Still playing my ridiculously modded game of Stardew

[conuly]

You know, I don't love the early stages of the game, and I don't much love the end stage - at a certain point I get bored and start over before I get all the stuff, and I'm getting the distinct impression that no number of new NPCs is going to really eliminate that - but it's the *middle* I'm a fan of.

If only there was some way to make the middlegame last longer. Year 2, that's what I like.

Comments

[rangifer]

For me, I think, it's a combination of factors. A lot of Year 1 always feels like trying to get rid of limitations. And I always get the sense that I need to optimise that, so I often feel like I'm basically doing table setting for year 2: Now I go for the backpack, now I get my strawberries, now I do this, now I do that. I like it just fine, but it's a little bit rote sometimes. I find I don't have the time to deal with the NPCs as much as I'd like, either, because all my attention is on a new axe or whatever.

And then when you're in or nearer to Year 2, there's enough resources, so you can build stuff more to your preference. You've finally unlocked the bulk of the construction options. There's time to rub food on the NPCs until they love you, so you get their little plotlines done and it's very sweet. At the same time, it's all bounded with this... sense of direction, because you're also finishing your bundles and granpa's hungry ghost is waiting in the sleepless mists of the dread aether to scorecard your potatoes.

And I mean... I enjoy the Tropical Island of Chores and Puzzles. It's fine. But it's not quite year 2.