Stardew Valley is a game that is attractive for its pleasant farm life. Solo developer Eric Barone has put a lot of effort into it and continues to provide free updates. This may be why this seemingly simple farming sim has been popular since its release in 2016.
Recently, as the discussion on game mechanics improvements in the player community has become increasingly heated, a controversial issue has surfaced - should the length of the game's seasons be extended?
Stardew Valley is based on the four seasons that are synchronized with reality, but the setting that each season only lasts 28 days makes every year in the game go by quickly. If it can extend the season cycle to match reality, it will obviously provide players with a more immersive farm life experience.
In addition, extending the season can also make it easier for players to plan their farm operations. Because players need to deal with multi-threaded tasks such as planting crops, raising livestock, exploring mines, and socializing with NPCs in a limited time, many novices will have time anxiety. If the length of the season is extended by three times, players can not only fully experience the special atmosphere of the 12 seasonal festivals but also better collect Stardew Valley Items.
However, extending the seasons does not bring all benefits, and the chain reactions it brings need to be carefully considered by developers. Over the years, Stardew Valley's old players have long been accustomed to this mode. This habit has led them to be very skilled in controlling time, and it has also become a kind of fun for them.
Moreover, this change may actually make the game rhythm seem too slow. As a farming sim, Stardew Valley can stand out perhaps because of its rich content and compact game rhythm. Rash changes may not be worth the gain.
In addition, the daily physical system, crop growth cycle, fish migration rules and other mechanisms in the game are precisely aligned with the existing time system. If the seasons are simply extended without adjusting other parameters, more problems may occur in the game. This may explain why Barone has never adopted this seemingly beautiful improvement plan.
In short, for current Stardew Valley, the better way should be to keep it the same. Perhaps those players who want to experience a different game rhythm can use mods to realize this idea.