There might be some tiny spoilers in what will happen in the game from these tips but I’ll try to be vague when I can.
Even though all Harvest Moon games share so much of the same concepts and ideas they all seem to need different things to succeed and this is even more true with A New Beginning. You’ll find yourself at the start of this new adventure low on cash and with a lot of work to do (just like every Harvest Moon), and due to how A New Beginning leaves you with little people to interact with (you need to build your town and get people to move in) you’ll probably find yourself trying to do a few wrong things to make cash and kill time. So here are some tips to keep you from feeling the hurt of being unprepared as your come into your second year of the game.
- Don’t just sell everything you forage from the forest
When you start the game pretty much the only way to raise money and supplies is to take a walk through the forest and catch bugs and pick up flowers, sticks, rocks and whatever else you can. The problem is all of these raw supplies will be used later for something and some of them will be needed to make the game move forward. You see, to progress in this game you’ll be given plans for a town restoration project; which requires you to build certain items. Rocks need to be turned into material stone which are pretty much used for everything and branches are used for potted plants and made into lumber, you need these really badly. One great example though is Honeycomb and Bees which seem prime for selling as they go for a nice amount; but you need to save them. Especially Honeycomb as it is only available for a short time and you’ll likely get to the second set of plans when you need it, when you can’t find it.
- Start making friends quickly
This should be a no brainer for anyone who has played Harvest Moon before, but it seems even more important this time. Again you need to do certain things to get people to actually move to your town so it can prosper; even more you need to befriend people to unlock certain items. So start talking to people and figuring out what they like!
- Grass makes Fodder and is needed more than you might think
Fodder is a universal term for livestock feed, it is made from grass in Harvest Moon. Your livestock need this (or just grass to graze) so you need to grow grass and have it saved up. If you’ve played Harvest Moon you probably knew this, sorry. But here you’ll find it comes in handy for other things involved in crafting and friendship; so keep it saved up!
- You’ll actually really need to eat this time
Weird right? Other games you could get away with not eating or snacking on herbs you find most of the time; not even slightly true here. You have a health meter and a stamina meter, both affected by food. Eating helps replenish your stamina (which depletes from almost every task, and quickly) and it keeps up your health. If you don’t eat you’ll get unhealthy and eventually sick which makes you lose stamina faster. So enjoy a meal every day if possible, even if it is a small one.
- Don’t water twice a day
Yeah this is pretty much contradictory to how Harvest Moon is to be played but it will really help to only water once a day. At the end of every month is a harvest festival and to win you need to enter a well grown crop. Crops (as well as milk, eggs, honey, herbs, flowers etc) are rated by star levels; you’ll need higher star levels to win the festival. The only way to do this is to use fertilizer, and you can use that once a day. If you water twice a day your crops grow faster, too fast to up their level with fertilizer alone. Water and fertilize once a day and you should do okay in the beginner class of the festivals.
- Take really good care of your livestock
Unlike some previous games your livestock won’t give you more than one product just because it is the start of a cycle or anything like that; you’ll get one egg or one milk. You’ll need to baby them to get their affection level up so they will produce better products and more of them. For cows you should talk to/touch them every day, give them a treat, make sure they are fed, and give them a treat (both cow treats and general ones). The same goes for sheep and llamas! Chicken’s can’t be brushed but still need to be picked up and given treats (as well as be fed of course, and they eat more it seems as they don’t graze). They also have their own festivals to win so taking care of them have other benefits as well!
- Attend the festivals!
Even if you don’t feel like you will win, you’ll get a feel for how much you need to do better. Plus people in your town will like you more if you attend!
Follow these steps and you should have a much smoother first year. Enjoy your new farm life!
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