A few ideas to make farming crops a bit more engaging

[Skaarphy]

As it is now, in the beginning you struggle a bit to get food but once you get the seed machine going it's a non-issue for the rest of the game. And it's so simplistic that it almost feels like a placeholder until a better idea comes along. Maybe this will make things a bit more immersive and interesting:

1. Crops take 5 days to fully grow. 

2. They can fail.

3. A fully grown plant does not yield a fixed amount but a number between x and y.

4. To make up for the uncertainty and the waiting period of 5 days canned food is more nutrional.

5. Possibly: The "Seeds" talent does not teach you how put seeds into the ground but it reduces the chance for crop failure (never to zero though).  

I'd love to see something like that in the game. I like establishing my garden but as it is, after the first couple of harvests it's just going through the motions. A dull activity that you repeat every so often once you see your supplies dwindiling.

It seems to me that with these few changes it can become more interesting throughout the game.

 

[meganoth]

As it is now, in the beginning you struggle a bit to get food but once you get the seed machine going it's a non-issue for the rest of the game. And it's so simplistic that it almost feels like a placeholder until a better idea comes along. Maybe this will make things a bit more immersive and interesting:

1. Crops take 5 days to fully grow. 

2. They can fail.

3. A fully grown plant does not yield a fixed amount but a number between x and y.

4. To make up for the uncertainty and the waiting period of 5 days canned food is more nutrional.

5. Possibly: The "Seeds" talent does not teach you how put seeds into the ground but it reduces the chance for crop failure (never to zero though).  

I'd love to see something like that in the game. I like establishing my garden but as it is, after the first couple of harvests it's just going through the motions. A dull activity that you repeat every so often once you see your supplies dwindiling.

It seems to me that with these few changes it can become more interesting throughout the game.

I get why this could be more immersive, but can you explain how this makes farming more interesting to you? It looks like the randomness is just moved from getting a variable amount of crops to a variable amount of produce. The end result seems identical, after the first couple of harvests you would "repeat it every so often when you see your supplies dwindling". The only other change is a longer wait between harvests which could be implemented with the current system as well.

 

[Skaarphy]

I get why this could be more immersive, but can you explain how this makes farming more interesting to you? It looks like the randomness is just moved from getting a variable amount of crops to a variable amount of produce. The end result seems identical, after the first couple of harvests you would "repeat it every so often when you see your supplies dwindling". The only other change is a longer wait between harvests which could be implemented with the current system as well.

Yes, it moves randomness, you're absolutely right. But there are significant differences, aren't there?

There is the longer growth period for one, and the chance for crops to fail, for two.

For an example, let's say the initial chance for crop failure is 75%.

That makes me having to decide whether I want to either, a) cultivate acres of land to mitigate the chance for failure, or b), invest points into farming, or c) ignore it all and concentrate on getting food by looting and buying it at the vendors. 

If the balancing is done right - between looted food and grown food - you'd have to choose between whatever fits your playstyle.

 

[meganoth]

Yes, it moves randomness, you're absolutely right. But there are significant differences, aren't there?

There is the longer growth period for one, and the chance for crops to fail, for two.

For an example, let's say the initial chance for crop failure is 75%.

That makes me having to decide whether I want to either, a) cultivate acres of land to mitigate the chance for failure, or b), invest points into farming, or c) ignore it all and concentrate on getting food by looting and buying it at the vendors.

Currently I have almost the same choices (even one more): a) put one point into farming and farm with a lot of farm plots as each farm plot only gives 1,5 produce on average, b) invest more points and get the produce with much less work, or c) ignore it all and buy or shoot your food, or d) put some farm plots up to just grow any seeds you find and buy or shoot the rest.

 

[Riamus]

Yes, it moves randomness, you're absolutely right. But there are significant differences, aren't there?

There is the longer growth period for one, and the chance for crops to fail, for two.

For an example, let's say the initial chance for crop failure is 75%.

That makes me having to decide whether I want to either, a) cultivate acres of land to mitigate the chance for failure, or b), invest points into farming, or c) ignore it all and concentrate on getting food by looting and buying it at the vendors. 

If the balancing is done right - between looted food and grown food - you'd have to choose between whatever fits your playstyle.

It really doesn't seem different.  As mentioned, a longer grow time can be done with the current system if they wanted to.  So that's a separate item.  For the rest, you currently have a chance to not get seeds and so need to use cross to make seeds.  In your, you simply lose crops.  In either case, you have a chance to lose/use crops.  The how of it doesn't really change the results.

And the end result in both is that you either ignore the loss and just replant over and over and get enough regardless of you make a bigger garden to offset the loss.  So no really change.  The same thing with a different cover.

 

[usHallgrim]

I wrote a mod that lengthens the growth time that I could share. I have it set to about 10 days on 90 minute days. I haven't tested it for day lengths of different day lengths.

What I can tell you about the change as far as immersion? Well, I prefer playing permadeath and no traders (including working vending machines) and with those settings it makes scavenging for seeds much more important. Also, you just got to plant what you get pretty much as soon as you get it in the early game. But if you plant every day, then you get a steady stream of crops coming in. Maybe not so much what you want early on, but at least something to keep you going. You will eventually get to a point though where you are fully stocked. So overall I would say my mod is a very slight improvement for how I like to play.

So I do like your idea of crop failures, which would help. I want feeding oneself to be a struggle throughout the game unless you are on top of farming. Also, I was planning on updating the mod so you are able to can (preserve) your crops. Also, to add peas (using the hop 3D model). But no need to can your harvests unless crops are perishable.

 

[Skaarphy]

I wrote a mod that lengthens the growth time that I could share. I have it set to about 10 days on 90 minute days. I haven't tested it for day lengths of different day lengths.

What I can tell you about the change as far as immersion? Well, I prefer playing permadeath and no traders (including working vending machines) and with those settings it makes scavenging for seeds much more important. Also, you just got to plant what you get pretty much as soon as you get it in the early game. But if you plant every day, then you get a steady stream of crops coming in. Maybe not so much what you want early on, but at least something to keep you going. You will eventually get to a point though where you are fully stocked. So overall I would say my mod is a very slight improvement for how I like to play.

So I do like your idea of crop failures, which would help. I want feeding oneself to be a struggle throughout the game unless you are on top of farming. Also, I was planning on updating the mod so you are able to can (preserve) your crops. Also, to add peas (using the hop 3D model). But no need to can your harvests unless crops are perishable.

I'd very much like to see that when it's finished. I'm personally not so interested in feeding oneself to be a struggle but in as many elements of the game feeling as natural as possible. Increased growth times and the chance for crop failure does that to me, without going overboard with the "realism".

I also think canned goods need to be a viable alternative.

Ideally the whole feeding-yourself mechanic would strike a balance between looting and growing, where you have to seek out kitchens on a daily basis if you disregard growing, or have to invest points into growing when you disregard seeking out kitchens. 

I also think, on a side note. bird's nests should be much, much less common - about a tenth of what they're now - but have more eggs in it. About 2-5 with a 75% chance for eggs, or so. That bacon & eggs stop-and-go egghunt in the early game isn't really that much fun.