Realism through Simulation
In part three, we once again review our overall soil conditions on the second day after planting our wheat crop on field #2 of the Graceland map for Farming Simulator 15.
Please return again tomorrow for Practical Soilmod Workflow Part 4.
Until next time…
Happy Farming!!!
Jerry
In part two, we take a look at the over all soil conditions on the day after planting for our wheat crop on field #2 of the Graceland map for Farming Simulator 15.
Please return again tomorrow for Practical Soilmod Workflow Part 3
Until next time…
Happy Farming!!!
J
I recently blogged about and provided some general information on the wonderful soilmod mod for Farming Simulator 15. That blog post provides a general overview of how soilmod works and most importantly how it changes the entire game play. I’ve spent many hours reading as much information as I can and watching a few hours of YouTube content. While I started to gain a simple understanding of soilmod, I had to actually commit to using it to fully understand how to develop my own process and overall workflow.
Of the several hours of YouTube videos I watched, one thing I really couldn’t find was a simple and practical step-by-step process. Most of my favorite FS15 YouTubers have awesome videos demostrating the soilmod, but they are also doing many other things in the video and don’t really take the time to explain their workflow.
If you are new to soilmod, understand that my process and workflow may not work for you. But I wanted to take the time to document it and provide it to anyone wanting to get more from the farming simulator experience. The soilmod is awesome and if you truly want to take FS15 to the next level (and you play on PC) then give it a try. I think you’ll enjoy it!
Now for my video. This first video will be the longest of the series and includes a general overview of the differences between game play without and with the soilmod. I then discuss my own personal workflow for how I plan, prepare and plant my crops when using soilmod.
During the video, I reference a spreadsheet tool and my own process workflow document to help me keep track of each fields lifecycle from field prep, planting, fertilizer, herbicide and water application through the final harvest. Links to these documents are listed below the video window.
Calculation Tool for Soilmod (version 2.0.2) This is the spreadsheet tool I demonstrated during the video. This spreadsheet will function in Microsoft Excel and Apache Open Office. Apache Open Office is open-source and free for personal use.
I’ve developed my own workflow checklist which I also demonstrated during the video. As this document is my work, you are free to download and customize how ever you see fit.
While I think it is safe to say the soilmod is not for everyone. However, if you are looking to take your farm simulation to the next level…I I hope you’ll try the soilmod. Give it a solid go, have fun and learn from the experience. You may not experience high crop yield immediately, but keep at it. I truly believe you’ll appreciate Farming Simulator 15 much, much more with Soilmod.
Please return again tomorrow for part 2 where I review the soil conditions and action plan after the harvest.
Until next time…
Go Use the Soilmod and have fun!
Jerry
Ok, so this really isn’t my first impression of the Soilmod. I did mess around with it several months ago and failed miserably to grasp the concept. I really had a lot of things going on and just couldn’t take the necessary time to research how this mod changes Farming Simulator 15. But I’ve got to admit that I’m actually enjoying the challenge of using the soilmod and while I’m not sure if I could say I would never farm without it, I’d have to say I’m very close. Yes, I did just recently mention I was starting to use it again. But this post comes about a week into my endeavour and I’ve planted and harvested my first field. I’m pleased with the results.
Before we really dive into my understanding of this wonderful mod, allow me to briefly state how the vanilla (default) game reacts to our process of field preparation, planting, fertilizing and harvesting of our crops. This won’t take very long as we all know the vanilla version of FS15 really only cares about if we seed a field and we earn a bonus for fertilizing. That’s really it. We don’t need to worry about the condition of the soil as it relates to anything at all. It’s dirt and it will grow crops. We don’t need to worry about moisture, we don’t need to worry about pH levels and it doesn’t matter if we spread or spray fertilizer. Speaking of fertilizer, there is no set timeframe for when to apply the fertilizer. It can be done before planting or after planting. Just as long as the fertilizer is applied BEFORE the crop heads into the final growth stage you’ll enjoy the bonus of a higher crop yield. Because of this, I’ve never messed with using liquid sprayers.
My old workflow (before soilmod) typically would be to plow or cultivate the field after the last harvest, While not required and no added benefit, I just did this because I really had nothing better to do. I would then mostly likely spread fertilizer and soon after seed the field. Even on a large map like States or Graceland, I could manage as many fields as I could afford. I typically didn’t have plant withering turned on.
Soilmod changes everything and I do mean EVERYTHING about FS15. All the things I previously mentioned that we didn’t need to worry about in the vanilla game are now areas we MUST think about. When you install the Soilmod mod into FS15, it radically transforms Farming Simulator 15 from just a game into a real life farming simulator.
Before I go further, I would suggest you take the time to watch two YouTube videos on the subject of the soilmod. The first video is about 18 minutes in length and if you are like me, I had to watch it several times before I really grasped all it was telling me.
The second video is just over 5 minutes and provides a high level overview of the soilmod.
As I’ve spent several days and many hours reading about the soilmod and attempting to put into practice what I’ve learned on my virtual farm, I’ve also been trying to accumulate additional information to assist me as I go about re-developing my workflow.
Here are a few helpful (at least I find them helpful) reference materials:
Soilmod Reference Sheet (2.0.22)
Soilmod Reference Sheet and Field Planner
Soilmod Calculation Tool (2.02)
For me, I find the Soilmod Calculation Tool to be the most useful. I typically use that to plot and plan how I will initially start the planting process. I’ve developed my own workflow checklist which is sort of a mishmash of all these tools into something I can comprehend. I print these and have them on my clipboard in the virtual farm office. I can quickly at a glance see what needs to be done and I can record the daily numbers for each field to make sure I’m on track to a good harvest.
I struggled in the first few days of keeping all my tasks sorted. As I pointed out, Soilmod really does change things. No longer can you just plant, fertilize and then sit back and watch the wheat grow. The soilmod really forces you to be a lot more attentive to details. In addition, you can’t rely on creating the plan based on soil conditions and weather forecast on day 1. Just like in real life, wait 5 minutes and the weather forecast will change. Unfortunately, each time you start up FS15 the weather forecast is recalculated. So on the first day, the weather forecast might show one or more days with temperatures above 22 degrees celcius. Temps above 22 c will have a negative impact on soil moisture. However, if you shutdown FS15 and restart, you may see a completely different weather forecast. From my understanding, the only thing that won’t change is the frequency of rain. If rain is shown in the forecast, then each time you restart FS15 the opportunity for rain will remain.
Over the next few days I will provide more information regarding my use of the soilmod in FS15. I plan to record and release several YouTube videos documenting the planning and workflow I use. This video series will step you through each of the multi-day processes including field planning, preparation, planting all the way up through harvest.
As you may soon learn and especially after you watch the 5 part YouTube series I have recorded documenting my workflow for the preparation, planting, daily maintenance and eventual harvest that the Soilmod is not for everyone. I really couldn’t agree more with that statement. So I’ll say it again, the Soilmod is not for everyone. However, if you are wanting to take your virtual farming to the next level…then at the very least, you should give Soilmod a solid try. Find a map which is Soilmod ready, install the soilmod mod and get to work. Will you be successful? Will you fail? Perhaps the answer to both of those questions will be YES! But you’ll learn….and you’ll improve…and you’ll feel a level of satisfaction from your game play. YES…you will also work hard at it.
Please return tomorrow for the first part of a five part YouTube series showcasing my process and workflow as I plant a field of wheat on Graceland with the soilmod installed.
Until next time…
Happy Farming!!!
J
Note: This article was written and scheduled for release approx. 10 days ago. Since writing this and the present time, I’ve learned a lot about this wonderful mod. This week will be dedicated to the Soilmod, specifically the Practical Used of the Soilmod modification for Farming Simulator 15. Each day I will release a written blog article and YouTube video covering how I use the Soilmod in my FS15 game play and my typical workflow. I’ll provide some tools and tips and document the process as I prepare a field to plant and harvest wheat.
It’s been several months since I was first introduced to the Soilmod for Farming Simulator 15. During this time life was hectic and I struggled to truly grasp the concept. Out of frustration I removed the mod from my mod folders list and haven’t looked back.
Over the past few weeks I’ve really enjoyed playing Farming Simulator 15 and in really thinking about it, FS15 is has become my favorite simulation based game. I say this because unlike flight sim, truck sim, bus sim etc. you are somewhat limited in what you can do. But with Farming Simulator, you can work crops one day, the next day you can tend to your animals and the next day you can do a little forestry. Not to mention that each of those activities have a wide variety of different equipment to choose from. You can also mix it completely up by playing a different map. Bottom line is there is just so much variety with FS15.
Just a few weeks ago I somewhat re-branded my blog site to better match my simulation game play. Realism through Simulation has been something that I’ve really always considered important and I figured if I really wanted to take my farm sim game play to the next level I needed to master the soilmod. So that is just what I’m doing.
I’ve installed the Soilmod on my Graceland map. The Graceland map is soilmod ready so I spent a few days and harvested all my crops, backed up the game save and then installed the soilmod. But of course, before doing all that I watched a few hours of YouTube videos and read as much as I could online about how soilmod changes the FS15 game play.
I’ll be honest, I’m currently somewhere between lost and confused…but I’m learning. There are some great soilmod reference sheets available and just through my own trial and error, I’m attempting to figure my own way through this. Because at the end of the day, I can read about or what how others do it…but you really must adapt a process which works for you and that is what I’m attempting to accomplish.
Of course, I plan to write future blog articles on my experiences (both postive and negative) about the soilmod and how it is changing my FS15 game play. But for now that will need to wait because I have far more questions that I have answers. So stay tuned…
Until next time…
Happy Farming!!!
Jerry
Last week I reviewed the AutoCombine mod. I’m quite pleased with how the AutoCombine mod performs. Especially on non-square/rectangle fields surrounded with fences, trees, shrubs etc. In recent weeks I’ve been playing the Coldborough Park Farm map and AutoCombine has truly been a blessing. I installed the AutoTractor mod hoping it might do equally well. Unfortunately, AutoTractor just doesn’t work well enough for me to use it.
Here’s the deal with mods like AutoCombine, AutoTractor, CoursePlay etc. or even the default “Hire A Worker” feature. These mods or functions are not perfect. You just simply can’t drive a tractor, combine etc. to a field and expect it to perform a perfect job each and every time. If anything, these mods do often emulate the difficulties a farmer would have with his/her hired workers. In real life, some employees work very hard and do everything just as one would expect, but some do not. This is more or less what we can expect when we use these types of mods that emulate a hired worker performing the task or seeding, fertilizing or harvesting.
Again, much like AutoCombine…the AutoTractor mod simply adds a few more features to the default “Hire a Worker” function in FS15. But unlike AutoCombine…it just do as good of a job. As a matter of fact, I really couldn’t get it to do much at all.
The HUD for AutoTractor
The AutoTractor mod is available here. I have personally downloaded, installed and tested this mod. Unfortunately, I’ve found this mod is just not for me. While AutoCombine handles odd shaped fields slightly better than CoursePlay, the same can’t be said for AutoTractor. While CoursePlay does struggle in the tractor dept. with odd shaped fields, I find it is still better to use CP than AutoTractor. I will keep an eye on this mod and when/if an update is made available, I’ll download it, test it and review it again if necessary.
Please see my blog post “How to Install Mods in Farming Simulator 15” for complete instructions.
Until next time…
Happy Baling!!!
Jerry
I’ve been a HUGE fan of Courseplay and while I had heard about the AutoCombine mod, I really never had a need to use it. After all, on most of the maps I’ve played in the past…Courseplay worked mostly well. I say “mostly well” only because Courseplay is certainly not without issue. I wrote about some of the struggles we all face with using Courseplay here and here. One of the reasons for looking more closely at the AutoCombine mod was due to the fact that Courseplay is really challenged with fields which are not mostly square or rectangle shaped.
A few weeks ago I began playing the Coldborough Park Farm map. This is a wonderful map based on a real world farm in Herefordshire, England. If you haven’t played this map, you can download it here. This map consists of mostly small irregular shaped fields all bordered with fences and hedges. As previously stated, Courseplay really and truly works best when the fields are relatively large, square or rectangle and have plenty of room between the fields edge and any obstacles such as trees, hedges or fences.
For the most part, AutoCombine functions similar to the default “Hire a Worker” function of FS15 but is more customizable. Another way to look at the AutoCombine mod is it includes the features Giants left out of their default “Hire a Worker” function.
The GUI for AutoCombine is shown below.
I have found I really only use 6 of the buttons on the GUI. I’ll provide a brief description of each: 1. Start/Stop 2. Empty while driving or while stopped 3. Active Side Left 4. Active Side Right 5. Auto Combine or Standard Hire a Worker 6. Harvest mode (circles or up and down)
I typically will start my combine manually and get it into the field and headed in the direction I want it to go. I will then click button number 6 to select the circular option. The combine will continue to harvest in this method until you stop it. Keep a watchful eye on the combine during the first headland cut. If there are nearby obstacles (fences, hedges, trees) these may cause problems. But once the combine cuts the first headland (completes the first trip around the field), it will generally continue without issue as it will have enough room to turn without crashing into an obstacle. After the combine cuts 2-3 headlands, I may stop it and use button 6 again to start an up and down cut.
Obstacles
Much like Courseplay, there are no guarantees that AutoCombine will automatically work without issues. Obstacles such as trees, fences, gates, other equipment etc. may cause AutoCombine to stop. Just like the real world, you will want to occasionally check on your hired workers. But I’ve found AutoCombine does seem to handle odd shaped fields a little better than Courseplay.
Crop Separation
AutoCombine will likely stop in the scenario below. In this scenario, we have separated our wheat crop. Once the combine harvests all the wheat in this smaller section, AutoCombine will most think it is done and shut down. You will then need to manually drive the combine back up to the large portion of un-harvested wheat and start it back up.
The AutoCombine mod is available here. I have personally downloaded, installed and tested this mod. The mod works and I use it on all my maps.
Please see my blog post “How to Install Mods in Farming Simulator 15” for complete instructions.
Until next time…
Happy Harvesting!!!
Jerry
I’ve been searching for a way to enable BOTH my Logitech G27 wheel/pedal/shifter unit AND my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick in Farming Simulator 15. I’ve worn Google out and have read through many forums. I’ve also watched several YouTube videos. Unfortunately, much of the information available is either in a non-English language or more geared towards FS13. Some videos and forum threads discuss the need to edit the inputBinding.xml file and some even mention the need to install 3rd party software. I’ve also read through so many comments from fellow FS15 enthusiasts who are so frustrated and fed up, that they just gave up on trying to get it all to work.
Let’s face it. Giants SHOULD have done a better job implementing wheel support in FS15. Simply put…I believe they dropped the ball. If you are going to develop a driving based game and call it a simulator…YOU NEED TO OFFER WHEEL SUPPORT. Yes, FS15 can be controlled via the keyboard or a simple XBox type controller. Some folks are 100% happy with this setup. However, if you want to take this game to the max and truly push the limits…(and feel good about calling it a simulator) then offer better wheel support like is offered in Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator.
Now that we’ve got that all out of the way, I absolutely love Farming Simulator 15. While I play a variety of simulation based games like the previously mentioned ATS/ETS2…I also enjoy Car Mechanic Simulator 2015, Train Simulator 16 and Flight Simulation (P3D). At the present time I would have to say that Farming Simulator 15 is my favorite. I believe it is my favorite because there is so much variety in the game play. FS15 allows us to operate tractors, combines, front loaders, bale hay, manage livestock and of course chop trees down in forestry.
The operation of most vehicles in FS15 is pretty straight forward with the G27. Press the gas pedal and the vehicle goes forward, turn the steering wheel and it turns. However, the operation of other functions not so much. For example, if you are operating the telehandler or the wheel loader…the operation of the front bucket is a little clumsy with the mouse. Actually it can be downright frustrating. Considering one spends good money on the G27, the need to use the mouse or keyboard to operate the front bucket really blows away the immersion you are attempting to achieve.
Most know the forestry aspect of Farming Simulator 15 is a very good way to generate a lot of money when first starting out on a new map. But operating the crane to pickup logs to load the trailer with the mouse or keyboard is just as frustrating as I previously described. Perhaps more so.
In the real world, these equipment functions are managed by pulling a lever or two and in some cases using a joystick (or two). I purchase the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick over a year ago in an effort to use it for handling the functions of operating the front bucket or grabbing logs. Unfortunately I just couldn’t get it to work alongside my G27…..UNTIL NOW!!!
As I mentioned at the top of this piece, I’ve searched, I’ve watched and I’ve read in an effort to make this work. I’ve started threads on many of the popular FS15 forums asking for assistance…and basically heard nothing but crickets. So in an effort to assist others who may find themselves in my situation…I’ve decided to document what I did to get both my Logitech G27 and Extreme 3D Pro Joystick to work in Farming Simulator 15.
The video below is just a little over 12 minutes long. In this span of time I demonstrate what I did to get my hardware working. During this video I setup the basic assignments for the wheel, pedals and joystick. Both the G27 and the joystick unit offer many buttons which can be programmed in the same manner I demonstrate in the video. You just need to decide what you want programmed.
Thank you for watching this video. It is my desire to help as many people as possible. Please share! Also please visit my blog site Planes, Trains & Automobiles (and Farming Too!) for more helpful how-to articles, mod reviews and other simulation adventures. You may also Follow Me on Twitter.
Until next time…
Happy Farming (with a Joystick)
Jerry
While baling hay or straw, do you wonder just how many bales you’ve made? Wonder no more with the Bale Counter mod. This mod is super simple in both its approach and function. It’s so simple, this will likely be one of the shortest blog postings I’ve written.
Once the mod has been installed you’ll notice a small change to the HUD in the lower right corner of the screen. The addition of two new icons which resemble bales of hay will appear and a count.
In the example above, I had been baling and accumulated a total of 8 bales from the field.
If you want to reset the count, just click the “R” key and that will reset the count on the left side. The count on the right will remain to indicate the total number of bales created.
The bale counter mod is available here. I have personally downloaded, installed and tested this mod. The mod works and I use it on all my maps.
Please see my blog post “How to Install Mods in Farming Simulator 15” for complete instructions.
Until next time…
Happy Baling!!!
Jerry
I’m going to write a series of mod reviews for Farming Simulator 15. While I would almost imagine everyone already fully understands how to install mods in Farming Simulator 15, I figure I’ll just go ahead and quickly write this for anyone that may be confused.
First, if you are playing Farming Simulator 15 on a console platform, then you should already know that mods are not supported. So this “how to”, as well as the mod reviews will basically be for PC users. I’m sure there are many reasons to own and play “some” games on the console platform…but FS15 really isn’t one of them.
Most mods are available in one of three formats (listed and explained below)
1. Self-contained Executable File – While perhaps not as common as the .zip format (described below) many mods do come in a self-contained .exe file format. Like any other application, you just double-click to launch the .exe. It will automagically detect where your Farming Simulator 2015 is installed (Documents > My Games > Mods) and add the mod. Word of caution, if you use the Mod Commander mod to manage and keep your mods separated based on map, then you’ll need to move the mod (once installed) into the appropriate map directory.
2. ZIP Format (Most Common) – Depending on the map I’m playing, the number of mods I run can be anywhere from just a few to a dozen or more. The most common form of mod I run across is the .zip format. Depending on what the mod is and how complex and large it is, you may need to open the .zip file and extract a portion of it before adding it to your mods directory. However, in most cases…the .zip file will be ready to just copy into the mods folder. But how can you tell?
If the mod developer is smart, he will name the .zip file which needs to be uncompressed something like “UNZIPME_ChoppedStraw_15_0_05.zip”. This should immediately tell anyone that the contents in this .zip file first needs to be extracted. In this example, you can see from the image below the .zip file contains a compressed .zip file named ZZZ_ChoppedStraw.zip along with several .txt files. One smartly named “README.txt”. This file is name this way because….well….YOU SHOULD READ IT!!! What you need to know will be explained in that .txt file. Funny how that works huh?
I typically always open each .zip file I download. First, if the file is corrupt…then it probably won’t open and will need to be downloaded again. But also you can quickly see if the .zip file needs to be further extracted or just copied to the mods folder. In the example below, this .zip file just needs to be copied to the mods directory as it is.
3. RAR Compressed File (Least Common) – Of the compressed file formats, the RAR compressed file is the least common. These will always need to be uncompressed to reveal the enclosed .exe or .zip files stored inside.
A quick note about archival/compression utilities. I use and recommend 7Zip. 7Zip will unpack RAR files and also compress and decompress .zip files. It works extremely well and is free. WinRAR is also available for those who prefer that utility.
Again, I’m almost certain that anyone playing the PC version of Farming Simulator 15 will already know this information. If this has helped you, then it was worth my time in writing the piece.
Until next time…
Happy Farming!!!
J
