More realism in the next game please. Some suggestions...

[Case1370]

So firstly I love FS15 and think that when used with a few key mods like drive control, auto combine, follow me and course play really allows you to operate a farm in a fairly similar way to real life with multiple jobs being done at once and the like. My only slight gripe though is how static things like crop yield and weather conditions are as well as the lack of required maintenance/repairs for your farm vehicles so here's a few things I'd like to see in the next installment of FS

1 Variable crop yields - Yields should be dependent upon a number of factors including how much sun and rain they've had and how well maintained the field has been (see 2).

2 Field maintenance - Each field should have a mineral balance level which will impact the types of crop which will grow well there as well as impacting the yields that you get from a harvest. This balance should then fluctuate depending on the types of fertilizer you use and how often you actually plough the land, rotate the crops and even leave a field fallow for a period.

3 Grain driers - Harvested grains should have a moisture content level which impacts the amount you get for selling it. Sale prices should be done in levels such as 5-7.5% = x/ton, 7.5-10% y/ton and so on. The moisture levels should also be dependent upon when you harvested (night-time is of course more damp) and how the weather has affected your crops. This then means you can choose to pay for your grain to go through a drying cycle to try to get a better price once sold.

4 Vehicle maintenance - Farm vehicles are notorious for breaking down just when you need them most and rely heavily on regular maintenance. I'd like to see some type of randomised breakdown mechanism placed on each vehicle based on how well maintained they are. You could then include a vehicle repair aspect where you need to call out an engineer to fix the problem. This would of course have a cost attached and the farm should be able to choose to either have an ongoing maintenance plan with the dealer or pay a higher price for adhoc repairs when needed.

5 Contracts - This is a big missing element for me. These days farms are contracting out so much of their work and I feel there are a few things which could be included really easily such as:
a) Taking a contract to work (plough, cultivate, sow, spray or harvest) a field that you don't own. These should be time limited.
b) Taking a contract to supply a certain amount of goods by a specific time. This could be a specific crop or even better, for bales of hay, straw or silage. Bales are currently so under utilised in my opinion and believe this could be an element of its own (see 6). If supplying grain, as suggested in point 3 above, moisture levels should able to a factor for success.
c) Contracts should be offered based on your reputation. If you continually fail to deliver on your agreements, people will stop offering you work but if you keep making good on your contracts, you'll be offered bigger and better contracts.
d) Contract benefits should not just be for money but could also mean you get an extra field or piece of equipment for free.

6 Selling of bales - Currently selling bales is a matter of simply dropping them off at a sale point whenever you want however it would be better to have these sold on a contract basis to customers on an upfront agreement basis with penalties for under delivering. For example, you take a contract to supply 100 bales of wheat straw but your harvest only yields 90 bales. This would then mean you'd pay a penalty and it would lower your reputation meaning you might not be able to get the next big contract. The way to complete these contracts should also be different too. Instead of just dropping off bales somewhere, I'd like to see a lorry turn up at your farm (or the field where the bales are kept) that then needs to be loaded. Again, this should all be under time constraints meaning it puts pressure on you getting all your jobs done quickly and efficiently if you're to succeed.

Lastly I'd like to say that things like my crop yield suggestion could be tailored into the difficulty selection meaning that only by selecting either "Hard" or maybe even "As real as it gets!" will actually enable things like these. That way people who just want to play the game and not be too bothered by the extra complexities can do so.

Any feedback or suggestions on how to improve these ideas would also be great

Giants definitely has a ways to go to make a true farm simulation and these are some very good sugestions. Soil mod does help add some realism in this game and a little more of a challenge, but there is so much more that could be added. Like different fields have different soil types and even thruout the same field you will see changes in soil, but that might not hard to code into the game. FS13 did have a damage mod, so hoping someone makes it for fs15 soon.

I know out of the box this game for me can get extremely boring, and not challenge at all, but I have also farmed my whole life here in the real world, so I can see why the game out of the box could interest city people who just want to play around. Im thankful for all the modders, wish I was smart enough to make scripts and maps, but Im pretty much incompetent when it comes to computers, thats why I never went full bore into putting GPS or any of that stuff in my tractors or combines,lol.

I do hope as the game progresses as it seems its pretty popular and growing that they get more realistic simulation of farming as a whole, and I know since I found out how to download maps and scripts like soil mod that I basically play this game every day.

[nickh1278]

I think your suggestions are great and i would love to see this features in the next fs game. But i think that you should be able to repair you're vehicles on the farm on your own

Totally agree mate. Most farmers will do patch jobs on kit before actually getting them properly repaired.

While I'm thinking about it, I'd also like to see things like balers have string level indicators meaning that, like in real life, you have to stop baling part way through a field and refill a slot or too. Also, how about some random string-breaking incidents meaning again, you have to stop baling, get out and reset the machine? The same goes for bale wrappers too

[trogladitez]

First thing is decent, proper maps for the vanilla game. Hired help driving through fences, dykes and hedgerow's isn't any worse than them trying to drive through trees. Next, realistic map textures. Fields aren't brown after you harvest barley, they're the same colour as before, except it's stubble. The same with silage, a field of cut silage is a yellow/pale green colour, with dark rows of grass on top. The rest of the textures for plowing and so on are too uniform, the straight lines have got to go. Do something with the draw distances, the dd mod has already proved its a relatively easy thing to solve. Have sliders in the menu for gaming pc's so it can be adjusted and fix the current gen console sliders at high settings, and huzzah, no more crappy looking crops forming in front of your eyes. Finally, and most important, environment physics. Proper ploughing, tractors wheels sinking into the ground, decent tire tracks that leave mud behind, rather than dust, the fields are far too smooth, it's like driving on glass. Crops reacting to vehicle's driving over them and so on.

[Clayton]

I agree with this especially field maintenance(acidic lvl) maybe contracts, tractor breaking. The weather needs to be fixed cause now it's just random. Maybe not just mph. The ability to get stuck( maybe add winches or something)

[Icepick]

Ask MARHU to join the programmers to build in some of his mods in FS17.

I like the egg station, the potatowasher and steamer, that he made.

[tlb84]

A few things I think Giants Software needs to do are:

1.)Make a deal with John Deere. No other action will have more of a positive impact on this series. Than to have John Deere equipment featured. Yes it won't be cheap, but I believe they would make their money back guaranteed. Especially if it was released as a DLC as I don't believe a royalties would include profits from the base game, but only profits made from the DLC.

2.)Better DLC. The JCB dlc was pretty good, and IT Runner was nice. Gold seemed incomplete without larger Russian equipment. The New Holland dlc, well we don't talk about the New Holland dlc. So equipment only dlc's need to be at least the size of the JCB, or priced reasonable so people don't think it's only a cash grab. Then when a new map is offered with local equipment. There needs to be local equipment featured in all aspects of the game for a more realistic effect.

3.)New game engine. While I hear people talk about how Giants Software should switch to the Frostbite Engine. Everything about that to me screams no, and here's why. First I think EA will ask for to much to use it. If they do allow other companies to use it. Can't come up with any games outside of EA games that have used it. Second I still wonder about the graphics on larger open worlds. They looked good for DAI, but it wasn't like Battlefield or Battlefronts good. Which makes me question how good would it be for a much larger open world game like FS. So instead I propose using Rockstar's Rage engine.

4.)With the Rage engine, for one you know large beautiful open world maps will be possible. MP map the size of San Andres would be awesome. More dynamic water and weather would be possible. Realistic wild life and domestic animals. AI people who react to your actions, somebody honks and curses you when you cut them off, and they actually follow traffic laws pretty well to.

5.)Rage engine will also support aircraft. So then crop dusting with a plane or helicopter would become a fun and enjoyable aspect of the game.

6.)More logging types, say like swamp logging in a Spintires like experience. Or mountain logging with yarders and steep dangerous roads. And of course I can't forget heli logging. If aircraft are going to be part of the game. Might as well take advantage of it.

7.)Customization, from how your farm is set up. To the vehicles you drive. When you start your farm should have a house(that can be upgraded) and a barn with grain storage. After that you should have a choice on what farm buildings and placeables you want to purchase and place as your farm grows.
As for the vehicles you should have a choice when you purchase it. What kind of equipment you would like for it, of course with the value being adjusted for the equipment. This would include engine, wheel or track type, lights, weights or front hitch point, front loader, or any other accessories available to that vehicle in real life.

8.)The world needs to be like the real world as close as possible. This means paying attention to the small details. Building and vehicles need to be from the same part of the world as the map. The equipment needs to have the proper hazardous warning signage for the different locations. There must be a equal distribution of equipment for each map world. For example, with the trucks there is a MAN(Europe), and Tatra(Eastern Europe/Russia). So that means a US brand like Peterbuilt, or Kenworth would need to be added for the US map. Then there is also the possibility of adding damage/wear and tear to the game. So as the game goes along you or a paid mechanic will have to maintenance your equipment. So if you crash you vehicle, you will have to fix your vehicle but also pay any damages or injuries caused from your crash. This also makes buying older vehicles a interesting option. They would be a cheaper short term solution, but as time goes on. Fuel and maintenance cost would start becoming a factor. That and new equipment would contain newer tech like GPS and autosteer.

I think that's a good start for now. I hope Giants Software takes notice of Cattle and Crops, because they need to start changing their ways if they want to stay competitive.

[jim&holly]

I would like to see the drop offs where you unload at grainerys at the grain sheds and cow barns, kind of hokey with with the grains just going onto concrete foors

[crazyboytravis]

I like all these ideas, I feel when am playing there just isn't enough reality, I would love my tractors to struggle over a newly plowed field where it sinks in to the ground after it rains.
or when pulling a trailer it feels like your pulling a weight, I get the idea with how easily you can lose control of a vehicle especially with a trailer but it just doesn't feel right, I want damage to the body, I want to be able to damage the engine with over revving or crashing then have to pay for it to be fixed, making me more likely to take care and not speed around everywhere.
and revs all together need to be reassessed the noise this game makes is torture!-: everything only has one gear WTH! wouldn't you love to be stuck trying to rev your tractor out of mud carful not to blow up your engine!
this next game also needs course play as standard it's so brilliant
I would like to see more options as well - have the game reward you on how realistic you play (kinda like forza 4 difficulty settings) I would have it as real as possible but would like to change it depending on my play style that day

[dairy stu]

What most of us would like is a totally different gaming experience than is possible with the current game setup and most likely require Giants staring from scratch with a new game engine capable of doing what we all would like, and this would take a lot of time and money and that is why it is very unlikely to happen in my opinion. I also don't think Giants are actually in the business of creating the game we want I think they are purely in it for the profit and until they see a profit motive big enough to justify the investment then we wont see it happen apart from very slowly over many years but by then we would have moved on to the more sophisticated offering from C & C or some other publisher.

[trogladitez]

I like all these ideas, I feel when am playing there just isn't enough reality, I would love my tractors to struggle over a newly plowed field where it sinks in to the ground after it rains.
or when pulling a trailer it feels like your pulling a weight, I get the idea with how easily you can lose control of a vehicle especially with a trailer but it just doesn't feel right, I want damage to the body, I want to be able to damage the engine with over revving or crashing then have to pay for it to be fixed, making me more likely to take care and not speed around everywhere.
and revs all together need to be reassessed the noise this game makes is torture!-: everything only has one gear WTH! wouldn't you love to be stuck trying to rev your tractor out of mud carful not to blow up your engine!
this next game also needs course play as standard it's so brilliant
I would like to see more options as well - have the game reward you on how realistic you play (kinda like forza 4 difficulty settings) I would have it as real as possible but would like to change it depending on my play style that day

" everything only has one gear WTH! wouldn't you love to be stuck trying to rev your tractor out of mud carful not to blow up your engine! "
Couldn't agree more, the tractors having no gears is ludicrous enough, but at least sounding like they have is probably worse.

[trogladitez]

What most of us would like is a totally different gaming experience than is possible with the current game setup and most likely require Giants staring from scratch with a new game engine capable of doing what we all would like, and this would take a lot of time and money and that is why it is very unlikely to happen in my opinion. I also don't think Giants are actually in the business of creating the game we want I think they are purely in it for the profit and until they see a profit motive big enough to justify the investment then we wont see it happen apart from very slowly over many years but by then we would have moved on to the more sophisticated offering from C & C or some other publisher.

Well, they release dlc before fixing their game, so, yep, sad but true. The fact that modders fix a lot of problem's with the game (as much as the engine allows) and giants then wipes out everything they do for the next game, even though it massively improves it, shows their priorities, unfortunately.

[eric21]

I thought this was a suggestion not a moan thing?

[dairy stu]

I thought this was a suggestion not a moan thing?

I have made positive comments if you read through the thread, I just thought I would point out the probable truth of the matter just to remind people that as much as we want the game to evolve in to a more sophisticated gaming experience the fact remains giants have a track record of not listening and concentrating on the profit rather than the gaming experience as the FS would gamers wish for with every release.

[adriancos]

totally agree with most of the ideas from the posts in this thread (especially hiring Marhu and Dural as programmers, Marhu mods and Dural MR are amazing)

however, if i take a look at Giants attempt to make by themselves the vehicles to act more realistically with the end result as mass sliding (even if Dural alone got it right) i am really afraid what the result will be if Giants will implement most of the things requested here

one can only hope anyway, so i hope we will have nice surprises in FS17 and at least some of the things requested here will be found there as default or maybe as extra options, so the Giants will not loose the biggest mass of their players

[tecto]

I would like to propose changing the color of hay. It is almost invisible on the yellow cut grass.