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[Shades]

If this is a desirable setup, then I suggest there be no higher resolution in the background, because players will not see it or be able to effectively use it.

Most of the game has a higher resolution in the background that what is displayed to the player, and for very good reasons. I agree the player display should be the simple low resolution graduation in whatever dimensions of whatever idea we end up going with but the background should be what is most effective for implementation of that and should effectively ignore the chosen display.

[Andeerz]

I totally agree with Shades.  I was not in any way suggesting simplification of mechanics.  I am all for a model of soil chemistry grounded (pardon the pun) in realism.

I am also for a way of keeping the dwarves as involved as possible in the processes of farming (or any sort of activity in the game) that they would have been if it were real life, and keeping the player's role in such activities flexible enough that they can micromanage if they want or allow the dwarves take care of facets the player doesn't wish to spend time on.  I feel that there is a lot of potential in the suggestions in this thread for accomplishing all of this.

[AngleWyrm]

Something that could contribute to this goal that has been mentioned before is watering the soil. It could be as simple as being an integral part of the farm plot. Dwarves would come and bucket brigade water onto tiles marked for farming. With such a chore in place, it could be that each season's crop gets watered, instead of the water-once thing we've got now.

The only real purpose would be to make farm plots without first wetting the ground. Beyond that, it could give farmer dwarves another job order to fill, upping the demand for farmers.

[PTTG??]

It is traditional to have a horde of milita peasants. Can't be proper peasants if they don't have pitchforks and scythes to swing around.

[Draco18s]

It is traditional to have a horde of milita peasants. Can't be proper peasants if they don't have pitchforks and scythes to swing around.

And torches!

[Andeerz]

Bucket brigades and peasant hordes with torches FTW!!!  If soil water permeability (or a loose abstraction thereof) makes it in, then designing an irrigation ditch system would be a wonderful way to reduce the dependency of your farms on bucket brigades later on in the life of the fort.  :3 

And the use of scythes, pitchforks and other tools would be the bees knees!!!  Have any of you guys ever seen a scythe actually being used for cutting down plants?  It's soooooo cool.  It reminds me of cutting grass in Zelda, except no rupees.

[Jiri Petru]

And the use of scythes, pitchforks and other tools would be the bees knees!!!  Have any of you guys ever seen a scythe actually being used for cutting down plants?  It's soooooo cool.  It reminds me of cutting grass in Zelda, except no rupees.

An irrelevant sidenote: historically, sickles were used to harvest grain, not scythes. You can see it on most historical images, tapiseries, illuminations etc. depicting peasants. Scythes are for grass.

Wikipedia says:

The scythe was invented in about 500 BC and appeared in Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries. Initially used mostly for mowing grass, it replaced the sickle as the tool for reaping crops by the 16th century, the scythe allowing the reaper to stand rather than stoop. In about 1800 the addition of light wooden fingers above a scythe blade produced a form of scythe called the cradle which soon replaced the simple scythe for reaping grain and mowing other tall vegetation such as reeds

[Shade-o]

Perhaps farming should require, at the bare minimum, a seed and a bucket of water?

[Solace]

Maybe rather than require mud, plants would get 'thirsty' every so often, like dwarves? A bit less arbitrary than just getting the ground wet once, and doesn't have to take a lot of coding to change. This would also let you make some plants more difficult than others by making them get thirsty faster.

[Andeerz]

And the use of scythes, pitchforks and other tools would be the bees knees!!!  Have any of you guys ever seen a scythe actually being used for cutting down plants?  It's soooooo cool.  It reminds me of cutting grass in Zelda, except no rupees.

An irrelevant sidenote: historically, sickles were used to harvest grain, not scythes. You can see it on most historical images, tapiseries, illuminations etc. depicting peasants. Scythes are for grass.

Wikipedia says:

The scythe was invented in about 500 BC and appeared in Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries. Initially used mostly for mowing grass, it replaced the sickle as the tool for reaping crops by the 16th century, the scythe allowing the reaper to stand rather than stoop. In about 1800 the addition of light wooden fingers above a scythe blade produced a form of scythe called the cradle which soon replaced the simple scythe for reaping grain and mowing other tall vegetation such as reeds

The more you know...   Thanks, Jiri.  Well, dwarves wouldn't need to stoop, so sickles might be ideal for them regardless!!!

[TolyK]

so flooding the farms on a continuous basis? 
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Let me have it!

[Mel_Vixen]

I am not sure if it still is relevant for the discussion but i found a nice ted-talk (among other things concerning tree-growth and re-establishing forest) on how Plants and most impotently trees change the Climate of a mediterran and (sub)tropical region regarding rain, temperatures etc. I think some of you might be interested since it can help with fort mode planting and better distribution of biomes. 

edit: you know links are vicious and sneaky beasts. This one escaped me for a second.

[Draco18s]

And the link would be...where?

[Mel_Vixen]

oooops edited the posts. Thanks for telling me  .

[Darkond2100]

But there should be an easier way of getting rid of old water besides waiting half a year for it to drain and evaporate. Maybe if it absorbed into the soil. Irrigation is a bitch and we love/hate it. It should be able to work a bit more fluidly.