Plant Rust

[Rudometkin]

This is a rudimentary thematic idea I am willing to improve inspired by Vintage Story, real life, and Felix's farming overhaul suggestion.

Rust Fungus

Plants can obtain a fungus called 'Rust Fungus', or 'Rust' for short. The name is derived from the rust-like appearance it gives to your plants.

There are multiple stages of Rust Fungus, ranging from mild, to moderate, to severe, indicated by the amount of rust seen on the plant. If left untreated, a plant with mild rust intoxication is bound to eventually regress to a severe level of rust intoxication.

For extra immersion, a plant's rust status could be optionally hidden from the plant overlay, encouraging the avid farmers to regularly inspect their plants up close to determine plant health for themselves based on visual cues.

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Causes:
Rust can occur from overly watered plants, poor soil quality, nearby infected plants, or when a rift comes into close proximity with a plant.

Overwatering Plants: Watering your plants too much can cause rust to creep into your plant. When plants are intoxicated with rust from overwatering, it always begins at the mild intoxication level.

Poor Soil: Lower quality soils have higher chances of producing rust in plants. High quality soil has no chance of producing rust. When plants are intoxicated with rust from lower quality soils, it always begins at the mild intoxication level.

Transmitted disease: To simulate multiple different strands of rust, rust can only be transmitted between plants of the same kind. A rusty carrot plant is not going to affect a nearby onion plant, but it is bound to infect another carrot plant that happens to be healthy and within close proximity. When plants are intoxicated with rust from nearby plants, it may begin at a mild level or a moderate level, depending on the intoxication level of the plant that is spreading the rust. If the plant spreading the rust is severely intoxicated, the rust may spread at a moderate level to the next plant.

Intoxication from rifts:
Plants that have been in near contact with a rift will show severe levels of rust intoxication, depending on the proximity.

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Negative effects:
Plants affected by rust fungus produce less harvest, rusty seeds, rusty food, and reduce temporal stability depending on the severity of intoxication and proximity with the player.

Rust Contaminated Seeds: Seeds harvested from moderately intoxicated plants will contain trace amounts of rust, which will produce mildly intoxicated plants when planted, which can then be cured by fungicide.

Rust Contaminated Food: Food harvested from severely intoxicated plants will contain trace amounts of rust, which will negatively affect temporal stability when consumed.

-----

Treatment:
Rust can be treatable, curable, and preventable depending on what is used and how early it is caught.

Plants with mild intoxication can be cured with fungicide. Plants with moderate intoxication can be treated with fungicide but not cured. When treated with fungicide, moderately intoxicated plants will not regress to severe intoxication as long as the fungicide is still in effect. Plants with severe intoxication are not affected by fungicide.

Prevention:
Rust can be prevented with certainty by a combination of proper watering techniques, high quality soil, segregated areas with healthy plants, and well-lit farms to repel rifts.

Aids: Fungicide and Diatamecous Earth are fundamental aids to keep your plants healthy.

Fungicide: Made with oil, lye, and salt. (Lye is made by leaching wood ashes with water). Use fungicide to treat rust intoxicated plants.

Diatamecous Earth: Basically ground up seashell. Find seashells in saltwater and grind them up. Lay Diatamecous Earth over your soil as a convenient way to prevent overwatering your crops. Excess water will soak into the aid, instead of your soil.

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Mildly intoxicated plants:
Drops: Seeds, (Minimal) Food.

Can be cured with fungicide.

-

Moderately intoxicated plants:
Drops: Rust Contaminated Seeds, (Minimal) Food,

Cannot be cured, but can be treated with fungicide to halt further disease.

Slightly lowers temporal stability when nearby.

-

Severely intoxicated plants:
Drops: Rust Contaminated Seeds, (Minimal) Rust Contaminated Food.

Is not affected by fungicide.

Moderately lowers temporal stability when nearby.

Can eventually kill the infected plant, leaving nothing behind.

-----

Rust Fungus could be rare, or it could be common. I'm leaving some of the chance rates and time-based details open, to keep discussion open for balancing purposes.

Farming Rust: This is where I flip the script on you. Severely intoxicated plants also drop rust fungus. Players may intentionally sacrifice crops in order to produce rust farms. Rust farms are extremely dangerous and difficult to manage, because nearby plants that contain moderate to severe rust intoxication reduce temporal stability, and there is a relatively small window where Rust Fungus can be harvested before the plant dies. The intention of a rust farm is to harvest Rust Fungus.

Now it is up to you to discuss what Rust (Fungus) could be used for.

Edited July 1, 2025 by Rudometkin
Refinement

[Facethief]

Interesting. First, because of changes in 1.21, I’m pretty sure grinding shells would make lime. I think it could just do the same thing however, because it’s already something of a commodity, or quicklime could be used instead. Based on this, the recipe for fungicide would probably have to be tweaked given its similar requirements, or fungicide could be made more effective than DE/lime/quicklime.

Second, an interesting use for rust fungus could be in making dye, albeit not at a 10:1 water-rust ratio as with rusty gears and scraps. A 2:1 ratio of water to fungus would probably work here. It would also probably be poisonous or maybe even induce instability, given its nature.

[Teh Pizza Lady]

This would be interesting but it doesn't fit the lore. It's better suited to a mod idea.

[Facethief]

2 minutes ago, traugdor said:

This would be interesting but it doesn't fit the lore. It's better suited to a mod idea.

For once, in RMKN’s defense (I can’t be bothered to write all of that), the rust does seem to “corrupt” areas strongly affected by portals and such. I think.

[Teh Pizza Lady]

Just now, Facethief said:

the rust does seem to “corrupt” areas strongly affected by portals and such. I think.

Without spoiling the story that RMKN hasn't completed yet, suffice it to say that temporal rifts have never been shown to affect anything except the player by lowering temporal stability and spawning mobs if the light level dips too low. That is what I mean by it doesn't fit the lore.

Also, if you're going to have rifts affect only crops, then this starts to sound like the other farming thread, which was imo also better suited for mods. Either the rifts need to affect more than just crops (like other plants, and also wildlife), which would make the game unenjoyable for a lot of people, or this needs to be a mod suggestion.

My vote is for "mod suggestion" because of how much it would be required to change the existing lore to implement this in a good way and then the effort it would require to re-balance the game after changing a bunch of things for the (imo) worse.

[Facethief]

Just now, traugdor said:

Without spoiling the story that RMKN hasn't completed yet, suffice it to say that temporal rifts have never been shown to affect anything except the player by lowering temporal stability and spawning mobs if the light level dips too low. That is what I mean by it doesn't fit the lore.

I was mostly referring to the… uh… Dessication? Desolation? Defenestration? Whatever it is, the nasty place.

[Teh Pizza Lady]

@Facethief yes that is the story spoiler I was referring to because OP hasn't completed the story yet

[Teh Pizza Lady]

Actually this is already in a mod

https://mods.vintagestory.at/show/mod/23655

It has a blight mechanic that sort of does what OP wants. Also has weeds from the other crops post.

[Rudometkin]

1 hour ago, traugdor said:

Also, if you're going to have rifts affect only crops, then this starts to sound like the other farming thread, which was imo also better suited for mods. Either the rifts need to affect more than just crops (like other plants, and also wildlife), which would make the game unenjoyable for a lot of people, or this needs to be a mod suggestion.

Traugdor has a fair point. Why would a rift only infect edible plants, but not trees and grass?

For the sake of simplicity and overall coherency, a compromise in the suggestion can be made to solve this.

It can be made so nearby rifts no longer infect plants.

[Rudometkin]

1 hour ago, Rudometkin said:

Traugdor has a fair point. Why would a rift only infect edible plants, but not trees and grass?

For the sake of simplicity and overall coherency, a compromise in the suggestion can be made to solve this.

It can be made so nearby rifts no longer infect plants.

Alternatively, the inconsistency of rifts affecting crops and not non-edible wildlife could be justified with the logic that it wouldn't matter much to the player whether grass and non-edible wildlife were infected.

This is a loose interpretation, a slightly logical answer to the problem, so I want to give it a voice.

It does not come without its own problems, however. "Wouldn't matter much" is subjective, so someone could just as easily assert, "Yes it would matter much, as infected grass would lower the overall abundance of grass, therefore mattering to the player". There is also the issue of infected trees. It seems like it could matter a lot whether trees get infected.

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Wildlife Affected by Rifts:

Perhaps an even better solution is to make various 'background' wildlife capable of being infected by rifts, to a much simpler degree than plants. Rust in grass could just have one degree of intoxication: simply intoxicated. Not mildly, not severely, just intoxicated. It does not have to spread. It can just eventually kill the grass, or be cured by the player using fungicide.

This would leave 'burn' marks in the grass where rifts were spawned.

Trees can be intoxicated, but only the leaves. It does not have to spread. It can just eventually kill the infected leaves, or be cured by the player using fungicide.

The justification for more in-depth plant intoxication is that players generally have a greater focus on food-producing plants, so the game puts a focus on it as well, in the name of suitability. On the other hand, players generally have less focus on background wildlife such as grass and tree leaves, so the game tones back the focus on those areas, in the name of suitability. Also, plants are weaker than trees, thus more heavily affected. This could explain why a tree trunk does not get infected from a nearby rift.

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Of course, I encourage detailed discussion. It would be a shame if we simply disregard positive ideas with mere generalizations, such as "would make the game unenjoyable for a lot of people", as if we had the communication levels and processing power of a bunch of cave dwelling drifters. (IDK, I'm assuming drifters aren't geniuses, but I could be wrong about that one) 

Edited July 1, 2025 by Rudometkin
Added a point about tree trunks not getting infected and cave dweller pun.

[Enjen]

9 minutes ago, Rudometkin said:

It does not come without its own problems, however. "Wouldn't matter much" is subjective, so someone could just as easily assert, "Yes it would matter much, as infected grass would lower the overall abundance of grass, therefore mattering to the player". There is also the issue of infected trees. It seems like it could matter a lot whether trees get infected

I'm glad you highlighted that point haha At some point it does go into a bit of metagaming thinking of all the details of how a system could affect everything and how that in turn affects gameplay. I think it's fun though.
 

11 minutes ago, Rudometkin said:

Perhaps an even better solution is to make various 'background' wildlife capable of being infected by rifts, to a much simpler degree than plants. Rust in grass could just have one degree of intoxication: simply intoxicated. Not mildly, not severely, just intoxicated. It does not have to spread. It can just eventually kill the grass, or be cured by the player using fungicide.

This would leave 'burn' marks in the grass where rifts were spawned.

So does the Rift emit some sort of gas or is it an instantaneous intoxication on a certain radius of "background " wildlife? If it's a gas maybe it moves around for a bit or spreads before dissipating. To be fair, if I saw something that was "intoxicated" my first instinct would be to break it  I would try to see what I could craft with it or if it dropped anything differently. I would assume intoxicated dirt block would be different than a regular block? and so on for the leaves and other flora. Purely cosmetic or perhaps useful in some poison extraction? just throwing ideas out.
 

14 minutes ago, Rudometkin said:

The justification for more in-depth plant intoxication is that players generally have a greater focus on food-producing plants, so the game puts a focus on it as well, in the name of suitability. On the other hand, players generally have less focus on background wildlife such as grass and tree leaves, so the game tones back the focus on those areas, in the name of suitability. Also, plants are weaker than trees, thus more heavily affected. This could explain why a tree trunk does not get infected from a nearby rift.

I think this is a suitable explanation. Multi-layered.

11 hours ago, Rudometkin said:

Farming Rust: This is where I flip the script on you. Severely intoxicated plants also drop rust fungus. Players may intentionally sacrifice crops in order to produce rust farms. Rust farms are extremely dangerous and difficult to manage, because nearby plants that contain moderate to severe rust intoxication reduce temporal stability, and there is a relatively small window where Rust Fungus can be harvested before the plant dies. The intention of a rust farm is to harvest Rust Fungus.

I was about to mention some idea for a different genus of crop that it could turn into! I scrolled back up and saw you already mentioned it haha! It's sort of like radioactive farming. Maybe Rust fungus could be used in some recipe for Rusty Gears. but then again I feel that being able to craft Rusty Gears goes against the story. So in turn, maybe Rusty Fungus can OO It can be applied to Arrow Tips and Spear tips for a sort of poisoning effect? or Slowness effect to coincide with the whole Temporal theme.
 

[Facethief]

44 minutes ago, Enjen said:

So does the Rift emit some sort of gas or is it an instantaneous intoxication on a certain radius of "background " wildlife?

VS gas leak theory is real!!!

[Teh Pizza Lady]

So you not only want to change game mechanics, but alter the lore to fit them as well???

wild...

[Rudometkin]

21 minutes ago, traugdor said:

So you not only want to change game mechanics, but alter the lore to fit them as well???

 

14 hours ago, Rudometkin said:

This is a rudimentary thematic idea I am willing to improve

4 hours ago, Rudometkin said:

For the sake of simplicity and overall coherency, a compromise in the suggestion can be made

 

24 minutes ago, traugdor said:

wild...

Reasonable.

[Teh Pizza Lady]

I think for simplicity sake, we should toss out anything that would threaten to alter the existing lore. If you're unsure of the lore, complete Chapter 2....at a bare minimum.

So... rifts corrupting plants is out. As far as plant diseases, it should scale with farm sizes, honestly. Otherwise the starting new player might find farming to be too difficult or more difficult than it already is. Even experienced players aren't that interested in mods that make farming harder. I went ahead and looked at the modDB and the only mods I could find that made farming harder had maybe a thousand downloads. Interestingly enough there is a poop mod that has nearly double the downloads. Twice as many people are interested in pooping as there are interested in making farming unnecessarily harder. Even more people liked the pee mod.

That should tell you something. Especially since the MAJOR farming overhaul mod (which makes farming easier btw) has over a hundred thousand downloads!

Do with that information what you will. Stuff like this just won't be popular or well-received by the majority of players if implemented outside of a mod. Even the other crops thread similar to this one had people saying, "don't wanna poop on your parade, but I hate this idea" (paraphrase).

[Rudometkin]

Unexplored lore that is already in place is a great reason to be open to changing the suggestion. I agree.

As for the, "People demonstrably like easier!" objection:

Vintage Story does not put its general focus on 'easier', and neither will I when it comes to my suggestions. We are always bound to see a majority of people prefer 'easier'. It's mainstream, it's the path of least resistance.

Seconds before I bought this game, I saw what Tyron wanted me to see.

Quote

"Vintage Story is an uncompromising wilderness survival sandbox game inspired by eldritch horror themes. Find yourself in a ruined world reclaimed by nature and permeated by unnerving temporal disturbances. Relive the advent of human civilization, or take your own path."

The opening quote:

Quote

 

If you only do what is easy,

your life will be hard.

Prepare yourself

For uncompromising

Wilderness survival

 

Clearly several people in this community still haven't prepared themselves like Tyron told them to.

Of course people don't like when I bring this up, so they resort to undermining the official game description.

It doesn't work. My position happens to be the winning position here. This is a challenge-centered game. Swallow that pill already.

Edited July 1, 2025 by Rudometkin

[Teh Pizza Lady]

25 minutes ago, Rudometkin said:

It doesn't work. My position happens to be the winning position here. This is a challenge-centered game. Swallow that pill already.

It’s clear this is a topic you’re passionate about, but your tone comes across as arrogant and dismissive. It was this arrogant and dismissive tone that got the other thread locked not too long ago. Acting as though others are simply ‘wrong’ or need to ‘swallow the pill’ undermines the collaborative spirit of discussing ideas.

The fact is, farming in this game is already challenging and far more nuanced than in any other block games. It’s not just about planting a seed and waiting. You need to account for soil nutrients and moisture, temperature, wild animals, and weather, as well as plan carefully to avoid wasting seeds. Adding random crop diseases would likely make the process too punishing, especially for new players, and could push them away from the game entirely.

If your goal is to advocate for a better experience, consider discussing ideas constructively rather than dismissing others' perspectives. In your own words:

Quote

I, on the other hand, am bad about being abrasive. I tend to be direct in my replies like I am chiseling away at a stone wall, to get through. Sometimes I forget about the person behind the computer screen, I think because I am so focused on addressing the content at hand. I am on my own journey of becoming more easily-digestible, polite and well-rounded. The Lord is working on me in that manner.

Maybe you should walk your own talk before you think about bringing something to the table.

[Rudometkin]

2 hours ago, traugdor said:

It’s clear this is a topic you’re passionate about, but your tone comes across as arrogant and dismissive.

Or, it comes across as direct and thoughtful.  

 

2 hours ago, traugdor said:

It was this arrogant and dismissive tone that got the other thread locked not too long ago.

How do you know this?

The moderator said the other thread was locked for passive-agressive discussion. Perhaps that was a reference to the tones of others. But of course you are pinning it on me without providing basis.

Maybe it was locked because of you. I wouldn't know.

Plus, staff determined it should be locked. That in itself does not mean it was the healthiest choice for the community. Therefore, even if it was locked because of me, doesn't mean I wasn't doing anything unhealthy for the community.

 

2 hours ago, traugdor said:

Acting as though others are simply ‘wrong’ or need to ‘swallow the pill’ undermines the collaborative spirit of discussing ideas.

Or, it is the beginning of working together.  

This is a challenge-based game. The sooner we all can accept that, the sooner we can all work together in harmony with discussing the game.

Tyron established it in the game description. Even if Tyron came on here and simply said, "This is not a challenge-based game', we would all have the responsibility of respectfully disagreeing with him. Because it is established in the game description (Of course I don't think he would come here and say that, he's the one that made it challenging!) Words have meanings. Truth and accuracy matters.

 

2 hours ago, traugdor said:

The fact is, farming in this game is already challenging and far more nuanced than in any other block games. It’s not just about planting a seed and waiting. You need to account for soil nutrients and moisture, temperature, wild animals, and weather, as well as plan carefully to avoid wasting seeds. Adding random crop diseases would likely make the process too punishing, especially for new players, and could push them away from the game entirely.

If they don't like uncompromising wilderness survival, then this game is not for them.  

 

2 hours ago, traugdor said:

If your goal is to advocate for a better experience, consider discussing ideas constructively rather than dismissing others' perspectives.

I have been discussing ideas in a healthy, thoughtful, direct, and relevant manner. There are people here who are willing to agree with me on that.

How do you define constructive discussion?

 

2 hours ago, traugdor said:

In your own words:

Maybe you should walk your own talk before you think about bringing something to the table.

LOL.

My own 'talk' is that I'm "bad about being abrasive".

So I guess you would say I'm already walking it, if I'm being abrasive, right? Also, sometimes abrasive is necessary, and therefore healthy.

What a silly 'gotcha' 'comeback' that fell flat.

Edited July 2, 2025 by Rudometkin

[Teh Pizza Lady]

10 minutes ago, Rudometkin said:

What a silly 'gotcha' 'comeback' that fell flat.

I believe my point was clear and remains valid. If you want to be less abrasive, then you should demonstrate that you're trying to be less abrasive.

I notice you’ve sidestepped much of my argument in favor of questioning details or reframing the discussion to fit your own narrative. That’s understandable -- it’s your thread, after all. But if the goal is a collaborative discussion, let’s focus on the broader implications of your suggestions rather than sidestepping critique.

Your idea that plants should suffer diseases requiring cures raises significant concerns. How do you propose starting players, who may not have access to cures, should handle this? Is there even a viable counter once diseases set in, or does it simply punish them with no recourse?

While a challenging game is great, pushing the "uncompromising wilderness" concept too far risks making farming feel like an unfair grind dictated by RNG. Games should be rewarding and engaging, not frustrating to the point of driving players away. Striking that balance is key to maintaining player interest and satisfaction.

So, how do you solve that problem?

[Enjen]

1 minute ago, traugdor said:

Your idea that plants should suffer diseases requiring cures raises significant concerns. How do you propose starting players, who may not have access to cures, should handle this? Is there even a viable counter once diseases set in, or does it simply punish them with no recourse?

This!!^^^
Counter his idea! Wonderful! I like to see this honest criticism. I'm eager to see his response and proposed fix for this. Perhaps also offer a suggestion to counter your own question?

My answer on the other hand: 

16 hours ago, Rudometkin said:

Diatamecous Earth: Basically ground up seashell. Find seashells in saltwater and grind them up. Lay Diatamecous Earth over your soil as a convenient way to prevent overwatering your crops. Excess water will soak into the aid, instead of your soil.

Seems to be an early game accessible mechanic for new players! and cures aren't the only thing that can help your crops. Proper watering and good soil (which is already in the game) play a part in the health of the crop! Maybe we can suggest another early game method for starting players to combat the disease?

[Teh Pizza Lady]

11 minutes ago, Enjen said:

My answer on the other hand: 

16 hours ago, Rudometkin said:

Diatamecous Earth: Basically ground up seashell. Find seashells in saltwater and grind them up. Lay Diatamecous Earth over your soil as a convenient way to prevent overwatering your crops. Excess water will soak into the aid, instead of your soil.

Seems to be an early game accessible mechanic for new players! and cures aren't the only thing that can help your crops. Proper watering and good soil (which is already in the game) play a part in the health of the crop! Maybe we can suggest another early game method for starting players to combat the disease?

I don't like this response because diatomaceous earth doesn't work that way.

It is composed of the fossilized remains of diatoms, which are microscopic algae with silica-based cell walls. The structure of diatomaceous earth is highly porous, making it excellent for absorbing oils and other non-water liquids. However, it is not hydrophilic and will not readily absorb water.

In wet conditions, diatomaceous earth tends to clump together rather than soak up the moisture, which reduces its effectiveness for purposes like pest control. My mother found this out the hard way one time when she spilled some on the floor and tried to vacuum it up with our Rainbow vacuum which uses a reservoir of water like a high-powered bong to filter dirt out of the air. It clumped and then the clumps burst open and filled the internal workings of the vacuum with the dust which wore away and broke down all the seals on the bearings. It burned itself up in about 3 weeks of regular use.

Diatomaceous earth can be used for pest control, but only because it is composed of razor-sharp silica particles which scratch the cuticle of an insect's exoskeleton causing them to leak moisture and die of dehydration.

My counter for crop diseases is to destroy the crop, but what's to prevent another plant from getting sick outside of lucky RNG? Again, it seems too punishing for no reason.

Edited July 1, 2025 by traugdor

[Enjen]

22 minutes ago, traugdor said:

In wet conditions, diatomaceous earth tends to clump together rather than soak up the moisture, which reduces its effectiveness for purposes like pest control. My mother found this out the hard way one time when she spilled some on the floor and tried to vacuum it up with our Rainbow vacuum which uses a reservoir of water like a high-powered bong to filter dirt out of the air. It clumped and then the clumps burst open and filled the internal workings of the vacuum with the dust which wore away and broke down all the seals on the bearings. It burned itself up in about 3 weeks of regular use.

Oh no that sounds like an absolute nightmare  Thanks for educating me on that type of soil! In that case we come up with a new name for the soil that was described in the OP, just to avoid confusion with actual diatomaceous earth.
 

22 minutes ago, traugdor said:

My counter for crop diseases is to destroy the crop, but what's to prevent another plant from getting sick outside of lucky RNG? Again, it seems too punishing for no reason.

That's hardly a counter traugdor  reads more like a straight objection. And as far as I understand the system Rudometkin is suggesting doesn't seem to be RNG but instead a result of poor farming? But this isn't my idea, so I don't know the ins and outs and intricacies to answer your question haha

EDIT: Also I was suggesting for you to counter your question: "How do you propose starting players, who may not have access to cures, should handle this?"

Edited July 1, 2025 by Enjen

[Rudometkin]

I will reply more in depth when I get a chance, but I love the good questions and challenges coming in.

Diatamecous Earth is said to be a minor solution in managing moisture levels in soil by improving drainage, and it can come from crushed seashells. So I agree it is not a perfect solution. It is a solution that is logically exaggerated for gameplay purposes, similar to countless other gameplay solutions and mechanics that are currently in possibly nearly every game available.

I am willing to explore more solutions.

Edited July 2, 2025 by Rudometkin

[Facethief]

Thinking on it, the overwatering feature of this could be problematic. If you set up your base in a rainy area to take advantage of preexisting medium fertility soil, then it’s likely to rain a lot. Maybe rain intensity could be tied to how much over 100% (as I’m assuming the overwatering feature would work) the moisture would go.

[Rudometkin]

52 minutes ago, Facethief said:

Thinking on it, the overwatering feature of this could be problematic. If you set up your base in a rainy area to take advantage of preexisting medium fertility soil, then it’s likely to rain a lot. Maybe rain intensity could be tied to how much over 100% (as I’m assuming the overwatering feature would work) the moisture would go.

That is certainly a problem!

I can find time to figure this out more in depth later, but I'm immediately thinking another possible solution is that some plants can withstand more water. This would require the developers coding a value into each plant (super simple, in principle, but gets more difficult when the game is more complex, especially if code has a poor structure). It could even be as simple as moderately resistant plants and highly resistant plants.

This would naturally make certain plants more suitable for certain areas. You could have roughly half of the plants highly water resistant, to where they handle fine in rainy conditions.

Or/Also, there can be a modifier variable in soil where the better the soil, the more water is required to risk introducing rust into your crops.

With the soil variable, this would naturally solve the issue of rain-intense areas if implemented well.

This might sound complicated, but it is technical foundation-work to help ensure a smooth and seamless experience for the player. All the player has to see, is "oh, these carrots are 27% over the preferred water level, that's a 27% chance they will grow rust overnight" (or something like that). "Hey, I notice these onions however can take a lot more water! Onions are easier to grow!".

Edited July 2, 2025 by Rudometkin