Mod-Specific Known Issues
Fix problems with specific mods in Stardew Valley collections. Find solutions for mod issues, hotkeys, functionality problems, and answers to common questions.
Last updated: 2026-01-19 Applies to Stardew Valley: 1.6.15+
This guide answers known issues and common questions specific to individual mods in the collections. If you're experiencing problems with a particular mod, having trouble using a mod's features, or need to know how a mod works, check here. This is not a complete list of every mod—it focuses on mods with commonly reported issues or questions.
Table of Contents
Core Framework
SMAPI
The modding framework that makes all mods work. Required for everything.
Common Solutions:
SMAPI not launching? See New Player Install Instructions
SMAPI errors? See Your SMAPI Log
Major Expansions
Stardew Valley Expanded
Adds new NPCs, locations, events, and content to expand the game world.
Resources:
Common Solutions:
Community Center cutscene won't trigger? The Community Center cutscene has specific requirements that must be met:
Enter Pelican Town from the Bus Stop (not from another direction)
Must be Spring 5 or later in Year 1
Time must be between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM
Day must be sunny (no rain or storms)
Cannot be a festival day
In multiplayer, only the host can trigger this cutscene
The mods in the collection do not change this event. These are vanilla requirements. If all conditions are met and it still won't trigger, check your SMAPI log for any errors that might be blocking the event.
Minecart blocking mine entrance? If you find a minecart blocking the entrance to the mines, it indicates that the config file didn't unpack properly during installation. To fix this:
Exit the game
In Vortex, go to Collections > Mods (tab)
Find the configuration pack (Stardew Valley VERY Configured)
Remove it (including archive)
Reinstall the configuration pack from Collections > Mods tab
This should properly unpack the configuration file and resolve the minecart issue.
Can't find Rusty/Sewer Key? Due to Stardew Valley Expanded changes, the way you obtain the Rusty Key (Sewer Key) has changed from vanilla. Gunther no longer provides the Rusty Key at the museum.
To obtain the Rusty Key in SVE, you must complete three requirements:
1. Meet Krobus in Winter
Walk from your farm to the bus stop between 6 AM and 4 PM during Winter
This triggers an animation where a Shadow Guy (who looks like Krobus) gets startled and runs away
Follow the footprints to the playground to the left of the Community Center
Shake the shrubs there to make the Shadow Guy appear
The Shadow Guy will apologize for stealing, give you a Magnifying Glass, and flee
2. Reach the Bottom of the Mines
Descend through all 120 levels of the mines
Use your pickaxe to mine ores and bring Bombs to help clear large areas quickly
Upgrade your weapons and tools as enemies become tougher deeper in the mines
Reaching the final level completes this requirement
3. Earn Marlon's Trust
After meeting Krobus and reaching the bottom of the mines, you'll need to earn Marlon's trust
Year 1 requirements: Must have 5 hearts with Marlon and it must be raining to trigger his key event
Year 2 and beyond: The requirement reverts to 2 hearts, and the weather does not matter
Raise friendship by talking to Marlon and giving him gifts he likes
Once you meet the conditions and complete his heart event in the Adventurer's Guild, he will reward you with the Rusty Key, granting you access to the Sewers
Ridgeside Village
Adds an entirely new village with 45+ NPCs, locations, and a cable car system. Access Ridgeside Village via the staircase at the Bus Stop after the cutscene with Lewis and Lenny, then ride the cable car.
Resources:
Common Solutions:
Can't access Ridgeside Village or cable car? If the stairs or cable car aren't appearing, check the following:
Verify Ridgeside Village shows as installed in your SMAPI log
Ensure you installed the PC version (not mobile) if installing manually
Make sure the mod folder is extracted (not still a .zip/.rar file)
Check for missing dependencies - SMAPI will list any required frameworks that are missing
Remove any mods that edit the Bus Stop or its warps (including some custom farms) as they can conflict
If you have an outdated "Music of Ridgeside Village" add-on, remove it (music is now bundled)
Game hangs or takes a long time to load? Ridgeside Village can take several minutes to load schedules on first launchThis is normal. SinZational Speedy Solutions does solve a lot of this.
NPCs not spawning or events not triggering?
If monsters aren't spawning in Ridge Forest or Spirit Realm, check if you have time paused or significantly slowed within It's Stardew Time/Time Master.
For Spirit Realm pedestal issues, use SMAPI console command:
RSV_reset_pedestals
Items turning into other items (JSON shuffle)? This is a known issue with Json Assets. Trash the bugged items and respawn them with CJB Item Spawner. Ensure all players in multiplayer use identical mod sets and configs.
Linux Quest Parsing Errors? Linux users may see errors about quest parsing in the SMAPI log. This issue will be fixed in the next update. In the meantime, you can install Ridgeside Village Quest Fix For Linux and Mac to patch this issue.
East Scarp
Major area expansion east of Pelican Town with new locations and NPCs.
Resources:
Common Solutions:
NPCs not attending festivals? Some East Scarp NPCs require 4+ hearts before attending festivals
Sword & Sorcery
Fantasy expansion with custom skill trees and unique maps.
Common Solutions:
How do I access the Adventure Bar? Press Ctrl + U (configurable) to toggle the Adventure Bar sidebar overlay. Press U to configure the Adventure Bar.
How do I use abilities? Sword & Sorcery adds two ability bars:
Ability Bar 1: Press Ctrl + 1 through Ctrl + 8 to use abilities in slots 1-8
Ability Bar 2: Press Shift + 1 through Shift + 8 to use abilities in slots 1-8
Can I change the keybinds? Yes, all keybinds can be customized via GMCM (press Numpad - or go to Settings > Mod Options). Look for "Sword & Sorcery (SMAPI Component)" in the keybindings section.
Quality of Life
Automate
Automatically processes items in machines and chests by connecting them to chests. Press U (configurable) to show an automation overlay that visualizes connected machines, chests, and connectors.
Better Crafting
Enhanced crafting menu with categories, favorites, and quality filters. Replaces the vanilla crafting screen with improved organization and bulk crafting support. Use Shift + Left-click to craft 5 at a time, or Ctrl + Shift + Left-click to craft 25 at a time.
Common Solutions:
Can't craft items despite having ingredients? Better Crafting has quality filters enabled by default. Click the Stars button on the right side of the crafting menu and enable "Show All Qualities"
Missing recipes (like Chest)? Better Crafting organizes recipes into categories. Check other categories or look for "Show All" / "Uncategorized" options
Bait Maker not working? This is often blocked by quality filters - enable "Show All Qualities" as above
Chests Anywhere
Access your chests, dressers, fridge, shipping bin, and Junimo huts from anywhere. You can edit chest names and categories by clicking the edit icon when a chest is open. The shipping bin can be opened like a chest to retrieve items before they're shipped. The collection adjusts chests to work within the area you are in, and disables the chest hotkey.
Event Lookup
View today's events and schedules. Press N (configurable) to open a list of all heart events you can trigger today, with details on when and how to trigger them. Also adds console commands for event lookup.
Lookup Anything
Press F1 to see live information about whatever's under your cursor. Learn villager favorite gifts, when crops will be ready, fence durability, why animals are unhappy, and more. Works on world objects, inventory, calendar, menus, and shops. Press Left Shift + F1 to search. On laptops/macOS you may need FN + F1.
NPC Map Locations
Shows NPCs and farmers on a modified map page. Open the game map with M (vanilla key), then press Tab while the map is open to access the mod menu. Includes an optional minimap HUD and various filtering options.
UI Info Suite 2
Displays helpful information about things around you, including calendar, quest board, daily luck, experience gains, crop info, sprinkler ranges, and more. Press B to open the Calendar anywhere, or H to open the Help Wanted/Quest Billboard anywhere. Also adds buttons in the inventory menu to access these features.
Common Solutions:
Can't access calendar or quest board? Use the default keybinds (B for Calendar, H for Quest Board). If these don't work, check your keybinds in GMCM (Settings menu or
Numpad -) or edit the mod's data file for your save
Schedule Viewer
Shows NPC schedules for the current day. Press V (configurable) to open/close the schedule viewer. The main menu lists previous/current/next entries per NPC and shows an "!" if the NPC has an active quest. Clicking an NPC opens a details menu with their full schedule, current location, and whether they can receive a gift.
To-Dew
An in-game to-do list. Press L (configurable) to open the list. The list can also be shown as a top-left overlay (can be disabled in config). Click items to mark them done. Type in the textbox and press Enter to add items. Press Esc to close the list.
Convenient Inventory
Adds convenience features to your inventory. Hold Left Alt (PC) or Left Shoulder (controller) and select items to favorite them (favorited items are protected from quick stack, trashing, dropping, and shipping). Click the "Quick Stack to Nearby Chests" button in the inventory UI to deposit matching items into nearby chests. Right-click a stack while holding Left Ctrl + Left Shift (PC) or Left Trigger (controller) to take all but one from the stack.
Generic Mod Config Menu (GMCM)
Access mod settings and configurations.
Common Solutions:
How do I access mod settings? Press
Numpad -or go to Settings menu and look for "Mod Options" at the bottom (see About the Collections for keybinds)Can't find GMCM? It's accessible from the title screen Settings menu (⚙️ icon) or in-game Settings
SinZational Speedy Solutions
Performance optimization mod.
Common Solutions:
Visual bugs after Community Center completion? "Slow Map Loader" is disabled in the collection's configuration files to prevent this visual bugs.
Visual & Customization
Dynamic Reflections
Adds dynamic reflections to water and other surfaces.
Common Solutions:
Game running slowly? Disabling Dynamic Reflections may help if you have limited memory
Fashion Sense
Framework that enables outfit customization for characters, including accessories, hairstyles, hats, shirts, sleeves, pants, and shoes. Purchase a Hand Mirror from Pierre's shop (1,500g) and hold it, then left-click to open the appearance menu. The collection configuration also sets a hotkey G (unbound by default) to open the dresser interface anywhere!
Common Solutions:
How do I change my outfit? Buy a Hand Mirror from Pierre (1,500g), hold it and left-click to open the appearance menu. If the mirror doesn't show in Pierre's stock, use console command
fs_add_mirrorto add it. In single player games you may also select to get one for free at the start of the game.
Alternative Textures
Framework enabling texture variation for placeable objects, buildings, and entities. Purchase tools from Robin: Paint Bucket (left-click items to change texture), Paint Brush (right-click to copy, left-click to paste), Spray Can (randomize textures in a radius), and Texture Catalogue (browse available textures). Textures can be seasonal and randomized on placement.
Common Solutions:
How do I change textures? Visit Robin to purchase a Paint Bucket and other AT tools. Left-click a supported item with the Paint Bucket to open texture selection
"No alternative textures for this season" message? This means no textures are available for that item in the current season
Happy Home Designer
Overhauls the furniture and wallpaper catalogues with a feature-rich UI. Right-click a placed catalogue to open the menu and place furniture directly from it. You can combine catalogues by holding one and right-clicking another in your inventory. Supports favorites/bookmarks and integrates with Alternative Textures. Configure hotkeys via GMCM (defaults are unbound).
Precise Furniture
Move furniture pixel-by-pixel for perfect placement. Press Arrow Keys while hovering over placed furniture to move it. Hold Left Alt while pressing arrow keys for faster movement. Hold Left Alt and right-click furniture to lock it (prevents picking up or moving). Only works with furniture, not objects.
See Also
About the Collections - Collection features and keybinds
Troubleshooting & FAQ - For general troubleshooting
How to Customize Collections - Adding your own mods
New Player Install Instructions - Installation guide
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