Field Contractors adds a system for hiring contractors to perform work on your fields.
Instead of renting machinery, assembling your own equipment setup, and using standard in-game AI, you can select a field, the type of work, and the execution mode, then hand the task over to a contractor. The cost depends on the field area, the type of work, and the selected mode.
Work Modes:
Express — 10 in-game minutes — +50% surcharge
Fast — 30 in-game minutes — +40% surcharge
Medium — 1 in-game hour — +25% surcharge
Slow — 3 in-game hours — +10% surcharge
Real Contractor — work is performed using actual machinery on the field
In the first four modes, the work completes automatically after the specified in-game time.
The “Real Contractor” mode uses actual machinery and standard in-game AI. For standard tasks, the machinery spawns in the game world, travels to the selected field, performs the work, and returns.
Before starting, a GPS configuration window opens where you can select the working width, number of headlands, work direction, and other parameters. A suitable machinery setup is automatically selected based on the chosen working width. On large or complex fields, route calculation may take a few seconds.
Large machinery may struggle on small fields, narrow roads, or difficult access points. If the equipment gets stuck or cannot start working, cancel the order and select a smaller working width. If necessary, traffic can be disabled in the game settings.
Fields:
Standard, modified, expanded, and player-created fields are supported. Merged fields may be detected as a single work area, while multiple separate fields on the same plot can be selected independently. The mod detects the field’s state and displays available and required tasks.
Supported tasks:
– Cultivation
– Plowing
– Sowing
– Sowing with fertilizer
– Solid and liquid fertilizer application
– Herbicide application
– Liming
– Weeding
– Hoeing
– Rolling
– Harvesting
– Harvesting with straw collection
– Cultivator plowing (requires “CultivatorPlowing” mod)
Harvesting:
Available in all modes. The mod calculates the estimated crop yield and prompts you to select a compatible storage facility on your farm with sufficient free space. Capacity is reserved for the active job and released if the job is cancelled.
In Express, Fast, Medium, and Slow modes, the harvested crop is transferred directly to the selected storage facility upon completion.
In “Real Contractor” mode, the combine harvester and header appear directly at the field. The harvested crop is automatically transferred to the selected storage facility, so no trailer or manual unloading is required. If there is a temporary lack of space, harvesting pauses until capacity becomes available.
“Harvesting with straw collection” is available for suitable crops, but only in “Real Contractor” mode.
Cultivator Plowing:
If the “CultivatorPlowing” mod is installed, a separate job using specific cultivator setups becomes available. This works only in “Real Contractor” mode, and the cost is calculated the same way as for standard plowing. Without the additional mod, the job is visible but cannot be ordered.
Saving:
Active jobs are saved along with the game and resume after loading. For “Real Contractor” mode, the necessary job, route, and harvesting data are restored.
If a job is cancelled before work begins, the full cost is refunded. Once started, the return path depends on the work already completed.
Compatibility and limitations:
– Standard and modded maps
– Additional crops on compatible maps
– Modified, expanded, split, or merged fields
– Compatible with “MultifruitSeeders” and “LimeSpreaders”
– “CultivatorPlowing” supported as an optional additional mod
– Multiplayer not supported
“Real Contractor” mode uses the standard in-game AI, so the outcome depends on the map, field shape, roads, obstacles, and machinery dimensions. Compound setups (e.g., tractor + implement + implement) are not supported.
The mod has been tested on standard and several modded maps; however, it is impossible to verify every combination of maps, machinery, and mods.
If you encounter an error, unusual AI behavior, or a compatibility issue, please report the map, field, selected task, mode, and machinery used.
V1.5.0.0
– Added support for Precision Farming in modes 1-4.
– Reworked the logic for fertilizing, liming, regular sowing and sowing with fertilizer when using Precision Farming.
– In modes 1-4, regular sowing now takes the current field state into account. On an empty field, any available crop can be selected as usual. If the field has already been sown, regular sowing can only be used to sow newly plowed or expanded areas, and only with the same crop.
– In modes 1-4, sowing with fertilizer can be used to completely reseed a field with the selected crop. When Precision Farming is active, the nitrogen level is calculated according to the requirements of the selected crop and the actual soil type.
– In modes 1-4, fertilizing with Precision Farming active is determined by the crop’s actual nitrogen requirements. If the field has a nitrogen deficiency, the work is available, and after completion the level is adjusted to the required value for the specific areas of the field.
– Liming now takes the actual pH level, soil type and permitted application stage into account.
– Messages explaining why work is unavailable have been improved: missing soil analysis, normal nitrogen or pH level, completed lime application period, crop ready for harvest and other field conditions.
– Reworked the logic of the “Real Contractor†mode. The availability of sowing, sowing with fertilizer, fertilizing and liming now better takes the actual field condition, crop growth stage, current fertilizer layer and Precision Farming rules into account. The work itself is still performed by real machinery using the standard game mechanics.
– Added the Use ISARIA sensor setting for supported work types. The sensor can be enabled or disabled directly when configuring the work. When disabled, the AI works without ISARIA, which also prevents the sensor from readjusting data on areas that have already been processed when turning around.
– Reworked harvesting settings in Real Contractor mode. Added a separate straw output toggle.
– Added support for Straw Output Control. If the mod is installed and straw output is enabled, the global straw multiplier can be changed directly in the contractor settings window, from 0.5x to 5.0x. Field Contractors does not create a separate multiplier for the contract, but controls the current global value of Straw Output Control.
– Fixed the operation of auxiliary equipment used to build GPS routes: it is no longer displayed, has no collision and cannot be interacted with.
– Improved the positioning and coupling of attached and towed equipment before work begins.
– Changed the order of the checkout windows.
Important for Dedicated Server:
For GPS to work, the server must have at least one tractor with any attached field equipment. The machinery can belong to any farm and is used by the mod only as a technical data source for the standard GPS system. One such setup is sufficient for all farms.
If no suitable machinery is available on the server, the mod will not be able to use the standard GPS system, so modes 1-4, Real Contractor and the work available for them will be unavailable.
The mod is developed and tested on game version 1.24.0.0. Operation on older versions is not guaranteed. If you encounter a problem, make sure the game is up to date and send me a private message specifying the map, field number, mode, type of work and a detailed description of the problem. Messages such as it doesnt work without additional information make it much more difficult to find the cause.
