Soil compression on Farming Simulator 25 – What is it, how does it work?

Soil compression on Farming Simulator 25 – What is it, how does it work?

Farming Simulator 25, the latest game in the series, is about to be released – or, depending on when you’re reading this, has just recently been released! Either way, we spent a lot of time online, looking for the latest leaks, code, demo footage, and developer information, trying to find out everything we could about this game.

There are plenty of new and interesting features we are excited about, but perhaps the most interesting one to both the developers and the community is the soil compression. That makes sense: the Farming Simulator series is all about soil and things we can do with it. However, technical limitations have stopped the developers from doing much to improve it – that is, until now.

Field track physics and soil compression were previously non-existent and simply replaced with different textures. Now, on Farming Simulator 25, we can expect a lot of improvements and additional challenges. We’re very excited about that – so let’s talk about soil compression on FS25 and the changes this will bring to the game.

Soil compression on FS25 explained

Compression is one of the most important changes in soil in FS25, which was missing from the previous games. For example, when a tractor goes through a fresh field, it leaves tracks – but it was only done as a new texture. Now, moving machinery will leave actual tracks, that will be volumetric models and not just basic textures.

What this means for the player is that different-sized machinery and different tires will have varying effects on your fields, some having little effect and some seriously tearing up your field. It might not look like much at once, but once you do several rounds with your biggest tractor, the effect will be clear. It’s an improvement on the overall style of the game as well.

This soil compression feature will be most visible on freshly plowed and cultivated fields, however, it affects each field, only to a different degree. According to the developers, this effect will still remain more decorative and won’t have a massive effect on how your machinery behaves, whether it gets stuck or the yield you will be getting. However, it’s a nice and welcome change, adding plenty to the realism of the newest Farming Simulator 25 game.

The tracks will not be permanent, as they will slowly fade over time. If you were to work the ruts with a plow or any other tool, they would obviously disappear.

Weather conditions affecting the soil

Soil gets affected not only by your machinery – weather plays a massive role, as well. For example, if you go through the field during or soon after the rain, you will get significantly deeper tracks than fully dry conditions. It’s something every farmer knows and has to deal with – now, it’s finally a part of the game, adding an extra genuine simulation layer.

No impact on yield

Even though messing up your soil with heavy machinery should realistically affect your yield, no such mechanic is planned for the stock version of the game. This might be a good idea – adding yet another mechanic for players to compromise their own farms could be seen as a bad thing by many players. Maybe it’s something we can expect in the future, or, most likely, we expect a new mod to be created that uses the soil compression mechanics and punishes the reckless players if they desire. For now, it’s a purely visual change – but it gives modders plenty of tools to play with.

Conclusion

Farming Simulator 25 soil physics is massively improved, and it’s going to make the game look a lot more realistic and varied compared to the previous releases. With weather and your machinery having an effect on the soil, expect your farm to have the tracks a lot more similar to your local farm. While the Farming Simulator 25 soil compression changes are unlikely to have any actual effect on your yield or gameplay, they will help build a more engaging and exciting gaming experience. Make sure to check back for more news – and play the game yourself when you get the chance!