Farming EP ideas!

"Rhiannonraven;d-976286" wrote:
BIGGER LOTS! To make a small farm, you'll need a 50x50, but what if you want a regular, or even a large farm? I think a new world with a variety of lots ranging from about 50x50 to 100x100 would be perfect, and maybe a little cottage in the corner on a small lot, too. Not everyone wants they're own farm.

I'd prefer to be able to own multiple lots, of varying sizes.
One neighbourhood of medium and large lots, one of medium lots, and one of small and medium lots, and a village of small lots, with a village green, for farmers markets.
That would mean you could buy a medium sized lot to begin with, build your house, and have some chickens, or a couple of sheep, and a large veggie garden, or small orchard. Then when you have the money, you could buy a second medium lot, to grow some grain or a field of veggies, or have a large orchard, and have a dozen sheep, or a couple of cows. Then later, you could buy a large lot, and maybe sell one of the medium lots. It means the size of the farm can be adjusted, to suit the money your sims have.

"INVITE IN" INTERACTION! To run a farm, you'll need to hire farmhands, and you might not want them in your house. This is a much needed feature already, and a farming pack is another instance where it would be vital. I want to have a roommate who lives in a cabin beside me and doesn't enter my house, but I want to be able to invite them inside sometimes and not go redo all the door locks. Can't we have an invite in interaction, and can't guests just automatically go through some doors?

Maybe they could operate more like butters, and you could designate their 'room' as a one room cottage.

FARM ANIMALS! Of course, it's kind of a given that everyone would want farm animals with a farming pack. My personal motto is, "It's not a farm until you've got animals".

And keep it simple.
Chickens for eggs.
Sheep for wool.
Cows for dairy.
If pigs are included, then they'd need an option to 'take to market' where they could be sold, or returned in the form of bacon, ham, and sausages.

You would have to keep their feeders full.

Not always. If there's something growing, then they should have the option to eat it. Animals that graze should produce better produce.
A fallow field would provide food for grazing.
An open gate might provide access to the veggie patch for grazing.
A crop field would provide food after the harvest... unless hay has been made.

Livestock would be incapable of going through gates

Unless the gate is left open. You'd have to watch childish, and lazy adults, and children, teens, and toddlers, and forgetful elders, as they all should have the automatic chance to accidentally leave gates open

SLOWER FOOD GROWING AND COMPLICATIONS! Growing food isn't that easy.

I am rather frustrated by plants that pop up within minutes, and being ready to harvest by the next day.
TS3 did it better.

Really, I've got lots of firsthand experience. About half your plants just don't grow

You must be terrible at growing things! I usually end up with about 85-95% of what I plant surviving, growing, and thriving. And the soil here is terrible.

you only get produce from each plant about 1 to 10 times per year. Root and stalk veggies only produce one harvest every year, whereas fruit trees, perennial leafy plants, and other such things, will produce maybe 5 to 15 harvest in a year.

Yes, root vegetables have only one harvest per year, because you basically have to pull the whole plant up. Potatoes can be an exception.
Fruit trees only provide one harvest, it's just a long one, spread over a month or so

No one plant can be harvested every day.

But every second day is possible with some plants, generally leafy greens, but also tomatoes, capsicum, cucumbers, zucchini... Veggie fruits.

SEND TO GRAZE HERE. Farm dogs or farmers on horses could herd cattle as they graze in a specific spot.

Or sheep! And they will be prone to wonder off after a couple of hours, because the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Kids and toddlers could play with the chickens

And be chased and pecked by them. They're tiny dinosaurs after all!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0GHi9mf-54