Easiest bundles for you to complete? (Poll)

[benjellyman]

See above

 

[Giant Octopodes]

I almost went Minecarts, because I complete them almost accidentally, I just naturally end up with everything I need during the course of normal play. But ultimately it's the Greenhouse, just because I've so thoroughly refined my strategies regarding it, to the point where I don't have to think about it whatsoever. I know what's required, the number I want to plant and of what and when, to the point where it's ingrained in my memory.

My next playthrough will definitely have to involve remixed bundles, to counteract that.

 

[Zen_the_Ogre]

The bridge repair tends to be the quickest due to me fishing. I tend to get gold and fire quartz in spring. However if I want fishing the next would be the bridge as those forage goods are super easy to aquire though I seem to be time locked due to crocus and snow yams not being available until then

 

[imnvs]

Quite a few are not hard, imho, but the easiest, by far, is the Bridge Repair. You literally walk around and pick up stuff and that's it. It may not be the first I complete, but it definitely is the easiest.

 

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I often find myself with the Mine Carts repaired by complete accident. It's something that happens while also working on my true goal, which is to get my farming up and running with sprinklers, almost invariably prior to the end of the first spring. It just... kinda happens. Typically, I have a chest specifically for bundle completion items I have on my farmstead, and whenever it hits a certain volume, I go drop everything in the chest off at the community center. This done primarily to reduce the number of detours to the CC. Let's break it down, shall we?

The first bundle is a copper bar, iron bar, and gold bar. I need copper and iron for my kegs and gold for my sprinklers, so this bundle is completed incidentally to achieving my actual goals of establishing my infrastructure. As completely trivial and a non-issue as it is possible to be.

The Geologist's Bundle requires Quartz, Earth Crystal, Frozen Tear, and Fire Quartz. Quartz I already need for Refined Quartz for quality sprinklers and lightning rods, and is so common as to be impossible to not obtain. Earth Crystals are needed for Mayo Machines which are needed for the Artisan Bundle anyway, and a solid source of income. So already, two out of four I'm already collecting, making this a non-issue. Frozen Tears are impossible to not obtain while farming soot sprites for coal to fuel the furnaces smelting up all the metals and quartz I need to build my infrastructure. Fire Quartz is the only thing I marginally have to go out of my way to obtain, and probably the most technically 'difficult' thing to obtain, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm collecting them anyway since they are a more dense source of Refined Quartz.

The Adventurer's Bundle is likewise nearly impossible to avoid. Ten batwings is less than trivial to obtain. I want some anyway for Lightning Rods, and levels 31-39 tend to have higher copper concentrations than previous levels. And unlike most other enemies, it is impossible to avoid conflict with bats, who will fly through everything to get to you. Add in the mist that heralds a swarm of bats coming at you, and it becomes absolutely trivial to complete this collection. From there, the ghosts in the cold layers drop a solar essence that can be used for this, and can also be annoying to avoid. While slower than bats, they similarly don't have to worry about collision mechanics while stalking you. Besides, ghosts can occasionally drop a gold bar, useful in its own right. So again, something you're going to get while going about your business.

The only reason why I consider the mine carts to be easier than the bridge is that I occasionally have to go out of my way to deliberately search for the foragables in a given season and make sure I don't forget them, while literally everything I collect for the Mine Carts bundle happens while I'm already doing what I went down into the mines to do already. But I would agree that it is easily the second easiest bundle to complete. Fishing would, in my opinion, come third. Harder than the foraging bundles because the fishing minigame requires a degree of skill and detouring at time intervals, but not especially difficult.

Artisan and Animal Products bundles are non-trivial as there is a degree of RNG to them which may require you to adjust slightly and something of a time gate if you're trying to complete in Year 1. By far, the most challenging room is the Bulletin Board, simply because it requires prior knowledge of what the bundles requires before it is actually offered to you, and it requires Deluxe Barn/Coop to complete (barring RNG luck with the Cart Vendor). Furthermore, it's the only bundle that has a degree of RNG as to if you can even complete it before the end of the first year, at least until 1.5 added the option to ensure that Red Cabbage will appear in the Cart Vendor at some time during the first year.

 

[Michael LeChite]

As others have said, more often than not I end up accidentally completing Minecarts without even trying. They're certainly handy to have in case you need geodes processed in a hurry, then you can zip over to Clint's before he closes for the day.

The Bridge repair is also relatively easy since I've improved my foraging habits over the last few playthroughs. Also, since I tend to hit the mines as soon as I'm able, I can typically get fortunate and find a snow yam much earlier than usual, so it's pretty easy though with RNG YMMV.

Glittering Boulder I think would also fit here since, as I've noticed, it sort of unlocks as you play. Of course it's more time intensive than the previous two I've mentioned, but you don't really need to focus on the Glittering Boulder unless you want to.

 

[Worblehat]

smelting up all the ... quartz

I find the thought of smelting quartz or fire quartz to get refined quartz to be pretty odd. I got all the refined quartz I needed, plus a large excess, just from recycling broken glasses and CDs...

On topic - I have the same non-answer as to the counterpart to this poll. Trying to characterize CC bundles as "easy" or "difficult" is a category error; the concept of difficulty does not even apply. If a player wants to complete the bundles, they will, guaranteed. Some will take longer than others, but the outcome is never in doubt.

 

[benjellyman]

On topic - I have the same non-answer as to the counterpart to this poll. Trying to characterize CC bundles as "easy" or "difficult" is a category error; the concept of difficulty does not even apply. If a player wants to complete the bundles, they will, guaranteed. Some will take longer than others, but the outcome is never in doubt.

… bundles have a difficulty. Some are easy to go for, and some are not. Like the forage one is easy cause you don’t have to so much, and the fishing is harder cause you have to know when, where, and how to catch the fish, and some are really tough if you are not high enough level. So I think bundles do have a difficulty.

 

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I find the thought of smelting quartz or fire quartz to get refined quartz to be pretty odd. I got all the refined quartz I needed, plus a large excess, just from recycling broken glasses and CDs...

When you need a few hundred, you need more than just broken glasses and CD's.

On topic - I have the same non-answer as to the counterpart to this poll. Trying to characterize CC bundles as "easy" or "difficult" is a category error; the concept of difficulty does not even apply. If a player wants to complete the bundles, they will, guaranteed. Some will take longer than others, but the outcome is never in doubt.

I'm curious as to why you think the concept of difficulty doesn't apply. People can do things that are difficult. Sometimes people do difficult things because they are difficult. That doesn't mean they aren't difficult, it just means they're going to do it in spite of the difficulty.

 

[Worblehat]

When you need a few hundred, you need more than just broken glasses and CD's.

I'm curious as to why you think the concept of difficulty doesn't apply. People can do things that are difficult. Sometimes people do difficult things because they are difficult. That doesn't mean they aren't difficult, it just means they're going to do it in spite of the difficulty.

Not sure why you'd ever need a few hundred, or why quartz becomes better than trash in that scenario. Trash is quickly and easily acquired in predictable places (fishing at the standard farm, or outside the spa, or mine level 100). Is this some sort of "pave the map in crystal floor/crystal path" project? I guess I could see using fire quartz for some late game megaproject like that after you have crystalariums.

Your second paragraph is a series of non sequiturs. Yes, obviously people can do things that are difficult, that has nothing to do with CC bundles.

I see no difference between "rank the CC bundles in order of difficulty" and "rank the following in order of difficulty: dropping a rock; sitting on a chair; touching your nose with your left pinky". Anyone who wants to do them will do them, guaranteed. Difficulty implies a chance of failure. You could talk about "which CC bundles are easiest (or most difficult) to complete in Year 1", or by a particular season within Year 1, or with a specific house rule (no mining, or no animals, or whatever restriction you please). You could talk about "which requirement for Perfection is most difficult" since catching Legendary fish is not necessarily possible for every player, and the clock and several monster eradication goals have the meta-difficulty of whether the player will bother to grind it out. (Which leads to the age-old game design argument of whether grind is a form of difficulty or not - let's leave that one to MMO forums and not bring it here).

 

[Zen_the_Ogre]

Back on topic.

The easiest would be the bus as no other actions have to be done other than make money

Second would be the carts as most of these items can be picked up without anything beyond starting tools and a furnace.

Third would be bridge as this is just a collection and the only two discrepancies for completion are season and needing to upgrade the ax for hardwood which would require 5 bars of copper or dropped from boxes

Forth would be fish in that beginning tools and regular gameplay achieves this

Fifth is the greenhouse. Not because of difficulty in gathering the bundles but fulfilling rng for purchase vs building said items and maintaining care levels

Sixth is the bulletin board. They are all reasonable easy enough to aquire but the main show stoppers are the red cabbage and truffle which the cabbage is a rng drop for seed vs a serpent/cart. The truffles cannot be found in winter

Thats my rank but honestly it's depending on play style as I usually have 2 iridium tools by year 2 spr1. It's not saying any of them have a true difficulty it's just minor hoops to follow that may or may not be part of your playstyle or current playthrough type

 

[Giant Octopodes]

Not sure why you'd ever need a few hundred, or why quartz becomes better than trash in that scenario. Trash is quickly and easily acquired in predictable places (fishing at the standard farm, or outside the spa, or mine level 100). Is this some sort of "pave the map in crystal floor/crystal path" project? I guess I could see using fire quartz for some late game megaproject like that after you have crystalariums.

Your second paragraph is a series of non sequiturs. Yes, obviously people can do things that are difficult, that has nothing to do with CC bundles.

I see no difference between "rank the CC bundles in order of difficulty" and "rank the following in order of difficulty: dropping a rock; sitting on a chair; touching your nose with your left pinky". Anyone who wants to do them will do them, guaranteed. Difficulty implies a chance of failure. You could talk about "which CC bundles are easiest (or most difficult) to complete in Year 1", or by a particular season within Year 1, or with a specific house rule (no mining, or no animals, or whatever restriction you please). You could talk about "which requirement for Perfection is most difficult" since catching Legendary fish is not necessarily possible for every player, and the clock and several monster eradication goals have the meta-difficulty of whether the player will bother to grind it out. (Which leads to the age-old game design argument of whether grind is a form of difficulty or not - let's leave that one to MMO forums and not bring it here).

Gotta say I disagree on that 3rd paragraph. The bundles can absolutely be difficult, for the following reasons:

Fish Tank: If you are not good at fishing, this one can be legitimately challenging. I don't find the minigame difficult, but others pretty demonstrably do.

Boiler Room: If you struggle with the mines / combat, then getting down far enough to get Fire Quartz could be challenging. Not the case for me, but that doesn't mean it's not the case for someone.

Vault: If you're bad at managing your money, and struggle to make significant amounts of money in the game, this could be difficult.

Bulletin Board: If you judge difficulty on how much Effort must be expended to obtain something, rather than likelihood of failure, this can clearly be difficult.

I can't really make an argument for the crafts room or pantry. But still, the point is, not all of them are just picking stuff up off the ground uncontested.

 

[benjellyman]

Gotta say I disagree on that 3rd paragraph. The bundles can absolutely be difficult, for the following reasons:

Fish Tank: If you are not good at fishing, this one can be legitimately challenging. I don't find the minigame difficult, but others pretty demonstrably do.

Boiler Room: If you struggle with the mines / combat, then getting down far enough to get Fire Quartz could be challenging. Not the case for me, but that doesn't mean it's not the case for someone.

Vault: If you're bad at managing your money, and struggle to make significant amounts of money in the game, this could be difficult.

Bulletin Board: If you judge difficulty on how much Effort must be expended to obtain something, rather than likelihood of failure, this can clearly be difficult.

I can't really make an argument for the crafts room or pantry. But still, the point is, not all of them are just picking stuff up off the ground uncontested.

This guy explained it all. I think some bundles are harder to complete than others, they don't all just slide up to you while sitting on the couch all at once. Some require much effort, really (like the fishing bundle)

 

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Not sure why you'd ever need a few hundred, or why quartz becomes better than trash in that scenario. Trash is quickly and easily acquired in predictable places (fishing at the standard farm, or outside the spa, or mine level 100). Is this some sort of "pave the map in crystal floor/crystal path" project? I guess I could see using fire quartz for some late game megaproject like that after you have crystalariums.

Quality Sprinklers require Refined Quartz. When doing mega-plots, that adds up real fast. Also, it's not a mater of either trash or smelting quartz, but both at the same time to get enough refined quartz to meet your needs.

Your second paragraph is a series of non sequiturs. Yes, obviously people can do things that are difficult, that has nothing to do with CC bundles.

I see no difference between "rank the CC bundles in order of difficulty" and "rank the following in order of difficulty: dropping a rock; sitting on a chair; touching your nose with your left pinky". Anyone who wants to do them will do them, guaranteed. Difficulty implies a chance of failure. You could talk about "which CC bundles are easiest (or most difficult) to complete in Year 1", or by a particular season within Year 1, or with a specific house rule (no mining, or no animals, or whatever restriction you please). You could talk about "which requirement for Perfection is most difficult" since catching Legendary fish is not necessarily possible for every player, and the clock and several monster eradication goals have the meta-difficulty of whether the player will bother to grind it out. (Which leads to the age-old game design argument of whether grind is a form of difficulty or not - let's leave that one to MMO forums and not bring it here).

You're operating under several false premises, not to mention being extremely dismissive of player ability or lack thereof.

Let me share something with you. I just pulled up the Steam Achievements page. You know what the percentage of completion is for "Local Legend" achieved when you complete the community center? 18.5%. Clearly, there's some bar preventing a substantial majority of players from ever completing the CC, ergo a level of difficulty.

 

[imnvs]

Let me share something with you. I just pulled up the Steam Achievements page. You know what the percentage of completion is for "Local Legend" achieved when you complete the community center? 18.5%. Clearly, there's some bar preventing a substantial majority of players from ever completing the CC, ergo a level of difficulty.

To be fair, a lot of those that have not completed the CC barely even began the CC. A lot of people played for 10 hours and then lost interest. On GOG, for example, the average player has played almost 47 hours. Most people, let's be honest, on their first time through, have come nowhere near completing the CC in that time... and that's just the average. Roughly half of all players have played less time than that average and are even less likely to have completed the CC because they just gave up on the game entirely before getting that far.

Edit to add: This is not to say that I agree with @Worblehat when he says there is no such thing as difficulty. Some bundles need you to actually put in time and attention, and others... well... don't. You'll basically get what you need for those without trying, and that really does make them easier than the ones you have to pay attention to and actually put in some effort on. I'm just saying that your numbers exaggerate the story a little bit.