The Unofficial E3 Story of Seasons Thread

[Taniyama Mai]

Yeah, I totally understand why people would want a difficulty setting. I think my worry comes from games where the difficulty doesn't mean anything other than padding though. The RF games are a big offender of this, IMHO. Their difficulty isn't to make the bosses more skilled or tricky, they just made them sponges.

If SoS is like that, where the difficulty is just things cost more or less, then I'd... not enjoy that as much. I'd prefer it if it could somehow be like.... skill related. Not just time or money sponges. Like for a boss on hard mode, imho you should give it extra moves, not just more HP. For SoS I don't know exactly what I'd want them to do but, perhaps give us the sun/water mechanic from SI or something for people who liked it? That would be more difficult than the standard crop farming, anyway.

I hope that makes sense. It's just that a lot of the difficulty settings in games are just, well, time wasters. They don't actually make it more difficult, they just make it take longer to seem more difficult.

now this I completely get. I don't want easy mode to just be things costing less (though that'd kinda be nice at first I think, but I mean, how often to we end up at a point in the game where we have shittons of money and nothing to spend it on) I would MUCH prefer easy mode being more like, the whole shipping situation being made less complicated/things unlocked by the shipping thing being made easier, the fighting over land with the other farmers easier, stuff like that. stuff that actually makes gameplay too complicated or difficult for some players to do.

I doubt they'd be able to work the SI crop thing into this game with how different the whole system seems (or maybe it's just the harvesting? I really don't know, I've not seen that one explained yet) but that'd be interesting.

I think it'd be easier for them to leave the game as is for like, hard/normal, and then make some things easier for easy mode. at least then it seems like it'd take less coding and additions (like a whole new watering system) and be easier to try out for their first time with a feature like this.

but I agree, I want an actual feature that makes the game actually harder/easier than one that just makes it seem that way. I don't want a repeat of that whole artificially lengthening thing they did in ToTT with the house upgrades in the name of "hard mode" =/

[GemiMini]

Honestly, if the "difficulty settings" were just changing the length of time to unlock things, I would just play it normally. Even if it was shortening the time, I would just not care. It just seems pointless to me.

[Melody Muse]

Yeah, thanks for bearing with me. And sorry for the confusion before; I have been sick so not explaining myself well. I'm glad I made sense then though.

But yeah, if they did something like made the farming competitions easier, or festivals not increase each year as much, etc, I'd think that would be a better than just "here have things cost less".

Or maybe give crops a % chance of failure or being washed away after storms, etc.

I agree that they probably couldn't just add a whole new system in, and that sounds dangerous coding-wise, but thanks for bearing with me. It was just the only example I could think up at the time. XD

But I agree, basically, whatever mode I play on will depend on how they implement it. If the normal/hard modes are just time-wasters, then I'll play on easy because it will feel pointless to grind out the hours, unless it goes nuts and is like "complete everything in your first 2 weeks" or something. XD

[Guest]

I feel like in harvest moon games, befriending people is harder and harder while farming is easier and easier. Like, it's so difficult to cook in harvest moon games, so it's like impossible to cook a characters favorite food most of the time.

To the people who've played story of seasons, do you enjoy it? I haven't been enjoying harvest moon lately, and I was wondering how you guys feel about it.

[Taniyama Mai]

Yeah, thanks for bearing with me. And sorry for the confusion before; I have been sick so not explaining myself well. I'm glad I made sense then though.

But yeah, if they did something like made the farming competitions easier, or festivals not increase each year as much, etc, I'd think that would be a better than just "here have things cost less".

Or maybe give crops a % chance of failure or being washed away after storms, etc.

I agree that they probably couldn't just add a whole new system in, and that sounds dangerous coding-wise, but thanks for bearing with me. It was just the only example I could think up at the time. XD

But I agree, basically, whatever mode I play on will depend on how they implement it. If the normal/hard modes are just time-wasters, then I'll play on easy because it will feel pointless to grind out the hours, unless it goes nuts and is like "complete everything in your first 2 weeks" or something. XD

no problem, I know the feeling lol

I would much prefer them actually making things easier like the festivals than just making things cost less. like sure that'd help the blow of loosing land I just got from the other farmers but I think I'd just rather it not be so easy to loose the land in the first place =P (or at all. I'm sorry, I just don't like that idea AT ALL) the crop thing sounds pretty good though.

I feel like in harvest moon games, befriending people is harder and harder while farming is easier and easier. Like, it's so difficult to cook in harvest moon games, so it's like impossible to cook a characters favorite food most of the time.

To the people who've played story of seasons, do you enjoy it? I haven't been enjoying harvest moon lately, and I was wondering how you guys feel about it.

same here. although I rarely made food for people anyway, whatever I could get that they liked best that required the least amount of work is what they got. it's just a game, I'm not going to waste time I could use doing something else in the game (or spending time with/making something for my *real* girlfriend) possibly working my butt off trying to make this one special item, so I never quite had that problem with the people. I agree with your point though.

I'm real worried I won't like this one ether, no matter how good the work Xseed is, simply because of the features and difficulty (and the fact that they're recognizing how hard this game is by even thinking of putting in a toggle should speak volumes) and that worries me...I'm tired of being unable to play and enjoy HM and I'm really hoping if they're thinking they'll get new younger fans who need easier games, they'll ether cut back a bit on the difficulty/make the harder things more optional or add difficulty toggles to work with more fans more equally (which they should have been doing a long time ago)

[RopeMaidenKirie]

Credit to the info thanks to:

Marvelous announced earlier today that Bokujou Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shintenchi will be available for download in the Japanese Nintendo eShop on 24 July 2014. (That’s next Thursday.)

They also announced an update to the software that affects both the download and cartridge versions of the game. When you start a new file, you now can choose from two different modes: “Veteran” mode (the default mode) or “Novice” mode, for those who want the game to be a bit easier. The changes in Novice mode include:

You lose stamina more slowly.
The selling price of items is a little higher.
They’re not specific about other changes, but they say they’ve adjusted the game’s “balance” for the novice mode. You cannot switch modes mid-game, however.

[GemiMini]

Credit to the info thanks to:

Marvelous announced earlier today that Bokujou Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shintenchi will be available for download in the Japanese Nintendo eShop on 24 July 2014. (That’s next Thursday.)

They also announced an update to the software that affects both the download and cartridge versions of the game. When you start a new file, you now can choose from two different modes: “Veteran” mode (the default mode) or “Novice” mode, for those who want the game to be a bit easier. The changes in Novice mode include:

You lose stamina more slowly.
The selling price of items is a little higher.
They’re not specific about other changes, but they say they’ve adjusted the game’s “balance” for the novice mode. You cannot switch modes mid-game, however.

Woah, that's unique. I kinda want to play novice mode because I'm a bit of a wimp XD. I think I'll play Veteran for my second playthrough, then. Better than I thought it'd be, though. Thanks for sharing it!

[Meriberry]

Huh. Sounds nifty. I'll probably give both modes a test run to see which one I prefer. As long as cut scenes are skipable, is all good.

[Lon Lon]

The new mode sounds neat. I might use it to speed things up or relax more when starting a second file.

[Melody Muse]

Wow. So that is REALLY cool how they wanted this hard vs easy mode for American fans but added it into the Japanese too. I'm very happy about that.

[Strongbad456]

The new mode sounds cool but too bad you can't use it mid game because I could really use it on the Japanese version and I don't feel like restarting. Guess I'll just wait for Story of Seasons(which is still restarting but it'll be in English).

[Ronin19]

That mode sounds cool for those who want an easier experience and those who are starting this franchise. I think I'll stick with veteran mode for now or if it proves too difficult I'll just start over with novice mode. The story is at least a go at your own pace kind of thing. I see it like Grand Bazaar's story; both stories heavily rely on making money and the story will keep going on until you've made enough.

[Taniyama Mai]

oh awesome! sounds pretty cool to me, but I am hoping it's more than just that. if that's all it is it's not going to make that much of a difference when it comes to the actual difficulty of the gameplay..

the biggest thing I'm gunning for is making the festivals easier to win so it's not so easy to suddenly loose your land every month/season...

if we can get something like that, I'm happy.

plus, with that thing about our stuff selling for more, don't you need to make a particular amount of money on certain places in order to get the new countries (or whatever it is..) or is it sell a particular number of items? if it's price, that'll make that a lot easier, but if it's stuff I don't think it'll make that big a difference. I mean, it'll be nice, but I'd rather it make a real difference lol

[Dravalon Code]

Different modes? That's cool! However, since I'm a gaming masochist I will most definitely not use the Novice mode. I enjoy the challenge of HM games on all fronts. >:)

[Mecha-Lollipop]

I'm looking forward to details on the different modes. I like to play through and marry each candidate as quickly and easily as possible and then do my main files that I put all the hard work into. So an easy mode is great for me! I wonder if it will also affect how easy it is to gain friendship with your animals and/or the other villagers.
Hopefully in the next few months we'll get a more concrete idea of the release date for the US version.