This update isn't quite complete yet - it's being pushed early since the social update is so far behind schedule. The remaining content will be finished incrementally over the coming weeks alongside some other minor features.
NEW FEATURES:
- NPCs now have a heart icon to display their friendship level. (Prior to this update, friendship was accrued by talking to them and completing their requests, so if you've been playing your file for a while you probably have some friendship levels already.)
- You can now give gifts to increase friendship, which is performed by equipping the item and talking to them, the same way that you deliver requests. Requests are prioritized. Each NPC can be given one gift a week (a bit flexible); if you try to give them something they don't like, they'll simply refuse it and it won't count towards the limit.
- A context icon for interacting with NPCs has added, which will show if you can talk to them, or if an item you're holding can be delivered as a request or a gift.
- Friendship events for most NPCs have been added, usually viewed by reaching friendship level 1/3/5 and entering a particular map. (Note: If you've been playing your file for a few in-game years you will probably have quite a large backlog of these. Be prepared to get flashbanged with a lot of them in sequence, particularly while entering the town.)
- After viewing their first friendship event, girlfriend candidates (and maybe some others...?) can be invited to follow you into adventure zones and assist you. You can ask them to do so after giving them a gift. NPCs following you will leave when you return to the farm, complete an adventure, or at 10 PM, and will return to their homes for the day.
- Some character art has been replaced/improved. Seasonal outfits are now also supported, but only a few characters have them at the moment.
- Character art also now has expressions, but most dialogue hasn't had them added yet.
OTHER CHANGES:
- The player now starts with 9 riceballs in their storage instead of 9 rice bags, since some new players were getting confused and thinking those were seeds.
- Added a sign at the crossroads to indicate which direction the town is in, also to help day 1 players.
- Fixed another instance of the player potentially being able to perform invalid actions by targeting a different tile on the same frame an action is started.
WHAT'S MISSING:
- The expanded daily dialogue and schedules that were supposed to be a part of this update aren't implemented yet. These will be high priority.
- The following characters have some friendship events not yet implemented due to related assets or features not existing yet:
-Some events unfinished: Raiko, Kaguya, Ichirin, Shinmyoumaru, Suika.
-No events yet: Eirin, Yuugi, Momoyo.
-Girlfriend candidates will eventually have events at all 5 friendship levels, but they currently stop at 3 while I work out how the whole "dating" aspect should work.
-More variety in conversation themes for events is planned, but my composers weren't available to have them ready for this update. They'll be added as soon as they're finished.
Check the discussions boards for more information.