================
CALCULATING THE SCORE
=====================
Below is a list of the categories that effect the ranch master score and their
maximum impact on the final value.
Category Effect on RM Value Max RM Value
-------- ------------------ -------------
Money 1 pt for every 1280 G 78
Cows 3 pts per cow owned 36
Chickens 3 pts per chicken owned 36
Stamina 5 pts per eaten Power Berry 50
Tomatoes* 1 pt per 16 crops sold 31
Corn* 1 pt per 16 crops sold 31
Potatoes* 1 pt per 16 crops sold 31
Turnips* 1 pt per 16 crops sold 31
Cow Affection 1 pt per 8 affection per cow 300
Maria's Affection* 1 pt per 16 affection 31
Ann's Affection* 1 pt per 16 affection 31
Nina's Affection* 1 pt per 16 affection 31
Ellen's Affection* 1 pt per 16 affection 31
Eve's Affection* 1 pt per 16 affection 31
House Upgrade 1 16 if upgrade made 16
House Upgrade 2 16 if upgrade made 16
Clock 22 if you have it 22
Turtle Shell 21 if you have it 21
Married 32 if you are 32
First Child 16 if you have it 16
Second Child 16 if you have it 16
Development Rate 1 pt per 2% developed 50
Happiness 1 pt for every 32 happiness 31
===== =============
TOTAL 999
* Likely bugged. See next section.
========================
HOW TO MAX EACH CATEGORY
========================
The following section describes each of the categories factored into the ranch
master score. Several of the categories are likely bugged, and this is
discussed here as well.
MONEY
Money is simply your gold total on the status screen at the end of the game.
You receive 1 point for each 1280 G you have, up to 78 points. This
corresponds to 99,840 G. You do not receive additional points for any amount
over this, so don't waste your time trying to become a millionaire in the
hopes of improving your score.
COWS
This is the number of cows you own at the end of the game. The number used in
this calculation is the one from the log book in your house, so calves and
even unborn cows are included in this total. You receive 3 points for every
cow up to a maximum of 36 points, which occurs when you have 12 cows.
CHICKENS
As with cows, this category measures the amount of chickens you currently own
and matches the total in your log book. This number includes chicks as well
as adult chickens. You receive 3 points for every chicken up to a maximum of
36 points, which occurs when you have 12 chickens.
STAMINA
Stamina is the amount of stamina you have over the starting value of 100. For
each additional 10 stamina, you receive 5 points. This is analogous to the
number of Power Berries eaten. At 200 stamina or 10 Power Berries eaten, you
will receive 50 points.
TOMATOES / CORN / POTATOES / TURNIPS
For all four crop categories, you are scored based on the total sold to the
shipper (anything sold to the peddler does not count). This is the amount
displayed with the scores at the end. Typically, you receive 1 point for
every 16 crops sold, with a maximum score of 31. However, once you reach 512
or more crops of any kind, the game resets your score to zero and begins the
count again. The same thing happens again and at every 512 crop interval
thereafter. The table below shows how the score is calculated at some of the
values near 512, 1024, and 1536.
Crops Sold RM Score
---------- --------
480-495 30
496-511 31
512-527 0
528-543 1
544-559 2
...
992-1007 30
1008-1023 31
1024-1039 0
...
1520-1535 31
1536-1551 0
Odd as it may be, you lose 31 points when you sell the 512th crop. Same thing
with the 1024th and 1536th. And yes, even though the text glitches during the
scoring, you can have over 1000 of every crop. This rollover is likely a bug
caused by the game's mishandling of the higher byte in the crop equations, but
it's something you need to keep in mind. It will take careful planning (and
using the end-of-game cheat) to ensure that your crop totals end up in one of
these categories.
COW AFFECTION
The ending credits display the cow with the highest affection score, but you
are actually scored on the affection of ALL cows. Cow affection rate is the
single biggest component of the ranch master score. You receive 1 ranch
master point for every 8 points of affection score for every cow, with a
maximum of 25 per cow. Only adult cows are factored into this calculation.
If all 12 cows have affection rates of 200 or higher, you will receive 300
points to your ranch master score.
GIRLS' AFFECTION
You are scored based on the affection of each of the five town girls. This
calculation works in the exact same way as the one for crops. You receive 1
point for every 16 points of affection score for each girl, with a reset
occurring at 512. The maximum ranch master score occurs when all five girls
have affection scores of 496 to 511, and this translates to a 155 ranch master
score. This is almost certainly a bug, as you would actively need to lower
your wife's affection score after she has a second child to ever end up in
this range.
HOUSE UPGRADES
You receive 16 points for each house upgrade. This contributes 32 points in
total with both upgrades.
CLOCK
If you upgrade your house by the end of the first summer, you will receive a
free clock from the carpenters. Having this clock adds 22 points to your
ranch master score.
TURTLE SHELL
One of the prizes you receive from winning the egg hunt at the Egg Festival is
the turtle shell. This shell adds 21 points to your ranch master score.
MARRIED
You receive 32 points if you are married. You will receive these points even
if your wife has "left you" at the time the game ends and is living with her
parents.
CHILDREN
You receive 16 points for each child you have. The child does not even need
to be born when the game ends. So long as your wife is pregnant, you receive
credit for that child.
DEVELOPMENT RATE
For each 2% of development rate, you receive 1 point to the ranch master
score. The maximum is 50 points. See the Development Rate section for more
on computing that score.
HAPPINESS
For every 32 points of happiness, you receive 1 point to the ranch master
score. The maximum contribution from happiness is 31 points. See the
Happiness section for more on computing that score.
=================
THE PERFECT SCORE
=================
Now that the scoring criteria have been listed, the table below shows the
value you need for a perfect score. Given the bugs described above, I show
criteria for both a "perfect" game score and a "100%" game score. A "perfect"
score is one that gives you a ranch master value of 999, but it involves
playing the game in a very unintuitive way and would never normally be reached
by anyone. A "100%" score is the one you would achieve if you did everything
and collected as much as you could. You can think of this as a true perfect
score, and it will result in a ranch master value of 994.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| | Perfect Game | 100% Game |
| |------------------------|------------------------|
| Category | Value | RM Score | Value | RM Score |
|--------------------------+-----------+------------+-----------+------------|
| Money | 99,840+ | 78 | 99,840+ | 78 |
| Cows | 12 | 36 | 12 | 36 |
| Chickens | 12 | 36 | 12 | 36 |
| Stamina | 200 | 50 | 200 | 50 |
| Tomatoes | 511, 1023 | 31 | 511, 1023 | 31 |
| Corn | 511, 1023 | 31 | 511, 1023 | 31 |
| Potatoes | 511, 1023 | 31 | 511, 1023 | 31 |
| Turnips | 511, 1023 | 31 | 511, 1023 | 31 |
| Cow Affection (for all) | 200-255 | 300 | 255 | 300 |
| Maria's Affection | 496-511 | 31 | 999 | 30 |
| Ann's Affection | 496-511 | 31 | 999 | 30 |
| Nina's Affection | 496-511 | 31 | 999 | 30 |
| Ellen's Affection | 496-511 | 31 | 999 | 30 |
| Eve's Affection | 496-511 | 31 | 999 | 30 |
| House Upgrade 1 | Yes | 16 | Yes | 16 |
| House Upgrade 2 | Yes | 16 | Yes | 16 |
| Clock | Yes | 22 | Yes | 22 |
| Turtle Shell | Yes | 21 | Yes | 21 |
| Married | Yes | 32 | Yes | 32 |
| First Child | Yes | 16 | Yes | 16 |
| Second Child | Yes | 16 | Yes | 16 |
| Development Rate | 100% | 50 | 100% | 50 |
| Happiness | 999 | 31 | 999 | 31 |
|======================================|============|===========|============|
| TOTAL | 999 | | 994 |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
==============================================================================
10. E N D I N G S HM4A
==============================================================================
There are 20 endings in Harvest Moon. Each ending is a brief cut scene that
will occur if you meet certain criteria in the game. Some endings cannot
occur if you receive others, as they have conflicting requirements. Once the
game ends, you will witness all of the scenes you have earned in the order
they are listed below. Information on how to meet any of these requirements
is discussed elsewhere in the guide.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. COMPLETE FAILURE
REQUIREMENTS: Unmarried, happiness less than 100, no livestock
Jack leaves his house, dejected, and walks off the screen. The dog follows
barking at him as somber music plays.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. COW FARMER
REQUIREMENTS: Own 1-6 cows
Jack visits a single cow in the field below the tool shed. He collects some
small milk and brushes it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. PROLIFIC COW FARMER
REQUIREMENTS: Own 7-12 cows
Jack is in the field with 4 adult cows, 1 calf, and 1 pregnant cow. He rings
the bell and the cows swarm him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. CHICKEN FARMER
REQUIREMENTS: Own 1-12 chickens
Jack is collecting eggs in the coop when five chickens swarm him and he drops
the egg.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. THE HAPPY COW
REQUIREMENTS: Any cow has an affection rate of 192+
Jack visits a single cow in the field below the tool shed. He collects a
large milk, then falls asleep against the cow. Butterflies, a calf, and the
dog are nearby.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. CORN MASTER
REQUIREMENTS: Ship 200+ corn and have 100+ happiness
Jack picks some corn and waters a few plants with the watering can. After he
departs, the dogs urinates on several of the plants.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. TOMATO MASTER
REQUIREMENTS: Ship 200+ tomatoes and have 100+ happiness
Jack picks tomatoes and loads them into the horse. He then waters the crops
with the sprinkler as the dog looks on. He finally pats his brow and eats
lunch as the dog barks at him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. TURNIP MASTER
REQUIREMENTS: Ship 200+ turnips and have 100+ happiness
Jack is watering turnips with the watering can. The dog barks and two gnomes
appear, one possibly injured or hungry. Jack gives him a turnip.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. POTATO MASTER
REQUIREMENTS: Ship 200+ potatoes and have 100+ happiness
Jack picks some potatoes and departs. Meanwhile a mole wanders around and
then burrows. Shortly after, several potato plants begin disappearing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. CONTENT BACHELOR
REQUIREMENTS: Unmarried and have 100+ happiness
Jack is in the field below the tool shed with the dog and horse. He runs up
and hugs the dog.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. HAPPY BACHELOR
REQUIREMENTS: Unmarried and 800+ happiness
Jack is chopping wood in the mountain. A rabbit appears and gives him a Power
Berry. A squirrel, birds, and a fox also appear. A monkey can be seen in the
spring.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. LADIES' MAN
REQUIREMENTS: Unmarried, 300+ affection score with all 5 girls, 200+ happiness
Jack walks into town and interacts with each of the single girls as he makes
his rounds. Nina gives him a fullmoon berry, Maria blushes, Eve gives him
juice, Ellen gives him a cake, and Ann shows him a machine that blows up and
scorches his face. Ann then chases after him as he runs away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. MARIA IS WIFE
REQUIREMENTS: Be married to Maria
Maria and Jack begin at the ranch and walk to town. They stroll up to the
church, where they meet the mayor and his wife.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. ANN IS WIFE
REQUIREMENTS: Be married to Ann
Ann and Jack first visit the tool shop, then stop in the town square to talk
to Nina, then finally stop in front of the church. Ann's father and Nina's
mother are getting married.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. NINA IS WIFE
REQUIREMENTS: Be married to Nina
Nina is planting flowers on the ranch with her mother, when a frog jumps on
her head. The scene then shifts to a picnic in the mountain, where the
Goddess of Spring appears and takes a cake.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. ELLEN IS WIFE
REQUIREMENTS: Be married to Ellen
Jack is playing with the dog on the ranch as Ellen rides the horse. The scene
then shifts to Jack and Ellen at the mountain. The livestock dealer appears
and spots P-Chan in the trees.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. EVE IS WIFE
REQUIREMENTS: Be married to Eve
Jack is chopping a tree in the mountain as he prepares for a picnic with Eve
and the dog. The hunter eventually joins the party, followed by the
carpenter, who brings a fish with him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18. FIRST CHILD
REQUIREMENTS: First child has been born or wife is pregnant with it
Jack's wife, the dog, and child (in infant form) are inside. Jack's wife
approaches him and gives a kiss as the child crawls around. The wife then
gives attention to the child. Note that the first child will always appear in
the crawling form even if it was older when the game ended. You will receive
this ending even if the first child was not yet born, but your wife was
pregnant with it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. SECOND CHILD
REQUIREMENTS: Second child has been born or wife is pregnant with it
Jack is outside plowing the ranch just below the tool shed. The first child
(walking) plays with the dog as the second crawls around. The horse and a
chicken are visible also. Jack's wife eventually comes by and gives attention
to the crawling child. Note that the first child will always appear in
walking form and the second child in the crawling form regardless of their
ages when the game ended. You will receive this ending even if the second
child was not yet born, but your wife was pregnant with it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20. THE HAPPY FAMILY
REQUIREMENTS: Married, 2 children, 900+ happiness, 10 Power Berries eaten,
10,000 G, own 1+ cow, own 1+ chicken, hugged dog 100+ times
This is the "best" ending in the game. Jack will be sitting on the front
porch of his house with his wife, parents, two children, dog, and horse. They
all wave at you as the screen fades. You will receive this ending even if the
second child was not yet born, but your wife was pregnant with it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
================
THE BEST ENDINGS
================
Below are the maximum number of endings you can receive as a married or
unmarried farmer, assuming you accomplish as much as possible.
o-------------------------------------------------------------o
| MARRIED | SINGLE |
|------------------------------+------------------------------|
| 3. Prolific Cow Farmer | 3. Prolific Cow Farmer |
| 4. Chicken Farmer | 4. Chicken Farmer |
| 5. The Happy Cow | 5. The Happy Cow |
| 6. Corn Master | 6. Corn Master |
| 7. Tomato Master | 7. Tomato Master |
| 8. Turnip Master | 8. Turnip Master |
| 9. Potato Master | 9. Potato Master |
| 13-17. Married | 10. Content Bachelor |
| 18. First Child | 11. Happy Bachelor |
| 19. Second Child | 12. Ladies' Man |
| 20. The Happy Family | |
o-------------------------------------------------------------o
==============================================================================
11. T I P S A N D T R I C K S HM4B
==============================================================================
Harvest Moon contains many interesting secrets and tricks. Below are some of
the more helpful ones that you should keep in mind.
THE END IS NEAR
You can see the ending of the game at any time by holding down
START + SELECT + L + R as you go to sleep at night (use the Z button instead
of Select if playing with a Gamecube controller). It's best to have these
pressed just as you confirm the sleep message in the diary. The ending you
will see is the one you would have if finished the game with your current
stats and inventory. This can be very useful to gauge your progress if you're
replaying the game, but it probably does ruin the experience for a first-
timer.
THE MYSTERIOUS HAWKER
On rare occasion, this wandering peddler may show up on your ranch with a rare
offer or barter opportunity. For years, rumors have been spreading about when
the Hawker will come and what exactly will trigger him. Well, the mystery is
no more. The Hawker can come on three separate occasions, and none have any
randomness to them at all.
Event Trigger
----- -------
Power Berry for Chicken Sell chicken in the fall of year 1 or 2
Magic Beans for Cow Sell a cow anytime in year 2 or 3
Sells Money Tree First sunny day you have 30,000+ G in year 2 or 3
That's right, you have total control over when the Hawker appears. The only
seasonal event is trading a chicken for the Power Berry. The other two events
– trading for the Magic Beans and selling the Money Tree – can happen anytime
in year 2 or 3. None of the three events are linked, meaning you do not have
to worry about missing a new offer if you rejected the previous. However, if
you decline the Hawker's offer, he will never make the same one again.
Overall, the only essential transaction is the chicken for Power Berry swap –
you need to do this to receive a perfect ending and score. The other two
transactions are purely for entertainment and are up to you.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
If you make the cow-for-Magic Beans trade with the Hawker, you can take a
magical trip to the clouds. There are two important things to note about the
Magic Beans that are blatantly wrong in most other sources. First, the Magic
Beans can only be planted in the spring. Second, they do not need to be
planted on Sunday; any day will suffice. Take the beans to the mountain
summit and stand just slightly below the top. Use the Magic Beans and a small
sprout will appear. If you exit and re-enter the screen, the sprout will have
grown into a tremendous beanstalk. Climbing the beanstalk will take you to a
mysterious room in the clouds occupied by a golden chicken. Tell the chicken
that you have been working hard and it will give a Golden Egg. As soon as you
exit, you automatically appear before the peddler (regardless of the day) and
receive 10,000 G for the egg!
DO LIVESTOCK LIKE THE SUN?
For some reason, people like taking the livestock outside. Maybe they think
it's more humane, or maybe they're just doing something that worked in later
Harvest Moon games. In this game, NEVER take the livestock outside. Ever.
The only slight convenience from keeping the animals outdoors is that you do
not need to feed them; they will eat the grass on their own in all seasons
except winter. However, caring for the animals takes much longer (time stands
still in the barn but not outside), chickens do not lay eggs outside, chickens
can be eaten by wild dogs, and cows risk sickness (if it rains) or crankiness
(if any fence pieces break). Not to mention, having numerous animals outside
will cause a major slowdown. The animals receive no boost to affection or
anything else from the outdoors, so save yourself the frustration and leave
them inside.
TIME FOR A CLOCK
To receive a decorative clock for your home, upgrade your house once before
the end of the first summer. Do this by speaking to the carpenters in the
mountain. The clock also adds a time of day display to your menu screen,
allowing you to see precisely what hour it is. If you fail to get the clock
before the end of the summer, there is no other way to get it in the current
game.
LET THEM STARVE
One of the more useful yet unknown facts about cows is that you do not need to
feed them when they are still calves. This is the stage you receive them in
when they are purchased from the livestock dealer. Calves cannot get sick and
do not get upset when not fed, so save the fodder (and a lot of time) until
they become adults. You should still brush and talk to calves every day.
TO FENCE OR NOT TO FENCE
Fences are one of those things that most people have on their ranch but never
really think about. Most assume a fence keeps the wild dogs away or provides
some sort of boost to happiness... and they couldn't be more wrong. A fence
does... nothing! That's right, you can go the entire game without a fence and
be no worse off for it. A fence does not keep away wild dogs at night. Wild
dogs will only show up when you have broken fence pieces on your ranch, so
having no fence at all remedies this situation. You can leave chickens on a
fence-free ranch for the entire game and wild dogs will never eat them. If
you want to remove your starting fence, either throw the pieces into a pond or
carry them off the screen. Use fences purely for aesthetics and do not feel
any obligation to keep the one you start with.
SPRING CROPS GROW INTO SUMMER
Although it may not seem completely logical, you can still grow and pick
spring crops during the summer. The one catch is that the seeds must be
planted before the end of the spring. So long as they are in the ground by
then, they will grow and can be harvested through the end of summer. Use
these crops as a source of income in the early summer until the corn and
tomatoes are ready to pick.
REMEMBER YOUR ANNIVERSARY
As is the case in real life, it's a very smart idea to remember your wedding
anniversary. If you give your wife any gift that day (assuming it normally
has a positive effect on her affection score), she thanks you for remembering
the occasion. While she receives the usual boost to affection score, you
receive 30 points to your happiness score. This bonus is repeatable for every
gift you give her that day! The best way to take advantage of your
anniversary is to give your wife as many eggs from the chicken coop as you
can. It's possible to give her all 12 from a full coop (and even easier if
she moves near the barn outside in the afternoon) for a happiness boost of
360! Your anniversary is the single best day in the game for increasing
happiness. Be sure to record or remember the date of your marriage. This
trick works for both your first and second year anniversaries.
REMEMBER YOUR CHILD'S BIRTHDAY
Along the same lines as the anniversary trick above, you receive a happiness
bonus for remembering the birthdays of your children. On the date of the
first child's birthday, purchase a cake from the restaurant and give it to any
member of your family (wife or kids). Your wife will be happy that you
remembered the child's birthday, and you will receive 10 points to your
happiness score (no change to her affection score). This is repeatable for
each cake you give on that day. On your second child's birthday, you can also
receive a happiness boost by giving a cake to your wife (not the kids this
time). The wife's message is different for the second child –- she seems to
have forgotten it was his/her birthday –- and you receive 30 points to your
happiness score for each cake you give. Experiencing the second child's
birthday is probably not possible without cheating, as you would need to be
married by the first weekend in the game in order to have a second child soon
enough.
MUST I BRUSH YOU FOREVER?
Once cows start to produce large milk, there is no practical reason to keep
brushing or talking to them. Barring a missed feeding, sickness, or
crankiness, the cows will produce large milk for the rest of the game and do
not need any further brushing. You may still wish to brush them for 2-3 days
after they first produce large milk, as that will get them to the affection
level needed for the highest ending score.
HAPPINESS AT THE MOUNTAIN
The mountain is the best area to boost your happiness score. Every time you
see one of the seasonal animals (squirrels, rabbits, or foxes), your happiness
increases by 10 points. You can see these animals each day unless it rains or
snows. You also receive 2 points of happiness for every fish you catch. You
can use the free time in the fall and winter of year 2 to really boost
happiness at the mountain.
EVE, THE ICE QUEEN
Eve is a true rebel in the game. She has no parents, works at a bar, flirts
openly with you and everyone, bathes nude in the spring on Sundays, and has an
extremely high affection for "juice." Eve also has serious abandonment
issues, including a perpetual fear of losing her grandfather, the hunter.
Well, this hate-love relationship transfers to you if you marry her. All of
the other wives enjoy it when you go to sleep at the same time, and this is an
action that normally increases their affection score by 2 points. Eve,
however, dislikes your company. Going to bed with her will actually lower her
affection score by 2 points. Her score also decreases if she goes to bed
before you, so there's no way to win with her. If you are married to Eve and
want to keep her happy, you will need to give her gifts routinely. Eggs from
the barn work very well. Periodically check her affection level by looking at
her diary in the back of the bar and make sure it doesn't tank completely.
Eve is definitely the hardest wife to stay married to, so keep this in mind
before you pop the blue feather.
OUT LATE AT NIGHT
It's common knowledge that coming home after your wife is asleep makes her
unhappy. Indeed, this decreases her affection score by 2 points. However,
the 2-point decrease occurs EACH TIME you enter the house when she is asleep.
This means if you come in and out of the house 5 times while your wife is
asleep in the same night, her affection score will decrease by 10 points.
There's no way to get around annoying your wife if you have a lot of chores to
do, but try to minimize the impact by avoiding more than one trip into the
house at night.
SHE LEFT ME!
Yes, it is possible for your wife to leave you. This will happen if her
affection score drops below 200 (3 hearts or less in the diary) and she has
not had any children or is not currently pregnant. When the wife leaves, she
goes to her old bedroom (wherever her diary is kept). If you visit her there,
she will always come back to you, so there is no way to permanently lose your
wife. Your wife will never leave you again after this, regardless of how low
her affection is.
FLOWER FESTIVAL ANTICS WHEN MARRIED
Being married to Maria, Nina, or Eve allows you an easy opportunity for
increasing affection score with at least one girl during the Flower Festival.
If you are married to Maria or Nina, they will give you a message about
dancing later. Each time you receive this message, the girl's affection score
increases by 4 points. Talk to her repeatedly to quickly maximize her love
towards you. If you are married to Eve, the festival is even more
entertaining. She will say "You, I won't forgive you if you pick up another
girl." Ellen, who is standing near Eve, seems amused by this. Each time you
speak to Ellen, Ellen's affection score will increase by 4 points. Despite
her warning, Eve's affection score will not decrease if you talk to or even
dance with any other girls.
WATER IN THE RAIN
While rain usually saves you some time in not needing to water crops, you
still need to water any seeds you plant on a rainy day or any summer crops
that you pick vegetables from. This is because the game determines whether
the ground is "watered" or "unwatered" only when the day begins. If you do
anything to change the crop or the ground, the game treats it as not being
watered. Keep this in mind to avoid harvest delays.
DIG IN PLACE
Your farm is a veritable treasure chest of money, moles, and other items.
Each day, you can dig up two items (items include either a coin, money bag, or
mole). You can also find two Power Berries on the farm (though not both in
the same day). One easy way to uncover these items is to repeatedly plow the
same square over and over. It does not matter if the square was already
plowed; you can just keep using the hoe. This can help save some time and
avoid the hassle of digging up half your farm looking for items.
SECRET MESSAGE FOR CHEATERS
The maximum affection score for the girls in this game is 999, which is
usually displayed as 10 hearts in their diary. You can use cheat codes to set
their affection score higher than 999, however. When this happens, the diary
message will read "......Th-thank you." It is not possible to legitimately
see this diary message otherwise, so consider it an easter egg for cheaters.
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND
While it's more for amusement than usefulness, you can keep your dog anywhere
you want. This includes in town or on the mountain. You can even give him
back to Ellen! The same goes for your chickens. You can store all 12 in the
pen behind the livestock dealer's house if you want. These chickens will
remain perfectly safe from wild dogs and hurricanes, although they will not
lay any eggs.
ELLEN AND THE IMAGINARY HORSE
This is another point of trivia, but there is a dialog glitch with Ellen if
you marry her before the end of the first summer. Talk to her one day when
she is outside by the barn, and she will tell you to ride your horse. The
only problem is, you don't have a horse yet. And since you haven't received
the horse, the game inserts a large blank space where Ellen is supposed to say
the horse's name. Ellen has a few other odd messages along the same lines.
The most unintentionally funny one might just be when she says "I want to ride
on ." You can fill in the blank.
MAN'S BEST FRIEND
For years there have been rumors that you need to hug your dog in this game.
Well, it turns out that these rumors are correct. You need to hug your dog
100 times or more to receive the best ending (hug is counted as picking up the
dog). Dog hugs do not affect happiness or any numerical score, only the
presence of one of the ending scenes.
=============================================================================
C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N HM04
=============================================================================
Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide. I hope you found it
informative and useful in your adventures through Harvest Moon. If you have
any comments on the guide, whether they be corrections, suggestions for future
revisions, spelling/grammar mistakes, formatting problems, additional
strategies, or any other type of feedback, please let me know. Anything
contributed will be credited in detail to the sender.
I can be reached regularly at the following email address:
Admiral1018@yahoo.com. Please include "Harvest Moon" or something along those
lines in the email subject heading if you can, so I don't accidentally delete
the email.
=============================================================================
R E V I S I O N H I S T O R Y HM05
=============================================================================
Version 0.99 – April 2, 2008
- Preview Version
Version 1.0 – April 3, 2008
- Initial Release
Version 1.1 – April 10, 2008
- Numerous spelling, grammar, and syntax corrections
- Added information about fences made of rocks in the Farming section
- Clarified the information on items dug up while plowing
- Attempted to clarify harvesting strategy using the horse
- Corrected point about bar owner being Eve's uncle
- Corrected Maria's question on Sundays in church
- Corrected information on Ann's special event
- Corrected the price the hunter asks when you find the rabbit
- Corrected the 100% game score value in ranch master section and clarified
several categories in that section
- Added information on unborn cows counting towards ranch master score
Version 1.2 – April 21, 2008
- Added extremely useful tip about a special happiness boost from
giving your wife gifts on your anniversary. Updates were made to the
walkthrough, Happiness Score, and Tips and Tricks sections
- Added information about a happiness boost from celebrating your child's
birthday to the Tips and Tricks section
- Corrected happiness impact from getting married
- Corrected information about finding more than one coin or money bag each
Day. Changes were made to Farming section, FAQ section, and walkthrough
- Clarified odds of cow sickness and most number of sick cows per day in
Livestock & Animals section
- Added clarification regarding the dates during which hurricanes can occur
and the maximum number of hurricanes in a season
- Added "House Upgrades" section
- Clarified point about selling crops to the peddler and the effect on ranch
master score and crops shipped statistics
- Minor spelling, grammar, and formatting corrections
=============================================================================
C R E D I T S HM06
=============================================================================
Big thanks to everyone who helped me with this guide, especially the members
at the GameFAQs message boards –- this guide would not have been possible
without your ongoing support. Particular thanks to the following people:
- FemmeFromMars: Tremendous thanks for reading over this guide and pointing
out a lot typos and other interesting items that I missed. Particular
thanks for information on happiness boost during anniversaries, unborn cows
counting towards ranch master score, triggers for events with the single
girls in town at different affection, and scores, clarification on Eve's
uncle being the bar owner, and many other useful pieces of information.
- CeCeeS: For correction on digging up more than one money item per day and
for looking over this guide and pointing at many useful corrections. I
really appreciate your help.
- Hasukawa Kazuyaa: For information on grass removal, grass requirements for
livestock, Eve as wife, girl's affection score, gift values, and
probably numerous other things I picked up but am forgetting.
- bruno2472000: For information on the rabbit and hunter, chicken statue, and
information about the town bachelor.
- zerocool647: For clarification of events regarding the single girls in town.
- CrAckLeT: For information on maximum cow affection score.
- Ronald B.G. (Ronald_BG@telkom.net) for his PAR codes guide, hosted on
GameFAQs.com, which was immensely useful in doing much of the testing for
this guide.
- Everyone at the Harvest Moon message board on GameFAQs. This FAQ could not
have been written without the help of the community there.
- Everyone else for reading this guide and emailing me with feedback on it,
including deceptak0n, Fick1122, Geoff Wakefield, GIANTBOWSER, Hickey8787,
jelly soup, Kame, KrystalKairi, meth962, mattdog1000000, MonarchPaulos,
red255, sum1notinuse, thedayea, TreeHater, and vinebell . I always
appreciate all your support.
================================END OF GUIDE=================================
