A harvester?

[WRB852]

Works much like a plow, but has to be pulled by cattle. Also when you right click on it, you'd have an option to open the seed container that would get filled during harvesting. Sound good?

[Azkanan]

Works much like a plow, but has to be pulled by cattle. Also when you right click on it, you'd have an option to open the seed container that would get filled during harvesting. Sound good?

Indeed. The fact that it's pulled by cattle would limit it to the higher level players, forcing the lower level players to gather it by hand. Farming is all good fun, but not when you're spending 30+ minutes tending carrots a day =|

[Repercussionist]

Works much like a plow, but has to be pulled by cattle. Also when you right click on it, you'd have an option to open the seed container that would get filled during harvesting. Sound good?

No, because it's still going to automate the harvesting process, which could have the repercussions I mentioned above. If we make it too easy, it becomes a wasted game mechanic. If this gets implemented then people will want things to make the crafting of baked goods faster to use up their huge supply, then that automation would lead to another to where the game would end up being like this.

[Bantam_Gantum]

I have an Idea. How about, instead of an Auto-Harvester/Machine thing, how about something like a Plow. You push it like a plow, but it automatically puts the seeds in your inventory for separating etc. So, you go down a row, and then drop the seeds, get started on the next row. Not to new, not to fancy, But it's all I got right now

[Zirikana]

Iron Age combine

I now know the new name of my dark metal project band...

I've seen threads about yoked plows before, I liked that idea. And I like this one for a harvester too. I don't think we need to be too worried about "automation" issues, as long as it's done right. A horse or ox drawn harvester would simply increase your rate of production at the cost of fussing about with increased inventories and ornery livestock. A player would still be required to steer (lol, no pun intended) the cart and deal with inventory. As to the increased supply issue, presumably you're only planting and harvesting massive fields because there is some sort of demand for it. If you were to harvest way more than you needed, you'd distribute the excess in trade. Division of labor, etc. etc. If you find you have massive stores of unwanted flour and wheat seeds, then stop farming and build some extra ovens!

Also, it would be neat to see a harvester with built in linen bags to separate and hold whatever seeds and produce are harvested. Use an interface like a wagon, but without room for liftables (screw you spellcheck, that is SO a word!)

Would there be any point in increasing the harvest density of a tile based on hand-planting versus animal-assisted farming? Say a 2x or 3x increase, but it would require the same multiplier of seeds to plant at first.... just throwin' that idea out there.

[Tacheron]

Hm, I wouldn't mind seeing this implemented.

And while we're discussing about animal drawn tools - why not make it so that we can harness a bull/cow to a plow? It could have an effect of increased speed for the wooden plow and reduced stamina drain for the metal plow perhaps? Dunno, just a suggestion...

[Chakravanti]

Like say...a scythe??

No this is something that can wait for task automation. I mean I think some mildly out of theme shit can be fun but combines definitely break suspension of disbelief.

That'd be like proving Jesus was an alien pot smoker.

[ciroth]

I can see this idea working if Harvester doesn't raise quality of seed/crop, rather it could be like anywhere from -5/+1 for the seeds/crop that come out. Therefore you will deplete the quality of the crop over time, requiring you to turnover fields that have degraded too much with new batch of seeds.

[Karel7766]

i should say i just harvests the crop and drops it you only need to pick it up
also like the plow that you need to push it