Suggestion Farm Bill - Subsidize the Farmer 2014

[Dsawemd]

TL: DR - Farmers are the only ones who can plant Potatoes, Carrots, and Wheat. This would mean that anyone without a farmer would rely on melons, apples, fish, or wild animal meat to eat. This would give farmers more chances to make money, and be a competitive profession.

Farmers are poor (it's a common joke on the server how poor they are) and very dependent on a single profitable item, leather. To diversify Farmer's profitability:

Farmer is the only class that can plant edible crops (potatoes, carrots, wheat). The single exception would be melons. This would mean that without a farmer, you can have as many melons as you want, but would have to rely on farmers for baked potatoes, carrots, and wheat products.

Sugar Cane would not be affected, since most people farm it without planting and it cannot be eaten. Nether wart, Cactus, and any other non-edible item would not be affected. Mushrooms would not be affected, since they do not require actual farming to cultivate.

This would also mean that a non-farmer would not be allowed to break a crop that they cannot replace. ALTERNATIVELY, crops that are Farmer-exclusive can now be farmed without being replaced, meaning that farmers who have large town farms will be valued.

This will increase the role of not only farmer but possibly some healers.

Thoughts?

 

[LordZelkova]

It's good in theory, hell I'll even call it brilliant. One flaw I see is that how often do people really really need those foods? I live off of either melon or very very rarely ill eat bread. It would be nice to see farmer able to make some kind of money again, seeing as the once profitable leather isn't very useful right now.
Overall: Good idea, could go horribly wrong.

 

[Kimsgrim]

I dare say that only farmers can get meat from animals? That being if a non farmer kills a cow or pig, no meat would drop? Seems harsh, but it would create a need for farmers.

As I see it now, farmers are useless aside from mass gathering of wool and items for the town bank.

(Can anyone breed animals?)

 

[LordZelkova]

I
(Can anyone breed animals?)

Yes. Only farmers could last map but either it was removed or broke

 

[Kimsgrim]

I think farmers should be the only one to be able to harvest meat. That would create an urgent need for them. Even the planting of all edible foods.

 

[Azzezima]

I would like this being implemented but...
Make it able for non-farmers to farm mellons and kill animals for food.
So you atleast have a way to get food.

-Azzezima-

 

[malikdanab]

I don't think it would solve the problem. Everyone would just use melons (Many use it primarily anyway.)

 

[agedbear]

Why not make farmers the only ones to harvest wool (Shepards anyone?) Breed animals (Ranchers) and grow any edible crop (farming). Food is far too easy to come by for a "hardcore" server. I know some people will disagree, but think about how this will foster both server economy as well as PvP and raiding.

 

[agedbear]

Additionaly make non-farmer's get no drops from breaking crops; they can raze fields but not harvest. Same thing with animals, an unskilled hunter or butcher is more likely to ruin the meat of an animal than they are to get something edible

 

[Trazil]

one reason a lot of people don't buy leather is because its overpriced,

 

[Deztrox]

This would work but some people like me have a 9 year supply of food already...
Maybe this could be implemented next map?

 

[malikdanab]

one reason a lot of people don't buy leather is because its overpriced,

This is due to the fact that the amount of animals you can breed is limited to reduced lag. Now, is it possible to increase the drop rate for animals to counter the fact that you can have so little of them?

 

[Dsawemd]

one reason a lot of people don't buy leather is because its overpriced,

Lowering the price of leather is not something this thread is trying to acheive, the price reflects the work it takes to get it. I sell leather in bulk at around .5 s per, which is comparable to iron prices. I think the economy for leather would falter if trade district shop prices fall under ~1s per uncrafted leather.

This is due to the fact that the amount of animals you can breed is limited to reduced lag. Now, is it possible to increase the drop rate for animals to counter the fact that you can have so little of them?

Until breeding is restored to Farmer-only, which is another idea to increase profits I saw someone mention, this will make people rely on farmers to buy leather even less.

This would work but some people like me have a 9 year supply of food already...
Maybe this could be implemented next map?

This would still create a more hardcore RP experience where every profession plays a strong role, I do not think it needs to wait for next map to be an effective chance to increase farming profits.

 

[Kimsgrim]

Perhaps reduce the effectiveness of non farmed foods to the very least, so farmed foods (only obtainable by farmers) would be preferable. Steak and pork being the best and priced accordingly.

I enjoy the idea of having to go to market to buy food.

 

[Trazil]

@Dsawemd leather takes very little work to get because of breeding and you can get multiple from each cow, also you have mooshrooms to spawn and both of them can spawn up to 3 at a time. just use a looting enchanted weapon and its very easy

 

[huntmoak]

Is only allowing non-farmers to get food via zombies too harsh? Or maybe only by animals? I think melons should be farmer only, As so many use them already. If this was implemented as is, I don't think it would do much due to the fact people use melons so frequently.

 

[Dsawemd]

@Dsawemd leather takes very little work to get because of breeding and you can get multiple from each cow, also you have mooshrooms to spawn and both of them can spawn up to 3 at a time. just use a looting enchanted weapon and its very easy

I think that leather prices are in a good place right now, comparable to how iron prices are in a good place right now, considering the way each material is gathered AND the durability of the armor produced/the amount of crafting recipes each has.

If farmer gets exclusive food items, more people will go farmer and they will be able to support themselves off of a variety of goods. This can only drive the price of leather down.

edit:
@Staff Coders @Kainzo Everyone: with this suggestion, only mushroom soup, melons, apples, and fish would be available without a Farmer. This would add to Farmer's usefulness, while leaving a reasonable amount of food still gatherable in the wilderness. Please consider testing this in the economy for a few months.