Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos (Prerelease Chat)

An open-world Harvest Moon game featuring a large volcano, a pint-sized goddess, and the great Doc Jr. [ Game Guide ] JP release = /shrug. NA release = Sept 2023. EU release = Oct 2023.
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Kikki
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Awesome Cat wrote: Mar 16, 2023 10:31 am Ah okay. I probably still was in the defensive mood cause how much that I used twitter and when I said my opinions on stuff. People said I'm either boot licker or a hater. This probably some of the nicer things people said.

So that why I want to make it clear it's was my opinion and I do want Natsume go way beyond my level of fine.

Also I'm sorry to them that I come off bit defensive
Twitter is a garbage heap, at this point. It was always bad, but the last several months it's turned into an absolutely terrible place. People commenting on Twitter always seem out for a fight. Plus the whole Natsume Harvest Moon topic is absolutely riddled with toxicity. Here you can usually have a conversation like a grown-up, but on Twitter both sides (Marv fans VS Natsume fans...as if there are no cross-overs who are fans of both!) are very aggressive toward each other. It's borderline impossible to have a reasonable discussion about any Natsume game on Twitter, ime. (I deleted my Twitter account about half a year ago. It just got too ugly over there!)

Well...don't worry about it :) But Fogu's a really nice place; unpleasantness is relatively rare, and usually the result of a misunderstanding rather than ill-will.
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Getaris
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Based on my interactions on twitter, it would seem they think anyone interested in Natsume’s HM games is either a) Natsume in a sock puppet account or b) a poor uninformed soul in need of guidance. :lol:

Though I can’t say I have seen any outwardly toxic ardent Harvest Moon defenders in the wild. Not a lot of people seem to find it an appropriate hill to die on.
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Kikki wrote: Mar 16, 2023 10:42 amTwitter is a garbage heap, at this point. It was always bad, but the last several months it's turned into an absolutely terrible place. People commenting on Twitter always seem out for a fight. Plus the whole Natsume Harvest Moon topic is absolutely riddled with toxicity. Here you can usually have a conversation like a grown-up, but on Twitter both sides (Marv fans VS Natsume fans...as if there are no cross-overs who are fans of both!) are very aggressive toward each other. It's borderline impossible to have a reasonable discussion about any Natsume game on Twitter, ime. (I deleted my Twitter account about half a year ago. It just got too ugly over there!)

Well...don't worry about it :) But Fogu's a really nice place; unpleasantness is relatively rare, and usually the result of a misunderstanding rather than ill-will.
If it isn't for game company posting updates on their games and people like Joe from Serebii. I would delete my account.
I can't stand the the Marvelous vs Natsume thing. I feel like they had a peaceful deal without no issue. But Fans is like rawring at each other.
Getaris wrote: Mar 16, 2023 11:34 am Based on my interactions on twitter, it would seem they think anyone interested in Natsume’s HM games is either a) Natsume in a sock puppet account or b) a poor uninformed soul in need of guidance. :lol:

Though I can’t say I have seen any outwardly toxic ardent Harvest Moon defenders in the wild. Not a lot of people seem to find it an appropriate hill to die on.
I literally see this play out all different way. It either the person already know the HM and SoS thing or they didn't which I think it's just a casual fan. However, all ending with the person literally still like Natsume's games and hoping Natsume do awesome so there be more farm simulation games with Story of Season, Stardew Valley, and etc. Shoot, I even got educate on this and I was like I know all about the company split and they was still shock that I'm rooting for Natsume making another farming game so we could have both story of season and Harvest Moon.

Anyway let's get back on topic. I hasn't played OW, but does the plot sound just like OW or is it different? If it is, will they have the same people or different?
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Yeah, I've made a positive comment on a Natsume Twitter post before and the negative nancys didn't appreciate it, thought I was a poor lost newbie, lol. I wonder if they know how childishly militant they come off as? Anyway...

A lot of the Natsume HM game plots are similar in doing something to save the land and/or HG. This one sounds a little more expansive, though it sounds like they are doing the wisps aka seed fairies again from what I have read. Hopefully these npcs are smarter/less forgetful and know more about veggies this time. (I never got why that was a thing in OW.) But I like Natsume's HM games more for the gameplay and farming than the story.

I do wonder what customization of characters there will be, or if it will just be color swaps? I hope at least if there are new outfits they will be better than OW's.
Last edited by greensara on Mar 16, 2023 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Getaris
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One World’s plot involved a world where people forgot how to grow crops, so obviously their lives suck because of it, and you as the player go from town to town to solve their problems with the power of farming.

That one had very much an open world structure, where you’re free to do the towns in any order, but the way the world was structured, it kind of rail-roaded you into doing them in a particular order, with the starting town branching into two sligtly harder towns, that each was connected to one of two considerably harder towns with difficult living conditions.

The map also somewhat loops around, with many roads connecting the towns. It was more of a web of roads than a traditional open world.

So you had two obvious main routes, but you could go back and forth and do stuff in any order.

One thing that seems to be returning from OW is the way seasons worked: you had one town where seasons move normally, and then the other four towns were each stuck (at least visually) in a particular season all year-round. I think we can also expect the hot and cold areas to require equipment or food to prevent fatigue again, since it would work really well here as well.
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Awesome Cat wrote: Mar 16, 2023 10:31 am
Kikki wrote: Mar 16, 2023 10:00 am
Awesome Cat wrote: Mar 16, 2023 9:57 am
Bluie wrote: Mar 16, 2023 7:06 am It looks... fine? Better than OW, but still sort of lacking presence.
If this aim at me. You forgot to putted it it look fine to me. Don't get me wrong, I do want them go beyond my level of fine. :lol: But I'm fine with this level of graphic, besides I'm a gameplay type of guy.
Gonna stick my nose in and say I'm quite sure that comment wasn't directed at you, Awesome Cat. It was just Bluie saying her own opinion of the screenshots so far. As long as I've known her, Bluie's never been the type to go around calling out other people's opinions.
Ah okay. I probably still was in the defensive mood cause how much that I used twitter and when I said my opinions on stuff. People said I'm either boot licker or a hater. This probably some of the nicer things people said.

So that why I want to make it clear it's was my opinion and I do want Natsume go way beyond my level of fine.

Also I'm sorry to them that I come off bit defensive
Yeah, I was honestly just giving my opinion on the game and not directing anything at you specifically. If I talk so someone directly on here, I quote them like this so they'll get the notification.

It's cool though, I'm not upset.
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Yeah, Twitter can be an unpleasant place because people feel free to express themselves without hesitation. The first look of the game did draw the usual anti-Natsume fans to it, but for the first time, I witnessed an overwhelming positive reaction to a Natsume HM. Super unusual but most of the quotes on the Twitter post are full of compliments. Not only Twitter, but other social media platforms (especially Facebook) have been flooded with praise and anticipation for the game as well.

After having a look at the gameplay images once again, I am kind of inclined to agree with Bluie. It does lack presence or rather an unique identity. But as I've said before, this is probably the best it could've been with a Natsume HM. They won me over with the visuals but the main thing that's important is the gameplay itself.

While I did love OW's gameplay, there were certainly some flaws as well. I just hope the towns don't feel as lifeless. Harvestella rather did a good job imo, even though there were about 2-3 NPCs per town that could be befriended, each town having lots of faceless NPCs and quest only NPCs roaming around did really make it feel alive enough. Some wisps being randomly scattered would be a nice addition too. Other than that, I have no expectations. Maybe some RPG elements since we have such a dramatic title for the game :lol:
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One World got better as time went on, they really did listen to feedback and fixed a lot of things.

I remember in the release version time moved twice as fast and seeds costed ten times more to buy, it was nuts.

I hope they keep that up with this one.
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So Judy just got confirmed as bachelorette.
Someone on facebook also asked about same « Chicken Hugging » marriage being available and they confirmed this, too.

They really listened, but I also had this impression years ago, when the support forum from Natsume was still open.
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Floh wrote: Mar 18, 2023 1:27 pm So Judy just got confirmed as bachelorette.
Someone on facebook also asked about same « Chicken Hugging » marriage being available and they confirmed this, too.

They really listened, but I also had this impression years ago, when the support forum from Natsume was still open.
If they didn't add it, they probably get more backlash. People doesn't almost don't care no more since it's a option for them to see it or not and Christian mostly be like "whatever, I don't have to make my character LGBT in game. I let those people be as long they let's me be."

Granted, this is my take on people and some Christian. Also, it's hard to boycott something that you like that isn't forcing stuff on you and just add it as options for the people that does want. I think Natsume feel safe to add it now.
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oh woah, i love the graphics?? i didn't expect this at all especially after one world! my only fear is that the towns still feel lifeless which is a pity. it makes sense for them to have 5 towns for an open world as it adds to exploration and makes it fun but they really can't pull it off with resources they have. i'm curious abut the world map, i really hope it's not the same as one world where you just follow one single path to another town, that was so boring! i think they've shown us two different towns so far. in the first screenshot with horse, there are black buildings with different style of roofs and rest of the screenshots have the other type of houses. i wish they did unique buildings, i mean they did it for their 3ds games so why not now?? nevertheless i'm super excited for this!! i hope they get it right for once
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I think they’ve only shown the first “area” of the map. It’s probably different parts of the same town, or perhaps it works like in One World, where the starting area with Doc Jr’s lab and the player’s mother’s house were technically part of Calisson, but in their own little corner of the map.
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Getaris wrote: Mar 22, 2023 2:03 pm I think they’ve only shown the first “area” of the map. It’s probably different parts of the same town, or perhaps it works like in One World, where the starting area with Doc Jr’s lab and the player’s mother’s house were technically part of Calisson, but in their own little corner of the map.
Taking a closer look at some of the images reveals that sometimes you can see the location´s names in the upper left corner. They seem to pop up at some places (maybe when you leave and enter the border). So far, we have seen Lenctenbury Village and Providence Town.

But they also show 5 stars over every name, so it seems like you can maybe upgrade them with Doc`s inventions or you may have to earn villager's their trust for new things?
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Floh wrote: Mar 23, 2023 6:47 am Taking a closer look at some of the images reveals that sometimes you can see the location´s names in the upper left corner. They seem to pop up at some places (maybe when you leave and enter the border). So far, we have seen Lenctenbury Village and Providence Town.

But they also show 5 stars over every name, so it seems like you can maybe upgrade them with Doc`s inventions or you may have to earn villager's their trust for new things?
Ah good catch, and the environment does look a bit different, less grassy with green trees. However it seems we can only see what might be our farm in Providence, not actual homes.

I expect the stars to represent some sort of story progression?
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Perhaps the towns have star ranks or something.
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