Day lengths are so short. Is there a way to adjust day lengths in the config files? Similar to how players can change the Game.Maxplayers=#, to adjust the amount of players allowed on server games.

Is there future plans to add more user configurations to various game settings?

Hi! Right now we have no set plans for this, especially as altering the day length will unbalance the game. We have however got the suggestion on our list already and are aware that some players want longer days as they feel they can't get enough done :)

Ambreon, the length of a day is unrealistic and makes you eventually become unhappy playing the game as I am at this point in time (211 hrs gameplay). I very much love the game idea and content. ........... Maybe an alternative idea would be to STOP animals diving at an open gate. I spend so much EXTRA TIME trying to get my 18 cows into the milking stalls I created and before I know it, the day has gone. (NOTE: I am RUNNING all the time).
As it stands, the game only allows for approx. 6 animals that are manageable because of this. This is not enough for a profitable Ranch.......Also, I do not want to slaughter animals and try to make profit from Milk, cheeses, eggs and selling horses, so I need lots of each animal.
Also a suggestion to be able to select 1 horse as your own that will NOT RUN AWAY when you dismount it, so you can explore the map or ride your horse around the Ranch to check feeding silo's etc. Hoping the Devs can look at some of these as I know they have been requested from others.
PS: Keep up the great work you have done with Ranch Simulator.

Hiya, thank you for the suggestions! My best advice for you is something that I see most people do - creating a gate and small entranceway to the building or fenced area that your animals live in. This way, when you open one set of gates the animals don't rush outside, as there's never a clear path. It also works as a holding gate for managing animals when moving them about.

If you press H when looking at your horse to whistle it, it will follow you round and not run away. Hopefully these tips help improve your game experience! Don't worry, we're still taking onboard your feedback though :)

Thank you for your quick reply. I have done as you suggested with different gate and fence configurations, however, eventually, as you move MORE cows through the "milked" gate (I have 12 cows), all the others tend to gather around that same gate and getting the rest out becomes impossible. The problem arrives when 4-5 animals have been milked & put out. The only way around it at this stage is to have a VERY LONG passage made ONLY with GATES so I can get the last 8 cows out.
-------- This whole process really needs to be streamlined ONLY because of the time passing so quick. --------
Walking a cow up and down a passage until I can get it out of one of the gates just takes too much time.
Hope this all makes sense as it only becomes an issue when you have 8 or more that you need to maneuver in the same yard.

Thank you for the horse tip.

I don't know if the cows behavior could be modified, but real cows that are pastured, will come into the milking parlor on their own when called. The buildup of milk is not comfortable for them, & they know they will be milked.

So maybe at the two times per day, the cows would travel to the milking area (fenced area??). Maybe we could make a chute system where the cows would line up at these times, & as they are milked they would travel out to the normal pasture area.

Yes Merck, I come from a farming background and have given my cows a lecture on how they should behave, they just will not listen.
You suggestion on this though would be great if implemented. I don't know if time is an issue for you, but running after cows is time consuming don't you think.
Hope Devs look at one or the other of these issues to give us time to do all sorts of other activities in a day. I have laying chooks and milking cows at the moment and they take nearly all day to deal with.

Yes time is a real pain trying to get things done, & then having to wait until 2000 to sleep through the night. Maybe if they adjust that time, so you could start sleeping a bit sooner??

But the farm I help on has a bunch of cows & chickens. Gathering eggs isn't too terribly bad, since we have laying hens in separate pens, & another pen for a rooster, that we will occasionally add a hen so as to get some fertile eggs.

But milking cows is a chore, which we have used ear tags to name all the milking cows. This slightly helps, but then keeping track of each name is a new chore. So we are looking at appending a number in front of the cows name. This way it should be easier to track the numbers as they are milked.

Another possible option would be to have some "pathing" options that players can designate:

• One-way gates that livestock will only travel one-way through.
  
• Or, One-way paths for livestock. Such as a livestock chute (created with fences & gates) that the livestock will only travel one-way through.
  
  Players could set up milking machine in narrow fenced area, along with a gate at exit point. Cows would travel to milking area, stop & wait to be milked, then you open gate to let pass. Close & repeat for remainder of cows. The output side of chute would lead to another fenced pasture area for livestock.
  
  These "paths" could be either designated by special gates/fence sections or maybe easier by the player highlighting areas that would then be designated as directional paths???

Merck, absolutely great ideas. I spent half a sleepless night trying to figure out a solution. However, I don't think any common sense solutions will work while the cows insist on rushing or gathering at gates.
Hopefully the Devs will look at this issue as it becomes a BIG ISSUE after you have more than approx 5 animals to deal with.