Hill-top Farm Shroom Boom Farm - non-farming hill-top farm start

[riklaunim]

Another test/idea farm start - focusing on foraging/fishing/(mining) and using a not-so-popular hill-top farm. The challenge:

- No seed purchases (only those from rewards, seed spots, mystery boxes...) until farming 10/Year 2/3.
- no sprinkler crafting - only Krobus, reward sprinklers

Goal: gain a stable income relatively quickly and move onwards. How quickly farming will level up without seeds or animals? Late summer save attached if anyone wants to take it and grow in their direction.

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Early spring onions can actually be good - energy for cutting trees or energy for multiple fishing bubbles day 2/3.

Lots of bubbles:

The bulletin board is good to get some prize tickets and, most importantly, unlock mystery boxes more quickly.

Ancient seed from bugs... but no mass farming this time:

 

[riklaunim]

Wild seeds replanted for more spring forage and a bit of farming experience:

14th of spring with The Legend and 6 stone fish:

And 2 coffee beans two days later from dust sprites:

Pretty lucky with the scroll drops:

I went with the Pirate for level 10 fishing and overall fishing treasure chests are pretty fun:

Fishing gives rice shoots, which turns into unmilled rice and some farming experience:

 

[riklaunim]

That's a nicely placed meteor:

All of spring (15-28), The Legend roe aged and sold early summer:

And that's without Artisan...

94K total earnings, Farming 4, mining 6, foraging 7, fishing 10, and combat 5 at the end of spring.


This is big money, also mahogany tree seed farming - letting them grow, grabbing some seeds from ground, cut down and replant:

Lightning rods to get good stack of battery packs for future crystalariums (gemologist path):

The meteor gave a prismatic shard:

Late green rain, 312 moss, 60+ next day extra:

Train station stocked with trees:

And a line of trees on the farm with the first batch of mushroom logs - 20k after 4 days from 29 logs I've made without dehydration and artisan yet:

Trout Derby:

 

[riklaunim]

Hill-top farm isn't the best, at least in terms of popularity. It can hold a decent mushroom log line, multiple fish ponds, and buildings, but it's not really good for any crops scale up (although animals can scale up nicely). The quarry gives early copper and can add some extra artifact spots, but overall it's not that beneficial (as for example, hardwood stumps or an early fish smoker).
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Rushing The Legend and dumping it into a fish pond seems really strong. It starts giving a good, stable income at minimal expense. Then adding subsequent legendary fish and maybe lava eels - but those will require items (you may need basalt, for example).

Crops are overrated, especially the spring ones. Going for a fish pond + 1-2 coop or barn would likely be the best start, and then scale up with building upgrades.

 

[Cuddlebug]

That's an interesting setting you built up there. But I was wondering how to catch a Legend that early? I thought, you need a better rid and much experience to catch this one... For me it's always a struggle, even with an iridium rod and tackles.

 

[riklaunim]

That's an interesting setting you built up there. But I was wondering how to catch a Legend that early? I thought, you need a better rid and much experience to catch this one... For me it's always a struggle, even with an iridium rod and tackles.

You need level 9 fishing + fish soup from Willy (or just level 10), an iridium rod with a trap bobber, and a bit of luck so it won't jump a lot :) Not easy, but doable.

 

[Jayamos]

Really impressive what you’re doing with no bought seeds. Are you allowing seed makers?

 

[Terdin]

Having tried most of the maps now, I find that I quite like the hill-top farm, where the question isn't so much "where should I place this" as "where can I place this?" and plan to return to it for a different playthough. Currently gathering ideas for initial approach and what goal to have that will make me keep going after reaching Perfection. Your "no bought seeds until..." is definitely worth considering, though I'm quite certain I wouldn't be able to catch the Legend in year 1 even if I usually catch it in year 2 with the same equipment.

You need level 9 fishing + fish soup from Willy

Or sea jelly instead of the trout soup. Should give the same boost with a bit longer duration.

 

[Ih8Lewis4ever]

That's an interesting setting you built up there. But I was wondering how to catch a Legend that early? I thought, you need a better rid and much experience to catch this one... For me it's always a struggle, even with an iridium rod and tackles.

The Legend is way too hard. The only thing blocking me from perfection Ipis fishing,

 

[Cuddlebug]

You need level 9 fishing + fish soup from Willy (or just level 10), an iridium rod with a trap bobber, and a bit of luck so it won't jump a lot :) Not easy, but doable.

Yes, I know that, but how did you get that so fast? Middle of spring year 1? That's the fascinating fact for me...

 

[riklaunim]

Are you allowing seed makers?

That's a long way to farming level 9. Overall, I want to go Linus-approved farming so more towards forage or forage-alike (cactus fruit shed, for example) and later buy only small quantities of seeds for quests, crafts, not profits.

Yes, I know that, but how did you get that so fast? Middle of spring year 1? That's the fascinating fact for me...

Fishing nearly every day in the spring, early on. When the mines open on 5th it may be handy to get some initial copper bars for pickaxe upgrade, but outside of that is hard fishing to have a stash of energy fish and profits from other fish (and chances you get one of the fishing treasure chest weapons, which are a big upgrade over the starting sword).

 

[Ih8Lewis4ever]

Yes, I know that, but how did you get that so fast? Middle of spring year 1? That's the fascinating fact for me...

That's something that would take me 4 years.