Today the first major update for Stardew Valley has arrived. It's a massive update that has changed the landscape with revisions as well as additions.
In this guide we will go over how you can get the most out of this update, and plan to enjoy all its improvements.
Start Fresh
There are four new farm maps available in the game. The catch is that you can't convert an already existing farm into one of the new types. Instead, you will need to start a new game.
This is going to hurt, and you're going to lose your collection progress. But the payoff will likely be worth it. The four new farm maps are as follows:
- Forest – Lots of trees. Best for logging.
- Hill-Top – Lots of cliffs. Best for mining.
- Riverlands – Lots of water. Best for fishing.
- Wilderness – Lots of space. Enemies appear at night. Best for farming.
Choose whichever is best for your specific interests. In general, Wilderness tends to be best for the average player as farming is the most popular source of income, and having quick access to enemies to combat for drops is a nice plus. Some also argue that Riverlands is best as long as you have a vested interest in fishing.
Get a Mill
A mill can be purchased from Robin at the Carpenter's Shop for 2,500 Gold, 50 Stone, 150 Wood, and 4 Cloth. These requirements are reasonable, and can be obtained within your first couple seasons. Your investment in a Mill will go a long way, as it has a high return of investment on input as follows:
- 1 Wheat (25 Gold) -> 1 Flour (50 Gold)
- 1 Beet (100 Gold) -> 3 Sugar (300 Gold)
This building is reliant on Wheat and Beet production. Wheat is only able to be grown during Summer and Fall with a four day growth time. Meanwhile, Beets are only available in Fall and have a six day growth time. Due to this, construction of the Mill might be best saved for year two right before Summer begins as there are other buildings that will be better served during year one.
Buy Coffee Beans
Coffee is the single new crop added in the update. Available in Spring and Summer, seeds are purchased for 15 Gold. After 10 days of growth it will output four or more seeds. In other words, Coffee Beans produce more Coffee Beans.
The trick is that five Coffee Beans can be placed in Kegs to produce Coffee, an Artisan Good valued at 300 Gold.
As a result of this, the first goal in planning is to make several Kegs. It's worth noting that Kegs no longer require Clay to craft, making them more accessible than before. Depending on how many Kegs you have, you will want to harvest a small group of Coffee Beans to fill each. Instead of purchasing all the Coffee Beans you need to make Coffee outright, you will want to duplicate them through the harvesting process.
Your time investment is worth it, as Coffee is not only valuable at 300 Gold, but is also a globally liked item. In other words, you can gift it to just about anyone in the game to build a better relationship.
Pick a Love, Any Love
This new update has added Shane and Emily to the list of marriageable NPCs in the game. In addition to this, marriages can now be divorced.
Marriage has always been considered a secondary goal in Stardew Valley, and that won't change with the update. Though, you will find that marriage is much more attractive as your spouse will now perform much more interesting tasks throughout the day. For example, Sam will perform skateboard tricks while Leah will carve a sculpture. There is also new dialog to engage in.
New Ways To Get Rich
There are a few new methods of earning income in Stardew Valley. For one, you can place Honey (100 Gold) in Kegs to produce Mead (200 Gold). This is a decent new option, although the Coffee method highlighted above will serve you better assuming you have Coffee Beans available.
Animal products are more valuable now. Because of this, investment in chickens, cows, and other animals has a much greater return on investment. You'll want to buy animals early, and usually prioritize them over crops.
Combat is now much more profitable than before. One example of this is that Slimes can drop Slime Balls, valued at 120 Gold each. You will want to consider heading to the Cave to battle enemies because of this.
Two New Quests
Once you're many hours into the experience, be sure to check out the two new quests that become available after completion of the Community or JojaMart goal. These quests are as follows:
- Dark Talisman – Begins at the Wizard. Sends you to the Sewers to obtain Magic Ink.
- Goblin Problem – Begins at the Wizard. Sends you to a goblin, who requests Void Mayonnaise.
Completion of these two quests is required to unlock a set of new Wizard buildings. These consist of the Junimo Hut, Water Obelisk, Earth Obelisk, and Gold Clock. These have very powerful uses that will make it much easier for you to make money. Though, it should be noted that you shouldn't plan to have access to these buildings until many hours into the game experience.
Save, Save, Save
Many of the new things in the update are expensive and thus require a great deal of time and money management to obtain. Take for example the Return Scepter, which is sold by Krobus for 2 million Gold. This will allow you to teleport back to the Farm at any time.
There are also many new pieces of furniture, as well as wallpapers. You can purchase a Furniture Catalogue from Robin or Catalogue from Pierre to learn more about these.
There is also a fourth upgrade to the Farm. It's called the Farmhouse, and it adds a Cellar to your home where you can age alcohol, a great source of income.
Whatever you choose to do to make money, good luck to you, and be sure to share screenshots of your farm as you progress.
