It's been a minute but I'm familiar with how to mod the game if you need some simple tweaks like the ideas you mentioned, if they haven't already been addressed. I believe there are some food mods that also extend food preservation even further. For the most part though, food cultivation gets easier as you progress through the game so it's not a huge deal in established settlements., especially if you have plenty of livestock.
I definitely don't have that much time right now, but I have a few hours a week I could spend on the server. Hopefully I'll have more time in a few months.
This is kind of an aside, but I used to be on the mod team of a Minecraft server called Nations at War. We built a huge library of mods that essentially turned Minecraft into a small scale MMO. There was a whole suite of features we built such as a custom chat system, the ability to make parties and nations, repeatable instanced dungeons, custom currency, custom classes and abilities, point systems that tied to how nations could form and expand, and a whole crazy invasion system which was a little bit like a 'king of the hill' scenario. Plots of land could be saved so that after an invasion, territory would revert to what it was before the invasion, and you could claim territory this way.
I've always kind of wanted to revisit the idea by creating a whole new meta-game with Vintage Story. Doesn't have to be warring states, hell, could be something more communist in nature, I dunno. I'm in the middle of another game project that will probably take awhile, but it is something I'm open to discussing and maybe pursuing sometime down the road.
I'm not sure I have the time to be a dedicated mod right now, but I would absolutely check out the server!
Seems like we have a similar thing going on. I sent my phone in for warranty repair three weeks ago and still haven't gotten it back. (Should by tomorrow) Instead of getting a new phone, I decided to just kind of disconnect for awhile, started doing yard work and other hobbies. A friend of mine got jailed on a bogus charge so I felt pretty terrible that I couldn't really communicate with him for awhile, but I was able to get his dog and take care of her until he got out.
I've also been reading a fiction book that's got a lot of political undertones called The Dispossessed. About a guy that lives on a planet that establishes anarchism but has very limited resources to go work at a resource rich planet that has capitalism established. Honestly, it's kind of depressed me further. Even though the author makes little attempt to make the anarchist planet seem particularly pleasant, I can't but help but feel that they're my people and I envy their political structure and comradeship. I really need to get involved in some sort of organizing. I'm feeling a bit down tbh.
For the first time in awhile, I couldn't finish this news brief I watch every day. After so many days of watching climate change fiascos and inhumane immigration treatment, I just couldn't anymore. Even though I'm disengaged with social media lately, I feel like my meditations on the world has been leaving me feeling mentally exhausted. I know I'll recover and be able to pick up the good fight again soon. I guess I just haven't had much good news in my personal life lately and all these personal/global issues have kinda weighed down on me. Not really sure if I can just ignore it all. But, I'm better today than yesterday, so I'll just kind of ride that trajectory I s'pose.
Oh yeah, spent a good part of a year playing it a few years back. Even made a few mods for it. My girlfriend was always pretty interested in it so we recently just started playing it together.
Like others, I do miss the old style dungeons and linear storytelling. I think it could be done by merging the gameplay styles of the new games and Skyward Sword/Wind Waker by turning the series more into a Metroidvania. Just have major regions be unlocked by needing certain equipment, or even have the story advance using a time mechanic of some kind that requires certain events to advance time perhaps.
Also, proper fishing mechanics.