A Beginner's Guide to Rue Valley: How to Get Motivated and Start Quests
Your first enemy in Rue Valley isn't a monster. It's your own brain.
I'm talking about the "Total Lack of Motivation" status effect. This is the first, most confusing wall you'll hit. You'll try to talk to people or interact with objects, and the game will just... not let you.
You're blocked from a huge range of interactions, like talking to the girl at the vending machine or even unpacking your own bags. This is a deliberate, maddening feature, not a bug. It's the game's first chapter.
How to Remove 'Total Lack of Motivation'
You don't "cure" this with an item. You just have to progress the story.
If you're stuck, go to the Reception desk. Wait for the receptionist to finish her call and give you the Keycard. Go to your room, fail to unpack, and go to sleep.
A major event will happen. After you do the mind-mapping and "remember things," the 'Total Lack of Motivation' will finally lift. Then the real game begins.
The Main Loop: Intentions, Willpower, and Inspiration
Now you have to deal with the game's main currency. It's not gold; it's your character's mental energy.
Let's be simple: "Intentions" are quests.
The flow is simple. You talk to people, which unlocks "Memories" in your Mind Map. A specific cocktail of Memories triggers an "Idea". This 'Idea' is a potential quest. To actually start it, you have to spend Willpower or Inspiration Points to turn it into an "Intention". Once it's active, new dialogue options pop up, letting you make progress.
Willpower vs. Inspiration (The Important Part)
This is the most crucial mechanic to understand. Both are used to activate Intentions, but they are not the same.
Willpower Points are PERMANENT. Think of them as your permanent 'quest slots.' You spend one, and when the Intention is done (even if you fail), the point comes back.
Inspiration Points are CONSUMABLE. You spend one, and it's gone forever.
How to Get More Points
You don't farm Willpower. You get new permanent points for major story breakthroughs. Figuring out 'The Incident' dream in therapy gets you your first one.
Inspiration, on the other hand, is what you'll be hunting for. You can't farm it in a traditional sense, but you can find it everywhere.
Interact with everything. Press TAB. Click on weird shit. Appreciating the view from the cliff, being hopeful about a cat poster, or finding a flower in the concrete can all grant Inspiration. Choosing positive, hopeful dialogue options is also a good way to get it.
So, What's the Strategy?
So what's the plan? First, don't be afraid to fail. Failing an Intention is not a 'game over'. It's just a different branch of the story, and you still get your Willpower point back.
Second, be a hopeful busybody. Click on everything and be nice. This is how you fuel your Inspiration engine.
Finally, don't activate everything at once. You only have so many points. Focus on one or two Intentions at a time so you have a clear goal. That's it. Your goal in Rue Valley isn't to kill monsters, it's to find the will to participate in the world. Good luck.