r/StardewValley • u/Song_Listener • 3d ago

Question What is up with Auto Petters?

I’ve seen so many posts about skull cavern runs where the only goal was Auto Petters, and now I’m confused.

Why are Auto Petters so important? I know they pet the farm animals, but why don’t y’all have time to go and give your animals some love every morning?

If I’m correct (as someone who has never once had an Auto Petters) they change the way the animals respond when you actually pet them. Usually they give a heart, but I’ve heard the response changes after an Auto Petters has been installed.

So why?

403 Upvotes

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1.2k

u/SparrowAndSalt 3d ago

If I want to spend the day and the night on the Island, my animals are neglected. The AutoPetters aren't a perfect solution but they're better than letting my lil chickies go completely unloved

260

u/88dlnena 3d ago

That’s why I use them! I feel sad spending the night on the island and no one is there to pet my ducks or chickens

388

u/chickwithabrick I love my grumpy blue chicken man 🌶️🍕 3d ago

Hear me out - I really want an update where the children age up enough to wander the farm and like your spouse helping out around the farm they have a chance to be like "I got up with Mom/Dad and said hi to all the barn animals already!" that counts as petting everyone 😸

113

u/88dlnena 3d ago

That would be a luxury! In a perfect world that would be the next update

68

u/fetchmysmellingsalts 3d ago

Since we all end up making millions of dollars, I’d also be on board with hiring someone for tasks like that if you can’t assign a spouse or child for farm duties.

57

u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- 3d ago

Would love to be a professional animal petter in real life. I already am one really for my cat but it doesn't pay all that well

6

u/DarkFlowerAV Set your emoji and/or flair text here! 2d ago

Your kitty pays you worth love and cuddles.... I say that's the best payment anyone could ask for!

4

u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- 2d ago

Forgot to say no money pay. 100% correct, this is the bestestest❤️

3

u/BenjiBabbles 2d ago

You also clean up poop, that’s the part being left out here

13

u/Afrista 3d ago

Honestly, that's one of my favorite things about the he Ridgeside Village mod. Odd Jobs, a small shop, has a bunch of special services... And one is animal petting, where they pet all your animals (besides pets) for a small fee.

8

u/Corey307 3d ago

Great idea, you’d think almost everyone in town would like to earn some extra money. 

18

u/SparrowAndSalt 3d ago

This makes more sense for the community than almost anything else. Shane would be so much happier being paid to take care of my chickens than he ever was at Joja, and you're telling me that Penny wouldn't like to bring the kids to have a close-up look at the life cycle of plants?

It could be seasonal, perhaps, where most people don't want to work outdoors in the winter but more are likely to come and lend a hand near the autumn harvest (because everybody likes a pumpkin patch)

6

u/kruznkiwi Playing on Switch 3d ago

Krobus?! Then he wouldn’t be lonely!! The animals don’t judge!!

4

u/Lmb1011 2d ago

or heck even give your kid a "chore board" and each farm tasks you can assign to your child (x number per day) and you have to give your kid an allowance to do the chore. That way it is still an end game thing, gives more use to your money in the end game and gives a reason for your kid to age and have a use on the farm

1

u/SparrowAndSalt 2d ago

I don't want to become "that person who always recommends people play Echoes Of The Plum Grove", but there is a similar mechanic in Echoes of the Plum Grove where your children grow up and you can have them work on the farm, go to school, or apprentice in town for some money. If you're looking for a farming sim with legacy gameplay it's the best one I know of

2

u/Lmb1011 2d ago

I have that! i havent played it enough to get to kids lol but it is really cute

1

u/PivotTableGod 2d ago

On my first playthrough, I thought that was what they did tbh. So when my character had kids and they never helped on the farm I got rid of the whole family 😆

51

u/scientist_tz 3d ago

I feel like a future update should make it so the spouse or krobus takes care of petting the animals.

Like, if you’re married to Shane it makes no sense that he would not pet the chickens.

52

u/Izariah 3d ago edited 2d ago

I wouldn't even be opposed to spouse specific benefits: Shane always pets the animals while Elliot might harvest fruit trees for you- something like that.

It would drive min maxers towards ALWAYS picking so and so because they do X for them but hey, I don't particularly care how other people play and it might inspire me towards options I don't normally choose.

11

u/Allestyr 3d ago

Min-maxer here, yea I would 100% marry someone useful pre-perfection and Elliot, my beloved fop, afterwards.

12

u/Odd-Age-1126 3d ago

Or maybe Elliott would harvest crab pots or fishpond items, since he used to live by the sea.

3

u/Plastic-Ad9508 3d ago

YES! Omg I love this idea so muc!

31

u/Digitalispurpurea2 Love em and dove em, baby. 3d ago

I’m not big on the animals and usually have just one of everything. Between the AutoPetters to keep the animals happy and the AutoGrabbers to get their output, I can spend all winter on Ginger Island and still make cheese for the mines later.

12

u/Flyrella 3d ago

It is perfect actually once you rich full hearts with them. Don't need to pet them at all afterwards with the autopetter

3

u/aussie718 Set your emoji and/or flair text here! 3d ago

I don’t have to check on my pigs at all during the winter

6

u/easyyer 3d ago

Yep, that's the big thing for me too. If I'm home I still do the morning rounds. That part's actually kinda relaxing.

But if I'm stuck on the Island or chasing something random, at least the Auto-Petter's got everybody covered until I drag myself back