HM:StH NG+ Cake Contest Notes (glitchless, horse+Joe route)

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland
NG+ Cake Contest Notes (glitchless, horse+Joe route)
[Updated 8 Mar 2025]

- A theoretical route targeting Joe or Kurt for the Moondrop Dew. According to the official JP guidebook, you can use not only one of the five girls, but also one of Joe, Kurt, Bob, or Louis instead.
- Bob and Louis are obviously more inconvenient than either Gina or Lyla, but Kurt and Joe are both nearby, and could be combined with the horse in the same way as Lyla (same number of loading zones for each trip as well).
- The problem with Kurt is that he needs to get past 20 affection before he starts getting +6 (from Tomatoes; +4 when <21), so it takes him an extra trip (12 trips to Lyla/Gina's 11).
- However, Joe can theoretically get to the required 120 affection in 11 trips with weed intro, 1 lake conversation (Tue/Thu), and the +3 from the CS in which he gives you the rod (so you would have to prep a file that hadn't obtained it).
- Considering that the best horseless run is only 17s faster than the best horse+Lyla run, and considering how much closer Joe is than Lyla, Joe+horse strats could legitimately be the fastest route.

FILE PREP
- 1 Weed
- 13 Cheese (11 for Joe, 2 for Katie)
- 3 Golden Milk (2 for Gina, 1 for the ending)
- 1 Golden Egg
- Horse (max affection)
- Animal Medicine
- No fishing rod (so you can get the first FS lake CS)

NOTES
- Spring 2: Sleep
- Spring 3:
	> Reset if rain
	> Reset if sick horse
	> Put the horse out to pasture and ride it to Gina
	> Weed intro+gift Joe
	> Weed intro+gift+doubletalk Gina
- Spring 4: Sleep
- Spring 5:
	> Reset if rain
	> Heal the horse if rain on Spring 4
	> Gift+talk Joe
- Spring 6:
	> Reset if rain
	> Gift+talk Joe
	> Gift+talk+doubletalk Gina
	> Sleep until Spring 21
- Spring 21-22: Gift+talk Joe at carpenter's
- Spring 23:
	> Trigger FS1 at lake
	> Weed intro+gift Katie
	> Talk+gift Joe (in that order!!!)
- Gift+talk Joe on Spring 24, 26-28 (skipping Spring 25 and Spring 29)
- Spring 30:
	> Park horse by cafe
	> Gift+talk Joe
	> Gift+talk+doubletalk Katie
	> Enter cafe at noon for CS1
	> Ride home and get recipe
	> Ride back to cafe and enter for next CS
	> Head to Villa and enter for next CS
	> Enter cafe by 5pm for next CS
	> Ride home and sleep
- Summer 1:
	> Give Katie Golden Egg and Golden Milk
	> Enter cafe at noon, then exit and re-enter until successful cake CS plays
	> Sleep 7 times and exit to finish the ending

GIFTS FOR JOE

Cheese and Sandwich
"You made this?
I'm impressed.
Thanks, man."