New to game and struggling

[Ronsan89]

I am currently playing on switch but once I get a steam deck switching over. I am struggling to get anything done in game. I’m in summer and only now started chicken coop. Game doesn’t hold your hand I’m ok with that but I’m overwhelmed. I am having fun don’t get me wrong but just unsure how to get a rhythm going. Also feel like keeping silo filled will become a struggle and finding grass to cut. Happy farming all #noobfarmer

 

[Odin]

Setting up a coop in summer doesn't sound like you're "behind" at all. One thing I will say is that aside from quests you can accept in town, there are no real deadlines in the game. There's nothing wrong with going at any particular pace.

For the silo, as long as you have some hay in it you should be fine, early in the game I only worry about re-filling it once it becomes empty or close to empty. I recommend leaving grass growing in various places on your farm, there should be some around from when the game started, or you can purchase grass starter from Pierre. Planting it further away from your coop can let it grow and spread without any of the chickens eating it, and you'll be able to turn it into hay later. But you can also plant some close to the coop specifically for the chickens to eat. Each day that they are outside and eating grass is a day that they aren't eating any hay.

 

[Junimo4659]

I’ve never really had a problem with the game, so unfortunately I don’t have any good advice I can think of. But, if you ever end stuck on something check the Stardew Valley Wiki if you haven’t yet. The wiki contains a lot of information to help you. I’m sure the game will get easier for you as time goes on. Also, I’m a switch player as well! But, keep things at your own pace. I don’t think you’re behind at all to be honest.

 

[Ronsan89]

Setting up a coop in summer doesn't sound like you're "behind" at all. One thing I will say is that aside from quests you can accept in town, there are no real deadlines in the game. There's nothing wrong with going at any particular pace.

For the silo, as long as you have some hay in it you should be fine, early in the game I only worry about re-filling it once it becomes empty or close to empty. I recommend leaving grass growing in various places on your farm, there should be some around from when the game started, or you can purchase grass starter from Pierre. Planting it further away from your coop can let it grow and spread without any of the chickens eating it, and you'll be able to turn it into hay later. But you can also plant some close to the coop specifically for the chickens to eat. Each day that they are outside and eating grass is a day that they aren't eating any hay.

Thank you for the help. I feel more confident now!! Your the best

 

[Ronsan89]

I’ve never really had a problem with the game, so unfortunately I don’t have any good advice I can think of. But, if you ever end stuck on something check the Stardew Valley Wiki if you haven’t yet. The wiki contains a lot of information to help you. I’m sure the game will get easier for you as time goes on. Also, I’m a switch player as well! But, keep things at your own pace. I don’t think you’re behind at all to be honest.

Thank you so much friend I shall check out the wiki

 

[Junimo4659]

Thank you so much friend I shall check out the wiki

No problem my friend

 

[Yvi]

This is a game with very few rules, very few deadlines, and a lot of different ways to do things. A chicken coop by summer is very good progress, so congrats on that, but also don't worry too much if things seem to be happening slowly. I sympathize with struggling to get a rhythm - I feel that way especially strongly at the beginning of every save, when I'm short on money and supplies and energy. As time in the game goes forward, the things that seem chaotic now start to smooth out - there are certain machines you can build that will help automate things, and supplies you can buy as you get more money. Like right now, if I'm short on hay, I can just buy extra from Marnie, but that's not always an option at the beginning. In my experience, just as things are starting to get easy in a save, I unlock more content and have even more to do! But that's a lot of the fun.

Feel free to try a little of everything, or just work on one thing for a while until it gets easier. Follow the quest prompts, or ignore them entirely. Research everything on the wiki, or figure things out on your own. There a lot of different ways to play the game, so don't worry about doing it wrong. And if you're ever stuck on something, go ahead and ask here!

Wheat gives some hay when cut, and grows in Summer and Fall. Grass gives hay when you have a silo, and if you leave a bit behind when you scythe it down, it will grow back. Giving your animals access to growing grass will let them eat that instead of eating all hay. Remember to open the coop door so they can come outside and eat grass on nice days! Also, can I say again, a silo and coop by summer is quite good, so don't worry about that.

 

[Ronsan89]

This is a game with very few rules, very few deadlines, and a lot of different ways to do things. A chicken coop by summer is very good progress, so congrats on that, but also don't worry too much if things seem to be happening slowly. I sympathize with struggling to get a rhythm - I feel that way especially strongly at the beginning of every save, when I'm short on money and supplies and energy. As time in the game goes forward, the things that seem chaotic now start to smooth out - there are certain machines you can build that will help automate things, and supplies you can buy as you get more money. Like right now, if I'm short on hay, I can just buy extra from Marnie, but that's not always an option at the beginning. In my experience, just as things are starting to get easy in a save, I unlock more content and have even more to do! But that's a lot of the fun.

Feel free to try a little of everything, or just work on one thing for a while until it gets easier. Follow the quest prompts, or ignore them entirely. Research everything on the wiki, or figure things out on your own. There a lot of different ways to play the game, so don't worry about doing it wrong. And if you're ever stuck on something, go ahead and ask here!

Wheat gives some hay when cut, and grows in Summer and Fall. Grass gives hay when you have a silo, and if you leave a bit behind when you scythe it down, it will grow back. Giving your animals access to growing grass will let them eat that instead of eating all hay. Remember to open the coop door so they can come outside and eat grass on nice days! Also, can I say again, a silo and coop by summer is quite good, so don't worry about that.

Thank you for your kind words and wisdom you are super helpful!!

 

[Rhiannon]

I am currently playing on switch but once I get a steam deck switching over. I am struggling to get anything done in game. I’m in summer and only now started chicken coop. Game doesn’t hold your hand I’m ok with that but I’m overwhelmed. I am having fun don’t get me wrong but just unsure how to get a rhythm going. Also feel like keeping silo filled will become a struggle and finding grass to cut. Happy farming all #noobfarmer

I admit to being a wiki-aholic when I first started playing. I didn't know what anything was, what to do next, what there WAS to do, etc. I started my first farm but didn't like the layout and what I had (not) accomplished. I started again once I figured out what my own personal goals were. Then I set goals, reached them and set more. My "rhythm" changes from season to season and sometimes day to day. I check the calendar every day to see if there is something special going on. Then I figure out my day and go from there.

The main thing is to just enjoy the journey you create for yourself. Do what you enjoy and the rest will come. Have fun!

 

[Bawby]

I would also suggest just perusing the forums as well. Sometimes one can pick up tiny tips just from off hand comments.

Example. Why would I care about rhubarb? Why look for rhubarb in the wiki? Well, I should have. It's quite the cash crop-- for the longest I thought cauliflower was the king of Spring. I found out about rhubarb from someone sharing a farming routine.

That's just one tiny thing. Now, I'm sure there's someone with a guide that uses every square of the entire Valley, but things like that make my brain cramp and gigantic muscles weep.

 

[SoftViceMaster]

I am currently playing on switch but once I get a steam deck switching over. I am struggling to get anything done in game. I’m in summer and only now started chicken coop. Game doesn’t hold your hand I’m ok with that but I’m overwhelmed. I am having fun don’t get me wrong but just unsure how to get a rhythm going. Also feel like keeping silo filled will become a struggle and finding grass to cut. Happy farming all #noobfarmer

Sounds like you're expecting gameplay like SoS/HM, but that's not how Stardew works. You're supposed to take it at your own pace, I've seen some people play for YEARS (IRL time) and still 'miss out' or skip on certain things because they just simply haven't done them yet. And that's ok. Take it at your own pace, there is no true end goal or ending(s) you need to achieve as there is no time limit (except for season specific and the Villager Request stuff obv). But there's all types of players in this community, some mid-max the experience and that's ok too.

If you need extra help (like we all do especially when starting this game) then check the official wiki for the game. There's so much the game does not show or talk about, so check there first before asking on the forums. Especially if you're trying to get certain things unlocked a lot sooner.

EDIT: Forgot to add this! You can buy the feed directly from the farm animal shop (if you have the extra cash or are in winter), or just buy the grass seed recipe from the regular shop and make a bunch of grass yourself. And also, to make it easier, let your chickens go out and eat the extra grass - this saves whatever you have left in the silo for winter.

 

[charmander]

I would also suggest just perusing the forums as well. Sometimes one can pick up tiny tips just from off hand comments.

Example. Why would I care about rhubarb? Why look for rhubarb in the wiki? Well, I should have. It's quite the cash crop-- for the longest I thought cauliflower was the king of Spring. I found out about rhubarb from someone sharing a farming routine.

That's just one tiny thing. Now, I'm sure there's someone with a guide that uses every square of the entire Valley, but things like that make my brain cramp and gigantic muscles weep.

It is...? Every time I looked this up, it said strawberries! Guess I gotta try this out.

 

[Bawby]

It is...? Every time I looked this up, it said strawberries! Guess I gotta try this out.

No doubt, strawberries. The amount that you harvest again and again definitely gets you more money if you plan it out right.
Enter me. I never plan it out right. I never have any for next year and too lazy to throw hundreds of strawberries in seed makers, so I grow something until Egg Festival.
I guess what I was saying only applied to one particular situation that can easily be avoided or done better. Meh, at least I have fun and my brain worries not about having to work too hard!

 

[nolanmaris]

Hello friend

When I first started playing Stardew Valley on Switch, I felt exactly the same way. Check below step :

1. Set priorities for each day.
2. Plan activities using the in-game calendar.
3. Upgrade your tools to make tasks easier.
4. Work towards completing Community Center bundles.
5. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Hope it helps !

Thank you
nolanmaris

 

[Lew Zealand]

It is...? Every time I looked this up, it said strawberries! Guess I gotta try this out.

Strawberries are very good too and may very well be better overall for g (lol I forget) but they need to be balanced with:

• Buying the seeds almost an entire year in advance, will your Farm be the same size in a year, bigger, smaller?
• Running Strawberries through a Seed Maker, lost profit on every one you process plus the time spent to seed them

I choose Rhubarb for simplicity if the Bus is fixed, or Cauliflower if I gotta slum it with Pierre:

• Single trip made the day you plant (or day before if you like for Rhubarb)
• Get the exact number of seeds you need
• Minimal planning ahead and especially for me, minimal forgetting

There are almost always "better" ways to make more g but for me that brings up a key point. If a common complaint is that there's not enough time in the game to do everything, then the focus should not be:

How do I make the most g with my time?

but instead:

How to make the most of my time?

IMO improving time use is making a little less g by choosing things with much smaller time burden. Don't try to compress your daily cycle to cram more things in, instead choose things that use less time so you're free to do other things you want to do. And if it takes a little more time to accumulate g, then that's a little more time you have to spend on other gameplay.

Seeding or planning a year ahead to optimize Strawberries is more work and as Farms change, can lead to more frustration. Rhubarb the day you need it is simple and easy. And it only needs 2 or 3 (with Deluxe Speed-Gro) harvests in Spring instead of 5 or 6. There's a new v1.6 enhancement that makes harvests quicker but you still need to plan for that Harvest every 3 or 4 days instead of every 9 or 13.

The same goes for other things as I've fully converted from Pigs to Sheep. Way less work and similar g as Cloth production has received a v1.6 buff. Even without this buff, I'd still be doing it this way for the reasons above, less time on farm means more time for other things. Same goes for Dinosaurs as selling the Eggs directly is still good g (but not best from the Coop) and time saved is more important.

 

[MogBeoulve]

If you like to have a solid plan to achieve certain goals in a set amount of time, then I suggest using the first save (or first couple saves) to explore how the game works and get a feel for how things go. Read up on the wiki and decide what you want to focus on. I did this before I even got the game because it soothes my brain to have a plan.

However, if you just like wandering around tending to your cute little farm in whatever way strikes your fancy at that particular moment, know that there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with this approach. This is pretty much what I do on my seven year rabbit horde file, which I load up periodically so that I can run through the fields petting bunnies and giggling to myself. Do I get anything useful done on those days? Nope, often I don't harvest large fields of fully-grown deluxe-fertilized ancient fruit because I don't feel like doing it, and it all just sits there. Hey, it doesn't rot or anything. If I feel like causing some havoc, I take my haymaker and go whack things in the dangerous mines to rack up some extra hay. It is the absolute least efficient method to get hay possible, but no one is stopping me. I do it because it amuses me, and that should guide how you play this game. Do whatever suits YOU, not what somebody else tells you that you should do.

 

[smellincoffee]

I am currently playing on switch but once I get a steam deck switching over. I am struggling to get anything done in game. I’m in summer and only now started chicken coop. Game doesn’t hold your hand I’m ok with that but I’m overwhelmed. I am having fun don’t get me wrong but just unsure how to get a rhythm going. Also feel like keeping silo filled will become a struggle and finding grass to cut. Happy farming all #noobfarmer

For what it's worth, I don't think I got to building a coop until winter or possibly even spring of year 2. You're not behind at all!

 

[SurprisedPikachuBob3]

For what it's worth, I don't think I got to building a coop until winter or possibly even spring of year 2. You're not behind at all!

Yep! my first playthrough I didn't get a big coop till year 5