It’s like asking parents to choose their favorite child
I think it’s a fair assessment Stardew Valley Creator Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe, is one of the most beloved figures in the game development field. He is work hard, be healthy, and interact with fans of his game in ways that really make sense. A perfect example of this is the time a fan tweeted him about a bug and Barone came back with a quick fix update just because two hours later.
Because he’s such an active part of the community, fans love poking fun at the developer on Twitter and asking him questions about the game. Usually, they’re more technical, but every now and then someone will ask him to answer a more personal question about his work.
What’s remarkable here is Stardew Valley The community is very invested in the game’s lore and characters. The subreddit often has a lot of fans discussing who is the best NPC, both in terms of romance and overall, and to say players feel strongly about this is an understatement. In a world of final ranked character listThis type of behavior has many consequences. So when Twitter user @BeastBoom24 reached out and asked Barone who his favorite “bachelor/bachelor” as well as “non-romantic NPCs” were, he chose to go lightly.
Good to know. (It’s great that he replied to me on Twitter) are from StardewValley
After all, the fandom has a lot of respect for him, and anything he says is considered gospel. Barone replied simply, “if I pick a favorite, it might cause a rift in the Stardew Valley community”—an answer that I find both sane and oddly humbling, in a sense. He is aware of the power he holds and wants his fans to give their own opinions. He probably also knows that fans can get angry depending on what he says, and just doesn’t want to deal with the backlash.
Either way, I think it’s a humorous fan interaction that Barone has, and it really speaks to the sweet dynamic he’s nurtured. These days, it’s rare to see a developer with a background and focus on giving fans the best experience possible and I find that exciting. It’s a small moment compared to the rest of what’s going on right now, but I think having such a humane, captivating moment is, at least, worth it.
[Featured Image Source: Reddit user u/nerdybird88]
