I hope that’s not a dig at my Harvest Moon diaries

Not at all, after all I devoted a notebook to Frontier not that long ago, and I’m sure I have a folder of notes for other games too.

There is a lot of information in HM though, and sometimes it’s easy to forget simple things like how long crops will take to grow, or what times the shops are open.

The information is available in the library, so it would be handy if you could keep it in a notebook (like Shenmue) and access it as you please.

There are always people who go a deeper, and that’s great, but it’s important to balance the features between “hardcore” and “casual” players. Personally, I think great games are fun to play for everyone, but have a lot of stuff below the surface for more interested players.

Personally I like games that need planning and some kind of system or logging ability outside of the game - it makes me think I’m learning something, and stops me forgetting things. I really enjoyed making charts and diaries for Harvest Moon, but at its core is, as you say, a very simple game. I guess its Harvest Moon’s strength that you can play at whatever depth you’re most comfortable with; for me that’s as deep as you can go!