Rant: I called the fishing minigame in Stardew "fake hard" for 2 years, then I hit 40 hours and now I'm not sure
I used to skip fishing in Stardew Valley because I swore the green bar was random and the game just wanted to stress me out. My friend Kayla from college kept saying it was all timing and the trap bobber helps, but I ignored her for two years and just bought fish from Willy. Then two weeks ago I got stuck on a bundle and forced myself to sit down for an hour with the training rod and the trap bobber, and by day 3 I could land a sturgeon. Now I honestly can't tell if the minigame is fair and I was just bad, or if it's still too punishing for a game about relaxing. Where do you all land on this, is fishing in Stardew good design or does it break the cozy vibe?
The green bar isn't random at all, it's tied to the bobber and the fish's movement pattern so the trap bobber really does make it more forgiving. Sounds like you just needed the right gear and some reps, the game wasn't out to get you.