Farmer vs. Hunter/Gatherer

[Toadlby]

When the game started it was a wilderness explorer and survival game. It still is now but with the crock pot, the turbo farm, transplantable items, bee boxes and the recent addition of the Krampus the developers seem to be pushing more towards the farmer survival style.

I myself do prefer this style, but I think it could use more challenge. As a farmer there are very little things that can threaten you when you have settled, the exception are hounds but those can be easily dealt with.

Perhaps the developers should add in storms or some other kind of crop destroying thing, such as squirrels to add more challenge to that aspect of the game.

However that's just my opinion, what do you think?

P.S. Please try to use family-friendly language in this thread.

[qwerm]

nah, they aren't pushing any one style of play. multiple types of playstyles are highly valid for this game so far, and the devs are slowly adding threats for each type, depending on how you conduct your business.

[501105]

I dont think that they are trying to push you in a certain path either. You can survive by being a farmer or hunter and there are usefull tools for each. What I do agree on is that there should be a danger to your crops. Maybe have birds eat your crops and requiring you to built a scarecrow or built fences against those hungry bunnies.

[Kalmageddon]

I say introduce swarms of hungry locusts to the game!

[xandru8]

i say for the frogs to sprout wings and follow you if you do something in the swamp and follow you to eat youre crops

[A Bad Feeling]

Please refer to this post by one of the developers:

It is interesting that you guys are dividing into factions by playstyle. People talk about 'farmers' and 'hunters', etc, as if everyone who plays picks a particular method for survival and uses it exclusively.

If this is what is actually happening in-game, it is a bit concerning to me. I believe that the game is the most fun when you mix up your strategies. In fact, the whole theory behind the 'pushbacks' that I mentioned earlier is that they will make players vary their behaviour over time. The hope is that this will subtly lead them to discover more of the game's content, and make it so that it takes them longer to get bored.

I think some of the Krampus-hate comes from the perception that we are favouring one playstyle over another. This is not the case - we are going to be 'discouraging' pretty every playstyle that we can identify, to try to cap monotonous survival strategies. Doing the same thing again and again should result in Wilson's death, no matter what it is.

Farming will be impossible during winter, because your crops simply won't be able to grow during that time. We will probably also come up with some kind of mob/event that is triggered by high-density farming - something like locusts or a mega-rabbit, or an infestation of carnivorous plants. We aren't 'punishing' the hunters because we are 'vegan propagandists' - we just haven't added everything that will be in the game yet.

I am seriously considering adding a nutrition component to the hunger meter that would give diminishing returns if you repeatedly eat the same type of food. I also think that certain farmables may be overpowered. I've heard mentions of dragonfruit stockpiles in several threads. Perhaps this is an unavoidable consequence of being able to gather specific seed types.

[RonG777]

Thanks for posting that entry from Kevin.

I was thinking of something like the rabbits eating your gardens to help reduce the food farming tactics, but the design team is already on top of it.

It looks like the developers have some interesting challenges in store for us. Looking forward to it

[Buzzy]

The devs said that they are planning to make some counter measures to the farmers, as they have little disadvantages. I've read that they plan to make it balanced, where you'll have to be a mix of all of the options for you to survive.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Buzzy

[Solnaga]

Honestly a lot of the crockpot dishes require you to be a hunter and gatherer. My personal style is all-encompassing; you can't nerf my method of survival (multiple bases with high sustain of all types) unless you nerf survival itself.

[Daru233]

I want a hobo playstyle, where you eat all sorts of goodies from random trash cans ! Just imagine, peculiar butter, rotten squirrel, constipated wallnuts, the possibilities are endless!

[Sorez]

I'm both, I literately have 3 chests full of berries/meat/kabobs, etc xD

[Little Teemo]

i used to be a farmer then i discovered honey ham =3