Animal Husbandry: A Missed Opportunity

[[Lizard Wizard]]

This has probably been hashed over before but the fact that we cannot breed our animals is a missed opportunity in terms of game play and content.

What is interesting is that we Slime Breeding which works very much in the way I would imagine the end result of animal breeding: the creation of the same creature with varying qualities.

Imagine if you could cross breed different color coats or health statistics between animals to make more pretty and healthier creatures. This would make owning animals long term more profitable as we could sell the selected bred creatures back at a profit.

This also opens up the role playing possibilities for those of us who would more Ranch than Farm.

Sticking to the theme of the game though these characteristics should be limited to a small selection of color coats and only minor increases in the quality of animal by-product i.e. eggs, wool, milk, etc.

Following this system it would only make sense you would need to breed your animals to get products of higher quality rating. Imagine if Irridium Quality was easier to obtain via breeding and you could start with calves that are born with the genes to produce such quality.

Edit: To clarify I mean breeding your animals beyond the extent you simply can reproduce them. I think being able to breed your animals akin to the current version of slime breeding would be a neat and welcome feature that would expand upon the current number of ways to play the game.

[Shoebsy]

It's hard to call it a "Missed opportunity" when it never really was intended. Between nearly single-man working on the entire game, and scope of the game, Breeding for quality could be doable.. but the RNG with coats, breeds, stats, colours..


That's a different game, Not much for the Harvest Moon/RuneFactory clone.

[CloudSeeker]

A lot of things done here is made on purpose. The game normally takes place within the first two years. You can continue after regardless, but the main content is gone by that point. If you will have animals removed and then raised all the time it doesn't just take time but money. You will be forced to lower the cost of building the barn and coop if this is implemented as it otherwise is not reasonable to do within two years.

Butchering was also not part of the game because the dev thought it shouldn't be nice to butcher an animal that you spend so much time into liking you. It should go against the feel of the game so to say. To raise, breed and sell animals like they are nothing but tools also kind of goes against the feel of the game. It might make more sense from a IRL perspective, but from a gameplay and thematic perspective it doesn't. The game is focused on care, love and friendship. Aka all those carebear things. So you need to keep that in mind.

[[Lizard Wizard]]

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

A lot of things done here is made on purpose. The game normally takes place within the first two years. You can continue after regardless, but the main content is gone by that point. If you will have animals removed and then raised all the time it doesn't just take time but money. You will be forced to lower the cost of building the barn and coop if this is implemented as it otherwise is not reasonable to do within two years.

Butchering was also not part of the game because the dev thought it shouldn't be nice to butcher an animal that you spend so much time into liking you. It should go against the feel of the game so to say. To raise, breed and sell animals like they are nothing but tools also kind of goes against the feel of the game. It might make more sense from a IRL perspective, but from a gameplay and thematic perspective it doesn't. The game is focused on care, love and friendship. Aka all those carebear things. So you need to keep that in mind.

So keeping an animal in an enclosed space only to use it for it's by product is fine but should we decide to breed or sell that animal suddenly it's not?

lol get your reasoning straight before trying to dismiss my idea.

Who says the main content is only for the first two years? Yea you can technically experience nearly everything the game has to offer in the first two years but thinking the game is only designed around that time frame tells me you haven't played this game as much as you probably should have to be able to comment on it's design choices like that.

Also, I never mentioned ANYTHING about butchery. Animal Husbandry doesn't mutually include butchery as well.

By definition: the science of breeding and caring for farm animals.

It's a perfect thematic fit for the game, allowing the player to have greater control over their farm.

[[Lizard Wizard]]

Originally posted by Kiroshi:

It's hard to call it a "Missed opportunity" when it never really was intended. Between nearly single-man working on the entire game, and scope of the game, Breeding for quality could be doable.. but the RNG with coats, breeds, stats, colours..


That's a different game, Not much for the Harvest Moon/RuneFactory clone.

Was anything really intended? If he had time to work on Slime Breeding I see no reason why a simple breeding system for animal couldn't be included. Hell it's been modded in at this point.

As far as farming sims go Stardew has a lot of potential but misses on some spots rather sorely, the animals and lack of options with them being one.

If this game is meant as a natural evolution of farming sims inspired by games like Harvest Moon then there needs to be more. As it stands it's a great game but it could be even better.

[Stardustfire]

1. dont try to marry your cow
2. you can breed your animals, the hatchery in the chicken coop and the reproduce icons on cattle are there for a reason. first learn the basics, than lament

[[Lizard Wizard]]

Originally posted by Stardustfire:

1. dont try to marry your cow
2. you can breed your animals, the hatchery in the chicken coop and the reproduce icons on cattle are there for a reason. first learn the basics, than lament

You clearly didn't read my post.

1. Don't want to marry a cow. Animal Husbandry refers to the breeding and care of animals, what we already do in the game.

2. I know you can breed your animals. My point is that we should be able to breed our animals to the extent we can for slimes i.e. different color patterns and values.

Learn to read and understand the context before assuming I don't understand the game basics. I've sunk plenty of hours into this game to know you can reproduce/breed your animals.

[TheCollector]

So keeping an animal in an enclosed space ...

This depends if you open the doors or not ... I let the doors always open and let my animals use the whole farm area ... They usually do not touch the crops but eat only gras. But I only build one coop and one barn, so its not too crowded.

[I Kinda Fail]

I don't think the game needs proper animal husbandry, but I'd love an update to slime breeding so we can check their stats, drop tables, and actually pick them up and place them in separate pens to selectively breed.

For animals, I think coops should incubate SLIGHTLY faster, like 1-2 days per egg, and barns need a double chance at breeding because right now it's very rare.

I don't think breeding cows for their cheese would add very much to the game... Slime ranching already exists and could use a buff.

[CloudSeeker]

Originally posted by Mymic:

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

A lot of things done here is made on purpose. The game normally takes place within the first two years. You can continue after regardless, but the main content is gone by that point. If you will have animals removed and then raised all the time it doesn't just take time but money. You will be forced to lower the cost of building the barn and coop if this is implemented as it otherwise is not reasonable to do within two years.

Butchering was also not part of the game because the dev thought it shouldn't be nice to butcher an animal that you spend so much time into liking you. It should go against the feel of the game so to say. To raise, breed and sell animals like they are nothing but tools also kind of goes against the feel of the game. It might make more sense from a IRL perspective, but from a gameplay and thematic perspective it doesn't. The game is focused on care, love and friendship. Aka all those carebear things. So you need to keep that in mind.

So keeping an animal in an enclosed space only to use it for it's by product is fine but should we decide to breed or sell that animal suddenly it's not?

lol get your reasoning straight before trying to dismiss my idea.

Who says the main content is only for the first two years? Yea you can technically experience nearly everything the game has to offer in the first two years but thinking the game is only designed around that time frame tells me you haven't played this game as much as you probably should have to be able to comment on it's design choices like that.

Also, I never mentioned ANYTHING about butchery. Animal Husbandry doesn't mutually include butchery as well.

By definition: the science of breeding and caring for farm animals.

It's a perfect thematic fit for the game, allowing the player to have greater control over their farm.

Sure. if you want bad products from the animals you can keep them in an enclosed space, but i do have to wonder if you discovered that there is a door you can open. The animals in this game is meant to free roam. You can build them a pen, but that is not inhumane as you seem to think. We do this in real life because domesticated animals can't survive in the wild. They do not know how.
However you can still breed animals and sell animals in the game. It just takes so long time it isn't something people do.

"lol get your reasoning straight before trying to dismiss my idea."
- It seems you do not quite understand what you are saying yourself. Please. Do not be rude to me or will be rude to you. You get the behavior you deserve for your actions.

"Who says the main content is only for the first two years?"
- Well. How many things unlock after year 2 and only after year 2? How many quests are given after year 2 that can't be given earlier? Isn't the game on a repeating loop after year 2?
It is clear that you lack some history in this game. This game is heavily inspired by the 1996-1998 game (depends release) Harvest Moon. In that game you get to plant, harvest and sell corps, raise livestock, attend festivals, build relationships with villagers and foraging the area. This is the gameplay of Harvest Moon, and it is the exact same gameplay of Stardew Valley if you add in some combat as well. The reason Stardew Valley is on a 2 year loop is because the old Harvest Moon game literally ended at the end of year 2. You wasn't able to continue playing the game forever. This was designed like this because ConcernedApe wanted to make a new Harvest Moon game, but fix the issues he had with the game.The ending was one part of it.
So that is why the game repeats itself on a two year cycle. It is a design decision. After year two all content you can find is there already and nothing new exist. A big problem with this is just that. It gets repetitive and boring. I think the game should improve massively if ConcernedApe actually made some post year 2 content.

"Also, I never mentioned ANYTHING about butchery. Animal Husbandry doesn't mutually include butchery as well."
- I never claimed you did as well. I used it as an example of why some things isn't in the game BY DESIGN. I know this is hard but please try to use that chestnut of yours and think a little more then what is required to breath. Some things in the game do not exist because of what it implies. The game is designed around you forming bonds with villagers and animals. That is why you are allowed to name the animals. To go around and breed and sell them goes against that design. Butchering has the same reasons. I am using butchering of animals as an example simply because ConcernedApe have openly shared his views on why he will not add it into the game. He didn't think it will fit the game he wants to make.
However. Please point me to the farm that farm animals that do not include butchering in some ways? I bet you never stepped a single foot on a farm in your life if you say animal husbandry does not include butchering. What do you think will happen to your "unwanted" animals that you "sell". They will for sure not find a loving home in someones apartment. In the real world, all farms that raise animals does take part in this. You do not keep animals around just for their byproducts as you say. Milking cows have to be impregnated on regular basis to produce milk, and that produce lots of calves. When the cow can't produce milk anymore, they become beef that you buy in the store. It is the sad facts of reality.

"By definition: the science of breeding and caring for farm animals."
- Ever heard of puppy mills? It is basically a farm for domesticated dogs. Dogs are breed to be sold for profit. Even if many puppy mills are perfectly legal, there is plenty out there are very much illegal and are very much unethical. So no, there is nothing about breeding that actually implies that you care about an animal at all. Many very evil people do some sick things when it comes to animal breeding.
Also. The science of breeding is not a thing. Animal breeding is part of Animal Science, but even that is not exactly always really about "caring" for animals. At least with love and affection that is. Take for example purebred breeding. It is very common among purebred dog breed that they are bred within the family. That means incest. It is done to keep the bred "pure". Whatever that means as what counts as "pure" is just arbitrary traits that have been said to be "pure" with no science behind it at all. This cause many purebred dog breeds to have crippling disabilities and sicknesses. You know, those kinds of things you expect to happen when you keep the family "close". I view some practices of animal breeding more like eugenics then anything else. After all. Eugenics is about creating the "perfect breed" of something by "breeding out" undesirable traits.

"It's a perfect thematic fit for the game, allowing the player to have greater control over their farm."
- It has about as much of a perfect thematic fit as eugenics and purebred animals does. Sorry but I rather have my silly kids game nice and charming that is simple and clean without some bad implications. I have a few problems like the rabbit foot that drops from rabbits, but you have to give some things.

[R]

you can breed them though....

[thelefthorse]

What the OP is talking about would involve having male animals, as well as the female ones we have now, and with that the option to choose two specific animals to breed in order to get a specifically desired trait or outcome.

I am really disturbed by the hostility toward the OPs idea--they aren't saying the game is bad, etc., simply that in their opinion it would have been great if players could breed farm animals in the same way they can breed slimes. As it stands, all farm animals are female and all have a chance to randomly reproduce; the OP is aware of that. The type of deliberate breeding they are suggesting would be more involved and potentially more interesting, at least to some.

Unfortunately, while I agree it would add a fun element to the game, I do think the overhaul required is unlikely to be something CA decides to add--although I certainly don't have any inside knowledge to that effect.

Everyone just be chill. If someone suggests an idea you don't care for, move along. Don't get so bloody touchy.

[thelefthorse]

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

"It's a perfect thematic fit for the game, allowing the player to have greater control over their farm."
- It has about as much of a perfect thematic fit as eugenics and purebred animals does. Sorry but I rather have my silly kids game nice and charming that is simple and clean without some bad implications. I have a few problems like the rabbit foot that drops from rabbits, but you have to give some things.

Also, seriously?!? Eugenics? Going from a suggestion to allow a player to breed two brown cows together to get another brown cow to eugenics is unfathomably ungenerous and inflammatory. I can't even imagine where your head is to go there from OP's post.

[[Lizard Wizard]]

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

Originally posted by Mymic:

So keeping an animal in an enclosed space only to use it for it's by product is fine but should we decide to breed or sell that animal suddenly it's not?

lol get your reasoning straight before trying to dismiss my idea.

Who says the main content is only for the first two years? Yea you can technically experience nearly everything the game has to offer in the first two years but thinking the game is only designed around that time frame tells me you haven't played this game as much as you probably should have to be able to comment on it's design choices like that.

Also, I never mentioned ANYTHING about butchery. Animal Husbandry doesn't mutually include butchery as well.

By definition: the science of breeding and caring for farm animals.

It's a perfect thematic fit for the game, allowing the player to have greater control over their farm.

Sure. if you want bad products from the animals you can keep them in an enclosed space, but i do have to wonder if you discovered that there is a door you can open. The animals in this game is meant to free roam. You can build them a pen, but that is not inhumane as you seem to think. We do this in real life because domesticated animals can't survive in the wild. They do not know how.
However you can still breed animals and sell animals in the game. It just takes so long time it isn't something people do.

"lol get your reasoning straight before trying to dismiss my idea."
- It seems you do not quite understand what you are saying yourself. Please. Do not be rude to me or will be rude to you. You get the behavior you deserve for your actions.

"Who says the main content is only for the first two years?"
- Well. How many things unlock after year 2 and only after year 2? How many quests are given after year 2 that can't be given earlier? Isn't the game on a repeating loop after year 2?
It is clear that you lack some history in this game. This game is heavily inspired by the 1996-1998 game (depends release) Harvest Moon. In that game you get to plant, harvest and sell corps, raise livestock, attend festivals, build relationships with villagers and foraging the area. This is the gameplay of Harvest Moon, and it is the exact same gameplay of Stardew Valley if you add in some combat as well. The reason Stardew Valley is on a 2 year loop is because the old Harvest Moon game literally ended at the end of year 2. You wasn't able to continue playing the game forever. This was designed like this because ConcernedApe wanted to make a new Harvest Moon game, but fix the issues he had with the game.The ending was one part of it.
So that is why the game repeats itself on a two year cycle. It is a design decision. After year two all content you can find is there already and nothing new exist. A big problem with this is just that. It gets repetitive and boring. I think the game should improve massively if ConcernedApe actually made some post year 2 content.

"Also, I never mentioned ANYTHING about butchery. Animal Husbandry doesn't mutually include butchery as well."
- I never claimed you did as well. I used it as an example of why some things isn't in the game BY DESIGN. I know this is hard but please try to use that chestnut of yours and think a little more then what is required to breath. Some things in the game do not exist because of what it implies. The game is designed around you forming bonds with villagers and animals. That is why you are allowed to name the animals. To go around and breed and sell them goes against that design. Butchering has the same reasons. I am using butchering of animals as an example simply because ConcernedApe have openly shared his views on why he will not add it into the game. He didn't think it will fit the game he wants to make.
However. Please point me to the farm that farm animals that do not include butchering in some ways? I bet you never stepped a single foot on a farm in your life if you say animal husbandry does not include butchering. What do you think will happen to your "unwanted" animals that you "sell". They will for sure not find a loving home in someones apartment. In the real world, all farms that raise animals does take part in this. You do not keep animals around just for their byproducts as you say. Milking cows have to be impregnated on regular basis to produce milk, and that produce lots of calves. When the cow can't produce milk anymore, they become beef that you buy in the store. It is the sad facts of reality.

"By definition: the science of breeding and caring for farm animals."
- Ever heard of puppy mills? It is basically a farm for domesticated dogs. Dogs are breed to be sold for profit. Even if many puppy mills are perfectly legal, there is plenty out there are very much illegal and are very much unethical. So no, there is nothing about breeding that actually implies that you care about an animal at all. Many very evil people do some sick things when it comes to animal breeding.
Also. The science of breeding is not a thing. Animal breeding is part of Animal Science, but even that is not exactly always really about "caring" for animals. At least with love and affection that is. Take for example purebred breeding. It is very common among purebred dog breed that they are bred within the family. That means incest. It is done to keep the bred "pure". Whatever that means as what counts as "pure" is just arbitrary traits that have been said to be "pure" with no science behind it at all. This cause many purebred dog breeds to have crippling disabilities and sicknesses. You know, those kinds of things you expect to happen when you keep the family "close". I view some practices of animal breeding more like eugenics then anything else. After all. Eugenics is about creating the "perfect breed" of something by "breeding out" undesirable traits.

"It's a perfect thematic fit for the game, allowing the player to have greater control over their farm."
- It has about as much of a perfect thematic fit as eugenics and purebred animals does. Sorry but I rather have my silly kids game nice and charming that is simple and clean without some bad implications. I have a few problems like the rabbit foot that drops from rabbits, but you have to give some things.

Dude that's a lot to take in. All of your points just take a one way ticket to crazy town and never stop. I'm talking in context of the game as a game play element and you're taking this all real world dark ♥♥♥♥.


I just want the ability to breed my animals like you would on a ranch. I don't know how else to explain this to you.

Edit: Wanted to point out each Harvest Moon game lasts a different number of years, not just two. Also, what you're railing against you can already do in this game to extent.

It's possible to raise a cow from a calve in Stardew Valley and then sell it. You keep telling me I need to learn the game but it sounds like you don't remember as well as you think you do either. I wish you the best man.