SimFarm
Encyclopedia
SimFarm: SimCity's Country Cousin, developed by Maxis
in 1993, is a computer
game in which players build and manage a virtual
farm
. As the title suggests it is the country cousin to the SimCity
series.
, SimFarm puts players in charge of building up the land, placing the buildings, buying and selling livestock
and planting crops
. A weather
and season
system are in place as well, presenting the same kind of challenges found in a real-world farm
. As with SimCity
, there are disaster
s that can wreak havoc on the player's farm
. Tornadoes, drought
s, pest
s, and dust storm
s are some of the events that can disrupt farm crops and harvests.
SimFarm also has a small town included in its simulation. This town is reminiscent of SimCity in its form and function. The player may interact with the town occasionally by suggesting new tile types and joining competitions with livestock (such as sending in a prize pig to potentially earn a blue ribbon and a cash prize.) Suggesting an airport to be built in the town will usually cause its construction, thus unlocking the ability to buy and use a crop duster.
The homestead in SimFarm is where the player lives and is expanded at the beginning of each game year if the player has made enough money in the previous year.
SimFarm allows the player to choose a location derived from the region
and climate of one of nine areas of the US or to design one's own climate by selecting average winds, rainfall, and temperatures.
The game package also included a teachers guide to teaching with Sim Farm with black line masters for photo copying for the class and a users manual. These were printed and included in the box.
Equipment is necessary to maintain your farm and bring your crops to harvest. Structures store equipment, livestock, seeds, etc. The minimum equipment required to bring one field to harvest is one tractor, one planter, one plow, one harvester, one truck, and one trailer. The crops are the main revenue raising item in SimFarm. All crops have specific maturity cycles, water requirements, temperature requirements, and resistance to pests, weeds, and diseases.
There are four types of livestock in SimFarm, all of which have specific food requirements, need water, and breed new livestock. Animals' value can be increased by making a barn available for their use.
Maxis
Maxis is an American company founded as an independent video game developer in 1987. It is currently a subsidiary of Electronic Arts . Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims and its first sequel, The Sims 2...
in 1993, is a computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
game in which players build and manage a virtual
Virtual
The term virtual is a concept applied in many fields with somewhat differing connotations, and also, differing denotations.The term has been defined in philosophy as "that which is not real" but may display the salient qualities of the real....
farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. As the title suggests it is the country cousin to the SimCity
SimCity
SimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
series.
Gameplay
Mirroring duties on a real farmFarm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
, SimFarm puts players in charge of building up the land, placing the buildings, buying and selling livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and planting crops
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. A weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
and season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
system are in place as well, presenting the same kind of challenges found in a real-world farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. As with SimCity
SimCity
SimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
, there are disaster
Disaster
A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
s that can wreak havoc on the player's farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. Tornadoes, drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
s, pest
Pest (animal)
A pest is an animal which is detrimental to humans or human concerns. It is a loosely defined term, often overlapping with the related terms vermin, weeds, parasites and pathogens...
s, and dust storm
Dust storm
A dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition...
s are some of the events that can disrupt farm crops and harvests.
SimFarm also has a small town included in its simulation. This town is reminiscent of SimCity in its form and function. The player may interact with the town occasionally by suggesting new tile types and joining competitions with livestock (such as sending in a prize pig to potentially earn a blue ribbon and a cash prize.) Suggesting an airport to be built in the town will usually cause its construction, thus unlocking the ability to buy and use a crop duster.
The homestead in SimFarm is where the player lives and is expanded at the beginning of each game year if the player has made enough money in the previous year.
SimFarm allows the player to choose a location derived from the region
Growing region
A growing region is an area suited by climate and soil conditions to the cultivation of a certain type of crop or plant group.Most crops are cultivated not in one place only, but in several distinct regions in diverse parts of the world...
and climate of one of nine areas of the US or to design one's own climate by selecting average winds, rainfall, and temperatures.
The game package also included a teachers guide to teaching with Sim Farm with black line masters for photo copying for the class and a users manual. These were printed and included in the box.
Equipment is necessary to maintain your farm and bring your crops to harvest. Structures store equipment, livestock, seeds, etc. The minimum equipment required to bring one field to harvest is one tractor, one planter, one plow, one harvester, one truck, and one trailer. The crops are the main revenue raising item in SimFarm. All crops have specific maturity cycles, water requirements, temperature requirements, and resistance to pests, weeds, and diseases.
There are four types of livestock in SimFarm, all of which have specific food requirements, need water, and breed new livestock. Animals' value can be increased by making a barn available for their use.
External links
- DeProgrammer's SimFarm Crop Editor at FileFront