Better Balance (ver 1.3.11)
by Xen0nex

Welcome to my first attempt at a published mod; a wide-ranging rebalancing of prices for various farm produce.


:::::REQUIREMENTS:::::

SMAPI

Content Patcher



:::::Installation & Usage:::::

Install the latest version of SMAPI

Install the latest version of Content Patcher

(Optional) Install the latest version of Generic Mod Config Menu

Download the zipped file, and unzip its full contents into your Stardew Valley\Mods\ folder.

That's all you need to start playing, although there are some Recommended Mods & Optional Plugins detailed on the Nexus page for this mod.

In particular, this mod has expanded functionality if the "Generic Mod Config Menu" mod is also installed, which will allow you to edit the config options in-game.

Please note while this mod should work without any issues on an existing save file (see paragraph below), the full effects of the balancing changes will be most noticeable on a new save file.

For using with existing saves, note that while all newly generated/harvested items should have their prices adjusted accordingly, any existing items that are already in the player's inventory, or in chests, or have already been spawned by machines, animals, or on the ground as foragable items on the dawn of the in-game day you install this mod will still have the old Vanilla prices. To fix existing items with old prices, put them in a chest and then bring a stack of 1 or more matching items with the correct new price, then pull the old items out of the chest so that they join the new items in the player's inventory, where they will convert to the new price.
This same process also applies to any price changes made with the in-game config menu if using the GMCM mod.

The values in this mod are the result of many hours spent simulating the performance of different options, but all of this has been done according to my personal tastes for balance. Users can make any desired adjustments by editing .json files in the Better Balance\[CP] Better Balance\assets folder, which should have names & descriptions for the changes commented behind "//". In particular, pricesBalanced.json contains the vast majority of all price changes, with changes specific to the Stardew Valley Expanded mod in SVEPatch.json.

Users can also make adjustments to the prices for any items (including items / crops from other mods, or ones already edited by Better Balance) by adding them to the customItems.json template file, which can be reused in future updates without having to redo it each time. (IE, the edits to an item in customItems.json take precedence over the edits to the same item in pricesBalanced.json) More details in the in-game config description and notes at the top of customItems.json.



:::::Configuration:::::

There are 2 config.json files, one in each of the "[CP] Better Balance" and "Better Balance" folders.

The descriptions for the effects of the different settings can be read in content.json in the Better Balance\[CP] Better Balance folder, or read in-game if using the "Generic Mod Config Menu" mod. Toggling some of the options mid-day can require reloading the save / sleeping through the night to take effect.

Aside from the various settings to disable individual adjustments, the config includes values to apply price multipliers to all items within certain categories: Fish, Animal Products, Animal Resale, Crops, Farm Forage, Flowers & Honey, and Cooked Foods. This allows you to broadly adjust the balance between different playstyles/aspects of the game quickly, without having to go adjust each item's price individually. Changing the prices mid-day with GMCM can still adjust pre-existing items by following the steps above in the "using with existing saves" section. Note that changing these multipliers will affect the profitability & balancing of all items within that category.



:::::Changes with Stardew Valley Expanded:::::

By default Better Balance adjusts the price & value for SVE crops, as well as the price bonuses you receive from various SVE-exclusive events to be more in line with Better Balance pricing. Additionally, if the SMAPI functionality of Better Balance is enabled, it will also adjust the prices of seeds at Joja stores in SVE to fit Better Balance prices. For example, this makes seeds from Jojamart cost ~10% less than Better Balance seed prices, instead of of ~10% less than Vanilla seed prices.

Below the specific price bonus amounts for the various SVE events are listed, you can skip this section to avoid spoilers.

SVE bonus amount > Better Balance bonus amount:

Susan's Special Order Event:
Pale Ale +50% > +10%
Mead +50% > +50%
Beer +50% > +10%

Sophia's 12 Heart Event:
Grapes (and products) +100% > +20%

Marnie 8 Heart Event:
Cheese +20% > +5%
Goat Cheese +20% > +5%

Morgan 10 Heart Event:
White egg +10% > +10%
Brown egg +10% > +10%
Large white egg +10% > +10%
Large brown egg +10% > +10%
Duck egg +10% > +5%
Dinosaur egg +10% > +5%
Void egg +10% > +10%
Milk +10% > +5%
Large milk +10% > +5%
Goat milk +10% > +5%
Large goat milk +10% > +5%
Cheese +10% > +5%
Goat cheese +10% > +5%
Mayonnaise +10% > +5%
Duck mayonnaise +10% > +5%
Void mayonnaise +10% > +5%
Dinosaur mayonnaise +10% > +5%
Wool +10% > +5%
Cloth +10% > +5%
Truffle +10% > +5%
Truffle oil +10% > +5%
Ostrich egg +10% > +5%
Golden egg +10% > +5%

Marnie 8 Heart Event + Morgan 10 Heart Event:
Cheese +30% > +10%
Goat Cheese +30% > +10%

Apples 10 Heart Event:
Starfruit (and products) +10% > +5%

Andy Special Order:
Strawberries (and products) +25% > +10%



:::::NOTE:::::

Please refer to the Nexus page for this mod at https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/8141 for a full description, recommended mods, and supplemental articles / charts.