Starting Strategy

[cowboypenner]

I bought this game 2 years ago(Christmas 2014) and I started a thread called 'Starting Strategy' and now I can't find it since I haven't signed into the forum in over a year, so I'm going to ask again....what is/was your starting strategy?

The first thing I did was harvest the field I was given to start with in the game. I'm playin' the Westbridge map. I sold anything that wasn't to do with crop farming to reduce my debt. I only have one field at the moment and I've been planting canola as that seems to be the most expensive crop when it comes to selling it. I know silage will be profitable so I've been cutting grass and starting to stockpile it in the bunker at the biogas plant.

Eventually I'm going to get into a little bit of everything. I bought a few cows today and I know I'll need a front end loader and manure spreader at some point.

[swiv93]

I only have one field at the moment and I've been planting canola as that seems to be the most expensive crop when it comes to selling it.

while yes canola gives the most when selling generally it produces less crop to sell so the cost of sale compared to crop produced compared to grain it probably equals out ish

[JohnDeere318]

Sorry to bother, but this should be in the "Off-topic" section, since it isn't necessarily a question. :smiley new:

Edit JohnDeere318: My bad, I misinterpreted this! Sorry about that.

[don_apple]

@cowboypenner: If you look at the list of your own posts (search.php?author_id=85475&sr=posts) you'll easily find the previous thread you opened on this topic: viewtopic.php?f=857&t=75028#p591953 (you won't be able to add to its though since it's been move do the archive section)

@JohnDeere318: I disagree that this should be in the off-topic section, since "what is/was your starting strategy?" is actually a valid question for the general questions section.

[JohnDeere318]

I disagree that this should be in the off-topic section, since "what is/was your starting strategy?" is actually a valid question for the general questions section.

Whoops, my bad, I read it as a non-question.

[cr41g_1965]

First thing I do on every start-up is

A. max out the loan the bank allows... the interest daily is neglible
B. buy a fertilizer before harvesting anything and fertilize the finished field.. this doubles all yields
C. sell all the tractors but 1 (maybe 2).. the most powerful.. at the start you can get away with one (at the shop for 20% more money)
D. if playing on easy or normal there is silo storage available to be sold (I play on hard so I can never do this)
E. sell the cultivator and seeder and buy an all in one (at the shop for 20% more money)
F. if you still have coin left sell the harvester and header to buy the best you can with the funds left

[JohnDeere318]

First thing I do on every start-up is

A. max out the loan the bank allows... the interest daily is neglible
B. buy a fertilizer before harvesting anything and fertilize the finished field.. this doubles all yields
C. sell all the tractors but 1 (maybe 2).. the most powerful.. at the start you can get away with one (at the shop for 20% more money)
D. if playing on easy or normal there is silo storage available to be sold (I play on hard so I can never do this)
E. sell the cultivator and seeder and buy an all in one (at the shop for 20% more money)
F. if you still have coin left sell the harvester and header to buy the best you can with the funds left

That's a good strategy!

[cowboypenner]

First thing I do on every start-up is

A. max out the loan the bank allows... the interest daily is neglible
B. buy a fertilizer before harvesting anything and fertilize the finished field.. this doubles all yields
C. sell all the tractors but 1 (maybe 2).. the most powerful.. at the start you can get away with one (at the shop for 20% more money)
D. if playing on easy or normal there is silo storage available to be sold (I play on hard so I can never do this)
E. sell the cultivator and seeder and buy an all in one (at the shop for 20% more money)
F. if you still have coin left sell the harvester and header to buy the best you can with the funds left

I never thought of fertilizing the finished field before harvesting it. Good idea! I think we start with 4 tractors and I typically sell the 2 smaller ones(the one that is located by the cows and the other one by the sheep). I play on NORMAL and I did in fact sell the crops that were in storage, with the exception of the woodchips because that requires a front end loader that I didn't plan to purchase until later. You need a bigger tractor for the all in one seeder/cultivator if I'm not mistaken which I couldn't afford so I just stuck the separate implements. At some point I plan to upgrade for sure. I used the harvester/header that comes with the game for the first few crops but I like to upgrade to the slightly larger N/H as soon as possible.

I'm only about 20hrs in right now and you've given me some good ideas so maybe I should just start over again. Yep that's what I think I'll do.

[cowboypenner]

I only have one field at the moment and I've been planting canola as that seems to be the most expensive crop when it comes to selling it.

while yes canola gives the most when selling generally it produces less crop to sell so the cost of sale compared to crop produced compared to grain it probably equals out ish

Good point.

[cowboypenner]

@cowboypenner: If you look at the list of your own posts (search.php?author_id=85475&sr=posts) you'll easily find the previous thread you opened on this topic: viewtopic.php?f=857&t=75028#p591953 (you won't be able to add to its though since it's been move do the archive section)

I tried doin' that I just didn't see it I guess. I'm not new but haven't played the game in quite a while and or been on the forums so I'm still findin' my way around.

[cowboypenner]

Starting over. I sold everything except for one of the larger tractors. I bought the 2 in 1 cultivator/seeder and the slightly larger N/H harvester and header. I kinda goofed though but it worked out ok, when it came time to offload the first load from the harvester I didn't have anything to offload to so I quickly bought two of the little green tipper wagons with the money I had left. After making a couple of trips to the storage silos I realized I hadn't sold any of the crops that were in storage. OOPS! If I'd done that I would have had enough money to buy the larger silver tipper wagon and I wouldn't of had to buy the two little tipper wagons. No harm no foul, after selling a load of wheat and some canola, plus selling the tipper wagons back to the dealership I had enough for the tipper wagon I wanted. I sold everything direct to the dealership by the way to make that 20% bonus they give you for selling direct at the dealership.

[cr41g_1965]

Starting over. I sold everything except for one of the larger tractors. I bought the 2 in 1 cultivator/seeder and the slightly larger N/H harvester and header. I kinda goofed though but it worked out ok, when it came time to offload the first load from the harvester I didn't have anything to offload to so I quickly bought two of the little green tipper wagons with the money I had left. After making a couple of trips to the storage silos I realized I hadn't sold any of the crops that were in storage. OOPS! If I'd done that I would have had enough money to buy the larger silver tipper wagon and I wouldn't of had to buy the two little tipper wagons. No harm no foul, after selling a load of wheat and some canola, plus selling the tipper wagons back to the dealership I had enough for the tipper wagon I wanted. I sold everything direct to the dealership by the way to make that 20% bonus they give you for selling direct at the dealership.

Its a learning experience...I don't know how many times I had "what if" or "what the hell" moments when I didn't do what I thought I should have later...

[cowboypenner]

Random observations:

1.- The 2 in 1 cultivator/seeder doesn't do corn

2.- It requires 180hp but my 143hp tractor seems to be able to handle it, even on the hills.

[W1der]

Short version ...

I basically use the "starting equipment" to harvest the fields that are "given to me" (I store the harvest for when there is a great demand) ...
Then I sell everything I need to be able to afford 1 chainsaw and that small timber wagon with a crane.
One could off course go with a much cheaper timber wagon with auto load function ... but I avoid using anything with "auto" if I want to keep the game "realistic".
Now I do "forestry" for a couple of hours until I can afford to pay off my loan and buy "what ever equipment I want" to get started with "farming" and I also buy my first few cows and the equipment needed to feed them, so that they at least give me a 80% "yield".
Sometimes I keep doing forestry until I can afford the Scorpion King ... cause this is a "money maker"!

When I have enough equipment to run the farm, the way I like it, I continue with installing a lumber mill and the beekeeping mod (I find that these gives me "something to do" without having to speed up time (except for "during night").

[cr41g_1965]

Random observations:

1.- The 2 in 1 cultivator/seeder doesn't do corn

2.- It requires 180hp but my 143hp tractor seems to be able to handle it, even on the hills.

1. Umm yeah... it doesn't..but there really isn't a lot of money in corn anyway... if you want to grow it, wait till you can afford a silage harvester and grind corn for the silage bunker... then you will be making BIG money.

2. I should have mentioned this but failed too... which was why I always keep the largest starting hp tractor.. it struggles on hills but gets the job done.

One other thing I forgot to mention... if you don't mind the monotony... get a cheap forage wagon... set the harvester straw swath and get collecting... its easy money