Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town announced!

[Ossiran]

I'm honestly kind of surprised how forgiving people are being of the game so far. My opinion definitely falls on Japanese fans' side of the spectrum. I could see having the 1.0.3 from the get-go definitely causing a more positive reaction than the mess the Japanese had on release. Even ignoring dialogue differences, there seems to be a huge gap in tolerance for performance problems, gameplay balance, willingness to wait for fixes after release, etc. I wonder why?

I'm enjoying the game, but there are definitely some unforgivable things. Having 1.0.3 definitely makes things more bearable. Load times are much less of a problem, though still a tad bit long.

Balance is definitely off, as certain things are worth way more than they should be while some things are virtually worthless. The amount of makers needed is ridiculous when taking into account the material cost for some buildings and items. And it's super annoying having to constantly run to my storage box to make room so I can forage. The festivals in this game are boring compared to other games too.

It's still better than the current Natsume Harvest Moon games, but people have been spoiled by games Stardew Valley that it feels odd to have to bother with some of the problems.

 

[Ace Marvel]

Day 15 update
Nothing like SOS ToTT and I'm discovering a lot of things, like cooked items are worth less than the raw components, and the quality of things that I mention before, but I'm already getting 4 star (out of 10) stuff.
The festival was meh, won't lie about it.
Loading times are okay, maybe a little low to today's standard, but since I've been playing this since the SNES, I think Im used to? I remember that ToT took forever on the wii.

So far I think I have made a lot of achievements and I don't feel stuck. I'm trying to get more stamina, because it runs out fast.
There can be improvements, sure, but is a good game.

Post automatically merged: Mar 25, 2021

I'm honestly kind of surprised how forgiving people are being of the game so far. My opinion definitely falls on Japanese fans' side of the spectrum. I could see having the 1.0.3 from the get-go definitely causing a more positive reaction than the mess the Japanese had on release. Even ignoring dialogue differences, there seems to be a huge gap in tolerance for performance problems, gameplay balance, willingness to wait for fixes after release, etc. I wonder why?

I don't feel it's that bad, maybe is because (total expectation) in Japan, this game has been the norm, and we can compare it to other games, like "Harvest Moon", that to my understanding is. not that big over there. So the reception there was harsher, also we didn't experience the launch problems.

 

[HappyTails]

Well I bought the game yesterday and started playing last night. The first thing I did notice is the pretty advance character customization.
It's standard farming sim and I did notice that it does have some Animal Crossing elements to it, like starting off in a tent.

However, I don't like the fact that a lot of things are easily unlocked at the beginning, like the mine, which is right on the farm and you are able to access it right away with no challenge. Same with the fishing rod. And you already have a free chicken on your farm and able to easily tame it with the coop you don't really have to do much to fix up. It seems like everything you should have to work for is just handed to you at the beginning, including having a pet, after one house upgrade with is also easy to get. So far still on fence, wouldn't say I dislike the game but I wouldn't say I'm at the 'omg I am so glad I bought this awesome game. it's so amazing' stage either.

 

[mirukushake]

I'm not saying that the underlying game is bad but there are so many problems that show up so early in the game that there is absolutely no way they couldn't have been caught even in the laziest of play tests, and the problems only get worse. Things were obviously cut from the game. So, whether because of time, money, or management, the developers chose to ship out an unfinished/unpolished game at full price.

Japanese fans felt this was unacceptable, and told them so, and general consensus seems to be "do your best, but I'm not yet convinced to give any more of my time and money to this game and a team that decided this was okay." When people ask if they should buy the game, they say it's incomplete and direct people to RF4S or Trio of Towns (the used priced of 3oT here is now almost the same as PoOT here because of it). But so far on English forums I've seen a lot of "well, just buy the DLC if you want a bigger map", "I'm sure they'll overhaul the whole camera system/add portraits", "I didn't experience bugs in my 3 hours of play so reviewers were being overdramatic/misleading/lying", calling legitimate complaints "nitpicking", things like that. It's just kind of a weird disconnect.

 

[Bekaa]

I started playing SOS today, and so far I am pleased, but not blown away. It’s so much like animal Crossing and stardew valley, that I’m almost disappointed; however, I’m also catching on to things very quickly with the game. Like animal crossing and stardew valley it’s very addictive. Animal crossing is still my number one game, because the characters are so refreshing and engaging. Whereas with SOS and stardew valley the characters seem to be rather robotic. But, this is my first day with the game it will be interesting to see how it evolves

 

[Ossiran]

However, I don't like the fact that a lot of things are easily unlocked at the beginning, like the mine, which is right on the farm and you are able to access it right away with no challenge.

There's more than one mine, and the first mine is virtually worthless once you get your farm going. It's really only there so you aren't gridlocked at the start due to a lack of Iron Ore. Iron Ingots are extremely important for progressing early in the game. Not that the other mines are hard to unlock either, but there's a reason the first one is right there. It only has 10 Floors as well and no dangers.

The other mines offer more floors, more and better material, and increased dangers that can sap your stamina.

 

[HappyTails]

There's more than one mine, and the first mine if virtually worthless once you get your farm going. It's really only there so you aren't gridlocked at the start due to a lack of Iron Ore. Iron Ingots are extremely important for progressing early in the game. Not that the other mines are hard to unlock either, but there's a reason the first one is right there. It only has 10 Floors as well and no dangers.

The other mines offer more floors, more and better material, and increased dangers that can sap your stamina.

Oh. Okay I get it. Should have known. Just way too easy to unlock. XD

 

[Ossiran]

Finally got play some more and finished the first week of summer. At this point I've unlocked almost every location and building. I still need to unlock:

Spoiler

-Seasonal Locations (Need 15 more followers)
-Hydroculture Plant (This one is rather difficult to unlock due to the materials required)
-Ancient Lake (Need to finish draining the second lake)
-Stonebreaker Valley (Almost have high enough mining)

I've increased my stamina a few times and upgraded my farm fields too.

It is pretty east to unlock major features, which is kind of disappointing. The big things seems to the Hydroculture Plant and the late-stage housing upgrades. The last housing upgrade, especially, will take a long, long time. Final Tool upgrades also take a good, long while.

I've been having fun with the game, but it does feel a bit too easy compared to other titles. I feel like it should be at least the middle of the first autumn to get as far as I have now with the pace I'm going. And I'm pacing myself fairly casually.

 

[Bekaa]

Only by reading others posts do I now realize there even was a previous SOS and a harvest moon, etc. LOL. Can someone fill me in on the pros and cons of going with the relaxed mode versus the normal mode? I played pretty much all day yesterday on the normal mode, and I did enjoy it, however, I would like things to move along a little more quickly. For me, Im playing purely to relax and escape. I don’t wanna have to work too hard! But, I want to know if there’s going to be some drawback to go in with the relaxed mode. Also, I’m assuming you can’t change from one to the other as part of the same game, right? That you’d have to start a new game.

 

[Jam86]

i've been playing for a while now and so far the game is amazing
i'm bummed that i gotta wait for the DLC outfits, i didn't read the description and thought they were instantly avaliable but oh well, it's still really fun

 

[Ossiran]

Only by reading others posts do I now realize there even was a previous SOS and a harvest moon, etc. LOL. Can someone fill me in on the pros and cons of going with the relaxed mode versus the normal mode? I played pretty much all day yesterday on the normal mode, and I did enjoy it, however, I would like things to move along a little more quickly. For me, Im playing purely to relax and escape. I don’t wanna have to work too hard! But, I want to know if there’s going to be some drawback to go in with the relaxed mode. Also, I’m assuming you can’t change from one to the other as part of the same game, right? That you’d have to start a new game.

After "Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning", Marvelous switched to in-house localization with their US branch, Xseed. However, natsume refused to give up the Harvest Moon name, so the localized name switched "Story of Seasons". So every Harvest Moon after "A New Beginning" is a pale imitation and the "Story of Seasons" games are the true follow-ups. Natsume's game are passable to decent now, but they're not usually as good.

To answer your question: Relaxed mode gives you more gold for shipping and a slight boost to friendship levels, and make you consume slightly less stamina. You can switch between the two modes at any time and there's no penalty for choosing "Seedling Mode". Nothing is cut off from you. So it's more less a question of how much time you want to spend playing the game. However, if you choose normal mode, the bonuses you are missing will likely become irrelevant after a couple in-game weeks.

 

[Lady Timpani]

I've been waffling since release since so many people think it's better than expected, but one common complaint is the social sim aspect, which is probably the biggest reason I even play the games lol (don't get me wrong, I enjoy the farming, but).

I'm not saying that the underlying game is bad but there are so many problems that show up so early in the game that there is absolutely no way they couldn't have been caught even in the laziest of play tests, and the problems only get worse. Things were obviously cut from the game. So, whether because of time, money, or management, the developers chose to ship out an unfinished/unpolished game at full price.

Japanese fans felt this was unacceptable, and told them so, and general consensus seems to be "do your best, but I'm not yet convinced to give any more of my time and money to this game and a team that decided this was okay." When people ask if they should buy the game, they say it's incomplete and direct people to RF4S or Trio of Towns (the used priced of 3oT here is now almost the same as PoOT here because of it). But so far on English forums I've seen a lot of "well, just buy the DLC if you want a bigger map", "I'm sure they'll overhaul the whole camera system/add portraits", "I didn't experience bugs in my 3 hours of play so reviewers were being overdramatic/misleading/lying", calling legitimate complaints "nitpicking", things like that. It's just kind of a weird disconnect.

I've noticed this a lot lately-- legitimate criticisms seem to be getting brushed aside as people whining/nitpicking. I get it can be frustrating to enjoy something and see people hating on it, but I also think there should be room to say when things aren't working/going well, so long as you're being respectful. I feel like a lot of people have tried to turn away from the toxic negativity you can see in online spaces for video games and the like, but they also don't want anything bad to be said, so you wind up with this.

 

[Ace Marvel]

Finally got play some more and finished the first week of summer. At this point I've unlocked almost every location and building. I still need to unlock:

Spoiler

-Seasonal Locations (Need 15 more followers)
-Hydroculture Plant (This one is rather difficult to unlock due to the materials required)
-Ancient Lake (Need to finish draining the second lake)
-Stonebreaker Valley (Almost have high enough mining)

I've increased my stamina a few times and upgraded my farm fields too.

It is pretty east to unlock major features, which is kind of disappointing. The big things seems to the Hydroculture Plant and the late-stage housing upgrades. The last housing upgrade, especially, will take a long, long time. Final Tool upgrades also take a good, long while.

I've been having fun with the game, but it does feel a bit too easy compared to other titles. I feel like it should be at least the middle of the first autumn to get as far as I have now with the pace I'm going. And I'm pacing myself fairly casually.

I'm one week behind, but I will agree about it, everything is really easy to unlock, but the "endgame" seems to have a spike in difficulty, because those damn makers lol

 

[Ossiran]

I've noticed this a lot lately-- legitimate criticisms seem to be getting brushed aside as people whining/nitpicking.

A more common sentiment I've seen from westerners is more "The complaints and criiticisms are all completely legitimate and founded, but they are a bit overblown." So it's less that westerners are being forgiving and more like they're trying to stop people from making it seem like it's unplayable garbage. Although, to be fair, we're all starting on the 1.0.3 patch. The game definitely has A LOT of faults that I'm hoping are all addressed. I'm enjoying it, but I don't blame anyone for disliking it.

 

[mogyay]

i've only played it for 24 hours but i've already decided i'm gonna dig up my trio of towns and play that instead, take that as u will lol

the lack of character portraits rly disturbs me, esp since i can't even see the character i'm talking to half the time

 

[Lady Timpani]

A more common sentiment I've seen from westerners is more "The complaints and criiticisms are all completely legitimate and founded, but they are a bit overblown." So it's less that westerners are being forgiving and more like they're trying to stop people from making it seem like it's unplayable garbage. Although, to be fair, we're all starting on the 1.0.3 patch. The game definitely has A LOT of faults that I'm hoping are all addressed. I'm enjoying it, but I don't blame anyone for disliking it.

Yeah, I agree some of the reactions were totally over the top. The review bombing was uncalled for, and I heard the new director wiped his Twitter-- whether it was to avoid harassment or what, I'm not sure, but it's not something I'd say is good. :/ I just don't feel like spending the time or money right now on something that I don't think I'll like in its current state, which I don't think is really nitpicking. I am glad there are people who are enjoying it, though, regardless of what others think.

 

[Bekaa]

I am really enjoying it! I am in about 10 hours now, and I am pleased and glad I bought it. The longer I play the more complex it gets, and the more that I can see that a person can go in a lot of different directions with it. For example, you can focus on the social aspect, or the mining or the sprites. Taking photos is fun, too! All in all, it’s a great game, and I recommend it.

 

[Licorice]

After some of the recent posts from you guys I’ve decided to buy it next week. Probably going to buy it off amazon for that bundle with the buffalo plush.

 

[Bekaa]

Has anybody figured out what materials go in the textile maker?

 

[Jam86]

Has anybody figured out what materials go in the textile maker?

i think that's the one u put animal wool in to make cloth
either that or thread, sorry i might be getting mixed up lol