AStardew Valleyplayer had days of hard work ruined after random chance destroyed their long-term crop order. Beginning in the fall ofYear 2,Stardew Valleyplayersunlock the Special Orders board, which is effectively the next evolution of the Bulletin Board. Where the Bulletin Board offers simple, one-off quests (e.g., turn in one item within three days), Special Orders are extended and concentrated, taking anywhere from a week to a month to complete, and often requiring players to ship up to 100 of a particular crop.
Suffice it to say that Special Orders can take a lot of effort, and Reddit userDear_Following_9065was devastated whenall that effort was ruined by a lone crow. Crows eat crops inStardew Valley, which normally isn’t a big deal. They’re easy enough to repel with adequateRarecrow placement inStardew Valley, and even if a crop or two does get eaten, it’s usually just a little bit of money lost.
But in this particular case, the player planted exactly enoughArtichoketo meet the needs of a Special Order - 100 plants on the dot. But shortly before the deadline,a crow swooped in and ate a single artichoke plant, taking them down to 99. With just four days left to complete the Special Order, it was too late to recover (Artichokes take eight to grow, five with all growth speed bonuses applied), they inevitably failed the order.
Stardew Fans Share Advice & Condolences
“I’ve Been Burned Too Many Times”
Unfortunately,having crows steal your crops and ruin your Special Orders is all too common aStardew Valleyexperience. One player,Edrill, explained that something similar has happened to them before, and suggests regularly planting 10% more crops than the Special Order requires to compensate for any risk of loss. And there are many ways that loss can occur: besides crows, crops could be destroyed by stray bolts of lightning or, more rarely, meteors, or their growth slowed by insufficient watering.
Others, likefoxy436, had more creative ideas. It’s long been known that players can useChickensto cheat in the PC version ofStardew Valley. Naming a chicken with the in-game item ID of a particular item can cause the game to treat it as though it were that item - for example, naming an animal [74], the ID for aPrismatic Shard, is a common exploit used tofarm the rare mineral. Unfortunately, though, creative solutions like this one wouldn’t even work, asthe quest specifically requires the player to harvest all 100 Artichokes they ship.
So, besides better scarecrow placement or planting on Ginger Island (which doesn’t have crows),there’s really no way to avoid this sort of misfortune. All you can really do is prepare for the eventuality, cross your fingers, and hope it doesn’t happen.
Our Take: That’s Just The Way It Crows
Stardew Valley Mishaps Are Inevitable
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:Stardew Valleymay have inspired the current cozy gaming trend, but it’s not a cozy game. Sure, you can keep your farm work small and simple, but you’ll eventually have to ramp it up to keep pace with Special Orders. You can walk around town and make friends, but their storylines will eventually delve into darker topics like depression, divorce, and addiction. And you can try your hardest to avert disaster, but bad luck will eventually come along to ruin your day.
Stardew Valley Fans Called Out For Taking Nonsensical Route Explain They Do It For The Trash
Stardew Valley fans try to explain their tendency to take the long way through town, and it seems that the key is all in the trash scattered about.
These experiences aren’t meant to break you down, though:they’re meant to teach you about the game.Stardewdoesn’t have many tutorials, so players have to learn by doing - which often means failure. Surely the original poster knows better now, and will always overplant, or ensure their scarecrows are more tactfully arranged to keep crows off their farm. These failures aren’t pleasant, but they’re a major part of whatStardew Valleyis about: learning to pick yourself up and try again.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a charming indie farming scene that took the world by storm. After inheriting a run-down farm from their grandfather, the player moves to Stardew Valley to start a new life away from the city. Grow crops, raise animals, befriend the villagers, and discover the secrets the valley has to offer.
