Ian Bogost, a well-known advocate of proceduralism, defined procedural rhetoric as “explaining processes with other processes in order to persuade users of a particular viewpoint” (Bogost, 2007). Elements of procedural rhetoric in Stardew Valley, where you are tasked with experimenting and interacting with your farm and its surroundings in order to produce two distinct outcomes: generate the highest profit in order to expand the farming community or focus on establishing relationships with other characters in the game. The first approach aims at highlighting the constant conflict between the community and mega-corporations. For example, when building a relationship with Pierre, who works as the local produce merchant, I was constantly in clashing with Joja corporation, who works to drive customers away from Pierre and thus inflict my business. The second way of playing this game aims to target individuals who want to escape their life as an office worker and interact with those in a new environment.
When playing the game, I found it quite difficult to experience both outcomes in one sitting. I spent most of my time tilling the soil, planting which seeds would help me to generate the highest return and spent much of my time fishing, as I could sell it for an attractive price. Despite the fact that the game took place in a farm, I was still more interested in gaining higher rewards and following the money. To be honest, it seemed as if I was only interacted with Pierre, as there was an alignment of interests between me and him. In a way, this game might be commenting on some individuals’ capitalistic tendencies and how those tendencies have been ingrained in our society. Or, for others, this game represents an escape from those ideals and shifts the focus towards community and building new relationships which still remains to be an integral part of farm life today.
If you were pursuing a perfectly capitalistic and logical strategy, though, you would be more likely to buy from Joja Corp because they have lower prices and better deals. Your choice to develop a relationship with Pierre is not an economic one, but one based on empathy and a desire to support an independent community. It's hard for me to characterize the average Stardew Valley player as a capitalist because the priorities in Stardew aren't actually to get the most money physically possible in the game. Of course, that is one motivation, but you're actually more investing in the community and trying to find a home. Alternatively, when you pursue a savagely rational strategy, you decimate the community and put…
The loose sort-of-story that Stardew Valley progresses through with the seasons didn't really resonate as much with me as it sounds like it did with you. There definitely were undertones of capitalistic exploitation versus "living on the land" and farming in a close knit community, but most of the time the story comes from just trying to be a farmer, watching your crops grow, and generally having fun exploring the village.
A lot of what I did in Stardew Valley centered around the mines, for example. I made friends with the weird cowboy and brought him monster parts, I added things to the museum, and I tried to go as far down as possible. Other narratives can emerge from that…