Any tips for a new Stardew Valley player?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by SteelSt0rmMaster, May 24, 2017.

  1. SteelSt0rmMaster

    SteelSt0rmMaster Master Chief

    Hi, I just started playing Stardew Valley. I was wondering if anyone had any advice about what to do when you're getting started.

    I just reached the part where the mines open and Lewis takes you to that really old building.


    Thanks!
     
    • Lilliput

      Lilliput Supernova

      This has been the subject of many threads ere now, so, I'll tack on my usual boilerplate for advice!

      Don't be in a hurry. You've got all the time in the world to explore and the game is immensely forgiving of mistakes. You cannot ruin your save without putting some serious deliberate effort into doing so, so relax.

      If you haven't already done so, repairing the bridge on the eastern side of the beach is an early goal to work for-- it takes 300 wood and will open up a good early-game source of income in the tidal pools.

      Your first major purchase should be the tier-one backpack upgrade at Pierre's. It will double your inventory capacity and make your early game so much easier. The tier-two upgrade can wait a bit, but the first upgrade is very helpful early on.

      Forage. Anything which is not nailed down is yours. Anything which you can pry up was not properly nailed down. Pick flowers as gifts or to sell, forage for snacks-- dandelions, leeks, wild horseradishes-- are all great ways to replenish your energy and get more out of your day. There is a special place to the south of your farm in the Cindersap forest, on the island south of Leah's cabin, where Spring Onions grow daily. Grabbing as many as you can get when you're in the neighborhood is a good source of energy, or income if you prefer to sell them. In mid Spring and mid Autumn, there will be berries growing on many bushes throughout the Valley (possibly even on your own farm, depending on which map you picked).

      Watch the TV every day-- weather reports will tell you when you can save the morning time you'd spend watering because of rain, and the show 'Livin' Off the Land' will offer lots of useful early-game hints and ideas.

      Above all else! Have fun! The game is a treat to play for the first time, when every sight and sound will be new to you. Take it all in and enjoy all the little baroque flourishes of color and wildlife CA worked into it.
       
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      • RogueZephyr

        RogueZephyr Subatomic Cosmonaut

        I haven't got too far into it, but I tend to buy the crops that will grow the quickest. I also mine the first few levels for materials to sell.
         
        • SteelSt0rmMaster

          SteelSt0rmMaster Master Chief

          Wow I didn't expect replies so quickly, thanks! I'll make sure to do all the stuff you guys said :)
           
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          • Reddestiny921

            Reddestiny921 Pangalactic Porcupine

            Just have fun with it go at your own pace and find what is the most fun for yourself. :)
             
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            • RogueZephyr

              RogueZephyr Subatomic Cosmonaut

              I think Lilliput hit it on the head when they said to take your time and enjoy it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away :D
               
              • DJ_Berk

                DJ_Berk Seal Broken

                This...except at the beginning of year 3 when Grandpa comes back and judges you. I didn't do so well and started over at a breakneck pace...only to later find out you can redo the evaluation anytime with a diamond. :(
                 
                • Lilliput

                  Lilliput Supernova

                  Exactly. The evaluation is not final any longer, that was patched long ago. Yes, you have two years until Grampa pokes his Santa beard and nightcap back into your life, but so what? The only thing that hinges on that is his radioactive pink statue, and if you really want that, you can just redo the evaluation at your own pace, as you said. Besides, it's really not that hard to earn his approval since CA made him more forgiving. Even without effort I've never gotten less than three candles, and getting the fourth just takes a little planning. I also think it's good for new players to just learn at their own pace, since they can certainly go back and start a new game once they know what they like and how they enjoy playing.
                   
                  • Borodin

                    Borodin Oxygen Tank

                    Use rainy days to venture into the mines. I'd suggest working them regularly in any case, behind farming and foraging on your farm, as the rewards for mining include ore that can be used to craft fairly early in the game. But don't go unless you're supplied with health and energy boosters--the spring onions that Lilliput mentions, also salmonberries, and quite a few of the foragables you'll encounter outside your farm. You can find those values of theirs on the wiki:

                    http://stardewvalleywiki.com/Stardew_Valley_Wiki

                    It's an excellent resource.
                     
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                    • DJ_Berk

                      DJ_Berk Seal Broken


                      I use rainy days for fishing, it's good money and there are fish you can only catch in the rain. Fishtank almost completed already and I'm only a week into Winter year 1...darn Sandfish won't show up in the traveling merchant's stock!
                      Currently stuck on Mine level 80. Those guys that drop the void essence kick my butt...
                       
                      • Lilliput

                        Lilliput Supernova


                        Ahh, that brings up one helpful tip for the OP that I forgot in the original post. Always use the best weapon you can afford to buy-- and to get a chance to buy it, make sure you finish Marlon's little initiation test for the Adventurer's Guild as soon as you can manage it. Until then, be cautious in the Mines. Getting knocked out and losing random items or having a medical bill from Harvey is a lot worse than simply running away!
                         
                        • DJ_Berk

                          DJ_Berk Seal Broken

                          I found a pretty good weapon (I thought) and I'm only 10 levels away from where I've read I'll find a weapon that makes things a lot easier, so I was holding off on spending gold for something I'm close to replacing.
                           
                          • Lilliput

                            Lilliput Supernova

                            Then might I suggest doing an end-run around those baddies on level 80 that are giving you the problem? Run from them when you can, and use stone to craft staircases when you can't find one on your own. Get down to level 90, and get that better weapon. You can go back at your leisure and mince monsters when you're better armed.

                            And that's another tip I forgot to give to the original poster: Take the mines in five-level increments! Your only goal is to get down to the next elevator station every five levels. Once you've done that, that floor is unlocked for the elevator and you can return at your leisure any time you want to mine a particular type of ore, hunt a certain kind of monster, or what have you! Five levels per trip, no less. Any mining trip that covers less than the five levels to the next elevator station will not give you any permanent progress.
                             
                              Last edited: May 24, 2017
                            • mongey

                              mongey Poptop Tamer

                              I say leave the mine for winter . theres really not much to do in winter except fish and mines, unless you have a few chickens and cows and make cheese and mayo .

                              use the other seasons for things you need in the bundles
                               
                              • Hardy0202

                                Hardy0202 Void-Bound Voyager

                                As others have covered most of the basics I would just add to make sure to keep the limbs and rocks that start out around your farm away from your planted crops. They have a chance every night to spawn new ones and if they spawn on the same square as your crops it will destroy them.
                                 
                                • Borodin

                                  Borodin Oxygen Tank

                                  Fishing can be great, but it doesn't get you access to coal, copper, iron, gold, or anything else down in the mines. My advice mirrors Lilliput's: get the best weapon you can afford. At 90, you'll be rewarded with a pretty good one, Obsidian's Edge. But if you can afford it, get the Galaxy Sword as soon as possible. That will make trolling the mines for geodes, ores, and sellable stones much easier.

                                  By guys dropping void essence, do you mean the Shadow Shamans? Because you can move out of the way of their magical projectiles, and they have really poor defense against a sword. They're only really dangerous when around in a combination with other enemies. Their curse can be pretty nasty when and if you're cornered, but otherwise, defenestrate them with extreme prejudice.
                                   
                                  • Lilliput

                                    Lilliput Supernova

                                    Galaxy Sword isn't for sale until you've unlocked it--
                                    that'll cost the value of the CC vault bundle (or the Joja Bus Repair), the price of one ticket to the desert, and one shiny Prismatic Shard, which is the hardest of the gems to come by.
                                    I personally favor the Bone Sword, myself. Light, inexpensive, quick, and packs a pretty good bit of damage. (Also stylish, which is a big deal with me.) Never forget the best defense in the game is the King Arthur Charge.

                                    ~Run Away!~
                                     
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                                    • DJ_Berk

                                      DJ_Berk Seal Broken

                                      yeah the shadow shamans. Turns out the "pretty good weapon" I had actually stunk to high heaven. I found a really good dagger in a fishing treasure chest (level 11 dagger) but I don't think I like the small area of attack. I have a level 5 sword I found while using the terribad weapon and shadow shamans are no longer a threat.

                                      To those saying there's not much to do during winter...I made a TON of cash farming in Winter year 1, with no greenhouse. I was able to upgrade my house, and my barn to deluxe, buy a pig, and all the seeds for my spring planting plus a summer fruit tree sapling...I turned in the winter forage bundle and got 30 winter seeds. I planted them and when they harvested I used the crops to craft more winter seeds...selling what was left over. At the end of winter I had 12 3x6 fields and when I sold out I made 15,000g in one night...plus what I had made throughout the season with that process. I felt so wealthy.
                                       
                                      • ishizu29

                                        ishizu29 Subatomic Cosmonaut

                                      • ishizu29

                                        ishizu29 Subatomic Cosmonaut

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