I agree to all of that. And that is also why I want my MC to help her with improving the farm, maybe also with the bargaining. But I also don't want my MC not to be bogged down too much by helping her either. More manual labor at the beginning of the game is ok but later the MC's wits should help him to improve the farm in a way that allows Penny to hire the necessary workers and manage it profitably.
If the MC finds books on farming and animal breeding either in the Monastery or in the library in Kirlic and introduces things like sheep, goat, pig, rabbit, maybe even deer and/or horse breeding and implements some farming improvements like getting some fertile soil to the land Penny leased and some advanced manure to further fertilize the soil and improve the harvest that would be nice. At some point the hired fam workers should do the manual labor and the MC should focus more on the farm management.
Currently Penny pays double for the farm workers and the MC pays for the mercenaries protecting them. That doesn't make much sense. Maybe the MC could make some security related improvements like building additional fences and some natural barriers and maybe get some dogs to help additionally with keeping the thieves and brigands away.
Maybe the MC could also find an alternative use for the bandit hideout at the Southern Road. If it is in use by someone else there won't be that many bandits and thieves out there anymore, right?
What would make sense is to implement some quests where the army sends someone to acquire certain goods for the army. John already produces weapons and armor for the front.
The Coldstones seem to have some contracts with the army. That is where the MC should come in. Find a way to take over those contracts and boot out the Coldstones. Help Lilly to get her memories back and then bring her home to Penny. And then get rid of the Coldstones somehow, well at least him. As for Elisabeth it depends on the story.
In Chyos we trust.
We will improve the farm just as much he's going to provide us options to do so. And there is certainly quite the amount of possible improvements to make with little work effort, but allowing players to not only greatly increase profits, but also decreasing money spent on wages.
Sure, MC could find a book about farming in the university or monastery, but I am quite affraid Penny is illiterate. But it's not like she needs one anyway. She certainly knows a lot, but doesn't have time, nor resoruces to simply do it.
Well, technically speaking, we already have rabbits being in the coop near Emily's house, but it's rather unused and undeveloped feature as of right now. Allowing Penny to take care of them, moving the coop or adding another one near Penny's house, would be certainly a good way to generate some serious income, as selling thier meat and fur is quite the money making business early game.
Well, Penny is paying workers more, becuase thier living conditions are but only a bit above primitive. Improving thier living conditions, providing them with new, or even better quality, tools and proper working clothes instead of simple rags would be certainly a good way to decrease thier payments.
As for MC's mercenaries, they are getting thier wage no matter if they work or not. At least putting them to guard work ain't making thier hands idle to cause troubles around camp and Arenfield.
Dogs would be certainly useful idea to increase security without having to pay too much. After all dog doesn't require wage, but provisions and care. And if would be nice if MC could have one too, to aid him in battle, but also to help him hunt small game until he's going to learn how to make traps.
Fences are but only useful to mark borders and keep animals at bay. Won't stop thieves and brigands from a raid. At least not without having some serious height and ditch in front. And I don't think baron is simply going to allow to fortify Arenfield with palisade, even only if partially on that side of village. On the other hand, he doesn't really care about what is happening in the village as long as money and power are flowing into his pockets.
But Coldstones are rather hard nut to crack, as they ain't simple case of a rival landlord to win or buy, but a dark plot hidden under simple farming industry.
I said a while back that most of the Penny issue could be resolved by a spreadsheet showing profit/loss.
If the player knew he could leave after working 3 or 15 days and the farm would be profitable, then no one would be worried.
Tack that spreadsheet on the wall and we would know when we could leave to do other quests.
That would certainly be helpful in managing our time in making profitable buisness out of farm instead of throwing gold from MC's pocket, even if money is overflowing from it.
