Yo. To be honest I love this game, Over 200 hours played... But it's kinda stagnated at this point. My second real character is in year 5 now and the game is basically over. All he is doing is accumulating Gold. All Skills are maxed, All In-Game Achievements (Stars) are completed/collected, all Villagers are at 10 or 8 hearts respectively (not quite yet but I'm working on the last 2), All Items have been collected/crafted, All fish Fished, All crops planted and harvested, Etc. My first real character is in year 3 with a fair bit more to complete, but what's the point? At year 3 the game loses a significant amount of challenge. What is left? Sure I could sit there at let my 800ish Ancient Fruit plants grow, while being Auto-watered and Auto-harvested (unless it's raining), and turn it all into Wine and sell it every 6 days for 1.15 Mill. But there is no more challenge, Well I don't have the Galaxy Sword yet, but I have no need to go into the Mines anymore(statues are so overpowered). My Request/Suggestion is simply more 'Late' game content. Or Perhaps more things to slow down the completion of everything. According to in-game Conversations, there is a War going on, Yes?, why not bring that more fully into the game. Honestly at this point, I would welcome pretty much anything that was expanded.
I always thought it would be cute to have (now that there is a spouse space in the game) the option to upgrade your spouses' area sort of like how you upgrade your house (which basically equates to throwing money/resources into the pit). Cause I notice most of the spouses had some hobbies or aspirations or goals that many seem to just put aside or slow down on when they marry you so I thought it could be nice for your farmer to like...help support their own dreams. And it turns the space into sort of a shed you can walk in to where your spouse like goes on Saturdays like when they normally go out there. So like maybe Maru can get a nice workshop, and Leah an art studio, and Shane a bigger chickencoop, Sam can have a recording studio, Penny could have a little classroom, Haley a photography studio, etc. And for a time they just have the option to like work on their respective projects. Then after a certain amount of time (or maybe even another drop of funds into another upgrade) you get like the big event thing that brings your spouses personal story to. Like say with Leah...you get her space upgraded to a studio and she works on her projects and such until finally an event prompts up where someone is like "I love your stuff! I'd love you to do a gallery showing here in the city!" or something like Shane's chickens have a chance to get featured in a farm show thing. Cue some cut-scene stuffs and whatnot. Then afterwards every Saturday your spouse brings in a steady amount of money each week or some kind of reward thing. Truth be I haven't thought as much about the profitable returns cause I figure A: at this point you likely had so much money there's very little one could offer that would be bringing in the bucks of whatever you are bringing in. And B: trying to keep in the spirit of the spouses one doesn't really want to make them have too much difference in rewards so that it never feels like one spouse is superior to the other. I just mostly like the idea of extending on the content fluff with something special with your spouses since leading up to marriage you have like this wave of cut-scenes and then none really after. So it'd be nice to have something that kind of customizes and cut-scene extends more content of your spouse. Not to mention I dunno, it'd be nice to see Haley have a photography career that starts taking off, or Elliot talking about how his latest book is selling, or Emily talking about her clothing therapy stuff. So sort of a: 1: Upgrade spouse section to spouse building 2: Either have to wait for some time or I dunno, have to do some sequence of jobs/quests or sink more resources into it for some reason. 3: Spouse gets their big break/goal opportunity 4: Delicious cut scene content 5: Each Saturday thereafter you get some sort of reward thingie from your spouses building thing. The easiest would likely just be straight up money as if it was like your spouse was now bringing in a bit of income on their own end from their projects/work. Or maybe each of them have some sort of nice decorative furniture like thing you unlock or whatnot. I dunno. I dunno. Its something I toy with concept wise cause I always feel bad that half the spouses seemed to have some sort of ambition that ended up just kind of coasting after they marry you and I am a sap for fluff cut-scene content.
That's honestly the universal problem with sim games and farm sim games in general. They're open-ended so they can go on forever, but once you complete all of your objectives, in the end, there's only so much you can do other than start a new file and play it a different way. I usually run my files to like year 5 for this reason, then do a new farm with different farm setup, spouse, etc. That said, I'd love to see more content, and it is possible to expand and add new content and keep the game interesting longer that way, and I'm definitely in favor of doing that to some extent but in the end, it either becomes too complex and complicated (like my 5 sim house that I can barely stand to play unless I'm playing it with one or two on vacation) and more like actual work than playing a game, or in the end it becomes boring to play because you run out of stuff to do and new innovations on old ideas... I do wonder if there's even a solution to that problem, because as someone who loves sim games in general, it's very difficult for me to maintain interest in one once it's either reached the point of overcomplexity or I've done all its routes (which is part of why I bounced to this game and like it in the first place, after becoming bored with all the effort my Sims games were taking in sheer micromanagement, and having played out the Rune Factory game I was playing)
@Ambaaargh I absolutely adore those ideas! More spouse content is a thing a lot of us are begging for, and that would solve both problems - more late game content, more stuff to do with our beloved, more character development stuff... To add to the OP: I play using Timespeed so I have to really drag things out to keep from getting bored by year 2. My goal is always to complete 5 years before finishing a save and starting a new one. I'm usually all maxed out on skills and have most achievements done by year 2, so I run out of things to aspire to or look forward to. I actually make myself wait until year 2 to buy any animals and get the first house upgrade, or start dating. Then I wait til year 3 to upgrade the house again and get married. The rest just kinda falls into place as I play, but if I didn't make myself wait to do these things I would have it all done the first year, year and a half tops. The remaining 3 years would be a long, slow crawl to the finish. Having some additional content to look forward to in year 3 onward would be wonderful. More quests, more cut scenes, more spouse content, maybe some new challenges that kick in later on...expansions for the farm would be awesome too. Some more money-sinks besides stuff that's mostly bling (the exception of course being the junimo huts) - more house upgrades so we can just make a giant mansion. lol I dunno, just throwing out ideas now. But yes, definitely more late-game content.
It would be great if certain things happened in later years after marriage, for instance Leah's art show (or online auction) as a yearly event once you've had that heart cutscene with her (and it could be slightly different if she's your spouse.) I think these would really add a lot to end game content, especially for after-marriage years with your spouse! (And make each spouse's marriage highly unique and desirable to see their individualized end game stories.) A year after being married (the marriage anniversary should be added to the calendar too, with special spouse dialogue and gifting on the anniversary!!), a special series of cutscenes happens (after requirements are met). For instance, (and I'm just randomly thinking of these at the spur of the moment): If your spouse is...: Shane - a series of cut scenes of him being out of control drinking at the saloon (maybe you have to gift him a total of so many beers first before it triggers, such as 20+ beers gifted after marriage and talk to him at the saloon Friday night), and then the cut scenes focus on his rehab efforts, perhaps taking the bus to Zuzu City with him and talking to a therapist. Marnie and Jas should react to this too. Harvey - Someone could die, an elderly villager or even a random patient under his care. He suffers trauma from losing the patient's life. You have to help him regain his faith in himself and his abilities and convince him he is still a good doctor. Sam - He should keep up with his band instead of deciding it isn't worth it. Maybe he could get a record deal and spend time trying to write songs and ask for suggestions from the player, and later go on a short tour and send you letters about it with gifts from Zuzu City. He could talk about a new song/album each year for a few years. This is much better than his current basically "I don't have the drive to play my guitar anymore..") Who doesn't want to be married to a successful music star? Sebastian - He could program an entirely new arcade game and gift it to you on your anniversary. You could place it in your house and play it together. Maybe an 8 bit kart racer? Perhaps you can sell it to the saloon and other villagers react to it - (Abbigail plays it and talks about it, Gus mentions it brings new visitors to the saloon, Sebastian could say it's gained popularity in Zuzu City.) Alex - He could do tryouts for a Gridball team after your one year anniversary and you have gifted him a certain amount of "Complete Breakfast" (maybe 10?) You would follow his tryouts and have an affect on whether he gets to be on the team or not based on what gifts and suggestions you give him. If you successfully motivate him he could become a star player like he's always dreamed and make you and his mom (and grandparents) happy, or if you say negative things or fail to gift him the right items before practices then he will feel like a loser/disappointment... (and not make the team...) Elliott - Obviously this would be something with his books, but I'm not sure how it would pan out. He already did a book reading, so maybe his book gets so popular that he has to deal with a bad movie adaptation? Are you and him happy at the books' success, or disappointed with the misinterpretations of the story as it is portrayed on-screen? Leah - Yearly art show/auction, make a special super rare piece that a random villager might purchase and actually place in their house. This might be difficult but the show itself shouldn't be. She should have a different art piece on display as the main piece for about 5 years. (Most people don't play past that, so 5 years should cover it.) She could also gift the player a special piece that "she's been working on" each year on their anniversary. Maru - She could make little robots that actually help out on the farm (gifted or "ready" on their anniversary). Year 1, a robot that waters some crops. Maybe It could be a quest that you need to gift her a certain amount of items so she can make it (15 batteries, 30 gold bars, 22 emeralds, etc.) Year 2, a robot that "takes care" of the kids (kinda like the robot from the Jetsons.) Year 3, maybe an extra pet robot just for fun (if you have a real cat, she makes a robot dog, and vice-versa.) Haley - She could have special photographs that she gifts to the player on their anniversary. If you married Haley maybe you can buy a deluxe camera from Maru and give it to Haley as a quest. (Haley could mention her camera sucks and wishes she had a better one, then Maru finds out and offers to help if you can get the required materials.) In future years after that maybe Haley can brag about how her photos were featured in some magazine (Zuzu Geographic or something) and the magazine will be placeable in your house, similar to reading books in people's rooms. Penny - Penny needs to become a teacher/tutor in the Community Center or library with the children (including your own). She could talk about how fulfilled she feels. She could request you complete the museum and lost books for education reasons. There should be further dialogue between her and Pam too. Abigail - You should have opportunities to go exploring in the mines with her. She could have requests to get to so many levels in the mines. If she's with you in the mines maybe your luck is increased or something. She could ask you to visit the cemetery on your anniversary for a special cutscene. The truth about her father should come out at some point too. Emily - I'm not really sure, but obviously something psychedelic. Maybe she could randomly change villagers clothing for a day or two? Like she says "I was meditating and a vision of Clint appeared, and he was mortified!" And then you visit Clint and he's wearing the clothes from the "Clothing Therapy" cutscene. (Or Abigail might be in a knight's suit: ""I was meditating and a vision of Abigail appeared, she was a strong knight!") This would add depth and significant difference to each spouse. The new cutscenes could happen at 12 hearts plus the required trigger (entering Harvey's clinic at certain day/time and after having received the Stardrop from them, etc.) Requirements for end game content like these quests could be (depending on spouse): (All)~ One year marriage anniversary (All)~ 12 hearts current relationship (All)~ Stardrop received from spouse (All)~ A certain amount of money, gifted to the spouse to help them pursue their goals: (Sam might need a money advance for an album, Sebastian for the arcade game, Elliott for the book, Maru for pieces she needs to order online, Leah for the broadband internet, Alex for a new weight set, etc), perhaps a large sum of money as this should be for end game. + Spouse specific requirement: Leah - Gift 50 driftwood since married Maru - Gift 20 battery packs since married Haley - Complete above mentioned camera quest with Maru. (Maru might ask for battery packs and refined quart to make the deluxe camera.) Later Haley might ask for specific setups for shots. (A row of 20 Blue Jazz, perhaps?) Harvey - Have 10 hearts with all non-marriable villagers Shane - Gift 20 beers since married + 10 hearts with Jas and Marnie Penny - All artifacts at museum + 10 hearts with Jas and Vincent Abigail - Reach bottom of mines, reach level 50 in the desert mines, 10 hearts with the Wizard
@Naviathan Elliot could try to become a Writer. Also the kids need to grow and get a job (lel) Like they choose between the main skills depending on what you give them as they grow. (A kid that receive lot's of gem's, have a interest in mining and yadayadayada)
I've thought about anniversary stuff before, we definitely need some sort of acknowledgement from our spouse that it's a special day. My idea was maybe when you get up on the morning of your anniversary and talk to your husband/wife, instead of their usual dialogue, they say something along the lines of "Happy Anniversary honey!" and give you a present. Then they ask you what you would like to do to celebrate, and you can choose from a few options: picnic in the forest, day at the beach, dinner at the saloon etc. (maybe some stuff would be dependent on who you married, for example if Elliot, he takes you out on the boat again, or Sebastian takes you out on his motorcycle etc.) Later that day, you would meet them at the appropriate place to trigger the cut scene, similar to their 10-heart event). It wouldn't be much but it would go a long way to making the day feel more special.
I would work more towards repeatable events. Similar to Jodi and Kent asking you to come to diner. It would be nice from time to time that you took your family to something. The game make no mention that I have found on you even having kids outside the spouse wanting to know if you want one or being preggers. Repeatable events suggested 1. Your birthday. You are supposed to be a driving force of change in the town but you have no bday. 2. Date night. Aunty or grandma (spouses sister or mother) comes over and watches your kids while you and your spouse go to the saloon/hotsprings. 3. Bday parties. If your a parent your kid gets invited to go to a partyor has a party. 4. Sales from piers or joja mart. Would be funny seeing pam strong arm my her way to the beer sale. (Triggered by large produce sales) 5. Linus and friends. Maybe everyonce and a while you could see linus telling you the secrets of the trees (mini fortune telling event) 6. Legends return. Wily has an event marking the sighting of another legendary fish. 7. One of the guys. You get invited to hang out with the pelicans. Rock out with a hard core miniharp solo. 8. Leahs art sale. Should happen yearly as well as Elliots book club. 9. Marnie and Lewis. You should see them on dates every so often. 10. Blowing off some steam. Various characters should have a drinking event like shane has. These should be repeatable. They could be triggered by having beer on you and going to cedersap forest.
*Wakes up* *Abigail is standing next to me starring me in the eyes* *I try to move but she chained me to the bed* *She says: I made everything on the farm today as a gift.* *She leaves the room but you can't move* *You have to wait the entire day, just so you pass out and woke up free on the next day* That lady is a Stalker
I think perhaps more radiant events would help with this? -More art shows? -More random/fun/hangy outy cutscenes with your close friends -Random dancing cutscenes in the bar (for the farmer and love interest) -Night cutscenes (farmer and love interest looking out accross lake, skipping stones with children, picnics) -Love interest suprising you with a gift/party -scenes where you are playing pool with an npc/ playing video games at npc houses if you have enough hearts with them you could plug in some random variables that happen in each event: -someone attempting to cut in during dance/ bar fights -new tourists present at random events -npc participation -good/bad outcomes (rng rolls ants at picnic, kid accidently hitting farmer with stone, losing above fight) nothing game changing about the bad rolls, just interesting things that could happen. People mention the results the next day. I feel like additions like this would be fairly easy to code and add alot of layers/immersion to the game.
I like the idea of random events, especially ones involving your family. Getting to do something special/get special cutscenes with the spouse and kids would be really nice, especially considering you got all these heart events before marrying your spouse, but, well, you've kind of seen them all by the time you're at full hearts and ready for marriage. Another idea for "random events" that's been bouncing around my head actually involves the completed Community Center (or some equivalent if you took the Joja route) where it's utilized maybe once or twice a week to host different events that you can choose whether or not to attend. So say, you could look at the bulletin board (which would update every Sunday) and see flyers for whatever's coming up that week, with the date and time of the event. Possible events could include: -Art Show (unlocked after viewing Leah's 8-heart event; she'll still do it if you took the "computer" route and in that case will mention that it's her first art show the first time you go): Leah has several art pieces set up in the main hall, and you can walk around and interact with them to see a description of the piece. You can also buy the art pieces for your house. -Cooking Class: Gus has a setup in the kitchen, and attending teaches you a new recipe. Pretty straightforward, really. -Woodworking Class: Robin has a setup somewhere (probably the main room), and teaches you a new crafting recipe for something wooden. Outdoor furniture perhaps? -Band Show (unlocked after viewing Sam's 8-heart event): The Pelicans do a small show in the main room. Starts with a brief cutscene where they play a random song from a short repertoire in their chosen genre, and afterwards you can walk around and talk to people. Not sure if there's anything you could "get" out of this one, unless a CD player item that plays music you can buy and lets you do so without having to go to the Saloon gets added (that's actually something I'd like to see though, haha) -Dance Competition: Basically a DDR-style minigame. You'd probably get a prize if you win. -Clothing Therapy (unlocked after viewing Emily's 8-heart event): Watch a random selection of villagers pick out special outfits, and then you can pick your own! Choose from a selection of outfits, which your character will then walk around in for the rest of the day. This one might be too much to set up if the other villagers are also walking around in their outfits for the rest of the day -- if nothing else, they probably wouldn't come with matching portraits. (Though I suppose if the only change was in the torso area and not hairstyle or anything, the new outfit could just be layered over their usual portraits...) -Talent Show/Karaoke Night: I'm... not actually sure how these would work in-game, I just think they're fun ideas for events Best idea I can come up with for farmer participation is if you "sing" a song by typing lyrics up on the screen, but that's more silly than anything else, lol. Maybe other villagers have different performances and you can rate them/vote for your favorite? *shrug*
Good suggestions! I would love to be able to buy some of Leah's art, and I like the idea about the radio we can buy that'll work like the jukebox, except we get it in our house instead of having to go to the saloon. For the clothing therapy, even if the villagers didn't wear the outfits after the event, it'd still be cool if we could keep whatever clothes we pick out (maybe they're additional options besides what's in the main menu, making them more special). And outdoor furniture, god yes. lol
