Weeb Island
Wed, Mar 4, 2026 Year 3, Autumn 09Al talks to Kev about Starsand Island
Timings
00:00:00: Theme Tune
00:00:30: Intro
00:01:42: What Have We Been Up To
00:22:40: Feedback
00:25:54: I Know What You Released Last Month
00:26:23: Game News
00:33:06: Pokopia
00:55:03: Stardew 1.7
01:02:55: Starsand Island
02:06:28: Outro
Links
Seeds of Calamity
The Ranchers “Next Fest” Update
Pokopia New Trailer
Pokopia Treehouse
Stardew Valley 10 Year Anniversary Video
Contact
Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot
Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/
Transcript
Theme Tune
(0s) Theme Tune:
[Music]
Intro
(30s) Al:
Hello farmers and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. My name is Al
(35s) Kevin:
My name is Kevin we can we know we’ll talk about Pokemon so
(36s) Al:
And we’re here today to talk about Pokemon wait note cottage core games
(46s)
Yeah, it’s literally in my world would be nothing
(48s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah, yeah
(49s) Al:
All right, this episode we’re gonna talk about star signed Island
(53s) Kevin:
That’s that’s not a stardew spin off or
(56s) Al:
It is not. I have been playing it.
(1m)
I’m going to talk about it a little bit on episodes, but you know, I’m going to properly
(1m 4s)
talk about it. It is not as generic as the name might have it sound. Let’s put it that
(1m 10s) Kevin:
Are you saying this is not just Stardew for we? Yeah, yeah, yeah, right? That’s the caveat, but yes, no. Yeah, yeah, there you go. There you go. Oh.
(1m 11s) Al:
way. No, but also yes. Both can be true. So yeah, we’re going to talk about that. We also
(1m 28s)
have some news.
(1m 30s)
To talk about some big news to talk about before that, I know what you released last month, we also have a piece of feedback to talk about.
(1m 40s) Kevin:
Whoa, that’s exciting
(1m 41s) Al:
But first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to?
What Have We Been Up To
(1m 44s) Kevin:
So I’m picked up a new roguelike in the past two weeks
(1m 49s) Al:
Oh, tell me.
(1m 50s) Kevin:
Called COVID and it’s it’s pretty wild
(1m 54s)
Because some runs you know some days you ever run every day really and some get really hard out of nowhere
(2m) Al:
I thought, I thought a run was every time you get COVID.
(2m 4s) Kevin:
Well, no, now this is only my seconds. Oh
(2m 5s) Al:
It’s a game we’ve been playing since 2020.
(2m 8s) Kevin:
Oh, hey, this is only my second time.
(2m 10s)
Um, and which was wild because I’m pretty sure I had just like a regular cold a couple of weeks ago and there was like a five day pause where I was fine. I was better, but then I got not good again.
(2m 24s)
I thought it was a flu at first, but then about five days in or so pains on my head started and it was a weird symptoms that didn’t feel flu like.
(2m 35s)
Um, so COVID is, uh, it’s, it’s what slowed me down.
(2m 40s)
I actually stopped me. My, my streak of, of appearances on the show. Um, yeah.
(2m 45s) Al:
Yeah, Kevin was meant to be on last week’s episode, but couldn’t because of COVID.
(2m 50s) Kevin:
Yeah. But I am alive. I’m hacking after the side. Um, I was probably still
(2m 55s)
patching and I’m cutting them off, but generally I’m better. I don’t know if I’m contagious
(3m 1s)
still, but I’ve been trying to hold in and hide from the world. Um, but, uh, and yet, yeah.
(3m 4s) Al:
Yeah, I mean, the good thing is you’re not contagious over the internet, so…
(3m 10s)
Oh, don’t say that.
(3m 11s) Kevin:
With this administration, you never know what boundaries that are, are, uh, are good
(3m 17s)
old Kennedy in the health department. We’ll, you know, come up with.
(3m 22s)
Oh, anyway, so yeah, aside from COVID, um, I did actually manage to play a game,
(3m 28s)
hither or thither, um, uh, pigment for. I, I announced it and screamed about it at the
(3m 32s) Al:
ooh
(3m 34s) Kevin:
end of the last step. So I actually did it. I played the pigment for. Um, yeah.
(3m 37s) Al:
Nice. Now, if you remind me before you talk about this game, you have played the other
(3m 41s) Kevin:
I have played, um, I have played, pigment two, three and four. I’ve not played the original.
(3m 42s) Al:
Pickmans, right?
(3m 50s) Kevin:
I have briefly played Hey, Pick, Mindy. Off forgotten 3DS entry and rightfully so
(3m 58s)
off forgot. But, um, but I, no, I’m not played Bloons. Um, yeah, no, I’m touched it. Although
(4m) Al:
And while the Pikmin go, sorry, bloom.
(4m 7s) Kevin:
has an activity with balloon, which is
(4m 11s)
an interesting, but okay. But yeah, I’m
(4m 14s)
in touch with a little bit. Anyway, so pigment for, I have very mixed emotions.
(4m 20s)
So we’re meant to being my first game. As actually, I would say, my favorite
(4m 28s)
pigment, re they, means the difficulty,
(4m 33s)
sitterably, but which is fine because pigment two is, for me, in
(4m 37s)
insanely hard in places. Um, so, you know,
(4m 40s)
maybe not my preference per se, but I still think pigment the overall was pretty well done.
(4m 46s)
Hickman 3 did a great job of, uh, being able to, you know, you have your different
(4m 52s)
groups of pigments, but you also have different playable characters, and you can swap between them
(4m 56s)
in different areas and stuff, um, which makes, you know, the multitasking and strategizing
(5m 1s)
with the pigment very fun. Um, so I’m quite fond of picking three overall, um, and, and
(5m 6s)
and Pikmin too, as I said, very fond of that as well.
(5m 8s)
- Pikmin 4!
(5m 10s)
- Is that to go in a different direction?
(5m 15s)
Instead of a named character, you are an MC, you know.
(5m 19s)
And you’re own unit, you pick your appearance and name.
(5m 23s)
And instead of giving you another captain to be your partner, whatever they give you,
(5m 30s)
be what they call an astro-pop or astro-dog.
(5m 33s)
It’s a weird dog with like two legs, which serves as both an
(5m 40s)
Captain and a squad of Pikmin on its own because Ochi can do
(5m 45s)
most things Pikmin can do, can carry stuff, it can fight enemies, et cetera, et cetera.
(5m 50s)
And so they basically put a lot of emphasis on,
(5m 54s)
kind of like customizing your own character and Ochi instead of focusing more on splitting up a group
(6m 2s)
and managing different captains and whatnot.
(6m 5s)
So I’m not particularly fond of that direction,
(6m 9s)
But the old
(6m 10s)
old game design, they actually took a lot back from clickment to or a lot of note from the design
(6m 17s)
inputment to. They introduced a lot of caves which were not that prevalent in Pikmin 3 and so you
(6m 24s)
know you have your overworld where you’re out collecting treasure and fruits and whatever with your
(6m 29s)
Pikmin and you’ll enter caves which are you know however many levels deep varies wildly the biggest
(6m 36s)
what I’ve seen is like when gee I think um
(6m 40s)
But most of them are five to ten at most.
(6m 44s)
And so caves are kind of like a different environment.
(6m 47s)
And so you’re going to go away from the overworld.
(6m 49s)
And you’re solving these puzzles.
(6m 51s)
Anyways, I think the puzzle design of Raw in Pikmin 4
(6m 56s)
is considerably easier than Pikmin 3 or 2.
(7m 3s)
But they brought back a lot of enemies
(7m 5s)
from two, including some quite difficult and challenging ones,
(7m 8s)
which is very fun to see.
(7m 11s)
So yeah, I have mixed feelings.
(7m 12s)
So they did a lot of stuff.
(7m 13s)
I like a lot of stuff.
(7m 14s)
I’m not fond of.
(7m 15s)
But I played it.
(7m 17s)
I hit credits technically.
(7m 19s)
But this is one of those games where you hit credits.
(7m 22s)
But they gave you another big task right after
(7m 24s)
to reach the real credits.
(7m 26s)
You know?
(7m 28s)
And so I’ve been working toward that.
(7m 30s)
I’m more or less at that end point.
(7m 33s)
But I’m going through and kind of just 100%ing everything.
(7m 37s)
But yeah, I mean, it’s a…
(7m 40s)
enough to keep me engaged.
(7m 42s)
Um, so yeah, pigment for…
(7m 44s)
I’d still give it a thumbs up.
(7m 46s)
I like pigment for someone who’s never played.
(7m 49s)
I think it’s a solid entry, probably.
(7m 52s)
Um, but I still would recommend three or maybe even two to someone else.
(7m 59s)
So I mean, I personally recommend two, but I know two’s not going to be fair to everyone.
(8m 2s)
Um, oh, there is one weird restriction though.
(8m 6s)
So you can have a hundred pigment on the field at any time.
(8m 10s)
It’s a series staple that’s always been the limitation and then it’s fine.
(8m 14s)
Here’s the weird thing though, in pigment four, you can only have three types of pigment
(8m 19s)
at any given time.
(8m 21s)
That’s really weird because there are seven types of minerals, I think.
(8m 29s)
If my math is correct, um, there’s nine, I don’t remember, um, but it’s weird because, yeah,
(8m 29s) Al:
- Mm-hmm.
(8m 35s)
- Certainly more than three.
(8m 37s) Kevin:
- Yeah, certainly more than three.
(8m 40s)
Back on the GameCube.
(8m 42s)
And it would have five types of Pikmin at one time.
(8m 46s)
So it feels weird that they’d limited that.
(8m 49s)
What?
(8m 50s)
Yeah, I don’t know what to make of that.
(8m 53s) Al:
That is a weird thing to go back on essentially.
(8m 53s) Kevin:
But yeah, basically, I think, and I think maybe that’s
(8m 58s)
why they eased up on the puzzles.
(8m 59s)
Like you don’t need as many Pikmin types
(9m 1s)
for every obstacle or whatever, like, I don’t know.
(9m 5s)
It’s strange, but they did it, and I don’t know.
(9m 11s)
Oh, there is one thing.
(9m 14s)
The night expeditions.
(9m 16s)
Wow, so the classic Pikmin gameplay loop
(9m 20s)
is you have, you know, you land on the planet
(9m 24s)
and you have a certain period of time
(9m 27s)
until the end of the day, like, literally sunset,
(9m 31s)
and you have to wrap everything up because the Pikmin
(9m 35s)
world is far too dangerous at night.
(9m 41s)
So if you have any Pikmin left on the surface,
(9m 43s)
they always die at the end of the day, and so on.
(9m 48s)
Well, in Pikmin 4, they have introduced
(9m 50s)
the nighttime expeditions for the first time
(9m 53s)
ever you can actually go out at night.
(9m 55s)
But it’s not for a hard version of the game.
(9m 58s)
Instead, it is kind of like a tower defense mode
(10m 1s)
with Pikmin where you’re given, like this kind of at-hill thing
(10m 6s)
to protect and you have to fight off waves of enemies with.
(10m 10s)
Specifically glow pickman a new kind of pigment which are green and kind of alien ghosty and they just float around
(10m 18s)
and they’re just
(10m 21s)
Yeah, they’re basic pickman that you know fight and gather enemies and increase their population but
(10m 28s)
You don’t even count like losses of glow pickman against your total loss because that’s
(10m 34s)
Statistics they can’t keep track of how many pigment ever lost or off anyway, so so yeah, it
(10m 40s)
You know, it’s it’s fine. I like tower defense. This one’s okay. I haven’t played the harder levels
(10m 46s)
So maybe they get better, but they they’ve just been flying so far, but
(10m 51s)
But they they I I’ve called them for trying something to wow
(10m 56s)
And so yeah, so gameplay wise like exit the whole thing solid
(10m 59s)
Um, there is something weird labor. Oh, yes, I would call it like in pigment 2 and to an extent 30
(11m 8s)
Um, the…
(11m 10s)
Kind of hint, like, understood meaning it was that you’re on a post-apocalyptic earth basically.
(11m 19s)
Um, that’s why all the treasures and stuff here finding are just random earth stuff, normal everyday objects.
(11m 26s)
But you never see people around.
(11m 28s)
Um, but now the series has pivoted to, well, actually know the people are alive because at one point you enter a human household.
(11m 38s)
You know, let’s see the humans, but…
(11m 41s)
it’s clear like it’s not abandoned or whatever like it’s it’s clearly in use so it just feels
(11m 47s)
strange to go in that direction like to un- you know to un- end the world I guess.
(11m 54s) Al:
Is it not that this is not a different world?
(11m 54s) Kevin:
Yeah, so the all so the depictman characters are from different worlds. They’re from
(12m 3s)
Hokkotade and and kopai and different planets but the pickman world again was
(12m 11s)
heavily understood to be some version of earth because you’re finding um by one of the first
(12m 17s)
objects you pick up and pickman for is a Game Boy Advance SP like it’s very clear like oh these are
(12m 22s)
earth centric um items and you at times you’ll get you know like over a shot of the whole
(12m 29s)
planet it’s clearly you know there’s the shapes of the continents and whatnot um but uh you know
(12m 34s)
at certain points it looked like there was more ice or something like that but uh but yeah now
(12m 39s)
Now let’s screw up the wall.
(12m 41s)
Not earth is fine and you can go inside a human household now. So yeah, I don’t know. It’s strange, but that’s what it is
(12m 49s)
Yeah, anyways, oh actually yeah, even came out the video unrelated to pigment for I don’t know if you saw this out
(12m 55s)
But they did like an animation short of becoming interacting with like a human baby
(13m 1s)
Which is really weird
(13m 2s)
Yeah, I don’t get it. I don’t know what I don’t know if they’re doing if it’s gonna be really weird if we interact with people but
(13m 9s) Al:
I think that’s just meant to be a marketing thing, and I don’t think that’s meant to be like anything more than that.
(13m 9s) Kevin:
But anyways, that’s you know
(13m 11s)
I guess so look this make me the fans we don’t get stuff off and so you know we have to think we can get and then we stretch it but
(13m 24s)
Yeah, that’s big meant for like I said I mixed emotions, but overall I enjoyed it. Um, yeah, that’s that’s the main thing
(13m 33s)
One day happened. I played masters. I got the 96 red. He’s it’s crazy. He’s a weird art style, but
(13m 41s)
He exists and whatever I can with happy. Um, anyways, oh, what about you? What’s going on?
(13m 48s) Al:
Yeah, well, mostly mostly just being playing more Star Sound Island because, you know, this
(13m 56s)
podcast, we’ll talk about that later, but I’ve also been kind of continuing and trying
(14m 5s)
to finish off the Home Decks for Pokemon Sword and Shield.
(14m 8s)
I kind of got bored for a while because it’s not super fun, but I got back into today.
(14m 9s) Kevin:
Mmm. That’s it.
(14m 16s) Al:
I spent like two hours doing it today in Gottlake.
(14m 18s)
50 Pokemon, so I feel like if I like go really hard
(14m 22s)
I can still get it done before Pocopia comes out, but let’s be honest with Pocopia if I’m not done by then I will
(14m 25s) Kevin:
How far?
(14m 28s) Al:
I will not be continuing once Pocopia is
(14m 30s) Kevin:
Understandably everything stops in bakopia comes out. Understandably.
(14m 35s)
But how far are you? Like, what’s the percentage or x out of y?
(14m 38s) Al:
Let’s let’s have let’s have a look at my exact numbers. I am at
(14m 44s)
1997 out of $597.com.
(14m 48s)
It is, but I think if I don’t play anything else in all my gaming time is just that, then I can probably do it, but that’s the problem is that’s a big if, like if I do that, I’m almost, I’m almost feeling like at this point I just kind of, and I could have done this all the long time.
(14m 53s) Kevin:
two turns up and um that’s a tall order before pakopian. I’ll be honest.
(15m 10s)
Yeah, if you feel like it.
(15m 18s) Al:
I’m like, let me just transfer and poke them on and breed them because I feel like that will be quicker at this point.
(15m 23s) Kevin:
Yeah, I get that feeling I know that exact feeling up
(15m 27s) Al:
Because a lot of them are like, oh, I need a legit colo, okay, well, legit colo is only in shield fine, whatever, and is only in one place in the whole game, so it’s either train up a low tide to elaborate a legit colo or catch it in the one place that it can be.
(15m 48s)
Is one place in the wild area only when the weather is in that one place, a specific weather.
(15m 54s) Kevin:
That sounds correct.
(15m 56s) Al:
It has to be rainy.
(15m 59s)
I don’t know if I can be in the rate that weather only changes one every day, unless you, unless you date roll over, right, which I’m not doing because I can’t be bothered.
(16m 6s) Kevin:
Oh yeah, that’s right.
(16m 11s) Al:
So it’s like at this point, I’m just like, I just do I just want to trade in a low tide, breed it.
(16m 18s) Kevin:
Yes. Yes.
(16m 19s) Al:
Three times and then train it up probably, but it’s my word. It’s just so and it’s like, okay, the one that’s really annoying me just now is the routes line because they can only be got in the wild area in fog.
(16m 37s)
But only there are certain, only in certain places in fog, not other places in fog. There’s like, there was one place that had fog today, but that’s not a place that this spawns in fog. Okay, great.
(16m 41s) Kevin:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
(16m 49s) Al:
There’s literally nowhere else you can get this unless it’s foggy. I don’t understand why.
(16m 53s) Kevin:
That’s right, that’s why you should just never stop playing
(16m 58s)
sword and she would play it every day. That’s how it goes. Um,
(17m) Al:
Well, the worst thing, the worst thing about this is I’ve done all this. I’ve done all of this for every single one of these Pokemon. I have already done it because I have the decks complete in the game. What did I do? Kevin, what did I do with the deck, the living decks I had in this game? What did I do with it?
(17m 5s) Kevin:
yeah.
(17m 17s)
Oh, that that part, oh man, I can’t even imagine how that feels because I’ve done, you know,
(17m 23s)
Living Dexter too, but to know they’re out there somewhere. Oh man
(17m 28s) Al:
This is why, this is why every game, no. I do the Living Decks as I play it.
(17m 32s) Kevin:
Do your oak decks
(17m 35s)
You’re crazy for that
(17m 36s) Al:
I don’t necessarily do it as a walk, right? It doesn’t have to be done as a walk. I didn’t do a
(17m 40s)
challenge in ZA, but I kept the Living Decks as I was going. Every area I catch, one of every
(17m 47s)
Pokemon plus one of every evolution that it has, and then you just work through your way through
(17m 52s)
it and as you’re playing the game, you just have it. It’s fun that way. Trying to do all
(17m 58s)
you’ve done the game is not fun.
(17m 59s) Kevin:
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
(18m 1s)
I’m in your Pokemon game.
(18m 3s)
Ow, that’s the same game.
(18m 7s) Al:
So yeah, I don’t know. Well, like tune in next week to find out if I have managed to do it,
(18m 13s)
and I have finished, of course, as people are listening to this, I will know whether I’ve done it,
(18m 19s)
because this releases the night before Pocopia comes out, but they will not know. Maybe the
(18m 25s)
just like people will know. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll post this in the slide.
(18m 28s)
I did Kevin. One other thing I’ve got is I got my code for
(18m 29s) Kevin:
Opia of all eyes. Oh. Oh. That feels. Yes.
(18m 35s) Al:
Procopia and it is preloaded on my switch to I am ready to go. And I actually have a
(18m 42s)
really funny story about this. So I I ordered this on the Nintendo store because
(18m 51s)
the Nintendo store had a digital preorder. They included a
(18m 58s)
physical bonus item. Yeah, it was the one that I got. There were a few
(19m 2s) Kevin:
The little, the little bag, I think it was.
(19m 8s) Al:
different ones on the UK store. The one that I got was like a pencil case,
(19m 12s)
basically. It calls itself a travel case, but it’s essentially a pencil case. I
(19m 16s)
don’t know what other people would use it for. So a pencil case. On Wednesday, I
(19m 23s)
I think it was, it did the pre-order charge you money.
(19m 28s)
Thing which did go through it went through and my credit card got charged and the emailed me the code for the game
(19m 36s)
Which I then put into my account and it registered on my console
(19m 39s)
But then I got an email through
(19m 43s)
I got an email through
(19m 45s)
saying
(19m 47s)
Let me get it
(19m 48s)
I got an email through from Nintendo saying payment failure to your customer
(19m 53s) Kevin:
Uh oh, uh oh!
(19m 54s) Al:
Unfortunately, we were not able to process the payment for your order.
(19m 58s)
We will try to reprocess the payment for days, please make sure your payment method is still valid and has enough balance available to change your payment method. Please log in and then it says relevant items and it just has the pencil case, not the game, which I will remind you was a free preorder bonus.
(20m 13s) Kevin:
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
(20m 20s) Al:
I just to confirm the payment process I can see it on my credit card and I go.
(20m 28s)
I just got the download code for Procopia and this email does not say there was an issue with Procopia. It just says it was an issue with the pencil case or travel bag.
(20m 29s) Kevin:
Yeah, but you didn’t
(20m 37s)
Well, why didn’t you pay the $3.99 for your PCopia case now?
(20m 42s) Al:
The zero pounds, zero pounds.
(20m 43s) Kevin:
Yep, that’s correct. Oh
(20m 46s)
That’s good
(20m 47s) Al:
So it will be interesting to see what happens whether they actually ever send me this item or not, whether tomorrow because tomorrow is four days or maybe it will be Monday, maybe it’s four working days.
(20m 58s)
Tuesday, who knows, whatever four days.
(21m 3s)
We interesting to see whether or not they try and charge me again or whether it just goes, Oh, we succeeded this time doesn’t charge me anything.
(21m 12s)
I’m just really fascinated to see what happens with this. It’s such a weird situation.
(21m 15s) Kevin:
that’s
(21m 17s)
Yeah, I mean obviously but
(21m 18s) Al:
I don’t think, no, you go.
(21m 21s) Kevin:
No, it’s obviously that sounds like an issue from their side somehow they’re trying to charge it or whatever
(21m 27s)
That’s that’s wild. Oh, I hope you get it. There’s nothing that aggravates me more than a pre-order bonus that I don’t get it’s happening before I don’t like it
(21m 34s) Al:
Yeah, I mean, the good thing is this was the cheapest way to buy it as well. I wasn’t finding anywhere cheaper
(21m 41s)
So it’s not the end of the world and I just chose this because like none of the other pre-order bonuses looked interesting to me
(21m 48s)
This is the only one that I was like I could see myself using this
(21m 51s)
So that’s why I went first specifically. I just like the fact there’s a pre-order bonus physical pre-order bonus for a digital game. I like that
(21m 52s) Kevin:
sure sure sure
(21m 58s)
Yeah, that’s that’s pretty dank cool. Um
(22m 2s)
Man, that’s that’s for aggravating me. I hope you get it. I the one that haunts me to this day
(22m 4s) Al:
Me too.
(22m 10s) Kevin:
Was Phoenix Wright three. I was like back in high school. I pre ordered through game stop
(22m 15s)
I was supposed to get a Phoenix Wright plushie that would say objection when he squeezed him
(22m 21s)
As far as we start to do.
(22m 22s)
I didn’t get any and I didn’t get my pre-order bonus and that’s to be me.
(22m 27s)
Anyways, hope you get your ditto back.
(22m 31s) Al:
We will see what happens
(22m 33s)
Right, I think that’s everything. That’s what we’ve been up to
(22m 38s)
whoo
(22m 38s) Kevin:
Wooooo!
Feedback
(22m 40s) Al:
All right, so we have some feedback. We got our message through on our feedback form on our website, which you can find at
(22m 48s)
harvest season.club
(22m 51s)
shivers has sent us a message
(22m 52s) Kevin:
I’m which. Oh, that’s our name. Hello, shivers. Ah, people listen to us. Uh-huh.
(22m 55s) Al:
shivers. The shivers have said the draft is such a fun idea.
(23m 1s)
I think Cody has this one, even after blowing the top off our curve with the Honda Joclet here.
(23m 6s) Kevin:
Oh my god. Yeah, yeah, kind of. Yeah. Oh. I make a Wednesday.
(23m 8s) Al:
Kevin is more likely to see Superstu’s story this year,
(23m 13s)
which both, which I find a funny sentence to mean because obviously it’s saying that like
(23m 19s)
Honda Joclet here is very unlikely to do it, but also I think they’re also saying the Superstu’s story is unlikely as well, just less unlikely than on the Joclet here.
(23m 26s) Kevin:
Why? They’re right, they’re right. Why did I think neverway was already out?
(23m 31s) Al:
They
(23m 35s)
continue. Joclet here is concerned. It’s a song of ice and fire or sorry, a song of fire and ice. That’s the is at the final Game of Thrones book. Is that what it is?
(23m 42s) Kevin:
Yeah, I think probably, yeah, it sounds right.
(23m 47s) Al:
Let’s have a jet.
(23m 49s)
I I was listening to a podcast where they were talking about Game of Thrones because there was a new TV series that came out recently. It was in the universe.
(23m 50s) Kevin:
It is.
(23m 54s)
Yeah.
(23m 57s)
Yeah.
(23m 59s) Al:
They were suggesting that.
(24m 1s)
The actually the book is very much is probably very much like the final season of the TV and he’s delayed it because people didn’t like it
(24m 10s) Kevin:
Yeah, that’s a prevalent theory I
(24m 10s) Al:
And so and so he’s actually he’s probably got it in his will that he’s kind of they’re gonna publish the book after he dies
(24m 18s) Kevin:
Was not bother rewriting it just sitting on its nobody yells it if oh that’s a play
(24m 20s) Al:
Yeah, I love this theory. I love this theory
(24m 25s) Kevin:
That’s good. I like that. I haven’t heard that spin. I like that. He’s just gonna leave it bad. Oh, yeah
(24m 32s) Al:
Yeah
(24m 35s)
Shivers continues
(24m 37s)
Chocolateier
(24m 38s)
Sorry, so I said that but chocolateier’s continued. It’s Song of Fire and I say okay, maybe not that bad
(24m 43s)
But let’s see if it drops before the next Nintendo system have a good harvest y’all
(24m 49s) Kevin:
Mmm. Oh, that’s mean. That’s mean.
(24m 53s) Al:
The next so that without I think even in my most negative scenario
(24m 58s)
I can’t see it not being released in eight years
(25m 2s) Kevin:
Switch to was was it this year? No, it’s last was the last last year technically only. Yeah, 2020 high
(25m 2s) Al:
There was eight years. Oh, it was last year. It was eight years
(25m 9s)
2025 minus 2017 that is eight years. It was over eight years between the switch and switch to coming out
(25m 12s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah
(25m 15s) Al:
So if we assume the same thing
(25m 15s) Kevin:
Yeah, cuz
(25m 17s) Al:
That’s saying plus eight that’s saying that it wouldn’t be out until you know the second half of 20 33
(25m 23s) Kevin:
2032 no
(25m 26s) Al:
That is a very very pessimistic take
(25m 27s) Kevin:
That’s mean yeah, oh that’s good
(25m 32s)
Um
(25m 32s) Al:
I think we’re already being pessimistic when we say before after 20 30
(25m 35s) Kevin:
Yeah, absolutely, um, yeah, I yeah, that’s funny
(25m 40s) Al:
Thank you Shivers for your feedback if you want to defend your feedback you can do so our website, please do and we will read it on the
(25m 42s) Kevin:
Thank you
(25m 48s) Al:
Podcast unless you say something rude about me
(25m 51s) Kevin:
No, especially, especially that.
(25m 53s) Al:
Kevin, I know what you released last month you specifically
I Know What You Released Last Month
(25m 55s) Kevin:
Yes.
(25m 58s)
Oh, what did I release a lot of germs?
(26m 2s) Al:
It was a very quiet month. We got stars and island and we got tiny garden on switch. That’s it. That’s the entire month
(26m 6s) Kevin:
I heard about that game.
(26m 9s)
That’s, wow.
(26m 10s)
Oh, oh, okay.
(26m 15s)
I think, you know what, let’s talk about at least one of these games on this episode.
(26m 20s) Al:
it sounds like a plan. All right, let’s talk about some news. First up, we have seeds
(26m 21s) Kevin:
Just to stretch the segment now.
Game News
Seeds Of Calamity
(26m 27s) Al:
of calamity have released their fourth major update. It is out now. It includes faster
(26m 34s)
movement speed, bombs, more decorations, large chests, and new adorable companion, a fox if you want to
(26m 42s) Kevin:
That’s a wild
(26m 44s)
area
(26m 48s)
Those large chests are square um
(26m 50s) Al:
know. They are very, very chunky. It’s seeds of calamity. It’s one of the, you’re rebuilding
(26m 54s) Kevin:
Yeah, let’s see here. Um, I’m trying what this game is but um
(27m)
Movement speed. That’s good. Yeah. Yeah. Oh goodness
(27m 9s) Al:
after a great calamity tape. It’s a starchy leg.
(27m 9s) Kevin:
- Well, yeah.
(27m 12s)
- Yeah, yeah, I see, yeah.
(27m 16s)
Bombs, that’s a big one, I guess.
(27m 19s)
Okay, are we still in early acts?
(27m 21s)
Yeah, it is, okay, not explain it.
(27m 21s) Al:
Yeah, it’s early access, yeah.
(27m 24s) Kevin:
I mean, we’re caught at score, of course,
(27m 25s)
it’s early acts, it’s just, um, cool.
(27m 26s) Al:
Mm-hmm. Wow.
(27m 29s) Kevin:
Good for them, they can move faster,
(27m 31s)
take that to the good times.
(27m 32s)
[laughing]
(27m 33s) Al:
Next, we have the ranchers, next, first update, and it adds in some control and camera updates
(27m 34s) Kevin:
It’s getting.
The Ranchers
(27m 44s) Al:
with some quality of life improvements.
(27m 47s)
Plus, they are removing all their AI-generated stuff from the game, so specifically, they
(27m 52s) Kevin:
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh goodness.
(27m 56s)
Good work.
(28m) Al:
they had NPC phone call voiceovers.
(28m 3s) Kevin:
Oh, not a, not a voice, aw, come on.
(28m 8s)
You, the dev team could do that themselves, aw, come on.
(28m 12s) Al:
Replaced with dialogue style audio cues. That’s like those grunts. She gets right presumably
(28m 18s) Kevin:
- Okay, fine, yes, thank you.
(28m 21s) Al:
Removed the NPC dialogue Q&A mechanic for visitors and resident NPCs. So it’s not like tech if they’ve done like AI generated text dialogue for
(28m 35s) Kevin:
Oh yeah, do you think some racist nonsense was coming out?
(28m 40s) Al:
I don’t think it was AI generated within the game.
(28m 45s)
I think they just got an LLM to like get them a bunch of dialogue.
(28m 49s) Kevin:
uh let’s put the prompt, it’s no copy pasted, gotcha.
(28m 52s) Al:
Yeah, I think that’s all is replaced loading screens with the main game illustration.
(28m 57s)
So that was probably some AI art there.
(29m) Kevin:
Oh, yeah
(29m 1s) Al:
Removed all AI generated artworks, including well paintings.
(29m 6s)
And the best one replaced AI-generated car radio music.
(29m 10s)
Which is, which the that one in particular is funny because it’s like, they’re not even
(29m 12s) Kevin:
Oh my goodness, that’s a lot of element
(29m 20s) Al:
like, oh, this is saving us time. That one was just saving the money because they replaced it with
(29m 25s)
licensed music, which of course leads into some fun issues where there might be some copyright
(29m 27s) Kevin:
- Yeah, yeah.
(29m 33s)
- Whoa.
(29m 34s) Al:
issues for streaming because it’s licensed music. They’ve said they’re working on a solution for that.
(29m 35s) Kevin:
- Mm-hmm, out of the pot.
(29m 40s)
- Oh goodness.
(29m 41s)
I mean, there’s, there is a solution.
(29m 45s)
It’s biological, ‘cause hey, a music person
(29m 48s)
do the music, but you know, it’s clearly not their first idea,
(29m 57s)
there’s go-to strategy, I guess.
(30m) Al:
So the comments on this are very much half and half of people saying, oh, this is a good decision to remove it and people saying, why did you remove it?
(30m 11s) Kevin:
oh I met oh we haven’t run into I think anything this AI heavy on the show before
(30m 20s) Al:
Yeah, this is this is pretty chunky this
(30m 24s)
They were I think we don’t need to get into the the ethical discussion around it, right?
(30m 28s)
Like I don’t think I don’t think trying to convince anyone that is right or wrong will convince anybody right like
(30m 36s) Kevin:
Yeah
(30m 36s) Al:
People have their opinions and mostly will stick to their opinions on that. I think it’s interesting
(30m 43s)
The pressure has actually led to them changing things because this is obviously going to give them more work and their
(30m 50s)
The obviously decided that the amount of work that they have to do is is less than the
(30m 57s)
Blowback they’re getting for having it
(31m)
Which is interesting because I hadn’t seen anything about this until they posted a bit
(31m 5s)
I was because I’ve not played the game yet, and I was not aware
(31m 7s) Kevin:
Yeah
(31m 9s) Al:
This was a thing in the game
(31m 11s) Kevin:
No, um
(31m 14s)
Called the ranchers. I don’t um, yeah, I and like
(31m 19s)
Looking at this game like oh, how what this gently? This is not fields of mystery, right? I don’t know how huge this community is so
(31m 28s)
Like I don’t know who’s developing it. I don’t know how much direct feedback. They’re getting etc. Etc
(31m 35s)
That’s wild to see though.
(31m 35s) Al:
And yeah, and I’m also interested to how these things like there’s a demo to the game
(31m 41s)
So that must be how people are aware of these things, right? Because it’s not even out in early access yet
(31m 46s)
Although somehow it’s in my steam library already. I don’t know how I
(31m 53s) Kevin:
Oh, what?
(31m 53s) Al:
Must have kickstarted this
(31m 55s) Kevin:
Oh, sick.
(31m 56s) Al:
Yeah, many thoughts. I’m not sure there’s a huge amount of
(32m 2s)
benefit of continuing to discuss that the whole bit.
(32m 4s) Kevin:
Yeah, I’m just that’s a lot of elements. That’s like, okay, well, I’m giving them a thumbs up. I’m baffled by how we got here, but cool
(32m 5s) Al:
Like it’s yeah, it’s very interesting. Um, yeah, there you go.
(32m 21s)
There you go, as you say.
(32m 24s)
The music one is particularly funny because like,
(32m 26s)
I don’t think I’ve heard a piece of AI music
(32m 29s)
that hasn’t like just really grated with my ears.
(32m 33s) Kevin:
Yeah
(32m 33s) Al:
Like, even if there’s even if there’s quite often elements
(32m 36s)
that are like, okay, that’s like a catchy riff or whatever.
(32m 39s)
But like the whole music as a whole, just like this,
(32m 43s)
there’s something about them that just feels wrong, you know?
(32m 47s) Kevin:
- Yeah.
(32m 47s) Al:
And you can, ‘cause, and then it’s not just like,
(32m 49s)
Oh, it’s AI there for.
(32m 51s)
I don’t like it. It’s like when you hear AI music and you didn’t know it was AI before,
(32m 55s)
you can hear there’s AI and you’re like, oh, that’s some horrible AI music, right?
(32m 59s)
It’s just like so clearly the case.
(33m 2s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah, I agree. Oh
(33m 5s) Al:
Next up, we have bocopia. There was two things, two things for bocopia recently.
Pokopia
(33m 14s) Al:
And that is the earlier this week, as we were recording, this is Saturday,
(33m 19s)
28 February. Earlier.
(33m 21s)
This week, there was a one hour long tree house video where they went into some more details and then of course we had a new trailer with some new information on things and the Pokemon presents as well.
(33m 35s)
Kevin, what do you want to talk about first?
(33m 39s) Kevin:
Okay, I haven’t seen I haven’t seen the tree house so tell me about it
(33m 44s) Al:
So most of it is kind of just stuff that we already knew and just like showing it in more detail.
(33m 51s)
What I did find interesting is there’s multiple times. So you know how you’re starting that
(33m 55s)
area that’s like surrounded by cliffs on all sides.
(33m 58s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah, you’re in little like Molly paved can you think yeah
(34m 2s) Al:
Yeah, they very much limited themselves to that area and we’re clearly telling us that they
(34m 10s)
were doing that to not spoil surprises. There was a point
(34m 14s)
where there was a pigeon, you get a dosing machine, which will show you where items are,
(34m 21s)
but you have to use a Pokemon with the dosing machine, so they were using a pigeon that was then
(34m 26s)
showing you where the hidden items were. Which is this cool, but when they started going towards where
(34m 34s)
the pigeon wanted them to go, it was taking them up to the top of the cliff, and they would not do that.
(34m 38s)
They said, we’re not going to do that because we don’t want to spoil it. And I’m like, whoa.
(34m 42s) Kevin:
I don’t want to show the dead greener hanging from the parachute.
(34m 44s) Al:
They didn’t want to throw us outside of this valley, and I’m like, what is it that they’re not
(34m 52s)
wanting to show us that’s right outside of this valley? Because it’s not like we haven’t seen
(34m 55s)
stuff out of the valley. Because they’ve shown us in trailers, they’ve shown us like the water,
(35m)
and the dragonite, and the lat person stuff like that. So it’s not the concept that there is a bigger
(35m 5s)
world. We know about that. So there’s something specific that is just out of sight from the first
(35m 6s) Kevin:
Yup, you know, I mean, I think I nailed it. It’s pretty pretty clear to me.
(35m 10s) Al:
area that they don’t want us to see.
(35m 14s)
So that would very much change the concept of the game.
(35m 16s) Kevin:
Corpse is out there, man.
(35m 21s)
Yeah, well.
(35m 23s) Al:
Imagine you start playing this with your young child because it’s such a lovely little
(35m 26s)
Pokemon game.
(35m 27s)
I find you playing some dead bodies a lot more.
(35m 32s) Kevin:
Look, it’s gonna be, the opening is gonna be the Hello Kitty opening, but they’re gonna play it straight.
(35m 39s) Al:
So yeah, they showed us a bunch of other things as well, like they showed us how their farming
(35m 46s)
works, they showed us interacting with the Pokemon.
(35m 51s)
The Pokemon seem to be very much like self-gating, like they will just do things while you’re
(35m 57s)
not dealing with them and they will sometimes come up to you and talk to you because they
(36m)
want to do something with you.
(36m 3s) Kevin:
Okay, so kind of
(36m 3s) Al:
So it definitely feels quite lived in which is good.
(36m 6s) Kevin:
Okay, almost called to the lambi
(36m 10s) Al:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it kind of like that.
(36m 12s)
Yeah, so it feels like the Pokemon have like once and needs and they will make it clear
(36m 17s)
to you and it’s not just like they just sit in their corner waiting for you to talk to them.
(36m 21s) Kevin:
Stick. That’s what I want.
(36m 21s) Al:
They will do things, they will even, there was a point where they went over to one because
(36m 25s)
they wanted to do with talk to our Pokemon and the Pokemon was having a conversation with
(36m 29s)
another Pokemon.
(36m 32s)
So yeah, that seems really nice, it seems like it will be fun.
(36m 38s)
where else this should be.
(36m 39s)
But I don’t know whether that was just for that one and other ones might take longer.
(36m 52s) Kevin:
Ooh. Okay.
(37m) Al:
They showed us the Pokemon center being rebuilt and they said that what they were showing as there was much faster than in the real game.
(37m 9s)
And it took maybe like three minutes in game. So I don’t, you know, kind of, they were just saying that that was much faster than normal.
(37m 19s)
So that’s interesting. I don’t, I think if it’s like, if it is sort of like 15 minutes as like the max, then that feels fine to me. I think what will annoy me is if things start taking hours.
(37m 29s) Kevin:
Yeah
(37m 32s)
Or, you know, yeah, that’s a question right are we getting into animal crossing where I have to territory where you have to turn off the game because it’s got nothing to do to tomorrow
(37m 33s) Al:
Ortiz, yeah.
(37m 41s)
I would be surprised if that was the case, especially as it looks like you get like the,
(37m 49s)
so you’ve got like him on channel that gives you the terraforming ability.
(37m 55s)
It looks like you can get that very quickly from why I can see.
(38m 1s)
So like even if you have to wait for other things, they’ll at least be that.
(38m 6s)
You can deal with which that opens up the world quite a lot, right?
(38m 8s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah, okay. Yeah. Yeah. I’m not I I just I don’t think we’ll see that either. I’m just you know, just praising
(38m 11s) Al:
The other, yeah, yeah, exactly.
(38m 17s)
I think once things take an hour, I’m getting annoyed.
(38m 20s)
If things take a day, I think that changes things for me.
(38m 24s)
And I don’t think it’ll be that bad.
(38m 27s) Kevin:
Going from a 12 10 out of 10 to an 11 out of 10 and then
(38m 31s) Al:
So the other couple of things they showed is where how you know how to get certain Pokémon.
(38m 41s)
Pokémon will have specific habitats to show up.
(38m 45s)
Like we saw them in the trailers before we’ve seen them like creating like watering grass and then Pokémon will jump out of the grass.
(38m 54s)
There’s lots of different kinds of habitats they call them, which is like there’s just having four pieces of grass together as a habitat.
(39m 3s)
There’s having him on chance one was a bench with a boxing…
(39m 11s)
There were things like a rock with five pieces of grass round.
(39m 17s)
It sounds like there’s a lot of different habitats that you have to build to get the different Pokémon.
(39m 23s)
And the game kind of gives you hints towards what they might be.
(39m 27s)
And then once you’ve done one, it kind of goes into like a deck of sorts where you’re like this is now.
(39m 31s) Kevin:
Yeah, this man, like I’ve been so, you know, freaking out about the dragon quick I spilled
(39m 32s) Al:
I know have a list of all the habitats I’ve created and what I did.
(39m 44s) Kevin:
their aspects like I haven’t thought about like the Pokemon aspects. How big is this deck
(39m 49s)
going to be? You know, I assume there’s a legendary or two that you’ll have to build a very specific
(39m 55s)
habitat for, um, or something like that.
(39m 57s) Al:
We did get confirmation that Legendre’s are in the game and the video and the presents.
(40m 1s) Kevin:
Right.
(40m 6s) Al:
So, yeah, that’s presumably going to be really hard to get, right?
(40m 12s) Kevin:
Yeah, probably like end or post game content, probably.
(40m 14s) Al:
So the other big thing, so there was a small thing which was that confirmation we got that you’re all your items are stored inside.
(40m 16s) Kevin:
Oh, dang, man, I’ll go.
(40m 19s)
I’ll, I’ll, I’ll.
(40m 27s) Al:
You need your body because they showed, when you open the inventory, they pointed out that the inventory is shaped like a detour and they said that’s because you’re storing everything inside you.
(40m 28s) Kevin:
Yeah, Stockpile split up baby!
(40m 39s)
All.
(40m 41s) Al:
They explicitly said that on the tree eyes.
(40m 42s) Kevin:
Yes.
(40m 44s)
Existential horror of your X-ray inventory. Yes.
(40m 44s) Al:
So, yeah, absolutely love it. It’s fantastic. More of that, please.
(40m 51s) Kevin:
All.
(40m 53s) Al:
Two other things one is that you have pp to do
(40m 57s)
the moves and you regain pp by eating so it’s just kind of there’s a stamina basically
(41m 5s) Kevin:
Oh, you know, probably help if they do it super, sorta, or that, all right, well, that is
(41m 13s) Al:
And- » [INAUDIBLE]
(41m 17s) Kevin:
interesting.
(41m 18s)
Yeah, okay.
(41m 19s)
Wow.
(41m 20s)
See, that’s neat because I gives you more of a reason to farm or whatever, right?
(41m 24s)
Cause like in Dragon Quest builders, technically you need to food and whatever, but eventually
(41m 28s)
you like made it so much or so automatically like it was a non-factual thought, maybe
(41m 33s)
you’ll get there too.
(41m 34s)
It’s not the thing.
(41m 35s) Al:
Probably Yeah, there were there were berry trees, which I think is how you get it early game
(41m 35s) Kevin:
Let’s think about it first.
(41m 42s) Al:
But presumably the stuff you grow will give you more more ppp back than the berries off the trees
(41m 48s) Kevin:
Oh, I’m so sorry for the skin.
(41m 50s)
Alright, bye.
(41m 50s) Al:
The well the last thing that it was in the treehouse that want to talk about is the online stuff
(41m 55s)
So there’s two online things
(41m 57s)
One of which the we already knew about which is that you
(42m 1s)
can visit other people’s islands and you think
(42m 5s)
can do that without having to be like
(42m 13s) Kevin:
which Dragon Quest Builders did.
(42m 23s) Al:
“Oh, let’s use your world, Kevin, right? We can just have a shared one”
(42m 27s) Kevin:
Yeah. Oh, wait. I thought you meant like just open to the public share. Do you mean you can
(42m 28s) Al:
because then you don’t have to be online. I can go and play when I’m online and then you can go and play when you’re online
(42m 32s)
which I really like.
(42m 37s) Kevin:
create, we can create an island just for us? Whoa. Oh, that’s crazy. That’s the, that was one of
(42m 40s) Al:
Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what they were saying pretty certain. That’s what they were saying
(42m 48s) Kevin:
That’s probably…
(42m 50s) Al:
They did not show us that process. They didn’t show us how that worked
(42m 53s)
But certainly what they were saying heavily implied that it’s a
(42m 58s)
Like a Minecraft realm where you can just be like this is for our friends
(43m 3s) Kevin:
that’s incredible because like that’s probably the biggest flawed
(43m 7s)
rank was that builders are like
(43m 10s)
I made a second file so I could have something to play with Calvin so we could hang out and do
(43m 15s)
an island together because I didn’t want him, you know, touching my main island because you know that was my thing
(43m 19s) Al:
Of course not. Yep.
(43m 21s) Kevin:
So oh, that’s
(43m 24s)
Was this game getting better?
(43m 28s) Al:
They also, when they went into this online world, they said, “This is pallet tone. This is our pallet tone.”
(43m 36s) Kevin:
Ooh. Well.
(43m 37s) Al:
No, I don’t know whether they were just saying that because they built one that was kind of like it and like you can, but that, but I don’t think it was because they hadn’t done any building up of things there.
(43m 41s) Kevin:
Yeah. That’s my guess.
(43m 48s) Al:
And he definitely sounded like they were implying that this is actually pallet tone.
(43m 52s) Kevin:
So dragon quest builders they had certain online islands where basically people would share their islands or creations or like certain areas.
(44m 5s)
And so I thought that’s what we’re going to do and I could see like, you know, welcome on or Nintendo or boy thing, however, the developers themselves creating pallet town and saying, hey, here’s pallets on island everyone can check it out.
(44m 19s)
Um, I wonder because I could see it either way
(44m 22s)
maybe they just made a palitone for the tree house.
(44m 24s)
Um, what? Maybe there is palitone on island on, on, on, in the game we’ll see.
(44m 28s) Al:
Yeah, I think you could, I think you could read what they said either way, but I certainly when I was
(44m 35s)
listening to it initially, I got the implication that this was like a standard world you could create
(44m 41s)
that is pallet time. But we will, we will see I guess. Yeah, this is, I mean, the three house is certainly
(44m 44s) Kevin:
I’m so excited for this game out.
(44m 49s) Al:
increased my excitement for this game. I think this game is looking a lot bigger than I expect.
(44m 54s) Kevin:
Oh, I’m so happy and I didn’t even watch the treehouse. I was already pumped
(45m 3s)
I mean from you know the game, but I did watch the Pokemon day presents and I got excited with that
(45m 10s) Al:
Tell me what excites you about that then.
(45m 12s) Kevin:
DJ wrote on
(45m 16s)
Probably the best road on form to ever exists and
(45m 20s)
This, wait, wait, wait of 2026. This is the game.
(45m 24s)
It’s not even an actual Pokemon game to introduce one of the features I’ve wanted above all in the mainline series of game a bloody jukebox
(45m 35s)
Let me play. I’m gonna play Pokemon games for 300 hours. Let me pick the song. I want to listen to at least. Oh my gosh
(45m 41s) Al:
Yeah, and this is such a fun way to do it.
(45m 43s) Kevin:
Is it that hard?
(45m 45s)
Yes
(45m 46s)
Yes, cuz DJ rotom is a great character and idea and it’s
(45m 51s)
functionality, lots of perfect. I love you, DJ.
(45m 55s) Al:
I think, yeah, I think it’s great. Um, and if a fun way to do it, right, rather than just being like,
(46m 1s)
oh, here’s a jukebox, it’s like, no, here’s, here’s our new Ruto inform. That’s really fun.
(46m 3s) Kevin:
Yeah, and and now he’s never going to show up in the main games and I’m always going to hold them against, you know, wind waves. I’m holding that against you forever.
(46m 13s) Al:
[laughter]
(46m 16s) Kevin:
Um, well, then I’m wrong and they get bonus points prove me wrong. I’d love to see that.
(46m 17s) Al:
What if he does?
(46m 23s) Kevin:
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
(46m 26s) Al:
We’ve also got Chef Greedant or Cook Greedant.
(46m 29s)
But well, so yeah, interesting.
(46m 31s)
So, well, yes.
(46m 33s)
So they called it Greedant Cook Form.
(46m 37s)
And then said, but everyone calls them Chef Denty,
(46m 41s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah, well, it is
(46m 43s) Al:
a weird thing to say.
(46m 44s)
Like, introduce him with a name and then give him another name,
(46m 47s)
immediately.
(46m 49s) Kevin:
Yeah, so when at that part I wasn’t actually looking at the screen
(46m 53s)
I just heard it and I heard chef and I was very confused because I’d seen the greeting
(46m 57s)
I just like why are they calling him intake, but then no, no dente. Oh
(46m 58s) Al:
Ah. Oh. Dending. Yeah. So we got cooking as well.
(47m 5s) Kevin:
Or the aforementioned stamina good good good
(47m 9s) Al:
Something to do with your crops as well. Another, another deck to complete, presumably.
(47m 11s) Kevin:
Yep, and it’s green and I love green and oh
(47m 15s)
Yeah
(47m 17s)
Man all the dishes
(47m 19s)
You know, I never talked about it, but I I’d eat that curry croissant from from art and Z a
(47m 25s) Al:
Look, I would try it at least once. I’m not saying I would enjoy it but I would try it once.
(47m 26s) Kevin:
Put that in the game. Yeah
(47m 31s)
Well, maybe it served me up one of those chef dente
(47m 35s)
The Dynamax curry at least that one
(47m 38s)
I’m so excited. Oh, that’s good. Oh
(47m 42s) Al:
We also got confirmation that in the shared worlds you can like turn yourself into a prop and play hide and seek because it’s prop, it’s prop on to poke them on prop hunt.
(47m 50s) Kevin:
Oh, part baby!
(47m 54s)
Yeah, that’s so good signing.
(47m 55s) Al:
You expected that.
(47m 57s) Kevin:
Not me, I didn’t expect.
(47m 59s)
Well, I would have dreamt, but never expected.
(48m 2s)
Oh, it’s insane.
(48m 4s)
It’s okay, so much.
(48m 6s)
I wonder how, like, I’m so excited because that rewards me for filling up my island with junk,
(48m 13s)
which I never get the feeling.
(48m 15s) Al:
Oh, Kevin, I just saw the transformation into Dragonite, and that was so smooth, they jumped
(48m 21s)
off a cliff, pressed the button and transformed into Dragonite without missing a beat.
(48m 25s) Kevin:
- Yeah.
(48m 26s) Al:
That is so smooth, I enjoyed that very much.
(48m 29s) Kevin:
Yeah.
(48m 31s)
I’m so, oh, I wonder what like the final
(48m 36s)
face formation is gonna be,
(48m 37s)
‘cause you know they’re gonna build up to something big.
(48m 41s)
Oh, it’s gonna be, or Aglim.
(48m 43s) Al:
Ray Quasar and then you can go into space and it’s actually even bigger. There’s Gala
(48m 49s) Kevin:
Oh, now we’re not like how you’re thinking now.
(48m 51s)
This is good, this is good.
(48m 54s) Al:
Look, we got to get disappointed somehow, right?
(48m 54s) Kevin:
Or, or.
(48m 56s)
I mean, the ultimate is they don’t transform their arches and we see how far the power can go, but yeah, you know, yeah.
(49m 7s) Al:
Kevin the crafting table has bulk crafting.
(49m 13s) Kevin:
Oh, yeah, it was century over.
(49m 18s) Al:
That’s why they added the town of a crossing because they’re like,
(49m 20s)
we can’t have Pokemon having bulk crafting before we do.
(49m 25s) Kevin:
People said Hulk ’em on moved her wind waves moved to get out of GTA’s way. No, no, they moved to get out of pakopia’s way
(49m 34s)
Hey get in same years this masterpiece get out of here wind wits
(49m 38s) Al:
Oh, I just remembered.
(49m 39s)
So, you know how I had said that they were specifically not showing us past the starting area.
(49m 45s) Kevin:
Yeah
(49m 45s) Al:
They also did not go into the Pokemon center that they rebuilt.
(49m 49s)
For the same reason they said we don’t want to spoil it.
(49m 50s) Kevin:
Oh
(49m 52s) Al:
So what is in the Pokemon center?
(49m 53s)
What’s in the Pokemon center?
(49m 55s)
That they don’t want to spoil.
(49m 56s) Kevin:
The partners they’re showing the truth. Everything that goes in there. It’s just a furnace and they give you new ones
(50m 3s) Al:
I’m really fascinated and it’s really nice. Like, I’m just seeing like all the watching
(50m 9s)
this again in silent. And I’m just seeing all the Pokemon reacting to things like they
(50m 15s)
built. So one of the people went off to do something else and they gave the other people
(50m 21s)
who were playing a challenge to see what they could build in 10 minutes. And then when
(50m 25s)
they came back, they’d build this little house, which was cute little house. And there
(50m 29s)
It was just a Makahita standing there saying, “This is a nice place.”
(50m 33s)
Like he just, he’d register that they had built a house.
(50m 34s) Kevin:
Yeah
(50m 38s)
Yeah, that’s the stuff on top. I mean that’s trying to quest builders like that’s they got that down pat
(50m 44s)
But oh, you hear a maku he just saying that oh
(50m 49s)
Zett matters the game of my dreams done
(50m 51s) Al:
This is the thing it like I’m not I’m not I’m seeing
(50m 56s)
Yes, we know that this was obviously
(51m)
Dragon Quest builders like and could therefore be very good everything I’m seeing confirms that this is built very similarly to it
(51m 9s)
All the water so they built a channel from the sea and the water went in and then like slowly
(51m 10s) Kevin:
work oh no cutered out yeah yeah oh that’s what I want
(51m 15s) Al:
But the water like because they hadn’t built it down far enough the water just like
(51m 21s)
In a little bit until it ran out of space and
(51m 26s)
Presumably then if they put it down further the water would go further. This is excellent. I’m so excited for this game given
(51m 32s) Kevin:
I’m jealous of our listeners cause they’re closer to it than we are right now.
(51m 38s) Al:
In fact, if they’re not listening to this the night it goes out then they’re probably listening to it and playing
(51m 42s) Kevin:
Oh, it’s over.
(51m 45s) Al:
Like they could probably could be playing right now if they’re not listening the night comes in
(51m 47s) Kevin:
They could, oh, I’m so jealous of you listening or playing right now.
(51m 52s) Al:
There’s also lots of little touches like I’d noticed that they so roto tiller, which is what they use for making like
(51m 59s)
Tilling the ground
(52m 1s)
It has multiple other effects. So they the one they showed us was you can use it to pick up
(52m 7s)
Plants or flowers and move them to a different place
(52m 11s)
um
(52m 12s)
So it’s just like being able to
(52m 15s)
Not just you know without harvesting it. They’re like literally scooping it up and putting it into a different place
(52m 21s)
If you put your flowers in the wrong place you can use the same thing that tells the ground
(52m 26s)
You’re using instead
(52m 28s)
To move where you’d
(52m 31s)
Sewen something which is both a nice quality of life improvement, but it’s also just like a really nice touch
(52m 34s) Kevin:
Incredible. Oh
(52m 37s)
Details caring about the detail poke. Oh, I couldn’t have
(52m 44s) Al:
This game needs to be successful.
(52m 48s)
We need them to know that this is what people want, right?
(52m 52s) Kevin:
There is a non-zero chance. I’m gonna buy more than one copy of this game
(52m 57s)
Maybe to get it to someone, but no, I’d be I already know I’m buying at least two copies because I’m not gonna have their own
(53m 4s)
But I’m just saying
(53m 8s)
This and Kirby air rise. That’s it. I’m done. I don’t need any other game ever the boy world
(53m 13s) Al:
Oh, there was one other, I don’t know whether we knew this before, but we know now that the, you can game share this game, which is a nice touch, but…
(53m 23s) Kevin:
That’s–
(53m 24s) Al:
but… the biggest news about that is you can game share to a Switch one.
(53m 25s) Kevin:
Yes.
(53m 29s)
Oh, my goodness.
(53m 32s)
This game’s more perfect by the second.
(53m 36s) Al:
So like, for example, if I want to play this game with my son, we only have one switch
(53m 41s)
too, but I can game-shade it to his switch light and we can play it together.
(53m 51s)
I did see some people complaining about that and the reason they were complaining about
(53m 55s)
this, which is just such a stupid thing, is like, so it can run on the switch one then.
(54m) Kevin:
Come on.
(54m 1s) Al:
I’m like, I’m sorry. What? I don’t think
(54m 6s)
the reason it’s on Switch2 and not Switch1 is because it can’t work on Switch1. I think it’s because they
(54m 10s)
built a first wedge too. They’ve given you this feature that allows you to be able to play it on a
(54m 17s)
Switch1 and you’re complaining. What? I’m very excited for this game and it is out this week.
(54m 26s) Kevin:
I can’t believe it.
(54m 26s)
We’re the next recording episode,
(54m 30s)
whatever this show, it’s going to be a new world out.
(54m 35s)
We’re approaching that meme of the future
(54m 38s)
with this perfect utopia of the flying cars.
(54m 40s) Al:
Alright, is that everything POCOPIA then this week?
(54m 42s) Kevin:
So close.
(54m 47s)
Yes, I just need it now.
(54m 47s) Al:
I’m sure POCOPIA will be a recurring segment on this episode, on this body.
(54m 48s) Kevin:
Right, right into my veins, please.
(54m 50s)
Thank you.
(54m 54s)
possibly.
(54m 56s)
the only segment, what?
(54m 58s)
It’s all it matters.
(55m)
Cheers.
(55m) Al:
We have we have one final piece of news and that is the
(55m 1s) Kevin:
Sorry haunt the chocolate tear.
(55m 2s)
You didn’t come up.
Stardew 1.7
(55m 8s) Al:
Concerned it released a 10th anniversary video for a starchy valley and it was quite fun
(55m 14s)
I would highly recommend people watch it. It’s 20 minutes long and he goes through
(55m 19s)
Like some old builds of the game, so he has one which was when it was called Sprout Valley
(55m 26s)
back in 2012 and then he does a couple of other ones. He does one that
(55m 30s)
is 2013 I think, and then 2014, and does he do a 2015 one? Yeah, he does a couple in 2015.
(55m 40s)
And there’s lots of things in there that are fun, like the sprite valley one, the graphics look
(55m 44s)
really bad and stuff like that, but that like he talks about that, and then you just see the
(55m 49s)
graphics progress up. But what’s really interesting is I think was it the bus looks almost identical
(55m 56s)
in the first build that he has, as it does now, which is really
(56m) Kevin:
as is priorities.
(56m) Al:
fascinating, really fascinating. What I find really interesting about this as
(56m 6s)
well is there was lots of ideas that he had implemented that he then got rid of because he didn’t
(56m 11s)
think they were good enough. So for example, the mines were originally generated, which he then decided
(56m 20s)
that instead of that he wanted them to be all manually designed. Obviously they are randomly selected
(56m 27s)
as you go down the mines but each of them is specifically designed.
(56m 30s) Kevin:
Okay
(56m 31s) Al:
Also you could mine through the walls in the mine at one point
(56m 35s) Kevin:
What that’s crazy
(56m 36s) Al:
to access other areas. Fascinatingly kept that out. I’m wondering why the other thing that I’m
(56m 44s)
so sad that we never got in the final game. Underground, what did he call them?
(56m 51s)
I’d give me two seconds let me double check, I’m going to say the right thing.
(56m 54s)
an underground goblin village.
(56m 57s) Kevin:
All right, yeah, I saw that one that all that that’s a shame we didn’t get that work. That would a cool idea
(57m 5s) Al:
I’m fascinated as to what reasons, because he says, he does say after he shows this.
(57m 11s)
Remember that, you know, yes, he says, I don’t regret it, just because something sounds
(57m 15s)
cool, just because the idea is cool, doesn’t mean that it’s going to be fun or is going
(57m 20s)
to be the right idea in practice.
(57m 22s) Kevin:
Yes, it does, that’s it, I’ll clear what it means.
(57m 22s) Al:
So I’m really interested, I’m really interested as to why, after he’d implemented this,
(57m 29s)
and he played yesterday, he went, no, and not know, as in this needs improvements, but
(57m 35s)
no, as in, no, we’re done.
(57m 38s)
This is not happening, and I wonder if he’ll ever revisit these ideas.
(57m 43s) Kevin:
Yeah, it’s all tons of chocolate here.
(57m 44s) Al:
I mean, well, yeah, I mean, you might be right.
(57m 48s)
Some of these ideas might well go into onto Jocletier, because they were ideas that he had,
(57m 53s)
and then felt that this wasn’t the right place for them, but a different game was, maybe.
(57m 58s)
Anyway, the big news, the big news.
(57m 59s) Kevin:
- Yeah, we’ll see.
(58m 1s)
Shame.
(58m 2s)
- Ah, I can’t believe I’m on this episode.
(58m 5s)
I’m so excited.
(58m 6s) Al:
Is that we got the names of the new marriage candidates in 1.7, and they are, he opens
(58m 13s) Kevin:
Literally a physical envelope be yeah, I had it and opened it
(58m 16s) Al:
them up, and the face of paper says, Clint and Sandy, and I mean, Clint is the funniest
(58m 20s) Kevin:
And we’re like
(58m 23s)
Well, I’m over your screaming. She’s like coward
(58m 28s) Al:
option.
(58m 29s)
I’m really fascinated to know, like, I feel like I need to romance Clint, because
(58m 35s)
to see how his story progresses, does he get redemption, or does he, like, go for you
(58m 41s)
because he can’t get Emily?
(58m 43s)
Like, I really need to know what the deal is, because no one else in the game is obsessed
(58m 49s)
with someone else like he is.
(58m 50s) Kevin:
Believe it was you who said on discord. You can’t wait to see him call you that mentally by accident during the vows
(58m 56s) Al:
Yeah, I was making a friend’s reference there if anyone wasn’t aware.
(58m 57s) Kevin:
That’s what I want and that’s yeah, that’s what I want. Yeah, that’s what I want. Yeah, that’s what I want
(59m 2s) Al:
I couldn’t take the Emily.
(59m 6s) Kevin:
Yeah, um
(59m 8s)
I
(59m 9s)
Yeah, Clint like I’m curious to see like how he’s going to be
(59m 15s)
redeemed I think
(59m 17s)
Concerned date has gone on record saying that’s what kind of what he wants.
(59m 20s)
It’s new. It’s fine. It’s fine. Concerned date. Just let us hate them. Just let the hate flow. It’s fine, but I’ll joking aside. I think it’s cool. Is this our first time getting candidates added?
(59m 26s) Al:
[laughter]
(59m 37s)
No, Emily was added in one of the updates along with, you’re all supposed to.
(59m 42s) Kevin:
Emily, Emily wasn’t there from the beginning. That’s crazy.
(59m 44s) Al:
Yeah, correct. I think it was 1.4. Let me double check. Of course, the problem is I’m trying to
(59m 49s) Kevin:
It’s pretty crazy.
(59m 50s) Al:
Google this and all I get is the 1.7 stuff because that’s all anyone’s talking about just now.
(59m 53s) Kevin:
And yeah, ha, ha.
(59m 56s) Al:
Oh, here we go. The starchy wiki, you will save me. 1.1, I did Shane and Emily as marriage candidates.
(1h 4s) Kevin:
that’s crazy that they weren’t there from the beginning, but okay. Well, okay, that’s well, I mean,
(1h 7s) Al:
I think that’s the only one
(1h 14s) Kevin:
that’s still a while ago, but that’s it’s cool to see new candidates this far in at least,
(1h 21s)
let’s say that. The other candidate that we didn’t even mention, because as all our attention,
(1h 29s)
I’m Sandy, now when I find intriguing, because that’s gold.
(1h 33s) Al:
Yeah yeah also she doesn’t live in the village so that’s an interesting one as well.
(1h 34s) Kevin:
That’s a late one relatively speaking.
(1h 39s)
Yep, yep.
(1h 45s)
She’s probably the least developed character out of any candidate now, I would say.
(1h 51s)
So that would be cool to see.
(1h 54s)
Yeah.
(1h 55s)
I, I genuinely might, wait, do we have a date for this yet?
(1h 59s) Al:
No, we’d know we don’t.
(1h 59s) Kevin:
Or do you know, window?
(1h 1m 1s)
Well, I’d be interested in doing a new map just in
(1h 1m 4s)
going for Sandy a little like more bit bit that’s not a real name so I’d like to
(1h 1m 12s)
find out her real name I don’t own his motivating me
(1h 1m 16s) Al:
Yeah, I’m certainly I’m intrigued by both of these
(1h 1m 20s)
Do I actually want to put in the effort for either of them? We’ll see
(1h 1m 24s)
We shall see I will have to have I will not sully any of my existing
(1h 1m 30s)
Serious saves with romance in clint. So if I’m doing it, I will be creating a new one purely for that purpose just for the fund
(1h 1m 38s) Kevin:
Yep. Oh
(1h 1m 39s) Al:
I have also not romanced any of the male characters before
(1h 1m 44s)
So that would be
(1h 1m 45s) Kevin:
Yeah, Sandy gonna shop for the spring dance now, right?
(1h 1m 46s) Al:
a change from if I did that, many questions, many questions, let’s see how it goes, I guess.
(1h 1m 55s) Kevin:
I mean, and no answers. Thanks. It’s a darn day.
(1h 2m) Al:
Also, just for a full completion before somebody is like, “Oh, you forgot about this?”
(1h 2m 4s)
Yes, Crowbus was added as a roommate in 1.4, but it’s technically not marriage, so it’s not the same.
(1h 2m 11s) Kevin:
Oh yeah, forgot about that, it’s big. Take me to the Crobus Village.
(1h 2m 13s) Al:
But yeah, that was 1.4 that I was
(1h 2m 18s) Kevin:
It’s a certain day. That’s why I want that. It’s a good idea to do it.
(1h 2m 22s) Al:
Hm-hmm, Honda chocolate here.
(1h 2m 24s)
[laughs]
(1h 2m 24s) Kevin:
Yeah. Yeah, you know what? Crobus is up there for people who can record.
(1h 2m 26s) Al:
[laughs]
(1h 2m 28s)
Let’s have Honda chocolate here be in the past,
(1h 2m 31s)
and we get to find out about the war
(1h 2m 33s)
between the shadow beings and the dwarves.
(1h 2m 37s) Kevin:
It was all over. It was all about the chocolate. That’s what it’s all about. I’m done for that.
(1h 2m 38s) Al:
[laughs]
(1h 2m 42s)
Absolutely.
(1h 2m 44s) Kevin:
Um, man. Oh, man. It’s more hyped than the game will ever be. I’m ruining it for me.
(1h 2m 50s) Al:
All right. That’s the news. All right. Now we need to talk about Starstand Island. It’s
(1h 2m 52s) Kevin:
We did it, whoa.
Starsand Island
(1h 2m 57s) Al:
so late for for listeners. We recorded the greenhouse episode before this episode and it was
(1h 2m 59s) Kevin:
Tell me about we behind the
(1h 3m 8s) Al:
a long greenhouse episode. So it’s been a it’s been a long it’s been a long recording session.
(1h 3m 14s)
All right. We’re going to talk about Starstand Island. So quick introduction to this
(1h 3m 20s)
game. It is a very much a stardry-like but 3D and like I mean proper 3D none of this.
(1h 3m 29s)
Or it’s 3D because it has 3D graphics. Now it’s not a 3D game. Thank you very much.
(1h 3m 36s) Kevin:
Turn the camera.
(1h 3m 37s) Al:
Yes, you can turn the camera. You can there there are you can jump which is a key aspect for me.
(1h 3m 45s) Kevin:
Oh, it’s a big one. Yeah, but you can do sick k-port
(1h 3m 50s) Al:
Yeah, we’ll get we’ll get to that we’ll get to that. I have a little section for that.
(1h 3m 54s)
But just yeah as introduction it is a 3D stardry-like and that is probably all you need to know
(1h 4m 1s)
to start to know what this game is. And I think a lot of people probably look at this thing
(1h 4m 8s)
think it looks quite generic. It can have like a heartopia or something like that and let me tell you
(1h 4m 13s)
it’s it’s it’s not it’s pretty good. I have some grapes and I have some things that have
(1h 4m 20s)
less interested than me and I think there’s a few things they would need to improve. But I think
(1h 4m 24s)
overall this is a good game. I’m enjoying it. Like as of this point like I could see this being
(1h 4m 31s)
one of my games of the year. But obviously that massively depends on what else. Obviously
(1h 4m 35s) Kevin:
Okay.
(1h 4m 37s) Al:
Pocopia is going to be better. Right. We all know that. But like I it feels like at this point
(1h 4m 39s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah.
(1h 4m 42s)
Did you bring it up?
(1h 4m 44s) Al:
in time based on what we think might be coming out this year. I could see this being
(1h 4m 50s)
three nominations that I bring in December. That’s kind of where I’m sitting. It’s not going to be the
(1h 4m 57s)
one that I want to win. That would probably be Pocopia at this point. Even and I’ve not even played
(1h 5m 1s) Kevin:
Yeah, just a nor will it win
(1h 5m 3s) Al:
that game yet. But if you’re not looking for the stardry-like then you’re not looking here.
(1h 5m 10s)
Right. Like this is it’s going to give you everything that you expect from a stardry-like.
(1h 5m 15s)
but that is both good and bad right and we will many
(1h 5m 20s)
mention those things as we go. Visuals-wise, it’s fine looking, especially if you
(1h 5m 27s)
go in one of the higher graphics settings. I would kind of think of it if you’ve seen
(1h 5m 33s)
any of the more recent Harvest Moon games, it’s kind of like if they were good looking.
(1h 5m 42s)
It kind of feels similar in art style, but actually not ugly, if that makes sense.
(1h 5m 47s) Kevin:
[laughs]
(1h 5m 50s) Al:
Otherwise, the music’s quite nice. There is not any voice acting, as far as I’m aware.
(1h 5m 59s) Kevin:
not even like Japanese, okay. Oh sure. Oh right, well sure. Look, it looks very
(1h 5m 59s) Al:
I’m not playing in Japanese, but also it’s a Chinese studio, I think. Let me check.
(1h 6m 12s) Kevin:
we’d like you can’t blame me.
(1h 6m 14s) Al:
I mean, it is, but Japan don’t get exclusive on that.
(1h 6m 20s) Kevin:
Yeah, I’m sure. Okay.
(1h 6m 21s) Al:
Yeah, Chinese game development studio, SeedSparkle Lab. Just to get out of the way, there is some
(1h 6m 28s)
controversy about this game regarding possible paid reviews and stuff like that and bots.
(1h 6m 38s)
I don’t, they claim that it’s nothing to do with them. I don’t know anything about it, but I would
(1h 6m 48s)
would say that I think there are
(1h 6m 50s)
people talking about this game legitimately as well and I it’s not the
(1h 6m 57s)
sort of game that I look at and go like if someone told me that heartopia had
(1h 7m 1s)
a bot farm me giving them positive views I’d be like yeah I can see that if
(1h 7m 6s)
someone told me that by this I’m like why I mean it doesn’t really change the
(1h 7m 9s)
quality of the game right so if that’s gonna be one of these things it well
(1h 7m 10s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah, they’re not mentioned exclusive trying to pay this off, but we still like it
(1h 7m 16s) Al:
that’s the thing if it’s one of these things where it’s like I’m not saying it’s
(1h 7m 20s)
I generated content right but like that is if you’ve enjoyed a game that is
(1h 7m 26s)
unlikely to massively change how you’ve enjoyed the game it might just make you
(1h 7m 32s)
go a bit like that feels icky sort of thing right it might be a blocker for you
(1h 7m 39s)
playing the game but that is an ethics question rather than a is the game
(1h 7m 45s)
good question which is a whole other thing and I can’t make those decisions for you
(1h 7m 50s)
But for me, for me, I don’t particularly care that if a game has been paying people to
(1h 7m 51s) Kevin:
Yes, week 10.
(1h 7m 57s) Al:
write positive reviews, I care about whether and just for the record, they’re not paying me
(1h 8m 4s)
right. Please pay me for this review because it’s going to be positive anyway.
(1h 8m 11s)
I would love to get paid for this. No, I’m joking. No, they have not. I mean, I’m not big enough
(1h 8m 18s)
for that anyway, right?
(1h 8m 20s)
All right, let’s talk about the mechanics. There’s a lot to get through.
(1h 8m 24s)
So I will try not to spend too much time on most of this.
(1h 8m 29s)
The movement of the characters feels quite nice.
(1h 8m 32s)
You can have start off by you can walk or you can run.
(1h 8m 35s)
But what really says this game apart is the vehicles.
(1h 8m 38s)
You can start off by getting some escape board.
(1h 8m 44s)
You craft the skateboard and then you can use the great skateboard.
(1h 8m 47s)
and it is fun to write. It is an enjoyable
(1h 8m 50s)
way to traverse. There are better ways to
(1h 8m 55s)
traverse and we’ll get to them in a minute. You
(1h 8m 59s)
unlock this keyboard quite early in the
(1h 9m 1s)
game and it is fun. It’s not a waste. But there
(1h 9m 3s) Kevin:
It’s not a waste, that’s good.
(1h 9m 7s) Al:
are lots of other vehicles, but I could see
(1h 9m 8s)
myself still going back to the skateboard.
(1h 9m 11s)
It’s not the fastest vehicle and it’s not the
(1h 9m 14s)
one that I choose day to day, but it is
(1h 9m 18s)
This is someone that I can see myself going back.
(1h 9m 20s)
That is fun because it’s fun, right?
(1h 9m 23s)
Sadly, as we’ve mentioned, there aren’t any tricks you can do, you can only jump, but that
(1h 9m 27s)
does make a big difference being able to jump, right, because you can jump over fences and
(1h 9m 31s)
stuff like that.
(1h 9m 32s)
That is fun.
(1h 9m 34s)
The vehicle, however, that I am choosing to go on day-to-day is the roller skates because
(1h 9m 40s)
they are much faster to transition from not waiting them to waiting them.
(1h 9m 43s)
Ironically, considering in the real life that would be the other way around, but I just
(1h 9m 47s) Kevin:
Yeah, that’s funny.
(1h 9m 50s) Al:
enjoying just being able to walk, and then you move to your vehicle and you press
(1h 9m 56s)
the button and your transition from walking to skating immediately, it’s very enjoyable.
(1h 10m 2s)
It makes moving around the world quite fun.
(1h 10m 5s)
Like with this skateboard, you can jump, and it makes traversal not just faster in a straight
(1h 10m 11s)
line, but you can do a straight line where you couldn’t when you’re walking, right?
(1h 10m 15s)
Because if you’re walking, you can jump, but you’re unlikely to be able to jump over
(1h 10m 20s)
fence, whereas with this skateboard and the roller skates, you can jump higher, and you
(1h 10m 26s)
can jump onto something to jump over something else, and it makes everything faster, even
(1h 10m 34s)
if you wouldn’t have been able to go in a straight line previously, because now you
(1h 10m 41s) Kevin:
That sounds pretty sick, you know, that’s not for front for a lot of cottageboard games.
(1h 10m 47s)
The traverse other than, you know, like the horse or whatever.
(1h 10m 50s) Al:
There’s lots of other vehicles as well, so for example, I just recently unlocked a hoverboard,
(1h 10m 50s) Kevin:
So that’s pretty cool to hear way of differentiating.
(1h 10m 59s)
Yo! Yeah.
(1h 11m) Al:
which is like a better skateboard, because you don’t need to jump as much, because you’ll just
(1h 11m 5s)
go over some obstacles automatically, which is fun. There’s also things like there’s more
(1h 11m 12s)
pads and stuff like that, which are fine. I didn’t find any of them particularly enjoyable, but like
(1h 11m 20s)
they’re fine. I wouldn’t choose it over the skateboard, but the advantage of that is you can get
(1h 11m 24s)
it basically straight away in the game. I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, you can rent more
(1h 11m 30s)
pad from maybe like 10 minutes into the game, so it is pretty good. And you have like basically the
(1h 11m 34s) Kevin:
Pretty dope. It’s pretty good.
(1h 11m 39s) Al:
way it works is if for renting vehicles, as you register a vehicle that you want to rent, and you
(1h 11m 44s)
get it for, so you pay, and then you can use it as much as you want for the next two.
(1h 11m 50s)
endgame days.
(1h 11m 51s) Kevin:
That’s, you know, that’s a great little like it’s not even per day, you know, little buffer there. That’s cool.
(1h 11m 57s) Al:
Yeah, and it gives you
(1h 12m)
It like there’s a weak a way that you can like call it you can like
(1h 12m 5s)
Generate it next to you. So you don’t have to go to find it
(1h 12m 8s)
Which is nice, so you’re just like oh, I’m I’ve walked away from it
(1h 12m 12s)
I can just like press a button have it materialize in front of me
(1h 12m 16s)
So that’s that’s quite good
(1h 12m 18s)
So I used that for a little bit, but as soon as I had the skateboard I was like, well, this is this is it now
(1h 12m 22s)
Right, and then I got this the
(1h 12m 23s) Kevin:
Yeah
(1h 12m 25s) Al:
roller skates. Now I was like, well, this is it now.
(1h 12m 27s)
The hoverboard has not taken over the roller skates for me, but it is it’s fun.
(1h 12m 35s)
So I’ve been doing it occasionally, but there’s then there’s also other things like, for example,
(1h 12m 39s)
there’s jet skis and there’s boats and stuff like that.
(1h 12m 43s) Kevin:
That’s that’s a big selection of vehicles. That’s cool
(1h 12m 47s) Al:
It’s, but there’s also animals as well. You can write certain animals.
(1h 12m 52s) Kevin:
It’s right like a llama I think am I right?
(1h 12m 57s) Al:
I think there’s quite a few different ones. There’s also one that’s like, in the late game,
(1h 13m 2s)
after you’ve explored the entirety of the the moonlit forest, there’s one you can unlock that
(1h 13m 8s)
way, which I will not spoil, but this one one there. So yeah, there’s just a lot of different ways
(1h 13m 13s)
of traversing, which is is really good and really important for me. Like that is a thing that I really
(1h 13m 17s)
like in farming games is being able to get places quickly, because I’m impatient. And I know some people
(1h 13m 25s)
like they can have slow progress of the
(1h 13m 27s)
things. I’m not that kind of person. So yeah, I like to like to be able to do that. Like I’ve
(1h 13m 33s)
in Stardew, I focus on being able to get tell, you know, what they call the little totems that is what I
(1h 13m 41s)
try and focus on as quickly as I can. So having more ways of doing that is good.
(1h 13m 42s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah
(1h 13m 47s)
Yeah, no, that’s pretty sick
(1h 13m 50s) Al:
So I want to talk about the quest next. There’s two things to talk about. One is just like the general
(1h 13m 55s)
request system, and one is that there’s a set of
(1h 13m 57s)
notification system, like the jobs that you had, what was it, lima, lima island, was it? I had that, where you were kind of focusing on certain jobs.
(1h 14m 5s) Kevin:
All right. Yeah, I think so.
(1h 14m 8s) Al:
So this has that. So there’s five jobs. There’s farming, ranching, fishing, exploration, and crafting. And it starts off with you do crafting first.
(1h 14m 23s)
But as soon as you’ve done the first crafting thing you can then talk to the other people.
(1h 14m 27s)
to do the other ones as well.
(1h 14m 31s)
So you can kind of do you can either focus on one area or you can do all of them at the same time.
(1h 14m 36s)
I started off with crafting and farming and got there pretty far and then I added the ranching and exploring quite quickly.
(1h 14m 45s)
And then eventually I was like I guess I should do some fishing.
(1h 14m 48s)
So there’s five different layers for the certifications and right as of now.
(1h 14m 49s) Kevin:
Yeah
(1h 14m 57s) Al:
So they go apprentice junior intermediate senior and expert.
(1h 15m 2s)
So as of just now I am an expert crafter so that’s the top one.
(1h 15m 6s)
I am an expert explorer again the top one.
(1h 15m 9s)
I am intermediate so that’s the middle one on farming and ranching.
(1h 15m 13s)
Purely because those ones seem to get really hard intermediate where the other ones didn’t.
(1h 15m 18s)
Like intermediate to get to senior farmer you have to get 50 pieces of fruit.
(1h 15m 22s)
And it’s like those frick trees take ages to grow and then it’s like I don’t know how I’m gonna get
(1h 15m 27s)
50 quickly and the intermediate ranching requires you getting colored will and the problem with
(1h 15m 37s)
getting colored will is you have to breed sheep to get different colored sheep you can only get
(1h 15m 43s)
white and black to start with and those ones don’t count so you have to breed them to get other
(1h 15m 48s)
colors of sheep and I just haven’t got to that point yet so it’s some of them feel harder than others
(1h 15m 53s)
to do. The… and…
(1h 15m 57s)
fishing I am apprentice, which is the first levels. That kind of shows you where I am in the game.
(1h 16m 4s)
Not a big fissure, but I’ll get to fishing, I’ll get to fishing. Craft quest in general are pretty
(1h 16m 11s)
kind of good, in my opinion. So there is a… there is a request sport kind of like in stargy,
(1h 16m 20s)
but it’s more… it feels more fundamental than stargy it does. There is always multiple
(1h 16m 27s)
like four quests a day and you can accept up to three of them. Whereas in like stargy it’s one,
(1h 16m 34s)
I think, a day, maybe some, maybe some days there’s two. But the way the quests work is quite nice
(1h 16m 44s)
in that you have like a log of them and you can choose one of them to be shown on your screen
(1h 16m 48s)
at all times and it will show you what you’ve got to do and it will like tell you whether you’ve
(1h 16m 52s)
certain goals or not and then it will progress them. If it’s one of the main
(1h 16m 56s) Kevin:
Lovely. Oh, love.
(1h 16m 57s) Al:
you oh you’ve done this but now here’s the next step automatically which is really nice.
(1h 17m 3s)
But it also has like an in-world kind of indication of where you should be going to get the next thing
(1h 17m 9s)
if you want. You can turn that off which I think is really important because some people will
(1h 17m 14s)
feel like that is too hand-holding and if you don’t want that you can just say I don’t want that
(1h 17m 19s)
and it won’t do that which is really good. I did want it because I am really bad at figuring out
(1h 17m 24s)
out what I am in the world and figuring out what other people are in the world.
(1h 17m 27s)
And that is not a game problem, that is a me problem because this game actually does a really good job of that.
(1h 17m 32s)
The map shows you where people are and there’s quite a few things in the world that you can use to orient yourself and be like that is where I’m trying to go.
(1h 17m 43s)
There’s all the buildings are quite distinctive, there’s one really big hill on one side of the island that makes it very clear where you are in relation to that.
(1h 17m 53s)
I’m just really bad with figuring out where I am.
(1h 17m 57s)
I really like those because it’s like, if I’ve got a quest I want to do, I just want to get to where it is and do it.
(1h 18m 4s)
I don’t want to figure out where I am like we’ve talked about this before, I’m not a big exploration guy.
(1h 18m 11s) Kevin:
It’s also handy if you just, you know, come back to the game after a year and you’re like,
(1h 18m 15s)
“Where am I?”
(1h 18m 16s) Al:
- Yeah, yeah, yeah for sure.
(1h 18m 18s)
So yeah, I really like Quest system.
(1h 18m 20s)
It’s really good, just in general.
(1h 18m 24s)
I think it’s a really good way of doing things.
(1h 18m 28s)
You can get a bunch of different types of quests
(1h 18m 31s)
and you can filter them in different ways.
(1h 18m 34s)
And then you can select this one as the one I want to track
(1h 18m 36s)
and it will show you on your screen
(1h 18m 38s)
where you still have to do.
(1h 18m 39s)
And then tell you where to go when you’ve got it,
(1h 18m 42s)
which is really nice.
(1h 18m 43s) Kevin:
Yeah, and stuff.
(1h 18m 44s) Al:
All right, let’s get through the…
(1h 18m 46s)
kind of standard mechanics. I try not to spend too much time on these, but there’s some things
(1h 18m 51s)
I need to talk about. So farming, the most of it is pretty standard. You know, you tell the grand,
(1h 19m)
grand you put in the seed, you water, it grows, you harvest it. The quickest things, now that we have
(1h 19m 10s)
the actual game, the quickest things take, I think it’s like 12 hours or something like that.
(1h 19m 16s)
And then the longest things take like, just over a week. Yes, in game. Yeah, yeah, everything is
(1h 19m 23s) Kevin:
You mean 12 in-game hours, right?
(1h 19m 25s)
Okay
(1h 19m 27s) Al:
in game time. There’s no real life time. Don’t worry. And so I really like being able to like
(1h 19m 30s) Kevin:
Okay, just make it sure
(1h 19m 35s) Al:
plant something and still be able to harvest it the same day, if you really want to like build up on
(1h 19m 39s)
things, which is fun. They grow…
(1h 19m 42s) Kevin:
Yeah, you don’t see that often.
(1h 19m 46s) Al:
as long as they’re watered. So instead of being like, you know, how it’ll start you and other ones
(1h 19m 52s)
do it where they just they grow in the morning or they grow overnight. One stage every day,
(1h 19m 57s)
it’s like they’re growing in terms of minutes, right? So you’ve gotten every minute,
(1h 20m 2s)
they are progressing. And then once they hit certain points, they change their appearance.
(1h 20m 8s)
But then I think I’ve talked about this in another podcast episode. The water
(1h 20m 12s)
indication on the ground is like this.
(1h 20m 16s)
Slowly. Smallering in smaller ring.
(1h 20m 21s)
I don’t know how to describe it.
(1h 20m 22s)
Like the amount of the two colors, right?
(1h 20m 25s)
You’ve got the dry ground and the wet ground.
(1h 20m 28s)
And then the wet ground get smaller and smaller over time.
(1h 20m 31s)
And you can see it visibly how close it is to being completely dry.
(1h 20m 35s)
So you could just like go you can go back every couple of hours and water it.
(1h 20m 38s)
And it will never go dry and it will always be wet.
(1h 20m 41s)
Or you can just like leave it until it’s at the point where it’s now.
(1h 20m 46s)
And you need to water it again.
(1h 20m 47s)
But there will have been that time period between it going dry.
(1h 20m 50s)
And you’re watering it that it will stop counting down.
(1h 20m 53s)
So it just depends on how obsessive you are about making sure that you are being, you know,
(1h 20m 57s)
min-maxing.
(1h 21m)
But you can, yeah, you can water them in the morning and then the evening and it will never
(1h 21m 3s)
go dry.
(1h 21m 4s)
And that’s that’s quite a nice kind of way of not having to.
(1h 21m 7s)
So you don’t have to do the first thing you get up is water.
(1h 21m 10s)
Otherwise it’s not growing, right?
(1h 21m 12s)
I’ve quite often, most days I will water before I go to bed.
(1h 21m 16s)
So that I know that in the morning I can do some other things first, rather than immediately having to go water.
(1h 21m 21s)
So I like that flexibility. It’s quite a fun different way of doing things.
(1h 21m 26s) Kevin:
Yeah, that sounds like yeah. Yeah, I mean
(1h 21m 29s)
Like I think a wonderful life
(1h 21m 32s)
It has a gradual water like you can see the ground getting dry and you can water before bed too and that’ll usually work
(1h 21m 42s)
But but it’s still not a lot of games do that. Um, so that is cool because
(1h 21m 45s) Al:
Yeah
(1h 21m 47s)
The watering can it’s like you hold down the button and then you you as you move it all change where what
(1h 21m 56s)
Plot of land is your focus and it will just water that as you go
(1h 22m)
It doesn’t use up the water in like it needs to which is nice
(1h 22m 2s)
But it you so you can just like walk down a line of crops and hold the button and just keep walking in it
(1h 22m 8s) Kevin:
No, that’s a nice
(1h 22m 8s) Al:
Or water everything so it’s not like walk press walk press walk press. I really like that
(1h 22m 13s)
it feels much more natural.
(1h 22m 15s)
And the really good thing is as you upgrade the watering can, it’s just the amount of space that
(1h 22m 20s)
you’re watering at once gets bigger. So I’m currently at three by three space. So I start and I press it
(1h 22m 24s)
and it immediately waters three by three and as I walk down it’s doing three as I keep going, which is
(1h 22m 30s)
really nice. The one thing I’ll complain about is your walking speed is slightly too fast if the ground
(1h 22m 31s) Kevin:
That’s such a good feeling.
(1h 22m 38s) Al:
is completely dry. If the ground isn’t completely dry and you never let it get completely dry,
(1h 22m 42s)
then that’s fine you’re walking speed is perfect but if
(1h 22m 45s)
that’s my only real complaint about that and it’s such a tiny one but it’s just like
(1h 22m 58s)
speed up the water and very slightly to match the walking speed that’s that’s what I would
(1h 23m 4s) Kevin:
Yeah, that’s pretty funny. You know, you don’t see that. I mean, first of all, you don’t see that often. We can walk in water, but it’s weird to now have a problem how you sync up the speed.
(1h 23m 14s) Al:
Yeah. Yeah. And it’s only something you notice if you let the ground go completely dry,
(1h 23m 20s)
which I don’t most of the time, but occasionally you just you forget. And so you have to deal with it.
(1h 23m 27s)
I hate so most things will there’s like three different ways of growing things you either
(1h 23m 31s)
grow in farmland, which is your standard thing. You grow on a trellis, which you have to build
(1h 23m 36s)
the trellis and then grow up with the trellis, which I will complain about in a minute.
(1h 23m 41s)
And then I think you can also have a party field.
(1h 23m 44s)
But I haven’t encountered the party field, but that’s for rice and stuff like that.
(1h 23m 50s)
You can grow that in that. I don’t know how that one works, just because I wasn’t bothered to figure it out because there’s so many things in this game, right?
(1h 23m 57s)
But yeah, that is a fun little thing because obviously in Stardew, there are some like trail-based plants, but you’re like automatically plant the trail is when you plant the plant.
(1h 24m 9s) Kevin:
Yeah, the tomato sticks just pop
(1h 24m 14s) Al:
And the chilly and stuff like that, they just appear, whereas here you have to build the trail list and then plant it under the trail list.
(1h 24m 21s)
My complaint about the trail list is the trail list ignores a bunch of upgrades.
(1h 24m 26s)
So, as I was telling you, the water during canned water is more plots as you upgrade it, except the trail list.
(1h 24m 34s) Kevin:
What? That’s insane.
(1h 24m 35s) Al:
Isn’t it so stupid?
(1h 24m 37s)
So if I’m walking up and I have like I do things in a three by three basis, right?
(1h 24m 42s)
So I’ve got three by three and I’m walking in there now.
(1h 24m 44s)
At the end of my three by three, I’ve got a three by three of
(1h 24m 46s)
trellises and I’ve been watering everything on in groups of three and
(1h 24m 51s)
now I have to water each individual trellis itself.
(1h 24m 55s) Kevin:
Well, that’s stupid, it’s ridiculous.
(1h 24m 58s)
Where do we do it with it?
(1h 25m)
Into all this great innovation,
(1h 25m 2s)
and they were just, no, forget it though.
(1h 25m 3s) Al:
I’m absolutely bizarre decision.
(1h 25m 5s)
I’m hoping this is a bug and it gets fixed at some point,
(1h 25m 8s)
but they’ve been fixing bugs every day and this is still an issue.
(1h 25m 11s)
After a week and a half is still an issue after they’ve been fixing bugs every
(1h 25m 15s)
single day. So it’s like it can’t be that big a bug. It must be deliberate,
(1h 25m 18s)
but why is it deliberate? Why is it different?
(1h 25m 21s)
I think your answer is because you don’t tell the land.
(1h 25m 25s)
You build the trail list and so I think in the game it’s treated differently.
(1h 25m 29s)
And so they’ve just forgotten to add that into a bunch of coins.
(1h 25m 33s)
I think that’s why it’s the case. But yeah, it’s just really annoying, such a, it’s, I think my biggest annoyance about this game.
(1h 25m 43s) Kevin:
Yeah. That should be wild.
(1h 25m 51s) Al:
Cause there’s a bunch of things you need for that. And then this, I can’t stop growing trailer stuff because I need the stuff.
(1h 25m 58s)
But I just hate you, so what I’ve actually ended up doing is
(1h 25m 59s) Kevin:
I’m getting annoyed by this.
(1h 26m 3s) Al:
like I’ve not done a lot of sprinklers. I’ll talk about the sprinklers
(1h 26m 6s)
probably in a minute. I’ve not done a lot of sprinklers because it’s a quite
(1h 26m 8s)
expensive to build, but I will use the sprinklers only for the
(1h 26m 11s)
trailers. So I don’t have to think about watering them. So that does bring me to
(1h 26m 13s) Kevin:
ha ha ha ha well there you go
(1h 26m 16s) Al:
the sprinklers. One really confusing thing is one of the watering
(1h 26m 20s)
can upgrades is called a sprinkler, but it’s not a sprinkler. That was very
(1h 26m 24s) Kevin:
Oh, I hate that.
(1h 26m 26s) Al:
confusing. So I was like, oh, they’re not sprinklers in this game. Is this the
(1h 26m 26s) Kevin:
What is game god do this?
(1h 26m 29s) Al:
only thing and no sprinklers aren’t in the game.
(1h 26m 33s)
This was called a sprinkler, but then the actual sprinkler is called Sprinkler 1.
(1h 26m 36s) Kevin:
oh yeah that’s exactly what it’s about to say
(1h 26m 38s) Al:
Such a, this must, I think this is a translation issue, right?
(1h 26m 42s)
It’s just very weird.
(1h 26m 45s) Kevin:
oh gosh
(1h 26m 48s) Al:
But the Sprinklers find, I mean, it works as a thing, it works exactly as you would expect
(1h 26m 54s)
it to.
(1h 26m 55s)
First one is a 3 by 3, and then I think the next one’s a 5 by 5, and I don’t know what the third
(1h 26m 59s)
one is because I’ve not got to that point. But um,
(1h 27m 3s)
Yeah, it you craft it. You use it as a sprinkler. I’ve just the naming thing was just so confusing
(1h 27m 10s) Kevin:
That’s that’s definitely bad translation. Oh,
(1h 27m 13s) Al:
Absolutely, absolutely. Um, and this game has big crops, which a lot of things do. So if you print if you
(1h 27m 20s)
If you have a three by three of a specific crop for certain crops, they will occasionally grow into a giant one
(1h 27m 25s) Kevin:
Oh, that’s always fun. I like that.
(1h 27m 26s) Al:
um, the, but the reason why I’m mentioning is this, once you harvest the big one, you obviously get a lot of
(1h 27m 33s)
little ones. And sometimes you’ll get a giant one as well that you can sell for more money. But you also
(1h 27m 38s)
get these little tokens that you can use for crafting furniture based on that type of crop.
(1h 27m 44s) Kevin:
What a good incentive to do that. Oh, that’s good. I like that
(1h 27m 48s) Al:
So you can get like watermelon tea tables and watermelon sofas that you have to grow the big one
(1h 27m 53s)
to be able to get the items to be able to grow from it. It’s, it’s, yeah, it’s fun. It’s not something
(1h 27m 59s)
that I’m going to spend a lot of time doing because I don’t particularly care.
(1h 28m 3s)
I think it’s fun for some people, and it’s a nice
(1h 28m 8s) Kevin:
Well, that’s I like that a lot either I’d be oh, I’d be so in on that
(1h 28m 13s) Al:
So I think that’s most of the farming stuff.
(1h 28m 16s)
Crafting is a bit hit or miss for me.
(1h 28m 20s)
I generally like the crafting,
(1h 28m 23s)
but it very much suffers from the user machine
(1h 28m 26s)
to build a thing to craft a thing,
(1h 28m 28s)
to build a machine to craft a thing,
(1h 28m 29s)
to build a machine to craft a thing.
(1h 28m 31s)
And the chains of crafting are a really hard
(1h 28m 36s)
to keep track of, right?
(1h 28m 38s)
So like for example, um, uh, let me see if I.
(1h 28m 43s)
I want to get an actual example so I can show you how it works.
(1h 28m 48s)
So there’s a type of storage box called a realm box, which is like an extra box in your inventory that you can carry around.
(1h 28m 55s)
So basically is an extra inventory increase to build a realm box.
(1h 29m 1s)
You need five alloy three spirit cube one five star flare core and six hardwood planks.
(1h 29m 6s) Kevin:
Oh goodness, oh, all this sounds miserable.
(1h 29m 10s) Al:
No to get, no to get the alloy.
(1h 29m 13s)
You use the furnace to get the alloy from one gold ingot, one iron ingot, one copper ingot, and one coal ingot, and then obviously to get a gold ingot, you need four gold or and one core to get a copper ingot, you need four copper or and one charcoal, and to get an iron ingot, you need four iron and one coal.
(1h 29m 39s)
So great. That’s like 20 different things already.
(1h 29m 44s) Kevin:
I don’t like any of this
(1h 29m 44s) Al:
And then there’s there was the spirit cube one to get the spirit cube one.
(1h 29m 50s)
You need just finding it because I want this to be accurate.
(1h 29m 55s)
You need four spirit cube fragments and two bronze.
(1h 30m)
Now the spirit cube fragments you get from getting or which is like the
(1h 30m 7s)
over the cold little things in Stardew that you break open.
(1h 30m 11s) Kevin:
Oh, oh, oh, the deodes or whatever.
(1h 30m 13s) Al:
Yeah the geode. So it’s like a geode.
(1h 30m 15s)
So you get uncommon or rare ores and you put them in an or analyzer
(1h 30m 20s)
and then you will sometimes get out the spirit cube fragments.
(1h 30m 24s)
And then you’ve got bronze.
(1h 30m 25s)
So bronze you use a furnace as well.
(1h 30m 27s)
And for bronze, you need one copper ingot, one tin ingot and one charcoal.
(1h 30m 35s)
And then there’s even more complicated things.
(1h 30m 37s)
So for example, you’ve got the ghee you’ve got you’ve got.
(1h 30m 41s)
Well, let me see which is a good example.
(1h 30m 43s)
This will be my last example. Don’t worry, this is not, I’m not going to go down to many more levels.
(1h 30m 47s)
So there is a robot terminal, which I will explain later why that’s fun.
(1h 30m 55s)
But to do the robot terminal, you need five meteor plank for eternal alloy to perpetual reactors for chips, six gears, and three Spirit Cubes 2.
(1h 31m 9s)
Now Spirit Cubes 2 needs two Spirit Cubes 1s and 1s.
(1h 31m 13s)
The Meteor Planck needs a specific table where I can’t remember the name of.
(1h 31m 21s)
To get the chip needs one Flame Core Engut, three Gold Wire, two Diamonds.
(1h 31m 30s)
Gold Wire needs one Gold Engut, Flame Core Engut needs four Flame Core or and one Oil Stone.
(1h 31m 38s) Kevin:
Right, you’re doing this to me, Al.
(1h 31m 41s) Al:
And then, of course, we had today.
(1h 31m 43s)
the perpetual reactor, which needs one lunar crystal, two diamond, two high performance wire set, and two magnets.
(1h 31m 51s)
Now, a high performance wire set, it needs one gold ingot, one copper sheet, and one ten ingot.
(1h 31m 58s)
Now, what’s a copper sheet you might ask, well, to get a copper sheet, you use the cutter to process one copper ingot into one copper sheet.
(1h 32m 9s)
And so this is the problem is that, like, obviously,
(1h 32m 13s)
as you’re building up, you understand all of these things, right? Like, these are all just words, you will not be of being processing what I’ve been seeing.
(1h 32m 20s)
But as you’re building up, you understand all these things. So everything that I said I understand. But the problem is, I now have 13 different crafting things, crafting machines.
(1h 32m 33s)
And you have to remember each one. So you know, you have to know that a perpetual reactor comes from an energy converter, but a chip comes from a gearsmith.
(1h 32m 43s)
You’ve also got the spinning wheel, the loom, the cutter, the charcoal can kill them, the furnace, the separator, the ore analyzer. And then that’s not even to mention the fact that there’s the ammo maker, the juicer, the feeder.
(1h 33m 1s)
And then, of course, the work table, there is a work table as well. And I’m just like, this is all very well and good, but why do we need all these different machines, right?
(1h 33m 10s) Kevin:
What was all this to make again? I gloss
(1h 33m 14s) Al:
of robot terminal. So this is the, I just end up getting completely lost in all of this,
(1h 33m 15s) Kevin:
Oh my god
(1h 33m 20s) Al:
and I’m like, okay, I know, I, I, by the time that I’ve got all of my items, I’ve forgotten what it
(1h 33m 25s)
was, I was trying to craft in the first place. And, and you don’t have one of these things on the
(1h 33m 28s) Kevin:
Yes, clearly.
(1h 33m 32s) Al:
go at once, right? Because like you might have five different quests going at once, and each one of
(1h 33m 37s)
them is you trying to get all the items together to then craft something because you need different
(1h 33m 42s)
and things, right? Like, for example.
(1h 33m 44s)
I also have a machine that automatically cleans my animals.
(1h 33m 51s)
And so that’s something I need for the ranching, but obviously I’m crafting it, right?
(1h 33m 55s)
So, like, all your five different main quests could have something that you’re trying to craft.
(1h 34m 1s)
And so you’re trying to remember what you need to get and how you need to get it,
(1h 34m 4s)
and then what machine you need to use to make the five chains of items to get to the thing that you want.
(1h 34m 11s)
I don’t understand why we can’t
(1h 34m 14s)
just have the work table and everything is at the work table. I especially don’t understand
(1h 34m 21s)
why we have an ammo maker which is just a weird looking work table. There’s some that are like,
(1h 34m 28s)
okay, I understand why they think there’s needs to be a different thing because it is a specific,
(1h 34m 34s)
like they’re wanting it to be realistic. To make thread, you’re going to have a spinning wheel,
(1h 34m 40s)
to make pieces of fabric, you’re going to have a loom. Okay, fine.
(1h 34m 44s)
I understand it in real life. Those two things would be separate. But why do they need to be separate in-game?
(1h 34m 50s)
From my point of view, I’m making fabric, right? Like they’re all related. You might not make ammo
(1h 34m 57s)
your work table. But why not? Why wouldn’t you do that? Right? I might understand that, for example,
(1h 35m 3s)
to make a copper ingot, that’s a different process than making charcoal. But they’re both just
(1h 35m 8s)
things you put things in, and they’re hot, and something comes out, right? Like, why do I care?
(1h 35m 15s)
two things are different. And the one that really annoys me the most is the energy converter
(1h 35m 21s)
and the gearsmith. And they’re just both different ways to get specific technology related things.
(1h 35m 27s)
Why are those two different things? Like, even if you want all these things to be different
(1h 35m 32s)
machines, you could simplify it massively and have like five of them. And you would still be
(1h 35m 36s)
different things. And they’re all like, this is the one that’s to do with clothes. This is the one to do
(1h 35m 41s)
with hot stuff, you know like…
(1h 35m 44s)
like making ingots and charcoal and stuff like that, this is the one that’s to do with cutting, turning things into bigger things into smaller things or whatever, and this is the one that’s making technology.
(1h 35m 56s)
And then you’ve got your work table. Like those would still give you separate things, but massively simplify it, and mean like, oh, I’m thinking of technology, I go to the technology one.
(1h 36m 5s)
I’m thinking of fabric, I go to the fabric one. Whereas I go like, I need a perpetual reactor, how do I know that’s the energy converter of the gearsmith?
(1h 36m 14s)
How do I know which one that is? Like, how am I meant to remember these things? I don’t understand why it has to be so complicated.
(1h 36m 22s) Kevin:
Yeah, that’s pretty miserable, and I’m a guy who generally likes he’s like, you know
(1h 36m 29s)
Rating different stations for specific things, but it goes up to a point like I might ever glazing over as you described all this
(1h 36m 36s) Al:
Yeah, absolutely. This is not a great podcast, right? Like all of those words are terrible
(1h 36m 37s) Kevin:
And I mean clearly
(1h 36m 42s) Al:
podcasting. I’m so sorry listeners, but I feel like I need to make the point of how bad
(1h 36m 47s) Kevin:
Yeah, that’s that’s that’s pretty bad like you said at the very least it has to be
(1h 36m 54s)
Very intuitive right
(1h 36m 57s)
The because sure you can’t have you know, this I mean a minecraft where the crafting table is you know like
(1h 37m 5s)
80% of everything they just have a few different
(1h 37m 8s)
Stations like the furnace and they have or whatever, but it’s got to be like you said
(1h 37m 11s) Al:
I think generally I think how they’ve thought about it is like the crafting table is things
(1h 37m 14s) Kevin:
Instinctive right like
(1h 37m 21s) Al:
that you make immediately and the other machines are things that take time, right?
(1h 37m 26s) Kevin:
Or
(1h 37m 26s) Al:
So like I can make a crossbow, I can just put it together as made.
(1h 37m 32s)
Whereas I can’t just immediately smell some copper or into a thing, right?
(1h 37m 39s)
I understand the idea.
(1h 37m 41s)
Like that doesn’t then extend the ammo, like you’re making arrows, but that’s making it automatically at the table and it’s taking time to make them like that doesn’t make any sense and also the separator, it happens immediately, it’s not part of the workbench, but it makes things immediately separated by the way.
(1h 38m)
It makes you can make protein powder out of bugs, you can make fruit juice and vegetable pulp from fruit in the way.
(1h 38m 6s) Kevin:
Oh, that’s, hmm, that’s an innovative.
(1h 38m 12s) Al:
So it’s like processing things, but that’s immediate, like if I can make a thousand vegetable pulp immediately, but I can’t make five arrows, that takes half an hour automatically, like there’s just a weird disconnect there, and I don’t know why that’s the case.
(1h 38m 31s) Kevin:
Now, let’s strange.
(1h 38m 33s) Al:
Some positives about crafting, there’s a lot of things that you can do for automation, which I might…
(1h 38m 41s)
I need to have a whole other section about automation, because I had it in the ranching, but maybe I need to have a whole section about automation after I’ve done the other things.
(1h 38m 49s)
But yeah, there’s a lot of automation related things, which is nice.
(1h 38m 54s)
All of the machines that have different levels, so like you’ve got the work table, you can upgrade it to do more stuff with it, you can upgrade it rather than having to build a new one.
(1h 39m 7s)
So you can either build a new one.
(1h 39m 11s)
And then upgrade it as you go, so it’s a really nice way to be able to go like.
(1h 39m 19s)
So one of the things that really annoys me about, for example, stargy is I make one of the simple sprinklers.
(1h 39m 26s)
And then I get the recipe for making the better sprinkler.
(1h 39m 29s)
What do I do with these original sprinklers?
(1h 39m 31s)
I can’t turn them back into the items I had.
(1h 39m 34s)
I can’t upgrade them.
(1h 39m 35s)
Whereas with this, you can upgrade almost everything.
(1h 39m 39s)
thing. The one thing you can’t
(1h 39m 41s)
you can’t upgrade in place is storage boxes and I’m really annoyed about that. So there’s
(1h 39m 46s)
three different levels of storage boxes that are like different bigger. You can’t upgrade
(1h 39m 51s)
them. You can only build new ones. And I don’t know why that’s specifically of all the
(1h 39m 56s)
things in the game. That is the one that you can’t do. And it’s really annoying because
(1h 40m)
I have I have two of the original boxes that I now can’t upgrade and they’re stuck being
(1h 40m 6s)
really small, and that’s very annoying. I’ve obviously built more that I have
(1h 40m 11s)
that are bigger, but why can’t I make those ones bigger? And it’s like what do I do with them? They’re just sitting there with basically nothing in them, but other than that, all of the other ones you can upgrade, which is really nice because that is such an annoying thing, right? Or being like, oh, I have this old thing that I made that is now not good. It’s great, you can upgrade it.
(1h 40m 29s)
Yeah, so I think generally the crafting is fine. There’s some things that are really good, and there are some things that are really frustrating. Ranching, so there’s a whole bunch of animals, and most of it works exactly.
(1h 40m 41s)
you can expect. You’ve got chickens, you’ve got sheep, you’ve got cows, you’ve got pigs, you’ve got rabbits. I think there’s a bunch of other ones that I’ve not unlocked as well. You give them food, they give you stuff, right? The usual sort of thing. They also, though, will help around the farm. So for example, rabbits will dig up weeds for you.
(1h 40m 57s) Kevin:
door. Oh, I love that.
(1h 41m 5s) Al:
So your crops grow weeds sometimes in that way.
(1h 41m 11s)
If there are weeds growing, it will stop them growing, and so you have to go in like manually pull them out. But then once you have rabbits, the rabbits do it instead, which I really like. So like, I’m now at the point where I just don’t have to think about that at all because my rabbits are just doing the job for me. So not only do they give me, they give me fur, but also they dig up the weeds.
(1h 41m 30s)
And they put the weeds in a little box that you can then pick up later as well, because that gets more important when you use the other ones, so chickens.
(1h 41m 35s) Kevin:
Oh, that’s incredible.
(1h 41m 41s) Al:
They take a step back. Trellis plants will sometimes have cicadas on them. And if the cicadas do the same thing as weeds, but for trellis plants, they’ll stop them growing. Your chickens will get the cicadas and they’ll put them in a box for you. So they’ll clean up in the same way that the rabbits to the weeds.
(1h 42m 1s)
But then the cicadas you can then use for protein powder, so you can like process them and sell them on, which is really nice. So it’s like all of these things work together. And a really nice kind of
(1h 42m 12s)
straight away and I really like that.
(1h 42m 15s) Kevin:
Synergy.
(1h 42m 16s) Al:
There’s also breeding of animals,
(1h 42m 18s)
which works mostly how you would expect,
(1h 42m 20s)
but there’s crossbreeding.
(1h 42m 22s)
So you can get different ones.
(1h 42m 25s)
So for example, you can get like pink,
(1h 42m 26s) Kevin:
that you’re going to color sheep.
(1h 42m 27s) Al:
you can get pink sheep, or you can get like,
(1h 42m 30s)
I’ve got a rabbit, which is called a lunar rabbit,
(1h 42m 33s)
which is just kind of like these slightly pink and glowing.
(1h 42m 36s)
And these things don’t matter.
(1h 42m 38s)
Like they don’t really accept in the sheep,
(1h 42m 40s)
the sheep matter because they give you different
(1h 42m 42s)
coloured will but nothing else will give you anything different it’s just they just look different and that’s kind of cool my lunar rabbit is like kind of glowing pink and yellow which I kind of like yeah or one of the things I forgot to say so you can get glue you can make glue and the item the item that you use to make the glue is sheep sheep saliva.
(1h 42m 55s) Kevin:
Yes, this is cool flex. It’s for your aura.
(1h 43m 5s)
No, I’m scared. Oh, I don’t know how accurate that is.
(1h 43m 13s) Al:
So you go up to you you go up to your sheep pen and the best but is if you see it before you pick it up it’s a bowl of slack like I just don’t like a little bowl it looks like crockery it’s not like a plastic it’s like it’s like it’s so funny it’s so unnecessary.
(1h 43m 23s) Kevin:
Oh yeah!
(1h 43m 32s)
That’s the best way to handle this. I love that screen. Good for them. Good for them.
(1h 43m 38s) Al:
So yeah, most of the animals will give you multiple things, they either give you
(1h 43m 42s)
multiple things or they do things as well. So I really like that. Like there’s not
(1h 43m 47s)
just one thing that you get from animals. It’s kind of showing that like ecosystems work
(1h 43m 52s)
in complicated ways. And obviously it’s oversimplified, right? And it doesn’t talk about
(1h 44m 3s)
how like you can that can go over the top and ruin ecosystems. But it’s I just I like in the
(1h 44m 10s)
general concept.
(1h 44m 12s)
of your chicken isn’t just there to give you eggs, right, like it exists in a world and it does things and it can affect things like I really like that.
(1h 44m 19s) Kevin:
Yeah, that’s pretty cool
(1h 44m 21s)
That’s cool
(1h 44m 23s) Al:
The exploding or mining they call it exploding, but it’s basically just mining there’s a forest, which is kind of like the the the mine in starchy.
(1h 44m 35s)
It’s there’s not a huge amount here that would be different is just you’re exploiting a forest rather than going down are.
(1h 44m 42s)
a mine and there’s like campsites that you repair when you get to them and then you can like teleport between them.
(1h 44m 49s)
Different areas have different ors and stuff like that but then there’s also there’s there’s bosses that you come across that you have to attack and you’ve got you start off with like a.
(1h 45m)
Or what’s it called the catapult you get catapult first and then you eventually unlock the ability to have a.
(1h 45m 8s)
a bone arrow and then a crossbow and stuff like that.
(1h 45m 12s)
And the combat’s fine. I would say it’s probably better than Stardew, but that’s not saying much.
(1h 45m 18s) Kevin:
Yeah, it’s an eyebar.
(1h 45m 22s) Al:
But it’s all ranged combat. There’s no sword or anything like that. You just have these projectiles
(1h 45m 29s)
and it’s about dodging attacks and then fighting back at the right time and stuff like that.
(1h 45m 35s)
It wasn’t particularly difficult, but it was something. The bosses also respawn every
(1h 45m 36s) Kevin:
Okay, that’s interesting.
(1h 45m 39s)
Yeah.
(1h 45m 42s) Al:
day. So if you go back, there’ll be there again. You get a lot of things that way,
(1h 45m 44s) Kevin:
Oh, that’s, that’s.
(1h 45m 50s) Al:
right? There’s a whole bunch of treasure chests and stuff like that. You can get a lot of stuff
(1h 45m 53s)
in the forest. And then there’s also a story-based thing that I’m not going to talk about,
(1h 45m 59s)
but there’s a progression through that area and you’re uncovering some mystery around that area.
(1h 46m 3s) Kevin:
Okay, sure, that makes sense.
(1h 46m 10s) Al:
It’s nothing particularly amazing.
(1h 46m 11s) Kevin:
Yeah, it’s typical.
(1h 46m 12s) Al:
But it’s a fun little little story.
(1h 46m 16s)
And last thing before I talk about automation is fishing.
(1h 46m 18s)
I have done very little fishing.
(1h 46m 20s)
I did not enjoy the fishing.
(1h 46m 22s)
So the fishing in this game is you how to describe this.
(1h 46m 28s)
So when you hold the fishing line and you press a button to cast,
(1h 46m 34s)
you then use, for me it was like the left analog stick.
(1h 46m 39s)
life analog stick, but I’m presuming it’s the most of using my
(1h 46m 42s)
keyboard to like choose where you’re casting to so you choose the area you’re casting to and you see
(1h 46m 47s)
a little fish shadows in the waters you have to go near a fish shadow and then similar to kind of like
(1h 46m 53s)
animal crossing style in that aspect but you’re like explicitly saying I want to go here in the water rather
(1h 46m 59s)
than just kind of like fishing in general direction and then the shadow will like you know come and
(1h 47m 5s)
then buy on and then this is where that kind of got confused because I’m not sure exactly because it
(1h 47m 12s)
think, I know for a fact the fish can break away, but I don’t know whether anything I did
(1h 47m 17s)
affected that or not. You’re like, you hold the button to pool in and I cannot tell because
(1h 47m 24s)
I left this so late because I just didn’t want to do it. Um, whether what I was doing
(1h 47m 31s)
affected, whether it would break away or whether that was random. I honestly don’t know
(1h 47m 35s)
the explanation was really bad. It’s not particularly interesting, but then I’ve
(1h 47m 42s)
never been a huge fishing mini game fan. Uh, it, it is what it is. Uh, I don’t know. I always
(1h 47m 49s)
feel with fishing that it’s so much time and effort to get so little light of it. That
(1h 47m 54s) Kevin:
Yeah, well
(1h 47m 54s) Al:
is my, that is my fishing opinion just in general, which is kind of the point, right? Like
(1h 47m 58s)
that’s how people like fishing is because it’s so calm and chill. And I’m just like, that’s
(1h 48m) Kevin:
Yeah, I was about to say exactly, right?
(1h 48m 3s) Al:
not what I’m here for.
(1h 48m 6s) Kevin:
No common chill and else close to games, no
(1h 48m 10s)
Huh, but no, I mean like I get it. Yeah, like that’s the point you it’s to slow down and
(1h 48m 17s)
Relax and get a cool thing of the ocean maybe if you were lucky and do it right
(1h 48m 22s)
But that’s not for everyone.
(1h 48m 24s)
It’s like real fishing.
(1h 48m 28s)
Yeah, but…
(1h 48m 29s) Al:
All right, automation, I really like how they’ve done automation.
(1h 48m 32s)
There’s loads of automated things.
(1h 48m 34s)
So obviously there’s like sprinklers and stuff like that, the standard automation.
(1h 48m 37s)
But there’s also like almost everything you can do,
(1h 48m 40s)
you can automate in the game in the late game.
(1h 48m 44s)
So like there’s, there’s medium,
(1h 48m 45s)
there’s early term things, which is like, you know, your sprinkler and stuff like that.
(1h 48m 48s)
Then there’s medium game things like, as I mentioned before, there’s a machine to like,
(1h 48m 53s)
clean your animals.
(1h 48m 54s)
So normally you would have to like go around your animals and brush a few of them every day,
(1h 48m 59s)
there’s a machine that they would just automatically go to if they need cleaned.
(1h 49m 2s)
There’s like a feeding trough that you can add like hundreds of feed to,
(1h 49m 9s)
whereas normally you’d only put a certain amount in each of the individual things,
(1h 49m 13s)
but you can go like, here is my feeding trough for all my animals.
(1h 49m 16s)
And I’ll put in 100 chicken feed, 100 rabbit feed, 100 sheep feed, etc.
(1h 49m 21s)
So that makes it really nice.
(1h 49m 22s)
And then there’s the late game stuff.
(1h 49m 25s)
And there are fully automated robots you can get.
(1h 49m 29s)
You can then set off to do specific, oh no, I missed a point, as you’re upgrading your
(1h 49m 36s)
axe and your hammer, which is for trees and mining, there is a chainsaw and a drill that you can upgrade to.
(1h 49m 47s) Kevin:
Ooh, now we’re talking.
(1h 49m 49s) Al:
So you’re still manually going around and you’re manually going around and choosing what to do,
(1h 49m 54s)
But you it doesn’t I’m pretty sure I haven’t actually unlocked these ones
(1h 49m 59s)
because I I unlocked the crafting recipes at the same time as I unlocked the net the robots
(1h 50m 6s)
And I’m focusing just now in the robots, but I’m pretty sure those won’t those don’t use stamina
(1h 50m 10s)
Which is really nice
(1h 50m 12s)
You can just walk around and like drill everything and get a whole bunch of stuff, which is really cool
(1h 50m 18s)
But then there’s the robots and these robots are fantastic and I want to do all of the robots
(1h 50m 26s)
So you
(1h 50m 27s) Kevin:
Well all you need to do is all that crafting you talked about before.
(1h 50m 30s) Al:
So the yes you do you do and it is a lot of work, but then they do so much so I have a mining robot and I’ve left it mining for two days and it has
(1h 50m 40s)
a hundred iron a hundred ten
(1h 50m 43s)
200 softwood a hundred hardwood
(1h 50m 46s)
68 premium with 23
(1h 50m 49s)
uncommon or
(1h 50m 51s)
17 rare ores 81 flew right a hundred and twenty five like they just and you can have so like this
(1h 50m 59s)
each robot terminal can have 12 robots, and I only have one mining robot just now and
(1h 51m 5s)
one logging robot
(1h 51m 7s)
And and they just do so much like I love and I feel like I’m gonna be able to set these up
(1h 51m 12s)
Spend a few more days kind of building a few more robots and another terminal because you have one terminal
(1h 51m 19s)
Like I want one in the forest and one on my farm
(1h 51m 21s)
And because you can also like set them up to do farming as well and gathering so you can get them to like get up all the like
(1h 51m 29s)
Off the ground as well and and and also you can tell them what to do with your
(1h 51m 33s)
Your crops. I don’t know how that works exactly because I haven’t got a crop based robot yet
(1h 51m 40s)
Because the blueprints for them are so expensive
(1h 51m 44s)
Never mind actually crafting them in the first place
(1h 51m 45s) Kevin:
Yeah
(1h 51m 48s)
Yeah, I mean that sounds like late ed boom endgame
(1h 51m 49s) Al:
but I just like it’s
(1h 51m 53s)
It’s just automated to like
(1h 51m 56s)
the most ridiculous degree, I love it.
(1h 51m 59s)
it’s fantastic. So this leads me to, okay, so a couple of other things I’ll come back to this
(1h 52m) Kevin:
Pretty good. Wildflowers has robots too, just saying.
(1h 52m 11s) Al:
because I have one more point to make about automation. Automation good, but it leads me to
(1h 52m 15s)
our question, which are okay at the end. But let’s quickly go bug catching is exactly what you
(1h 52m 20s)
expect with bug catching. You have a net, there are bugs, go catch them. You can, however, but there is
(1h 52m 25s) Kevin:
Yeah, not much innovating there. It’s ever…
(1h 52m 29s) Al:
other than, obviously, you can turn them into protein powder, which is just a very silly thing you
(1h 52m 34s)
can do, but you can build a beehive and you can catch bees and put them in your beehive. So it’s not
(1h 52m 35s) Kevin:
Yep. Oh, uh, uh, uh, uh.
(1h 52m 39s) Al:
like the bees are automatically there. You have to catch queen bee and then some worker bees
(1h 52m 44s)
and you are queen and a bunch of workers in a hive and they will generate you honey. It’s one of
(1h 52m 50s)
the rare situations where you have to do more work, but it’s more fun being more realistic. I know it’s
(1h 52m 57s)
It’s not fully realistic.
(1h 52m 59s)
You don’t have to tell me how it’s wrong, but it’s more realistic than you just put
(1h 53m 4s)
a hive there and magically honey up here.
(1h 53m 7s)
Although, maybe code your tell me that actually that is realistic, who knows?
(1h 53m 8s) Kevin:
That’s fun. Go buy fully built it
(1h 53m 14s) Al:
But yeah, that’s fun.
(1h 53m 16s)
Other than that bug catching is pretty much as you’d expect.
(1h 53m 19s)
The building in this game is very complicated.
(1h 53m 23s)
It almost kind of sims like where you’re building individuals.
(1h 53m 29s)
and then walls and then riffs and like putting a all together and you can build
(1h 53m 34s)
whatever design of house you want, which is both great and also terrible. So it’s
(1h 53m 42s)
great if you want that and it’s terrible if you don’t want that. But, but they
(1h 53m 49s)
have building plans. So you can you can purchase a building plan. I’m
(1h 53m 53s) Kevin:
Oh, preset, it’s nice.
(1h 53m 59s) Al:
say I want to build this design of house here and you press it and it’s done. And
(1h 54m 4s)
you can buy that plan in one of two ways. You can either buy it with money or the
(1h 54m 9s)
plan is already there. And if you get all of the items that is needed, so like
(1h 54m 15s)
all of the ore and the wood, et cetera, et cetera, you can have it build that
(1h 54m 20s)
without paying for the plan. It just uses all the items. So you’re either choosing
(1h 54m 24s)
to pay for the plan and the items that we…
(1h 54m 29s)
are needed to build all of the things, or you can get the things that are needed to build the
(1h 54m 37s)
house with and use that to then build the plan instead. Does that make sense? You’re either
(1h 54m 43s)
using money to build it, or you’re using items. And either way, you can use the plan to automatically
(1h 54m 49s)
build a specific design environment.
(1h 54m 52s) Kevin:
OK, I get it. That’s cool. I love those options where you can just invest more money instead of, you know, the timer, whatever.
(1h 55m)
It’s like, you know, every game has currency or whatever and then, and using that instead of the effort time, that’s a great way of doing it, or, you know, common currency, whatever. You know what I mean? That’s options are good.
(1h 55m 13s) Al:
there’s also leads into the fact that you start with like a certain plot of land and then you
(1h 55m 18s)
buy more land to expand your farm, which I’ve seen in a couple of games, but it felt different in
(1h 55m 21s) Kevin:
Yeah, sure
(1h 55m 25s) Al:
this one and I’m not quite sure why. But I like the idea of like, yeah, you just, you can just expand
(1h 55m 32s)
because it’s like a bunch of land around you buy more, buy more space. Okay. So I’ve talked about
(1h 55m 37s)
the upgrading things. Storage stuff is interesting. They started out where you couldn’t
(1h 55m 43s)
like craft things unless you had them in your bag, but one of the upgrades in the last we
(1h 55m 47s)
can have changed that. So now all the things in your chests are automatically available for
(1h 55m 51s)
crafting on gifting to people and stuff. So that was going to be a complaint about this game,
(1h 55m 55s)
but it’s now great where I can just like store everything in chests. And I never have to think
(1h 56m 1s)
about having the right items in my inventory, except for my tools and weapons, everything else just
(1h 56m 8s)
goes in in in specific chests. And then I just never have to think about the amount of stuff.
(1h 56m 13s)
Storage. Interestingly, you upgrade your backpack using items rather than money. So it’s like
(1h 56m 19s)
every level of upgrading your bag has certain items you have to use to upgrade it. It’s almost like
(1h 56m 24s)
a just progression based thing where it’s like, oh, this one needs, you know, specific crops or
(1h 56m 31s)
whatever. And this one needs like specific process items. And this one needs like it’s like, once
(1h 56m 36s)
you get to a certain point, you’re going to be able to do it. So it’s almost like a progression
(1h 56m 41s)
gate for upgrading your story.
(1h 56m 43s)
But because you’ve got chests and the chests work nicely, it never feels like you’re
(1h 56m 48s)
being disadvantaged from that, it just means realistically it only means that if you go into
(1h 56m 53s)
the forest to get a bunch of stuff, there’s just maximum amount of stuff you can get before
(1h 56m 56s)
you have to come back.
(1h 56m 58s)
That’s really all it does.
(1h 57m)
So I said there was one thing I wanted to talk about after the automation, and nice, I don’t
(1h 57m 5s)
understand why this game is early access.
(1h 57m 7s) Kevin:
That’s the, you know what? You’re right. Forgot. That sounds very robust. That doesn’t make much sense now, does it?
(1h 57m 14s) Al:
It feels, I haven’t noticed any lines of story that have abruptly stopped.
(1h 57m 21s)
Everything feels like it’s either coming to a conclusion or there’s still a long way for me to go to get to the end.
(1h 57m 27s)
And so I honestly do not know what they’re going to do to get this game out of early access.
(1h 57m 34s)
Now it could just be our, we think everything’s in the game, but we’re like,
(1h 57m 39s)
we need to make sure that it’s all, you know, get rid of all the bugs and
(1h 57m 43s)
some quality of life improvement.
(1h 57m 44s)
And then we’re done, which would explain their time scale of four months, which is what we talked about in the draft episode. They said about four months for early access.
(1h 57m 51s) Kevin:
Yeah
(1h 57m 54s) Al:
I guess that makes sense, but like at this point, it feels all overkill to be early access rather than just doing a beta with some people. I don’t know. It just seems weird that this is early access. This feels like the most complete early access I’ve ever played.
(1h 58m 12s) Kevin:
Yeah, sounds way less early access than a lot of 1.0 as we’ve seen on the show.
(1h 58m 19s) Al:
And just to give an idea of time frame, so I’ve put in 35 hours into this game so far, and I’m 35 out of 75 achievements.
(1h 58m 28s)
I’ve completed two of the the main like, uh, certification quest lines, uh, one is like basically not done at all and then two or maybe halfway.
(1h 58m 40s)
So it feels like a decent amount of game and like if you’re going to want a hundred percent everything, then I think there’s probably, uh,
(1h 58m 49s)
a large number of hours in this, because like I haven’t even touched the romance system because that’s the last thing I need to talk about, which is characters and romance.
(1h 58m 58s)
I have barely done anything with that.
(1h 59m 1s)
And that’s this is going to be a partly me and partly the game.
(1h 59m 6s)
So partly me is like I’ve never, I’m, other than Stardew, I’ve never been particularly interested in the romance in these games.
(1h 59m 13s)
I will always do something, um, kind of some of the story of seasons of made me vaguely.
(1h 59m 19s)
I’ve been interested in some of the characters, uh, three of times in particular, there were a few there, I guess that so Stardew and three of times there was probably would be the two that I’ve actively wanted to progress romance in the games.
(1h 59m 32s)
So partly it’s me, but partly also I’ve none of these characters are particularly interesting in my opinion.
(1h 59m 38s)
I think if what you’re looking for in a game is interesting characters and deep story, I don’t think you’re going to find it.
(1h 59m 47s) Kevin:
Oh, that’s rough because I mean, yeah, that’s kind of important for, you know, romance
(1h 59m 52s)
seem to care about the characters.
(1h 59m 54s) Al:
I mean, what I will say is, obviously, we joke about it being, you know, weeb island, right?
(2h 3s)
And I think that that is probably going to be enough for some people, the fact that, like,
(2h 7s)
obviously, this is a bunch of, you know, anime style cute characters, if you will, right?
(2h 14s)
Like, that’s enough for some people. Like, oh, yeah, that character. I like the look of
(2h 18s)
that character. Let me go romance that character. If that’s what you want about romance,
(2h 22s)
And that’s fine, like that’s there.
(2h 24s)
And maybe there’s more than I’m just not seeing it because I’ve not really gotten to
(2h 27s) Kevin:
Yeah
(2h 41s) Al:
know any of them.
(2h 43s)
It’s a chicken and egg problem, right?
(2h 45s)
Like, I personally found Stardew characters interesting before I got to know them, right?
(2h 51s)
My first romanceable character.
(2h 54s)
I was interested because I went to talk to her and she was immediately mean to me.
(2h 1m 2s)
That’s interesting.
(2h 1m 2s) Kevin:
Well, since we’re talking about a weave game out, let me tell you about Sundair.
(2h 1m 3s) Al:
Why is this person so mean to me?
(2h 1m 5s)
And how can I stop them being mean?
(2h 1m 13s)
But it’s not just that, right?
(2h 1m 16s)
You wouldn’t expect when you are a new person in town for someone to be immediately mean to you.
(2h 1m 22s)
And that intrigues you, even if it-
(2h 1m 24s)
is not about the romance aspect, right? So like, for example, you know, we talk about Linus. He’s a very interesting character. You know, immediately there’s going to be something interesting about him there. With Clint, the fact that he immediately see he’s really creepy, right? That’s so obvious straight away.
(2h 1m 41s)
Whereas all of these characters, in my opinion so far, have been like, okay, so you’re the farming person, but that’s your entire personality.
(2h 1m 50s)
you know? And like some of them are maybe vaguely
(2h 1m 54s)
more interesting like maybe you’re like oh you’re dressed differently than what I would expect like oh there’s a
(2h 2m)
goth character for example you’re an interesting person because you’re a goth character you’re an
(2h 2m 5s)
interesting person because you’re maybe you know the only person who’s not scantily clad right like there’s there’s
(2h 2m 11s) Kevin:
- Yeah.
(2h 2m 13s) Al:
some possibilities there but like it’s it’s it’s not the same so I don’t know maybe I’ll spend some more time on it
(2h 2m 19s) Kevin:
No, I get it.
(2h 2m 24s) Al:
obviously at this point we are five days away from Pucopia I’m probably not gonna invest much more time in this
(2h 2m 30s)
game or a while no I’m not gonna do it now because I’ve got certain job to do right like I’ve done the
(2h 2m 31s) Kevin:
to do it now. Okay.
(2h 2m 37s) Al:
episode now I will come back to this game at some point I have very much enjoyed my 35 hours in this
(2h 2m 42s)
game and I think it’s been worth my time and my money I will probably come back when it enters one point
(2h 2m 49s)
But I think I’m at this point where I’m like, let’s take a break from it now.
(2h 2m 54s)
We’ll finish up a couple of things before Procopia comes out and then I’m all in Procopia.
(2h 2m 59s)
But it’s a year, a year’s a long time and this is February and it will be interesting to see how I am going forward and how much time I sink into it when it hits 1.0 because you may remember like when I first played
(2h 3m 14s)
Carlisle and I was like, this is the best farming game I’ve ever played and I have not played it again since then.
(2h 3m 20s)
I haven’t gone back to it.
(2h 3m 21s)
So, you know, complicated.
(2h 3m 24s)
And it’s hard to know when you’re enjoying something in the moment, and that’s it, or whether it’s going to be something that will continue and keep going and be long lasting, and nothing will ever, nothing will ever be the starchy, right?
(2h 3m 31s) Kevin:
Last yeah, yeah, not the uh
(2h 3m 39s) Al:
And that’s part of the problem. Part of the problem is that I played the best farming game as the first one, right? Like, nothing will ever truly meet the sum of that game.
(2h 3m 52s)
Obviously, I think personally, I…
(2h 3m 54s)
more enjoy better… movement in games than Stardew has now, right?
(2h 4m)
Like, I’ve talked in the last year’s game of the year episode about how all my favorite games from last year were games I could jump in, and I said that in a jesty way, but it’s also serious, right?
(2h 4m 9s)
Like, there’s something about that style of game that I really like now, but nothing really has ever got to the point of the complicated stories and personalities that Stardew does.
(2h 4m 21s) Kevin:
yeah, I start is the complete package that’s the thing right every every other game we talk about here like all stood this this aspect better or this or that, but no game as challenged like start is all,
(2h 4m 38s) Al:
So I think my conclusion would be, this is a good game. If you want a stardew-like,
(2h 4m 43s)
or you want a 3D stardew-like, or you want a weeb stardew-like, or you just want to try out a new
(2h 4m 50s)
stardew-like, this is a good game. If your main focus is characters, this is not the game for you.
(2h 4m 53s) Kevin:
that’s shame yeah give up characters for skateboard this is the way they
(2h 4m 58s) Al:
But I mean, not every game can be everything, right? That’s, I think, a thing, and it’s
(2h 5m 2s)
important knowing what it is going in. But, from…
(2h 5m 8s)
I mean, that’s a pretty good trade, right? What if you could do tricks?
(2h 5m 9s) Kevin:
said I don’t think so actually well then then the discussion would be
(2h 5m 20s)
different, then I could be swayed.
(2h 5m 22s) Al:
Oh, goodness, I was going to keep that quick and it’s been an hour.
(2h 5m 29s)
It’s a big game. This is the thing, it’s not a small game. There’s a lot to talk about,
(2h 5m 34s)
And there’s probably things that I’ve forgotten about.
(2h 5m 38s)
But I yeah, I’ve very much enjoyed my time in that game and it ran really nicely on my my handheld my my not a steam deck.
(2h 5m 48s)
I’ve enjoyed it.
(2h 5m 50s) Kevin:
Stick yeah, I mean it sounds like a lot so yeah good for them
(2h 5m 54s) Al:
I think I would also say it’s probably the best 3d farming game I’ve played because so many of them are exist and so many of them are not fun because the traver so is not good and the camera controls aren’t good.
(2h 6m 3s) Kevin:
Yeah, it’s hard.
(2h 6m 8s) Al:
Those things they’ve got down the day to day minute to minute movement and progression in the game is fun and it’s just about what is your overall goal for a game like what is it you’re most looking forward to.
(2h 6m 23s)
That’s the question you got to ask yourself as to whether you should play this now my voice is going.
Outro
(2h 6m 28s) Al:
So let’s wrap this up thank you Kevin for joining me to talk about star sand island and pocopia.
(2h 6m 28s) Kevin:
Thank you all for having me on sounds like a big game and the week after that
(2h 6m 36s) Al:
Tune in next week for
(2h 6m 38s)
I have next weekend, next weekend, pencil in as
(2h 6m 41s) Kevin:
Possibly the week after that too
(2h 6m 47s) Al:
Pocopia first impressions.
(2h 6m 51s) Kevin:
Yeah, but then we’ll get first impressions too from the other people.
(2h 6m 52s) Al:
Maybe where can people find is there anything you would like to share with the audience?
(2h 6m 55s) Kevin:
Ah, ah, I was too scoured.
(2h 7m)
Yes, I suggested to Al that we do an episode of every host on and he’s too
(2h 7m 5s)
power to do it, um, but other than that, no cocopi, it’s coming.
(2h 7m 7s) Al:
Yep, you just want people to buy cocopia so there’s more cocopias in the future.
(2h 7m 9s) Kevin:
It’s, it’s all it’s life.
(2h 7m 11s)
That’s, that’s all goodbye.
(2h 7m 13s)
Yes, yes, that’s correct.
(2h 7m 17s) Al:
We want a cocopia too.
(2h 7m 17s) Kevin:
come. Yes, immediately.
(2h 7m 22s)
Okay, but I’m Cooper Perez wherever. What about now this Joe people?
(2h 7m 26s) Al:
You can find the podcast on tumblr.ndon blue sky at ths pod. You can
(2h 7m 32s)
be like shivers and send us feedback on our website.
(2h 7m 37s)
Harvestseason.club where you can also find links to everything to do with the podcast, including our patreon patreon.com/djspod where you can get access to our slack.
(2h 7m 46s)
See the pictures of my sister’s new cats.
(2h 7m 49s) Kevin:
Those are good pictures and confirmed.
(2h 7m 54s) Al:
And also like, I’m sure we’ll be talking about pogopia in there when it drops.
(2h 7m 59s) Kevin:
Yeah
(2h 7m 59s) Al:
You can also get access to our bonus episodes of the podcast.
(2h 8m 3s)
Last, we recorded just before this episode.
(2h 8m 7s)
We recorded our Pokemon Day predictions.
(2h 8m 9s)
It is an hour and 20 minutes long,
(2h 8m 12s)
one of the longer greenhouse episodes.
(2h 8m 15s) Kevin:
We had thoughts, thoughts were said and communicated.
(2h 8m 16s) Al:
So if you want an hour and 20 minutes
(2h 8m 18s)
of us talking about Pokemon,
(2h 8m 20s) Kevin:
You should.
(2h 8m 21s) Al:
you can’t find that anywhere else, anymore.
(2h 8m 23s) Kevin:
No, I, uh, no, where else?
(2h 8m 26s) Al:
And I will cut that out.
(2h 8m 31s)
You can get it on our greenhouse episode,
(2h 8m 34s)
Which, ah.
(2h 8m 37s)
Probably will come out on Saturday.
(2h 8m 39s)
No promises.
(2h 8m 40s) Kevin:
or hope.
(2h 8m 40s) Al:
I don’t think I’ll release it before that.
(2h 8m 42s)
I don’t think I have time to edit it and release it tomorrow, which would be ideal, but maybe we’ll see.
(2h 8m 47s)
We’ll see. It’s either already out or it’s coming out soon, so we’ll see.
(2h 8m 49s) Kevin:
Mayor.
(2h 8m 52s) Al:
I think that’s everything.
(2h 8m 53s) Kevin:
That would be the bar. Thank you all. I’m young.
(2h 8m 54s) Al:
Thank you, Kevin, for joining me again.
(2h 8m 57s)
Thank you, listeners, for listening, and until next time, have a good harvest.
(2h 9m 2s) Theme Tune:
The Harvest Season is created by Al McHenry with support from our patrons, including our
(2h 9m 2s) Kevin:
We have a good epopia this year. It’s time.
(2h 9m 12s) Theme Tune:
pro farmers, Kevin Stewart and Alisa.
(2h 9m 15s)
Our art is done by Micah the Brave and our music is done by Nick Burtis.
(2h 9m 20s)
Feel free to visit our website harvestseason.club for show notes and links to things we discussed
(2h 9m 26s)
in this episode.
(2h 9m 32s)
[Music]
(2h 9m 35s) Al:
Hello farmers and welcome to the harvest oh no
(2h 9m 38s) Kevin:
Wait, wait, I hadn’t started yet, we didn’t do that!
(2h 9m 44s) Al:
well there’s our uh I hope it’s credit if there’s nothing better
(2h 9m 48s) Kevin:
Yeah, yeah!
(2h 9m 50s)
Oh, I just started. I didn’t hit the button. Okay, I’m ready. I’m recording.
(2h 9m 50s) Al:
all right tell me when you’re recording
(2h 9m 57s)
we’re gonna clap in three two one
(2h 10m 2s) Kevin:
I clapped.
(2h 10m 4s)
The post credit should be the collection of my off-care.
(2h 10m 5s) Al:
yeah the funny thing is it’s coming across really weirdly and because
(2h 10m 8s) Kevin:
And I’m like leaning away, I’m diving, because I’m trying not to hack my COVID across his microphone.
(2h 10m 14s) Al:
obviously like zoom is trying to cut it out but like only half managing
(2h 10m 26s) Kevin:
But it’s loud. I big coughs. So, say lovey.
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