Opi in Stardew Valley: Day 8

If you haven't read Day 1 yet, I suggest starting here: Day 1

I've been on the Clowder Farm for one full week now! Check out how my plants are doing. I have more parsnips to harvest, and I'm growing many other things now. 

The weird guy from the mines sent me mail. So...the five levels I adventured in the mines- that he was too scared himself to do- aren't enough to get me in the "guild". I have to kill 10 more slimes.

I'm curious about these little teddy bear statues that are all over the town. They don't have any writing to indicate what they are. Did I accidentally stumble into a cult?

Thanks to the mines and Clint's blueprints, I have an operational furnace that is smelting some copper as I write this! 

---

Score: On Day 8, my score was 1.59% (3 quests, 1 heart with Linus, 1 heart with Lewis, and more items shipped)

Opi in Stardew Valley: Day 7

If you haven't read Day 1 yet, I suggest starting here: Day 1

This morning I received mail from someone calling himself a "wizard". Once again, suspicious, but I'll probably check it out anyway. One more thing on my to-do list.

I spoke to Linus and somebody was throwing rocks at his tent last night! How awful! Who would do such a thing? Horrible people. I'm going to do my best to befriend Linus. It seems like he needs some support.

I managed to explore five levels of the mines, but they keep going! Rumor has it there are at least 40 levels...and many more interesting things. Yet another thing for my to-do list.

It was Lewis' birthday today. I gave him a daffodil and he politely accepted, but I don't think it was something he really enjoyed.

---

Score: 1.42% (new mineral, and crafted some fertilizer)

Stardew Valley: Day 6

If you haven't read Day 1 yet, I suggest starting here: Day 1

When I got up this morning, Clint was waiting at my door. I know folks in small towns can be casual and quirky, but this was creepy. However, he did give me instructions on how to build a furnace, so I can do something with that copper I've found. Useful.

Between my goals for my farm, my new adventures with mining and my looking into the community centers giant rat problem. My to-do list has become quite extensive. I hope to check some of these off today.

I visited the museum/library. The caretaker was devastated over a recent robbery of all their items. Apparently, this place has higher crime than I expected. He asked me to bring anything I find that looks historical. 

I handed him the dried sea star I found on the beach, and apparently it was in good enough shape to be displayed at the museum. Huh. 

I couldn't find any rats...though I swear I saw something. I also found this shiny box.

It had writing on it that I didn't understand. I didn't find anything else of interest. I'll need to look into this more later.

---

Score: 1.39% (2 minerals, 1 mining skill, 1 quest)

Opi in Stardew Valley: Day 5

If you haven't read Day 1 yet, I suggest starting here: Day 1

I received this notice in the mail this morning. I thought I moved out here to escape Jojamart BS. I'll have to checkout the area later.

The parsnips were finally ready to be harvested! How exciting! The crop looked good. I kept some for myself, and shipped some.

Here's the farm after the harvest. Time to buy more seeds!

I think I'm supposed to have scarecrows out? At least according to the books I've read. I should probably attempt to make one.

I think I should also get some chickens. I've always wanted chickens. Might as well experiment with all aspects of farming, right?

I ran into Mayor Lewis today and he gave me a tour of the dilapidated community center. The town doesn't have enough money to restore it. While we were in there, I'm pretty sure I saw something large and moving...a big rat maybe? I don't know. It was dark. It was a bit creepy. Lewis hinted that I investigate this. Hmm....

 This is when you know you live in a very small town. Can I even call it a town. It's a village...or maybe a hamlet? Everyone's birthdays are on the community calendar.

I picked a Daffodil on my way into town this morning. I decided to give it to the doctor, Harvey, after he lamented about being stuck inside on such a beautiful day. He seemed pleased.

I'm interested in building a silo on my property, so I can save all the grass currently growing on my property as feed for future animals. I went to Robin's to ask her about prices. While there, I met her husband. I had foraged some extra things on my way up there and gave him a plant, since I heard he was a bit of a botanist.

I was still in a gifting mood, and I found a delicious looking leek, so I gave it to Linus, the home-free druid. He is very kind, but a bit on the timid side.

The clearing of the JojaMart Inc. landslide gave me access to the old mine. I decided to take a peek inside.

Inside the mine was this strange man named Marlon.Despite calling himself an adventurer, he was too afraid to explore the mines. He gave me a rusty sword and suggested I check them out first. He told me I could join his adventuring "guild", if I explore five levels of the mines. I was skeptical, but curious.

I explored a couple levels...it was creepy. I had never battled anything before, but I found it a bit exhilarating! There are these stones that turn into crabs, and these blob slime things. I thought the slimes were really cute, but then they tried to attack me. So, I fought back. There's lots of good stone down there, and bits of copper, and other potentially useful things. I'll probably be back.

---

Score: No Score recorded! Whoops!

Opi in Stardew Valley: Day 4

If you haven't read Day 1 yet, I suggest starting here: Day 1

My plants are doing well, though I still haven't been able to harvest anything. 

I visited more folks today. I found Penny daydreaming under a tree. She sounded wistful, and like she had had a hard life. I wonder what her story is.

I also met Elliott who was very interesting...his appearance and personality seem contradictory. His demeanor, physical appearance and way of speaking are a bit pretentious. But he seems kind, creative and humble. 

I accomplished my goal of meeting 28 of the townsfolk! I think that is almost everyone. I'm not friendly with anyone, though. So, now I'm going to try to put in a bit more effort and give someone a gift!

I purchased some different kinds of seeds and seedlings, such as beans. My farm is constantly growing!

After doing some more planting, I decided to build a wooden path by the beans, and a small torch to light my way home.

---

Score:  1.2% (2 crafting items[path and torch], 1 quest, and 1 more shipped item)

Opi in Stardew Valley: Day 3

If you haven't read Day 1 yet, I suggest starting here: Day 1

Today was a rainy and gloomy day in Stardew Valley. Things weren't terrible exciting, so I didn't get very many pictures.

Here you can see what my farm looks like on Day 3 (and in the rain). I wonder how long it will take for these parsnips to grow?

Today I mainly focused on foraging and fishing. I caught several different kinds of fish, and I met a couple new people while I was out roaming around. Again, I apologize for the lack of photos.

---

Score: I have one skill point in foraging now, and caught several new fish, My score is now 1.09%

Opi in Stardew Valley: Day 2

If you haven't read Day 1 yet, I suggest starting here: Day 1

Good morning! Day 2 has begun. And I have some mail. How exciting!

It was a letter from the fisherman in town inviting to me to come down to the beach sometime today. I was a little hesitant as it seemed a bit fishy (ba-dum-tsh). I added it to my journal anyway.

I built a chest out of wood I harvested on the property. It took a surprisingly less effort and time than I had anticipated. I now have a place to store things I gather.

Willy was very kind. He gave me a fishing pole in hopes that I will convert some of my productive energy into fishing, not just farming. I actually like the sound of this and plan on giving it a go. There are a lot of fishing spots in the area, so it'd be a good hobby to have.

I saw some worms acting mysterious on the beach, so I dug up whatever they were fussing over. I expected to find the rotting carcass of an animal, but instead I found a book. Weird. Apparently it belongs to the library.

I stopped by the general store (where I met a few new people) and purchased some more parsnips seeds. Might as well continue growing what seems to be working so far.

I met someone else on my way back to the farm. Her name was Haley. I wasn't a fan, to be polite. She seemed to look down on my new chosen profession. 

Here's a look at the contents of my chest, and my inventory, near the end of Day 2. Some of the items I have foraged, I saved. Others have been sold. 

Here's the current state of my plot after planting the second crop.

I really need to get some lamps for this place. In the evenings, it is pretty dark. Thankfully, I have a fire. The night have been cool since we are in the beginning of spring.

---

Day 2 Score: I added a new category (lost books), but I completed a quest (Getting the fishing pole from Willy), crafted a new item (the chest), caught a fish, and shipped some more items. I'm now at 0.92%....almost to 1 whole percent!

Opi in Stardew Valley: Day 1

My top three favorite games are the Civilization series, the Sim series, and Stardew Valley! It's relaxing, adorable, and like Harvest Moon, but for the PC! Actually, I find it way more fun than Harvest Moon. I simply adore this game. I've played it several times, but I've never managed to complete everything. It has quite a bit of replay-ability.

I've made  a spreadsheet (of course!) to help me check off all the things I could possibly do in the game, and I've been keeping a daily score. This blog series will be a walk through of that game save. The game is played in "days" that last about 15 to 30 minutes of real time, depending on how often you pause to view your inventory. Each of these blog posts will be a day, since it is a convenient chunk of time to play for. Some days may have a lot of screenshots, but others will have very few. Comments, questions, requests, etc...are all highly encouraged in the comments section!

I didn't go through the introduction on this save, because I've seen it quite a few times. However, here is a YouTube video of the introduction posted by someone else. I highly recommend watching it for background. The only different would be the little guy the Lewis and Robyn chat with at the end, would have been replaced with my character, Opi.

Day 1: Opi Moves In

It's my first day on the farm. In my journal, I've set a goal to meet 28 new people around town. It's an ambitious goal that I think will take me several days, but well worth it as a new resident of a small town. It may take a long time to become considered a true member of this community. I suspect I may encounter a few unfriendly face for awhile. 

If I want to be a farm, I need to start farming! My new home came with a house warming welcome gift of parsnips seeds. So, it's time to start planting and figuring out this farming business.

My new home is quite lovely, if small and a bit old. The decor brings the outside into my home.

Before I can plant anything, I need to clear some space. My first day of work was mainly clearing land and planting a small plot to start with.

I ended the day with a visit to the local tavern to meet some new people. Some people such as Gus, the bartender, were very friendly. It was clear, however, that a few of the patrons did not want to be disturbed.

---

Score: The score is out of 100% which is composed of a list of everything I could find to do in the game. Of course, if I find new things or the game is updated, my goal posts may move back further. In the mean time, I started the game with a 0.59% (based on the 21 Steam achievements I had already acquired before this save). By the end of Day 1, my score was 0.73% accumulated from items I foraged and sold. 

Tales of RimWorld (Part 6)

2nd of Spring, 5500

I'm concerned about Stephenson. It seemed like she was close to hitting her breaking point today. We set her up a bed in the new crafting room so she has more space. Dusty also promised to make her a heater soon, so she wouldn't be cold at night. We made her some nice food, as well. We took away her knife just to be safe. 

Rojas has yet to be persuaded to join us. We will need to decide how long we can keep him- and continue to feed him. We need to be assured he won't attack us again. Dusty and Willa have expressed concern about his continued presence, but I remain hopeful that he will join us soon.

We had a wonderful berry harvest. I'm so proud of Willa, she has helped us a great deal. Now that we can butcher meat and properly cook meals, we have been eating quite well.

Rada Johns

Tales from a RimWorld (Part 5)

1st of Spring, 5500

Things just keep getting more interesting around here.

Today, we were attacked. Our attacker was a lone, but beefy, pirate by the name of Rojas. Willa took him out, though she was injured in the process. Willa and Dusty defended us from one of the sandbag walls. We took Rojas captive. We converted Dusty's bunk into a prison.

After treating Willa for her injuries (she's doing okay), I set to work caring for our prisoner. I've provided him food, a bed, and tended his wounds. I've been trying to talk to him, and I feel like he is warming up to me. I'm hoping we can convince him to join our colony.

I did steal his pants, though. For Stephenson. She doesn't like them because they are worn, uncomfortable, and completely the wrong size, but I think she prefers them to being completely nude. Dusty has begun constructing us a shelter that we will use as a crafting and workshop area. I'm hoping I can sew some new clothes for Stephenson, and perhaps for our prisoner.

In other news, corn has now joined our list of crops. Willa says the strawberries will be ready soon. Hurray!

Rada Johns

Tales from a RimWorld (Part 4)

15th of Winter, 5500

Oh my. Guess what we found wandering around our camp today? A young (19 years?), naked girl. She was a patient in a psychiatric hospital, apparently. Poor dear has no idea how she got here or where she is from exactly. She goes by "Stephenson"...strange name for a girl, but who am I to judge? Maybe it is her last name? 

Sadly, we have no clothing to spare. However, we do have food and shelter, and we gladly offered her both. We'll set to work tomorrow on how we can get her some clothing. She is going to sleep on the floor for now, but Dusty plans to build her a room soon.

I'm worried about Stephenson. She seems highly unstable. The poor girl must have been through quite a lot. I hope we can help.

And now we rest.

Rada J.

Tales from a RimWorld (Part 3)

14th of Winter, 5500

Dear Journal,

YIKES! Willa got to test out her defending skills today, and even poor Dusty had to fire off a few rounds with the pistol that Willa insists Dusty carries. A large rat maddened with some nasty disease showed up at camp and started aggressively attacking us. Willa and Dusty managed to shoot it down, but not before poor Dusty was injured.

Thankfully, we had some basic medical supplies from kits that were in our escape pods. I was able to stop the bleeding and stitch up Dusty. She seems okay now. Whew! 

Before she was bit, Dusty had managed to make us some new beds, a food storage area, and wood stove. I'm now able to cook us meals. We also have a butchering table, so we can have fresh meat. 

Dusty has begun work on the wind turbine as well, so she can make the food storage area refrigerated. Willa is now growing rice and potatoes in addition to the strawberries. I've been making sandbag walls around camp to help us defend ourselves (from psychotic rats!). 

It's been a long day, so I'm going to sleep (in a real bed!)

Rada Johns

Tales from a RimWorld (Part 2)

13th of Winter, 5500

Dear Journal,

We've made it another day! Dusty (bless her!) has begun constructing sheltered living areas. We now have a place to house all the items we scavenge that we think might be useful, as well as a shelter for all three of us to sleep. It's a bit crammed, but I'm grateful to not have to sleep in the rain. Willa has begun clearing land and planting seeds she's found. She's already got a strawberry patch started. She also managed to hunt an ostrich, but we don't know what to do with the dead animal. We need to find a place to butcher it, and find a way to cook it. For now, I'm thankful we found the survival meal packs that were stored in our escape pods.

Dusty is such an industrious girl. She already has plans to use the materials from the ship (including the electronics) to construct a wind generator for power. Amazing! She doesn't appear to be an intellectual, but she definitely has a good brain in that head.

I make myself useful where I can. Right now, it is mainly hauling parts of the ship to our camp, or hauling wood that Dusty chops. I do know how to cook, and I have some very basic knowledge of medicine, so I can useful when those things are needed.

Oh, I forgot to mention my new...pet. While I was preparing my escape pod, I ran into a Warg. He looked at me with large, sad brown eyes as I was getting into the pod. He knew what was happening. So, despite it going against safety protocol, I invited him into my escape pod. We survived the crash together. Now, he refuses to leave my side. His name tag says "Marquee", so that is what I've been calling him. 

That's all for tonight. 

Sincerely, 

Rada Johns

Tales from a RimWorld (Part 1)

I suggest reading this post first, if you haven't already: Tales from RimWorld (Intro)

12th of Winter, 5500

Dear Journal,

For someone whose life has been so centered on communication, I find it necessary to express my feelings on this situation in a journal. My companions grow tired of discussing the details of our situation, so I'm in need of additional outlets. Besides, in the event we do not survive, this journal can act as a chronicle of our little colony.

Our situation does seem dire, but I'm hopeful about our future. I'm very thankful that we managed to get to the escape pods before the ship crashed, many were not so lucky. I'm thankful for surviving the crash of the escape pod on this planet. I'm thankful we landed in an area that isn't a snowy mountain, arid desert, or an ocean. I'm thankful my daughter also survived the crash and I'm thankful for our new friend, Dusty.

I used to be upset that my daughter ended up as a child spy. I wanted her to have the life I didn't. I was given a second chance when I was put into cryosleep. My second life was in a world so much more advanced. My social skills were put to excellent use in a new, productive career as an Empath. I was given the chance to give my daughter the education I never received. So, of course, I signed her up for the government's academy. She was supposed to be given a job in the government. I didn't know she would be taught to shoot & kill, to lie, to cheat and steal secrets. Everyone trusts a child, so our government used them as spies. I never dreamed of the day I would be grateful for her training. She is now our defender, and she is able to hunt local wildlife, so that we can eat. Her adult career as a gardener will also prove to be immensely useful. I have no stomach for violence of any kind. Without Willa, I wouldn't be able to eat or defend myself.

Sincerely,

Rada Johns, Empath

Tales from RimWorld (Introduction)

What is RimWorld?

RimWorld is a PC game on Steam that uses an interesting mechanic- an artificial storyteller- that determines what events and drama to throw at you based on settings and what has happened previously. It leads to weird and interesting stories...dramatic, ridiculous ones that usually end in death. 

Warning: Not Appropriate for All Audiences

RimWorld is a game for mature audiences...you can think of it sort of like the "Cards Against Humanity" of the video game world. The stories generated with RimWorld may involve cannibalism, sex, adult themes, graphic violence, and will all like result in the deaths of many characters. I don't recommend these posts for all my readers; and I certainly do not recommend this game to everyone.

The game is complex, deep and fascinating. So despite its dark themes, I'm all in.

Also, I'm going to blog the stories it makes, as they are happening.