Question, comment about seasons

[Stokedlight]

I know this has been brought up and I'm not even sure if anyone reads these but...

I created this profile just to voice my opinion about the FS22 seasons integration within the game. Is there gonna be any add-ons that actually makes seasons well...seasons? From what I've figured, FS22 is the least realistic simulation there can be. Rain doesn't affect anything in game; you can literally make hay in the rain with no penalty, harvest crops with a modest loss, breed livestock without spring births and fall sales and that's just ridiculous. There's actually an old adage that goes "make hay when the sun shines".

If there is no risk; which there's none in the game, how can it be farming? The whole point is to take risk, work hard and make a profit or take a risk, work hard and lose. The game feels pointless without the dynamic seasons mod Realismus perfected in FS19. If animals produce whenever, I can make hay and harvest crops in the rain and there's no nail biting fear that the seasons won't cooperate or the field won't produce, what's the point? In my opinion without the full mod, this is not a farming simulation.

[Hoffa82]

First of all let me be clear that I'm agreeing with you, I would love the old Seasons mod from 19 to be in 22.

I think the answer to why it's not that advanced in game is that many, if not most, players would find it to tedious and boring actually.
Just remember the uproar when people found out that you actually had to wait a bit for crops to grow.
So while many members on these forums, more or less vocal, want more realism, me included, the many, many players aren't on these forums and just want to play a somewhat easy game driving big tractors.
This is what I think, and I think that's the reasons given when debating realism vs. gameplay vs. "fun" earlier.

Also, Giants never said that Seasons mod would be in base game, they said there would be seasons and many people just assumed they meant the mod would be incorporated. But that's another topic.

[bojanh66]

The game is made for a majority of players which are mostly kids who likes to play easy mode (unrealistic arcade gameplay) instead of minority of players who likes to play hard mode (realistically).
For the past few years there has been countless threads and wishlist for improve this game and make it more realistic with an option to turn off each of those realistic options for a players who like easy mode, that way both type of players would have what they want, but Giants are not listening to playerbase, so people gave up with wishlist threads and moved on.
After all, its all about the money, if majority of players are not complaining, why would Giants change something and start listening to the minority of realistic players ?
Once people stop buying the game and once the money flow has decrease, maybe then Giants would start listening.
Money is a great motivator.

[SimulatedFarmer]

How do you define “player base?” It would seem to me it would be the majority of players (who you say do not want realism) would be the base and, if so, Giants is responding.

That being said, a toggle to stop using more “realistic” features would be nice. I don’t mind seasons the way they are, but am amused at growing some crops where they just wouldn’t survive. There’s an awful lot of tweaking that would have to be done to “get real.” When the Realismus mod came out, there were fewer crops, indeed fewer of everything. I agree, though, it felt more real. I’m more frustrated by cookie cutter growing calendars and love maps with customized ones.

[Totenfarmer]

Absolutely agree, they could make realistic features togglable, or even add them as mods like they did with the realism modules for FS17.

[Burekcina]

They don't care. It is an arcade game, made into kind of a simulator only by modders.

Weather has no effects on farming BUT HEY...you have an IronMan costume now! Keep giving them money!

[Urinal2001]

I'm always slightly bewildered when people insist that the majority of players are kids. In your mind, just how many kids are getting hyped up over how to get the best yield from their sorghum crop, or eyeing up the latest cultivators in the shop? I really dont want to tar all kids with the same brush, but come on... they arent the playerbase here. Youre crazy if you think the average age of a FS player is anything under 30.

[BazTheHat]

As it happens, I've literally just released a mod to make rain more of a pain. Called Rain Pain, it makes tools like cultivators become damaged and slower to use, it turns dried grass into normal grass (so better finish with that baler before the rain comes!) and reduces yield in harvesters even after the rain has stopped up until the ground has actually dried out.

It's up on ModHub, but be aware that the current version only works correctly in English. I've made a fix for that, but am waiting for the bug fix version to pass QC and be released as an update.

[Beanbrother]

As it happens, I've literally just released a mod to make rain more of a pain. Called Rain Pain, it makes tools like cultivators become damaged and slower to use, it turns dried grass into normal grass (so better finish with that baler before the rain comes!) and reduces yield in harvesters even after the rain has stopped up until the ground has actually dried out.

It's up on ModHub, but be aware that the current version only works correctly in English. I've made a fix for that, but am waiting for the bug fix version to pass QC and be released as an update.

I was just going to mention this mod. Unfortunately it’s a PC mod.
I’ve always wonder what the percentage of users would be from PC users VS the console.

[Beanbrother]

I think a lot of players (I hope) were expecting seasons from 19 to get implemented with what came out for 22. I feel like if they could’ve combined the two this would obviously be the best version that they’ve put out. I completely agree though that there are players who want to plant it, harvest it, planted and there are those that don’t. We can only hope and wish that the next version will have a on off switch for different options.

[UncleRico]

Am I alone in thinking they took the worst possible route adding a watered down version of seasons and changing the standard arcade version as well? Or is it popular? Both fanbases seemed dissatisfied initially so I’ve always wondered. Also I definitely throw my hat in for a more complex version of seasons to go along side the traditional farm sim style.

[Spardose]

Well, I think it is rather difficult for Giants, because usually the people on the forums are a rather vocal minority. And I am pretty sure most players arent farmers in real life or have no background at all in farming (as myself).
Some of my thoughts:
1. since there seems to be endless discussions among real farmers how do farm correctly (plow/no-plow for example) it might be just the simple way not to go into to much realisim here.
2. more realism whould mean more differences between machinery, and maybe the OEM wouldnt be that happy if the players would see that their equipment is not as good as the equipment from a rival brand
3. realism options could be a thing, but for example we have the trailer fill limit option (which I like and use), but unfortunately quite a lot of mods are not using it or are getting it wrong. And Giants is not testing it or failling mods for not using it. So with more options I fear even more Mods would only work with certain settings

anyway, just my 2 cents

[Hoffa82]

What gets me somewhat frustrated it that when Giants adds features, we loose the modded versions of those features, sure we got seasonal changes, gearboxes and hoses.....but as a pc player I already had those in 19 as mods, and sadly, way better versions in my opinion.
Sure, I can keep playing 19, and I do that too, but the sound engine, DLSS, lighting, animations and other makes 22 a better game.
So it's a compromise, keep playing 19 with mods, and miss out on all the goodies 22 brought, or play 22 and thinking how much better it could have been.

In my perfect world Giants would focus on updating and perfecting the game engine, and make it as open and dynamic to modding as possible and leave the features to all the talented modders.

If I were playing on console my opinion would of course be different, and I understand that, this is my personal opinion as I play FS on pc only.

[ASOLANDRI]

Another thing I liked about Seasons 19 is when it becomes nighttime it gets very dark, just like in real life, and if you don't feed your animals, they die. (Except your virtual farm dog) Of course there are mods that can fix it, but its PC only unfortunately. And another thing in Seasons 17 if you don't maintain your vehicles in time, you'll have a hard time starting the vehicle, or it kill the engine automatically while driving/working in the field.

[Ashtooth]

FS22 base game Seasons was a selling feature. Something to put in advertisements to sell the game. It is half heartedly implemented, like most of the other features in the game.
I think adding Giants version of seasons turned Realismus off from modding in their version, which made it easy to disable or enable depending on play style. So, I think Giants kicked themselves in the behind by adding it, just to include it in marketing campaigns.
I personally don't use seasons, so it doesn't impact me,