Well, Farmville has captured my heart. I love to grow things. I love to rearrange my farm. It's sort of like playing dolls, changing doll clothes and having a doll house with furnishings. It's fun. There's no risk. I control my play and I get rewarded, which feels DElightful!
I situated my farm as part dairy with chickens, a horse ranch and winery. I focus on growing fruits that I can turn into wine and fruit juices. My chickens, cows and horses basically produce coin (to make a long story short). If I was more interested in being a tree farmer or a rancher with many animals, I'd change my focus. But I do keep in mind that the easiest and most obvious way to collect coins and XP is by harvesting. At least that's what I've experienced up to now.
I like to harvest, because it feels good to grow things… even if it is only a digital game. Plus, hey… I get a feeling of pleasure (sometimes in short supply), and there's no dirt under my fingernails. Hah ha.
I have two strategies that I use. One makes sense to me and it involves all the gifts and free stuff I collect.
I see many farms as a visit and help neighbors fertilize their seeds. I recognize free items that I also get. For example, several farms have a line up of keep-off signs and stuff like that. Things I simply don't need and don't want on my farm. I've even deleted the schoolhouse. (I got two of them free, but didn't want it on my farm.) It takes up precious space and doesn't match the theme I've chosen. So, I collect them, and then sell these items.
At first, it was difficult. Like many, I like to horde all that I collect, but I quickly realized that my farm was better off without these non-essentials. Now, I've come to think it's part of the game. Farmville offers these things to confuse and complicate the player. Hmmm. I've caught on Farmville. None of that nonsense for my farm.
Support tools, per se, is the other strategy I enjoy… a lot. Farmville offers the Game Bar, which is an enormous help. If I am working at my computer. It displays the time left for the next harvest. PLUS! I get free fuel. But a farm fanatic that I obviously have become… I want to know more. So I installed the Farm Report. This is a cool farmer tool. It's desktop software. Since it can be a real chore… keeping up with crops, trees and animals… the Farm Report makes it really easy. Who wants to play a game that becomes a chore. Not me.
Snag Bar is another farm tool I use. I found it about 3 days ago and it is probably responsible for my leveling up so quickly, as well as, snagging some really cool stuff without watching my Facebook feed. It is incredible. I love it. I don't know what I'd do without it. It has made a humongous difference in the fun I have.
My final strategy… for now… is my iPhone. I can't play well without it. I set alarms and I never miss a harvest even when I am away from my computer. I never miss feeding my pets (I have two dogs on the farm). All I did was install the Farmville App. It's free and I think it makes me a gamer -- at least a beginning player.
That's the news on my Farm today, blog. More next week.
