Farmroot Valley devlog

 Project Setup

• Defined project scope and core gameplay loop
• Imported assets into Unity
• Set up the farm scene and a main menu scene.
• Organized project structure (folders, scripts, prefabs)

Core Systems

• Implemented farm tile interactions (plant, water, harvest)
• Added seed inventory and basic UI
• Tested crop growth timings (wheat grows fast, pumpkin takes longer)

Shop & Economy

• Built Shop UI for buying seeds
• Added selling system (produce only for now)
• Balanced starting prices and profits (player starts with $10)

Trees

• Integrated apple and pear trees into the farm
• Implemented regrowth cycle after harvesting
• Added trees to the shop + sell apples/pears
• Added prompts + inventory integration when collecting fruit

Animals

• Created Animal.cs (feeding, cooldown, produce)
• Added chicken + egg system
• Added cow + milk system
• Added cow and chicken to the shop + sell eggs/milk

Cooking

• Added CookingTable.cs
• Added the cooking table to the shop + sell meals
• Implemented recipe system (bread, pies, smoothies, stew)
• Added cooking VFX (sparkles)

Fishing

• Implemented FishPond.cs with bubble-spawning mechanic.
  
• Added CatchableBubble.cs with lifetime timer so bubbles auto-expire if not clicked.
• Integrated simple camera zoom and reset when fishing ends.

UI & Feedback

• Implemented UILog for action messages
• Added interaction prompts (“Press E to collect”)
• Tuned interaction ranges (close for crops, wider for animals/trees)

Polish & Testing

• Fixed bugs (interaction distances, regrowth logic, UI, economy balance)
• Tuned crop yields and recipe values
• Play tested the full loop for balance and fun
• Added sound effects

Placement System & Camera Update

• Implemented ShopPlacementSystem: player can now place and rotate items on the map.
• Adjusted camera to switch into a top-down orthographic view during placement mode.
• Saved and restored third-person camera state when entering/exiting placement.

Final Build

• Posted build on Itch.io
• Wrote documentation and prepared submission