are animals still relevant late game?

[SurprisedPikachuBob3]

Yeah, we've been skirting the question of when is what. Maybe we need a poll! Which I don't know how I'd construct. In general, for me the game goes like this:

Early game (thru Sp-Su Year 2)
open map up
finish Community Center
lots of with Villagers
farming and animal expansion (1 Barn, 1 Coop, 100-200 crop spots, 10-15 Tapped Trees)

Mid game (thru Sp-Su Year 3)
Return Sceptre
Movie Theater
open up Ginger Island (blasted parrots and walnuts...)
early Skull Cavern runs
Finalize 'minimal' Farm setup (mostly Sheep, Dinos, Seasonal crops: Rhubarb/Starfroot/Pumpkin)
Expand 1-2 Sheds mostly full of Jars+Kegs and Cellar with Casks for processing g

Late Game (Late Year 3+)
Qi Quests
Volcano runs for Treasure Chests, Forge, Dragon Teef and Boots
Bomb the Farm regularly becuz Bomb Farming's the best!
Get all Obelisks
Have fun in Skull Cavern
suck at JotPK
come up with a Farm design theme
decide how I will avoid Perfection again

And then end-game can be everything after perfection

 

[Giant Octopodes]

Typically I think of early game as year 1, midgame as year 2, and lategame as year 3+. I'd also say, since folks play at different paces:

Are you resource limited, working on getting basic upgrades, and putting down your roots? That's early game.
Are you somewhat established but still growing and developing towards your goals? That's mid game.
Are you fully established, with access to everything the game has to offer and your pick of how to spend your time and resources? That's late game.

Personally I think animals are viable and useful at all stages of the game. Their monetary output (specifically in terms of the speed of return on investment) pales in comparison to artisan goods made from crops or optimized mining operations but it's quite favorable compared to say a maple syrup farm, flower based strategies, fishing (past a certain point), and some of the other options the game has to offer. It's just that artisan goods are crazy profitable. I'm currently playing a cropless farm on the meadowlands focused primarily on animals and sure, it's not *great* money, but it's more than adequate to hit my goals and function as a viable primary source of income.

 

[Wolf Haley]

Ohh that would be a good question, how would you define early, mid and end game in stardew, more experienced players might say that the CC and especially Joja is early game and then everything between then and getting perfection is mid game but then that would say the gold clock is mid game. Damm I know that this is not the point of this thread but it is an interesting question

il make a thread right now for it

 

[FilthyGorilla]

And then end-game can be everything after perfection

that's what i just consider the post-game honestly

 

[chaskuchar]

i have been through at least twenty games and have fixed the boat a couple of times but haven't figgute3d out the island yet. so lew, i like your early,mid, late game explanation. i am summer, year 2 and need tiger trout to complete the community center. level 85 in the mines. but why do you have so many trees tapped?? btw, i got a dinosaur egg in the quarry and i have to figure out what to do with the dinosaurs. i did hatch the egg to get a dinosaur and get more eggs. keeps me busy going to the wiki.