Farming Simulator 22 guide — What is the best map to start on?

Farming Simulator 22 players have the ability to start their farming journey on one of three maps: Elmcreek, a fictional town in the USA, along with the also-fictional but very picturesque European settlements of Haut-Beyleron and Erlengrat.

Each of these maps have striking differences from one another in terms of topography, layout and landscape. So, which is the best to start on? Well, it all depends on what’s most important to you in your Farming Simulator experience. In this map guide for Farming Simulator 22, we’ll breakdown the core differences in the three maps and see what their strong suits and weak points are. Keep in mind that all of these apply to playing in “New Farmer” mode, which offers a balanced style of gameplay.

Elmcreek — Baby’s first farm

Small, cute, and simple are probably the best ways to describe the Elmcreek experience. Players are given three tractors, and basic implements to do some fieldwork with. The problem is, the three starting fields are woefully tiny; put-together they can probably generate the yield of a medium-ish field. On their own, however, you’ll only never net a few thousand here and there in profit.

For players who are totally green to life in Farming Simulator, then this isn’t too much of a problem. The simple layout of the farm is just enough to provide a good starting point for learning the basics of the game. The problem only truly comes in once its time to expand, or if you’re already a seasoned fan.

In that case, then the small, cramped nature of the farm is a bit of an annoyance, including when it comes to finding spots to build and place objects/equipment. The modest amount of profit that can be generated makes buying more land early on essential, but a difficult decision. There is a properly medium-sized field directly next to the main farm, to the west (number 47). It can be purchased with the initial $100,000 that you start with, and it’ll leave you a little over $30,000 to play with. But, you have to be really cautious with your initial purchases to avoid having to take out a loan. It’ll rake profits in a lot faster than the starter fields, however.

Despite the beginner-heavy focus of Elmcreek, overall it’s not a bad map. It has a good variation of field sizes all over, leading you to be able to expand at a steady, affordable pace. The visual design of its landscape is also rather nice, albeit arguably not as gorgeous as the Euro maps. Nevertheless, it does happen to have ten production facilities that you can buy out to operate without having to build your own, along with a decent amount of forested areas for forestry work if you so desire.

Haut-Beyleron — Historical hillsides

In contrast to Elmcreek, the European map of Haut-Beyleron is definitely targeted at returning players. The three initial fields you’re given are far larger, and are actually a bit of challenge to run with, considering the modest power and size of the starter equipment.

This map is also more topographically-endowed, meaning that the constant shifts in elevation will make your machines work even harder as they fight against gravity.

That said, the farm itself is a beautiful estate with a good chunk of storage space for equipment, and free space to place objects like greenhouses, tanks and the like. The surrounding areas are dressed in an array of sweeping shallow green hillsides, a huge river that cuts the map in half, and a beautiful little town in the center that has some stunning historical architecture.

Haut-Beyleron contains a lot of eye-candy, as you shuttle your crops to different selling points, including the eight production facilities that the map already has. As for its use for forestry, it’s not as well suited to that as Elmcreek is, but there is a forested area to the north that’s not too far from the Sawmill, so you can definitely get away with it as an alternate revenue stream when you’re tired of fieldwork.

Erlengrat — A return fit for a veteran

Initially released as part of the Alpine Expansion for Farming Simulator 19, Erlengrat has returned here in Farming Simulator 22 with some slightly revamped features to take advantage of FS22‘s new mechanics. That said, this is a map to avoid if you’re a shiny new player.

It’s not that this map is terrible; not in the least. It’s the most picturesque that Giants has produced, and its also the most unique from a gameplay perspective. Rather than starting you off with fields, you’re given a really nice farm and some decent equipment, but it’s clearly dedicated to cattle farming first and foremost.

Animal raising is a slightly technical process that you won’t learn as a beginner, hence why this is considered a map for returning players. The starting cow pen is already populated with some gleefully hungry bovines, and lots of surrounding grass to feed them with. If you want to do any crop farming, you’ll have to first generate enough profit to buy land that actually contains a field. That won’t be instantaneous, as the swaths of land on this map and the fields present are on the larger side, thus leading to a fittingly large price tag.

Combine this fact with there only being five pre-built production facilities, and it’s clear that the main focus of this map isn’t crop farming. You’re encouraged to explore animal husbandry, along with the other alternate revenue streams including greenhouses, beehives, and especially forestry. I say “especially” because Erlengrat is split into two halves by a river.

The northside is where all the infrastructure is, including your farm. But, the southside of the river contains nothing but open space, and a lot of trees that can be used for forestry purposes. So, truly, this is a map meant for the more adventurous players who want increased hands-on time with the game, as almost none of the initial tasks can be automated.

Indeed, Farming Simulator 22 has a lot to offer on a map-to-map basis. Also, remember, this guide was just for the maps that have been included in the game; the wide world of modded maps will expand rather quickly over the course of the coming months, each offering its own style of gameplay. So, get your feet wet on either Elmcreek or Haut-Beyleron and then venture out to conquer even more maps with the skills you’ve acquired.

For more tips to help you get acquainted with Farming Simulator 22, check our Guide & Features hub.

Source: https://www.pcinvasion.com/farming-simulator-22-best-start-map/