#playing mtap

[isabelofwraithmarsh]

My current working theory is that the reason that Gale keeps assigning me tasks that involve burning through a nigh-impossible amount of hardwood and bronze bars is that he KNOWS I want to upgrade my house so that I can marry Gust and this is his way of stopping the wedding. 

[isabelofwraithmarsh]

What is My Time At Portia?

In a word? My new god.

No, but I wanted to wait until I had about 24 hours in it before I made any conclusions, since that's around when I start really forming solid opinions on a game, and...well, we're at 27 over just a couple of days. I started to play it last year, when a friend of mine let me loan her XBox port of it (these days, I'm playing the computer version), was hooked on it, but I wasn't able to get much farther before she had to leave, and I've been plotting to get ahold of it again ever since.

It's a slice of life simulation, following in many ways from Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. Instead of being a farming simulator, though, you have been put into the shoes of a builder, following in your absent father's footsteps in the small town of Portia (though farming is also something you can optionally do). It falls to you to collect resources to build increasingly difficult inventions, taking commissions so that, one day, you can be the best builder in town, befriending locals and uncovering mysteries in a colorful post-apocalyptic setting (my best descriptor for its style is "cotton candy post-apocalypse.")

Pros:

-- Super cute art style.

--A surprising amount of detail, especially in social interactions. Characters often have individual questlines that are unique and varied, and, even though gift giving is a vital part to building up relationships with the townies, you can also go on playdates (and romantic dates once you're dating someone). While on dates, you have a variety of options, such as playing on the swings, going out to eat at a restaurant, setting off fireworks, etc. Likewise, you have different interactions that unlock as the relationship progresses, making it feel more like an organic relationship.

You can even choose what you want your spouse to call you after you get married!

--A long main story arc -- I'm 24 hours in (I've made it to fall of the first year in-game) and I'm fairly certain I'm still in the early part of the game.

--Worldbuilding. As mentioned, this is a setting that's survived the apocalypse and is rebuilding on the bones of the old world. As a result, you can dig up remains of older tech, which you can either give to scientists hoping to recover lost information or to the Church of Light, who want to ensure the world doesn't fall back into corruption and decay. In general, this is possibly one of the best examples I've seen of a setting that feels like you're stepping into it, as opposed to everything moving around you as the MC. Characters get into relationships (which you can help or hinder them in), characters can move away or die (though these are scripted plotlines, not arbitrary so you will know if you're spoiled ahead of time.) Some people hate this, I personally love it because it feels realistic and like I'm part of a living community. 

-- Relating to that, a lot of festivals that go on throughout the year, about two per month, making it feel very much like a real community with a real culture that mirrors but isn’t a direct 1:1 of ours. (Also really useful if, say, you get your ass beaten in the Martial Arts Tournament.) 

--Honestly, a lot more choice than I'm used to seeing. Yes, you're going to have to do certain things, but I never felt like I was hardcore being pressured to do one thing over another. In the early days in particular, I was doing a lot more fishing than I was building, and I wasn't punished for it. (Honestly, I feel like the game actively encourages it, since it means that you can build up enough money to be efficient once you start building.) Yeah, if you want to progress the main story, you're going to need to build, but, at the same time, how you earn the bulk of your money is totally up to you.

--Combat system that's both relatively challenging (especially in the beginning, when you're just using your fists) while also being forgiving. You might get KO'd by a balloon urchin, but, unlike in Stardew, where that could very easily mean you losing really valuable items, you just get knocked back to your home.

--A LOT of character customization options.

--About eighteen total romance options, with some very diverse types in there, not barred by gender in any way.

--The photo system means that you can replay cutscenes whenever you want.

Cons:

--You can only save at the end of each day -- this isn't enough to put me off it (OBVIOUSLY), but it is frustrating because I'm a mac user, and I can only play this on the NVIDIA Geforce proxy server, which has a limit of one hour session times. I have to plan out well in advance how many days I'm going to play through, because it isn't worth my time to start a new day with only nine minutes left.

--There are relatively few developed characters. Don't get me wrong, there are enough interesting characters to keep me on my toes, but there are quite a few who are just...there.

--While the harder social system can be a plus, some people might be put off by how long it can take to build up a relationship. Personally, I really like it, in the sense that it feels more realistic, but I do understand why people might be put off.

-- Quests aren't locked based on what equipment you have, and some equipment only unlocks when you've gotten a certain amount of info back to the scientists at Portia. As a result, it's relatively easy, especially early on, to fail a mission because you didn't have a key piece of equipment and couldn't build it in time. It's realistic, it's annoying, but that's one reason why I waited a while before I started doing a ton of stuff in the workshop.

--The game is out of beta, but there are still some glitches, especially when it comes to climbing. Plenty of times, my character just...goes through a mountain or something like that. Likewise, there are some dungeon areas that require you to jump on a specific place, and it can be quite hard to aim accurately.

--Mildly pathetic on my end, but I do hate that, in the case of most of the monsters, you will have to kill them at some point to get resources and, while it can be relatively easy when you need, say, venom from a monster that looks like a piranha, I had a lot of trouble, say, killing the cute Mr. Ladybugs or panbats (who look like bat pandas). Now, it should be noted that the monsters respawn quickly and the "death" scenes amount to no more than them being knocked to the ground after a cartoon-style punching match, but still, it was difficult to deal with at first. (These days, I like to think that I'm just knocking them down, the same way I get knocked down and respawn at home.)

I should also mention that, while it's normally about $30, as part of the Steam sale, it is massively discounted at the moment, being on sale for about $8 until January 5, so if you're curious about it, now is the time to grab it. Personally? I highly, highly recommend it. It's easily been some of the best entertainment I've had all year.

[isabelofwraithmarsh]

Gale, the water is green. 

The water is green, Gale. 

[isabelofwraithmarsh]

I’ve been playing My Time At Portia and....look...no one is allowed to say ANYTHING about my choice of romance. 

This is all just.... a coincidence.

Any resemblance to any other characters that I might or might not stan is absolutely coincidental.