okay I can step away from the hyperfixation vortex for now
skerple
[grimshire] 
okay I can step away from the hyperfixation vortex for now
okay I can step away from the hyperfixation vortex for now
skerple
FEELING VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THIS GAME, IF YOU COULDN'T TELL
skerple
having an actual story, with urgency and pressure, takes the farmsim gameplay from something I can just happily zone out on for hours, to fucking video game cocaine for me
skerple
LASER FOCUSED on keeping this village fed through crisis
skerple
this is both good and bad honestly. like it's unquestionably fucking captivating but also I kind of did nothing but Grimshire for the past few days.
skerple
anyway it's also just like, a real good farmsim
skerple
the fishing minigame is actually fun and will not torture you
skerple
I like how the food preservation mechanics work
skerple
I also really enjoy how the seasons progress - you get visible changes throughout the season instead of having everything abruptly change overnight, which I think is a really nice touch
skerple
and crop seasons are offset from the calendar seasons
skerple
generally by about one week - for example, I can start planting carrots already in the last week of winter, and they'll grow through most of spring
skerple
and also, crops don't instantly die as soon as the next season starts!
skerple
there's a good chance of each crop surviving into the next season, as long as it's in the ground and growing
skerple
the out-of-season crops will gradually die off, but it's worth leaving anything in the ground that isn't dead yet because there's still a chance you can harvest
skerple
I was still getting pumpkins from a handful of very tenacious vines through the first half of winter
skerple
it's a nice bit of realism, and it really contributes to the mood
skerple
where you're trying to eke out every last little bit you can from your farm to make sure the village doesn't starve
skerple
having to feed carnivores also makes ranching very much worth the time
skerple
slaughtering livestock always feels a little bad, but there's hungry mouths that need that meat, and the hides are good to sell
skerple
also those critters will NOT stop having babies even when your barn or coop is full, so it's also an actual population management tool
Hamlet 3.3.87
this sounds like it will either be my jam or be immediately and unrecoverably overwhelming, and I have no idea which
skerple
I'm leaning towards it being your jam, but it MAY be a good idea to start on easy mode
Hamlet 3.3.87
that seems. Plausible.
skerple
playing on easy I did not lose anybody, though there were many weeks where I just BARELY managed to pay the defender's ration by a razor-thin margin
skerple
and I also had a very close call in autumn where I did not finish the town quest by the deadline
skerple
which, if you do not do that, the questgiver may die
skerple
I was able to scrounge up the last few resources I needed with just one extra day, but boy that was frightening
skerple
Hamlet 3.3.87
update: in the process of starting a new run on normal difficulty, I discovered that there is both an easy mode and an "easy peasy" mode that specifically tells you you'll have time to relax
Hamlet 3.3.87
when cat health and Hades2 relinquish the two handed grasp they have on my brain, I will play this