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  1. - Top - End - #481
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Deme's Avatar

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    To be fair, that it shook out the way it did had a lot to do with the fact that I was given a vote to move around. This worried me a bit, except for the fact that the person who voted to let me have my way also would have voted for Elli, XD.

    Anyway, I'm glad you've been enjoying this, Morph Bark.
    This next chapter may take a while for me to put together, as an aside. Not just because I now need to make our decisions make narrative sense, but...
    Because I now have not had an uninterrupted night's sleep in about 4 or 5 days.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

  2. - Top - End - #482
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    Deme's Avatar

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    OK, so...Update status:

    I'm very unhappy with the update so far. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm just sort of phoning it in these past few days of trying.
    I may just say "Taking a week-and-half-ish off, come back in the middle of next week when maybe I'll get something that *works*."

    I'd make it next weekend, but my brother's getting married this Friday, so odds of having time to play aren't good.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

  3. - Top - End - #483
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Take your time. Both as a gamer and a writer I know you shouldn't rush things like that, especially with something as big as a brother's wedding coming up so quickly!
    Homebrewer's Signature | Avatar by Strawberries

  4. - Top - End - #484
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Yeah, you can't rush brilliance.

    Take your time. Get it to where you are happy with it. The delayed gratification we all will experience will make it all the sweeter.


  5. - Top - End - #485
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    I felt like I should get out even just a little chapter, to make up for the delays.

    Chapter 33: Choice
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    Winter-2-xxx1

    I immediately hurl myself out of bed; I never took care of anything! Agh!
    I head to the barn as fast as my Agro's legs could carry me.

    But...Everyone's fine.
    All this everyone. How many darn cows did they saddle me with?

    ...Looks to be about 3. I've got a little note about them...Their names are



    I'm sensing a theme, Ms. Mana.
    Sensing a theme. I will be checking your son's name for Ms, too.

    But if they're OK, I guess no harm's been done by my little excursion.
    I brush and feed them and move on to my chickens...


    Who are all pretty sour and sullen.

    "Sorry, girls..." I pet them and feed them, and hope for the best.

    Before I head out to see what winter has to offer, I check the mail.




    Awww, thanks, Popuri. I guess she's looking forward to her dad coming home in Spring, too.

    And...A photo.In a letter.

    From that jerk. Well, let's see.

    Was he...hiding in the bushes opposite of our bushes? That. I.
    I feel almost immune. Like the heat of my fury has cooled, like a sore thumb has calloused over.

    Now, let's head up to the mountain. See what winter has to offer.

    This...Looks like a large quantity of nothing.
    Well, except Elli, standing on the edge of a burnt-out campfire, chewing a bit of grilled fish with a faraway look on her face.
    "How's it taste?"
    "Oh, Fox. My fish is pretty good... But I still haven't re-created my father's technique."
    "It was really something, then?"
    "My dad’s grilled fish tasted so good… But since I never went with him, I never got to learn what his secret was. I'm trying to reconstruct it."
    “I’m sure you’ll do it one day.” Elli, giving up? Impossible.
    ”Maybe. But…It may also be possible that my father’s recipe no longer exists. I’m just chasing a memory that’ll only get further and further away…”
    She looks off into the distance, as if following the line of her own memories, stretching into the past. I get the impression…That I’ll remember the way she’s standing there, her skin warm and red in the winter cold, her eyes shimmering with something far away... For a very long time. The image of the woman trying to be dutiful to something that must be very far away now…
    But…
    “Well, maybe if you defined it? Like…Let me ask you, really: what makes it important to know?”
    ”Everything. First off, it was delicious fish. Second off… It was the fish my father made for me. The way he did it, the fish he cooked…They’re precious things to me. Even when he said I couldn’t go fishing…I knew he loved me when I ate the fish.”
    She smiles dreamily…But then it becomes serious.
    ”But if I can’t share that, and pass it around… I don’t feel happy with that. It can’t just stop with me! It can’t…just stop.”
    “But I don’t think trying to replicate his recipe alone will do that. Like you’ve said…It’s probably impossible. But I don’t think what you really want’s impossible. It’s…Really admirable.”
    She looks at me for a long time, her chocolate-brown eyes catching the light and holding me. I feel struck through, somehow.
    Under that gaze, something rises up in me naturally.
    “You know how I got my hat?”
    She blinks.
    “I just kind of thought about it; it’s the closest thing to a similar experience I have.”
    ”Come to it…I’ve never seen you without it.”
    “That’s because I got the first version of it from my grandpa when I came here… He had one like it. And I guess when he heard I was coming here…I don’t know. Everyone tried to give me presents, to try and make me feel better. I guess this was his.”
    He just deposited on my head the day after I arrived, and said we matched now. I felt good about it, actually.
    “I liked having it; I kind of felt like I belonged. I liked that my grandpa, who I’d never met, got me a hat. Kind of dumb, really… But hey. I kept wearing it when I got back to the city...As a memento, I guess. It was kind of a security blanket. And after a while…My head didn’t feel right without a hat. So I just kept buying more hats like this one.” I take off the hat, ruffle my hair into a decent shape, and spin the hat on my hand a bit. “It is of a proud and noble lineage dating back to my grandfather’s hat!”
    She laughs again, from the belly.

    “…I’m no good at keeping anything important close. I’ve never had any knack for it.”
    ”You’re working the farm. You’re wearing the hat. Even if they’re little gestures…I think your grandfather would be happy to see you holding onto it.”
    “Heh. Maybe. Then again, I’m working on the farm out of spite…At least a little, anyway. And the people closest to me, by blood or time…They’re pretty far away.”

    Why am I thinking about this now? Because in the end… That brown-haired girl with the warm eyes, dreaming distantly… There’s no way I’d be able to keep her close. When this is over, what’ll happen? I can’t say that for sure. When I’ve gotten used to the whole idea of being in love, what’ll happen? I’ll probably move on to something else. And… I said once what I thought she deserves. It’s not that.

    All the same, the love she’d put into something as simple and ordinary as a grilled fish…
    "Good luck, with the fish. One day...I'd like to taste your recipe."
    She smiles and runs a hand through her hair, fluffing it back up; it catches the light when the winter breeze moves through it.
    "I'll try to make something tasty for you."

    I shake it out from my head when I’ve walked away, like shaking off a weird dream.
    Maybe there's something on the hilltop?

    Nope. Except for a grumpy old man.

    "Apparently it has...There's no life anywhere."
    ”That’s the way of the world, kid.”


    Nothing where the Harvest Goddess' spring is.

    There's not even anything in the cave!
    Except the Harvest Sprite.



    "Rare things."
    "There's an ore mine?"
    "That's right. It's something you can work on in the winter, since it's quiet here."
    Oh, thank goodness. I was worried there'd be nothing to do anywhere.

    Well, anyway, until the carpenters open, I'll fish, I suppose...

    Though I don't get results.

    ...5...80?
    *despair*
    I could have sworn it was just 500!
    Well, hold that thought.

    One quick logging spree later...
    And I realize I probably still don't have enough. Well, maybe tommorow...

    Why don't I head back to town, see if I can't buy myself a rug?
    "Hey, Mayor. Enjoying the weather?"


    "...Yeah, same here."
    Actually, my home's not much better than being outside...Though with a couple of blankets, it's not so bad.
    …Actually, come to that. What does the mayor do? I see him out and about as often as Harris and I, but he never seems to, you know, arrive.


    I...guess? I'm not really familiar with carpet designs.
    "Is it a magic carpet?"
    It pays to check, in a world like this.

    "...Yeah, OK. Why not?"
    I mean, I'll need money for seeds, but I have 20K even after the greenhouse money.
    I could buy out his whole stock!


    Shopping Spree!
    I'm kind of a believer in retail therapy, myself. Don't know what to do with your love life? Make a series of small, consequence-free decisions. Niiice and easy!


    ”Plans…”
    "P-plans?"
    I interrupt his pitch.
    "Around here, a feather like that's a promise of marriage. It represents the Blue Bird of Happiness."
    S-so it's an engagement ring? My heart’s about to leap out of my chest and run away at the thought.
    ...Maybe I won't buy out his whole stock.

    I go fishing, since...There's still nothing to do.

    But one time, when I pull up the bobber…
    ...I get a berry. It's one of the special berries that the Harvest Goddess gave me, gleaming dark red in the moonlight.
    (
    I scarf it down without thinking, its sweet and sour taste sharpened by the saltwater.
    It also...Makes me think. If someone was there, sitting by me in the moonlight...What would she be doing?
    Playing in the waves? Chatting with me? Staring out to sea, at some horizon? Clinging to me, afraid of the infinity of the water?...Would she be fishing by my side, tangling our lines and laughing as we undo the knots?
    ...
    ...
    My line dangles alone in the water for a while longer, attracting no fish. I head home...

    Where my toasty little rug and cabinet await me.

    I head into the kitchen and draw in my catch on the tree.


    Well, I guess that's it for today.

    Winter-3-xxx1


    The rug is nice and warm underfoot <3.

    Anyway, I still have the cows to care for...

    It's a little crazy in the barn. But one day, when it's full, it'll be even crazier. I better be ready!

    The chickens are still in a pout, but they look livelier.







    My mailbox is full of letters today. Everyone's worried about me in this cold...
    It's a warm and comforting feeling, even if it also...Well, it sort of worries me. Do they send me these letters because they expect something from me?
    If I made a choice, would I be alone? Well, except for my choice. But…In a weird way, I feel like I’m alone now. I mean, I’m kind of lying through my teeth, trying to hold it all together.


    Anyway, I'd like to get that greenhouse ASAP, so let's...

    log!
    It's unsettling, not seeing another person up on the mountain.
    But there are bound to be some in the carpenter's shop, so let's...

    Huh. The door appears to be stuck.

    ...
    Excuse me, wall. I need to bang my head up against you.


    May as well head to town...
    The old Granny's the only one outside.
    "I'm amazed you're rocking, in this weather."

    "Feeling lonely. But there's plenty of chances to talk with people out here."
    "Not a bad way of managing time, I guess."
    "Besides...Jeff comes out with a warm tea every so often, and that really perks things up."
    The old woman sighs thoughtfully.
    "...To be honest, this isn't exactly how I pictured my old age. I always believed I'd spend my last years watching my son and his wife and my precious granddaughter...And maybe your grandpappy, too. The old devil."
    ...I'm not sure how comfortable I am knowing that last bit.
    "But the future doesn't turn out the way you expect; not every time, anyway. But that isn't bad, either. Grab the moments you can...You may not end up where you expected...But it's still a wonderful world. I'm happy."
    She nods to herself and returns to her writing.

    Grab my moment?
    I'm not sure I'd know it when I'd see it...Or maybe I've had dozens of moments to grab...But in that time, I didn't grab them. I never knew where I should end up...So I never went anywhere. It's not exactly her advice.

    That's my thought as I buy some cakes. And head to the door...Where Elli stops me.


    "It's winter; there's not much to be busy with."
    That's the honestest of truths.
    "But for you, I've got time."
    She nods and smiles. We wait for her grandmother to give us some privacy and step out back.

    She shakes a little, the sudden warm bakery melting away. We stand there in a bit of silence, thin as winter's first frost.
    Her face reddens.
    I wait as patiently as I can manage, until she clears her throat and manages it.


    "No...That's not enough... I love you."
    She turns and fiddles with her hair.
    "I thought you knew about my feelings... But no matter what I did...No matter what I said..."

    I open my mouth, to try and make sense of everything -- to try and turn the pounding of my heart into some other noise, if only that -- but...I can't seem to assemble it just then.
    She turns to face me. I remember that her face, lit from below by the golden light of our little creation... I remember that night where her breath was vanilla and cinnamon and lingered on my skin, sealed with a kiss...
    She looks more serious than I've ever seen her.

    "But...Even if there's someone else...Someone more fabulous and amazing and glamorous...
    I at least wanted you to know. Even if…Like anything else, I’m not going to be able to be near to you… Still.
    You looked…So lonely…Yesterday, you looked so far-away and sad.”


    Did I really?

    ”Even if I’ll never get you to know how you make me feel like something’s close to you…I want to try. I want to try every day. But…
    She flusters and waves a hand, trying to clear the thundercrack silence in the air between us. She’s gone redder than a strawberry.




    What do I feel right now?
    What is Elli to me?
    Elli is...That warm and tender person. That person who's always worried about me, and cheering me on. She's the first person to make something for me, or to think about what'd make my life feel homier... She sees me as something better than I've seen myself.
    She's that stunning, beautiful girl...Whose sadness I just want to obliterate.

    She's the one...
    She's the one...
    "..I...I do love you, Elli."
    She's the one I want to hold tight, even if I don’t know how. Even if she slips through my fingers somehow…
    I feel like my heart’ll break if I don’t try.



    She leans over and gives me a chocolate-cherry kiss. And I do what I should have done that autumn night and hold her, and give her a kiss of my own.
    "There can't be anyone more amazing than you."

    I have never been more happy or more terrified. I feel like I'm going to collapse.

    "I'll be waiting. For one day...When you bring me a blue feather."
    She smiles gently and turns to go inside.
    "But...I'll also be waiting for you to clear this up with everyone. That's a bit more immediate."
    ...She knew, huh?
    She knew.



    ...She leaves me feeling completely renewed and completely drained, like a newly-made butterfly that needs to sun its wings.

    I stagger to the bar, feeling a little dizzy.
    I...What...I...
    I think I'm happy I made a choice.

    But the rest of the bar feels a little unsettled. Even Zack, which is...Unexpected.
    "Something wrong?"

    "To far away places. When I come home, my daughter's already asleep."

    "Mmm...That's got to be hard." There were times my dad was like that. I'm not sure how much I mind now... But back then, I still thought...
    Anyway, it was something I felt bad about.

    And Cliff's still having some sort of crisis.



    "You've got to trust something, to get by."
    "...I know. That's the terrible part."
    “Someone told me earlier…That you’ve just got to grab a moment. Even if it’s terrible in the end… It might just be wonderful in the moment.”
    He looks at me skeptically. I realize I am wearing the doofiest of smiles.
    ”Are you drunk? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you actually, actually drunk.”
    I don’t know why, but I burst into laughter at that. I can’t get soberer, man… And yet…
    Love has totally ruined my ability to hide a buzz. Even a non-existant buzz. It is sorcery.
    He rolls his eyes.
    ”Go home, Fox. You’ve got work to do at some point.”

    And there's Ms. Mana, too.


    "...Yeah, he might. But I bet he'll understand that it's important."
    I mean, you inconvenienced so many people...


    I have some water. I stare into space.
    "...I think I have a girlfriend."
    I mutter to myself.

    Yeah. Whatever else is up ahead, I have a wonderful girl who loves me.
    And at some point, I will get that gosh-darn greenhouse.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

  6. - Top - End - #486
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    That was .... awesome.

  7. - Top - End - #487
    Troll in the Playground
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    You have woven this adorable little love confession scene into a dramatic and still utterly adorable scene.

    Well done, Deme. Well done.

    And one day...one day that Greenhouse shall be had!
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    Quote Originally Posted by PhoeKun View Post
    ...How does one cuddle mercilessly?
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    Curse your Introbulosity!

  8. - Top - End - #488
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    SamuraiGuy

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    *Slow clap*

  9. - Top - End - #489
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Back when I played this game I wasn't an internet person, so I was largely flying blind as to relationship values and where to go for what events at what times, and so on. Despite having married Elli a couple times, I've never seen that scene before. Neato!

  10. - Top - End - #490
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Very nicely done, definitely worth the wait. And yes, soon the greenhouse will be had.
    Thank you to starwoof for the awesome Astrid avatar.


  11. - Top - End - #491
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Well, she's not Karen.

    But that was pretty great, so I can't really complain. And I can't wait to see Fox try to clear things up!

  12. - Top - End - #492
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Quote Originally Posted by LoneStarNorth View Post
    Back when I played this game I wasn't an internet person, so I was largely flying blind as to relationship values and where to go for what events at what times, and so on. Despite having married Elli a couple times, I've never seen that scene before. Neato!
    Every girl has a scene like this. Well...Sort of like this. A scene triggered in the same way as this scene (that is, a maxed or near-maxed affection value), with roughly the same general idea. I say "sort of like this," because in contrast to later games with confession scenes, the staging on these scenes are all kind of different, so this scene is not at all an indicator of what the other scenes are like outside of "the scene where you and the girl admit feelings."

    Since showing these scenes just requires me going in with cheat codes, I'll be doing it in a bonus. Sans my own writing, I'll just be doing commentary.


    Anyway...
    *takes a small bow* glad you all enjoyed this bit. It offered me some challenge, and I guess I was too close to it to think it was much good.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

  13. - Top - End - #493
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Chapter 34: A Matter of Trust
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    Winter - 4 - XXX1


    Looks like snow tommorow. I wonder how often it snows here...It rained a bit, so snowing a bit may make sense, right?

    Anyway. Gameface: on.

    TODAY.
    I AM. GETTING.
    THAT GREENHOUSE.


    ALSO, EGGS.

    ALSO, CAPSLOCK.

    Also...

    There's only a week left. Clara's taking it like a champ...I think? I mean, she doesn't look like she's hurting any, or anything, and she's eating and producing milk normally...So everything's still OK, right?


    Lambo ended up wandering outside. He didn't seem to be too bothered by the cold, even without his wool.


    Anyway, I immediately run up the mountain to the carpenter's shop. I have everything we need!


    That's...actually a little odd. You'd think, with the mountain and all, you'd have a lot flooding in the spring.
    "It's because the high banks of the river -- it's an old river, and it's carved a deep path down the mountain."
    Huh. I was going to chock it up to magic.

    But this isn't what I'm here for. I'm here...for greenhouse!

    "Yes, please."
    "Ok, I'll drop by the farm to make an estimate. Hand over the supplies and pay then."

    I nod. Alright, next...Next...
    Next I guess I need to start manning up. Since the vineyard's right next door...
    I may as well go talk to Karen.


    But when I arrive, it looks like someone else has the same ideas. Ann and Karen, standing by the side of the house.
    I certainly don't want to interrupt their conversation and...

    ...You know, I may as well give up the ghost. I am a dirty eavesdropper.
    Did Karen and her dad have another fight? I thought things had calmed down here.


    You know, I thought that...But it's odd, seeing someone make an assumption I made, after I realized it was wrong. I want to correct her... But I don't think I should. Let her learn.
    Ann looks peeved at that one; no surprise.


    Everyone here has worries, I think. I'm just on the top of the heap in my own head.
    "For example?"

    "Well...About Fox...And my brother..." After she added the second one to the first, I unclenched. At least she won't have to worry about me anymore...Of course, she may worry after me anyway. It's her way.
    "A-and...And..."
    She flushed a deeper red that she tried to hide.


    You know...Now that I'm resolved, I actually feel kind of glad to hear it. Like...Well, like I'm not leaving her alone and empty in the world, or something.


    Harsh. He's your cousin, you've said..

    Ann flushes harder, and darts her eyes away.

    "D-d-definately not that guy! I mean, like you said, he's just some lazy bum! No worries there, unless he stumbles off a cliff or something!"
    "Cliff off a cliff..." Karen snerks.
    "I-I meant the horse! Oh, forget it! Let's go get tea!"
    She yells and hurries Karen inside.



    Well, it's going to be awkward...But I guess we'll call that two birds with one stone.

    Except that when I go after them, they somehow slipped out the back and went elsewhere. Gosh-darnit, why can't people make tea inside?

    Well, if I can't talk to her...I guess Popuri's the logical next step, right?

    She's outside, watering the few plants that still struggle to live through the cracks.

    "Popuri..."
    "Oh, hi, Fox! I heard the good news. Well, I guess it's sort of good and bad news for me, huh?"

    I'm completely knocked off-guard by that one.

    "It's strawberry season in the greenhouse...So Elli came by."
    She says with a little smile and tilt of her head.
    "S...So she said something. Of course...Umm...I'm sorry."[/color]
    "I don't mind. I...wouldn't have minded things another way..."
    She shrugs.
    "But I don't mind it this way, either. It makes my choices easier, and..." I'm blasted with that innocent smile again.

    "You're happy, right? And Elli's happy. And I can still be happy...So I'm happy." She bats at me.

    "Now, you be good to her, OK?"
    "I-I'll do my best!"
    She claps.


    I head out to the ranch, since I know Ann will be there... But when I notice Cliff's there, I realize I do not want an audience for this. Ann's...kind of sensitive in her own way. I wait for a while, to see if Cliff will leave.
    "How's Winter treating you?"
    "A little rough; it's hard to get food when there's nothing growing. But I'll manage."
    I pull an egg from my backpack.
    "Here. It's a little something."
    He smiles like I've made his day.
    "Thanks, man! I can't let you not get anything back, though..." He nods. "I know, how about a winter recipe?"



    "It's perfect on a cold night."

    Mmm...That sounds nice.

    In the end... I...I can't talk to Ann. I try and back away...But Ann follows after me.


    She holds it out...My cake card.

    "It's the customer card from the bakery, right?...You've filled this out a lot."
    "Y-yeah...I have."

    This is it, isn't it? Now or never. Yeah, this is the time.

    Say something, Fox. Do something, Fox.
    "N-no...I...Well, they're good cakes, and I like them... But that's not the reason I go."
    Once I'm past the first sentence, it hurts less. The nerves and jitters all sort of fade, and the path becomes clean.

    But before I can say anything more...Ann sighs.

    "...Y-yeah. That's what I came to tell you."
    "So I was barking up the wrong tree after all... Figures you'd go for a cute and homey sort of woman..."
    "...You're a good woman, Ann; it's nothing like that... But the heart wants what it wants."
    She has a bitter little laugh, then, and shakes her head.



    She walks away, her head raised as high as it can go. I feel like a heel... But...
    I also feel like that's something I'll just live with, until she bounces back.

    I head home to the farm.

    Oh, yeah. I forgot about this guy...Well, I guess this means I'm GETTING THAT GREENHOUSE!


    I've got a decent amount of money left. Most of it'll probably go to seeds, I suppose.

    I do a little re-kajiggering of my pasture space. I don't think I need to fence off quite so much of it. I try adjusting some borders, and soon I'll probably get rid of some of the rocks.

    When night falls, I head to the bar, but Karen's not there. I have some water and think a bit...Maybe I'll go fishing.



    I catch a very big fish! Victory!...Well, it's a small victory, but it's mine.

    Winter - 5 - xxx1

    The snow falls softly. I feel like sound is muffled. I'm thankful that I had some long underwear for just such an occasion.

    I step outside and see Mana and her son out there.

    "Your kindnes."
    "Oh, you've found a buyer?"
    "We're done here, yes."
    "Well, it's been.." A chore. "No trouble."



    "And goodbye to you, kid."
    He nods.

    They both walk away, and Mr. Green walks up. He gives me a curt nod.

    "I'll ask you again when something comes up."


    I think that's maybe one thousand? Well, it covers the cost of having cared for them, anyway.


    I go fishing and don't catch anything. What a drag.

    On the way back into town, I'm having a bit of trouble on the icy streets. The snowfall's not making anything easier to walk around.
    Lucky for me, Harris catches my elbow the one time I nearly fall over.

    "Thanks."
    "They de-ice the roads where you're from, right? That must be pretty convenient."
    "Yeah...But they don't really worry about the sidewalks unless it's a nightmare. I just didn't expect the ice to be this bad this season. I guess there's still things to get used to."
    "Well, I'll watch out then, and make sure you don't brain yourself before that happens."
    He says it with a little chuckle, but now I think I'm kind of paranoid.

    I duck into Saibara's shop to brush some snow off of me.
    "Man, that snow collects, doesn't it?"
    I say, finding that some's made a little mound on the back of my hat.


    "But how do we send a response?"
    "Well, if you need something to go up...That's why funerals and offerings usually involve incense or burning, right? So it reaches the sky."
    He smirks, like he's surprised I had an answer.

    I find Stu outside, cleaning the dog's bowl in the snow.
    "Hey, brother. I -- I've got a question. It's about the neighbor's cats."
    ...I am the guru of random knowledge, now? OK.

    "When it snows?"
    "...I don't know. I've...never really noticed that."
    I mean, I am not a cat person. Is that even a thing?

    I head home and try and clear out some of my fencing rocks.

    Not all of them, but the ones that were being used for the area my animals never even entered. I don't need to worry about fencing off grass except where they'll be.


    I head to the bar when I'm done, and find Cliff continuing his crisis in search of the truth.


    "But if you're arguing for the truth, isn't not arguing the same as accepting a lie?"
    "...Maybe. I don't want to be hated...Relationships are complicated; I never know how to make things right."
    He shakes his head. I wonder if there's anything I can do to help him...He's a nice guy, but whatever's in his heart...It's something he's trying to shoulder by himself.
    "I think you can argue with someone without being hated, though. Ann argues with you, right?"
    He gets a little dreamy look.
    "...Yeah."

    Karen's working tonight; I didn't see that coming, really. I pull her to an isolated table to talk.

    "H-hey...Karen. You...you know how you said you liked me?"
    "Yeah. You given that any thought?"
    She smirks and tilts her body towards me. For a moment, I think of other paths, other choices I could have made...
    Maybe before I came here, I'd have just done her and been done with it. But then, maybe I'd not have been worth anyone's time.

    "I can't return them. There's someone else. I'm sorry." I try and get through them quickly as possible. Ripping it off, like a bandaid. I don't know what sort of response I expect; I just flinch reflexively.
    [color=purple]"That's the way it is, huh? Well, I guess it doesn't matter." She folds up her arms. As well as I know her, I can tell I've dissapointed her...And that she will be even unhappier if I point it out. "Still...I didn't peg a guy like you for monogamy."
    "...Yeah, it's a little surprise myself. Still...I look forward to seeing the wine you make this year. Do you...regret spending time with me?"
    She flushes.
    "Nah. I guess I'll just take my lumps and admit when I'm beat. But if you hurt her...I may have to do something nasty to you, for not making my broken heart worthwhile."

    She laughs and picks up some empty glasses, and tries to get away...
    But when I look up again, I notice that Kai's come in, and she's whispering something to him, a sad expression on her face. He puts a hand on her shoulder.

    ...All that's left now is Maria. I don't even know where to begin.


    In the night and the snow...I just went fishing. The flow of the water made the world sound peaceful.

    I got a couple of fish, so it worked out alright, too.

    Also...Did I get extra payment somewhere, or was that fish just worth *that much*?


    Winter - 6 - xxx1


    That fence doesn't look right... When I come up to it, after feeding the animals, it's broken, and snow's settled into the places where it's collapsed. I guess it needs replacing...

    But it's in pretty solid. I can't just lift it up...Maybe if I break it some more?

    And if breaking's the game, hammer's the name! ...Or something. I was never good at writing ads.
    The hammer smashes it easily, and I replace it with a new piece of lumber. How annoying.

    There's mail in the box, though.

    We'll accept applications on the 18th!
    - The Green Farm News


    A...dog race? Well, Link's no greyhound.

    I walk out to the crossroads... And find Cliff, standing at the middle of the road with a worried expression.

    "What?!" I knew he was kind of a wanderer...But he just seemed settled here. He kind of liked it here...

    I've never had a friend leave me; I feel my heart in my throat.

    "Food's running low, and...I'm getting too involved."
    He suddenly looks uneasy.


    "Again and again and again...I'm at that point. Where I know...I'm just going to get hurt."

    "...What...makes you think that?"
    He bristles.
    "People like someone when he's mysterious, but when they know what you feel, they just end up deserting you. When you settle in...Entropy just drags people to boredom....And then everyone pays."
    ...I wonder. I'm in a real relationship now...Will Elli and I just get bored of each other? What happens then?

    Still, I can't run away anymore. I don't think Cliff can, either.


    In part because the whole reason he wants to run away comes storming after him.



    She slaps him, pushing him back into the show. I kind of want her to stop: abuse is not OK just because it's female on male, OK?... But I do admit, he needs some sense smacked into him.

    "Of being 'betrayed,' you can't like other people?"


    "Shame on you! That stuff's not even real! You don't know how other people are going to feel! You're not an almighty oracle who can see the future! You're just a dumb coward!"
    Ann yells, trying to hide her face. Her voice trembles when she's shouting, and she can't completely keep it together.


    She dashes off. She's...kind of a coward, too. But at least she'll fess up to it, a little. One day...I think she'll beat that sort of fear. And that'll be a wonderful day.

    I crouch down besides the putz who needs to be there to help make it happen.
    "You OK?"

    "...I...I'll be OK."

    He looks up where she was. He looks awed, in the old sense -- somewhere between love and terror, all mingled up in a monolithic feeling web. I lift him up. He rubs the back of his head, and looks at the impression he made in the snow.
    "...You still going?"
    "...I'll...think about it. Cain likes it here..."

    Well, best of luck, I suppose.

    I run into Popuri in the mountains. We make smalltalk about the weather.
    "I can handle the cold better than the heat, but I..."


    I go to Rick's shop, but he's got nothing new. And he's completely spaced out, just making little shapes with his fingers across the top of his desk.
    "Rick?"
    "..."
    "Riiick?"
    "... ..."
    "Rick!"

    "I can't see or hear anything."
    "Yeah, I sort of noticed. Anything good?"
    He shook his head.
    "I need better ores. The mine will be open soon, though."

    I head to the bar after that. Cliff's there.
    "Sticking around?"
    He shrugs.

    "and then been betrayed?"
    "...I have." Not often, but...Yeah. I mean, on a grand level, I guess at one point I trusted my dad. And I've been with girls who were dishonest...But then, I don't think I was hurt as much as he was. I don't even know exactly what happened. But that hurt must run as deep as he goes.

    "...I think I've come this far only because I trusted people." Yeah.
    He laughs, bitterly.
    "You're a much braver man than I am. I...I've hurt people, too, I know, but..."

    "Is it wrong to try and live in self-defense? Everyone has to try and take care of themselves..."
    "Yeah, but is your defense doing you any good? I get the feeling trying not to trust you is hurting you, too."
    He nods.
    "I think anything I could say would be dumb, hollow advice...But... I think when you think about it, you'll know what's worth the risk. The risk'll always be there. But the worth's only gonna be close enough to grab once, maybe twice in a lifetime."
    Cliff gives me a grim smile.
    "...I'm glad...I'm glad I met you, Fox...Having met you people in this town...
    There's people I want to trust now, too."


    In the end...I may be risking things, with Elli. I've burned bridges. But...You know... I never had any bridges, before coming here. I was just an island.
    Now...I'm an island who's got a bridge. If it burns later, at least I'll have been able to walk somewhere else for a while.

    Last edited by Deme; 2013-03-27 at 09:02 AM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

  14. - Top - End - #494
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    I have been a lurker on the boards for a while, and must say, this is a fabulous LP.
    It is making me want to play this game again.

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Oh, thank you! I'm always glad to hear someone thinking of playing a game I'm LPing, or just feeling interested or inspired by my efforts. I mean, that's one of the reasons I enjoy it: I get to make up stories about games, like I did when I was a kid, and I get to share those games and stories with other people.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Well, its working. The only thing holding me back is a massive amount of homework and the prepping I am doing for the GRE, otherwise I would be jumping right in.

    Thank you for being willing to share your stories, it is quite a treat to experience them.
    "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." -A.C. Clarke

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Thank you, for sharing those stories with us.
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    Quote Originally Posted by PhoeKun View Post
    ...How does one cuddle mercilessly?
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    Curse your Introbulosity!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deme View Post
    Oh, thank you! I'm always glad to hear someone thinking of playing a game I'm LPing, or just feeling interested or inspired by my efforts. I mean, that's one of the reasons I enjoy it: I get to make up stories about games, like I did when I was a kid, and I get to share those games and stories with other people.
    ... I've already bought the game.

    Just waiting for time to magically appear so that I can play it.

    This is twice that you've influenced me to buy a game outside my normal genre, Deme. Well done.

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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    It is a special talent, for sure.

    Anyway, I'm on vacation at the moment, so there's no chapter...
    But I thought ahead and prepared a bonus chapter!

    Bonus #4: She Loves Me, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
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    Alrighty, then! This will probably be our last opportunity to show alternate scenes with the other girls. Unless I change my mind and do some festival bonuses, but I've never done them before, so...Nah. Too much effort, Heh.
    ...Well....Except for maybe one special festival scene. And maybe the alternate location option.


    First up is Popuri's. I don't know why, but these scenes can only be triggered in the afternoon.

    Yeah, sure, why not? I mean, it'd be silly to trigger the scene and say no.

    You can already see how different the set-up for this scene is from Elli's set-up; it's basically a chain of questions as Popuri circles the issue, getting closer and closer until you just want to get on with it.



    I like that there's an option just not to tell her. Popuri just says we're no fun if we pick it, though.
    If you pick someone other than Popuri she'll say that she liked you -- that she still likes you -- but she'll try to move on. She actually seems more hurt by you not telling her than you liking someone else. I get the vibe that canon-Popuri doesn't take love too seriously...Which is about even with my Popuri, even if I take it more free-love style.

    But let's do this right and say we like her.


    SUPER HEART-BARRAGE!

    Is this the only time we see Popuri's model blush? She blushes a lot in-portrait... But I don't think her model blushes much at all.0
    Popuri's scene feels the most weightless of any, which ultimately suits her, I think. That said, I find it pretty middle-of-the-road, neither particularly sweet or particularly funny or so on. Popuri's sort of a tricky one.

    The next two are kind of clustered together, location-wise, so they'll be next.


    First up, it's Ann's scene! If you're not interested in cute, this is the best confession scene, bar none.

    D'aww....Ann's worried about losing our friendship. Small details I like: Ann basically never looks at another character head-on when she's getting emotional about something. This could just be because the viewpoint the player has would make her expressions hard to see...But I think it suits Ann.
    Ann'll just laugh it off if we say it muddles things, and ask if we'll still be friends. I don't think her cheer there is entirely sincere.


    Well, Fox is all for proving his feelings.

    Of course... This is Ann we're talking about.




    DENIED. With force.

    I love this scene. That's all.
    ...Oh, what, not enough commentary?
    One thing I will say about Ann as a whole is that her scenes are very animated -- she'll switch portraits mid-dialogue, have sweatdrops and emotes flying around, do gestures or little expressions... This makes her really, really hard to screencap well, so it's kind of annoying... But very fun to watch!

    The next scene's down at the beach, which means...

    It's Karen-time.
    For some reason, she walks right through us. I guess I mis-placed my character there.


    Karen gets pretty upset if we say no, but she says she doesn't care, and that we're stupid to refuse a girl like her, and she doesn't want to hear us saying we regret it later!
    But trying to hide hurt through coldness is just what Karen does. I can't decide if I feel sadder for Ann, who pretends to laugh it off, or for Karen, who just bundles it all under a hard shell. I've actually grown to like Ann a lot during this LP; maybe I'll do a run for myself where I marry her. Sorry, Cliff.

    Anyway, let's get on with telling her "yes."


    Y-yes ma'am! Karen and Ann, for their own brands of shyness, are pretty forceful about this. Elli says she'll just be waiting for it "someday," and I don't think Maria or Popuri mention it at all.
    But I guess if they're letting their guards down for you, they expect you to go all the way with it.


    Yeah, Karen. You haven't said what you feel, yet.

    And then she walks off...And never, at any point, says she likes us. We're just supposed to know already.

    The last confession, and my favorite, takes some extra set-up. See, we need to be able to enter the library to trigger it...But we can't enter the library until the 10th of Winter. Had Maria won, Fox probably wouldn't have made his choice until after that point...Which would have led to some fun antics on Winter Thanksgiving, where the girls would have mobbed him with cake.
    Anyway, we'll be jumping to a spare file of mine, currently in first spring, and cheating up Maria's affection for it. I also need to speed through several days of Maria events. Meet you leaving the library then.


    As I was saying about the staging of these scenes in the thread... I like that they do just how the whole scene is set up, what sort of choices it offers, differently, and I like being able to read things about the characters into that. It's something I don't see much of in the modern Harvest Moon games, but I think it's a nice touch, and one that gives you a fair bit of story, without having to say much.
    Ann basically ambushes you, but you need to talk to Karen and Popuri. Elli stops you as you're leaving, like she wasn't sure she wanted to bring it up...


    And shy Maria only chases after you after you've already gone. She almost let you slip away, without saying anything at all.

    But not today! Today, she has steeled her courage!


    The name of the character in this file, for some reason, is just a string of letters. I think I was just testing something or something; I can't say I recall.



    D'aww. You may notice the lack of choice displayed. Maybe it comes later?



    I'm glad you got to, even if it's in an alternate universe.


    That...is just...so precious.
    But wait, there's more!


    <3 <3 <3
    This is why I like this scene the most. Also, I totally feel they made the wrong translation call, but oh well.
    Maria just wanted to tell you for the sake of telling you; she's just so happy to be in love with someone, and to be able to express that feeling.
    Maria's concern is not having her feelings returned -- she'll never ask you if you love her, here or anywhere else. Maybe, to her, that doesn't matter. She's happy just to be in love with you.

    I find that really, really, sweet, and would have been happy to write scenes around such a pure-hearted feeling.
    I'm glad I got to show these off.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

  20. - Top - End - #500
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deme View Post
    Had Maria won, Fox probably wouldn't have made his choice until after that point...Which would have led to some fun antics on Winter Thanksgiving, where the girls would have mobbed him with cake.
    I regret NOTHING!!

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    Actually that would have been worth having Maria win.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deme View Post
    It is a special talent, for sure.

    Anyway, I'm on vacation at the moment, so there's no chapter...
    But I thought ahead and prepared a bonus chapter!


    This is why I like this scene the most. Also, I totally feel they made the wrong translation call, but oh well.
    Maria just wanted to tell you for the sake of telling you; she's just so happy to be in love with someone, and to be able to express that feeling.
    Maria's concern is not having her feelings returned -- she'll never ask you if you love her, here or anywhere else. Maybe, to her, that doesn't matter. She's happy just to be in love with you.

    I find that really, really, sweet, and would have been happy to write scenes around such a pure-hearted feeling.
    I'm glad I got to show these off.
    ]
    And now I'm even sadder that Maria lost.
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    These are all so adorable! Ann's, Karen's and Maria's are just so very in tune with their character that the whole setup feels like a very natural development. Not that the others are bad, but those three particularly stand out. But, perhaps that's just my personal bias.

    About translation errors, there's a few in these scenes. Ann's. Popuri's and Elli's are all correct (with the caveat that Popuri does that cutesy third-person thing that's tough to translate without making the character sound insane. (Funnily enough, she also uses the same "na-no" construction that Miki from Idolm@ster is always using. I suppose they have a similar cute-eccentric style)

    In Karen's, when she commands you to bring her a blue feather, she actually demands "one or two blue feathers" in the original Japanese. I guess she wants you to prove you're absolutely and totally sincere. More insecurity concealed with coldness I suppose.

    Maria's scene has a couple errors, two minor and one major (which you spotted).

    The phrase "I'm braver now" more directly translates as "I have more courage now."

    Also, "I never really said this before" is more accurately rendered, " Before now, I absolutely couldn't have said this" Literally it's closer to: If it were the me from before today, I absolutely couldn't say this" but that doesn't sound very idiomatic.

    Maria's "I really wanted to tell you" is about 90% right but misses a little bit of the connotations of the original. The original text has Maria saying "I wanted to tell you no matter what" She also adds a phrase indicating that she wanted to say this in anticipation of something, so a more obvious way of saying it would probably be "This is the first time I've felt this feeling, so I wanted to tell you, no matter what you would say in response" but "I wanted to tell you, no matter what" is probably close enough and more natural-sounding.

    As you suspected, her last line, "I'm so happy to like you" is a complete flub. The original is "あなたを好きになれたこと、とってもしあわせでした” (anata
    wo suki ni nareta koto, tottemo shiawase deshi ta [TN: Forum filter is dumb]) which I'd translate as "I'm so happy that I could come to like you," so that as in the original, she's explicitly happy both about liking you and her own personal growth in being able to confess this to you.

    Hope you don't mind my translation nerding out all over your wonderful LP
    Last edited by Selpharia; 2013-04-01 at 07:14 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Selpharia View Post
    ...snip...
    Absolutely LOVED the nerd-sauce. Thank you for sharing. It makes me appreciate this LP even more.

    Now, I'm a little sad I switched my vote. Never-the-less! maria had personal growth! That is an accomplishment in itself.

    Game on!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Selpharia View Post
    These are all so adorable! Ann's, Karen's and Maria's are just so very in tune with their character that the whole setup feels like a very natural development. Not that the others are bad, but those three particularly stand out. But, perhaps that's just my personal bias.
    Eh, I find Karen's just alright, about even with Elli's... But Ann and Maria's are both great. They're all pretty natural for the characters, though, which is a great touch.


    Quote Originally Posted by Selpharia View Post
    About translation errors, there's a few in these scenes. Ann's. Popuri's and Elli's are all correct (with the caveat that Popuri does that cutesy third-person thing that's tough to translate without making the character sound insane. (Funnily enough, she also uses the same "na-no" construction that Miki from Idolm@ster is always using. I suppose they have a similar cute-eccentric style)
    ...The news that Popuri does that cutesy third-person thing may be the least-surprising new (to me) information in the history of mankind. The world seems a bit cosmically smoother, somehow.

    Quote Originally Posted by Selpharia View Post
    In Karen's, when she commands you to bring her a blue feather, she actually demands "one or two blue feathers" in the original Japanese. I guess she wants you to prove you're absolutely and totally sincere. More insecurity concealed with coldness I suppose.
    Karen wants ALL THE ENGAGEMENTS, then? That is actually pretty cute.

    Quote Originally Posted by Selpharia View Post
    Maria's scene has a couple errors, two minor and one major (which you spotted).

    The phrase "I'm braver now" more directly translates as "I have more courage now."

    Also, "I never really said this before" is more accurately rendered, " Before now, I absolutely couldn't have said this" Literally it's closer to: If it were the me from before today, I absolutely couldn't say this" but that doesn't sound very idiomatic.

    Maria's "I really wanted to tell you" is about 90% right but misses a little bit of the connotations of the original. The original text has Maria saying "I wanted to tell you no matter what" She also adds a phrase indicating that she wanted to say this in anticipation of something, so a more obvious way of saying it would probably be "This is the first time I've felt this feeling, so I wanted to tell you, no matter what you would say in response" but "I wanted to tell you, no matter what" is probably close enough and more natural-sounding.
    Hmmm.... That's, I think, a lot of focus on the emphasis of her growth taken out. She's one of the three girls that really has a narrative arc -- Elli's is more time-dependent than the other two, so we haven't gotten to it just yet -- and I think keeping the phrasing a bit more like the original would have made this the perfect capper. I think, with inference, there's enough of that left that it's still my favorite, that this is the ultimate triumph of Maria's courage...Not getting your love, but giving you hers... But at the same time, the original language made that much clearer and more intense, so I feel a loss there.


    Quote Originally Posted by Selpharia View Post
    As you suspected, her last line, "I'm so happy to like you" is a complete flub. The original is "あなたを好きになれたこと、とってもしあわせでした” (anata
    wo suki ni nareta koto, tottemo shiawase deshi ta [TN: Forum filter is dumb]) which I'd translate as "I'm so happy that I could come to like you," so that as in the original, she's explicitly happy both about liking you and her own personal growth in being able to confess this to you.
    Hmm...That's a pretty big missed opportunity, right there. How frustrating, because that would have made the line even sweeter.

    But...actually, the thing I was complaining about was a bit more of a localization thing than a translation thing: I know that "like" is technically accurate... But to an American audience, for a lot of the scenes -- Maria's especially, because it just has such a strong feeling to it -- it reads contextually wrong (to me at least; am I alone in this?), and I think "love" would have been a better word-choice. It's a difference in cultural expression that I think ended up a little neglected by the localization team.

    Popuri could well keep "Like," though, and I think Ann can, too. My internal jury is still out about Karen and Elli, but is inclined for yes for the former and no for the latter.

    Of course, that's rather a lot to expect from Natsume Natume.

    Quote Originally Posted by Selpharia View Post
    Hope you don't mind my translation nerding out all over your wonderful LP
    I love this kind of thing! I'm no good at managing foreign languages myself, but I love hearing about translating. If you know some other stuff that's relevant, please, don't hesitate to share it!
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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

  25. - Top - End - #505
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Hmm...That's a pretty big missed opportunity, right there. How frustrating, because that would have made the line even sweeter.

    But...actually, the thing I was complaining about was a bit more of a localization thing than a translation thing: I know that "like" is technically accurate... But to an American audience, for a lot of the scenes -- Maria's especially, because it just has such a strong feeling to it -- it reads contextually wrong (to me at least; am I alone in this?), and I think "love" would have been a better word-choice. It's a difference in cultural expression that I think ended up a little neglected by the localization team.

    Popuri could well keep "Like," though, and I think Ann can, too. My internal jury is still out about Karen and Elli, but is inclined for yes for the former and no for the latter.

    Of course, that's rather a lot to expect from Natsume Natume.

    [/QUOTE]

    Well, part of it is also the conventions of Japanese romantic drama and not necessarily the language as a whole. These are labelled as 告白(kokuhaku or Love confessions) in JP scripts, and every one of those I've seen always uses 好き (suki: like) instead of other alternatives that would translate to "love" Of course it's a bit strange because such scenes usually occur way earlier in a relationship than they do in Fox's case; in the archetypal example, there's not much interaction between the two to make the confession more dramatic and unexpected for the receiver. I think your proposed modification would make for a much improved English version. Oh, Natume, you continue to astound with your capacity to disappoint. When we get to other special scenes Ill see if I can find them on Youtube or somewhere as they come up to find any other oddities.
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Chapter 35: Mine, all Mine!
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    Winter-7-XXX1

    More snow. Joy. Nothing good happens in snow.

    When I step out, though...

    Karen? I feel a bit of nerves, after everything that happened. The best thing about my usual approach is that no one's really invested enough to be hurt.


    "The wine from this year's newly-improved grapes!"
    She smiled brightly. It seems like there's no hard feelings.
    "That's great!"

    "But this is the first wine of the year. And...You did enough that I feel like you earned it. Try some."


    All my hard work...Paying off. I'm so happy.
    Also, this is really good wine. Compared to what I've usually had from this vineyard... This stuff is amazing.


    "From before. This might even become as good as Grandma's wine. And so...I wanted to thank you.
    Oh, and feel free to take some from the barells in the storage; you're a friend of the family, so it's OK!"

    "Free wine, you say? Thanks, Karen!"



    And with that, we're off.
    Well, after I tend to the animals. Clara's getting restless.



    Oooh, that sounds like something to check out!

    I run up there, since I have nothing better to do.

    ...Except it's not open right now.
    Very sad.

    I find Kent and Stu wandering around on my way back down.

    "And she always smells like flowers <3"
    "So, do you like flowers, or do you like Popuri?" I joke. He's way too young, but... On the whole, sometimes it's cute to watch a kid crush on someone. They're just so innocent about it.
    "W-well...I think she's an amazing big sister." He smiles with bright innocence. I guess I misread that one... I guess in a small town like this, it's really easy for people to feel like family.


    "In the mountains! But I don't want to bring her out here in the snow..."
    "Besides, there's nothing to chase."
    He nods and agrees.

    I head into town and hang around Saibara's shop. The kiln makes it warm.
    "You don't make a lot of things, do you? Is this shop doing OK?"

    "It's winter; you'll learn how to get by here, too, farmer-boy."
    He says. I'm not worried. I'm getting a greenhouse.



    Anyway, I've got fishing. I'll always have fishing, I guess.

    Even if I don't really catch mutch.

    Winter-8-xxx1

    In the midle of the night, something wakes me up. The whole house is shaking, Link shivering in the corner with fear. Sitting up in my bed, I move a little off-sync with it. My teeth rattle.
    And then is stops, and I blame it on bad fish and go back to bed.

    When I wake up, nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. The snow is falling gently outside...

    And the carpenters are waiting for me.

    "You mean it's done?"
    They nod.

    Behind them are the frosted walls of my own personal greenhouse.


    On the outside, it's pretty unassuming...
    But inside, it's warm and slightly damp, and pretty expansive.


    It has a water pump and a shipping bin, so it's got everything that I need!


    It's about 16 x 16 squares across, give or take. There's a lot of space for plants, particularly ones that can only be harvested once, since I don't need to be able to reach them all at once.
    Of course, you could keep corn or tomatoes or eggplants in here forever, I bet...

    Oh, but...
    It's Sunday. I'm getting ahead of myself.

    Since I can't go and get new seeds for my new greenhouse (I am cackling with pride when I think of it), I guess I'll see about that mine.

    "Once you go in, you can't come out until 5:00 or until you run out of energy. But you might find some buried treasure!"
    I like treasure.


    "I've got my hoe."
    It's hoe time!



    "Are they good medicine?"

    "...But you can only get them in this mine."
    "I'll keep my eye out."

    I start digging around for a bit...

    And even get my first treasure! It's not worth a lot, a coin... Just a measly 10G. I probably won't ever mention them again.

    But the iron's probably worth a little something, right?

    After digging a bit more, scraping the earth aside layer by layer, turning it over and looking for a glimmer...

    I find a way deeper down.

    One of the carpenter twins is there, too.

    "Hit pay-dirt here, it makes a big difference!"
    "Good luck."

    I wonder how much pay-dirt-y Iron Ore is, on a scale of Pay to Dirt.


    However much, this is probably way more pay than dirt! It's so shiny!


    And this is very, very shiny!


    And maybe I can give this to the old potion-maker. I bet he'd like that, and maybe I could get nice medicine from it.


    With this, I don't have any room for more iron ore...Or, actually, any. Let me estimate here.



    ...Yeah, I'm guessing I'm better off without iron ore. Or, at least, with me carrying it in a less certain position.

    When 5-o clock comes around, I decide to head on home and ship...Most of it. I have a good feeling about the blue stone, and I've already decided to keep the pontana root for a gift...But I bet when these get sent off, there'll be a pretty penny in it for me.

    I'm worn-out from working all day in the cold, and the bar's closed anyway...I curl up into bed.

    Winter-9-XXX1


    I put my crystal up in my cabinet; one does not need to refrigerate a rock, after all!
    I'm hoping to find the potion-maker in his store before hitting the mine.

    Or so I think...But I see Kent, first.



    "Wasn't that in fall?"
    "That was the harvest festival!"
    In most places, those would be the same thing...

    Cakes? What?
    ...Are people thanking me?
    What for?
    He sees the confusion.

    "Not really, no."

    Oooohh...So it's *that* sort of thanks.
    Well, I bet I'll be getting a nice one...I can't decide if I'm dissapointed or relieved to have cleared the air before getting hit with cake from all sides.

    He shakes his head, probably thinking adults are great fools.


    I get off Agro immediately...I know that voice.
    It's Elli, smiling softly.

    "Hey, beautiful."
    She laughs and blushes, a bit surprised. I guess even after a confession like that, she's didn't expect forthrightness.
    Well, I meant it. I won't take it back.
    She kisses me on the cheek, tenatively.
    "Have you been finding things to do in the winter?"
    She turns and notices the greenhouse.
    "Oh, wow. I see you have."
    "It's empty right now. What's up?"
    "I came here to buy some eggs from you, actually. It's the..."

    "It's a high-demand event, so I'm making lots..."

    "If I wait for our usual shipment, we won't have enough."
    "Well, you're welcome to them. No need to pay."
    She shakes her head fiercely.
    "I'm buying them as a business, not as...your girlfriend." Her tone when she said that could have melted the snow. "It's only fair. I'll need six eggs."

    I run the math.
    "Normally, that'd be about 300G."

    "Probably gather them up myself... Unless maybe you'd like to come with me? And show me around the coop?"
    "But of course."

    We walk out through the snow towards the
    "I never really looked around here... It's a really pretty place, now that you've tidied it up... It must have been a lot of work."
    "Well, the freeze did the weeding for me, at least. But...Yeah. This is probably the hardest work I've done on anything."
    "Yeah... Are you going to stay here, Fox?"
    I consider it; it's not like I know what the future will hold. My dad could decide it's not good enough, everything I've been doing.
    But if I got my way?

    Elli's looks out over my fields, frost cracking under her feet. The white snow, her white apron. The blue sky, her blue dress. The world seems to conform around her, only her little brown head bobbing through the cold air knowing the difference. She smiles at me, and the whole world could just melt.
    I'm not sure this world is one I could leave.

    Darnit, Goddess...you were right.

    "...I'd like to stay."
    "Good. I don't think I'd like to move."
    ...
    ...
    I grip her hand, and we head into the coop.

    We look over the chickens and we collect the eggs. As we do, we talk. Just idol conversation, nothing special. We walk back, her arms laden with eggs.
    "I've been thinking of a lot of recipes; this is my favorite holiday, really. For once, everyone's thinking the way I think...That food can express feelings, too. That love can live in taste, and spread through the whole awareness of your mouth..." She sighs dreamily. "I've got a lot of new ideas this year."
    She adds.

    "I can't wait to try some."


    A pleasant way to start the day, I think.
    I tend the animals and head to the greenhouse. With the store open, I'd like...to do a little bit of prepwork.


    I clear two patches up against the wall; a slim start, and I can only plant single-growth crops there...But there's bound to be something.

    I head over to the potion shop to drop off the pontana root there.
    "Here you go."

    "You said you wanted one, right? I don't know what to do with it."
    "Thank you very much; you've made an old man very happy, kid."
    I smile merrily.


    As I walk by the bakery... I feel like it's shaking with energy flowing through it. I think I hear a determined mixer going... She probably wants space.


    Ooohhh...That pink one's new.


    New and expensive! But it's a rare plant, so it's bound to be worth money. I'll take it for my two squares.




    "...Like what?"
    "That's the thing. There's nothing to *do* here in winter!"
    She sighs and lets her head fall into her hands.


    OH GOD.
    WHY.
    WHY ARE YOU HERE? HAVE YOU COME TO ABDUCT ME?

    ...I don't have anything with me, thank goodness. Otherwise, he may have mugged me for it.


    Nightmare monsters aside, I decide to head to the mine.



    Another request...
    "I'll keep my eye out for it."
    Rick's my buddy, after all.


    That's a good omen. Lucky!

    I have quite a streak with the iron ore for a while.

    Culminating in something a bit nicer.


    Absolutely.

    This one's...probably just for me.

    Niiice.


    Oooh, there's a third level? This, I need to see.


    ...Wait. Rick was above me. Now he's with me. But he didn't cross through the middle...
    How?
    Has he finally built a teleporter?


    I will go all the way down!

    But in the end...

    4th-floor loot wasn't much better. I need to make it down there with more time, next time.


    But tommorow is for cake...

    But today's not for bad loot. Looking at my money...Last time must have come to about 4000. I've got 3000 more than I started the day with, and I spent 1000.

    I head home, ship the lot...

    And plant my new strawberries.

    But with them planted and watered...I'm really just too tired to go out again. I flop into bed, and dream of cake.


    Ok, so we've got some things to talk about!

    #1: What we load up our greenhouse with. You don't need to do a specific pattern or order if you don't want to, but I have some specifications if you do. Otherwise, you can just pass me general notes.
    It's essentially a 16 x 16 grid. With our gold watering can, we only need to be able to access one side of a 3x3 square to water a whole section. Of course, harvesting is another matter. For singe-harvests (turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and strawberries which can only be bought in winter), that still works fine, since we'll be able to access new plants as we harvest the old ones. For multi-harvests (corn, tomatoes, eggplants), the max we can do is a "Fat U" shape, with all sides accessable ...Of course, we don't have to do 3x3s, or even fat U shapes for the re-harvestables. We could also do 2-wide lines easily, for example.
    We may not have the stamina to do the whole greenhouse at once, at least not now.
    We can change the load-up as often as you guys like, and try different stuff.


    #2! What should we name Clara's baby? By our current cow-naming scheme, Jules or Verne would be the obvious ones, but there's no reason for that to hold dominance.

    #3! How often should I hit up the mine? If need be, I can save-state my way to getting everything we need done in a single trip. (Please provide an alternative time-passer if you want less mine-time.)

    #4! What should we do with our remaining funds, once the greenhouse is stocked?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Herpestidae View Post
    I... wow. I feel like I'm in the presence of royalty. The LP Goddess herself has graced this thread with her presence. I just... what...

  27. - Top - End - #507
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    I say we go nuts on strawberries during the winter.

    Also I like the mine.
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  28. - Top - End - #508
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    1: I have no advice for you here. I am terrible at farm layouts. ._.

    2: I recall nominating Clara as a shortened Clarabelle, but I'd be okay with Vernes.

    3: Again, not good at organizing this. ._.

    4: PROFIT! I mean, um...maybe start setting up the house for our girlfriend living there?
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    Quote Originally Posted by PhoeKun View Post
    ...How does one cuddle mercilessly?
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    Curse your Introbulosity!

  29. - Top - End - #509
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    Quote Originally Posted by Deme View Post
    We look over the chickens and we collect the eggs. As we do, we talk. Just idol conversation, nothing special.

    #1: What we load up our greenhouse with.

    #2! What should we name Clara's baby? By our current cow-naming scheme, Jules or Verne would be the obvious ones, but there's no reason for that to hold dominance.

    #3! How often should I hit up the mine? If need be, I can save-state my way to getting everything we need done in a single trip. (Please provide an alternative time-passer if you want less mine-time.)

    #4! What should we do with our remaining funds, once the greenhouse is stocked?
    What sorts of idols are they talking about?

    1)Single harvest crops in the left three columns. Multi-harvest crops in the crazy mess of the right 4/3 columns. Which ones, I leave to the other readers.
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...1E&usp=sharing

    2)I'm bad at names.

    3)Keep mining to a minimum (it's not conducive to story progression), but let it take a few times. No idea what else can be used to fill time.

    4) I'm all for house upgrades, but that requires lumber. Hey, there's the solution for what to do when you're not mining, cut trees (or stumps rather).

  30. - Top - End - #510
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    Default Re: 64 Times the Harvesting: Let's Play Harvest Moon 64

    I second the all out strawberries idea.

    Not remembering all of the cows names off the top of my head, I would vote for Verne.

    Mining
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    I say mine until you get a rare metal to give to Rick for the cut-scene, I believe Google says you need only one, although I remember giving him a huge number and getting at least two cut-scenes. Also make sure to find the Weather Vane, and power berry, although you were probably already planning on incorporating those into the story.


    Remaining funds, purchase all of the things that go into your house and then work on the upgrades, cutting wood, etc.
    "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." -A.C. Clarke

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