Ravenwood Fair Stats
In just the two short months that LOLapps' Ravenwood Fair has been in town it's garnered 4.7 million monthly players, according to AppData's findings. And for a company to round up and maintain this many users in the midst of a Facebook privacy crisis that crippled the game for days is certainly impressive. So, how did they do it? LOLapps recently released a cutesy yet informative set of graphs and pie charts breaking down not only exactly how they approach players like you and I, but how they keep us coming back for more carnie craziness.
While we won't bore you with too many specifics, there are some interesting facts here. For example, LOLapps relies heavily on cross promotion (60 percent)--much like the recent CityVille sign that's plopped itself in your farms--and far less on ads (eight percent) and 32 percent viral promotion (i.e. lots of News Feed messages making their way into your Feed and more) in its first phase. But then something changes in their strategy, which is when you'll see plenty more advertisements on your Facebook pages as they jump to 30 percent while cross promos and viral marketing level out.
Find the full chart and even more interesting (and hilarious) statistics behind the break.
What's most interesting is LOLapps' gender breakdown. According to the company, 60 percent of Facebook gamers are women, beating out men in every age bracket by huge margins. So, thank you, ladies, for keeping the genre alive. But don't think that the recent privacy incident didn't effect Ravenwood Fair at least a little bit. You'll see a significant drop in the game's player base right around the end of October into the beginning of November, but luckily it bounced right back and it appears even more gamers are enjoying building their own spooky carnivals today.
It's rare that a social game developer is this open about its numbers and reach, so gobble this info up while you still can. Not to mention that a lot of this information could be indicative of how other social game developers handle bringing in new users and keeping them there.
Now, 4.4 million players sure is a lot, but what does mean for the citizens Ravenwood Fair specifically? It means 15 million hot dogs eaten, 10 million spooked guests, 6.5 million trees chopped and, as LOLapps puts it so quaintly, "5 million NPCs who took a crap in the thunderbox." And with no signs of Ravenwood Fair stopping, it might be time to build some more outhou--er, we mean thunderboxes.
Expanding Boundaries of Facebook Games.
What do you think of LOLapps suddenly revealing many of their secrets? Is it time that more social game developers do the same?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
CityVille Update: Much needed storage, decorations, homes and crops
CityVille Items
Not even a week in and we're already seeing bug fixes and now content updates to the next big city builder, CityVille. This week, Zynga has introduced not only decorations, but a a good amount of items that will contribute more than just Happiness for our beloved, random citizens.
Flower Pot: 100 coins, 1% payout
Fall Tree: 2 City Cash, 1% payout
Sturdy Fence: 75 coins, 1% payout
Cranberries: 49 coins, 80 Goods in 12 hours
Lake House: 10 City Cash, 90 Population, 180 coins every 2 hours
Cargo Shed: 20 City Cash, 1,000 Storage
Finally, a new storage option. While it does a good amount of City Cash, this item may actually be worth the cost--1,000 Storage will keep you set for a long time. Cranberries are a good, high-yield crop that will perfect for players to plant before they go to sleep or early on the morning the harvest when they come back home from a long day at work. With the Holidays soon upon us, we'll see if the CityVille team can come up with some wintry items in time for the big events.
Not even a week in and we're already seeing bug fixes and now content updates to the next big city builder, CityVille. This week, Zynga has introduced not only decorations, but a a good amount of items that will contribute more than just Happiness for our beloved, random citizens.
Flower Pot: 100 coins, 1% payout
Fall Tree: 2 City Cash, 1% payout
Sturdy Fence: 75 coins, 1% payout
Cranberries: 49 coins, 80 Goods in 12 hours
Lake House: 10 City Cash, 90 Population, 180 coins every 2 hours
Cargo Shed: 20 City Cash, 1,000 Storage
Finally, a new storage option. While it does a good amount of City Cash, this item may actually be worth the cost--1,000 Storage will keep you set for a long time. Cranberries are a good, high-yield crop that will perfect for players to plant before they go to sleep or early on the morning the harvest when they come back home from a long day at work. With the Holidays soon upon us, we'll see if the CityVille team can come up with some wintry items in time for the big events.
FarmVille Bunny Slope: Best item ever?
Released last night alongside other Holiday items, was the FarmVille Bunny Slope. Many immediately passed the Bunny Slope off as merely another boring Farm Cash item. However, not only is the Bunny Slope a clever joke (because a bunny is riding the Bunny Slope), it is also potentially the best FarmVille item ever (in my opinion of course).
farmville bunny slope
farmville bunny slope best itemOnce placed on your farm, a bunny rabbit with an orange sled continually climbs up the Bunny Slope and then slides back down. Could it get any cuter? Many FarmVille players don't think so. Some have even lined up their other cute animals at the bottom of the hill, waiting their turn to ride the FarmVille Bunny Slope (though of course, they can't actually ride it). I might even keep my farm holiday themed all year around, just so I can display my favorite FarmVille item: the Bunny Slope.
Unfortunately, the FarmVille Bunny Slope costs a massive 28 Farm Cash. But for one of the best FarmVille items ever, it might be worth it.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
What is your favorite FarmVille item? What item are you most proud of?
farmville bunny slope
farmville bunny slope best itemOnce placed on your farm, a bunny rabbit with an orange sled continually climbs up the Bunny Slope and then slides back down. Could it get any cuter? Many FarmVille players don't think so. Some have even lined up their other cute animals at the bottom of the hill, waiting their turn to ride the FarmVille Bunny Slope (though of course, they can't actually ride it). I might even keep my farm holiday themed all year around, just so I can display my favorite FarmVille item: the Bunny Slope.
Unfortunately, the FarmVille Bunny Slope costs a massive 28 Farm Cash. But for one of the best FarmVille items ever, it might be worth it.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
What is your favorite FarmVille item? What item are you most proud of?
CityVille Cheats and Tips: A Goods Management Guide
CityVille Goods
Now that you've expanded your Franchise empire along with the boundaries of your booming town in CityVille, it's time to get those Goods in line. I don't know about you, but I often find myself maxed out on Goods upon logging into the game. In fact, it's gotten to the point where, at times, I can't even harvest my crops before somehow getting rid of my gobs of Goods. However, there are a few ways to optimize your Goods management so that you don't run into the same problem.
1. The Right Crops for the Right Time
The number one way to control the amount of Goods you produce is planting smart. This isn't FarmVille anymore where the motto normally goes, "The more crops, the better!" Remember to be sure of the yield of each crop and its harvest time before planting. Now, you don't have to break out the calculator or anything (well, unless you're that intent on efficiency), but an idea of how many Goods are waiting for you in a few hours or days is good to keep in mind. For instance, I would strongly recommend against planting a field full of corn when you already have half of your Goods limit in storage.
Jump behind the break for four more tips on how effectively manage your Goods.
CityVille Storage
2. You're Gonna' Need a Bigger Boat
Or in this case, a bigger barn. There are currently only four storage solutions in the game and they're as follows:
-Silo: 250 coins; 100 Storage
-Red Barn: 1,000 coins; 415 Storage
-Sticks: 1,125 coins; 485 Storage
-Cargo Shed: 10 City Cash; 1,000 Storage
While it is mighty tempting to just say, "Forget it," and put up for the Cargo Shed, smart buys and even smarter positioning can help you avoid paying real dollars just to keep your Goods in safe keeping. While Silos are the cheapest solution to Storage, they're not exactly efficient. A much better strategy, although more expensive, would be to line up multiple Barns and Sticks adjacent to one another facing your farmland. In fact, the best way to build in CityVille is in a grid format similar to this, though it's not 100 percent necessary. The bottom line here is that if you place Barns and Sticks intelligently along the borders of your farmland or city, letting Silos fill in any unavoidable blanks, you should be fine when it comes to Storage.
3. Time is Money (and Goods)
Say it with me: Collect from and supply businesses as often as possible. Actually, collecting from Businesses should hold a much higher priority than collecting rent, taxes and free from residential buildings. Here's a scenario: if you only have a few Energy left, yet both your Businesses and Housing are ready to be collected from, which would spend your remaining Energy on? If your answer was cutting down Trees, you're are not even close to getting it. All kidding aside, just collect from the Businesses. This way, you'll get both coins and will be able to supply those Businesses, which costs nothing but Goods--and that's exactly what we want to get rid of.
Franchise Supply
4. Meet Expanding Demand with Expanding Supply
Franchises are a funnel for Goods. Every day, you'll be able to supply a huge portion of your Goods to your Businesses in other cities. And it only gets better with the more places your Businesses pop up. As soon as you're able to, open another Franchise as soon as possible. (Second and third Franchise opportunities open up at Levels 10 and 20.) With two Franchises running Businesses in multiple cities you could easily unload 75 percent of your Goods the moment you log in and click the "Supply" button a few times.
5. All Aboard!
While we've touched on Shipping before, we didn't exactly touch its importance when it comes to Goods management. And the reason why it's at the end of this list is because, frankly, it's a last resort. But don't think it's not equally as important. To put it into perspective, shipping Goods via Train can rid you of up to 700 Goods in an instant. While many of us haven't expanded to a local waterway to give international shipping a go, surely that will provide an even better way of dumping excess Goods elsewhere while making some money in the process. So, when you're at a loss of where to put the rest of those Goods after everything else has been taken care of, send them off on a train and make a few friends happy.
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Now that you've expanded your Franchise empire along with the boundaries of your booming town in CityVille, it's time to get those Goods in line. I don't know about you, but I often find myself maxed out on Goods upon logging into the game. In fact, it's gotten to the point where, at times, I can't even harvest my crops before somehow getting rid of my gobs of Goods. However, there are a few ways to optimize your Goods management so that you don't run into the same problem.
1. The Right Crops for the Right Time
The number one way to control the amount of Goods you produce is planting smart. This isn't FarmVille anymore where the motto normally goes, "The more crops, the better!" Remember to be sure of the yield of each crop and its harvest time before planting. Now, you don't have to break out the calculator or anything (well, unless you're that intent on efficiency), but an idea of how many Goods are waiting for you in a few hours or days is good to keep in mind. For instance, I would strongly recommend against planting a field full of corn when you already have half of your Goods limit in storage.
Jump behind the break for four more tips on how effectively manage your Goods.
CityVille Storage
2. You're Gonna' Need a Bigger Boat
Or in this case, a bigger barn. There are currently only four storage solutions in the game and they're as follows:
-Silo: 250 coins; 100 Storage
-Red Barn: 1,000 coins; 415 Storage
-Sticks: 1,125 coins; 485 Storage
-Cargo Shed: 10 City Cash; 1,000 Storage
While it is mighty tempting to just say, "Forget it," and put up for the Cargo Shed, smart buys and even smarter positioning can help you avoid paying real dollars just to keep your Goods in safe keeping. While Silos are the cheapest solution to Storage, they're not exactly efficient. A much better strategy, although more expensive, would be to line up multiple Barns and Sticks adjacent to one another facing your farmland. In fact, the best way to build in CityVille is in a grid format similar to this, though it's not 100 percent necessary. The bottom line here is that if you place Barns and Sticks intelligently along the borders of your farmland or city, letting Silos fill in any unavoidable blanks, you should be fine when it comes to Storage.
3. Time is Money (and Goods)
Say it with me: Collect from and supply businesses as often as possible. Actually, collecting from Businesses should hold a much higher priority than collecting rent, taxes and free from residential buildings. Here's a scenario: if you only have a few Energy left, yet both your Businesses and Housing are ready to be collected from, which would spend your remaining Energy on? If your answer was cutting down Trees, you're are not even close to getting it. All kidding aside, just collect from the Businesses. This way, you'll get both coins and will be able to supply those Businesses, which costs nothing but Goods--and that's exactly what we want to get rid of.
Franchise Supply
4. Meet Expanding Demand with Expanding Supply
Franchises are a funnel for Goods. Every day, you'll be able to supply a huge portion of your Goods to your Businesses in other cities. And it only gets better with the more places your Businesses pop up. As soon as you're able to, open another Franchise as soon as possible. (Second and third Franchise opportunities open up at Levels 10 and 20.) With two Franchises running Businesses in multiple cities you could easily unload 75 percent of your Goods the moment you log in and click the "Supply" button a few times.
5. All Aboard!
While we've touched on Shipping before, we didn't exactly touch its importance when it comes to Goods management. And the reason why it's at the end of this list is because, frankly, it's a last resort. But don't think it's not equally as important. To put it into perspective, shipping Goods via Train can rid you of up to 700 Goods in an instant. While many of us haven't expanded to a local waterway to give international shipping a go, surely that will provide an even better way of dumping excess Goods elsewhere while making some money in the process. So, when you're at a loss of where to put the rest of those Goods after everything else has been taken care of, send them off on a train and make a few friends happy.
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Game of the Day: Winterbells
winterbells
winterbellsNeed a holiday game that's quick and cute? Winterbells is the game for you.
Winterbells, created by Orisinal, is one of the most beautiful Games of the Day ever. It follows a cute white bunny rabbit who embraces his curiosity of the heavens. Taking to the sky with a giant leap, he bounds from winter bell to winter bell, exploring the endless night. You can almost smell the cool, crisp, fresh winter air. Eventually, the mischievous bunny's ascent is cut short by a mistimed jump, and he glides back down to the earth, caught by the fresh snowfall.
Hint: Jumping on a bird doubles your score!
Click here to Play Winterbells >
winterbellsNeed a holiday game that's quick and cute? Winterbells is the game for you.
Winterbells, created by Orisinal, is one of the most beautiful Games of the Day ever. It follows a cute white bunny rabbit who embraces his curiosity of the heavens. Taking to the sky with a giant leap, he bounds from winter bell to winter bell, exploring the endless night. You can almost smell the cool, crisp, fresh winter air. Eventually, the mischievous bunny's ascent is cut short by a mistimed jump, and he glides back down to the earth, caught by the fresh snowfall.
Hint: Jumping on a bird doubles your score!
Click here to Play Winterbells >
Friday, January 13, 2012
CityVille Collections Guide: Where to find items, and the rewards you'll receive
As most CityVille players have picked up on by now, there is a huge section of CityVille dedicated to the completion of item collections. Similar to the collections found in other Zynga games (FarmVille and FrontierVille, as examples), these collection items can be earned by simply playing the game. Collections are themed, and if you can find all five items in a particular collection in CityVille, you'll be able to trade those items in for a helpful goodie(s) in the game. These prizes can be Experience Points, Energy Refills, or even exclusive items businesses, and houses that can only be earned through trading in collections, among other things.
Meet us behind the break for a complete list of the current collections available in CityVille, including the buildings that you'll need to collect from to earn these items, and the prizes you'll receive if you complete the collections.
Collection items usually have about a 3 percent chance of being dropped when you collect rent from a business or house, or harvest a crop. Of course there are exceptions such as the Danish from the Desserts Collection which has a 13 percent chance of being dropped. We'll go through the collections in the Collections Menu, which can be accessed by clicking on the Present / Cardboard Box icon in the bottom right corner of the CityVille gameplay screen, and clicking on the Gold Collections trophy.
Retail Collection - Earned from Tofu Burger, Grocery Store (City Supermarket), Department Store
Reward: 3 Energy & 25 Goods
Houseware Collection - Earned from Appliance Store
Reward: 50 Coins & 25 Goods
Home Furnishings Collection - Earned from Furniture Store
Reward: 3,000 Coins
Home Entertainment Collection - Earned from Music Store
Reward: 3,000 Coins
Bookworm Collection - Earned from Bookstore
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Peaceful Living Collection - Earned from Cozy Cottage, Lake House, and Country Home
Reward: White Picket Fence (1% Bonus item)
Suburbia Collection - Earned from Family Townhouse, Suburban House
Reward: Red Dog House (1% Bonus item)
Main Street Collection - Earned from Loft Apartments, Stylish Contemporary Home
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
City Life Collection - Earned from Terraced Apartments, Apartment Complex
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Rural Collection - Earned from Newlywed House, Ranch House, Rita's Country Home
Reward: 3 XP & 25 Goods
High Society Collection - Earned from Colonial Chalet, Modern Chateau, Sprawling Mansion
Reward: Driveway Gate (2% Bonus item)
Down Town Collection - Earned from Hotel Suites, Upscale Condos
Reward: Tavern (Building requiring 80 Goods; rewards 352 Coins by default)
Jet Setter Collection - Earned from Skyscraper Condos, Glass Condos, Atrium Lofts, Penthouse Tower
Reward: Tuxedo Rental (Building requiring 125 Goods; rewards 575 coins by default)
Just Desserts Collection - Earned from Bakery
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Garden Collection - Earned from Flower Kiosk
Reward: Purple Flowers (1% Bonus item)
Early Riser Collection - Earned from Coffee Shop, Hot Cocoa Shop
Reward: 3 Energy & 50 Goods
Game Collection - Earned from Toy Store, Video Game Store
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 Energy
Fast Food Collection - Earned from Burger Joint
Reward: Gray Hen (1% Bonus item)
Comfort Food Collection - Earned from Diner
Reward: Hot Dog Cart (1% Bonus item)
Forever Young Collection - Earned from Cosmetic Store
Reward: Pink Flowers (1% Bonus item)
Watering Hole Collection - Earned from Pool Hall, Tavern
Reward: 3 Energy & 3 XP
Fitness Collection - Earned from Bike Shop
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Designer Collection - Earned from Shoe Store, Sunglasses Store, Handbag Store
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
French Cuisine Collection - Earned from French Restaurant
Reward: Bird Fountain (9% Bonus item)
Surf and Turf Collection - Earned from Seafood Restaurant, Tower Eats
Reward: Black Cow (1% Bonus item)
Asian Cuisine Collection - Earned from Sushi Bar
Reward: Japanese Maple Tree (4% Bonus item)
Bridal Collection - Earned from Wedding Store, Tuxedo Rental
Reward: Newlywed House (Home offering 100 Population)
Silver Screen Collection - Earned from Cinema
Reward: Highway Billboard (9% Bonus item)
Convenience Store Collection - Earned from Corner Store
Reward: 3 Energy & 3 XP
Perfect Fit Collection - Earned from Seasonal Clothing Store, Chic Boutique, Laundromat
Reward: 50 Coins & 25 Goods
Bling Collection - Earned from Jewelry Store
Reward: 3,000 Coins
Corn Collection - Earned from Harvesting Corn Crop
Reward: White Goat (1% Bonus item)
Strawberry Collection - Earned from Harvesting Strawberry Crop
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Watermelon Collection - Earned from Harvesting Watermelon Crop
Reward: 3 XP & 25 Goods
Pumpkin Collection - Earned from Harvesting Pumpkin Crop
Reward: 3 XP & 3 Energy
Carrot Collection - Earned from Harvesting Carrot Crop
Reward: Gray Bunny (1% Bonus item)
Wheat Collection - Earned from Harvesting Wheat Crop
Reward: White Chicken (1% Bonus item)
Eggplant Collection - Earned from Harvesting Eggplant Crop
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Pea Collection - Earned from Harvesting Pea Crop
Reward: Corner Store (Building requiring 60 Goods; rewards 270 coins by default)
Cranberry Collection - Earned from Harvesting Cranberry Crop
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Lunar New Year Collection - Earned from Fireworks Shop, Noodle Shop, Martial Arts School (Dojo)
Reward: Country Pagoda
Remember, these collections are subject to change at any time, meaning that you may not always be able to find these items from the listed buildings - they might start randomly appearing from others. If / as things change with these collections, we'll make sure to update this space to ensure that you have the best possible information when trying to complete your own collections in the game. Happy collecting!
Meet us behind the break for a complete list of the current collections available in CityVille, including the buildings that you'll need to collect from to earn these items, and the prizes you'll receive if you complete the collections.
Collection items usually have about a 3 percent chance of being dropped when you collect rent from a business or house, or harvest a crop. Of course there are exceptions such as the Danish from the Desserts Collection which has a 13 percent chance of being dropped. We'll go through the collections in the Collections Menu, which can be accessed by clicking on the Present / Cardboard Box icon in the bottom right corner of the CityVille gameplay screen, and clicking on the Gold Collections trophy.
Retail Collection - Earned from Tofu Burger, Grocery Store (City Supermarket), Department Store
Reward: 3 Energy & 25 Goods
Houseware Collection - Earned from Appliance Store
Reward: 50 Coins & 25 Goods
Home Furnishings Collection - Earned from Furniture Store
Reward: 3,000 Coins
Home Entertainment Collection - Earned from Music Store
Reward: 3,000 Coins
Bookworm Collection - Earned from Bookstore
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Peaceful Living Collection - Earned from Cozy Cottage, Lake House, and Country Home
Reward: White Picket Fence (1% Bonus item)
Suburbia Collection - Earned from Family Townhouse, Suburban House
Reward: Red Dog House (1% Bonus item)
Main Street Collection - Earned from Loft Apartments, Stylish Contemporary Home
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
City Life Collection - Earned from Terraced Apartments, Apartment Complex
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Rural Collection - Earned from Newlywed House, Ranch House, Rita's Country Home
Reward: 3 XP & 25 Goods
High Society Collection - Earned from Colonial Chalet, Modern Chateau, Sprawling Mansion
Reward: Driveway Gate (2% Bonus item)
Down Town Collection - Earned from Hotel Suites, Upscale Condos
Reward: Tavern (Building requiring 80 Goods; rewards 352 Coins by default)
Jet Setter Collection - Earned from Skyscraper Condos, Glass Condos, Atrium Lofts, Penthouse Tower
Reward: Tuxedo Rental (Building requiring 125 Goods; rewards 575 coins by default)
Just Desserts Collection - Earned from Bakery
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Garden Collection - Earned from Flower Kiosk
Reward: Purple Flowers (1% Bonus item)
Early Riser Collection - Earned from Coffee Shop, Hot Cocoa Shop
Reward: 3 Energy & 50 Goods
Game Collection - Earned from Toy Store, Video Game Store
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 Energy
Fast Food Collection - Earned from Burger Joint
Reward: Gray Hen (1% Bonus item)
Comfort Food Collection - Earned from Diner
Reward: Hot Dog Cart (1% Bonus item)
Forever Young Collection - Earned from Cosmetic Store
Reward: Pink Flowers (1% Bonus item)
Watering Hole Collection - Earned from Pool Hall, Tavern
Reward: 3 Energy & 3 XP
Fitness Collection - Earned from Bike Shop
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Designer Collection - Earned from Shoe Store, Sunglasses Store, Handbag Store
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
French Cuisine Collection - Earned from French Restaurant
Reward: Bird Fountain (9% Bonus item)
Surf and Turf Collection - Earned from Seafood Restaurant, Tower Eats
Reward: Black Cow (1% Bonus item)
Asian Cuisine Collection - Earned from Sushi Bar
Reward: Japanese Maple Tree (4% Bonus item)
Bridal Collection - Earned from Wedding Store, Tuxedo Rental
Reward: Newlywed House (Home offering 100 Population)
Silver Screen Collection - Earned from Cinema
Reward: Highway Billboard (9% Bonus item)
Convenience Store Collection - Earned from Corner Store
Reward: 3 Energy & 3 XP
Perfect Fit Collection - Earned from Seasonal Clothing Store, Chic Boutique, Laundromat
Reward: 50 Coins & 25 Goods
Bling Collection - Earned from Jewelry Store
Reward: 3,000 Coins
Corn Collection - Earned from Harvesting Corn Crop
Reward: White Goat (1% Bonus item)
Strawberry Collection - Earned from Harvesting Strawberry Crop
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Watermelon Collection - Earned from Harvesting Watermelon Crop
Reward: 3 XP & 25 Goods
Pumpkin Collection - Earned from Harvesting Pumpkin Crop
Reward: 3 XP & 3 Energy
Carrot Collection - Earned from Harvesting Carrot Crop
Reward: Gray Bunny (1% Bonus item)
Wheat Collection - Earned from Harvesting Wheat Crop
Reward: White Chicken (1% Bonus item)
Eggplant Collection - Earned from Harvesting Eggplant Crop
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Pea Collection - Earned from Harvesting Pea Crop
Reward: Corner Store (Building requiring 60 Goods; rewards 270 coins by default)
Cranberry Collection - Earned from Harvesting Cranberry Crop
Reward: 50 Coins & 3 XP
Lunar New Year Collection - Earned from Fireworks Shop, Noodle Shop, Martial Arts School (Dojo)
Reward: Country Pagoda
Remember, these collections are subject to change at any time, meaning that you may not always be able to find these items from the listed buildings - they might start randomly appearing from others. If / as things change with these collections, we'll make sure to update this space to ensure that you have the best possible information when trying to complete your own collections in the game. Happy collecting!
FrontierVille glitch rewards mass amounts of random items
This is one glitch we'd actually be ok with accepting in the long-term (or even permanently) in FrontierVille. Over the last few days, we've seen more and more reports from users on the official FrontierVille forums who have received mass quantities of seemingly random objects in their inventory.
At first, we thought perhaps this glitch was just that - a one-off experience from one or two particular players, until we experienced it ourselves. In a particular example on the forums, users are now reporting (complete with screenshots) that their inventory is filled with 440 Dried Fruit, or even 740! For the record, I have 293, also as part of this glitch, so we know these users can't be lying. Dried Fruit was released as part of a 12 Days of Christmas mission in the game, so could this be a new glitch that has come along with this item?
Perhaps that is the case, but that doesn't explain my own particular experience, which has resulted in 121 Ink Wells appearing in my inventory at random. I haven't received these items as a gift (you can see who sent you items via your Gift Box when you login to the game), I didn't ask for them on my wall. One day I had less than ten Ink Wells, and now, as you can see from the image at the top of this post - I have 121. And 68 Chalks to boot!
Where are all of these items coming from? We're not exactly sure at this point, but the items do appear to function as normal all the same. That being the case, if you see a mass amount of a particular item having appeared in your inventory, it might be in your best interest to use all you can before Zynga fixes the glitch and removes the excess items.
At first, we thought perhaps this glitch was just that - a one-off experience from one or two particular players, until we experienced it ourselves. In a particular example on the forums, users are now reporting (complete with screenshots) that their inventory is filled with 440 Dried Fruit, or even 740! For the record, I have 293, also as part of this glitch, so we know these users can't be lying. Dried Fruit was released as part of a 12 Days of Christmas mission in the game, so could this be a new glitch that has come along with this item?
Perhaps that is the case, but that doesn't explain my own particular experience, which has resulted in 121 Ink Wells appearing in my inventory at random. I haven't received these items as a gift (you can see who sent you items via your Gift Box when you login to the game), I didn't ask for them on my wall. One day I had less than ten Ink Wells, and now, as you can see from the image at the top of this post - I have 121. And 68 Chalks to boot!
Where are all of these items coming from? We're not exactly sure at this point, but the items do appear to function as normal all the same. That being the case, if you see a mass amount of a particular item having appeared in your inventory, it might be in your best interest to use all you can before Zynga fixes the glitch and removes the excess items.
FrontierVille Gingerbread House changed - CityVille cross-promo removed
If you're one of the many FrontierVille players that are struggling to finish your Gingerbread House (either the first or the second time), due to a glitch with the CityVille cross promotion that doesn't give you a Chocolate Bar in FrontierVille after finishing the branded CityVille mission, you'll be happy to know that Zynga has listened to your concerns and has removed the CityVille cross-promotion from the Gingerbread House in FrontierVille altogether.
Whether you're on your first or second go around with the Gingerbread House, there are now just two cross-promotional activities that you'll need to take part in: one for Mafia Wars and one for Treasure Isle. To earn the Chocolate Bars, you'll now have to simply click on the "Ask for More" button from within the Gingerbread House's menu. This will allow you to post a news item to your wall, asking friends to send you a Chocolate Bar. This is a "Give one, get one" situation, so your friends will earn a Chocolate Bar in return, if they help you out.
The rest of the Gingerbread House building requirements remain unchanged, but as the cross-promotional links have now been fixed, this is one feature that now looks to be running fairly smoothly, all things considered.
Whether you're on your first or second go around with the Gingerbread House, there are now just two cross-promotional activities that you'll need to take part in: one for Mafia Wars and one for Treasure Isle. To earn the Chocolate Bars, you'll now have to simply click on the "Ask for More" button from within the Gingerbread House's menu. This will allow you to post a news item to your wall, asking friends to send you a Chocolate Bar. This is a "Give one, get one" situation, so your friends will earn a Chocolate Bar in return, if they help you out.
The rest of the Gingerbread House building requirements remain unchanged, but as the cross-promotional links have now been fixed, this is one feature that now looks to be running fairly smoothly, all things considered.
FrontierVille Hilarious Mission Series makes a game of Zynga's game
Bull@%!#
While these missions aren't actually in FrontierVille, you'll probably wish they were after taking a look at a few of them. A friend and fan of FrontierVille Info, Alexander Cain, employed some Photoshop magic to the standard FrontierVille Goal window for some gut-splitting albeit potentially offensive parodies of the game. Take Cain's first mission, "Bull@%!#," for example. It's description reads, "Trying to sort through all of the connection problems, begging requests, missed quests, crashes and overpriced decorations is sure a load of you-know-what! See if you can come up with a load of you-know-what on your own!"
To complete the Goal, you would fittingly enough have to collect 10 Meadow Muffins, sell 20 Adult Oxen and buy 10 Shovels. Another funny Mission, titled "Quit Arson Around," is described as, "Suspicious fires have been popping up all around your frontier lately; no one seems to know who is responsible. Maybe if you bought more Horseshoes, these things wouldn't happen." Thankfully, Zynga isn't that vindictive, but if they were at least we happen to have the tools to put them out.
Some of the more potentially offensive Missions include "Alone at Last," which reads, "A nice neighbor has taken the kids off your hands for the evening, leaving just you and your spouse. Search your homestead and your heart for some appropriate items for both fun AND pleasure," and "Cruci-fix'un!" We'll leave that last Goal to your imaginations, but check out the original post for even better laughs.
While these missions aren't actually in FrontierVille, you'll probably wish they were after taking a look at a few of them. A friend and fan of FrontierVille Info, Alexander Cain, employed some Photoshop magic to the standard FrontierVille Goal window for some gut-splitting albeit potentially offensive parodies of the game. Take Cain's first mission, "Bull@%!#," for example. It's description reads, "Trying to sort through all of the connection problems, begging requests, missed quests, crashes and overpriced decorations is sure a load of you-know-what! See if you can come up with a load of you-know-what on your own!"
To complete the Goal, you would fittingly enough have to collect 10 Meadow Muffins, sell 20 Adult Oxen and buy 10 Shovels. Another funny Mission, titled "Quit Arson Around," is described as, "Suspicious fires have been popping up all around your frontier lately; no one seems to know who is responsible. Maybe if you bought more Horseshoes, these things wouldn't happen." Thankfully, Zynga isn't that vindictive, but if they were at least we happen to have the tools to put them out.
Some of the more potentially offensive Missions include "Alone at Last," which reads, "A nice neighbor has taken the kids off your hands for the evening, leaving just you and your spouse. Search your homestead and your heart for some appropriate items for both fun AND pleasure," and "Cruci-fix'un!" We'll leave that last Goal to your imaginations, but check out the original post for even better laughs.
Mafia Wars 50,000 Feet Mission: Everything you need to know
While Challenge Missions in Mafia Wars normally take us to new locales, the sixth mission in the series, "50,000 Feet," will take us mobsters far above any location we've ever been to. This new Mission spanning three Chapters will only be around for another five days, so you better get to hijacking those planes and those three new Mastery items before you're out of time. And we want to help make that happen.
Check behind the break for our detailed guide on how to finish 50,000 Feet within the next 120 hours.
50,000 Feet Home Screen
To access this special event, find it under the Travel drop down box as if you're traveling to another location. This is where you can always find the Mission should you have to close the game. Thankfully, 50,000 Feet doesn't require players to recruit a new member to start the event nor is each Chapter locked behind a timer--just complete the first Chapter to access the next.
Reserve ChuteLike other Challenge Missions, a special item will be required to complete each job, which in this case is the Reserve Chute. You can collect up to 12 Reserve Chutes right from the Mission menu every 12 hours (depending on what Chapter you're on), but you'll probably need more sources of this item if you want to finish in time considering a total of 311 Reserve Chutes are required to finish the Mission. While it's not required, you'll be granted three extra Reserve Chutes for recruiting a new mafia member up to seven slots available. Better yet, Reserve Chutes are available in the Free Gifts page, so send away to complete these Jobs in good time.
Again, there is a Job Heat Meter that will increase as you complete Jobs, but unlike other Challenge Missions, this meter will only increase the Energy required to complete each Job and not the amount of Reserve Chutes needed. The Job Heat Meter will reset every eight hours , but don't push it--the meter will rest back to eight hours if you do a Job before it resets completely.
Mach-4 Halo Wingsuit Laser Rifle Prototype
Mastering each Job in a Chapter will reward players with one Skill Point and mastering all three will unlock the coveted Mastery Item. Here are all three Mastery Items for Chapters One, Two and Three:
Chapter 1: Mach-4 (Attack 66 Defense 48)
Chapter 2: HALO Wingsuit (Attack 88 Defense 51)
Chapter 3: Laser Rifle Prototype (Attack 114 Defense 63)
And there you have it. Since recruiting new players has been seriously downplayed this time around, gifting is essentially the fastest way to get this Challenge Mission completed in time. However, don't ignore the seven available Recruit slots as that's also a good source of 21 more Reserve Chutes. So, get back to gifting, respect that Job Heat Meter and you should nab that Laser Rifle Prototype in no time. Well, at least in five days, right?
Check behind the break for our detailed guide on how to finish 50,000 Feet within the next 120 hours.
50,000 Feet Home Screen
To access this special event, find it under the Travel drop down box as if you're traveling to another location. This is where you can always find the Mission should you have to close the game. Thankfully, 50,000 Feet doesn't require players to recruit a new member to start the event nor is each Chapter locked behind a timer--just complete the first Chapter to access the next.
Reserve ChuteLike other Challenge Missions, a special item will be required to complete each job, which in this case is the Reserve Chute. You can collect up to 12 Reserve Chutes right from the Mission menu every 12 hours (depending on what Chapter you're on), but you'll probably need more sources of this item if you want to finish in time considering a total of 311 Reserve Chutes are required to finish the Mission. While it's not required, you'll be granted three extra Reserve Chutes for recruiting a new mafia member up to seven slots available. Better yet, Reserve Chutes are available in the Free Gifts page, so send away to complete these Jobs in good time.
Again, there is a Job Heat Meter that will increase as you complete Jobs, but unlike other Challenge Missions, this meter will only increase the Energy required to complete each Job and not the amount of Reserve Chutes needed. The Job Heat Meter will reset every eight hours , but don't push it--the meter will rest back to eight hours if you do a Job before it resets completely.
Mach-4 Halo Wingsuit Laser Rifle Prototype
Mastering each Job in a Chapter will reward players with one Skill Point and mastering all three will unlock the coveted Mastery Item. Here are all three Mastery Items for Chapters One, Two and Three:
Chapter 1: Mach-4 (Attack 66 Defense 48)
Chapter 2: HALO Wingsuit (Attack 88 Defense 51)
Chapter 3: Laser Rifle Prototype (Attack 114 Defense 63)
And there you have it. Since recruiting new players has been seriously downplayed this time around, gifting is essentially the fastest way to get this Challenge Mission completed in time. However, don't ignore the seven available Recruit slots as that's also a good source of 21 more Reserve Chutes. So, get back to gifting, respect that Job Heat Meter and you should nab that Laser Rifle Prototype in no time. Well, at least in five days, right?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Capcom CEO: Social games had 'earth-shattering' effect on industry
But the guy means more than, "Holy moley, these things are money machines!" During an interview with Bloomberg Japan, Capcom CEO Kenzo Tsujimoto likened the rise of social gaming to when pinball machines were overrun in arcades by game cabinets, according to Serkan Toto. If there's one company to make that point, it's certainly Capcom.
The company behind horror and action franchises like Resident Evil and Street Fighter has enjoyed more international success in mobile social games than even Japanese giants like DeNA and Gree. Of course, that's thanks to its Beeline Interactive subsidiary, which is responsible for the wildly successful Smurfs Village (and Smurfs Grabber, sort of) on U.S. iPhones. In fact, the game was so ... compelling to consumers that Capcom had to rework how it handled in-game purchases.
Speaking with Bloomberg Japan, Tsujimoto said that social games make up about 6.6 percent of Capcom's profits, but he expects that to explode to about 30 percent "in a few years." But despite the wild profits Capcom expects to make from social games, Tsujimoto said to Bloomberg Japan that he's still excited about Nintendo's upcoming console, the Wii U. Well, here's to hoping the console has some sort of social gaming support, but we're sure the company has wised up by now.
The company behind horror and action franchises like Resident Evil and Street Fighter has enjoyed more international success in mobile social games than even Japanese giants like DeNA and Gree. Of course, that's thanks to its Beeline Interactive subsidiary, which is responsible for the wildly successful Smurfs Village (and Smurfs Grabber, sort of) on U.S. iPhones. In fact, the game was so ... compelling to consumers that Capcom had to rework how it handled in-game purchases.
Speaking with Bloomberg Japan, Tsujimoto said that social games make up about 6.6 percent of Capcom's profits, but he expects that to explode to about 30 percent "in a few years." But despite the wild profits Capcom expects to make from social games, Tsujimoto said to Bloomberg Japan that he's still excited about Nintendo's upcoming console, the Wii U. Well, here's to hoping the console has some sort of social gaming support, but we're sure the company has wised up by now.
Collapse! Blast, UNO Boost burst onto GameHouse games portal
Between its new mobile platform and now this, Facebook looms like the spaceship from Independence Day over the Internet. Casual and social game creator GameHouse announced that both of its Facebook games, Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost, are now available on GameHouse.com. The games are playable on GameHouse's home turf through Facebook Connect.
This allows players to switch between platforms with the same scores and gameplay data. More importantly--if not for GameHouse, then the Internet on the whole--this marks a creative partnership between Facebook and GameHouse that brings Facebook Credits to GameHouse.com. This is a first for Facebook that allows users to make purchases on third-party websites, games and apps using its exclusive currency, namely Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost.
According to GameHouse, this is currently in the test phase, allowing players to buy virtual goods using Facebook Credits within Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost on the GameHouse website slash games portal. The process of buying virtual items using Facebook Credits outside of Facebook is seamless. "We truly believe that every game will be social someday, whether it's played on Facebook, Google+, or at GameHouse.com," the company wrote in a blog post.
GameHouse social games
This news follows GameHouse's recent reveal of Bayou Blast, the developer's next game in the Blast series of social games. The game looks to be an arguably fresh take on the match-three genre that PopCap popularized with Bejeweled. As for Facebook Credits appearing outside of Facebook, this could have massive implications not only for social games, but the commerce on the web across the board.
This allows players to switch between platforms with the same scores and gameplay data. More importantly--if not for GameHouse, then the Internet on the whole--this marks a creative partnership between Facebook and GameHouse that brings Facebook Credits to GameHouse.com. This is a first for Facebook that allows users to make purchases on third-party websites, games and apps using its exclusive currency, namely Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost.
According to GameHouse, this is currently in the test phase, allowing players to buy virtual goods using Facebook Credits within Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost on the GameHouse website slash games portal. The process of buying virtual items using Facebook Credits outside of Facebook is seamless. "We truly believe that every game will be social someday, whether it's played on Facebook, Google+, or at GameHouse.com," the company wrote in a blog post.
GameHouse social games
This news follows GameHouse's recent reveal of Bayou Blast, the developer's next game in the Blast series of social games. The game looks to be an arguably fresh take on the match-three genre that PopCap popularized with Bejeweled. As for Facebook Credits appearing outside of Facebook, this could have massive implications not only for social games, but the commerce on the web across the board.
Capcom CEO: Social games had 'earth-shattering' effect on industry
But the guy means more than, "Holy moley, these things are money machines!" During an interview with Bloomberg Japan, Capcom CEO Kenzo Tsujimoto likened the rise of social gaming to when pinball machines were overrun in arcades by game cabinets, according to Serkan Toto. If there's one company to make that point, it's certainly Capcom.
The company behind horror and action franchises like Resident Evil and Street Fighter has enjoyed more international success in mobile social games than even Japanese giants like DeNA and Gree. Of course, that's thanks to its Beeline Interactive subsidiary, which is responsible for the wildly successful Smurfs Village (and Smurfs Grabber, sort of) on U.S. iPhones. In fact, the game was so ... compelling to consumers that Capcom had to rework how it handled in-game purchases.
Speaking with Bloomberg Japan, Tsujimoto said that social games make up about 6.6 percent of Capcom's profits, but he expects that to explode to about 30 percent "in a few years." But despite the wild profits Capcom expects to make from social games, Tsujimoto said to Bloomberg Japan that he's still excited about Nintendo's upcoming console, the Wii U. Well, here's to hoping the console has some sort of social gaming support, but we're sure the company has wised up by now.
The company behind horror and action franchises like Resident Evil and Street Fighter has enjoyed more international success in mobile social games than even Japanese giants like DeNA and Gree. Of course, that's thanks to its Beeline Interactive subsidiary, which is responsible for the wildly successful Smurfs Village (and Smurfs Grabber, sort of) on U.S. iPhones. In fact, the game was so ... compelling to consumers that Capcom had to rework how it handled in-game purchases.
Speaking with Bloomberg Japan, Tsujimoto said that social games make up about 6.6 percent of Capcom's profits, but he expects that to explode to about 30 percent "in a few years." But despite the wild profits Capcom expects to make from social games, Tsujimoto said to Bloomberg Japan that he's still excited about Nintendo's upcoming console, the Wii U. Well, here's to hoping the console has some sort of social gaming support, but we're sure the company has wised up by now.
Collapse! Blast, UNO Boost burst onto GameHouse games portal
Between its new mobile platform and now this, Facebook looms like the spaceship from Independence Day over the Internet. Casual and social game creator GameHouse announced that both of its Facebook games, Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost, are now available on GameHouse.com. The games are playable on GameHouse's home turf through Facebook Connect.
This allows players to switch between platforms with the same scores and gameplay data. More importantly--if not for GameHouse, then the Internet on the whole--this marks a creative partnership between Facebook and GameHouse that brings Facebook Credits to GameHouse.com. This is a first for Facebook that allows users to make purchases on third-party websites, games and apps using its exclusive currency, namely Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost.
According to GameHouse, this is currently in the test phase, allowing players to buy virtual goods using Facebook Credits within Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost on the GameHouse website slash games portal. The process of buying virtual items using Facebook Credits outside of Facebook is seamless. "We truly believe that every game will be social someday, whether it's played on Facebook, Google+, or at GameHouse.com," the company wrote in a blog post.
GameHouse social games
This news follows GameHouse's recent reveal of Bayou Blast, the developer's next game in the Blast series of social games. The game looks to be an arguably fresh take on the match-three genre that PopCap popularized with Bejeweled. As for Facebook Credits appearing outside of Facebook, this could have massive implications not only for social games, but the commerce on the web across the board.
This allows players to switch between platforms with the same scores and gameplay data. More importantly--if not for GameHouse, then the Internet on the whole--this marks a creative partnership between Facebook and GameHouse that brings Facebook Credits to GameHouse.com. This is a first for Facebook that allows users to make purchases on third-party websites, games and apps using its exclusive currency, namely Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost.
According to GameHouse, this is currently in the test phase, allowing players to buy virtual goods using Facebook Credits within Collapse! Blast and UNO Boost on the GameHouse website slash games portal. The process of buying virtual items using Facebook Credits outside of Facebook is seamless. "We truly believe that every game will be social someday, whether it's played on Facebook, Google+, or at GameHouse.com," the company wrote in a blog post.
GameHouse social games
This news follows GameHouse's recent reveal of Bayou Blast, the developer's next game in the Blast series of social games. The game looks to be an arguably fresh take on the match-three genre that PopCap popularized with Bejeweled. As for Facebook Credits appearing outside of Facebook, this could have massive implications not only for social games, but the commerce on the web across the board.
Former Playdom GM takes the reins of social game start-up 519 Games
Hey, at least it's not another traditional game exec jumping ship. Former Playdom GM Lloyd Melnick (pictured) left the Disney-owned social game maker earlier this summer for 519 Games, a social game start-up that plans to release its first game in 2012. Melnick announced the move on the down-low through his personal blog on his first day as CEO, Aug. 29.
The studio is a joint venture between EW Scripps Company and Capitol Broadcasting. But more importantly, the GM-turned-chief has big ambitions for 519 Games. (Like, massive, turn-the-industry-on-its-head ambitions.) "We are currently building a fantastic team and will be one of the top five social gaming companies (both social web and social mobile) by the end of 2012," Melnick wrote in a blog post. "More details will emerge over the next few weeks."
Those details haven't exactly emerged yet, but it's only a matter of time. Melnick, who worked for Disney International as Playdom's head of international operations, had nothing but thanks and praise for the company. "It was this great collection of people that helped me learn and grow professionally that I can now move on to the biggest opportunity I have ever had," Melnick wrote. "Again, thank you all."
Melnick left Playdom and Disney just as doubts grew as to whether the latter could properly use the former to succeed in social games. Since then, Playdom has finally moved to take advantage of Disney's immense branding support, first slapping "Disney's" onto Gnome Town. A number of Playdom games featuring the company's properties will see the light in 2012. Playdom also announced Secret Agent X, a Facebook game shrouded in secrecy that lives up to its title--very sneaky, sis.
The studio is a joint venture between EW Scripps Company and Capitol Broadcasting. But more importantly, the GM-turned-chief has big ambitions for 519 Games. (Like, massive, turn-the-industry-on-its-head ambitions.) "We are currently building a fantastic team and will be one of the top five social gaming companies (both social web and social mobile) by the end of 2012," Melnick wrote in a blog post. "More details will emerge over the next few weeks."
Those details haven't exactly emerged yet, but it's only a matter of time. Melnick, who worked for Disney International as Playdom's head of international operations, had nothing but thanks and praise for the company. "It was this great collection of people that helped me learn and grow professionally that I can now move on to the biggest opportunity I have ever had," Melnick wrote. "Again, thank you all."
Melnick left Playdom and Disney just as doubts grew as to whether the latter could properly use the former to succeed in social games. Since then, Playdom has finally moved to take advantage of Disney's immense branding support, first slapping "Disney's" onto Gnome Town. A number of Playdom games featuring the company's properties will see the light in 2012. Playdom also announced Secret Agent X, a Facebook game shrouded in secrecy that lives up to its title--very sneaky, sis.
The Killer Pumpkin assaults Pocket God on Facebook this Halloween
Do not under any circumstances mistake this for The Great Pumpkin. A killer pumpkin beast has attacked everybody's favorite pygmies in Pocket God on Facebook. Quebec-based Frima Studio has released a Halloween update to its social rendition of Pocket God, complete with new quests and powers, which means new ways (and reasons) to send pygmies to their doom.
While the game is down for maintenance as of this writing, a new Global Challenge awaits the game's 190,000 monthly players. The Great Jack-o'-Pygmy wants pumpkins everywhere this Halloween, and has granted players with the power to summon a giant pumpkin that transforms pygmies into pumpkins. And when those gourds grow to gigantic proportions, they can even be used to crush more pygmies.
A healthy seven solo quests have been introduced in honor of the costume and candy-filled day. Alright, we know all you care about is how you're going to squish more pygmies. Does this top a unicorn that farts radioactive rainbows? Not by a long shot, but hey, it's the Halloween season, and pumpkins just work. Besides, to best the unicorn, Frima would have to make a unicorn that farts double rainbows--that's still hip, right?
While the game is down for maintenance as of this writing, a new Global Challenge awaits the game's 190,000 monthly players. The Great Jack-o'-Pygmy wants pumpkins everywhere this Halloween, and has granted players with the power to summon a giant pumpkin that transforms pygmies into pumpkins. And when those gourds grow to gigantic proportions, they can even be used to crush more pygmies.
A healthy seven solo quests have been introduced in honor of the costume and candy-filled day. Alright, we know all you care about is how you're going to squish more pygmies. Does this top a unicorn that farts radioactive rainbows? Not by a long shot, but hey, it's the Halloween season, and pumpkins just work. Besides, to best the unicorn, Frima would have to make a unicorn that farts double rainbows--that's still hip, right?
Triple Town, 'Civilization of match-3 games', goes Kindle to Facebook
Triple Town is a new puzzler on Facebook that had its start on the Amazon Kindle last October, where it flourished in popularity. It was created by Spry Fox, a game studio founded by Daniel Cook, the co-creator of Realm of the Mad God, and David J. Edery, a former Worldwide Portfolio Manager for Xbox Live Arcade. After a spiffy makeover, Triple Town made its debut on Facebook and Google+ Games earlier this month, with plans to go mobile. According to AppData, it's now attracted 190,000 monthly players on Facebook.
Hailed by one reviewer as "the Civilization of match-three games," Triple Town is a unique title with familiar aesthetics. Spry Fox originally chose the Kindle as the game's platform, which was explained as "an interesting emerging opportunity" by Edery. But as the game grew popular, Spry Fox wanted to spread the love around. Citing a lack of Bejeweled Blitz-type games on Facebook, Spry Fox decided to push for Triple Town's launch on the social network, as well as make it available in both English and Spanish.
Triple Town merge objects
A basic principle to understanding how to play Triple Town is the following idea: "Grass turns into bushes, bushes into trees, trees into huts, and so on." When you start a round, you're presented with a grid in a woodland theme. There are no time limits and no energy limit. Though you do run out of moves eventually, the creator made sure that you get so many moves that any average player would be able to earn enough virtual currency to buy more moves through play alone.
Triple Crown Double Combos
Like most match-3 games--Bejeweled Blitz and Diamond Dash, for instance--you'll receive random pieces one at a time, but you get to control where they go on your grid. But unlike those traditional games, matching stuff doesn't make it disappear. Instead, matching stuff creates other stuff that's worth a lot more, thereby, netting you more points. The goal of the game is to get as high a score as possible by continuing to merge objects and not running out of space to put things.
Triple Town bears church
The game also throws in some monkey wrenches in the form of Bears and Ninja Bears to make things more challenging. These are pieces that will move around the grid even after you've put them down. Despite having evil, beady and glowing red eyes, the bears are pretty adorable. They'll totter about, roar, and make grumbly ursine noises as you play. On the flip side, other pieces will be there to help you, like the Blue Crystal and Imperial Bot.
Triple Town gameplay
You can see how all these elements can make the game simple, yet surprisingly complex. Every time you move objects on the grid and a match occurs, you've altered the playing field. I thought I'd jump in for a few minutes for one round, but the better of a player you are, the longer you can last, and this game can easily suck up an hour.
Triple Town is truly unlike any game I've ever seen before, for Facebook or otherwise. The closest comparison I can think of is Scott Brodie's Hero Generations, which also involves manipulating an evolving grid-based landscape with a fantasy setting. But Brodie's game is more like an old-fashioned, 8-bit role-playing adventure game. Triple Town also isn't a social game at all, since the only element is a weekly leaderboard, though Spry Fox has plans to expand the game in the future, hinting that it's only a small aspect of a larger Triple Town universe.
Hailed by one reviewer as "the Civilization of match-three games," Triple Town is a unique title with familiar aesthetics. Spry Fox originally chose the Kindle as the game's platform, which was explained as "an interesting emerging opportunity" by Edery. But as the game grew popular, Spry Fox wanted to spread the love around. Citing a lack of Bejeweled Blitz-type games on Facebook, Spry Fox decided to push for Triple Town's launch on the social network, as well as make it available in both English and Spanish.
Triple Town merge objects
A basic principle to understanding how to play Triple Town is the following idea: "Grass turns into bushes, bushes into trees, trees into huts, and so on." When you start a round, you're presented with a grid in a woodland theme. There are no time limits and no energy limit. Though you do run out of moves eventually, the creator made sure that you get so many moves that any average player would be able to earn enough virtual currency to buy more moves through play alone.
Triple Crown Double Combos
Like most match-3 games--Bejeweled Blitz and Diamond Dash, for instance--you'll receive random pieces one at a time, but you get to control where they go on your grid. But unlike those traditional games, matching stuff doesn't make it disappear. Instead, matching stuff creates other stuff that's worth a lot more, thereby, netting you more points. The goal of the game is to get as high a score as possible by continuing to merge objects and not running out of space to put things.
Triple Town bears church
The game also throws in some monkey wrenches in the form of Bears and Ninja Bears to make things more challenging. These are pieces that will move around the grid even after you've put them down. Despite having evil, beady and glowing red eyes, the bears are pretty adorable. They'll totter about, roar, and make grumbly ursine noises as you play. On the flip side, other pieces will be there to help you, like the Blue Crystal and Imperial Bot.
Triple Town gameplay
You can see how all these elements can make the game simple, yet surprisingly complex. Every time you move objects on the grid and a match occurs, you've altered the playing field. I thought I'd jump in for a few minutes for one round, but the better of a player you are, the longer you can last, and this game can easily suck up an hour.
Triple Town is truly unlike any game I've ever seen before, for Facebook or otherwise. The closest comparison I can think of is Scott Brodie's Hero Generations, which also involves manipulating an evolving grid-based landscape with a fantasy setting. But Brodie's game is more like an old-fashioned, 8-bit role-playing adventure game. Triple Town also isn't a social game at all, since the only element is a weekly leaderboard, though Spry Fox has plans to expand the game in the future, hinting that it's only a small aspect of a larger Triple Town universe.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Funtank promotes good breath with Dentyne advergame
Dentyne Ice and Fire game
A brand new game by Funtank (who are owned by the Publishers Clearing House) has just released to the wild, and it's a branded advertising game for Dentyne Ice and Dentyne Fire chewing gum. Sounds like a stretch, right? The game is a simple one that won't take you too long to master (or get bored, for that matter).
In Ice & Fire, you are shown a quick Flash cutscene of your male avatar on a date with a woman. When you lean in to give her a kiss, she refuses to kiss you because you don't have a piece of chewing gum. You then have to run quickly and race the clock in a side-scrolling game to try to find gum in time. The screen scrolls on its own, and you have to use the up arrow on your keyboard to jump and double-jump over items. Hitting the junk on the ground makes you fall and lose your progress, and jumping to collect starts gives you a bonus.
There are two modes. Story Mode allows you to practice games on your own, and Epic Run Mode allows you to compete with your friends. You can share stories to your newsfeed with your score, and see your progress on a leaderboard. That's about it for this shallow advergame. It isn't too impressive, but it did provide 10 minutes of enjoyment (and frequent swearing) for me. Perhaps your mileage will vary.
Would a game like this inspire you to buy Dentyne chewing gum?
A brand new game by Funtank (who are owned by the Publishers Clearing House) has just released to the wild, and it's a branded advertising game for Dentyne Ice and Dentyne Fire chewing gum. Sounds like a stretch, right? The game is a simple one that won't take you too long to master (or get bored, for that matter).
In Ice & Fire, you are shown a quick Flash cutscene of your male avatar on a date with a woman. When you lean in to give her a kiss, she refuses to kiss you because you don't have a piece of chewing gum. You then have to run quickly and race the clock in a side-scrolling game to try to find gum in time. The screen scrolls on its own, and you have to use the up arrow on your keyboard to jump and double-jump over items. Hitting the junk on the ground makes you fall and lose your progress, and jumping to collect starts gives you a bonus.
There are two modes. Story Mode allows you to practice games on your own, and Epic Run Mode allows you to compete with your friends. You can share stories to your newsfeed with your score, and see your progress on a leaderboard. That's about it for this shallow advergame. It isn't too impressive, but it did provide 10 minutes of enjoyment (and frequent swearing) for me. Perhaps your mileage will vary.
Would a game like this inspire you to buy Dentyne chewing gum?
Take a trip on the Wild West Express on Facebook
A recent theme found in many Facebook games is that of trains. From games like Train City and Lucky Train, which are focused solely on trains, to titles like CityVille, which relies on a train system to exchange goods between users, it's clear that developers are happy to release games themed around the railroad. So too was Vivo, Inc. who decided to go back to the wild west with their train-themed Facebook game, appropriately titled Wild West Express.
Led through the game by Railroad Bill, you'll be able to turn a once desolate stretch of railroad, in the middle of the hot desert into a sprawling, bustling western town. The goal of the game is to add "facilities" or businesses to your growing town that will produce goods. Goods are then sent along the railroad to other towns, with every shipment you send out making you more more, and giving you experience points used to level you up.
To see just what makes Wild West Express tick, hop on board and meet us behind the break.
While the concept of simply producing goods and shipping them off down the line sounds simple enough, Wild West Express actually has a fairly complex transportation system. You'll be able to own multiple trains, and you can send trains full of supplies to different towns. Of course, different towns will be different distances away from your own town, so the farther away a town is, the longer your train will take to travel and return.
You'l also need to buy specific kinds of cars for your trains to hold the various goods you produce. For instance, your starting Farmhouse will produce Grain, and you'll need to purchase a Grain Hopper for your train in order to transport the grain safely to a neighboring town.
Other businesses include Horse Stables, Ranches, Bakeries, Butcher Shops, Post Offices, and the like - things that you'd expect to see in any town of the old west. Depending on the item, you'll produce different goods. The Horse Stable produces Horses, obviously, while the Butcher Shop and Bakery produce general food items, as examples. You'll unlock more and more kinds of businesses as you level up in the game.
Wild West Express contains an energy system of sorts, that is instead called your "Water Supply." Being in the middle of the dry desert, you'll need water to grow your crops, power your trains and so on. You'll only have a certain amount of water to spend in every play session, with water regenerating slowly over time. You can also purchase water outright for premium currency.
All told, there are 13 different items your town can produce, and 13 different items that you can receive (you can send trains to and from your friends' towns, as well as the CPU controlled towns). As you send different items, and collect your profits successfully, your stock ticker will increase, showing your overall successfulness in the game. This stock ticker serves as a way for the game to compare you to all of the different players on Facebook via an in-game leaderboard.
There is also a light quest system in Wild West Express, that serves to help you become more acquainted with the gameplay by having you purchase specific businesses, collect their goods multiple times, and so on. You'll receive experience point rewards for completing them, so they aren't a waste of time, especially since they are likely tasks you would be completing on your own anyway.
Unfortunately, Wild West Express looks to be one of those titles that forces you to level up a bit too far before unlocking other game features, as you'll need to be at least level 9 to be able to hire a sheriff for your town, giving you the ability to add security to your trains. You can, however, purchase any locked item early for premium currency, which is an expected addition here.
If you've yet to try a train-themed Facebook game, why not hop on board with the other 11,000 players that have already tried this new game?
Led through the game by Railroad Bill, you'll be able to turn a once desolate stretch of railroad, in the middle of the hot desert into a sprawling, bustling western town. The goal of the game is to add "facilities" or businesses to your growing town that will produce goods. Goods are then sent along the railroad to other towns, with every shipment you send out making you more more, and giving you experience points used to level you up.
To see just what makes Wild West Express tick, hop on board and meet us behind the break.
While the concept of simply producing goods and shipping them off down the line sounds simple enough, Wild West Express actually has a fairly complex transportation system. You'll be able to own multiple trains, and you can send trains full of supplies to different towns. Of course, different towns will be different distances away from your own town, so the farther away a town is, the longer your train will take to travel and return.
You'l also need to buy specific kinds of cars for your trains to hold the various goods you produce. For instance, your starting Farmhouse will produce Grain, and you'll need to purchase a Grain Hopper for your train in order to transport the grain safely to a neighboring town.
Other businesses include Horse Stables, Ranches, Bakeries, Butcher Shops, Post Offices, and the like - things that you'd expect to see in any town of the old west. Depending on the item, you'll produce different goods. The Horse Stable produces Horses, obviously, while the Butcher Shop and Bakery produce general food items, as examples. You'll unlock more and more kinds of businesses as you level up in the game.
Wild West Express contains an energy system of sorts, that is instead called your "Water Supply." Being in the middle of the dry desert, you'll need water to grow your crops, power your trains and so on. You'll only have a certain amount of water to spend in every play session, with water regenerating slowly over time. You can also purchase water outright for premium currency.
All told, there are 13 different items your town can produce, and 13 different items that you can receive (you can send trains to and from your friends' towns, as well as the CPU controlled towns). As you send different items, and collect your profits successfully, your stock ticker will increase, showing your overall successfulness in the game. This stock ticker serves as a way for the game to compare you to all of the different players on Facebook via an in-game leaderboard.
There is also a light quest system in Wild West Express, that serves to help you become more acquainted with the gameplay by having you purchase specific businesses, collect their goods multiple times, and so on. You'll receive experience point rewards for completing them, so they aren't a waste of time, especially since they are likely tasks you would be completing on your own anyway.
Unfortunately, Wild West Express looks to be one of those titles that forces you to level up a bit too far before unlocking other game features, as you'll need to be at least level 9 to be able to hire a sheriff for your town, giving you the ability to add security to your trains. You can, however, purchase any locked item early for premium currency, which is an expected addition here.
If you've yet to try a train-themed Facebook game, why not hop on board with the other 11,000 players that have already tried this new game?
Cafe World Salad Bar Goals: Everything you need to know
Along with the release of the new Cafe World Salad Bar construction project, Zynga has also launched a new series of goals in the game dealing with this new item. Appropriately, this new set of five goals is called "Salad Bar," with each particular step being called Salad Bar I, Salad Bar II, and so on.
For the first step of this mission series, you'll need to go about the actual process of placing and building the Salad Bar in your Cafe. For a complete look at how to do that, make sure to check out our complete guide to building the Salad Bar in Cafe World, which includes a look at its form and function, and how to upgrade the item.
Specifically, the first part of this goal series asks you to:
Place your Salad Bar
Complete the Salad Bar
Stock your Salad Bar
The Salad Bar item itself can be found under the Special items portion of the store's functional menu. From there, simply complete the Salad Bar and then stock it (using any coin or Cafe Cash amount you'd like) and voila - your first prize of 100 Cafe Points and 100 coins will be yours.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the rest of this five-part Salad Bar goal set.
Part two of this five part series asks you to complete another three tasks, with these not being entirely inclusive on the Salad Bar itself:
Serve 5 Voodoo Chicken Salad
Earn 1000 coins
Restock Salad Bar 2 times
The Voodoo Chicken Salad is a 12 hour dish, so your best bet would be to start some of these before calling it quits the for night, and then serving them before you start your day in the morning. You can, of course, also complete any of these steps with Cafe Cash, with the Voodoo Chicken Salad being completed instantly for 5 Cafe Cash, and the restocking of your Salad Bar costing 4 Cafe Cash.
The rewards for finishing this second step are 200 coins and 200 Cafe Points.
Finishing part 2 unlocks the third step in this five part series, called "Salad Bar III." This quest asks you to complete an upgrade on your Salad Bar, unlocking a new ingredient (which makes your Salad Bar earn more money per salad sold).
Unlock Cucumbers in the Salad Bar
Earn 5000 coins
Restock Salad Bar 5 Times
Unlocking the Cucumbers in the Salad Bar is an entire goal in and of itself, and requires you to Cook French Onion Soup 10 times, Clean 10 Stoves, and Spice 5 Friend Stoves. Each of these goals are quite simple actually, as you'll be able to clean the stoves and spice friends' stoves by simply playing the game (your stoves count as being cleaned even if you have the No Clean Fairy in your Cafe). Cooking the French Onion Soup is also simple, as it says nothing of "Serving," and requires you to only set the dishes into the motion of cooking, and not actually wait for them to finish.
The rewards for part III are 300 coins and 300 Cafe Points.
Part IV or V asks you to unlock yet another ingredient in the Salad Bar, this time the Yellow Onions.
Unlock Yellow Onions in the Salad Bar
Earn 10000 coins
Restock Salad Bar 10 times
The Yellow Onions have their own three steps to unlock, just as the Cucumbers do, as they require you to Serve Spitfire Roasted Chicken (a 24 hour dish) two times, Serve 10 cups of Cup O' Joe from the Coffee Machine, and collect 10 onions from friends. Yes, this is a collection event - click on the "Ask for it" button to ask your friends for help in collecting the onions you need to move on.
Finishing Part IV of this mission gives you 600 coins and 600 Cafe Points.
At this point, you'll unlock the fifth and final mission in the Salad Bar series which asks you unlock yet another ingredient in the Salad Bar:
Unlock Baby Carrots
Earn 20,000 coins
Restock the Salad Bar 20 times
Not only will unlocking the Baby Carrots require you to complete another three tasks (Serve Tikka Masala Babobs 10 times, Spice 5 Friend Stoves, and Get 20 Baby Carrots by asking friends), but you'll also have to restock the Salad Bar quite a few times, making this the most time consuming step of them all. Luckily, by the time you finish these two tasks, you should have easily earned your 20,000 coins, and you'll finally be able to say goodbye to this quest set, and move on to others.
For the first step of this mission series, you'll need to go about the actual process of placing and building the Salad Bar in your Cafe. For a complete look at how to do that, make sure to check out our complete guide to building the Salad Bar in Cafe World, which includes a look at its form and function, and how to upgrade the item.
Specifically, the first part of this goal series asks you to:
Place your Salad Bar
Complete the Salad Bar
Stock your Salad Bar
The Salad Bar item itself can be found under the Special items portion of the store's functional menu. From there, simply complete the Salad Bar and then stock it (using any coin or Cafe Cash amount you'd like) and voila - your first prize of 100 Cafe Points and 100 coins will be yours.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the rest of this five-part Salad Bar goal set.
Part two of this five part series asks you to complete another three tasks, with these not being entirely inclusive on the Salad Bar itself:
Serve 5 Voodoo Chicken Salad
Earn 1000 coins
Restock Salad Bar 2 times
The Voodoo Chicken Salad is a 12 hour dish, so your best bet would be to start some of these before calling it quits the for night, and then serving them before you start your day in the morning. You can, of course, also complete any of these steps with Cafe Cash, with the Voodoo Chicken Salad being completed instantly for 5 Cafe Cash, and the restocking of your Salad Bar costing 4 Cafe Cash.
The rewards for finishing this second step are 200 coins and 200 Cafe Points.
Finishing part 2 unlocks the third step in this five part series, called "Salad Bar III." This quest asks you to complete an upgrade on your Salad Bar, unlocking a new ingredient (which makes your Salad Bar earn more money per salad sold).
Unlock Cucumbers in the Salad Bar
Earn 5000 coins
Restock Salad Bar 5 Times
Unlocking the Cucumbers in the Salad Bar is an entire goal in and of itself, and requires you to Cook French Onion Soup 10 times, Clean 10 Stoves, and Spice 5 Friend Stoves. Each of these goals are quite simple actually, as you'll be able to clean the stoves and spice friends' stoves by simply playing the game (your stoves count as being cleaned even if you have the No Clean Fairy in your Cafe). Cooking the French Onion Soup is also simple, as it says nothing of "Serving," and requires you to only set the dishes into the motion of cooking, and not actually wait for them to finish.
The rewards for part III are 300 coins and 300 Cafe Points.
Part IV or V asks you to unlock yet another ingredient in the Salad Bar, this time the Yellow Onions.
Unlock Yellow Onions in the Salad Bar
Earn 10000 coins
Restock Salad Bar 10 times
The Yellow Onions have their own three steps to unlock, just as the Cucumbers do, as they require you to Serve Spitfire Roasted Chicken (a 24 hour dish) two times, Serve 10 cups of Cup O' Joe from the Coffee Machine, and collect 10 onions from friends. Yes, this is a collection event - click on the "Ask for it" button to ask your friends for help in collecting the onions you need to move on.
Finishing Part IV of this mission gives you 600 coins and 600 Cafe Points.
At this point, you'll unlock the fifth and final mission in the Salad Bar series which asks you unlock yet another ingredient in the Salad Bar:
Unlock Baby Carrots
Earn 20,000 coins
Restock the Salad Bar 20 times
Not only will unlocking the Baby Carrots require you to complete another three tasks (Serve Tikka Masala Babobs 10 times, Spice 5 Friend Stoves, and Get 20 Baby Carrots by asking friends), but you'll also have to restock the Salad Bar quite a few times, making this the most time consuming step of them all. Luckily, by the time you finish these two tasks, you should have easily earned your 20,000 coins, and you'll finally be able to say goodbye to this quest set, and move on to others.
FarmVille Valentines Mailbox: Everything you need to know
In a late night update this evening, Zynga has launched the Valentines Mailbox in FarmVille. As we've been speculating for some time now, this mailbox functions in much the same way as the Mailbox from last year, in that you'll be able to collect various Valentine-themed collectible objects with the help of your friends, with these items being redeemable for prizes in the game.
This year's Mailbox sees a re-release of five of the six prizes included inside, which may make quite a few veteran farmers more than a bit upset. After all, if you played the game during February of last year, you'll likely have these five items (at least four of them - one was only available in a Mystery Box) on your farm, giving you very little in the way of new incentive to work towards. It's possible (and in fact very likely) that this first set of six rewards might be just the first of many items added (like with the Winter Holiday event), as the most expensive prize right now costs 50 Valentines, and the meter goes to 300+. Either way, whether you start collecting Valentines now or later is up to you.
Of course, whether you already have these items or not, the only way you'll be able to afford them now is by gathering Valentines, and there are many methods (as usual) of going about that task.
First and foremost, you'll be able to earn Valentines mostly from your friends. You'll be given you Valentines Mailbox for free upon entering the game. Once placed on your farm, you'll have access to the trade-in window, where you'll see the standard meter that keeps track of your progress and the prizes that you can earn. It's here that you can click on the "Ask for More" button to be sent to a reverse of the game's free gifts page, where you can send individual requests to your neighbors, asking them to send you a valentine.
Your friends can also initiate this process entirely by heading to the FarmVille Free Gifts page and choosing one of the five items that are available to send to. These items are the Rose Vase, Baby's Breath (flowers), Valentine Chocolates, Stuffed Cow, and Love Letters.
You can purchase Valentines from the store at a rate of 5 Valentines per 5 Farm Cash. It doesn't appear as though there's a way to purchase an individual Valentine, so you'll need to spend 5 Farm Cash, or none at all. Finally, remember that if you have built your Cupid's Castle, that Valentines will now spawn from this item daily (so long as you collect from it once everyday), and you'll be able to receive up to three Valentines every day, depending on how far you've gone in the construction of the castle.
As you start to accumulate Valentines, you'll be able to trade them in for the following rewards (the first five are re-releases from last year):
Red Heart Hay - 1 Valentine
Yellow Rose Stand - 3 Valentines
Fancy Carriage (formerly a Mystery Box item) - 10 Valentines
Luv Ewe - 20 Valentines
Giant Teddy - 30 Valentines
Valentine Ram - 50 Valentines
Again, it seems as though Zynga will likely add more items to the prize list in the future, as we doubt they would allow users to accumulate over 300 Valentines and only leave the most expensive item at a cost of 50.
In addition to all of these methods of Valentine collection, remember that you'll frequently be asked to share free Valentines on your wall, and that your friends will be posting the same, so keep an eye out for free Valentines on your news feed to really boost your total.
farmville valentine mailbox
This year's Mailbox sees a re-release of five of the six prizes included inside, which may make quite a few veteran farmers more than a bit upset. After all, if you played the game during February of last year, you'll likely have these five items (at least four of them - one was only available in a Mystery Box) on your farm, giving you very little in the way of new incentive to work towards. It's possible (and in fact very likely) that this first set of six rewards might be just the first of many items added (like with the Winter Holiday event), as the most expensive prize right now costs 50 Valentines, and the meter goes to 300+. Either way, whether you start collecting Valentines now or later is up to you.
Of course, whether you already have these items or not, the only way you'll be able to afford them now is by gathering Valentines, and there are many methods (as usual) of going about that task.
First and foremost, you'll be able to earn Valentines mostly from your friends. You'll be given you Valentines Mailbox for free upon entering the game. Once placed on your farm, you'll have access to the trade-in window, where you'll see the standard meter that keeps track of your progress and the prizes that you can earn. It's here that you can click on the "Ask for More" button to be sent to a reverse of the game's free gifts page, where you can send individual requests to your neighbors, asking them to send you a valentine.
Your friends can also initiate this process entirely by heading to the FarmVille Free Gifts page and choosing one of the five items that are available to send to. These items are the Rose Vase, Baby's Breath (flowers), Valentine Chocolates, Stuffed Cow, and Love Letters.
You can purchase Valentines from the store at a rate of 5 Valentines per 5 Farm Cash. It doesn't appear as though there's a way to purchase an individual Valentine, so you'll need to spend 5 Farm Cash, or none at all. Finally, remember that if you have built your Cupid's Castle, that Valentines will now spawn from this item daily (so long as you collect from it once everyday), and you'll be able to receive up to three Valentines every day, depending on how far you've gone in the construction of the castle.
As you start to accumulate Valentines, you'll be able to trade them in for the following rewards (the first five are re-releases from last year):
Red Heart Hay - 1 Valentine
Yellow Rose Stand - 3 Valentines
Fancy Carriage (formerly a Mystery Box item) - 10 Valentines
Luv Ewe - 20 Valentines
Giant Teddy - 30 Valentines
Valentine Ram - 50 Valentines
Again, it seems as though Zynga will likely add more items to the prize list in the future, as we doubt they would allow users to accumulate over 300 Valentines and only leave the most expensive item at a cost of 50.
In addition to all of these methods of Valentine collection, remember that you'll frequently be asked to share free Valentines on your wall, and that your friends will be posting the same, so keep an eye out for free Valentines on your news feed to really boost your total.
farmville valentine mailbox
FarmVille Unwither Rings return for Valentine's Day
Unwither Ring in the MarketAs if you didn't already have every jeweler in the country telling you that diamonds are the ultimate Valentine's gift, now FarmVille has caught the fever too. Unwither Rings have returned to the Market for just 17 more days and, yes, they still cost 250 Farm Cash. In case you were wondering, that's just under $50.
Unwither Rings have been the subject of nearly limitless scrutiny and criticism. The fact that players can simply purchase unlimited wither protection just makes some farmers' skin crawl. Though, if you find it a worthwhile purchase, then by all means buy it. I'm not here to judge, but I never said anything about jealousy, bitterness or outright envy.
Unwither Rings have been the subject of nearly limitless scrutiny and criticism. The fact that players can simply purchase unlimited wither protection just makes some farmers' skin crawl. Though, if you find it a worthwhile purchase, then by all means buy it. I'm not here to judge, but I never said anything about jealousy, bitterness or outright envy.
Friday, January 6, 2012
LOLapps' Ravenwood Fair nears 11M monthly players, but how?
LOLapps is not afraid to display its methods of success. In fact, it flaunts them in adorable infographics involving flagship game, Ravenwood Fair. This time around, the company is done educating the masses and shows that since Jan. 2011, the forests of Ravenwood have exploded with over 10 million monthly players and over 1 million daily players. However, the LOLapps may have unintentionally revealed how it achieved this milestone.
Then again, it could have been 100 percent intentional. Toward the end of the infographic, the company shows that the game has launched on three other platforms than Facebook: StudiVZ, Orkut and Imvu. Not to mention that Ravenwood Fair will soon launch on Mixi. (You mean other social networks exist?) Developers have a hard time getting close to even Zynga's worst-performing games. So, how does a game that suffered controversy and even a shut down short after its launch just explode in an instant? Alright, maybe not an instant, but it sure feels that way in social games at times.
All kidding aside, players from these networks could have easily migrated from their native social networks to Facebook, where the game was originally developed and released. Perhaps payments are complicated on these networks, as opposed to the simplified Facebook Credits method. Perhaps the game simply runs more smoothly on Facebook. Most importantly, perhaps there are more players already on Facebook. Granted, this is all conjecture, but let's be honest here: How many Ravenwood Fair players could there be on Orkut when compared to Facebook?
Social games require friends to succeed. It's plain and simple, and social gamers are privy to that. Is it possible that LOLapps intentionally released the game on other platforms to increase its player base inversely on Facebook? Perhaps this is too tin-foil-hat for some, and it could just as easily have been a pleasant mistake. But will this same thing happen again to the Mixi players? LOLapps said it themselves: A large reason why Ravenwood Fair and social gaming work is because of the nature of friend networks. Why do you think FarmVille isn't popular on its own website? Because that's not where the friends are, silly. You'll see if we're right in a few months.
Do you think this could be the reason for Ravenwood's rapid growth, intentional or otherwise? How long do Aside from being a well- designed game, how else do you think LOLapps achieved this success? Sound off in the comments. 5 Comments
Full infographic
Then again, it could have been 100 percent intentional. Toward the end of the infographic, the company shows that the game has launched on three other platforms than Facebook: StudiVZ, Orkut and Imvu. Not to mention that Ravenwood Fair will soon launch on Mixi. (You mean other social networks exist?) Developers have a hard time getting close to even Zynga's worst-performing games. So, how does a game that suffered controversy and even a shut down short after its launch just explode in an instant? Alright, maybe not an instant, but it sure feels that way in social games at times.
All kidding aside, players from these networks could have easily migrated from their native social networks to Facebook, where the game was originally developed and released. Perhaps payments are complicated on these networks, as opposed to the simplified Facebook Credits method. Perhaps the game simply runs more smoothly on Facebook. Most importantly, perhaps there are more players already on Facebook. Granted, this is all conjecture, but let's be honest here: How many Ravenwood Fair players could there be on Orkut when compared to Facebook?
Social games require friends to succeed. It's plain and simple, and social gamers are privy to that. Is it possible that LOLapps intentionally released the game on other platforms to increase its player base inversely on Facebook? Perhaps this is too tin-foil-hat for some, and it could just as easily have been a pleasant mistake. But will this same thing happen again to the Mixi players? LOLapps said it themselves: A large reason why Ravenwood Fair and social gaming work is because of the nature of friend networks. Why do you think FarmVille isn't popular on its own website? Because that's not where the friends are, silly. You'll see if we're right in a few months.
Do you think this could be the reason for Ravenwood's rapid growth, intentional or otherwise? How long do Aside from being a well- designed game, how else do you think LOLapps achieved this success? Sound off in the comments. 5 Comments
Full infographic
FarmVille Cheats & Tips: Leprechaun Cottage gifting links
Hello Farm-folks, It's Mr. Cheats here with the down-low on the things you shouldn't know.
Today's gifting links are for the FarmVille Leprechaun Cottage. This mighty St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun Cottage tree fort is going to require a ton of nails, bricks, and wooden boards so you best get started using my Leprechaun Cottage gifting links below to get a head start on construction. To use the Leprechaun Cottage part links, simply click on the image to open up the gifting page, then select the friends you'd like to send the Leprechaun Cottage part to.
To complete each stage of the Leprechaun Cottage you will need:
Level 1 - 12 parts total: 4 Wooden Boards, 4 Nails and 4 Bricks
Level 2 – 48 parts total: 16 Wooden Boards, 16 Nails and 16 Bricks
Level 3 – 90 parts total: 20 Wooden Boards, 20 Nails and 20 Bricks
So what are you waiting for? Get started using my FarmVille Leprechaun Cottage gifting links to send the parts to your neighbors, then link them to this page so they can return the favor. Using these gifting links, you'll finish your castle in no time.
farmville cheats gifting links farmville cheats gifting links farmville cheats gifting links farmville cheats gifting links
Click on an image to send the part as a gift to your friends.
Need to know more about the Leprechaun Cottage? Find out everything you need to know.
Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
Were you able to finish Cupid's Castle before Valentine's Day?
Today's gifting links are for the FarmVille Leprechaun Cottage. This mighty St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun Cottage tree fort is going to require a ton of nails, bricks, and wooden boards so you best get started using my Leprechaun Cottage gifting links below to get a head start on construction. To use the Leprechaun Cottage part links, simply click on the image to open up the gifting page, then select the friends you'd like to send the Leprechaun Cottage part to.
To complete each stage of the Leprechaun Cottage you will need:
Level 1 - 12 parts total: 4 Wooden Boards, 4 Nails and 4 Bricks
Level 2 – 48 parts total: 16 Wooden Boards, 16 Nails and 16 Bricks
Level 3 – 90 parts total: 20 Wooden Boards, 20 Nails and 20 Bricks
So what are you waiting for? Get started using my FarmVille Leprechaun Cottage gifting links to send the parts to your neighbors, then link them to this page so they can return the favor. Using these gifting links, you'll finish your castle in no time.
farmville cheats gifting links farmville cheats gifting links farmville cheats gifting links farmville cheats gifting links
Click on an image to send the part as a gift to your friends.
Need to know more about the Leprechaun Cottage? Find out everything you need to know.
Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
Were you able to finish Cupid's Castle before Valentine's Day?
Runes of Magic is Facebook-bound, decrypts the future of MMOs
Frogster's premiere free-to-play MMO, Runes of Magic, is headed to Facebook in the second quarter of 2011. Runes of Magic will be the first major massively mutliplayer game to be released on the platform through Kalydo, but will unlikely be the last. Kalydo provides existing MMO games with a browser plug-in for the them to be played through networks like Hi5, Friendster and namely Facebook. According to the company (and us), its first effort with Godswar Online was a success, so it will be interesting to see how a major player in the genre fares with the transition.
Andreas Weidenhaupt, Chief Licensing Officer of Frogster Interactive, expects to see an increase in user numbers due to the simplified process of playing MMOs through Kalydo technology. However, Kalydo CEO Doki Tops has even higher expectations for his company's work:
This is the future of gaming. Players enter the game with a single click of the mouse instead of spending hours on a download and installation and get the exact same experience. We praise Frogster for recognizing this potential and taking a leading role with us in pioneering this massive new style of gaming.
The future of gaming? Possibly in the free-to-play MMO space, but certain game genres just wouldn't fit on Facebook. However, the guy has a point. How much longer are we as players going to pay monthly for persistent online gaming? The amount of free-to-play MMOs that take this route in 2011 could be staggering. Just watch out for those Facebook Credits.
Andreas Weidenhaupt, Chief Licensing Officer of Frogster Interactive, expects to see an increase in user numbers due to the simplified process of playing MMOs through Kalydo technology. However, Kalydo CEO Doki Tops has even higher expectations for his company's work:
This is the future of gaming. Players enter the game with a single click of the mouse instead of spending hours on a download and installation and get the exact same experience. We praise Frogster for recognizing this potential and taking a leading role with us in pioneering this massive new style of gaming.
The future of gaming? Possibly in the free-to-play MMO space, but certain game genres just wouldn't fit on Facebook. However, the guy has a point. How much longer are we as players going to pay monthly for persistent online gaming? The amount of free-to-play MMOs that take this route in 2011 could be staggering. Just watch out for those Facebook Credits.
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Alessandro Matri's amazing castle
Our FarmVille Featured Farm series makes a triumphant return with what could be the most epic farm of all time. Created by Alessandro Matri (also known as NrVnQsR on the FarmVille Forums), this colossal castle farm is truly a magnificent creation. Check out the perfectly shaped walls, the reflection pool within the castle courtyard, and the surrounding moat. He even has a legion of fierce cattle lining the battlements. We applaud you Alessandro Matri for designing such a breathtaking and unique farm.
Continue reading to see what the artist, Alessandro Matri, had to say about his FarmVille farm.
"I've been studying civil engineering and I'm learning about building design this semester. As a result, I saw many buildings and castles. I tried all kinds of creations: skyscrapers, high-rise buildings, castles, or homesteads using the huge variety of materials in FarmVille. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
The most difficult thing was arranging the many fences and tailoring the castle's appearance. I finished the castle in about 14 hours of non-stop designing :) "
-Alessandro Matri
Alessandro Matri seems to have mixed his studies in civil engineering with his passion for farm art. He says the castle farm was completed in a 14 hour designing marathon, a rather impressive feat.
Check out the rest of Mr. Matri's farm art or add him as a neighbor. Browse our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of Alessandro Matri's FarmVille Castle?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Continue reading to see what the artist, Alessandro Matri, had to say about his FarmVille farm.
"I've been studying civil engineering and I'm learning about building design this semester. As a result, I saw many buildings and castles. I tried all kinds of creations: skyscrapers, high-rise buildings, castles, or homesteads using the huge variety of materials in FarmVille. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
The most difficult thing was arranging the many fences and tailoring the castle's appearance. I finished the castle in about 14 hours of non-stop designing :) "
-Alessandro Matri
Alessandro Matri seems to have mixed his studies in civil engineering with his passion for farm art. He says the castle farm was completed in a 14 hour designing marathon, a rather impressive feat.
Check out the rest of Mr. Matri's farm art or add him as a neighbor. Browse our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of Alessandro Matri's FarmVille Castle?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Could FarmVille, FrontierVille give CityVille Factories a needed boost?
After perusing the CityVille forums, I've come to notice a general discontent with the brand new Factories feature. Several experienced mayors claim that the 10 percent payout bonus that premium Goods provide pales in comparison to what some well-placed decorations can. Frankly, the time and Energy costs are not worth it when forum users like buildingaworld can use one Energy to receive over 3 thousand coins from a Tower Eats in seconds. But tlclark2418 proposes a brilliant idea: Why not just use FarmVille and FrontierVille to farm our Goods?
HarvestBoth of Zynga's most recent games included farming as a major mechanic, and, quite frankly, it's silly. Why should players have to farm in every game, especially CityVille, the epitome of a capitalistic play style in a videogame? Industrialized nations import more Goods than any other on the planet, so why shouldn't this be realized in Zynga's biggest game? Here is an excerpt from tlclark2418's forum post:
"I would love to replace the farms with factories or at least reduce significantly the dependency on farms as they are required for supplying franchises," tlclark2418 writes. "I would have hoped that Cityville would eventually do away with farming as I grew very tired of that aspect of Frontierville and Farmville. Why not have an option to import goods from Farmville or Frontierville?"
In this player's perfect world, FarmVille players would have the option, when harvesting crops, to send those crops as Goods to CityVille. This would eliminate the need for farms altogether in the game and validate the existence of Factories. These new buildings would then serve as processing plants and storage for Goods to supply Businesses. Like we said, this works from a logical, real-to-life standpoint, but from others as well.
What if Zynga gave players the option to farm in either game, but each method had its advantages and disadvantages? For instance, importing crops from FarmVille would give more payout yet took longer to process, but farming domestically would be quicker with lower payouts. Each serves its own purpose, but also entice players to play both games more often when possible. It's not as if this would be impossible--FarmVille English Countryside will communicate with the original. Will you look at that-- a feature that would make for a more interesting game for us players while increasing player retention for Zynga. This is a win-win.
HarvestBoth of Zynga's most recent games included farming as a major mechanic, and, quite frankly, it's silly. Why should players have to farm in every game, especially CityVille, the epitome of a capitalistic play style in a videogame? Industrialized nations import more Goods than any other on the planet, so why shouldn't this be realized in Zynga's biggest game? Here is an excerpt from tlclark2418's forum post:
"I would love to replace the farms with factories or at least reduce significantly the dependency on farms as they are required for supplying franchises," tlclark2418 writes. "I would have hoped that Cityville would eventually do away with farming as I grew very tired of that aspect of Frontierville and Farmville. Why not have an option to import goods from Farmville or Frontierville?"
In this player's perfect world, FarmVille players would have the option, when harvesting crops, to send those crops as Goods to CityVille. This would eliminate the need for farms altogether in the game and validate the existence of Factories. These new buildings would then serve as processing plants and storage for Goods to supply Businesses. Like we said, this works from a logical, real-to-life standpoint, but from others as well.
What if Zynga gave players the option to farm in either game, but each method had its advantages and disadvantages? For instance, importing crops from FarmVille would give more payout yet took longer to process, but farming domestically would be quicker with lower payouts. Each serves its own purpose, but also entice players to play both games more often when possible. It's not as if this would be impossible--FarmVille English Countryside will communicate with the original. Will you look at that-- a feature that would make for a more interesting game for us players while increasing player retention for Zynga. This is a win-win.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
FarmVille English Countryside Mystery Gift prizes include vehicles
Amidst the deluge of new items and features coming from FarmVille English Countryside, FarmVille Freak has found one gem in particular that's pretty astounding. If you open any Mystery Gift while playing FarmVille in England, it will have a chance of dropping vehicles. No, not Vehicle Parts or run-down rigs like the Broken Combine, but 100 percent complete Tractors, Seeders and Harvesters. Come to think of it, these are kind of useless in light of the Broken Combine that's sitting on English farms just waiting to be fixed. (Not to mention it's free.) Well, at least each rig sells for a good amount of coin--oh, never mind.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you received a vehicle inside a Mystery Gift yet? What would you have liked instead?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you received a vehicle inside a Mystery Gift yet? What would you have liked instead?
Game of the Day: Bird Pax
The Game of the Day thinks you are ready for a bit of 'War' but in a find feathery way. Bird Pax: Earn as many cards as you can and maximize your wingspan in this unique card game! If you love a good game of War and you want to learn about all sorts of birds, Bird Pax is the perfect mix for you.
Click --> play Bird Pax
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click --> play Bird Pax
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
FarmVille English Countryside Sheep Pen Goals: Everything you need to know
The best part of the English Countryside expansion is probably the Goals. This relatively new feature to FarmVille guides you along into creating everything you need for your farm. In this case, the Sheep Pen Goals will task you with creating your own Sheep Pen and later breed your first Ewe. Join us behind the break to see how it's done.
1. Et Tu, Brutus?
Buy a Sheep Pen
Visit 6 Neighbors
View your Progress
Et Tu, Brutus
This Goal will lead you straight to the Sheep Pen if you click on the button "Get Sheep Pen" in the Goal's window. Thankfully, you can visit neighbors on either their original farms or their English farms for it to count. And finally, viewing your progress is as easy as clicking on the map button next to the Plow Tool. For completing this Goal, you'll net a cool 200 XP, 1,500 coins and Brutus the Ram to get you started.
2. Please Fence Me In
Complete a Sheep Pen
Buy and Place 8 Country Fences
Expand your farm to an English Homestead
Please Fence Me In
To find out how to complete the Sheep Pen, check out our full guide. Country Fences cost 300 coins a piece and can be found in the Decorations section in the Market. Expanding your farm is simple enough: Just click on the borders of your farm and the option will appear in the Market. However, this expansion costs 25 thousands coins and all expansion require Surveyors, which we covered in a neat little guide. Complete this Goal and you'll receive an Old Garage, 200 XP and 1,500 coins.
3. I'll Get Ewe
Buy one Ewe
I'll Get Ewe
That's it. Honestly. Just snag one Ewe by clicking on the "Get Sheep" button and this Goal is complete. Just for this simple task, 200 XP, 2,000 coins and five Love Potions are yours.
4. On the Lamb
Breed and produce a Lamb
Place on Lamb on your farm
Feed your Lamb 10 Baby Bottles
On the Lamb
To learn how to breed Sheep, check out our guide right here. Once that's all said and done, you'll receive 1,500 coins, 250 XP, a Golden Sheep Statue and Gertrude the Ewe. And now you're ready to breed to your heart's content.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you completed the Sheep Pen Goals yet? What tips might you have for completing these Goals any faster?
1. Et Tu, Brutus?
Buy a Sheep Pen
Visit 6 Neighbors
View your Progress
Et Tu, Brutus
This Goal will lead you straight to the Sheep Pen if you click on the button "Get Sheep Pen" in the Goal's window. Thankfully, you can visit neighbors on either their original farms or their English farms for it to count. And finally, viewing your progress is as easy as clicking on the map button next to the Plow Tool. For completing this Goal, you'll net a cool 200 XP, 1,500 coins and Brutus the Ram to get you started.
2. Please Fence Me In
Complete a Sheep Pen
Buy and Place 8 Country Fences
Expand your farm to an English Homestead
Please Fence Me In
To find out how to complete the Sheep Pen, check out our full guide. Country Fences cost 300 coins a piece and can be found in the Decorations section in the Market. Expanding your farm is simple enough: Just click on the borders of your farm and the option will appear in the Market. However, this expansion costs 25 thousands coins and all expansion require Surveyors, which we covered in a neat little guide. Complete this Goal and you'll receive an Old Garage, 200 XP and 1,500 coins.
3. I'll Get Ewe
Buy one Ewe
I'll Get Ewe
That's it. Honestly. Just snag one Ewe by clicking on the "Get Sheep" button and this Goal is complete. Just for this simple task, 200 XP, 2,000 coins and five Love Potions are yours.
4. On the Lamb
Breed and produce a Lamb
Place on Lamb on your farm
Feed your Lamb 10 Baby Bottles
On the Lamb
To learn how to breed Sheep, check out our guide right here. Once that's all said and done, you'll receive 1,500 coins, 250 XP, a Golden Sheep Statue and Gertrude the Ewe. And now you're ready to breed to your heart's content.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you completed the Sheep Pen Goals yet? What tips might you have for completing these Goals any faster?
Zynga changes CityVille Daily Bonus yet again to reward items
Make up your minds, Zynga. Or is it us that needs to come to a final decision? Regardless, the company has changed the Daily Bonus in CityVille once again. Don't worry, it's not a total revamp like before--you'll still be rewarded Energy for the first four consecutive days played. However, the fifth and final day of the Daily Bonus now has the chance to reward even more Energy or some attractive items.
Here's the breakdown, according to CityVille Info:
5 Energy – 50% chance
Bed and Breakfast – 28% chance
Grain Silo – 20% chance
Penthouse Tower – 2% chance
Considering Energy is widely useless in CityVille--even with the new limits it's still simple to avoid using it nearly altogether--I'd much rather have the Grain Silo or the Penthouse Tower( which was a already included in the Daily Bonus). In fact, why not just give players a choice of what they'll receive, but giving certain choices a cool down of sorts? For instance, say I want a Penthouse Tower now. I can choose that as my reward, but I won't be able to receive another one for another 10 days, or skip one Daily Bonus.
Here's the breakdown, according to CityVille Info:
5 Energy – 50% chance
Bed and Breakfast – 28% chance
Grain Silo – 20% chance
Penthouse Tower – 2% chance
Considering Energy is widely useless in CityVille--even with the new limits it's still simple to avoid using it nearly altogether--I'd much rather have the Grain Silo or the Penthouse Tower( which was a already included in the Daily Bonus). In fact, why not just give players a choice of what they'll receive, but giving certain choices a cool down of sorts? For instance, say I want a Penthouse Tower now. I can choose that as my reward, but I won't be able to receive another one for another 10 days, or skip one Daily Bonus.
FarmVille English Countryside Pub Goals: Everything you need to know
Unfortunately, Zynga has yet to bring any of the old Crafting Buildings from the original FarmVille to the English Countryside. Bah! Who needs them when we have our very own Pub to brew delicious beers and wines in and get wasted in? Like all of the new features in this expansion, they're accompanied by a series of Goals. In this case, there are five Goals leading to the creation (and liberal use) of the Pub.
1. Listen Up
Visit 6 Neighbors
View your Progress
Listen Up
That was easy enough, huh? Just give six friends a visit and click on the map icon above the Gifts button to complete this quest. Your reward? Enjoy 1,500 coins, 100 XP and a Bench.
2. Rodents of Ruin
Get 6 Mouse Traps
Harvest 75 Hops
Harvest 75 Barley
Rodents of Ruin
To get the six Mouse Traps, you'll need to ask your friends directly through the "Ask Friends" button within the Goal window. Hops cost 150 coins a piece and Barley costs 80 coins, so the combined cost for this Goals comes to 17,250 coins. And unless you already have a massive farm, this Goal is going to take at least one day to finish dependent upon your space constraints and cash reserves. Either way, enjoy the 2,000 coins, 200 XP and 5 Farm Cash as reward.
3. Stock the Bar
Get 6 Pint Glasses
Harvest 100 Bluebell Flowers
Stock the Bar
Again, you'll need to ask your friends for the 6 Pint Glasses through the Goal's menu window. Since Bluebell Flowers cost 120 coins a piece, this Goal will cost you 12 thousand coins even. At least, this Goal will take 12 hours to complete given the crops' harvest timer. Finish this Goal to earn 2,500 coins, 250 XP and, finally, your Pub.
4. Lagerheads
Place the Pub on your Farm
Make the Duke's Stout Recipe two times
Buy one Pub Cat
Lagerheads
The Pub will be in your Gift Box waiting to be placed, so go on and do it. The Duke's Stout recipe is the first brew you'll craft, so check our guide right here to find out how to use the Pub. Once that's through, buy one Pub Cat through the Market for 5 thousand coins and consider this Goal finished. A Pub Sign Decoration, 2,500 coins and 250 XP will serve as your reward.
5. A Berry Good Drink
Harvest 100 Red Currants
Make Oliviaberry Beer twice
A Berry Good Drink
Red Currants are basically the Strawberries of the English Countryside, so they'll only take four hours to harvest. However, this Goal will put you 4 thousand coins in the hole. Again, to find out how to create Oliviaberry Beer and other recipes check out our guide. This final Goal will reward players with 5 thousand coins, 500 XP and a Pub Keeper outfit for your avatar. After this, the Duke will appear and inform you that this is the final Goal in the English Countryside at the moment, so continue farming as you please.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
1. Listen Up
Visit 6 Neighbors
View your Progress
Listen Up
That was easy enough, huh? Just give six friends a visit and click on the map icon above the Gifts button to complete this quest. Your reward? Enjoy 1,500 coins, 100 XP and a Bench.
2. Rodents of Ruin
Get 6 Mouse Traps
Harvest 75 Hops
Harvest 75 Barley
Rodents of Ruin
To get the six Mouse Traps, you'll need to ask your friends directly through the "Ask Friends" button within the Goal window. Hops cost 150 coins a piece and Barley costs 80 coins, so the combined cost for this Goals comes to 17,250 coins. And unless you already have a massive farm, this Goal is going to take at least one day to finish dependent upon your space constraints and cash reserves. Either way, enjoy the 2,000 coins, 200 XP and 5 Farm Cash as reward.
3. Stock the Bar
Get 6 Pint Glasses
Harvest 100 Bluebell Flowers
Stock the Bar
Again, you'll need to ask your friends for the 6 Pint Glasses through the Goal's menu window. Since Bluebell Flowers cost 120 coins a piece, this Goal will cost you 12 thousand coins even. At least, this Goal will take 12 hours to complete given the crops' harvest timer. Finish this Goal to earn 2,500 coins, 250 XP and, finally, your Pub.
4. Lagerheads
Place the Pub on your Farm
Make the Duke's Stout Recipe two times
Buy one Pub Cat
Lagerheads
The Pub will be in your Gift Box waiting to be placed, so go on and do it. The Duke's Stout recipe is the first brew you'll craft, so check our guide right here to find out how to use the Pub. Once that's through, buy one Pub Cat through the Market for 5 thousand coins and consider this Goal finished. A Pub Sign Decoration, 2,500 coins and 250 XP will serve as your reward.
5. A Berry Good Drink
Harvest 100 Red Currants
Make Oliviaberry Beer twice
A Berry Good Drink
Red Currants are basically the Strawberries of the English Countryside, so they'll only take four hours to harvest. However, this Goal will put you 4 thousand coins in the hole. Again, to find out how to create Oliviaberry Beer and other recipes check out our guide. This final Goal will reward players with 5 thousand coins, 500 XP and a Pub Keeper outfit for your avatar. After this, the Duke will appear and inform you that this is the final Goal in the English Countryside at the moment, so continue farming as you please.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
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