I still remember the PSX version as my favorite game on the console, harvesting your crops really is more satisfying then any xp grind out there. If they added alot more depth maybe it could make a swell MMO; Harvest Moon online! Think of the possibilities, you could for example sell product at ridiculously low prices to make low-level players go bankrupt (just like in real life). It could feature a great soundtrack of country with highly customiseable farmer, imagine tending the crops as the farmers son "Jimmy" who wears nothin more then a pair of overalls and a straw hat.
Maybe the best way to design it would be to have a proper day/night cycle on the servers and succes has more to do then setting up short but efficient routines then sinking hours after hours into it.
