This is how I know I'm getting old
Jun. 30th, 2023 06:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deemoyzaSo, I got sucked into Stardew Valley recently, and I am pleasantly surprised. Farming sims usually stress me out, which is a major reason I've avoided the game up until now, but Stardew Valley feels manageable, and the setting and characters are so vibrant, it's a joy to play. (At least, once I figured out that you can build chests to store stuff in. I played the game on free access on the Switch earlier this year, and was incredibly frustrated that I couldn't manage my 12-slot backpack and wondered how anyone else actually got started, but once I had at least one chest, the game became much more enjoyable.)
While I've fallen in love with Pelican Town and all its denizens, the romantic aspect of the game has kind of tripped me up. I know that all of the bachelors/bachelorettes are technically adults, and that the farmer themself is supposed to be young, but some of these characters read as so young to me that I feel really creepy thinking of them in anything other than a mother-hen capacity. XD So that kind of thins the pool a bit. While I have been building up strong friendships with most of the single villagers, I haven't pursued any romantically, and I believe Farmer Fran might remain a bachelorette, at least for the foreseeable future.
Some of my thoughts on these options (under a cut because it's long, and also because I suspect I might feel differently about these characters than most of the SDV fanbase does):
Bachelors
The biggest reason I avoid dating sims, despite being a total sap who enjoys watching people fall in love, is that I have a very particular preference in male characters that just never seems to align with the available options. The same is true in Stardew Valley, but at least most of these guys are interesting in their own ways.
Sebastian - A Tumblr favorite, and I can see why. Cute, mysterious, a little prickly around the edges. I try my best to be friendly with him, but Farmer Fran doesn't have time to thaw that icicle.
Sam - A cutie-patootie, seems like a nice kid. And I say "kid", because that's exactly how he comes across to me. Nice enough, but way too young.
Shane - Oh, Shane, Shane, Shane. Love his story; do not want my farmer saddled with it. I do try my best to keep him in pizza and pepper poppers, though! :)
Alex - I have no idea why I have a soft spot for this jock. I suppose it's easy to see that someone who brags as much as he does is overcompensating for something missing in his life, and boy, has he had a rough go of it. I just want to bake him a plate of cookies and pat him on the head. But I suppose he has his grandma for that. :)
Elliot - His portrait reminds me of Fabio. He's all right, I guess, but that artsy-fartsy super-sensitive type just doesn't do it for me. Even for a bunch of pixels, he feels fake to me.
Harvey - Cute and sweet, but damn, everything bugs this guy, doesn't it? He seems like he'd be a chore to have as a hubby, though it's tempting, if only to curb his creepy fascination with Maru.
Bachelorettes
Abigail - She's cool, seems like she'd be a fun friend. Again, she reads a bit young for my tastes, though.
Penny - Talk about reading young! I love this character so much, but in such a maternal way. She really is the embodiment of the cinnamon roll meme, and it would be really nice to give her the life she's dreamed of, but that is for someone other than my farmer to do. Meanwhile, though, I can brighten her day with gifts, just to see her smile. :)
Maru - I always enjoy nerdy girls, and Maru is no exception. She's friendly and easy to talk to, but also feels kind of young. (HARVEY, STAY AWAY FROM HER!)
Emily - She is so delightfully weird, and her heart events do not disappoint!
Haley - I've heard that she's really sweet underneath that caustic exterior, but I've just no interest in weathering her insults until I find out. Love her huge camera, though!
Leah - Have I mentioned I have a thing for red-headed women before? I love Leah. Out of all the available villagers, she'd probably be my pick if my farmer was ever to settle down. Artistic, yet down-to-earth, a bit more mature than the other ladies, and obviously good with her hands. ;) I think she'd adapt well to farm life, though it would be a real shame to move her from her lovely little cabin on the riverbank.
Non-marriageable villagers I really like: Robin, Marnie, Willy, Linus, and Jodi.
Robin and Marnie are friendly, hardworking women, and I really respect that. That they also help me build and fill my farm is a great bonus! :)
Linus and Willy were some of the first characters I befriended, mostly because they hover on the periphery of the town, and it felt nice to find a few outsiders that made me feel pretty comfortable.
Jodi, in particular, has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. At first, I thought she'd be a typical housewife/mom whose life revolves around the home, but it's been interesting to see her mention yearning for her youth, and to watch her adjust to the return of a husband who came back a different man than he left. Oh, and when she invited my farmer to have dinner with her family, I just fell in love with her that much more!
Special shout-out to Jasper, my little orange cat! I love how he just flops about the farm whenever and wherever he pleases. There was no better alert in the game than the one that popped up one summer morning that said, "Jasper loves you ♥" Yes, I love him, too. :)
I don't know why I slept this long on this little gem of a game; I think part of it might have been how it's portrayed on sites like Tumblr, kind of like "dating sim + farming," rather than the other way around. Whatever the reason, I'm just glad I finally got around to playing it! I'm having a blast! :)
While I've fallen in love with Pelican Town and all its denizens, the romantic aspect of the game has kind of tripped me up. I know that all of the bachelors/bachelorettes are technically adults, and that the farmer themself is supposed to be young, but some of these characters read as so young to me that I feel really creepy thinking of them in anything other than a mother-hen capacity. XD So that kind of thins the pool a bit. While I have been building up strong friendships with most of the single villagers, I haven't pursued any romantically, and I believe Farmer Fran might remain a bachelorette, at least for the foreseeable future.
Some of my thoughts on these options (under a cut because it's long, and also because I suspect I might feel differently about these characters than most of the SDV fanbase does):
Bachelors
The biggest reason I avoid dating sims, despite being a total sap who enjoys watching people fall in love, is that I have a very particular preference in male characters that just never seems to align with the available options. The same is true in Stardew Valley, but at least most of these guys are interesting in their own ways.
Sebastian - A Tumblr favorite, and I can see why. Cute, mysterious, a little prickly around the edges. I try my best to be friendly with him, but Farmer Fran doesn't have time to thaw that icicle.
Sam - A cutie-patootie, seems like a nice kid. And I say "kid", because that's exactly how he comes across to me. Nice enough, but way too young.
Shane - Oh, Shane, Shane, Shane. Love his story; do not want my farmer saddled with it. I do try my best to keep him in pizza and pepper poppers, though! :)
Alex - I have no idea why I have a soft spot for this jock. I suppose it's easy to see that someone who brags as much as he does is overcompensating for something missing in his life, and boy, has he had a rough go of it. I just want to bake him a plate of cookies and pat him on the head. But I suppose he has his grandma for that. :)
Elliot - His portrait reminds me of Fabio. He's all right, I guess, but that artsy-fartsy super-sensitive type just doesn't do it for me. Even for a bunch of pixels, he feels fake to me.
Harvey - Cute and sweet, but damn, everything bugs this guy, doesn't it? He seems like he'd be a chore to have as a hubby, though it's tempting, if only to curb his creepy fascination with Maru.
Bachelorettes
Abigail - She's cool, seems like she'd be a fun friend. Again, she reads a bit young for my tastes, though.
Penny - Talk about reading young! I love this character so much, but in such a maternal way. She really is the embodiment of the cinnamon roll meme, and it would be really nice to give her the life she's dreamed of, but that is for someone other than my farmer to do. Meanwhile, though, I can brighten her day with gifts, just to see her smile. :)
Maru - I always enjoy nerdy girls, and Maru is no exception. She's friendly and easy to talk to, but also feels kind of young. (HARVEY, STAY AWAY FROM HER!)
Emily - She is so delightfully weird, and her heart events do not disappoint!
Haley - I've heard that she's really sweet underneath that caustic exterior, but I've just no interest in weathering her insults until I find out. Love her huge camera, though!
Leah - Have I mentioned I have a thing for red-headed women before? I love Leah. Out of all the available villagers, she'd probably be my pick if my farmer was ever to settle down. Artistic, yet down-to-earth, a bit more mature than the other ladies, and obviously good with her hands. ;) I think she'd adapt well to farm life, though it would be a real shame to move her from her lovely little cabin on the riverbank.
Non-marriageable villagers I really like: Robin, Marnie, Willy, Linus, and Jodi.
Robin and Marnie are friendly, hardworking women, and I really respect that. That they also help me build and fill my farm is a great bonus! :)
Linus and Willy were some of the first characters I befriended, mostly because they hover on the periphery of the town, and it felt nice to find a few outsiders that made me feel pretty comfortable.
Jodi, in particular, has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. At first, I thought she'd be a typical housewife/mom whose life revolves around the home, but it's been interesting to see her mention yearning for her youth, and to watch her adjust to the return of a husband who came back a different man than he left. Oh, and when she invited my farmer to have dinner with her family, I just fell in love with her that much more!
Special shout-out to Jasper, my little orange cat! I love how he just flops about the farm whenever and wherever he pleases. There was no better alert in the game than the one that popped up one summer morning that said, "Jasper loves you ♥" Yes, I love him, too. :)
I don't know why I slept this long on this little gem of a game; I think part of it might have been how it's portrayed on sites like Tumblr, kind of like "dating sim + farming," rather than the other way around. Whatever the reason, I'm just glad I finally got around to playing it! I'm having a blast! :)
