Stardew valley is a popular game with people in my generation. Like most video games it's a power fantasy.
In this case about growing food, having a functional "third space" in your community and fixing public transit. Pure escapism.
Also there are magic forest spirits and dungeons with monsters and treasures.
Two of the most momentous parts of the game are when you fix the public bus and when you get the ferry service working again.
You bring all of the materials to fix the boat but still need to buy tickets to use it because buying tickets for a nice functional local public transit system are kind of part of the whole allure.
@futurebird And to add to that thought the creator has been really good about making the game accessible to the modding community.
Which makes it even more communal as people share ways to customize the game. You can also do co-op and share a farm with your friends
Now I'm imagining an "Ooops, all infrastructure" version of Stardew. You move into a crumbling town, and instead of farming, you spend all your time fixing issues with transit, water, power, and the library.
You could even follow the classic farm arc, where you start out repairing everything by hand and gradually move up layers of abstraction, maybe through organizing fellow townsfolk to pitch in.
Mid-game you think everything is going great, and then someone tells you about the state of the sewer system.
Fair point, but I'd want to keep more of the social element of infrastructure.
I like the way Stardew gives you a cast of characters whose wants and needs are part of the story, and I'd like an infrastructure game that leans into that even more.
Everybody play my thrilling game where you persuade the townsfolk to pass an income tax to pay for maintenance workers.
Is there an analogue to Stardew's choice between the community center and the corporate franchise? You bet! You see, at a certain point the maintenance workers decide they want to unionize, and you have to decide which side you're on.
@earthlightning @futurebird https://store.steampowered.com/app/251110/INFRA/
There is more to it than this. A plot emerges, that goes places I guarantee you do not expect, but suffice to say that spoilers are a disservice - I went in blind and unprepared, and as a result it was an incredible once in a lifetime experience.
my entire stardew valley experience consists of me gawking over my kid's shoulders until they notice and say "go away i'm busy"
And the other momentous one where you kick the megacorp out and eventually get a movie theater instead.
There are no alternative story lines here, and I am not listening to any talk of others.
@futurebird It's also interesting that you are the only person who seems to buy tickets for the bus.
Even during the Calico Desert Festival in which all of the Valley attends. They all go to the bus, get on and wait for you to show up and pay for the service!
I've noticed that since the latest update, occasionally Pam doesn't show up* and leaves a sign saying that you can drive the bus yourself!
* Sunbathing on Ginger Island, presumably
I'm not quite sure when that was implemented but she's always done that for me. I understand it mechanically... it helps us transition to Calico Desert. My farmer is very suspicious.
Pierre always has money to buy whatever I bring in. Always. I can bring in a 100g parsnip or bushels and bushels of parsnips worth literal millions. Pierre covers it without even so much as going to the safe.
Pam has a CDL, is able to pay her debts and maintain her...lifestyle.
Lewis... sigh
Can we talk about how creepy the "flower dance" is?
were it not for the rampant bisexuality I would be OUT.
midsomer ass festival
I'm glad I'm not the only person that noticed that! My first play-through I was romancing Maru (gives bombs, and is nice) and just learning the game. Emily was dancing at the Luau and I couldn't stop laughing at her jamming out.
The finger waggle and side-eye? š
aw man I was pulling for Willy or Gunther. Well Sandy is a nice addition. And I guess Clint deserves a redemption arc. Maybe.
Willy is top of my wish-to-date list after Krobus. It's so easy to make him happy, he just Likes Fish So Much. Plus a lot of the dateable characters are *way* too young for me.
Krobus I would actually get down with. Who doesn't want to date Shadow Daddy?
As I posted the other day, I have a feeling that ConcernedApe picked Clint specifically to troll players ;-)
@carrideen literally just hearing about this from you now. tysm
@OctaviaConAmore @futurebird @emlove I dunno. The way Stardew Valley handles sleep is more of an anxiety inducing panic IMO. In every stream I've seen there was at least once with the person running in panic as that clock ticked down.
I still can't, for the life of me, understand why they made the timescale so much worse in Stardew Valley versus the games it's copying or, for that matter, why they made the punishment for not going to sleep on time so much worse, or why they made the time you must go to sleep or else so blasted early... In Rune Factory you go to sleep by 4am or you have a random chance of maybe getting sick (which can be cured by taking a sickness cure or at the clinic in some games ā was a good excuse to visit Iris in Oceans, lol.)
It just temporarily lowered stats.
@nazokiyoubinbou @futurebird @emlove oooh, right, Stardew Valley has the limitations and everything 
I think I had the Elder Scrolls wait anywhere sleep anywhere for any set length of time system in mind for some reason 
I wonder if Stardew Valley is made by morning people... 
@OctaviaConAmore @futurebird @emlove I can absolutely believe it's by morning people...
I mean, I get that the actual farming generally needs the light of day. And certainly traditionally farming was done in the light of day. But there's so much else in the game and wow is it punishing on time to try to do any of it.
I think of all the games of this type I've ever played it has the fastest timescale and the earliest bed time.
@OctaviaConAmore @futurebird @emlove Actually, I think quite literally yes.
Though at least it doesn't reset everything on you after, what was it? Three days I think I recall?
Actually, if you count all three days as one time period then it's even worse since Stardew Valley is punishing you even faster by that scale. But I think one Stardew Valley day is still less than one Majora's Mask day.
Plus Majora's Mask at least had a lot of ways you could deal with the timescale (like opening shortcuts or gaining abilities that let you make shortcuts.)
@nazokiyoubinbou @futurebird @emlove 
oh gods that's terrifying even with the time tools MM had, that time mechanic (as core as it was to the game), made playing it an anxious experience a lot of the time
having that sort of time wizzing by in a cozy game sounds counterintuitive 
that time mechanic (as core as it was to the game), made playing it an anxious experience a lot of the time
THANK YOU!!!
I just don't get why games intending to be "cozy" introduce an anxiety inducing mechanic... (Of course Majora's Mask wasn't meant to be cozy. At all. But Stardew Valley is!)
I'm glad to hear some other games in the genre that have come out since at least eased up on the time 
@OctaviaConAmore To be clear, Stardew Valley is the odd one out in the genre.
Rune Factory has always had a better timescale since long before Stardew Valley existed. As far as I can remember Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons also has an easier timescale. (And I think maybe it doesn't punish much at all if you pass out from lack of sleep?)
By your wording I wonder if you know of Rune Factory and Story of Seasons. If you do not, go go go go go go go! š
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