Stardew Valley developer ConcernedApe has spoken up about whether players should use mods or not in the newly-released 1.6 update.
Stardew Valley is a cozy farming simulator in which players can create their own characters and live on the farm their grandfather passed down. ConcernedApe developed and published the game, initially released in February 2016.
The game gives freedom to its players to choose what they want to do. They could stay on their farms to grow crops or care for their animals, go out into town to socialize, build relationships, and get married, or go to the ocean, rivers, or lakes to catch some fish. Players also have the freedom to add mods, with notable ones such as Stardew Valley Expanded (SVE), which includes new NPCs, fish, locations, and events.
With the long-awaited 1.6 update arriving today, ConcernedApe himself tweeted a PSA for people who play with mods.
In the tweet, he states, “PSA for people who use mods: A ton of mods are already updated for 1.6 (check out https://smapi.io/mods). Also, I’ve added a public steam branch that will let you stay on version 1.5.6 if you choose. I recommend trying out 1.6 without mods, but it’s up to you.”
SMAPI, or the Stardew Modding API, is the mod loader for the game. It’s compatible with the game’s PC, Mac, and Linux versions. SMAPI is required for most Stardew Valley mods for those who are only discovering them now.
While ConcernedApe clearly supports modding and allows players to do so, he still wants players to try out the 1.6 update in vanilla (no mods). Either way, most of the mods had been updated, and they were ready for the 1.6 update even before its release.
I haven’t gone far into Stardew Valley Expanded, but meeting new NPCs and visiting new locations is exciting. I also find the NPC Map Location mod very helpful in locating the NPC I want to talk to or give gifts to.
If you’re looking into starting fresh in the Stardew Valley 1.6 update, ConcernedApe added a new farm type to the game called “Meadowlands farm,” which has chewy blue grass. You could start with a coop and two chickens!