FarmVille More Levels
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Jensen from FarmVille Code Hunters for finding these unreleased future FarmVille Levels.
The new levels will be as follows:
Level 91: Veni Vidi Agri
Level 92: Incomparable Farmer
Level 93: Soil Savant
Level 94: Farm Overlord
Level 95: Stellar Farmer
Level 96: Transcendent Tiller
Level 97: Universal Farmer
Level 98: Paragon Farmer
Level 99: Epic Farmer
Level 100: Omnipotent Agriculturalist
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Monday, February 13, 2012
YoVille: Guide to Mastering New Jobs
A new way to earn coins has been added to YoVille. The Jobs feature is going to bring you more items, more coins and more fun! Become a Party Entertainer, Pet Rescuer, Ghost Hunter and many more. After the jump is everything you should know about this exciting feature.
You are a few steps away from finding your YoVille dream job!
What are YoVille Jobs?
This is a new feature that will allow you to make more coins, get a chance to receive new rare items and give you more fun things to do in YoVille.
Where Do I Start?
YoVille Do Jobs
Click on the Briefcase icon at the bottom of the screen.
You will then be given a choice of several different and exciting jobs to try. You can have fun being a Party Entertainer, Animal Rescuer, and Ghost Hunter. Give them all a try and discover you favorite! By completing Jobs and mastering Job Categories you will unlock more jobs, earn lots of coins and pick up rare items along the way!
YoVille Choose Job Category
When you choose a Job you will be taken to the Job Locations. This may be in an alleyway, a YoVille Party or even a Haunted House! There will be a key mission in your job that you must complete. For example let's check out the Ghost Hunter Job – Creepy Keepsake.
YoVille Creepy Keepsake
In this job, your mission is to find all 9 statues. Once you choose to do this job, you'll be taken to a Haunted House full of ghosts! You will then need to click on all of the ghosts to bust them. Busting the ghosts will give you awesome prizes, coins and YP while you search for the statues. After you are done clicking on all of the ghosts in a room you will see footsteps that lead you to the next room full of ghosts. Once you find all 9 statues your job will be completed and you will be rewarded!
*Hint* You'll see hints along the way to help you find the statues faster. Also when you collect them all you will get an extra coin reward, so be sure to complete your jobs.
YoVille Job Finished
Tips for Completing Jobs:
Clicking on ghosts is fun, but it also takes your Energy. You use 6 Energy for every ghost you bust.
YoVille Job Ghost Busting
Remember to pick up all the coins, YP and prizes that the ghosts leave behind. You'll find lots of rewards to pick up so make sure to not forget anything!
YoVille Job Prizes
You'll see hints along the way to help you find the statues. Follow the hints to complete the job faster.
YoVille Prize Really Close
Energy:
More ways to get energy and share it too! – You can now receive and share energy through Feeds and Free Gifts. We'll have two separate feeds that you can post depending on if you are out of energy or if you just found some energy and want to share with friends. So whether you are out of energy or feeling generous make sure to "share" or ask for help and help each other out!
Don't forget you'll also be able to send your friends these new Free Gift energy drink as well so ask your friends to send you some energy drinks and send some back in return.
Energy Free Gifts:
YoVille Energy
Energy Feed #1 – After you have found a bucket of energy drinks during YoVille Jobs and want to share them with your friends
YoVille Bucketful of Energy feed
YoVille Energy feed share
Energy Feed #2 – Will allow you to ask your friends for more energy when you run out.
YoVille Not Enough Energy
YoVille Need More Energy
*Please note that if you do not have jobs yet but are seeing the Energy Drink feeds that you can still click in on the Feeds to receive Energy and we will store them for you until you receive this feature but you will not be able to view them yet. When you do receive the feature they will appear under the "Special" category of your inventory. Also, if you do not have the feature yet and receive the Energy Free Gifts you will receive coins instead until you receive this feature :) *
Resume YoVille Jobs where you left off playing – If you are in the middle of a job and have to sign off you will no longer have to go through the entire job location to pick up where you left off. Instead when you click on the job you are resuming you will be taken straight to the room you were last in during the last time you played that particular job.
Rare Items will be Giftable/Tradeable – now that the majority of players will have access to these items we will be turning these items on as giftable and tradeable so you can sell them or give them away to your friends. If you don't have this feature yet don't worry you will very soon and will be able to get a chance to receive these rare items. Until then you may have a nice friend that may want to share until you receive this feature ;)
Jobs Payouts – based on your feedback we saw that many of you would like to know how much you can make per job. This will now be displayed when browsing different jobs and you will be shown a range of coins you can make during each job. This will not only show you how much you will be able to make but will let you now prioritize your time in jobs, based on coin payouts for which jobs you would like to complete first or use your energy on!
FAQ:
Can I work at the Widget Factory and the Jobs game at the same time?
A: Your energy allows you to work at either the Widget Factory OR the Jobs game once every 5 hours. With the Jobs Game you can use your energy to keep playing as it replenishes. You do not have to wait until it's at 100%.
You will need 100% energy to be able to work at the Widget Factory. Your Energy automatically replenishes to 100% every 5 hours. If you choose to work at the Widget Factory you will be able to do so every 5 hours. This is a recent change from the 6 hour wait period that you used to have at the Widget Factory.
Some days you may want to mix and match these options. If you're rushed in the morning and you just want to make sure you get some coins, head over to the Widget Factory and collect your standard pay. If you have a little time for fun, make sure you try out a new Job! On average the new Jobs will allow you to earn a lot more coins than the factory. You'll also pick up rare items that are only available in jobs, and unlock new jobs as you complete them and level up. Higher level jobs earn higher amounts of coins
Why didn't I find all of the rare items when I completed a job?
A: The items that you find in Jobs Game are truly Rare. This means that not everyone will find every Rare item. You may not find all of the Rare items on your first completion of a Job. You can always come back and try again though.
Can I trade or gift the rare items that I find?
A: Yes, Jobs Game rare items are giftable and tradeable.
Is the Widget Factory leaving YoVIlle?
A: At this time we have no plans to remove the Widget Factory from YoVille.
Do I have to do the new Jobs?
A: No, you still have the option to collect coins from the Widget Factory just like before the Jobs Game came out.
Do I have to pay for energy? How do I get more energy?
A: There are multiple ways to receive energy. Your Energy Bar automatically replenishes to 100% every 5 hours. Check the timer below your Energy Bar if you want to know when to expect more. Energy replenishes at the rate of 1 energy every 3 minutes.
You'll also collect Energy Drinks while completing jobs. It will be a large Energy Drink that will appear after clicking on the ghost, so make sure to click on it. Each Energy Drink will give you some extra energy so try to collect as many as you can! When you are out of energy click on your backpack to find the extra energy that you've found in the Job Game.
If you need energy fast you can purchase 100% energy by clicking on the Energy Backpack and then Energy Refill. This will be an extra way to get that energy refill fast if you are itching to get to that next job! If you're not in a hurry, you can always wait for you energy to replenish for free.
You can also collect Energy Drinks from your friends through Special Energy Feeds and as Free Gifts to send to your friends and ask your friends to send to you.
Will MySpace get the new Jobs Games?
A: We are working hard to make sure that we can add Jobs Game to MySpace in the near future.
Have Fun!
Source: Official posts by Platinum & Pink Ninja.
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
You are a few steps away from finding your YoVille dream job!
What are YoVille Jobs?
This is a new feature that will allow you to make more coins, get a chance to receive new rare items and give you more fun things to do in YoVille.
Where Do I Start?
YoVille Do Jobs
Click on the Briefcase icon at the bottom of the screen.
You will then be given a choice of several different and exciting jobs to try. You can have fun being a Party Entertainer, Animal Rescuer, and Ghost Hunter. Give them all a try and discover you favorite! By completing Jobs and mastering Job Categories you will unlock more jobs, earn lots of coins and pick up rare items along the way!
YoVille Choose Job Category
When you choose a Job you will be taken to the Job Locations. This may be in an alleyway, a YoVille Party or even a Haunted House! There will be a key mission in your job that you must complete. For example let's check out the Ghost Hunter Job – Creepy Keepsake.
YoVille Creepy Keepsake
In this job, your mission is to find all 9 statues. Once you choose to do this job, you'll be taken to a Haunted House full of ghosts! You will then need to click on all of the ghosts to bust them. Busting the ghosts will give you awesome prizes, coins and YP while you search for the statues. After you are done clicking on all of the ghosts in a room you will see footsteps that lead you to the next room full of ghosts. Once you find all 9 statues your job will be completed and you will be rewarded!
*Hint* You'll see hints along the way to help you find the statues faster. Also when you collect them all you will get an extra coin reward, so be sure to complete your jobs.
YoVille Job Finished
Tips for Completing Jobs:
Clicking on ghosts is fun, but it also takes your Energy. You use 6 Energy for every ghost you bust.
YoVille Job Ghost Busting
Remember to pick up all the coins, YP and prizes that the ghosts leave behind. You'll find lots of rewards to pick up so make sure to not forget anything!
YoVille Job Prizes
You'll see hints along the way to help you find the statues. Follow the hints to complete the job faster.
YoVille Prize Really Close
Energy:
More ways to get energy and share it too! – You can now receive and share energy through Feeds and Free Gifts. We'll have two separate feeds that you can post depending on if you are out of energy or if you just found some energy and want to share with friends. So whether you are out of energy or feeling generous make sure to "share" or ask for help and help each other out!
Don't forget you'll also be able to send your friends these new Free Gift energy drink as well so ask your friends to send you some energy drinks and send some back in return.
Energy Free Gifts:
YoVille Energy
Energy Feed #1 – After you have found a bucket of energy drinks during YoVille Jobs and want to share them with your friends
YoVille Bucketful of Energy feed
YoVille Energy feed share
Energy Feed #2 – Will allow you to ask your friends for more energy when you run out.
YoVille Not Enough Energy
YoVille Need More Energy
*Please note that if you do not have jobs yet but are seeing the Energy Drink feeds that you can still click in on the Feeds to receive Energy and we will store them for you until you receive this feature but you will not be able to view them yet. When you do receive the feature they will appear under the "Special" category of your inventory. Also, if you do not have the feature yet and receive the Energy Free Gifts you will receive coins instead until you receive this feature :) *
Resume YoVille Jobs where you left off playing – If you are in the middle of a job and have to sign off you will no longer have to go through the entire job location to pick up where you left off. Instead when you click on the job you are resuming you will be taken straight to the room you were last in during the last time you played that particular job.
Rare Items will be Giftable/Tradeable – now that the majority of players will have access to these items we will be turning these items on as giftable and tradeable so you can sell them or give them away to your friends. If you don't have this feature yet don't worry you will very soon and will be able to get a chance to receive these rare items. Until then you may have a nice friend that may want to share until you receive this feature ;)
Jobs Payouts – based on your feedback we saw that many of you would like to know how much you can make per job. This will now be displayed when browsing different jobs and you will be shown a range of coins you can make during each job. This will not only show you how much you will be able to make but will let you now prioritize your time in jobs, based on coin payouts for which jobs you would like to complete first or use your energy on!
FAQ:
Can I work at the Widget Factory and the Jobs game at the same time?
A: Your energy allows you to work at either the Widget Factory OR the Jobs game once every 5 hours. With the Jobs Game you can use your energy to keep playing as it replenishes. You do not have to wait until it's at 100%.
You will need 100% energy to be able to work at the Widget Factory. Your Energy automatically replenishes to 100% every 5 hours. If you choose to work at the Widget Factory you will be able to do so every 5 hours. This is a recent change from the 6 hour wait period that you used to have at the Widget Factory.
Some days you may want to mix and match these options. If you're rushed in the morning and you just want to make sure you get some coins, head over to the Widget Factory and collect your standard pay. If you have a little time for fun, make sure you try out a new Job! On average the new Jobs will allow you to earn a lot more coins than the factory. You'll also pick up rare items that are only available in jobs, and unlock new jobs as you complete them and level up. Higher level jobs earn higher amounts of coins
Why didn't I find all of the rare items when I completed a job?
A: The items that you find in Jobs Game are truly Rare. This means that not everyone will find every Rare item. You may not find all of the Rare items on your first completion of a Job. You can always come back and try again though.
Can I trade or gift the rare items that I find?
A: Yes, Jobs Game rare items are giftable and tradeable.
Is the Widget Factory leaving YoVIlle?
A: At this time we have no plans to remove the Widget Factory from YoVille.
Do I have to do the new Jobs?
A: No, you still have the option to collect coins from the Widget Factory just like before the Jobs Game came out.
Do I have to pay for energy? How do I get more energy?
A: There are multiple ways to receive energy. Your Energy Bar automatically replenishes to 100% every 5 hours. Check the timer below your Energy Bar if you want to know when to expect more. Energy replenishes at the rate of 1 energy every 3 minutes.
You'll also collect Energy Drinks while completing jobs. It will be a large Energy Drink that will appear after clicking on the ghost, so make sure to click on it. Each Energy Drink will give you some extra energy so try to collect as many as you can! When you are out of energy click on your backpack to find the extra energy that you've found in the Job Game.
If you need energy fast you can purchase 100% energy by clicking on the Energy Backpack and then Energy Refill. This will be an extra way to get that energy refill fast if you are itching to get to that next job! If you're not in a hurry, you can always wait for you energy to replenish for free.
You can also collect Energy Drinks from your friends through Special Energy Feeds and as Free Gifts to send to your friends and ask your friends to send to you.
Will MySpace get the new Jobs Games?
A: We are working hard to make sure that we can add Jobs Game to MySpace in the near future.
Have Fun!
Source: Official posts by Platinum & Pink Ninja.
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Frontierville tops Facebook's weekly gainers with 5.4 million new users
With players recently flocking away from Zynga's Farmville by the millions, some wondered if the top social gaming company had lost a little bit of its luster. Well, if the early success of Farmville successor Frontierville is any indication, that luster is still plenty shiny, thanks very much.
According to AppData (via InsideSocialGames), Frontierville has gaining an incredible 5.4 million monthly users over the last week, a 656% increase from the partial-week launch of the five days previous. Most of the gains came between between June 17 and 19 when Frontierville's users shot up from about 1.5 million to over 6 million, possibly due to a recent change in the way Facebook reports active users.
Among other notable gainers, EA Sports/Playfish's FIFA Superstars continues to capitalize on World Cup fever worldwide (though possibly not as much as EA would have liked) with over 600,000 new users, a 52% jump. And somewhat long-in-the-tooth game School of Wizardry saw a surprising jump this week, gaining over 500,000 users after weeks of anemic growth (we suspect the aforementioned Facebook data reporting change).
According to AppData (via InsideSocialGames), Frontierville has gaining an incredible 5.4 million monthly users over the last week, a 656% increase from the partial-week launch of the five days previous. Most of the gains came between between June 17 and 19 when Frontierville's users shot up from about 1.5 million to over 6 million, possibly due to a recent change in the way Facebook reports active users.
Among other notable gainers, EA Sports/Playfish's FIFA Superstars continues to capitalize on World Cup fever worldwide (though possibly not as much as EA would have liked) with over 600,000 new users, a 52% jump. And somewhat long-in-the-tooth game School of Wizardry saw a surprising jump this week, gaining over 500,000 users after weeks of anemic growth (we suspect the aforementioned Facebook data reporting change).
Can other games mimic FIFA Superstars' World Cup success?
As mentioned in our discussion of the week's top gaining Facebook games, EA Sports/Playfish's FIFA Superstars has seen some relatively healthy growth since launching just a few weeks ago. No doubt the FIFA branding (and the support of a major company like EA) has helped the game stand out from the crowd. But there may be an external reason for the game's recent success -- the World Cup.
As VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi recently noticed, the game has logged over 3.3 million World Cup match predictions since launching near the start of the tournament. The predictions have ranged from prescient (97% picked Brazil over North Korea) to horribly wrong (only 1.6% picked Switzerland beating Spain) but these guesses are notable more for their volume than their predictive ability. For possibly the first time, a real world sporting event is driving interest in a virtual social game, thanks in part to clever integration from the developers.
If FIFA Superstars' success continues throughout the tournament, we can probably expect other developers to try to capitalize on real world sporting events to drive interest in their games. Already Sports illustrated has plans for Facebook-powered Fantasy Football when that sport starts up again, and a few other developers are dipping their toes in the social sports waters.
But why stop at sports? With their quick development times, social games could be deployed to coincide with all sorts of topical real world events, from elections to awards shows. If people are talking about it, it only stands to reason that people would want to game about it too.
This kind of topical gaming is definitely an intriguing potential trend to watch out for in the social games space going forward, and we intend to do just that.
As VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi recently noticed, the game has logged over 3.3 million World Cup match predictions since launching near the start of the tournament. The predictions have ranged from prescient (97% picked Brazil over North Korea) to horribly wrong (only 1.6% picked Switzerland beating Spain) but these guesses are notable more for their volume than their predictive ability. For possibly the first time, a real world sporting event is driving interest in a virtual social game, thanks in part to clever integration from the developers.
If FIFA Superstars' success continues throughout the tournament, we can probably expect other developers to try to capitalize on real world sporting events to drive interest in their games. Already Sports illustrated has plans for Facebook-powered Fantasy Football when that sport starts up again, and a few other developers are dipping their toes in the social sports waters.
But why stop at sports? With their quick development times, social games could be deployed to coincide with all sorts of topical real world events, from elections to awards shows. If people are talking about it, it only stands to reason that people would want to game about it too.
This kind of topical gaming is definitely an intriguing potential trend to watch out for in the social games space going forward, and we intend to do just that.
CrowdStar and the National Wildlife Foundation team up to fight BP oil spill
CrowdStar Facebook games
CrowdStar Cares Gulf RescueOver the weekend, CrowdStar rallied its five Facebook titles -- Happy Island , Happy Aquarium, Happy Pets, Hello City, and Zoo Paradise -- to participate in a "CrowdStar Cares" campaign in which the company has pledged 100% of all sales from its Limited Edition Gulf Rescue items to the National Wildlife Foundation (NWF). Open up any of CrowdStar's games and you'll find a Gulf Rescue icon on the right side of your screen advertising the effort along with a Limited Edition offer.
All items will be available until July 20th.
Below are prices and images of the Limited Edition items for sale for each game, from least to most expensive (which are roughly $3 USD to $10 USD):
Zoo Paradise: Golden Sea Turtle - 29 Facebook Credits
Zoo Paradise Golden Sea Turtle
Happy Aquarium: Bottlenose Dolphin - 88 Facebook Credits
CrowdStar Cares Happy Aquarium Bottlenose Dolphin
Happy Pets: Pewee Sea Duck - 88 Facebook Credits
CrowdStar Cares Happy Pets
Happy Island: Bottlenose Dolpin Pod - 99 Facebook Credits
Happy Island Dolphin Pod
Hello City: Wildlife Habitat - 100 Facebook Credits
CrowdStar Cares Hello City Wildlife Habitat
CrowdStar Cares Gulf RescueOver the weekend, CrowdStar rallied its five Facebook titles -- Happy Island , Happy Aquarium, Happy Pets, Hello City, and Zoo Paradise -- to participate in a "CrowdStar Cares" campaign in which the company has pledged 100% of all sales from its Limited Edition Gulf Rescue items to the National Wildlife Foundation (NWF). Open up any of CrowdStar's games and you'll find a Gulf Rescue icon on the right side of your screen advertising the effort along with a Limited Edition offer.
All items will be available until July 20th.
Below are prices and images of the Limited Edition items for sale for each game, from least to most expensive (which are roughly $3 USD to $10 USD):
Zoo Paradise: Golden Sea Turtle - 29 Facebook Credits
Zoo Paradise Golden Sea Turtle
Happy Aquarium: Bottlenose Dolphin - 88 Facebook Credits
CrowdStar Cares Happy Aquarium Bottlenose Dolphin
Happy Pets: Pewee Sea Duck - 88 Facebook Credits
CrowdStar Cares Happy Pets
Happy Island: Bottlenose Dolpin Pod - 99 Facebook Credits
Happy Island Dolphin Pod
Hello City: Wildlife Habitat - 100 Facebook Credits
CrowdStar Cares Hello City Wildlife Habitat
Friday, February 10, 2012
Zindangi plans to teach financial skills though social game
Players of social games like Restaurant City and Hotel City might fancy themselves savvy financial geniuses already. But those looking to learn more about financial decisions in the real world might be better off waiting for an ambitious, educational social gaming project from startup Zindagi.
Billed as "Farmville meets Mint.com" on their web site, Zindagi's current project promises to teach students about entrepreneurship through a platform "that combines some of the best aspects of social gaming, such as incentive structures, social networking, and competition, with hands-on money management experience." It's that "hands-on" part that has us really excited about this idea. Players in Zindagi's game will master budgeting and saving skills using their own money, and be rewarded with real financial rewards through their efforts.
"The concept is really simple: Instead of trying to make games more life-like, Zindagi makes use of the fact that real life is already one big game," Zindagi co-founder Jason Young said in an interview with ReadWriteStart. And that kind of real-world financial experience for students is more important than ever, given a recent survey showing that 95% of new high school graduates are financially illiterate.
Zindagi is still looking for $25,000 in funding through its Kickstarter page, and we really hope they succeed in finding it, if for no other reason than because we really need some incentive to balance our checkbooks, and their game seems like the best chance of that happening any time soon.
Billed as "Farmville meets Mint.com" on their web site, Zindagi's current project promises to teach students about entrepreneurship through a platform "that combines some of the best aspects of social gaming, such as incentive structures, social networking, and competition, with hands-on money management experience." It's that "hands-on" part that has us really excited about this idea. Players in Zindagi's game will master budgeting and saving skills using their own money, and be rewarded with real financial rewards through their efforts.
"The concept is really simple: Instead of trying to make games more life-like, Zindagi makes use of the fact that real life is already one big game," Zindagi co-founder Jason Young said in an interview with ReadWriteStart. And that kind of real-world financial experience for students is more important than ever, given a recent survey showing that 95% of new high school graduates are financially illiterate.
Zindagi is still looking for $25,000 in funding through its Kickstarter page, and we really hope they succeed in finding it, if for no other reason than because we really need some incentive to balance our checkbooks, and their game seems like the best chance of that happening any time soon.
FarmVille New England Loading Screen: New Animal & Decoration Sneak Peek
FarmVille has added a new loading screen that features some items not yet released for their New England theme- miniature horse, black bear cub, lighthouse and stone fence.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Which item(s) are you excited about adding to your farm?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Which item(s) are you excited about adding to your farm?
FarmVille New England Crop: Daylilies
FarmVille has a new limited edition New England themed crop, Daylilies.
Daylily seeds can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only.
Daylilies are available to Level 31 farmers and above, they cost 150 coins to plant, take 16 hours to grow and yields 300 coins and 2 XP with a profit of 150 coins.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you grow Daylilies on your farm?
Daylily seeds can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only.
Daylilies are available to Level 31 farmers and above, they cost 150 coins to plant, take 16 hours to grow and yields 300 coins and 2 XP with a profit of 150 coins.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you grow Daylilies on your farm?
FarmVille New England Decorations: Heirloom Cart, Bird Cottage, Stone Wall, N. Tisbury Azalea & New Carousel
farmville new carousel
There are lots of new New England themed limited edition decorations including the Heirloom Car, Bird Cottage, Stone Wall, and N. Tisbury Azalea.
These LE decorations can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only.
farmville tisbury azalea farmville bird cottage farmville stone wall
farmville new carousel farmville heirloom cart
FarmVille New England Decorations (Released on July 22, 2010):
Heirloom Cart – 25,000 coins
Bird Cottage - 20,000 coins
Stone Wall – 10,000 coins
N. Tisbury Azalea* – 6,000 coins *Decorative tree, is NOT harvestable
New Carousel – 38 FV$
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
There are lots of new New England themed limited edition decorations including the Heirloom Car, Bird Cottage, Stone Wall, and N. Tisbury Azalea.
These LE decorations can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only.
farmville tisbury azalea farmville bird cottage farmville stone wall
farmville new carousel farmville heirloom cart
FarmVille New England Decorations (Released on July 22, 2010):
Heirloom Cart – 25,000 coins
Bird Cottage - 20,000 coins
Stone Wall – 10,000 coins
N. Tisbury Azalea* – 6,000 coins *Decorative tree, is NOT harvestable
New Carousel – 38 FV$
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille New England Buildings: New England Inn, Delicate Cottage, & Light House
There are three additional limited edition New England buildings including the New England Inn, Delicate Cottage, and Light House.
These LE buildings can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only and afterwards will be retired items.
farmville lighthouse farmville delicate cottage farmville new england inn
FarmVille New England Buildings (Released on July 22, 2010):
New England Inn – 42 FV$
Delicate Cottage – 38 FV$
Light House – 150,000 coins
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
What do you think of these new buildings? Will you buy any for your farm?
These LE buildings can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only and afterwards will be retired items.
farmville lighthouse farmville delicate cottage farmville new england inn
FarmVille New England Buildings (Released on July 22, 2010):
New England Inn – 42 FV$
Delicate Cottage – 38 FV$
Light House – 150,000 coins
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
What do you think of these new buildings? Will you buy any for your farm?
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
FarmVille introduces Crafting Recipe Mastery
Get ready. FarmVille Crafting Recipe Mastery is now available for you to master!
Crafting Mastery works with your existing Crafting Buildings including the Winery, Spa, and Bakery and allows you to master your Recipes. After mastering a Craft Recipe, just like with Crop Mastery, you will receive additional XP as well as Craft Mastery Sign for you to proudly display on your farm.
Good news, your current progress will count towards Crafting Recipe Mastery, so all your hard work up until this point will be counted.
Will you participate in FarmVille Craft Mastery?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Crafting Mastery works with your existing Crafting Buildings including the Winery, Spa, and Bakery and allows you to master your Recipes. After mastering a Craft Recipe, just like with Crop Mastery, you will receive additional XP as well as Craft Mastery Sign for you to proudly display on your farm.
Good news, your current progress will count towards Crafting Recipe Mastery, so all your hard work up until this point will be counted.
Will you participate in FarmVille Craft Mastery?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille iPhone Version 1.04 promises to speed the plow
FarmVille released a few fixes for the iPhone version of the game, some that look like they might hopefully speed things up a bit. One of the biggest complains about playing the farm game on the go is that everything tends to move molasses slow.
Version 1.04 of the game promises to speed up load times, let you accept and send gifts faster, and you can new invite neighbors to join your virtual farming community via email.
Download FarmVille Version 1.04 from the iTunes App Store here >
FarmVille for iPhone: Love it or leave it?
Love it!Leave it!Don't have an iPhoneI only play on Facebook
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Version 1.04 of the game promises to speed up load times, let you accept and send gifts faster, and you can new invite neighbors to join your virtual farming community via email.
Download FarmVille Version 1.04 from the iTunes App Store here >
FarmVille for iPhone: Love it or leave it?
Love it!Leave it!Don't have an iPhoneI only play on Facebook
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
FarmVille Permanent Crops: Spinach & Carnival Squash Crops
farmville spinach
There are two new permanent crops, Spinach and Carnival Squash now available in the FarmVille Market!
Both of these seeds can be purchased at any time and will have Crop Mastery available.
Spinach seeds cost 35 Coins and are ready to harvest in 14 hours and yield 95 Coins and 2 XP.
Carnival Squash seeds cost 355 Coins and ready to harvest in 8 hours and yield 435 Coins and 1 XP.
Spinach
Star 1: 300
Star 2: 600
Star 3: 900
Carnival Squash
Star 1: 2,000
Star 2: 4,000
Star 3: 6,000
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you grow Spinach or Carnival Squash on your farm?
There are two new permanent crops, Spinach and Carnival Squash now available in the FarmVille Market!
Both of these seeds can be purchased at any time and will have Crop Mastery available.
Spinach seeds cost 35 Coins and are ready to harvest in 14 hours and yield 95 Coins and 2 XP.
Carnival Squash seeds cost 355 Coins and ready to harvest in 8 hours and yield 435 Coins and 1 XP.
Spinach
Star 1: 300
Star 2: 600
Star 3: 900
Carnival Squash
Star 1: 2,000
Star 2: 4,000
Star 3: 6,000
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you grow Spinach or Carnival Squash on your farm?
FarmVille LE Wild West Decorations: Cactus Garden, Corral Fence, Corral Gate, Horse Post, & Town Statue
There are new Limited Edition Wild West decorations including a Cactus Garden, Corral Fence, Corral Gate, Horse Post, and Town Statue now available in FarmVille!
These LE decorations can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only.
FarmVille LE Wild West Decorations (Released August 26th 2010):
Cactus Garden – 7 FV$
Corral Fence – 5,000 Coins
Corral Gate – 10,000 Coins
Horse Post – 150,000 Coins
Town Statue -100,000 Coins
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you purchase any of these LE Wild West decorations for your farm?
These LE decorations can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only.
FarmVille LE Wild West Decorations (Released August 26th 2010):
Cactus Garden – 7 FV$
Corral Fence – 5,000 Coins
Corral Gate – 10,000 Coins
Horse Post – 150,000 Coins
Town Statue -100,000 Coins
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you purchase any of these LE Wild West decorations for your farm?
FarmVille LE Wild West Buildings: Trading Post, Wild West Barn, & Wild West Barn
farmville wild west shed farmville wild west barn
There are new Limited Edition Wild West buildings including a Trading Post, Wild West Barn, and Wild West Shed now available in FarmVille.
These LE buildings can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only.
FarmVille LE Wild West Buildings (Released: August 26th 2010):
Trading Post – 34FV$
Wild West Barn – 30FV$
Wild WEst Shed – 100,000 Coins
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you purchase any of these LE Wild West buildings for your farm?
There are new Limited Edition Wild West buildings including a Trading Post, Wild West Barn, and Wild West Shed now available in FarmVille.
These LE buildings can be purchased in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days only.
FarmVille LE Wild West Buildings (Released: August 26th 2010):
Trading Post – 34FV$
Wild West Barn – 30FV$
Wild WEst Shed – 100,000 Coins
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you purchase any of these LE Wild West buildings for your farm?
FarmVille LE Wild West Animals: Palouse Horse & Palouse Foal
farmville foal
With the introduction of the Limited Edition Wild West theme there are several new animals including a Palouse Horse!
The Palouse Horse is another name for Appaloosa. Since there is already an existing Appaloosa Horse and Foal, the lighter colored variation of this horse is referred to as just the Palouse Horse or Palouse Foal.
The Palouse Horse can be purchased in the FarmVille Market for 26FV$ farm cash. The Palouse Horse is breedable and will yield a Palouse Foal that you may share with your FarmVille friends.
farmville palouse horse
FarmVille LE Wild West Animals (Released August 26th 2010):
Palouse Horse – 26 FV$
Armadillo – 14 FV$
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
What do you think of the Palouse Horse, will you add it to your FarmVille Horse collection?
With the introduction of the Limited Edition Wild West theme there are several new animals including a Palouse Horse!
The Palouse Horse is another name for Appaloosa. Since there is already an existing Appaloosa Horse and Foal, the lighter colored variation of this horse is referred to as just the Palouse Horse or Palouse Foal.
The Palouse Horse can be purchased in the FarmVille Market for 26FV$ farm cash. The Palouse Horse is breedable and will yield a Palouse Foal that you may share with your FarmVille friends.
farmville palouse horse
FarmVille LE Wild West Animals (Released August 26th 2010):
Palouse Horse – 26 FV$
Armadillo – 14 FV$
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
What do you think of the Palouse Horse, will you add it to your FarmVille Horse collection?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
FarmVille Co-Op Farming: Crafting Jobs coming soon for every farm
Zynga will soon expand Co-Op Farming in FarmVille to cover Crafting Jobs as well for the game's three crafting buildings: wineries, bakeries and spas. The update, which is being released slowly across the game's 60 million-plus players, will allow farmers to collaborate on large-scale versions of Crafting Jobs that users have unlocked on their own. Fortunately, players can participate in a Crafting Job started by a neighbor even if they can't start it alone.
Players will be timed as soon as they begin production of large amounts of crops and be able to win gold, silver and bronze medals depending on how fast the job gets done. Don't fret, you'll be able to buy more time for each job with Farm Cash as well. In addition to winning medals for fast completion times, teams will also be rewarded with coins, XP and Bushels of crops relevant to the crafting recipe at hand.
While these jobs are essentially harvesting a huge amount of crops against the clock, the bonus XP, coins and bushels should (hopefully) be well worth the effort. Stay tuned for when these new jobs hit your Co-Op menu and if you haven't created any crafting buildings yet, that should be your first order of business.
Players will be timed as soon as they begin production of large amounts of crops and be able to win gold, silver and bronze medals depending on how fast the job gets done. Don't fret, you'll be able to buy more time for each job with Farm Cash as well. In addition to winning medals for fast completion times, teams will also be rewarded with coins, XP and Bushels of crops relevant to the crafting recipe at hand.
While these jobs are essentially harvesting a huge amount of crops against the clock, the bonus XP, coins and bushels should (hopefully) be well worth the effort. Stay tuned for when these new jobs hit your Co-Op menu and if you haven't created any crafting buildings yet, that should be your first order of business.
We City brings Facebook style city-building game to iPhone, iPad
We Rule and We Farm creator ngmoco just released a new Facebook-style city building game for the iPhone and iPad -- We City. We City puts you in charge of turning your small city into a thriving metropolis by adding homes and buildings to increase the population and filling your town's coffers by collecting rent and keeping factories busy manufacturing goods.
Like ngmoco's other games, the production values are a little more polished than the average Facebook fare -- the visuals look sharp, and the soundtrack is fresh and modern. I liked it so much, in fact, that if the theme song showed up in iTunes, I might be tempted to buy it.
Since this is a social game, this city builder has the standard social game stuff built into it. Instead of Facebook Connect, this game uses ngmoco's Plus+ network. If you have other Plus+ friends who are playing this game, then you can visit their cities to earn extra coins and see how their urban paradise stacks up against your own. If you don't have many Plus+ friends (like me), immersing yourself into the whole multiplayer experience out of this game might prove to be a little more challenging.
We City is free to download, but if you want things to move a little quicker, there's an option to spend your real-life dollars on something called 'Zap' in the game, which can be used to finish factory jobs faster and, of course, reap the benefits faster as well.
If you've played games on Facebook like Social City or the recently released City Story on iPhone -- you'll pretty much get the gist of We City. Now you have the difficult task of deciding which city-building game will best help you pass the time the next time you're standing in line, commuting or waiting for a someone at a crowded restaurant.
Download We City from the App Store >
Like ngmoco's other games, the production values are a little more polished than the average Facebook fare -- the visuals look sharp, and the soundtrack is fresh and modern. I liked it so much, in fact, that if the theme song showed up in iTunes, I might be tempted to buy it.
Since this is a social game, this city builder has the standard social game stuff built into it. Instead of Facebook Connect, this game uses ngmoco's Plus+ network. If you have other Plus+ friends who are playing this game, then you can visit their cities to earn extra coins and see how their urban paradise stacks up against your own. If you don't have many Plus+ friends (like me), immersing yourself into the whole multiplayer experience out of this game might prove to be a little more challenging.
We City is free to download, but if you want things to move a little quicker, there's an option to spend your real-life dollars on something called 'Zap' in the game, which can be used to finish factory jobs faster and, of course, reap the benefits faster as well.
If you've played games on Facebook like Social City or the recently released City Story on iPhone -- you'll pretty much get the gist of We City. Now you have the difficult task of deciding which city-building game will best help you pass the time the next time you're standing in line, commuting or waiting for a someone at a crowded restaurant.
Download We City from the App Store >
Bloons 2 - The long awaited new Bloons game is here.
UPDATE: Bloons 2 is here: Click here to play Bloons 2
At long last Bloons 2 has arrived! The legitimate sequel to the loveable balloon popper released all those years ago is upon us.
With so much time separating the games, fans are expecting big things from Bloons 2. Since the release of the original Bloons, casual gaming has evolved into a more sophisticated pastime. Yet, even with all the pressure on developer NinjaKiwi to deliver quality, they manage to surprise us by going even further. Needless to say, Bloons 2 is a game that fires on all cylinders. Like other masterpieces such as Plants vs Zombies, Bloons 2 surely finds itself among the top tier of online games.
Continue reading to find out just how Bloons 2 manages to raise the bar yet again.
bloons 2 world map
Though Bloons 2 clearly doesn't stray too far from the Bloons formula for success, it does introduce a lot of new content and features. It can be overwhelming at first so we're gone into detail showing off some of the new additions.
bloons 2
When you first start up Bloons 2 and click past the title screen, you'll be presented with the world map. This is the revamped system for unlocking and selecting levels. Recall that boring table of levels used in the first Bloons and you can immediately see the improvements: namely, the graphics. Bloons 2 is a handsome, vibrant game with a very high level of polish only found in the best online games.
bloons 2
If you played the original Bloons, starting up a level and tossing that first dart with the faithful monkey hero should feel as natural as ever. But there are a few small additions to the gameplay that improve the experience. First, the darkened arrow pictured here shows the direction and power behind your last shot. With this arrow you can easily make very slight adjustments to your shots by lining up the darkened arrow with your aimer. You can also purchase extra upgrades such as a helpful dart guideline, level solutions and destructive Super Monkeys.
bloons 2
In Bloons 2 there are also a ton of wacky new bloons. From the triple dart bloon to a bomb bloon that explodes, vaporizing everything nearby. Below were some of my favorite Bloons 2 bloons.
The bee bloon is absolutely nuts. Pop one of these guys, and you'll have an army of wasps/bees trailing your cursor for a few seconds. Should they come across and bloons or destructible blocks, the bees will absolutely tear them to shreds. However, be careful, smashing your bees at high speed into a solid block will make them explode.
bloons 2
The zero gravity bloon reverses the direction in which a dart will fall. Having to take this additional element into consideration creates some harrowing challenges even the most experienced dart throwing monkeys will have trouble with.
The Bloons 2 fighter ace monkey is by far one of the most ridiculous powerups ever. Here you are, throwing darts at balloons when all of a sudden a plane flies in, tears up balloons with its propeller, and smashes into a wall creating a firey explosion. Fortunately, the monkey manages to escape and parachutes to safety.
bloons 2
There are tons of other bloons such as the lovely flower bloon and camouflage bloons that also mix up the action. However, it is the different combinations of all the different bloons that is really what makes Bloons 2 so awesome. Almost all the levels I played were creative, enjoyable, and involved at least two types of bloons. Not to mention many of the bloons move around now, something that was largely absent from the original Bloons. This also brings me to my next point.
Friends, Bloons 2 is hard, much harder than the first Bloons. At least half of the puzzles ask you to pop all of the bloons on the screen, a feat which sometimes is no easy task. Regardless, finally managing to complete a level you've been stuck on forever is a great feeling and it's never so frustrating you feel like quitting.
combinations
bloons 2
Bloons 2 epitomizes the phrase, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". It adds new features, graphics, and levels; yet the core gameplay is largely the same as in the original Bloons. The combination of the new and old elements creates a real joy of a game. Simply put, Bloons 2 is dangerously addictive: my stay in the world of Bloons went on far longer than planned, and I don't regret a single moment of it.
If our screen shots weren't enough, we have the latest and greatest game play video below:
---> Click here to play the new Bloons on NinjaKiwi.com
At long last Bloons 2 has arrived! The legitimate sequel to the loveable balloon popper released all those years ago is upon us.
With so much time separating the games, fans are expecting big things from Bloons 2. Since the release of the original Bloons, casual gaming has evolved into a more sophisticated pastime. Yet, even with all the pressure on developer NinjaKiwi to deliver quality, they manage to surprise us by going even further. Needless to say, Bloons 2 is a game that fires on all cylinders. Like other masterpieces such as Plants vs Zombies, Bloons 2 surely finds itself among the top tier of online games.
Continue reading to find out just how Bloons 2 manages to raise the bar yet again.
bloons 2 world map
Though Bloons 2 clearly doesn't stray too far from the Bloons formula for success, it does introduce a lot of new content and features. It can be overwhelming at first so we're gone into detail showing off some of the new additions.
bloons 2
When you first start up Bloons 2 and click past the title screen, you'll be presented with the world map. This is the revamped system for unlocking and selecting levels. Recall that boring table of levels used in the first Bloons and you can immediately see the improvements: namely, the graphics. Bloons 2 is a handsome, vibrant game with a very high level of polish only found in the best online games.
bloons 2
If you played the original Bloons, starting up a level and tossing that first dart with the faithful monkey hero should feel as natural as ever. But there are a few small additions to the gameplay that improve the experience. First, the darkened arrow pictured here shows the direction and power behind your last shot. With this arrow you can easily make very slight adjustments to your shots by lining up the darkened arrow with your aimer. You can also purchase extra upgrades such as a helpful dart guideline, level solutions and destructive Super Monkeys.
bloons 2
In Bloons 2 there are also a ton of wacky new bloons. From the triple dart bloon to a bomb bloon that explodes, vaporizing everything nearby. Below were some of my favorite Bloons 2 bloons.
The bee bloon is absolutely nuts. Pop one of these guys, and you'll have an army of wasps/bees trailing your cursor for a few seconds. Should they come across and bloons or destructible blocks, the bees will absolutely tear them to shreds. However, be careful, smashing your bees at high speed into a solid block will make them explode.
bloons 2
The zero gravity bloon reverses the direction in which a dart will fall. Having to take this additional element into consideration creates some harrowing challenges even the most experienced dart throwing monkeys will have trouble with.
The Bloons 2 fighter ace monkey is by far one of the most ridiculous powerups ever. Here you are, throwing darts at balloons when all of a sudden a plane flies in, tears up balloons with its propeller, and smashes into a wall creating a firey explosion. Fortunately, the monkey manages to escape and parachutes to safety.
bloons 2
There are tons of other bloons such as the lovely flower bloon and camouflage bloons that also mix up the action. However, it is the different combinations of all the different bloons that is really what makes Bloons 2 so awesome. Almost all the levels I played were creative, enjoyable, and involved at least two types of bloons. Not to mention many of the bloons move around now, something that was largely absent from the original Bloons. This also brings me to my next point.
Friends, Bloons 2 is hard, much harder than the first Bloons. At least half of the puzzles ask you to pop all of the bloons on the screen, a feat which sometimes is no easy task. Regardless, finally managing to complete a level you've been stuck on forever is a great feeling and it's never so frustrating you feel like quitting.
combinations
bloons 2
Bloons 2 epitomizes the phrase, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". It adds new features, graphics, and levels; yet the core gameplay is largely the same as in the original Bloons. The combination of the new and old elements creates a real joy of a game. Simply put, Bloons 2 is dangerously addictive: my stay in the world of Bloons went on far longer than planned, and I don't regret a single moment of it.
If our screen shots weren't enough, we have the latest and greatest game play video below:
---> Click here to play the new Bloons on NinjaKiwi.com
FrontierVille Jackalope Society Missions: Everything you need to know
After teasing us with these yesterday, FrontierVille has finally released a new series of goals called the Jackalope Society Missons. These missions are a little different than others because if you complete these, you will unlock the new FrontierVille Badge system, which will reward you for your regular in-game activity. And, who doesn't want a little recognition for their efforts?
So, to unlock those stinkin' Badges, you'll need to finish all four of the Jackalope Society missions. Here's a look at what you'll need to do to get the job done:
Mission #1: Jackalope Society Initiation
frontierville jackalope society missions 1 - games.com
The illustrious Jackalope Society has heard of your exploits, and wants to extend an invitation to you. Welcome them to your homestead with a shindig.
Harvest Five Corn
Sell Five Adult Chickens
Buy One BBQ Grill in the Market (2,000 coins)
Rewards for completion: 50 XP, 150 Food
Pro Tip: This mission should be pretty easy to complete. Seasoned FarmVille players already have plenty of chickens, corn doesn't take that long to grow and the BBQ grill doesn't cost big bucks.
Jackalope Society Mission #2: Invite Friends To The Jackalope Society
frontierville 10 jackalops rsvps
You're about to become the newest member of the Jackalope Society, but first you need to tell yer friends about it!
1. Collect Ten Jackalope RSVPs
2. Visit Two Friends
Rewards for completion: 60 XP, 750 Coins
Jackalope Society Mission #3: Learning The Secret Handshake
Every club has a secret handshake. Get yer friends to teach it to you.
jackalope society mission III
1. Collect Ten Secret Handshakes
2. Buy Jackalope Lodge in the Market
Rewards for completion: Coming soon
Jackalope Society Mission #4: The Jackalope Lodge
Congratulations! You're the newest member of the Jackalope Society. Now it is time to build the lodge!
jackalope lodge
1. Build A Jackalope Lodge
2. Buy Four Goats in the Market... Don't ask why.
frontierville jackalope lodge - games.com
frontierville jackalope lodge build-games.com
The Jackalope Lodge costs 950 coins and 10 wood, and can be found in the Market in the Buildings area. Once you place it on your property, you will need to whack it nine times (at the cost of 10 wood each whack) to get the frame ready and then -- you'll have to start collecting building materials from your friends.
frontierville jackalope lodge materials
You will need 40 items in all to complete your lodge, and here's how that breaks down:
5 Shingles
5 Mallets
5 Pegs
5 Cement
5 Windows
15 Level
You can collect all of these materials from friends or -- if you don't want to wait -- you can buy all of the items using Horseshoes. Once your lodge is complete, you will be able to harvest it every day and complete the new Jackalope Lodge Collection.
farmville jackalope lodge completed
Rewards for completion: 80 XP, 500 Coins, and you have the option to share goats milk with your friends.
jackalope lodge completed rewards -- click for larger pic
frontierville jackalope missions
Once you complete all of these, you will be able to access the brand new FrontierVille Badges, which -- IMHO -- are a pretty nice addition to the game. You can access them by clicking on your Lodge or in the game menu. Working on a list of badges while you read this -- stay tuned! See the entire list of badges right here.
So, to unlock those stinkin' Badges, you'll need to finish all four of the Jackalope Society missions. Here's a look at what you'll need to do to get the job done:
Mission #1: Jackalope Society Initiation
frontierville jackalope society missions 1 - games.com
The illustrious Jackalope Society has heard of your exploits, and wants to extend an invitation to you. Welcome them to your homestead with a shindig.
Harvest Five Corn
Sell Five Adult Chickens
Buy One BBQ Grill in the Market (2,000 coins)
Rewards for completion: 50 XP, 150 Food
Pro Tip: This mission should be pretty easy to complete. Seasoned FarmVille players already have plenty of chickens, corn doesn't take that long to grow and the BBQ grill doesn't cost big bucks.
Jackalope Society Mission #2: Invite Friends To The Jackalope Society
frontierville 10 jackalops rsvps
You're about to become the newest member of the Jackalope Society, but first you need to tell yer friends about it!
1. Collect Ten Jackalope RSVPs
2. Visit Two Friends
Rewards for completion: 60 XP, 750 Coins
Jackalope Society Mission #3: Learning The Secret Handshake
Every club has a secret handshake. Get yer friends to teach it to you.
jackalope society mission III
1. Collect Ten Secret Handshakes
2. Buy Jackalope Lodge in the Market
Rewards for completion: Coming soon
Jackalope Society Mission #4: The Jackalope Lodge
Congratulations! You're the newest member of the Jackalope Society. Now it is time to build the lodge!
jackalope lodge
1. Build A Jackalope Lodge
2. Buy Four Goats in the Market... Don't ask why.
frontierville jackalope lodge - games.com
frontierville jackalope lodge build-games.com
The Jackalope Lodge costs 950 coins and 10 wood, and can be found in the Market in the Buildings area. Once you place it on your property, you will need to whack it nine times (at the cost of 10 wood each whack) to get the frame ready and then -- you'll have to start collecting building materials from your friends.
frontierville jackalope lodge materials
You will need 40 items in all to complete your lodge, and here's how that breaks down:
5 Shingles
5 Mallets
5 Pegs
5 Cement
5 Windows
15 Level
You can collect all of these materials from friends or -- if you don't want to wait -- you can buy all of the items using Horseshoes. Once your lodge is complete, you will be able to harvest it every day and complete the new Jackalope Lodge Collection.
farmville jackalope lodge completed
Rewards for completion: 80 XP, 500 Coins, and you have the option to share goats milk with your friends.
jackalope lodge completed rewards -- click for larger pic
frontierville jackalope missions
Once you complete all of these, you will be able to access the brand new FrontierVille Badges, which -- IMHO -- are a pretty nice addition to the game. You can access them by clicking on your Lodge or in the game menu. Working on a list of badges while you read this -- stay tuned! See the entire list of badges right here.
FrontierVille Badges: Learn how to earn every stinkin' badge right here
After you complete FrontierVille's Jackalope Society Missions, you will be able to access the new Badge system in the game. Right now, there are 13 badges in the game and they can be earned by going about your daily in-game tasks -- visiting 15 neighbors, spending 10,000 coins -- to deliberate badges that require extra effort on your part -- like spending 500 Energy in a Day (which means you'll have to have lots of meals gifted from friends or buy 'em yourself) and scoring 5 points in the Horseshoe Pit (which, fortunately, can be earned by using your neighbors' pits).
I'm sure these badges are just the beginning -- so, if you're an overachiever like me -- try to secure all of these badges before the new ones start showing up. See all 13 badges, what you need to do to earn them, level them up and what rewards you get for completing them after the jump. fronterville badges - games.com
frontierville badges games.com
frontierville badges --
frontierville badges
See what exactly you have to do to get the badges (every level of 'em) in the chart above. Just like the image to make it larger.
frontiervile badges how to earn them all -- games.com
I'm sure these badges are just the beginning -- so, if you're an overachiever like me -- try to secure all of these badges before the new ones start showing up. See all 13 badges, what you need to do to earn them, level them up and what rewards you get for completing them after the jump. fronterville badges - games.com
frontierville badges games.com
frontierville badges --
frontierville badges
See what exactly you have to do to get the badges (every level of 'em) in the chart above. Just like the image to make it larger.
frontiervile badges how to earn them all -- games.com
Friday, February 3, 2012
Happy Aquarium Celebrates Halloween With Mummies, Ghosts and Cowfish... Oh My!
CrowdStar dove headfirst into the Halloween celebration in Happy Aquarium this week, adding a nice variety of Halloween themed TankMates and fish to the in-game store.
In terms of actual fish, you can now pick up either a Clownfish or a Cowfish. Don't be deceived by the name - this Clownfish isn't one of Nemo's relatives - it's a full-blown Clownfish down to the big red nose and bow tie! It goes for either 42 Pearls or 35 Facebook Credits (the equivalent of $3.50 US). The Cowfish, on the other hand, is exactly as it sounds, and is a cute yellow fish dressed in an ever cuter cow costume. This one is slightly cheaper, costing either 39 Pearls or 33 Facebook Credits to add to your tank.
Meanwhile, the two new Tank Mates come in the form of a Little Ghost and a Scuba Mummy. The Little Ghost costs a whopping 10,000 coins, while the Scuba Mummy will set you back either 58 Pearls or 48 Facebook Credits.
Out of these four items, only the Little Ghost seems to have staying power in the store, as the Clownfish, Scuba Mummy and Cowfish are all limited edition items. As of this writing, there are still at least 2,500 of each item left, but you'll still want to bust out that virtual (or real world) pocketbook soon to make sure you snag these Halloween-themed items before the season comes and goes and you are forced to wait another year!
In terms of actual fish, you can now pick up either a Clownfish or a Cowfish. Don't be deceived by the name - this Clownfish isn't one of Nemo's relatives - it's a full-blown Clownfish down to the big red nose and bow tie! It goes for either 42 Pearls or 35 Facebook Credits (the equivalent of $3.50 US). The Cowfish, on the other hand, is exactly as it sounds, and is a cute yellow fish dressed in an ever cuter cow costume. This one is slightly cheaper, costing either 39 Pearls or 33 Facebook Credits to add to your tank.
Meanwhile, the two new Tank Mates come in the form of a Little Ghost and a Scuba Mummy. The Little Ghost costs a whopping 10,000 coins, while the Scuba Mummy will set you back either 58 Pearls or 48 Facebook Credits.
Out of these four items, only the Little Ghost seems to have staying power in the store, as the Clownfish, Scuba Mummy and Cowfish are all limited edition items. As of this writing, there are still at least 2,500 of each item left, but you'll still want to bust out that virtual (or real world) pocketbook soon to make sure you snag these Halloween-themed items before the season comes and goes and you are forced to wait another year!
FishVille's Halloween Celebration Explodes With 14 New Items!
Earlier this month, we brought you the news that FishVille's waters have become a heck of a lot scarier, with the inclusion of Halloween themed decorations and backdrops. This week, Zynga has expanded on that theme exponentially, adding 14 new items to the Halloween celebration.
Unlike the first release of solely premium items, this release includes both premium items and those available to purchase with regular old coins. Here's the full selection of new items:
Black Cat - 8 Sand Dollars
Chained Coffin - 11 Sand Dollars
Stone Coffin - 9 Sand Dollars
Bats - 8 Sand Dollars
Witch - 8 Sand Dollars
Pumpkin Display - 6 Sand Dollars
Classic Tombstone - 4 Sand Dollars
Spooky Moon - 3 Sand Dollars
Werewolf - 55,000 coins
Cemetery Fence - 11,000 coins
Handy - 60,000 coins
Cemetery Gate - 18,000 coins
And there you have it - all of the decorations you need to give your fish a frightfully good time this Halloween.
Unlike the first release of solely premium items, this release includes both premium items and those available to purchase with regular old coins. Here's the full selection of new items:
Black Cat - 8 Sand Dollars
Chained Coffin - 11 Sand Dollars
Stone Coffin - 9 Sand Dollars
Bats - 8 Sand Dollars
Witch - 8 Sand Dollars
Pumpkin Display - 6 Sand Dollars
Classic Tombstone - 4 Sand Dollars
Spooky Moon - 3 Sand Dollars
Werewolf - 55,000 coins
Cemetery Fence - 11,000 coins
Handy - 60,000 coins
Cemetery Gate - 18,000 coins
And there you have it - all of the decorations you need to give your fish a frightfully good time this Halloween.
FarmVille Halloween Sees Re-Release Of Old Favorites, Plus New Goodies
The biggest day in October is quickly approaching, and with that we see Zynga adding even more new items to the game's marketplace, in the form of new animals, buildings and quite a few new decorations. Among these new items are a few items that long-time players will remember from last year's Halloween celebration.
Hit the jump for the full look at all of the new items, along with our returning favorites.
This newest set of items in FarmVille plays on a very old cliche, by offering us a pig that could probably fly, a lovely little cottage made from a pumpkin, and even a ghostly gnome that floats above the ground.
For those farmers that were with the game during last year's Halloween event, you'll likely notice the return of the Haunted House, the Tomb Stone and the Spooky Tree. Remember, the Tomb Stone isn't just a decorative piece of rock - it comes complete with an animated ghost cow that rises above the item every few seconds, much as the newly released Ghost Sheep tombstone contains an animation of a ghost sheep rising from the ground.
Remember, these items will only be available in FarmVille until Halloween. While we've been lucky this year, seeing many of last year's items being re-released for new players (or those that simply chose not to purchase them last year), who knows if we'll be so lucky in 2011.
Hit the jump for the full look at all of the new items, along with our returning favorites.
This newest set of items in FarmVille plays on a very old cliche, by offering us a pig that could probably fly, a lovely little cottage made from a pumpkin, and even a ghostly gnome that floats above the ground.
For those farmers that were with the game during last year's Halloween event, you'll likely notice the return of the Haunted House, the Tomb Stone and the Spooky Tree. Remember, the Tomb Stone isn't just a decorative piece of rock - it comes complete with an animated ghost cow that rises above the item every few seconds, much as the newly released Ghost Sheep tombstone contains an animation of a ghost sheep rising from the ground.
Remember, these items will only be available in FarmVille until Halloween. While we've been lucky this year, seeing many of last year's items being re-released for new players (or those that simply chose not to purchase them last year), who knows if we'll be so lucky in 2011.
New FarmVille Scarecrow - Rainbowcrow (iPhone Only)
With all of the talk of FarmVille's Halloween celebration, it could be pretty easy to overlook the newest iPhone-only in-game item that has been released. What's the item? I'm glad you asked!
The Rainbowcrow is now available to users who play FarmVille on iPhone. It can be purchased for 80,000 coins from the market's Decorations tab. You can view a larger picture of the Rainbowcrow from the online version of the game, but again, you must be using the FarmVille for iPhone app in order to purchase the Rainbowcrow.
While you're there, remember that you can also send your friends a White Jack-O'-Lantern as a free gift, which is also an iPhone exclusive item.
The Rainbowcrow is now available to users who play FarmVille on iPhone. It can be purchased for 80,000 coins from the market's Decorations tab. You can view a larger picture of the Rainbowcrow from the online version of the game, but again, you must be using the FarmVille for iPhone app in order to purchase the Rainbowcrow.
While you're there, remember that you can also send your friends a White Jack-O'-Lantern as a free gift, which is also an iPhone exclusive item.
AM Linkage: Facebook gamers log 927 million hours, Blizzcon 2010 blows up
The sights of Blizzcon 2010, day one [VentureBeat]
Kabam Acquires WonderHill, Wants To Become The Blizzard Of Social Games [TechCrunch]
Facebook Gamers Play 927 Million Hours of Games Per Month [All Facebook]
How to Get Unfriended on Facebook [NY Times]
Zynga Goes Hiring Via Its New German Base [TechCrunch]
Amazon's Jeff Bezos Tells Entrepreneurs To Look Beyond Social... At The Launch Of His Social Web Fund [Forbes]
Kabam Acquires WonderHill, Wants To Become The Blizzard Of Social Games [TechCrunch]
Facebook Gamers Play 927 Million Hours of Games Per Month [All Facebook]
How to Get Unfriended on Facebook [NY Times]
Zynga Goes Hiring Via Its New German Base [TechCrunch]
Amazon's Jeff Bezos Tells Entrepreneurs To Look Beyond Social... At The Launch Of His Social Web Fund [Forbes]
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Treasure Isle goes Stargate with new Nexus construction project
Yet another new building / relic has been added to Treasure Isle, but instead of complaining about the addition of yet another item we "have to" build, we're actually celebrating the release of the Nexus in the game.
Find out why by following us behind the break. The Nexus, or Stargate seems to pay homage to the popular trio of television shows that have aired for over the past decade. It's not technically advertised as such, and perhaps it's all just a coincidence, but the fan girl in me in swooning at the prospect of being able to add a Stargate to my Home Island.
Like other Relics, you'll need to collect ingredients to build your Star- errr, Nexus. The first round requires just one of five ingredients: Rocks, Nails, Rope, Cloths, and Gears. From there, you'll go through three more steps, each requiring more units of each ingredient than the last, until you have a finished Nexus.
Why is the object so special, or even worth building? Easy - after it's finished, you'll receive a permanent +3 energy bonus, allowing you to do just a bit more digging than you might have been able to otherwise.
Find out why by following us behind the break. The Nexus, or Stargate seems to pay homage to the popular trio of television shows that have aired for over the past decade. It's not technically advertised as such, and perhaps it's all just a coincidence, but the fan girl in me in swooning at the prospect of being able to add a Stargate to my Home Island.
Like other Relics, you'll need to collect ingredients to build your Star- errr, Nexus. The first round requires just one of five ingredients: Rocks, Nails, Rope, Cloths, and Gears. From there, you'll go through three more steps, each requiring more units of each ingredient than the last, until you have a finished Nexus.
Why is the object so special, or even worth building? Easy - after it's finished, you'll receive a permanent +3 energy bonus, allowing you to do just a bit more digging than you might have been able to otherwise.
Treasure Isle Hermit Crab Relic now available to build
It looks to be a big time for builders in Zynga's Treasure Isle, as not only is there a new Stargate-inspired Nexus Relic available to build, but now there's also a Hermit Crab Relic as well.
The Hermit Crab Relic is a water-based item, meaning that you'll have to place your free base into the water. It ends up forming its own little island, so at least you won't have to take up space on your Home Island for it.
Once placed, you'll have to go through three construction phases, each requiring ever-increasing amounts of five different building ingredients: Aqua Vitae, Resin, Paint, Planks, and Shells. As usual, you can post requests for these items on your wall (conveniently, up to five different item requests can be active at a time, if you don't care about the potential spamming on your friends' walls), or you can purchase each item for a single Island Cash.
As you'd expect, once the Hermit Crab Relic is built, you'll receive a permanent +3 boost to your total energy allowance. Combine this with the +3 bonuses you can receive from other Relics, and it will eventually add up to more digging potential for you, which we can't really complain about in the end.
The Hermit Crab Relic is a water-based item, meaning that you'll have to place your free base into the water. It ends up forming its own little island, so at least you won't have to take up space on your Home Island for it.
Once placed, you'll have to go through three construction phases, each requiring ever-increasing amounts of five different building ingredients: Aqua Vitae, Resin, Paint, Planks, and Shells. As usual, you can post requests for these items on your wall (conveniently, up to five different item requests can be active at a time, if you don't care about the potential spamming on your friends' walls), or you can purchase each item for a single Island Cash.
As you'd expect, once the Hermit Crab Relic is built, you'll receive a permanent +3 boost to your total energy allowance. Combine this with the +3 bonuses you can receive from other Relics, and it will eventually add up to more digging potential for you, which we can't really complain about in the end.
Treasure Isle dives underwater with Dolphin Days bonus quest
A week after releasing the Pesky Seagulls quest in Treasure Isle, Zynga has released yet another new quest, along with a new animal that can be placed in the waters off of your Home Island. The quest line contains two main parts, the first being the healing of a new dolphin friend.
Meet us behind the break for full details on how to heal the dolphin, and complete its quests.
The Dolphin can be healed by asking for the help of six friends in your endeavor (simply send them a request asking them to help). Each day, one person "will arrive" on their own to help, but if you'd like to speed up the process of this limited time quest, you can ask your friends first, thus giving you more time to complete the tasks that the Dolphin Days quest has opened up to begin with.
As you heal the dolphin, the four tasks associated with the quest will become unlocked. With no help whatsoever, you'll be able to finish one step - Clear out the Mango Trees - on a new map called Mango Grove. This map has Gem Totems that must be passed, so save up a few before entering. Luckily, even though these Mango Trees are quite massive, they still only take up 7 energy per clearing.
The next three parts of the quest are a bit harder. You'll have to clear out 50 Banana Trees on another map, Slap the Monkey Idols (interact with them on an island), and bribe some Monkey Bouncers with bananas. You'll only have a few hours to get the gold prize of 2500 coins and 100 XP, but the entire quest will be available to complete for much longer, so there isn't as much of a need to rush as it might outwardly appear.
Meet us behind the break for full details on how to heal the dolphin, and complete its quests.
The Dolphin can be healed by asking for the help of six friends in your endeavor (simply send them a request asking them to help). Each day, one person "will arrive" on their own to help, but if you'd like to speed up the process of this limited time quest, you can ask your friends first, thus giving you more time to complete the tasks that the Dolphin Days quest has opened up to begin with.
As you heal the dolphin, the four tasks associated with the quest will become unlocked. With no help whatsoever, you'll be able to finish one step - Clear out the Mango Trees - on a new map called Mango Grove. This map has Gem Totems that must be passed, so save up a few before entering. Luckily, even though these Mango Trees are quite massive, they still only take up 7 energy per clearing.
The next three parts of the quest are a bit harder. You'll have to clear out 50 Banana Trees on another map, Slap the Monkey Idols (interact with them on an island), and bribe some Monkey Bouncers with bananas. You'll only have a few hours to get the gold prize of 2500 coins and 100 XP, but the entire quest will be available to complete for much longer, so there isn't as much of a need to rush as it might outwardly appear.
YoVille Fall Kitchen and Bathroom Furniture now available
Zynga has continued to celebrate the fall season in YoVille this week, by releasing items that will go perfectly in any themed Kitchen or Bathroom setting.
Most of the items are available in one of four major colors: Green, Brown (or Sepia), Yellow and Auburn (or Red). In the Kitchen, these items are the China Cabinet, multiple types of Cabinetry, Dining Tables, Islands, Dining Chairs, and Pantries. Meanwhile, in the Bathroom section of the store, you can find the same four colors represented in items like Toilets, Counters, Showers, Bathtubs, Hampers, Bath Mats, and Low Tables.
Other items now available include the major appliances, like a fridge and stove, wall sconces, a lovely leaf window (that makes it look like your home is surrounded by beautiful orange and yellow trees), potted trees, sinks, and even a microwave. As usual, if you'd like to only spend coins on your room's new look, you'll need to mix and match items from the Fall theme with items from other themes, as most of the extravagant items in this theme go for YoCash.
Altogether, these two rooms of items bring the total amount of Fall items to 157. Since this also rounds out the four major rooms that are included in any theme, we're assuming this will be the last release we see. That being the case, now is as good of a time as any to start (or finish) decorating your home for fall, especially in anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Most of the items are available in one of four major colors: Green, Brown (or Sepia), Yellow and Auburn (or Red). In the Kitchen, these items are the China Cabinet, multiple types of Cabinetry, Dining Tables, Islands, Dining Chairs, and Pantries. Meanwhile, in the Bathroom section of the store, you can find the same four colors represented in items like Toilets, Counters, Showers, Bathtubs, Hampers, Bath Mats, and Low Tables.
Other items now available include the major appliances, like a fridge and stove, wall sconces, a lovely leaf window (that makes it look like your home is surrounded by beautiful orange and yellow trees), potted trees, sinks, and even a microwave. As usual, if you'd like to only spend coins on your room's new look, you'll need to mix and match items from the Fall theme with items from other themes, as most of the extravagant items in this theme go for YoCash.
Altogether, these two rooms of items bring the total amount of Fall items to 157. Since this also rounds out the four major rooms that are included in any theme, we're assuming this will be the last release we see. That being the case, now is as good of a time as any to start (or finish) decorating your home for fall, especially in anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
PetVille Fall Collection now offering more items!
Earlier this week, we brought you our first look at the Thanksgiving / Fall theme of items in PetVille. Yesterday, Zynga announced that the second wave of items in this theme is now available in the game's Furniture Store, and we have all of the details about these new items.
Meet us behind the break to get a better look at the new items in PetVille.
Here is a list of the newest items, along with their cost. You can read on to see new pictures of what to look for if you'd like to purchase these items for decoration in your own pet's home.
Gourd Assortment - 8 Pet Cash
Assortment of Gourds - 8 Pet Cash
Purple Painted Table - 5,500 coins
Autumn View - 29 Pet Cash
Piney Wreath - 11 Pet Cash
Red Crystal Vase - 9,000 coins
White Grapes on Plates - 6,500 coins
Corn Cakes - 4 Pet Cash
Shining Apple - 4 Pet Cash
Concord Grapes - 4 Pet Cash
Warm Apple Pie - 7 Pet Cash
Candle in Glass - 8 Pet Cash
Yams - 5 Pet Cash
Warm Inviting Fireplace - 22 Pet Cash
Victorian Rug - 18 Pet Cash
Fruit Plate - 6,500 coins
Fall Flowers in Glass Vase - 10 Pet Cash
Salt & Pepper Shakers - 7,500 coins
Warm Cherry Pie - 7 Pet Cash
Round Dining Table - 6,000 coins
Flower Shaped Candle - 8 Pet Cash
Cosmos Flowers in Vase - 8 Pet Cash
Odin Armless Chair - Tan - 14 Pet Cash
Other new items have been added to the store, but they are mainly bulky furniture items, like new TVs or entertainment centers, and therefore not as true to the theme.
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, make sure to head over to the game's store to decorate your own home for the season.
Meet us behind the break to get a better look at the new items in PetVille.
Here is a list of the newest items, along with their cost. You can read on to see new pictures of what to look for if you'd like to purchase these items for decoration in your own pet's home.
Gourd Assortment - 8 Pet Cash
Assortment of Gourds - 8 Pet Cash
Purple Painted Table - 5,500 coins
Autumn View - 29 Pet Cash
Piney Wreath - 11 Pet Cash
Red Crystal Vase - 9,000 coins
White Grapes on Plates - 6,500 coins
Corn Cakes - 4 Pet Cash
Shining Apple - 4 Pet Cash
Concord Grapes - 4 Pet Cash
Warm Apple Pie - 7 Pet Cash
Candle in Glass - 8 Pet Cash
Yams - 5 Pet Cash
Warm Inviting Fireplace - 22 Pet Cash
Victorian Rug - 18 Pet Cash
Fruit Plate - 6,500 coins
Fall Flowers in Glass Vase - 10 Pet Cash
Salt & Pepper Shakers - 7,500 coins
Warm Cherry Pie - 7 Pet Cash
Round Dining Table - 6,000 coins
Flower Shaped Candle - 8 Pet Cash
Cosmos Flowers in Vase - 8 Pet Cash
Odin Armless Chair - Tan - 14 Pet Cash
Other new items have been added to the store, but they are mainly bulky furniture items, like new TVs or entertainment centers, and therefore not as true to the theme.
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, make sure to head over to the game's store to decorate your own home for the season.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Cafe World Cooking Academy Requirements: Everything you need to know
It's been advertised on the game's loading screen (like that seen above) for some time now, but finally, Zynga has officially launched the Cooking Academy in Cafe World. However, before you can join, and eventually graduate from the Cooking Academy, you'll need to first complete a series of missions that prove your worth to the virtual Chef Matty, your guide through this feature.
Meet us behind the break for everything you need to know concerning these preliminary tasks.
To start this mission off, you'll need to watch for Chef Matty to enter your Cafe, and click on the very large tan letter that appears above his head. This will allow you to accept the introductory missions.
The series of Academy tasks will appear in the top right corner of the gameplay area, where all of the traditional quests and jobs go. The first job is called "1st Referral," and it asks you to Get 3 Referrals (simply serve three customers) and prepare 1 Spitfire Roasted Chicken (a dish that takes a day to cook - but remember, you can use spices to speed this up).
The reward for completing this step is 25 coins and 10 Cafe Points. You'll be able to share coins with your friends as a bonus.
The second quest is called "Build your Spice Rack," and it asks you to simply start building your Spice Rack. As many users will have already completed this step, however, you'll be able to pass the mission simply by clicking on the Spices icon in your menu at the bottom of the gameplay area. Close the spice menu that appears and voila, the quest will pop and you will receive 25 coins and 20 Cafe Points as a reward (again, the bonus for friends is free coins).
The third quest is called "2nd Referral" and it asks you to visit 1 neighbor and complete 2 Eat Missions. This means that you'll need to visit two neighbors and click on the small blue stick figure that appears on the right side of your neighbor's cafe (he's holding a fork and spoon) and "eat" that friend's daily special dish by clicking on the "Yes" button in the menu that appears. The reward for this mission is 50 coins and 25 Cafe Points.
Once you have completed this mission, head back to your Cafe, and accept another letter from Chef Matty. Your application is going smoothly so far, but he needs one more referral before he can accept you into the Cooking Academy. This means one more quest is coming your way.
Don't worry though, this quest is just as simple as all of the others (so long as you've already finished your Spice Rack), as it asks you to do just that - finish your Spice Rack, and then Spice 5 of your neighbors' dishes. If you've already completed the Spice Rack previously, this step will be checked for your automatically. The reward for this final quest is 100 coins and 25 Cafe Points.
Head back to your Cafe once more, and you'll receive yet another letter from Chef Matty. He congratulates you, as he has approved your application to the Cooking Academy!
We'll bring you more coverage about the Cooking Academy and all of the spoils available therein in the near future.
Meet us behind the break for everything you need to know concerning these preliminary tasks.
To start this mission off, you'll need to watch for Chef Matty to enter your Cafe, and click on the very large tan letter that appears above his head. This will allow you to accept the introductory missions.
The series of Academy tasks will appear in the top right corner of the gameplay area, where all of the traditional quests and jobs go. The first job is called "1st Referral," and it asks you to Get 3 Referrals (simply serve three customers) and prepare 1 Spitfire Roasted Chicken (a dish that takes a day to cook - but remember, you can use spices to speed this up).
The reward for completing this step is 25 coins and 10 Cafe Points. You'll be able to share coins with your friends as a bonus.
The second quest is called "Build your Spice Rack," and it asks you to simply start building your Spice Rack. As many users will have already completed this step, however, you'll be able to pass the mission simply by clicking on the Spices icon in your menu at the bottom of the gameplay area. Close the spice menu that appears and voila, the quest will pop and you will receive 25 coins and 20 Cafe Points as a reward (again, the bonus for friends is free coins).
The third quest is called "2nd Referral" and it asks you to visit 1 neighbor and complete 2 Eat Missions. This means that you'll need to visit two neighbors and click on the small blue stick figure that appears on the right side of your neighbor's cafe (he's holding a fork and spoon) and "eat" that friend's daily special dish by clicking on the "Yes" button in the menu that appears. The reward for this mission is 50 coins and 25 Cafe Points.
Once you have completed this mission, head back to your Cafe, and accept another letter from Chef Matty. Your application is going smoothly so far, but he needs one more referral before he can accept you into the Cooking Academy. This means one more quest is coming your way.
Don't worry though, this quest is just as simple as all of the others (so long as you've already finished your Spice Rack), as it asks you to do just that - finish your Spice Rack, and then Spice 5 of your neighbors' dishes. If you've already completed the Spice Rack previously, this step will be checked for your automatically. The reward for this final quest is 100 coins and 25 Cafe Points.
Head back to your Cafe once more, and you'll receive yet another letter from Chef Matty. He congratulates you, as he has approved your application to the Cooking Academy!
We'll bring you more coverage about the Cooking Academy and all of the spoils available therein in the near future.
Mafia Wars Heavy Metal Armory Celebration - Build exclusive items for a limited time
Starting today, Zynga is celebrating the Armory in Mafia Wars with a Heavy Metal Armory Celebration. This event will allow you to collect Tech Plates to build not only new pieces of armor, but also exclusive items, that will only be able to be built during this event.
Over the next 4 days and 12 hours, you'll be able to build in the Armory at twice the rate as normal. You're given a shipment of Tech Plates automatically for starting the event, which will allow you to (in most cases) instantly upgrade your armory to the next level. From there, you need to collect individual pieces of Tech Plates that can be traded in for a variety of items.
The two exclusive items are the Pantheon Tactical Helm, a helmet item that requires 5 Tech plates to build and has 55 Attack and 48 Defense points, with a +5 Attack boost for your overall "character" in the game. The other item is the Crimson Iron Chest Plate, requiring 8 Tech Plates to build. This item offers 49 Attack and 57 Defense points, and gives you a +6 Defense boost.
The easiest way to earn Tech Plates is to post a help request on your wall via the button provided on the Mafia Wars home page. This alerts your friends to the fact that you need Tech Plates, and they can easily send you one for free.
Some of the other new items (not limited time items) that are available to build in the Armory are the Welding Mask (30 Attack and 25 Defense), the Sprinting Shoes (25 Attack and 32 Defense), and the Forearm Guard (38 Attack and 30 Defense). These items take not only the traditional armor parts to build, but also require "Special Parts" to build.
Remember, these time-exclusive items will only be available for the next four days, so make the most of the time available to you and start asking for Tech Plates as soon as you can.
Over the next 4 days and 12 hours, you'll be able to build in the Armory at twice the rate as normal. You're given a shipment of Tech Plates automatically for starting the event, which will allow you to (in most cases) instantly upgrade your armory to the next level. From there, you need to collect individual pieces of Tech Plates that can be traded in for a variety of items.
The two exclusive items are the Pantheon Tactical Helm, a helmet item that requires 5 Tech plates to build and has 55 Attack and 48 Defense points, with a +5 Attack boost for your overall "character" in the game. The other item is the Crimson Iron Chest Plate, requiring 8 Tech Plates to build. This item offers 49 Attack and 57 Defense points, and gives you a +6 Defense boost.
The easiest way to earn Tech Plates is to post a help request on your wall via the button provided on the Mafia Wars home page. This alerts your friends to the fact that you need Tech Plates, and they can easily send you one for free.
Some of the other new items (not limited time items) that are available to build in the Armory are the Welding Mask (30 Attack and 25 Defense), the Sprinting Shoes (25 Attack and 32 Defense), and the Forearm Guard (38 Attack and 30 Defense). These items take not only the traditional armor parts to build, but also require "Special Parts" to build.
Remember, these time-exclusive items will only be available for the next four days, so make the most of the time available to you and start asking for Tech Plates as soon as you can.
FarmVille Holiday Limited Edition Showcase [video]
'Tis the season, and FarmVille's rolling out limited edition holiday-themed items with a vengeance, and it looks like we'll be seeing a Snowflake Ferris Wheel and White Unicorn (awesome!) in the not-too-distant future.
As a side note: While a lot of these limited edition holiday items are rather nifty (I've been lusting after the Eggnog Fountain in the Market, myself) I've also had to deal with the fact that the majority of these items can only be purchased with Farm Cash. Boo-hiss.
Either way, take a look at FarmVille shiny new objects in the showcase video above -- even if you don't want to shell out real-life cash, you can see what you're missing (or not missing, as the case may be.)
As a side note: While a lot of these limited edition holiday items are rather nifty (I've been lusting after the Eggnog Fountain in the Market, myself) I've also had to deal with the fact that the majority of these items can only be purchased with Farm Cash. Boo-hiss.
Either way, take a look at FarmVille shiny new objects in the showcase video above -- even if you don't want to shell out real-life cash, you can see what you're missing (or not missing, as the case may be.)
Cafe World Cooking Academy Dark Blue Cravat Missions: Everything you need to know
Yesterday, we brought you a detailed look at the Cooking Academy entry missions in Cafe World - those missions that you must complete in order to have your application into this new Academy (in-game feature) accepted.
After you complete that series of missions, you are given another letter by Chef Matty, congratulating you on your acceptance into the Academy, and introducing you to the concept of a "Cravat," a neck tie that chefs wear to keep themselves cool in a hot kitchen. The Cravat is a status symbol, with the color of the fabric representing how much experience you have with cooking. Of course, as a new student in the Cooking Academy, you'll need a Cravat (new students receive one of a Dark Blue color) so a new series of missions are opened for you to earn one for yourself.
Meet us after the break for details on how to earn your own Dark Blue Cravat.
The Cravat missions are a pair of tasks that will have you further preparing to join the Academy by helping you to look the part. The first mission is called "Spice it up," and it asks you to Serve White Radish Cake 12 times, and spice 4 Dishes. The White Radish Cake will take a full day to cook normally (that is, without adding spices or putting it on a faster Lightning Stove). Meanwhile, you can easily complete the spicing portion of this mission by applying Power Pepper or Super Salt to four dishes (the same dish can be spiced more than once to count, if you're lacking in dishes), as most players have an overabundance of these at their disposal.
The rewards for this mission are 25 Cafe Points and 1000 coins. This also unlocks the second mission in the series, which is called "Spruce up your Cafe." This mission has more steps, which might be fairly expensive, depending on the choices you make to complete them. The mission asks you to purchase 3 Decor items, Purchase 10 Wall Tiles, and Purchase 20 Wall Tiles. As a note, you must purchase the items, as simply pulling items out of your inventory does not count.
The rewards for this second mission are 25 Cafe Points and 100 coins. After passing both of these missions, you'll receive your final letter (as of this writing) from Chef Matty, congratulating you on earning your Dark Blue Cravat. He'll tell you that two more colors are available, starting with the Light Blue Cravat, which will eventually open up a new quest set.
We'll be sure to let you know what these new quests entail in the future, so keep checking back with us!
After you complete that series of missions, you are given another letter by Chef Matty, congratulating you on your acceptance into the Academy, and introducing you to the concept of a "Cravat," a neck tie that chefs wear to keep themselves cool in a hot kitchen. The Cravat is a status symbol, with the color of the fabric representing how much experience you have with cooking. Of course, as a new student in the Cooking Academy, you'll need a Cravat (new students receive one of a Dark Blue color) so a new series of missions are opened for you to earn one for yourself.
Meet us after the break for details on how to earn your own Dark Blue Cravat.
The Cravat missions are a pair of tasks that will have you further preparing to join the Academy by helping you to look the part. The first mission is called "Spice it up," and it asks you to Serve White Radish Cake 12 times, and spice 4 Dishes. The White Radish Cake will take a full day to cook normally (that is, without adding spices or putting it on a faster Lightning Stove). Meanwhile, you can easily complete the spicing portion of this mission by applying Power Pepper or Super Salt to four dishes (the same dish can be spiced more than once to count, if you're lacking in dishes), as most players have an overabundance of these at their disposal.
The rewards for this mission are 25 Cafe Points and 1000 coins. This also unlocks the second mission in the series, which is called "Spruce up your Cafe." This mission has more steps, which might be fairly expensive, depending on the choices you make to complete them. The mission asks you to purchase 3 Decor items, Purchase 10 Wall Tiles, and Purchase 20 Wall Tiles. As a note, you must purchase the items, as simply pulling items out of your inventory does not count.
The rewards for this second mission are 25 Cafe Points and 100 coins. After passing both of these missions, you'll receive your final letter (as of this writing) from Chef Matty, congratulating you on earning your Dark Blue Cravat. He'll tell you that two more colors are available, starting with the Light Blue Cravat, which will eventually open up a new quest set.
We'll be sure to let you know what these new quests entail in the future, so keep checking back with us!
Cafe World Maxwell House Coffee Promotion: Win 50,000 Cafe Cash for brewing a cup!
This month, Zynga has launched a new cross-promotional activity and contest in Cafe World with Maxwell House coffee. The event is called the "Maxwell House Coffee Challenge," and it will only be available for the next 10 days.
Within that time, all users that master the Maxwell House Coffee and "Cafe Style Beverages" from their Coffee Machine will be entered to win a grand prize of 50,000 Cafe Cash! With the current rate of exchange on purchasing Cafe Cash (some Cafe Cash packages are 15% off), this equates to a prize currently valued at just over $5,400 US! Yes, that's 5 thousand dollars! The winner of this prize would be able to splurge on any new premium item they could ever want, and make their Cafe the star attraction for all of their friends to visit!
If you don't win the Grand Prize, there are still plenty of other goodies up for grabs, as 100 Chefs will win 10 Lightning Super Stoves (a valuable prize in its own right), and 100 other Chefs will win a Limited Edition decorative item in the form of a Maxwell House Coffee Maker.
The drinks necessary to master are found in the Coffee Machine under the new "Maxwell House" tab. There are four drinks to master, with energy costs ranging from 12 to 43 Energy per brew. Even though they may be pricey, you've got more than a week to earn yourself a place in this contest, so brew your guests a cup (or 10) soon to make the most of this event!
Within that time, all users that master the Maxwell House Coffee and "Cafe Style Beverages" from their Coffee Machine will be entered to win a grand prize of 50,000 Cafe Cash! With the current rate of exchange on purchasing Cafe Cash (some Cafe Cash packages are 15% off), this equates to a prize currently valued at just over $5,400 US! Yes, that's 5 thousand dollars! The winner of this prize would be able to splurge on any new premium item they could ever want, and make their Cafe the star attraction for all of their friends to visit!
If you don't win the Grand Prize, there are still plenty of other goodies up for grabs, as 100 Chefs will win 10 Lightning Super Stoves (a valuable prize in its own right), and 100 other Chefs will win a Limited Edition decorative item in the form of a Maxwell House Coffee Maker.
The drinks necessary to master are found in the Coffee Machine under the new "Maxwell House" tab. There are four drinks to master, with energy costs ranging from 12 to 43 Energy per brew. Even though they may be pricey, you've got more than a week to earn yourself a place in this contest, so brew your guests a cup (or 10) soon to make the most of this event!
Friday, January 13, 2012
CityVille: Two new goals offer a free Holiday Tree
Aside from some new buildings and decorations, CityVille is celebrating the holidays by giving every player a free Christmas tree for a new game goal. The first part of the new Holiday Tree goal is called "Place the Holiday Tree" and it's really simple. Just go to the user panel on the bottom right, access the inventory, click on the Holiday Tree and drag it into your city to install it. This will pay you 50 Coins.
CityVille Growing the Tree
Part two is called "Growing the Tree" and to complete it, you'll either need 20 City Cash or have 10 friends willing to send you a "Present" each from the "Free Gifts" page.
CityVille Presents Holiday Tree wall post
You can notify your friends that you need presents by clicking on the "Growing the Tree" goal icon on the left hand side, then "Ask Your Friends" to post to your wall. But be careful -- if you cancel the wall post instead of allowing it to post, you'll lose the "Ask Your Friends" option, because that button will turn into the message "Waiting for your friends to respond", which means you won't be able to click it anymore. Friends who answer your wall post for gifts will get 50 Coins for helping you. As for you, the more presents you get, the bigger your tree will grow!
CityVille Holiday Tree
CityVille Growing the Tree
Part two is called "Growing the Tree" and to complete it, you'll either need 20 City Cash or have 10 friends willing to send you a "Present" each from the "Free Gifts" page.
CityVille Presents Holiday Tree wall post
You can notify your friends that you need presents by clicking on the "Growing the Tree" goal icon on the left hand side, then "Ask Your Friends" to post to your wall. But be careful -- if you cancel the wall post instead of allowing it to post, you'll lose the "Ask Your Friends" option, because that button will turn into the message "Waiting for your friends to respond", which means you won't be able to click it anymore. Friends who answer your wall post for gifts will get 50 Coins for helping you. As for you, the more presents you get, the bigger your tree will grow!
CityVille Holiday Tree
FrontierVille Toy Factory Contest: Win an iPad for Christmas
Toy Factory Christmas
The giving spirit has clearly overtaken Zynga as the company will be giving away an Apple iPad to one dedicated pioneer in FrontierVille this Christmas. From now through Jan. 3, 2011 the Zynga team will be watching us like Santa does the little girls and boys every year, but for a far different reason. The player who has hoarded the most Toys by Jan. 3 will be awarded a 16GB iPad in the FrontierVille Toy Factory Contest.
However, everyone who wants in will have to specifically register via e-mail including their Facebook profile link and other important information. This way, Zynga will be able to track your Toy-gathering prowess over the next two weeks and declare a winner on the FrontierVille fan page and forums that day. Thankfully, the team will also be counting Toys turned in the exclusive items that the Pioneer Toy Factory, so feel free to spend like normal. Though, you'll have to hoard if you want to keep track of your own progress and to be prepared to break a tie. Check out the forums for the official rules and how to enter. Now, get to sending those Toys if you want the toy of the Holidays.
The giving spirit has clearly overtaken Zynga as the company will be giving away an Apple iPad to one dedicated pioneer in FrontierVille this Christmas. From now through Jan. 3, 2011 the Zynga team will be watching us like Santa does the little girls and boys every year, but for a far different reason. The player who has hoarded the most Toys by Jan. 3 will be awarded a 16GB iPad in the FrontierVille Toy Factory Contest.
However, everyone who wants in will have to specifically register via e-mail including their Facebook profile link and other important information. This way, Zynga will be able to track your Toy-gathering prowess over the next two weeks and declare a winner on the FrontierVille fan page and forums that day. Thankfully, the team will also be counting Toys turned in the exclusive items that the Pioneer Toy Factory, so feel free to spend like normal. Though, you'll have to hoard if you want to keep track of your own progress and to be prepared to break a tie. Check out the forums for the official rules and how to enter. Now, get to sending those Toys if you want the toy of the Holidays.
FarmVille: Platinum Combine now available, but only for the Holidays
Couldn't get enough of the Silver and Gold theme of items released in the new FarmVille Mystery Game last night? You're in luck, as Zynga has added another shiny, regal item to the game in the form of the Platinum Combine - shop fast though, it will only be around for the holidays.
This Platinum Combine costs a whopping 110 Farm Cash, the equivalent of around $20 US, if you look at the current exchange rate on purchasing Farm Cash packages. As with other Combines (whether you built one, or purchased one from the store), this Platinum version allows you to Harvest, Plow, and Seed your land with a single click, saving you time, but not fuel in the process, as the Combine uses the same amount of fuel as if you had completed each of the three basic farming tasks separately.
As a nice incentive to purchase the Combine, it starts out allowing you to plow, plant, and harvest on nine squares at a time, rather than a smaller amount as seen with other Combines (specifically the Red Combine that many users chose to build back in September).
As part of the Winter Holiday series of limited edition items, this Platinum Combine will only be available for the next 42 days - sure, that's a heck of a lot longer than the other Winter Holiday items that are still available in the game, but you might want to purchase this item sooner, rather than later, so you don't forget and then miss out.
This Platinum Combine costs a whopping 110 Farm Cash, the equivalent of around $20 US, if you look at the current exchange rate on purchasing Farm Cash packages. As with other Combines (whether you built one, or purchased one from the store), this Platinum version allows you to Harvest, Plow, and Seed your land with a single click, saving you time, but not fuel in the process, as the Combine uses the same amount of fuel as if you had completed each of the three basic farming tasks separately.
As a nice incentive to purchase the Combine, it starts out allowing you to plow, plant, and harvest on nine squares at a time, rather than a smaller amount as seen with other Combines (specifically the Red Combine that many users chose to build back in September).
As part of the Winter Holiday series of limited edition items, this Platinum Combine will only be available for the next 42 days - sure, that's a heck of a lot longer than the other Winter Holiday items that are still available in the game, but you might want to purchase this item sooner, rather than later, so you don't forget and then miss out.
FarmVille Greeting Card Contest: Win 1,000 Farm Cash and riches galore!
FarmVille Community Manager Lexilicious gave users a sneak peek of this newest contest in the latest official FarmVille podcast, but for those that didn't listen, we now have all of the details on the recently launched FarmVille Winter Holiday Greeting Card Contest for 2010.
This contest calls to all aspiring artists and asks them to create a holiday greeting card that, of course, has FarmVille as its theme. These cards can be created either virtually, through Microsoft Paint, Photoshop or another image creation/editing program, or you can put your real-life artistic skills to good use and draw, paint, or otherwise create your own card in the real world and then photograph it for your entry.
Your entry needs to be posted on the FarmVille forums before December 31 in order to be considered for the many prizes you can win. After this point, the FarmVille team will select the top ten winners. What do you win? Why, only one of the best prizes ever - a whopping 1,000 Farm Cash, 1 million coins, and any limited edition FarmVille item of your choosing (so long as the item is either currently available in the game, or has been previously released - no unreleased items unfortunately).
What are you waiting for? Put those thinking caps on and come up with your own creative ideas that could be worth financial security in the game for weeks or even months to come (or just some shopping spree money - the choice is yours).
This contest calls to all aspiring artists and asks them to create a holiday greeting card that, of course, has FarmVille as its theme. These cards can be created either virtually, through Microsoft Paint, Photoshop or another image creation/editing program, or you can put your real-life artistic skills to good use and draw, paint, or otherwise create your own card in the real world and then photograph it for your entry.
Your entry needs to be posted on the FarmVille forums before December 31 in order to be considered for the many prizes you can win. After this point, the FarmVille team will select the top ten winners. What do you win? Why, only one of the best prizes ever - a whopping 1,000 Farm Cash, 1 million coins, and any limited edition FarmVille item of your choosing (so long as the item is either currently available in the game, or has been previously released - no unreleased items unfortunately).
What are you waiting for? Put those thinking caps on and come up with your own creative ideas that could be worth financial security in the game for weeks or even months to come (or just some shopping spree money - the choice is yours).
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Disco Pony & Disco Cow
With the new year quickly approaching in FarmVille, and therefore the current Winter Holiday theme soon to come to an end, one of the big questions on my mind is "What will be the next limited edition theme in the game?" According to some recently leaked unreleased item images, we may have found our answer.
Two new animals will apparently be coming to the game sometime in the future, and they know how to get down and party. They are the Disco (Elvis?) Pony and the Disco Cow. As Zynga is always willing to add a bit of whimsy in with the realism, both of these animals are decked out and ready to party. The Disco Cow has a black afro wig, bellbottom hoof sleeves, and purple sunglasses, while the Disco Pony is wearing an outfit that looks like a toned-down version of an Elvis costume. And of course, there's a Disco Pony Foal to match.
While these items might very well be coming along with a new theme in the game, there is another possibility, in that these items could be a part of the upcoming New Year's celebration in the game. We already know that we'll be throwing a huge party out by a new barn, but could these be a few of the animal participants? Only time will tell at this point.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually make appearances in the game, so keep that in mind.
Two new animals will apparently be coming to the game sometime in the future, and they know how to get down and party. They are the Disco (Elvis?) Pony and the Disco Cow. As Zynga is always willing to add a bit of whimsy in with the realism, both of these animals are decked out and ready to party. The Disco Cow has a black afro wig, bellbottom hoof sleeves, and purple sunglasses, while the Disco Pony is wearing an outfit that looks like a toned-down version of an Elvis costume. And of course, there's a Disco Pony Foal to match.
While these items might very well be coming along with a new theme in the game, there is another possibility, in that these items could be a part of the upcoming New Year's celebration in the game. We already know that we'll be throwing a huge party out by a new barn, but could these be a few of the animal participants? Only time will tell at this point.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually make appearances in the game, so keep that in mind.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Facebook games could get crazy good graphics with Unreal Engine 3
That's right, you supposed 80 million hardcore gamers on Facebook, Gears of War maker Epic Games announced that the upcoming Adobe Flash Player 11 will support its Unreal Engine 3. Considering the majority of Facebook games are created and played using Flash, we can't imagine it will be long before social game makers craft Facebook games in gorgeous 3D.
Kotaku reports that the Flash version of Epic Games's Unreal Engine 3, the technology through which numerous hardcore console game series like Unreal Tournament and Mass Effect are made, appears less powerful than on PCs and consoles. Regardless, this marks a huge step toward 3D gaming on Facebook, considering other methods like Unity have yet to catch on.
That's mainly because games that use the Unity Player requires an additional download, which could arguably scare less technologically-savvy players away. Flash requires no download, aside from the occasional update, though that's merely thanks to Flash's growing ubiquity. It's also important to note that Apple's iOS devices support Unreal Engine 3, meaning developers could create games that run similarly on both Facebook and iPhones or iPads. (Infinity Blade on Facebook, anyone?)
This type of cross-platform play is something social game makers have clamored for awhile now, many of which turning to HTML5 to make it happen. (Even Zynga mobile chief David Ko said that HTML5 is still too early.) But with the possibility for full 3D games that players could play between their iPhones and on Facebook, it's possible that developers could come running back to Flash. Check out what Unreal Engine 3 looks like on Flash Player 11, though not yet in motion, here.
Kotaku reports that the Flash version of Epic Games's Unreal Engine 3, the technology through which numerous hardcore console game series like Unreal Tournament and Mass Effect are made, appears less powerful than on PCs and consoles. Regardless, this marks a huge step toward 3D gaming on Facebook, considering other methods like Unity have yet to catch on.
That's mainly because games that use the Unity Player requires an additional download, which could arguably scare less technologically-savvy players away. Flash requires no download, aside from the occasional update, though that's merely thanks to Flash's growing ubiquity. It's also important to note that Apple's iOS devices support Unreal Engine 3, meaning developers could create games that run similarly on both Facebook and iPhones or iPads. (Infinity Blade on Facebook, anyone?)
This type of cross-platform play is something social game makers have clamored for awhile now, many of which turning to HTML5 to make it happen. (Even Zynga mobile chief David Ko said that HTML5 is still too early.) But with the possibility for full 3D games that players could play between their iPhones and on Facebook, it's possible that developers could come running back to Flash. Check out what Unreal Engine 3 looks like on Flash Player 11, though not yet in motion, here.
Supernatural show, Being Human, gets Facebook game in time for Halloween
News has been circulating that Being Human--a popular British supernatural drama with an American remake about a vampire, ghost, and werewolf that share a flat--will finally get its own Facebook game. Televisual reports that it's "available globally." DigitalSpy claims the game has been "released" and even has a screenshot.
The same screenshot was used by SFX, though to its credit, it doesn't claim the game has launched. Instead, Broadcast claims that. I guess everyone was excited to tell folks about the game, but no one could provide a link to the actual game.
If you love this show and don't mind being teased beyond your sanity trying to figure out where this game is, then let us fill you in on what we do know. As of this writing, there's no official announcement about a game on either the Syfy or the BBC website. Neither is there any news on the official Syfy and BBC Facebook fan pages for either the American or British version of the show.
So, perhaps it's safe to say that the game is totally not launched and available yet. But given those involved in the game's creation, it's clear this game will be based on the original BBC show and won't be originating state-side on Syfy's budding games portal.
Being Human Facebook Game
Zodiak Active, which manages the rights to the BBC show, had partnered with developer Utinni Games to bring Being Human to Facebook. Zodiak Active senior VP Edward Humphrey has this to say about it:
The Being Human social game will build upon the creative inspiration of the TV drama and allow players to take the roles of vampire, werewolf and ghost in compelling new storylines that they will play, rather than watch. . . The game is a mix of exploration, combat and problem-solving that immerses users into an intriguing world of supernatural creatures that exist just beyond the surface of everyday life.
That definitely sounds like this will be a role-playing game. In fact, SFX also reported that you can "play as a ghost, werewolf or vampire." The game has got the blessing of Toby Whithouse, the BBC show's creator, and thumbs-up from the show's producer, Touchpaper Television. Enough screenwriters from the series have been brought in to make sure that the content and banter will be top-notch. Currently, the BBC version of Being Human just ended Season 3. Season 4 will premiere sometime next year. So this game will obviously be filling the void for the duration.
The same screenshot was used by SFX, though to its credit, it doesn't claim the game has launched. Instead, Broadcast claims that. I guess everyone was excited to tell folks about the game, but no one could provide a link to the actual game.
If you love this show and don't mind being teased beyond your sanity trying to figure out where this game is, then let us fill you in on what we do know. As of this writing, there's no official announcement about a game on either the Syfy or the BBC website. Neither is there any news on the official Syfy and BBC Facebook fan pages for either the American or British version of the show.
So, perhaps it's safe to say that the game is totally not launched and available yet. But given those involved in the game's creation, it's clear this game will be based on the original BBC show and won't be originating state-side on Syfy's budding games portal.
Being Human Facebook Game
Zodiak Active, which manages the rights to the BBC show, had partnered with developer Utinni Games to bring Being Human to Facebook. Zodiak Active senior VP Edward Humphrey has this to say about it:
The Being Human social game will build upon the creative inspiration of the TV drama and allow players to take the roles of vampire, werewolf and ghost in compelling new storylines that they will play, rather than watch. . . The game is a mix of exploration, combat and problem-solving that immerses users into an intriguing world of supernatural creatures that exist just beyond the surface of everyday life.
That definitely sounds like this will be a role-playing game. In fact, SFX also reported that you can "play as a ghost, werewolf or vampire." The game has got the blessing of Toby Whithouse, the BBC show's creator, and thumbs-up from the show's producer, Touchpaper Television. Enough screenwriters from the series have been brought in to make sure that the content and banter will be top-notch. Currently, the BBC version of Being Human just ended Season 3. Season 4 will premiere sometime next year. So this game will obviously be filling the void for the duration.
Apple's Game Center hits 67M users, new version hits Oct. 12 in iOS 5
Mark your calendars, proud iPhone owners. Apple announced today at its iPhone 4S event that the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5, will launch Oct. 12 as a free update. And with it comes a brand new Game Center, Apple's answer to existing mobile social game networks like OpenFeint and Mobage (and before that, Ngmoco's Plus network). You see, the company has been dragging its feet somewhat into the mobile social games space.
Regardless, the existing version of Game Center has welcomes 67 million able-thumbed mobile gamers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event. (OpenFeint boasts 115 million users for comparison.) The service will be vastly improved next week with achievements, the ability to find new friends to play with and customizable profiles.
These features have been a part of Game Center's mobile competitors for some time, but despite being a latecomer, the service has managed to garner tens of millions of players. When Apple first revealed Game Center, it was already behind these independent services that have gone on to become, or rather be acquired by, major gaming companies.
Game Center, even with the advantage of being baked directly into iOS rather than individual games like Openfeint, has lots of work to do before it will trump its competitors. It proves that even if the iPod Touch is "the most popular portable game player in the world," according to Cook, it's still not the most popular social mobile game player in the world. That's gonna' take some time.
Regardless, the existing version of Game Center has welcomes 67 million able-thumbed mobile gamers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event. (OpenFeint boasts 115 million users for comparison.) The service will be vastly improved next week with achievements, the ability to find new friends to play with and customizable profiles.
These features have been a part of Game Center's mobile competitors for some time, but despite being a latecomer, the service has managed to garner tens of millions of players. When Apple first revealed Game Center, it was already behind these independent services that have gone on to become, or rather be acquired by, major gaming companies.
Game Center, even with the advantage of being baked directly into iOS rather than individual games like Openfeint, has lots of work to do before it will trump its competitors. It proves that even if the iPod Touch is "the most popular portable game player in the world," according to Cook, it's still not the most popular social mobile game player in the world. That's gonna' take some time.
To pick up Fast Five on Blu-ray, DVD at Walmart, better try Car Town
Car Town Fast Five
Branded Facebook game promotions are a dime a dozen these days, but turning a Facebook game into a store front? Now, that's something to twirl the mustache at. Cie Games announced that Car Town was the only place Fast Five fans could pre-order the Fast Five Blu-ray/DVD combo pack at Walmart. But since the movie released today in stores, fans can also take a trip to Walmart to score some in-game rewards.
Within Car Town, players could click on a giant Walmart-themed big rig to pre-order the pack through Walmart's online store, which would have scored them an exclusive in-game locker with a Fast Five-themed bullet-proof vest to display in their garages. Though, anyone who buys the game through Car Town or in stores will net themselves a virtual Armet Gurkha armored vehicle to race their friends with.
This is the culmination of a six month-long event made possible by Universal Partnerships & Licensing that displayed the movie's trailer within Car Town. And now players can complete missions inspired by the movie's storyline by racing cars directly taken from the film. And Car Town, which enjoys over 5.2 million monthly players, has had its branding throughout the Fast Five release.
"This program is one of the most extensive and successful efforts to date by a major film studio to leverage the nexus between real-world marketing and promotion via social gaming," said Cie Games CEO Justin Choi. "Since the program began in April 2011, Car Town players have completed more than 200 million races in the virtual Rio de Janeiro race environment modeled after the movie's key location."
In other words, this was one giant Facebook game branding event, and Cie Games is far from the only developer that's in on the action. Zynga has already begun to integrate Indiana Jones into its Adventure World completely, while other studios like Ecko|Code build their business entirely around branded Facebook games. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Branding is huge in Facebook games. Our concern, however, is whether the games can grow in terms of gameplay amidst the allure of branding.
Branded Facebook game promotions are a dime a dozen these days, but turning a Facebook game into a store front? Now, that's something to twirl the mustache at. Cie Games announced that Car Town was the only place Fast Five fans could pre-order the Fast Five Blu-ray/DVD combo pack at Walmart. But since the movie released today in stores, fans can also take a trip to Walmart to score some in-game rewards.
Within Car Town, players could click on a giant Walmart-themed big rig to pre-order the pack through Walmart's online store, which would have scored them an exclusive in-game locker with a Fast Five-themed bullet-proof vest to display in their garages. Though, anyone who buys the game through Car Town or in stores will net themselves a virtual Armet Gurkha armored vehicle to race their friends with.
This is the culmination of a six month-long event made possible by Universal Partnerships & Licensing that displayed the movie's trailer within Car Town. And now players can complete missions inspired by the movie's storyline by racing cars directly taken from the film. And Car Town, which enjoys over 5.2 million monthly players, has had its branding throughout the Fast Five release.
"This program is one of the most extensive and successful efforts to date by a major film studio to leverage the nexus between real-world marketing and promotion via social gaming," said Cie Games CEO Justin Choi. "Since the program began in April 2011, Car Town players have completed more than 200 million races in the virtual Rio de Janeiro race environment modeled after the movie's key location."
In other words, this was one giant Facebook game branding event, and Cie Games is far from the only developer that's in on the action. Zynga has already begun to integrate Indiana Jones into its Adventure World completely, while other studios like Ecko|Code build their business entirely around branded Facebook games. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Branding is huge in Facebook games. Our concern, however, is whether the games can grow in terms of gameplay amidst the allure of branding.
FarmVille Express: Zynga working on mobile browser version? [Rumor]
According to this single image found by a FarmVille Freak tipster, that very well may be the case. A mobile browser-based version of FarmVille may be in the works at Zynga. The website reports that readers are reaching this screen when attempting to log into their mobile farm via the existing. However, those readers' claims strike us as odd considering what's displayed is clearly the Safari browser on an iPhone.
FarmVille Freak goes on to say that the app isn't completely functional at the moment. When we attempted to reach this same page through the native FarmVille app for iPhone, we simply arrived at our existing farms. But when trying to access FarmVille from Safari by typing in "www.farmville.com," we were redirected to "m.farmville.com/fx/" and a message that reads, "Howdy Partners! FarmVille is currently not available for this device."
The fact that we were redirected to that web address suggests that perhaps mobile web version of FarmVille really is in the works, but the release of this image was accidental. If you remember, Zynga approached players earlier this year with a survey asking players what they would want from a mobile web version of the game. Why Zynga would suddenly release a mobile web version of its flagship game after working so hard to bring the native FarmVille app up to speed is beyond us.
FarmVille Express full
This news follows the mild announcement of a new Mafia Wars game for iOS, Shakedown. More importantly, this news comes just after Zynga's mobile head David Ko told The Guardian that he thought HTML5, commonly used by game developers to make mobile web game like what FarmVille Express appears to be, is still too early. Though, there is Facebook's Project Spartan to consider.
FarmVille Freak goes on to say that the app isn't completely functional at the moment. When we attempted to reach this same page through the native FarmVille app for iPhone, we simply arrived at our existing farms. But when trying to access FarmVille from Safari by typing in "www.farmville.com," we were redirected to "m.farmville.com/fx/" and a message that reads, "Howdy Partners! FarmVille is currently not available for this device."
The fact that we were redirected to that web address suggests that perhaps mobile web version of FarmVille really is in the works, but the release of this image was accidental. If you remember, Zynga approached players earlier this year with a survey asking players what they would want from a mobile web version of the game. Why Zynga would suddenly release a mobile web version of its flagship game after working so hard to bring the native FarmVille app up to speed is beyond us.
FarmVille Express full
This news follows the mild announcement of a new Mafia Wars game for iOS, Shakedown. More importantly, this news comes just after Zynga's mobile head David Ko told The Guardian that he thought HTML5, commonly used by game developers to make mobile web game like what FarmVille Express appears to be, is still too early. Though, there is Facebook's Project Spartan to consider.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New CityVille Buildings: Middle School, Modern Art Gallery, Appliances Store, & Laundromat
If you've reached the level cap in CityVille (and have run out of things to buy), or are perhaps just looking to for new things to build in your city, you'll be happy to know that Zynga has launched four new buildings in the game - two businesses and two community buildings.
The two businesses are the Appliances Store and Laundromat. The Appliances Store costs 25 City Cash, and earns 405 coins after being supplied with 90 goods. Meanwhile, the Laundromat costs just 5,000 coins, and earns 515 coins by default, after being stocked with 115 goods. As one final note, you must have at least 1,100 citizens in your town to unlock access to the Laundromat.
Meanwhile, the two community buildings are the Middle School and the Modern Art Gallery. Both of these are fortunately available for coins, but the Modern Art Gallery is only available to those who have reached level 60, while the Middle School is available at level 32. The prices reflect these differences in level requirements, as the Middle School costs 27,500 coins to build and adds 800 citizens to your total maximum population, while the Modern Art Gallery costs a whopping 200,000 coins. For that price, your population cap will increase by 1,900 - a nice investment piece, if you are a high enough level, and can actually afford it.
All of these new items can be found in the game's store, under the "New" section, and currently come with no time limit. Save those coins and those City Cash, and we're sure that you'll be able to afford all four of them in no time.
The two businesses are the Appliances Store and Laundromat. The Appliances Store costs 25 City Cash, and earns 405 coins after being supplied with 90 goods. Meanwhile, the Laundromat costs just 5,000 coins, and earns 515 coins by default, after being stocked with 115 goods. As one final note, you must have at least 1,100 citizens in your town to unlock access to the Laundromat.
Meanwhile, the two community buildings are the Middle School and the Modern Art Gallery. Both of these are fortunately available for coins, but the Modern Art Gallery is only available to those who have reached level 60, while the Middle School is available at level 32. The prices reflect these differences in level requirements, as the Middle School costs 27,500 coins to build and adds 800 citizens to your total maximum population, while the Modern Art Gallery costs a whopping 200,000 coins. For that price, your population cap will increase by 1,900 - a nice investment piece, if you are a high enough level, and can actually afford it.
All of these new items can be found in the game's store, under the "New" section, and currently come with no time limit. Save those coins and those City Cash, and we're sure that you'll be able to afford all four of them in no time.
Facebook game Evony saves man from fire in home
Most of the time, when we have a real-world news story to bring you about Facebook gaming, it deals with something negative - addiction to Facebook games, perhaps. Tonight, though, we have a heart-warming tale of how one particular Facebook game has actually saved a man's life.
51-year-old Robert Chambers, from Spokane Washington, was alone at home on Tuesday, playing Evony on Facebook with a group of online friends. A toaster strudel became lodged in his toaster, causing a fire which spread to the rest of the home. Chambers suffers from muscular dystrophy, and therefore can't move around his home easily. His telephone was out of reach, causing Chambers to call out to those friends he knows on line.
In the Evony game screen he typed "Help me, my house is on fire and I can't get out." He then typed his address, and Evony gamers from both Indiana and Texas proceeded to call the local fire department. Firemen arrived at Chambers' home within a matter of minutes, and he was saved.
Chambers' wife Patricia says she now has a better appreciation for the game, which she used to hate, due to Robert's dedication. "I hated this game because he doesn't pay attention to me or anything else in the house," she said. "Now I've got to bite my tongue because it saved his life quite possibly."
Luckily, this is one news story with a much happier ending than those we've seen in the past. Hopefully it's just the first of many that show the helpful nature of gamers all around the country, and even the world.
51-year-old Robert Chambers, from Spokane Washington, was alone at home on Tuesday, playing Evony on Facebook with a group of online friends. A toaster strudel became lodged in his toaster, causing a fire which spread to the rest of the home. Chambers suffers from muscular dystrophy, and therefore can't move around his home easily. His telephone was out of reach, causing Chambers to call out to those friends he knows on line.
In the Evony game screen he typed "Help me, my house is on fire and I can't get out." He then typed his address, and Evony gamers from both Indiana and Texas proceeded to call the local fire department. Firemen arrived at Chambers' home within a matter of minutes, and he was saved.
Chambers' wife Patricia says she now has a better appreciation for the game, which she used to hate, due to Robert's dedication. "I hated this game because he doesn't pay attention to me or anything else in the house," she said. "Now I've got to bite my tongue because it saved his life quite possibly."
Luckily, this is one news story with a much happier ending than those we've seen in the past. Hopefully it's just the first of many that show the helpful nature of gamers all around the country, and even the world.
CityVille New Fire Station Quest: Everything you need to know
A new quest has been launched in CityVille today called "New Fire Station." As you'd expect, this goal asks you to prepare your city for unexpected tragedy by ensuring that your citizens are safe in the event of a fire. You'll need to complete three tasks to finish this quest, and luckily, they are all pretty simple.
Have a Fire Station in Your City
Collect from the Fire Station
Ask friends for 12 Fire Axes
The most time consuming portion of this quest will likely be the collection of the Fire Axes, which can be done by posting a general wall post to your news feed, asking your friends for help.
As for the Fire Station, if you already have one in your city, don't worry as this mission doesn't ask you to "build" a new one, but rather simply "have" one in your town. If you haven't built one, though, it is available from the Community Buildings section of the store for 30,000 coins. It can be collected from once per day.
Like we said, this mission is actually pretty simple, but good luck to all of those who are trying to finish it!
Have a Fire Station in Your City
Collect from the Fire Station
Ask friends for 12 Fire Axes
The most time consuming portion of this quest will likely be the collection of the Fire Axes, which can be done by posting a general wall post to your news feed, asking your friends for help.
As for the Fire Station, if you already have one in your city, don't worry as this mission doesn't ask you to "build" a new one, but rather simply "have" one in your town. If you haven't built one, though, it is available from the Community Buildings section of the store for 30,000 coins. It can be collected from once per day.
Like we said, this mission is actually pretty simple, but good luck to all of those who are trying to finish it!
FarmVille introduces Citibank Citi Specials promotion - 30% off $50 Zynga eCard
If you're a Citibank credit card holder, you may be interested in learning more about Zynga's newest cross-promotional activity in FarmVille. The two companies have partnered to create "Citi Specials," a new activity that is available to find in the same area as free Farm Cash promotions - underneath the bottom right corner of the FarmVille gameplay area.
Clicking on the Sponsored Link [pictured] will launch the activity, where you will first have to prove your eligibility by entering the first 6 digits from your Citi Credit Card. As the promotion is only open to cardholders, you'll have the ability to snagging a $50 Zynga eCard (Game Card) for 30% off the normal price - or just $35 US.
This eCard will be delivered by email, and don't be afraid to send it to yourself. Once you receive the eCard as a gift, you'll be able to redeem it in-game for either 310 Farm Cash, or 92,000 coins (I think the choice is pretty obvious, don't you?). You'll also receive 3 Mystery Darts as a bonus, that can be used to take a stab at the latest installment of the Mystery Game in the store, for your chance at snagging perhaps three of the current limited edition animals (hang onto them until tomorrow and the items should cycle out into Valentine's Day items - or at least that's the rumor).
As we said before, if you aren't a Citibank credit card holder, unfortunately, you won't be able to participate in this activity, but we'll be sure to let you know if any other similar activities launch in the future.
Are you eligible for this Game Card discount? Will you take advantage of the offer to land yourself some discounted Farm Cash?
Clicking on the Sponsored Link [pictured] will launch the activity, where you will first have to prove your eligibility by entering the first 6 digits from your Citi Credit Card. As the promotion is only open to cardholders, you'll have the ability to snagging a $50 Zynga eCard (Game Card) for 30% off the normal price - or just $35 US.
This eCard will be delivered by email, and don't be afraid to send it to yourself. Once you receive the eCard as a gift, you'll be able to redeem it in-game for either 310 Farm Cash, or 92,000 coins (I think the choice is pretty obvious, don't you?). You'll also receive 3 Mystery Darts as a bonus, that can be used to take a stab at the latest installment of the Mystery Game in the store, for your chance at snagging perhaps three of the current limited edition animals (hang onto them until tomorrow and the items should cycle out into Valentine's Day items - or at least that's the rumor).
As we said before, if you aren't a Citibank credit card holder, unfortunately, you won't be able to participate in this activity, but we'll be sure to let you know if any other similar activities launch in the future.
Are you eligible for this Game Card discount? Will you take advantage of the offer to land yourself some discounted Farm Cash?
CityVille Sneak Peek: First set of RewardVille items revealed
Over the past week, we've been keeping you up-to-date on Zynga's newest "RewardVille" website and promotion. As we've told you in the past, RewardVille will reward players of almost all of Zynga's games with zCoins / zPoints as they continue to play a selection of Zynga's titles on Facebook (including CityVille). These zCoins will be redeemable for prizes (both new and old) in your favorite games, giving incentive to the entire project.
While we've already discovered what the rewards will be for FarmVille players, CityVille Feed has uncovered some of the items that will apparently be coming to CityVille's portion of the rewards program, as they have discovered a new screenshot from the website.
There will apparently be at least eight items made available through RewardVille, all of which are unlocked at a series of increasing level intervals, with these particular items being unlocked from zLevel 40 - 70. Apparently, there are two other pages of rewards, as the screen above says that this is page "3 of 3", but here's the rundown of the items that we do know about:
Jeans Store - 120 zCoins
DVD Rental Store - 120 zCoins
Lamp Store - 110 zCoins
Clock Tower - 130 zCoins
Coastal Rowhouse - 120 zCoins
Downtown Flat - 140 zCoins
Skyrise Heights - 160 zCoins
Stepped Skyscraper - 200 zCoins
As usual, it's anyone's guess as to when these items will be made available to all CityVille players, but keep checking back with us, as we'll make sure you're the first to know - we'll also be back with all of the details on how to level up in RewardVille, and what other prizes will be made available in your other favorite Zynga games.
While we've already discovered what the rewards will be for FarmVille players, CityVille Feed has uncovered some of the items that will apparently be coming to CityVille's portion of the rewards program, as they have discovered a new screenshot from the website.
There will apparently be at least eight items made available through RewardVille, all of which are unlocked at a series of increasing level intervals, with these particular items being unlocked from zLevel 40 - 70. Apparently, there are two other pages of rewards, as the screen above says that this is page "3 of 3", but here's the rundown of the items that we do know about:
Jeans Store - 120 zCoins
DVD Rental Store - 120 zCoins
Lamp Store - 110 zCoins
Clock Tower - 130 zCoins
Coastal Rowhouse - 120 zCoins
Downtown Flat - 140 zCoins
Skyrise Heights - 160 zCoins
Stepped Skyscraper - 200 zCoins
As usual, it's anyone's guess as to when these items will be made available to all CityVille players, but keep checking back with us, as we'll make sure you're the first to know - we'll also be back with all of the details on how to level up in RewardVille, and what other prizes will be made available in your other favorite Zynga games.
Friday, January 6, 2012
FrontierVille: 37 x 37 land expansion coming March 1?
At the beginning of February, Zynga launched the 35 x 35 Land Expansion in FrontierVille. Along with that, all of the supposed details concerning the 37 x 37 Land Expansion were released as well, but the expansion itself was never made available to players, even those who had finished expanding to 35 x 35. So, when exactly will users be able to expand again?
Up until now, it's been anyone's guess, but we've come to learn that, according to FrontierVille Legend, the 37 x 37 Land Expansion will be made available on March 1. This seems to be more fact than fiction, as even the official FrontierVille forums users have decided upon that date as the release date. Is it 100% factual? Of course nothing can be known for certain until Zynga officially announces a date, and details are always changing up until the release of new features. It does get us to thinking, though...
If you believe the 37 x 37 Land Expansion will release on March 1, then make sure to check out our guide to the mission goals to complete the expansion, and start saving up on the required materials therein (lots of Pigs, Cacti, Groundhogs, Fire, Grass, and so on, all need to be tended, removed, crafted and more). If the details remain unchanged, this looks like it will be an even more difficult set of missions to complete than when we expanded to 35 x 35, so it never hurts to save up items either way, even if the land expansion turns out to be released a bit after the expected date.
Up until now, it's been anyone's guess, but we've come to learn that, according to FrontierVille Legend, the 37 x 37 Land Expansion will be made available on March 1. This seems to be more fact than fiction, as even the official FrontierVille forums users have decided upon that date as the release date. Is it 100% factual? Of course nothing can be known for certain until Zynga officially announces a date, and details are always changing up until the release of new features. It does get us to thinking, though...
If you believe the 37 x 37 Land Expansion will release on March 1, then make sure to check out our guide to the mission goals to complete the expansion, and start saving up on the required materials therein (lots of Pigs, Cacti, Groundhogs, Fire, Grass, and so on, all need to be tended, removed, crafted and more). If the details remain unchanged, this looks like it will be an even more difficult set of missions to complete than when we expanded to 35 x 35, so it never hurts to save up items either way, even if the land expansion turns out to be released a bit after the expected date.
FarmVille Rumor Mill: Posts about locked Dairy Barns / Stables are fake
While this might not fall into the category of a FarmVille scam, it is something to take note of all the same. Over the past few days, a new nasty rumor has been spreading to the status updates of many concerned FarmVille players, with the post warning against Dairy Barn and Horse Stable "stuffing." Stuffing, in this case, is the common term for the infinite breeding tips we've brought you in the past - the fact that you can place a ready Cow or Horse into an "unready" Dairy Barn or Horse Stable, and transfer that ready status to the entire building.
The Status Update looks something like this:
WARNING FV BREEDERS and Dairy Barn Stuffers: Zynga has decided these actions are a breach of the TOS despite the fact that the programming has allowed it, and are locking stables and dairys of players doing it. 1srt time 24 hours. 2nd time 3 days. 3rd time possible game and/or FB account removal. This will l...eave many of us with nothing to do.---- PLEASE REPOST THIS!!!!!!
Of course, as with any rumor, this issue was quickly brought to the official FarmVille forums, where moderators and community managers have jumped onto the rumor as being simply that. As "ItchieEye Sam" states, for instance, "This is a nasty rumor and not true at all."
I think that's one thing we can all be relieved about.
[Image Credit: Zynga Forums]
Do you practice these "stuffing" methods? Did you stop "stuffing" because you saw these status updates on your news feed?
The Status Update looks something like this:
WARNING FV BREEDERS and Dairy Barn Stuffers: Zynga has decided these actions are a breach of the TOS despite the fact that the programming has allowed it, and are locking stables and dairys of players doing it. 1srt time 24 hours. 2nd time 3 days. 3rd time possible game and/or FB account removal. This will l...eave many of us with nothing to do.---- PLEASE REPOST THIS!!!!!!
Of course, as with any rumor, this issue was quickly brought to the official FarmVille forums, where moderators and community managers have jumped onto the rumor as being simply that. As "ItchieEye Sam" states, for instance, "This is a nasty rumor and not true at all."
I think that's one thing we can all be relieved about.
[Image Credit: Zynga Forums]
Do you practice these "stuffing" methods? Did you stop "stuffing" because you saw these status updates on your news feed?
FarmVille billing system down for maintenance
Tonight FarmVille players encountered a yellow text banner above the game informing them about a maintenance downtime for the FarmVille billing system. This downtime means that no one will be able to buy Farm Cash or coins from Zynga beginning at 11pm Pacific Standard Time. The estimated downtime is only 45 minutes, however it has already been 50 minutes and the banner is still displayed above the game.
This billing downtime is only for FarmVille; all other Zynga games appear to be uninfected. If you were planning to get your hands on more Farm Cash or coins tonight, you're going to have to stay awake until the downtime is over or make your purchase tomorrow. It's nice when developers give us a heads up on downtime and maintenance so that we know what to expect.
This billing downtime is only for FarmVille; all other Zynga games appear to be uninfected. If you were planning to get your hands on more Farm Cash or coins tonight, you're going to have to stay awake until the downtime is over or make your purchase tomorrow. It's nice when developers give us a heads up on downtime and maintenance so that we know what to expect.
Most bizarre FarmVille crop ever: Watermelon babies
In one of the weirdest FarmVille crop photos ever, Gorbie from the official FarmVille forums has shown us the before and after of the Watermelon Baby Crop from FarmVille China. This isn't your typical watermelon - this crop actually makes a little odd looking baby pop out of it when it's ready for harvest. When it dies, the watermelon dies and turns brown, taking the baby down with it. The dead baby watermelon becomes less bright, but otherwise remains the same.
Needless to say, some players are finding it a bit disturbing that there is a "dead baby" in the game. Because the Watermelon Baby Crop is a 5 minute crop, players have to harvest it very quickly before they end up seeing it dead on their farm. This can be a little disturbing to players who are sensitive to that kind of imagery. Of course, it isn't a human baby (it looks more like a groundhog) and we're sure Zynga didn't intend for it to disturb players. This crop is only available in the Chinese version of FarmVille.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Baby Watermelon Crop? Disturbing, cute, or funny?
Needless to say, some players are finding it a bit disturbing that there is a "dead baby" in the game. Because the Watermelon Baby Crop is a 5 minute crop, players have to harvest it very quickly before they end up seeing it dead on their farm. This can be a little disturbing to players who are sensitive to that kind of imagery. Of course, it isn't a human baby (it looks more like a groundhog) and we're sure Zynga didn't intend for it to disturb players. This crop is only available in the Chinese version of FarmVille.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Baby Watermelon Crop? Disturbing, cute, or funny?
Game of the Day: Word Roundup
The Game of the Day needs your wordsmithing skills once more. Word Roundup: If you think word searches are too easy, or if you're a regular word search wrangler looking for a new wrinkle on an old favorite, give Word Roundup a try. Make sure you come back every day for a new puzzle.
Click --> Play Word Roundup
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 Word Roundup
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.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
FrontierVille Detective Agency: Everything you need to know
Zynga must really be getting desperate for users to come back to FrontierVille (after leaving for any number of reasons), as they have created an entirely new building that is focused on the task. Making their current players work for them, the new building is Finkerton's Detective Agency, and it will have you, quite literally, searching for lost players.
This building, just as with all others, is on a slow rollout, so if you don't see it in your own game just yet, have patience as it will come to you with time. You'll know that this building is now available on your land when you see a screenshot like the one above appear at your next login.
Before you can track down lost players, you'll need to place your Detective Agency and then whack the frame 20 times in total, with each whack costing 7 Wood. From there, you'll need to collect six new items to complete the actual construction of the building, so meet us behind the break to see what those items are. The six new items are Desks, Curtains, Large Hings, Coat Racks, Frosted Glass, and Floorboards. The first three items (Desks, Curtains and Large Hinges) are earned through general news feed posts, asking all of your neighbors simultaneously to send you an item, while the other three (the Coat Racks, Frosted Glass and Floorboards) are earned through individual gift requests sent to those neighbors that you think will be most likely to help you.
Once you complete the construction of the Detective Agency, you'll be able to actually use the building to help bring missing players back to the frontier. Before this goes any further - yes, this building has been created with the goal of asking you to get your friends who have stopped playing the game to log back in, even if just for a moment. You will be rewarded for each friend you get to come back to the game (via a request), with different friends being worth different amounts of money.
FrontierVille Legend has an image of the interior of the completed Detective Agency, and we can see that you'll have three tabs - Missing, Open Cases, and Claim Rewards. Missing lists all of the players that you're friends with that have quit playing the game, with different amounts of Dollar Signs representing their worth if you can bring them back. Open Cases shows which ones you have attempted to bring back (but have yet to respond), while Claim Rewards allows you to claim your reward for successfully bringing back players. You'll be able to track your score for "finding missing players" on a leaderboard of your friends.
It doesn't take a FrontierVille veteran to know that this building will likely be the cause of a lot of controversy. While there are new quests available to complete along with this new building, I doubt many players will want to go through with either constructing this building or finishing the quests since it will undoubtedly work its way into the "spamming" of friends with unwanted requests to come back to the game. After all, if your friends no longer play, there has to be a reason for them to have left in the first place, and we doubt that a single request is suddenly going to make them forget about whatever issue they had with the game that causes them to leave.
As usual, though, whether or not you go through with building this new structure, or even completing the goals associated with it will be entirely voluntary. We can see pros and cons to completing most of these missions, even if you don't use the building for its intended purpose afterwards, but I'm not sure that many others will think the same. For a complete walkthrough to the five new Detective Agency missions, check out our guide.
[Missing Persons Image Credit: FrontierVille Legend]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this new building? Will you work to earn rewards for bringing back "missing" players, or will you leave your friends alone, regardless of how blatantly Zynga is begging you to "spam" them?
This building, just as with all others, is on a slow rollout, so if you don't see it in your own game just yet, have patience as it will come to you with time. You'll know that this building is now available on your land when you see a screenshot like the one above appear at your next login.
Before you can track down lost players, you'll need to place your Detective Agency and then whack the frame 20 times in total, with each whack costing 7 Wood. From there, you'll need to collect six new items to complete the actual construction of the building, so meet us behind the break to see what those items are. The six new items are Desks, Curtains, Large Hings, Coat Racks, Frosted Glass, and Floorboards. The first three items (Desks, Curtains and Large Hinges) are earned through general news feed posts, asking all of your neighbors simultaneously to send you an item, while the other three (the Coat Racks, Frosted Glass and Floorboards) are earned through individual gift requests sent to those neighbors that you think will be most likely to help you.
Once you complete the construction of the Detective Agency, you'll be able to actually use the building to help bring missing players back to the frontier. Before this goes any further - yes, this building has been created with the goal of asking you to get your friends who have stopped playing the game to log back in, even if just for a moment. You will be rewarded for each friend you get to come back to the game (via a request), with different friends being worth different amounts of money.
FrontierVille Legend has an image of the interior of the completed Detective Agency, and we can see that you'll have three tabs - Missing, Open Cases, and Claim Rewards. Missing lists all of the players that you're friends with that have quit playing the game, with different amounts of Dollar Signs representing their worth if you can bring them back. Open Cases shows which ones you have attempted to bring back (but have yet to respond), while Claim Rewards allows you to claim your reward for successfully bringing back players. You'll be able to track your score for "finding missing players" on a leaderboard of your friends.
It doesn't take a FrontierVille veteran to know that this building will likely be the cause of a lot of controversy. While there are new quests available to complete along with this new building, I doubt many players will want to go through with either constructing this building or finishing the quests since it will undoubtedly work its way into the "spamming" of friends with unwanted requests to come back to the game. After all, if your friends no longer play, there has to be a reason for them to have left in the first place, and we doubt that a single request is suddenly going to make them forget about whatever issue they had with the game that causes them to leave.
As usual, though, whether or not you go through with building this new structure, or even completing the goals associated with it will be entirely voluntary. We can see pros and cons to completing most of these missions, even if you don't use the building for its intended purpose afterwards, but I'm not sure that many others will think the same. For a complete walkthrough to the five new Detective Agency missions, check out our guide.
[Missing Persons Image Credit: FrontierVille Legend]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this new building? Will you work to earn rewards for bringing back "missing" players, or will you leave your friends alone, regardless of how blatantly Zynga is begging you to "spam" them?
FrontierVille Detective Agency Quests: Everything you need to know
Along with the release of the already controversial new Detective Agency in FrontierVille comes a series of five new missions that can also be completed. Just as with the Detective Agency building itself, these missions are on a slow rollout to users. While you may receive these quests within a few hours, you may also have to wait until tomorrow or later, so if you don't see them in your game, please be patient. Also keep in mind that as these missions are incredibly new, these details are subject to change at any time.
The first of these missions is called simply "Finkerton's Detective Agency," and it has you placing the new building on your Homestead.
Purchase Finkerton's Detective Agency from the Market
Clear Ten Grass on Your Homestead
Harvest 15 Apple Trees
FrontierVille Forums user Thanisa has an image showing off this first quest, which gives us a sneak preview of what the completed Detective Agency will look like, if you don't already have it on your land. Remember, if you don't have 15 Apple Trees on your land, simply harvest the ones you do have and come back to finish this step 30 minutes later. Your rewards for finishing this quest are 250 XP and 250 coins.
From there, you'll unlock Part II of V, which has you collecting some new items that are themed quite well to this new building.
Tend Ten Adult Pigs
Collect the Detective Agency Bonus
Get Ten Missing Person Posters
You'll receive the Missing Person Posters by asking your friends to send you the ten you need. At this time, we believe the request is a general wall post, but this is subject to change to individual gift requests in the future, if Zynga so chooses. Your rewards for this mission are 500 XP and a Trackin' Pig, which is a themed animal, all dressed up to search for the missing players.
Part III of V has you completing similar tasks, in terms of animal tending and item collecting.
Tend 15 Sheep
Have 25 Cloth
Have 15 False Mustaches
The False Mustaches are another item you'll have to ask your friends to send you. Completing this mission gives you a reward of a Sheep and 750 XP.
From there, you'll move onto Part IV of V, which primarily asks you to collect two new items.
Visit 10 Neighbors
Have 3 Invisible Ink
Collect 15 Decoder Rings
As you might have guessed, you'll need to ask your friends for the Decoder Rings, while the Invisible Ink is a new collection item in the Detective Agency collection, and can be earned either when whacking the frame of the building, or by collecting the Daily Bonus as it drops at random. Your rewards before the finale of this mission series are an Old Time Camera and 850 XP.
Finally, Part V of V will unfortunately force you to use your Detective Agency to bring back missing friends, so I hope this is a time when you're willing to ask friends personally to come back to the game long enough to help you out. Either that, or have some Horseshoes on hand to skip this step altogether.
Buy 3 Breakfasts
Have 3,000 coins
Recover Two Lost Settlers
For finishing this mission, you'll receive 1,000 XP and Finkerton's Detective Suit for your in-game avatar.
We can understand if users wouldn't want to work their way through the first four goals only to have to resort to begging their friends to come back to the game, but if you're picky about completing things, at least you know what to expect before going in.
[Top Image Credit: Thanisa]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these new goals? Will you complete these goals and never use the Detective Agency for its intended purpose afterwards, just to receive the coins, XP and other rewards, or will you skip both the missions and the new building entirely?
The first of these missions is called simply "Finkerton's Detective Agency," and it has you placing the new building on your Homestead.
Purchase Finkerton's Detective Agency from the Market
Clear Ten Grass on Your Homestead
Harvest 15 Apple Trees
FrontierVille Forums user Thanisa has an image showing off this first quest, which gives us a sneak preview of what the completed Detective Agency will look like, if you don't already have it on your land. Remember, if you don't have 15 Apple Trees on your land, simply harvest the ones you do have and come back to finish this step 30 minutes later. Your rewards for finishing this quest are 250 XP and 250 coins.
From there, you'll unlock Part II of V, which has you collecting some new items that are themed quite well to this new building.
Tend Ten Adult Pigs
Collect the Detective Agency Bonus
Get Ten Missing Person Posters
You'll receive the Missing Person Posters by asking your friends to send you the ten you need. At this time, we believe the request is a general wall post, but this is subject to change to individual gift requests in the future, if Zynga so chooses. Your rewards for this mission are 500 XP and a Trackin' Pig, which is a themed animal, all dressed up to search for the missing players.
Part III of V has you completing similar tasks, in terms of animal tending and item collecting.
Tend 15 Sheep
Have 25 Cloth
Have 15 False Mustaches
The False Mustaches are another item you'll have to ask your friends to send you. Completing this mission gives you a reward of a Sheep and 750 XP.
From there, you'll move onto Part IV of V, which primarily asks you to collect two new items.
Visit 10 Neighbors
Have 3 Invisible Ink
Collect 15 Decoder Rings
As you might have guessed, you'll need to ask your friends for the Decoder Rings, while the Invisible Ink is a new collection item in the Detective Agency collection, and can be earned either when whacking the frame of the building, or by collecting the Daily Bonus as it drops at random. Your rewards before the finale of this mission series are an Old Time Camera and 850 XP.
Finally, Part V of V will unfortunately force you to use your Detective Agency to bring back missing friends, so I hope this is a time when you're willing to ask friends personally to come back to the game long enough to help you out. Either that, or have some Horseshoes on hand to skip this step altogether.
Buy 3 Breakfasts
Have 3,000 coins
Recover Two Lost Settlers
For finishing this mission, you'll receive 1,000 XP and Finkerton's Detective Suit for your in-game avatar.
We can understand if users wouldn't want to work their way through the first four goals only to have to resort to begging their friends to come back to the game, but if you're picky about completing things, at least you know what to expect before going in.
[Top Image Credit: Thanisa]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these new goals? Will you complete these goals and never use the Detective Agency for its intended purpose afterwards, just to receive the coins, XP and other rewards, or will you skip both the missions and the new building entirely?
FrontierVille: Detective Agency Collection rewards muddy Footprints as prize
As usual, along with the release of a new building in FrontierVille comes a new Collection that can be completed by earning the appropriate items when whacking the frame of the new building, or when collecting that building's Daily Bonus. Such is the case with the new Detective Agency, and this new Detective Agency Collection.
There are five new items to keep an eye out for:
Badge
Invisible Ink
Walkin' Shoes
Notebook
Handcuffs
Once you complete this collection, you can trade it in for a set of Footprints, as seen below. This item is purely decorative, and would make a perfect accompaniment beside your new Detective Agency building. Check out our full guide to building the Detective Agency, if you've yet to do so already.
What do you think of this new collection? Will you build the Detective Agency in FrontierVille, even after you learn what it's used for (that being recruiting past players to come back to the game)?
There are five new items to keep an eye out for:
Badge
Invisible Ink
Walkin' Shoes
Notebook
Handcuffs
Once you complete this collection, you can trade it in for a set of Footprints, as seen below. This item is purely decorative, and would make a perfect accompaniment beside your new Detective Agency building. Check out our full guide to building the Detective Agency, if you've yet to do so already.
What do you think of this new collection? Will you build the Detective Agency in FrontierVille, even after you learn what it's used for (that being recruiting past players to come back to the game)?
FrontierVille: Detective Agency Badges offer free Fast Hand Boosts
If you're one of the (presumably few) players that go through with finding "lost settlers" in FrontierVille's new Detective Agency - that is, you use the building to ask your non-playing FrontierVille friends to come back to the game and are successful at doing so - you'll be rewarded with one of four new Badges in the game depending on just how many players you can bring back to the game.
This new Badge starts at the Private Eye level, which asks you to find 10 "Lost Homesteaders." Your rewards for doing so are 250 XP, 200 coins, and 1 Fast Hands Boost. Of course, this badge has three other levels, and they are as follows:
Super Sleuth: Find 25 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 500 XP, 500 coins and 3 Fast Hand Boosts
Incredible Investigator: Find 60 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 1,000 XP, 1,000 coins and 6 Fast Hand Boosts
Dashing Detective: Find 100 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 2,000 XP, 2,000 coins and 10 Fast Hand Boosts
I'd imagine that it would take an incredibly persuasive individual to convince the full 100 people to come back to the game, although it is unclear right now as to whether or not you could find the same person more than once; that is, find them once, wait for them to leave the game long enough to be considered missing again, and then bring them back a second time and so on.
Good luck if you attempt this Badge - I have a feeling you're going to need it (that and lots of understanding, helpful Facebook friends).
What do you think of this new Badge's requirements? Will you try to bring lost players back to the game, or will you respect your friends' decision to leave the game?
This new Badge starts at the Private Eye level, which asks you to find 10 "Lost Homesteaders." Your rewards for doing so are 250 XP, 200 coins, and 1 Fast Hands Boost. Of course, this badge has three other levels, and they are as follows:
Super Sleuth: Find 25 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 500 XP, 500 coins and 3 Fast Hand Boosts
Incredible Investigator: Find 60 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 1,000 XP, 1,000 coins and 6 Fast Hand Boosts
Dashing Detective: Find 100 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 2,000 XP, 2,000 coins and 10 Fast Hand Boosts
I'd imagine that it would take an incredibly persuasive individual to convince the full 100 people to come back to the game, although it is unclear right now as to whether or not you could find the same person more than once; that is, find them once, wait for them to leave the game long enough to be considered missing again, and then bring them back a second time and so on.
Good luck if you attempt this Badge - I have a feeling you're going to need it (that and lots of understanding, helpful Facebook friends).
What do you think of this new Badge's requirements? Will you try to bring lost players back to the game, or will you respect your friends' decision to leave the game?
FarmVille Scam Alert: Union Jack Mystery Egg posts are fake
Just this week, we brought you an early sneak peek of a new kind of Mystery Egg that will be available when FarmVille launches the English Countryside expansion next week. This egg is the Union Jack Mystery Egg, and it will presumably come from an also unreleased Union Jack Chicken.
Imagine my surprise then, when I started seeing free Union Jack Mystery Egg posts appearing in my news feed, looking very much like an official post from FarmVille. Of course these posts are fake, and we're here to stop you from falling victim yourself. If you see a post like the one above, avoid it at all costs. While it doesn't seem to try to get you to install any new apps, it does take you to a never-ending loop of pop-ups, that can apparently only be stopped by posting the same wall post to your own feed, or simply closing out the window altogether.
We'll make sure to bring you news about any other scams we see popping up, regardless of the items they supposedly give away, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen any of these Union Jack Mystery Egg posts?
Imagine my surprise then, when I started seeing free Union Jack Mystery Egg posts appearing in my news feed, looking very much like an official post from FarmVille. Of course these posts are fake, and we're here to stop you from falling victim yourself. If you see a post like the one above, avoid it at all costs. While it doesn't seem to try to get you to install any new apps, it does take you to a never-ending loop of pop-ups, that can apparently only be stopped by posting the same wall post to your own feed, or simply closing out the window altogether.
We'll make sure to bring you news about any other scams we see popping up, regardless of the items they supposedly give away, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen any of these Union Jack Mystery Egg posts?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Sims Social Cheats and Tips: How to Build Your Own Ponds, Lakes, etc
Want to design your own amazing, custom pond in The Sims Social? How about a castle moat, a river house, or even a beach? Then get ready to love rocks and rugs!
Recently, we covered a popular workaround invented by players called "stacking". But decorative waterways require a trick called "grouping" or "merging", something the game isn't designed to let you do. But as always, gamers are an innovative bunch.
Basically, every item in the game takes up tile space. One item would take up one tile space no matter how small or skinny it is. For example, a scrawny bamboo tree would take up as much space as a big fat boulder. But "grouping" allows you to pack items more closely together. Sometimes, you can pack them so close, they even overlap. For example, you can have a whole field of flowers clustered together, instead of being forced into spaced out rows. This gives you more natural-looking designs. And the secret of grouping or merging is rugs. Lots and lots of rugs. If you put down rugs, then put stuff on top of the rugs, then stuff can be placed closer together.
Pond Building Supplies:
(Note: How much you need of the following depends on the size of the pond you want to make.)
The best rug for the job is any of the circular 2x2 ones in the Decorations section of the game store: Aqua Rug, Cream Rug, or Scarlet Rug for 125 Simoleons each. You're going to need a lot of them and they're cheap. Next up for purchase are a handful of large 3x2 rugs. I've got several Fiesta Rugs for this, but you'll have to get something similar, as they're no longer in the game store. A good substitute is the Walk-On Soviet (it's bright red) which costs only 250 Simoleons each and is also in Decorations.
Now, you'll need rocks. More rocks than rugs. The game used to have a wonderful variety of rocks for this, particularly the Big Basalt Rock, Rock of Ages, and Limestone Boulder. But during a recent store clean-up, Playfish took the rocks away, so now we're down to (oh, irony) a rock called "Rock and Hard Place", priced for 60 Simoleons each in the Outdoor section of the store. Because of this, round plants, such as bushes and Lithodora (150 Simoleons) are valued as a good substitute, as well as being a great way to brighten up your pond's borders.
The last essential are Aqua Carpet tiles, which you can find in the Build tab within the store for 20 Simoleons each. It's the most realistic item for mimicking water in the game.
Sims Social Aqua Carpet
This last bit is entirely up to you, but most people like to decorate the inside of their water. Clover (costs 80 Simoleons, found in Outdoors section) is extremely popular, as is the Pink Flamingo (100 Simoleons; Outdoors). For something more high-end, there's the Dolphin Topiary (4,500 Simoleons; Outdoors buildable) or a Font Of All Awesome (2,250 Simoleons; Outdoors buildable).
If that seems like a lot to you, don't fret. If you're ready, I'm going to tell you what to do with all that stuff. With stacking, building is as hard as preparing. Lucky for us, after you've gathered your supplies, making the ponds are a snap.
Sims Social make a pond
Step 1: Start putting down rugs so that you've got a big body and then a bunch of little ones surround it. (See the above screenshot for an example.) Make sure you have the rugs right where you want the boulders. Don't overlap the bigger rugs or you'll have issues. Plug gaps and round out edges using the smaller rugs. Lumpy borders look more natural than straight edges.
Step 2: Add the bushes, flowers, and/or rocks to build the edges of your pond. Rotate some of the rocks so they won't look totally identical. Keep the items on the edge sitting on the carpet. Make sure to arrange the edge in a way that plugs all the empty spaces -- you won't want your 'water' to look like it's leaking out.
Step 3: Start laying down decorations inside your pond, such as the Clover or Blossom Fall (costs 400 Social Points; Outdoors). I bought a Skelemingo during the Halloween event, so I used that too. When you're done, you should have something that looks like the screenshot below.
Sims Social Build a Pond
Step 4: Go to the Tiles section in the Build tab and select the Aqua Carpet tile. Drag your mouse to highlight the areas of your pond you want the tiles to fill. If you planned this right, the unevenly placed rocks and bushes should hide the even edges of the carpet tiles.
Sims Social pond
Step 5: Remove the rugs and you're done! (Also, notice that I added a Pink Rose Trellis? If you want to do that too, do it before you take the rugs away. It's because the rugs are there that allow you to place the trellis so close to the pond.)
Special thanks to zoobeast for the original idea. For more inspiration, I highly recommend visiting the "Show off your ponds!" thread in The Sims Social official forum. You'll be drooling over how pretty everything is.
[Top Image Credit: HanHen]
Have you mastered pond building yet? What other water-based ideas can you think up for decorating a home in The Sims Social?
Recently, we covered a popular workaround invented by players called "stacking". But decorative waterways require a trick called "grouping" or "merging", something the game isn't designed to let you do. But as always, gamers are an innovative bunch.
Basically, every item in the game takes up tile space. One item would take up one tile space no matter how small or skinny it is. For example, a scrawny bamboo tree would take up as much space as a big fat boulder. But "grouping" allows you to pack items more closely together. Sometimes, you can pack them so close, they even overlap. For example, you can have a whole field of flowers clustered together, instead of being forced into spaced out rows. This gives you more natural-looking designs. And the secret of grouping or merging is rugs. Lots and lots of rugs. If you put down rugs, then put stuff on top of the rugs, then stuff can be placed closer together.
Pond Building Supplies:
(Note: How much you need of the following depends on the size of the pond you want to make.)
The best rug for the job is any of the circular 2x2 ones in the Decorations section of the game store: Aqua Rug, Cream Rug, or Scarlet Rug for 125 Simoleons each. You're going to need a lot of them and they're cheap. Next up for purchase are a handful of large 3x2 rugs. I've got several Fiesta Rugs for this, but you'll have to get something similar, as they're no longer in the game store. A good substitute is the Walk-On Soviet (it's bright red) which costs only 250 Simoleons each and is also in Decorations.
Now, you'll need rocks. More rocks than rugs. The game used to have a wonderful variety of rocks for this, particularly the Big Basalt Rock, Rock of Ages, and Limestone Boulder. But during a recent store clean-up, Playfish took the rocks away, so now we're down to (oh, irony) a rock called "Rock and Hard Place", priced for 60 Simoleons each in the Outdoor section of the store. Because of this, round plants, such as bushes and Lithodora (150 Simoleons) are valued as a good substitute, as well as being a great way to brighten up your pond's borders.
The last essential are Aqua Carpet tiles, which you can find in the Build tab within the store for 20 Simoleons each. It's the most realistic item for mimicking water in the game.
Sims Social Aqua Carpet
This last bit is entirely up to you, but most people like to decorate the inside of their water. Clover (costs 80 Simoleons, found in Outdoors section) is extremely popular, as is the Pink Flamingo (100 Simoleons; Outdoors). For something more high-end, there's the Dolphin Topiary (4,500 Simoleons; Outdoors buildable) or a Font Of All Awesome (2,250 Simoleons; Outdoors buildable).
If that seems like a lot to you, don't fret. If you're ready, I'm going to tell you what to do with all that stuff. With stacking, building is as hard as preparing. Lucky for us, after you've gathered your supplies, making the ponds are a snap.
Sims Social make a pond
Step 1: Start putting down rugs so that you've got a big body and then a bunch of little ones surround it. (See the above screenshot for an example.) Make sure you have the rugs right where you want the boulders. Don't overlap the bigger rugs or you'll have issues. Plug gaps and round out edges using the smaller rugs. Lumpy borders look more natural than straight edges.
Step 2: Add the bushes, flowers, and/or rocks to build the edges of your pond. Rotate some of the rocks so they won't look totally identical. Keep the items on the edge sitting on the carpet. Make sure to arrange the edge in a way that plugs all the empty spaces -- you won't want your 'water' to look like it's leaking out.
Step 3: Start laying down decorations inside your pond, such as the Clover or Blossom Fall (costs 400 Social Points; Outdoors). I bought a Skelemingo during the Halloween event, so I used that too. When you're done, you should have something that looks like the screenshot below.
Sims Social Build a Pond
Step 4: Go to the Tiles section in the Build tab and select the Aqua Carpet tile. Drag your mouse to highlight the areas of your pond you want the tiles to fill. If you planned this right, the unevenly placed rocks and bushes should hide the even edges of the carpet tiles.
Sims Social pond
Step 5: Remove the rugs and you're done! (Also, notice that I added a Pink Rose Trellis? If you want to do that too, do it before you take the rugs away. It's because the rugs are there that allow you to place the trellis so close to the pond.)
Special thanks to zoobeast for the original idea. For more inspiration, I highly recommend visiting the "Show off your ponds!" thread in The Sims Social official forum. You'll be drooling over how pretty everything is.
[Top Image Credit: HanHen]
Have you mastered pond building yet? What other water-based ideas can you think up for decorating a home in The Sims Social?
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