Stardew Valley [ Page 2 ] | Cheerful Ghost

Stardew Valley Is Finally Shipping February 26th And It Looks Fantastic

"You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!"

Looks like much more is coming to Stardew Valley that I originally anticipated and I am excited to give... Read All

Stardew Valley To Release Next Year

http://stardewvalley.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/steam4-1024x604.png

"I know many of you are wondering about a release date. Developers who are a lot more experienced than I have advised me not to set a release date until the game is completely finished. I’ve made some foolishly optimistic predictions in the past, and even recently I said the game will “definitely be released this year”. I don’t think a full release will happen this year. I wish the game was ready, but it’s not. As I’ve said in the past, it’s just so hard to predict how long game development will take. I’m working my hardest to get the game finished and it’s so very close, but the last thing I want to do is rush the game to release and have it be sloppy. I’ve been... Read All

Watch The Recent Chucklefish Stardew Valley Stream

As WhiteboySlim mentioned in the latest roundtable, ConcernedApe is nearing the release of Stardew Valley. He says it should be out sometime this year and as such Chucklefish streamed the game for an hour. Personally I want to wait to experience the game fresh, but I don't fault you for peeking early. I'll clip out a bit from a recent blog post on the matter:

"The game is very close to being finished. I don’t have a set release date yet, but it will certainly be out this year. Single player is 99% finished, but needs a more polishing and debugging. Multiplayer still needs some work, and I am looking into possibly switching to MonoGame, which would allow for a Mac and... Read All

New Stardew Valley Trailer Surfaces, Release Date "Close"

ConcernedApe is still feverishly working on one of my most anticipated games of the moment, Stardew Valley. Recently he uploaded a new trailer that features lots of gameplay and some story beats. So far he hasn't dropped a date about when the game might release, but it doesn't look like we have too much longer to wait.

"I know Stardew has been in development for a long time... but it is getting close to completion. Thanks for your patience, everyone. And thanks for watching!"

More Story Details From Stardew Valley Surface

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Stardew Valley is one of my most anticipated games of the year and I am happy with each bit of news that comes out about it. Recently, some really interesting information surfaced about the games main story. The main character is from Pelican Town and has the option to restore the old Community Center.

"This building was once the heart and soul of Pelican Town… a place for citizens to gather, socialize, and collaborate. But that was long ago, In a bygone age when the valley was more isolated from the outside world. Now, the community center is in shambles, a forgotten relic of the past…

The community center is divided into six areas… the Pantry, the Art Studio, the Fish... Read All

Stardew Valley Shaping Up To Be A Beautifully Unique Game

http://stardewvalley.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Fest3.png

In the last roundtable I mentioned that Stardew Valley is one of my most anticipated Indie games of 2014. I have been following the games development since I first heard about it and have been really happy with the progress it's made. It's a long time coming, but with the recent bout of disappointments i've had with super early access games, I appreciate the long brew Stardew Valley has taken.

Stardew Valley music is shaping up well. The songs seem to fit the game well and I especially liked the theme song.

https://soundcloud.com/concernedape/stardew-valley-theme

One of the unique features of Stardew Valley is that it is a country life game that features the ability to... Read All In the last roundtable I mentioned that Stardew Valley is one of my most anticipated Indie games of 2014. I have been following the games development since I first heard about it and have been really happy with the progress it's made. It's a long time coming, but with the recent bout of disappointments i've had with super early access games, I appreciate the long brew Stardew Valley has taken.

Stardew Valley music is shaping up well. The songs seem to fit the game well and I especially liked the theme song.

https://soundcloud.com/concernedape/stardew-valley-theme

One of the unique features of Stardew Valley is that it is a country life game that features the ability to partake in county festivals like...

"Egg Festival - Everyone gathers in town for a celebration of new life after a long winter. The festival concludes with an egg hunt.

Flower Dance - The townsfolk congregate in a secret meadow to feast and socialize. The young people pair up and participate in a time-honored tradition, the “Flower Dance”. It’s your chance to show a special someone that you care… just hope that you don’t get rejected!

Luau - The summer luau is one of Stardew Valley’s most beloved events. The beach is decked out with tropical adornments and a huge buffet is provided for everyone to enjoy. The Regional Governor makes a special trip each year to see what the valley has to offer… something that Mayor Lewis takes very seriously. The highlight of the luau has to be the potluck soup… a huge, simmering cauldron full of ingredients provided by the community. (screen shot above)

Dance of the Midnight Jellies - On a warm summer night every year, the midnight jellies pass through Stardew Valley on their long migration home.

Harvest Fair - A celebration of the harvest season. Artisans, farmers, and craftspeople alike prepare exhibits to show off their hard work from throughout the year. A panel of judges awards medals to those with the most compelling displays."

ConcernedApe recently spent some time working on another project, but is back to working on the game full time. I appreciate that he is taking the time to stop and enjoy life, yet focus on the game at the same time. I think i'd rather have Stardew Valley released a bit later and have him be happy and not-stressed than see the game ship tomorrow.

Can't wait to play the final version and hopefully, we can all play it this year!

If you want to listen to all the music for Stardew Valley composed so far:

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-16/

Even more updates:

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-17/

Stardew Valley Update: Relationships, Arcades and More!

Stardew Valley is one of the games I am very excited about launching this year. ConcernedApe pushed the release from 2013 to 2014 and considering how big the game has become, it makes sense that happened. I appreciate that Stardew Valley isn't a game that focuses on a cosmic struggle of good and evil that spans the universe and instead is a more simple country life game focusing on growing crops and hanging out with your neighbors. I also appreciate the attention ConcernedApe is paying to the relationship "quest lines" and story. Many games tack on relationships but they are so ham-fisted and trite they aren't that compelling as great game elements.

"There are 10 “... Read All Stardew Valley is one of the games I am very excited about launching this year. ConcernedApe pushed the release from 2013 to 2014 and considering how big the game has become, it makes sense that happened. I appreciate that Stardew Valley isn't a game that focuses on a cosmic struggle of good and evil that spans the universe and instead is a more simple country life game focusing on growing crops and hanging out with your neighbors. I also appreciate the attention ConcernedApe is paying to the relationship "quest lines" and story. Many games tack on relationships but they are so ham-fisted and trite they aren't that compelling as great game elements.

"There are 10 “eligible” characters in the game, 5 females and 5 males (Yes, same-sex marriage/relationships are allowed!). Each one has at least 5 “events” which you’ll encounter as your relationship with the character progresses. Most of the events include conversations in which you can choose between different dialogue options. Sometimes the option you choose will affect how the rest of the event plays out. In addition to conversation options, you’ll sometimes be given a choice between multiple courses of action, which always has an effect on how the event plays out. Sometimes, choices you make in events will affect what characters end up doing in the future. Characters that you can’t marry also have these event cutscenes, but typically not as many.

I’ve been carefully going through every one of these events, adding or rewriting dialogue, new animations, props, cameo characters, settings, storylines, graphical cutscenes, sounds, music, and more! I also added a lot more cases where your choices affect how the rest of the event plays out. Additionally… while working on these events, if I encounter anything else in the game I am unhappy with I typically take a small detour and fix that as well."

Stardew Valley is a game that will primarily launch on Windows but there is some good news for Mac and Linux users as ConcernedApe has mentioned a possible Linux and Mac port of the game.

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-14

Stardew Valley Won't Ship In 2013

ConcernedApe just posted on information in regard to Stardew Valley shipping this year that isn't awesome.

"I know earlier this year I estimated that the game would be done before 2014. Well… I have to say that I will probably not be able to meet that estimate anymore.

I’ve always been a little uncomfortable giving release estimates for Stardew. It’s stressful to build up hope for a specific release date, knowing that I might have to disappoint everyone by pushing it back. And i’m definitely guilty of being a little too optimistic about development timetables. Ultimately, though… I think most will agree with me that a slow-cooked, polished game is better than a rushed,... Read All ConcernedApe just posted on information in regard to Stardew Valley shipping this year that isn't awesome.

"I know earlier this year I estimated that the game would be done before 2014. Well… I have to say that I will probably not be able to meet that estimate anymore.

I’ve always been a little uncomfortable giving release estimates for Stardew. It’s stressful to build up hope for a specific release date, knowing that I might have to disappoint everyone by pushing it back. And i’m definitely guilty of being a little too optimistic about development timetables. Ultimately, though… I think most will agree with me that a slow-cooked, polished game is better than a rushed, quick release."

I agree, it's better to deliver a polished game than something rushed and buggy. This game ranks high for games I am really interested in getting my hands on. That said, there is a pretty huge amount of awesome games out right now, so I think I can find something to occupy my time until Stardew ships, hopefully in 2014 but there is no word on that right now.

ConcernedApe did talk a bit about how far along the game is, which is pretty good news.

"How complete is the game? Well, there are still a couple of features that I haven’t even begun yet… but, they all should be relatively minor in terms of development time. Other than that, there is a lot of polish and fleshing-out to be done before it’s ready. There are also some technical (i.e. not involving actual in-game content) things which I *might* need to do before release.

So, while the game is definitely “mostly done”, there are still plenty of things that need to be finished before I am comfortable releasing it. I am still working as fast as I possibly can without compromising on the quality of the game (and also while maintaining my own sanity, for those of you who saw me playing Terraria on Steam recently :p ). Thanks to all of you for being so patient, compassionate, and supportive during this process… I really do appreciate it!"

If you are interested in some new game details, ConcernedApe also shared some really interesting information about the characters you can date and possibly marry in game. So check it out, link below.

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-12/

Development Update: Fishing and new UI

A recent Stardew Valley development video has dropped and shows off the new fishing mechanics. With each update the UI, graphics and mechanics seems to really improve drastically and in this video it really shows.

They say the game will launch in 2013 and when a more formal date is announced, you will be the first to know.

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-10/

Stardew Valley Farm Animal Dev Update

Keep your animal happy (and maximize production) like so:

Pet once a day

Make sure she has enough food

Let her outside if the weather is warm

Make sure she is secure at night

Purchase a heater to counteract the unhappiness of being inside all winter

As always, the updates that keep coming to Stardew Valley look great. Very excited to jump in and try in what looks like to be the most involved farming sim RPG i've ever seen.

As always, when a release date drops you will be the first to know.

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-9/

If you are looking for a collection of the other dev updates, check the CG Stardew Valley page for easy viewing:

... Read All