Hey there, I'm new to the forum. Like a lot of people my #1 suggestion (which I would make the priority for any new content) would be more and more varied dialogue and interaction with the townsfolk. One thing I would like is if you could become bffs with bachelors or bachelorettes without any romance. Already at 8 hearts some of the characters (especially Abigail) begin to strongly hint they are interested in you romantically, or pining for you, and to get beyond that you need to start dating. It'd be cool if there was a way (maybe something similar to the bouquet) to signal that you want to be close friends without going down that road. I especially like Emily and can imagine doing fun friendship things with her.
I agree until you get to "maybe something similar to the bouquet". To me, and I'm sure many people would feel the same, that's the wrong way to go about what you're suggesting. Removing the dialogue on question would be a better, albeit a more time-consuming, solution I think.
This is a very interesting dynamic that certainly adds to an area where the game, comparatively, is lacking. While most community simulators have toyed with romantic relationships, it would be very interesting to see a platonic relationship system implemented. This adds an immense amount of replay value as now every character would have two sets of dialogue options that are mutually exclusive. I agree that using a system similar to the bouquet feels like a cop out, and it would probably make more sense if this relationship status was achieved through pure dialogue. For the non-eligible bachelors, you could simply add an additional cutscene past the final heart event that takes your relationship to another level, albeit not to a romantic level. This could be achieved either through an invisible extension of the heart bar, a visible extension the heart bar, gifting them one of their loved items after maxing them, etc. I have less ideas for the romantic partners. It's a little more complicated with the soft cap at 8 hearts and the requirement of a bouquet to get to 10. It'd seem a little strange to give someone a bouquet and then not too long later insist that you'll be the closest of friends forever. Perhaps the best solution is to simply keep the two categories separate? You have people you can pursue romantically, and you have people you can become best friends with. Perhaps a small shift in the schedule of whomever ends up becoming your best friend. Once a week they discard their usual schedule to come visit you at the farm. Gifts could be received more frequently. Each villager could have a unique furniture item they gift to you once achieving best friend status. These are all largely superfluous though. I think the most rewarding thing that will come of this system is the added level of personalizing you can achieve on any particular save file through the more varied dialogue options. TL;DR I like this idea and have a few ideas for how it could work.
