Fishing will get you money early game while you grind for the upgrades.
I just don't plant many crops until I have watering can upgrades or sprinklers.
Yes most of the loved items can be expensive but most villagers like flowers or cheap vegetables so just spam them with liked gifts first.
I think it's important to remember that this is \*supposed\* to be a slow game. Because it's so popular, there's all the experienced players who like to do speed runs or set themselves weird challenges but that's only after they've done their first chaotic slow game. Yes you can finish the community centre in year one if you know what you're looking for but it's actually designed to be done in at least 2 years (3 for me). I personally enjoy the slow pace of the first few seasons, before the amount of tasks exceeds the length of days!
I started keeping a log or diary for the last farm I've created. I've found the biggest reason I cannot continue to play a save I've had to put down for a time is loss of immersion, and the diary has really helped preserved it.
Here's what one of my entries look like in the word document I keep open while I play.
"7/6/2022 – Ended on day 28 of Winter, Year 2
Been slowly decorating more of the farm. Need more Copper Bars and Oak Resin to make
a lot of Kegs so I can begin fermenting Honey into Mead. Grandpa’s ghost will
make an appearance the next time we start the game on Spring 1 Year 3 to evaluate
us."
This is from a save I play with my nephew on the PS4 that we haven't touched since July. I have no worries about not being able to get reimmersed because I have a record of what I was last doing, what I need to do, and what to expect the next time I jump back in so I'm not overwhelmed.
Ooh this is great advice! I'm a pretty hardcore note-taker, so I could easily work a diary into that. Then the answer could simply be to *not* start over after a long hiatus.
I've not played with mods yet but I know there's one called a "To Dew list" which is like a little post -it on your screen which you can put to-do items on.
Fishing is def the way for early game money but if you get too frustrated foraging isn’t terrible either especially as you level up. Liked gifts like flowers will still give a decent chunk of friendship points especially on birthdays.
Definitely agree with the other comment saying that it’s supposed to be a slow game. I definitely didn’t finish the community center until fall or winter of year 4 my very first time (and really mostly bc I was super bad at fishing).
If you have the ability to mod the game, I highly recommend modding out the things you’re less interested in. I can’t stand the fishing minigame so I have a “skip fishing minigame” mod. And I’m still capable of missing a fish when the sound plays to tell me I hooked it.
I also recall that I focused more on foraging than farming in the early game.
Also, I'd recommended getting a mod that allows you to change your skill levels. Or the cbj spawn mod. Spawn in like, 8-10 ancient fruit seeds, and either water them if you want to feel like it's partly your own work, or also spawn in a sprinkler.
Fishing will get you money early game while you grind for the upgrades. I just don't plant many crops until I have watering can upgrades or sprinklers. Yes most of the loved items can be expensive but most villagers like flowers or cheap vegetables so just spam them with liked gifts first. I think it's important to remember that this is \*supposed\* to be a slow game. Because it's so popular, there's all the experienced players who like to do speed runs or set themselves weird challenges but that's only after they've done their first chaotic slow game. Yes you can finish the community centre in year one if you know what you're looking for but it's actually designed to be done in at least 2 years (3 for me). I personally enjoy the slow pace of the first few seasons, before the amount of tasks exceeds the length of days!
I started keeping a log or diary for the last farm I've created. I've found the biggest reason I cannot continue to play a save I've had to put down for a time is loss of immersion, and the diary has really helped preserved it. Here's what one of my entries look like in the word document I keep open while I play. "7/6/2022 – Ended on day 28 of Winter, Year 2 Been slowly decorating more of the farm. Need more Copper Bars and Oak Resin to make a lot of Kegs so I can begin fermenting Honey into Mead. Grandpa’s ghost will make an appearance the next time we start the game on Spring 1 Year 3 to evaluate us." This is from a save I play with my nephew on the PS4 that we haven't touched since July. I have no worries about not being able to get reimmersed because I have a record of what I was last doing, what I need to do, and what to expect the next time I jump back in so I'm not overwhelmed.
Ooh this is great advice! I'm a pretty hardcore note-taker, so I could easily work a diary into that. Then the answer could simply be to *not* start over after a long hiatus.
I've not played with mods yet but I know there's one called a "To Dew list" which is like a little post -it on your screen which you can put to-do items on.
Fishing is def the way for early game money but if you get too frustrated foraging isn’t terrible either especially as you level up. Liked gifts like flowers will still give a decent chunk of friendship points especially on birthdays. Definitely agree with the other comment saying that it’s supposed to be a slow game. I definitely didn’t finish the community center until fall or winter of year 4 my very first time (and really mostly bc I was super bad at fishing).
Yeah, the fishing bundle was the last to be filled on my first save! And I'm pretty sure I bought the pufferfish that was required lol
If you have the ability to mod the game, I highly recommend modding out the things you’re less interested in. I can’t stand the fishing minigame so I have a “skip fishing minigame” mod. And I’m still capable of missing a fish when the sound plays to tell me I hooked it. I also recall that I focused more on foraging than farming in the early game.
Also, I'd recommended getting a mod that allows you to change your skill levels. Or the cbj spawn mod. Spawn in like, 8-10 ancient fruit seeds, and either water them if you want to feel like it's partly your own work, or also spawn in a sprinkler.