I have been playing Family Farm on a daily basis for over a year. I began to play FarmVille and FarmVille 2 almost from the start, but have become rather disenchanted with FarmVille and only recently began to play FarmVille 2 again, mainly because of a Lunar New Year celebration.
I see why I prefer Family Farm. In FarmVille 2, you cannot make ANY progress without the help of Neighbours. What this means is that you have to proposition them constantly both on your Wall and through Requests. Requests do not appear to expire either. When I returned to FarmVille 2 after months of absence, the requests had accumulated to the point where I was unable to begin the game for about a quarter of an hour while I waded through all the old Requests from my Neighbours. Very unpleasant and unsatisfactory.
Quests can be completed but when this occurs, usually another one follows immediately that is connected. In other words, it does not lead to a significant Reward but simply to another Quest in most cases. Animals are given as Rewards but feeding them transforms them into Prized Animals, and although the Prized Animals give special products, you usually need a specific number of ordinary Animals in every category for OTHER ongoing Quests. What this means is that it is a never-ending cycle. It is hectic and desperate to some extent unless the player wishes to spend a very substantial amount of real cash on the game. I stopped playing because my Farm became too crowded and the cost of expansions was exorbitant. Although two expansions have been given free of charge recently, the amount of land is insufficient to meet the demand for new buildings. Once again, I am becoming exhausted and frustrated with the game.
Family Farm, on the other hand, encourages Neighbours but does not require interactions constantly. You can send out requests on a daily basis but you can complete most of your own Quests without any intervention from other people. It allows a more peaceful and less aggressive approach to farming. Much more civilised in my view.
Saturday, 1 February 2014
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
A new Four-Ingredient Machine in Family Farm
One reason Machines, aka Gear, are unlocked only at specific Levels in Family Farm is because of the Ingredients that they require to produce Items. Machines can be as simple as using a single ingredient. More sophisticated Machines use three Ingredients. Now, there is a Machine that requires four different Ingredients. It is the Stir-Fry Machine. Required Ingredients are: Salt, Ginger and Bean Oil. It is the fourth Ingredient that determines the Item that is produced. In this case, when I studied the List of 'types' of Stir-Fry Dishes that the Machine can produce, I noticed that they basically were Vegetables that were not used in any other Machines or anywhere else except possibly in the Kitchen.
This makes the Stir-Fry Machine of interest to the high-level Players who gather Achievements in every Crop and probably have hundreds of Winter Squash, Bell Pepper, Lentils, Green Beans and other high-level Crops in their Barn awaiting a potential use. For the low level Player, it makes the Stir-Fry Machine a bit daunting. The price tag attached to the unfinished Machine, in the form of 50,000 Coins, is a little daunting as well.
Recently, though, I have made a practice of purchasing every possible Animal or Machine in Family Farm. I therefore purchased the Stir-Fry Machine, decimating my store of Coins, without any knowledge of the Ingredient List or number of Ingredients that would be needed.
It is an interesting Machine. At my current Level, I have unlocked many of the Ingredients that serve to determine the type of Stir-Fry made, apart from Radicchio, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts and Broccoli. This brings me to another aspect of Family Farm that I ignored at lower levels.
Whenever a new Crop is released, it is available ordinarily to ALL Players for a limited time, irrespective of their level. It may be connected to a special Quest or Mission as well. Even if a Player is not interested in completing the Mission, it is not a bad idea to grow a few of these Crops before the time period expires. What occurs when the time period expires is that the Crop is given a Level Requirement that usually is quite high. At that point, you no longer will be able to grow the Crop until you reach the Level of Experience required to unlock it.
A little note here about Machines or Gear in general: I am a deeply conflicted person in a way, as my natural inclinations are to prefer an unmechanised society to one that is ruled by Machines. Like Tolkien, I see the ugliness produced by Industrialisation but at the same time, I write strategy game guides for MACHINES. Gaming systems and computers are Machines and they are a big part of my life as well as my own creative landscape.
It is ironic though that my favourite game on Facebook is a game that features Machines. In fact, I have a friend who no longer plays Family Farm because of the focus on Machines, although she would be pleasantly surprised by the nature of the Machines added to the game in the past year. Originally fairly functional, new Machines now are incredibly attractive, whimsical or inventive. Cases in point are the Marzipan Machine, the Machine that produces Hawaiian Leis and the Ornament Maker that features little Elves inside a Snow Globe dancing about while they make Christmas Ornaments from the lovely Tinsel Crop and one other Ingredient. The Machines in Family Farm are fun and creative. They could seduce any Luddite into abandoning his or her rejection of Machinery.
This makes the Stir-Fry Machine of interest to the high-level Players who gather Achievements in every Crop and probably have hundreds of Winter Squash, Bell Pepper, Lentils, Green Beans and other high-level Crops in their Barn awaiting a potential use. For the low level Player, it makes the Stir-Fry Machine a bit daunting. The price tag attached to the unfinished Machine, in the form of 50,000 Coins, is a little daunting as well.
Recently, though, I have made a practice of purchasing every possible Animal or Machine in Family Farm. I therefore purchased the Stir-Fry Machine, decimating my store of Coins, without any knowledge of the Ingredient List or number of Ingredients that would be needed.
It is an interesting Machine. At my current Level, I have unlocked many of the Ingredients that serve to determine the type of Stir-Fry made, apart from Radicchio, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts and Broccoli. This brings me to another aspect of Family Farm that I ignored at lower levels.
Whenever a new Crop is released, it is available ordinarily to ALL Players for a limited time, irrespective of their level. It may be connected to a special Quest or Mission as well. Even if a Player is not interested in completing the Mission, it is not a bad idea to grow a few of these Crops before the time period expires. What occurs when the time period expires is that the Crop is given a Level Requirement that usually is quite high. At that point, you no longer will be able to grow the Crop until you reach the Level of Experience required to unlock it.
A little note here about Machines or Gear in general: I am a deeply conflicted person in a way, as my natural inclinations are to prefer an unmechanised society to one that is ruled by Machines. Like Tolkien, I see the ugliness produced by Industrialisation but at the same time, I write strategy game guides for MACHINES. Gaming systems and computers are Machines and they are a big part of my life as well as my own creative landscape.
It is ironic though that my favourite game on Facebook is a game that features Machines. In fact, I have a friend who no longer plays Family Farm because of the focus on Machines, although she would be pleasantly surprised by the nature of the Machines added to the game in the past year. Originally fairly functional, new Machines now are incredibly attractive, whimsical or inventive. Cases in point are the Marzipan Machine, the Machine that produces Hawaiian Leis and the Ornament Maker that features little Elves inside a Snow Globe dancing about while they make Christmas Ornaments from the lovely Tinsel Crop and one other Ingredient. The Machines in Family Farm are fun and creative. They could seduce any Luddite into abandoning his or her rejection of Machinery.
Friday, 17 January 2014
Why Perform Quests for Rewards One Does not Need... Answer is found in the Farm Club
By joining a Family Farm Group on Facebook, one can find guides to the various Quests that appear both on the left side of the screen and in the Quest Menu, accessed by clicking on Darryl's face on the right side of the screen. One reason why these Quest guides are useful is that they allow players to grow or collect Items that are needed for the Quest in advance. Another reason is that the Reward for completion of the Quest is given and a Player then can decide whether or not to pursue the Quest at all.
Often for mid-level or high-level Players, the final Reward for a Quest will be a Machine or Animal that produces the same Item as another Machine or Animal one has. Thus, the Machine or Animal really is not needed. Why then should one bother to perform the Quest?
There actually are a number of reasons why one should perform every Quest that is available even if the Reward is almost a duplicate of an Item one has. First of all, Machines that are given as Quest Rewards tend to produce faster than the ordinary variety of the same Machine found in the Market. Even if the Machine is identical to one that the Player has, he/she will earn valuable Experience Points by completing any Quest. Finally... and this can be the most important reason of all... the Quest Reward may be a requirement in the Farm Club.
The Farm Club is a fairly new optioni n Family Farm that can be accessed by clicking on the little buidling to the left of (and outside) the Player's Farm. Here you will find Trees, Animals and Machines listed in groups of three. If you have all three Items in any group, you will receive a little Reward. Completion of any List will give a specific number of Points as well. These count towards a more significant Reward.
For those of us who love the Mythical Animals such as the Unicorn or Pegasus, it is the Farm Club that gives us the opportunity to collect new Animals that cannot be obtained through any other method. A number of the Point Rewards in the Farm Club have been Pegasi or Unicorns. I believe that the Crystal Pegasus and the Sapphire Pegasus both were Farm Club Collection Rewards.
There ia another feature of the Farm Club that can be useful to Players who missed a Quest with a specific Limited Edition Tree, Animal or Machine as its final Reward. If the Item appears in a List in any Collection Group and you were unable to obtain it previously, you may have the option to purchase it for premium Cash (RC). This is a method by which a Player can obtain an Item that is not available in the Market.
There are mini-games that allow Players a chance to win special Limited Edition Items. Included among these are some of the Pegasi and Unicorns. I never have won ANY Item through the mini-games but I am singularly unlucky. I was able to obtain a couple of Pegasi and Unicorns that otherwise could be found only in the mini-games through the Farm Club Collection Lists. In a game that rewards Players with premium Cash regularly, I am happy to spend that Cash on a special and rare Pegasus or Unicorn if I cannot obtain it through any other method.
I am writing this post in the middle of January in 2014. in the past fortnight, there have been a few new Quests. I was not that excited about the Rewards for some of them but suspected that I might need them for the Farm Club. In fact, new Collection Groups were added to the Farm Club last night and because I had completed all the recent Quests, I was able to redeem the prizes for all three of the new Collection Lists instantly, obtaining a significant Reward afterwards in the form of a new Unicorn, the Pink Lace Unicorn.
The Pink Lace Unicorn is shown at the top of this post. The Sugar Plum Fairy stands to her left and was a Reward for a Christmas Quest. All Unicorns and Pegasi eat Vigourous Herb, a very attractive mythical Crop that is fitting for such rare creatures. Each then produces a different, unique gem. The Pink Lace Unicorn produces a Pink Heart Diamond. When fed into the Jewelry Maker, it produces a Pink Heart Diamond Ring. The two Items are shown below.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Daily Log-In Machine Rewards
Family Farm is wonderful in that faithful daily log-ins ALWAYS give Rewards. Every few days, a Player who has logged into the game every day for weeks will receive 10 RC, the premium cash that is used in this game. This is fairly unique among games that are found on Facebook. This aspect of the game, as well as the fact that Crops NEVER wither or die, is one of the reasons I have been playing Family Farm loyally and regularly for over a year now. The other very positive aspect of this game is that there are no Energy limits. One can plant, harvest or produce and collect Products to one's heart content without ever being forced to quit because Energy has run out. Other games attempt to force Players to purchase additional Energy using Premium Cash. I find that strategy irritating and rather dishonourable, in all honesty. Players who like a game will invest real money in it, but it is better to allow them to CHOOSE how they wish to invest it rather than cornering them by exhausting their Energy.
Occasionally, Family Farm will add another Reward for Players who log into the game daily for a month. Each day that you log into the game, you will receive a small Reward in the form of an Item. At the end of the Month, provided that you have received every daily Item, you will receive a special Reward that takes the form of a Machine or Animal. If you did miss a day, you will be given the opportunity to purchase the missing Item for premium Cash. In Family Farm, this usually costs 3 RC.
Is the final Reward worth it for Players who have missed Days and must purchase missing Items? That is the question I wish to address in this Post.
For a Player who is mid-level or high-level, it definitely is worth the price, but for low-level Players, if the Reward is a Machine, it usually is a fairly sophisticated one that requires Ingredients that low-level Players may not be able to grow or produce. Obviously, Players will advance in experience and as Levels are raised, more options become available. Any Reward can be left in the Gift Box indefinitely. The Reward Machines can be fun to use and they often are included in a requirement to obtain a Farm Club Reward, but they never will be required for a regular Quest or Mission. They are 'optional' Machines rather than vital ones.
The Reward at the end of January 2014 will be a very attractive special Coffee Machine that will produce unique types of Holiday Coffees as follows:
Candy Cane Coffee:
Ingredients: Sugar, Coffee Bean
Holiday Cheer Coffee:
Ingredients: Eggnog, Coffee Bean
Hawaiian Coffee:
Ingredients: Coconut Milk, Coffee Bean
Autumn Harvest Coffee:
Ingredients: Pumpkin, Coffee Bean
Cupid's Kiss Coffee:
Ingredients: Caramel, Coffee Bean
Merry Christmas Coffee:
Ingredients: Roast Chestnut, Coffee Bean
As you can see, there is only one type of Coffee that uses two raw Ingredients in the form of the Autumn Harvest Coffee that requires Pumpkin and Coffee Beans. Pumpkin, however, is a Crop that is not available to low-level Players. The rest of the Products require Ingredients made in other Machines. Eggnog, however, is made in the Hot Drink Machine which is available to all Players.
Occasionally, Family Farm will add another Reward for Players who log into the game daily for a month. Each day that you log into the game, you will receive a small Reward in the form of an Item. At the end of the Month, provided that you have received every daily Item, you will receive a special Reward that takes the form of a Machine or Animal. If you did miss a day, you will be given the opportunity to purchase the missing Item for premium Cash. In Family Farm, this usually costs 3 RC.
Is the final Reward worth it for Players who have missed Days and must purchase missing Items? That is the question I wish to address in this Post.
For a Player who is mid-level or high-level, it definitely is worth the price, but for low-level Players, if the Reward is a Machine, it usually is a fairly sophisticated one that requires Ingredients that low-level Players may not be able to grow or produce. Obviously, Players will advance in experience and as Levels are raised, more options become available. Any Reward can be left in the Gift Box indefinitely. The Reward Machines can be fun to use and they often are included in a requirement to obtain a Farm Club Reward, but they never will be required for a regular Quest or Mission. They are 'optional' Machines rather than vital ones.
The Reward at the end of January 2014 will be a very attractive special Coffee Machine that will produce unique types of Holiday Coffees as follows:
Candy Cane Coffee:
Ingredients: Sugar, Coffee Bean
Holiday Cheer Coffee:
Ingredients: Eggnog, Coffee Bean
Hawaiian Coffee:
Ingredients: Coconut Milk, Coffee Bean
Autumn Harvest Coffee:
Ingredients: Pumpkin, Coffee Bean
Cupid's Kiss Coffee:
Ingredients: Caramel, Coffee Bean
Merry Christmas Coffee:
Ingredients: Roast Chestnut, Coffee Bean
As you can see, there is only one type of Coffee that uses two raw Ingredients in the form of the Autumn Harvest Coffee that requires Pumpkin and Coffee Beans. Pumpkin, however, is a Crop that is not available to low-level Players. The rest of the Products require Ingredients made in other Machines. Eggnog, however, is made in the Hot Drink Machine which is available to all Players.
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
The Beauty Shop and Christmas Festivities
The Beauty Shop in Family Farm is one of my favourite recent additions to the game. There are a number of crafting buildings in Family Farm now but it is the Workshop and the Beauty Shop that allow one to make items that actually can be placed as decorations on the farm. The others basically offer the option solely to create items to be sold. The values may be very good, but it is far more fun to make pretty decorations that can be enjoyed on the farm.
For Hallowe'en, both the Beauty Shop and the Workshop offers a number of decorations. At Thanksgiving, there were a couple of gorgeous candles with an Autumn theme that are suitable to be used throughout the year. For Christmas, there are some fantastic candles, including a darling ring of angels and a very elegant silver deer.
You will need to collect a fair number of ingredients to make these candles. In most cases, it is a two-stage process, requiring the creation of a basic candle first before you can make the elaborate decorated item.
The basic candle that is needed most often is the Ivory Candle. To make this, you will need the following ingredients:
Ivory Candle:
Ingredients: 5 Beeswax, 10 Vanilla, 10 Milk
The Ivory Candle is an Ingredient in many beautiful Decorations, including:
Beautiful Fall Candle:
Ingredients: 10 Violets, 4 Ivory Candles, 10 Eucalyptus Leaves
The secondary Candle that is required most often to craft a Decoration is the Citrus Sensation Candle which requires the following:
Citrus Sensation Candle:
Ingredients: 2 Ivory Candle, 5 Mandarins, 5 Oranges
With the Citrus Sensation Candle, you can craft:
Elf on the Shelf Candle:
Ingredients: 2 Citrus Sensation Candles, 10 Cranberry Sauce, 10 Cantaloupe
Reindeer Candle Holder:
Ingredients: 3 Citrus Sensation Candle, 10 Iron Sheets
N.B. The Iron Sheets are produced in the Workshop with Horseshoes
Other lovely Candle Decorations include:
Happy Harvest Candle:
Ingredients: 10 Pumpkins, 2 Dazzling Daisy Candles, 10 White Grapes
There are many other Decorations that are not Candles but can be placed on the Farm to add to its beauty and charm. One of my favourites is Rose Water.
Rose Water:
Ingredients: 2 Black Roses, 5 Purple Roses
The only problem with this Recipe is that the Black Rose requires RC to purchase. When unlocked, you will be able to grow it only for three days before it will become 'locked' again. One therefore should grow as many Black Roses as possible within that time period and save them for crafting.
Two of the items that appear often as ingredients in the Crafting buildings are Beeswax, previously mentioned, and Mud. Beeswax is produced in the Bee Box. You can purchase an unfinished Bee Box for 7000 Coins. You then must obtain materials to complete it before it will produce. Mud is produced by the Pie Train Pig Coop. You can purchase an unfinished Pie Train Pig Coop for 9000 Coins.
For Hallowe'en, both the Beauty Shop and the Workshop offers a number of decorations. At Thanksgiving, there were a couple of gorgeous candles with an Autumn theme that are suitable to be used throughout the year. For Christmas, there are some fantastic candles, including a darling ring of angels and a very elegant silver deer.
You will need to collect a fair number of ingredients to make these candles. In most cases, it is a two-stage process, requiring the creation of a basic candle first before you can make the elaborate decorated item.
The basic candle that is needed most often is the Ivory Candle. To make this, you will need the following ingredients:
Ivory Candle:
Ingredients: 5 Beeswax, 10 Vanilla, 10 Milk
The Ivory Candle is an Ingredient in many beautiful Decorations, including:
Beautiful Fall Candle:
Ingredients: 10 Violets, 4 Ivory Candles, 10 Eucalyptus Leaves
The secondary Candle that is required most often to craft a Decoration is the Citrus Sensation Candle which requires the following:
Citrus Sensation Candle:
Ingredients: 2 Ivory Candle, 5 Mandarins, 5 Oranges
With the Citrus Sensation Candle, you can craft:
Elf on the Shelf Candle:
Ingredients: 2 Citrus Sensation Candles, 10 Cranberry Sauce, 10 Cantaloupe
Reindeer Candle Holder:
Ingredients: 3 Citrus Sensation Candle, 10 Iron Sheets
N.B. The Iron Sheets are produced in the Workshop with Horseshoes
Other lovely Candle Decorations include:
Happy Harvest Candle:
Ingredients: 10 Pumpkins, 2 Dazzling Daisy Candles, 10 White Grapes
There are many other Decorations that are not Candles but can be placed on the Farm to add to its beauty and charm. One of my favourites is Rose Water.
Rose Water:
Ingredients: 2 Black Roses, 5 Purple Roses
The only problem with this Recipe is that the Black Rose requires RC to purchase. When unlocked, you will be able to grow it only for three days before it will become 'locked' again. One therefore should grow as many Black Roses as possible within that time period and save them for crafting.
Two of the items that appear often as ingredients in the Crafting buildings are Beeswax, previously mentioned, and Mud. Beeswax is produced in the Bee Box. You can purchase an unfinished Bee Box for 7000 Coins. You then must obtain materials to complete it before it will produce. Mud is produced by the Pie Train Pig Coop. You can purchase an unfinished Pie Train Pig Coop for 9000 Coins.
Friday, 22 November 2013
The Amazing, Wonderful Toy Machine
Family Farm is a game that makes me happy. I love to plant and harvest Crops and Flower. I love to watch my Trees mature to bear fruit or nuts. Although, like Tolkien, there is a part of me that is Luddite in nature, I do enjoy some of the machines. In particular, I love the machines that make pretty things. I like the Weaver and the Hat Machine but one of my very favourite Macines is the Toy Maker.
The Toy Maker once was the Teddy Bear Machine and simply made Red Teddy Bears or Blue Teddy Bears using Alpaca Hair and Wool. It then was revised to embrace a myriad of different yarns and feathers and became the Toy Maker.
It is a single ingredient machine which means that one needs only one Item to produce any product. The list of items it will produce is quite amazing:
Red Teddy Bear: 77 Coins
Uses Wool from Sheep
Feed Sheep Wheat
Blue Teddy Bear: 105 Coins
Uses Angora Hair
Feed ordinary Rabbits Carrots to produce Angora Hair
Alpaca Toy: 214 Coins
Uses Alpaca Hair
Feed Alpaca Lettuce to produce Alpaca Hair
Rabbit Toy: 119 Coins
Uses Fuzzy Rabbit Fur
Feed Fuzzy Rabbit Carrot
Witch Bunny Toy: 180 Coins
Uses Witch Bunny Fur
Feed Witch Bunny Enchanted Carrot to produce the Fur
Parrot Toy: 40 Coins
Uses Parrot Feathers
Feed Parrot Walnut to produce Feathers
Stork Toy: 40 Coins
Uses Stork Feather
Feed Stork Shrimp to produce Feathers
Scarecrow Toy: 25 Coins
Uses Rubber from the Rubber Tree
Swan Toy: 65 Coins
Uses Swan Feather
Feed Swan Daisy to produce Swan Feathers
Camel Toy: 213 Coins
Uses Camel Hair
Feed Camel Nitraria to produce Camel Hair
Silky Chicken Toy: 129 Coins
Uses Silky Chicken Feather
Feed Silky Chicken Corn to produce the Feathers
Glow Horse Toy: 120 Coins
Uses Glow Horse Hair
Feed Glow Horse Carrot
Golden Boa Snake Toy: 114 Coins
Uses Golden Boa Snake Skin
Feed Golden Boa Snake Bird Eggs
Raccoon Toy: 34 Coins
Uses Raccoon Fur
Feed Raccoon Walnut
Penguin Toy: 44 Coins
Uses Penguin Feather
Feed Penguin Salmon
N.B. This is the Salmon caught in a Bear Habitat when Bears are fed with Honey
Owl Toy: 206 Coins
Uses Owl Feather
Feed Owls Mole Meat
Wolf Toy: 175 Coins
Uses Wolf Fur
Feed Wolf Rooster Meat
Beaver Toy: 165 Coins
Uses Beaver Fur
White Raccoon Toy: 34 Coins
Produced from White Raccoon Fur
Flamingo Toy: 22 Coins
Uses Flamingo Feather
Feed Flamingo Blue-Green Algae from Algae Pond
Shelduck Toy: 85 Coins
Uses Shelduck Feather
Feed Shelduck Wheat
Cheerleading Poodle Toy: 38 Coins
Uses Pom Pom
Feed Cheerleading Poodle Beef
Armadillo Toy: 140 Coins
Uses Armadillo Armour
Feed Armadillo Bird Egg
White Parrot Toy: 40 Coins
Uses White Parrot Feather
Feed White Parrot Walnut
Zebra Toy: 36 Coins
Uses Zebra Print
Feed Zebra Pasture
Puffin Toy: 40 Coins
Uses Puffin Feather
Feed Puffin Salmon
Heron Toy: 50 Coins
Uses Heron Feather
Feed Heron Firefly
I was prompted to access my Toy Maker and the list of Items it produced by the acquisition of the new Raccoon Habitat as the final Reward for 'Darryl's Pipe Dream'. I had hoped to find Raccoon Fur had been added to the list to produce little Raccoon Toys. In fact, as of January 2014, there are three new Toys, including a Raccoon Toy!
The Toy Maker once was the Teddy Bear Machine and simply made Red Teddy Bears or Blue Teddy Bears using Alpaca Hair and Wool. It then was revised to embrace a myriad of different yarns and feathers and became the Toy Maker.
It is a single ingredient machine which means that one needs only one Item to produce any product. The list of items it will produce is quite amazing:
Red Teddy Bear: 77 Coins
Uses Wool from Sheep
Feed Sheep Wheat
Blue Teddy Bear: 105 Coins
Uses Angora Hair
Feed ordinary Rabbits Carrots to produce Angora Hair
Alpaca Toy: 214 Coins
Uses Alpaca Hair
Feed Alpaca Lettuce to produce Alpaca Hair
Rabbit Toy: 119 Coins
Uses Fuzzy Rabbit Fur
Feed Fuzzy Rabbit Carrot
Witch Bunny Toy: 180 Coins
Uses Witch Bunny Fur
Feed Witch Bunny Enchanted Carrot to produce the Fur
Parrot Toy: 40 Coins
Uses Parrot Feathers
Feed Parrot Walnut to produce Feathers
Stork Toy: 40 Coins
Uses Stork Feather
Feed Stork Shrimp to produce Feathers
Scarecrow Toy: 25 Coins
Uses Rubber from the Rubber Tree
Swan Toy: 65 Coins
Uses Swan Feather
Feed Swan Daisy to produce Swan Feathers
Camel Toy: 213 Coins
Uses Camel Hair
Feed Camel Nitraria to produce Camel Hair
Silky Chicken Toy: 129 Coins
Uses Silky Chicken Feather
Feed Silky Chicken Corn to produce the Feathers
Glow Horse Toy: 120 Coins
Uses Glow Horse Hair
Feed Glow Horse Carrot
Golden Boa Snake Toy: 114 Coins
Uses Golden Boa Snake Skin
Feed Golden Boa Snake Bird Eggs
Raccoon Toy: 34 Coins
Uses Raccoon Fur
Feed Raccoon Walnut
Penguin Toy: 44 Coins
Uses Penguin Feather
Feed Penguin Salmon
N.B. This is the Salmon caught in a Bear Habitat when Bears are fed with Honey
Owl Toy: 206 Coins
Uses Owl Feather
Feed Owls Mole Meat
Wolf Toy: 175 Coins
Uses Wolf Fur
Feed Wolf Rooster Meat
Beaver Toy: 165 Coins
Uses Beaver Fur
White Raccoon Toy: 34 Coins
Produced from White Raccoon Fur
Flamingo Toy: 22 Coins
Uses Flamingo Feather
Feed Flamingo Blue-Green Algae from Algae Pond
Shelduck Toy: 85 Coins
Uses Shelduck Feather
Feed Shelduck Wheat
Cheerleading Poodle Toy: 38 Coins
Uses Pom Pom
Feed Cheerleading Poodle Beef
Armadillo Toy: 140 Coins
Uses Armadillo Armour
Feed Armadillo Bird Egg
White Parrot Toy: 40 Coins
Uses White Parrot Feather
Feed White Parrot Walnut
Zebra Toy: 36 Coins
Uses Zebra Print
Feed Zebra Pasture
Puffin Toy: 40 Coins
Uses Puffin Feather
Feed Puffin Salmon
Heron Toy: 50 Coins
Uses Heron Feather
Feed Heron Firefly
I was prompted to access my Toy Maker and the list of Items it produced by the acquisition of the new Raccoon Habitat as the final Reward for 'Darryl's Pipe Dream'. I had hoped to find Raccoon Fur had been added to the list to produce little Raccoon Toys. In fact, as of January 2014, there are three new Toys, including a Raccoon Toy!
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
The Marzipan Machine and traditions of Yuletide
I personally love the fact that Family Farm incorporates regional traditions in its Quests and Missions. The most recent time-restricted Quest is that of 'Darryl's Pipe Dream'. It involves Black Peter in the form of Zwarte Piet and the White Horse Amerigo. This is not the first Quest to be centred on the White Horse that usually is the property of St. Nicholas himself and not his companion Black Peter.
A very close friend of mine from Germany, now deceased, remembered Black Peter from his childhood and sent me a copy of a book of poems about the character. He had hunted down a reproduction of a very old, formerly out-of-print book in order to renew his own acquaintance with the tradition. Both he and I were rather astounded by the actions of Black Peter towards the naughty boys and girls at Yuletide. One poem involved the consumption of children's fingers!
Cannibalism is not a rare topic in folktales and fairytales. Every one is familiar with the tale of Hansel and Gretel and the Witch who fattens them in a cage in order to make a feast of them. Their ultimate revenge is to shut her inside her own oven. The whole business of cannibalism is related to ancient rites of fertility, of making grand sacrifices in order to bring fertility to the soil. 'The Golden Bough' includes an entire chapter on human sacrifice. It originally was more of a barter system that anything else. Crops and Animals were considered to be as valuable as human beings and the sacrifice to the land of the latter was the price paid to gain a good harvest and have good hunting.
In any event, part of the new Quest is the placement, completion and use of a Marzipan Machine. It is a delightful little machine with the figure of a toy duck upon it. Almond Flour, added to the list of Flour types that the Mill can grind some months ago, is one of two ingredients that make Marzipan. It is the second ingredient that determines the type of Marzipan that is produced.
The types of Marzipan are:
Marzipan Pig Candy: 89 Coins
Made with Lychees
Marzipan Koala Candy: 128 Coins
Made with Chocolate
Marzipan Cow Candy: 86 Coins
Made with White Chocolate
Marzipan Frog Candy: 85 Coins
Made with Lime
Marzipan Duck Candy: 78 Coins
Made with Pears
Marzipan Hippo Candy: 150 Coins
Made with Blueberries
A very close friend of mine from Germany, now deceased, remembered Black Peter from his childhood and sent me a copy of a book of poems about the character. He had hunted down a reproduction of a very old, formerly out-of-print book in order to renew his own acquaintance with the tradition. Both he and I were rather astounded by the actions of Black Peter towards the naughty boys and girls at Yuletide. One poem involved the consumption of children's fingers!
Cannibalism is not a rare topic in folktales and fairytales. Every one is familiar with the tale of Hansel and Gretel and the Witch who fattens them in a cage in order to make a feast of them. Their ultimate revenge is to shut her inside her own oven. The whole business of cannibalism is related to ancient rites of fertility, of making grand sacrifices in order to bring fertility to the soil. 'The Golden Bough' includes an entire chapter on human sacrifice. It originally was more of a barter system that anything else. Crops and Animals were considered to be as valuable as human beings and the sacrifice to the land of the latter was the price paid to gain a good harvest and have good hunting.
In any event, part of the new Quest is the placement, completion and use of a Marzipan Machine. It is a delightful little machine with the figure of a toy duck upon it. Almond Flour, added to the list of Flour types that the Mill can grind some months ago, is one of two ingredients that make Marzipan. It is the second ingredient that determines the type of Marzipan that is produced.
The types of Marzipan are:
Marzipan Pig Candy: 89 Coins
Made with Lychees
Marzipan Koala Candy: 128 Coins
Made with Chocolate
Marzipan Cow Candy: 86 Coins
Made with White Chocolate
Marzipan Frog Candy: 85 Coins
Made with Lime
Marzipan Duck Candy: 78 Coins
Made with Pears
Marzipan Hippo Candy: 150 Coins
Made with Blueberries
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Being a Good Neighbour
There is a political controversy of some magnitude with respect to this topic. Some players believe that a good neighbour is one who regularly sends Gifts, visits the farms of his/her Neighbours and responds to all requests in a timely manner. There are others, however, who become EXTREMELY CROSS with Neighbours who send unrequested items such as Special Delivery Boxes or even the item that is worth 30 OP if they did not request any such item.
The fact of the matter is that there may be a limit to the number of items any single Neighbour can receive on any given day. If you send the Neighbour an item he/she did NOT request, any actual request he/she made may not reach you. This is important usually if a Quest/Mission requires a specific Item that only can be obtained through Neighbour Requests or if the player needs to complete a building project and needs specific materials.
This situation may be determined by the number of Neighbours that a player has. I have been able to request an Item from a Neighbour and receive not only THAT item but the one he/she sent unrequested on the same day. Furthermore, I have been able to receive a Special Delivery Box from that player as well. I have few Neighbours, however, compared to Players with over a thousand. Initially I had posted that the number of items any signle Neighbour can send to another specific Neighbour on a given day was limited but I changed that to declare there was a limit to the number of Items a Farmer could RECEIVE on any given day.
It is interesting to note that the Players who complain of unrequested Gifts tend to be at very high levels and have significant numbers of Neighbours. I would be interested in the experiences of other lower level players like me who did not appear to have the same problems.
The game itself may encourage you to send 'free gifts' to all your Neighbours as well as 50 Special Delivery Boxes to a random group of Neighbours. If you do not know that the Item you send in effect may replace an Item that your Neighbour actually may have requested, you may be considered a less than sterling Neighbour by players who fail to receive the Items they need.
On the other hand, as previously indicated, the Players who shun and avoid Neighbours who send gifts to every one usually are those at very high levels with over one thousand Neighbours. Most of us are not at those elevated heights and the number of Players who will delete you as a Friend simply because you sent an unrequested Gift are in the minority!
The fact of the matter is that there may be a limit to the number of items any single Neighbour can receive on any given day. If you send the Neighbour an item he/she did NOT request, any actual request he/she made may not reach you. This is important usually if a Quest/Mission requires a specific Item that only can be obtained through Neighbour Requests or if the player needs to complete a building project and needs specific materials.
This situation may be determined by the number of Neighbours that a player has. I have been able to request an Item from a Neighbour and receive not only THAT item but the one he/she sent unrequested on the same day. Furthermore, I have been able to receive a Special Delivery Box from that player as well. I have few Neighbours, however, compared to Players with over a thousand. Initially I had posted that the number of items any signle Neighbour can send to another specific Neighbour on a given day was limited but I changed that to declare there was a limit to the number of Items a Farmer could RECEIVE on any given day.
It is interesting to note that the Players who complain of unrequested Gifts tend to be at very high levels and have significant numbers of Neighbours. I would be interested in the experiences of other lower level players like me who did not appear to have the same problems.
The game itself may encourage you to send 'free gifts' to all your Neighbours as well as 50 Special Delivery Boxes to a random group of Neighbours. If you do not know that the Item you send in effect may replace an Item that your Neighbour actually may have requested, you may be considered a less than sterling Neighbour by players who fail to receive the Items they need.
On the other hand, as previously indicated, the Players who shun and avoid Neighbours who send gifts to every one usually are those at very high levels with over one thousand Neighbours. Most of us are not at those elevated heights and the number of Players who will delete you as a Friend simply because you sent an unrequested Gift are in the minority!
Saturday, 2 November 2013
Soutions with Respect to lack of Space on your Farm
Any farming game I ever played on Facebook presented ongoing problems with respect to the amount of space allotted to the player. Essentially, one of the goals of the producers of any 'free' game is to persuade players to invest real money in the game at every possible opportunity. Special items that can be obtained only with 'premium' cash are one method by which players are induced to spend money. A more subtle method is to offer new free options in the form of buildings, decorations and other items. Invariably, there is insufficient space on the original farm to place all of these. The player then either must sell or otherwise rid himself/herself of some of the existing items on the farm or EXPAND the farm. The need to make Farm Expansions in order to accommodate new options probably is the most successful marketing ploy in any farming simulation game.
Family Farm is no exception in this respect. Although it is one of the few farming simulation games that actually GIVES players premium cash on a regular basis as a reward for logging into the game daily, the constant release of new animals, machines and crafting buildings, not to mention decorations, make it very difficult for any serious player to resist the lure of a farm expansion or two... or three.
Farm expansions can be purchased with Coins as well as premium cash in the form of RC but the ability to do so is limited by the player's own experience Level. As his/her experience Level increases, the ability to pay for more Farm Expansions with coins will be unlocked but of course, the amount of Coins required will increase with each expansion as does the amount of RC required for the same expansion.
Veteran players avidly watch for sales on farm expansions. One usually can see an announcement of a reduction in the price of any expansion on the margin of the Farm itself. 20% reductions in price are the usual sale that is offered and it usually will last for two days. Reductions in the price of premium cash are offered at least once every month as well. Again, the veteran player will purchase his/her premium cash at the sale price, then wait for the land expansion sale before expanding his/her Farm.
Apart from Farm expansions, however, there are some ways to conserve space within the game itself. The Warehouse, the Tree Storehouse and the Animal House are different ways by which space can be made on the Farm.
The Warehouse is purely a storage building, but it can house Animals, Buildings, Machines and Decorations. It will not accommodate Trees. The Tree Storehouse is another storage option that is restricted to Trees. Obviously both buildings must be placed on the Farm but ultimately, they do free space on the Farm. In particular, the Warehouse can be upgraded to house more Items. At Level 13, for example, it can house a total of 140 Items
The Animal House is a fairly new option in Family Farm and it differs from the Warehouse and Tree Storehouse insofar as it is an 'active' building where Animals can be housed and yet used at the same time. In fact, it is a very useful option as it allows automatic collection of products from the Animals placed within its precinct. The essential difference between automatic collections from an
Animal housed in the Animal House and the same Animal placed on the Farm is the requirement of Gasoline to trade for 'Time Points' for the Animal House collection and OP for any Animal on the Farm. Another difference is the ability to choose the price number of products one wishes to collect from any Animal in the Animal House. If one chooses the automatic option for any Animal or Machine on the Farm, the mechanism will continue until one shuts it off manually, one exhausts all OP or one exhausts the material or materials required to produce the product. In this sense, the Animal House is far superior, provided always that one has sufficient Gasoline to trade for 'Time Points' to use for the production.
OP or Operation Points sometimes are confusing to a new player. One acquires them in a number of different ways. OP can be given as a Reward for completing a Quest. One can trade Items from the Gift Box for OP as well. Materials that are used to build Machines as well as unused Items requested from neighbours for Quests can be traded for OP. One of the most profitable trades is that of the Sail, a material used to complete construction of a Brick Mill. Often Farmers will request Sails from their Neighbours because one Sail can be traded for 30 OP while all other materials or items can be traded for a maximum of 10 OP.
Family Farm is no exception in this respect. Although it is one of the few farming simulation games that actually GIVES players premium cash on a regular basis as a reward for logging into the game daily, the constant release of new animals, machines and crafting buildings, not to mention decorations, make it very difficult for any serious player to resist the lure of a farm expansion or two... or three.
Farm expansions can be purchased with Coins as well as premium cash in the form of RC but the ability to do so is limited by the player's own experience Level. As his/her experience Level increases, the ability to pay for more Farm Expansions with coins will be unlocked but of course, the amount of Coins required will increase with each expansion as does the amount of RC required for the same expansion.
Veteran players avidly watch for sales on farm expansions. One usually can see an announcement of a reduction in the price of any expansion on the margin of the Farm itself. 20% reductions in price are the usual sale that is offered and it usually will last for two days. Reductions in the price of premium cash are offered at least once every month as well. Again, the veteran player will purchase his/her premium cash at the sale price, then wait for the land expansion sale before expanding his/her Farm.
Apart from Farm expansions, however, there are some ways to conserve space within the game itself. The Warehouse, the Tree Storehouse and the Animal House are different ways by which space can be made on the Farm.
The Warehouse is purely a storage building, but it can house Animals, Buildings, Machines and Decorations. It will not accommodate Trees. The Tree Storehouse is another storage option that is restricted to Trees. Obviously both buildings must be placed on the Farm but ultimately, they do free space on the Farm. In particular, the Warehouse can be upgraded to house more Items. At Level 13, for example, it can house a total of 140 Items
The Animal House is a fairly new option in Family Farm and it differs from the Warehouse and Tree Storehouse insofar as it is an 'active' building where Animals can be housed and yet used at the same time. In fact, it is a very useful option as it allows automatic collection of products from the Animals placed within its precinct. The essential difference between automatic collections from an
Animal housed in the Animal House and the same Animal placed on the Farm is the requirement of Gasoline to trade for 'Time Points' for the Animal House collection and OP for any Animal on the Farm. Another difference is the ability to choose the price number of products one wishes to collect from any Animal in the Animal House. If one chooses the automatic option for any Animal or Machine on the Farm, the mechanism will continue until one shuts it off manually, one exhausts all OP or one exhausts the material or materials required to produce the product. In this sense, the Animal House is far superior, provided always that one has sufficient Gasoline to trade for 'Time Points' to use for the production.
OP or Operation Points sometimes are confusing to a new player. One acquires them in a number of different ways. OP can be given as a Reward for completing a Quest. One can trade Items from the Gift Box for OP as well. Materials that are used to build Machines as well as unused Items requested from neighbours for Quests can be traded for OP. One of the most profitable trades is that of the Sail, a material used to complete construction of a Brick Mill. Often Farmers will request Sails from their Neighbours because one Sail can be traded for 30 OP while all other materials or items can be traded for a maximum of 10 OP.
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Using Special Materials
Perhaps I am particularly dense where some aspects of gaming are concerned, but there is what I feel is a rather overly complex situation in Family Farm with respect to special materials that are used in crafting, whether in the Workshop, Beauty Shop or Dessert Shop. In the Recipes found in these buildings, most ingredients or materials can be obtained from the player's farm. In some specific cases, however, a Recipe will require an ingredient or item that is not found on the farm, nor found anywhere in the Maeketplace. The player has an option to 'Ask' Neighbours for the item or material or purchase 1 for 1 RC. Usually a fair quantity of these special items is needed to complete the Recipe, making purchase impractical.
Here is where the game system is overly complex. After you request the item or material from Neighbours, you will have the usual option to accept it when you go to your Requests menu. It will NOT show up, however, in your Crafting building, even if you have accepted scores of this item or material. You must complete an additional, to me rather pointless step by going to your Gift Box, then choosing the option to 'Use' the item or material. Although I know this, I find myself going to the Craft building after accepting the requested Item or Material and, seeing that the count remains at zero, becoming frustrated, until I remember that I have to find the Item in my Gift Box!
Here is where the game system is overly complex. After you request the item or material from Neighbours, you will have the usual option to accept it when you go to your Requests menu. It will NOT show up, however, in your Crafting building, even if you have accepted scores of this item or material. You must complete an additional, to me rather pointless step by going to your Gift Box, then choosing the option to 'Use' the item or material. Although I know this, I find myself going to the Craft building after accepting the requested Item or Material and, seeing that the count remains at zero, becoming frustrated, until I remember that I have to find the Item in my Gift Box!
Monday, 28 October 2013
Halloween Machines, their Ingredients, Products and Product Values
Frustrated by the need to experiment on these machines to find the item that a quest is demanding, I decided to post a few results to help other players as well as myself:
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Pumpkin Totem Machine:
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All Pumpkin Totems require Halloween Pumpkin as the primary ingredient. It is the second ingredient that determines the type of Totem made.
Happy Pumpkin Totem: 137 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin, White Pumpkin?
Frightful Pumpkin Totem: 140 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin,
Proud Pumpkin Totem: 554 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin, Bell Pepper
Sneaky Pumpkin Totem: 219 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin, Cantaloupe
Sunburst Pumpkin Totem: 244 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin, Enchanted Carrot
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Halloween Candy Machine
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All Halloween Candy needs Halloween Sugar as the primary ingredient. The second ingredient determines the type of Candy made:
Pumpkin Treat:175 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Halloween Pumpkin
Smile Teeth: 97 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Apple
Witch Finger: 101 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, White Chocolate
Spooky Owl: 115 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Cherry
Chummy Mummy: 149 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Wheat Flour
Ghost Candy: 109 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween sugar, White Pumpkin
Chocolate Spider: 130 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Chocolate
Cheesy Bone: 110 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Milk Cheese
Popcorn Ball Monster: 263 Coins
Ingredient: Halloween Sugar, Vanilla Popcorn
Halloween Eyeball: 132 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Olive
Black Cat Pop: 120 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Truffle
Tombstone Truffle: 280 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, White Truffle
Jack-O-Lanterns and other Carved Pumpkins
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It is important only for purposes of completing quests, to distinguish between the Jack-O-Lantern Machine and the Carving Machine. I came to Family Farm rather late, at Yuletide last year, when the Halloween Quests no longer were accessible to new players. I nonetheless received parts for building the Jack-O-Lantern Machine from Special Delivery Boxes and therefore believe that this machine predated the Carving Machine.
The Jack-O-Lantern Machine makes only one item, using Halloween Pumpkins. It make the classic Jack-O-Lantern. The Carving Machine, on the other hand, is not limited to a single festival, theme or seasonal item. It makes special carved Eggs, Pine Cones and two types of Carved Pumpkins. The only products included here at the Halloween Pumpkins.
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Jack-O-Lantern Machine
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Jack-O-Lantern: 115 Coins
Ingredient: Halloween Pumpkin
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Carving Machine
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The Halloween products made in the Carving Machine are:
Carved Pumpkin: 106 Coins
Ingredients; Halloween Pumpkin
Carved White Pumpkin: 27 Coins
Incredient: White Pumpkin
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Halloween Costume Machine
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Note that a completed Halloween Costume Machine is given as a reward for completing a quest although a player can purchase an incomplete machine in the Market as well.
Mummy Outfit: 30 Coins
Ingredient: Silk
Skull Mask: 56 Coins
Ingredient: Ostrich Feather
Pink Prince Outfit: 112 Coins
Ingredient: Angora Hair
Scary Pirate Outfit: 90 Coins
Ingredient: Wool
Angry Bird Mask:
Ingredient: Peacock Feather
Other Machines that make Halloween Items
You will find that there are a number of special Halloween Crops, Tree Fruits and so on. They can be used in a number of the ordinary non-festival machines as well as the special Halloween Machines. Inter alia, you will find that you can make Halloween Pudding, Halloween Ice Cream, Halloween Cookies and Halloween Jewelry in the form of Halloween Earrings. The Glow Stick Machine now makes Halloween Glow Sticks using Halloween Pumpkins.
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Pumpkin Totem Machine:
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All Pumpkin Totems require Halloween Pumpkin as the primary ingredient. It is the second ingredient that determines the type of Totem made.
Happy Pumpkin Totem: 137 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin, White Pumpkin?
Frightful Pumpkin Totem: 140 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin,
Proud Pumpkin Totem: 554 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin, Bell Pepper
Sneaky Pumpkin Totem: 219 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin, Cantaloupe
Sunburst Pumpkin Totem: 244 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Pumpkin, Enchanted Carrot
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Halloween Candy Machine
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
All Halloween Candy needs Halloween Sugar as the primary ingredient. The second ingredient determines the type of Candy made:
Pumpkin Treat:175 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Halloween Pumpkin
Smile Teeth: 97 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Apple
Witch Finger: 101 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, White Chocolate
Spooky Owl: 115 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Cherry
Chummy Mummy: 149 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Wheat Flour
Ghost Candy: 109 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween sugar, White Pumpkin
Chocolate Spider: 130 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Chocolate
Cheesy Bone: 110 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Milk Cheese
Popcorn Ball Monster: 263 Coins
Ingredient: Halloween Sugar, Vanilla Popcorn
Halloween Eyeball: 132 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Olive
Black Cat Pop: 120 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, Truffle
Tombstone Truffle: 280 Coins
Ingredients: Halloween Sugar, White Truffle
Jack-O-Lanterns and other Carved Pumpkins
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It is important only for purposes of completing quests, to distinguish between the Jack-O-Lantern Machine and the Carving Machine. I came to Family Farm rather late, at Yuletide last year, when the Halloween Quests no longer were accessible to new players. I nonetheless received parts for building the Jack-O-Lantern Machine from Special Delivery Boxes and therefore believe that this machine predated the Carving Machine.
The Jack-O-Lantern Machine makes only one item, using Halloween Pumpkins. It make the classic Jack-O-Lantern. The Carving Machine, on the other hand, is not limited to a single festival, theme or seasonal item. It makes special carved Eggs, Pine Cones and two types of Carved Pumpkins. The only products included here at the Halloween Pumpkins.
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Jack-O-Lantern Machine
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Jack-O-Lantern: 115 Coins
Ingredient: Halloween Pumpkin
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Carving Machine
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The Halloween products made in the Carving Machine are:
Carved Pumpkin: 106 Coins
Ingredients; Halloween Pumpkin
Carved White Pumpkin: 27 Coins
Incredient: White Pumpkin
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Halloween Costume Machine
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Note that a completed Halloween Costume Machine is given as a reward for completing a quest although a player can purchase an incomplete machine in the Market as well.
Mummy Outfit: 30 Coins
Ingredient: Silk
Skull Mask: 56 Coins
Ingredient: Ostrich Feather
Pink Prince Outfit: 112 Coins
Ingredient: Angora Hair
Scary Pirate Outfit: 90 Coins
Ingredient: Wool
Angry Bird Mask:
Ingredient: Peacock Feather
Other Machines that make Halloween Items
You will find that there are a number of special Halloween Crops, Tree Fruits and so on. They can be used in a number of the ordinary non-festival machines as well as the special Halloween Machines. Inter alia, you will find that you can make Halloween Pudding, Halloween Ice Cream, Halloween Cookies and Halloween Jewelry in the form of Halloween Earrings. The Glow Stick Machine now makes Halloween Glow Sticks using Halloween Pumpkins.
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Pollination on the Farm or Secrets of the 'Birds and the Bees'
Many Players appear to be confused with respect to Pollination and the methods by which Honey and Nectar are made in Family Farm.
You need a Beehive to make Honey and a Butterfly Home to make Nectar. There are many different types of Beehives and each has its own rules. Some are interested in a single Crop in the form of Clover or Lavender. Others are interested in amny different Flowers and can produce Honey by pollinating any of the Flowers on the list.
As far as Nectar is concerned, there is a list of Trees that the Butterflies will pollinate in order to produce the sweet substance.
Where ANY type of Honey or Nectar is concerned, however, TIME is the key. You cannot harvest the Crop or Tree as soon as it is mature. If you do so, you will not obtain the benefit of pollination and the Honey or Nectar that can be produced afterwards. In some cases, you will see a prompt to the effect that the Crop or Tree has been pollinated but even if you do not see this prompt, there is an easy way to judge whether or not pollination has occurred. Any pollinated Crop or Tree will change colour. If the Crop or Tree remains its original colour, it has not been pollinated yet.
Remember always the 'Rule of Three'. The maximum number of products that can be made is three. If you fail to collect these products, no further products can be made until you clear the collection area. Where Beehives and Butterfly Homes are concerned, it is easiest to set them to the Automation Mode and then you will obtain the maximum number of products from them. If, however, you do not have sufficient OP, simply make certain first that you WAIT until pollination has occurred before you harvest a Crop or Tree and second, that you clear the collection area to allow more Honey or Nectar to be produced.
You need a Beehive to make Honey and a Butterfly Home to make Nectar. There are many different types of Beehives and each has its own rules. Some are interested in a single Crop in the form of Clover or Lavender. Others are interested in amny different Flowers and can produce Honey by pollinating any of the Flowers on the list.
As far as Nectar is concerned, there is a list of Trees that the Butterflies will pollinate in order to produce the sweet substance.
Where ANY type of Honey or Nectar is concerned, however, TIME is the key. You cannot harvest the Crop or Tree as soon as it is mature. If you do so, you will not obtain the benefit of pollination and the Honey or Nectar that can be produced afterwards. In some cases, you will see a prompt to the effect that the Crop or Tree has been pollinated but even if you do not see this prompt, there is an easy way to judge whether or not pollination has occurred. Any pollinated Crop or Tree will change colour. If the Crop or Tree remains its original colour, it has not been pollinated yet.
Remember always the 'Rule of Three'. The maximum number of products that can be made is three. If you fail to collect these products, no further products can be made until you clear the collection area. Where Beehives and Butterfly Homes are concerned, it is easiest to set them to the Automation Mode and then you will obtain the maximum number of products from them. If, however, you do not have sufficient OP, simply make certain first that you WAIT until pollination has occurred before you harvest a Crop or Tree and second, that you clear the collection area to allow more Honey or Nectar to be produced.
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
The Dessert Shop
There are plenty of excellent guides for the original Family Farm, but I thought I would post the Recipes for the new Dessert Shop for my own convenience and perhaps other players will find it somewhat useful.
Note that any Item made in the Dessert Shop, unlike those made in the Workshop, requires time to complete. The selling Value of the Items are high, but the actual Profits may not justify the effort in every case.
Dessert Shop Recipes:
Buttermilk: 351 Coins, 3 XP
Ingredients: 3 Cow Milk, 3 Goat Milk, 3 Buffalo Milk
Time: 1 Minute
Buttermilk Cake: 1868 Coins, 5 XP
Ingredients: 2 Buttermilk, 5 Cornmeal, 5 Bird Eggs
Time: 5 Minutes
Summer Berry Cake: 5527 Coins, 8 XP
Ingredients: 10 Blueberry, 10 Cranberry, 2 Buttermilk Cake
Time: 20 Minutes
Green Sugar: 834 Coins, 2 XP
Ingredients: 3 Sugar, 3 Baobab Juice
Time: 3 Minutes
Yellow Sugar: 604 Coins, 3 XP
Ingredients: 3 Sugar, 3 ORange Juice
Time: 8 Minutes
Red Sugar: 838 Coins, 23 XP
Ingredients: 3 Sugar, 3 Pomegranate Juice
Time: 15 Minutes
Buttermilk Cookie: 1918 Coins, 4 XP
Ingredients: 2 Buttermilk, 3 Rye Flour, 2 Sugar
Time: 10 Minutes
Chocolate Nut Cookie: 2332 Coins, 32 XP
Ingredients: 1 Buttermilk Cookie, 3 Chocolate, 4 Macadamia Nut
Time: 40 Minutes
Frosted Buttermilk Cookie: 4994 Coins, 6 XP
Ingredients: 1 Buttermilk Cookie, 2 Green Sugar, 2 Yellow Sugar
Time: 1 Hour
Note that any Item made in the Dessert Shop, unlike those made in the Workshop, requires time to complete. The selling Value of the Items are high, but the actual Profits may not justify the effort in every case.
Dessert Shop Recipes:
Buttermilk: 351 Coins, 3 XP
Ingredients: 3 Cow Milk, 3 Goat Milk, 3 Buffalo Milk
Time: 1 Minute
Buttermilk Cake: 1868 Coins, 5 XP
Ingredients: 2 Buttermilk, 5 Cornmeal, 5 Bird Eggs
Time: 5 Minutes
Summer Berry Cake: 5527 Coins, 8 XP
Ingredients: 10 Blueberry, 10 Cranberry, 2 Buttermilk Cake
Time: 20 Minutes
Green Sugar: 834 Coins, 2 XP
Ingredients: 3 Sugar, 3 Baobab Juice
Time: 3 Minutes
Yellow Sugar: 604 Coins, 3 XP
Ingredients: 3 Sugar, 3 ORange Juice
Time: 8 Minutes
Red Sugar: 838 Coins, 23 XP
Ingredients: 3 Sugar, 3 Pomegranate Juice
Time: 15 Minutes
Buttermilk Cookie: 1918 Coins, 4 XP
Ingredients: 2 Buttermilk, 3 Rye Flour, 2 Sugar
Time: 10 Minutes
Chocolate Nut Cookie: 2332 Coins, 32 XP
Ingredients: 1 Buttermilk Cookie, 3 Chocolate, 4 Macadamia Nut
Time: 40 Minutes
Frosted Buttermilk Cookie: 4994 Coins, 6 XP
Ingredients: 1 Buttermilk Cookie, 2 Green Sugar, 2 Yellow Sugar
Time: 1 Hour
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Speeding Crop Growth in Family Farm
The Water Well
In the original Family Farm, the Water Well costs 10,000 Coins and requires four different materials. Two materials, in the form of a Water Pump, requiring 10 RC. and a Drill Gear requiring 15 RC, require premium Cash. The remainder can be obtained through Requests to Neighbours. You will need a total of 10 Stones, 10 Wood Beams and 8 Irrigation Pipes. At a minimum premium cost of 25 RC, the Water Well is an expensive build. At Level 1, the Farmer can place a total of 50 Sprinklers.
The Water Well by itself has no effect, but when a Sprinkler is placed on a tilled plot, it will reduce growth time on that square by 15%.
Once completed, it can be upgraded with an eddition of 10 more Irrigation Pipes and 10 more Stones. A total of 75 Sprinklers then can be placed.
In the original Family Farm, the Water Well costs 10,000 Coins and requires four different materials. Two materials, in the form of a Water Pump, requiring 10 RC. and a Drill Gear requiring 15 RC, require premium Cash. The remainder can be obtained through Requests to Neighbours. You will need a total of 10 Stones, 10 Wood Beams and 8 Irrigation Pipes. At a minimum premium cost of 25 RC, the Water Well is an expensive build. At Level 1, the Farmer can place a total of 50 Sprinklers.
The Water Well by itself has no effect, but when a Sprinkler is placed on a tilled plot, it will reduce growth time on that square by 15%.
Once completed, it can be upgraded with an eddition of 10 more Irrigation Pipes and 10 more Stones. A total of 75 Sprinklers then can be placed.
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Family Farm Troubles and Tips
Perhaps another word for it would be 'venting', but in any case, I will share my experiences in the hope that they may prove helpful to some one.
Automation is very much a part of Family Farm and always has been. As some one who secretly is rather sympathetic towards the viewpoint of J.R.R. Tolkien and shares his dislike of the industrial revolution and the 'ugliness' it brought to the English countryside, it came as rather a surprise to me when I developed a liking for Family Farm. The graphics, however, are charming. I was seduced by the charm of the game and gradually became involved with the various quests.
Like the old adage by Virgil that declares that 'Facilis descensus Averni' (The road to Hell is an easy one), I found myself using the various machines in order to complete Quests and then, allowing the automation option to perform the tasks when necessary.
Is it ever necessary to set the machines in motion on an automated basis? Probably not, but not to do so means that quests may not be completed within the time limit given or that one will be forced to engage in endless supervision of each machine. As I declared at the start, I am no expert here, but I have found myself again and again at a point where the machines have ground to a halt and I have been at a loss to comprehend why...
The problem, of course, is that more than one Animal or Machine uses the same ingredients. I tend to believe that Milk, Eggs and Wheat Flour ALWAYS are necessary staples and therefore have the Chicken Coop, Holstein (Milk) Cow and Mill set to produce these products automatically and constantly.
Enter the Cereal Machine that requires Corn as one of three ingredients in ANY type of Cereal. I had been growing Corn on a daily basis but discovered that my Cereal was NOT being produced. Why? The Chickens were the culprits. It was they who were busily consuming every kernel of Corn I harvested! Thus, I had plenty of Eggs but no Cereal!
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