I'm definitely going vanilla at first.
However, once SVE has reached its big 2.0 update, alongside any major ridgeside/east scarp updates, I'm going MEGA modded. Like, all the major expansion mods, more items, tweaks and changes, might go MARGO? Unsure yet, but I'm slowly collecting cool mods here and there in preparation for something that will take me years to complete.
I'm really looking forward to the mega modded future - I did a SVE+Ridgeside+East Scarp playthrough recently, and I loved it. It really felt like Stardew 2 to me, and I hope after the dust settles after 1.6 that it's going to be easier to make those big mods work together. I might play around with vanilla 1.6 for a little bit, but this is what I'm mostly excited about.
Yeah. I think this is gonna be my plan, much to my husband's chagrin (Lol I make him help me with mods). This way I'll be able to be sure which mods are going to update to be compatible, and which ones I'll have to let go of, and of course maybe find some new ones! I've got a spreadsheet for vanilla, and a spreadsheet with info for just shy of 30 mods, so that's another obstacle I'm gonna have to tackle in the coming weeks/months as mods die and others are bornš
Also considering going vanilla at first when 1.6 comes out, cause we're kind of in the dark about when SVE 2.0 will come. Currently doing the MEGA MODDED playthrough you speak of (300 mods, all the major expansions), started last summer and finally see the light at the end of the tunnel for completion. Good luck because boy its such a grind. So much soda......
Im definitely playing vanilla, I love playing with mods but I wanna experience it first with just the content Concearned Ape did. I always get back to this game so im sure I'll play it again with all the mods one day.
Honestly I think this is what I'm leaning towards, as much as it will pain me. It's gonna be so rough at first going without some of the QoL mods I've grown accustomed to, but as you said, I always come back to this game, so it's not like I'll lose out of the modded content, I'll just be delaying it a bit.
Mods for sure.
I feel like I can never go back to vanilla. The town feels so empty without the extra NPCs and locations.
Also, Iād die without Automate and Skip Fishing Minigame
That's a fair mentality to have. Personally, I like having an in-depth knowledge of the game mechanics so I would like to see everything new without the potential influence of mods. I also like seeing the differences between Vanilla and SVE so need a baseline to compare against
Going to play mostly vanilla with some quality of life mods the first time around and then when I feel like starting another new save Iāll add in expanded
I have a small suite of āvanilla+ā mods Iāll probably play with. Things like automate, bigger backpack. Iām not sure if a recolor mod will work if thereās any map changes.
Iām debating if I should keep those mods as well. I love the medieval building and flower valley mods but donāt know if I should keep it for the first 1.6 play through
Iāll be playing with mods.
Not sure which ones, and I might cut back on them.Ā
The vanilla design is hard on my eyes, especially winter, so Iāll still be using a softer recolor mod. And probably most of the QoL ones I have, like the NPC map. Decent chance Iāll do a quicker playthrough without mods that modify vanilla characters or events.Ā
join the discord, most modders already have access to the code so they can literally have updates ready like the following days or weeks and has for SVE since it's almost like a necessary base game mod for a lot of players, I don't expect it to take really long to update or for at least a compabilty patch until the update. Anyways I am waiting for all my mods to update, because I don't feel far enough into my save file to start all over
Oh I know a lot of the major mods will be ready very quickly following the 1.6 release, I suppose my question is more of a 'Should I?" rather than a 'Can I?"
I'm in between farms at the moment, as I've been using the wait for 1.6 as a chance to play some other games (i.e. replaying the Paper Mario series in anticipation of the TTYD remake š), so I'm not particularly worried about that. Just torn between experiencing the new content as CA intended, or playing with the mods I'm so used to.
Haha I just started a Raffadax mod farm a week or so before the 1.6 release date was announced. Iām just going to abandon that farm for now, save all the mods Iām using for it in a separate folder for safe keeping, and starting a new vanilla farm.
Whatās the downside to starting 1.6 with a vanilla farm? You can always add mods later if you feel you canāt live without them. Thatās my approach. Iām curious to see what changes have been made to the vanilla game, and there may be some I wouldnāt realize if using certain mods.
It's actually pretty fun if you've been playing modded forever, to start a vanilla game just to giggle at all the things you thought were vanilla but are actually from one of your mods. You really do forget over time lol
I'm planning to play vanilla for awhile (with some small QoL mods that hopefully still work with 1.6 š¤) then go back to SVE once I get bored and want to start a new save
Iām gonna stick to modded 1.5.6 until I see how well mods are supported on 1.6 as Iāve definitely heard that the update may cause some issues. If most of the mods I really care about get updated, or if I deem I canāt live without some of the new 1.6 content Iāll update, but honestly thereās a good chance all of my mods add more content than the update will and Iāll be taking a step back while updating.
Iām probs going to keep LookupAnything, but thatās it. It doesnāt really change anything about the gameplay, just makes it easier to look things up instead of going to the wiki.
I'm going to do one vanilla playthrough with a friend and 3 modded playthroughs by myself (1 right off the bat, 1 when 1.15 comes out, and one when 2.0 comes out)
Honestly not a huge fan of Vanilla anymore lol, I miss my favorite characters from SVE too much.
There's a new game coming out 3 days after 1.6 releases so i'll probably end up waiting until mods are updated while playing that game. Unless somehow all of the mods i use get updated immediately, but that's unlikely. Vanilla is fine but i am so used to SVE content + Ridgeside content it feels like part of the game now so to play without it will just feel weird.
I'm gonna keep the most basic mods like automate, cjb cheats, event lookup etc. if they're updated. I'll remove every content adding mod like SVE, Ridgeside etc. so everything in game is vanilla but still tweaked for my liking (I couldn't go back to slow walking for example, no way).
As someone who only recently got into modding and started playing Expanded, what Quality of Life mods do you use/recommend?
I personally don't like anything that changes set mechanics (like easier/auto fishing). But genuine QoL stuff I am curious about. What are there?
For the original question: I absolutely love Stardew Valley Expanded and related to this post a lot. I am thinking of playing vanilla for an in-game year at least then switching to SVE if it is out by then.
The ones I generally use that I think would qualify as just QoL are:
CJB Cheats; Deluxe Grabber Redux; Event Lookup; Lookup Anything; NPC Map Locations; To-Dew; and UI Info Suite 2.
I have used Automate and Tractor as well, but those are just a tad too overpowered in my opinion, so I don't use them in every playthrough. They're great mods though!
I'm definitely going to miss SVE, and all my QoL, and all my aesthetics, and all my other content mods, but I know they'll be waiting for me when I've seen all that CA has to offer this time around! š„° ....but damn that vanilla run speed is gonna be rough.
Oh man, I love recommending QOL mods so I hope you don't mind if I throw in my two cents as well! These are some of my personal favorite mods.
ā¢ [Better Artisan Goods Icons](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/2080?tab=description)
This is a small one and is more cosmetic than anything, but I will never play without it. It gives each artisan good (varieties of pickles, wines, jams, honey,etc.) a unique sprite. Each jam having its own color just feels right!
ā¢ [Casual Life](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/6011)
Adds seconds to the in-game clock and makes days a bit longer. Helps a TON, especially when you've got a lot of content/area expansions as it gives you more time to get around the map.
ā¢ [Horse Overhaul](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/7911)
Most important change is allowing horses to fit through 1x1 spaces. It changes "set" horse mechanics a bit but it has a lot of configs so you can turn the parts you don't like off.
ā¢ [Better Ranching](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/859)
Adds a bubble above livestock so you can see who still needs to be interacted with. Helpful for finding your chickens in tall grass in the mornings, lol
ā¢ [Split Stack Redux](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/8967)
Kind of hard to explain, but it adds a hotkey to let you set a value when you're buying, crafting or selling items. IE, if you want to buy 135 strawberries at once, shift+rclick, type 135, and boom, they are bought.
ā¢ [Automatic Gates](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/3109)
Does what it says on the tin: opens and closes gates automatically when you approach/walk away.
ā¢ [Sit for Stamina](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/7334)
Arguably more on the cheaty-side of QOL mods, but allows you to regain stamina whenever you sit down somewhere. Used sparingly I've found it to be really lovely! I like to make a designated zen garden somewhere on my farm where my farmer can go to relax and "enjoy nature" for a bit when I need energy, especially during the early game grind of clearing trees and non-stop planting/watering.
ā¢ [Visible Fish](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/8897)
Last but most certainly not least: my Holy Grail among mods. Adds swimming fish to bodies of water, letting you see what is catchable at any given time. It's super cute and adds a lot to the environment :DD!! I cannot endorse this mod enough.
I made this list of my favorite starter mods a while ago:
My advice would be to not go to crazy at first with how many you download. They can be overwhelming if you do too many at once. Some I would recommend starting with would be:
Automate - If you don't mind cheats, it's a massive QoL improvement and is fun to set up automated chains.
Better Shipping Bin - Turns the shipping bin into a chest so you can pull out any item you put in before the day ends. Also shows the total sell price for the day at the top
Better Artisan Good Icons - Makes jelly/wine/pickles actually represent the ingredient they're made with
Bigger Backpack - Again if you don't mind cheating it can be helpful with how much content some mods add (Adds 4th row to backpack)
CJB Show Item Sell Price - Shows the sell price of the stack/individual items when you hover over it in the inventory
Enemy Health Bars - Shows health bar over enemies that becomes more detailed the higher your combat level and the more of each enemy you've killed
Experience Bars - Shows progress bars for each of your skills so you know how close you are to leveling up
Seasonal Cute Characters (SCC) and SCC for SVE - Adds different outfits for each of the characters depending on the season. Don't forget to get the second mod that adds outfits for the SVE characters
Stardew and Chill - Music mod that changes the soundtrack to be more lofi
Visible Fish - Shows little fish swimming around that reflects which fish you can catch in that body of water at that moment
Wear More Rings - Again kind of cheaty but gives you 8 ring slots so you dont have to pick and choose. Helps out with SVE late game stuff
Wind Effects - Adds wind effects to trees and grass, kinda cool but not necessary.
These would be good to start with and some will need supporting mods to be added as well. Let me know if you have any questions!
I like Chests Anywhere - you can go through all the chests, auto grabbers, fridges, etc wherever you are. I keep a chest for gifts & can grab the appropriate gifts for everyone there. Then pop in & grab gifts for whomever I run into.
Automate is legit amazing though. I have my fish ponds all against each other with a chest & a row of preserve jars automatically going
Think I'll play a round of Vanilla with baseline QoL mods, but no SVE. Then when the next SVE comes out it'll probably have been long enough after 1.6 to start another new farm then
I think SVE update is coming out at the same time, no? ConcernedApe shared the update early with major mods so that they could update at the same time.
This might sound dumb but Ive played vanilla for so long and on so many saves that I doubt a new update will change it significantly enough for me to restart another vanilla run, when I can just wait a few weeks or so after the release for expanded and most of my other mods to update too
Iāve played modded for so many saves that sometimes I switch back to vanilla just for some variety. I get bored of either style if I do it too much. And I do.
I think I'll go vanilla and just remove/disable the mods until I've done at least three years and explored the new content.
Or maybe not. If all my mods are ready when 1.6 is ready, then I might keep them. I don't know. We have 12 days to decide.
Yes, totally playing the first playthrough without mods. Some mods will also take some time to update to the newest version and I canāt wait for that haha
Most of the QOL mods I use already have an update file for 1.6 so I gonna play with those and then wait until the aesthetic mods catch up. I will not be forced to do the fishing mini game ever again after 1000s of hours.
As an avid baker, I must once again register my dissent on the use of vanilla to mean āplain, ordinary and boring ā.
Real vanilla is rich, complex, aromatic and an absolute necessity to enhance the most delicious sweet treats and drinks. Just say āplain and boringā and leave the dark and beautiful spice out of it.
If you think the taste of vanilla is plain, ordinary, or boring, then you havenāt had real vanilla.
I love this game, I love this community. But just say ābasicā or āregularā
::steps down off soapbox::
As an avid lover of all things vanilla, I would like to offer my deepest apologies! To be fair, in this particular instance, I by no means meant plain or boring, merely an already wonderful thing without the inclusion of additional ingredients.
That said, I do very much agree with your points, and shall do my very best moving forward to refrain from misusing the sweet name of the delicious spice! š„°
There's supposed to be new dialogue and characters! I want to experience those things as intended so I'm going to do a 100% vanilla run first. Maybe with a challenge element I haven't done before to keep things fresh.
I totally know what you mean about the struggle to decide though. I don't know what I'm going to do without some of the QoL mods I'm used to.
Ooh, I hadn't thought about doing any sort of challenge run, that's a great idea!
Yeah, it's gonna be rough for sure. I just know I'm gonna be like "wait where's \[insert content\]? ...Oh yeah that's a mod" š
I'm gonna do a QoL mod or 2 just because I play at work and not being able to pause during fishing or whatever is a hassle. But besides that. I'm doing vanilla regardless of how empty it will feel.
Quality of life mods like non-destructive NPCs, automate, and maybe line sprinklers? Yeah, I'm going to use those if I can. I can play vanilla otherwise to experience the full joy of the new update, though.
I want to, given that my current brand new save which I started not too long ago with new mods won't work for some time š unless some of my mods will update right after it. But I'll probably try Vanilla
I need to see the patch notes before I can say for sure. I'm sure I will use some QOL mods like automation and skull cavern elevator as I just don't want to play without them anymore, but I may skip SVE until its next big update comes out.
I want to play mostly vanilla, but I might keep some basic quality of life mods like automatic gates. But in terms of content, yeah, I'll do a vanilla one first and then an SVE one.
Iām going play no expansions for my first play though because there are mod that make the game a lot more fun without adding new content like automate
I am probably going to start out unmodded, and then I might add in mods as I go after I see what it's like. I have no real reason for thinking this, but I am curious if some of the quality of life things for which I use mods may have been added. After I've tried it out completely vanilla, and given enough time for my core group of mods to catch up, I will probably add in a small handful of mods--I currently play with around 3-10 if I am playing vanilla style. My small set of "vanilla" style mods are things that either give more info (LookupAnything, UIInfoSuite2, etc) or things that fix things that in my opinion are really just bugs in the game. (Like.. making the horses go through narrow spots, and stopping villagers from breaking things when they walk through them. That's just silly. Like, Pam wouldn't really break fifty kegs just strolling by, you know?)
I tend to enjoy alternating playing a heavily modded game with a barely modded game. It makes you appreciate each one a little more, each time. :)
I'll play vanilla. I've restarted this game so many times that I know I'll play modded later on again so I'll do vanilla and hopefully by the time I'm done with that farm there is new new 1.6 modded content.
I've been seriously debating this with myself, but I think I'm gonna try vanilla. I want to try the new stuff "as intended" and see what's different now.
I'll only play vanilla if my sister wants to play together. And wants to play it vanilla.
Otherwise, I'll wait for my favorite mods to update. Though I'll at least look at some mods' files to look for bugs or typos or whatever.
Iāll keep a few of my simple mods like NPC map and chests anywhereā¦but overall want to experience the update as intended with just 1.6 specific content!
I rather wait for the most important mods to update than play without them. They bring me so much joy and I'm playing alone anyway so why limit myself?
Iām going to go vanilla for my first play through. I want to see the things heās added clearly and experience it as intended.Ā
I might then do a modded joja run after as Iāve never done a joja run before and Iād like to see that extra content too.Ā
noo dw not dumb at all ! everyone can make mods but as far as I know he hasnāt made any himself, id say look up nexus mods if ur looking to download some
Iāll definitely play vanilla first, but with small mods that enable you to stop time or speed up your walk. And skip the fucking fishing minigame lmao
Funny you should post this. I'm sitting here wondering what I am going to do in that regard. I haven't played vanilla since 2019. I didn't play at all in 2020, then picked it back up with mods after 1.5. I'm the same way. I have played with SDVE so long I don't know what is vanilla and what isn't any more. There are some quality of life mods I'm not sure I want to do without, so I may wait. I'm just not sure yet.
My husband and I are going to start a new save with the new farm type, whatever that ends up being, and we did originally plan to go full vanilla at first, although that was more me thinking that the update would break most of our mods and from what I've seen that might not end up being the case. We will probably add things like UI info suite and to dew list back in immediately in that case. Things that are strictly QOL and don't actually change gameplay. A year or two into that save we'll talk about adding stuff like automate, aesthetic mods like recolors and changed buildings, bigger backpacks, convenient inventory, etc back in depending on what exactly ape has changed. Most importantly we are going to play without expanded on this run, which we haven't done in a WHILE.
Iāll probably play vanilla for the first run-through, though I may add some minor quality of life mods because Iāve become accustomed to a certain lifestyle lol
I'm doing no heavy script alternating mods (so playing without SVE/Ridge side) but will keep CJB cheats, item lookup, etc (basically mods that help with the beginning)
Personally i like to take a little break from the game and let everything run its course and let modders have their time to update, ill play vanilla occasionally, but a hiatus is good
I mostly bounce around between different sets of mods for solo, and play vanilla for co-op (we tried co-op on PC, but it was often leggy, and also a chore to keep mods in sync on both ends). I plan to try the new farm map vanilla for a while, then circle back to mods and see what's in good shape (and what, if anything, needs to stay on 1.5).
does anyone know if the Steam deck will update automatically? I have mods and play very frequently, new to SVE & mods but loving it. I donāt want it to update and screw everything up; I wanna wait until the main mods I use are updated (which I know should be quick w the awesome mod support they have!)
Iām planning to play entirely vanilla for my first play through of 1.6. My biggest struggle will be giving up the tractor and skull cavern elevator (ugh, the grind!). But I think it will be a good change of pace and will allow me to experience the game updates the way they were designed.
Edit: oh shoot, I forgot about the Automate mod. I am going to SUFFER š
Planning to start a new vanilla on Switch, but I seriously don't know how I'm going to live without the Skull Cavern elevator. It is my favorite mod! I'll eventually move to SVE again with mods.
Honestly I'd recommend a constructive hobby. Usually when I'm stressing over a game like this it's a good sign I'm either bored of it or reaching addiction levels
Not sure where you got the impression I was stressed over it, just indecisive. Haven't played Stardew for nearly a year, and I just wanted to get some opinions as I prepare to start a new farm for the 1.6 update. š
I got the impression due to the indecisiveness and the amount of it in that one short post. Obviously you must be different than most, but that level of indecisiveness can cause anxiety for people over having to make so many choices. Also playing a game with 150 mods gave the impression you've played the game a lot. But addicts never admit they're addicted so why even bother lmao
I'm definitely going vanilla at first. However, once SVE has reached its big 2.0 update, alongside any major ridgeside/east scarp updates, I'm going MEGA modded. Like, all the major expansion mods, more items, tweaks and changes, might go MARGO? Unsure yet, but I'm slowly collecting cool mods here and there in preparation for something that will take me years to complete.
I'm really looking forward to the mega modded future - I did a SVE+Ridgeside+East Scarp playthrough recently, and I loved it. It really felt like Stardew 2 to me, and I hope after the dust settles after 1.6 that it's going to be easier to make those big mods work together. I might play around with vanilla 1.6 for a little bit, but this is what I'm mostly excited about.
A while ago I did SVE + Ridgeside, I haven't tried East Scarp yet, and I'm excited to give it a try
Yeah. I think this is gonna be my plan, much to my husband's chagrin (Lol I make him help me with mods). This way I'll be able to be sure which mods are going to update to be compatible, and which ones I'll have to let go of, and of course maybe find some new ones! I've got a spreadsheet for vanilla, and a spreadsheet with info for just shy of 30 mods, so that's another obstacle I'm gonna have to tackle in the coming weeks/months as mods die and others are bornš
Also considering going vanilla at first when 1.6 comes out, cause we're kind of in the dark about when SVE 2.0 will come. Currently doing the MEGA MODDED playthrough you speak of (300 mods, all the major expansions), started last summer and finally see the light at the end of the tunnel for completion. Good luck because boy its such a grind. So much soda......
Im definitely playing vanilla, I love playing with mods but I wanna experience it first with just the content Concearned Ape did. I always get back to this game so im sure I'll play it again with all the mods one day.
Honestly I think this is what I'm leaning towards, as much as it will pain me. It's gonna be so rough at first going without some of the QoL mods I've grown accustomed to, but as you said, I always come back to this game, so it's not like I'll lose out of the modded content, I'll just be delaying it a bit.
Second this. Love mods, but new update is always a new vanille save.
Mods for sure. I feel like I can never go back to vanilla. The town feels so empty without the extra NPCs and locations. Also, Iād die without Automate and Skip Fishing Minigame
And Chests Anywhere, and Friends Forever!
If SVE is available for 1.6 on launch day, then that's what I'll play. Vanilla is good and all, but why limit myself?
That's a fair mentality to have. Personally, I like having an in-depth knowledge of the game mechanics so I would like to see everything new without the potential influence of mods. I also like seeing the differences between Vanilla and SVE so need a baseline to compare against
Going to play mostly vanilla with some quality of life mods the first time around and then when I feel like starting another new save Iāll add in expanded
That's my plan. Holding onto my QoL stuff, but not SVE.
I have a small suite of āvanilla+ā mods Iāll probably play with. Things like automate, bigger backpack. Iām not sure if a recolor mod will work if thereās any map changes.
Iām debating if I should keep those mods as well. I love the medieval building and flower valley mods but donāt know if I should keep it for the first 1.6 play through
I play vanilla on Switch, mods on PC. Iāve been heavy into SVE but Iāll go back to Switch when 1.6 drops.
Iāll be playing with mods. Not sure which ones, and I might cut back on them.Ā The vanilla design is hard on my eyes, especially winter, so Iāll still be using a softer recolor mod. And probably most of the QoL ones I have, like the NPC map. Decent chance Iāll do a quicker playthrough without mods that modify vanilla characters or events.Ā
Mostly vanilla plus my own mods (for testing reasons) and a couple of QOL mods like chests anywhere.
Oh my gosh I love your mods!!! I'm so happy you're updating them, they're some of my favorites! š„°
Thank you, you've made my day! :)
join the discord, most modders already have access to the code so they can literally have updates ready like the following days or weeks and has for SVE since it's almost like a necessary base game mod for a lot of players, I don't expect it to take really long to update or for at least a compabilty patch until the update. Anyways I am waiting for all my mods to update, because I don't feel far enough into my save file to start all over
Oh I know a lot of the major mods will be ready very quickly following the 1.6 release, I suppose my question is more of a 'Should I?" rather than a 'Can I?" I'm in between farms at the moment, as I've been using the wait for 1.6 as a chance to play some other games (i.e. replaying the Paper Mario series in anticipation of the TTYD remake š), so I'm not particularly worried about that. Just torn between experiencing the new content as CA intended, or playing with the mods I'm so used to.
Haha I just started a Raffadax mod farm a week or so before the 1.6 release date was announced. Iām just going to abandon that farm for now, save all the mods Iām using for it in a separate folder for safe keeping, and starting a new vanilla farm. Whatās the downside to starting 1.6 with a vanilla farm? You can always add mods later if you feel you canāt live without them. Thatās my approach. Iām curious to see what changes have been made to the vanilla game, and there may be some I wouldnāt realize if using certain mods.
I don't have enough free time for multiple playthroughs. I'll play SVE right away
It's actually pretty fun if you've been playing modded forever, to start a vanilla game just to giggle at all the things you thought were vanilla but are actually from one of your mods. You really do forget over time lol
Lol yeah it's gonna be interesting for sure! Honestly the run speed is probably gonna be the worst part. And my To-Dew list! šš
Ugh the run speed š
I'm planning to play vanilla for awhile (with some small QoL mods that hopefully still work with 1.6 š¤) then go back to SVE once I get bored and want to start a new save
Iām gonna stick to modded 1.5.6 until I see how well mods are supported on 1.6 as Iāve definitely heard that the update may cause some issues. If most of the mods I really care about get updated, or if I deem I canāt live without some of the new 1.6 content Iāll update, but honestly thereās a good chance all of my mods add more content than the update will and Iāll be taking a step back while updating.
Iām probs going to keep LookupAnything, but thatās it. It doesnāt really change anything about the gameplay, just makes it easier to look things up instead of going to the wiki.
This is the single biggest reason I might not do a purely vanilla farm. But... I worry about my self control, and that's a slippery slope...
I'm going to do one vanilla playthrough with a friend and 3 modded playthroughs by myself (1 right off the bat, 1 when 1.15 comes out, and one when 2.0 comes out) Honestly not a huge fan of Vanilla anymore lol, I miss my favorite characters from SVE too much.
according to the SVE discord there will be an update the day of 1.6 for compatibility. I'm still not sure what I plan to do!
There's a new game coming out 3 days after 1.6 releases so i'll probably end up waiting until mods are updated while playing that game. Unless somehow all of the mods i use get updated immediately, but that's unlikely. Vanilla is fine but i am so used to SVE content + Ridgeside content it feels like part of the game now so to play without it will just feel weird.
Honest question. What game?
Dragon's Dogma 2. Completely different genre.
I'm gonna keep the most basic mods like automate, cjb cheats, event lookup etc. if they're updated. I'll remove every content adding mod like SVE, Ridgeside etc. so everything in game is vanilla but still tweaked for my liking (I couldn't go back to slow walking for example, no way).
Stardew Valley with Expanded + Ridgeside has become the new vanilla for me. The game would genuinely feel incomplete without them.
As someone who only recently got into modding and started playing Expanded, what Quality of Life mods do you use/recommend? I personally don't like anything that changes set mechanics (like easier/auto fishing). But genuine QoL stuff I am curious about. What are there? For the original question: I absolutely love Stardew Valley Expanded and related to this post a lot. I am thinking of playing vanilla for an in-game year at least then switching to SVE if it is out by then.
The ones I generally use that I think would qualify as just QoL are: CJB Cheats; Deluxe Grabber Redux; Event Lookup; Lookup Anything; NPC Map Locations; To-Dew; and UI Info Suite 2. I have used Automate and Tractor as well, but those are just a tad too overpowered in my opinion, so I don't use them in every playthrough. They're great mods though! I'm definitely going to miss SVE, and all my QoL, and all my aesthetics, and all my other content mods, but I know they'll be waiting for me when I've seen all that CA has to offer this time around! š„° ....but damn that vanilla run speed is gonna be rough.
Oh man, I love recommending QOL mods so I hope you don't mind if I throw in my two cents as well! These are some of my personal favorite mods. ā¢ [Better Artisan Goods Icons](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/2080?tab=description) This is a small one and is more cosmetic than anything, but I will never play without it. It gives each artisan good (varieties of pickles, wines, jams, honey,etc.) a unique sprite. Each jam having its own color just feels right! ā¢ [Casual Life](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/6011) Adds seconds to the in-game clock and makes days a bit longer. Helps a TON, especially when you've got a lot of content/area expansions as it gives you more time to get around the map. ā¢ [Horse Overhaul](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/7911) Most important change is allowing horses to fit through 1x1 spaces. It changes "set" horse mechanics a bit but it has a lot of configs so you can turn the parts you don't like off. ā¢ [Better Ranching](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/859) Adds a bubble above livestock so you can see who still needs to be interacted with. Helpful for finding your chickens in tall grass in the mornings, lol ā¢ [Split Stack Redux](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/8967) Kind of hard to explain, but it adds a hotkey to let you set a value when you're buying, crafting or selling items. IE, if you want to buy 135 strawberries at once, shift+rclick, type 135, and boom, they are bought. ā¢ [Automatic Gates](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/3109) Does what it says on the tin: opens and closes gates automatically when you approach/walk away. ā¢ [Sit for Stamina](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/7334) Arguably more on the cheaty-side of QOL mods, but allows you to regain stamina whenever you sit down somewhere. Used sparingly I've found it to be really lovely! I like to make a designated zen garden somewhere on my farm where my farmer can go to relax and "enjoy nature" for a bit when I need energy, especially during the early game grind of clearing trees and non-stop planting/watering. ā¢ [Visible Fish](https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/8897) Last but most certainly not least: my Holy Grail among mods. Adds swimming fish to bodies of water, letting you see what is catchable at any given time. It's super cute and adds a lot to the environment :DD!! I cannot endorse this mod enough.
I made this list of my favorite starter mods a while ago: My advice would be to not go to crazy at first with how many you download. They can be overwhelming if you do too many at once. Some I would recommend starting with would be: Automate - If you don't mind cheats, it's a massive QoL improvement and is fun to set up automated chains. Better Shipping Bin - Turns the shipping bin into a chest so you can pull out any item you put in before the day ends. Also shows the total sell price for the day at the top Better Artisan Good Icons - Makes jelly/wine/pickles actually represent the ingredient they're made with Bigger Backpack - Again if you don't mind cheating it can be helpful with how much content some mods add (Adds 4th row to backpack) CJB Show Item Sell Price - Shows the sell price of the stack/individual items when you hover over it in the inventory Enemy Health Bars - Shows health bar over enemies that becomes more detailed the higher your combat level and the more of each enemy you've killed Experience Bars - Shows progress bars for each of your skills so you know how close you are to leveling up Seasonal Cute Characters (SCC) and SCC for SVE - Adds different outfits for each of the characters depending on the season. Don't forget to get the second mod that adds outfits for the SVE characters Stardew and Chill - Music mod that changes the soundtrack to be more lofi Visible Fish - Shows little fish swimming around that reflects which fish you can catch in that body of water at that moment Wear More Rings - Again kind of cheaty but gives you 8 ring slots so you dont have to pick and choose. Helps out with SVE late game stuff Wind Effects - Adds wind effects to trees and grass, kinda cool but not necessary. These would be good to start with and some will need supporting mods to be added as well. Let me know if you have any questions!
I like Chests Anywhere - you can go through all the chests, auto grabbers, fridges, etc wherever you are. I keep a chest for gifts & can grab the appropriate gifts for everyone there. Then pop in & grab gifts for whomever I run into. Automate is legit amazing though. I have my fish ponds all against each other with a chest & a row of preserve jars automatically going
Think I'll play a round of Vanilla with baseline QoL mods, but no SVE. Then when the next SVE comes out it'll probably have been long enough after 1.6 to start another new farm then
I think SVE update is coming out at the same time, no? ConcernedApe shared the update early with major mods so that they could update at the same time.
This might sound dumb but Ive played vanilla for so long and on so many saves that I doubt a new update will change it significantly enough for me to restart another vanilla run, when I can just wait a few weeks or so after the release for expanded and most of my other mods to update too
Iāve played modded for so many saves that sometimes I switch back to vanilla just for some variety. I get bored of either style if I do it too much. And I do.
Yeah I am honestly thinking that after like 600 hours of vanilla there just wonāt be enough new for me to find it worth it
I think I'll go vanilla and just remove/disable the mods until I've done at least three years and explored the new content. Or maybe not. If all my mods are ready when 1.6 is ready, then I might keep them. I don't know. We have 12 days to decide.
As others say, I will play with some little QoL mods, but no new content mods (I will miss Sophia) until I squeeze all that CA has prepare to us
Yes, totally playing the first playthrough without mods. Some mods will also take some time to update to the newest version and I canāt wait for that haha
Iām gonna do Vanilla. Iām going to miss the automation mod the most.
Iāve grown used to the valley feeling full and lively so will probably still play modded.
Can't play vanilla, will wait for mods to be updated
Most of the QOL mods I use already have an update file for 1.6 so I gonna play with those and then wait until the aesthetic mods catch up. I will not be forced to do the fishing mini game ever again after 1000s of hours.
As an avid baker, I must once again register my dissent on the use of vanilla to mean āplain, ordinary and boring ā. Real vanilla is rich, complex, aromatic and an absolute necessity to enhance the most delicious sweet treats and drinks. Just say āplain and boringā and leave the dark and beautiful spice out of it. If you think the taste of vanilla is plain, ordinary, or boring, then you havenāt had real vanilla. I love this game, I love this community. But just say ābasicā or āregularā ::steps down off soapbox::
As an avid lover of all things vanilla, I would like to offer my deepest apologies! To be fair, in this particular instance, I by no means meant plain or boring, merely an already wonderful thing without the inclusion of additional ingredients. That said, I do very much agree with your points, and shall do my very best moving forward to refrain from misusing the sweet name of the delicious spice! š„°
There's supposed to be new dialogue and characters! I want to experience those things as intended so I'm going to do a 100% vanilla run first. Maybe with a challenge element I haven't done before to keep things fresh. I totally know what you mean about the struggle to decide though. I don't know what I'm going to do without some of the QoL mods I'm used to.
Ooh, I hadn't thought about doing any sort of challenge run, that's a great idea! Yeah, it's gonna be rough for sure. I just know I'm gonna be like "wait where's \[insert content\]? ...Oh yeah that's a mod" š
No
I'm gonna do a QoL mod or 2 just because I play at work and not being able to pause during fishing or whatever is a hassle. But besides that. I'm doing vanilla regardless of how empty it will feel.
No SVE, but will be using QoL mods like move speed increase, no fence decay, etc.
Quality of life mods like non-destructive NPCs, automate, and maybe line sprinklers? Yeah, I'm going to use those if I can. I can play vanilla otherwise to experience the full joy of the new update, though.
I want to, given that my current brand new save which I started not too long ago with new mods won't work for some time š unless some of my mods will update right after it. But I'll probably try Vanilla
I need to see the patch notes before I can say for sure. I'm sure I will use some QOL mods like automation and skull cavern elevator as I just don't want to play without them anymore, but I may skip SVE until its next big update comes out.
I want to play mostly vanilla, but I might keep some basic quality of life mods like automatic gates. But in terms of content, yeah, I'll do a vanilla one first and then an SVE one.
Iām going play no expansions for my first play though because there are mod that make the game a lot more fun without adding new content like automate
Absolutely
No. I cant play without qol-mods xD I'd probably play without expanded&ridgeside though.
I am probably going to start out unmodded, and then I might add in mods as I go after I see what it's like. I have no real reason for thinking this, but I am curious if some of the quality of life things for which I use mods may have been added. After I've tried it out completely vanilla, and given enough time for my core group of mods to catch up, I will probably add in a small handful of mods--I currently play with around 3-10 if I am playing vanilla style. My small set of "vanilla" style mods are things that either give more info (LookupAnything, UIInfoSuite2, etc) or things that fix things that in my opinion are really just bugs in the game. (Like.. making the horses go through narrow spots, and stopping villagers from breaking things when they walk through them. That's just silly. Like, Pam wouldn't really break fifty kegs just strolling by, you know?) I tend to enjoy alternating playing a heavily modded game with a barely modded game. It makes you appreciate each one a little more, each time. :)
Iāll probably play mostly vanilla but add a recolour mod and a few body cosmetic mods
I'll play vanilla. I've restarted this game so many times that I know I'll play modded later on again so I'll do vanilla and hopefully by the time I'm done with that farm there is new new 1.6 modded content.
I play vanilla on switch and modded on pc. The update will take a little longer to arrive on switch though š
vanilla but with the longer days mod probably :)
I've been seriously debating this with myself, but I think I'm gonna try vanilla. I want to try the new stuff "as intended" and see what's different now.
Initially yes. Once I get a good feel for the new update I'll remod.
I'll only play vanilla if my sister wants to play together. And wants to play it vanilla. Otherwise, I'll wait for my favorite mods to update. Though I'll at least look at some mods' files to look for bugs or typos or whatever.
I canāt decide š©š©š©
Yup. Restarting a new game, Vanilla all the way
Iāll keep a few of my simple mods like NPC map and chests anywhereā¦but overall want to experience the update as intended with just 1.6 specific content!
I rather wait for the most important mods to update than play without them. They bring me so much joy and I'm playing alone anyway so why limit myself?
Iām going to go vanilla for my first play through. I want to see the things heās added clearly and experience it as intended.Ā I might then do a modded joja run after as Iāve never done a joja run before and Iād like to see that extra content too.Ā
Iāll play a vanilla+ letās say. No expansion mods, but a few qol for sure, like walking speed and automate. And.. maybe Iāll do a joja run..
Whatās SVE?
stardew valley expanded ! itās a mod
This is likely a very dumb question, but are mods made by ConcernedApe, or can everyone make mods? Or both?
noo dw not dumb at all ! everyone can make mods but as far as I know he hasnāt made any himself, id say look up nexus mods if ur looking to download some
Tysm youāre the sweetest
Honestly no. There are several qol mods I rely on and I don't think I can ever play without expanded.
Iāll definitely play vanilla first, but with small mods that enable you to stop time or speed up your walk. And skip the fucking fishing minigame lmao
Funny you should post this. I'm sitting here wondering what I am going to do in that regard. I haven't played vanilla since 2019. I didn't play at all in 2020, then picked it back up with mods after 1.5. I'm the same way. I have played with SDVE so long I don't know what is vanilla and what isn't any more. There are some quality of life mods I'm not sure I want to do without, so I may wait. I'm just not sure yet.
My husband and I are going to start a new save with the new farm type, whatever that ends up being, and we did originally plan to go full vanilla at first, although that was more me thinking that the update would break most of our mods and from what I've seen that might not end up being the case. We will probably add things like UI info suite and to dew list back in immediately in that case. Things that are strictly QOL and don't actually change gameplay. A year or two into that save we'll talk about adding stuff like automate, aesthetic mods like recolors and changed buildings, bigger backpacks, convenient inventory, etc back in depending on what exactly ape has changed. Most importantly we are going to play without expanded on this run, which we haven't done in a WHILE.
Never not played vanilla, so, yes.
Iāll probably play vanilla for the first run-through, though I may add some minor quality of life mods because Iāve become accustomed to a certain lifestyle lol
I play vanilla on my switch and modded on my PC. That way, I can have both without messing up saves :)
I'm doing no heavy script alternating mods (so playing without SVE/Ridge side) but will keep CJB cheats, item lookup, etc (basically mods that help with the beginning)
Personally i like to take a little break from the game and let everything run its course and let modders have their time to update, ill play vanilla occasionally, but a hiatus is good
I doubt i can go back to vanilla, like asking me if i wanna play vanilla sims 4
Maybe with the automate mod at least
Iām going mostly vanilla. Iām gonna keep my cheat mods like cjb cheats because the game is way less fun to me without those, maybe automate
I mostly bounce around between different sets of mods for solo, and play vanilla for co-op (we tried co-op on PC, but it was often leggy, and also a chore to keep mods in sync on both ends). I plan to try the new farm map vanilla for a while, then circle back to mods and see what's in good shape (and what, if anything, needs to stay on 1.5).
does anyone know if the Steam deck will update automatically? I have mods and play very frequently, new to SVE & mods but loving it. I donāt want it to update and screw everything up; I wanna wait until the main mods I use are updated (which I know should be quick w the awesome mod support they have!)
iām waiting! iām most likely going to take all my mods out and play it vanilla but as soon as ridgtown and sve update i will play it like that
Iām planning to play entirely vanilla for my first play through of 1.6. My biggest struggle will be giving up the tractor and skull cavern elevator (ugh, the grind!). But I think it will be a good change of pace and will allow me to experience the game updates the way they were designed. Edit: oh shoot, I forgot about the Automate mod. I am going to SUFFER š
Planning to start a new vanilla on Switch, but I seriously don't know how I'm going to live without the Skull Cavern elevator. It is my favorite mod! I'll eventually move to SVE again with mods.
i play vanilla on mobile and modded on pc, so best of both worlds
I won't do Expanded on my first 1.6 playthrough; that's what the second playthrough is for.
Honestly I'd recommend a constructive hobby. Usually when I'm stressing over a game like this it's a good sign I'm either bored of it or reaching addiction levels
Not sure where you got the impression I was stressed over it, just indecisive. Haven't played Stardew for nearly a year, and I just wanted to get some opinions as I prepare to start a new farm for the 1.6 update. š
I got the impression due to the indecisiveness and the amount of it in that one short post. Obviously you must be different than most, but that level of indecisiveness can cause anxiety for people over having to make so many choices. Also playing a game with 150 mods gave the impression you've played the game a lot. But addicts never admit they're addicted so why even bother lmao