Hello, everyone!
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for wishlisting and helping to spread the word about ACRES! It's truly heartwarming to witness the level of interest and support we've received. I've been hard at work on several updates as we draw nearer to the release date. I'm thrilled to announce that we have now officially confirmed the release date: October 18, 2023.
Chicken Runs
Exciting news! Our farm is now home to a flock of chickens! These clever creatures will be residing in specially designed chicken runs, which can be strategically positioned alongside our crop rows. What makes them so valuable is their ability to naturally break down plants and cover crops, rejuvenating the soil without the unfortunate soil compaction that can occur with tractors.
Here's how it works: The chicken runs will systematically cycle through each acre cell, diligently feasting on and digging into the planted crop within that cell. Once they've completed their work in each cell of the run, they can either circle back to the original cell or can be relocated to a different row on the farm. Keep in mind that each chicken run installation will have an initial cost of $2,880, and should you decide to move them, it will incur an additional charge of $13.
Welcome to a new era of farming efficiency and sustainability with our feathered friends!
Beehives
We're thrilled to introduce another exciting addition to our farm: beehives! These beehives are a one-cell buildable item that you can easily access from the placeables menu, and each one comes at a cost of $950. What makes them truly invaluable is their remarkable ability to reduce pollination times for adjacent acres, resulting in a 10% acceleration in crop growth.
The magic of beehives extends in an impressive 8-cell square radius, benefiting all the cells within that range. With these industrious bees by our side, we're looking forward to faster and more bountiful harvests. Beehives are yet another step towards enhancing the productivity and prosperity of our farm.
Cover Crops
Even more exciting news for our farming endeavors! We've introduced cover crops to our lineup, offering you a fantastic way to nurture and rejuvenate the soil in between harvests. These cover crops play a vital role in replenishing the soil, gradually infusing it with essential nutrients during each growth cycle.
Just like our cash crops, cover crops, once they reach maturity, can also be seamlessly incorporated back into the soil using our efficient plow tools. The unique advantage of cover crops lies in their higher dig-in values, ensuring that they contribute even more nutrients to the soil, enriching it for future plantings.
For your convenience, here are the current nutrient values for each of our cover crops:
Crimson Clover
Dig in multiplier: 213
Nitrogen (N) : +.399
Phosphorus (P) : -.03
Potassium (K) : -.02
Calcium (Ca) : -.01
Magnesium (Mg) : -.02
Sulfur (S) : -0.1
Micronutrients (m) : +.13
Buckwheat
Dig in multiplier: 167
Nitrogen (N) : -.02
Phosphorus (P) : +.35
Potassium (K) : +.41
Calcium (Ca) : -.01
Magnesium (Mg) : -.02
Sulfur (S) : -.01
Micronutrients (m) : +.16
Hairy Vetch
Dig in multiplier: 273
Nitrogen (N) : +.191
Phosphorus (P) : +.135
Potassium (K) : +.179
Calcium (Ca) : -.01
Magnesium (Mg) : -.01
Sulfur (S) : -.01
Micronutrients (m) : +.21
Mustard
Dig in multiplier: 193
Nitrogen (N) : +.103
Phosphorus (P) : +.091
Potassium (K) : +.087
Calcium (Ca) : +.239
Magnesium (Mg) : +.217
Sulfur (S) : +202
Micronutrients (m) : +.281
Soil Structure
Soil structure for each acre can be monitored in the lower right hand screen with the vertical bar.
In this latest ACRES update, we're excited to introduce a significant enhancement to our soil health system by incorporating soil structure values. This innovative addition has a direct impact on the growth rate of your crops.
A higher soil structure value can supercharge the growth rate of each crop, potentially boosting it up to an impressive 1.5 times its normal speed. Conversely, a lower soil structure value can hamper growth, slowing it down to as little as 0.2 times the usual rate.
Soil structure isn't static; it's influenced by various factors, including the manipulation of the soil through tractor use, tools, and the crops themselves. Tractors, in particular, have a compaction effect on the soil, decreasing its structure. Larger tractors exert a more significant compaction force.
However, there are proactive measures you can take to enhance soil structure. Introducing organic matter into the soil through methods such as cover crops, chicken runs, and peat moss will elevate the soil structure, providing your planted crops' roots with ample space to thrive and flourish. It's a dynamic system that empowers you to optimize your farm's productivity like never before.
Fuel Storage Tanks
Introducing a game-changing addition to our farm infrastructure: fuel storage tanks! These innovative buildable items are here to revolutionize our fuel management system by expanding our maximum fuel capacity.
As a starting point, our farm can initially hold 200 gallons of diesel fuel. However, the beauty of the fuel storage tanks lies in their ability to augment this capacity. Each additional fuel storage tank you purchase and build will further boost the fuel storage by an additional 200 gallons.
Designed to be compact and efficient, these fuel storage tanks occupy a 1x3 cell space and are available at a cost of $3,450 each. With these tanks in place, we'll have the power to store and manage our fuel resources like never before, ensuring that we're always ready for the demands of a busy farming season.
Additional Updates
- Sell Land Tool
- Show upgrade quantity in seed bin tooltip
- Changed new land row & field tools to purchase 8 cells instead of 10
- Clearer +/- value indicators & Normalize crop display digits
- Move placeable building tool
Bugfixes:
- Exiting tool hides in world while still allowing action
- Single row harvester mesh to not look so much like a baler
- Endless mode ignored on load
- Any cell selectable for remove & move placeable tool
- Gamepad controller full navigation in loan menu
We want to express our heartfelt appreciation once more for your unwavering support and keen interest in ACRES! The enthusiasm surrounding our project has been truly inspiring, and we are eagerly counting down the days until our launch on October 18th. Stay tuned for an exciting journey ahead!