Monster Farming Game

dev blog for @pandrena for a harvest moon inspired farming game...With a twist of added monsters! Check out the drop-down links for indepth info!

[crophaven]

Very Important Update.

Hello everyone! It’s been a few years of Crop Haven’s development, and I’ve come to inform of something very crucial to its development.

I am going to be recoding the game from scratch.

The reason for this is because as I started the game, I began by not knowing what I was doing. I have many systems implemented, but some I don’t use. But I don’t remove their code, because I don’t know if doing so will break part of the game. The game as it is is very glitchy, and I feel guilty releasing something I can’t promise I can fix bugs for.

As a result, I am going to remake it. It will remain an RPG Maker MV game, and all assets are currently going to be the same. All dialogue will be transferred as well, etc. It’s just making it cleaner, but to do so, I need to stat more or less from the ground up.

Thank you SO much for the support and love over the years. I hope to re-release a better version of the game soon, and appreciate your patience as we take this next step into a proper Crop Haven work. PS: The current version will stay up for download, but know it is not going to be anywhere near the finished work.

- Chris / Pandrena

[crophaven]

Contains flashing and depictions of child abuse!

This is a fun little halloween project! It features Vampire King, and the twins Cameron and Camellia Smith, who belong to servantparent and will be added in later game updates.

Enjoy!

[crophaven]

Hello everyone! I've purchased a new laptop for myself, which means I have to repurchase RPG Maker MV (I know the new one is out, buuut...) I will be doing so all the same! Thank you for your patience.

As some have inquired for the newest Crop Haven version, I will be giving out one hopefully within the next few months. I had to break for mental health reasons, but can now finish up gifting characters items. After that, I believe I can release a new version.

Thank you, again!

[crophaven]

Update 7/4/2025

(Read this if you are not up to date on the current status of Crop Haven!)

hey all! Doing some visual touchups at the moment. I'll go through some, but remember that I am updating the new Youtube channel more frequently than here. I find editing an easier medium for me to display and explain new things.

That said, let's begin a short text dev log !

First of all, I re-added Kiwi into the game as a player design option. They too will be able to dress in different outfits. I'm working on cleaning up script for the switching of outfits as well. And adding notes to the code to, y'know, tell me what I did at what point in the code...

I'm doing my best to make Lei's design a little more...interesting? While being plain because she, as a character, does not like being overly flashy. I'm also fixing up her hair! I already showed a small update before, but am working to improve her further. Her sprite is also updated!

I think that's it for now...I'm afraid my memory and other health issues have gotten in the way of programming. I still work, though! Thank you for reading, as always.

[crophaven]

hello all! I've created a development channel on youtube for Crop Haven. basically whatever I post here will be shared similarly on the channel, but with moving visuals and my awkward voicing the details of what I've done. It's an experiment, but I wish to expand my reach a little from just tumblr!

This particular video is kind of a quick introduction to the game, although it leaves out in depth stuff, and is more talking about the concept. I'll explain in depth later in videos

[crophaven]

Update 12/14/2024

Hello! Trying to update more frequently, if you could not tell.

Currently, I'm fixing up the CGs. This includes updating shading and lighting, as well as removing some effects I don't use in my art anymore (such as the "stray strands of hair" look, especially noticed on Aubrey and Vampire King's older CGs)

In coding, I completed Jade's gift coding! I have Beatrice now, and then I'll move onto characters like Eli, Fool and Allen! I have also coded it so the player can't break into the majority of homes like they could before past certain hours. the exception is Jade's house, because her house unlocks at 8pm, while the majority of other houses lock at 8pm.

This was inspired specifically by Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon, a wonderufl life, where I distinctly remember standing outside for hours for people to wake up so I could enter their homes. Replicating the nostalgia or something.

Will update later on with more things, but I've made significant progress lately and I'm proud. Thank you for reading!

[crophaven]

Update 12/10/2024

(Read this if you are not up to date on the current status of Crop Haven!)

Updating some (AKA all) farming stuff! This means new assets. Tumblr has killed the quality on this screenshot, but I assure you it looks better in the game! The plots have also been updated, as you can see, to look more like plots. I want to try and make them stand out a little less than this while being unique soil still, so I'll work on that in the future.

Been working on diaries and gifts! I've got Deezie complete now. Pretty much, I only have like...Jade and Safie left to code for gifts? I think? Eli, Fool and Allen too at some point, of course, but that isn't my dialogue to write.

Additionally, I'm not sure I've mentioned, but Aubrey's romance/story goes deep into Crop Haven in-game lore. It speaks of an incident long ago where dark magic cursed the kingdom...And, well...As Surge tells the player above: it didn't end well!

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and supporting!

[crophaven]

Update 12/7/2024

(Read this if you are not up to date on the current status of Crop Haven!)

I have implemented Ao's gifting and diary now, and Aubrey's gifting, but not their diary.

I don't know if I've mentioned that, actually, regarding adding the diary entries? I am sure I must have. But they go up to 50 points right now - up until the mark where you would date the candidate, although of course dating isn't coded at all right now.

Anyway, just a small update is all! Wanted to announce Ao and Aubrey's gifting completion and such. Now, 9 candidates can be gifted things!

[crophaven]

Update 12/5/2024

(Read this if you are not up to date on the current status of Crop Haven!)

Hi everyone!! How has it been so long since the last update?! Well, I have updates!

As you can see above, I've implemented a (currently imperfect) weather system, alongside a weather channel.

Currently, the game will randomize whether the player has rain or shine that day. As you can see above, I've implemented a (currently imperfect) weather system1 Currently, the game will randomize whether the player has rain or shine that day.

I aim to make sure the visuals of the rain aren't too fast, also! I know that weather effects can be dangerous for some players.

I've currently implemented gift giving for Shrimp, Vanessa, Doc, Surge, Lei, Martin and Lambi! The last two were done in the span of the last two days. There may be errors with certain gifts, as I haven't managed to test every single one, but so far so good!

I'm sure I've done more I'm forgetting, but I have worked a while! Thank you for your support!

[crophaven]

Evolution of the player farm from 2022, then to 2023, and the last is from August 2024! The grass IS somewhat of a work in progress, but I wanted it to look more..grassy.

[crophaven]

Update 8/26/2024

(Read this if you are not up to date on the current status of Crop Haven!)

Hi all! Here's a new TV episode, featuring some monster idols!! Isn't that swell? Aside from that, I've got even more to talk about! Lots! Please do read on!

I have currently got implemented the diaries of Doc, Lei, Vanessa, Surge and Shrimp, as well as gift giving to those five. They all have a limit of 3-4 gifts per day!

(The right image has not been given sprites quite yet for Grandpa Day and Lei to sit down, sorry about that part!)

Some diaries, are planned to only be accessible at certain times in the game! For Doc, it's past 3pm when his daughter Dahlia is home. For Lei, her father (Grandpa Day) will interrupt you unless he's sitting at the table with the rest of the family.

Also implemented were new trees and bushes, and the flower graphics too! The water graphics have also been a little updated, hopefully to look better. And just look at that new grass! (It's a work in progress, that grass, so do keep that in mind.)

Last but not least, here's a preview of the museum quest! It will NOT be implemented for quote a while, but I have this introduction dialogue at the least. Crop Haven is mostly inspired by Harvest Moon, but this is a little Animal Crossing feature I want to throw in! Eventually!

And so, with all that...Well, with all that, there's all that! I do hope you all enjoyed this update, and will stay tuned for more soon!

[crophaven]

Some fun comparisons to see how my art style has developed from 2018 to 2024 (now!) Right is the old video, while the left is the new.

[crophaven]

If any of you remember a 2018 video, a parody of "Blessed Messiah and the Tower of AI" using Crop Haven characters, I decided to remake it for fun! Did it in 11 days, so it might be a bit wonky. But please heed the warnings at the start!

[crophaven]

Update 8/1/2024

(Read this if you are not up to date on the current status of Crop Haven!)

Hi everyone! Today, I have a very minor aesthetic decision to share. It's not a big thing at all, but Lei and her family are getting updated portraits! I wanted to give them less straight and smooth hair, to put it simply, because there's so many other candidates with messy or straight hair. I wanted to add some waviness/curliness/texture

The top are the old hairstyles, and the bottom are the new ones. Please do note, I will be practicing these hairstyles to make them...actually look a lot better. I plan on updating the portraits again later down the line, and will improve upon them then for sure!

Right now I've only done Lei and her mother as seen here, but I plan on doing Lei's daughter as well. Her father may keep his fluffy hair due to the fact I am already convinced he wears a wig. Lei has also been given two beauty marks. I think it makes her look very cute. I'll be redrawing her CG and extra portraits to reflect these changes too.

That's it for now, I believe! I've begun keeping a changelog in the game's text file for credits too. So that's fun.

Thank you for reading!

[crophaven]

7/25/2024: Showcasing some sound effects I've been making, as well as the new text boxes and clock. The sounds were made in Reaper myself and the door sound effect was created through my real life squeaky door! I need to tweak it a bit to fit in more. The last part also plays the little melody before the player sleeps.

NOTE: The sound effects are not normally so loud compared to the music! The volume was altered was just to make them stand out clearer.

[crophaven]

Update 5/9/2024

(Read this if you are not up to date on the current status of Crop Haven!)

Hey! I'm implementing some item gifting at last! This might or might not be in the next build, but Shrimp is more or less completed when it comes to giving her gifts.

This is likely going to be my focus for a bit - implementing new dialogue for items. It takes a while to write / plan, but it's worth it! Thank you for your patience! (And for tolerating all these updates.)

[crophaven]

5/5/2024 Update

Another update so soon?! Read this post about the current state of crop haven if you're not new here, or have seen older versions, but then we can get to the update!

First thing. Jade is now introduced! She can be met in her house after 8pm. Like everyone else at this time, she cannot be given gifts and doesn't have dialogue to chat over, but she's here!

There's now more episodes to the television! Each day has a new illustration and show on. Above is day 2 of the news channel. Don't worry, the Female Civilian is probably fine.

Quests-wise, you can now meet NEARLY everyone on the starting list for people to meet! Eli will appear on day 8, and will talk to you after you've completed the "Postal Problems" quest with Doc and Deezie. Still getting Pippy to function as necessary.

That's it for today! Thanks for reading! Soon, I'll be implementing dialogue, and after that will eventually come gifts.