Fyraltari's Fiercely Friendly Random Banter Thread #226

[Peelee]

I've never played an Animal Crossing game.

Imagine having a job, doing chores, and paying your mortgage which never actually seems to go down no matter how much you pay for it, but in really really cutesy video game form.

OK, that doesn't sound fun at all, I'll admit, but it totally is. It's really relaxing.

[LaZodiac]

Out of curiosity, have you played Stardew Valley? If not, you probably should; if so, how does it compare?

I was watching the good master Sterling play the new Animal Crossing and was wincing hard about how needlessly labyrhinthine it seems to be to do everything by comparison. (SDV is the only game in the genera that I have ever felt motivated to play.)

Stardew Valley is good but it just completely lacks any real draw to me. Animal Crossing New Horizons has some a lot more to seemingly do.

I don't really get what he means by labyrinthine.

[Qwertystop]

Haven't played an Animal Crossing, but Stardew Valley is more in the Harvest Moon/Rune Factory area. Time in the game passes rapidly but only while you're playing, not real-time. You have an actual farm to manage on a daily basis, and if you do it poorly (forgetting to water or harvest on schedule) you'll be out a lot of money. Managing relationships with the NPCs is important if you care about that side of the game, especially if you want to marry one of them; to the extent that the game has a goal, it's to have done a fairly long list of things by the end of two years. There's much less room to self-direct.

[Aotrs Commander]

Stardew Valley is good but it just completely lacks any real draw to me. Animal Crossing New Horizons has some a lot more to seemingly do.

Some of it might depend when you played it, I guess, it's still getting updates with extra stuff (and, to be fair, I'm playing with a big mod as well).

I don't really get what he means by labyrinthine.

Clicking through umpteen lines of (repeated) dialogue to do something (Pokémon is really bad at this as well, most notable trying to buy frickin' fertisilse or use the vending machines). For frack's sake it is not even beyond MY virtually negliable programming skills to know how to have this happen only one (or really advanced, maybe one per day) instead of every time.

But no, buying SODDING fertiliser is several tedious, wasteful minutes of click-click-click-click (buy more than one at a time like all the other shops? MADNESS!). Yes, duck, we KNOW it's made of Pokémon poop, you said that the HUNDRED TIMES, SHUT UP and just GIVE THE SODDING BAG OF CRAP before I turn YOU into fertiliser, because my Pokémon team contains the small, yellow bag of murder that definitely proves that "Pokémon are not Evil," is a bald-faced lie!!!

But I digress.

The contrast with the museum donations between the two games (Animal Farm and SDV) was what struck me most; in SVD, you click one line of dialogue and then drag and guff to an unoccupied slot (done) and maybe click for a second line if you unlock a reward, whereas Jim had to click through several dialogue boxes more than once to drop all the guff off.

Heck, just having to individually pick bits up off the ground instead of having them automatically vip into your inventory seemed needless time-consuming to me.

Also - though this seems specific to the new version - item durability is a concept that can go die in a fire.



Though I freely admit, I am not the target audience for this game. I only looked at Stardew Valley because I watched Lanipator play through it for a while and it intreguied me, especially with the fact there was a combat element; as basic as it is, and even though I'm not a particular fine of the rogue-like which is very, very, very lightly resembles). And there is enough of a planning element (with time management) to keep me engaged. While I will admit to there being a cartharsis I would never have expected from chopping down trees (I think SDV's sounds design is EXCELLENT), running around petting the animals everyday so you get better items is not my favourite thing to do.

(The fishing has an insane inverted difficulty curve, where you actually sort of have to get higher ranks before you can EVEN get much practise in to learn how to do it; the addition of the practise rod was desperately needed for newbs. I mean, second-run through I at least have a feel for what I'm doing, but when you are not naturally any cop at hand-eye-gameplay, it was incredible frustrating to not have even the time to work out what you were doing wrong ro start with.)

Time in the game passes rapidly but only while you're playing, not real-time.

That sort of thing tends to be a big killer for me. I emphatically want to play a game when I want to play, not to have to do it every single day, nor to be going "right, well, it's Sunday, but that thing I want won't actually appear until Monday or Tuesday, when I'm either likely quest-writing or working..." Games are only allowed to adhere to my schedule not the other way around; I admittedly tolerated in from Pokémon, but only very, very begrudingly and increasing less as time went on. Having to water fricking stat berries every six hours or so got really old really fast in Gen IV, let alone later on...

[BisectedBrioche]

I hope everything turns out ok. Sorry that your Dad caught it.



Thor Ragnorak.

To be clear, my dad hasn't caught COVID, he's just at high risk from another illness. :(

[Insane Jeenyus]

*lots of tender hugs for you and your dad* I have been at the near death edge, It scarred my mother and siblings like beyond description.

[Bartmanhomer]

Hello everyone. I'm trying to keep a smile in my face today. I'm sure everybody knows about what's going on in Personal Woes & Advice thread today. My friend mother and stuff. But I hope things will turn off better for her.

[Peelee]

The contrast with the museum donations between the two games (Animal Farm and SDV) was what struck me most; in SVD, you click one line of dialogue and then drag and guff to an unoccupied slot (done) and maybe click for a second line if you unlock a reward, whereas Jim had to click through several dialogue boxes more than once to drop all the guff off.

I can understand this, but given that I donate one thing at a time, since I like to hear Blathers' info about each thing, I'm not bothered by that in the least.

Heck, just having to individually pick bits up off the ground instead of having them automatically vip into your inventory seemed needless time-consuming to me.

I would hate that change in mechanics, though. I'll deliberately leave things on the ground, as markers for example, pretty frequently.

Also - though this seems specific to the new version - item durability is a concept that can go die in a fire.

I hate item durability as well, but I recall this existing in New Leaf as well. That one had visible wear, IIRC - the axe chipped, for example, when it was getting down.

I'm not at all a fan of ditching New Leaf's ores, and flat-out enraged at them getting rid of the golden collection.

[The Fury]

Hello everyone. I'm trying to keep a smile in my face today. I'm sure everybody knows about what's going on in Personal Woes & Advice thread today. My friend mother and stuff. But I hope things will turn off better for her.

I do. I know you're normally a pretty upbeat person, but it's OK to feel sad if you have to.

[Peelee]

To be clear, my dad hasn't caught COVID

Hooray!

he's just at high risk from another illness. :(

Boo!

[Bartmanhomer]

I do. I know you're normally a pretty upbeat person, but it's OK to feel sad if you have to.

I know Fury. I hate the COVID-19 Virus. I wish it should never exist in the first place.

[LaZodiac]

Clicking through umpteen lines of (repeated) dialogue to do something (Pokémon is really bad at this as well, most notable trying to buy frickin' fertisilse or use the vending machines). For frack's sake it is not even beyond MY virtually negliable programming skills to know how to have this happen only one (or really advanced, maybe one per day) instead of every time.

The contrast with the museum donations between the two games (Animal Farm and SDV) was what struck me most; in SVD, you click one line of dialogue and then drag and guff to an unoccupied slot (done) and maybe click for a second line if you unlock a reward, whereas Jim had to click through several dialogue boxes more than once to drop all the guff off.

Heck, just having to individually pick bits up off the ground instead of having them automatically vip into your inventory seemed needless time-consuming to me.

Also - though this seems specific to the new version - item durability is a concept that can go die in a fire.

I don't find the dialogue that hard to click through. Maybe some people just have a higher patience than others. Also, much of Blather's blathering is good, funny stuff that also teaches you things. Also unless I'm mistaken you CAN mass donate in New Horizons, just only once the Museum is built.

He doesn't like that he has to... pick things up? That's how it's always worked.

The item durability I could take or leave. Some things seem fragile as heck and some do not and it's weird. Ultimately it doesn't matter since it gives me ever so slightly more to do and gives a good break (hah) point for playing.

To be clear, my dad hasn't caught COVID, he's just at high risk from another illness. :(

Hope he feels better soon *hugs*

[Aotrs Commander]

He doesn't like that he has to... pick things up? That's how it's always worked.

He didn't say anything; I was just struck by it and thinking "why on earth would you not at least have a loot radius in this day and age? IT's just making more busy-work."



As I say, I am clearly not distantly the market for the genera (which is why it surprised me Stardew Valley held my interest, not just for a few hours, but much longer than lots of my regular games and, in fact, is in the top seven games I've played the longest according to Steam, along with Stellaris, Europa Universalis IV, Crusader Kings II, Witcher III, PF: Kingmaker and Sword of the Stars II (SotS I probably has a higher play-time, but that's never been logged, since it's not on Steam). Nearly four times more hours than something like Cities: Skylines.)

[Tvtyrant]

The oddity of Covid for me is that this is the most social I have been in years. I spent the last few years essentially in isolation due to grad school, and then again at a series of totally isolated jobs. For about 2 years I have only seen other people on the weekends, now I am stuck with them 24/7.

[Insane Jeenyus]

everyone seems bored, so,

Spoiler: now for something completely different

Show

[Aotrs Commander]

Well, we did the standing in the doorway clapping for the NHS thing, as so did a fair proportion of our street, so if that was at all representative of the UK opulation, the NHS probably got a fair bit of applause and stuff.

I-

everyone seems bored, so,

Spoiler: now for something completely different

Show

...

I...

That... That. Was indeed a sharp left turn in tone, I'll grant you.

[Anonymouswizard]

I seem to have shifted into twi nides with regards to clothing, semi formal for when I have to be in work, and 'what are trousers' for all other times.

And it feels like despite people being at home more they're just not going on dating sites anymore.

[DataNinja]

And it feels like despite people being at home more they're just not going on dating sites anymore.

Probably because there's not really any meeting up of people. That'd be my guess, anyways.

[Bartmanhomer]

I feel a little better today. I drank coffee and did some shopping at Duane Reade. I'm trying to put a smile on my face.

[Anonymouswizard]

Probably because there's not really any meeting up of people. That'd be my guess, anyways.

I mean, yeah, that's the reason, but it's kind of like to be able to organise dates for when they're possible again, although it would really be best to do that the week before or something.

I dunno, I'm just kind of upset that the kind of person I like doesn't like me, I seem to be attractive to straight men and only straight men, and straight men are icky (no offence to straight men here, I've just meet too many who seem to presume 'attracted to men=wants to sleep with me'). Like, I've basically just switched from having the loneliness of being the single among the couples to the same loneliness but being unable to actually see my friends. And I don't even know how much of the first kind of loneliness is just 'society tells me I should have a relationship, and I'm a failure for being unable to even get a date'. I'm probably not in the right place to have a relationship, but I'm being bombarded with the expectation that I should have one.

[Bartmanhomer]

I'm thinking of visiting Pandemonium or Limbo for my spring break. It's better than staying at home on Earth.

[enderlord99]

Breathing causes pain in my abdomen. Luckily, the pain is mild and not actually located in my lungs, so it's probably not caused by... y'know...

I think it's just gas.

[Bartmanhomer]

I'm very happy today because my friend's mother recovered from coronavirus. I'm going to sing Baby Shark. Who wants to sing with me?

[Insane Jeenyus]

I'm very happy today because my friend's mother recovered from coronavirus. I'm going to sing Baby Shark. Who wants to sing with me?

how's this:

Spoiler: audition

Show

[Bartmanhomer]

how's this:

Spoiler: audition

Show

This is cute. This video definitely brightens my day even more.

[Anonymouswizard]

I'm going to sing Baby Shark. Who wants to sing with me?

Unfortunately I don't know the words, that song isn't really a thing over here.


Whenever I hear A Thousand Miles played on the radio my brain seems to go 'but I would walk...'

[factotum]

Unfortunately I don't know the words, that song isn't really a thing over here.

Dunno how you missed it being a massive world-wide meme last year, in the same way Gangnam Style was a few years ago despite not being "a thing over here" either.

[DataNinja]

Dunno how you missed it being a massive world-wide meme last year, in the same way Gangnam Style was a few years ago despite not being "a thing over here" either.

By being sheltered on the internet? For me, I'd heard of the song, but I've never actually heard the song itself.

[Anonymouswizard]

Dunno how you missed it being a massive world-wide meme last year, in the same way Gangnam Style was a few years ago despite not being "a thing over here" either.

I practically quit social media two years ago. What's a meme?

[Qwertystop]

By being sheltered on the internet? For me, I'd heard of the song, but I've never actually heard the song itself.

To be fair, I'd heard-of-but-not-actually-heard both of those, and also Despacito.