I am in the UK so I had this game on pre order and got it yesterday.
So far I am enjoying it a lot but it takes forever to water, plant, harvest and fertilise.
Does anyone have any tips on how to get these things done quicker?
Thanks, Sue
Got the game yesterday
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irulethegalaxy
- Spinich Bodyguard
- Posts: 667
- Joined: Oct 19, 2014 12:17 pm
For watering, work on your chemistry with Dewy. As MUCH as possible. He's useless at first, but he'll become invaluable later on.
Basically, there's no way to speed up the farming; don't drive yourself nuts overplanting. You can generally get away with watering only every other day if you're not trying to produce mutations. Oh, and fertilizing--really, unless you're going for mutations and using the special "flavor" fertilizers, it's not worth the money or effort. It doesn't help produce the mutations (unless you're using the right type). Mostly, it's used to help save your crops when you are hit with a storm or a blizzard (something you shouldn't need to worry until you unlock all the seasons).
When you do start working on mutations, don't try to get them all in one season. I usually aim for 3-4, depending on how close I can plant the crops, how many are regrowing vs single growth, etc. If I'm working on a flower mutation, I might only grow one other crop (flowers have a long growth, need 50 to unlock seeds, and need replanting, so if you want to get a variety unlocked in a single season you end up planting a LOT of the pretty little jerks LOL). I also like to stagger my planting (half of the number of crop I want to plant on the first day of the season, then the second half on day two). Since harvesting is slow, it's helpful to not end up having those 100 onions all come due to be picked at the same time--especially because you need to then replant, water.....
Oh, it also helps to pick up your animal barns and stuff 'em in your pockets during the first few days of a season. The animals are fine that way, and it frees you up from having to spend time getting them sorted each day.
Basically, there's no way to speed up the farming; don't drive yourself nuts overplanting. You can generally get away with watering only every other day if you're not trying to produce mutations. Oh, and fertilizing--really, unless you're going for mutations and using the special "flavor" fertilizers, it's not worth the money or effort. It doesn't help produce the mutations (unless you're using the right type). Mostly, it's used to help save your crops when you are hit with a storm or a blizzard (something you shouldn't need to worry until you unlock all the seasons).
When you do start working on mutations, don't try to get them all in one season. I usually aim for 3-4, depending on how close I can plant the crops, how many are regrowing vs single growth, etc. If I'm working on a flower mutation, I might only grow one other crop (flowers have a long growth, need 50 to unlock seeds, and need replanting, so if you want to get a variety unlocked in a single season you end up planting a LOT of the pretty little jerks LOL). I also like to stagger my planting (half of the number of crop I want to plant on the first day of the season, then the second half on day two). Since harvesting is slow, it's helpful to not end up having those 100 onions all come due to be picked at the same time--especially because you need to then replant, water.....
Oh, it also helps to pick up your animal barns and stuff 'em in your pockets during the first few days of a season. The animals are fine that way, and it frees you up from having to spend time getting them sorted each day.
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CinnamonToast
- Growing Garden Gnome
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Sep 30, 2011 11:34 am
The unfortunate news is that there are not tool upgrades, so for now and forever, when you water with your watering can it's one space at a time. (Of course, this also applies to fertilizing and harvesting)
However! Here are some general tips to lighten your load:
1)You don't have to water every day
---I water every other day and I've never had a crop wilt on me before.
2) Dewey the harvest sprite is your best friend
---Make sure to start hiring Dewey on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The higher you raise his chemistry the more squares he will water for you during the workday (8am-5pm). Dewey will help you out, but then you'll have to water all the squares he does not to make sure every planted tile gets watered.
---Keep your crops in the same general location. I've noticed if I have crops spread across the valley, Dewey doesn't seem to hit them all, even with a high chemistry.
3)On days that I do have to water, i find a good position to water is to stand on a tile, water left, water right, water in front and then step forward. Once you get a rhythm down your brain goes into a zone and you can distract yourself from the tedium
that's how I do it anyway. This applies for harvesting and planting as well.
4) Save scum for weather
---- The weather has a predetermined amount of rain days and bad weather days. During the week, I save right before midnight and go to bed, if it rains, I reset for good weather. On either Saturday or Sunday, I save scum for rain. This way, I keep my routine of watered every other day.
5)You don't need to use regular fertilizer unless you are trying to get "great" products, other than that, save your special fertilizers for unlocking mutations once you get to that point in the game. Also keep in mind that some requests require "regular" quality products specifically, while others want great quality products.
6) It is very easy to burn out on this game because of the sheer amount of mutations and the number of crops you have to grow to try and reach them. If you try to unlock too many mutations at once, it can result in burn out. My advice would be to plant a manageable sized field, pick maybe 1-2 vegetable mutations and 1-2 flowers to focus on, and proceed from there. With a smaller farming field you will have time to enjoy the game and try out the terraforming and make time for mining, which will be your primary source of income since the beginner crops barely break a profit when sold back to the vendors. Honestly, I basically hoard 3/4s of my produce/animal products for requests and food, which left me with very little money except what I made from mining.
Hope that was somewhat helpful, and hope you enjoy the game
However! Here are some general tips to lighten your load:
1)You don't have to water every day
---I water every other day and I've never had a crop wilt on me before.
2) Dewey the harvest sprite is your best friend
---Make sure to start hiring Dewey on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The higher you raise his chemistry the more squares he will water for you during the workday (8am-5pm). Dewey will help you out, but then you'll have to water all the squares he does not to make sure every planted tile gets watered.
---Keep your crops in the same general location. I've noticed if I have crops spread across the valley, Dewey doesn't seem to hit them all, even with a high chemistry.
3)On days that I do have to water, i find a good position to water is to stand on a tile, water left, water right, water in front and then step forward. Once you get a rhythm down your brain goes into a zone and you can distract yourself from the tedium
that's how I do it anyway. This applies for harvesting and planting as well.4) Save scum for weather
---- The weather has a predetermined amount of rain days and bad weather days. During the week, I save right before midnight and go to bed, if it rains, I reset for good weather. On either Saturday or Sunday, I save scum for rain. This way, I keep my routine of watered every other day.
5)You don't need to use regular fertilizer unless you are trying to get "great" products, other than that, save your special fertilizers for unlocking mutations once you get to that point in the game. Also keep in mind that some requests require "regular" quality products specifically, while others want great quality products.
6) It is very easy to burn out on this game because of the sheer amount of mutations and the number of crops you have to grow to try and reach them. If you try to unlock too many mutations at once, it can result in burn out. My advice would be to plant a manageable sized field, pick maybe 1-2 vegetable mutations and 1-2 flowers to focus on, and proceed from there. With a smaller farming field you will have time to enjoy the game and try out the terraforming and make time for mining, which will be your primary source of income since the beginner crops barely break a profit when sold back to the vendors. Honestly, I basically hoard 3/4s of my produce/animal products for requests and food, which left me with very little money except what I made from mining.
Hope that was somewhat helpful, and hope you enjoy the game
Friend Code Information
0189-8633-0426
ANB:Mindy from Willow Farm
SOS:Yenka from Ussuri Farm
SOS2:Yena from Ussuri Farm
0189-8633-0426
ANB:Mindy from Willow Farm
SOS:Yenka from Ussuri Farm
SOS2:Yena from Ussuri Farm
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NessEggman
- Not the Eggplant Wizard
- Posts: 554
- Joined: Jul 30, 2008 6:40 pm
When you hire Dewy, you have to go talk to him while he's working. Like, while he's out watering. After hiring him, run straight to your crops and talk to him. I didn't realize you had to do this for the longest time until one day I wondered what it would be like if I talked to him while he was out there and he complained that I was ignoring him and said we weren't friends and stuff X_X
Everyone has said the best tips... my tip is don't worry too much about doing lots of work. Like... don't plant tons of crops. I just plant whatever I need to get for a request or whatever and that's it. Don't feel like you need to just have crops everywhere and growing all kinds of stuff. It's not so necessary. Grow a few regrowing crops like strawberries for money and that's it. Grow everything else as needed... at least until you get Dewy to higher level then you can start growing more maybe.
I spent the first year only doing what was required for the story and spent most of my time terraforming to get the valley in better shape for the next year when I really wanted to start working more on requests and money and stuff.
Everyone has said the best tips... my tip is don't worry too much about doing lots of work. Like... don't plant tons of crops. I just plant whatever I need to get for a request or whatever and that's it. Don't feel like you need to just have crops everywhere and growing all kinds of stuff. It's not so necessary. Grow a few regrowing crops like strawberries for money and that's it. Grow everything else as needed... at least until you get Dewy to higher level then you can start growing more maybe.
I spent the first year only doing what was required for the story and spent most of my time terraforming to get the valley in better shape for the next year when I really wanted to start working more on requests and money and stuff.
Now showing Save the Homeland video diary!-
CinnamonToast
- Growing Garden Gnome
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Sep 30, 2011 11:34 am
This is good advice I forgot to mentionirulethegalaxy wrote: If I'm working on a flower mutation, I might only grow one other crop (flowers have a long growth, need 50 to unlock seeds, and need replanting, so if you want to get a variety unlocked in a single season you end up planting a LOT of the pretty little jerks LOL). I also like to stagger my planting (half of the number of crop I want to plant on the first day of the season, then the second half on day two). Since harvesting is slow, it's helpful to not end up having those 100 onions all come due to be picked at the same time--especially because you need to then replant, water.....
Oh, it also helps to pick up your animal barns and stuff 'em in your pockets during the first few days of a season. The animals are fine that way, and it frees you up from having to spend time getting them sorted each day.
my only addendum would be that one of the NPCs who unlocks recipes for the special fertilizers (which in turn is part of the process of unlocking the more difficult mutations) wants flowers -- sometimes a LOT of one flower, sometimes a variety, so I always try to at least have 2-3 varieties of flowers planted until I finally finish her requests, which I have not done yet Friend Code Information
0189-8633-0426
ANB:Mindy from Willow Farm
SOS:Yenka from Ussuri Farm
SOS2:Yena from Ussuri Farm
0189-8633-0426
ANB:Mindy from Willow Farm
SOS:Yenka from Ussuri Farm
SOS2:Yena from Ussuri Farm
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suemoon
- Growing Garden Gnome
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Oct 12, 2012 3:02 am
Thank you so much for all your replies. I am sure that will help. I have asked Dewey to help but he only watered 4 squares so I didn't bother again. I will now persevere with him.
It can be frustrating having to wait for games to come out over here but we do get the benefit of all your hard work that's gone on while we wait.
It can be frustrating having to wait for games to come out over here but we do get the benefit of all your hard work that's gone on while we wait.
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irulethegalaxy
- Spinich Bodyguard
- Posts: 667
- Joined: Oct 19, 2014 12:17 pm
LOLOL, I know what you mean. Dewy is a horrible waste of time for the first couple of seasons, but I swear, the further you get into the game the more helpful he is. My year 7 farmer has him up to 90ish percent (soooo slow....Calvin as well), and he is the MAN. Last night I was doing some testing and I had a plot that was around 10x10....he watered the whole thing in one shot and was done. Theoretically, he could probably water 600 or more plants if they were planted in a Dewy-friendly configuration. WAY more than you could realistically actually manage.
So...get Dewy out. Get him out if you don't really need him. Get him out MWF. Spam for NO rain. Plant something if you've finished your goals for the season (onions...he-3. You can actually grow these start to finish without watering, so they are great for slapping something down to work up sprite affection if you're waiting a few days for the next season). I've a couple of times had no crops I wanted to work on for a week plus, so I'd just plant a single stupid onion and a single stupid flower just so I could up chemistry.
So...get Dewy out. Get him out if you don't really need him. Get him out MWF. Spam for NO rain. Plant something if you've finished your goals for the season (onions...he-3. You can actually grow these start to finish without watering, so they are great for slapping something down to work up sprite affection if you're waiting a few days for the next season). I've a couple of times had no crops I wanted to work on for a week plus, so I'd just plant a single stupid onion and a single stupid flower just so I could up chemistry.
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Guest
- Anonymous Fish
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Getaris
- UNoT Extreme Mooomber
- Posts: 3108
- Joined: Nov 25, 2006 3:12 pm
A nice thing is that you don't need to water plants every single day, just every other day is fine. My in-season crops have even survived three to four days without water, and without adverse effects.
So if you have large fields, you can alternate the areas you water by yourself on a day.
After a while, Dewy will be good enough to water large fields by himself, then just hiring him three days a week and watering yourself on the weekend is enough.
Keep in mind that off-season plants might need more water than in-season ones. And yeah, if you're planting for mutations, it would be good to water them more often.
So if you have large fields, you can alternate the areas you water by yourself on a day.
After a while, Dewy will be good enough to water large fields by himself, then just hiring him three days a week and watering yourself on the weekend is enough.
Keep in mind that off-season plants might need more water than in-season ones. And yeah, if you're planting for mutations, it would be good to water them more often.
