UPDATE! I have officially finished the community center on the First day of Spring year 2! I really thought I was going to finish during the first week of winter, but I made ONE SILLY MISTAKE and forgot that pigs don't produce truffles in winter.
My strategy was to aim for a fully upgraded coop by the end of summer and a fully upgraded barn by the end of fall and a house with a kitchen by the end of winter. In retrospect, I DEFINITELY should have swapped the barn and the coop. The truffle was the only thing I needed, so I basically slept through winter except to check the traveling cart.
Anyway, it was a fun experience that I don't think I'll do again any time soon. If anyone wants to give it a go, though, here are my take aways:
SPRING
- Money, money, money you need to max out the cauliflower.
- Don't stress about getting those five gold parsnips you will have time for that. If you get them great if not no stress.
- Grind through as much watering as you can to get the max money seriously you will need it.
- Spend your extra time fishing. Get a fiberglass rod as soon as possible.
- Upgrade your axe asap to copper and then to steel as soon as you can afford it.
- Start buttering Emily and Linus up with the best stuff you can get. These guys give very relevant gifts to help you finish bundles!
- Controversial opinion: Choose the mushroom cave because it will give you a ton of money and energy and it will fill out many bundles. Fruit can be bought or grown!
SUMMER
- You should now be done with Spring foraging and Spring crops.
- If you haven't gotten a steel axe by now get it ASAP because you need to go to the secret woods for the fiddlehead fern in summer
- This is the season to worry about getting your gold quality crops. Get a Whole Bunch of melons and corn.
- Focus money expenditures on upgrading your barn. Don't worry too much about buying animals just get to Deluxe Barn and get yourself a pig. (you can always get a cow early winter and have a large milk by the end of the season).
- A rabbit will give you wool (and Emily might just send you wool or cloth as well if you have succeeded in buttering her up) so DO NOT buy a sheep it is a waste of money.
- Try to automate most of your farm with sprinklers by the end of this season if not earlier. This means lots of trips to the mines. Get a copper pickaxe if you haven't yet.
- Don't forget of course to get all the /fish you need/ and all the crops you need etc. Pay attention to rainy days! These are for fishing!
- VERY IMPORTANT buy an apple tree and a pomegranate tree and plant as soon as you can but definitely BEFORE the last week of summer. These are the only fruit trees that are required for the community center. Other fruit is good for padding the artisan bundle and can often be bought at the traveling cart so pay attention.
FALL
- After all that prep work you should be in pretty good shape for several key bundle items.
- It's time to get your coop and coop animals going. Try to get animal products from the traveling cart as much as possible to "skip over" animals and save money.
- Get your gold quality pumpkins and of course the regular fall crops. Plant a bunch of wheat to get free hay both for your animals and for marnie's fodder bundle.
- Finish the fishing bundle This Season! It's best to get it off your plate! Sell extra fish for profit!
- If you haven't yet, use tappers to get the exotic foraging bundle done.
- Make a list of items that you have left and separate the ones that can be done in winter with the ones that can't. Obviously, prioritize.
WINTER
- If you have kept a good eye on things, you should be nearly done.
- This might be a season of waiting on new animals to produce satisfactorily or mining day after day to get that last gem you need. Be patient. It can get a bit grueling.
- Now is the time to buy your vault room. If you have been making smart crop choices and saving as much as possible, you should be able to do this in one go.
- Now is also the time to upgrade your house if you haven't yet. Get that maki roll done!
- Nautilus shells are ONLY found in winter so that will have to be picked up now.
- Basically, finish it up!
HOT TIPS
1. Everyone knows to check the traveling cart. Do it. Do not skip a day. You will always wonder what you missed.
2. Don't waste time/energy making friends unless you need their gift items. Emily is bae always make friends with Emily.
3. Don't go to the desert unless you're pressed for time and you need exotic foraging items I guess otherwise waste of money.
4. I was sentimental and gave stuff to Gunther. Some people might make an argument about getting Krobus' shop unlocked but honestly I never used it. Sell the gems.
5. If you use a harvest with scythe mod, do NOT use it on your one year community center farm. It will dramatically slow your progress in going up farming levels and you need that keg!
6. If this sounds really regimented and not fun to you then save yourself and don't do it. Honestly, I'm exhausted and there were plenty of days where I was just like ughghghghhhh because I just had to push through to get x item I needed. BUT I feel pretty accomplished at the end and I had fun with the logistical challenge! You do you!
Interested to hear people's thoughts : )
