New (Hardcore) Farming System

[kaf]

Wanted to post this in the existing troll thread by Supasang (http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/4280-the-next-build-aka-the-nexbuild15/)

to save web space, but it got locked while I was writing this..

Oh well..

 

As I have mentioned before, I really loved the new carpentry changes, and it turned out that I'm not alone - the vast majority of people actually adore the idea of building miles of walls before they are "skilled" enough to try building a rain barrel too!

 

http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/3571-rain-collector-barrels-upcoming-patch/

 

This change was introduced because devs felt that getting water in PZ is too easy (apparently failing to notice that in order to get hammer+nails+planks a player still has to search half of the map..)

 

So, with that in mind, I would like to suggest a new farming system!

We all know that at the moment farming is just way too easy - this issue must be addressed asap!

 

One of the possible ways to make farming more challenging would be introducing leveled seed packets - you'd be able to plant carrots at farming 1, strawberries at farming 2 etc. etc. This change might sound a bit drastic, yet it stays true to the new (and realistic) leveled barrel system, as well as the opinion of the majority on this forum.

 

PZ is about being an average person, and an average person cannot plant potatoes without first mastering the art of carrot farming (or vice versa), just like an average person cannot build a box with a garbage bag inside, without practicing building a house first.

 

Even if an average person reads a book about making wooden boxes with plastic bags inside, he/she would still need to practice by building shit he/she doesn't need first.

 

Another possible approach to turn both carpentry and farming into a more challenging experience, would be to introduce a new quest giver/teacher system - you would have to travel across all map to a carpentry/farming teacher to unlock a profession first - how else would an average person find out about farming or carpentry in the first place?

 

Also, I'm pretty sure a lot of people would support the idea of leveled trees - i.e. certain trees gonna be too tough to be cut down by some average unskilled level 1 character, so you'd have to max out the skill first.

 

All these changes would provide more depth and realism to PZ (not to mention the immersion value), while staying true to the new and innovative approach taken by our beloved devs.

 

Please note, that these farming/carpentry changes are of utmost importance and should be implemented before introducing alternative sources of food/water, and BEFORE the NPCs - I mean who needs em?

I'd rather have another 5 levels of rain barrels of different sizes - I'm really happy that the devs share my opinion on this one, and made the rain barrels top priority.

 

P.S. Someone should add new survival tip to PZ wiki - barricading/unbarricading the same window 10000 times to level up carpentry - simple, functional and realistic survival strategy.

 

Thanks!

 

P.P.S. I agree with Supasang in his initial troll topic - Spifo references are essential to PZ. My heart overflows with joy and childish happiness every time I see them in game or read Spifo jokes on the forum (I just love them - they get funnier every time I read em - thanks guys!) - hope that devs keep spending time and money on developing a wider variety of Spifo items and places - other aspects of the game can surely wait!

[glenmack]

I'm torn so I'll start with what I agree with -

 

-Farming needs to be "harder"

 

-Leveled seed packets - in principle, yes however maybe a health modifier for different plants at different farming levels e.g. Radishes at level 1 are always sickly and near death, I still want to TRY and plant everything from the beginning

 

-Spiffo references.

 

Disagree -

 

Quest givers - This is not WoW, I don't want to have to go all the way back to Stormwind to learn Farming lvl4 and how realistic would it be for 1-2 people of every profession in a small town to have survived? They would have to stay put on such a massive map and that means they'd have to fortify... and there are all sorts of realism issues I have with this...

 

Trees - nuh-uh! I have enough to worry about with the fact that I'm making noise, may be standing in tall grass next to a crawler and night is closing in, I don't want to have to worry about what level the tree is!

[American Steel]

Farming

I don't think farming is all that hard.  Lets not "over do it" just because it appears easy.  Plants grow in the wild all the time without humans doing a thing.  The system they have in place is good, where you have to get to a certain stage to know how to treat various blights.  A healthy plant produces more food than a sick one already, we don't have to make leveled food.

 

My 4 year old daughter brought home some seeds last spring from school.  We stuck them in some dirt she claimed from the side yard and stuck the glass in the kitchen window.  She watered it when she thought the dirt looked dry.  In a few weeks we could tell had a carrot and bean growing out of the same glass.  I separated the plants into 2 larger cups for her and I was promptly instructed the "bean vines need to grow up something Daddy."  I cut some chicken wire from my stock out back and make a little trellis for it to grow up.  She harvested the carrot herself a week or three later, and the beans when they would form.  She ate them on her salad and said they were much better than the ones from the store--lol  If my 4 year old daughter can grow edible plants from a class in Pre-K4 then I think we can overlook the leveled packets and whatnot.

 

Supplies

Speaking about supplies, I am not seeing the problem you describe in Ver 20.  I started a new game last night in Sandbox mode.  I made 12 hours = 1 day and gave Zed the ability to open doors (which does not seem to work).  I raided 8 houses, 3 sheds and 3 trailers and found about 100 nails and 5 hammers.  I knocked down the doors inside other houses for planks and fortified a small two story house with the 24 planks needs to barricade it up nice and tight.

 

Carpentry

I don't think you are giving the average adult enough credit regarding the building projects involved in the game.  At level 0 you can build stuff, but it sucks.  Even barricading is not as effective.  As you level you skill up, the Health of the item improves.  Some of that is just ascetic but others make a real difference.  This is the training you are talking about.  I think the average person could make a box and put a bag in it.  It might look horrible but I bet it would work.

 

Quest Givers

Please no.  When NPCs come around, if you want to do a quest to get an item (skill book, axe, gallon of water) that is one thing.  For that matter they may want to trade with you.  Maybe I can trade three chocolate bars for a broken axe.  But being required to go see some old coot who lives at the edge of town so he can train me in the art of cabinet making.  Um, no.

 

Leveled Trees

Please, please no.  If you want a tree that is harder to cut down, then you just have to chop on it longer. On the side, there must be a reason why it is harder to cut down.  Is it bigger (more wood), is it denser (stronger wood) or is it just an overgrown mess (something that has no real usability besides blocking line of sight).  Saying I have to be a certain level woodsman to cut down a tree sounds like I am playing an MMO.

 

Sy: "You cut down that tree yet?"

Jeb: Wiping his brow, "No man.  I just figured out the art to cutting down shrubs.  Rose bushes were HARD!  I am focusing on saplings now.  I hear they can be tricky."

Sy: Takes a drag on his cig and nods, "Aye, you have to be careful with saplings."

 

Will gardening skill have to be at a certain level to break ground in hard soil or put dirt in a planter?

[conir]

to the two guys above me: do you really fail to see the irony???

 

to op: good one

[glenmack]

There would be irony if I disagreed with everything he said, level restricted farming practice isn't that bad an idea! If he's completely trolling I'm afraid he's actually hit on something that might be useful. That's probably why I read it as ironically phrased rather than just ironic.

[Kajin]

to the two guys above me: do you really fail to see the irony???

 

I think they're just taking the high road and assuming op is a well meaning if horribly misguided youth.

[Fj45]

Stupid troll is stupid.

 

 

 

Farming overhaul is planned, it will be a much more complex system.

[Rathlord]

I wish people who wanted to criticize PZ would just do it constructively and stated outright. Masking it behind snarky 'suggestions' really just wastes peoples time and doesn't help anyone.

[Kajin]

I like scathing sarcasm as much as the next person but this part of the forum exists solely to try and be helpful and foster discussion, not vent ire.

[ApolloDiaspora]

"Wanted to post this in the existing troll thread by Supasang..."

 

Huehuehuehuehueh.