Ok, I'm responding on my phone, so bare with me. Rune Factory can be a lot to take in. And 4 was just expansive compared to the other titles. It took me to around summer for me to start looking and poking around in the game's corners. First off, I spent months on 4. Like, 6 months. Sometimes intensely, sometimes casually.

Like forging. And medicine making. I kinda don't do... like, any of that. I'm about halfway through the first summer, and all my tools are still basic level. They could use an upgrade, which I know I should do, but upgrading tools and weapons always makes me super nervous. Like, what if I use something that it turns out I really needed later? I have so many questions, especially about weapon and armor, too.

First off, there is literally no item in the game you can only get once. if you're nervous, just save before forging and reload if something doesn't go right. First off (again), you don't upgrade your tools, you make the next tier. (ex. Cheap hoe>sturdy hoe> seasoned hoe>ect) you have to really raise your forging level in order to get the next set of tool recipes. Level 15 for the first upgrade (about).

Upgrading weapons can be fun and easy. I put all materials I don't sell in the storage box. From the upgrade menu you can move the cursor up and select the next ivon over from your backpack (box thingy with lines). Hit A and view your storage bin. Select a weapon with Y and it'll shoot over to the upgr item box. Then start selecting other items with Y. You can't upgrade weapons with weapons. But you can upgrade with metals and gems, monster drops, even produce and flowers. If you want to see what the upgrade will do move the cursor to the "projected" box and look at your top screen. I move the cursor up and down from Upgr Item to Projected to see the differences. I have a sword called with +100 ATK, by adding iron/silver/gold/ect I cam raised it's attack. By adding Amythest it adds some magic defense. Other items can add a variety of effects. You have to just keep finding an item, adding it to the mix with Y and checking out the stat changes. Of course there are guides galore as well, but I mostly did trial and error. Again, watch your RP Used. And upgrading does level up your forge skill. You can upgrade an item up tp level 10 and upgrading is the best way to level up your forging.

And you do it by making lots of weapons. Very rarely did I have to make several of a weapon in order to make the next one. If you have a broadsword, then don't try to skip to the cutlass, make the steel sword first. Each recipe has a number next to it, which represents the level of that recipe. let's say you're forging is level 3, and the cutlass is a level 7 item. You DO NOT have to get your forging up to level 7 to create the cutlass. You are capable of making any weapon up to 10 levels above you. The bigger difference in level, the lower chance you have for success. Of you are level 3, and you try to forge a level 13 item, you can do it, but you'll likely fail. Save right before you attempt to forge anything. If you fail, hold down L+R+start for a quick reset. Load your game and try again. Eventually you'll make the item and level up in the process.

The game may tell you you don't have enough RP. If you select a recipe with A it'll show you "RP Used" on the lower right. If number is in the green, you're basically good to go. If it's red, there's a chance you may pass out from over work. There are cooking recipes that can temporarily raised your RP klike relax tea)

As for medicines, I only ever used my lab to make sour drops and sweet powder. After you beat the 3rd area, the obsidian mansion, you'll get the cure spell. After I got that I only used potions in desperate situations and rarely. I just bought from the clinic.

• What are the best materials to use to upgrade farming tools?

I addressed this above. Raise your forging level and eat the forging recipe breads from Porcoline. Eventually the next tier of farming tools will come. Upgrading your tooks only raised their attack, it won't increase how many spots you water or till.

• Is upgrading my armor worth it? The game tends to just give me new stuff in dungeons periodically, so I wonder if it's worth the effort.

• Then there’s all that crap with having to level up my forging skills. What if I don’t have the skill to forge what I want to? I’m forced to create pointless weapons I’m never going to use? Sounds like a waste of money, unless I can sell the spares for a good price.

Addressed above, but yes. If you level the crap out of a sword, then make the next sword, then the level 10 sword will usually sell for a good price. I suggest making the next tier weapon, leveling up to level 10. And by then you're usually high enough level to make the next weapon. I do this until I run out of availabke materials. Like, if I haven't encountered gold yet and the next weapon requires it.

• But if it is worth it, what are the best materials to upgrade armor and such with? And where’s the best place to get that stuff?

Always the nicest metals you can find. If you have a sword that was made with iron and encounter copper, upgrade with copper. Also try the gems and monster drops. You can get effects like knock (knocking enemies down) or poison, or resists for these effects (so that you won't get poisoned as often. I loath poison). For instance the item Glue (dropped by orcs and goblins I think) increases attack, Defense and magic defense.

• I wanna make things like medicine, but I don’t have many recipes. I know I can get more by making medicine a lot and eating the recipe bread, but is that worth it, or is it easier to just buy stuff from the clinic?

After the 3rd dungeon place youvll get a healing spell. I only used potions as back up. When I did start upgrading medicines, it was because I had done everything else in the game. Also, cooking is more effective than potions in many cases. Recovery potion, the base level potion, recovers 150 hp. The base level food onigiri (which requires rice which can be bought at the store) heals 220 hp and 30 rp. Infinitely better. Also, cooking is so much fun in this game. I started by making my favorites characters' favorite foods as often as possible. Sometimes I would cook for everyone in town. It quickly raised my cooking level and food is just better than potions.

• Also, my animals. I’ve got a …chicken-thing, a Buffamoo, a Wooly, and a Silver Wolf. Sans Silver Wolf (because he’s just my powerhouse for fighting), how do I get my animals to drop better grade products? I’ve had the chicken the longest, but the eggs don’t sell for much. Do I just keep brushing them, and their produce gets better? Or should I be leveling them up in dungeons?

Leveling up your monsters will not get them to produce better products. However, taking them adventuring with you raises their friendship with you (as well as brushing once a day) and as their friendship increases they make better products. Also, hand feeding your monsters. Doesn't take a lot of time and it raises the friendship level.

• Also, when the hell is that damn general store gonna get summer seeds? I’ve shipped enough potatoes to save Ireland from another famine, but should I diversify what I ship?

(Lol!) make sure you are doing request board stuff. The request board (named Eliza) is located in the town square to the right of the main castle entrance (to Ventiswill's chamber). The requests are super easy and the rewards vary from a freaking branch, a broken box (which ironically is an amazing upgrade item), to getting new seeds in the store. Dedicate some time to clearing your requests and eventually one will come along that has "more seeds in the general store" as a reward.

I know I could google some of this stuff, but I have so many questions it would take forever! And to clarify what point I’m at in the game, I’m (spoilers beware) looking for the Sechs Empire Research Facility (Sex Empire? Y’all fuckin’ kiddin me? REALLY?) in the hills. Well actually I’m IN the dungeon leading to it, but ya get my drift. I’m level 70 as well, game on Easy Mode cause I’m casual trash.

You're in first summer with base weapons at the Sech's Empire? Easy mode or not that's badass! Level up your weapons and you'll wipe the floor. Feel free to ask for clarifications. I'm slightly feverish, so I may have rambled a bit. Have fun with the game. It consumed a huge portion of my life for awhile. Run factory is very different. It's got some of Harvest Moon, Pokemon, Tales of ect, Dragon Warrior/Quest, and then some. It's multidimensional. There were some poibts where the grind became quite boring. I either walked away or put on some anime or whatever to distract me.