That's what it does. And I think that's a bad idea unless people can see who bought out comms in a place or something. :/ We're slipping into Oakstone mode again.

Oakstone mode wasn't bad, entirely. The major flaw of Oakstone was that a small group had complete control over a trade and was bestowed upon an large amount of privileges. In here, herbs aren't centered, so you can't have a party being abusive with the trade or demanding, because any other side can harvest just the same.

I still think herbalists should need a special forger-made sickle to chop the berry/root/leaves off, and an alchemic potion to weaken the plant's stem long enough to harvest it, consumed at a rate of 1 sip per 2 plants harvested. This would cause herbalists to rely on forgers and alchemists (largely alchemists), providing incentives for cooperation between the tradeskills (you give me 600 galingale for really cheap, I'll refill your harvesting vials at cost, etc.)



Lastharvest should go in Nature. If it doesn't go in Nature, it should go in Druidry as a demesne skill. If you have a demesne there, you can see who last harvested in a room. Maybe for a power cost, have even more information, like a history of plant growth/decay going back as long as your demesne has lasted/a month, whichever is shorter...

that's 28 sips for harvesting a plant down to 5. That's a vial for every two rooms... That's WAY to dependent, alchemists aren't even that dependent on us (a lie, but it puts the point across). The forging concept is clever, I really like that. I also think the greenhouse sounds nice. Last Harvest isn't Oakstoneish at all, it's only an Oakstoneism if an organization uses it to prosecute. The clan right now is relatively powerless. A lot of the players from Achaea etc. refuse to abide by it, we can't set up laws- just good ideas. And I don't want laws, a union/guild would be better than Oakstone I think. Or at least a cartel with some moderations- that'd be nice. But select rules for one of the best tradeskills? That's a lot of power. And it's true Oakstone rarely put bans on Mhaldor (I remember one) more than 50% of the herbalists who abided by Oakstone wouldn't sell to Mhaldorians. It was a p-a-i-n!

A glove concept wouldn't be bad either, a tailor type thing. And then a pouch might be able to be tied in. Maybe you'd put them in the pouch still dirty, with an alchemical potion you wash them (if there are 60 sips, that should wash about 240 plants, 1:4) etc. This would help all a little bit, not a lot but a little. Eating unwashed things might make you sick to the stomach/nauseus, but you could still smoke them. THese are just rough ideas, but it's an idea.

I think Last Harvest could perfectly fit under Herbs. I mean, if you read the Herbs helpfile, it says that a herbalist must learn lowmagic as a way to be able to detect the aura of plants to be able to harvest. This simple statement makes a Herbs Last Harvest completely feasible, in my opinion. A way to detect the aura of the person who last harvested the area. *shrug*

I am not sure if it is wise to make Herbs depend on other factors as things are right now. With no control, there isn't really anything needed that is simple function is to be an obstacle further slow harvesting... and in the end just be a complete change on the current system. I think that if a clan did organize, we should be competent enough to regulate the herb industry.

Ok, the point is Last Harvest is -needed-... it really doesn't matter if it is Lowmagic or Nature.

If you really want to hit overharvesters hard, put lastharvest in environment...not only would it add something to a lacking skillset, but the more people that can ID overharvesters the better...this opens up opportunities for the cities to make agreements penalizing overharvesters, if it makes sense for the city's ethos. Imagine if overharvesting regularly got you enemied to every city? This way you don't magically cut them off from their tradeskill, but you limit their economic viability in other ways. Perhaps put pressure on merchants who deal with them (if you knew Richter bought a ton from an overharvester, then enemy him or cut off Deepnight from the city, or etc etc.) This is an interesting, sensical, and non-exlusive method to fix a problem. I don't see any reason this needs to only be in nature or lowmagic (although I can see reasons FOR the argument, you don't need to state them).

Good idea!

Did Narsrim and I just agree? Holy sh*&! It MUST be a good idea!

And you can forget about having people plant herbs more. What are you going to do if you find _one_ room with 5 herbs, and the rest are at 0? Pick and plant 4 other rooms, or just let it be?

I'm giving this as an example because what usually happens is that someone harvests it down to 3 / 1 (assuming not 0 entirely) if there is a shortage instead of planting. But once again, assuming the cities all manage to work together and start penalising the overharvesters...

I was told by the herbalist clan that I could harvest down to 3 unless in hibernation months (or close to them). I anyway agreed to myself to only harvest down to 5, cast nature growth and replant each time I see an area stripped clean of herbs.
After a few weeks of constant replanting, and not being able to harvest herbs due to having to use them for replanting, my alt has gone inactive. Replating a place, just to see it bare again in less than 3 hours wasn't good for my health.
And seeing how Newton is almost striped out of herbs, I think there're many novices who just select the tradeskill and go harvesting down to 0 just because they know they won't be caught or punished.

Please, make it so you can only harvest down to 5 or the earth rejects you, or just make herbs grow again even if the room was down to 0.

Some guy (can't remember who) from said clan was insisting that I leave at least 7 or 9 a few IC months before hibernation too. And yeah, even the clan members themselves can't agree on 3, 5, or more as a minimum.

Replanting isn't so bad... it's seeing it gone again after you replant that's bad. For Newton, could also be because the plants disappear at hibernation, and the one who used to plant them is now over level 21. I used to see plenty of plants there every so often. Then again, there were plenty of plants outside Newton before most everyone went nuts with overharvesting too.

And guarding does not work. I know of at least 2 overharvesters who have the nature skill. There's probably quite a few more. 3 if you include me when I got really really annoyed.

I don't mind replating, it's part of Iridiel character. What I do hate is when you are replanting the mountains (for example) and by the time you've done the entire round of mountains somebody has already cleaned the place where you begun.
And I do know that many people will overharvest and tell themselves "well, everybody is doing it, and after all somebody will replant or the Divines will save the herb" wich is really sad.

I wouldn't replant so much, Iridiel...just do 3 or 6 rooms, that's easily enough...and maybe some time later do another 5 or so, that way you won't get nuts.

I am not replanting anything just to see them empty less than two hours later. I am just so not going to make things easy for overharvesters, allowing them for more plants to sell.
Sometimes until people see the consequences of their actions they don't learn

are you serious? the most ridiculous idea in years!

If you put last harvest in nature you're cutting out the cities. If you want consensus between all herbalists it should be in herbs or environment. If not this will just add another dimension of conflict. Slides to the opposite scale of co-operation. A big WHAT IF? anyways.
Personally i wouldn't like it.

I have never harvested myself, but I believe the problem would be solved if simply the concept of overharvesting did not exits. If a herb gets down to 0, it might simply grow back naturally.

This way, you would be just like other tradeskills: 'oh, my, there are no comms to be found anywhere'.

Same what I said. But if the concept of overharvesting stays, then we need a way to control people cleaning entire areas of herbs, to sold them at 3gp each.

Putting something like LastHarvest in is an extremely bad idea. We don't need "herb police." We just need people to be smarter and more diligent. And, if you put an ability like this in Nature, you're not cutting out the cities. You're cutting out the warriors.

Why must everyone assume that it's non-Serens that are greedy and overharvesting? Those with the Nature skill set are not only the ones who can encourage the plants to grow. They can also guard them so that fewer people are able to harvest them. I'm sure most folks who guard every single room in a region feel that they're simply protecting the herbs from the "evil" overharvester, but they're really diminishing the profit of the warrior herbalists and hoarding the good stuff for themselves.

If you want someone to police the harvesting, start by policing yourselves. Draw up a calendar that tells you when herbs are hibernating and then don't harvest them around that month. Is that a difficult concept for everyone? (I've even made my harvesting alias not ever able to pick a plant if the month is its hibernation month, as I kept losing my written calendar.)