As we told you last week, the FarmVille Holiday Tree is now available, and friends and family everywhere have turned their eyes squarely to the endeavor of collecting presents - lots, and lots, and lots of presents. At launch, there were but six prizes available to earn by redeeming some of your stockpile of presents (if you don't include the many contents of the Winter Whimsy box), and today, we see FarmVille increasing the prize variety by six.
Now, if you look inside your Holiday Tree (click on the tree and click "Look Inside" on the small menu that appears), you'll see that instead of just being able to trade your presents in for the first six items, that there is now a "Page 2." This Page 2 has some of the items that you were able to earn via the Winter Whimsy box (like the Ice House or Tinsel Tree), but it also has items that were given away during the Festive Tree quest set (like the Frozen Fantasy statue).
All told, these new items cost more presents, but are more elaborate, or at least more exclusive, so it seems to make up for the increased cost. The six items are:
Sneezy Sheep - 75 Presents
Tinsel Tree - 100 Presents
Frozen Fantasy - 125 Presents
Ice House - 150 Presents
Kodiak Cub - 200 Presents
Arctic Fox - 275 Presents
Don't worry though - if you had yet to gather enough presents to have a chance at the six items released at first, these items are still there for your redemption pleasure. For those that have enough Ice Cubes or Winter Whimsy boxes, however, these prizes will give you plenty more to collect for.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Farmer's Hero for iPhone: Nifty FarmVille tool or malicious cheat?
At Games.com - The Blog!, we don't support cheating in Facebook games. However, we do want to cover everything there is to know about FarmVille and other top Facebook games. We don't want you to feel out of the loop on the latest tools and tricks for FarmVille. Farmer's Hero is an iPhone (and therefore iPod Touch and iPad) application that makes it easier to collect feed bonuses for FarmVille. What exactly does this mean?
The application requires you to sign in with your Facebook account. It then monitors all of the feed posts that your friends post on their wall and pulls out the ones that include bonuses. This means free bushels, fuel, pollinated seeds, and lost adoptable animals, among more. Farmer's Hero can automatically retrieve this for you as if you clicked them yourself, without requiring the tedium of clicking on each individual post.
Some people consider this cheating, because the application basically automates the process of interacting with feed posts. Every time Farmer's Hero claims something from a wall post, it means one less person can use it. This is more than frustrating if you're a legitimate player and every time you click on a wall post one second after it's posted you're greeted by a "this item has already been claimed" message.
Still, clicking manually on feed items doesn't require skill. It's a boring game of hunting and pecking, and Farmer's Hero makes it so that you no longer have to do this. Another application that does something similar is the controversial Gamer's Unite application.
The application requires you to sign in with your Facebook account. It then monitors all of the feed posts that your friends post on their wall and pulls out the ones that include bonuses. This means free bushels, fuel, pollinated seeds, and lost adoptable animals, among more. Farmer's Hero can automatically retrieve this for you as if you clicked them yourself, without requiring the tedium of clicking on each individual post.
Some people consider this cheating, because the application basically automates the process of interacting with feed posts. Every time Farmer's Hero claims something from a wall post, it means one less person can use it. This is more than frustrating if you're a legitimate player and every time you click on a wall post one second after it's posted you're greeted by a "this item has already been claimed" message.
Still, clicking manually on feed items doesn't require skill. It's a boring game of hunting and pecking, and Farmer's Hero makes it so that you no longer have to do this. Another application that does something similar is the controversial Gamer's Unite application.
FrontierVille Timed Mission Storage Space II now available
Last week, we brought you the news surrounding the new FrontierVille Storage Shed expansion. At the time, this was just a single timed mission, that would allow you to expand your Storage Shed to have five extra storage slots. We knew that two other missions would be coming behind this original launch, but we didn't know exactly when those missions would launch in full.
Luckily, partners, you can now expand five additional spaces via this afternoon's launch of the Storage Space II mission, a timed mission that must be started on your account before December 21, and completed within three days thereafter.
The mission has three steps, which are to:
Have or Craft 6 Sawhorses
Have or Obtain 15 Nails
Get 15 Cardboard Boxes
Interestingly, the leaked information concerning this mission before its release has now been proven incorrect, as you need to have 15 nails, rather than six, as was first believed. Either way, you'll earn these by asking friends via individual gift requests. The Cardboard boxes are gathered by posting general wall posts asking for your friends to help you, and you'll have to create the Sawhorses within your barn.
A single Sawhorse can be created using 5 Planks and 2 Tools. Remember, Tools can be earned by having your friends hire you on their homesteads, and then posting the Tools as a wall bonus afterwards. Planks are created in the Wagon, using 7 pieces of wood and 250 coins for each Plank.
Unless you already had a few Sawhorses or lots of Tools on hand, you may find this quest to be a bit difficult, especially considering the three day time limit. However, with a little effort, and perhaps some persuading of friends to hire you, you too can add five more storage spaces to your Storage Shed. In addition, you'll earn 300 XP and 500 coins for finishing the quest.
Luckily, partners, you can now expand five additional spaces via this afternoon's launch of the Storage Space II mission, a timed mission that must be started on your account before December 21, and completed within three days thereafter.
The mission has three steps, which are to:
Have or Craft 6 Sawhorses
Have or Obtain 15 Nails
Get 15 Cardboard Boxes
Interestingly, the leaked information concerning this mission before its release has now been proven incorrect, as you need to have 15 nails, rather than six, as was first believed. Either way, you'll earn these by asking friends via individual gift requests. The Cardboard boxes are gathered by posting general wall posts asking for your friends to help you, and you'll have to create the Sawhorses within your barn.
A single Sawhorse can be created using 5 Planks and 2 Tools. Remember, Tools can be earned by having your friends hire you on their homesteads, and then posting the Tools as a wall bonus afterwards. Planks are created in the Wagon, using 7 pieces of wood and 250 coins for each Plank.
Unless you already had a few Sawhorses or lots of Tools on hand, you may find this quest to be a bit difficult, especially considering the three day time limit. However, with a little effort, and perhaps some persuading of friends to hire you, you too can add five more storage spaces to your Storage Shed. In addition, you'll earn 300 XP and 500 coins for finishing the quest.
CityVille: Tower Eats franchise is enormous and expensive
CityVille franchises are a neat aspect of the game, because it's great to have a physical representation in your city of how many businesses you are running in your friend's cities. One of the more daunting franchises in the game is the Tower Eats franchise. Why? Because it costs 800,000 coins to open up a Tower Eats franchise. Yikes.
I spend my money way too quickly in CityVille, so there is no way I'm affording one of these anytime soon. However, after seeing how gigantic the building is, it's making me want to save up! Click on the image to the right to see the Tower Eats franchise when compared with other buildings. It is by far the largest building you can get right now for your city.
Of course, this feat won't come easy. You have to earn a lot of coins to unlock this sucker.
I spend my money way too quickly in CityVille, so there is no way I'm affording one of these anytime soon. However, after seeing how gigantic the building is, it's making me want to save up! Click on the image to the right to see the Tower Eats franchise when compared with other buildings. It is by far the largest building you can get right now for your city.
Of course, this feat won't come easy. You have to earn a lot of coins to unlock this sucker.
Facebook Friend Guide: How to find neighbors to play games with
Playing Facebook games is a lot more fun when you have friends who are playing alongside you. Couple this with the fact that many games incentivize you for having more neighbors, and it can make for a pretty terrible gaming experience if none of your friends want to play. Facebook isn't really designed to allow you to meet new people; Facebook's core intentions were to connect you with the people and acquaintances that you already know. This can make it challenging to find new friends to game with on Facebook, so we have a few tips that will help you get more friends on Facebook to play games with you.
Official game message boards
One of the best places to find other people to game with is on the game's official message boards which are maintained by the developer. On these forums, you can register and post in "add me" threads where other players will find them. If you go this route, remember to include a link to your Facebook profile otherwise they will not be able to add you as a friend. You also should ask them to put in the friend request what game(s) they play, so that you know who they are when they add you as a friend. You should be able to look through the threads and find friends to add as well.
On the wall of the game's fan page
If you go to the fan page for the game that you wish to find friends for, you can comment on the status messages, wall, and review page with "add me". You will see many other people doing this as well, so you can feel free to add them as friends. This is probably the fastest way to find friends. Sometimes, simply clicking "like" on a game's wall post is enough to cause a barrage of friend requests to fly in from all angles.
In "Add Me" groups
Most games (at least the popular ones) on Facebook have various "Add Me" groups that you can join to find other people to play that game with. You will have to join the group, but once you have joined you have unlocked a ton of people who play the game game as you. It's a nice way to exchange tips and tricks on the games too. See FarmVilleAddMe for an example of this.
On Games.com!
Another perfect way to find friends to game with is by commenting on this post! Leave a comment with your Facebook profile link and tell others what games you play. There's a good chance you'll find plenty of friends this way!
General Tips and Warnings:
Remember that if you post on forums and external sites, you will have to delete your posts in the future if you want people to stop adding you as a friend.
When you're adding strangers, it's best to make a special Facebook list/group for them and do not share any personal information or non-gaming status messages with them.
It is possible that spammers will add you, so use careful consideration when accepting friend requests.
Do you have any other tips for finding friends on Facebook?
Official game message boards
One of the best places to find other people to game with is on the game's official message boards which are maintained by the developer. On these forums, you can register and post in "add me" threads where other players will find them. If you go this route, remember to include a link to your Facebook profile otherwise they will not be able to add you as a friend. You also should ask them to put in the friend request what game(s) they play, so that you know who they are when they add you as a friend. You should be able to look through the threads and find friends to add as well.
On the wall of the game's fan page
If you go to the fan page for the game that you wish to find friends for, you can comment on the status messages, wall, and review page with "add me". You will see many other people doing this as well, so you can feel free to add them as friends. This is probably the fastest way to find friends. Sometimes, simply clicking "like" on a game's wall post is enough to cause a barrage of friend requests to fly in from all angles.
In "Add Me" groups
Most games (at least the popular ones) on Facebook have various "Add Me" groups that you can join to find other people to play that game with. You will have to join the group, but once you have joined you have unlocked a ton of people who play the game game as you. It's a nice way to exchange tips and tricks on the games too. See FarmVilleAddMe for an example of this.
On Games.com!
Another perfect way to find friends to game with is by commenting on this post! Leave a comment with your Facebook profile link and tell others what games you play. There's a good chance you'll find plenty of friends this way!
General Tips and Warnings:
Remember that if you post on forums and external sites, you will have to delete your posts in the future if you want people to stop adding you as a friend.
When you're adding strangers, it's best to make a special Facebook list/group for them and do not share any personal information or non-gaming status messages with them.
It is possible that spammers will add you, so use careful consideration when accepting friend requests.
Do you have any other tips for finding friends on Facebook?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Bossa Studios's Facebook debut, Monstermind, will crush your dreams
But in a good way, we promise. Like the U.S., folks in the UK are super cereal (isn't that what kids are saying these days?) about the social games movement. The Guardian reports that Shine TV has acquired London-based social game startup Bossa Studios for an undisclosed amount.
Elisabeth Murdoch's TV production company (recently bought out by daddy's News Corp) has reportedly been eying social gaming for a long time. And what do you know--her timing could not have been better.
According to The Guardian, 11-month-old Bossa Studios looks to unveil its first project, Monstermind (pictured), next week on Facebook. However, it looks like the game is available now on Facebook, though in an "open beta." (For all intents and purposes, the game is live and available for all to play.)
"We have long identified social gaming as a critical component to this strategy, and in Bossa Studios we discovered an entrepreneurial, creative team that shared our passion for creative excellence," Miss Murdoch told The Guardian. "They have bold ideas for this space which we naturally welcome and will be a significant addition to the Shine Group."
Monstermind looks to be a fresh take on the city-building genre that CityVille has done so well to popularize. Well, fresh in the sense that, in addition to building cities, you can sic giant monsters to crush your friends' towns. The game features nearly full 3D visuals and an art style that screams "The Blob meets Sim City." Check out the game's trailer below to see what we mean.
Elisabeth Murdoch's TV production company (recently bought out by daddy's News Corp) has reportedly been eying social gaming for a long time. And what do you know--her timing could not have been better.
According to The Guardian, 11-month-old Bossa Studios looks to unveil its first project, Monstermind (pictured), next week on Facebook. However, it looks like the game is available now on Facebook, though in an "open beta." (For all intents and purposes, the game is live and available for all to play.)
"We have long identified social gaming as a critical component to this strategy, and in Bossa Studios we discovered an entrepreneurial, creative team that shared our passion for creative excellence," Miss Murdoch told The Guardian. "They have bold ideas for this space which we naturally welcome and will be a significant addition to the Shine Group."
Monstermind looks to be a fresh take on the city-building genre that CityVille has done so well to popularize. Well, fresh in the sense that, in addition to building cities, you can sic giant monsters to crush your friends' towns. The game features nearly full 3D visuals and an art style that screams "The Blob meets Sim City." Check out the game's trailer below to see what we mean.
FarmVille meets Indiana Jones for real in Adventure World soon
Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game
Since Adventure World's release last week, many media outlets dubbed it "FarmVille meets Indiana Jones." It seems that Zynga took those allusions to heart, as the company has teamed up with Lucasfilm to make good on those hit-generating remarks. Zynga just announced that Indiana Jones will soon make his way into Adventure World this October.
In fact, it appears that the game will be completely rebranded with the Indiana Jones name, according to the above image. The teaser depicts the familiar Adventure World logo, but now reads, "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game." To us at least, this implies that Zynga Boston's debut game will incorporate the Indiana Jones brand throughout (and perhaps permanently). The wording of Zynga's announcement certainly steers us toward this conclusion:
Zynga is proud to announce that we're teaming up with Lucasfilm to bring Indiana Jones - the KING of lost idol hunting, bull whipping, holy grail-ing and flying (but not landing) - to your favorite adventure game. Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game will be coming soon to a browser near you.
If this is, in fact, the case, Adventure World would be the first Zynga game built entirely around a single brand, rather than the one-off promotions we see from brands like McDonald's in FarmVille and recently Best Buy in CityVille. Considering the massively ambitious game hasn't been doing so hot its first week out of the gate, this could be second wind it needs.
Since Adventure World's release last week, many media outlets dubbed it "FarmVille meets Indiana Jones." It seems that Zynga took those allusions to heart, as the company has teamed up with Lucasfilm to make good on those hit-generating remarks. Zynga just announced that Indiana Jones will soon make his way into Adventure World this October.
In fact, it appears that the game will be completely rebranded with the Indiana Jones name, according to the above image. The teaser depicts the familiar Adventure World logo, but now reads, "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game." To us at least, this implies that Zynga Boston's debut game will incorporate the Indiana Jones brand throughout (and perhaps permanently). The wording of Zynga's announcement certainly steers us toward this conclusion:
Zynga is proud to announce that we're teaming up with Lucasfilm to bring Indiana Jones - the KING of lost idol hunting, bull whipping, holy grail-ing and flying (but not landing) - to your favorite adventure game. Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game will be coming soon to a browser near you.
If this is, in fact, the case, Adventure World would be the first Zynga game built entirely around a single brand, rather than the one-off promotions we see from brands like McDonald's in FarmVille and recently Best Buy in CityVille. Considering the massively ambitious game hasn't been doing so hot its first week out of the gate, this could be second wind it needs.
Diamond Dash maker: Social games 'will evolve again in the next years'
Frankly, they kind of have no choice. That's general idea Wooga studio head Henric Suuronen (pictured) seems to have put forward in an in-depth interview with Gamasutra. And it would be wise to listen--the Berlin, Germany-based Facebook game creator is third behind Zynga and EA (now that PopCap's numbers have been integrated), according to AppData.
During the interview, Suuronen gave Gamasutra a detailed explanation of where Facebook games have been, what it takes to create them from a design perspective and, most importantly, where they're going. Specifically speaking to social mechanics in Facebook games, Suuronen said to Gamasutra:
"Now moving four years forward, you have games like CityVille, Pioneer Trail from Zynga, Kabam games, Digital Chocolate games, and Zombie Lane -- great game -- and now Magic Land," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "So it has really evolved. So why would the progression stop here? So I think it will evolve, as it has done from four years ago with Jetman and Scrabulous and Tower Bloxx. So it will evolve again in the next years."
The hit maker behind Diamond Dash recently released its seventh game on Facebook, Magic Land, which enjoys a healthy 3.4 million monthly players and over 330,000 daily players. According to Suuronen, Wooga's latest game had the most man hours thrown into it, a trend he seems to believe will continue. "The whole myth of the minimum viable product -- it's gone," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "It's something that you say to investors to sound cool."
Sure, Suuronen believes that players will eventually get tired of the standard social gaming mechanics of sharing gifts and helping asynchronously. However, the Wooga studio head also points out that the harsh reality of designing Facebook games to get players to pay up isn't going anywhere, and some traditional designers have trouble coming to grips with that.
Considering social games are expected to make $1 billion this year alone (and cash in even more from there), traditional designers and companies better wise up quick if they want to fit in the next big money machine. Read Suuronen's full interview with Gamasutra here, in which he predicts how you might be enticed to pay up in the future.
During the interview, Suuronen gave Gamasutra a detailed explanation of where Facebook games have been, what it takes to create them from a design perspective and, most importantly, where they're going. Specifically speaking to social mechanics in Facebook games, Suuronen said to Gamasutra:
"Now moving four years forward, you have games like CityVille, Pioneer Trail from Zynga, Kabam games, Digital Chocolate games, and Zombie Lane -- great game -- and now Magic Land," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "So it has really evolved. So why would the progression stop here? So I think it will evolve, as it has done from four years ago with Jetman and Scrabulous and Tower Bloxx. So it will evolve again in the next years."
The hit maker behind Diamond Dash recently released its seventh game on Facebook, Magic Land, which enjoys a healthy 3.4 million monthly players and over 330,000 daily players. According to Suuronen, Wooga's latest game had the most man hours thrown into it, a trend he seems to believe will continue. "The whole myth of the minimum viable product -- it's gone," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "It's something that you say to investors to sound cool."
Sure, Suuronen believes that players will eventually get tired of the standard social gaming mechanics of sharing gifts and helping asynchronously. However, the Wooga studio head also points out that the harsh reality of designing Facebook games to get players to pay up isn't going anywhere, and some traditional designers have trouble coming to grips with that.
Considering social games are expected to make $1 billion this year alone (and cash in even more from there), traditional designers and companies better wise up quick if they want to fit in the next big money machine. Read Suuronen's full interview with Gamasutra here, in which he predicts how you might be enticed to pay up in the future.
Playfish founder: We have redefined social games with The Sims Social
The Sims Social is just an arm's reach from being the number one game on Facebook, so this kind of logic is expected. In an interview with MCV, Playfish founder and co-GM Kristian Segerstrale said, "In bringing one of EA's most popular game franchises to Facebook, Playfish and The Sims team have redefined the meaning of social in video games."
While The Sims Social certainly treads some new ground in how Facebook gamers interact, it's important to remember to chalk up much of the game's runaway success to the brand it's attached to. In just over a month since its release, The Sims Social has skyrocketed to become the second most popular Facebook game to date in both daily and monthly players, AppData reports.
Just last week, EA's (which owns Playfish) proverbial secret weapon ousted Zynga's iconic and ubiquitous FarmVille in daily players, but now the game has even more monthly players than the household name farming simulator with over 43.8 million and counting. The Sims Social has dipped a bit in daily players, but is just about 2.9 million fans away from beating out the might CityVille as the most played Facebook game daily.
"By combining Playfish's expertise and passion for social play with the deep creative heritage of The Sims franchise and the insights of its creators, we feel we've brought something very special to life – and tens of millions of players around the world have responded with extraordinary enthusiasm over the last few weeks," Segerstrale said to MCV.
The founder went on to say that new features to The Sims Social will land in the coming months. And we're sure that if EA wants to host the top Facebook game overall, that those features will have to be even more groundbreaking than before. How's about in-game marriages, eh? (Because we all know how well that's worked elsewhere.)
While The Sims Social certainly treads some new ground in how Facebook gamers interact, it's important to remember to chalk up much of the game's runaway success to the brand it's attached to. In just over a month since its release, The Sims Social has skyrocketed to become the second most popular Facebook game to date in both daily and monthly players, AppData reports.
Just last week, EA's (which owns Playfish) proverbial secret weapon ousted Zynga's iconic and ubiquitous FarmVille in daily players, but now the game has even more monthly players than the household name farming simulator with over 43.8 million and counting. The Sims Social has dipped a bit in daily players, but is just about 2.9 million fans away from beating out the might CityVille as the most played Facebook game daily.
"By combining Playfish's expertise and passion for social play with the deep creative heritage of The Sims franchise and the insights of its creators, we feel we've brought something very special to life – and tens of millions of players around the world have responded with extraordinary enthusiasm over the last few weeks," Segerstrale said to MCV.
The founder went on to say that new features to The Sims Social will land in the coming months. And we're sure that if EA wants to host the top Facebook game overall, that those features will have to be even more groundbreaking than before. How's about in-game marriages, eh? (Because we all know how well that's worked elsewhere.)
Google+ releases API to developers, more social games incoming
Google+ Games is cool with its no-nonsense interface and all, but the sad fact is that it only has 16 games. Compare that to the thousands of Facebook games out there, and it's clear that Google has to do something to compete with that selection. Enter the Google+ API, which was just recently released to developers, and could lead to a plethora of more Google+ Games.
The acronym API is short for Application Programming Interface, meaning it contains the tools for developers to create new applications within a given framework--in this case being Google+. Wired reports that Google will steadily release its developer API, meaning that it will be some time before it's feature-complete. And the features not yet included are, well, kinda vital.
For instance, at the moment developers can only create apps that publish read-only public posts. For instance, if a developer like Zynga released a new social game today on Google+ Games, your friends would not be able to interact with the News Feed posts you create. You all already likely know that this is essentially the bread and butter of Facebook games. It's how things get done in-game aside from directly requesting help from friends.
The reasoning for the omission? According to PC World, Google's Eric Chabot explains that this is because the company would rather improve Google+ over time, rather open up a "vacuum" with too many features at once. I'm not sure adding simple post-sharing interactivity would create a vacuum for the platform, but it's a first step nonetheless. What Google+ Games has to deal with more in its competition with Facebook's wide offering of games is scale. The bell rings on Round 2.
The acronym API is short for Application Programming Interface, meaning it contains the tools for developers to create new applications within a given framework--in this case being Google+. Wired reports that Google will steadily release its developer API, meaning that it will be some time before it's feature-complete. And the features not yet included are, well, kinda vital.
For instance, at the moment developers can only create apps that publish read-only public posts. For instance, if a developer like Zynga released a new social game today on Google+ Games, your friends would not be able to interact with the News Feed posts you create. You all already likely know that this is essentially the bread and butter of Facebook games. It's how things get done in-game aside from directly requesting help from friends.
The reasoning for the omission? According to PC World, Google's Eric Chabot explains that this is because the company would rather improve Google+ over time, rather open up a "vacuum" with too many features at once. I'm not sure adding simple post-sharing interactivity would create a vacuum for the platform, but it's a first step nonetheless. What Google+ Games has to deal with more in its competition with Facebook's wide offering of games is scale. The bell rings on Round 2.
Monday, January 9, 2012
FarmVille Winter Wonderland Decorations: Visitor Center, Bear Fishing, Fireweed, Iced Cliff & More
Along with the release of two new Winter Wonderland themed animals, Zynga has released a set of buildings and decorative items in tonight's FarmVille updates, also belonging to the Winter Wonderland theme. To be specific, there are two new buildings, and four new decorative items to add to your farm, with most costing Farm Cash, as you might have expected.
For the new buildings, you can pick up either a Visitor Center or a Winter Farm House. The Visitor Center costs 15 Farm Cash (not a bad cost really), while the Winter Farm House costs 25 (a more expected price tag in the world of limited edition buildings). You'll receive experience points for purchasing both buildings - 1500 and 2500 points, respectively.
For the decorative items, these four are actually split evenly between those that cost Farm Cash and those that cost coins (thankfully). The two premium items are the Bear Fishing item and the Iced Cliff. The Bear Fishing item is an animated item much like the Penguin Fishing item we saw released earlier in this same theme. It shows a bear standing at the top of a stream, trying to catch fish that are swimming upstream. It costs 20 Farm Cash to purchase and you'll receive 2000 experience points for purchasing it. The other Farm Cash item is the Iced Cliff, which costs just 2 Farm Cash, and is simply an environmental decoration, that will make your farm look like it has a gaping icy trench separating two sections.
For the coin items, you can now pick up either the Totem Pole II or the Fireweed plant. The Totem Pole II costs 50,000 coins, and rewards you with 500 experience points upon a purchase, while the Fireweed costs just 10,000 coins, and it's one of the prettiest items released in some time, if you ask me (then again, I'm partial to all things pink and purple).
All of these items, whether a building or a decoration will be available in the game for the next 13 days - so shop fast if you want a chance at collecting all of these items on your farm before they expire from the store.
Which of these items is your favorite? Will you go on a shopping spree to purchase them all, or are you done collecting winter themed items in the game, and are ready to move onto something else?
For the new buildings, you can pick up either a Visitor Center or a Winter Farm House. The Visitor Center costs 15 Farm Cash (not a bad cost really), while the Winter Farm House costs 25 (a more expected price tag in the world of limited edition buildings). You'll receive experience points for purchasing both buildings - 1500 and 2500 points, respectively.
For the decorative items, these four are actually split evenly between those that cost Farm Cash and those that cost coins (thankfully). The two premium items are the Bear Fishing item and the Iced Cliff. The Bear Fishing item is an animated item much like the Penguin Fishing item we saw released earlier in this same theme. It shows a bear standing at the top of a stream, trying to catch fish that are swimming upstream. It costs 20 Farm Cash to purchase and you'll receive 2000 experience points for purchasing it. The other Farm Cash item is the Iced Cliff, which costs just 2 Farm Cash, and is simply an environmental decoration, that will make your farm look like it has a gaping icy trench separating two sections.
For the coin items, you can now pick up either the Totem Pole II or the Fireweed plant. The Totem Pole II costs 50,000 coins, and rewards you with 500 experience points upon a purchase, while the Fireweed costs just 10,000 coins, and it's one of the prettiest items released in some time, if you ask me (then again, I'm partial to all things pink and purple).
All of these items, whether a building or a decoration will be available in the game for the next 13 days - so shop fast if you want a chance at collecting all of these items on your farm before they expire from the store.
Which of these items is your favorite? Will you go on a shopping spree to purchase them all, or are you done collecting winter themed items in the game, and are ready to move onto something else?
FarmVille Cheats and Tips: Cow and Calf Breeding Guide
Cow Breeding is very similar to FarmVille Horse Breeding, only instead of foals, you breed calves for your neighbors. Remember, you won't be able to keep any of the calves you breed, so make sure you have neighbors that will breed their FarmVille cows into calves for you in return.
To breed a cow and produce a calf, you must have a Dairy Farm with at least one Bull and one cow inside. (For info on adult cows, check out our Nursery Barn Guide.) Though the primary function of the Dairy Farm is to harvest multiple cows at once, it can also produce new calves. When you harvest your Dairy Farm, there is a chance a calf will be made. If you place more of one type of cow in the Dairy Farm, there is a higher chance the calf will be of that type. If you're wondering: What calf will my cow make? Check out our Breeding Charts below.
farmville cow breeding cheats guide calf
The difference between Horse Breeding and Cow Breeding in FarmVille, is the Multiple Breeding Cheat. Unfortunately, Cow Breeding doesn't allow us to use the Multiple Breeding Cheat like Horse Breeding does. So while this makes Cow Breeding much slower, at least it's simple and doesn't require that tedious cheat. For more info on the Multiple Breeding Cheat, click here.
Check out our FarmVille Cow Breeding Guide charts below.
Breeding the Cow, Referee Cow, or Referee Cow 2 with a Bull will result in a regular Calf:
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfCow farmville cheats breeding cow calfCalf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfReferee Cow
farmville cheats breeding cow calfReferee Cow 2
Most female cows, when crossed with a Bull, will yield a calf of the same type:
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfChocolate Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfChocolate Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBrown Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfBrown Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfGroovy Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfGroovy Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfHolstein Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfHolstein Calf
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfRed Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfRed Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBOV1NE-09 farmville cheats breeding cow calfGreen Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfNeopolitan Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfNeopolitan Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfLonghorn Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfLonghorn Calf
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfBelted Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfBelted Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfPink Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfPink Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfKelly Green Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfKelly Green Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfPink Patch Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfPink Patch Calf
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfTuscan Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfTuscan Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfFan Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfFan Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfSimmental Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfSimmental Calf
Valentine Cow Valentine Calf
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull Purple
Valentine Cow Purple
Valentine Calf
[Images via FarmVille Wiki]
Note: If the cow or calf you're looking for isn't here, odds are that the cow is able to produce a calf of the same type. Unfortunately, once that calf grows up, it will change to a more ordinary cow.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Breeding Guides or browse our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
To breed a cow and produce a calf, you must have a Dairy Farm with at least one Bull and one cow inside. (For info on adult cows, check out our Nursery Barn Guide.) Though the primary function of the Dairy Farm is to harvest multiple cows at once, it can also produce new calves. When you harvest your Dairy Farm, there is a chance a calf will be made. If you place more of one type of cow in the Dairy Farm, there is a higher chance the calf will be of that type. If you're wondering: What calf will my cow make? Check out our Breeding Charts below.
farmville cow breeding cheats guide calf
The difference between Horse Breeding and Cow Breeding in FarmVille, is the Multiple Breeding Cheat. Unfortunately, Cow Breeding doesn't allow us to use the Multiple Breeding Cheat like Horse Breeding does. So while this makes Cow Breeding much slower, at least it's simple and doesn't require that tedious cheat. For more info on the Multiple Breeding Cheat, click here.
Check out our FarmVille Cow Breeding Guide charts below.
Breeding the Cow, Referee Cow, or Referee Cow 2 with a Bull will result in a regular Calf:
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfCow farmville cheats breeding cow calfCalf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfReferee Cow
farmville cheats breeding cow calfReferee Cow 2
Most female cows, when crossed with a Bull, will yield a calf of the same type:
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfChocolate Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfChocolate Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBrown Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfBrown Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfGroovy Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfGroovy Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfHolstein Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfHolstein Calf
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfRed Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfRed Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBOV1NE-09 farmville cheats breeding cow calfGreen Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfNeopolitan Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfNeopolitan Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfLonghorn Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfLonghorn Calf
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfBelted Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfBelted Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfPink Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfPink Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfKelly Green Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfKelly Green Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfPink Patch Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfPink Patch Calf
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull farmville cheats breeding cow calfTuscan Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfTuscan Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfFan Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfFan Calf
farmville cheats breeding cow calfSimmental Cow farmville cheats breeding cow calfSimmental Calf
Valentine Cow Valentine Calf
Male Female Offspring
farmville cheats breeding cow calfBull Purple
Valentine Cow Purple
Valentine Calf
[Images via FarmVille Wiki]
Note: If the cow or calf you're looking for isn't here, odds are that the cow is able to produce a calf of the same type. Unfortunately, once that calf grows up, it will change to a more ordinary cow.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Breeding Guides or browse our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Calling all Dead Heads, Grateful Dead Facebook game in the works
Dancing Bears
Find your nearest Dancing Bear and stroke it for good luck. Dead Heads will soon have an official home on Facebook within a Grateful Dead social game that's reportedly in the works. Said to be in development by Curious Sense and to be published by both Rhino Entertainment and Grateful Dead Productions, the game is bound for social networks and mobile devices later this year, according to Brand-m.
Curious Sense told Brand-m that the game will take players through the Grateful Dead universe from the Old West and Space to San Francisco and Giza. The game will feature the band's music and visual style throughout.
"Grateful Dead has always looked for inventive ways to embrace new technology," said David Lemieux, legacy manager for the band brand. "We've found a great partner in Curious Sense. They are lifelong Dead Heads who have some brilliant plans to take our fans on a very cool journey. We can't wait for everyone to check out the fun new toys we are building."
Well, thank heavens for that. With a source material as complex and nuanced as the Grateful Dead discography, I would hope that the developer knew what it was getting into. And considering Curious Sense's experience with companies like Mattel, Hasbro, National Geographic and our very own Aol, it should have a solid chance of making Mr. Garcia proud.
Find your nearest Dancing Bear and stroke it for good luck. Dead Heads will soon have an official home on Facebook within a Grateful Dead social game that's reportedly in the works. Said to be in development by Curious Sense and to be published by both Rhino Entertainment and Grateful Dead Productions, the game is bound for social networks and mobile devices later this year, according to Brand-m.
Curious Sense told Brand-m that the game will take players through the Grateful Dead universe from the Old West and Space to San Francisco and Giza. The game will feature the band's music and visual style throughout.
"Grateful Dead has always looked for inventive ways to embrace new technology," said David Lemieux, legacy manager for the band brand. "We've found a great partner in Curious Sense. They are lifelong Dead Heads who have some brilliant plans to take our fans on a very cool journey. We can't wait for everyone to check out the fun new toys we are building."
Well, thank heavens for that. With a source material as complex and nuanced as the Grateful Dead discography, I would hope that the developer knew what it was getting into. And considering Curious Sense's experience with companies like Mattel, Hasbro, National Geographic and our very own Aol, it should have a solid chance of making Mr. Garcia proud.
Dungeon Overlord on Facebook: Villainy and tedium go hand-in-hand
Dungeon Overlord
Being the band of stalwart adventurers does become a bit stale after awhile, doesn't it? Well, developer Night Owl Games is right there with you in its first social game under Sony Online Entertainment, Dungeon Overlord. In this property management-meets-strategy warfare Facebook game, players assume the role of overlord, leading a fledgling dungeon of goblins, orcs, warlocks and ogres out from under their mountain and into the surface world in hopes of domination. However, being the villain is not even close to as easy as its made out to be in the movies. As much as I hate to use this terribly annoying word, this social game is not for the "casual." Let's just say Saruman had it easy with Isengard, OK?
Find more of our impressions of Dungeon Overlord after the break.
Warlock in research
The game's lengthy tutorial begins inside the bowels of a fiery mountain, directing you to build your minions places to eat, rest, work and research new technologies. Like most property-management games, players must construct buildings in a grid format, but what's interesting is that buildings can expand indefinitely as long as they're connected to the original building. That being said, there's really only a need for one building of each type including farms, taverns, libraries, dens and mines. Each of these buildings either produces a certain unit or provides said units (or yourself) with a necessary resource. It may sound complicated, but it all comes together to make a cohesive system once the ball gets rolling.
For instance, minions cannot work without Food, so it's necessary to have a Tavern. On the other hand, they also need sleep, so you'll need a Den for them to rest in. Without these two buildings, nothing will get done. Like in the mines, for example, where goblins harvest Crystal, Gold and Iron for you to create new buildings, upgrade existing ones, and craft decorations in the Crafting menu with. Crafting is somewhat unique to Dungeon Overlord in the strategy PvP sub-genre. Crafting items, traps for invaders (more on that later) and other decorations requires the same resources as those used to create buildings. However, they're necessary for survival, forcing the use of resources into a conscious decision.
Overworld
Though, there if there is one resource that will dictate your progress more than anything, it's Research. Done by Warlocks in the Library, Research allows players to discover new units to create, new buildings to construct and the ability to Raid other players and villages--the core of Dungeon Overlord. Once you're able to create Orcs, the brunt of your raiding parties, it's time to give the surface world a visit. From here, players can attack villages for resources or even other players' dungeons which will likely have the same defenses as your own.
While the game has immense charm, beautiful artwork and runs almost without a hitch in its beta phase, it suffers from the same issue all strategy games do on Facebook: it takes entirely too long to get into the meat of the game. Plain and simple. Building up even your first squad of Orc warriors will likely take hours if not days. However, Dungeon Overlord does keep things interesting and goal-oriented with quests.
Work, work, work
This seemingly never-ending series of tasks will reward you with extra experience points, precious resources and a sense of direction. Just follow the quests and you should be fine, but don't expect to be out of the dungeon and into another player's within a day. This game is clearly not for those who are looking for that quick daily gaming fix.Things become somewhat claustrophobic and tedious in Dungeon Overlord before it gets better, but like we said, being the surly, maniacal villain isn't easy.
Being the band of stalwart adventurers does become a bit stale after awhile, doesn't it? Well, developer Night Owl Games is right there with you in its first social game under Sony Online Entertainment, Dungeon Overlord. In this property management-meets-strategy warfare Facebook game, players assume the role of overlord, leading a fledgling dungeon of goblins, orcs, warlocks and ogres out from under their mountain and into the surface world in hopes of domination. However, being the villain is not even close to as easy as its made out to be in the movies. As much as I hate to use this terribly annoying word, this social game is not for the "casual." Let's just say Saruman had it easy with Isengard, OK?
Find more of our impressions of Dungeon Overlord after the break.
Warlock in research
The game's lengthy tutorial begins inside the bowels of a fiery mountain, directing you to build your minions places to eat, rest, work and research new technologies. Like most property-management games, players must construct buildings in a grid format, but what's interesting is that buildings can expand indefinitely as long as they're connected to the original building. That being said, there's really only a need for one building of each type including farms, taverns, libraries, dens and mines. Each of these buildings either produces a certain unit or provides said units (or yourself) with a necessary resource. It may sound complicated, but it all comes together to make a cohesive system once the ball gets rolling.
For instance, minions cannot work without Food, so it's necessary to have a Tavern. On the other hand, they also need sleep, so you'll need a Den for them to rest in. Without these two buildings, nothing will get done. Like in the mines, for example, where goblins harvest Crystal, Gold and Iron for you to create new buildings, upgrade existing ones, and craft decorations in the Crafting menu with. Crafting is somewhat unique to Dungeon Overlord in the strategy PvP sub-genre. Crafting items, traps for invaders (more on that later) and other decorations requires the same resources as those used to create buildings. However, they're necessary for survival, forcing the use of resources into a conscious decision.
Overworld
Though, there if there is one resource that will dictate your progress more than anything, it's Research. Done by Warlocks in the Library, Research allows players to discover new units to create, new buildings to construct and the ability to Raid other players and villages--the core of Dungeon Overlord. Once you're able to create Orcs, the brunt of your raiding parties, it's time to give the surface world a visit. From here, players can attack villages for resources or even other players' dungeons which will likely have the same defenses as your own.
While the game has immense charm, beautiful artwork and runs almost without a hitch in its beta phase, it suffers from the same issue all strategy games do on Facebook: it takes entirely too long to get into the meat of the game. Plain and simple. Building up even your first squad of Orc warriors will likely take hours if not days. However, Dungeon Overlord does keep things interesting and goal-oriented with quests.
Work, work, work
This seemingly never-ending series of tasks will reward you with extra experience points, precious resources and a sense of direction. Just follow the quests and you should be fine, but don't expect to be out of the dungeon and into another player's within a day. This game is clearly not for those who are looking for that quick daily gaming fix.Things become somewhat claustrophobic and tedious in Dungeon Overlord before it gets better, but like we said, being the surly, maniacal villain isn't easy.
Bejeweled Blitz Live coming to Xbox Live Arcade soon
Today, PopCap officially announced a bit of news that most Bejeweled Blitz fans will be very excited to hear (those that own Xbox 360s anyway). The news is that the incredibly popular Facebook / iPhone / PC game Bejeweled Blitz will soon be making its way to Xbox Live Arcade (soon being sometime in the first half of the year - an exact release date was not given).
Not only will you be able to take part in the now classic 60-second gameplay formula, but new additions are coming to the game in its transition to the home console. There will be new gameplay modes added, including one allowing for up to 16-players to play in a Party Mode simultaneously. A head-to-head Battle mode will also be available via Xbox Live online play.
As you'd expect, Bejeweled Blitz Live will allow you to track your high-scores on real-time leaderboards, that update as you and your friends earn higher scores. In a new twist, an addition called "Friendscore" will allow you to combine your own score with that of your Xbox Live friends that have also played the game, in order to earn an even better spot on the week's high-score table, and on the all-time high score leaderboards.
There was no mention made of whether or not we'd be able to sync our Facebook accounts to this console version of the game, or if other social networking features will be added (sharing your score to Twitter, for instance). It's likely that if these features were to be added, they would have already been announced, or at least hinted at, but we'll keep our hopes up for just a little longer that we'll see some additional social features added before the game launches. Either way, make sure to have your affairs in order before this one launches later this year - you're likely to become even more addicted now that you can play on a huge-screen, right from the comfort of your couch.
Are you excited for Bejeweled Blitz Live to launch on consoles?
Not only will you be able to take part in the now classic 60-second gameplay formula, but new additions are coming to the game in its transition to the home console. There will be new gameplay modes added, including one allowing for up to 16-players to play in a Party Mode simultaneously. A head-to-head Battle mode will also be available via Xbox Live online play.
As you'd expect, Bejeweled Blitz Live will allow you to track your high-scores on real-time leaderboards, that update as you and your friends earn higher scores. In a new twist, an addition called "Friendscore" will allow you to combine your own score with that of your Xbox Live friends that have also played the game, in order to earn an even better spot on the week's high-score table, and on the all-time high score leaderboards.
There was no mention made of whether or not we'd be able to sync our Facebook accounts to this console version of the game, or if other social networking features will be added (sharing your score to Twitter, for instance). It's likely that if these features were to be added, they would have already been announced, or at least hinted at, but we'll keep our hopes up for just a little longer that we'll see some additional social features added before the game launches. Either way, make sure to have your affairs in order before this one launches later this year - you're likely to become even more addicted now that you can play on a huge-screen, right from the comfort of your couch.
Are you excited for Bejeweled Blitz Live to launch on consoles?
Saturday, January 7, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Golden Apple & Giant Golden Apple Trees
Farmers, it looks like the three limited edition trees (re-released) as part of FarmVille's new Fairy Tale item theme might not be alone in the game for long, as we've come across images of not one, but two new trees that will apparently be coming to the game in the near future.
The two trees are a one-two punch, being the Golden Apple Tree, and the Giant Golden Apple tree. Both will be masterable, as they have accompanying Mastery Signs. While there's no guarantee that both trees will be released in the store to purchase, we'd assume that at least the normally-sized Golden Apple Tree will release for a price around 5-10 Farm Cash, while the Giant Golden Apple Tree will be available to receive as a Mystery Seedling, when placing said Golden Apple Tree into an Orchard.
Again, prices and availability are completely up in the air at this point - these are just our predictions. We'll be sure to let you know if our predictions were right if and when these trees do officially launch in the game.
Would you like have a shining golden tree on your farm, or do you prefer trees that are more realistic?
The two trees are a one-two punch, being the Golden Apple Tree, and the Giant Golden Apple tree. Both will be masterable, as they have accompanying Mastery Signs. While there's no guarantee that both trees will be released in the store to purchase, we'd assume that at least the normally-sized Golden Apple Tree will release for a price around 5-10 Farm Cash, while the Giant Golden Apple Tree will be available to receive as a Mystery Seedling, when placing said Golden Apple Tree into an Orchard.
Again, prices and availability are completely up in the air at this point - these are just our predictions. We'll be sure to let you know if our predictions were right if and when these trees do officially launch in the game.
Would you like have a shining golden tree on your farm, or do you prefer trees that are more realistic?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: AVG Antivirus Promotional Plane coming soon
It looks like Zynga will be teaming up with AVG (a virus protection software) for a promotion in FarmVille in the near future, as we've come across an image and animation for a new AVG Biplane. While we all know that the original Biplane in FarmVille allows you to use instant grow on your crops in trees, we have a feeling this plane will serve a different purpose.
As AVG Antivirus software protects your computer from viruses, it would only make sense that this plane would offer some sort of protection to your farm as well. The most likely scenario is that the AVG Plane will come packaged with a timed wither protection boost - perhaps lasting up to a week, which is how long the effects of other promotional items have lasted in the past.
Of course, the official purpose of this Biplane remains to be seen, but be sure to check out the plane in all of its animated glory below. We'll make sure to let you know when the plane launches in the game, what it does, and how you can get one for your own farm.
What do you think of this cool cross-promotional plane? Will you add one to your farm?
As AVG Antivirus software protects your computer from viruses, it would only make sense that this plane would offer some sort of protection to your farm as well. The most likely scenario is that the AVG Plane will come packaged with a timed wither protection boost - perhaps lasting up to a week, which is how long the effects of other promotional items have lasted in the past.
Of course, the official purpose of this Biplane remains to be seen, but be sure to check out the plane in all of its animated glory below. We'll make sure to let you know when the plane launches in the game, what it does, and how you can get one for your own farm.
What do you think of this cool cross-promotional plane? Will you add one to your farm?
Cafe World Party at the Ski Lodge Catering Order: Everything you need to know
A new catering order has been launched in Cafe World to go along with the current winter weather that many players are experiencing. This isn't a holiday-related catering order, however, just one dealing with throwing a part at an Alpine Ski Lodge - after all, you'll be cold after coming down from the slops, so why not cook a nice warm meal to warm yourself, and your fellow athletes up?
This meal must be started manually by opening your Catering Business menu, scrolling to the very last page, and choosing it. After clicking on the "Get Started" button, you'll trigger a 3 day timer for your catering order, which will see you cooking three dishes and collect three different collectible items with friends. Meet us behind the break for complete details about how to finish this new order.
For the cooking portion of this order, you'll need to cook Homestyle Pot Roast (a two day dish) 50 times, Belgian Waffles (a two hour dish) 50 times, and Powdered French Toast (a 20 minute dish) 50 times. While the Powdered French Toast and Belgian Waffle requirements will likely be fairly easy for yourself and a group of friends to accomplish, your best bet at finishing all 50 Homestyle Pot Roasts within the time limit would be to have a set completely cooked before you even start the catering order, so that you can instantly serve them and start another set cooking. If you can have more than one member of your crew do this, then that's even better.
As for the item collection portion, you'll need to gather 15 items in total - five each of Fondue Forks, Fondue Cheeses, and Fondue Bowls. This is done by either paying 3 Cafe Cash for each individual item (a pricey solution), or by clicking on the "Ask" button for a particular item and sending individual item requests to those Cafe World neighbors that you think would be most likely to help you.
You'll be able to bring 12 of your friends into this order with you, which will hopefully give you a fighting chance at completing it within the three-star time limit of three days. Doing so will reward you with 12 Catering Points, 3200 Cafe Points, 70000 coins, and the Cheese Fondue recipe. This recipe is available to cook for 100 coins, and is available to serve in 10 minutes. You'll receive 20 coins per serving, for a return of 200 coins.
Finishing the order after three days have passed, but before the end of the fifth day will reward you with two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2300 Cafe Points, and 50000 coins. Finally, if you simply finish the order at any time after the first five days of accepting it, you'll receive a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1400 Cafe Points, and 30,000 cafe coins.
Remember to ask your friends for help on this mission, and to join any friends who have currently started the order in order to help them out / receive help from them as well. Good luck if you take it on!
This meal must be started manually by opening your Catering Business menu, scrolling to the very last page, and choosing it. After clicking on the "Get Started" button, you'll trigger a 3 day timer for your catering order, which will see you cooking three dishes and collect three different collectible items with friends. Meet us behind the break for complete details about how to finish this new order.
For the cooking portion of this order, you'll need to cook Homestyle Pot Roast (a two day dish) 50 times, Belgian Waffles (a two hour dish) 50 times, and Powdered French Toast (a 20 minute dish) 50 times. While the Powdered French Toast and Belgian Waffle requirements will likely be fairly easy for yourself and a group of friends to accomplish, your best bet at finishing all 50 Homestyle Pot Roasts within the time limit would be to have a set completely cooked before you even start the catering order, so that you can instantly serve them and start another set cooking. If you can have more than one member of your crew do this, then that's even better.
As for the item collection portion, you'll need to gather 15 items in total - five each of Fondue Forks, Fondue Cheeses, and Fondue Bowls. This is done by either paying 3 Cafe Cash for each individual item (a pricey solution), or by clicking on the "Ask" button for a particular item and sending individual item requests to those Cafe World neighbors that you think would be most likely to help you.
You'll be able to bring 12 of your friends into this order with you, which will hopefully give you a fighting chance at completing it within the three-star time limit of three days. Doing so will reward you with 12 Catering Points, 3200 Cafe Points, 70000 coins, and the Cheese Fondue recipe. This recipe is available to cook for 100 coins, and is available to serve in 10 minutes. You'll receive 20 coins per serving, for a return of 200 coins.
Finishing the order after three days have passed, but before the end of the fifth day will reward you with two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2300 Cafe Points, and 50000 coins. Finally, if you simply finish the order at any time after the first five days of accepting it, you'll receive a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1400 Cafe Points, and 30,000 cafe coins.
Remember to ask your friends for help on this mission, and to join any friends who have currently started the order in order to help them out / receive help from them as well. Good luck if you take it on!
FarmVille Scam Alert: Avoid posts offering Knight Steed Foals
Earlier today, we brought you a FarmVille Scam Alert detailing the supposed giveaway of a Kung Fu Duck in FarmVille. This evening, we've seen another round of fake FarmVille bonus posts being released, this time concerning a free giveaway of a Knight Steed Foal, which would, of course, come from the Knight Steed released in the game just this week as part of the new Fairy Tale theme of items.
This scam is almost entirely convincing, save for one flaw in the post itself. You'll see a post saying that one of your friends just claimed a Knight Steed Foal, and has one to share with you - clicking on the link on the post would supposedly give you that free Knight Steed Foal. The problem is, when clicking this link, you'll actually be taken to the FarmVille Bonus page, where you'll again be asked if you would like to accept this award. Don't do that! This is in no way associated with Zynga or any official FarmVille giveaway.
The major giveaway here that this is a fake post is in the spelling of the animal name, as Knight is incorrectly spelled as "Knigth." Otherwise, the post does look pretty legitimate, including the "Via FarmVille" link at the bottom of the post, which is also found on every accurate post for the game.
The only way you'll actually receive one of these Foals in your game is if you claim one from a friend who has received one from breeding a Knight Steed in their Horse Stable. In this case, though, the post would have no spelling mistakes, and wouldn't take you to another Facebook page - it would simply load FarmVille as normal. As of this writing, there is unfortunately no other way to earn said foal in the game.
Have you seen other fake FarmVille posts on your news feed that you think users should look out for?
This scam is almost entirely convincing, save for one flaw in the post itself. You'll see a post saying that one of your friends just claimed a Knight Steed Foal, and has one to share with you - clicking on the link on the post would supposedly give you that free Knight Steed Foal. The problem is, when clicking this link, you'll actually be taken to the FarmVille Bonus page, where you'll again be asked if you would like to accept this award. Don't do that! This is in no way associated with Zynga or any official FarmVille giveaway.
The major giveaway here that this is a fake post is in the spelling of the animal name, as Knight is incorrectly spelled as "Knigth." Otherwise, the post does look pretty legitimate, including the "Via FarmVille" link at the bottom of the post, which is also found on every accurate post for the game.
The only way you'll actually receive one of these Foals in your game is if you claim one from a friend who has received one from breeding a Knight Steed in their Horse Stable. In this case, though, the post would have no spelling mistakes, and wouldn't take you to another Facebook page - it would simply load FarmVille as normal. As of this writing, there is unfortunately no other way to earn said foal in the game.
Have you seen other fake FarmVille posts on your news feed that you think users should look out for?
FarmVille Valentine's Countdown Day 8: Provencal Pot
Today's latest addition in the FarmVille Valentine's Day 12 Day Countdown has arrived, and this time it is the Provencal Pot. This pretty decoration looks like a roman statue with some multicolored flowers within. Like all of the other Valentine's Countdown items, to obtain the Provencal Pot you need to open up the countdown screen by clicking the cupid heart on the right of your FarmVille screen. You then need to click the "Ask/Share" button to post a wall post that looks like the above on your newsfeed.
You can also click on your friends' wall posts to claim a Provencal Pot of your own. You only have this one day to obtain this decoration for free before it will cost Farm Cash just like all of the previous Valentine's Day collection items. There are only four more days left in this collection, which is the last thing left to go in FarmVille as far as Valentine's decorations goes.
Have you been collecting all of the pieces of the Valentine's Day collection?
You can also click on your friends' wall posts to claim a Provencal Pot of your own. You only have this one day to obtain this decoration for free before it will cost Farm Cash just like all of the previous Valentine's Day collection items. There are only four more days left in this collection, which is the last thing left to go in FarmVille as far as Valentine's decorations goes.
Have you been collecting all of the pieces of the Valentine's Day collection?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Butterfly Garden & Leprechaun Hat Pot
It seems as though Zynga is starting to prepare for Spring with these newest unreleased images of items that will be coming to FarmVille in the near future, as both of these new items contain flowers. While one item the Leprechaun Hat Pot could very well be released as part of the current St. Patrick's Day item theme (even as early as this Wednesday), the other item - the Butterfly Garden, looks to be solely in the theme of Spring, with butterflies flying above a fenced in area of what look to be Lilac Daffys and Daffodils.
One thing to note is that the Butterfly Garden almost looks as though it might be something related to the Spring Garden collection feature that we were given a hint of in the last FarmVille podcast. Perhaps the name has been changed? It is possible that this is an entirely unrelated decoration that also happens to be called a "garden," but we'll let you know what ultimately happens with these two items.
As usual, there is no guarantee that either of these items will officially be released in the game, so keep that in mind.
What do you think of these two new items? Do you think the Butterfly Garden will have a function, or will it simply be a large, elaborate decoration?
One thing to note is that the Butterfly Garden almost looks as though it might be something related to the Spring Garden collection feature that we were given a hint of in the last FarmVille podcast. Perhaps the name has been changed? It is possible that this is an entirely unrelated decoration that also happens to be called a "garden," but we'll let you know what ultimately happens with these two items.
As usual, there is no guarantee that either of these items will officially be released in the game, so keep that in mind.
What do you think of these two new items? Do you think the Butterfly Garden will have a function, or will it simply be a large, elaborate decoration?
Cafe World Feed the Irish Feast Catering Order: Everything you need to know
After what appears to be a bit of a delay, a St. Patrick's Day themed catering order has finally launched in Cafe World. This catering order is called "Feed the Irish Feast," and it will see you catering "an Irish spread for Peter and his new friends!" Peter, of course, is the new character that was introduced in the St. Patrick's Day goals proper, and you will need to have completed those goals before attempting this mission, as it requires you to cook dishes that are only accessible after you unlock them in this mission series.
For a complete look at how to unlock the dishes necessary to complete this order, check out our full guide. Otherwise, meet us behind the break to see what it takes to make this feast a success.
This mission favors cooking more than it does item collection, as you'll need to cook four different dishes in mass quantities in order to complete it. You'll need to cook the Irish Stew 200 times, Corned Beef and Cabbage 55 times, Mince Tartlets 55 times
and Rice Pudding 30 times.
If you'd rather not take the time to cook these dishes, or even wait for your friends to do so, you can skip any of these dishes by spending anywhere from 28 to 36 Cafe Cash per dish to complete them automatically. If you do wish to cook these dishes, you'll be able to make good use of your time waiting for these dishes to cook by collecting the one collectible in this job - 12 Irish Wind Spinners (think a pinwheel, but in green, white, and orange/red). You'll need to click on the "Ask" button to send individual gift requests to your friends in order to finish this step, or purchase the Irish Wind Spinners for 4 Cafe Cash.
You'll be able to bring up to 18 of your friends in on this mission with you, which does offer you more active players on your team than most jobs, but you'll still only have three days to finish the mission for the highest ranking. If you can complete the job in less than three days, you'll earn 12 Catering Points, 3200 Cafe Points, 75000 coins, and a St. Patty's Day Cooler, which is a decorative item that looks like a pot of gold filled with drinks, rather than gold, with a rainbow arched across the top.
Finishing the job within five days will earn you the two-star rating, 8 Catering Points, 2300 Cafe Points and 50,000 coins. You won't earn the special decoration though, so keep that in mind. Finally, finishing the mission at any time past the first five days of accepting it will earn you a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1400 Cafe Points, and 30,000 coins.
There doesn't appear to be a time limit for when you must accept this mission, so feel free to take all of the time you need to complete the St. Patrick's Day goals to unlock the dishes necessary to come back and complete this catering order.
Check out the rest of our St. Patrick's Day 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of this St. Patrick's Day catering order? Is it too difficult, or do you enjoy a challenge?
For a complete look at how to unlock the dishes necessary to complete this order, check out our full guide. Otherwise, meet us behind the break to see what it takes to make this feast a success.
This mission favors cooking more than it does item collection, as you'll need to cook four different dishes in mass quantities in order to complete it. You'll need to cook the Irish Stew 200 times, Corned Beef and Cabbage 55 times, Mince Tartlets 55 times
and Rice Pudding 30 times.
If you'd rather not take the time to cook these dishes, or even wait for your friends to do so, you can skip any of these dishes by spending anywhere from 28 to 36 Cafe Cash per dish to complete them automatically. If you do wish to cook these dishes, you'll be able to make good use of your time waiting for these dishes to cook by collecting the one collectible in this job - 12 Irish Wind Spinners (think a pinwheel, but in green, white, and orange/red). You'll need to click on the "Ask" button to send individual gift requests to your friends in order to finish this step, or purchase the Irish Wind Spinners for 4 Cafe Cash.
You'll be able to bring up to 18 of your friends in on this mission with you, which does offer you more active players on your team than most jobs, but you'll still only have three days to finish the mission for the highest ranking. If you can complete the job in less than three days, you'll earn 12 Catering Points, 3200 Cafe Points, 75000 coins, and a St. Patty's Day Cooler, which is a decorative item that looks like a pot of gold filled with drinks, rather than gold, with a rainbow arched across the top.
Finishing the job within five days will earn you the two-star rating, 8 Catering Points, 2300 Cafe Points and 50,000 coins. You won't earn the special decoration though, so keep that in mind. Finally, finishing the mission at any time past the first five days of accepting it will earn you a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1400 Cafe Points, and 30,000 coins.
There doesn't appear to be a time limit for when you must accept this mission, so feel free to take all of the time you need to complete the St. Patrick's Day goals to unlock the dishes necessary to come back and complete this catering order.
Check out the rest of our St. Patrick's Day 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of this St. Patrick's Day catering order? Is it too difficult, or do you enjoy a challenge?
FarmVille: Inactive "mutual friends" pop-ups cause annoyance for farmers
Zynga has launched a new set of pop-ups and wall posts in FarmVille apparently in an attempt to bring players back to the farm (that is, those players that have become inactive because they haven't played the game over an extended period of time).
Now, when visiting a friends' farm, if you have any mutual friends with that person that also plays FarmVille, you will see a pop-up like the one above, asking you to help bring that lost, inactive player back to the game. Clicking on "Accept" shows you a wall post like the one below, where you can post to that neighbor's wall, saying that you miss seeing them playing the game, and speaking for your friend in the process.
As you might expect, the hassle of seeing new pop-ups each time players visit neighbors hasn't been sitting well with friends, and a forum thread has started on the official FarmVille forums to protest its inclusion. While players are annoyed that they have to skip another pop-up just to get back to playing, the entire situation is compacted due to the fact that sometimes, users are being told to post on walls of currently active players, meaning that Zynga's algorithm for determining inactive players is apparently bugged.
Players like DesertRain seem to sum up the concerns nicely:
I don't like it. There's a reason the one person isn't playing and now I am supposed to spam them back into the game? To me this is wrong on so many levels.
DesertRain has a point. Players aren't going to stop playing FarmVille simply because they forget the game exists. There has to be a reason for them to stop playing, whether that be the fact that they simply aren't having any fun, the fact that they don't like a particular feature or way certain in-game elements are handled or so on. That being the case, it will be interesting to see if this method actually works to bring back any players whatsoever, but I guess we'll give Zynga the benefit of the doubt for at least trying.
What do you think of this new system? Do you see a purpose in finding out who your inactive neighbors are? Do you think anyone who receives these wall posts would actually come back to the game?
Now, when visiting a friends' farm, if you have any mutual friends with that person that also plays FarmVille, you will see a pop-up like the one above, asking you to help bring that lost, inactive player back to the game. Clicking on "Accept" shows you a wall post like the one below, where you can post to that neighbor's wall, saying that you miss seeing them playing the game, and speaking for your friend in the process.
As you might expect, the hassle of seeing new pop-ups each time players visit neighbors hasn't been sitting well with friends, and a forum thread has started on the official FarmVille forums to protest its inclusion. While players are annoyed that they have to skip another pop-up just to get back to playing, the entire situation is compacted due to the fact that sometimes, users are being told to post on walls of currently active players, meaning that Zynga's algorithm for determining inactive players is apparently bugged.
Players like DesertRain seem to sum up the concerns nicely:
I don't like it. There's a reason the one person isn't playing and now I am supposed to spam them back into the game? To me this is wrong on so many levels.
DesertRain has a point. Players aren't going to stop playing FarmVille simply because they forget the game exists. There has to be a reason for them to stop playing, whether that be the fact that they simply aren't having any fun, the fact that they don't like a particular feature or way certain in-game elements are handled or so on. That being the case, it will be interesting to see if this method actually works to bring back any players whatsoever, but I guess we'll give Zynga the benefit of the doubt for at least trying.
What do you think of this new system? Do you see a purpose in finding out who your inactive neighbors are? Do you think anyone who receives these wall posts would actually come back to the game?
Game of the Day: Pat Sajak's Lucky Letters
The Game of the Day is hoping you are fan of Vanna. Pat Sajak's Lucky Letters: Pat Sajak invites you to be a contestant on his exciting new computer game show! Keep an eye out for the Lucky Chances where you can double your money (if you are brave). Finish off the game by racing the clock to solve Pat's entire puzzle in the Lightning Round
Click --> Play Pat Sajak's Lucky Letters
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 Pat Sajak's Lucky Letters
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.
FrontierVille Fanny versus Bess decorations appear; the heat is on
So, which team are you on? In an obvious (and almost painful) nod to Twilight, Zynga has released both the two Mystery Crates found yesterday and a slew of decorations to FrontierVille in honor of a mini-event of sorts. Except instead of sparkly vampires against eternally shirtless werewolves, it's Fanny versus Bess. It's your job to take a side--if you're willing to put some Horseshoes behind your decision.
Here are all the decorations that were added in light of this strange event:
Bess' Lasso – 4 Horseshoes
Bess' Diorama – 3,800 coins
Bess' Flower – 2,850 coins
Fanny's Desk – 4 Horseshoes
Fanny's books – 3,800 coins
Fanny's flowers – 2,850 coins
Luckily, only two of these items cost Horseshoes. While there isn't any major event tied to these decorations, I'd imagine that something much bigger is cooking. A cage fight? A triathlon, perhaps? Well, whatever is, we'll be all over it.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you picked any of these decorations in the game yet? Which side are you on--Fanny or Bess?
Here are all the decorations that were added in light of this strange event:
Bess' Lasso – 4 Horseshoes
Bess' Diorama – 3,800 coins
Bess' Flower – 2,850 coins
Fanny's Desk – 4 Horseshoes
Fanny's books – 3,800 coins
Fanny's flowers – 2,850 coins
Luckily, only two of these items cost Horseshoes. While there isn't any major event tied to these decorations, I'd imagine that something much bigger is cooking. A cage fight? A triathlon, perhaps? Well, whatever is, we'll be all over it.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you picked any of these decorations in the game yet? Which side are you on--Fanny or Bess?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Sims Social: Claim your free Pogo Arcade Machine
While you may already be the proud owner of one or two Arcade Machines in the Sims Social, if you're like me, you'll always be ready for one more - especially if it's free. Such is the case with this new goodie, a Pogo branded Arcade Machine, spotted by BadgeHungry. The single link to claim your reward has apparently been going around for about a week, but hasn't been heavily advertised. It does, however, still work (as of this writing).
To claim your free Pogo Arcade Machine in the Sims Social just make sure you're logged into your Facebook account and click on this link right here. This will take you to Facebook, where you'll be told whether or not your claim attempt was successful. Once in your house, the Pogo Arcade Machine will go into your storage, where you can then freely place it anywhere in your house (or even outside).
As for interactivity, the machine allows you to do two things: Play Games (no energy required), and "Redeem Tokens at Pogo." This link will let you earn 25,000 free tokens on the site, but unfortunately, doesn't come with any free Simoleons back in the Sims Social. But hey, we've walked away with a free Arcade Machine; it's that all we could really ask for?
Have you already claimed your free Pogo Arcade Machine? What other sorts of goodies do you hope come to the Sims Social?
To claim your free Pogo Arcade Machine in the Sims Social just make sure you're logged into your Facebook account and click on this link right here. This will take you to Facebook, where you'll be told whether or not your claim attempt was successful. Once in your house, the Pogo Arcade Machine will go into your storage, where you can then freely place it anywhere in your house (or even outside).
As for interactivity, the machine allows you to do two things: Play Games (no energy required), and "Redeem Tokens at Pogo." This link will let you earn 25,000 free tokens on the site, but unfortunately, doesn't come with any free Simoleons back in the Sims Social. But hey, we've walked away with a free Arcade Machine; it's that all we could really ask for?
Have you already claimed your free Pogo Arcade Machine? What other sorts of goodies do you hope come to the Sims Social?
The Sims Social: Celebrate the last days of summer with new Summer House theme
With the mass popularity of the Sims Social on Facebook, it's no surprise that Playfish / EA are continually adding new decorative items to the game's store, allowing you to personalize your home in new ways. Specifically, this week sees the launch of a "Summer House" theme of items, with items being available for your living room, bedroom and even outdoor areas. There are also plenty of decorative items here to take a look at, so we'll do our best to give you a complete guide to these new items. Check them out!
SolTrain Cubic (Shelving Unit)
Costs: 35 SimCash
Value: $5,150
SolTrain Chair (Buildable item)
Costs: 2,250 coins
Value: $1,800
SolTrain Kingsize (Bed)
Costs: 79 SimCash
Value: $11,700
Sleep Stat: 11
SolTrain Rays (Lamp)
Costs: 3 SimCash
Value: $450
BasketCase Travel (Requires Level 30)
Value: $350
SolTrain UV Lite
Costs: 12 SimCash
Value: $1,750
BasketCase XL (Requires Level 30)
Value: $600
SolTrain UV XL (Lamp)
Costs: 22 SimCash
Value: $3,250
Summer Tones (Painting - requires level 30)
Value: $750
Woody Divider (Requires Level 24)
Value: $1,300
SolTrain BagelUp
Costs: 5 SimCash
Value: $750
Woody Boxout B (Kitchen cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)
Value: $1,650
Woody Boxout L (Kitchen Cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)
Value: $1,650
SolTrain Panama (Outdoor Bed)
Costs: 49 Sim Cash
Value: $7,250
SolTrain Snug (Buildable item - requires Level 30)
Value: $2,200
Palm Tree
Costs: 1,750 coins
Value: $1,650
Happiness Stat: 3
Social Stat: 3
SolTrain Parasol
Costs: 59 SimCash
Value: $8,700
SolTrain Swing (Buildable item - requires Level 30)
Value: $4,850
Sleep Stat: 3
UltiMax Top Deck (Stereo)
Costs: 59 SimCash
Value: $8,700
Fun Stat: 5
In addition to all of these items, there's a full set of windows available in the Build menu is a new "Alpine" theme, which consists of a dark tan, almost orange colored frame. Four flooring options are available for either Social Points or (at most) a single SimCash per tile, and the theme is rounded out with a "SolTrain Beach" wallpaper that costs 55 Social Points per square.
As with previously released themes, these Summer House items don't appear to be limited edition; rather, they should be available permanently in the game's store. That being the case, you should be able to save up coins, or Social Points, or have time to purchase SimCash long into the future to create this theme in your home as far into the future as you like. If we see this change, we'll make sure to let you know.
What do you think of these Summer House items in Sims Social? What kinds of items would you like to see released next in the game?
SolTrain Cubic (Shelving Unit)
Costs: 35 SimCash
Value: $5,150
SolTrain Chair (Buildable item)
Costs: 2,250 coins
Value: $1,800
SolTrain Kingsize (Bed)
Costs: 79 SimCash
Value: $11,700
Sleep Stat: 11
SolTrain Rays (Lamp)
Costs: 3 SimCash
Value: $450
BasketCase Travel (Requires Level 30)
Value: $350
SolTrain UV Lite
Costs: 12 SimCash
Value: $1,750
BasketCase XL (Requires Level 30)
Value: $600
SolTrain UV XL (Lamp)
Costs: 22 SimCash
Value: $3,250
Summer Tones (Painting - requires level 30)
Value: $750
Woody Divider (Requires Level 24)
Value: $1,300
SolTrain BagelUp
Costs: 5 SimCash
Value: $750
Woody Boxout B (Kitchen cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)
Value: $1,650
Woody Boxout L (Kitchen Cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)
Value: $1,650
SolTrain Panama (Outdoor Bed)
Costs: 49 Sim Cash
Value: $7,250
SolTrain Snug (Buildable item - requires Level 30)
Value: $2,200
Palm Tree
Costs: 1,750 coins
Value: $1,650
Happiness Stat: 3
Social Stat: 3
SolTrain Parasol
Costs: 59 SimCash
Value: $8,700
SolTrain Swing (Buildable item - requires Level 30)
Value: $4,850
Sleep Stat: 3
UltiMax Top Deck (Stereo)
Costs: 59 SimCash
Value: $8,700
Fun Stat: 5
In addition to all of these items, there's a full set of windows available in the Build menu is a new "Alpine" theme, which consists of a dark tan, almost orange colored frame. Four flooring options are available for either Social Points or (at most) a single SimCash per tile, and the theme is rounded out with a "SolTrain Beach" wallpaper that costs 55 Social Points per square.
As with previously released themes, these Summer House items don't appear to be limited edition; rather, they should be available permanently in the game's store. That being the case, you should be able to save up coins, or Social Points, or have time to purchase SimCash long into the future to create this theme in your home as far into the future as you like. If we see this change, we'll make sure to let you know.
What do you think of these Summer House items in Sims Social? What kinds of items would you like to see released next in the game?
The Sims Social celebrates fans with a week of free stuff
Free stuff? Yes, please, I'll take some of that! With almost 61 million players (and climbing), the folks at EA / Playfish have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the Sims Social on Facebook. As a way to thank their ever-growing player base for their support (even when the game suffered from some nagging loading and gameplay issues), the developers have launched a week long celebration involving free stuff that will be given away, apparently on a daily basis.
To start, we're given a gift of Social Points - a whopping 400 Social Points at that. Since your other methods of earning Social Points normally come in small increments (of 10 or less per action) when visiting friends, this really is a substantial prize. Remember, these Social Points work as a form of third currency in the game, and can be used to purchase exclusive decorations or other home items that aren't available through any other method or currency.
We've also been told that we'll be able to increase our land size in the future, although that wasn't exactly announced in as many words. To be specific, we're asked if we "need more space to build your dream home" and that with that question comes a secret that the developers just couldn't hold in anymore. We're even asked "If you could expand your land, what is the first room you'd build on it?"
Put two and two together here, and you're left with the answer that land size will soon be increasing, although no particular release date was announced (unfortunately). If you're like me, your home has already filled most nooks and crannies of land in our admittedly small square, and is surrounded by outdoor goodies to boot. Being able to increase the size of our house plot is a huge deal, and we'll make sure to let you know when that feature / ability launches as soon as it does.
In the meantime, keep checking back with the game's Facebook fan page for additional links / announcements of free prizes, and click right here to claim your free 400 Social Points.
What sorts of prizes are you hoping to receive in this week-long event of free stuff? What will you purchase with your 400 free Social Points?
To start, we're given a gift of Social Points - a whopping 400 Social Points at that. Since your other methods of earning Social Points normally come in small increments (of 10 or less per action) when visiting friends, this really is a substantial prize. Remember, these Social Points work as a form of third currency in the game, and can be used to purchase exclusive decorations or other home items that aren't available through any other method or currency.
We've also been told that we'll be able to increase our land size in the future, although that wasn't exactly announced in as many words. To be specific, we're asked if we "need more space to build your dream home" and that with that question comes a secret that the developers just couldn't hold in anymore. We're even asked "If you could expand your land, what is the first room you'd build on it?"
Put two and two together here, and you're left with the answer that land size will soon be increasing, although no particular release date was announced (unfortunately). If you're like me, your home has already filled most nooks and crannies of land in our admittedly small square, and is surrounded by outdoor goodies to boot. Being able to increase the size of our house plot is a huge deal, and we'll make sure to let you know when that feature / ability launches as soon as it does.
In the meantime, keep checking back with the game's Facebook fan page for additional links / announcements of free prizes, and click right here to claim your free 400 Social Points.
What sorts of prizes are you hoping to receive in this week-long event of free stuff? What will you purchase with your 400 free Social Points?
The Sims Social Cheats and Tips: A Guide to Land Expansions
You've grown out of room to put all of your cool stuff? Man, a Sim's life sure is rough, huh? Well, we're about to make your Sim's life in The Sims Social even easier. A large component to the game is building out your Sim's dream home, which of course, requires you to expand, expand expand. So, here is everything you need to know about Land Expansions in The Sims Social:
Are You Financially Prepared?
Before you even think about expanding your home, you will need to level up a bit. To expand your property for the first time, reach Level 10 and accumulate a House Value of at least 25K. To increase your House Value, simply buy more stuff! Once that's through, you will find "For Sale" signs littered around your property.
Location, Location, Location
Next, it's time to choose where you want to expand first. Expansions are good only for the square in which you request. Click on the square, and a pop-up window will appear with the requirements for a Land Expansion. Surprise--you'll need to ask your friends for items in true Facebook game fashion.
The Sims Social For Sale Sign
Oh, and it'll cost you a chunk of Simoleons, too. While the first Land Permit Application requires just four items and 2,000 Simoleons to take, we imagine this would increase with later expansions. Also, read carefully: This is a Land Permit Application, remember? That means ...
The Waiting Game
Every time you apply for a Land Expansion through this process, it'll take some time go through. And we're talking literal time: Your first Land Permit Application will not be accepted for one minute after completing it. Sure, this is nothing, but just wait until you reach your 11th and final expansion. That's right, it'll take days later on for applications to go through. Here are the requirements for each Land Permit Application, and the time it takes for each to go through:
Land Expansion Requirements:
First: 25K House Value; Level 10
Second: 30K House Value; Level 11
Third: 70K House Value; Level 12
Fourth: 80K House Value; Level 14
Fifth: 90K House Value; Level 16
Sixth: 100K House Value; Level 19
Seventh: 120K House Value; Level 22
Eighth: 140K House Value; Level 26
Ninth: 170K House Value; Level 31
10th: 200K House Value; Level 38
11th: 250K House Value; Level 45
The Sims Social Land Permit Application
Land Permit Application Wait Times:
First: One minute
Second: Five minutes
Third: 30 minutes
Fourth: One hour
Fifth: Two hours
Sixth: Four hours
Seventh: Eight hours
Eighth: 12 hours
Ninth: One day
10th: Two days
11th: Three days
Once your application has been approved, you'll definitely know. It's said that a prize comes with each major Land Expansion, and that your Sim won't be able to help but celebrate. And after all the hard clicking work, we doubt you will either.
[Source and Image Credit: Playfish]
Have you started expanding your property in The Sims Social yet? What do you think of how Playfish is handling land expansions in the game?
Are You Financially Prepared?
Before you even think about expanding your home, you will need to level up a bit. To expand your property for the first time, reach Level 10 and accumulate a House Value of at least 25K. To increase your House Value, simply buy more stuff! Once that's through, you will find "For Sale" signs littered around your property.
Location, Location, Location
Next, it's time to choose where you want to expand first. Expansions are good only for the square in which you request. Click on the square, and a pop-up window will appear with the requirements for a Land Expansion. Surprise--you'll need to ask your friends for items in true Facebook game fashion.
The Sims Social For Sale Sign
Oh, and it'll cost you a chunk of Simoleons, too. While the first Land Permit Application requires just four items and 2,000 Simoleons to take, we imagine this would increase with later expansions. Also, read carefully: This is a Land Permit Application, remember? That means ...
The Waiting Game
Every time you apply for a Land Expansion through this process, it'll take some time go through. And we're talking literal time: Your first Land Permit Application will not be accepted for one minute after completing it. Sure, this is nothing, but just wait until you reach your 11th and final expansion. That's right, it'll take days later on for applications to go through. Here are the requirements for each Land Permit Application, and the time it takes for each to go through:
Land Expansion Requirements:
First: 25K House Value; Level 10
Second: 30K House Value; Level 11
Third: 70K House Value; Level 12
Fourth: 80K House Value; Level 14
Fifth: 90K House Value; Level 16
Sixth: 100K House Value; Level 19
Seventh: 120K House Value; Level 22
Eighth: 140K House Value; Level 26
Ninth: 170K House Value; Level 31
10th: 200K House Value; Level 38
11th: 250K House Value; Level 45
The Sims Social Land Permit Application
Land Permit Application Wait Times:
First: One minute
Second: Five minutes
Third: 30 minutes
Fourth: One hour
Fifth: Two hours
Sixth: Four hours
Seventh: Eight hours
Eighth: 12 hours
Ninth: One day
10th: Two days
11th: Three days
Once your application has been approved, you'll definitely know. It's said that a prize comes with each major Land Expansion, and that your Sim won't be able to help but celebrate. And after all the hard clicking work, we doubt you will either.
[Source and Image Credit: Playfish]
Have you started expanding your property in The Sims Social yet? What do you think of how Playfish is handling land expansions in the game?
The Sims Social Summer Blowout Week decor shows its pearly whites
With a freebie frenzy of sorts and a new feature in Land Expansions, Playfish has been rather busy with The Sims Social. Just recently, the team released a number of new summer-themed items in its Summer Blowout Week to ring out the brightest season ... again.
At any rate, there are quite a few items to check out both for Simoleons and SimCash. But we're going to focus on the decorations, so moving right along:
LuxLite Wonder
Costs: 8 SimCash
House Value: 1,200
Sunflower
Costs: 9 SimCash
House Value: 1,500
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Lemonade For All
Level 13 Required
House Value: 350
Contempo Chair
Costs: 14 SimCash
House Value: 2,050
Basix Lounger
Costs: 450 Simoleons
House Value: 300
Sleep: 11
Bladder: -1
Twisted Topiary
Costs: 15 SimCash
House Value: 2,200
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Heart Topiary SolTrain Gazebo LuxLite Lamp
Contempo Table
Costs: 19 SimCash
House Value: 2,800
Stunning Palm
Costs: 19 SimCash
House Value: 2,800
Fun: 3
Social: 3
ArchPine Chair
Level 12 Required
House Value: 650
Star Parasol Rose/Pale
Level 13 Required
House Value: 650
Heart Topiary
Costs: 25 SimCash
House Value: 3,700
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Contempo Bench
Costs: 25 SimCash
House Value: 3,700
Lizard Lounger
Costs: 800 Simoleons
House Value: 700
Sleep: 11
Bladder: -1
SolTrain Lounger
Costs: 29 SimCash
House Value: 4,300
Sleep: 11
Bladder: -1
ArchPine Table
Level 12 Required
House Value: 1,100
Contempo Lux
Costs: 35 SimCash
House Value: 5,150
Sunflower Font of all Awesome Pale Star Parasol
ArchPine Bench
Level 12 Required
House Value: 1,300
Mini Palm
Costs: 1,350 Simoleons
House Value: 1,450
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Aquatix Thrill
Costs: 55 SimCash
House Value: 8,150
Atlas Fountain
Costs: 1,750 Simoleons
House Value: 1,650
Font of All Awesome
Costs: 2,250 Simoleons
House Value: 1,800
Spheres Topiary
Level 23 Required
House Value: 3,250
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Dolphin Topiary
Costs: 4,500 Simoleons
House Value: 3,400
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Elephant Topiary
Costs: 6,500 Simoleons
House Value: 4,650
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Air and Air Pool
Level 12 Required
House Value: 9,500
Fun: 19
Sleep: 11
While a majority of these item unfortunately cost SimCash, a good amount of them go for Simoleons. The best bang for your buck? I'd recommend going for any of the topiaries to give your House Value an instant boost. Also, keep in mind that a number of new wall and floor patterns were added, too, most of which cost Social Points. So, keep visiting your friends if you want to change the overall palette of your Sim's home.
[Image Credit: Playfish]
Have you snapped up any of these summer items? What type of decor are you hoping for next in The Sims Social?
At any rate, there are quite a few items to check out both for Simoleons and SimCash. But we're going to focus on the decorations, so moving right along:
LuxLite Wonder
Costs: 8 SimCash
House Value: 1,200
Sunflower
Costs: 9 SimCash
House Value: 1,500
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Lemonade For All
Level 13 Required
House Value: 350
Contempo Chair
Costs: 14 SimCash
House Value: 2,050
Basix Lounger
Costs: 450 Simoleons
House Value: 300
Sleep: 11
Bladder: -1
Twisted Topiary
Costs: 15 SimCash
House Value: 2,200
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Heart Topiary SolTrain Gazebo LuxLite Lamp
Contempo Table
Costs: 19 SimCash
House Value: 2,800
Stunning Palm
Costs: 19 SimCash
House Value: 2,800
Fun: 3
Social: 3
ArchPine Chair
Level 12 Required
House Value: 650
Star Parasol Rose/Pale
Level 13 Required
House Value: 650
Heart Topiary
Costs: 25 SimCash
House Value: 3,700
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Contempo Bench
Costs: 25 SimCash
House Value: 3,700
Lizard Lounger
Costs: 800 Simoleons
House Value: 700
Sleep: 11
Bladder: -1
SolTrain Lounger
Costs: 29 SimCash
House Value: 4,300
Sleep: 11
Bladder: -1
ArchPine Table
Level 12 Required
House Value: 1,100
Contempo Lux
Costs: 35 SimCash
House Value: 5,150
Sunflower Font of all Awesome Pale Star Parasol
ArchPine Bench
Level 12 Required
House Value: 1,300
Mini Palm
Costs: 1,350 Simoleons
House Value: 1,450
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Aquatix Thrill
Costs: 55 SimCash
House Value: 8,150
Atlas Fountain
Costs: 1,750 Simoleons
House Value: 1,650
Font of All Awesome
Costs: 2,250 Simoleons
House Value: 1,800
Spheres Topiary
Level 23 Required
House Value: 3,250
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Dolphin Topiary
Costs: 4,500 Simoleons
House Value: 3,400
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Elephant Topiary
Costs: 6,500 Simoleons
House Value: 4,650
Bladder: 9
Fun: 3
Air and Air Pool
Level 12 Required
House Value: 9,500
Fun: 19
Sleep: 11
While a majority of these item unfortunately cost SimCash, a good amount of them go for Simoleons. The best bang for your buck? I'd recommend going for any of the topiaries to give your House Value an instant boost. Also, keep in mind that a number of new wall and floor patterns were added, too, most of which cost Social Points. So, keep visiting your friends if you want to change the overall palette of your Sim's home.
[Image Credit: Playfish]
Have you snapped up any of these summer items? What type of decor are you hoping for next in The Sims Social?
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