Happy Friday! Guess What? Only three more weekends until the release of FS17! Are you excited? I’ll admit…I am!
I’m pleased to bring you the fourth episode of Paradise Hills. Episode four begins the use of the Soilmod and we begin the process of prepping field one and planting wheat. Unfortunately, a chunk of video is missing as I had a failure with OBS. But I do my best in making up for that and still covering much of the details around the Soilmod to get us started. I’ve also sold off much of the starting equipment and repurchasing equipment I truly want to use.
If you are slightly behind on my episodes, don’t worry…I don’t plan to release episode 5 until Monday. Have a great weekend!
In the third installment, we finish up the harvest of the three pre-planted fields on the Paradise Hills map by Stevie. We also start the seed making process. This map is available from the PC-SG Simulation Gaming Group. If you are not already a member, please consider joining this growing group of simulation game enthusiasts. You’ll find active discussions on many of the popular simulation game platforms including farming, trucking and more. In addition to helpful discussion, PC-SG also offers mod reviews and mod downloads from some of the most talented modders including Johnny Vee, SOB Modding and of course Stevie. Again, in this “Let’s Play” series for Paradise Hills, I finish up harvesting the three pre-planted fields just before installing the Soilmod for FS15. Starting with episode 4, the soilmod will be active and will be used throughout this series.
Finally, just a quick note regarding the frequency of videos I’m currently releasing. At some point in the near future, I will settle into a less frequent release schedule. I just don’t have the time to commit to a video each day and I also don’t really want to spend all day on a Saturday or Sunday playing/recording content for episodes. Having said that, each day that passes we are one day closer to the release of FS17 and most likely that will consume much of my gaming time (at least for a week or so). At this point I’m not sure how much play time FS15 will receive once FS17 drops. Time will tell…
Anyway, thanks for watching and thank you for subscribing. The GrizzlyBearSims YouTube channel already has over 40 subscribers, so we are well on the way to the magic number of 50.
Would you like to see Cattle and Crops available to purchase on Steam. CnC has created a Steam Greenlight program and needs your help. Please take a few minutes and vote YES.
By voting YES, you’ll help convince Steam to allow Cattle and Crops to be added to the Steam gaming library.
I’m really having fun recording my Farming Simulator 15 game play and making it available to whomever would like to watch. Likewise, I’m also learning a lot as well. First, I realize my voice audio is low. I will correct this, but unfortunately because I’ve recorded several episodes the adjustment won’t be noticed until around episode five. I’ve made an additional adjustment for episode seven which should make a more noticeable difference. This is really the first time I’ve committed to record my game sessions in this fashion. In doing so, I’ve also realized this isn’t easy.
If you watch other gamers who either stream or record their game play, you might think “How hard can this be”? While the setup and the actual process of capturing the video game play isn’t rocket science, remembering you are actually recording a video and keeping the conversation lively is altogether different. But then again, sometimes keeping our mouth shut for a short period of time is also a good thing. Anyway….
In episode two, I harvest the corn crop which is on field 2 into chaff to transport to the BGA. At this stage we are still playing without soilmod. Just taking our time getting the three different fields which were pre-planted harvested and then soilmod will start in episode four.
As I’ve mentioned on my most recently blog updates, I’ve been playing the Oklahoma map and absolutely loving it. Oklahoma is a 4x map and it’s HUGE. I’m playing it with a heavy influence to raising cattle and horses and as a result farming the few fields I’ve managed to purchase to both support my efforts as well as area local farmers. I’m still very much in the process of getting my equipment the way I want it. I’m saving some cash, purchasing and renting equipment as necessary. As this map does not feature built in auger systems for storage of grass, straw and silage the occasional gathering of these items will need to be done manually. While I’ll eventually purchase a wheel loader, tele-handler and probably a skid steer to assist on the farm, these items are somewhat lower on my priority list at this time.
My goal as I began playing the Oklahoma map was to begin generating some cash through the sell of the wheat crop, but also begin the process of making total mixed rations (TMR) for the small amount of livestock I already owned. I rented a tractor and loading wagon to pickup the straw from the wheat crop. I then mowed enough grass to accumulate approx. 250,000 liters of grass and then finally I chaffed most of the corn crop for silage. Again without built-in augers….I needed an efficient and fast way of loading these materials when the time arrived to start feeding and supplying the mixing station.
I had recently read comments on various Farming Simulator forums discussing a portable auger from the Sakudiak Equipment company. In real life, these are known as Meridian Augers and are sold and used all over. The mod is slightly un-realistic as it can be driven around under its own power. For my efforts in “Realism through Simulation”, I move the auger around via tractor and make fine adjustments using the augers own power. The auger would be small enough for one man to move and fine tune it so that is what I’m simulating.
Anyway….the Sakundiak auger sells for $15,000 (rental price of $50 per hour) and carries a daily maintenance charge of $10. A hitch is available (separate purchase) for $50.00. The hitch needs to be connected first to the towing vehicle and then connect the auger.
How can I get this mod?
The Sakundiak Auger is available here. I have personally downloaded, installed and tested this mod. The mod works and I use it on all my maps.
We are finally less than one month away from the much anticipated release of Farming Simulator 17. Can you believe it? Unless you’ve been living under a hay bale, you probably have the date of 25 October circled on your calendar. Actually, you probably have 24 October and perhaps even 23 October circled as well just to serve as a reminder. While we all anxiously await the release of FS17, we also must certainly be prepared to enjoy only the vanilla aspects of the game for possibly several weeks and perhaps even several months before our favorite mods have been made available. For those of you who only know Farming Simulator via the console, then this won’t be an issue. But for those like myself, the first few weeks of FS17 will remind us of the early days of FS15. Said another way, for those of us playing FS15 via PC (with mods)….we better practice driving a tractor, combine etc. in a straight line without the GPS mod. ha ha
A few weeks ago I started playing on the Oklahoma map and reviewed it here on my blog. I also stated that I felt the Oklahoma map would see me through until the release of FS17. While I absolutely love the Oklahoma map, I’ve come to realize that the map is just too large for me at this time. Unfortunately, the amount of time it takes to harvest even the smaller fields (even with multiple combines) is just more than I have time for in a single sitting. Perhaps my OCD is a bigger deal, but I really like to be able to complete the task during a game play session. I’ve also found that in order for a single player to accomplish anything on a map this large that you must heavily depend on Courseplay. Anyway…
My blog site turned 6 years old just a few weeks ago. I don’t spend my time blogging in an effort to make money. I do it as an extension of the hobby and in an effort to give something back by helping others. This blog site is fairly popular. The site receives over 5,000 hits per month and all things considered, I think that’s pretty good for mostly written content in this day of vlogging and podcasting.
More than once I’ve considered doing more than just written text. In other words, more than once I’ve thought about using video to help showcase the game titles I play and also use this medium to help others. Other than having a really busy life, I’m also very much aware that there are many, many fine YouTube presenters who spend countless hours showcasing games like Farming Simulator as an example. I’ve created a few “how to” videos regarding Practical Soilmod Workflow and my most popular video with over 2,400 views on how to configure BOTH the Logitech G27 and Joystick.
While my time is still somewhat limited, I plan to record and produce YouTube videos which I’ll showcase here in this blog. I’m not 100% certain what the video release frequency will be. But at the moment I’m spending a few days building up a small queue of videos so I can try to keep a consistent flow of content coming out. For now I’m going to shoot for 1-2 new videos per week. Again this is just an extension of my hobby and not in any way to attempt to become a YouTube Partner.
I’ve decided for this first video project to play the Paradise Hills map by Stevie. I’ve been a huge fan of Stevie’s maps since the days of his Ringwoods version of Westbridge Hills. Paradise Hills offers a nice mixture of small and large fields and most will fit exactly into my schedule and game play style. At the present time I’m harvesting all the pre-planted crops. Once this is done, I’ll install the wonderful Soilmod.
I will say this much. I’ve recorded six videos which will publish over the next few weeks. For those guys who create YouTube content on a regular basis…it may look easy from the outside. But once you get started and make the decision to start producing content, you soon realize it’s not easy. It’s not easy to keep conversation going and having something different and interesting to talk about while you are farming along. SO, with this in mind…please be patient with me as I grow and learn along the way. Together we’ll see where this thing goes.
If you are interested in following this series, please visit my YouTube channel. Thanks for watching. Here’s episode #1, Paradise Hills…
It didn’t really take long. By Friday evening I had pretty much decided that I would sign up and support the Cattle and Crops Kickstarter campaign. I guess it was a combination of several things. First, as I stated earlier in the week….Cattle and Crops caught my attention from the very first minute I learned about them. Second, the gameplay trailer they released on Friday convinced me this was more than vaporware and third…I guess I didn’t want to be the “odd-man” out come Spring 2017 when they plan to release an early access version. Anyway, I pledged the $49 dollar level which includes the Season Pass for 1 year. After more research (and some viewer feedback) I determined the season pass wasn’t a “Pay for play” scheme, but just another way of marketing and packaging DLC. Bottom line is I’m excited.
The Kickstarter campaign (as of Saturday, 1 October) has 1,340 backers and has raised $68,178 towards their goal of $84,298. With just over $16,000 to go, I have no doubt this Kickstarter campaign will be funded. While I’ve backed other projects via Kickstarter campaigns, this will be the first software project I’ve participated in. I’ll be sure to post updates as more news is made available and of course I’ll provide a full review of the early access version once it has been made available sometime in the Spring of 2017.
If you want more information on the Cattle and Crops Kickstarter campaign, please visit their Kickstarter website. Additionally, I also invite you to join the PC-SG Simulation Gaming Community. We’ve already started conversations regarding Cattle and Crops and invite you to join in.
A brand new Cattle and Crops Gameplay Trailer was released today. If you’ve been holding onto your pennies in anticipation of the new Cattle and Crops farming simulation game releasing this year versus pre-ordering Farming Simulator 17, then go ahead and place that pre-order for FS17 TODAY! Cattle and Crops will not….I repeat, WILL NOT release in 2016. Yes…this is disappointing news. But in the past few hours we’ve learned a lot about who’s behind Cattle and Crops and a much better idea regarding their plan.
First, please direct your attention to the brand new game play video which was released today.
I must admit, I’m still mostly captivated by what I see from Cattle and Crops (CnC). For me, this has been the case from the very first video they released. However, it’s all starting to make a little more sense to me. Just as I mentioned earlier in the week when I posted the CnC news regarding the upcoming gameplay trailer, we haven’t heard much from CnC and I had started to hold little faith that we would see this game title actually release in 2016 despite what they stated on their website. The software business (including the gaming world) is all about marketing. We’ve heard practically nothing from CnC compared to GIANTS and their upcoming release of FS17. But again, it’s all making sense now.
I do applaud the CnC folks for not rushing this product out the door. If it’s not ready….then it’s not ready! While I’ve often thought the whole CnC concept was vaporware (not real, just a hoax) I’m now convinced this is an actual product/concept and I will continue to follow its progress. But we still have many unanswered questions. In my opinion, wonderful graphics is only part of what goes into a true simulation based game. The short gameplay trailer really didn’t demonstrate anything more than that. Time will tell just how much focus they have dedicated to produce a more realistic simulation versus an arcade experience.
The Cattle and Crops website has been updated to include much more detail regarding CnC, the people behind CnC and the future plans (including the Kickstarter campaign). Please visit the Cattle and Crops website for more information. When you view the actual Kickstarter page (and I hope you do), please pay close attention to what they are calling “Season Pass”. You’ll find this starting at the €44 level. I really don’t know what this means, but it looks like….sounds like…some sort of subscription “pay for play” model???
In closing, I don’t need to worry about my attention being pulled away from FS17 later this Fall or early Winter. As I’ve stated, I pre-ordered FS17 a few months ago and am looking forward to sinking my teeth into all that is new and different. At this time I’m undecided if I’ll participate in the Kickstarter campaign. I’d really like to better understand what they are attempting to achieve with what they are referring to as a “Season Pass”. I’m certainly not a cheapskate, I support GIANTS (and others) by purchasing most DLC made available for their titles. My advice to CnC is scrap the “Season Pass” concept and just produce affordable, quality DLC (like GIANTS) but please don’t become another Train Simulator.
Until next time…
Happy Farming!
Jerry
P.S. In the long run, it’s probably very smart for CnC to delay their release until the Fall of 2017. After all, at that point FS17 will be a year old and unless GIANTS changes their highly predictable release schedule, FS19 will be a long one-year away. This could mean the audience (you and I) will be ready to try something new. If CnC is successful in accomplishing all they hope to accomplish, it should also drive FS19 to be that much better.
As I type this blog article on 28 September 2016, we are less than one month away from the release of Farming Simulator 17. Giants will release Farming Simulator 17 on 25 October. The ability to Pre-order (with incentives) is currently still available. Just about everyone I know have either already pre-ordered FS17 or have committed to making the move. Actually most everyone I know, while certainly reserved regarding the true differences between FS15 and FS17, are actually pretty excited about the new release. I actually fall into this category as well. While I’m trying very hard not to get my hopes up, I am still excited about the changes I’ve seen and read about.
Again, as I’m typing out the words in this article, some farming sim enthusiasts are still actually weighing the value of Farming Simulator 15 and its DLC packages. A fellow FS15 gamer posted a question in the Steam discussion groups asking for opinions if “it really made sense” to purchase the FS15 DLC he is currently missing in his collection. He recognizes the cost of the missing DLC (he confirms to own the Gold Edition) exceeds the price of FS17, but still wants to know if it is really worth it.
There is a saying (at least in the US) that goes like this. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. Said in another way, what is valuable to one individual, may not hold the same value to another. By the way, I’m certainly not calling FS15 DLC trash. I actually responded to this individuals question with the following statement “I think you are the only person who can really answer this question”. I went on to add some additional content to my answer, but really the true answer is defined in that first statement.
Earlier this week I sort of touched on the economy of the video game market in a post I wrote about the new Schwarzmuller Trailer Pack DLC for ETS2. I explained how the initial purchase of a game like ETS2, ATS or FS15 somewhat covers the developers cost to bring that title to market, but DLC sold along the way continues to keep the lights on and provides further motivation and financial support for future work. This is certainly the case for the DLC we’ve seen released by Giants for FS15. Each Farming Simulator version (13, 15, 17) are unique and unlike in the Flight Simulation market where you may have purchased an add-on for FSX 10 years ago AND that same add-on (or a slightly updated one) can be used for Prepar3D with no extra cost just isn’t the case. The best we can hope for is DLC equipment sold for FS15 (like the JCB as an example) would be part of the default equipment list in FS17. But more about this in just a minute…
Value of FS15 Today
As I previously stated, most everyone I know is truly excited about the upcoming release of Farming Simulator 17 on 25 October. The anticipation of this release has actually caused me to have a renewed interest in FS15. I’m going to announce in a few days a new project I’ve started. In a nutshell, it’s about limited game play on YouTube. But the excitement around FS17, does actually have me playing FS15 a bit more than I had been playing in recent months. However, even though I’m excited about the release of FS17, I also know that while FS17 will most likely dominate my virtual farming efforts….I’m not entirely sure I’ll immediately pull the plug on FS15.
On 25 October (the day FS17 officially is released) there will be absolutely no mods available. Mods that I hold very near and dear in my game play such as Drive Control, Courseplay, Auto-Combine and others will not be available for FS17. Most likely, dates on the October calendar labeled as 26 October, 27 October, 28 October etc. will be just like 25 October. Oh…I’m sure there will be some mods which were originally developed for FS13 which were converted for FS15 which will once again be converted to FS17 start to appear. But, I personally believe many days (perhaps weeks) and in some cases a few months may pass before we see our must have mods available. The main reason for this is the folks that develop a mod like Courseplay will not see FS17 until we all see FS17. Another saying which I believe applies here goes like this….”Good things come to those who wait”
FS15 DLC in FS17
Even at this late date we don’t know all the equipment which will be available as default/in-game equipment when FS17 releases next month. Giants has certainly done an outstanding job in building the suspense all the way to release day. What we do know however, is much of the JCB equipment which was sold in the FS15 JCB DLC will be available in FS17 as default equipment. It’s still unclear regarding the New Holland DLC pack and the Holmer DLC packs. But if I were a betting man, I would say these will also be included (or most will be included). In time, Giants will develop and release brand new and exciting DLC for FS17 and the cycle continues.
Bottom Line
For some, it may be worth picking up FS15 DLC (even in this late stage) to continue to broaden and enhance game play in FS15. For those on PC, I might suggest you look into mods…but that of course is a different story with the console platform. October 25th really is just around the corner. But if we reflect back on our childhood memories, the weeks, days and hours leading up to Christmas morning also seemed like eternity. But really….the value of FS15 DLC at this point in time is truly in the eye of the beholder.
The silence from Cattle and Crops over the past few months has been absolutely deafening. The last update on their Facebook page was 26 August and it didn’t tell us much. In contrast, Giants has been releasing news content multiple times a week on the much anticipated release of Farming Simulator 17. But the silence has been broken today with a news bulletin from Cattle and Crops.
According to the Cattle and Crops Facebook Page, we can expect a gameplay trailer to be released on Friday. C&C have also posted a countdown timer on their website which indicates the Friday they are referring to is this Friday, 30 September.
I’ll be honest, much of the excitement I had for Cattle and Crops has dried up. If this game ends up being more than vaporware, they seriously need to re-think their marketing strategy.
I’m not the only one that may have considered waiting to purchase FS17 if the communications from C&C would have been more forthcoming. I’m extremely impressed with how Giants have kept us all informed on the new changes coming to FS17. This is what marketing looks like. Unfortunately for C&C, I made the decision to pre-order FS17 as I really didn’t believe Cattle and Crops actually existed or if it did exist, it wouldn’t be releasing before the end of the year.
Again, I’m not the only one left scratching my head here. A Facebook user named Jarrod, posted “I’m not sure what your strategy is for releasing this game knowing that FS17 is already being released next month and pre-orders are already out there. If I were you I would wait and see the faults Giants are going to have and be so much better than them”.
Like you, I’ll watch the game play trailer on Friday. Will I lose any sleep over it Thursday night? Nope…but I’ll watch it. Most likely I’ll even have some comments to share here.
