• /
• General/
• Harvest Moon: MM/
• Starting Out

In this section, I'll explain the things that you may want to know before you
play the game. I explain those that will make your game a bit easier.

When you first play the game, you'll be asked for your name, names of dog,
and farm. Then you'll be asked to choose the land out of three different
lands. All lands are different, so I'll list them (as well my recommandations
and opinions)

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        ~    CHOOSING THE LAND      ~
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--CENTRAL TOWN FARM
This land is very small. Personally, I do not recommand this land, due to 
size. The field quality is good, so you can plant a lot good crops, but then
again, the size is too small. It's far from the blacksmith, and workshop.
It's close to other stores in east, and to the mountain.

--OCEAN VIEW FARM
This land is very big. You can fit in the large barn, and other buildings.
There're plenty space. You can plant a lot crops here as well, but the quality
of field is very poor. You won't get a lot profits if you plant the crops.
Plus, you have quite a long walk to the mountain, and stores in west.

--RIVER SIDE FARM
The land is medium-sized. You can fit in the chicken coop, and small barn.
Or you can upgrade your house (when you relocate the watering hole, then you
will have enough space for upgraded houses). You also can plant the crops here
The field quality is between good and great. 
Personally, I like this best. It's not far from stores in west or east. It
is not far from the mountain, neither. Because River Side Farm is at about
middle of the map.

You can choose whatever you like best. If you choose the land, and after
playing it... You find that the land you have chosen, is not working well for
you. You can buy the land from Woody in the Workshop, and relocate your house
to that land. It'll cost some money, but at least, it means that you don't
have to put up with the land you dislike.

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        ~         STAMINA           ~
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As for any of you that have played older Harvest Moon games, you will notice 
that the stamina is quite different. Unlike older games, the stamina here is
very little so you will keep running out of stamina fairly quickly in the 
beginning.

After you play for a while in Harvest Moon game, you will notice that your
stamina runs out quickly each time you use the tool, or do the activities
that drains your stamina.

Many people are frustuated with stamina, but there are ways to get by with
the limited stamina. It is:

-> Eat the foods that restores your stamina bar
-> Collect Power Berries to expand your stamina bar
-> Visit Harvest Goddess after you collects 50 notes, she'll restore your
   stamina each time you visit her.
-> Sleeping (longer hours you sleep, more stamina will be restored)

POWER BERRIES
The power berries are very useful so I suggest that you should start to
collect them. There are five power berries in total. If you eat all of the
five power berries, your stamina bar will be doubled.

1. Collect 30 Musical Notes, and visit Harvest Goddess Spring.
2. Reach 100 level bottom of Moonlight Mine (only after Tim moves in)
3. Win the Beach Festival, the swimming contest.
4. Attend the Pumpkin Festival (you have to donate a pumpkin)
5. Win the horse race (your horse have to be at 6-7 hearts)

GOOD FOOD
If you mix Toadstool and Butter with the frying pan, you will get 
"Toadstool Saute" which will restore your stamina AND fatigue bar 100%. So
the toadstool saute is very best food there are.

But if you can't find any toadstools or can't afford the butters, you can
still get by. Just collect the berries - Very Berries and Blueberries. They
are good and cheap. The herbs won't restore your stamina bar as good as the
berries, but they are good at restoring your fatigue though.

You can also cook your fishes with bonfire, or knife set and eat your fishes.
Or you can save the cooked fishes and put them in the fridge for later use.

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        ~         FATIGUE           ~
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is an invisible bar called the fatigue. You will gain fatigue as you
pass the time, and do activities as well. Once your fatigue is high enough,
it'll drain your stamina more when you work.

Once when my fatigue is so high, it drains 20% of my stamina each time I pick
up a item. As you can see, it'd wise to keep your fatigue low so it won't 
affect your stamina bar much.

But I think you won't have to worry about the fatigue much if you like to 
sleep for a bit long time.

RESTORE
-> Sleeping (longer hours you sleep, more fatigue you will lose)
-> Toadstool Saute
-> Herbal Items
-> Pontata Root

Mix the toadstool and butter with the frying pan. You will have "Toadstool
Saute" which will restore your stamina and fatigue 100%. It's best food.

You can also use the herbal items to restore your fatigue. Just eating
the herbs will get rid of your fatigue a bit.

The pontata roots works just as well.

You can use Green Herb in the pot, and you will get Herb Tea. It're more 
effective than just eating the herbs.


                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        ~         RUCKSACK          ~
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you first start out, you will only have the five slots in your rucksack.
So it means you can stuff the five items in your bag, and hold one item in 
your hands. So I recommand that you should to upgrade your rucksack when you
can afford to. Just head to the Junk Shop, and there will be a sale on the 
medium rucksack. Just buy it, and you will have ten slots in your bag.

In order to get the biggest rucksack with fifteen slots, you will have to
befriend Martha. Look in "BEFRIENDING" section under here.

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        ~       BEFRIENDING         ~
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are many people in the town, and you can make friends with them by
talking to them, and giving the gifts to them. But I'll only list the people
that's important for you befriend because you will get good benefits.

                                   ~+~

MARTHA 
The old lady in the Clinic. She will move in later when you talk to Alex
a few times. Give her the items she likes (which you can find out in the
villagers section) to increase her hearts up to between two and three hearts.

Once you did that, enter the Clinic and it'll trigger the scene between you
two. She will notice that your rucksack is dirty, and asks that you bring her
a yarn so she'll make better rucksack for you. 
(It has to be a scene. If she starts to say something about the yarn when
 you talk to her, it doesn't mean that is the scene. The scene is when Martha
 walks to you and tell you about your rucksack.)

So head out of the Clinic, and get the yarn.
There are two different ways to get the yarns, and they are:
--> Get the sheep. You will have to build a barn, buy yarn maker, and clippers
And wait until your sheep mature into adult age, and shear its wool, then
use Yarn Maker to turn your wool into the yarn.

--> Hearty Shop. You will have to meet the requirements for Lyla to move in
and open her shop. She'll be selling the coloured yarns for more than 1,000g.
To get her, you need to ship the flowers, berries, fruits and good clays, 
many as you can. You must attend Flower Festival so she can come to the town.

Once you have a yarn, head back to the Clinic. There will be yet another 
scene, Martha will take a yarn from you, and give you a biggest rucksack.

                                   ~+~

SAIBARA
The old man in Atelier house. To get him to move in, just ship one good clay,
found in the Moonlight Mine floors (you have to use a hoe to find it) After
he moved in, just ship 10 good clays, and befriend him.

When he has two hearts, he'll give you a task to do. When you complete a
task, come back to him, and he'll give you the Aging Pot. It is the cooking
tool. But keep befriend Saibara...

When he has five hearts, he'll give you the Mixing Pot. Yet another cooking
tool.

                                   ~+~
THEODORE THE MAYOR
You can give him the potatos, or other items he loves. Once he gains one 
heart, heads to Woody's Workshop. You will see more lands available for
purchase.

Once he has two hearts, even more lands will be available for purchase.
When he has three hearts, all lands will be available for purchase.

                                   ~+~
WOODY or KURT or JOE
Just befriend one of the three craftsmen, give him the gifts until he gains
one heart. Go to Woody, and he'll have the house upgrade available for you.

                                   ~+~
BLACKSMITH and POWER BERRY
The blacksmith store will not be there from start, so you will need to meet
the requirements so Tai and Tim will move in. Just ship the ores you find from
the Moonlight Mine. (Look in the MOVE INs section for more information)

Once Tai and Tim moves in, you can now upgrade your tools at the blacksmith.
You also can head to 100th floor in Moonlight Mine to meet Tim who will give
you a power berry if you do that.