A Beginner's Guide to Trio of Towns

Explore Lulukoko, Tsukuyusa, and Westown in this multi-cultural farming game for Nintendo 3DS. [ Game Guide ] JP release = Jun 2016. NA release = Feb 2017. EU release = Oct 2017.
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

Okay, guys! I know lots of people like tips when first starting a big, detailed game like anything from the Bokumono series so...since I don't remember one of these being made...could we throw together a miniature guide? Not something huge and super detailed like the full guide, but just tips to make the start-up smoother and more enjoyable to those who don't like to be caught unaware without their coconuts lined up.

If anyone is willing to comment with tips they think are the most valuable, I will revise this first post to encompass everything that is popularly considered a good tip until we've got something good. If no one has any tips then I guess I'll try to remember everything on my own, lol...it'll just take longer since my brain is always so scrambled.

FIRST OF ALL...the best guide is the one Cherubae put together for us...it's got everything in illustrated detail. It's also great to look at the 'Getting Started' page for basic information on choosing a personality type. It's by far the best place to consult for event and festival guidance. Thonky is useful, too...you can quickly find what you want by Googling 'Thonky Trio Sweet Potatoes', for example, and up will pop a page with every recipe that contains sweet potatoes, as well as where to buy them, how to unlock them, and a list of everyone who likes them, so it's useful in a different way. It has no pictures, though, and no event details...but if you were to Google 'Thonky Trio Ludus', up would pop a page on Ludus that contains every single item he loves, likes, hates, is in different to...every item. More info than most ever need, but if you want it, it's there.

But if all you want are general beginner tips:
Spoiler:
1) When choosing your birthday, you don't have to worry about overlapping with festivals...all events will still happen (one won't get pre-empted for the other...not your town party OR your private party with family/significant other.) If you still wish to choose a day with nothing else on it, though, by all means consult with Cherubae's fully-filled out calendar.

2) Save at least once per day in case you need to reset something unexpected or run into a surprise glitch. Also save after completing anything you really don't want to have to redo, should anything happen, like reorganizing your whole farm. ;)

3) Early on in the game, Ford's 'Medical Test Subject' jobs (through the Part Time Job recruiter) are a great source of income. But it's risky unless you know what each bottle contains. Thonky has a page on exactly what that is, so you can always choose a good or neutral (or least bad) bottle.

4) The plot of the game doesn't really get started until Summer 1, and the 3 towns aren't all accessible until a few days after that, so hang in there! It'll be slow for your first season but you may find it crazy busy after that.

5) If you DO find it crazy busy...don't panic. You'll find a routine that works for you. And here's one major help: FRIENDSHIPS DO NOT DEGRADE FROM NEGLECT IN TRIO OF TOWNS. Characters in the game DO have dialogue they'll say if they haven't seen you in a long time, but it does NOT mean you've lost any FP. You haven't. The only way to lose FP in Trio of Towns is to play pranks with Witchie, throw trash in the water, give gifts people hate, or make your bf/gf or spouse jealous by showing other candidates the pendant. So if you don't have time to talk to villagers the entire summer because you're concentrating on other things, don't worry about it. Nothing bad will happen because of it, so you can socialize at your leisure.

6) Save before the FRUIT FIESTA on Fall 26 in Lulukoko. You have a chance of being given COCONUT as a gift, and it will almost definitely be your first chance to get them in the game. (Otherwise you will have to wait until you can get Lulukoko to Rank B, or until you've shipped 200 tree fruits to Lulukoko, which most people don't manage to do by then.) Coconuts are required to build the winery.

7) Consider getting a pet as soon as possible, as it takes a very long time to max their stats. Herding pets are very useful, as are pets with the 'finding plants' skill, as their job is to bring you foraged plants every day, and they can potentially bring you THYME, which is a rare foraged herb that you cannot buy that is required to make the Jam Factory. ANY type of pet also has a chance of finding thyme when you take them on a walk and dig at the treasure-hunting spots...the one closest to the post office in Westown is known to be the most common source of Thyme. (They can't find Thyme as their job until they are level 5 or 6 at least, but you can find them in treasure hunts with ANY pet at ANY level.) HERE is a spreadsheet (with 3 tabs) on pet levels and skills, if you want to know more. And HEREare all the pets with pictures included and where and when they unlock.

8] For some reason people seem to get stuck in particular on SWEET POTATOES. 20 are needed for the Westown C Rank lock. They are a Fall crop that will be available for purchase in seed form in Tsuyukusa once you raise its rank to D. To be able to buy pre-grown sweet potatoes rather than seeds, get Tsuyukusa to Rank C and ship 10 sweet potatoes.

9) If you like to hoard necessary items rather than acquire them as needed, we have compiled a list of every item you'd ever need in order to upgrade every tool to max, make every one of the makers, and fulfill every town link rank requirement. This does not contain spoilers but it does list every single item so it is quite long.

10) FARMING TIPS ... It can be difficult to raise crop quality much before you have the seed maker, especially crops with a short growing time, but even without it, there is a way. You can sow your seeds and fertilize them every day without watering them, as they will not wilt until they have sprouted from their seed form. Of course, this is not as effective if you are trying to raise the JUICINESS stat, as watering adds to juiciness. And keep in mind that vine crops are not finished growing until you can no longer water them...you can pick a tomato as soon as it appears, but if you leave it alone until it finishes growing, it will have many tomatoes on it, and the overall harvest is better. (Thanks, Mikodesu.)

11) Money-making tips: Gems and ores are worth a lot, so if you have any you can part with, they'll net you quite a bit. (HEREis a page on mining frequency and probability...useful if you are trying to mine for specific items.) Also check craft options in your makers...some of them have a very good profit, too. Maple syrup is also a good new money crop and can be turned into maple butter for even more money. (Maple syrup comes from mature maple trees every three days in Spring if you have a sap bucket...purchased from Miranda in Westown...attached to them).

But the main money-maker in Trio tends to be cooking. It should be used with caution, as it is possible to buy unlimited quantities of ingredients to churn out many many stacks of cooked dishes and make millions per day. This, however, tends to take the fun out of the game for many people by making you progress extremely quickly with no effort, so use these methods with discretion. If you are simply trying to increase your cooking level, check out the Hot Milk thread. The Hot Milk will still make you money and accelerate your town link with whoever you buy from and sell to, but somewhat less so. If you want to try getting very rich really quickly (and raising town ranks so fast your head will spin) it's on your head, but...there is some good information on options HERE. Most very good profit recipes are not available early in the game

12) Fishing is something you can do pretty early on (around Spring 9) to make better pocket change than selling foraged items you should probably keep anyway. Also, some people just love to fish. So here is a very useful spreadsheet on it that shows every type of fish available at every spot.
Last edited by Kikki on May 10, 2018 6:32 pm, edited 25 times in total.
User avatar
Mikodesu
Huggy Chickens
Huggy Chickens
Posts: 313
Joined: Apr 07, 2016 7:45 pm

Post  Posted:

I remember this being helpful: the fastest way to raise crop quality in the beginning of the game is to fertilize seeds WITHOUT watering them, to extend their growth cycle (they don't need to be watered every day until you START watering them). It's not necessary for the first Harvest Festival but it's helpful later on.

And to augment your saving tip, I remember when the game first released in North America there was a random glitch with the part time jobs sometimes not spawning in the tool you needed. (I think it had to do with you not owning the tool yet?) Maybe it would be better to wait and see if anyone's experienced that more recently.

Also! I forgot...for vine crops specifically (like melons and tomatoes) don't harvest them as soon as you see a ripe crop, wait until you can't water the crop anymore, you'll get more crops per harvest out of them that way.
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

Thanks :) Do the extra days of fertilization offset the stat boost you get to juiciness from each daily watering? Do the crops LOSE juiciness if they are unwatered even in seed form?
User avatar
Mikodesu
Huggy Chickens
Huggy Chickens
Posts: 313
Joined: Apr 07, 2016 7:45 pm

Post  Posted:

Not a problem! :) I do know you don't lose out on ANY of the expected juiciness stat by not watering seeds immediately. What I don't remember is if it would be better for your overall star level to once you reach a rainy day, to water twice a day for extra juiciness or once a day to extend the growth cycle for more fertilizing.

What I did was to use sparkly fertilizer only on seeds until it rained and then fertilize and water once a day until harvest. If you're lucky you might be able to get a two star crop in spring, but it's fairly easy otherwise to get one and a half star crops.
AmazingFarmer
New Seedling
New Seedling
Posts: 28
Joined: Aug 31, 2017 3:43 pm

Post  Posted:

Thank you!!!!
This is such helpful info!
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

I'm happy if I can be helpful :) I'll continue to revise this if I think of more (I should try to tidy it up and make it more consise.) but for right now I can't think of anything else.
User avatar
Shan O 123
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 7942
Joined: May 04, 2013 11:01 am

Post  Posted:

Kikki you don’t have to add this but just in case, here’s a old quote of a very old post mine.
Shan o 123 wrote:Also the same birthday as a festival thing: I personally can confirm that it's okay to have your birthday on a festival, you still get the town party and you still get your private birthday party with your lover. My birthday is summer 22 + cooking festival + was dating Wayne at this point = a very happy birthday to me. Lol.
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

Actually, that's useful as a start-up tip since people often want to make sure that their birthday doesn't overlap with anything that could interfere. I'll revise the first step to include that, thanks :)
User avatar
Shan O 123
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 7942
Joined: May 04, 2013 11:01 am

Post  Posted:

You’re welcome. I’ll see if I can think of more.

.....

Oh wait I know. Farming tips 1: you don’t have to keep the second cow required. It’s okay to sell it the second you receive that message of requirement filled on your screen.
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

I thought of something.

Early on in the game, Ford's 'Medical Test Subject' jobs (through the Part Time Job recruiter, Horacio or whatever his name is) are a great source of income. But it's risky unless you know what each bottle contains. Thonky has a page on exactly what that is, so you can always choose a good or neutral (or least bad) bottle.
User avatar
Earthmate
New Seedling
New Seedling
Posts: 27
Joined: May 15, 2018 9:40 am

Post  Posted:

This is really helpful, thanks! It's nice to have such awesome guides on this site and on the forums :)
User avatar
krookodilehunter
New Seedling
New Seedling
Posts: 10
Joined: Oct 04, 2014 9:05 pm

Post  Posted:

Hate to bump something so old but I wanted to say a few things! First off, great guide; thank you for sharing!
Second, regarding number 6: I haven't tested it yet, but if the Fruit Fiesta works the same as the Flower Festival, you can save right before giving someone a fruit gift and re-load if you get something you already have.
I did this with the Flower Festival just the other day: save right before giving someone the gift > give it to them > they give you something you have/don't want > re-load > do it again and get something different.
It might be a bit "cheat-y" but you can get all the crops you don't already have, and in a little better quality than buying from the stores!
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

No problem; glad you found it useful. Yes, you can save before talking to each villager at the Fruit Fiesta if you want to, to reset which fruit they'll give you. I don't like doing it that way though...I just save before the Fruit Fiesta once, go through all the villagers, and then if none give me what I want, I reset and go through them again. But if you're willing to do the extra work of saving before each villager, it does work. :)
User avatar
anissina
Carrots... yum
Carrots... yum
Posts: 531
Joined: Jul 25, 2008 6:39 pm

Post  Posted:

Something to note with Fords part time job though. You can't pass out from it. So if you are already at low stamina and don't need more or have food to get more already, take a bad option. You get paid more if you choose one with a bad outcome!
Post Reply