newcomer! help & tips to get started?
- Thread starter ItzBecks
- Start date
lilan castel
Farmer
my tips:
- watch a gameplay to see tactics
- read the whole wiki
- find a friend who will train you if you can't understand the wiki
- choose who you marry
ItzBecks
Greenhorn
Thank you!
lilan castel
Farmer
I almost forgot: Journey of prairie king at the saloon is IMPOSSIBLE! If you beat it you are a legend!
Person090
Planter
Tap a lot of maple and oak trees to make bee houses and kegs. Plant flowers near the bee houses to increase the value of honey. Put the crops with high sell price in the kegs. Use preserves jars with roe and high yield, lower sell price crops like corn. The best fish to put in the pond, for newcomers IMO, is sturgeon, im pretty sire you can find them in the lake at summer. Complete the community center, the rewards are amazing. Invest in berries, parsnips are also pretty good for spring. Go to the mines. Befriend people, they give you gifts in the mail. Repair the bridge in the beach with 300 wood. SAVE WOOD, DO NOT SELL UNLESS YOU DO NOT HAVE TO. Fishing is a good way to make early game money. Donate artifacts and minerals to the museum to the right side of town, you also get rewards. Also dont sell stone, they are used in almost all buildings from robin.hey! I just started playing today, if anyone can give me some tips or how to get started that would be great.
Thank you
Person090
Planter
Also tap pine trees if you want to make a loom that makes wool into cloth which is more profitablehey! I just started playing today, if anyone can give me some tips or how to get started that would be great.
Thank you
Xyrella
Planter
I think, an important thing is that you take your time to explore everything and create your own style. Sure, there are good hints ingame, in the wiki and here for getting started but this game is open worlded, open ended and definitely not linear. There's no best way to create your farm, there's only your way. If you aren't happy with your first farm, try another farm. Take hints if you are stuck somewhere but don't give up and learn by yourself. Take your time and you'll be a proud farmer! :)
Boo1972
Farmer
I definitely agree with all the advice. Especially @Xyrella advice to take you time and enjoy. You never know what new thing in Stardew Valley will be your favorite.
Having said that, I will say to check the wiki carefully for the fish needed to complete the community center bundles. I spent a lot of time fishing in summer for an autumn fish.
27dschild
Planter
remember that certain fish are only available in certain locations and times of day!
27dschild
Planter
But sturgeon are so hard to catch I spend entire days trying to catch them at the lake at the correct time (I checked the wiki) and I haven't caught a single one
curse you willy you have all the fishing luck!!! Note that I am currently fishing level 4 and use the bamboo fishing pole. I would recommend not wasting your time attempting to catch sturgeons until you have at least level 6 fishing (sturgeons are hard to catch). Also, buy strawberry seeds at the flower dance (they are very good but only plant on spring 1st) and buy rarecrows. You can find rarecrows at the flower dance, the fall festival, the casino, the traveling cart (sometimes in fall and winter), spirit's eve, the dwarf, and 2 from donating artifacts to the museum ( one at 20, one at 40) If you get all the rarecrows, you will get a deluxe scarecrow and the recipe for a deluxe scarecrow. Deluxe scarecrows defend twice as many tiles from crows as scarecrows, so they save some space. Buy the rare seed from the traveling cart and save the sweet gem berry until you get in the secret woods, and the traveling cart shows up in Cindersap Forest on Fridays and Sundays. But as @Xyrella said, enjoy the game and do whatever you want. These are just suggestions.
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Jack Of Shades
Farmer
I always throw this tip out there: If you need light in the mines, use a torch. If you don't have the glow ring yet. Simply put one torch on your hor bar next to your pickaxe. When you're not fighting or mining, switch over to it and hold it. It produces light.
Lew Zealand
Helper
I think that Stardew Valley is among the best games just to play as you see fit, especially as a new player. Some games just punish the non-savvy player but not this one, in any way. You get to play it how you want. I started:
Plant those Parsnips, water (every day), and harvest
Talk to everyone in town, foraging as you go, do this most days
Chop wood on your farm and make a chest to store your junk
Buy seeds from Pierre, the more expensive usually give a bigger return on investment
Fish if you can get the hang of it, you get excellent early game gold from that
But do it your way. I focus on the relationship bit once I find everyone, Farm perfunctorily, and Fish when I have the chance, but many people perfer to focus on Farming or Mining because they find that part more fun.
Find your Fun.
Plant those Parsnips, water (every day), and harvest
Talk to everyone in town, foraging as you go, do this most days
Chop wood on your farm and make a chest to store your junk
Buy seeds from Pierre, the more expensive usually give a bigger return on investment
Fish if you can get the hang of it, you get excellent early game gold from that
But do it your way. I focus on the relationship bit once I find everyone, Farm perfunctorily, and Fish when I have the chance, but many people perfer to focus on Farming or Mining because they find that part more fun.
Find your Fun.
Tom
Farmer
Too much figuring can spoil things. There's a walkthrough calendar here, but if you use it, you may want to only focus on the "Last Chance" items for each month. There are lots of demands/priorities on your time; here's some help:
1. You can put off socializing except for birthday gifts until after the Summer 11 Luau.
2. You don't need to descend in The Mines all that fast. Just 10 floors every 2-3 days will get you to floor 80 around Spring 26 if you want Quality Sprinklers for Summer. And just 10 floors every 4-5 days will get you abundant Iron ore soon enough for tool upgrades and Kegs. Take your time and enjoy all the goodies.
3. Avoid overplanting: 15 (mostly Parsnip) on Spring 1, 40-60 (mostly Kale) on Spring 6, and 40-80 (Strawberry, Cauliflower, Parsnip, and minor stuff) Spring 13-21. (See calendar if you want details.)
4. Fishing is great income the first month. And it's a fun and relaxing break from the runaround once you get yourself to Fishing level 2-4 with the training rod.
5. Pale Ale is your "rich farmer" path starting in Summer. It's actually top level stuff that you can afford on a new-farmer income if you start tapping Oaks around Spring 12.
1. You can put off socializing except for birthday gifts until after the Summer 11 Luau.
2. You don't need to descend in The Mines all that fast. Just 10 floors every 2-3 days will get you to floor 80 around Spring 26 if you want Quality Sprinklers for Summer. And just 10 floors every 4-5 days will get you abundant Iron ore soon enough for tool upgrades and Kegs. Take your time and enjoy all the goodies.
3. Avoid overplanting: 15 (mostly Parsnip) on Spring 1, 40-60 (mostly Kale) on Spring 6, and 40-80 (Strawberry, Cauliflower, Parsnip, and minor stuff) Spring 13-21. (See calendar if you want details.)
4. Fishing is great income the first month. And it's a fun and relaxing break from the runaround once you get yourself to Fishing level 2-4 with the training rod.
5. Pale Ale is your "rich farmer" path starting in Summer. It's actually top level stuff that you can afford on a new-farmer income if you start tapping Oaks around Spring 12.
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Tom
Farmer
HOPS
By the way, your post spurred me to find my very first savefile. It's on Summer 1st and I think I am going to take it and play it now that I understand about Pale Ale. The 75 Hops shown below only cost 4,500 gold (I have 23,276, which makes this savefile salveagable), and they will eventually bring in 31,500/day when you have 120 Kegs. Sitting in your chest unprocessed (as you develop Kegs), the Hops you harvest daily are guaranteed income through Fall and Winter. With the Gold Ore you have from The Mines floor 80+, those empty spaces will be filled with Sprinklers in a matter of days, so a bit of Watering Can last hurrah is okay today.
Troubleshooting my first-time farmer:
1. I don't have any Tappers on trees, so I am behind. But I have 10 Oak trees on my farm, 2 at the Bus Stop, and 5 near the Spring Onions (nothing I can tap (yet!) at Train Station, Mountain, Town, or Beach). I will tap those 17 Oaks today after 5 pm (tapper timing bug) and plant some Oaks on my farm with Tree Fertilizer (ultra-fast growth) if I can.
2. My fishing, foraging, mining skills are behind, and I am only on The Mines Floor 35. I will focus on getting to Floor 80 so I can build Quality Sprinklers. It will be hard with all this watering, but it looks like I upgraded my Watering Can, which I never do any more. So maybe that will help give me time for The Mines. I guess fishing and foraging will have to wait. What else can I do with this newbie file?
By the way, your post spurred me to find my very first savefile. It's on Summer 1st and I think I am going to take it and play it now that I understand about Pale Ale. The 75 Hops shown below only cost 4,500 gold (I have 23,276, which makes this savefile salveagable), and they will eventually bring in 31,500/day when you have 120 Kegs. Sitting in your chest unprocessed (as you develop Kegs), the Hops you harvest daily are guaranteed income through Fall and Winter. With the Gold Ore you have from The Mines floor 80+, those empty spaces will be filled with Sprinklers in a matter of days, so a bit of Watering Can last hurrah is okay today.
Troubleshooting my first-time farmer:
1. I don't have any Tappers on trees, so I am behind. But I have 10 Oak trees on my farm, 2 at the Bus Stop, and 5 near the Spring Onions (nothing I can tap (yet!) at Train Station, Mountain, Town, or Beach). I will tap those 17 Oaks today after 5 pm (tapper timing bug) and plant some Oaks on my farm with Tree Fertilizer (ultra-fast growth) if I can.
2. My fishing, foraging, mining skills are behind, and I am only on The Mines Floor 35. I will focus on getting to Floor 80 so I can build Quality Sprinklers. It will be hard with all this watering, but it looks like I upgraded my Watering Can, which I never do any more. So maybe that will help give me time for The Mines. I guess fishing and foraging will have to wait. What else can I do with this newbie file?
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iridium quality
Farmer
Get to the bottom of the mines as fast as you can and make sure to plant a lot of seeds! Also build a Coop and Fish Pond as fast as you can. But remember, you have to have a silo before you start cutting grass and raising animals.
iridium quality
Farmer
Once you're done with the torch, you can sell it in the shipping box next to your house for 5g each.
Tom
Farmer
Well, as fast as 10 floors every 2-3 days (80 by Spring 26-ish to start making Quality Sprinklers before Summer). And 15 seeds Spring 1 (mostly Parsnip), 40-60 on Spring 6 (mostly Kale), and 40-80 Spring 12-24 (mostly Strawberry, Cauliflower (trying for 1-3 Gold Star), and Parsnip (trying for 5 Gold Star). Don't overdo the seeds or the mining. You need to also chop trees etc, and there is only so much you can do in a day and with your energy.
One last chatty tidbit about my "first" savefile. Turns out it's not my first because there is a Rusty Sword. On my very first I threw away my Rusty Sword since I am a pacifist.
ShneekeyTheLost
Rancher
If this is your very first time playing, some tips I have for you:
- You can only play the game for the first time... once. Enjoy it for what it is, and savor the experience. You can always start a new save after you're done with your old one, and go full HAM getting a Year One Bundle Completion and become a millionare before the end of the first year. But savor that first play-through with as little spoiling as possible.
- The Wiki does indeed have a lot of useful information. If you wish to ignore the previous tip, or if you are done with your first playthrough and want to 'get serious', the 'seasons' icons will let you get a good look at which crops do what and are more valuable, if that's your thing.
- There are some crop properties that could be mentioned here without spoiling too much. If a crop is a 'Trellis' crop (generally has 'starter' instead of 'seed'), you CANNOT walk through that square once planted. This complicates watering and harvesting crops. And early example would be the Bean Sprout. The second is a multi-harvest crop as opposed to a single-harvest crop. Parsnips are a single-harvest crop. You plant them. You water them. They fully grow, you pull them up. Bean sprouts are an example of a multi-harvest crop. They exist for the entire season (sometimes even multiple seasons!) and continually produce crops every x days after they fully grow. The Wiki will designate these usually.
- Be sociable! There are many benefits to becoming friends with all townsfolk. Some of them can be dated or even married, some of them can give you recipes when they like you enough. Casually hanging out with people and gifting them things they like can open up new and interesting things!
- If you feel you have picked the 'wrong' perk for a given skill... don't worry, you will eventually unlock a way to 'respec' them.
- There is no one right way to play the game. If you are having fun, you are doing it 'right'. There are as many ways of playing the game as there are players.
Mcwhalen
Farmhand
I'm so impressed with this SDV universe, created mostly by one person alone. And, what topped it all off for me, was the quality of that mini game's soundtrack. After everything else that has been carefully crafted in Stardew Valley, I am emotionally struck by the hook during the arcade tune. Lol