Hello, Folks!
Today, we're diving into the world of agriculture in Farm Folks, surrounded by breathtaking nature and a serene environment that makes it hard not to dream of settling down for good. So, farmers, get ready to roll up your sleeves and dive in.
A Diverse Crop Paradise
In Farm Folks, we plan to introduce over 100 types of vegetables, fruits, berries, and grains, from peppers to tomatoes, eggplants to apples, and wheat to strawberries - offering an array of choices for every green thumb.
The Magic of the Botanical Station
While venturing through the world, watch for those hidden gems of nature. Occasionally, you'll discover plants ripe for collection. Take these treasures back to the Botanical Station, where the real magic happens. Here, you can blend species to birth something novel or gently persuade seeds to reveal themselves.
The Botanical Station is much more than a garden-variety lab; it's a place where green dreams come to life through breeding and seed extraction. Sometimes, it takes a little bit of mystery ingredients and a healthy dose of experimentation to unearth plants that are anything but ordinary.
Note on Discovery: Some rare animals, fish, and crops can only be found during specific seasons or times of day. For instance, a Twilight Feathered Fox appears in a misty swamp during spring mornings, while the elusive Glowing Jellyhorn Deer might be spotted high in the mountains.
Consider the Botanical Station your specialized crafting table for plants and crops on the farm. It’s a unique hub where the rarest of plants, those unseen in the wild or unavailable from NPCs, can be brought to life through your gardening skills. These special plants and crops await your discovery, promising to enrich your farm with diversity and intrigue. Are you ready to delve into the art of plant cultivation and uncover the secrets of the Botanical Station?
Growing Smarts: Water, Light, Temperature, and Timing
Did you know that you can build and create plots almost anywhere in the massive open world of Farm Folks? You only need to craft a fancy hoe for plotting, pick a spot, and start tilling the soil.
We might be biased, but doesn't it all look super satisfying?
To ensure your farm thrives, it's crucial to master watering, lighting, temperature, and timing.
Proper watering is foundational, while the right balance of light and temperature, especially through the use of greenhouses, enhances plant growth. Greenhouses not only regulate temperature but can also accommodate artificial lighting, ensuring optimal photosynthesis conditions regardless of natural light levels.
Additionally, planting your crops at the correct season is vital for maximum growth and yield.
Let's first dive into watering your crops effectively. We will also briefly cover managing light and temperature in greenhouses and the importance of seasonal planting, with deeper insights to follow in future blogs.
Watering Made Fun
Watering gun is a tool that you carry with you around the Farm Folks. It designed to give you flexibility and efficiency in a treatment of your green friends crops. How it works you might ask?
Water gun itself attaches to a water containers which can be crafted out of glass. Glass can be produced by smelting mined quarts in a smelter. You can carry multiple water bottles in inventory at the same time and even share them with your friends by request, cool ha?
You can fill water containers only with fresh water; ocean water won't suffice. But worry not—there are plenty of freshwater bodies around the world for you to use. And if that still sounds like a hassle, well, you can always build a water well close to where you need it, which extracts water from the ground and can be powered by the wind or electricity.
The watering process in our game is super satisfying; just whip out your water gun and start drenching your crops. If you've been paying attention, you'll notice we're all about the details. As you water, you'll actually see the soil getting wet—a subtle yet immersive touch.
After giving your plants a thorough soaking, they'll need some time to grow. You might find yourself watering them multiple times throughout their growth cycle to ensure they flourish. Some plants must be watered daily, and some can go longer without water.
While your crops are sprouting, there's no shortage of activities to keep you busy. Whether it's optimizing your farm by enhancing animal habitats, fine-tuning the logistics for your automated productions, or exploring the vast open world to meet new characters and uncover their stories, there's always something to do, making every moment on the farm filled with potential discoveries.
As we've hinted, Farm Folks will overflow with familiar crops, but what's the fun without a dash of whimsy? We're planning to introduce quite a few exotic ones to spice things up. Imagine cultivating burger plants, nurturing a bacon tree, harvesting devil's lettuce, or picking curious eyeball fruit.
Help us Name these Crops, join our Discord:
By mixing plants at breeding stations, you can sometimes obtain pretty unique specimens, such as purple corn or yellow eggplants. Mixed crops will inherit their colors and produce truly unique variations. Since it's procedural, you can expect hundreds of variations driven by your imagination. We will talk about this more soon.
So much bounty, yet who's it all for? There's only so much one can feast on. As many of you might have already discovered, your principal mission in the game is to support the towns of Farm Folks with their varied production needs.
From modest to colossal requests, you'll craft and wield tools to meet these demands. Take, for instance, aiding Ricardo by delivering 500 bags of flour and 2000 sesame seeds to satisfy his bakery's insatiable appetite.
Or secure a steady stream of supplies for Micha's seed shop to truly capture her heart. This isn't just farming; it's about weaving yourself into the fabric of community life, one fulfilled order at a time.
Before we dive deeper, let's take a moment to appreciate our latest addition to your crop options - the sunflower. Yes, this stunning bloom adds a bright touch to any farm. Imagine a whole field filled with these radiant flowers. Well, you don't have to imagine – we've made it a reality, and you can check it out below.
PRODUCT PROCESSING
In Farm Folks, every crop is more than just a pretty sight; they're valuable contributors to your farm's economy. With a strong focus on automation, we aim to create a seamless connection between all aspects of farming. This interconnectedness means that products from your crops, like sunflower seeds, can be processed further. Take these seeds to a Mixer to extract oil, which can then be used in producing smaller products in an Oven or in more complex recipes with our grandest machine, the Cooker.
Models of other Machines:
Inspired by games like Factorio and Satisfactory, we wanted to bring the automation concept into Farm Folks to add something new to the farming and life simulation genre. But we also wanted to go in a different direction with the look and feel of the game. Our game is set in a near future where clean energy is the norm, featuring Solar Punk aesthetics that are all about being eco-friendly and visually stunning. We're avoiding the industrial, grey, and smoky environment typical of heavy machinery games. Instead, we're focusing on integrating green-energy-powered machines into the beautiful world of Farm Folks in a way that feels natural and enhances the environment, giving you the freedom to make your farm both high-tech and harmonious with nature.
Work in progress: conveyor railing prototype.
Conveyor railing curve test.
We're also introducing natural and organic product production into the automation and factory-building game genre, a feature we believe is unique and not found in similar games.
Some product examples:
Small-Scale Serenity
Although our machines are designed to be a great addition to your farm and offer a unique experience, we're also thinking about our Cozy Farm lovers.
Don't worry, you'll have the option to manage smaller scale farming fields where you can avoid using big machines.
WEATHER AND SEASONS
Farm Folks features real-time seasons and a dynamic weather system, meaning that you'll see in real time how trees change color or lose leaves, how snow accumulates on the ground and structures, and how foggy mornings turn into sunny days or rainy storms with strong winds.
Snow Accumulation (Still Work in Progress)
Your crops will be affected by the real-time weather system in the Farm Folks. Of course, crops will receive water from the rain or fog. Our crops understand how much light they're getting, whether it's because of cloudy weather or because you decided to plant something that is under the shade all the time. Insufficient light can delay ripening or cause plants to wither.
Farm Folks Winter Landscape (Work in Progress)
Temperatures will affect not only your character but also your crops. Just as you can wear warmer clothes, plants will need substantial solutions to survive harsh winters. It will be crucial to plant and harvest your crops at the right time to avoid damage to your yield.
Late Fall Landscapes (Work in Progress)
Another thing that sets us apart is the freedom to plant our crops wherever we choose, whether outside in the open or inside our structures. For outdoor planting, all you need to do is till the soil and scatter the seeds. For indoor cultivation, you can utilize our dynamic planter system, which offers a variety of shapes, colors, and materials.
ANYTHING CAN BE A GREENHOUSE
Plants grown indoors are shielded from weather elements but have other growth requirements. Each plant needs light to thrive, and you can address this dilemma in a few ways. You could construct a greenhouse using glass construction blocks or add large glass windows to your walls—if you can see the sun through the glass, so can the plants.
If glass windows or blocks don't fit your creative vision, you can always opt for grow lights. These specialized lights mimic sunlight and provide the necessary light spectrum to support photosynthesis, enabling indoor plant growth regardless of natural light availability. However, these lights require a stable source of electricity, which you can generate from wind, solar, or geothermal springs. The choice is yours.
FLOWERS Before you head off, let's talk blooms and decor:
Our game celebrates the beauty of decorative flowers. Beyond the usual crop beds, why not add some color with pots or whimsical flower beds around your virtual home? They promise a vibrant display and even let you share bouquets with friends.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Dive into designing your spaces with endless decor possibilities. Capture and share your creations with friends or on social media, and maybe even snag a prize in one of our contests.
Fancy our flora? We'd love to hear what you'd enjoy growing. Your feedback might just inspire our next in-game addition. Share your thoughts below!
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news with our Farm Folks community!
After much anticipation and numerous requests, we confirm that Combat is making its way to our world! . Get ready for an extraordinary feature where you can join forces with friends to face off against the ethereal Ghosts in our PVE mode.
And for those seeking a competitive edge, we're introducing the 'Finite' PVP mode—a unique twist in the Farm Folks universe that we're not fully ready to unveil just yet. Stay tuned!
And don't worry, our cozy farmers can continue to cultivate tranquility on their farms, undisturbed. There's room for every style of play in the diverse world of Farm Folks. Exciting details are on the horizon!
Share your thoughts and comments with us—we'd love to hear from you! And while you're at it, don't forget to add Farm Folks to your Steam wishlist and follow our upcoming Kickstarter campaign:
Thank you, - Crytivo Team