Learning to love Stardew Valley-s terrible fishing game
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Date: 2023-12-10
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Comments and reviews: 30
-DanteYewToob
I always thought fishing was boring until Jeremy Wade from River Monsters got me interested in it, but not for the obvious reason.
People assume that I enjoy the show and learned to enjoy fishing because of the -monsters- and crazy adventures and insane fish he catches- but that-s not it.
He showed me how fishing is very much a tactics and knowledge based activity if you want to get really good at it like he is.
He understands the fish, where they eat, how they track food, where they hunt, etc. then he reads the environment with insane precision, for example: using tiny ripples in a flowing river to recognize a low pressure zone under the water where small fish gather for safety from the current and so that-s where the big fish hunt. Then he has the physical skill to cast his line and drop it exactly in that little calm pocket in the rushing river, with the exact bait needed, and the exact rhythm on the pole to attract the fish he-s after.
The multi layered specificity and how much thought, expertise and skill goes into fishing at his level is really impressive to me. Especially considering he fishes rivers around the world and has an encyclopedia of thousands of fish, environments, habits, preferences and more all stored in his big British noggin. He-s a seriously impressive guy and fishing is seriously cool when you really break it down the way he does.
He-s like a skilled bounty hunter or Batman using a mixture of preparation, intelligence and physical power to catch his prey. Haha
Every fish requires different tactics and preparation- some hunt by sight, some by scent or feel, some spool easily and some require some splashing to attract them- some sit and wait for food to come to them and some hunt on the move. You need to know and understand dozens of variables to have a chance of catching the one you want, and then that-s where the physical bit begins!
Do I fish? No. I still find basic old dudes dangling a string off a bridge boring too- but I do know that fishing CAN be awesome and we should be respecting our water because millions of people require those fish to survive.
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I always thought fishing was boring until Jeremy Wade from River Monsters got me interested in it, but not for the obvious reason.
People assume that I enjoy the show and learned to enjoy fishing because of the -monsters- and crazy adventures and insane fish he catches- but that-s not it.
He showed me how fishing is very much a tactics and knowledge based activity if you want to get really good at it like he is.
He understands the fish, where they eat, how they track food, where they hunt, etc. then he reads the environment with insane precision, for example: using tiny ripples in a flowing river to recognize a low pressure zone under the water where small fish gather for safety from the current and so that-s where the big fish hunt. Then he has the physical skill to cast his line and drop it exactly in that little calm pocket in the rushing river, with the exact bait needed, and the exact rhythm on the pole to attract the fish he-s after.
The multi layered specificity and how much thought, expertise and skill goes into fishing at his level is really impressive to me. Especially considering he fishes rivers around the world and has an encyclopedia of thousands of fish, environments, habits, preferences and more all stored in his big British noggin. He-s a seriously impressive guy and fishing is seriously cool when you really break it down the way he does.
He-s like a skilled bounty hunter or Batman using a mixture of preparation, intelligence and physical power to catch his prey. Haha
Every fish requires different tactics and preparation- some hunt by sight, some by scent or feel, some spool easily and some require some splashing to attract them- some sit and wait for food to come to them and some hunt on the move. You need to know and understand dozens of variables to have a chance of catching the one you want, and then that-s where the physical bit begins!
Do I fish? No. I still find basic old dudes dangling a string off a bridge boring too- but I do know that fishing CAN be awesome and we should be respecting our water because millions of people require those fish to survive.
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-zettaichan
Why does SDV's fishing minigame start hard and get easier? The mine doesn't start you on the bottom floor! Typical game progression start with a relatively easy task to teach you the mechanics, getting more difficult as you get more practice and become ready for a greater challenge. SDV fishing instead starts you with the HARDEST FISHING WILL EVER BE, completely backwards.
On PC on level 1 fishing, a single mouseclick sends the green rocketing to the top of the bar. It's impossible to control. I honestly couldn't even tell what I was supposed to be trying to do, and I know from consulting forums that my experience is common for PC players. I used crab pots and food boosts to claw my way up the fishing skill levels to get the better easier equipment during my first couple of plays, but now I just use a mod to skip it.
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Why does SDV's fishing minigame start hard and get easier? The mine doesn't start you on the bottom floor! Typical game progression start with a relatively easy task to teach you the mechanics, getting more difficult as you get more practice and become ready for a greater challenge. SDV fishing instead starts you with the HARDEST FISHING WILL EVER BE, completely backwards.
On PC on level 1 fishing, a single mouseclick sends the green rocketing to the top of the bar. It's impossible to control. I honestly couldn't even tell what I was supposed to be trying to do, and I know from consulting forums that my experience is common for PC players. I used crab pots and food boosts to claw my way up the fishing skill levels to get the better easier equipment during my first couple of plays, but now I just use a mod to skip it.
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-weirdofromhalo
I hate fishing, both in real life and in video games, but the talk of always being able to catch a fish in the ocean made me think of a concept, or maybe the game's been done already?
A fishing game that spans millennia and shows the evolution of fishing, from spear to rod to commercial, and the ways the ecosystem has been devastated by commercial fishing. Like, as time goes on in the Industrial Revolution, you start catching less and less fish, whether you're in a big trawler or a small fishing boat. Not sure how it would work, but infinitude of fishing doesn't sit right with me.
Anyways, weird concept, cool video about Hemingway. Still don't like his advice or his writing.
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I hate fishing, both in real life and in video games, but the talk of always being able to catch a fish in the ocean made me think of a concept, or maybe the game's been done already?
A fishing game that spans millennia and shows the evolution of fishing, from spear to rod to commercial, and the ways the ecosystem has been devastated by commercial fishing. Like, as time goes on in the Industrial Revolution, you start catching less and less fish, whether you're in a big trawler or a small fishing boat. Not sure how it would work, but infinitude of fishing doesn't sit right with me.
Anyways, weird concept, cool video about Hemingway. Still don't like his advice or his writing.
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-DelatoDarion
I actually really like the fishing in Stardew and am also a fan of fishing in games, in general. My secret to being pretty good/consistent at Stardew fishing is never hold the button for more than like a second. I mostly just do a bunch of tiny taps to keep the bar hovering in one spot, then I just pause or hold depending on the situation. That's the big secret, is being able to get the green bar to hover with tiny button taps-
EDIT: Note that this still doesn't make the hard fish any less annoying to catch. Those are still assholes. but this trick helped me be more consistent. I hope it helps someone else too!
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I actually really like the fishing in Stardew and am also a fan of fishing in games, in general. My secret to being pretty good/consistent at Stardew fishing is never hold the button for more than like a second. I mostly just do a bunch of tiny taps to keep the bar hovering in one spot, then I just pause or hold depending on the situation. That's the big secret, is being able to get the green bar to hover with tiny button taps-
EDIT: Note that this still doesn't make the hard fish any less annoying to catch. Those are still assholes. but this trick helped me be more consistent. I hope it helps someone else too!
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-robinbirb
SHANE SQUAD SOUND OFF. I have played so many files of Stardew Valley and I've romanced Shane every. Single. Time. Even when I started a file thinking, -This time I'm trying someone else! -
Also thank you for bringing together the two great loves of my life: literature and video games. Your meditation on the parallels between fishing games and Hemingway was truly a delight, and you've even inspired me to revisit The Old Man and the Sea. (I've disliked Hemingway's prose for much of my life, but The Old Man and the Sea is infuriatingly beautiful, damn him)
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SHANE SQUAD SOUND OFF. I have played so many files of Stardew Valley and I've romanced Shane every. Single. Time. Even when I started a file thinking, -This time I'm trying someone else! -
Also thank you for bringing together the two great loves of my life: literature and video games. Your meditation on the parallels between fishing games and Hemingway was truly a delight, and you've even inspired me to revisit The Old Man and the Sea. (I've disliked Hemingway's prose for much of my life, but The Old Man and the Sea is infuriatingly beautiful, damn him)
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polygon
The joy I felt when I learned that Simone-s Dream Daddy character was named and modeled after Ernest Hemingway when there is an actual character named Ernest Hemingway in the game, it truly too great to be measured.
This is definitely going into my comfort videos playlist. I-m a huge fan of fishing in video games (Dredge is in my top five for this year) and Simone-s analysis has really made me think about how I approach it, and how it makes me feel.
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The joy I felt when I learned that Simone-s Dream Daddy character was named and modeled after Ernest Hemingway when there is an actual character named Ernest Hemingway in the game, it truly too great to be measured.
This is definitely going into my comfort videos playlist. I-m a huge fan of fishing in video games (Dredge is in my top five for this year) and Simone-s analysis has really made me think about how I approach it, and how it makes me feel.
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-kepupstranger
early in the pandemic i had a stardew world with a friend who wanted all the achievements but didnt want to give joja mart money. so i took the role of the bad guy and spent like 30 hours total mainly fishing so i could get the money needed to give to joja. it was pretty zen! i ended up catching all but one of the legendaries by the time i got enough money to pay the company and put aside my capitalist jojamart ways for good. -
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early in the pandemic i had a stardew world with a friend who wanted all the achievements but didnt want to give joja mart money. so i took the role of the bad guy and spent like 30 hours total mainly fishing so i could get the money needed to give to joja. it was pretty zen! i ended up catching all but one of the legendaries by the time i got enough money to pay the company and put aside my capitalist jojamart ways for good. -
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-Starcrash6984
I understand and appreciate that frustration right at the end of the video. I -LOVE- the fishing in Stardew Valley, but still hate the legendary fish because they feel unfair. Sure, you can use bobbers and fully level up to make it easier, but even then they still dart up and down in a way that forces you to go a long time without blinking because a moment's distraction means you lose and have to start over.
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I understand and appreciate that frustration right at the end of the video. I -LOVE- the fishing in Stardew Valley, but still hate the legendary fish because they feel unfair. Sure, you can use bobbers and fully level up to make it easier, but even then they still dart up and down in a way that forces you to go a long time without blinking because a moment's distraction means you lose and have to start over.
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-IzzetNilson
Loved this video and i love fishing in stardew! When i play with my wife i tend to be the one that goes out and fishes. Its a combination of skill, level and what rod you use. Training Rod severely helps with leveling and catching fish early, but better rods and lures gives better control.
I hadn't played in a while, and my wifes having a bad week. Might be good to dust off some Stardew. -
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Loved this video and i love fishing in stardew! When i play with my wife i tend to be the one that goes out and fishes. Its a combination of skill, level and what rod you use. Training Rod severely helps with leveling and catching fish early, but better rods and lures gives better control.
I hadn't played in a while, and my wifes having a bad week. Might be good to dust off some Stardew. -
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-tatertotification
This is my favorite type of polygon video. This and the video about rdr2 and the paintings of the American west. Moving past the -are video games art- convo and just diving deep into the ways that video games continue traditions, good and bad, of the history of art from almost every conceivable medium. Also, same Simone, Shane is my husband and it-s just always gonna be that way.
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This is my favorite type of polygon video. This and the video about rdr2 and the paintings of the American west. Moving past the -are video games art- convo and just diving deep into the ways that video games continue traditions, good and bad, of the history of art from almost every conceivable medium. Also, same Simone, Shane is my husband and it-s just always gonna be that way.
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-zoey-oey-oeyd4020
ITS GOOD HOW DARE YOU
i always liked fishing in stardew cause it's pretty simple and straightforward. yeah it's tricky but there's only one thing you need to keep track of and i find that comforting. and it's very clear what you're supposed to do. i usually like fishing in games but animal crossing fishing is so finicky and weird and just UNCLEAR and it drove me insane
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ITS GOOD HOW DARE YOU
i always liked fishing in stardew cause it's pretty simple and straightforward. yeah it's tricky but there's only one thing you need to keep track of and i find that comforting. and it's very clear what you're supposed to do. i usually like fishing in games but animal crossing fishing is so finicky and weird and just UNCLEAR and it drove me insane
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-draculactica
stardew valley's fishing minigame is terrible the same way that your first ever cup of black coffee is terrible. it sucks at first, but when you build a tolerance to it, you develop an unearned sense of superiority over the people who hate it and begin insisting that actually it's the best thing ever.
anyway, stardew valley's fishing is the best fishing minigame ever.
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stardew valley's fishing minigame is terrible the same way that your first ever cup of black coffee is terrible. it sucks at first, but when you build a tolerance to it, you develop an unearned sense of superiority over the people who hate it and begin insisting that actually it's the best thing ever.
anyway, stardew valley's fishing is the best fishing minigame ever.
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-lucehermezs
until stardew i'd never played any game with a fishing mechanic so i was convinced it was normal, so i grinded and got so good at it it's now my fav thing - and then i talked to other players. who hated it. now i'm The Fisher in the multiplayer file. i got the expanded fishing mod. i am happy. and i suck at different fishing mini-games now.
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until stardew i'd never played any game with a fishing mechanic so i was convinced it was normal, so i grinded and got so good at it it's now my fav thing - and then i talked to other players. who hated it. now i'm The Fisher in the multiplayer file. i got the expanded fishing mod. i am happy. and i suck at different fishing mini-games now.
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-scammy2010
I love fishing minigames, so the ashamed and appalled gasp that I made when I saw the footage from Moonglow Bay coulda been heard from orbit. I bought it at launch and had to shelve it for some real-life reasons and -entirely forgot it existed- until seeing the footage just now. Insta-reinstall. Thank you, Simone. :D
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I love fishing minigames, so the ashamed and appalled gasp that I made when I saw the footage from Moonglow Bay coulda been heard from orbit. I bought it at launch and had to shelve it for some real-life reasons and -entirely forgot it existed- until seeing the footage just now. Insta-reinstall. Thank you, Simone. :D
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-FinneasJedidiah
The biggest tip I can give for people fishing in stardew valley is to just remember that sometimes a fish is really erratic, and sometimes that same fish will be really easy. So if a fish I giving you a lot of trouble, don't be worried to let it go and try the next one. Odds are it will be easier.
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The biggest tip I can give for people fishing in stardew valley is to just remember that sometimes a fish is really erratic, and sometimes that same fish will be really easy. So if a fish I giving you a lot of trouble, don't be worried to let it go and try the next one. Odds are it will be easier.
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-gorimbaud
when i played stardew valley during a nonstop fugue state that took up the majority of December 2016, i feel like i ran into a bug because a lot of fish just hung out at the bottom of the bar for a while. it has. probably been fixed since, but i never got around to playing the game again anyway.
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when i played stardew valley during a nonstop fugue state that took up the majority of December 2016, i feel like i ran into a bug because a lot of fish just hung out at the bottom of the bar for a while. it has. probably been fixed since, but i never got around to playing the game again anyway.
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polygon
I actually loved the Stardew fishing game, it feels like the only one that has real challenge to it, while still allowing you to craft or purchase things that make it easier.
I also love the Ocarina fishing mini game because it-s borderline just a version of BassHunter in Zelda. Kinda perfect.
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I actually loved the Stardew fishing game, it feels like the only one that has real challenge to it, while still allowing you to craft or purchase things that make it easier.
I also love the Ocarina fishing mini game because it-s borderline just a version of BassHunter in Zelda. Kinda perfect.
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-theknight660
Oddly enough when I played with friends all of us would fish from day one and max it out at the beach you get to around level 2-4 on your first day and make a lot of money doing this problem was we would do this and then have to wait a full year for the community center to be complete-able
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Oddly enough when I played with friends all of us would fish from day one and max it out at the beach you get to around level 2-4 on your first day and make a lot of money doing this problem was we would do this and then have to wait a full year for the community center to be complete-able
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-aardbei54
The real way to Stardew fishing level grind is by getting the Training Rod from Willy, which gives you a bigger fishing bar, and then just mass catching Carp in the forest pond or sewers. They barely even move.
Then, once you get to level six, get the Iridium Rod with a Trap Bobber
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The real way to Stardew fishing level grind is by getting the Training Rod from Willy, which gives you a bigger fishing bar, and then just mass catching Carp in the forest pond or sewers. They barely even move.
Then, once you get to level six, get the Iridium Rod with a Trap Bobber
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-emmythemac
Stardew fishing starts at -OH, that's not how I thought this was gonna go! - and you either hate it forever or realize that your one useless real-world talent has finally found a use. Namely that you have a twitchy little crack hand and you can tease that bar real good.
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Stardew fishing starts at -OH, that's not how I thought this was gonna go! - and you either hate it forever or realize that your one useless real-world talent has finally found a use. Namely that you have a twitchy little crack hand and you can tease that bar real good.
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-iggykidd
I was honestly surprised to hear people had problems with Stardew's fishing. It's a pretty bog-standard fishing minigame, I've seen the exact mechanic in a bunch of other games before. It's a lot easier to control than Cult of the Lamb's, for sure
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I was honestly surprised to hear people had problems with Stardew's fishing. It's a pretty bog-standard fishing minigame, I've seen the exact mechanic in a bunch of other games before. It's a lot easier to control than Cult of the Lamb's, for sure
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polygon
I actually love fishing on Warframe of all things. It's so relaxing to seek hotspots, craft lures or spelunking into caves to find rare fish. It's a side activity on the game but sometimes i spend my whole play session just fishing and chilling out.
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I actually love fishing on Warframe of all things. It's so relaxing to seek hotspots, craft lures or spelunking into caves to find rare fish. It's a side activity on the game but sometimes i spend my whole play session just fishing and chilling out.
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-katiemitchell178
As soon as Simone mentioned Hemmingway I laughed in sheer joy. This so Simone and her essays are always co compelling, unique, and wonderful. Please branch out into long form video essays I would love to see what she does with that format
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As soon as Simone mentioned Hemmingway I laughed in sheer joy. This so Simone and her essays are always co compelling, unique, and wonderful. Please branch out into long form video essays I would love to see what she does with that format
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-theletters9623
1. I got good at stardew valley fishing really fast because it hits me right in the autism in the best way possible, I love a good repetitive physical task
2. Simone your hair looks really nice in this video I like what you did with it
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1. I got good at stardew valley fishing really fast because it hits me right in the autism in the best way possible, I love a good repetitive physical task
2. Simone your hair looks really nice in this video I like what you did with it
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polygon
At first I was like -omg I-m glad I-m not the only one who experienced that- and then she dropped Ernest Hemingway and I was completely lost.
Like, I just wanted to complete the community center thing why does it have to be that deep.
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At first I was like -omg I-m glad I-m not the only one who experienced that- and then she dropped Ernest Hemingway and I was completely lost.
Like, I just wanted to complete the community center thing why does it have to be that deep.
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-malachyte_art
I never knew people didn't like the fishing in SDV. It's like the best fishing in any farm sim I've played, because it's not just the same boring -click to get fish-. I love having to practice in order to get good at it, it's fun!
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I never knew people didn't like the fishing in SDV. It's like the best fishing in any farm sim I've played, because it's not just the same boring -click to get fish-. I love having to practice in order to get good at it, it's fun!
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-thecactusman17
I wish we could get an arcadey fishing focused game that borrowed the mechanics from Red Dead Redemption 2. I loved the fishing sidequest from that game, better even than a lot of the hunting and combat mechanics.
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I wish we could get an arcadey fishing focused game that borrowed the mechanics from Red Dead Redemption 2. I loved the fishing sidequest from that game, better even than a lot of the hunting and combat mechanics.
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-SwagWagger
it's funny to see a different perspective because fishing is always the skill i max out first when i play stardew. i dont even do it on purpose it just happens. oh i got some time to kill? might as well fish!
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it's funny to see a different perspective because fishing is always the skill i max out first when i play stardew. i dont even do it on purpose it just happens. oh i got some time to kill? might as well fish!
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-MoonShadowWolfe
Someone finally mentioned that the fishing I learned to love was such a bad part of the game for me at first that every other skill of mine hit 10 on my first playthrough while fishing languished at 1.
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Someone finally mentioned that the fishing I learned to love was such a bad part of the game for me at first that every other skill of mine hit 10 on my first playthrough while fishing languished at 1.
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-lovelymododo
i love fishing (mini)games. Persona 5, Final Fantasy XV, Animal Crossing, Dredge. even Stardew Valley (to some extend. Given the opportunity, I might even start fishing in real life. Fishing is awesome.
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i love fishing (mini)games. Persona 5, Final Fantasy XV, Animal Crossing, Dredge. even Stardew Valley (to some extend. Given the opportunity, I might even start fishing in real life. Fishing is awesome.
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