Harvesting issue

[ProxCentB]

I've read about how you're supposed to basically stop all production during harvesting season if you want your people to cut crop and harvest the food and straw but this is ridiculous. Part of the task should be to put the product into storage instead of letting it sit out to rot. In fact: harvesting the crops isn't even under the tasks to do.

I also noticed that if a unit has a sledge or cart and you tell them to manually pick something up, they end up carrying it instead of putting it on the sledge/cart. Can these issues please be addressed?

[Jetkar]

That's strange when I press 7 I can see all the pending tasks the villagers have to do including harvesting dependant on the season. To priorities crops to be harvested I go over the crops and select the crops a window will appear and press the upward arrow this tells the villagers that needs to be done as a priority.

However I agree the AI needs to be improved on tasks and how villagers act when sledges are available to help with the tasks

[ProxCentB]

Odd, under my tasks and workload there isn't anything for them to pick up crops they left out. It's also winter, so is that the issue? If so: I still stand behind units harvesting needing to up priority the product.

[tolshortte]

i always keep my workload under 150% at the start of the season. i dont add more until its under 100% if i need to cut some trees or some other task that comes up.

ive never had any of the issues i see posted in these forums. my people dont wander off, dont starve or freeze, always do the tasks assigned as long as limits arent preventing it, ie: arent making more than they are supposed to.

the only time ive had some one wander off was when they were pulling a megalith and wanted to drink. the closest water source to them was in the opposite direction of my settlement. so i sounded the horn and they ran home, turned off the horn and they got their drink. problem solved.

harvesting is always priority 1 as far as i can tell. no matter what i have tasked, they always harvest first, then store it.

[janfo]

Originally posted by 5m4llP0X:

Odd, under my tasks and workload there isn't anything for them to pick up crops they left out. It's also winter, so is that the issue? If so: I still stand behind units harvesting needing to up priority the product.

In winter there is no harvesting. Crops that are left out will just disappear
You can't just build many fields and expect your people to harvest everything, there has to be a balance. If you see that they dont make it in the given time you have too many fields for the amount of villagers, or you have too many other things to do.

[jballar]

I set all of my crops to be high priority and make sure that I do not start any new building or other activities after summer starts. This normally has my workload really low, 60%+/-, so everyone can prioritize to harvesting in the fall. Assuming that I have enough sickles, I have never had an issue with harvesting.

[Aieonae]

It should not matter that much if you are at around 150 to 180 pop, something observed within steam forum consensus player's gameplay via broadcast and screenshots, a typical centralized/surrounded 13-14 full 25x25 cell field could be cultivated by this pop without issue with sickle fully provided.

[Vinny]

I haven't had a problem. Sure the workload is high during planting and harvest, but people seem to be able to harvest enough food without problem, even without setting the fields to high priority. If you build too many fields for your population they won't be able to harvest it all, but they will have plenty to eat.

[Azunai]

never had any issues with the harvesting. the only time i even got a "high workload" warning was when i had 3 fields of ~20 tiles each for a small village of 25 people. needless to say, that WAY more than they could possibly ever eat.

i think as a rule of thumb, about 1 or 1.5 tiles of grain field per population is probably enough to feed them. that's 2-3 bread per year which i think is close to how often they eat (not sure about exact number). add some secondary food sources like fish, milk, slaughtered old sheep/goats etc. and you have enough food.

if you have enough sickles (set at least 75% of population, better 100%), each person basically only has to havest the 1-2 tiles that feed them. they can *easily* do that even if there are other pending jobs in the queue.

if you don't massively overbuild fields, the fields should be harvested and the grain and straw stored before the autumn is even half over. usually even within the first quarter of the season if they don't have to finish other tasks first

[Lantantan]

Maybe replace some grain fields with veggies, since their planting and harvesting times are staggered. Also, ensure you dont have unfinished constructions before harvest season. Villagers love rushing back with straw to finish that stable you planned.

[ProxCentB]

Originally posted by janfo:

Originally posted by 5m4llP0X:

Odd, under my tasks and workload there isn't anything for them to pick up crops they left out. It's also winter, so is that the issue? If so: I still stand behind units harvesting needing to up priority the product.

In winter there is no harvesting. Crops that are left out will just disappear
You can't just build many fields and expect your people to harvest everything, there has to be a balance. If you see that they dont make it in the given time you have too many fields for the amount of villagers, or you have too many other things to do.

The fact I have to stop gathering sticks, flint,and stop hunting, and fishing is just odd. I'd rather they just forced units to gather the resources they harvest after they cut it, or as they cut it.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by 5m4llP0X:

The fact I have to stop gathering sticks, flint,and stop hunting, and fishing is just odd.

Yet that's exactly how it is during harvest season even today... No time to fish, hunt or cut down trees -- it's time to get the crops off so it can be sold to market. Makes total sense to me that harvest time would be "stop everything else, we need to get the harvest in so we can survive winter and have grain to sell to market" in the past.

[ProxCentB]

Originally posted by Jaguar:

Originally posted by 5m4llP0X:

The fact I have to stop gathering sticks, flint,and stop hunting, and fishing is just odd.

Yet that's exactly how it is during harvest season even today... No time to fish, hunt or cut down trees -- it's time to get the crops off so it can be sold to market. Makes total sense to me that harvest time would be "stop everything else, we need to get the harvest in so we can survive winter and have grain to sell to market" in the past.

No, you have people dedicated to the crops and bringing the bounty in. I don't stop doing my tech job to go work in the fields for Joe Farmer every fall season.
When a unit skins an animal they fill up their inventory with parts before going back to town. Why wouldn't the same be for harvesting?

[nasojjr]

Keep in mind that there seem to be tiers of priority. Building will always be first. Harvesting is next, then crafting, then picking stuff up. So as autumn is coming around, make sure you don't have any building stuff queued up. I will also set fields to high priority so they take precedent over any other gathering activities that are set up.

Once all your straw is harvested, I don't normally concern myself too much with it on the ground since it can be picked up early winter if necessary, then you can start your thatch construction projects. :)

[ProxCentB]

Originally posted by nasojjr:

Keep in mind that there seem to be tiers of priority. Building will always be first. Harvesting is next, then crafting, then picking stuff up. So as autumn is coming around, make sure you don't have any building stuff queued up. I will also set fields to high priority so they take precedent over any other gathering activities that are set up.

Once all your straw is harvested, I don't normally concern myself too much with it on the ground since it can be picked up early winter if necessary, then you can start your thatch construction projects. :)

I save my build projects for winter or summer since spring has all the hunting.
I don't really worry about food levels, I usually have over 200 food for <60 pop I just find it annoying that they leave all that out to rot.

[Blake]

Looks like this has been an issue for a while. There needs to be a button - "Drop everything and plant/harvest" focus - If I have a dead animal that died of starvation, and they go skin it instead of harvesting the field crops its because the stupid villagers didnt harvest enough straw. Its a vicious circle.