Rune Factory: Frontiers review

[Tom Chick]

This is the more manly way to play Harvest Moon, because you get a sword.

Thumbs up (http://fidgit.com/archives/2009/03/the-delights-of-idyll-handiwor.php)....

[BobJustBob]

-s

-Tom

[metta]

A plurality!

[MattKeil]

The scripting "gotcha" Tom mentions seems to be par for the course in the Rune Factory games. I ran into a similar problem about 10 hours into the first DS game, and it similarly put me off the game entirely. They're so vague that it really pays to keep a FAQ or strategy guide handy so you don't totally miss a game mechanic that the game never felt like pointing out to you.

Other than that, it's a cool twist on the Harvest Moon formula.

[Wader]

I wonder if a person's proximity to actual farming or gardening affects how much they like this type of game? (I am including Harvest Moon here as well).

I have been recommended Harvest Moon several times, and Tom's review has me interested in this one as well. However, I worry that the same thing that happens when I play Harvest Moon will happen here as well. I get about an hour into the game, and suddenly it dawns on me that I could be doing pretty much the same thing out in my backyard, and I would actually have something to eat at the end of the (notably much longer) growing period. After that, I just lose interest in the game.

I dont think is the mechanics of these type of games, I just think that I have too much exposure to farming in my life (I grew up on a farm, and work in Agricultural Economics now) for me to view it as entertainment.

[BDGE]

I've been recommended Harvest Moon since the SNES days, and never gave it a look. Even after reading Tom's review, I still don't seem to grasp the point or goal of it. It's why I have trouble giving Animal Crossing a look, as it isn't readily apparent what I would be filling my gaming hours doing. I'm just naive.

This does seem like the best time to jump in and give it a look though. I almost impulse bought the Harvest Moon game that went all sci-fi a few years ago, but the added Wiimote commands in Frontiers actually entices me more. How do those pan out?

[metta]

...but the added Wiimote commands in Frontiers actually entices me more. How do those pan out?

They have zero impact on the game - you still need to scroll down menus instead of just pointing at items you want. In fact, I find it easier to just use the Classic controller.

[Xemu]

So I'm really enjoying RFF, but mostly for the farming parts rather than the adventuring parts... is that part deeper in Harvest Moon (which I really haven't played), or is Rune Factory just literally Harvest Moon+?

[interman]

I actually started playing Harvest Moon today, just in time for Rune Factory. I'm probably a few hours in, and I'm definitely liking it, but I think I have too much of a min/max mentality. Still, probably picking up Rune Factory in time for easter.

[flyinj]

Can't wait to read Tom's reviews of Tomb Raider: Legends, Half Lifes and Dooms.

[Tyjenks]

I have not been able to spend as much time with it. Kids + Wii on the MAIN TV = reduce console gaming. Kinda why I have relegated myself to more PC gaming. If I were to get a 360 or PS3, nothing would get played.

I like what I have seen though. The farming with very little fighting has been enjoyable.

[Tom Chick]

Wait, there's only one Frontier? Sheesh. Hey, have you guys seen this Star War movie?


They're so vague that it really pays to keep a FAQ or strategy guide handy so you don't totally miss a game mechanic that the game never felt like pointing out to you.

This is so goddamn aggravating. For a game that's so laid back and generous, I hate that you can hit these invisible brick walls. Still, as much as I tell myself I'm done with this stupid game, I can't help but be tempted to go back and finish up that crop of bell peppers and carrots I just planted. Just one more season!

Xemu, I don't think the Harvest Moon games are any deeper than Rune Factory. In fact, I'd say Rune Factory is ultimately more complex because it's got the adventuring stuff built into it. I also don't recall the Harvest Moons having such robust crafting systems.

-Tom

[Chowhound]

You always had the forging/upgrading and creation of items in HM. Part of the complexity of RF is the taming of monsters and finding out which one is good for what purpose. You also don't need to give gifts repeatedly to those annoyingly cute harvest sprites to get work done around your farm.

[BDGE]

Did I miss a tutorial of sorts? I am so confused and lost. Did I already mess up by planting my only starting turnip seed before hoe-ing/watering the ground with my cheap equipment?

Do manuals still come with games? I have to check...

[rrmorton]

Just relax and go exploring. This is not a game to stress over. You'll find instructions in multiple places (books, people, etc) or you can just start experimenting with your tools.

I've never played a Harvest Moon game or anything like this but I'm finding it exceedingly addictive. At some point I can imagine hitting the same wall Tom mentioned at the end of his review, but for now I'm having a great time messing around with my farm and dungeons.

[BDGE]

Yea, I can see the appeal and am definately looking forward to exploring this game. I am already planning how to properly feng shui my crop tiles. It is just really surprising how little this game seems to hold your hand. I'm accustomed to jRPG's having 4 hour tutorial narratives I suppose.

[rrmorton]

On the one hand, I like the wide open learn-as-you-go approach. I don't mind making a few mistakes in the early going and learning some lessons the hard way. Seems appropriate when your subject is learning how to run a farm. That's why I enjoy learning inside the game so much more than reading a manual or FAQ.

But on the other hand, I can easily imagine a feeling of frustrating aimlessness settling in if (when) these little happy moments of progress start to dry up. So far it hasn't been an issue but I'm still just starting out. I've managed to stumble upon a steady flow of item upgrades and gameplay mechanics getting introduced to me just in the course of randomly wandering the town and country and chatting up the townsfolk. But I can see it getting annoying. Maybe even infuriating if these moments of progress start to get buried deeper and deeper behind randomly triggering dialogue trees and finicky yet esoteric game mechanics. I want to enjoy the game world, not fight it.

Still, I'm sure I'll get at least a dozen happy hours out of this game. It was a pretty special moment last night when I was working the back 40 while keeping on eye on the road for the mail lady to appear so I could give her a package I wanted to send out. After a few hours spent tilling and planting seeds, I saw her zipping down the road so I hurried over to greet her. I handed her a turnip to deliver to my neighbor Erik and she took off down the road. After that, I went back to work clearing rocks and branches. I went to bed early that day and she was the only person I saw.

I've always suspected this farming JRPG subgenre would probably have quite a bit of charm to it, and that experience was proof positive.

[BDGE]

I got hit by my first brickwall. Apparently I was told to visit the church sometime during the initial prologue the moment Mist dropped me in front of my house. I didn't catch that and as mentioned above, I ended up destroying my single seed of hope. Days passed as I tilled an empty field and checked town daily and nightly in hopes the game would open shop for me to buy new seeds. I was racking up money dropping weeds and grass into my bin, but with no goods vendor open yet in the world, I was at a loss.

Then I discovered the church. Apparently there is a multi-step tutorial involving fetch-quests that has you opening up each business by delivering something inconsequential to each vendor as a way of meeting and greeting these townfolk I will apparently be spending oodles of time mucking about with. But it all started at the church and it took me a week of gametime to figure that one out.

At least now my turnip farm is actually a turnip farm. I also got an axe, sickle, and some blacksmith thing to improve my tools just because I now make it a priority to talk to -everyone- daily to not run into that problem again. It's my least favorite part of the game so far, and Tom was dead on mentioning it in his review.

I am slovenly addicted to tending my crops though. It really is so satisfying watching everything grow and bloom. I am running out of RP like at 8am watering my turnips and almost want to go right back to bed just to keep tending.

[metta]

I am running out of RP like at 8am watering my turnips and almost want to go right back to bed just to keep tending.

Craft a new watering can, you'll be able to water three squares at a time :)

[BDGE]

Craft a new watering can, you'll be able to water three squares at a time :)

Oh wow! How do I do that? I got some blacksmithing thing(book?) from the elf girl, but I am clueless on how to use it. My cheap can needs an upgrade.

[metta]

Oh wow! How do I do that? I got some blacksmithing thing(book?) from the elf girl, but I am clueless on how to use it. My cheap can needs an upgrade.

Every holiday a merchant appears in the town square to sell you items. Buy from him a basic forge and you'll be able to use the blacksmithing recipe book, plus some ingredients, to make new gear. Also, if you buy a basic kitchen (and recipe book) you can make food that will replenish your rune points and that will help you get more done in a day. Also, don't forget that if you go deep enough into the first Whale Island cave to meet Melody (who gives you your first hammer for rock smashing) she will open up a spa and every day after 3:00 p.m. you can take a bath there to fully replenish your health and RP.

Basically, if you can make enough food to keep you going until 3:00 p.m. you can get another full bar to work into the evening.

Goodluckhavefun!

edit: if you haven't found Melody yet, do that first because you'll need iron from rocks to make new armour and gear and she gives you a hammer for that :)

[BDGE]

Thanks. I still need to find the entrance to the dungeons. The town square has a singing rock(I assume I need a big hammer to access that), but I can't seem to find where the dungeon is yet.

[Chowhound]

There's 2 right at the start:

Green Grass Ruins, in front of Mist's house that you need to clear your way to.

Whale Island, floating gracefully above, you need a beanstalk to climb on up.

[PeterK]

I've been playing this for a short while now and while I'm enjoying it, I'm already starting to worry about the grind. In particular, I'm getting tired of watering plants. I know that you can tame monsters to water your farm for you and there's the rain wonder, but I'm not aware of anyway to obtain automatic watering for crops in the dungeons. Is there one? The thought of having to go around watering all the plants in the dungeons every day is scaring me, even with the full watering can upgrade.

[Chowhound]

Unless there's a new game mechanic, you've always had to manually water the dungeon crops.

[PeterK]

Unless there's a new game mechanic, you've always had to manually water the dungeon crops.

Bummer. I've never played any Rune Factory or Harvest Moon games before so I didn't know what to expect. Maybe this type of game is not for me.

[Chowhound]

I usually plant a field or 3 of the most expensive items in the dungeons. Motivation to keep watering, as well as the safety from storms and such.

[PeterK]

I usually plant a field or 3 of the most expensive items in the dungeons. Motivation to keep watering, as well as the safety from storms and such.

So you've only got a few active fields in dungeons at any one time? That seems more doable. There are so many fields in the little bit of the dungeons I've explored that I couldn't imagine going around and watering all of them every day.

The other thing that's bothering me is balancing the Runeys. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for a) I have to go to a particular building to see the distribution and b) it's hard to collect only Runeys of a given type. (And to make matters worse, the sound the harvester makes drives the rest of my family crazy.)

[zengonzo]

'You got Cheap Hoe!'

[BobJustBob]

This is Amazon's DOTD for $30.