Expert Farm?!

OK, so during KS I brought up the idea of expert farms when you guys talked about expert crafting stations.

To that end I came up with some ideas how to accomplish this. My first idea would be a "U" shaped manor house only square out the bottom curves. Like take the letter "L" on one side of the property and then on the other side reverse it and join them at the base. Make the base thicker and the "l" piece can be bedrooms and personal space and the empty center you can make an enclosed courtyard/garden and a place where we could put a expert bench in one corner then next to it an expert field. Or someone could just turn the courtyard into a fantastical garden.

 

Do you think a farm needs one? Maybe your crafting station can be used for cooking.

 

can't grow anything in an oven. Well maybe bread mold?

 

I don't think of farming as crafting. It isn't as dependent on tools as say woodworking.

So I would suggest no crafting stations, let the quality of seeds + experience of the farmer dictate the quality of the product. (Although seeds are probably tradeable unlike crafting stations.

Here's a dodge: We know that plants don't normally grow as fast on Earth as they will in the game. Before we rush off and explain this a feature of the world, we could introduce a device which is responsible for the phenomena. I'll call it an "aura enhancer". Has an area effect, must be planted in the soil. Can have various qualities of these devices.

 

There are already immortality fruit that needs to be grown on a farm. There is also a multitude of things you could use an expert farm for.
Properties already come with a farm I'm just suggesting an "expert" farm be available.

If you don't like it you don't have to select it!!!!

I'm also not suggesting farming be a skill, just suggesting expert fields give an increase or bonus to growing things.

Use for fields:
1. Grow a special grain or hop to make a special beer
2. Possibly used to grow a unique component for spellcasting/potion brewing/healing
3. Grow tree's that have special properties in their wood for better bow making
4. Grow crops that attract certain animals that meat provides on bonus when used in food or their leather can be tanned for improved leather armor and/or bracers.

and many more....

And time? Really? When has time ever figured into a game? People level up 25 levels in less then a week, thats not realistic timewise.

 

Ya, again....I just look at the farm as free gatherables. Whether it's food / herbs / or sheep. Would rather have "expert" be something you actually crafted.

 

Then don't choose it. Just like any other bench you choose whether you want it or not.

 

If farming is not a skill or profession, is there anything stopping every farm from becoming an expert farm? If all farms turn to expert farms over time would those expert farm items stop being special? Could always implement a few "mid level" items you'd need to transform a normal farm into a farm plus, like magic worms or something that you can only get from a mid-late game area that enhance your soil, letting you grow some new crops if you wanted. That might work.

 

Ooo, just had a thought. An advanced farm could let you grow your own reagents. I would love that.

 

It would be interesting if you sacrificed something (house space) for farm space in order to get a bonus.

The only issue I see is many players wont have houses, and will feel that the only way to enjoy the game or farming component would be to get a house. They want to make a house worth having, but not an unfair advantage over those who can't buy a house, so anything in a house plot would need to be able to be done in the community garden area.

 

Well you'd be sacrificing an expert crafting station and the space it takes on your property. I think that's enough.

Mishri,
Your second point is moot. Every house above citizen gets a crafting station and lord and above get 2. So, there's already a bonus to owning a house. Being a KS supporter I get 2 expert crafting stations. I'm talking about turning one of those into an expert farm. There's no more bonus to that or more unfair practice that's already in place. I'm just suggesting something a little different. Instead of having an expert alchemy station and an expert smithy I want to have an expert alchemy station and expert farm.

oh, and most deeds come with a farm as well. So I'm not gaining anything, in fact I'm giving up an expert station for something that doesn't even have a skill.

 

Farming should be a skill. It's not an easy task. You can't just seed the earth and expect wonders.

Giving up house space IS a fair price. In time you'll gain a lot of in game currency and it won't matter whether if you sacrifice a station or two espacially if it's guildwise. I don't like the idea of expert farming station (it sounds weird, isn't it?).

But I do like the idea of expending your garden through means of sacrificing your own living space AND allow a number of people to use your own land to cultivate or just simply rent it. Say, you have a "expert farm" or let's just say fertile farming land, you can open to the guild members and number of people you choose and add to a list. No one can harvest except who planted it and the owner of the farm.

Maybe this fertile farming land can be expanded via buying the empty land next to it as a "farming land". This should cover up the idea of "crafting station" because I don't think a group of people should be able to buy one land piece. That's partnership not a guild work. But if you have a farming land and say "I will share my land with my guild, you are welcome to use it to plant your crops and harvest them" this is more realistic scenario instead of "expert farming station".

By the way for your information, I am in fact considering to create a farmer/herder as my very first character in the game. So I do like to see a system like mine (not the same to, mine has too much rough eges) and work according to it.

 

I would think farming should be a skill.
Unless your going to make players figure out what kind of soil to use, what time of the year to plant, weather conditions, etc.
Seems like it would be easier to just have it grow based on your skill.

I'd like farming to be needed in the game.
Having to eat food is a must.
I don't like Mages casting up meals.
It sounds like farmers may be able to grow regs, so that should help farming some.

 

It's nice to see some folks with the same thoughts.

PABS - you say your first character. As it stands right now you'll only have one character per account.

 

Currently they plan on allowing multiple houses per character, so perhaps you don't even put a house on your second property and just use the whole lot for farmland.

 

not counting on that and certainly not looking to spend another $500 or more for a second deed.

Of course without a use, an expert farm would be a waste of an expert station.

 

Your expert farming "station" could include grow lights, an irrigation system, or some kind of magical stone that gives off an aura that allows you go grow quicker, better quality, or specialty plants that won't grow in a normal garden.

 

I heard they were letting players buy houses for in game currency as an alternative to $500 housing . But yeah, maybe you want more farmland so buy a deed the old fashioned way, don't place a physical house on it, and pay the rent for a farm. It would pay for its own rent in no time.

 

Well that would require them to make a farm plot type available and whats the chance they'll make that near my Castle?

 

We don't know that the expert crafting station will be something unavailable to players without houses. It might mean they need to travel to a city where there is one in the Tailors quarter, or blacksmithing quarter, but It will likely still be available to them in some form.

They have said that farming wont be a skill, everyone will be able to do it. (obviously, with anything at this point, that can change) but part of the reason for that is the immortality seed. It would be useless to people who don't choose farming. It might be that they handle it like the Fishing skill in WoW (all players can use it, it doesn't count against their profession limit but it does have skill-up loosely involved... various items give big bonuses so even if your fishing skill is low you can fish in high level waters with enough gear/consumables)

Again, since housing will be relatively rare, they don't want something available to home owners that isn't available to non-home owners that has an in-game impact... not being able to display items in a house, doesn't impact them negatively, needing to travel to a location with a useable expert crafting station is an inconvenience. Not being able to grow things? impacts the game.

this list you made:

1. Grow a special grain or hop to make a special beer
2. Possibly used to grow a unique component for spellcasting/potion brewing/healing
3. Grow tree?s that have special properties in their wood for better bow making
4. Grow crops that attract certain animals that meat provides on bonus when used in food or their leather can be tanned for improved leather armor and/or bracers.

people would be upset if they can't do any of those without owning a house. If there was a way to allow them those same benefits in a community garden setting, then it would be fine.