Having trouble deciding on a future partner (spoilers!)

[IndiaHawker]

Okay so I'm getting way ahead of myself as I'm still early game, but been doing a bit of research online! Was basically planning to pick Shane as my future spouse as he's cute and moody hahah - been reading about his storyline, I like his chicken coop area and quite like the alcoholism storyline from what I've read, gives a bit of depth to his character albeit depressing but sort of refreshing to have adult themes in a Switch game. However his room... sort of puts me off a lot. I liked it till I noticed the muddy footprints. Reminds me a lot of a story my mum told me about my alcoholic father and don't like that. I know I can cover them but they'd still be there :/ However none of the other guys appeal to me and I'm sort of debating marrying Abigail?? She resonates with me and I love her purple hair haha. However I can't say I'm a lesbian in real life but I can't really say I'm ever interested in anyone, male or female, so sort of unsure of what to do here? Sorry weird question but would appreciate feedback and knowing what others tend to do - please and thanks :D

 

[Ereo]

I tend to not see the farmer as myself, so my real life orientation has nothing to do with who the farmer marries.

I tend to pick the spouse for the farm theme and I have male and female farmers.
I have Blossom who married Abby on the forage only forest farm, I have Ariel on the beach farm who married Elliott, Lara on the standard farm map married Penny.

Now my newest farmer has a ranch and will either marry Haley or Shane.

 

[Salty1]

If you play the same farm for long enough, spouses end up in this unfortunate rut where they kind of just feel like another chore on the list of things to do - which I think is partly inevitable with a game set up the way Stardew is. Definitely pick the spouse you think you can tolerate/vibe with the most (which might change depending on your aim for the farm or if you just want something fresh/new).

If you're playing on 1.5, then you can also use the shrine of illusions to change your gender now too, if that helps your decision (I play male and female farmers both, but only pair them with the opposite gender - my own odd quirk).

If you need an extra excuse to marry Abigail, I'll let you know that one of the food items she can gift you at the start of the day is the crab cake! Not something you can count on, but an extra crab cake is always appreciable, imo. (Leah/Harvey might gift coffee, comparatively).

 

[ISSsloth]

You literally described me playing this game. I eventually decided I would have Krobus as a roomate. I just wish I could adopt kids with him.

 

[Worblehat]

Maru is the obvious spouse, nobody else even comes close. She's an amateur astronomer, astonishingly good at building robots, randomly gives you bombs, what more do you want?

The strongest argument against Maru is that she's one of the marriageable NPCs who would clearly have a bright future. Rather than staring at furniture in the farmhouse, which seems to be the primary activity for spouses in Stardew Valley (see also Kent in Jodi's house...). So this line of reasoning would strongly support your initial plan to marry Shane.

Abigail is a decent choice; if in a future save my next farmer marries someone other than Maru, it will be Abigail. She's also a bomb-giver, her interest in adventuring is interesting, and she wishes she had a cat. Not bad.

 

[LRangerR]

(see also Kent in Jodi's house...).

I'd rather not. Pretty sure he's trying to kill me. We've been over this before.
P.S. @Odin There is no Kent emote. I was saddened.

 

[Anhaga]

However his room... sort of puts me off a lot. I liked it till I noticed the muddy footprints.

Aagh, those footprints hurt my brain, even though I generally really like Shane! It's not only a question of "Come on! He's getting his depression under control so why is he still slobby!" but also "How did he get footprints THERE without tracking it in from the door as well???!" I really really want those muddy footprints to not be there in the vanilla game.

 

[Anhaga]

Oh, ack. Actual purpose of the thread . . .

I have actually really liked Elliot as a spouse. He's pretty sweet in spite of his verbosity. I'm also looking forward to marrying Harvey in another save . . . I like that he has things to do with his time but that staying in Pelican Town is totally fine for him as a character.

 

[Zen_the_Ogre]

How I see the characters

Penny: a sweet mother type with an opioid problem. Desperately needing a good home

Abigail: a wild child who would put her life on the line for you. Feels that everybody is being secretive to her.

Leah: Artsy type got out of a bad relationship. Will medicate with essential oils never been vaccinated.

Maru: Brilliant young girl. Crush her father's hopes of her going to college and have her raise 2 kids (seriously her 14 heart event should have been her getting a phd diploma in physics)

Halley: about a soft and caring as a brillopad. She does grow up and actually cares about the community. Never apologizes. (Still mad over the eww at the flower dance)

Emily: run a drug test asap.

Alex: Sports goon. Dreams of playing sports will probably have dad bod within 3years of marriage. Actually looks for way to improve local bar

Sebastian: dark, brooding frog prince. Doesn't give to whims often but what he is passionate about he stays passionate about. Shares earnings.

Harvey: dreams of flying. Works as a doctor. Looks like he sells used cars......has a moustache and wants to take you on a ride. See cutscene 10

Elliot: Man, bard, legend. He is like Fabio and Freddy mercury put together. Unknown why he is trying to have the dwarf wear a serving platter on its head.

Shane: Needs therapy more than AA. Don't know what happens to Jas mom but he is definitely fighting a beast in a bottle over it. Can rock some croks.

Sam: Dreams of being famous. Needs someone to give him a path and a shove. If you get him to 14 he will get his little notebook and write the first clue and when he spots the second you know what he will do! (Might eat to keep joja blu away from your pets)

Out of them all. Penny, Abby and Shane seem the best.
Leah and Elliot seem to be the worse as the seem to be the type that need freedom and not obligation.
Special shout out: Why the heck does maru drop out of college when she married you in the tenth year and she is still working as a nurse without a degree. Her dad was right!

 

[Zen_the_Ogre]

Also there is another partner. They a deeply religious character who believes in Yoga and can get you a shrine faster than joja's two day shipping.

 

[Odin]

P.S. Odin There is no Kent emote. I was saddened.

Sorry to disappoint, but the forum emotes are the same as the in-game chat emotes so we just have what the game does. You're welcome to make a suggestion thread for more emotes in the game!

 

[LRangerR]

Sorry to disappoint, but the forum emotes are the same as the in-game chat emotes so we just have what the game does. You're welcome to make a suggestion thread for more emotes in the game!

My heart is broken D:

 

[Bananapaws]

Shane definitely has issues. I just married him in my current game. We were at 10 hearts going into the ceremony. The next day I give him a rabbit foot and he told me it was his favorite. However, he then refused to speak to me. Every time I tried he just got one of those angry balloons over his head and turned away. I looked and he'd dropped down to 9 hearts. He wouldn't speak to me the entire day but was back to normal the following day. The only people I'd given gifts to right before we got hitched were Marnie and Jas...I can't imagine he'd be jealous of that or worried that his wife-to-be was some kind of sicko with designs on his little goddaughter. But something had definitely crawled up his...um...chicken coop. My brain has been fanficing stuff that might have happened during the wedding to tick him off. Not having an open bar. The bride insisting their first dance be to WAP. That the flowers were aquamarine when he ordered teal, darn it! Basically Groomzilla Shane now lives in my head. For all I know he's upset to discover my farmer snores. If you're going to be that immature, sir, I hope you're never able to sleep again!