All great comments. Thanks!
I'm in agreement with
Muz, this is going to be a slow series of releases, first focusing on farming and manor development then gradually adding combat and kingdom features.
As per
magikarcher's comments, I am just beginning to learn the 3D graphics aspects, and I can say it isn't easy. But I've considered a tile-based (even ASCII-based), but I feel it'll take away from the first-person feel. This is going to have many RPG elements and I feel it'd be hard maintain that without a 3D world.
Now for
Rakonas's comment, I'm going to try to stick to medieval level technology, so naturally the idea of pH is well out of the league of characters, however, there will probably be a skill associated with understanding the soil fertility, but in a convoluted way. The character might understand that the soil is too acidic, or "be possessed of ill-tempered earth fairies", and to deal with the faeries one must break limestone over the earth to drive them out, coincidentally reducing the acidity of the soil. Things will be dealt with in a paganistic/spiritual sort of way. In the same sense, I think if magic is introduced to the game later on, it would be mostly alchemy (iron to gold anyone?).
I've just started putting things together and am mostly working getting the 3D engine together and working basic object hierarchies. I have a lot of experience programming, been doing it since I was in 8th grade, so I'm learning quickly. But my time is unfortunately crippled by my work as a graduate student. But this game is exactly the type of game I have wanted for years, so I figure I might as well be the one to write it if no one else will.
Please continue to post your comments and ideas and I'll keep working on it!
Thanks!