Both Our Fault

Wed, Apr 17, 2024 Year 2, Autumn 16

Al and Kev go through their favourite marriage candidates in farming games

Timings

00:00:00: Theme Tune
00:00:30: Intro
00:03:03: What Have We Been Up To
00:17:52: News
00:31:39: Marriage Candidates
01:05:25: Outro

Contact

Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot
Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot
Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/

Transcript

(0:00:30) Al: Hello farmers and welcome to another episode of the harvest season.
(0:00:34) Al: My name is Al.
(0:00:37) Al: And we are here today to talk about cottagecore games.
(0:00:43) Al: Transcripts are available as always in the show notes and on the website.
(0:00:47) Al: Kevin, welcome back.
(0:00:49) Al: How are you doing?
(0:00:54) Al: Yes, it has.
(0:00:55) Al: You were last on the pixel cross.
(0:01:05) Al: Yeah, I’ll be honest, I haven’t played it since that episode.
(0:01:11) Al: But I think that’s mainly because I don’t–
(0:01:16) Al: well, it’s partly that.
(0:01:17) Al: But I also think that the Switch is not the best way for me to play games like that.
(0:01:23) Al: I think if I had it on my phone–
(0:01:28) Al: no, it’s not even just that it’s like if I had it on my phone,
(0:01:30) Al: I would do it a lot more.
(0:01:31) Al: The problem is I don’t want to close the game that’s open on my switch to open that up.
(0:01:35) Al: Well, yeah, they say that but it doesn’t ever work on the PS5, at least in my experience.
(0:02:05) Al: In my experience, I’ve never managed to get it to actually work.
(0:02:10) Al: But what do I know? I feel like it would be simple, but I don’t know. I’m not a games console developer. Oh yeah, it’s just software. I do software. It’s just that, right? It’s easy.
(0:02:16) Kev: All game dev is simple, don’t you know?
(0:02:23) Kev: It’s just copy-paste.
(0:02:26) Al: Cool. So we are going to talk this episode about our favorite marriage candidates across different Kojkokou games.
(0:02:32) Kev: Oh yeah, time for some deep lore, time for people to learn about us, or tags.
(0:02:35) Al: Yeah, yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how many of Kevin’s are from wildflowers.
(0:02:45) Kev: the answer just wildflowers
(0:02:46) Al: Or will we actually learn some new information?
(0:02:51) Al: So we’re going to talk about…
(0:02:55) Al: Yeah, it’s just Wesley three times, right?
(0:03:01) Al: So we’ve got, before that, we’ve got some news.
(0:03:05) Al: What have you been up to?
(0:03:06) Kev: Ohhh, what have I been up to?
(0:03:10) Kev: Cassette Beasts, Cassette Beasts, you already know this, you listen to Rainbow Road audio.
(0:03:14) Kev: Cassette Beasts!
(0:03:14) Al: I haven’t listened to this week, still.
(0:03:16) Kev: Um…
(0:03:18) Kev: Oh, okay. Yeah, oh yeah, that’s true, but, um…
(0:03:20) Kev: Uh, so Cassette Beasts, the…
(0:03:24) Kev: Poet Monster Catching Not Pokemon Game.
(0:03:28) Kev: Uh, I forget the name of the developer, but, uh, I have it on Switch.
(0:03:38) Kev: cheap it’s good I don’t even know where to begin it’s just the presentation is immaculate because they put a lot of emphasis on their style a lot of 80s 90s influence you know as the titular presets were popular then right the music is fantastic the mechanics are there’s
(0:04:08) Kev: substantial maybe a little confusing or overwhelming at times just because but that’s probably just because Pokemon has so long dominated the market slash my life right it’s hard to readjust but in general the game is pretty snappy and quick it feels a lot more dynamic than say Pokemon or I think most other monster catchers the designs are fun the the
(0:04:39) Kev: interesting yeah I like I don’t I could go on into a whole episode about this I might it’s somebody else who’s a fan but I wonder I can hear him screaming from Australia right now but yeah cassette piece is just a plus plus stellar, stellar stuff, um, I uh,
(0:04:51) Al: I wonder who that could be.
(0:05:08) Kev: I’ll give you what I’m at near the end, I think from where where my quests are and my levels and whatnot
(0:05:15) Kev: I’m in the last stretch of the game
(0:05:19) Kev: It is
(0:05:21) Kev: The Antagonists are interesting. It’s not just the Team Rocket ripoff. It’s a some otherworldly beings actually rather odd
(0:05:33) Kev: And one thing about the game right there’s a partner system where you always
(0:05:38) Kev: Have two players on the field by default on your side
(0:05:42) Kev: And so there’s a handful of different characters you can pick as your partner
(0:05:48) Kev: One of the last characters you unlock is named Barkley. They are just a dog who can transform into monsters
(0:05:55) Kev: They have headphones, yeah
(0:05:57) Kev: So Barkley is great. Um, but yeah, that’s that’s cassette beasts great grain great game
(0:06:05) Kev: Aside from that I have been
(0:06:08) Kev: flying since I picked up my 3DS for the termination of the online services, just to make sure some stuff was squared away.
(0:06:17) Kev: I’ve fired up Weapon Shop Delmase.
(0:06:24) Al: as you do. It’s an interesting combination of French and English there.
(0:06:32) Kev: It’s made by a Japanese developer, so you know, that’s some good, good stuff.
(0:06:36) Kev: Um…
(0:06:38) Kev: It is a small, it is part of the what’s called the Guild collection
(0:06:44) Kev: Compilation of different small smaller sized video games on the 3ds
(0:06:50) Kev: by different developers and
(0:06:54) Kev: Game directors and stuff like that
(0:06:57) Kev: I’ve heard described as like a game jam But the people making them or you know established studios and developers so they are all
(0:07:05) Kev: Polished games and whatnot
(0:07:08) Kev: You play a weapon shop as the you know name wouldn’t fly you are in charge of a weapon shop where you have to forge weapons for various characters and heroes from your archetypal
(0:07:22) Kev: RPG classic fantasy characters
(0:07:25) Kev: there’s a
(0:07:28) Kev: French knight who’s over the top and full bravado. There’s a
(0:07:32) Kev: samurai Reserve in old-fashioned. There’s a Grand Mahalo swinging axes
(0:07:38) Kev: and t. It’s a comedy game. So much to the point that it has an actual sitcom style laugh track. It is it is a fun little game. It’s it’s very laid back in space. The forging part of it is just a little rhythm mini game and the adventures that the characters have. You kind of read about them in the background. There’s like this little social media feed that you follow their updates and stuff like that.
(0:08:09) Kev: Very, very cute. Very fun. It’s published by Level 5. The Professor Layton and Yo-Kai Watch Company. And they’re very good at making things very whimsical and cartoony and fun. And this game very much follows in that way.
(0:08:24) Kev: But but yeah, that’s that’s mostly what I’ve been up to those two games. What about you, Al? Let’s go.
(0:08:30) Al: Fair enough. Can you guess? Can you guess what I’ve been playing?
(0:08:34) Kev: is it a stardew valley how many have you been marrying
(0:08:37) Al: It’s Stardew Valley. I’m still, I’m still playing it.
(0:08:41) Kev: are you marrying people left and right for this episode
(0:08:45) Al: Oh, no. No, no, no. This play through has certainly not changed my opinions on
(0:08:51) Kev: Yeah, yeah, uh, what, where are you?
(0:08:52) Al: on any particular candidate.
(0:08:55) Kev: What have you discovered or what’s how far into.
(0:09:00) Al: All right. Well, so I have progressed quite a bit since the last episode, because I think it’s two episodes ago. And when I did that episode, it was like an early episode. And this is like a late recording episode. So it’s been like nearly three weeks. And I haven’t stopped playing that entire time. I keep trying to do other things and then I go, but I could be playing Stardew instead. Yeah. So I think last time I had just finished.
(0:09:22) Kev: Exactly, but they’re not stardew, right? So why would you?
(0:09:30) Al: I finished the Georgia stuff. So I had just finished buying all the standard Georgia stuff and Kelly shouted at me for that. Since then, I have done all of the other upgrades. So I’ve got the movie theater. I’ve given Palma House. I’ve given the shortcuts. I don’t know if you’ve done the show.
(0:09:56) Kev: Uhh, I think I wanted to, I bet.
(0:10:02) Al: So I’ve got them, I unlocked and finished Ginger Island.
(0:10:06) Al: That’s all done.
(0:10:07) Al: So I’m now just using it as a massive ancient fruit farm.
(0:10:10) Kev: You finished it, wow.
(0:10:12) Al: Yeah, yeah, no, I’ve done all that.
(0:10:13) Al: So I’m just using it now as a massive ancient fruit farm.
(0:10:17) Al: So I have, I think, 250 ancient fruit plants growing there,
(0:10:23) Al: which so, yeah, so like every week I’m making, oh, let’s see.
(0:10:30) Al: Uh, yeah, like.
(0:10:31) Kev: You’re making JoJo levels of money.
(0:10:32) Al: I’m making like 600,000 a week, I think, um, including I have, uh, every four days I make a hundred thousand from honey, uh, because did you know that
(0:10:46) Al: fairy rose honey is worth a lot of money?
(0:10:50) Al: And so I have a large section of ginger Island devoted entirely to be houses
(0:10:55) Al: with fairy roses growing there.
(0:10:58) Al: And yeah, every four days I make a hundred thousand from.
(0:10:58) Kev: All right.
(0:11:02) Kev: Dang, that’s– you got this down to a T.
(0:11:02) Al: I have built three of the four obelisks now, so I just got the final one to do,
(0:11:10) Al: which I should probably do after my next harvest.
(0:11:13) Al: And I’ve bought the return scepter.
(0:11:16) Al: So that is the first time I’ve bought the return scepter.
(0:11:20) Kev: What is the return set to?
(0:11:20) Al: It is very pleasing.
(0:11:22) Al: Oh, have you not seen this?
(0:11:23) Al: So that’s one that Crobus sells it.
(0:11:27) Al: And it’s a tool that, I mean, it’s basically just a totem, right?
(0:11:30) Al: So it lets you get home.
(0:11:32) Al: But it’s like a portable obelisk or a multi-use totem.
(0:11:38) Al: So yeah, you use it wherever you are and you get sent straight to your front door.
(0:11:45) Al: So that has changed things significantly.
(0:11:49) Al: Yeah, I mean, I’ve done most of the things.
(0:11:52) Al: So I’m at now, what is it, 60% of the achievements on Steam.
(0:11:59) Al: basically the only things I have left to do are, obviously.
(0:12:02) Al: I’ve got one more obelisk to do, I’ve got the golden clock to get,
(0:12:05) Al: which will take me quite a while because obviously it’s 10 million.
(0:12:08) Al: That’s a lot of money. It’ll take me a couple of years to build up that.
(0:12:10) Kev: But the turtle, though, that-
(0:12:13) Al: Well, yeah, I could probably get that in a week if I wanted at this point.
(0:12:20) Al: And then the only things I’ve got left to do are, there’s a few crafting recipes I haven’t used once. And I have basically not done any cooking.
(0:12:30) Al: And I…
(0:12:32) Al: I need… I have a lot of villagers that I have almost no hearts with.
(0:12:36) Al: So if I want to get to completion, those are the things I need to do.
(0:12:42) Al: The cooking and the friendship levels.
(0:12:44) Al: Apparently, to get completion, you have to have cooked everything once
(0:12:48) Al: and you have to have everyone at max hearts.
(0:12:54) Kev: That sounds like you got the hard part stuck.
(0:12:57) Al: I don’t know, I feel like that’s the hard bit.
(0:13:00) Al: constantly going around and giving people
(0:13:02) Al: gifts and just oh I don’t know like I well it’s just it’s so much work and it’s like you can only give them two gifts a week and I have figured out that everybody except Penny and Leia everyone except them like Jade the the gem and I’ve been hoarding a lot of Jade because I don’t know if you know this but in the desert, the desert trader.
(0:13:04) Kev: Interacting with people, ugh.
(0:13:30) Al: Um…
(0:13:32) Al: will trade you a staircase if you give them a jade and so I’ve been I’ve got like a lot of crystalariums creating jade so that I can just take a hundred jade to the desert and get a hundred staircases and just like speed run my way down Skull Cavern to get some iridium.
(0:13:51) Al: And they only take two days to do a jade so every two days I get another like 20 jade or something so I have just got like a hundred jade on me at all time to just give to anyone.
(0:14:02) Al: Nobody whenever I see them but the problem is I just like doing that consistently is the annoying bit so I don’t know if I will ever if I will try and get to completion or not I haven’t decided because that bit in and of itself that and the cooking in and of itself it’s a lot of work.
(0:14:21) Al: Like there’s there’s a few bits and pieces like I haven’t shipped everything yet there’s a few things I haven’t shipped but that’s like maybe 15 things I haven’t shipped right That’s probably pretty easy to do.
(0:14:32) Al: That won’t take me long, like, you know, that would take me a season probably at best because you can grow anything on Ginger Island at any point.
(0:14:38) Kev: Peasant crops
(0:14:50) Al: And I now have the point, and now I can buy anything from Pierre at any point.
(0:14:54) Al: So I can just go and buy the stuff and grow it and ship it if I care, but I’ve not decided of a care amount.
(0:15:02) Al: you know so I don’t know I’m just going just now I suspect I will fall off before I get to that point like that’s a lot of work to get to that point I’m in year four now yeah I can’t it’s yeah there’s a there’s I’ve done a lot what’s my playtime on Steam let’s see my playtime so bear in mind this is my entire Steam playtime but obviously I only
(0:15:32) Al: started playing on Steam when the 1.6 update come out. Is that a month ago now?
(0:15:36) Al: Is that a month ago? About a month ago. That’s 124 hours. So, yeah.
(0:15:46) Kev: I honestly I thought it would be longer like I was I was making 300
(0:15:49) Al: Wow, thanks. Let me check when the date was. March 19th. It’s not quite been a month. It’s not been a month yet.
(0:16:02) Al: Uh. One, two, three, four. It’s not even been four. It’s four weeks on, four weeks on Tuesday. Um, so 124 by four. That’s 30, 30, 31 hours a week. I’m doing a full-time job here. Yeah. Oh man. If you could print, if you could print money from stard yard,
(0:16:02) Kev: Well, there you go. See? Plenty of time to do the comp-
(0:16:20) Kev: Yeah, but which one’s more pro- well, maybe not profitable. It’s satisfying, at least.
(0:16:27) Kev: Which one’s the real job?
(0:16:30) Al: be a millionaire.
(0:16:32) Al: I have, I’m at, I’m over, what am I at now? I’m over 10 million. Yeah. 10 million total I’ve made. Um, I just. We’ll get to that foreshadowing. So I don’t think, I don’t think when I record the next episode that I’ll still be playing it, I think I’ll be in another break, but yeah, it’s, it’s been fun. I have enjoyed, I’ve enjoyed this play through. I I would highly recommend anybody who’s played…
(0:16:40) Kev: That’s what’s in the .64 update.
(0:17:02) Al: Stardew before to go over with a Jojo run, I do think it’s fun, a fun way to do things.
(0:17:07) Kev: Nothing like crushing the local small businesses always a good time
(0:17:07) Al: Yeah.
(0:17:08) Al: Look, look, none of the businesses shut down and Jojo gives some jobs, like I don’t see the problem here, you know?
(0:17:16) Kev: Yeah, yeah, well you’re not wrong long!
(0:17:21) Al: And plus, let’s not pretend like Stardew is an anti-capitalist game, I have sold…
(0:17:26) Al: I’ve made 10 million G’s, I am a capitalist.
(0:17:28) Kev: Heh heh heh heh.
(0:17:32) Al: If anyone is a capitalist, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was making more money than Jojo now.
(0:17:36) Kev: I’m the captain of industry.
(0:17:38) Al: Plus, if you don’t do the Jojo route, you can’t buy the auto petters, you have to go through Skull Cavern to get them, and that’s not fun.
(0:17:47) Al: So.
(0:17:49) Al: Great.
(0:17:51) Al: That’s what I’ve been playing.
(0:17:52) Al: Should we talk about some news?
(0:17:56) Al: Alright, Chia, which is the game…
(0:18:01) Kev: See ya!
(0:18:02) Al: Based on New Caledonia, they have announced that they’re releasing a Switch version on the 27th of June, so if you’re waiting for the Switch version of this game, there you go.
(0:18:14) Al: 27th of June.
(0:18:19) Kev: Well, I forget, every time I see the trailer for that game, that is a game with a lot of stuff.
(0:18:24) Al: Yes, I still haven’t played it but it’s definitely on my ‘maybe play at some point’ list because it does look like it would be good fun.
(0:18:36) Al: Yeah, what’s better?
(0:18:42) Al: Sunnyside have announced that they’re releasing on the 24th of May on Steam and on PlayStation and Xbox on the 10th of June.
(0:18:51) Al: They just said, it’s really annoying, they said, “Steam on the 24th of May and
(0:18:54) Al: consoles on 10th of July” and I was like, “What do you mean by consoles?”
(0:18:57) Al: And I had to look through their video and pause on the back last thing to see that there is no switch, no switch is coming.
(0:19:04) Al: They have confirmed in their replies on Twitter that it is not going to switch but there you go.
(0:19:11) Kev: Of course, the Switch isn’t a real console, that’s for babies.
(0:19:16) Al: Yeah, there we go.
(0:19:30) Al: I don’t know what to say.
(0:19:36) Al: I have a pizza planet top.
(0:19:37) Al: I’m fat.
(0:19:37) Al: I’m thinking, yeah, I’m wearing a pizza planet top right now.
(0:19:42) Al: Yeah.
(0:19:44) Al: I bought it when we, I bought it when we went to Disney and Los Angeles when I was there in February.
(0:19:51) Al: I thought so.
(0:19:52) Al: I thought so.
(0:19:52) Al: I was like, I’m going to have to buy something.
(0:19:54) Al: Let’s see what we’ve got.
(0:19:54) Al: And I saw a pizza.
(0:19:55) Al: And the best thing about it is it doesn’t say Disney or Toy Story on it at all.
(0:20:01) Al: It’s entirely like it’s an in-universe thing.
(0:20:02) Al: It’s just pizza planet.
(0:20:03) Al: So those who know know and those who don’t know, yeah, I thought so.
(0:20:04) Kev: Oh man, that’s the best!
(0:20:06) Kev: Yeah.
(0:20:08) Kev: That doesn’t have the stench of corporate brand. Just as strong.
(0:20:12) Kev: But, uh…
(0:20:13) Al: I mean, it is for a pizza place.
(0:20:14) Kev: Yeah.
(0:20:15) Al: So, you know, real ones know.
(0:20:16) Kev: But, real ones.
(0:20:25) Al: Spirity have announced that their Helping Hands update is out now.
(0:20:31) Al: It looks like the big thing is you get more hints towards how you you’re doing things if you’re stuck so you can ask one young who is the floating cats better on a donut that goes around with you.
(0:20:46) Kev: it hints are great. Actually, one of the things about cassette beasts that I really love,
(0:20:46) Al: If you’re stuck, you can ask him for hints.
(0:20:56) Kev: they call it rumors, where random townspeople will give you information on where to look for
(0:21:04) Kev: different objectives, including monsters that you have not captured.
(0:21:11) Al: nice. I would like that in Pokemon games because this is the thing the number of times that I just have to go to Serebii to figure out where this Pokemon is is dreadful.
(0:21:22) Kev: Yup, I am always fervently of the belief that you should never have to.
(0:21:36) Al: Stardew does that well, I mean, like it’s quicker to go to the internet for a lot of things but the secret notes and the lost books tell you literally everything about that game.
(0:21:49) Al: Like the number of times I go “oh what about this thing?” and I search and it’s like “well it was in this lost book” and you’re like “oh don’t tell me I need to reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed!”
(0:21:56) Kev: Alright, that’s a whole different discussion.
(0:21:57) Al: Yeah, no kidding, no kidding.
(0:22:06) Al: The books they’ve added in the 1.6 update in Stardew as well is quite fun, I don’t know if you’ve seen that but they give you like extra powers and stuff like that, they’re good for you.
(0:22:17) Al: Bum-ba-dum-ba-dum, where are we? We are at, yeah, Spirity, you know you’ve not played Spirity have you? It was me and Johnny who did the episode. All right, cool. I don’t think this is dragging me into playing the game again, I will say.
(0:22:36) Al: Bunch of extra quality for life improvements as well but I’m not going to go over them just now because they’re pretty specific to if you’ve played the game. I don’t think any of these are going to be like “oh I must play that game now” now that they’ve removed Pooh Bird near the players house that led to nowhere. Like that was the one thing that was stopping me playing that game. All right, what’s next? We’ve got Snacko. Snacko have added in their newest update.
(0:23:07) Al: I’m not going to talk about version.
(0:23:08) Kev: Yeah, yeah, that, uh, did long time coming and.
(0:23:09) Al: In their latest update, they have added character customization, which is good.
(0:23:14) Al: And we like character customization.
(0:23:16) Al: This is good, good job.
(0:23:19) Al: We like it.
(0:23:25) Al: So if you want, if you want a pink cat with a neon yellow tail and two differently colored eyes, then you can do that.
(0:23:32) Kev: That sounds rad actually oh, yeah now you’re a real gamer
(0:23:36) Al: That’s the word I couldn’t remember.
(0:23:41) Al: I was like, I knew it was something I couldn’t remember what it was.
(0:23:54) Al: They’ve also reaffirmed that they are planning on getting 1.0 out this year. They’ve said late this year, so if I were to bet, I would be betting it’s next year, but I’m not
(0:24:06) Kev: Well, I mean, they’re at 0.9.2, so, you know, how many more could there be?
(0:24:10) Al: Yeah, but they started at like 0.8.3 or something, right?
(0:24:18) Al: Kevin, what are you doing?
(0:24:19) Al: I said I wasn’t gonna talk about the version numbers.
(0:24:21) Al: Stop it.
(0:24:22) Al: My time at Sandrock have announced that they’re bringing cross-platform multiplayer to the game this summer.
(0:24:22) Kev: Oh, that’s good.
(0:24:31) Kev: Okay, but no general that is good across the platform should be the double for everything right or the a goal for everyone
(0:24:44) Al: Yeah, I’m still not playing the game.
(0:24:48) Al: But a game I am playing, Stardew Valley, concerned David has announced that there is a 1.6.4 is coming out soon.
(0:24:53) Kev: What version number, Al?
(0:24:58) Kev: The fourth 1.6 update.
(0:25:03) Al: The fifth one actually, I think.
(0:25:06) Al: The numbers always start at zero, counting starts at zero, Kevin.
(0:25:11) Al: And yes, there’s a new update coming.
(0:25:14) Al: Uh, I wouldn’t normally mention this, but it does say there is adding some new, a few goodies as well as bug fixes.
(0:25:23) Al: So it’s not just bug fixes.
(0:25:24) Al: There is some other stuff coming.
(0:25:26) Al: No hints.
(0:25:28) Al: Well, no, no hints are hints.
(0:25:30) Al: Yes, there are hints, uh, a new fishing thing and some new mining related.
(0:25:36) Kev: Oh, a new fishing thing, is it gonna be, is it making it good?
(0:25:41) Kev: Is that the update?
(0:25:42) Al: I’ve caught all the fish by the way that’s done those legendary fish were quite a quite a struggle but I got them
(0:25:45) Kev: Oh, man, oh, man.
(0:25:56) Kev: Yeah, but I am curious what it is though, but there you go Just you thought you were out, but he’s concerned. It’s about to reel you back in right away
(0:26:08) Al: I thought the point was I wasn’t out yet.
(0:26:10) Kev: Well you said you might be out, but you’re you’re definitely not gonna
(0:26:16) Al: Speaking of not being out, or being it, Monster Patch, which is the new monster collector from Sean Young, who made Littlewood, he has posted a new screenshot of the playable trainers
(0:26:33) Al: for the game. And yet again, for some reason, this screenshot also includes the dead dude. So I really want to know what the deal is with this dead dude, because this is,
(0:26:43) Al: I think, the third screenshot we’ve had with this guy just lying on the street dead in a pool of blood.
(0:26:50) Al: » Yeah.
(0:26:50) Kev: What if it’s not in the game and it’s just in all the promo or screenshots?
(0:26:57) Kev: That or my arm
(0:26:59) Kev: That and breakfast has this running joke where in all their patch notes. They have some mention of a character named Gus He’s a possum wielding a knife the state of him having the knife or not
(0:27:11) Kev: It’s not in the game, but just
(0:27:14) Kev: But anyways moons not moon star
(0:27:18) Kev: Monster patch
(0:27:22) Al: It’s a cool selection of playable characters. It makes it sound like it’s not customization,
(0:27:26) Al: which I think I’m fine with. I don’t think every game needs to have character customization.
(0:27:30) Kev: - Yeah.
(0:27:34) Al: I think you need to make a decision about whether the game should have or not, and it sounds more like that you are playing that specific character rather than playing as yourself. In that sort of situation it makes sense not to have card to customization, right?
(0:27:52) Al: It’s weird for RPGs where you’re like, “Oh, hey, here’s this person.”
(0:27:56) Al: And it’s like, “Oh, I’m going to make this person me.”
(0:27:59) Al: And it’s like, “No, no, the point is, it’s their story, not yours.”
(0:28:02) Kev: Right right one interesting thing he says each trainer has a unique passive ability
(0:28:10) Kev: drastically influence your playstyle that that is I think that’s actually pretty cool
(0:28:14) Kev: um I don’t know what those abilities are exactly the hard mode it’s it’s the the guy with the rainbow mohawk you know the devil or
(0:28:16) Al: That just means I’m gonna have to play this game 12 times, right?
(0:28:26) Al: Yeah, or the one with the devil horns, maybe.
(0:28:32) Al: Yeah, yeah, no, I’m I loved everything I’ve seen about this game, but I look forward to playing it.
(0:28:42) Kev: Unlike the guy with the bandana, his eyes are not open.
(0:28:46) Al: Or, you know, the guy in the pool of blood.
(0:28:55) Al: His eyes are doing nothing.
(0:28:57) Al: Finally, Moonstone Island.
(0:29:01) Al: Don’t get excited.
(0:29:02) Al: This isn’t a huge thing, but Moonstone Island have reminded us that it’s spring.
(0:29:07) Al: It is currently spring, and that’s important because they said the Switch version was coming out in spring, 2024.
(0:29:12) Kev: “Oh, is that why you’re bringing this up? I was very confused! Hahaha!”
(0:29:16) Al: Spring 2024 is when the Switch version comes out, so, the game could come out on Switch anytime between now and they say June 24th.
(0:29:17) Kev: “Okay.”
(0:29:20) Kev: “Okay.”
(0:29:28) Kev: You there you go
(0:29:30) Al: Which is the definition of Spring that they use.
(0:29:32) Kev: Now there you go until they have to reach for that southern hemisphere spring
(0:29:40) Al: Mm. Kevin, your opinion on everything getting fish bow, fish bow.
(0:29:45) Kev: Yeah, yeah
(0:29:47) Kev: Yeah, oh yeah. Um, it’s pretty good at first and I heard about like a boy then I saw it. No, they look pretty good
(0:29:54) Kev: The only one I’m really hoping for I
(0:29:57) Kev: Hope they put
(0:29:58) Kev: a whole fish bow inside a fish bow if they do that that’s it, that’s the deal it’s genius, you can’t compete
(0:30:01) Al: I want them to do so what was that I can’t remember the name of it but the one that was like just a tree trunk and it’s like spinning round I want them to do that but like scale it prop scale it properly so he’s sticking out the fishbowl and spinning around inside the fish ball.
(0:30:16) Kev: oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah oh gosh, log something yeah, log something yeah, that’d be a good one [Laughter]
(0:30:28) Kev: Whoa, that’s good. That’s strong. I like that. That’s good. That’s good thinking out. Oh, man. I’m down for that
(0:30:34) Al: Like there’s so much fun things they could do with this.
(0:30:37) Kev: Yes, they could um, oh man, oh
(0:30:42) Kev: Gotta give a little diver suits to the fire ones so they don’t die in the water
(0:30:46) Al: Oh, I just noted that that one is the the tree trunk one is in the original tweet.
(0:30:51) Kev: oh
(0:30:51) Al: And it is it’s not it is to scale, but it’s quite small, but he is sticking out the fishbowl.
(0:30:54) Kev: Yeah, yep, oh well, you know yeah, I did but gotta make a little
(0:30:58) Al: So.
(0:31:03) Al: Yeah, it’s still good.
(0:31:05) Al: Still sticking out.
(0:31:06) Al: Don’t worry.
(0:31:07) Al: Cool.
(0:31:09) Kev: there’s what now I’m just remembering moon style there’s one that’s just like a teardrop that with the face just just put the fishbowl with just that the like face just have him in there okay news
(0:31:09) Al: That’s all the news.
(0:31:11) Al: Oh.
(0:31:22) Al: Yeah… News is finished. That is it. The news has newsed.
(0:31:31) Kev: news ever until next week all right Al
(0:31:34) Al: It has newsed. Hmm. Can you tell I’m tired?
(0:31:40) Al: We’re going to talk about marriage candidates. So we have played between us a lot of farming games,
(0:31:48) Al: of which many of them have romance.
(0:31:49) Kev: have yep I’d known complainer of romance let’s see which ones I like
(0:31:52) Al: And yeah, well, this is the thing, so like, I think, I mean, just to make it clear, I think we’re probably both on the same page with this, is that I don’t think that either of us dislikes the concept of romance in games full stop, but that a lot of games put it in because they feel like they need to, not because they want to, and then they don’t put in the effort into it and the character.
(0:32:10) Kev: of course right right
(0:32:22) Al: Characters feel flat, their dialogue feels shallow and you don’t feel like you’re actually a character in this game trying to woo this person, you feel like you’re trying to check.
(0:32:35) Kev: Rigs exactly absolutely right looking at you
(0:32:39) Kev: What’s what’s the one that’s not Stardew Valley though? No, no the other one the the one the names like it
(0:32:42) Al: Fae Farm. Not Fae Farm, the other one. Oh, Sugardew Island. Yes!
(0:32:47) Kev: with Sugardew yeah
(0:32:52) Kev: Fred those waters carefully sugardew
(0:32:56) Kev: But but yeah absolutely oh, you know what surprise cassette piece has romance in it
(0:33:02) Kev: You can romance one of the partners if you’d like
(0:33:06) Kev: Which caught me by surprise?
(0:33:08) Kev: price.
(0:33:10) Al: So, we’re gonna talk about what marriage candidates we have liked the most in these games.
(0:33:16) Al: I have a list of three.
(0:33:17) Al: I don’t know what you have, because I can’t see your list.
(0:33:18) Kev: I have… I have four.
(0:33:22) Al: You have four.
(0:33:23) Al: Okay.
(0:33:24) Al: Well, you’ll need to start then, but before we get into that…
(0:33:27) Al: I guess…
(0:33:28) Al: What?
(0:33:28) Kev: Well, well, I was about to say I well I have three and one that you know, that’s a thing
(0:33:29) Al: Sorry.
(0:33:35) Kev: But we’ll get to that. Okay, let’s this let’s do the stardew one. I assume you have a stardew one
(0:33:42) Kev: Okay, so that right. This is our starting point the the OG
(0:33:46) Kev: What?
(0:33:48) Kev: Who’s your stardew pick out?
(0:33:50) Al: Well you’ve got to start because you’ve got four, otherwise you’ll do two in a row.
(0:33:51) Kev: Okay, okay fine. All right. I went with Leia Leia I don’t know.
(0:33:57) Al: Okay, Lea Lea doesn’t matter, we don’t have voice acting, it can be whatever you want. Lea Lea,
(0:33:57) Kev: I never know how to pronounce your name.
(0:33:59) Kev: Yeah.
(0:34:02) Kev: Yeah.
(0:34:03) Al: that’s fine. Was Lea your first marriage candidate and starred you? Okay, what drew you to her?
(0:34:03) Kev: All right.
(0:34:04) Kev: There you go.
(0:34:05) Kev: Um.
(0:34:08) Kev: So.
(0:34:10) Kev: Yes.
(0:34:12) Kev: Yes.
(0:34:14) Kev: All right.
(0:34:16) Kev: You know, like.
(0:34:18) Kev: Wow.
(0:34:19) Kev: It’s.
(0:34:20) Kev: I feel like this is very illuminating.
(0:34:24) Kev: She’s the only nice one it feels like.
(0:34:24) Al: Oh no. Oh, interesting. Yeah, no, I guess she is, she is right, because like,
(0:34:28) Kev: Right?
(0:34:30) Al: you first meet her and she’s like, “Oh, you’re from the city, what’s it like there?”
(0:34:34) Al: You know, whereas so many others are not, they’re not interested or downright mean in some cases.
(0:34:39) Kev: Yep, yep
(0:34:43) Kev: So, okay. Well, all right, let’s be cool. Let’s back up a second My fish pic was gonna be robbing but then the game was it all know she’s married and whatnot. I’m fine
(0:34:52) Al: So you find the other the other red head then.
(0:34:55) Kev: I can’t remember the second was
(0:34:58) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I don’t remember the second one was but there was somebody also married I can’t remember
(0:35:07) Kev: But then out of the actual eligible ones
(0:35:09) Kev: I was gunning for Hailey, I recall it first But then, not only did she shoot me down at the Spring Dance But she taught me down hard, she was like “Ewwwwww”
(0:35:18) Al: she she does that is like that is if if that’s your first example of stardew like 12 days in and hilly just goes oh you’re like oh my wow he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he
(0:35:29) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I’m just I just kind of throw my hands up like well
(0:35:40) Kev: People and then I properly met Leia and and it’s like, you know, I’m fine. You’re you’re the only decent tree on treating me decent
(0:35:51) Kev: That is by and large the only thing I needed
(0:35:57) Kev: That said I do like
(0:35:59) Kev: Her whole art thing. I think being an artist is a cool thing. I
(0:36:06) Al: I’m not sure what her sculpture is meant to be, though.
(0:36:08) Kev: Did nope I don’t either and I’ve been told her that
(0:36:13) Al: It’s certainly something.
(0:36:15) Kev: It’s abstract Al all right
(0:36:19) Al: You’re not wrong.
(0:36:20) Al: It is definitely abstract.
(0:36:22) Kev: What about you out who won you over you won over
(0:36:24) Al: Yeah, okay.
(0:36:29) Al: I think I’ve talked about this before, but my first and still favourite marriage candidate…
(0:36:29) Kev: » At gunpoint, perhaps.
(0:36:30) Kev: » [LAUGH]
(0:36:36) Al: that inspired you is Hailey.
(0:36:38) Kev: She’ll like it when she said “ew.”
(0:36:40) Al: The reason why is the exact reason that you were absolutely…
(0:36:46) Al: It’s the exact same reason that you decided to stop trying with her.
(0:36:50) Al: I was very insulted when you first meet her, and she goes, “She’s just so dismissed above you, and then she’s mean to you.”
(0:36:59) Al: And it’s like, there’s an amazing moment when you walk up to her and she’s like, “Oh, you
(0:37:06) Al: got in the latest catalogue of some magazine, because dirty, muddy boots are really in fashion just now.”
(0:37:10) Kev: Yeah.
(0:37:10) Kev: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
(0:37:15) Al: And you’re like, “Whoa!
(0:37:16) Al: Oh, what!
(0:37:17) Al: What was that?”
(0:37:21) Al: You’re just like, “I love a challenge, right?
(0:37:24) Al: It’s a game.
(0:37:25) Al: The whole point of games is to be challenged.”
(0:37:28) Al: And so I was like, “Oh, this is a person who really doesn’t like me, doesn’t like
(0:37:36) Al: the idea of me, and I know that I can win her around, and I just need to figure out why.”
(0:37:43) Al: And actually, I found that her story progression from that to falling in love with you is actually really sweet because she realises that she doesn’t need to care, she starts off so superficial and ends up realizing that.
(0:37:48) Kev: - Yeah.
(0:38:06) Al: But love is much deeper than that and I thought that was really nice and that’s why I think she has the most progression of any character that I’ve…
(0:38:12) Kev: It is. So, I would agree, you know, I’ve read stuff on the Wiki and stuff, and I did see several of her scenes, because I still talk to Hayley Plenty and had friendship events with her and whatnot. And I agree, I think, not even just Stardew, I think in almost any game with romance, that’s probably one of the biggest character arcs/growth of a character I’ve seen, which is pretty
(0:38:42) Kev: cool. Um, yeah, no, no, I get it. Um, uh, and like I said, I went for her first, right?
(0:38:49) Kev: Blondes, like, yeah, let’s be honest. Um, but, uh, you know, it is interesting to me.
(0:38:56) Kev: This is very revealing about how or why we play games in general, right? Like you appreciated the challenge and absolutely I get that, right? Both in terms of a game or, or, you know,
(0:39:09) Kev: a thing with relationships.
(0:39:12) Kev: I like the fantasy escapism of games, and I get enough failures in the real world!
(0:39:14) Al: Yeah, I’m not sure I would want that in real life. Right? Like, you know.
(0:39:21) Al: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
(0:39:28) Al: Well, and that’s an interesting thing, right? Like, I wonder how much of that is, and that sounds pretty accurate, right? Because, like, I first played Stardew when I was already married for, like, 2016. I’d been married for three years at that point, you know? So I was, like, I, you know, wasn’t experiencing that in real life. So it’s not like I would be, like, it would be reminding me of experiences in life that I didn’t want to think about,
(0:39:32) Kev: Yeah? Sure.
(0:39:42) Kev: Okay.
(0:39:52) Kev: Yeah, yeah, oh man, oh
(0:39:59) Al: it was very different to that. And I certainly, you know, I didn’t have to, it’s not like I didn’t have to work to make Rona fall in love with me. Of course I did, like, these things are always work, but it’s not the same thing. She didn’t, she was always a nice person. She, you know,
(0:40:05) Kev: Yeah
(0:40:13) Kev: Your drought your dowry was enough
(0:40:14) Al: didn’t first… Yeah, exactly, exactly. No, she, no, no, she, you know, she’s always been a nice person. And so it’s not… I think that’s interesting. Yeah.
(0:40:29) Kev: It is because You know that I think this is actually really important context because i’m on the
(0:40:35) Kev: Polar ops end of the spectrum like for people who haven’t fought on from things I’ve said over these i’m gonna i’m just laying it all out for you people like I
(0:40:44) Kev: have never had
(0:40:46) Kev: Not only a relationship i’ve never been able to get a date. Let’s i’ll be honest here like
(0:40:53) Kev: Look at me people like ugh
(0:40:55) Kev: um, so my
(0:40:56) Al: You’re not an audio podcast, Kevin!
(0:40:57) Kev: experience flesh
(0:41:01) Kev: Well, I’m being open here! You wanted a relationship!
(0:41:03) Al: Look at me.
(0:41:05) Kev: This is it man! This is the heart of it!
(0:41:07) Al: I wasn’t expecting a therapy session, but here we go.
(0:41:11) Kev: Well, now you guess what! This is why romance is a thing!
(0:41:13) Al: Oh, dear.
(0:41:17) Kev: Like I said, escapism and fantasy!
(0:41:18) Al: Oh, dear.
(0:41:20) Kev: Well, let’s get it going today!
(0:41:24) Kev: Alright!
(0:41:29) Al: » Listeners, if you wanna date Kevin, message in, we’ll get it started.
(0:41:35) Kev: So if you do, you gotta compete with some other ones!
(0:41:39) Kev: Because, before Leia,
(0:41:43) Kev: many moons ago for an even younger Kevin.
(0:41:47) Kev: I was in middle school, actually.
(0:41:50) Kev: I had interest in girls at that point, but I wasn’t dating, per se.
(0:41:54) Kev: I was too young for that, for the family and whatnot.
(0:41:58) Kev: But I played a game called Harvest Moon, A Wonderful Life.
(0:42:01) Kev: And it is there where I first met my first ever sweetheart of ever!
(0:42:05) Kev: Any kind, virtual or not.
(0:42:07) Kev: Celia/Cecilia in the remake.
(0:42:11) Kev: She was one of three candidates.
(0:42:16) Kev: There was… she is…
(0:42:19) Kev: So there was the other two that I didn’t select.
(0:42:21) Kev: Her name was Nami.
(0:42:23) Kev: She’s the kinda tough girl.
(0:42:26) Kev: More distant to Luke kinda girl.
(0:42:30) Kev: There was Muffy.
(0:42:35) Kev: Or Molly in the remake.
(0:42:37) Kev: She was the barkeep.
(0:42:40) Kev: And Molly was nice enough.
(0:42:43) Kev: But again, Celia/Cecilia, she’s very sweet.
(0:42:47) Kev: She works on a farm, right?
(0:42:49) Kev: So she gets what you’re doing.
(0:42:51) Kev: She’s very down-to-earth and sweet.
(0:42:54) Kev: And really just a sweetheart.
(0:42:56) Kev: And I think that’s what won me over.
(0:42:58) Kev: She’s also just mechanically like the easiest to win over.
(0:43:02) Kev: Um, because again, she works in a farm so she likes crops and stuff like that her gifts are easiest to get to and you probably encountered her more going to the farm to purchase supplies and whatnot but she obviously has a special place in my heart for being the the very first yeah and in the remake she’s pretty much the same thing still still wonderful person and what’s cool is when you marry her like her helping around the farm and stuff feels very natural right?
(0:43:35) Kev: I think that’s a fun little element because you know sometimes your person you marry or whatever they’ll help out but you can tell you know they’re trying they get a gold star for trying right but nah she she knows what she’s doing on the farm and I think that’s pretty cool yeah all right what about you who’s
(0:43:51) Al: Fair enough.
(0:43:55) Al: So my number two, um, is, uh, uh, study of seasons, tree of towns.
(0:44:02) Al: We have Iluca.
(0:44:04) Al: Um, Iluca is, uh, one of, uh, the, um, identical twins in, if you’ve, if anybody has played the game, uh, the, um, I can’t remember.
(0:44:16) Kev: Oh, oh yeah, okay.
(0:44:17) Kev: She’s a winner.
(0:44:18) Kev: I just Googled her up.
(0:44:19) Kev: I like that.
(0:44:20) Kev: All right.
(0:44:21) Al: Remember, I can’t remember the name of the town because it’s been a couple of days.
(0:44:26) Al: Um, there’s, uh, there’s like three try towns and the one that she’s from is like a kind of Islander style, like Pacific Islander style village.
(0:44:36) Kev: Paros, oh wait, carousel. Oh, is that the name? I’m looking at the wiki here
(0:44:43) Kev: Sorry, no, that’s a cafe name. Sorry. Oh
(0:44:46) Al: Yeah, no, no, it’s Lulu Coco. So the interesting thing about this is so you unlock the three towns as you go. So you start off with one of them, which is like the Western US style one, and then you unlock the one that is like based on a Japanese town. And then you unlock this one,
(0:44:48) Kev: Lulu Coco
(0:45:00) Kev: Yeah frontier sure
(0:45:08) Al: which is more kind of Pacific Islander type thing. And so if you start off this game and you
(0:45:16) Al: look for your marriage candidate, you are not going to find Aluka or her sister Saluka.
(0:45:21) Al: and you
(0:45:22) Kev: That is a cool little
(0:45:24) Kev: Little twist right because I think especially storage seasons they they very much trained you like you know You got to start looking right away, but having all these characters locked
(0:45:32) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, because you want it, because it’s a lot of work, right? You got to start early. And, you know, it’s not that there was nobody else in that game that I thought would be an interesting marriage candidate, but there was no one that was like, “Oh, this is the person I must woo.” And then you unlock this third town and you’re like, “Oh, no,
(0:45:37) Kev: Right yep
(0:45:53) Kev: Yeah
(0:45:56) Al: this is it. This is the person.” And the interesting thing is they have, obviously they are identical Oh, twins, they look-
(0:46:02) Al: Almost identical, the only difference is physically are they wear different coloured clothes and they tend to have different facial expressions, but that’s because their characters are very different, their personalities are very different.
(0:46:18) Al: And as you get to know them, you find that out very quickly.
(0:46:23) Kev: I I take it she’s a
(0:46:32) Al: uh no so it’s it’s more well no not really so it’s more like Seleucah is more um how would I describe it uh she’s kind of more kind of like sleepy I guess kind of like not she just kind of
(0:46:46) Kev: Yeah.
(0:46:49) Kev: Okay, she goes through life at her own pace and sometimes does nothing, per the wiki.
(0:46:49) Al: takes things as she yeah yeah exactly exactly oh does that what the wiki says yeah no I think I think Iluka is much more strong-willed and has a lot more.
(0:46:56) Kev: Yeah. [laughs]
(0:47:02) Al: I’ll use the same words as the wiki, I guess, if that’s what you’re reading out.
(0:47:13) Kev: He’s somewhat strong-willed and also has a cheerful personality.
(0:47:22) Al: So yeah, I think that’s a really fun thing to do, is to have identical twins who have quite different personalities.
(0:47:30) Kev: Yeah, no that that is pretty cool um that is I like that that’s very good um and also purple hair thumbs up for that
(0:47:39) Al: Yeah, it’s funny that they both have purple hair, because that implies that either it is a genetic thing, in which case I’m intrigued there, or they both decided to get their hair dyed the same color.
(0:47:52) Kev: Ah, yeah, both are very interesting implications.
(0:47:52) Al: That seems odd to me, especially as they’re so similar in lots of other ways.
(0:47:59) Al: So, yeah.
(0:48:01) Al: So yeah, that’s my second one.
(0:48:04) Kev: All right.
(0:48:06) Kev: My third one.
(0:48:07) Kev: So as much as I was not a fan of the romance in this game,
(0:48:14) Kev: being present at all, really.
(0:48:16) Kev: And the characters, I think, in general, were a bit flat.
(0:48:22) Kev: Sarah from Moonstone Island.
(0:48:26) Kev: So she is the town’s blacksmith.
(0:48:31) Kev: And I think her personality stands out from a lot of other characters.
(0:48:37) Kev: Not in just Moonstone Island, but across the board in these College Corps games as a character,
(0:48:44) Kev: especially a female that you can romance and whatnot, right?
(0:48:48) Kev: He is very, very like bubbly.
(0:48:52) Kev: He is very very like bubbly and cheerful.
(0:48:54) Kev: She will not necessarily go after you, she will not ask you out on dates per se, but she will openly flirt with you and what not.
(0:49:04) Kev: Yeah, right from the start, yep.
(0:49:04) Al: like, right from the start as well. Like, she’s so, so fast into that. You’re like, “Whoa! Calm down!”
(0:49:08) Kev: Yup.
(0:49:10) Kev: And so, yeah, I do think that stands out, and again, the fact is, yes.
(0:49:22) Kev: But, you know, someone who gives you attention like that, I think is pretty cool.
(0:49:28) Kev: And she is fun, right, because as a blacksmith, right, like not the traditional role that one might expect, and that’s kind of her story as well, like how she likes working with the medals and being tough and stuff.
(0:49:42) Kev: So that is, I don’t know, I think she’s pretty cool.
(0:49:44) Al: Yeah
(0:49:48) Kev: She’s fun, yeah.
(0:49:49) Al: Also pink hair
(0:49:52) Kev: And then after… yeah, I mean, yeah, I will not, I will, I could go down a list and all their care could fall under that, but yeah, even aside from that, post, when they did the marriage update, they added more dialogue and stuff like that, so you get to experience more of her life at home and fun it is.
(0:49:56) Al: Which apparently is a thing that you like so good to know
(0:50:22) Kev: She loves soup, that’s, I don’t know why it’s a running thing, she loves soup. But yeah, again, that is Pharah from Moonstone Island.
(0:50:29) Kev: Alright, what is numero tress for you, Al?
(0:50:34) Al: My third one is a new one from Coral Island, and that is Lily. And my reason is, I think
(0:50:37) Kev: Of course.
(0:50:43) Al: I’m not aware of another programmer in a farming game, like a character in a farming game that is a programmer, and therefore, not that I’m aware of. I will talk, I’ll talk.
(0:50:52) Kev: Wasn’t somebody in Stardew does…programming?
(0:50:58) Kev: It’s–I think it’s–I’m gonna look it up.
(0:51:00) Kev: Okay, you talk while I look this up, heh heh heh.
(0:51:04) Al: And so, there’s just something really nice. I mean, I felt like, I mean, people are gonna say,
(0:51:08) Al: “Oh, you married yourself in that game.” Like, I mean, essentially, yeah, right? Like, it’s nice to see kind of that represented. You found it. See, yeah, okay, fine. I’ve never, and this is actually,
(0:51:18) Kev: Sebastian, from Stardew, is a programmer.
(0:51:23) Kev: But it’s Sebastian.
(0:51:26) Al: I realized like 10 minutes ago that I think we need to do another episode with people who my actually romance male characters.
(0:51:34) Al: Because I think we’ve made a very clear preference in this episode.
(0:51:34) Kev: Well, he- look.
(0:51:38) Al: Well, I know you’ll probably have one coming up, but other than that,
(0:51:43) Al: other than that, it’s quite female heavy.
(0:51:44) Kev: You’re not wrong.
(0:51:46) Kev: Yep, you’re not wrong, you’re not wrong.
(0:51:48) Kev: It would be fun to get a reverse of this, right?
(0:51:52) Kev: We’ll reach out to some people.
(0:51:53) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely.
(0:51:54) Kev: That would be fun.
(0:51:57) Al: But I think that it’s fun to see that, right?
(0:52:01) Al: and not only is she a programmer.
(0:52:04) Al: But she works from home, she has our own home office, so like she spends most of her time in her house, and so that kind of makes it a bit different to track.
(0:52:15) Al: Most of the time when these characters are like “oh I need to go find where they are”,
(0:52:18) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah
(0:52:18) Al: literally you’re like “oh she’s at home” of course she’s at home she’s working or when she’s finished she’s relaxing she’s at home, right?
(0:52:25) Kev: That’s cool
(0:52:25) Al: And I think that I thought that was quite interesting and yeah yeah there we go, that’s
(0:52:30) Kev: Right, yeah because So many of these characters are like or not even just the romance balloons Right, like everyone goes to the town bar because that’s the gathering point or whatever, right?
(0:52:41) Kev: And then one goes to the festival. So having someone who’s much more
(0:52:42) Al: Yeah. Intraverse.
(0:52:48) Kev: Traverted yeah, that would be the word, right?
(0:52:50) Kev: Yeah, I think that is pretty cool representation like you can kind of see that in some characters, but they don’t really act it out
(0:52:58) Al: No, and they tend to be, they tend to be say like Clint, for example, in Stardew, who’s like more introverted, but you dislike him because of how he actually deals with that.
(0:53:05) Kev: Yes!
(0:53:08) Al: Whereas with Lily, it’s like she’s introverted and doesn’t tend to spend time with other people, but it’s not because she’s a terrible person and doesn’t know how to deal with people.
(0:53:16) Al: She just prefers not to, you know, there’s a massive difference.
(0:53:20) Kev: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Oh man, we should do the the anti the hate list
(0:53:25) Al: I will say this, my one problem with Lily is that as with most characters in Carl Island,
(0:53:25) Kev: episode at some point just thinking of clint there. Um, all right. Oh that oh
(0:53:38) Al: when you marry them, they lose all their personality and they do nothing. And I really hope they’re going to fix that at some point, because it’s just such a depressing thing to remove everything from that person. You know, in Stardew, they go and still have a life after you’ve married them and they have their own little area in your head.
(0:53:52) Kev: Yeah…
(0:53:55) Al: And then, you know, like I was finding this because I married Emily in this one.
(0:53:56) Kev: Yep.
(0:54:00) Kev: Yep.
(0:54:05) Al: And you, you wake up, you go talk to her and she says what she’s going to do for the day.
(0:54:08) Al: Or she’s outside telling you what she’s just done, you know?
(0:54:12) Al: Whereas you go up, you wake up in Coral Island, I go talk to Lily and she’s like, good morning.
(0:54:17) Al: And then that’s it literally says nothing else and just stands in the bedroom the entire day.
(0:54:20) Kev: Yup.
(0:54:23) Kev: Hahaha!
(0:54:24) Kev: I hope there’s a somewhat creepy smile.
(0:54:25) Al: My biggest annoyance with that game.
(0:54:26) Kev: Hahaha!
(0:54:28) Kev: Uh, yeah, no, I get it.
(0:54:31) Kev: Mindstone Island had that problem really bad, um, before the marriage update.
(0:54:35) Kev: ‘Cause you could only ask them out on a certain number of dates, and then…
(0:54:40) Kev: That was it.
(0:54:41) Kev: That was kind of it.
(0:54:42) Kev: The romance was dead.
(0:54:44) Kev: Um, very cool.
(0:54:46) Kev: But no, Lily.
(0:54:47) Kev: Yeah, that’s a cool care.
(0:54:47) Kev: I like her design, too.
(0:54:50) Kev: That’s a good pick.
(0:54:50) Al: Yeah.
(0:54:51) Kev: Alright!
(0:54:52) Kev: Let’s get to it.
(0:54:53) Kev: The fourth bullet.
(0:54:54) Kev: It’s just- it just says “Wildflower”.
(0:54:56) Al: Can I guess?
(0:54:56) Kev: It’s just all of it.
(0:54:57) Al: Can I guess?
(0:54:58) Kev: I wish- I’ll marry this game.
(0:54:59) Al: Oh, is it not Wesley specifically?
(0:55:01) Kev: Alright, yeah, let’s talk about Wesley.
(0:55:03) Kev: So.
(0:55:04) Kev: Okay.
(0:55:06) Kev: His shocker, Kevin’s gonna rant about “Wildflowers”.
(0:55:12) Kev: “Wildflowers” has a few characters in particular that I think are interesting romance candidates.
(0:55:20) Kev: because of the story, which is not a thing in most cottage horror games, there are two in particular, the first one being Cameron, he’s interesting because he’s so antagonistic during the story of wildflowers.
(0:55:46) Al: That’s what you said you didn’t like about Hailey! Double standards!
(0:55:46) Kev: what? Yes, but okay, but okay.
(0:55:50) Kev: Let me let me explain. Okay. I’m full spoilers for people and play wildflowers. Like here’s your warning. Okay?
(0:55:56) Al: Okay this is the this is the this is the last character we’re going to talk about so if you don’t want the wild spous wild wild spoilers wild flowers spoilers
(0:56:04) Kev: Yep, alright, okay so if you remember Al, the premise is witch, Pavin, and Kajkor, right?
(0:56:06) Al: Cool. Bye-bye. We’re done here. There’s nothing else after this.
(0:56:16) Kev: So there is a period in the story of wildflowers where there are literal witch hunts, people being accused of being witches in the story.
(0:56:26) Kev: And Cameron is very much so behind a lot of that.
(0:56:33) Kev: But he’s still romanceable, right?
(0:56:34) Kev: So, it’s clearly very divisive, and I didn’t romance Cameron or even get too close in personally, but I think that’s just a very interesting scenario, trying to work that.
(0:56:50) Al: Yeah I’d love to know what happens, because presumably there’s a point, because I know that it ends with like acceptance of the witches, and so I would love to know if there’s a thing that happens when he finds out, if you were romancing him.
(0:56:54) Kev: Yeah.
(0:56:58) Kev: Yeah.
(0:57:00) Kev: Mm-hmm.
(0:57:04) Kev: Yeah, I mean even with the romance he does start like
(0:57:09) Kev: You know repenting and and and apologizing and and whatnot, right?
(0:57:14) Kev: But I’m I would be interested to see if there’s any romance specific dialogue for that
(0:57:20) Al: It feels like if any game’s gonna do it, it’s gonna be Wildflowers, ‘cause it’s so storey.
(0:57:23) Kev: Yes Yep, absolutely. And I think it’s very likely because let’s talk about Wesley
(0:57:32) Kev: Okay, so for people who
(0:57:35) Kev: Haven’t heard me a hundred times. Wesley is the character voiced by Ray Chase who we had on the podcast He is the reason I bought the bloody game because I love Ray and when I heard he was romancible I was like, well, I gotta do that. I got to see what it’s all about
(0:57:50) Kev: And Thankfully Wesley as a character did not disappoint
(0:57:55) Kev: So Wesley is unique in the candidates because he is the only character romanceable character. That is
(0:58:02) Kev: Actually, that’s not true. No, no, there’s one
(0:58:04) Kev: or two other ones. But he is ingrained into the magic community. But it’s so much he’s a werewolf, right? So his he’s very much in there. He lives in the magical village. He doesn’t live on the main island. Wesley is a character, I think is great. He’s very dapper, always has a nice like coat on and he’s very, he’s very, he’s very gentlemanly, like very,
(0:58:33) Kev: He’s very intelligent.
(0:58:34) Kev: He’s a bookkeeper, or bookshop keeper, and he’s a great character, in my opinion.
(0:58:44) Kev: Now, and of course, also the dulcet tones of Ray Choice, right?
(0:58:47) Kev: But, uh, the real kicker, and I think this is something completely unprecedented and, uh,
(0:58:56) Kev: uh, on, I, I think just not done in any other game.
(0:59:01) Kev: Um again the spoiler part real real this is this
(0:59:04) Kev: big spoiler part um so towards the end of the game you find out that there is an antagonistic
(0:59:13) Kev: witch who is not part of the coven who has been causing chaos on the island and whatnot right
(0:59:19) Kev: and towards the end of the game you find out wesley has actually been feeding her information um because she has promised to help him with his uh werewolf condition so he has been essentially betraying the coven that, uh, Tarah.
(0:59:34) Kev: Um, and, and yeah, and so that’s, that’s obviously a big twist, right?
(0:59:42) Kev: Um, and, and this is absolutely a conversation that comes up during the game when you romance him who the point where this is the part that I think has never been done anywhere else, just through the gameplay story, you get an opportunity where the game asks you if you want to divorce Wesley, if you’ve married him at that point.
(1:00:04) Kev: » Right, right, because of the betrayal, yep.
(1:00:05) Al: Because of the betrayal.
(1:00:08) Kev: Yeah, and right, I think that’s a very fascinating thing.
(1:00:12) Kev: I, of course, didn’t betray him, but not even just, well, yes, because the right thing.
(1:00:18) Kev: But in context, I think it’s forgivable, it’s clearly an act of desperation.
(1:00:24) Kev: He’s still very much a nice person, and he does work to redeem himself and whatnot.
(1:00:30) Kev: Um, but, uh, but, yeah, I think.
(1:00:34) Kev: I think that’s, that’s particularly fascinating. It’s, again, have, you know, the story impact the romance and vice versa.
(1:00:42) Kev: Um, and, you know, not every other romance book character in, uh, in Wildflowers would be that way.
(1:00:48) Kev: There are some that are, you know, more neutral or not as thought heavy relevant, maybe.
(1:00:55) Kev: Um, but Wesley definitely is. Um, and so, yeah, that is why he’s definitely up here on the list of most memorable.
(1:01:04) Kev: romances for me.
(1:01:06) Kev: Just for that alone like you know actual some actual meat on those bones
(1:01:12) Kev: Yeah, and there you have books. There’s uh, there’s my wildflowers pick. There’s there’s some other good ones in there, too But but definitely
(1:01:21) Al: Cool, well, those are our favourite marriage candidates, as of just now, you know, maybe they’ll change as we go on. Maybe Kevin will finally play Coral Island, maybe I will actually put more time into Wildflowers or Moonstone Island, maybe I’ll play It’s a Wonderful Life,
(1:01:42) Al: no, I’m not.
(1:01:42) Kev: oh that’s that’s that’s what I like the most I think oh man coral island the characters in coral island they’re how should I describe it like they’re very very pretty let’s say that that’s it all the fortune arts are they just all very pretty yeah
(1:01:56) Al: It’s a good way of Putin, it’s a good way of Putin.
(1:02:03) Al: Yeah, there’s not a lot of diversity in terms of, there’s no ugly characters.
(1:02:08) Kev: There is no ugly characters in this one.
(1:02:13) Kev: Geez, Samaru, good heavens.
(1:02:15) Kev: That’s a chiseled man face.
(1:02:16) Al: My biggest annoyance, and you’ll need to double check her name, my biggest annoyance with Coral Island is the non-romanciful one called…
(1:02:29) Al: Oh my word, there are too many characters in this game.
(1:02:34) Kev: 28 there’s 28. Holy moly. That’s a lot of romanceable characters cheese
(1:02:34) Al: Senja.
(1:02:40) Al: So I’m most annoyed by Senja not being romanceable.
(1:02:43) Kev: Okay, send you say let me look her up
(1:02:47) Kev: That’d be a good episode the ones the most memorable non-romanceable characters. Oh man. Oh, yeah. Okay. I’ve already down for it. Send ya
(1:02:52) Al: She’s a Hunter.
(1:02:56) Kev: She’s got goggles on. I don’t know what that’s all about. But uh, oh
(1:03:01) Kev: Man, oh, I just saw our full art. Oh, that’s like it’s a good outfit. Oh, no.
(1:03:06) Al: she is a part of the band of smiles, which is the equivalent of the monsters cabin in Stardew.
(1:03:18) Kev: Oh, okay, is that what it’s about?
(1:03:18) Al: It’s like the place you go where it’s like people who like to hunt monsters, so she’s part of that.
(1:03:20) Kev: That’s a good name.
(1:03:24) Kev: Oh yeah, that’s cruel that she’s not romanceable.
(1:03:28) Al: And I feel like, but also just like her character is like really flat because of that. I don’t think they put the effort into her but I feel like I feel like there’s a lot
(1:03:32) Kev: Uh, sure.
(1:03:36) Al: of potential there and I would love to romance a hunter character, like I think that would be really fun.
(1:03:42) Kev: Yeah, it would be.
(1:03:44) Kev: Umm…
(1:03:45) Kev: Aw man.
(1:03:46) Kev: You know, as a kind of general aside, the romance in Cassette Beasts…
(1:03:52) Kev: One kind of interesting thing about it is like, your partner goes with you as you’re doing all your adventures and whatnot, right?
(1:03:58) Al: Oh, okay. Does it give you a benefit?
(1:03:59) Kev: Like I wish they ingrained…
(1:04:01) Kev: Right?
(1:04:02) Kev: It does.
(1:04:03) Kev: Like it boosts your stats during battle and stuff like that.
(1:04:05) Al: Okay, that’s cool.
(1:04:06) Kev: Umm…
(1:04:08) Kev: And I just wish stuff like that, right?
(1:04:10) Kev: if you could bromance a hunter character.
(1:04:12) Kev: Could they join you in the Ks and help you fight stuff? That’d be cool.
(1:04:16) Kev: Um…
(1:04:18) Kev: Yeah, but alas, we can’t have that, we can’t have Senja, we can’t have Robin.
(1:04:20) Al: so much potential. Yeah, if we’re not careful we’ll start talking about breaking up other romance relationships in the game. The Robin one is particularly annoying because it’s like, I don’t like Demetrius, he’s just annoying. I can’t describe why, he just seems I’m so patronizing.
(1:04:33) Kev: well you know that look we hold off the whole
(1:04:50) Al: And yeah, I just- he sends me random- he just sends me like random gems in the mail and he’s like “Oh, this is an interesting specimen!”
(1:04:52) Kev: Do better Robin, and you have to do better.
(1:05:02) Al: And I’m like “Dude, it looks exactly the same as the 3000 others of that one I got.
(1:05:06) Kev: That’s it. That’s it. Oh.
(1:05:07) Al: Thanks for the amethyst.
(1:05:08) Al: That’s what I really needed.”
(1:05:09) Al: Oh.
(1:05:10) Al: Anyway.
(1:05:11) Al: Good fun.
(1:05:12) Al: Enough about complaining about characters, that’s a different episode.
(1:05:18) Kev: Yeah, we got to save that well that that’s a good one. We’ll save that for another day
(1:05:21) Al: Who are the worst characters, Clint and Demetrius?
(1:05:25) Kev: No my gosh
(1:05:25) Al: Thank you Kevin for joining me to talk about people we like in the games rather than people we don’t like in the games.
(1:05:28) Kev: Thank you all for having me on that was a good one
(1:05:33) Kev: Yeah, all right good stuff. Thank you well
(1:05:36) Al: Listeners, if you have an opinion about one of the characters that we said or if you have an opinion about a character we didn’t talk about, maybe you think that maybe you like Clint for for some reason, maybe your
(1:05:50) Kev: No so can block you
(1:05:50) Al: favourite character is Lisette from Trio Towns, maybe your favourite character is Sam from Stardew, maybe you’re annoyed about the number of women that we talked about,
(1:06:06) Al: we didn’t talk about any men, well that’s feminism, are you?
(1:06:10) Kev: Look, I’m sorry, guys!
(1:06:14) Kev: I…
(1:06:15) Kev: Yeah, look, that look, I’ve already sunk low enough in this podcast, so you know what, fine, judge me, I- it’s- it’s…
(1:06:23) Kev: Well, I have nowhere left to go.
(1:06:23) Al: Let’s be honest, Kevin.
(1:06:25) Al: Let’s be honest, Kevin.
(1:06:26) Al: Even if we got on people on this episode who did not identify as men,
(1:06:31) Al: they would still choose female characters because they’re just better in these games.
(1:06:34) Kev: They’ve
(1:06:37) Kev: It started the worst case of that it’s pretty bad in stardew like
(1:06:43) Al: Yeah.
(1:06:43) Kev: Like I can wreck like, you know all things
(1:06:48) Kev: Aside like I do think Wesley is a great character, right? Like I get it, right?
(1:06:53) Kev: But man stardew those I can’t think of a single guy like
(1:07:00) Al: Yeah, I think, I believe Cody did romance a male character in Coral Island, so maybe we need to get them on.
(1:07:10) Al: But we’ll get back to that!
(1:07:10) Kev: And at the end of the day, Probus is just the best romance book character in anything ever.
(1:07:16) Al: Not romanceable!
(1:07:16) Kev: You can’t…
(1:07:22) Al: This has gone off the rails.
(1:07:24) Al: Listeners, if you want to tell me who your favourite character is, you can find
(1:07:28) Al: The podcast that ths pod on tumblr.
(1:07:30) Al: And on Twitter, Kevin, where can people find you if they want to talk about Wesley?
(1:07:37) Kev: Well, if you want to talk about Wesley, find Ray Chase, too.
(1:07:40) Kev: Um, but, uh, if you want to, actually, you can go to my Twitter @cooppress to find me talking to Ray often times, actually.
(1:07:49) Kev: Um, find me @sprightersquared if you want to see my art count.
(1:07:53) Kev: I promise I do art, I haven’t been posting a lot of it, but I do do art.
(1:07:57) Kev: Um, or you can find me @rainbowroadradio, where you want to hear a different kind of love,
(1:08:03) Kev: my love for Waluigi and such.
(1:08:07) Kev: In her game, um, not necessarily in a romance way, but I did, like, for instance, speech show types.
(1:08:14) Kev: Um, that’s the Mario podcast I do with our mutual friend, Alex.
(1:08:17) Kev: Um, we’ve been playing a lot of the classic Mario games.
(1:08:20) Kev: Um, we’ll be doing Super Mario Bros. 2, the one that came out of the US, not Lost Levels soon.
(1:08:27) Kev: Um, uh, but yeah, what about you, Al?
(1:08:32) Al: Yeah, they can find me on mastodon.scot and on Twitter @thescotbot.
(1:08:38) Al: You can find links to everything to do with the podcast on our website harvestseason.club.
(1:08:46) Al: You can find links to things including a feedback form where you can tell us things there, so if you don’t want to tweet or Tumblr or Mastodon at us, I refuse to say toot, you can do it on our feedback form, no account needed.
(1:09:02) Al: You can also find a link to our Patreon, where you can support the podcast financially and get access to a backlog of bonus podcasts. We will have some more coming up soon. We’re just planning some just now. Me and Kevin have two planned, but I haven’t done one of them,
(1:09:21) Al: and he hasn’t done the other one. So, we’re both to blame for that, and we’ll get both of them done Sometimes in. (laughs)
(1:09:22) Kev: Yeah, we will, yep, and I, like I hinted at earlier, there’s a fellow.
(1:09:40) Kev: probably do two actually we’ll do one for the DLC um but uh yeah we promise content will come
(1:09:48) Al: I just added on the list. You can’t forget about it. Oh, I look forward to hearing it.
(1:09:51) Kev: I won’t i’m playing it now i’m thinking about it more than anything else right now
(1:09:56) Kev: you should see our dms why there’s romance opinions in there once again the best candidate is a romance of all she’s a french cafe owner it’s great
(1:10:04) Al: Always, always. Peach! You can also get access to our Slack where we talk about things. I mean, recently it’s just been me talking about Stardew and Kevin talking about Fishbowl. Oh, that’s not true. There’s a picture of Cody with a stick insect
(1:10:10) Kev: oh
(1:10:24) Kev: go hear me I talk oh man we should oh rank all the fish post um yeah yeah yeah I i when you when non-me episodes i’m i’ll be on there talking about them um so go go read my insight
(1:10:46) Al: Um, I think this might have been the longest outro to a podcast we’ve done.
(1:10:49) Al: So I think we’ll cut it there.
(1:10:51) Kev: Okay. All right. Thank you, Al.
(1:10:51) Al: That’s everything.
(1:10:52) Al: Thank you, Kevin, again, for joining me.
(1:10:55) Al: Thank you listeners for listening and until next time, have a good harvest.
(1:10:59) Kev: Have a good harvest. Have a good romance asking people out. I don’t get those.
(1:11:00) Theme Tune: The Harvest Season is created by Al McHenry, with support from our patrons, including our pro farmers, Kevin, Stuart and Alisa.
(1:11:00) Al: Yeah.
(1:11:01) Al: Yeah.
(1:11:01) Al: Yeah.
(1:11:15) Theme Tune: Our art is done by Micah the Brave, and our music is done by Nick Burgess.
(1:11:20) Theme Tune: Feel free to visit our website, harvestseason.club, for show notes and links to things we discussed in this episode.
(1:11:36) Kev: Alright, alright, alright, here’s your post credits. Let me back up a second. Did you just say that mastodons things are called toots?
(1:11:43) Al: called toots yeah. I know. The reason why they’re called toots is because the Macedon logo is an elephant. I know, I know. I don’t know. This is the thing, like I don’t know and like obviously
(1:11:43) Kev: That’s the worst. The absolute worst. Oh my goodness.
(1:11:50) Kev: I get it, I get it, and it’s still the worst. I hate it.
(1:11:59) Al: I’m just going to say this, there are a lot more problems with true social than this but
(1:12:06) Al: one of the things that annoys me the most about that place, I have never been on it but I have to to keep hearing about it because of course you do.
(1:12:13) Al: For some reason, the worst thing about that site is, well, OK, one of the worst things about that site, there’s lots of worst things, one of the worst things about that site is the fact that their posts are called “truths” and it gets worse, did you know whether ads are called?
(1:12:24) Kev: oh
(1:12:28) Kev: what
(1:12:30) Al: Their ads are called “sponsored truths”.
(1:12:32) Kev: oh my god
(1:12:37) Al: So there are many bad things about it but like that takes the cake, it’s just dreadful.
(1:12:40) Kev: oh oh, that’s something
(1:12:43) Al: Like, I don’t know why they can’t just call them posts, right?
(1:12:47) Al: The prob– I think, I think Twitter is the problem, they’re the reason why they started,
(1:12:52) Kev: Yes
(1:12:52) Al: because I feel like they are the first that started calling them tweets,
(1:12:55) Al: and everyone’s like, “Oh, we have to have a funny day!”
(1:12:57) Al: No, you don’t. You don’t have to have a– call them posts.
(1:13:02) Al: It was fine before Twitter, it’ll be fine after Twitter, let that die. It’s a post.
(1:13:09) Kev: Go to my Twitter to see my posts, which are now called lies.
(1:13:17) Al: Yeah, we need to have a new social network called Lie Social.
(1:13:21) Kev: Oh well, there’s one, it’s called Truth!
(1:13:23) Al: It just…
(1:13:27) Al: My joke was going to be it just reposts everything that Trump says.
(1:13:31) Kev: Oh that’s good, that’s good, oh man.

The Harvest Season

Both Our Fault

Timings

Links

Contact

Transcript