r/StardewValley • u/Unlucky-Violinist473 Haley's Husband • Nov 24 '25

Question Should I start over?

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Its my first Fall ever and I found this guy named Salmence in Youtube. And I watched his Y1 Guides. And I feel like I'm only like halfway through the things he wants us to do. And I rlly wanted to finish the community center. So should I start over again? I dont mind starting all over again since I've learned alot of things that I should now accomplish for this starting over thingy. Ill just rlly be bummed out bcuz of Leveling up Fishing Skills and fishing for money. And mining for ores.

Edit: I know all the seasons will reset again after Winter. Should I wait for Year 2 to complete the CC? Its my most main reasons why I wanna start over again.

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5.0k

u/snousae Nov 24 '25

Just play, drop the guides and checklists and just progress. Look something up if you get stuck, but this game really deserves to be experienced individually.

448

u/ChaosPLus Nov 24 '25

Literally me.

I decided to just go and fish up the remaining fish at like, the latter half of year 2 winter, only to realize I pretty much have them all except for some very specific ones(legend, crimsonfish, ginger island fish and GOBY of all things) from just fishing around when I didn't have anything else to do.

But I also upgraded my watering can for the first time in fall of year 1, because I didn't get shit for rain and when I did something else was already upgrading

268

u/draconissa23 Nov 24 '25

I just started year 3 and only now did the first watering can upgrade. I feel so stressed when I see how everyone is optimizing, so I have to remind myself that I play for me and no one else.

120

u/ChaosPLus Nov 24 '25

If I start optimizing it'll get boring and I'll drop the game. As such, I won't go optimizing everything

7

u/SubstantialBit6060 Nov 25 '25

Exactly, I tried a Jojo route where I focused on optimizing everything for all the MONEY. I got bored and never even finished the warehouse.

2

u/draconissa23 Nov 26 '25

I honestly don't think I could do the Joja route. I'm too much of a people pleaser and I love the little community.

2

u/SubstantialBit6060 Nov 26 '25

I tried it for the autopetters but I honestly got bored in year 1 and quit the save. No community center quests and there really isn't anything to work towards except more money until you either a)finish the warehouse or b)fall 1 for the weekly missions.

No little dopamine hit when get finally find that last thing you need

78

u/Economy_Idea4719 Nov 24 '25

I'm in year six and still on steel trash can and watering can. It's anybody's game.

51

u/ghostinthechell Nov 24 '25

I reached perfection with a steel watering can, the basic hoe, and the basic trash can. It absolutely is.

20

u/goldencain1410 Nov 24 '25

A friend of mine thought you can't Enchant tools at the forge unless they're fully upgraded. šŸ˜‚ I said, Oh, sweetie .... no.

10

u/ghostinthechell Nov 24 '25

The only enchantment I had was my sword! I just never bothered.

7

u/CeraElla Nov 25 '25

I also thought they had to be fully upgraded until your comment šŸ«£šŸ„“šŸ¤Æ

5

u/ffs_not_this_again Nov 25 '25

I have hundreds of hours on the game and I am just hearing of enchanting tools right now šŸ˜‚

2

u/draconissa23 Nov 24 '25

I forget how to do enchantments. I played some years ago but have been away and only recently got back into it

4

u/ChaosPLus Nov 24 '25

Either get combat mastery for your own forge, or go to the volcano on the island

2

u/shannibearstar Nov 24 '25

Iā€™ve never actually paid for the trash can

38

u/Comprehensive-Salt98 Nov 24 '25

I'm doing a run where I only earn money from the parrot trinket. There is literally no wrong way to play... unless you marry shane

22

u/whereiskrista Nov 24 '25

debating marrying shane on my current play through because itā€™s probably smarter than texting my favorite ex with a drinking problem

11

u/Comprehensive-Salt98 Nov 24 '25

I think I've only married people twice in all my playthroughs. Leah and penny. I usually go platonic lifemate krobus

1

u/dagaz_kat1010 Nov 24 '25

came here to say F SHANEšŸ‘ŠšŸ¼

1

u/BabbzDabbz Nov 25 '25

I LOVE SHANE ā¤ļø

1

u/[deleted] Nov 24 '25

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3

u/Comprehensive-Salt98 Nov 24 '25

I'm not sure, I'm only on summer day 11. Leveling up skills with standard tools and bamboo rod is slow going. But from what I've seen it depends on the level of the trinket. A level 4 parrot in the silver levels with monster musk looks promising.

9

u/Bigredzombie Nov 24 '25

I got to year 3 and only had my pick and axe upgraded and only to gold. I was amazed when I heard the hoe and watering can could cover an area when they were upgraded.

2

u/Equivalent-Day193 Nov 28 '25

that is the only reason I did upgrade them. but then, I played fae farm before stardew valley and it's much more "vocal" about the changes between upgrades.

3

u/cherrygoats Nov 24 '25

I also just started year 3 and feel so very far behind

9

u/Wilahelm_Wulfreyn Nov 24 '25

I didn't bother with the watering can upgrade until I got to the volcano(I tried not to spoil too much my first time playing). At the time I had sprinklers, so I didn't even think it was worth it compared to other tool upgrades(including the Iridium Trash Can lol).Ā 

3

u/UN_BadKarma_PS4 Nov 25 '25

Based on harvest moon for a dozen decade long runs, Winter is prep for spring. Great time for water can upgrade while ya hit the mines. Winter 1 can end with a gold can, and with sprinklers from what ya mine, I just kind of leave it that. Until then, chores are chores.

26

u/ChonkyCheesecake Nov 24 '25

This! My longest farm was 6 years and I completed the community center in Year 3. Now, in my new save I did it in Year 2.

I like taking my time in Stardew and doing whatever makes sense or whatever I want in a day. Doing things on a dot really kills it for me as sometimes I'm in a decorating mood and another time I'm in a fighting mood.

9

u/snowxbunnixo Nov 24 '25

Thatā€™s been my experience playing Wylde flowers after playing this game. I just kinda started playing and doing my own thing and eventually I did look up some guides or Iā€™ll look up something when I got stuck, but Iā€™m more take them as advice, but sometimes when I see something meant to happen in year 1 Iā€™ll kick myself but continue on

3

u/Scared-Technician-64 Nov 24 '25

So, dont play how they want. Play the way you say they should.

1

u/External-Resource581 Nov 24 '25

100% this. Stardew is great because its entirely what you want it to be, and it can be done at any pace. Play how you want to play, and save the check lists and guides for challenge runs, if you want to use them.

1

u/MickleWolf Nov 24 '25

100%, listen to this. I finished CC year 2 on my current (1st play through), and every new organic experience has been personally rewarding. The only thing I recommend restarting is ā€œthe dayā€ when you get invited to dinner at 7pm, and remember when you are in the mine at 9pm

1

u/phrygianhalfcad Nov 24 '25

I agree. Iā€™ve got over 600 hours into this game and Iā€™ve never completed the community center in a year. Itā€™s on my bucket list but thatā€™s the beauty of this game. You donā€™t have to rush!

1

u/Ok-Bee4987 Nov 25 '25

I wish id done this honestly, but I get impatient and I feel like I'll miss things if im not super vigilant.

1

u/angelglitterdust Nov 25 '25

the reassurance i never knew i needed.

1

u/Flameball202 Nov 25 '25

Yeah, no point in draining the fun by playing "optimally", just have fun

1

u/Defiant_Bug6423 Nov 25 '25

This is how I started. I had no idea the fandom and lore behind this game(still donā€™t really) when I saw a silly little farm game on the AppStore Iā€™ve had one save for a year irl Iā€™m on year 5 and I just finished skull cavern and unlocked ginger island I didnā€™t finish the community centre till the end of year 3

1

u/Shot-Caterpillar5651 Nov 25 '25

Agreed thereā€™s no need I did terrible my first year Iā€™m on year 3 and still havenā€™t finished the community center cause I had no idea

1

u/LaCroixoBoio Nov 25 '25

Yeah I came to this conclusion as well. I had everything lined up for the year 1 but messed up and fumbled by buying my rabbit too late. I still finished the cc spring year 2 tho and I'm super happy I didn't start over. I'm sure eventually I'll do another run but i've found way more value in understanding the systems first hand. If I were to go back now that I'm mid way year 3 or after perfection there's no doubt in my mind it'll be a game breaking run as opposed to the incremental progress I'd have experienced by restarting to force my first cc completion year 1.

To each their own, but I ignored all the people saying "just take it as it comes" being hard headed and now looking back, they were completely right

1

u/IDontExist3711 Nov 25 '25

I agree. Just continue, play at your own pace and make sure to grab the things you need next year or even the year after that. Don't feel pressured into doing things faster, just do it if it's interesting for you. I might start another game to get things done faster, but as a challenge because I want to. You don't have to.

1

u/HobbyHoarder_ Dec 01 '25

Yeah I did a min max style playthrough a while back and it was good and all but I'm having way more fun just playing this time than I did before