I think that if players go through the hoops to grows seeds (and it isn’t nothing), then they should get some seeds in return. after all, its how actual plants work so it would sit well in player’s heads. I understand that it would diminish the need to explore, but that’s the point of farming. surviving in any harsh land means moving from gathering to cultivating. As for gameplay, it could be the reward you get for a well fortified and stable base and if your destroyed, then you have to restock your cabinets with plants.
ways to prevent an endless loop of regenerating plants would be to have only one plant and seed be produced per seed so that players will have to still search for more seeds to put into rotation if they want to produce many potions and such. if seeds, were then, a bit rarer, then there’ed still be scarcity, but a way to farm and achieve a detachment from the greater, but more difficult (and perhaps tedious) tasks of venturing out each time one needs ingredients.
Yep, I put down exactly this as a question for the Q&A feature, but unfortunately they didn’t get 'round to it. Fair enough since it was the last question asked before the thread was closed, but still. I would have liked to know their thoughts on self-sustaining farming (in terms of seeds, compost would still be consumed).
I agree. Farming is basically worthless right now. So much easier to just go and harvest whatever you want out in the wilds. The only advantage would be being able to produce the plants without having to leave your base, but not getting seeds back makes that impossible.
im playing my 1st playthrough with vanilla + a bunch of mods, including one that has farming.
im not sure which one gives each specific thing, but it has a Windmill, a Seed Table (to let you extract seeds from plants), and also gives you enough to be able to plant them into Gardens.
it uses its own type of compost in a bucket, so currently i can use the vanilla planters, as well as the mod ones, for different things, and it is still tedious enough (but fun) to use, and seems balanced, because you have to keep running around to pour water into it, and move seeds around, and plants around
the Windmill is actually slightly better than the Grinder, (as it saves you 1 or 2 stone for salt, and plant fibers for spices), but cant do harder things like Bone (for bonemeal), which is good because i like using both
but so far i found Malted Seeds, and can use the Windmill to make flour, but both items just say (for legacy) and i dont know how to cook them yet.
I agree. It almost seems as if there is no benefit to planting. I mean even if the seeds cost nothing to encumbrance, it would benefit us more to gather seeds and drop the plant to farm. But as of now there seems to be no benefit to growing crops.
i dont think its currently pointless, because when you do find some seeds here and there, you can actually turn them into something (and they do add up over time).
but sure, if it can be more sustainable in vanilla, it will be cool
Not literally pointless, but generally pointless in practice.
Yes, you can collect the seeds and do the things and eventually get some stuff… or you can just go and harvest a bunch more of the stuff without bothering to do the things. So why do the things? At present, farming feels like it just gives you something to do with your putrid meat, rather than being an enticing and rewarding mechanic in its own right.
Ideally, farming would get a substantial overhaul rather than just giving seeds back. It could require a little more investment and effort to justify the more beneficial outcome. Being able to set up a semi-sustainable farming area (still requiring some other input(s) like compost or even different fertiliser types) would make it more interesting and convenient (and thus enticing) than simply going to harvest a bunch of whatever it is you want.
Not everything would have to be seed-farmable, some plants should remain harder to get.
@Mikey (and everyone) In the last newsletter Jens said that they’d most likely be using the same format in the future, so we’ll have a chance to ask this again. I’ll try to remember to ask if I’m on the forums and see the opportunity, cos I like farming and present iteration is… yeah.
In the meantime, I’m looking to mods to once again come to the rescue of this game. LT’s Farming, Emberlight.
I wouldn’t call it pointless as I keep the aloe seeds to make into more leaves back at base.
I do however agree that it would be better if plants gave you back seeds like in real life. Maybe even give the player the choice of whether to harvest seeds or produce. As in real life, if the seeds are not the desired product, you often need to harvest (destroy) the plant before it runs to seed.
