Autonomica News

Hey there, fellow farmers! Are you ready for some excitement? Our mega devlog update is back with version 3 and, this time, we've got some visual goodies to show you! But hold your horses, because we've got even more thrilling news to share. We're gearing up to launch a Kickstarter campaign for Farm Folks, and we've got some mouth-watering surprises in store for you all. So, make sure to hit that "Notify me on launch" button and join us on this adventure!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT



We've got even more news! We've decided to run monthly livestreams, and we just had our latest one. If you missed it, don't worry, you can still catch the replay below. We had a blast showcasing our customization systems in the game and giving you a sneak peek at what makes Farm Folks such a unique game full of endless possibilities. Trust us, you won't want to miss out on all the fun and informative content we have in store for you. So, stay tuned for our next livestream, and keep on farming!

WATCH LIVE STREAM REPLAY

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Our talented team of illustrators and 3D modelers have been working nonstop on the world of Farm Folks! We’ve been populating the game with unique, highly customizable elements that you will be able to place, decorate, and enjoy in your new home away from home. The level of customization we’re aspiring to is unlike anything you may have ever played before. So buckle up! Here’s Part 3 of our latest devlog.

Kitchen Customizations

Kitchen cabinets will be customization rich (as with almost everything in Farm Folks). For example, you can adjust the width of your cabinets by simply stretching its elements. Paint the wood in whichever color you desire and accent it with custom hardware.



Here's an example of the different variants of kitchen cabinets available:



Of course, no Farm Folks kitchen is complete without your countertop of choice! Our countertops can be painted and adorned with various patterns and textures such as wood, concrete, marble, plastic, etc.















We believe that this attention to detail is a fresh addition to the farming sim genre and, with these details in place, your new home is sure to look magnificent!

Kitchen cabinet handles are an essential component of any kitchen design, and there are numerous types and styles to choose from. From sleek and minimalist handles to ornate and decorative options, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few examples of popular kitchen cabinet handle designs that you might consider for your home:

















Kitchen Stoves

Add some spice to your kitchen utilities with our adorable stoves and matching hoods! Mix and match to your heart’s content. Looking for something whimsical to match your other froggy furniture? Give our dapper frog a try. Maybe your kitchen will be the cat’s meow with our purrrfect kitten design?











You can also take your kitchen into a more classic direction. Maybe even a futuristic one!



We’ve also started working on kitchen appliance clutter that will help inject life into your space.



Fridges

You know that thing that’s buzzing in your kitchen? Well we have a variety of these so-called fridges for you to choose from! You’ll have the perfect (and cutest) place to store your leftovers with an ice box wrapped in a tiger or cow pattern. Maybe you’ll forego the traditional rectangular fridge and opt for a little egg?















As with the majority of our furniture pieces, you’ll have the freedom to tweak every element of this appliance, including the pattern, exterior color, and even the interior color (what craziness, ha)! No matter your craving for customization, we’ve got you covered.



Most of our kitchen appliances are going to be interactive and serve a purpose in-game. We will continue populating your future kitchens with awesomeness so let us know in the comments what we should add next.







Carpets
Carpets and rugs in the game will, of course, have a high level of customization. You can install carpet in an entire room or only place it in specific areas. Different patterns and styles will be available at your fingertips so you can be sure your space is as comfy as can be.





















Items, Furniture, and Clutter
Bathroom Clutter















Baskets



Suitcases



Shelves







Shelves are also customizable! There are up to 3 different colors that can be applied to your shelves. You can choose different styles, play with sizing, and pick different handles. All shelves start off empty and can be filled with our “clutter,” just the way you want it.





Fishing Rod
Fishing rods will have different levels in Farm Folks. Higher-level fishing rods will allow you to catch bigger fish.







Lamps
We’ve designed more light fixtures! Our light fixtures utilize our adaptive design function, meaning fixtures will adapt to the surface you’re pointing your cursor towards. For example, if you choose to place a lamp and point your cursor to the wall, it will automatically change and become a wall lamp! Move your cursor up toward the ceiling and it will adapt and become a ceiling lamp fixture. The same will happen if you look at the floor or a shelf.









What is also cool about these lamps is that you can choose different shades for almost any lamp pole design. You can select your pattern and color for all elements of the lamp.

Coffee Tables



TVs
TVs will deliver important information to you, the player. These broadcasts will include things like Weather Forecasts, Local Festivals, Contest Schedules, etc.



Grandfather Clock





Color Mixer Station
Our Color Mixer Station is specially designed to help you extract colors from berries scattered around the island.



Gather different colored berries and mix them into a jar to yield a unique color. Attach it to your spray gun and you’re good to go! This system will allow us to control coloring options at the beginning of the game for new players. You’ll be able to make any color you want as you progress and unlock new locations with new berries. The UI is still in development, but you’ll get to see it soon. If you don’t want to miss it, please join our Discord or join our emailing list.



NEXT UP: FARMING

There are multiple disciplines in this task that include ground tilling, seeds planting/throwing, crop growth mechanics, watering, etc.

• We’re working on basic farming mechanics first. It will allow you to plant, water, and harvest crops. In our future updates, we will add a system that will support dynamic fruit or veggie spawning. Based on the set of parameters that you’ll need to meet, you’ll be able to increase or lower the yield of the crop.
  
• Watering is another beast of the system. We’ve already implemented water containers and are now working on polishing the system overall. It needs to be intuitive and easy to use.
  
• Electricity generation and transmission. Solar panels and windmills will generate electricity for your farm and, by placing electric poles, you’ll be able to deliver electricity to devices or structures that require it.
  
• Basic character stats:
  
  • Fatigue will make your character less efficient and you’ll need to sleep to recover. You can, however, still skip a few nights of sleep if you have things to do since the game doesn’t have a Forceful Night's Sleep mechanic.
    
  • Character Experience. Your character will acquire experience as a farmer or a builder as your tasks correspond to skill actions. Mechanics, structures, and crops will unlock based on your character's experience.
    
  • Clothing Stats that include Impression and Practicality. We will talk about this in the future.
    
• Resource mining and resource delivery system.
  
• Expansion of the construction system, including new construction blocks and new materials.
  
• User Experience improvements.
  
• Flooring.
  
• Wall painting.
  
• Character creation and customization.
  
• Basic NPC interactions.
  
• Quest system expansion.
  
• Co-op optimizations.
  

Thank you everyone, and don't forget to join our Discord Server Here

-Crytivo Crew

It's official! We're launching a Kickstarter! Many members of our community have been asking for ways to back Farm Folks and/or reserve their copy of the game early. The idea of launching a Kickstarter campaign has been something we’ve seen from fans - old and new. So, after running a couple community polls, we realized that the demand was high enough to launch a campaign that can lead to a more expansive game than any of us initially dreamed.



You can follow the Kickstarter pre-launch page here. Be sure to help spread the word as we'll have plenty of amazing rewards in store for backers! And don't worry, if you had previously backed the game with the original dev team, you will still receive your tier rewards or you can select a new tier equivalent for shiny new goodies from the new Kickstarter. Read our Kickstarter FAQ here.



[h3]Now, let's get into Part 2 of Devlog #5.[/h3]


To build the farm of your dreams, you’ll need a number of resources and materials. Lucky for you, we've been working on exactly that! You’ll find an abundance of useful resources scattered around the island with multiple ways of acquiring said materials. Initially, you’ll need to craft tools such as pickaxes or an axe. Using these tools, start mining, chopping trees, or even cracking rocks beneath your feet. Since Farm Folks takes place in a near future, we will be able to introduce technology that you can only dream of in our current time.

[h3]Copper Ore[/h3]


[h3]Iron Ore[/h3]


[h3]Stone[/h3]


[h3]Quartz[/h3]


Don't worry. You won't have to collect resources by hand for too long as we'll incorporate Automatization options for these routine tasks. You'll simply be able to install Resource Extractor Stations that will mine resources from the installation spots - automagically!



There are several farming life sim games being released on what seems to be a daily basis. With Farm Folks, we really wanted to be innovative and bring something new to the genre. Something unique. In our quest to do so, we decided to merge game mechanics from your favorite videogames that naturally fit into our Farm Folks vision. We chose to give you detailed construction and customization options with a level of detail never before seen in farming sims.

• Customization and construction systems inspired by The Sims, Raft, Valheim games, and Animal Crossing.
  
• Automatization and resource management systems inspired by Factorio and Satisfactory.
  
• Life simulation and farming inspired by Stardew Valley, My Time at Portia, and Farm Together.
  

Miner
This machine mines natural resources for your convenience.



Organic 3D Printer (Extractor. Concept and model still in production)
A 3D printer that produces animal products such as meat, wool, and milk by scanning animal DNA. Love steak? No need to harm any of your animal friends!

Packager
Combine individual farm products into a neat looking package. Packages can be customized to match your desired farm brand. You can even choose your colors and add a customizable farm name on it. Some NPCs will require only packaged products later in the game.



Examples of Animal Products and Packaging:







Mixer
This station mixes things - duh! Mix multiple products to create something new and exciting! For example, mix Sugar, Flour, and Salt to yield Dough. Send it to the Cooker with some berries to start a berry pie production. In Farm Folks, you’re not only able to make products in single quantities, but you’ll be able to set up mass productions. The entire island may come to rely on your production of food and other farming products. We think doing so will be a lot of fun!



Smelter
The Smelter is, of course, a furnace that melts things into other things. It can be used further down the production line. For example, the Smelter can make Iron Rods out of Iron Ore or Copper Plate out of Copper Ore.



Fabricator
This station will produce technological materials and parts that can be used in construction or building technology. It can produce items such as Bolts, Wooden Planks, Wire, etc.



Assembler
Manufacture complete technologies using our Assembler! Here you’ll be able to produce Scooters or make Water Sprinklers that can be used for watering automatization on your farm.



Cooker
It cooks! Add farm products, select a recipe, and our Cooker will do the rest! Produce delicious dishes that can feed the entire island (and keep their taste buds happy).



Examples of Recipes/Dishes:



Sewing Station
Everyone needs pants and you can satisfy the demand by building Sewing Stations that will stitch them together. Pants = profit. Sweaters, shirts, blankets, and other cozy products can be produced with this machinery.





All Stations can be connected with one other via Hydraulic Transportation Rails (HTR). These rails transport goods from one place to another, similar to conveyer belts.

These rails can be merged and connected at almost any point to give you flexible access to the goods delivery system. This system will utilize our custom pathfinding algorithm that will allow merging multiple rails together and separation later on. This ease of directionality will allow for a simple delivery of resources either directly to the station or to storage containers.



Crafting Table
Will allow you to craft useful materials manually. It doesn’t require electricity to function and can be used at any time.

Note: inventory icons are placeholders.

Plant Breeding Table
Here you’ll be able to breed plants! You can even mix species to create something very unusual. We will talk about this station more in the future as the game design and concepts are still pending.



We want to have only green, self-sustained energy in the game. Everything that you produce on the farm is harmless to the environment and the life around you. You won't see dark plumes of smoke coming out of machines during production and animals won't suffer. We produce meat and other animal products utilizing our organic 3D Printer Station. It scans animal DNA and prints products related to the animal. Peace, love, and harmony are going to dominate your farm. 💛

With that said, all of your stations need to be powered by electricity. There are a few options for how you can generate electricity in Farm Folks.



Energy can be delivered to machines via Electric Poles.



You can build Wind Turbines or Solar Panels to generate electricity which can then be stored in large Battery Banks or small mobile ones. Small batteries can be used to power some of your mobile farm machinery like your Electric Scooter or Motorollers.





You can own your very own electric scooter! How cool is that? You know what’s cooler though? You can actually have your friend or an NPC ride with you! You can purchase a Scooter in Town on the Main Island.




On your farm, you’re not only going to plant crops and build beautiful structures, but you'll also be able to tame animals, breed them, and produce animal products for local Islands and NPCs.

We’ve been hard at work modeling, rigging, and animating our animal friends. You’ll be able to make nearly all animals your pets. Your pets can travel with you around the world or - even better - you’ll be able to ride them. Check out the animals we've already modeled:



All animals can be found and tamed in the world or purchased from local NPCs. Animals will have color variations and rarity. You’ll be able to breed them to yield unique color variants.




It all comes in stages. First and foremost, we have to develop a concept for our Characters or Animals before our artists make it into a 3D piece of art. Once we have a 3D model, it is then rigged and animated. So far, we have created over 100 unique animations for our characters and animals. Check out some of these models below.




We will talk more about farming systems in our upcoming updates but we can tell you that we plan to have an excessive amount of crops in the game. Crop growth will have a dynamic link between environmental conditions and moisture. Each plant can produce a different amount of goods and yield a specific harvest based on its treatment during its growth period.

VERY IMPORTANT: please let us know in the comments if you've come across a crop planting system in the past that you really love. We would love to hear your thoughts! Also, join our Discord for further discussions here.

[h3]Carrots[/h3]


[h3]Potatoes[/h3]


[h3]Tomatoes[/h3]


[h3]Eggplants[/h3]


[h3]Corn[/h3]


[h3]Cucumbers[/h3]


We’re also exploring the possibility of crop cross breeding which would allow you to mix crops together to get a very unique breed. For example, you can mix a Potato with a Watermelon and yield a Watertato.



These kinds of crops will have a higher value and will also require more attention from you during its growth period. We will cover more about this system in the future so make sure to sign-up to our email updates if you don’t want to miss it.


Oof, this one is a challenge for sure. You know how you play games and never question how certain systems work if they work well? Sometimes, these systems look simple and straightforward but they are actually very complicated! A character's inventory is one of those systems. It’s one thing to make this system work for a single-player experience and another for co-op games. For co-op games, we need to ensure the system is synced with the current world you’re in. We're working tirelessly on this system and we think it’s shaping up nicely.

Note: inventory icons are placeholders.


We’re working on the implementation of our Water Spray Gun which you can carry with you everywhere! In your inventory, you can store water bottles that you can craft at the crafting bench. These bottles can be refilled with water at water ponds. You can also share water bottles with each other in co-op mode.

Additionally, our faming system is shaping up nicely! As you can see below, planting seeds is going to be extremely satisfying with our advanced watering system. By keeping your plants watered and happy, you'll be the prized farmer on the Island in no time!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Thanks for tuning into Part 2 of our Devlog #5! Stay tuned for Part 3 and be sure to follow us on our social media channels like Twitter and Discord for daily updates!



[h3]Wishlist and follow Farm Folks on Steam:[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/895160/Farm_Folks/

You, our community, have been asking us to launch on Kickstarter, and we've heard you loud and clear! We're excited to announce that Farm Folks will launch on Kickstarter in early 2023. Be among the first to follow the project and receive a notification at launch.

We would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word! Bring your friends and loved ones along for this exciting journey!



[h3]💬 JOIN OUR DISCORD COMMUNITY[/h3]

Join the Farm Folks community on Discord and tell us what you're looking forward to with the Kickstarter. Talk directly with the devs, ask questions, and check out all the awesome behind the scenes progress on this ultimate farming life sim!



Additionally, we've created a Q&A channel on our Discord where you can get most of your questions answered.

We hope you’re happily preparing for the winter holidays! Our team, as usual, has been hard at work with Farm Folks and making it a game you all will love. As we’re sure you’ve noticed, we haven’t posted Dev Updates in a while. We enjoy sharing our work with you as we go along, but we also recognize that it’s nice to have everything compiled into one place. Since we’ve been working nonstop, there’s plenty to discuss! In fact, there’s so much to cover that we’re splitting this Update #5 into three parts.

As voted by our fantastic community, Part 1 below features character customization, NPCs, animations, questlines, and the Town!

For those of you who are new to Farm Folks, feel free to follow our development more closely by joining our Discord or following us on Twitter. We post updates on a near-daily basis.

Oh, and if you’re interested in what we’re doing and don’t want to miss our future Devlogs (or even our closed Alpha invites) make sure to sign-up to our emailing list.


Over the last few months, our talented character modelers have been developing character customizations and NPCs. Each piece of clothing can be substituted for another one from different sets. You’ll be able to unlock new clothing pieces by purchasing them in the local store of the Town or by receiving them as a gift from an NPC or other players in Co-op.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



All of these clothing options need to be adjusted and rigged to support feminine and masculine body types and various animations.







Our goal is to provide a rich and immersive experience for you when you play Farm Folks. Because you’ll be able to do many things in this world, we have to ensure that there are a variety of unique animations to support your actions appropriately. Every possible character movement (including our animals) requires specific Rigging and Animation. Our incredibly talented animator, Julya, has been busy bringing all of our characters to life. Check out some of the animations below.



You can track animations that we're adding to the game here.



Last month, we specifically worked on masculine body animations. In order to achieve this, we had to adjust all of our current feminine animations and affix them onto a new body! We’re pretty happy with the end result.





Every NPC will have their own story for you to uncover. NPCs will also have a set of things they like and dislike.

NPCs will not only have storylines, but also random quests ranging from bringing some homegrown carrots to your friend to researching a particular technology for an NPC. The majority of random quests will be unique. Some quests will analyze player actions and, of course, all quests will give you precious rewards - resources, relations, special items, and even unique clothes and transport.

Here is a current list of Quest Types we’re planning to add:

• Craft specific items (and keep them, but also get additional rewards)
  
• Bring specific items to NPC
  
• Grow X plants of Y type
  
• Catch X fish of Y type
  
• Research specific technology
  
• Explore some places on island and discover treasure
  
• Construct specific buildings/furniture in your house (if it’s accessible for you)
  
• Other types
  

Most of these quests will have varying difficulties, allowing you to select harder (or easier) quest versions. Harder quests will yield greater rewards that would otherwise be inaccessible with quests of an easier difficulty.
The game will also track your progress and balance tasks so you can be well-informed about the odds of quest completion. A quest giver won’t overwhelm a newcomer with a quest to bring him thousands of advanced microprocessors or 20 tonnes of refined titanium alloys.



Each NPC will be prone to give quests associated with them. For example:

• Fishermen will give quests related to fishing such as bringing him fish, fishing tools, or components needed for a new boat, fishing rod, etc.
  
• A tailor will usually request some cloth, wool, or clothing that’s already sewn
  
• Town folks may request items ranging from bricks and carrots to advanced electronics and car wheels
  

We’re proud to say that every NPC in Farm Folks is romanceable! We’re designing romantic events that you can attend with your chosen one. Some examples of romantic activities include, but are not limited to: Skydiving, sharing Cocktails, hosting Yacht Parties, Jet Skiing, Romantic Dinners, etc.

Some NPCs, if you take the time to get to know them, will share their dreams with you. We will talk more about NPC behaviors and romance in the future, so be sure you’re signed up for our email updates so you don’t miss it!


In a previous update, we introduced Pietro, our wholesome trader and traveler. He owns his own trade boat that he inherited from his father. Now, we have a 3D model of Pietro and his beloved trade boat, Giuseppe’s Son.





NPCs will live their own lives and stick to their personal daily schedules. Some NPCs will have to attend work and can be met either at their place of employment or at their homes at certain times of the day. NPCs can change their haircut or outfit which will be reflected in your conversation with them. If you hint that you aren’t a big fan of their new look, they may revert their changes to how they originally looked.





NPCs will notice your presence and will greet you or comment on some of your behaviors. They may, in fact, compliment a fresh haircut or your clothing style. Some places in Town will have a dress code if you would like to attend them. For example, a Cocktail Party on a Yacht will require you to find a Cocktail Dress or Tuxedo before you can attend. And, of course, you can invite Anjelica to join you since she’s always dreamed of attending such a party. She may even need help in acquiring a dress.







Anjelica is a skilled engineer responsible for maintaining local structure and keeping everything together. Most of the time she can be found working with her colleague, Nico.

When Anjelica manages to pull herself away from work, her world quiets just enough to find herself reminiscing about her trip to the Island of the Dragons. During her time there, Anjelica foolishly fell in love with a beautiful mermaid that lived in the area. Anjelica hasn’t been back since, but dreams of meeting her mermaid again. Perhaps you’re the one to help reunite them.





Nico is always on the lookout for ways to improve his technological skills. In helping Anjelica with engineering work, he doesn’t mind stepping away for a moment or two to help you fix something. He also has a side hustle of selling homemade gadgets out of his garage.





Stella is the charming and charismatic florist of the Town. You can always count on her to brighten your day, whether that’s from the sunflowers or her own smile. As a big fan of exotic flowers, Stella has an incredible green thumb. Visit her shop to admire new and familiar plants and flowers that you yourself can learn to grow on your farm.



Need some help with your plantings? Stella may also share some secrets on how to increase the health and yield of your flowers and crops. Get to know her better and you may even discover what this florist’s favorite flower is.



Katarina works at the largest souvenir shop on the island. As a timid individual, you may find Katarina hiding behind some of the items in-store, but that doesn’t mean she’s not willing to lend you a helping hand. Ask Katarina for help in picking out some special decorations for friends or for your own home.



One of Katarina’s favorite hobbies include bird watching! She hopes she can once again see the strange bird she discovered in the Fairy Forest.



Rebeca is a salesperson at the local scooter shop on the Island. Rebeca has a spunky personality and avoids being placed in one box. Be it her hair, clothing style, or interests, Rebeca is always willing to try new things and lead a life of adventure. Need an electric scooter? Visit Rebeca in Town!





Aurora is a talented landscape architect with a love for nature and an eye for design. She strives to create yards and gardens that can act as safe and serene places for people, especially when they need help in turning their vision into reality.



Aurora will be happy to help you with your landscaping needs and can even provide you access to unique gardening accessories and decorations. As a lover of sunsets and boating adventures, Aurora is a kind-hearted soul you won’t soon forget.

Our NPC system is still in the early stages of development which means, if you have any recommendations or suggestions, now is the time to share them with us! Leave us a comment about what NPC catches your eye or what else you would like to see implemented in the game.



The Town and islands of Farm Folks are inspired by the archipelagos and islands of Sicily. The old, Italian-inspired structures of Town are going to become the heart of the game as you will need to visit them frequently to advance your stories. In Town, you will be able to meet new NPCs who will have their own character traits, stories, and preferences.



Here are some of the beautiful coastal cities that our amazing artists used as inspiration for the Town.
Inspired by the archipelagos and islands of Sicily.



You will also be able to buy customizable items/options from local shops. These items can include: a new T-shirt, pants, backpack, electric scooter, or even cosmetic options like haircuts, tattoos, etc.



We’re designing the world of Farm Folks to support future expansions. For the future, we’re planning to have multiple islands that host a variety of towns and scattered points of interest. You’ll be able to use various transportation like boats, jet skis, scooters, or speed trains that connect islands together to visit these new and wondrous places.





The world of Farm Folks will be filled with all sorts of mysteries and wonders to uncover. Since your character will be able to swim and dive, you’ll not only have journeys on land, but also by sea! On your underwater adventures, you may be introduced to some unique creatures, including the Mermaid Colony. You’ll be able to meet the inhabitants of this colony, discover their stories, and yes, even romance them.



Some mermaids will have the ability to convert into a more human-like appearance, using their legs (wow) to go on a date or two with you. We will talk more in the future about different kinds of mysterious colonies that inhabit our islands.

If you haven’t already, join our Discord where you can follow our dev updates on a daily basis, provide immediate feedback, and join the conversation with other farm folks!



[h3]If you would like to help us test the game in the future and don’t want to miss an update, make sure to sign-up to email updates here.[/h3]



If you’re enjoying what we’re doing and would like to see more, you can become a Legendairy or VIP subscriber on our Discord server! Learn more about it here. Every dollar that is contributed to the development of Farm Folks is much appreciated and helps us fund this expansive world! And to those who continue to hold these roles and support us, thank you!

Please leave us your like and comment below and don't forget to wishlist and follow the Farm Folks on Steam:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/895160/Farm_Folks/

A silver-tongued trader and a traveler at heart, Pietro is certain to catch your attention. After inheriting his father's ship, Pietro set out for adventures across the sea, driven to live up to the Giuseppe name.



His trading trawler has a bit of everything, making it the perfect place to look for anything you may need.



Pietro’s adventurous nature keeps him on the move and he takes his job seriously. As a result of his entrepreneurial mindset, his long-term relationships are few and far between. It's not easy to pin Pietro down, though he does appreciate a challenge.

[h3]MEET PIETRO[/h3]



Don't let his laidback attitude fool you! Pietro is an ambitious young businessman who hopes to one day have his own fleet of ships.

[h3]Join our Discord[/h3]

Wishlist Farm Folks on Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/app/895160/Farm_Folks/