OVERVIEW
- Spoiler:
- AGRICUTURAL GAME: THE GAME: THE OVERVIEW
PLAYER GOALS
Story Drivan, time organizan, moneymakan, wife plowan.
STORY
You inherit a farm in a small village. It's shit and you are expected to get it up to a profitable state, for the sake of the village economy. Everyone should pitch in on this, concept for setting is best handled as a team.
CHARACTERS I DEEM NECESSARY (BUT YOU CAN TOTES ADD, MORE MAYBE EVEN TAKE A FEW OFF IF YOU'RE CLEVER)
A mayor/authority figure
A blacksmith/tool merchant
A carpenter for farm upgrades
A general goods merchant
A crop based farm merchant
A livestock based farm merchant
A doctor/nurse/shaman/cleric/purveyor of health related services
Some sort of plot device, aka the Harvest Godess, whoever gave you the farm, those quest bosses in RF, again creative people think something up!
TIME ORGANIZAN
This will come naturally to the player as we set growth rates and production values for our goods, stamina and fatigue costs, and daily pacing. It'll be their job and primary focus to:
-Figure out a viable pattern of planting for maximum profit per month
-Establish a good schedule to accomodate their added livestock maintenance
-Discover the best way they might go about spending their limited stamina per day
Money is not the prime resource in HM. Your resources as a player are primarily your Stamina and your Time. The powerberry style system shall be maintained, manifesting as rewards to the player for accomplishing key tasks, much like in BtN. Think of it as an Achievement Get setup, but with some actual benefits. I'll be trying to track down how fast time ticks by in BtN, as well. That for me was the best pacing for HM time in any of their games.
MONEYMAKAN
1. FARMAN - Crops and livestock. Not to brag, but I do love flaunting my BS in Farm Production Systems, so I got dis. Don't worry, I'll run ALL my ideas by everyone and we will NOT implement any of them until a UNANIMOUS vote is reached. I will also wear my big boy panties and take criticism/advice very well, if you see me doing otherwise CALL ME OUT for it. I'm no stranger to this whole team creation thing, and have been part of a couple of devteams before. In my limited experience, I find the "one designer FINISHES something, everyone has his say, he fixes it up until we all stop shouting" deal to work out the best. I will provide the base material for the team to refine.
2. HUNTER GATHERAN - Wild animals are afoot, and the player may CHOOSE to track them down and kill them for their meat, skin, and other bits. Berries and herbs and shit dot the mountain/country/river/beach side, ripe for the picking and selling. ENTIRELY OPTIONAL. Gathered stuff is of course much cheaper than farmed stuff. Honestly if this gets too complex for us, we can ditch hunting and just stick to berry picking (though I'd prefer we keep hunting because it's cool).
There will be no debt.
I want to give players a goal, and it would be a monetary centric one. The 3 year deadline BtN had was a very nice source of drive for me personally, and I'd like to keep that feeling of obligation in our game. Basically the player would have had to have upgraded his structures to a certain level by the end of the timeframe. Having NOTHING upgraded would get you kicked out of town. Subsequent improvements stack upon the final celebratory scene, players with maxed out farmage having the best "ending" sequence. Again positive reinforcement, but this time around with punishment for particularly bad performance to keep things exciting. You can't win in a game that you can't lose, after all.
WIFE PLOWAN
An important element of the design aspect, the player distraction. One track goals, in this case making money via farming, can get pretty tiresome, so we have the secondary objective of social life. NPC's will gain FRIEND POINTS up to a certain max level, and will change their dialogues according to that level's current state. If a character is ROMANCEABLE, the player may raise the bar PAST being a simple FRIEND into being a ROMANTIC INTEREST. This is a whole new bar for the player to fill, and will unlock even more dialogue and scenes for that particular NPC. As such, the player may be friends with whome them prefer via the FRIENDZONE SCENE which will allow them to dictate the direction of that particular romanceable NPC's relationship.
Getting a WAIFU will be a good thing, your spouse will have brand new dialogue options, and a BRAND NEW RELATIONSHIP BAR called the MATRIMONIAL METER (subject to change). Again, you get scenes and dialogues for raising this statistic. Wives also help out by providing delicious stamina boosting meals at noontime (sorta no point for a boost at the end and start of the day). Getting a wife will ultimately allow you to reach your goal of upgrading the heck out of everything by helping make your farm duties just that much smoother.
No fucking (despite the title of the segment).
Children will be dicussed later, they are tricky.
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Aaaaaand that's our basic framework right there. It is of utmost importance that a devteam have fresh ideas to work off on, so I will be constantly churning out my design decisions for everyone's perusal. None of them will be final, they will simply act as a basis for people to get their THINK on.
Final notes, this isn't 4chan, opinions are VALUED in the devteam environment. State your mind, ideas are what we work off, there should be no shortage of them.
Final final note: Get some people you know on board! The most important team members are the people who can CODE worth a damn, because without them there simply is NO PROGRESS. I'll be posting on HM fan forums for some bored talent to hopefully hop on our little crew.
- Spoiler:
This is the bare-bones guide for the entirety of our monetary system, the upgrade breakdown.
The player wants to get to that 100% within 3 years for the best ending, so we'll base all our prices from that percentage.
I set even spending on crops and livestock upgrades so that the player could focus on both or either and end up making more or less the same amount of money. Domestic upgrades have yet to be elaborated, and will be dealt within that 20% of total upgrade limit. Domestic includes things like the kitchen, buying a bigger bed, having a bathroom built, etc.
Crop tools as of now are all at an even 8% of total upgrades each, but may be subject to change as certain tools are definitely more useful than others (watering can vs axe, for example). As of now I am setting them at 4 levels, requiring increasing levels of money to reach.
Livestock upgrades will deal mostly in facilities, with some of the necessary tools being required but cheap purchases. Any post-harvest processing equipment (mayo maker, yarn maker, the windmills from grand bazaar) will NOT be calculated within the breakdown, since I plan on making them expensive but high return items that the more clever players can take advantage of.
CROPS
For our crops, I have decided on a simple 39x39 unit field as the primary arable area. This gives the player 1,521 units of land to deal with, barely a tenth of a hectare if roughly translated to RL numbers. 39 units across or downways will allow for 13 plots of 3x3 seedbags in either direction, a total of 169 seedbags or a full 1,521 plants if ALL the land is utilized. This number is ONLY IF we allow the player to walk on growing crops.
If we go completely BtN on this aspect, growing plants will be completely impassable, limiting the operable area by a considerable amount. The 13 seedbags would be reduced to 10 plots of 3x3 squares in either direction, resulting in a total of only 100 plots of arable area, just 900 plants. As all HM players know, without the help of sprites you can't access the middle crop in a 3x3 grid of perennials, so we adjust by deducting a further 100 plants from the total (if the harvest is a perennial crop), 800 plants per harvest. Annual crops don't have this problem, because once you harvest them the ENTIRE plant is harvested.
Obstacles will be present on field, but won't be too big a limiting factor, since the biggest stopper we'd have on the player as of now would be his available stamina. The player will need to upgrade the axe and hammer primarily to get rid of the obstacles. A 2.5x10-3% upgraded hammer and axe would be enough to clear the field entirely. The obstacles provide enough resources for the improvement of exactly 20% worth of upgrade resources in facilities, that is to say, enough lumber for one upgrade and quite a bit more left over. I am still contemplating possible uses for stone, feel free to make suggestions.
Let's assume the player clears out his field by the middle of the first year (using the 4 season system as it is MUCH easier to compute in). He plants generic plant X, making 12% gross per season assuming full harvests and no abberations.
At 12% gross he'd spend let's say around 10% of that as the capital, so he had to spend 1.2% upgrades worth in seeds, earning him a total of 10.8% net profit. If he does ONLY THIS for the whole three years, he'd end up with 10.8x 10 seasons = 108% net worth of liquidated cash to spend on upgrades. Lets say he operated at 25% capacity on Year1Spring, let's add another 2.7% to that. Year1Summer has him working at 50% capacity due to stamina boosts and bigger capital, earning an additional 5.4%. This totals to 116%, more than enough to upgrade all of his buildings. Let's factor out having had the axe and the hammer upgraded to clear the field, 5x10-3%, and he still has about ~115% net left over. This is just from planting generic plant X.
Working from that, we could adjust the earnings a particular crop would give him either upward or downward, and from those raw percentages one would be able to further split it into growth periods, number of times harvestable and the like. Generic Plant X would have been the medium tier crop, a more expensive crop would churn out let's say 18% net per season. A faster growing cheap plant would beget 8% or less. From this base I'll be able to make up statistics for various other plants. For example:
Turnip
Gross per Season: 8%
Capital: 0.8%
Net per Season: 7.2%
Further elaborating on the plant, one could specify growth rate as follows
Growth period: 5 days
Crop Type: Annual
Max Harvests per season: 6 (30 days in a season / 5 days grow period)
Net per harvest: 1.2% (7.2%/6 harvests)
Plants per harvest: 1521 or 900, depending on system
Capital per plant: 5.26x10-4% or 8.89x10-4%
Gross per plant: 5.26x10-3% or 9.89x10-3%
And there you have it, the basic percentages for your turnip. Let's say we set max upgrade worth at 1,000,000 units of currency, that would amount to a turnip seedbag costing about 48 units, and each harvested turnip would cost 53 units each, totaling 477 units per 9 plants, getting a net profit of 429 units per successfully harvested seedbag, in the walkable crops system.
The impassable crops system would entail using less plants, and is much harder to estimate due to having to wait for/remove that one plant that a low level watering can can't get to. It's a more realistic system, but it is also a pain to make assumptions for.
I don't really have a way of testing these numbers, we're just running on assumptions and forecasts like we do IRL. But we do now have an easy formula to work with, I'll throw it in excel and see if I can't make this any faster.
Will do the basic animal system next, should be a lot easier.
- Spoiler:
Name: Redrick Schuhart
Age: 37
Sex: Male
Occupation: Blacksmith
Marital Status: Widowed
Marriageable: No
Appearance: A somber man with hard-chiseled features, who is both lean and wiry. He has brown hair, which he keeps quite short, and similarly colored eyes. He is five feet and nine inches tall, and prefers to wear rough, utilitarian garb; it is not uncommon to see him with his blacksmith's apron on, even outside of the forge.
Shop: A building that isn't quite a house, nor could it accurately be described as a shack. It is built of wood harvested from the nearby forest. A thick column of smoke tends to steadily drift its way out of the oversized chimney. The interior is somewhat murky, but kept meticulously clean. Farming[and hunting] tools are out on display on counters alongside the walls.
Bio: Redrick was born in this town, has lived here, and, according to him, it will also be the place of his death; where else would he go? He inherited the blacksmith shop, and his skill at the forge, from his father, Reginald.
When he was 20, he married one of the daughter's of the miller, Dandelion. Although they were never blessed with kids, Dandelion and Redrick truly loved and cared for one another.
He was widowed three years ago, during a mudslide at the nearby mountains, where Dandelion was fond of picking berries. Although no body was found, she never returned to town. Redrick still holds out hope that she is still out there, somewhere, alive.
Personality: He has an exterior that is as gruff as his hands are calloused (and let me tell you, his callouses have callouses!). Once work is done and over with, he tends to shut himself up in his shop, and drink heavily, however, it has not yet become a true problem for him [idea for quest: cure him of his addiction].
Friends: The Bartender, The Baker.
Likes: Hard Liquor, raw metals, gems, cool days, rain.
Dislikes: Flowers, berries (they remind him of his wife and make him depressed), hot days (harder to work the forge)
Special Events: May 3rd, his shop will be locked up, and he will not be anywhere in the village (he has locked himself up in his shop) during the day. At night, he will be in the graveyard, at Dandelion's grave.
Friendship Bonus [for maxed out friendship score]: 25% discount on all his items, will bequeath a small selection of his hard liquor collection to the player (one time only).
Dating Bonus: N/A. He will not date a player character, as he is still too deeply in love with Dandelion.
Wedding Bonus [for if you marry someone besides him, and have maxed friendship]: High Quality Diamond Ring [you do not need to buy a wedding ring to give to your waifu/husbandu]
Name: Veronica Foster
Age: 29
Sex: Female
Occupation: Doctor/vet
Marital Status: Single
Marriageable: Yes
Appearance: Blessed, some might say, with the archetypal hourglass figure, Veronica is sometimes described as buxom, though never when she's around, of course. She is five feet and five inches tall. Her hair, brown with blond highlights, comes down to her shoulders, with gentle curls. Because she was born with poor eye sight, she is never seen without her horn-rimmed glasses.
Shop: Located in the direct center of town, the clinic and veterinarian's office is one of the few all-stone buildings, constructed of marble that was quarried from the nearby mountains. It is two stories tall, with the clinic being on the first floor, and her home being up on the second (the door to which is kept locked during office hours).
Bio: Originally born in this very town, the daughter of a veterinarian, she ended up learning quite a bit of the trade hands on, by assisting her father. However, as she grew older, she desired to expand her medical knowledge to humans, and left the town to go to a medical school faraway.
When her father, William, passed away two years ago, she was quick to return to the town. She is often considered the opposite of her father, in that she is a doctor-cum-veterinarian; the father had been a vet, first and foremost, that learned how to treat human patients along the way, as it was a necessity for the community.
Personality: In the office, she is cool, calm, collected, and clinical. A man could walk in with an arrow sticking out of his chest, and she would deal with the situation without batting an eyelash, or shedding a single drop of blood more than was necessary.
The only emotion she seems to show, at least in the clinic, is hostility towards people that are not truly ill, and who bother her.
Like a coin, however, she has a different side; when she is out of her office, she is kind, intelligent, and loves to laugh and joke. Although never having had any children, she has many motherly traits.
When things are quiet, and their are no patients, she likes to go off to the local [pond/lake/river] and fish. It is a calming pass-time for her, and she loves to eat fish.
Friends: Everyone (No, seriously, she manages to get along with everyone)
Likes: Fish, fishing gear, books (non-fiction)
Dislikes: Liquor, egotism, people that don't follow her medical advice because they think they know better
Special Events: Her birthday is September the 13th, though she celebrates alone, usually with a cup cake from the bakery (she otherwise avoids sweets). She always has a small stand set up during any festivals or other events around the town, just in case someone gets hurt.
Friendship Bonus: Free treatment when player/player-owned animals are sick
Dating Bonus: She cooks nutritionally balanced meals for the player, which means his chances of falling ill due to overworking are lowered by a large amount. Increase in stamina.
Wedding Bonus: Stamina and health bonus.
Name: Randolph Carter
Age: 19
Sex: Male
Occupation: Librarian
Marital Status: Single
Marriageable: Yes
Appearance: Thin and lacking the characteristic semi-tan of many of the more industrious folk in the town, he also bears smooth hands. He has short, bright blond hair, and a hairless face that is often described as "smooth as a baby's bottom". Very youthful, many people, at first glance, may find it hard to believe the young man is not still a child; his shortness (five feet, four inches) further reinforces the appearance.
Shop: The Library is on the north edge of the village, near to the forest. It is a quiet place, away from the hustle and bustle of the farms and the town center. Made of thick, local wood, and with plenty of windows that let in the sunshine, and give it a feeling of warmth. Shelves and shelves of books contain everything from science fiction to books on agricultural practices.
Bio: Like many people, he has always been a resident of this town. And, also like many others, he has inherited his father's occupation. His past is so mundane and plain, that it does not even bear mentioning.
He only recently took over working the library full time, as his father now spends all his time writing the history of the town.
He has a crush on Rosemary, one of the town residents.
Personality: Quiet and unassuming, when he does talk, he tends to be quite verbose, and fond of "purple prose".
He is quick to apologize, for himself, and for others, too. He is kind, and gentle, to the point of occasionally being called spineless, or, by the more rowdier folks, ball-less.
He has a deep longing to escape from life in the town, but he does not speak of it.
Very fatalistic.
Friends: [blank for now]
Likes: Peace and quiet, the forest, reading new books, poetry
Dislikes: Alcohol, dullards, people that "abuse" books (as in, they do not take "proper" care of them)
Special Events: His birthday is April 2nd, but nobody knows that; he's never said anything about it, and never does anything special to celebrate.
Friendship Bonus: [blank for now]
Dating Bonus: Spouts off a lot of facts about how to properly appease the spirits that live around town/in the wilderness. These random facts make friendship grow faster amongst the spirits.
Wedding Bonus: [blank for now]
Name:Matilda Fitzpatrick
Age: 33
Sex: Female
Occupation: general store proprietor
Marital Status: married
Marriageable: No
Appearance: A plump woman who prefers to dress modestly, in a fashion considered outdated even by the small town's standards. She has beautiful blonde hair, which is always properly straightened and brushed out, and pale hazel eyes. She is quite small, at five feet even, which makes her seem even heavier than she actually is.
Shop: A two floor shop, the bottom of which is marble, while the second floor has a wooden exterior. Her and her family live above the shop, and the door leading up to it is always locked when the shop is open. All sorts of assorted goods can be found here, from fur rugs to shower curtains, to candles, bath salts, imported chocolates, and many, many other things.
Bio: Matilda can trace her linage all the way back to one of the family's that first settled upon the land. She takes particular pride in this. A relatively sedentary lifestyle, combined with having given birth to a boy and a girl, has resulted in her being overweight.
Doctor Foster has recently begun treating her for mild Type II Diabetes, a fact that is kept hidden from all, even her own family.
Personality: A devoted wife, a caring mother, and a shrewd businessman who will not haggle on anything, Matilda is many things. She also wields the power of gossip, a potent tool in the small town, and has no problems making life difficult for people that she feels have slighted her (admittedly, she has fairly strict definitions on what counts as a slight) with her gossip.
Friends: Just about everyone in town; she does not get along with the blacksmith at all, however.
Likes: Chocolate, her husband, her children
Dislikes: Flowers (allergic to them), people that expect something for nothing
Special Events: July 4th is her birthday, and her son runs the shop in her stead on this day. Her husband will not be working, either.
The week leading up to Christmas, she goes against her usual policy, and, in the spirit of giving, offers everything at 10% off.
Friendship Bonus: Tells nice things about the player to everyone in town; this manifests as a one time boost to the Friendship Meter of everyone else in town of several points (her family getting a slightly higher boost).
Dating Bonus: None
Wedding Bonus: She will ensure the wedding decorations at the chapel are of the highest quality, and at a reasonable price.
- Spoiler:
Last edited by Jar on Wed May 30, 2012 12:31 am; edited 3 times in total