GPS, side menu and seasons of the year | Elements of the game Professional Farmer 2014 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
GPS
In the bottom-left corner, there is a minimap, where, apart from the nearest area, you can see how much money you have, whet season of the year it is, what time of the day it is and what the weather is ([F1]).
In the second tab ([F2]), when you are in a field you can review details concerning that individual field: percentage plowed, loosened, fertilized, sown with crops and also what kind of crops have been sown here. During harvest time, it also displays information concerning how much you still need to harvest. It is a very useful menu that allows you to find out about progression of works in a given field. Thanks to the information, expressed in percents, you know how conscientious you have been at field works.
In the third tab, ([F3]) you get the information concerning the money that you have and the value of the loan to pay up, the number of fields owned by you and their combined area, in hectares. Also, you receive here the information concerning animals: cows, ducks and hens. When you buy a weather station at the farming store, this is where the weather forecast, for the next three days, displays.
Menu quick menu
In the first tab, next to the map, you can review the objectives. If you have chosen the career mode, you will see there a list of tasks to perform, with the current one on top and the previously completed below.
In the second tab, you can read detailed information about each one of the fields. You only need to roll the mouse over any of them, to find out if it has been plowed, loosened, sown, fertilized and what kind of crops have been sown there.
The third tab presents all of the vehicles in the game. It is a very useful tool. Whenever you select a vehicle on the map, and click on it, you will switch to that vehicle. This way, you can quickly switch between vehicles, and the individual points on the map, as a result.
In the fourth tab, you hire people. to be able to do that, however, you need to be on your farm. Here, you select whet a given worker is supposed to do and in which field. The work is done immediately and the account balance is diminished by the amount of the pay. How to use this tool in a smart way, has been described in a different chapter, towards the end of this guide.
Seasons of the year, time control and road help
In the last tab - "Mechanics", you can control the key processes in the game: changing the season (switching to the next round) and switching to the next day. In the game, there are six seasons of the year: early Spring, late Spring, early Summer, late Summer, early Fall and late Fall. If you have changed working in a given round (level, .i.e. season of the year), you need to click the next round button and, in the blink of eye e.g. early Summer turns into late Summer.
During each of the seasons, you usually perform certain works:
- early Spring: plowing, loosening and sowing;
- late Spring: fertilization;
- early Summer: preparation for harvest (getting the harvester and the tractor, with trailer, to the field);
- late Summer: harvest (6 of 7 available plants), baling of straw and selling it;
- early Fall: harvest (corn), sale of harvested crops;
- late Fall: preparations for the next season or, if you want to sow winter corn, plowing, soybeans loosening and sowing of crops, which you harvest in early Summer.
If, on a given day, you are caught by night in the field, click "Wait". The time will speed up and stop on the next morning.
In "Mechanics" there are two more functionalities. If you happen to block your vehicle on an obstacle, you can use help - "call For Help". Unfortunately, this is costly - the cost of 500 Euros. The vehicle that you have blocked, will be moved to the road next to you. Another situation is when you run out of fuel in the tank. You can also call for help then ("ask for petrol") but this is just as costly. That is why you should watch the fuel level in all vehicles.