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[Seth]

The problem with Harvest Moon for me was that it focused way too much on the menial tasks of farming rather than the managerial/business aspect.  It was too simple, there was always one crop that was more profitable than the others, so you just planted that.  And the rest, as haowan said, was a grind.  I want a game with a fluctuating economy and where I can hire farmhands to do all the boring jobs.

Also I'd like to play a farming game set during the Great Depression.

[Montoli]

Harvest moon for me represented a great demonstration of artificially lowered expectations.  They give you things that you actually think are great, that in any other game, would be kind of lame.  But they're great in Harvest Moon, because they've set up a setting where it's painful, but bearable because of the promise of things that make it less painful.

Don't get me wrong, I played the original for a while, way back, and then Rune Factory for a while more recently.  I enjoyed them both.  (Original was better somehow, for me, although I haven't figured out all of why yet.)

But in no other game can they make you excited about getting a SPRINKLER, or a BETTER SHOVEL, who's only real benefit is that it makes a menial task slightly less menial.

"Oh boy!  Now, instead of having to take 5 minutes to water all my crops each day, it only takes 3.5!  AWESOME!"

To paraphrase a friend's take on it "Q: Why are you hitting yourself in the face?  A: Because it will feel so much better when I stop!"

Not that recognizing this makes it any less potent at holding my attention...

[Average Higgins]

I want a game with a fluctuating economy and where I can hire farmhands to do all the boring jobs.

In Friends of Mineral Town you could get the elves to do all your work for you. Admittedly it's a bit of a pain in the ass to get them to like you and then to get their abilities up to the point where they actually accomplish anything. But once you've done that you never have to work in the fields again if you don't want to.
Perhaps you could spend all your time growing flowers?

Anyway, I have to confess that I don't feel able to defend the game against most of these criticisms because they're true.

All I can say is that I agree with Montoli that it has a really addictive rewards system and I've always felt that the games a certain charm to them that makes the whole experience really fun for me.

[Montoli]

I want a game with a fluctuating economy and where I can hire farmhands to do all the boring jobs.

Ok, so this isn't how the GAME describes it, but here is a sample conversation I had with friends when I was playing Rune Factory:


"Hey, how is Rune Factory treating you?"
"Oh, it's fun, especially now that I got the glove."
"What's the glove for?"
"It's a mystic artifact that allows you to bind and enslave creatures to your will."
"...uh..."
"Oh, it's great.  For example last night, I used it on some random shaman I found hiding out in one of the caves.  Crazy old coot, wearing skulls on his head and throwing fireballs at rats.  Now he lives in a shack on my farm, and picks crops."
"That's... an interesting design direction..."
"Yeah.  And I found this water elemental?  Now he's in charge of irrigation."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, he's up every day at the crack of dawn getting all the crops wet.  I'm not sure how, since he doesn't have an animation for it, but...  he walks over to each square.  Sits there for a moment.  And when he leaves, it's SOAKED."
"You don't say."
"Oh I do.  I prefer not to imagine it in too much detail though."
"... right..."
"Later, my fields got too big for him, so I had to enslave some fish to help him out."
"So how much does it cost to keep them around?"
"Oh, I don't actually PAY them.  Not as such.  Not money, anyway.  I give them some dried grass every day or so to keep them from starving to death, but beyond that, they stick around."
"So... let me get this straight.  In Rune Factory, you have the fun of running around in a world filled with magic and strange creatures, and such... and turning them into underpaid migrant labor?"
"yeah, it's pretty sweet."



According to the GAME, the glove is for "petting the monster until it likes you", and not "mystically binding it to your will", but I'm pretty sure my interpretation is more entertaining.

[Seth]

It's a mystic artifact that allows you to bind and enslave creatures to your will.

Interesting... and in this game, how do you get the girls to "like" you?

[Chris Whitman]

Well, I'd tell you about some additional things the glove can do, but apparently that would be in violation of my parole.

[Average Higgins]

Damn, now I really want Rune Factory.

[Eric McQuiggan]

After the 50th time you've heard "FINALLLEEEEEEEE" you want to crush it under your boot.

I did enjoy the game for the most part, but I didn't finish it, I got too obsessed with collecting grass, I dunno. I always start Harvest Moons but I have no follow thru.

[frosty]

A.) Neglect Garden
B.) Fire up the rattletrap and head to town
C.) Turn in for the day?"

C.  But then, that's my solution to everything.

[rey-o]

another farming game:

John Deere Harvest in the Heartland
http://www.dsfanboy.com/2007/12/20/ds-fanboy-review-john-deere-harvest-in-the-heartland/


Doesn't sound very interesting, like a Harvest Moon-lite.


BUT! Rune Factory sounds awesome, it just might be my next ds game purchase.

[ravuya]

I talked to someone who worked on the John Deere game a few months ago; he said it was actually fairly well-polished. I haven't tried it to confirm this, though, and that review isn't encouraging.

[Seth]

I'm surprised that someone at John Deere thought there was such an overlap in DS players and potential tractor owners to warrant a game like that.

[postlogic]

Yay, I ended up buying Friends of mineral town. Such a fun game, too!