Rune Factory Was Inspired By Dragon Quest, Says Producer

"Rune Factory, producer Yashimoto Hirofumi states, was originally created as a celebration of the tenth anniversary of Harvest moon.

His initial concept, he reveals to Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, was to use a more western-based idea—placing the concepts of Harvest Moon in an open fantasy world. The original inspiration came from his experiences with Dragon Quest, in which his favorite moment was wandering around the world after having beat the final boss and talking with all the NPCs (who would constantly sing praises of the hero). He felt that this openness and exploration is the best part of an RPG, and so he strived to include it in Rune Factory as well.", writes Siliconera.