Pets bring the player gifts

What are pets good for right now? Honestly, nothing really. They get in the way of planting, fertilizing, watering and are more of just living decor than anything else. I love my dog, don't get me wrong but sometimes I wonder if I should have declined adopting him, especially when he makes it hard to get my planting done the first day of fall.

My idea is to make pets less useless or at least give us a reason to put up with them.

I was thinking our pets should have a chance of bringing the player a random item.

Dogs would bring the player items like artifacts, minerals, lost notes and building supplies like wood, stone, clay and ores.

Cats would bring items like fish, monster loot and VERY RARELY animal products like wool, duck feathers and rabbit's foot.

If the pet has a gift for the player, a small gift icon will be above their head, they will continuously follow the player and bark or meow until the player accepts their gift.

I think making pets bring the player random and useful items will allow us to hopefully put up with their shenanigans a bit better
 
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Person090

Planter
What are pets good for right now? Honestly, nothing really. They get in the way of planting, fertilizing, watering and are more of just living decor than anything else. I love my dog, don't get me wrong but sometimes I wonder if I should have declined adopting him, especially when he makes it hard to get my planting done the first day of fall.

My idea is to make pets less useless or at least give us a reason to put up with them.

I was thinking our pets should have a chance of bringing the player a random item.

Dogs would bring the player items like artifacts, minerals, lost notes and building supplies like wood, stone, clay and ores.

Cats would bring items like fish, monster loot and VERY RARELY animal products like wool, duck feathers and rabbit's foot.

Dogs love to dig and play with sticks.

Cats being predators love to catch things and bring them back for their human.

If the pet has a gift for the player, a small gift icon will be above their head, they will continuously follow the player and bark or meow until the player accepts their gift.

I think making pets bring the player random and useful items will allow us to hopefully put up with their shenanigans a bit better
Maybe make it so that if you have a high friendship with your pet, you get better gifts more frequently
 

eliasntr

Farmhand
Just anything that would make them interesting really. I'm a dog person in real life but it's just sad that I ignore my pet's existence in the game. I'd rather have them be useful just like the suggestions you said, or make them interesting actual companions that can follow you around even in festivals. Have the villagers talk about your pet or even have them pet the dogs/cats themselves. Maybe even add some heart events for them.
 

CrimsonCat

Greenhorn
I'd love if the pet sometimes follows the farmer (or their spouse/children) around.

I feel like gifts should be universal, though, not based on cat or dog. Monster loot and animal produce is a good enough drop list I think. Maybe the occasional fish or clothing item, with a possible new clothing or hat that the pet ONLY brings rarely at max affection.

And I'd love to see more NPC dialogue referencing the pet, that one it'd be fine if it changed depending on if you had a dog or cat (like Alex wondering if Dusty and the farmer's dog would get along, or Pierre sneezing because the farmer's shirt has some cat hair on it.) Especially Marnie, I mean, it's strange that the character whose primary trait is loving animals never asks me how mine is, when she was the one who asked me to take it in...
 

@ndy

Farmhand
not bad...
would centraily like to see them bring in stuff like that
well it does sound like problematic thing to program

maybe build them outside pet house? where you would find it?
albeit that would be just like another machine in the game :{

@OP what do you dislike? there is no more amazing feature than "get in the way"
 

levy

Farmhand
Honestly back when I was playing Harvest Moon it was in the manual I think that claimed "picking a cat or dog differs in the game as such, that a cat brings you gifts and a dog protects your livestock from wild animals". I've never actually had that happen in-game, but it's a nice idea to think about

The later of which feels like it could work well on the monster farm or
the barrier getting removed,
so that makes the cat more efficient at first glance.

Both I think could also help to chase away crows. Maybe the efficiency is dependant on the heart level (or a separate skill level, similar to the farmer's skills) so that scarecrows itself won't be obsolete
 

Lightharion

Greenhorn
Both I think could also help to chase away crows. Maybe the efficiency is dependant on the heart level (or a separate skill level, similar to the farmer's skills) so that scarecrows itself won't be obsolete
Ufff this!! that's what I thought like the third time i got crows, it would be cool if my cat could chase away those annoying crows instead of just jumping around or getting on the way
 

CrimsonCat

Greenhorn
Honestly back when I was playing Harvest Moon it was in the manual I think that claimed "picking a cat or dog differs in the game as such, that a cat brings you gifts and a dog protects your livestock from wild animals". I've never actually had that happen in-game, but it's a nice idea to think about
I never thought to check what other games did with the feature. To me the way SDV presents it now is more "which do you, the player, like more", and since in real life both cats and dogs can do both of these things (to a degree - cats are usually for pests I suppose), it would feel off to me to make the gameplay different... Unless you could get both pets, eventually, I guess. Then it's just "which do you want now and which do you want later" but with these particular benefits I feel like practically everyone would choose cats, for some early game cash or villager gifts, and then wait until they actually have enough livestock to worry about getting a dog.
 
I'd love if the pet sometimes follows the farmer (or their spouse/children) around.

I feel like gifts should be universal, though, not based on cat or dog. Monster loot and animal produce is a good enough drop list I think. Maybe the occasional fish or clothing item, with a possible new clothing or hat that the pet ONLY brings rarely at max affection.

And I'd love to see more NPC dialogue referencing the pet, that one it'd be fine if it changed depending on if you had a dog or cat (like Alex wondering if Dusty and the farmer's dog would get along, or Pierre sneezing because the farmer's shirt has some cat hair on it.) Especially Marnie, I mean, it's strange that the character whose primary trait is loving animals never asks me how mine is, when she was the one who asked me to take it in...
I'm playing off the typical things they do. Dogs are known for digging and finding stuff, hence why they bring things like artifacts and minerals. Cats are predatory and are known to hunt small creatures and bring them back, hence why they bring fish, monster loot and animal products.
 

Chililover

Planter
I'm playing off the typical things they do. Dogs are known for digging and finding stuff, hence why they bring things like artifacts and minerals. Cats are predatory and are known to hunt small creatures and bring them back, hence why they bring fish, monster loot and animal products.
love this idea! I had a dog once a long time ago named max. And he stole my neighbor s betty boop pajamas and brought them to us. It would be cool if when you had a ten heart relationship with your dog he/she could bring truffles from the pigs. And other stuff!
 

Hollowyn

Greenhorn
Maybe it could be made so that aside from the gifts they bring, dogs and cats also have side effects. Like some people said cats could protect your crops from crows while dogs prevent wild animal attacks and the grumpy status of livestock that was left outside the coop/barn during the night. Both of these effects could be tied to the heart level of your pet.
 
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