Farming seeds management

[Artesim]

Hi, this may not be anything new to seasoned players but I just found out something, and I wanted to share it :)

Up until now, here's how I was managing my farming seeds (largely stolen from Lilly's videos, thanks to her :) ).

I use two or three layers of four pits/clay containers (one for each kind of seed, obviously):
First layer:
- located nearest to the farms
- highest priority
- storage limit configured appropriately, so it overflows to the next layer
- locked between the harvest and the next planting period
- unlocked after planting

(optionally), backup layer:
- same as first layer
- located right next to the first layer
- built a bit later, when the constitution of the first layer has dropped a fair amount
=> acts as a backup for when the first layer needs repair, and vice-versa

Third layer:
- located farthest from the farms, closest to the "living area", among the other food containers.
- default priority
- never locked
=> this is the "free for all" layer :)

This system was working pretty well so far, but it's a lot of micro-management, and it's very vulnerable : if (ok... "when" ;-) ) I forget to lock the first two layers before harvest, I can say goodbye to my seeds :)

Now, here's what I started doing instead for the first and second layers:
- always locked, with the same appropriately configured storage limit
- when planting is done, I just unset the resource kind, while keeping it locked
=> The tribe will then happily transfer their contents to the "free for all" layer, for everyone to enjoy, even though they are still locked.

This occurs quite soon and is done quickly, so I just wait until they're done, before setting them back.
At harvest time, the first two layers are then already empty, so I'm only storing fresh seeds, less chance of rotten ones when the planting season comes.
It's a lot less micro-management (only one, shorter, operation), and of course it protects me better against my own forgetfulness :)

Disclaimer: I've only been doing this for a couple of seasons, I hope I'm not missing something obviously wrong.

[matheus.ml]

I believe a useful implementation would be a "minimum" slider on stocks, so that these seeds cannot be used as food.

Or even separate between what is food, and what is seeds (an option to be chosen)

[NOVICIUS]

Yep there is a lot of fun with it :) . Something to be aware of about grain in particular: during planting lock all storage as folks carry seeds back if they have not finished. I pause the mills just in case as well. Few careless farmers almost brought my tribe (200+) to bring of starvation. Luckily I had nuts to survive on till next season.

[NOVICIUS]

Originally posted by Artesim:

Hi, this may not be anything new to seasoned players but I just found out something, and I wanted to share it :)

I just come out with very simple solution to stock rotation of old/new seeds: I have two clay containers. One for wheat grain and one for flax grain. Both are storage only. After the harvest (important that both crops are still in storage area ie being processed) I just swap them over hence old wheat is being replaced with fresh flax and old flax with fresh wheat. Works like a charm :)

beetroot/pulses is a bit trickier but same principle: 4 storage with 2 storage only, switch pulses storage only (for example) to beetroot so old pulses seed is moved to normal storage, then switch normal to beetroot and only storage to pulses so it is filled with new pulses (mixed but better than old), switch normal back to pulses once seed storage is full, then same again for beetroot.

[NOVICIUS]

Once into proper farming volume the issue of seed rotation goes away really: you use all and should have enough to seed fields next season.