RATHLIN ISLAND V1.0 FS17
Welcome to Rathlin Island, a rocky outcrop which lies just off the north coast of Ireland close to the Giants Causeway. It is home to approximately 140 people and apart from farming the main industry is tourism. Many visitors travel each year by ferry from Ballycastle to walk the six mile long island and view the Puffin and seabird colonies at Bull Point lighthouse. Despite the laying of concrete roads many years ago there is no traffic on the island apart from a few local vehicles and most of the roads are rapidly being reclaimed by nature. The agriculture is mainly in the centre of the island where the surrounding hills provide some shelter from the North Atlantic storms which batter the island and often leave it isolated from the mainland for days at a time.
Island life is not easy and that was my aim when I started to build this map. Within the constraints of FS17 and more importantly my abilities I have tried to produce more of a challenge than the usual “buy loads of machines and churn out some crops”. To this end some things have changed, so this map is probably not for everyone, please read on before downloading. You can use cheats or edit the map to suit yourself and by all means feel free to do so, but you will of course be missing the point of the exercise.
In testing with seasons and hard difficulty level, (how the map is intended to be played) it took me three game years of nine day seasons to repay my initial investment and start to make a profit. How quickly can you do it?
WHAT MAKES IT HARDER
You start the game on the harbour at Ballycastle having just inherited Rathlin farm. You are standing next to your only possession, a small tractor for transport, so load it onto the ferry and head for the island. You must find the 100 gold nuggets which will provide you with the money to start farming, but spend it wisely as a million doesn’t go that far when starting from scratch. Remember you have to keep paying your bills until you can produce something to sell and with seasons this can take a while.
You start the game with no money, (apart from what your game option gives you) no fields and no machinery apart from your tractor.
The only things you can buy on the island are seed, fertilizer and diesel.
The only things you can sell on the island are silage, slurry and eggs.
Everything else you buy or sell must be transported to or from Ballycastle by ferry.
You will not be able to teleport or tab between vehicles so be prepared to wear out some shoe leather.
Career start point save is implemented so when returning to the game you will spawn in the same position as your last save.
You will have to travel to Ballycastle Auctions to buy fields.
Production levels have been reduced.
The size of the ferry limits the size of your machinery.
There are no missions.
ABOUT THE MAP
This map is for PC only.
Rathlin_unzipme.zip must be unzipped. Put the files Rathlin.zip and ferry.zip in your mod folder and this readme file on your desktop for reference.
The map was built on Frontier Designs starter map with custom textures and lighting.
Seasons has been fully implemented with all the necessary textures and snow mask.
The map is prepared for chopped straw. Just download and put in your mod folder.
There is no mud mod on this map.
There are no trigger icons as these have been changed to objects. Read the help file to find the trigger points.
Traffic speed in Ballycastle is 18MPH. There is no traffic on the island.
All standard crops plus tomatoes, mushrooms, red cabbage and strawberries.
Production of cheese and pasteurised milk.
All standard FS features except train
2 Farms
26 Fields
Multiple sell points
BGA
Livestock Yard
Traffic Spline
Pedestrian Splines
Animal Splines
Many animations
Switchable lighting
Street lighting
Ferry
Large placeable area
Gold Nuggets
Chopped straw
Seasons
Log is clean
A readme help file is included in the zip, please read it.
