Echoes of the Plum Grove – Tips and Tricks to Help You Survive

Beginner Tips

Basics

You’ve got this cute character, dropped in the middle of nowhere. Here’s the lowdown to kickstart your adventure:

1. Keep an eye out for those little tutorial pop-ups. They’re like your guiding stars. But hey, if you miss them, don’t sweat it. You can always check out the tutorials in the menu, easy peasy.
2. Your toolbar’s got some nifty stuff. Need to use something that’s not a tool? Just hit the spacebar. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of buttons. Watering can running dry? Space to refill. Feeling peckish? Space to chow down. Got some recipes or blueprints? Space to read up.
3. Not into the whole survival gig? No worries, you can switch off food, sleep, and diseases in the menu. But hear me out, give it a shot with ’em on first. Adds a bit of spice to the game, you know?
4. Look for stuff with a darker outline, they’re the ones you can mess with. Shake a tree or bush and nothing drops? It might not be its season, just like fashion trends.
5. Check out the Family tab in the menu, bottom left, under your mugshot. There’s some neat stuff there: flick the switch for your lamp (don’t forget to refill it if you got oil); snoop on your skill levels; pimp out your fishing rod with lures; and keep tabs on the calendar.

Trees

Remember this golden rule: shake trees twice whenever you stroll by them. Why? Because not only does the wood come in handy for crafting, but it’s also a sweet source of cash. Each piece fetches you 10 gold, so if you stack up 50, that’s a cool 500 gold in your pocket. Easy money, right? So, keep those trees shakin’ and watch your wallet grow!

Food

Starting out in spring, whip up some survival salad—it’s a breeze to make with plantains and violets you snag from the ground.

Now, for the long haul, keep yourself fed by tossing fruits, veggies, or fish onto a drying rack or in a preservative jar. They’ll turn into grub that not only fills you up by 10-20 hunger but lasts ages in your stash. Easy peasy! With just 3 racks or jars, you’ll have all the chow you need plus some leftovers.

Sure, cooking’s cool too. But recipes need loads of ingredients and don’t fill you up that much more. Better off selling ’em for some sweet moolah. Stick to the dried fruit diet—it’s the road to victory!

But hey, once you’re rollin’ in dough, treat yourself to those waffles! Your avatar’s earned it, and they’re a gift from a buddy, right? It’d be impolite not to chow down. Plus, cooked goodies can even buff you up, giving your items a boost.

Farming

To kickstart your farm, you gotta get your hands on some seeds. Head over to the fields on the left side of your farm, chat up the folks there—they’re the seed sellers. The top right and bottom left fields have different stuff in stock and might switch it up each day, so keep tabs on ’em. Oh, and doing the Mayor’s quest is a solid way to score some starting seeds too.

When you harvest your crops, chances are they’ll cough up more seeds of the same type. Nice little bonus, huh?

Now, watering time. Each plant or tree needs its own splash, so don’t forget your daily duty. Miss a day, and your plant goes brown but hangs on. Miss another, and it’s a goner. And seeds left unwatered vanish like a mirage the next day.

When it’s time to reap the rewards, whip out your sickle. Ripe and dead crops get the chop—hover over ’em, and if the selection square’s yellow, they’re ready for the snip.

Want top-notch crops? Fertilizer’s the secret sauce. Toss some rot into the compost bin, and boom—better quality stuff. Doesn’t speed up growth, but hey, quality over quantity, right?

Keep an eye on your loot. Gold turns to silver, then bronze, then it’s rot city. Eat or sell your bronze goodies first. But even rot’s got its perks—toss it in the compost bin for some good ol’ compost action.

Livestock

If you’ve got two of the same critter, there’s a chance they’ll make more for you—free livestock, baby! So, keep your focus narrow at the start. Get a pair of chickens or cows, let ’em do their thing, and watch your farm grow. You can always sell or chop up the babies for some extra dough.

Quick heads-up: all animals are tagged as dudes for now, but they’ll still lay eggs or give milk, and they can get busy with each other for baby-making.

Wanna give your furry friends some personality? Double-click ’em to give ’em a name. Just a heads up, it doesn’t work with pregnant coop critters for now.

Making Friends

Socialize like it’s going out of style! You can chat up folks twice a day ’til they’re all talked out. Once you’re tight with someone, they’ll start mailing you gifts—sometimes real gems, so keep those friendships alive!

See a question mark above someone’s noggin? They might be itching to offer you a quest or toss you a present, so don’t skip out on chatting with ’em.

Now, here’s the deal: hurling insults doesn’t do you any favors, but if you’re already buds, it’s just a little hiccup in your relationship. And don’t go overboard with the gift-giving—some folks are real picky, and you might end up losing friendship points. Cooked dishes, though? Always a hit!

Quests

Quests are like candy—they’re tempting, but not all of them are worth your time. Sometimes you’ll get offered quests that you just can’t nail yet—maybe it’s asking for stuff that’s out of season, or you lack the skills or gear. Don’t stress about passing up or ditching a quest that’s too tough for now.

Now, if a quest hands out blueprints or recipes, that’s the golden ticket. Even if you can’t whip up the goods just yet, snag those quests—trust me, it’s worth it to expand your repertoire.

Got some cash to splash? Grab those blueprint quests, even if you’re not stocked up on the items. You can always buy what you need, and the rewards are worth it.

Once you’re ready to rock a quest, the person’s icon will pop up on your map, so you’ll know exactly where to head.

Tools and Materials

Tools made from sturdier stuff last longer, but they’re not packing any extra oomph. Take the watering can, for example—splurge on a pricier one, and you’ll get more water capacity, but you’re still tending to one square at a time. Jump up to the next tier when you think it’s worth the upgrade, and always send your tools to the blacksmith for a tune-up just before they give out—you’ll get ’em back in the mail the next day, good as new.

Steel tools are like rare Pokémon—you’ll spot ’em at the blacksmith every once in a blue moon, or swing by the docks on the weekend to snag ’em from ship captains.

Heads up: once you clear out trees and rocks from your turf, they’re gone for good. Brambles and dead bushes? Show ’em who’s boss with a trusty hoe. Once your land’s spick and span, you’ll need to hunt elsewhere for those materials.

Need some wood, stone, or straw? Shake down trees in town, hit the mines for stone, or grow some hay for straw. And don’t forget to hit up the locals—blacksmiths, carpenters, and farmers might just have what you’re after in stock.

Crafting

Some crafting recipes call for multiple items. Like, toss in 3 wheat to churn out flour, or 3 iron ore to cook up an iron bar.

But hey, don’t feel like you gotta be a one-person crafting factory! Sure, you’ve got a crafting station, and you might think you gotta DIY everything like in other farming games. But here’s the kicker: Echoes is all about the farming life. You’re not some master crafter from day one. Need iron nails? Hit up the blacksmith and swipe ’em. Sure, it might seem pricey at first, but cash flows like water in this game, and you’re in no rush. Take it slow, build up your crafting skills over time. Your offspring can pick up where you left off. So, embrace the farmer’s life and let others handle the crafting hustle.

The Carpenter

When you hit up the carpenter, you’ve got a few choices on your plate: chicken coop, barn, or house upgrade. Pick your poison, but make sure the spot you want to plunk it down is clear first. Ain’t nobody got time for back-and-forth trips!

Now, let’s talk building requirements:

• Chicken coop: 999 gold. 80 wood, 30 stone, 15 nails, 20 straw, 4 iron bar.
• Large chicken coop: 2100 gold. 59 stone, 30 nails, 160 wood, 40 straw, 3 copper bar, 4 iron bar.
• Barn: 1200 gold. 100 wood, 40 stone, 25 nails, 20 straw, 7 iron bar, 4 glass.
• Large barn: 2700 gold. 57 stone, 30 nails, 2 steel bar, 10 brick, 200 wood, 4 glass, 40 straw.
• Saltbox Home: 1699 gold. 40 stone, 30 nails, 5 iron bar, 122 wood, 8 glass, 5 paint.
• Atlantic Home: 4999 gold. 57 stone, 50 nails, 3 steel bar, 35 brick, 300 wood, 20 glass, 10 paint.

Disease and Death

Money talks, right? Once you’ve got a bit of dough, swing by the doc’s office and ask for an inoculation. Trust me, smallpox ain’t no joke—half the town could get wiped out, and you don’t wanna be on that list.

Now, cozy up to the doc, and they’ll start sending you free meds. Plus, their quests often dish out medicine as rewards, so it’s a win-win.

Keep a stash of meds handy ’cause if you catch a bug, the doc might not have what you need right then and there, or they could be closed for the day.

If you spot someone looking under the weather, steer clear. And if you’re sick, keep your distance from folks, especially your kin—unless you’re aiming for a population decline, then go ahead, spread the love.

When you’re sick, eat regular meals and hit the hay hard—that’s your best shot at beating it.

Heads up: if the local tradesfolk kick the bucket without a successor, someone new rolls into town in a couple of days to fill the gap.

Oh, and about those items labeled as death sentences? Yep, you can totally hand ’em out if you’re feeling mischievous. Up to you!

Marriage and Children

No need to deck out your crib with fancy upgrades to tie the knot or start a family.

To woo your crush, get chummy with ’em and hand over a bouquet from the lighthouse. That’s your signal of serious interest. They might throw another hoop your way, like getting buddy-buddy with someone from their fam. Once you check that box, chatting them up triggers what the game calls a ‘date’—but it’s really your shot at popping the question. Oh, and don’t forget the bling! Have a ring ready, and keep those fingers crossed ’cause there’s a chance they might say no.

Once you’ve got a spouse, they’ll move into your humble abode. Want round-the-clock access to a carpenter, blacksmith, or doc? Marry ’em!

Now, about expanding the fam: there’s a 25% chance of a bun in the oven each night. And when the stork delivers, click on your bundle of joy to take care of ’em.

Kids default to school, but you can also snag ’em an apprenticeship with the head honcho of any profession. And if you’d rather have ’em pitch in on the farm, head to the family tab in the menu and select farm helper.

Got a soft spot for orphans? Grab adoption papers from the mayor and keep an eye out for parentless kids. Once you’ve got the space, you’ll see the adoption option light up when you chat ’em up.

Two’s company in your household, but once they’re grown, you can give ’em the boot to make room for more little rascals.

Feel like a fashion makeover for the whole fam? Hit up the tailor and pick the tailoring option to tweak their threads and tresses. Each member gets their own tab, so you can style ’em up just right.

Lifespan

If you’re rolling with the default aging settings, you’ll chill in the adult zone until the end of year one, then it’s elder time. So, you’ve got a bit of a breather to figure stuff out. But hey, don’t dilly-dally too long ’cause disease might come knocking, and that’s a game over you don’t want.

Here’s the lowdown on normal life stages: pregnancy lasts 3 days, baby stage 3 days, childhood clocks in at 2 seasons, then you’re an adult for 4 seasons, followed by a 2-season stint as an elder. Aging on the short setting? Cut those times in half for most stages.

Miscellaneous

When it comes to festivals, go all out for the spring fishing contest—there’s a top-notch rod up for grabs. For most events, you can just roll up, but the Harvest Festival in autumn is a bit different. There’s a grange display where you showcase your 9 best items. So, prep some goodies beforehand and strut your stuff when the time comes!

Now, about getting stuff done: if you’re itching for a house upgrade or some fresh fish, don’t sweat it if it’s the worker’s day off. They’ll still hook you up, just gotta hunt ’em down.

Looking to spruce up your digs? Grab some paint from the ship captain at the docks on weekends.

Winter’s no sweat if you’ve got drying racks or preservative jars—stock ’em up with fish and you’re set. Spend some time mining, hit the sack early, and enjoy the snowscape.

When it’s time to reel in the big ones, know your zones: ocean, freshwater (rivers/lakes), mine, and swamp. Some fish are early birds or night owls, but hey, sometimes rules are made to be broken. Check out the collection page for fish deets, and quest hints usually point you in the right direction.

What to Aim for in Year 1

The game’s all about taking it easy—there’s no need to rush anywhere. And hey, if your character’s time runs out, just carry on as your child. Explore, tinker, and enjoy the gentle pace.

Here’s the lowdown for your first year:

Early on, focus on farming and snag yourself a fishing rod from the fisher. Selling excess wood alongside your crops should start bringing in some cash. Don’t hoard stuff with quality meters—sell ’em unless you need ’em pronto.

Set up another drying rack and preservative jar, and keep ’em stocked. Slowly add more if you can—they’re great for selling too.

Take story quests as you please. After the initial ones from the mayor and blacksmith, chill out—no need to rush that bridge repair if you wanna beef up your farm first.

Deadly diseases might hit town in summer or autumn, so tying the knot and popping out a kid ASAP could be wise. Plus, they’ll pitch in on the farm or earn some cash, so they’re handy to have around.

Crafting up some essentials like a well, drying rack, preservative jar, and more gives you that warm fuzzy feeling of progress. Upgrade your house for more space, but it’s not urgent—prioritize other stuff first. Though, let’s be real, a snazzy house upgrade is pretty cool!

When it’s time to choose between a coop and a barn, the barn might have the edge due to a coop glitch. But hey, chickens are awesome, so pick what vibes with your farm dreams.