Papa Birl's Guide to Rune Factory 4 -- 3DS version.

Overview

• This is a real-time action game, not turn-based. The faster you smash that attack button, the faster your opponet dies.
• While in-game, there is no manual option to load a saved game, but there is a soft-reset: L+R+Start
• Too many soft-resets can cause problems with the game.
• A new day starts at 6:00a, and the clock moves fast (approximately 1-minute in-game time, per second).
  • If you're waking up in your bed (at the castle), head for the farm straight away.
  • Items in the shipment box are collected at 8:00a.
  • The sky changes to dusk at 19:00 hours (7:00p).
  • The owl starts howling at 21:00 hours (9:00p).
• Once you're done farming, check on the monsters in your Barn.
• Then check in with Eliza, the talking Request Box, for any requests to complete.
  • You can get free items to help you complete requests (ie: cheap axe/sickle, brush)

"If you're tired, hold still and replenish your RP. That's a little something you learn, being a traveler." -- Wise Conner

Farming

• "You can till elegantly" - Clorica
• "Farming can also strengthen you both physically and mentally "- Vishnal
• "Some crops can be used as weapons ... or grow into dungeons. "- Vishnal
• If you dont have a sickle, you can use a hoe (or swords) to dig up bamboo shoots
• "The higher the speed level of the field, the faster the crops you plant in it will grow" -- Dirty Scott
• Save time: instead of walking over to your shipping box, throw items into it. And ship lots of items to make some quick cash.
• Instead of harvesting plants, use the sickle to yield higher-level seeds of that plant.
• One you complete the Request for shipping a Level 2 turnip (available from Eliza), be sure to put at least one of the higher-level seeds in the Shipping Box. It will make its seeds available to purchase at the new level.
  (Similarly when shipping higher-level plants; they will be availible for purchase later)
• "A single Fertilizer Bin will cover all of the fields." - Vishnal

If you add a magnifying glass to the initial/build materials of a waterpot, you'll see the field stats as you water your fields.
Same concept applies if added to hoes, sickles, axes, hammers, poles. Even armor and weapons -- but why would you want to do that?

There are a handful of farms in the game, four of which are specific to a season.

I like to put a Fertilizer Bin, a Lumber Box, and a Shipping Box on each of the Fields.
* Fun fact: Cerezo is Spanish for Cherry tree.

Orders

Not all Orders are availiable straight away.

• Some are time-dependant (ie: Festivals)
• Others have prerequisite Orders that need to be completed first (ie: Storage and Fridges)
• Some depend on your Royal Title (ie: Struggling Prince, Respected Princess, etc)
• How well you get to know the NPCs.
• Finally, if you have previously beaten the story line.

Too many Rune Abilities? Buy a bookshelf and store the extras in there.
Dont forget Leon can upgrade magic.

Forging

When it comes to forging, level 10 is the highest any item can go.

Once you can obtain a forge, spend some quality time with it. The Broadsword (found under "Short Sword") is the easiest item to craft in the entire game. It requires one piece of ore to make, and Iron can found just outside the castle.
Now that you have your first Broadsword, go find yourself nine Green Grass (it might be in your unkempt farm!). Go back to the forge and upgrade that Broadsword with one of the nine Green Grass. Repeat the upgrade process, using one grass per upgrade, until the sword is a Level 10. Then sell it. You'll get some needed gold plus some needed experience with the forge.

When you have obtained a Crafting Table, a Small Shield (using one piece of Iron ore), will be your starting item. Again, use Green Grass for upgrading the Shield to a Level 10, and then sell it.

Eat more Recipe Bread to learn how to make more items. So long as the Difficulty level for the item you want to make remains at or below your Skill level, you'll gain experience better.
That is, if your Forging Skill Level is a 5, do not bother to forge a Level 7 Cutlass.
Instead, upgrade a weapon to level 10. In fact, if it's an unshipped weapon, forge it, level it up and sell it.
As your skill level increases, switch out the Grass you use: from Green Grass to Purple Grass level 5. At level 8, move on to Antidote Grass. At level 11, Blue Grass.

• Level 23 for Black Grass [Obsidian Mansion]
• Level 29 for Indigo [Maya Road]
• Level 39 for Yellow [Autumn Road] (or Level 40 for Red [Delirium Lava Ruins])
• Level 48 for Orange [Sercerezo Hill]
• Level 65 for White [Sechs Territory]

Dont waste time and RP using Grass that has a higher Difficulty than your skill level. You will not gain any additional experience using the better Grass.
If you have extra Grass left over, ship it. Then, if you need to, you can buy that Grass from Nancy or Jones at their Clinic.
Remember: Your STR has a chance to increase every time your Forging Skill increases, and that extra STR increases your ATK.
If you have one or more cooking tables, and a steady source of eggs and milk, cook up items to restore your RP. In fact, cook first thing in the morning, so it is ready when you need it most.


Traveler quotes about forging:

• "Rare Can looks like nothing but trash. But if you use it to strengthen a weapon, it'll make monsters drop rare items more often." -- Mystic Deon
• "The other day, I was going to make Broadsword. I added Cutlass to the mix. What I got resembled a Broadsword but had the abilities of Cutlass." -- Clumsy Kojiro
• "When I was making a Broadsword, I added Light Ore and Battle Hammer. You wont believe what I got. See? It looks like Broadsword but it's as powerful as a hammer!" -- Expert Ken
• "Rumor has it that using a fish to strengthen your fishing pole will make that fish easier to catch." -- Unique Don Juan

locations for Foraging and Item Drops

Food

Upon a first request for a cooking item, Porcoline will provide you with a Cooking Table that can make only "Simple Dishes" This will get you on your way to getting a cooking license (via an Order), and more cooking tools. Porcoline will also give you your first recipe: Onigiri Recipe. By eating Recipe Bread, you'll learn more (1-3) recipes. Porcoline sells one to four loaves of Recipe Bread of different kinds per day:

• Accessory Bread for 150G
• Cooking Bread for 100G
• Farming Bread for 250G
• Medicine Bread for 120G
• Weapon Bread for 180G

Bread can sometimes be found in treasure chests, or winning contests. If you cannot learn a new recipe after eating it, you will regurgitate it. Good for saving it later.

My Barn

Ive found that the advantage of acquiring a barn buddy earlier in the game is: they will become stronger quicker as you take care of them on a daily basis.
My well-taken care of Scorpion can defeat Typhoon (on his bridge) with virtually no damage taken.

Not all monsters will attack outright.

NOTE: If and when you win over a pet that heals (ie: a Little Emperor), make sure they will heal by taking them into a battle. There are some varients that will not heal themselves, even when close to death. Typhoon(s) try to find time in mid-battle to heal themselves, but because they are aggressive fighters, they sometimes they neglict their own health.

Traveler quotes about feeding:

• "You can give your little monster friends steamed dishes every day. This will eventually make them strong enough to be immune to any status ailment." -- Quiet Stefan
• "I suggest giving homemade dishes as presents to your pets." -- Pretty Fiona
• "Try feeding your pets Round Stone every day. Soon they'll be so strong no attack will knock them back!" -- Loyal Shin
• "Try feeding your pets juice or raw fish. This will raise their Magic Attack power." -- Manly Judas.
• "Give your pets dishes you cook in a pot and their HP will go up. Today I'm gonna give them a lot of Union Stew" -- Crafty Stefan
• "Giving sashimi to your pets can really raise their attack power." -- Upper Don Juan
• "The other day, I gave Love Crystal to my pet Wooly on a whim. Now its attacks will absorb HP! That's so not cute!" -- Classy Lara

The monster expert is located two screens to the right of the Obsidian Mansion.
Feed your pets one Scorpion Tail a day, and their attacks will eventually become poisonous.
monsters: stats, how to tame 'em, and more

"The mushrooms blocking the road on Sercerezo Hill arent there at the beginning of the month." -- Yummy Ben.
"If you're going to attempt the Sharance Maze, take more than just regular weapons. Have spells and weapons with elemental affinities with you." -- Writer Jimmy

Character

"If you're fatigued, your RP won't regenerate. Not only that, but even the slightest action drains a ton of RP. The best way to cure your fatigue is bedrest."

Venturing out of the castle for the first time: As Forte explains, you're not really killing them. Weapons and tools have "Tamitaya" cast upon them, sending defeated monsters to the "Forest of Beginnings". Monsters enter our world through swirling vortexs called gates. She will then give you a Claymore to fight with.
Forte will ask you about your confidence in your skills. Your answer determines the strength of the monsters you fight. You can change the difficulty later in the game.
"When the enemy's strength overwhelms you, gaze upon the trophy in the castle basement." - a charm recited by Forte.
Various roadblocks will be present for a time to prevent you from wandering too far and running into stronger monsters.

As tempting as it maybe, do not leave items you have picked up lying around the bedroom. Butlers will throw out your mess.
Use your bare fists to stun monsters, then you can pick them up and throw them.

• Keep plenty bottles of wine around. You can drink them to raise your Resistance to Sleep. Drink Responsibly.
• Object X, created from a failed Chemistry experiment, should be consumed prior to going to bed.
• Enhance your weapons with status-inflicting items (ie: Strong Vine for Seal, Scorpion Tail for Poison, etc.)