HM:StH NG+ Cake Contest Notes (glitchless, horseless)

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland
NG+ Cake Contest Notes (glitchless, horseless)
[Updated 4 Mar 2025]

After testing, the Gina horse route is slower. A theoretically faster horse route with Lyla can be found here: pastebin.com/HgT5nCPV

If you want a less YOLO, more consistent route, follow the horseless route below.

FILE PREP
- 1 Weed
- 4 Golden Milk (for first 3 Gina gifts and the ending)
- 2 Cheese (for Katie)
- 8 Fish L (for remaining Gina gifts; faster text)
- 1 Golden Egg

HORSELESS ROUTE
- Gift+talk Gina every non-rainy Wed/Sat (intro+gift; alternatively, weed intro and skip the doubletalk on the first CS day)
- Gift Gina Golden Milk for the first three trips, then switch to Fish L
- Gift Katie Cheese
- On the first Gina day, weed intro+gift Katie
- On the second Gina day:
	> Gift+talk Gina
	> Doubletalk Gina as she walks towards Ronald's (if you didn't weed intro)
	> Gift+talk Katie, doubletalk her as she walks toward the cafe, then enter the cafe at noon for CS1 (~45s after Katie enters)
	> GET THE RECIPE!!!
- With perfect Spring mild season luck, your 10th Gina day would be on Summer 8
- On the day after your 10th Gina day:
	> Enter the cafe at noon (~45s after Katie enters)
	> Go to the Villa, gift+talk Gina inside, then exit/re-enter to trigger CS
	> Head back to the cafe and enter by 5pm to trigger CS
	> Sleep until the next non-rainy day after the closest full moon (Summer 15/16/30)
- On the day after the full moon:
	> Give Katie the Golden Egg and Golden Milk
	> Enter the cafe at noon and exit/re-enter until the successful cake CS plays
	> Sleep 7 times then exit to finish the ending

HORSE THEORY ROUTE
- Route assumes you can get to 30 with Gina in 2 trips (probably need doubletalk)
	> Doubletalk is always +2, so it requires 2 doubletalks
- Test Gina's convo boost outside Ronald's (Wed vs. Sat, gifted first or second)
	> Always +4 outside Ronald's; +5 inside Ronald's, but +4 if gift first
- Test if you can get a convo from Gina both outside and inside Ronald's on the same day (may be +1 inside, as 5-4=1); if it's significant you could use it to help save a trip
	> No boost.
- The horse saves enough time, both on gifting trips and doing 1 cutscene day instead of 2, that wasting a bit on doubletalk waiting, keeping the horse alive, and potentially extra sleeping could still be worth it
- Each trip to Gina is ~40s on foot
- Every doubletalk costs ~42s on foot, maybe ~45s with horse? (not including the textbox)
- Waiting to talk to Gina inside Ronald's might cost another ~15-20s, but you can combine a couple of those days with Katie gift days, using up some downtime
- It seems you will end up needing a fourth trip to Katie if you want to use her for GD2, because you don't want her to exceed 20 affection after two trips (need to save CS for after first sleep spam), and even if you get her to exactly 18, you need to then get her past 20 on the third trip, but you can't get her all the way to 30 (for CC1). Either way, the third gift should be combined with the CS day anyway, and that would turn out to be the fourth gift.
- With the horse, an extra trip to Katie might be +20s

- Spring 2: Sleep
- Spring 3:
	> Reset if rain
	> Reset if sick horse
	> Put horse out and ride it to Katie
	> Weed intro Katie
	> Weed intro+gift Gina (throw away weed), then doubletalk when she starts walking at 8am
	> Sleep until Spring 6 (leave horse out; reset if rain on either Spring 4 or 5)
- Spring 6:
	> Reset if rain
	> Gift Katie (DON'T TALK)
	> Talk+gift Gina, then doubletalk when she starts walking at 8am
	> Sleep until Spring 20
- Heal horse after Spring 21 rain if necessary
- Gift+talk Gina on Spring 20/24/27, Summer 1/4
- Summer 4:
	> Gift+talk Gina
	> Gift Katie (DON'T TALK)
	> Sleep until Fall 27
- Gift+talk Gina on Fall 27/30, Winter 4
- Winter 6:
	> Gift+talk Katie, then doubletalk when she starts walking at ~10am
	> Enter cafe at noon for CS1
	> Ride back home and get the recipe
	> Enter cafe again for CS2
	> Gift Gina inside the Villa (no talk), then exit/re-enter for Villa CS
	> REPLACE ANIMAL MEDICINE IF YOU USED IT!!!
	> Enter cafe by 5pm for next CS
	> Put horse in the barn but don't feed
	> Sleep until at least Winter 15
- On the next on-rainy non-Mon (Winter 15, 17-22):
	> Heal the horse and put him outside
	> Give Katie the Golden Egg/Golden Milk
	> Enter/exit/re-enter cafe until successful cake CS plays
	> Last day you can do this is Winter 22
	> Pretty much has to be Winter 15 or the horse is likely to die as Winter 16 is Monday and rainy season is Winter 17-21
	> If you do get horse death, just finish ending on foot
	> Sleep 7 times and finish the ending

GINA GIFT TEXT
Golden Milk
"Oh! This must be the
fabled Golden Milk!
Thank you so much.

I've heard that this
is very nutritious.
I am looking forward

to using it in my
cooking!" (141)

Fish L (>30 affection)
"My, that's fabulous.
I love fish. And I'm
quite good at

cooking fish." (66)

KATIE GIFT TEXT
Cheese
"Wow! I love cheese♡
Thank you so much!" (37)

Full Moon Berry
"Wow! A Full Moon
Berry? Thank you so
much♡ This is so good.

It tastes somehow
like ice cream!" (89)

Golden Egg
"What a rare egg.
Thank you very much." (36)

Golden Milk
"I've heard that
Golden Milk is really
good! Thank you." (52)