Hi everyone.

Lately I’ve been working on festivals. Festivals can take place in any area, and there are at least two per season. You’ll have the opportunity to visit shopping booths, take part in games & activities, or express your romantic interest in someone. Here’s a couple screenshots and brief descriptions of some of the festivals I’ve either completed or are planning on. Any of these ideas could change before release.

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.

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.

I’ll leave the rest for you to discover on your own.

Things that still need to be done:

Festivals (50% finished)

Married/Family life

Joja Corporation storyline (I might cut this)

Finalizing game progression (making sure you can acquire all items, prices make sense, etc.)

Tying up loose ends (taking everything that is only finished 95% all the way to 100%)

Polishing

Testing

More polishing!

More testing!

Thanks for reading!

-ConcernedApe

Today, I’d like to showcase some of the music in Stardew Valley.

All the music in Stardew is made using a piece of software called Propellerhead Reason.  To make a song, I first create/tweak all the instruments I am going to use:

Then comes the composition… laying down each note in a “sequencer” (With plenty of copy & paste):

For Stardew, It’s important to me that each song enhances the atmosphere of the current scene. I tried my best to capture the “essence” of each season… hopeful spring, energetic summer, melancholy fall, and lonely winter. I use a lot of banjo, strings, harp, mallets, and flute to evoke the natural wonders of the valley.

Each season has multiple songs that play randomly. Seasonal songs don’t loop over and over again whenever you are outside… instead, ambient seasonal soundscapes fill the void between songs.

Fall. A somber time of mystery and beauty. The sun, low in the sky, paints golden light onto the tumbling leaves :

Winter. Lonely, cold, and majestic. Great frozen monuments loom in the distance:

Spring. A time of hope and fresh beginnings. The sweet smell of honey and nectar wafts overs the green hills:

Summer.  A happy time of year when plants and animals alike are bustling in a frenzied dance of life-energy:

Beyond the seasonal tunes, there’s plenty of music having to do with character events and festivals:

And of course… some strange music to be heard deep underground:

I am now working on festivals. I am able to use a lot of the same code/scripting as the event cutscenes, which is great.

Happy easter, everyone:

Thanks for reading/listening!

-ConcernedApe

 Hi, hope you are all having a nice 2014 so far!

I’ve been busy finalizing and polishing character event cutscenes. Let me tell you a bit more about what that entails.

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.

So I’ve been working mostly on events, with slight detours here and there to polish other aspects of the game.

Some other new things I’ve added since last update:

• 2 children… a boy and a girl (seen below) — I felt that children were necessary to make the town feel more alive. They are also useful as plot elements, and have already been incorporated into other characters’ storylines.
• Bath house, with locker rooms — Fun setting for events, place to relax, and an excuse to see characters in their bathing suits.
• An arcade in the saloon —  A place for the youth to hang out. Some fun surprises as well.

What else needs to be done before release?

• Finish the rest of the events
• Festivals
• The Joja Corporation story arc
• Post-marriage life
• Finish Multiplayer
• More polishing!
• Testing, technical stuff, performance optimizations, possible mac and linux port

The following are all in-game screenshots:

<– You might encounter it if you play your cards right…

Thanks for reading!

-ConcernedApe

Season’s greetings!

Just want  to touch in and let you guys know that progress on Stardew is still happening as usual. 🙂

There’s nothing new to report on that wouldn’t be a spoiler… I’ve mainly been working on finishing up everything to do with NPC’s.

Here’s a few wintery things:

Hey, I know it’s been a while since the last update. The main reason is that I’ve been working on stuff that really isn’t that interesting or suitable for sharing (e.g. writing character dialogues).  But development  is still progressing as usual!

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.

Now it may seem, from previous updates and screenshots, that Stardew Valley is very polished and ready for release. The truth is that I mainly post screenshots of things that I am proud of, which usually happen to be things that are mostly finished already. I typically don’t post screenshots of things that look incomplete… things that still require some development time. This, of course, will give the impression that the game is more complete than it actually is.

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!

Anyway, enough with the boring stuff!

Here’s a quick look at all the characters you can date/marry (minor spoilers in the form of character bios ahead):

Abigail 

Abigail lives at the general store with her parents. She sometimes fights with her mom, who worries about Abigail’s “alternative lifestyle”. Her mom has the following to say: “I wish Abby would dress more appropriately and stop dyeing her hair blue. She has such a wonderful natural hair color, just like her grandmother did. Oh, and I wish she’d find some wholesome interests instead of this occult nonsense she’s into.” You might find Abigail alone in the graveyard, or maybe out in a rainstorm looking for frogs.

Haley

Being wealthy and popular throughout high school has made Haley a little conceited and self-centered. She has a tendency to judge people for superficial reasons.  But is it too late for her to discover a deeper meaning to life? Is there a fun, open-minded young woman hidden within that candy-coated shell?

Maru

Growing up with a carpenter and a scientist for parents, Maru acquired a passion for creating gadgets at a young age. When she isn’t  in her room, fiddling with tools and machinery, she sometimes does odd jobs at the local clinic.  Friendly, outgoing, and ambitious, Maru would be quite a lucky match for a lowly newcomer such as yourself… Can you win her heart, or will she slip through your fingers and disappear from your life forever?

Leah

Leah lives alone in a small cabin just outside of town. She loves to spend time outside, foraging for a wild meal or simply enjoying the gifts of the season. She’s a talented artist with a large portfolio of work… yet she’s too nervous to display it to the public. Maybe you can give her a little confidence boost?

Penny

Penny lives with her mom, Pam, in a little trailer by the river. While Pam is out carousing at the saloon, Penny quietly tends to her chores in the dim, stuffy room she is forced to call home. She is shy and modest, without any grand ambitions for life other than settling in and starting a family. She likes to cook (although her skills are questionable) and read books from the local library.

Sebastian

Sebastian is a rebellious loner who lives in his parents’ basement. He is Maru’s older half-brother, and feels like his sister gets all the attention and adoration, while he is left to rot in the dark. He tends to get deeply absorbed in computer games, comic books, and sci-fi novels, and will sometimes spend great lengths of time pursuing these hobbies alone in his room. He can be a bit unfriendly to people he doesn’t know. Could a charming new farmer cultivate the wasteland of his heart? Who knows?

Josh

Josh loves sports and hanging out at the beach. He is quite arrogant and brags to everyone that he is going to be a professional athlete. Is his cockiness just a facade to mask his crushing self-doubt? Is he using his sports dream to fill the void left by the disappearance of his parents? Or is he just a brazen youth trying to “look cool”?

Elliott

Elliott lives alone in a cabin on the beach. He is a writer who dreams of one day writing a magnificent novel. He is a sentimental “romantic” with a tendency to go off onto flowery, poetic tangents. When he can afford it, he enjoys a strong beverage at the saloon. Could a humble farmer such as yourself be the inspiration Elliott is looking for? There’s only one way to find out…

Harvey

Harvey is the town doctor. He’s a little old for a bachelor, but he has a kind heart and a respected position in the community. He lives in a small apartment above the medical clinic, but spends most of his time working. You can sense a sadness about him, as if there’s something he’s not telling you…

 Sam

Sam is an outgoing, friendly guy who is brimming with youthful energy. He plays guitar and drums, and wants to start a band with Sebastian as soon as he has enough songs together. However, he does have a habit of starting ambitious projects and not finishing them. Sam is a little stressed about the impending return of his father, who has been away for years due to his line of work.

Skills

As you perform various tasks in Stardew Valley, you’ll gain levels in 6 different areas:

Farming, Mining, Fishing, Foraging, Combat, and Luck

You can gain up to 10 levels in each skill area. For most skills, each level-up grants you new crafting recipes, cooking recipes, or other abilities. At levels 5 and 10, however, you’ll have a chance to choose one of two different talents. Talents grant you small perks related to the skill area. Depending on which talent you choose at level 5, a different set of talents will become available at level 10.

Below you’ll see a visual example of the farming talent tree:

As you can see, your choice at level 5 will set you on a path to being slightly more animal-oriented or slightly more crop-oriented. You’ll still want to do a little of everything if you want to be a well-rounded and successful farmer, but talents will make your favorite activities a little easier and satisfying.

Other new stuff:

Some new fishes and some new dishes:

Crab pots (put bait in them and wait overnight… you can catch all sorts of things!):

Tappers that you can attach to a tree for syrup collection.

Polished the look and layout of town a bit:

Thanks for reading!

-ConcernedApe

Here’s another long overdue development update!

Fishing

The most recent thing I’ve been working on is fishing. I’ve added:

• Fish-catching “minigame” that requires a little bit of skill to succeed at, as well as provide more purpose for fishing equipment.

• Variable casting distance (fishing in deeper waters can net you better fish…) that you can improve by upgrading your fishing rod.

• Baits that entice certain fish, get fish biting faster, and more.

• Bobbers that affect the way the minigame work… making your job easier and increasing your chance of catching difficult fish.

• Improved the look of the water quite a bit.

• A Fishing Shop and a fisherman NPC.

• Fish length… bigger fish sell for more, and your biggest catch for each fish species is recorded!

• More fish.

Here’s a video sneak peek:

You’ll also notice a new on-screen display in the upper right, which includes a snazzy new money dial to make your profiteering a bit more satisfying (sparkles, coin sounds, flying profit/loss indicators, you name it).

I’ve also added item quality (for select types of items), fertilizers, sprinklers, wells, little indicators when a “maker” is ready to be harvested, and the ability for your bee houses to produce flower-specific honey if they are close enough:

Fertilizers can increase the quality of your crops, make them grow faster, or retain moisture so you don’t have to water the soil as often.

Contrary to what one might think based on the low update frequency, I am working hard on the game every day. It’s just a lot of work for one guy, and my main focus is on developing… so unfortunately the updates get neglected sometimes. Anyways, thanks for reading!

-ConcernedApe

I’ve been working on farm animals:

More Info

Some animals (e.g. Dairy Cows) are intended to be kept only for their milk/wool/etc, some (e.g. Hogs) only for their meat, and some (e.g. Chickens) for both!

You can “inspect” animals to see info about their mood, hunger, affection towards you, etc.

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

Happy animals produce more valuable products!

I’ve also been working on some secret “farm events” that I won’t reveal!

Thanks for reading 🙂

-ConcernedApe

Fruit Trees:

Fruit trees are a long-term investment for your farm. They don’t need to be watered, but they are expensive to buy, need a lot of space, and require a full year of growth before they’ll produce any fruit. However, once it’s established, your tree will provide you with juicy morsels every day during its fruiting season!

What will you do with your new fruit?

Sell it?

                                               Cook with it?

               Give it to your sweetie?

Throw the pungent little thing into an oak barrel and spend the winter guzzling strong wine? (don’t do that)

I’ve added new areas and expanded some other ones substantially… including redrawing everything on the beach and adding seagulls & flowing water!

Here’s a couple new screenshots:

These pumpkins don’t actually come from space but it looked compelling anyways—> 

Grow flowers on your farm:

They make great gifts, and bees love them!

<– Sunflowers can be harvested for seeds, too.

I’ve also redrawn a bunch of the animations and tools:

And expanded the world a bit (gotta have some unlockable/secret areas!):