Week 2 The Ant Farm - a play through designed to explain things to new players.

1. The Ant Farm
A Stardew Valley Story
Chapter 2
A Stardew Valley play-through, intended to be mostly relaxing,
while still winning Grandpa's challenge after two years.

2. Monday started as usual. Wake up. Stretch. Catch the morning
shows on TV. Then, I headed outside.

3. As I watered my plants, reveling in the knowledge that they were now
safe from crows, I just couldn't get my mind off of Maru. I determined
that this week, I was really going to make an effort with her.

4. I decided that I would visit the mines again, and brought the appropriate
tools, as well as six field snacks to boost my health and energy. And I
also brought with me that one stubborn parsnip that had grown one day
later than the others. The way it stood out from its companion parsnips
just reminded me of Maru. It was special. She was special. The two
must be joined!
Yes, I was going to give her a gift, but would she accept?

5. Although Robin and Demitrius were happy to greet me, Maru was holed
up in her room, working on one of her inventions. I could hear her
tinkering, and the sound tantalized me. I knew about many female
scientists and inventors, but had not actually met one. In fact, I had
only met two scientists before, at all. The R&D department at Joja
Corp had been just as soul-crushing as the other departments, and I
had not stayed long to chat.

6. I wandered around outside, for a while, enjoying the fresh air and cool
mountain breeze, before going back to try my luck again. It felt better
than just standing outside her door, like some creepy stalker.

7. My patience paid off, though. She was in the lab when I returned, and
she really liked my gift!
I was very glad I was growing parsnips, since she liked them so well. I
was even more glad when she told me that she loved cauliflower and
strawberries! Surely, pleasing her was worth the sacrifice of some
expensive crops, and I decided to set aside a portion of my harvest for
her to enjoy.

8. She really was a woman after my own heart, in many ways. We both
enjoyed walks in the fresh air, and I hoped that someday soon, I could
convince her to go walking out with me.
Her father, however, gave me a significant look, as if he did not trust
me. Well, why should he? He'd only met me a week ago. I made my
goodbyes, and headed off to the mine. Time would be my ally in this
relationship, and I could be patient.

9. This time, I headed straight for the elevator, rather than climbing down
the ladder into the mine shaft. I knew I could go back to that fifth floor.
The question was, how deep could I go today? And how much copper
ore and coal could I bring back?
I was eager to begin smelting some metal bars.

10. Although I was using plenty of energy on mining rocks and ore nodes, I
was also losing plenty of health to the slimes in the mines. It took so
long to kill them, too. Every moment they stayed alive was another
moment they had to hit me. Or slime me. Yuck.
But I was determined. I persevered, trying to get down another five
levels.

11. As I got deeper, the mine got darker. With no portable source of light, I
was stuck scrambling in the dark, several times.
And there just weren't very many copper nodes to make it worthwhile.
And the slimes could sneak up behind me, and attack me unawares.
It was almost a relief to have a full backpack, since it served as an
excuse to leave, once I reached level 10.

12. I got to level 9, but I was so exhausted, and was already leaving stuff
behind. I decided to just forget about level 10 for tonight. Yes, I'd have
to start at level 5 the next time I came, but... It was too late, and I was
too tired, and I just wanted to go home.
And my inventory was full with things I did not want to have to leave
behind, if I found anything new down below.

13. A/N: Yes, normally I would have pushed on, but I saw the time, and
how much energy my one source of food had, and I realized I would not
have time to spend it all, and make it worthwhile, before it was time to
go, like it or not. As a player, I hate wasting energy and food like that.
The time wasn't really wasted, because I gained stuff and experience,
and I'm not in a hurry to “win” this time around. I'd much rather play my
little man getting to bed on time, and waking with full energy.

14. I did sell two of the quartz I had found, though. One quartz had already
been donated to the museum, and another I was saving, in case the
Junimos wanted one. It struck me as the kind of thing they'd like. But
two extras I really did not need, and I did need money for a bigger
backpack.

15. Despite quitting before my goal, I did learn a thing or two. I got a bit
better at swinging my pickaxe, and I learned how to get down quickly,
by building my own staircase. It's expensive: 99 stone! But if you
need to get down in a hurry, placing your own stairs is quite effective. I
could have used that at level 9! Strangely, walking away just before
completing a goal felt like a kind of release. Was I finally starting to
leave the rat-race behind? It was hard changing my attitude after so
long, even though I knew I needed it.

16. The next morning, I saw that I would have bad luck, and decided to
avoid the mine. Perhaps chopping trees would be safer. There was
still a lot of clearing to be done on my farm. Or I could chop trees in the
forest, knowing that they would grow back within a season.
Hmmm, clear-cutting my land, or renewable forestry? It was the age-
old question.

17. I went for renewable forestry. Also, just as I had used my scythe to
clear paths on the farm, I cut down a lot of weeds here in the forest. It
was nice when I found seeds, as well. I couldn't tell what they were for,
but they were something that would grow this season, and they were
free. And of course the fiber would be useful for crafting more
scarecrows, and other things.

18. I went through my energy really fast, and was glad I had a good supply
of onions with me, this time. Also, I collected as many seeds as I could,
to make more field snacks.
Upgrading my axe would be a good thing, I knew, as it would allow me
to chop trees faster, thus using less energy per tree. But for now, I just
chopped, snacked, and chopped some more. I was glad I'd chosen the
renewable option. Surely, this would bring me closer to nature.

19. A/N: The trees in the forest and the mountain grow really fast. In fact, I feel
like they grow faster than trees you plant on your own farm. Maybe it's my
imagination, but I prefer to chop forest trees early, to try to get several
“harvests” per year. The sooner you chop them, the sooner they can grow
back. But they don't grow in the winter, so I have to take that into
consideration. In that sense, stone is actually more renewable, and not time
sensitive. But foraging has some good early boosts, including getting double
wild berries at level 4, and chopping trees is a good way to build it fast.

20. In the evening, feeling exhausted, I went to visit “the Carpenters,” as I
have begun calling Robin's family. Maru was in the kitchen, and we
had a nice chat. I couldn't stay for long, as they were about to sit down
to dinner. I wished they'd invite me, but I didn't beg for an invitation.
Anyway, I did have food of my own. I could have eaten some more
food to keep chopping longer, but I had already chopped a lot, and
eaten a lot, and I wanted to save some for tomorrow, as well.

21. Sebastian chose not to eat with the family. He was out by the lake,
smoking. He's a bit of a downer, but for all his talk of doom and gloom,
he still had a certain magnetism to him. I liked him.
After that, I walked down to the Stardrop Saloon to see if my fishing
buddy, Willy, was there. I got a surprise when I walked into town.

22. Linus was scavenging in George's trash can. George thought it was
raccoons, and asked me to scare them off. I didn't have the heart to tell
him it was actually a hungry mountain man.
Linus explained his situation, and I agreed it was a shame to let good
food go to waste. Shucks, I rummage in trash cans, too! And then,
Gus, the barkeep, generously offered Linus some fresh fritters! What a
nice man. He's another one I hope to befriend.

23. Inside the saloon, I found the regular Tuesday night crowd. It seems
like a good place to meet and make friends.
Another good reason to save my food for tomorrow: So I have an
excuse to stop working tonight. It was time to just kick back and relax
for a while.
I could feel that I was finally starting to let go of the stress of the city.

24. I met Emily behind the bar. She's very pretty and creative. She thinks
about cloth and colors the way Maru thinks about science and
technology: “How can I build on the old to create something new?”
I liked her very much, and I thought that if things didn't work out with
Maru, I could be happy with Emily. Perhaps it was foolhardy to choose
someone so soon. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and I
chose ZING! over a comfortable smolder.

25. I did stay out just a teensy bit too late Tuesday night, and as a result, I
woke up not quite fully refreshed. I was still fine, but realized that
midnight bedtime really was my limit, if I wanted to feel my best. Why, I
could chop three whole logs off the ground, or break three rocks on my
farm with that energy wasted.
Perhaps I wasn't quite as ready to let go of the “work, work, work” mode
as I thought.

26. I walked out my front door to find Marnie, the local animal breeder, on
my porch. She had found a cat, and was looking for someone to take
the animal in.
Every farm needs a cat, to chase and catch vermin, and protect the
food stores, so of course, I took her in.

27. I thought Maru would appreciate the name.

28. I went to the Carpenters, and once again, I was too early for Maru. I
called to her through the door, to tell her about Cat-alyst, but I don't
think she heard me.
I decided to go ahead and hit the mines, and hoped for better luck that
evening.

29. I did feel better today in the mine, and was more able to maintain my
focus. The levels went much more quickly, and soon...

30. I found myself on level 10, getting some new footwear and with plenty
of time to go deeper.
I took the elevator up, stashed some of my loot in the chest up there,
ate a bit of food, and started down some more.

31. Level 11 nearly killed me. Sure, I had food to heal, but that rusty sword
was not enough for the tougher monsters I was already facing.
The monster that dug through the ground and came at me from
beneath really took it out of me, and the green slime hit me at the same
time. I couldn't take them both on at once. Even after I had eaten and
topped up my health I lost fully half of it on that one encounter.

32. Then came wave on wave of flying bugs.
I beat a hasty retreat, and was grateful to get out of the mine alive!

33. I reached the exit with only seven health points! And that was after
taking a quick bite of some food, just to survive.
I had some energy left to burn, but I thought I'd just mine on the first
level, with no monsters to fight. I would need stone, anyway, and I
might get lucky and find some more copper ore. But no way was I
going to face another monster that night.

34. After visiting level 1 and 2 again, I left the mine with a nice supply of
stone, and only one energy point left.
It was time to see if I could chat up anyone before bed. But this time, I
would be sure to get to bed before midnight.

35. I didn't get to chat with Maru today, but I did get to meet with Emily. I
told her about my new cat, and she thought the name was great. It
turns out that she is quite the animal lover, and was glad Cat-alyst had
found a good home. Romance aside, I think we'll be good friends.
I had rummaged in the saloon's trash can, and found some fresh bread.
Quickly, I replaced my horseradish with the bread, which satisfies more
hunger and heals more, too.

36. It was a profitable day, despite the danger. I already had a quartz in
storage, and a topaz I was saving to give to Gunther, at the museum,
so I was able to sell a quartz and topaz, and pick up a bit of extra cash.
A few more days, and I'd have another harvest, and finally, a bigger
backpack!

37. Another way the day was profitable was that I learned a bit more about
how to survive against monsters.
Mainly, I learned that discretion really is the better part of valor, and that
I needed a better weapon! But those five extra hit points might be the
difference between life and death.

38. A full night's rest set me right, though. I woke up fully energized, and
fully healed. I threw my bloodstained sheets in the laundry, put the
spare set of sheets on the bed, and headed out to start my day.

39. I looked at the weather report with relief. I needed a day where I could
devote the whole day, and all of my energy, to building up my foraging
skill. I still wasn't ready to face the mine again, but the forest? Yes.

40. In the mail, I got a request from Robin to find her favorite axe. Of
course, I immediately wrote her back, telling her that I was on the case.

41. I looked at my harvest with glee. Surely, today would be the day that I
could buy that backpack!

42. I finished harvesting, then checked my storage chest. I had one
parsnip seed already, and eight mixed seeds, so I would need twenty-
six more parsnip seeds. The Junimos wanted five gold-level parsnips,
so I definitely needed to plant more parsnips. Also, Maru liked
parsnips, and I wanted to woo her, so I saved out a few of them for her,
as well. Then, I considered, and saved out the silver quality ones, and
chose to sell all the regular ones, instead.

43. A/N: When planning your seed purchases, take care with the mixed
seeds. They're free, and they could be pretty much anything that grows
in the season they are planted (yes, they change from season to
season), except a few special plants, like strawberries. Since you don't
know what they are, plan for the slowest-growing plant. In the spring,
that's cauliflower, with a growth time of 12 days, plus the planting day,
so don't plant mixed seeds past the 15th
day of spring.

44. It wasn't going to be enough, if I only sold the regular quality parsnips,
but I had a plan. I would go comb the beach for seashells, and sell
them to Willy, then come back up and buy the backpack and 26 seeds.
Surely, I'd be able to manage it with some good foraging, right?
As it happened, I had to sell some of my stash of fish, as well, but I did
get enough for both backpack and seeds.

45. I stopped in at the clinic next door to the general store, and said hello to
Maru and Harvey. Harvey was the doctor, and Maru assisted him, two
days a week. I wished I could have saved the daffodil to give her, but I
needed the money for seeds. Still, it was nice to have a little chat.
Harvey didn't mind the interruption. Everyone in Pelican Town is pretty
healthy, so business is slow for him.

46. Although I did plan to chop trees all day Friday, I decided to spend the
rest of Thursday fishing. I was close to getting fishing level 5, and
hoped to make it that day. After having already chatted up Maru, I
didn't mind spending my food to enable me to fish until nearly bedtime.
At the end of the evening, I took advantage of my larger backpack, and
brought my fish home with me.

47. That night, I realized I had learned more about farming, and could, in
fact, create some nice things. I learned how to combine copper and
iron into sprinklers, which would do my watering for me. That would
mean that every day would be like a rainy day, in that I would be free to
ignore the watering, and focus on other things.
Of course, getting copper and iron would require more trips to the
mine...

48. I was also super-excited to learn that I had, indeed, reached level 5 of
fishing. I chose to become a professional fisherman, so that I could sell
my fish for more money. And I was so glad I had saved most of my fish
to sell at this higher price! It was worth the wait, and yet the timing
couldn't be better, because I would need the money quite soon.

49. On Friday morning, I checked the weather for Saturday, and was
reminded of the Egg Festival. I had heard of the Egg Festival. Not only
was there an egg hunt, but it was also the only time that Pierre sold his
special strawberry seeds. Only available one day a year, strawberries
were the ultimate spring-time investment. They were hands-down the
most profitable spring crop, and cost $100 each. But they stayed in the
ground, same as green beans, giving multiple harvests per plant.

50. “What a day to go chopping wood, Cat-alyst! It's much safer than
facing the mines, on a day like today.”
Yes, there was no way I'd go into the mines with that kind of bad luck,
so I was glad I had already decided to spend the day chopping trees.

51. I didn't completely avoid mining, though. I paid a little visit to my quarry,
and stashed my ores at the chest there. Also, I built my first furnace,
and got started on smelting copper bars. I would need 12 copper and
12 iron bars to make enough sprinklers for my garden, and that was
without factoring in any sort of expansion.

52. Silly me. I should have started smelting before I started mining. The
nice thing, though, was that I could easily pick up this furnace, and
move it to anywhere I wanted. For example, I could set it up to feed the
furnace while I was doing something repetitive in the same area, like
watering my crops.
But not today. Today was for foraging.

53. While I was in the south-east corner of the forest, near the spring
onions, I found Robin's axe. I knew she'd pay me and thank me when I
returned it, but I was willing to wait a bit. I had too much to do that day.

54. In addition to chopping every tree I could find, I also had to collect my
stashes of fish, and sell them (at a 25% bonus!), so I would have
money to buy the strawberry seeds on Saturday.

55. I made 5711 coins that day! That felt really, really good.
I determined to buy 56 strawberry seeds. I would plant some this
spring, and plant some more at the beginning of next year. I was
planning for the future, although it cost a pretty penny in the present.
I could have used that money to upgrade my tools, but I wanted to be
able to grow some valuable crops, instead, and only had one chance.

56. I went to bed with zero energy, and not enough time to make it worth
eating any more food. And with only 8 onions left, I was glad to have
that reserve, anyway.
But I had chosen the placement of my pivot points for adding 16 plots
to the garden, and I had crafted and placed another scarecrow to
protect those plots. I would expand my farm Saturday evening.

57. That night, I figured out how to tap oaks, maples and pines for their
valuable juices. The sticky maple syrup, oak resin, and pine tar would
each have their uses in crafting, I was sure, although I did not know
anything in particular, yet, about what to make with which item.

58. I woke up the next morning to find a care package from my Mom. She
sent words of encouragement and cookies. It made me realize how
much I missed her, but I was determined to make this farm a success,
on my own. Perhaps when I had it built up, I would invite her to come
and live with me. But I doubted she'd even come. She had found
happiness in Zuzu City. We'd have to be satisfied with letters, phone
calls, emails, and visits.

59. After digging, fertilizing and watering sixteen new garden plots, as well
as watering the rest of the garden, I was tired, and glad to go to the
festival. It looked great, with food, and decorations, and everyone in a
party mood.

60. The general store was closed for the festival, as were all the
businesses in Pelican Town. But Pierre had a stand where he was
selling plush bunnies and strawberry seeds. I bought 56 seeds, sixteen
to plant this year, and forty the next. Once again, I was strapped for
cash, but I knew the money would come. I'd have another harvest, I'd
fish, and even face the mine again, and sell the gems and minerals I
found there.

61. I enjoyed chatting with everyone in town, eating the delicious food Gus
served up, drinking the punch that Pam had prepared, but the most fun
for me was the egg hunt.
I won! I managed to find 12 eggs in the allotted time, and as a prize, I
took home a new straw hat. Hehe, the second highest score was only
eight! Maru only found a few. Her talents lay elsewhere. Abigail was
the one with the keen eye for unusual things in ordinary places.

62. At the end of the day, I went home, almost ready to fall into bed, but I
still had 16 strawberry seeds to plant. What a fun day!

63. Sunday morning I watered my crops, then restoked my energy with
food before heading out to run errands and forage.
I had some minerals to deliver to Gunther at the museum, an axe to
give to Robin, a parsnip to give to Maru, and some things to give to the
Junimos at the Community Center. After that, it would be chopping
trees and picking up forage items, until I just had to stop.

64. Robin was thrilled to get her axe back, and paid me 250 gold for it.
That was quite welcome, as my cash reserves were very low.

65. Maru was also quite happy with her gift. What a great smile!

66. I tried foraging on the beach. There was nothing there, but I hoped to
find something on the other side of the broken bridge, once I used 300
wood and some ingenuity to fix it.
I found a single sea urchin. It was disappointing, in the moment, but I
knew that there would be lots of shells there in the future. The beach
tended to accumulate more forage than other areas, especially by
Friday or Saturday. It seemed to reset on Sundays, though.

67. At the end of the day, I was at zero energy, with only half an hour to go
before midnight.
Even my cat was exhausted. She looked as if someone had stepped on
her and squashed her flat. Poor kitty.
It had been quite a week.