Who do you try to make friends with first?

[Randoplants]

My usual routine:
- Linus & Leah, because they love foraged stuff (and Leah likes driftwood, which I get a lot of from fishing)
- Demetrius because food from the cave helps out so much after the spring onions are done
- Evelyn, because then I can start planting rare seeds any time the traveling cart has them for sale, even if I don’t have the greenhouse yet

 

[Ereo]

Depends a bit - if I'm aiming for money, Caroline for the tea recipe.

If I go mining a lot, Linus because he's always outside and likes foraged stuff, and Robin & family, because they are also frequently around.

If I spend more time at the beach, the people who hang around there.

I usually don't focus on friendship in the first year, so it's the people I run into at first.

Demetrius will give you the cave independent of friendship by the way, it's triggered by earning a certain amount.

 

[MogBeoulve]

Aren't the garden pots tied to when you repair the greenhouse, not friendship with Evelyn?

I didn't make good friends for most of the first year, other than Linus because I figured I ought to share my forage with him. I waited until I had an excess of rabbit feet and then just carried a couple with me at all times to give to everyone I saw. So I went from meh with everyone to maxed out very rapidly (aside from Penny). I guess I didn't connect well with any of the villagers, so I wasn't making much of an effort. I would screw up half the time whenever I tried to give liked items (got the mushrooms mixed up so I wound up on Rasmodius's hit list, for example).

The only one I actually set out to befriend was Krobus. He is the best ever and gives squishy hugs. I have void chickens specifically dedicated to making him happy. When I discovered that he likes wild horseradish, I decided to switch professions so I could get iridium quality forage.

 

[PoppyForPenny]

I usually work on friendships in groups, based on where I can find everyone. Once I have enough resources to give gifts without financial impact, and also keeping in mind the 2 hearts for the bulletin board, I try to build a few at a time. I will often save the mail quests to boost friendships when I'm ready.
Sometimes I will start with everyone who likes salmonberries, like Pam and Shane. They are also easy to find together at the saloon.
I will try to increase friendship with Linus, Dwarf, Robin, Demetrius, Sebastian, and Maru in a group. Maru and Demetrius both love strawberries so that simplifies things. Similarly, I will work toward friendships with the wizard, Marnie, Jas, Shane, and Leah in a group. The Tuesday exercise ladies along with Pierre and Lewis in a group, the Friday saloon crowd, Penny and the kids.
It's not exact and also depends what I have for gifts. It tends to lag a bit with Alex and Pierre, since getting high quality loved gifts for them is harder.

 

[Elenna101]

I don't particularly try to make friends with anyone early, with the slight exceptions of Linus (because sashimi is nice, I pass his tent fairly often, and he likes foraged stuff so I can just shove whatever I have on him whenever I see him) and Leah (because she likes foraged stuff and also she's my favorite). And even then it's more "oh, I see this person and I happen to have a foraged item on me, might as well give it" rather than a concerted effort.

YMMV, but I find that salmonberries (and the occasional chub, and whatever other random forage) give plenty of food, as long as I do the trick where I exit to the title screen in between every day of berry season. Also I just can't resist going around collecting all the berries.
(And yes, the garden pot cutscene will only come after you complete the greenhouse, regardless of friendship with Evelyn, and the cave is triggered by earning 25k, not by friendship.)

 

[Randoplants]

I appreciate the info! Will probably start focusing on Caroline first, then, along with Leah & Linus.

 

[Farrow]

Caroline and Abigail first then Lewis and peirrer and if I'm going to marry Abigail I stop gifting anyone and focus on getting a crystlarium and getting her otherwise I focus on getting to our boy in the sewers

 

[Confused]

Whenever I start a new play through, I like to befriend the characters I think my farmer would actually want to be friends with, based on the personality I've come up with for them. Objectively though, I like to quickly get favor with Caroline, Linus, and occasionally Pam, strictly for their recipes and gifts. I like Pam cause she can sometimes gift me batteries.

 

[SnoozlyKitsune]

Linus so he can save me when I pass out in the mines. And Caroline so she can gift me the tea sapling recipe.

 

[Rhiannon]

I take a more organic approach. I'm a laid back player and just introduce myself making friends as I go. Then in the second year, I focus on those first 10 people who have the most hearts, making sure they have at least 8 by the end of winter

Spoiler

in preparation for Grandpa's evaluation

and go from there. I can see why you all focus on certain people though.

 

[Magically Clueless]

On my USUAL games I tend to go for Sebastian, so the people I talk to the most are Linus, Demetrius, Robin, Maru, and of course... Sebastian! While Linus is often close by when I go visit the mountains, I prioritize his friendship too since he gives the sashimi recipe and that makes gifting Sebastian extremely easy. Robin, Demetrius, and Maru are often nearby so I just talk to them out of habit and they all tend to be the first people I max out

 

[DJModulo]

I usually go for marrying Penny, so she generally ist my first person to get to 10 hearts.
Other than that, I try to befriend Linus (Sashimi, Wild Bait) and Shane (Pepper Poppers, Blue Chicken) early, and incidentally get decent friendship with Pam (Batteries & Beer). Caroline (Tea Saplings) ist good as well, and quite some people like to go for Demetrius (Nautilus Shell).

 

[nicodeux]

I make friends with Linus and Emily first on most my saves. They are my favorite villagers, so I can't pass by them without talking to them.

 

[Hanar]

The Grandparents, because they were easy to please in spring with flowers and leak :D

 

[qaija]

I am so busy during my first year trying to find enough time during the day to plant and water all my crops and run around everywhere foraging, and fishing when it rains, that taking the time to make friends is an additional burden on time that I just do not have. Abigail is the one person I do woo as she will become my wife. I like the additional Stardrop she gives and she sometimes waters my crops. I can only afford to start giving her gifts in the summer when I can collect sweet peas, saving all the gold ones to give to her. Usually I am able to wed her before winter arrives.