What happened to Sports Fan?

by Sports Fan

Well I'm afraid that I've fallen victim to two farming games on Facebook as Sun Flower indicated. Farmville was my first love, but since I added Farmtown, it has now taken over as my new obsession. Farmtown rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Farmtown is so much better in every way to Farmville. Here are many of the reasons why.

First of all, I can plough 4 plots at a time without having to use fuel. I don't need the cash that Farmville requires to buy fuel for the tractor to plough the plots of land. I can use it again and again to my hearts content which drastically reduces the amount of clicking that I have to do each and every time.

Next there is the fact that I can interact with other farmers, neighbours or not, on the many meeting places on Farmtown. Some of the places for interaction are my farm, the market, the inn, and the realtor's office. It enhances the game experience where you can discuss anything about the game with other players. How cool is that!

Another thing is that it was so easy to expand your farm in Farmtown. Right now, I'm at level 41 in Farmville and they have yet to release the 24 *24 farm. I mean what are they waiting for Armeggedon.

The best thing of all about Farmtown compared to Farmville is that you can actually hire other farmers, regardless of if they are your neighbours or not, to harvest or plough your plots of land. There have been many days where I was so fed up with clicking every single plot of land in Farmville that I wanted to delete the application and end my misery. But in the Farmtown, I can pick whoever I want and they will complete the job for me with no hassle at all. Actually, by selecting other farmers, to do your dirty work, both of you actually gain coins. It is a win-win situation, what's not to love.

In closing, I'd just like to say I LOVE YOU FARMTOWN. Just kidding. :)

It’s Christmas, in Farmville Too

by Sunflower

Jingle bells and all that. Christmas trees, nutcracker statues, presents under the tree; there are all in Farmville.

(Ok, so far no Santa.)

As a present to myself I reduced the number of plots I am farming to give myself more time to buy real presents with real money and place them under other people’s real trees.

And also as a means of getting a little bit of my life back. I’m still farming, but I am gong to cut it down to once during the week and play more on weekends. Therefore it is the three (3) and four (4) day crops for me.

On the upside I gained mastery in yellow melon. Whoppie!!!!

Thanks to the generosity of my neighbours I have lots of Christmas decorations to make my farm look all festive and stuff.

Wonder what Sports Fan is up to these days?

Happy Holidays!!!

Where have we been?

by Sunflower

With addicts you have to expect the unexpected. With Farmville (FV) addicts who also blog, you have to expect that they will be playing FV and at times forget to blog.

That is kinda what we have been doing (and I am speaking without permission for Sportsfan). We have been playing FV. And Farmtown (FT). Yes, that dreaded rival of FV. We got sucked in.

As with FV, I invited Sportsfan to become my FT neighbour. Do we see a pattern emerging here? I start to play a highly addictive game, realised that my good buddy and pal Sportsfan would probably like to play too; I invite her to be my neighbour, and her downfall into social game-play begins.

Cue in evil laughter. MOOO HA HA HA.

I would like to laugh long and hard but my laughter is cut short by the realization that I too am addicted to these farming games. What is it with online virtual farming? I think we answered this question in previous blogs. They are fun!! We play them because we like to and because we want to show the world and our friends our superior gaming skills. And they are free. Which is probably the best part. Well, free in the context that Sportsfan nor I spend actual money in these games. But I know that many players do. That is entirely your choice to make.

After a few weeks of playing both FT and FV I have to say that……

Hmmmm. What do you have to say? Have you played both Farmville and Farmtown? Which do you like best?

Leave us a comment.

Putting the Fun Back in Farmville

by Sunflower

At which level did Farmville become less fun and more chore? Somewhere around level 31 is my answer. All players will have their own saturation point in any game unless the game keeps reinventing itself to keep players interested.

Since Sports Fan and I started playing ,Farmville has incorporated a few things:

1. added mastery levels for crops
2. provided vehicles
3. included various crops including flowers
4. changed up the market place
5. offering short term seasonal items (for eg green cows and crop circles)

Many of these changes are for the better but they dont add that "wow" factor that continuing players are looking for. For example, I am not enticed to plant over 1 xp crops in order to attain mastery in them. Not when there are 3xp peas to plant.

The flowers are a nice touch and are very pretty when they are fully grown so planting them adds to the aesthetic value of your farm.

But where is the fun?

The fun used to be trying to catch up with your Farmville playing friends and thinking up elaborate strategies to outwit them and prove your superior farmville techniques. After the peas were introduced most of that strategizing (except for the weekend blitz) kind of went out the window. Well, for me at least.

Therefore I am putting the fun back into farmville but thinking up designs to plant in my crops and deciding which crops go best with my designs. I was inspired by those pictures Zynga puts up when you log into Farmville, right before your farm is launched. One day I thought, "Hey, I can do that too."

Well, it is harder than it looks.

The first thing was to study those pictures and try to figure out just how those farmers created their designs. The second thing was to realise that you are an amateur and should really start with a few basic designs and work your way up.

So far I am having fun. My brain is once again engaged and now I am thinking of new designs for my farm. Let the good times roll.

One question I have for Zynga - When are you going to unlock those bigger farms? We have been waiting.

Happy farming folks!!!

Time Warp in Farmville

by Sports Fan

From the time I started Farmville up until yesterday, I always thought that the time it took for the crops to be ready for harvesting was based on actual time, ie. if I plant a one day crop like peas at 4pm on Wednesday, I expect them to be ready at 4pm on Thursday. However, there have been two instances which make me question if that is really the case.

Last week, I was trying to minimize the amount of harvesting, ploughing and planting time on each vistit to Farmville so I had started planting broccoli. Since broccoli is a two day crop, the crops that I planted on Thursday afternoon should be ready on Saturday afternoon. I actually harvested the broccoli on Saturday around 3:15pm. Why is this strange you ask, well because I finish work after 4pm, so how is it possible for the broccoli to be ready before then. I had to first harvest, then plough, then plant, and all of these tasks take time especially since I only have a tractor, no seeder or harvester.

Next instance was Tuesday. I distinctly remember harvesting lillies well after 9:15pm since I was having computer problems. So I expected to be up well after 10pm harvesting and ploughing and planting. So Wednesday night, I'm on Farmville harvesting animals and trees waiting until the crops were finished and lo and behold, at 9:15pm, all the lillies were done. How can this be? The thing is that they were all done the same time. They all just sprang up.

These two instances cannot be a coincidence. Maybe Farmville speeds up the growing process if you are patiently waiting online, I really don't know. Ideas anyone? And no, I'm not going crazy, at least I hope not!

Keep on farming!

Did Sunflower's WFS work Last Weekend?

by Sunflower

Where did this week go? It is almost weekend again. Time to look back at last weekend's farming strategy (WFS) with fond memories.

Did my WFS work? NO!!

My WFS was a total bust. Now that I am heading into another weekend I have to rethink this whole strategy thing.

How did my WFS fail me after working so successfully for the past few months? Oh...I don't know? Let's see. The major thing about planting short harvest-time crops, is that you have to remember that you planted them, and not fall asleep and totally miss the harvest time!!

Those 2 hours crops are a real bust; 4 hours and they are wilted. 4 hours crops are little better; 8 hours and they are wilted too. And that is how I lost a whole bunch of profit with my weekend farming strategy. I went to sleep, woke up late and my crops had wilted.

Beautiful.

I think on Sunday night I was not much better off from where I was Friday evening. Which totally defeats the WFS. You are supposed to gain!! I did manage to salvage the whole thing by moving up a level. But my profit was in the crapper.

Tomorrow, like Sports Fan, I will be planting some more peas. 

Peas and more Peas!!!!!!

by Sports Fan

Following on from Sunflower and her weekend strategy, my current weekday strategy is peas all day everyday. Even though I am currently at level 37, I am still planting peas.

Why peas? For the 3 xps (experience points - for those non-Farmville people among us if they do exist). I already achieved the three levels of mastery for peas but as I try to get from one level to the next those 3 xps can't be beat.

I am mixing the peas with one day flowers, only to obtain the newly formed flower ribbons. I can't go wrong with peas. None of the other crops that you can plant at the higher levels give as much xps as 3, so is it some sort of gimmick or a glitch in the system that peas reigns above them all? I really don't know.

So until there come another crop with at least 3 xps my strategy will remain until the end of time, or until I get tired of Farmville (just joking that will never happen).

Until next time, keep moving on up.

Weekend Farming

by Sunflower

It's the Weekend!!!

That means it is time to do all that stuff you were thinking about doing all week long. You know; hiking, biking, partying with friends, cozy dinners with the loved ones, dancing all night to the beat.

Yeah Right.

Weekends are for doing the usual crap you do every weekend. You know; grocery shopping, laundry, grabbing a quick bite to eat, picking a fight with your loved ones, cleaning your house all night to the beat of the radio. That stuff (you know its true).

Since I began playing Farmville, my usual weekend routine includes developing a Weekend Farmville Strategy (WSF). Oh yes, weekends are also for maximizing your farm's potential by getting as much xp and coins as you possibly can in 48 hours.

My WSF is exploiting the short harvest-time crops. Any crop which harvests in 4 to 8 hours is my friend. However, the higher you move up in the game the more difficult it becomes to pick a WSF. The crops you are able to purchase changes and you have to make some tough choices: Are you still playing for xp? Coins? Fun?

At level 33 (I moved up a level), I had to decide whether to stick with the peas as they give you 3xp per plot; or continue with my short harvest-time crops. Thus giving me more opportunities to play the game and to change crops depending on my mood.

My decision? I went with flowers (because they are new to Farmville) and other 4-8 hour crops. One small plot was reserved for peas as you can't really beat the xp or profit on that one.

By Sunday night I will see if my strategy paid off.

Happy Weekend Farming.

What is your Weekend Farming Strategy?

It's Villa Time!!!!!

by Sports Fan

So last night I did the unthinkable. I spent 1,000,000 coins to buy a villa. I am now virtually poor due to my purchase but I did get 10,000 xp for the pain and suffering and moved to level 36. Hurray!!!!!

So what's next for this Farmer, well continue to harvest, plough and plant, and repeat this process until the end of time since that is how long it will take to reach level 70, which at this point of time is the end of the game.

When I first started, I didn't think I would last this long. It was a competition for me, to reach higher levels than my friends, but now it is personal. I want to show Zynga that I can do it, I can reach the top.

To Sunflower's rant about the one can of fuel. I have only bought a tractor, I refuse to buy the seeder or the harvester as that money can be used to buy more crops to harvest. I have gotten used to the click, click, clicking, it is almost therapeutic. I think it is time for me to visit the Farmville doctor. LOL!

One thing I would love Farmville would do is to let me harvest other people's animnals and trees. Not steal them. This would only happen in cases where people have obviously abandoned the game for one reason or another and their trees and animals are all there patiently waiting for them to come back to harvest them. It would be my duty as a good neighbour to just show up and happily take their coins. It's the right thing to do.

Until next time, happy farming.

Farmville: 2 Times in 1 Day

by Sunflower

Okay, I went on Farmville again tonight. I admit it. Sue me!!

Please don't sue me, I am only a virtual farmer so I only have virtual cash. Virtually!! So if you do sue me, you get nothing. HAH!! 

What farming did I do tonight? I harvested the many trees, gathered produce from the many animals and harvested the crops. All 254 of them. Then I replanted peas. This exercise took a few hours (well more than 1 hour). So about an hour and a half of my life has gone into unreal farming again. Oh, I also visited neighbouring farms and helped out my friends in order to attain more coins and experience points (xps).

And I received a few messages from Sports Fan telling me of her Farmville exploits for the evening.

I do have one beef I would like to share tonight. Actually, I have many beefs with Farmville but tonight I have chosen only one of them to discuss. Fuel.

Harvesting, Plowing and Planting

As mentioned earlier, I harvested the crops and replanted the peas. Sounds easy, right? Technically, yes and no. In order to do this I chose to harvest all 254 plots individually and plow all 254 crops individually. Thus saving my fuel to use my on my Seeder, which I used to replant the peas.

This means clicking 508 times. Once to harvest and once to plow, on each of my 254 plots. Is anyone getting the harm this clicking can do to my hand? I see a farming related injury coming on in the near future.

Why did I choose to save the fuel for the Seeder?

First let me explain that Farmville, in their infinite wisdom, has chosen to offer tractors, harvesters and seeders for sale, but only provide you with one (ONE) can of fuel. The can can be used to fuel one (ONE) of the vehicles, for use on 150 plots. If you need more fuel, you have wait for it to refuel all by itself (which takes 150 minutes); OR you can buy refills, with Farmville cash, not coins.

I have plenty of coins but a very limited amount of cash. And I refuse to buy Farmville cash with real money, which I earn in my real job and I use to pay real bills, like the internet!!

I digress.

Of the 3 vehicles I bought, I generally choose to use the seeder. Why? No specific reason. It does not matter which one I use. I am going to run out of fuel before I finish harvesting/plowing/seeding the entire farm anyway.

My request to Zynga (who are the creators of Farmville) is to give players the option to purchase a fuel can for each vehicle they purchase. It really is not fair that you have to share a fuel can among the vehicles. What is the use of owning a bigger farm if you are going to get carpal tunnel syndrome? Then Zynga would have to put a virtual doctor in Yoville (which I also play), just to treat all the actual injuries we are getting from their virtual games.

Oh, by the way, I just helped 2 neighbours while I was writing this blog.

Darn it!!! The addiction strikes again.

I am Not Addicted to Farmville

by Sunflower

Goodness gracious Sports Fan. That is terrible!!! Laying in wait of loved ones, just waiting for them to get off the computer so that you can harvest virtual crops on your virtual farm.

Tisk, Tisk. (For shame.)

Unlike Sports Fan I am not addicted to Farmville. I did not get up this morning, go on facebook, accept gifts, send gifts and check on my farm. I did NOT do that.

Oh yes I did. I did do all that.

My name is Sunflower and I maybe a Farmville addict. Maybe. Maybe. Oh who am I kidding.

Farmville anonymous!!??

Farmville is taking over my life

by Sports Fan

When I first received the invite from Sunflower to add the Farmville application to Facebook, I thought why not, what harm can it do? I was so wrong. Farmville has completely taken over my life. I have to constantly think about when I need to get home to harvest my crops, when will they wilt, when I harvest the crops what crops should I plant now.

Take today for instance. I was at a function the other night and I kept thinking about the fact that I couldn't make it home in time to harvest my crops. They would have to wait until the next day but have to be harvested before 7 pm. So I got home at 5:30 pm only to find someone else on the computer. So I'm sitting patiently watching the person on the computer, watching the clock tick tick ticking away and hoping and praying that I could get on in time. I felt this strong urge to ask the person how long they would be, but then what was my excuse for getting them off, because I have to harvest crops on my fake farm. That is not good enough. So I sat and waited and they finally got off at 6:30pm. So I'm calculating in my head how long it would take me to harvest all the crops before the deadline came. Guess what, all the peas were saved and I can have a good night's sleep knowing that I did not let the peas wilt. It was the highlight of my day. Just joking!!!!!!

Sunflower's Farmville Farm

by Sunflower

As mentioned in a previous blog on The Bimshire Post site, Sunflower has a Farmville farm. And as I and my friends spend so much time tending to our "crops", one of those friends and I decided to blog about it.

I wish my farm looked like the picture above but it is a virtual farm so no dice. Albeit, my farm is in colour and the plots are in rows so there is some similarity.

To start off my chronicle of the lives and times of a Farmville farmer named Sunflower, I present my farm.

The stats of my farm as of today are as follows:

• Level - 32
• Size of farm - 20 X 20
  
• Plots - 254
• Friends - 31
• Trees - lemon, avocado, passion fruit, cherry, date, apricot, pomegranate, apple, grapefruit, banana, plum, orange, fig, lime, peach, olive
• Animals - baby elephants, horses, cows (jersey, brown, pink), swans, ducks, horses, goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits, chickens
• Current crop - peas

I think that is all there is to say about my farm except for the miscellaneous decorations and tractors I have on the farm. 

There you have it, Sunflower's farm. My fellow blogger will have to post hers.

Speaking of my fellow blogger (Sports Fan), we were at a function Sunday night and Sports Fan said "I have some peas to harvest". Or something extremely similar to that. As usual I was aghast, aghast I tell you. Farmville has affected her life in several ways. There we were at a nice restaurant among friends and Sports Fan was thinking about her farm. So sad. So very sad.

Oh well, unlike Sports Fan I had already harvested my crops so I did not have to worry about them while I enjoyed an evening out away from my computer. Planning, that is what is needed if one is to have a successful life which integrates virtual farming with actual human interaction. It can be done.

Please read my previous post on Farmville at http://thebimshirepost.blogspot.com/2009/09/farmville-interrupts-blog.html

Are you a Farmville farmer too? Let us know what your experience has been.

Leave a comment!!