Tutorials

From the Main Menu in the game you can select either Career, Multiplayer, or Tutorials to access the three different interactive and directed content. If you are new to the series, the Tutorial section should be your first choice.

The reason for that is actually very simple - these thirteen tasks are both central to game play and significant. You need to master them because they represent the stages of the process of farming,.

The following Tutorial Lessons are available:

Tutorial 1: Plowing

This tutorial is all about making the land ready for planting. When you plow you are turning the soil to loosen it in order to make it ready to both take the seed and allow it to establish. This process is accomplished in a set number of steps.

1. Select the tractor and climb in; (X)

2. Attach the counterweight to the front so that you have balance with the plow; (A)

3. Attach the plow to the rear; (A)

4. Deploy (unfold) the plow; (LB + B)

5. Line up on an edge of the field and begin to plow;

6. When you have reached 100% of the meter, the tutorial will automatically end.

So to sum this up, the proper way to do this - and the skill you are meant to master here, is to position the tractor on the field, lower the plow, then drive is a straight line to the opposite side of the field.

When you arrive you raise the plow, drive off the field, then do a three-point turn to re-align the plow with the edge of the row, and do it all again!

When you completely fill the plow meter (you do not actually plow the entire field) the tutorial will end with a ringing bell - so well done you! You have mastered plowing!

Tutorial 2: Sowing

Sowing is literally planting your crop seed in the ground. You accomplish this using your tractor, a counter weight, and the sowing machins.

1. Select the tractor and climb in; (X)

2. Attach the counterweight to the front so that you have balance with the sowing machine;(A)

3. Attach the sowing machine to the rear; (A)

4. Deploy (lower) the sowing machine; (LB + B)

5. Turn on the Ridge Marker (RB + X)

6. Turn on the Sowing Machine (LB + X)

7. Line up on an edge of the field and begin to sow;

8. At the other end raise the sower (LB + B) and do a 3-point Turn then lower it again;

9. Activate the Ridge Marker (RB + X) and proceed.

10. Rinse and Repeat;

11. When you have reached 100% of the meter, the tutorial will automatically end.

To sum this up, attache the weight and then the sower, then position the tractor on the corner of the field and lower the sower. Deploy the Ridge Marker and then turn on the sowing machine and begin to drive in a straight line.

For most players the difficulty here will not be remembering to hit the right buttons to end and set up each pass, but rather mastery of the three-point-turn AND driving in a strength line on the marked path! This is particularly true when it gets dark.

But you managed it and hopefully learned the proper process for sowing so well done!

Tutorial 3: Spraying

Spraying - fertilizing - was sort of an optional step in the previous games but now if you want to obtain the best yield from your crop it is mandatory!

1. Select the tractor and climb in; (X)

2. Back up a little and attach the spraying machine to the rear; (A)

3. Deploy (lower) the spraying machine; (LB + B)

4. Unfold the spraying machine (LB + A)

5. Turn on the spraying machine (LB + X)

6. Line up the sprayer tip on an edge of the field and begin to spray;

7. At the other end turn off the sprayer (LB + X) re-position it and turn it back on;

8. Rinse and Repeat.

9. When you have reached 100% of the meter, the tutorial will automatically end.

It is important for you to understand that what IS important is that the crop is a uniform darker shade, which means it has been sprayed. You can over-spray the parts you already sprayed if you need to do that to hit part you have not (that will happen) and there is no negative impact like there would be in real life...

Well, there IS a negative impact - you use more fertilizer spray than you actually needed to - which you pay for - but that is all, the crop will not be adversely impacted.

Tutorial 4: Harvesting

This is the part we like - this is where the money gets made - or at least where you start to see the pay-off potential for the crop that is... Basically from here you are going to store the harvest in silos (or in the case of hay in your hay barn) until you are ready to truck it to the market and sell it. But first you have to harvest!

1. Select the combine and climb in; (X)

2. Move up a little and attach the cutter to the front; (A)

3. Unfold the harvester storage tank cover (LB + A)

4. Turn on (and lower) the cutter; (LB + X)

5. Line up the cutter tip on an edge of the field and begin to harvest;

6. The harvester storage tank will fill with grain - when it is full drive near the trailer and unfold the pipe (LB + Y) and then position it so you can discharge into the trailer the grain from the tank;

7. Rinse and Repeat;

8. When you have reached 100% of the meter, the tutorial will automatically end.

When you were harvesting you look to the bottom right of the screen for the display readout - there are two meters - the top orange one is your Fuel Meter that tells you how much gas is in your harvester. The bottom white meter is the storage tank meter - that tells you how much grain is in the tank.

Outside of the Tutorial after you finished harvesting, you would shut down the Harvester, return to base, wash it and the cutter down, and then put them away.

Then you would drive the tractor to the silos and transfer the grain to the silo, before cleaning and putting away the tractor and trailer.

That is how you properly harvest - and well done you!

Tutorial 5: Cultivating

This bit may take you by surprise - you may have thought that plowing was how you prepared a field for a crop but in fact no, it is the Cultivator that does that! Interestingly enough the Cultivator DOES plow as well, so once you have run the Cultivating Machine over the field you can skip the Plow part and go right to Sowing...

1. Select the tractor and climb in; (X)

2. Move back a little and attach the cultivator to the back; (A)

3. Unfold the cultivator (LB + A)

4. Lower the cutter; (LB + B)

5. Line up the tip on an edge of the field and begin to cultivate;

6. When you reach the opposite side, raise the cultivator (LB + B) do a curving turn (not a three-point-turn as you are towing this one), and then line up on the edge of the cultivated field and lower the cultivator (LB + B) and proceed;

7. Rinse and Repeat;

8. When you have reached 100% of the meter, the tutorial will automatically end.

So how cool was that? Wait, what do you mean, what was that?! Okay, what that was is actually pretty simple - when you harvest a crop using the harvester you leave behind toots and stalks from the harvested crop.

To actually use the field again, those roots and stalks have to be either cut and harvested by a baler (some remains from crops are used as animal feed) or they need to be plowed under - using the cultivator - so that their organic matter actually helped the soil gain a small amount of nutrients.

Either way the top matter must be plowed under - or cultivated - so that you can sow a new crop. So THAT is what you have done. And well done too!

Tutorial 6: Square Baler

Okay baling is pretty simple - the two types of baling are Square and Round - Square makes manageable bales that you can stack, while Round makes HUGE bales that are basically stored in covered sheds or feed yards and fed into the feed mixer - but that will be covered elsewhere.

The point is you need to know how to do both, and here we are starting with the simpler Square Bales!

1. Select the tractor and climb in; (X)

2. The Square Baler is already attached so you do not have to do that;

3. Line up the Baler on the Windrow - the Windrow is that line of lighter colored stuff - that was lined up like that USING a Windrower - which you can learn about later. But basically this is a prepared field;

4. Unfold the Baler; (LB + A)

5. Line up the tip on an edge of the Windrow and lower the Pickup; (LB + B)

6. Turn on the Baler; (LB + X)

7. When you reach the opposite side, raise the Pickup (LB + B) do a curving turn (not a three-point-turn as you are towing this one), and then line up on the edge of the next Windrow and lower the Pickup (LB + B) and proceed;

8. Rinse and Repeat - oh and you will notice that the bales just pop-out of the back and lay in the field - when you are really doing this you will collect them with another device designed for that purpose;

9. When you have reached 100% of the meter, the tutorial will automatically end.

Rather amazing how many bales a field like that will produce, right? Well now you know how that happens - and more significantly how YOU make it happen. Well done!

Tutorial 7: Round Baler

Like the Square Bales the Round Bales are created using a special machine. So let's get at it!

1. Select the tractor and climb in; (X)

2. The Round Baler is already attached so you do not have to do that;

3. Line up the Baler on the Windrow - the Windrow is that line of lighter colored stuff - that was lined up like that USING a Windrower - which you can learn about later. But basically this is a prepared field;

4. Unfold the Baler; (LB + A)

5. Line up the tip on an edge of the Windrow and lower the Pickup; (LB + B)

6. Turn on the Baler; (LB + X)

7. Now HERE is where the difference is... You see instead of automatically popping out the back you have to UNLOAD the bale (LB + Y) which means you can actually pick a spot on the side of the field in the grass and unload the bales all in one convenient area, which makes picking them up a LOT easier! Go do that now;

8. Now just Rinse and Repeat;;

9. When you have reached 100% of the meter, the tutorial will automatically end.

Now ideally what you intend to accomplish is a very orderly and neat baling so that you can make the picking up / loading process a lot easier. One way to accomplish that is to try to place the bales in a neat line. Just saying...

Tutorial 8: Bale Transport

Right so, now that you have a line of bales you need to transport it! To do that you use a special piece of gear called a Bale Loader - which you tow with your tractor.

1. Select the tractor and climb in; (X)

2. Move back a little and attach the bale loader to the back; (A)

3. Unfold the Bale Loader / Put it in Operating Condition (LB + X)

4. Now simply line up the receiver with the bales and drive past them to load them up!

5. Rinse and Repeat until all of the bales are loaded;

6. The game now prompts you to drive to the marker on the map and unload the bales; (LB + Y)

7. When you have reached 100% of the meter, the tutorial will automatically end.

If you are confused this will make it clearer -- you are meant to unload the bales in the shed that does NOT have a belt feeder in it. That means the first one all the way to the left while facing the sheds.

To unload simply back into the first shed, then hit LB + Y and, when the load is vertical, hit LB + Y again to fully unload. Pull forward then and hit LB + Y to close the loader and you are done!

The bales are now in a shed where they can cure and later be used for either animal food or bedding.

Tutorial 9: Chopping Corn

The important part to remember here is that there is more than one sort of corn. That is to say not all corn is grown so that you can sell it to me, and my wife can boil it up and then cover it in butter and salt and give it to me in this cute little corn holder and I can nom-nom-nom it! Oh... Hey... That actually sounds good right now...

The corn that we will be harvesting HERE is not destined to be bathed in butter nad salt - it is instead meant to be used as animal feed - silage in other words. But that is okay - ya gotta learn this!

1. Select the cutter and climb in; (X)

2. Move forward a little and attach the cutter head; (A)

3. Move back a little and attach the trailer to the to the back; (A)

4. Unfold the Pipe (LB + Y)

5. Now simply line up the cutter with the edge of the corn;

6. Unfold the Corn Cutter Head; (LB + A)

7. Lower the Corn Cutter Head (LB + B)

8. Change to the Corn Harvester (Back Button)

9. Turn on the Harvester; (LB + X)

10. Now drive through the crop harvesting it;

11. Once the trailer is full, switch to it and put on the cover, then drive to the marker on the map to unload the trailer in one of the drying rows; (A)

12. After you unload the tutorial is completed!

Growing feed corn is not really more complicated than any other crop - it is the harvest and post-harvest process that is complicated - as you have seen and experienced. Completing that field is an all-day job! And hat is only the beginning...

The corn then has to be dried and stored, and eventually fed to the cattle. But we will worry about that on another day - today you did fantastic! Well done you!

Tutorial 10: Planting Potatoes

One of the more complicated crops thanks to it requiring special kit, potato farming is a very good and profitable crop as it not only gets eaten but also turned into vodka... Just saying....

1. Select the tractor and climb in; (X)

2. Attach the counterweight to the front so that you have balance with the sowing machine;(A)

3. Attach the sowing machine to the rear; (A)

4. Now drive to the Seed Palates (ahead by the greenhouse) and pull next to them. Fill the sower (Hold RB) - it will hold 2,650 units.

5. Return to the field and line up the sower on the corner.

6. Deploy (lower) the sowing machine; (LB + B)

7. Turn on the Ridge Marker (RB + X)

8. Turn on the Sowing Machine (LB + X)

9. Line up on an edge of the field and begin to sow;

10. At the other end raise the sower (LB + B) and do a 3-point Turn then lower it again;

11. Activate the Ridge Marker (RB + X) and proceed.

12. Rinse and Repeat;

There you go! How to plant potatoes in 12 easy steps! Well done!

Tutorial 11: Harvesting Potatoes

As previously mentioned the potato is a bit different in terms of growing - and harvesting - than the other crops... It does indeed use a special harvester - so without too much bother, let us get at it!

1. Select the Potato Harvester and climb in; (X)

3. Unfold the harvester; (LB + A)

3. Lower the harvester; (LB + B)

4. Turn on the harvester; (LB + X)

5. Line up the cutter tip on an edge of the field and begin to harvest;

6. The harvester storage tank will fill with potatoes - but before that becomes an issue the tutorial will end as the meter filled;

Simple enough, right? Well simple sure, but it requires specialized kit, so you may want to decide to BE a Potato Farmer exclusively to justify that special kit. Just saying.

But hey, well done! Let's go make some Vodka! Kidding! Just kidding.... Because that would be illegal....

Tutorial 12: Feeding Cows

While cattle - and growing feed, mixing feed, and you know, feeding them - has been in the series for quite a while, it is actually one of the tasks that not so many players do. Which is too bad because cattle can be profitable. Just saying...

The less it costs you to feed them the better - obviously - so growing and processing your own feed is a good idea. Of course that means using a number of different feed sources - hay, straw, and silage. But if you are growing other crops - like grains and corn - that should bot be an issue.

1. Approach the Tractor and climb in; (X)

2. The first Round Bale is Straw - use the tractor to pick it up and load it into the Feed Mixer Tank. This will require a delicate touch on the controls;

3. The second Round Bale is Hay - use the tractor to add IT to the Feed Mixer Tank;

4. Now park the tractor and exit it; (X)

5. Get in the Feeder - note that now that you are inside you can actually SEE the meter that displays the mix ratios you have accomplished so far; (X)

6. Drive to the Silage Tank marked on the map;

7. Position the tank Feed Mixer Tank at the edge of the Silage Bank and load it with Silage; (LB + X)

8. Now back up and drive inside the Cow Barn (marker on the map) and unload the feed; (A)

9. When the meter fills the tutorial will end.

That is really all that there is to feeding cows! Well mostly. And how cool is that?! Yeah, pretty cool...

Tutorial 13: Forestry

Now this is the bit that is all new for this edition of the series - you can actually cut trees, turn it into lumber, and sell it - then plant more trees and do it all over again!

Of course to do that you have to have special (read that expensive) kit - but still...

1. Select the Chainsaw; (Up on D-Pad)

2. Move to the marked tree;

3. Turn the Chainsaw; (LT/RT)

4. Cut the tree down; (RB)

5. Trim off the branches; (RB)

6. Cut the marked section of the tree; (RB)

7. After you have completed trimming and cutting the tree into bits, get in the tractor and drive it next to the bits;

8. Exit the tractor and enter the grabber (X) and then deploy the Support Feet; (LB + A)

9. Now use the grabber to load the logs onto the trailer.

The actual process of doing this can be very intimidating and confusing - so we will spell it out for you in simple terms...

LB + RJ + Up/Down = Move the Grabber Arm up and down.

LB + RJ + Left/Right = Move the Grabber Arm left and right.

RB + RJ + Up/Down = Tilt the Grabber Arm up and down.

RB + RJ + Left/Right = Extend the Grabber Arm out and back.

RB + LB + RJ + Up/Down = Open or Close the Grabber

RB + LB + RJ + Left/Right = Rotate the Grabber

Once you have the logs loaded follow the paved road over the bridge to the dark brown dirt road, then up that and over the train tracks. When you arrive at the mill you get a pop-up that explains the process of selling wood!

So just drive the loaded trainer to the other side of the train and into the striped rectangle area and that will both automatically sell the wood AND end the tutorial!

So there you have it - you have completed all of the tutorials - and hopefully learned a load of skills that will allow you to really succeed as a gentleman farmer!

And do not forget there have been some famous ones in history - from George Washington to