tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85738947127535201502024-03-13T07:58:08.684+00:00Andy's Workshop - Frontierville Express - More Than Just A News SiteAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-34338082640958771742013-11-10T20:37:00.000+00:002013-11-10T20:37:34.975+00:00Nothing for Money and the Hints for Free...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" /></a>As we've got bigger we tend to get more questions about us and about the page as well as the game, which is understandable.<br />
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I'm always a bit loathe to talk about us instead of the game but when things are asked regularly, it's worth it. Depending how well this goes it might be the first in a series of us answering your questions about US, maybe even an FAQ... well, anyway, that's all that so lets go!<br />
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Today's topic I'd like to cover is something that probably everyone thinks about, the incomings and outgoings of money, we're often asked (usually in PMs) about how we admins get paid, do we pay for stuff, all that kind of thing, so, let's answer a few.<br />
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Q: How much do you make being an admin?<br />
A: The simple answer to that is we make nothing... but that's not a pity call or anything, it's our own choice, and let me explain why.<br />
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For me and all the admins this is a hobby, and I can speak from experience when I say one of the worst things you can do is try to make money from a hobby you love. It's not long before the fun part fades and the money takes the forefront. You start thinking more about stats and figures and what will get pennies coming in than you do the important stuff.<br />
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Sooner or later we'd end up making people come to our site for something we could have just as easily left on Facebook, and I don't like it when places do that to me, so I won't do it to you. If we guide you to our site it's because this is the best place for the information to be kept, not because there's some ninja script counting up pennies.<br />
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So, we made a decision early on that we've stuck to. There are <b>no adverts</b> on Express,<b> no scripts</b>, <b>no methods of making money at all</b>. I know some people may be shocked and disbelieving of that but we've stood firm and never made a penny from Express, and never will. You can come here safe in the knowledge there's nothing going on under the water, we're not an iceberg, we're a surfboard. (not least because we know you wouldn't care anyway, so we'd not hide it)<br />
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Don't get me wrong, we live in a capitalist society, there is nothing wrong with any site out there wanting to make money and I understand, I just ask that they understand in return, that we've decided not to.<br />
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Q: How much do you pay Zynga to be approved/for features?<br />
A: Absolutely nothing.<br />
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They came to us in January of 2011 with an offer, keep doing what we do but with an extra line into Zynga. We pay them with feedback, glitch reports and by looking after you (a big reason was making sure YOU get help and info). In return we get info direct from source and our own feedback.<br />
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I find it hard to believe myself, especially with the negative impressions folks get of big business, but we've never been asked for money, just our time and our feedback and to help YOU. In return we've asked for nothing for us, glitch fixes aside, THAT we ask for, lol<br />
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Of course, sometimes we get more, like the recent Admin Animals which were a gift to give us a little recognition (no Mr Bitter Cynic I'm sure is out there, we didn't pay for them, lol)... recognition we didn't need but were still majorly appreciative of... we never ask for it though, and we wouldn't have enjoyed them as much as we do if we had, a requested compliment is no compliment at all.<br />
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It's hardly even a business connection anymore, it feels more like a partnership and that's as much down to the people at Zynga who've been great at never treating us like the over-eager fanboys and fangirls we are :)<br />
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Q: Seriously, no money, because I heard from...</div>
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A: Seriously, no money, and I know it's weird but that's us, weird :) (Actually Gillian prefers "different")</div>
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Adverts have been suggested, even a donate button at one point, but we've decided against every single idea.</div>
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You don't get paid to play the game and help your neighbours, neither do we.</div>
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If you read all that, I thank you, and if you've been one of the folks who've asked us this sort of stuff in the past, I hope this has answered your questions.</div>
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I'll finish off now with an offer to you... You know we'll always answer your questions about the game, but be assured that we'll also strive to answer your questions about US and the page with the same openness and honesty we use at all times.</div>
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If you want to ask anything about us, just do it. If you'd like to keep it private then use the message button on our page (right hand side under the header pic) and we'll answer you there. This is your page and your site, and you have a right to ask your questions and get the truth about it.<br />
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Happy trails :)<br />
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Andy</div>
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-50824357995103219442013-07-02T20:07:00.000+01:002013-07-02T20:08:22.052+01:00Zynga - How To Make Your Feelings Known<div class="separator" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr2Pe7-RPyIfemomFQxoBh-0EGxi2Dv3It_R0SNWHpiaEbtAdgD94tvLf0J8ilw83iJtLwJjt9XbxTemagBWhFwM3aoIgZW49pT1Ktlhza7wCfrVK_6IvxGLRnd1o_vLtX8fnmVKPWHk/s404/voiceheard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr2Pe7-RPyIfemomFQxoBh-0EGxi2Dv3It_R0SNWHpiaEbtAdgD94tvLf0J8ilw83iJtLwJjt9XbxTemagBWhFwM3aoIgZW49pT1Ktlhza7wCfrVK_6IvxGLRnd1o_vLtX8fnmVKPWHk/s200/voiceheard.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This post has been inspired by two things, firstly a Copy/Paste that can only come under the heading of "you're not helping" and also this quote, taken from the inimitable CVG website regarding new Zynga CEO Don Mattrick...<br />
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"Divinch also believes Mattrick, and Microsoft, deserve credit for taking an "active listening approach to their consumers and reversed key business policies as quickly as they did.""<br />
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Let's be honest, that sounds pretty good, right? A sentence that includes active listening, consumers and reversed key business decisions... all attributed to the new Zynga CEO. Course, we'll see when it happens, but still, lets try to be positive.<br />
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So to the point of this post, because an active listening approach requires something to listen TO... so I thought I'd put a few notes and ideas into a guide, what to do, where to do it and how to write it so that we maximise the chances that we get our voices heard.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Why</span></div>
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Because, well, what else are we going to do?</div>
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I think this game deserves a chance, and I think we deserve to be listened to. I worry, however, that too often feedback doesn't help because of fixable factors. So much of feedback relies on what is written, how it's written, even where it's written and a lot fails at least one of those.</div>
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We're still here because we're enthusiastic about the game, and that's what needs to come across. We don't hate them, they've just hurt us... but we're prepared to give it another go if they'll change.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">What</span></div>
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OK, this may not go down well, but after all it is one of the main focuses of the post... Don't do a copy/paste chain post. Ever.<br />
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(A copy/paste is when you see a post complaining, the latest one started Dear Zynga, and it entreats you to simply copy it word for word.)<br />
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Instead of taking a few seconds to copy/paste, take a few minutes to write YOUR thoughts down, your own personal words. It doesn't matter if you write like Shakespeare, Dan Brown or Aaron Rayburn, cause of the <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1LPA5YOND6TGD" target="_blank">funniest review on Amazon ever</a></b>, it doesn't matter if you write in English, French, German, Esperanto or Pictish Runes your own words will always, ALWAYS beat some generic copy paste.</div>
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They need to know we all feel strongly enough to write OUR thoughts down, not just 'meh' enough to press Control-C, Control-V.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Where</span></div>
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OK, I know it's cruel to go back to the Copy/Paste that partly kicked all this off, I'm sure it was done with the best intentions but it also included a pretty daft line in this:</div>
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"COPY AND PASTE TO YOUR WALL IF YOU AGREE."<br />
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What does that achieve? A warm glowing feeling in the mind of the original writer as he or she watches his words flow through Facebook?<br />
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What it won't achieve is, well, anything with Zynga. They don't read our walls, even in the most paranoid fantasies of the doomsayers. It's not even that great a call to arms, what would have happened if the US Revolutionaries like Washington and Adams had just penned a short letter complaining about us Brits and told everyone to copy it word for word and... put it on the wall in their kitchen.<br />
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Equally it doesn't help to tell people to email, live chat, tweet, message or carrier pigeon Support, they're systems are built for issues, not feedback.</div>
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No, what we need to do is get people to write in the right places...</div>
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First up, the feedback section of Zynga's forums, and I mean specifically the <b><a href="http://www.zyngaplayerforums.com/forumdisplay.php?367-Feedback" target="_blank">Feedback Section</a></b>, not General Discussion etc.<br />
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Secondly the specific PT Feedback form which is <b><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/zynga.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dElYdFdmU0M1TlIxQ2NaZ1R3UUNneVE6MQ#gid=0" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">How</span></div>
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OK, this part might cause the most grief, but here goes. HOW you write feedback and complaints is extremely important.</div>
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Take the aforementioned Copy/Paste one last time, then I'll leave it alone. It was a hard to read block of text with random capitals, multiple punctuation (!!!) and negative emotive language. None of those things help. Feedback has to be easy to read and make a good impression of the writer (you want them to know you're a person worth listening to).</div>
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<b>Take a step back...</b> The best tip I can suggest for all of this is write what you want to say but DO NOT post it yet. Writing is cathartic, it makes us channel feelings and emotions and it often overwhelms us with them. It's why I adore writing, but it's also why it doesn't work for this kind of thing.<br />
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Write what you want, then go get a cup of tea, stroke your dog/cat, play peek-a-boo with a baby and relax for a few minutes. Let the adrenaline and endorphins drop a bit, I'd suggest at least 10-30 minutes, and then go back and read what you wrote.<br />
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I'd bet a clover crop to a bucket of Horseshoes at least one part makes you cringe, you'll spot errors, repeated words, things that would make you wish you could turn back the clock if you spotted them after you'd sent it. There's a good chance you'll also spot things that in a calmer emotive state you realise either shouldn't be there or worded differently, so now you get to re-write it and make it even better.</div>
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<b>Avoid incorrect absolutes or rumoured facts...</b> Only write what you KNOW is true, too often these things either contain things we think are true (you don't bother fixing the games) or we want to think are true (it's NEVER our computers, it's always you). If you include something they know is factually or technically untrue, or launch a conspiracy theory, it derails it instantly.<br />
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<b>Be realistic...</b> When you're asking for things, try to make them realistic and doable. Asking for things that will kill the game as a viable business (no requests) or will alienate other players (no missions for 6 months) just won't happen. Take a second to think of it from a business point of view, if YOU ran Zynga and wanted the game to make a profit, would you do what's being asked? Try to find a compromise, Less requests is possible, none is not, as one example.</div>
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<b>Avoid negative emotive language...</b> There are two types of emotive language in writing, positive and negative. The first is always far better as a tool for convincing people to do things, say for example you're haggling for something, lets say a TV. Which of these statements is more likely to help?<br />
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"I love this TV, but I don't think I can afford that price." or "You're just being greedy, drop the price or I walk."</div>
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Think of it from the other side, the TV seller... which of those is more likely to make you want to help?</div>
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Use positive emotive language when you're talking about changes to Pioneer Trail, point out the reason you want this is because you love the game and you want to be having fun playing it, point out that you want this game to succeed. What will save this game is a dedicated fanbase who want it to be as good as it was, as fun as it was. </div>
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Someone who rattles out "or I'll quit" gives the impression of being one foot out the door already... give the image of someone wanting a reason to stay, not looking for a reason to go.</div>
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<b>Mind your language...</b> Swearing, insults and abuse is the last recourse of a lost argument, don't be that person. Understand that there are many, MANY sympathetic ears in Zynga, it's not some evil entity staffed by people with social disorders.</div>
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<b>Remember they're people too...</b> and on that note, the final point. The person who reads your feedback is, well, a person, and more than that they're most likely not the person that made the decision(s) you disagree with.</div>
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When you go back to reread what you write before sending think dispassionately and logically about how YOU would feel to be on the other end of it. Totally disconnect yourself from it and read it like it's been sent to you. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">What now</span></div>
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Who knows? Will doing this make a difference? Maybe, maybe not. Will Mattrick make a difference? Maybe, maybe not.<br />
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But we're still here for a reason, and we need to get that reason across, that this game could be great.</div>
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We, as players, still have a good and effective voice when used well, and we need to make sure it is.<br />
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Now you've finished this, why not read my <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2013/05/five-step-plan-v-players-strike-back.html" target="_blank">follow up Five Step Plan on how I think the game could be made better</a></b>, because... well, why not, there's hours before posting time...</div>
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-63933552197536430862013-05-13T13:07:00.003+01:002013-05-13T13:11:01.437+01:00Five Step Plan V - The Players Strike Back<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" /></a>[As usual, all thoughts in this blog are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily represent the views of the admins or members of Frontierville Express.]<br />
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Back in October of 2012 I wrote this post: <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/10/five-step-plan.html" target="_blank">Five Step Plan</a></b><br />
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It was my look from both sides of the fence at what I felt needed changing in the game, not only for players but also for Zynga, to promote new players and returning players.<br />
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Since I wrote that we've seen a number of new things and new changes, so I thought it was time to revisit what I wrote, add in a few things from another letter I aimed at Zynga and see where we were at.<br />
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DISCLAIMER: I'll repeat here what I said back then, this will probably not be perfect for everyone, because what we want and what Zynga want are different, and we need to find a middle ground.<br />
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Things like no requests or the ability to give away stuff to neighbours is unrealistic, because it harms Zynga's business, and we need to remember any game like this is expensive to run.<br />
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Apple bring out new iPhones every 3 weeks, sports teams suddenly need 9 alternate kits for varying situations ("this is our kit for playing on the second Sunday after a rainy Thursday in a month with a N in it") and Starbucks make you take out a mortgage if you want a blueberry muffin with that...<br />
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Companies try to make money, it's what they do. (It's at this point I'd like to guide you towards my extensive range of Andy Designed T-shirts at... No? OK then.)<br />
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On the other hand, Zynga probably wont like some of these suggestions either, but maybe it's time to get smaller slices of many pies, instead of big slices from few...<br />
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So, with expectations set to "achievable"... let's begin.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Step One: Players STILL Want to Play...</b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b>What has changed:</b> It's been a while since we saw a "doncha want your letter?" item that we've HAD to click before starting the game, lets hope they stay away.</span>
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<b>What's still relevant:</b> Back along I pointed out the sheer frustration and boredom of trying to get into the game, and if anything it seems to be even worse these days.</div>
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We sit down, load up and... wait, and click, and wait, and click, and wait, and click...</div>
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Horseshoe popups, mission windows, builds... if we're interested enough to want to play, LET US! Spread those popups out throughout the game instead, and think about cutting back on ones that push people to finish missions or builds... We know they're there, and we're either doing them, so don't need reminding, or are ignoring them for a reason and don't WANT reminding...<br />
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The best games are smooth games, not ones interrupted by loading times popups or other distractions when all folks want to do is get into it... some are inescapable, but too many just kill our enthusiasm.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Step Two: Giving People What They Want</span></b></div>
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<b>What has changed:</b> Very little, we've seen a couple more HS Crops become coin.<br />
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<b>What's still relevant:</b> Free gifting is still an almost criminal misuse of the word "gifting". We don't send people what they want, we send people what WE want... and with the insane amount of gifting crops these days it leaves players, well ones who haven't filled their Facebooks (against FB rules) with hundreds of people they don't know, forever behind.<br />
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I recently came up with this idea for free gifting to make it more useful: <a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2013/03/do-you-have-receipt.html">http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2013/03/do-you-have-receipt.html</a><br />
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Whether it's technically possible or not, I don't know, but something can surely be done to let folks get what they NEED...<br />
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The two ideas from the previous Five Step Plan also stay relevant:<br />
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1) After 2-4 weeks, make free gift crops or animals available in the market for coins. We get at least one new free gift crop a week, standard players will always have to request something, and right now most players are stuck in the frustrating position of having to decide which they want, knowing they can't ask again until tomorrow.<br />
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They also know if they're a few missions behind, they're most likely to be "gifting" this crop to people who don't even want it. Giving someone something they don't want, that's not gifting.<br />
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2) We know those things that pop up in game are to make us gift. Problem is it's ALWAYS rubbish, breakfasts, crops we don't really need, broken things... Keep those gifting popups but make it something GOOD, remove the Level 100 limit from giving Dinners for example and put them in.<br />
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Gifting works best when we're giving people things we know they'll like. So make gifting really worth it with some great things to send that will make people happy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steps Three and Four - The changes...</b></span></div>
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<b>What has changed:</b> OK, here's where things start sounding good... arguably we've now HAD the compromise that clobbers both steps three and four into the stands.<br />
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With the recent news that the game is switching to one release a week (I think we can all agree the wrapper is part of that one release) then the amount of missions and, from that, requests is suddenly halved.<br />
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Well, we could do with less of the features people don't like, but right now, I think when it comes to mission and request amounts, we're seeing the most likely compromise and one that will help everyone.<br />
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<b>What's still relevant</b>: The one thing that IS still a concern isn't current players as much as it is FUTURE players...<br />
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Every game needs new players, people come, people go, it's always an organic process. However because of how our missions are it doesn't create a welcoming atmosphere. Get to level 20 and all of a sudden you've been inundated with almost every mission we've ever had... This is NOT going to make players stick around, well, none but the most dedicated.<br />
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It's mad because it's not how games work, and I've played a LOT of them in the *mumble-mumble* amount of years I've been playing games of one kind or another, missions beget missions, threads beget threads, we move through the game knowing with each level, or with each mission set we complete another one and thus we're guided through the game, never feeling overwhelmed or out of touch.<br />
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That's how NORMAL games work. The problem is, Pioneer Trail doesn't... and it's damaging in lots of ways.<br />
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People get overwhelmed far too early, with dozens of missions all piling on at the same time before they've really had a chance to understand the game. Where do they click, what do they click, how do they build this or boost that...<br />
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I can't even imagine starting the game now, it must feel like being put in a room with a million piece jigsaw and being told to put it together without a guide picture.<br />
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It also ignores the difficulties present for NEW players that old ones don't have. Where are they meant to put all the buildings for the missions? How are they meant to keep up when the best boosts are buried and not available to them without completing some of those missions?<br />
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So what can be done?<br />
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First off, levelling needs to be MUCH more sensible. The recent missions could easily be set to appear at level 80, even level 100. This would make the experience for new players much more similar to that which the long term players have had, getting missions over a period of time, not just all at once.<br />
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The second thing would be to thread missions in a more logical way. One of the best things for me is the storylines, but often they're broken and disjointed because we often get later "chapters" before we've finished the first one.<br />
<br />
We can see Birdie getting engaged to Mae before we've even caught him, we can work on Jack's wedding to someone he met on a journey we haven't finished yet, heck for many Jack's still down a mine... They're all stories that we're reading like an arthouse surreal movie that tries giving us 10 timeframes in one go.<br />
<br />
Why not thread these missions like we did in the old days, meaning players new AND old don't feel overwhelmed, let us wait to complete previous missions before getting new ones... Just as most other games do.<br />
<br />
It's a MASSIVE start that we'll be having less missions from now on, but that's what it is, a start.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Step <strike>Five</strike> Four: Bigger Trolley</b></span></div>
<br />
<b>What's still relevant:</b> This one is still pretty much ALL still relevant so I'm just going to Copy and Paste what I wrote before.<br />
<br />
<br />
You knew it was coming, I knew it was coming, everyone reading knew it was coming.<br />
<br />
Rationing is no fun, and what seemed, to begin with, to be a fairly generous gift allocation now hasn't changed in over two years, when the game itself has changed immeasurably.<br />
<br />
When the game started and we had 50 clicks that was fine, a few mission requirements here, a few building bits there, for months we probably never hit 50 items we needed per day.<br />
<br />
Now we're needing twice that many items just for one building requirement, and the restrictions that felt so generous 2 years ago feel so crushingly small now.<br />
<br />
Let me plead the business case.<br />
<br />
Most people don't continue to click after 50. Player after player are only getting one to two clicks on a post if it's something even a few days old, let alone the poor folks trying to catch up.<br />
<br />
Giving people more clicks might still keep them being selfish and only clicking what they need, but at least it would get YOU more click statistics and more happy players. Happy players spend money, happy players get friends to play, happy begets happy...<br />
<br />
We then come to the envelope, an even more unfair problem. By limiting the amount of items an envelope can hold you're making it a nightmare carnival game of luck to request items from neighbours.<br />
<br />
After the first 50 gifts get through, BAM, nothing else. We only get to DR twice a day, most players will only take advantage of one of those... and you're standing there like a bouncer outside a busy nightclub saying however good we are, however much money we'll spend... the club is at it's limit and we can't get in.<br />
<br />
Even worse, it's not that we can't get in until some leave, it's that we can't get in AT ALL and our request is dead. That item we need, one of far too many, we'll never get because 50 people got their first.<br />
<br />
That, even more than clicks, is the cruellest cut, things we're sent, requests we make... poof, gone into the ether. This is a phrase often misused and often overused, but here I think it's apt;<br />
<br />
It's just not fair.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Step Five (New): The Right Bra Size</b></span></div>
<br />
We all need a helping hand now to be kept up where we should be, and right now the support situation is definitely not ideal.<br />
<br />
Before I go too far into what needs to be changed back, lets just take a quick "Devil's Advocate" moment to see WHY Support has bombed so badly recently.<br />
<br />
The main problem with Support has been abuse of the system, they're there to be tech support and cover for issues, but if we're honest for many it became more like a charity line.<br />
<br />
Pages we now see bemoaning the lack of support were, not that long ago, taking the attitude that Support were there for any little foible and freebie we fancied. Support became somewhere to go if you couldn't be bothered finishing a mission, didn't feel like building something or, sometimes on the worst pages, just because they fancied a freebie.<br />
<br />
There have been stories of people spending horseshoes deliberately and then contacting Support just to get them back and get the item for free, stories of people sending a ticket every 2-3 hours for the same issue, even people who contacted support EVERY DAY to get their clicks refunded.<br />
<br />
With stories like that and the general "we deserve freebies" attitude that's come from some places there IS some logical understanding of why Support (an expensive setup) had started to become less than helpful.<br />
<br />
First we saw them crack down by banning people who were guilty of abuse, becoming much more stingy with refunds and seeing a big cutback on Live Chat.<br />
<br />
That was doable, understandable, excusable. It became harder for fair players who'd never abused support but it was still there.<br />
<br />
Now though, it's almost impossible to get support when it's actually needed... and something does really need to be done.<br />
<br />
I think a good start would be the return of the Support system from the spam-laden and generally complicated Player/Player support system back to the forums from whence they came.<br />
<br />
The Forums worked well for support because not only did you have a collective of players who could and would help, but I'd imagine it was also better for Support Staff, threading people with the same complaints into one place, meaning a single answer can suffice, instead of having to individually answer dozens.<br />
<br />
It's also so much more interactive, allowing people to really feel they're being helped, when too often on the Player/Player area the only answer is a nasty little spammer with a .tk address and a believable spiel about where to get support (something that's easier to control on the forums as well).<br />
<br />
Secondly, as so many "I can't get Support" problems seem to be lost horseshoes why not have a specific online form to report that? It could then collate them all in one place for an agent to check through in one go. They could check to see if the item has been used, or if the person is a serial HS user and if they're ok to be refunded, hit a button and send them back.<br />
<br />
I don't think people are even that bothered about getting a REPLY from Support when it comes to HS, just getting them back (or not) is all people really care about.<br />
<br />
Good support, even just OK support is a big thing when it comes to customer satisfaction... and right now, folks are pretty uncomfortable.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The End</b></span></div>
<br />
The changes we've seen since I wrote my original Five Step Plan have, I think, made the game better. They covered some of the points, made changes that almost totally wiped out two steps and have generally shown to everyone recently that they HAVE listened to players and taken notice of concerns.<br />
<br />
But there's still a few things they may be able to make things even better, especially Free Gifting and a change to the missions to make new players more likely to STAY playing once they've found the game... because it's good enough to drag you in, but right now may not be good enough to keep you...<br />
<br />
But... we've seen good changes so far this year, and that IS something we need to celebrate and gives us hope...<br />
<br /></div>
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-49249447624025042882013-04-02T12:35:00.001+01:002013-04-02T12:53:35.132+01:00Randomness - How it works, why it sucks, how it could be fixed<div class="separator" style="text-align: center;">
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[As usual, all thoughts in this blog are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily represent the views of the admins or members of Frontierville Express.]<br />
<br />
Randomness, oh randomness... why do you torment us so?<br />
<br />
Randomness, chance, luck, chaos... they're all things that are interwoven deeply into the tapestry of existence, but have never reached such heights of despair as felt by Frontierville/Pioneer Trail players over the last couple months.<br />
<br />
The addition of randomness into the game has been, in one fell swoop, the most antagonising game feature in memory. At least with repeats you know what you're getting, at least with Partnering it's workable... but Randomness, you cold-hearted shrew, you cause us pain like never before.<br />
<br />
Let me get this part out the way first, I believe randomness and luck can be a fair game mechanic. Most games out there have some element of it, the roll of a dice, the turn of a card, something that just makes it not quite so predictable.<br />
<br />
But luck and randomness need to be designed well and balanced well or it tumbles into frustration and unfairness. One player being more lucky than another is ok, we can deal with that... one player being a LOT more lucky starts becoming a grind. The trick with randomness is to make people win just before they reach the point where it's annoying. These days with the random stuff I'd say we're usually waaaaaay past that point.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>How it works</b></div>
<br />
To get to the bottom of why it's so infuriating and what could be done, lets actually rip open the casing and see HOW the randomness works. This is how drops are decided and how the random animals are chosen.<br />
<br />
Every time the game needs to make a choice it rolls a virtual one of these...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVpeuEcZvVwq2JLlsdDhygZTTI-aZk2bqbFuzRUjbBSaH5chYDmMa8EaoVo5Qvh41ExnH2K_yhue1Axi0hKE65_Aj5419emtZ32nJr9WPODG4bTEkSMgokY8jjnRnZ7VPO3X-kUAR6yw/s1600/D100-cat__32277.1329286687.1280.1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVpeuEcZvVwq2JLlsdDhygZTTI-aZk2bqbFuzRUjbBSaH5chYDmMa8EaoVo5Qvh41ExnH2K_yhue1Axi0hKE65_Aj5419emtZ32nJr9WPODG4bTEkSMgokY8jjnRnZ7VPO3X-kUAR6yw/s200/D100-cat__32277.1329286687.1280.1280.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<br />
Yes, your eyes don't deceive you, that is a 100 sided dice (<b><a href="http://www.boxcars.com.au/100-sided-dice/" target="_blank">this one is on sale here...</a></b>). It's largely used for roleplay games like Dungeons and Dragons. The surface is ever so slightly pimpled like a golf ball so it'll stop with a number pointing up.<br />
<br />
Now, every time we heal a random animal or try for a drop the game rolls this dice and then looks at a little chart to see what number corresponds to what prize, then gives it to you.<br />
<br />
So, for example, in the latest random crates a dice roll of 1-40 will get you the tree, 41-70 will get you the sheep and 71-100 will get you the donkey.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The same goes for Collection items, mission drops and things like that elusive Sceptre (hmm, The Elusive Sceptre, if that's not in Dungeons and Dragons it should be...)<br />
<br />
Every time we click the game is rolling its digital dice and finding us a number.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Why it sucks</b></div>
<br />
Here's the problem, Zynga are picking their numbers like an engineer with too much logic. The roll rates for the Prank Crate above would SUGGEST it's as near as makes no difference a 1 in 3 roll with a slight bias towards the tree.<br />
<br />
But that's not how the world works. To take a very small example I just flipped a coin (a 50p piece if you want full disclosure). That should be a simple 1 in 2 chance of being heads or tails but in fact it went tails, tails, heads, tail, tails. I know, I know, that's a incredibly small test group but it goes to show that the world doesn't like to play by the rules.<br />
<br />
It's not 1 in 3, it's 30 in 100, and that really does make a difference. If I have 3 boxes in front of me and one contains a million pounds I'd consider my chances quite good at finding riches. If there's 100 boxes in front of me and 30 contain a million, I'd be pretty sure I'd find one of the empty 70.<br />
<br />
We also have to remember that the game doesn't have a memory. When people talk about drop rates of 1 in 10 the game isn't counting, it won't think to itself "they've not had the Sceptre in 9 tries so this time they will", it's just as tied into luck and chaos as the rest of us.<br />
<br />
I truly think Zynga DO think their drop rates will work as advertised, but engineering and mathematics don't work right in the real world.<br />
<br />
Randomness works on a bell curve, but right now the number on the far right is just far, FAR too big for some.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>How it could be fixed</b></div>
<br />
There's two ways the whole Randomness thing could be sorted, well, actually three if you count just never doing it again but as I said at the start, I don't mind a little bit of randomness if it's fair, balanced and fun. There is a bit of fun in the thought of opening something and getting a random item inside, but that gets leeched out when we're having to do as many as we can to get them all.<br />
<br />
Option 1 - Smaller Numbers<br />
<br />
This one follows on from the explanation above and is pretty simple. USE SMALLER DICE!<br />
<br />
Say we still need the Donkey from the prank crate. every time we roll the 100 sided dice there are 70 chances for us to NOT get it. Each roll is brand new, by the law of averages it's even possible someone can open 5 Prank Crates and get the SAME failing number each time.<br />
<br />
So, instead, roll smaller dice. Roll a 10 sided dice and there's only 7 "losing" numbers we could hit, not 70. A mathematician might argue there's no difference, but they tend to work in absolutes, the simple logical answer is the less sides to the dice, the more chance of getting what you want because there's less variables.<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Option 2 - Limits<br />
<br />
The really simple answer would seem to be to give us caps and limits on what can appear. When we have random animals, code it that each animal can only have 3-5 on the homestead before the game ignores it and rolls again. We still get randomness, but nobody ends up doing insane amounts.<br />
<br />
I think people would be more pleasantly disposed to the randomness if they knew there was a maximum amount.<br />
<br />
"Yes, the most frogs you'll need to grow is seven, then you'll have them all for sure." - an answer most people would probably be fine hearing... but having people doing 20-30 of these items is just infuriating.<br />
<br />
The Random things aren't BAD, just badly designed... and could be made better if you really have to keep doing them.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-33204256023616929102013-03-04T17:51:00.000+00:002013-03-04T18:03:18.655+00:00Do You Have A Receipt?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="148" /></a><br />
[<b><i><u>Please note</u></i></b>: this is an <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/search/label/Andy%27s%20Imagination">Andy's Imagination</a></b> post, purely my own thoughts and will likely not appear in game]<br />
<br />
Let's be honest, sometimes we get given things that are... just not us.<br />
<br />
Argyll socks. A home knitted jumper with something on the front that could either be a rearing horse, a velociraptor or a cast member of Saw V. The Greatest Hits of Barry Manilow played on nose flute and bagpipe.<br />
<br />
We smile, we nod and then we send a neutral family member on a mission to secretly find out where they bought it so we can trade it off in the morning.<br />
<br />
Well, that's what were finding a lot in the game right now, up to date players who try to help neighbours who are struggling end up with items they don't need, Players who are struggling or trying to complete old missions find themselves getting gifts they can't use until some time in the future.<br />
<br />
Here's some Lavender, batteries not included and the stores don't open for a week.<br />
<br />
So, what can be done? Step up one of the most maligned characters on the homestead...<br />
<br />
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<br />
Yes, Jacques, dear Jacques. Trading post manager, priest and all round pain in the posterior.<br />
<br />
So, my little French Canadian friend, I think it's time for you to work...<br />
<br />
Here's the premise, we get a mission thread, could be to do with gifting and trading, might not be but it does involve Jacques.<br />
<br />
At the end of that, just as recent mission threads have given us Hank, Ted and Doc having actions, this one will use and abuse Jacques and his trading post. Once the missions are complete, he gains a new menu item "Gift Exchange".<br />
<br />
This takes you to his gift exchange screen where the magic happens. With the first option selected, every gift you receive and send back to neighbours works as normal. If a neighbour sends you Baby Carrots and you click to receive and send it back, you get Baby Carrots, and they get Baby Carrots.<br />
<br />
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<br />
But, what if you DON'T want them? Well, then you pick one of the other options on the gift exchange screen. Options that are picked by the game looking through your open missions and seeing what you need. So if you've got a muddy animal on your stead, it'll show Lavender if you've got the recent Companions build stage open that requires a drop from Yellow Essence Labs, they'll be there too.<br />
<br />
So, say you want that elusive Lavender you simply tick that option and go collect your gifts from the envelope as usual, everything your neighbours have sent, you send back one of those, as normal.<br />
<br />
BUT, then, when you close the envelope, up pops Jacques to tell you everything you accepted has now been exchanged for Lavender!<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
So your neighbours get what they want, you get what you want, Zynga get the same amount of social clicks on gifting, everyone goes home happy!<br />
<br />
And because you can switch the system on and off at will as many times as you want if there's stuff in your envelope you DO want, you can set it to Off, and you can even change it during collecting so half your gifts could be Lavender and half could be something else.<br />
<br />
Then finally, gifting might become 100% useful for everyone, and not a race to see who can request what they need first...Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-78604542246100644752013-03-02T10:52:00.001+00:002013-03-02T10:54:37.593+00:00New Facebook Designs On Their Way<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtr6mjxEw4u9pBorR8Q0uUv7HfEFpAiKaoI1tXlXRqRyZcxWxFePSNT-9D-CIAPBhoO80GIC4b6hjFCmOTB7nm0wCtsnzxSRLRCFk2Ep5fMwrWtKxhM1mNKUXHaPe3LLeNYbTiPpdoIc/s1600/Facebook_icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtr6mjxEw4u9pBorR8Q0uUv7HfEFpAiKaoI1tXlXRqRyZcxWxFePSNT-9D-CIAPBhoO80GIC4b6hjFCmOTB7nm0wCtsnzxSRLRCFk2Ep5fMwrWtKxhM1mNKUXHaPe3LLeNYbTiPpdoIc/s200/Facebook_icon.png" width="150" /></a><br />
As you know we try to keep you updated on Facebook news as well as game news because... well, it affects us just as much! I've decided to post it here instead of the main news feed because it verges on the nerdy.<br />
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See, Facebook, Oh Facebook of the Many Changes, looks like it's changing again...<br />
<br />
First up we're getting a new News Feed, the main homepage. There's a press event to show it off this coming Thursday so we'll hopefully get a bit more news and be able to show you what it's like after that (strangely we weren't on the press mailing list, I can only think an oversight...)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://cdn.thenextweb.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/03/Screen-Shot-2013-03-01-at-9.37.27-AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://cdn.thenextweb.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/03/Screen-Shot-2013-03-01-at-9.37.27-AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Image Credit: <b><a href="http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2013/03/01/facebook-holding-an-event-to-show-off-a-new-look-for-news-feed-on-march-7th/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">The Next Web</span></a></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Current rumours are the feed will become a lot less text based and a lot more image based, so we'll see bigger pictures to try and... spice it up.<br />
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Whether that will help or hinder us, only Facebook knows, it's been quite totalitarian over trying to hide more games content lately, but I guess as long as they don't remove the Game specific feeds then it might even be a GOOD thing! (Look, be positive, statistically even Facebook can make good changes, if only by accident.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our own space</span></div>
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Second up is that they're testing new Timeline/Profile designs in New Zealand (their traditional guinea pig country) that are actually more of a step in the retro direction back to the older designs.<br />
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The first change will be at the top, instead of the old design that we see now...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ohRyFJMMkocXn_Zi_RmzcMPf-4d324DWYed_Dwj6yceTJpLepFf8EVgN0DN4gJPHePKi0W9WSHWb5EYqSX8GycK2FETDgYq4L6zxrBCP9kVU22z_GAEhDWGDv1srLnYD9WNNbR45yVc/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ohRyFJMMkocXn_Zi_RmzcMPf-4d324DWYed_Dwj6yceTJpLepFf8EVgN0DN4gJPHePKi0W9WSHWb5EYqSX8GycK2FETDgYq4L6zxrBCP9kVU22z_GAEhDWGDv1srLnYD9WNNbR45yVc/s400/Untitled-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We'll see things made a bit more minimalist, with our names and action buttons moved into the header image and a new set of smaller, image-less menus slotted in where it was, meaning the actual new stuff on our profiles like Statuses and game posts are closer to the top of the page when you load. The about section is moved entirely, more on that in a minute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDzMbcLH0PrIR9dTpOhBFNlX39wTVjRjCLRaZvZb07I43BQt8gY-me4iaPxGrRH8MdhHBwSJCFXXqegaSvWOzXPHinT6V4qXdvlqd8c9C1sF4roLly51QlJNUah-DUO5iaZdboD4AJG4/s1600/Untitled-2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDzMbcLH0PrIR9dTpOhBFNlX39wTVjRjCLRaZvZb07I43BQt8gY-me4iaPxGrRH8MdhHBwSJCFXXqegaSvWOzXPHinT6V4qXdvlqd8c9C1sF4roLly51QlJNUah-DUO5iaZdboD4AJG4/s400/Untitled-2b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But, I hear you say, but how will the PAGE look, well, thanks to this image from <b><a href="http://readwrite.com/2013/02/28/facebook-rolling-out-timeline-redesign-in-new-zealand-heres-what-it-looks-like" target="_blank">ReadWrite</a></b> we can see (click for bigger)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugNZxBdNxieIO8kMw6Swqn4IFkqZDLFOPI5ckxzdoFk2OIuogCR5rmAKieus-sKHb6XkJUYWidpBpttPJo4lAvgmRsdHeTX80qABOxHNnMBJrAlGA3li-QUe9jv3-lTliMKxEQVLm5Jk/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugNZxBdNxieIO8kMw6Swqn4IFkqZDLFOPI5ckxzdoFk2OIuogCR5rmAKieus-sKHb6XkJUYWidpBpttPJo4lAvgmRsdHeTX80qABOxHNnMBJrAlGA3li-QUe9jv3-lTliMKxEQVLm5Jk/s400/Untitled-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Image Credit: <b><u><a href="http://readwrite.com/2013/02/28/facebook-rolling-out-timeline-redesign-in-new-zealand-heres-what-it-looks-like" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">ReadWrite</span></a></u></b></td></tr>
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As you can see, in a step back to the olden golden days all our statuses, posts, links etc are now in one single column down the centre of the page, no more zig-zagging from left to right.<br />
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Instead, the left hand side is now topped off with the About section and then uses more social items, a bigger set of photos, our likes, our favourites... it basically becomes a billboard of us. That means we might hopefully find game posts easier because some of the more random boxes that clutter the Timeline will all be squeezed off into the left.<br />
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What we have to remember is that although Timeline got the rap for hiding game posts, it was never really to blame, Facebook were going to do it anyway, Timeline was just the convenient time. We've seen a much smaller precedence for Game posts over the last year or so, perhaps because Facebook are worried they're becoming a gaming platform more than a social network and spammy game could drive away people who simply want to keep in touch.<br />
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So whether this will suddenly take us back to the olden days of every post showing up is debatable probably highly unlikely... but you never know, it certainly doesn't look like it's making anything worse.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-30047885605295320792013-02-16T14:03:00.000+00:002013-02-16T14:05:00.348+00:00The Quest for Equal Play<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="95" /></a>[As usual, all thoughts in this blog are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily represent the views of the admins or members of Frontierville Express.]<br />
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Dear Zynga, we need to talk. Grab a chocolate hobnob, a cup of the beverage of your choice and a seat on the sofa.<br />
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It's been confirmed that the different drops of Squeekies from the Cuddly Kitty Corral is predetermined and different for players and that this is programmed.<br />
<br />
I have a bit of a problem with this and it's the same as the problem I have with cheating.<br />
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People don't necessarily want a quick game or an easy game, all we ask is a fun game and, most important here, a fair game.<br />
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We understand that making too much stuff free can impact the game and impact how good it is for you as a business. But on the other hand the ability to get the growth items from the building has helped make a generally disliked game mechanic (the partnering) more palatable for the players.<br />
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By creating an arbitrary tiered "class system" for players it makes the game unfair and unbalanced. It causes friction between players and between the players and yourselves.<br />
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It's also made one of least popular features even more worse, not necessarily in gameplay terms but just the feeling it's given everyone, even those lucky ones in the top tier (and, full disclosure, I am one of the lucky ones and I'm still vexed).<br />
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Often a good feature isn't made or broken by the feature itself but on out feelings ABOUT the feature.<br />
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Making people feel players are being treated unfairly in such an extreme way as this, unbalancing the game, will simply add another reason to instinctively hate these partnering missions, whether they're good or not.<br />
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If you have to limit it make the building unboostable and give it a 2-4 hour turnaround or make it a random drop. OK, people won't get everything they need but you still get your posts, and at least it gives a silver lining to the Partner Cloud for players.<br />
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Make it none, make it one, make it three, but whatever you do make it EQUAL.<br />
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I think most players would agree that we expect good missions and bad missions, different strokes for different folks. But, good or bad, we also expect them to be fair and balanced for everyone.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-47101964975630786462013-02-04T22:53:00.000+00:002013-02-04T22:53:09.927+00:00A Quick Award Ceremony...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNRdCu4idsnuySoK_B6p3PkK2ZuyIsEZOOPATegp4d63kczmjaFRQ_98iKkpYSlZBVY8dfmZBNF9nqg_q-NGe3sIPBhlmPcG0oFkW0fahtAmZV_rUzEq-9bj6aYPlJm1bFluHMk2Vl28/s1600/awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNRdCu4idsnuySoK_B6p3PkK2ZuyIsEZOOPATegp4d63kczmjaFRQ_98iKkpYSlZBVY8dfmZBNF9nqg_q-NGe3sIPBhlmPcG0oFkW0fahtAmZV_rUzEq-9bj6aYPlJm1bFluHMk2Vl28/s320/awards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As we've now been around for two years I thought it might be fun to have a little dig through the last two years in a nostalgic fug and see if I could pick out the best and worst moments of the last two years in the game, in my opinion.<br />
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<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Worst Building</u></b></div>
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It's fair to say sometimes, just sometimes, either the developers or the art department have... well, lets be generous and call it a blip. This award looks at those moments where things just don't go quite right.<br />
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<b>Holiday Hall </b>- The buildings that store buildings are awesome, we will all agree, but sometimes they're just a leeeetle bit pointless.<br />
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The Holiday Hall stored all those buildings from certain events on the Homestead, Halloween, Christmas, 4th July etc. The problem here is that other than two of them they were all storable in the shed and we all did, because they were largely useless with no great rewards.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3Qp9Zdeb_3BxSPSGipD3kxO2KU6ZF7uvLyRQRcCfmJBp0JLgWVt-K0boHnXZYfRXJ7RthznnujQjJ9LVrF7Nb60Z9z5oMSJd4fTQIIEDAo9m9K0Gzp-9_GwDDibW_rRXN4tRg4EFOOo/s1600/image028.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3Qp9Zdeb_3BxSPSGipD3kxO2KU6ZF7uvLyRQRcCfmJBp0JLgWVt-K0boHnXZYfRXJ7RthznnujQjJ9LVrF7Nb60Z9z5oMSJd4fTQIIEDAo9m9K0Gzp-9_GwDDibW_rRXN4tRg4EFOOo/s320/image028.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Had the Holiday Hall been slightly smaller than, say, an ocean going liner it might have been alright, but with the Hall being about twice the size of the only buildings we really cared about storing in it this one was about as successful as Bess' eharmony profile.<br />
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<b>Ferris Wheel </b>- Some folks said it was anachronistic but actually they had Ferris Wheels in Pioneer Times, so that's not why it's on this list, it's more just about the building itself and the story that surrounded it.<br />
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First up, we're meant to make our child safe by having them ride something made by Hank. Hank.<br />
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I don't think I would trust my child sitting on a stool made by Hank, let alone high up in the air in a Ferris Wheel, unless of course they take a really extreme view of facing your fears over there.<br />
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The other big factor was it was a building with no actual use beyond this one mission thread, and the mission thread had no use but to build the wheel, the whole thing just stuck you in ever decreasing circles of uselessness.<br />
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<b>Detective Office</b> - Where on earth do I start?<br />
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Do we start with Finkerton looking like an axe murderer? (He and Jacques could make a good Pioneer-era Saw movie) How about the ugly green colour we couldn't change? Maybe it's the largely broken mechanic and the collection reward of a "pair of footprints".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZreHhODBnHTZfGgZorSz3FN2SJzMoaVmdafIgpyt3vigBq4W_p0Xf5b6u0Cg6VO7iwlkxJMXrmS1LKvNUcXFg4Poh_X3XViuZuB48OOdeaFb-1w8uuyfzDm9eMFJX3kHD5mcF1FTLojQ/s1600/finkertons_icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZreHhODBnHTZfGgZorSz3FN2SJzMoaVmdafIgpyt3vigBq4W_p0Xf5b6u0Cg6VO7iwlkxJMXrmS1LKvNUcXFg4Poh_X3XViuZuB48OOdeaFb-1w8uuyfzDm9eMFJX3kHD5mcF1FTLojQ/s1600/finkertons_icon.png" /></a>No, I think it was the animation in the window at the back. If you've had your building hidden and have a strong constitution just take it out and take a peek, it's been known to make weak players faint.<br />
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I guess it was meant to be a sneaky detective fluttering the curtains to peek out. Instead, when you added it to the grim looking Finkerton stood out front you instead imagined a victim dressed in rags trying desperately to get aid for their strife by sending "help, I've been kidnapped and imprisoned by a psychotic detective and forced to make him tea" in morse code with their blinking.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Best Building</u></b></div>
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Of course, whether it's graphics or use, they get it right sometimes as well...<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<b>Ranch</b> - The Ranch is easily my favourite looking building, that's as clear as I can be. It works to open up a ton of space storing buildings, it wasn't onerous to build and it's gorgeous.<br />
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The look of it is so perfectly Frontier, the horse out front, the spinning windmill, the barn... You look at the Ranch and you see it on a Frontier homestead, which really is the best we can ask for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3cM21rL6Do-69nNWaZeVbXFkqEnWUy_lKqbebSIeGmpP-6lvoA-QKPuz_uvnml3oNxPVA21mXTKQc8QW9WMHkMhtAi1g_AfeIWOEnkWuY1kGpy0m9lgeKia_aOojRT6N9dxgHfKZAxw/s1600/image019b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3cM21rL6Do-69nNWaZeVbXFkqEnWUy_lKqbebSIeGmpP-6lvoA-QKPuz_uvnml3oNxPVA21mXTKQc8QW9WMHkMhtAi1g_AfeIWOEnkWuY1kGpy0m9lgeKia_aOojRT6N9dxgHfKZAxw/s320/image019b.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Saloon</b> - Ahh, the Saloon. Drinks, barmaids, a curvaceous nude painting over the bar... The thing about the Saloon is we can ALL see inside it even though we never really do.<br />
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Every western movie from a John Wayne special to Carry On Cowboy has themselves a Saloon, as does any book, video game or TV show. The corner design, the upstairs rail with some special rooms inside, the saloon doors... it's all so familiar it leaves a warm and loving feeling in our eyeballs.<br />
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Of course, the fact we can concoct drinks also helps...<br />
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<b>Library</b> - Ah yes, on the subject of boosts.... The Library just has to get a mention here. It's an attractive building (although now stores) but the greatness of the Library has to be in those wonderful book boosts you can craft inside it.<br />
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How many extra drops have folks got over time thanks to those magical doublers? Potentially the best boosts around and we wouldn't have them without the Library.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Worst Missions</u></b></div>
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If you've ever woken up at night in cold sweats thinking about a nightmare mission, it was probably one of these...<br />
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<b>Canning</b> - Right, lets start with one of the most iconic and remembered mission threads.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb92A2BA04up1DhUYHpH3HMC56zFcAIVoHsSgYqQEImVJlmYdGuozfeQLcLnuTdPV007L4ngZGXkOedYr-XnqF4Xl0OSxaJOFuITv0ifx8KvY7mYh8rFX7ls-8CHAgP3I2_XPvQtv_j98/s1600/Canning_Jar-icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb92A2BA04up1DhUYHpH3HMC56zFcAIVoHsSgYqQEImVJlmYdGuozfeQLcLnuTdPV007L4ngZGXkOedYr-XnqF4Xl0OSxaJOFuITv0ifx8KvY7mYh8rFX7ls-8CHAgP3I2_XPvQtv_j98/s1600/Canning_Jar-icon.png" /></a>Here's the difficulty with Canning. It took the food.<br />
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That seems like a really simple thing and oh well never mind, but remember it's the food and the energy that it buys that keeps us all playing the game. Canning was a little like making us go through a whole heap of work just to remove our ability to do a whole heap of work...<br />
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<b>Tape</b> - Tape. Just Tape. Do I need to say any more? No, didn't think so.<br />
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<b>Prize Pairings</b> - You know that annoying person in work who picks up any meme, TV catchphrase or joke and rattles it off... Every. Single. Moment.<br />
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That's the partnering missions, something that started as a nice idea, and has swiftly degenerated into something that grates on the nerves like the latest American Idol single and is as discomfiting as horsehair underpants.<br />
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Each thread taken on it's own is ok, the general idea of growing a prize animal is a good one... but it's a harsh lesson to any game developer. A good idea executed well will still be hated once you've flogged the donkey off it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZpf_3yOeCW0WUuVHA3YhrvYamYnNkv2m03qbcVLpN-WdVc0yqsKaxx2OChwACqfbWjeZVH0EsWMqwe13Lss9ssQnmy6jlE1h7EbO4PadEa_MDK1rEeyE9r1YXrNgEPeF_ko7GEeWS_0/s1600/icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZpf_3yOeCW0WUuVHA3YhrvYamYnNkv2m03qbcVLpN-WdVc0yqsKaxx2OChwACqfbWjeZVH0EsWMqwe13Lss9ssQnmy6jlE1h7EbO4PadEa_MDK1rEeyE9r1YXrNgEPeF_ko7GEeWS_0/s1600/icon.png" /></a><b>Chilli</b> - Let's be honest, even Heston Blumenthal couldn't create a chilli that uses 954 items, which was the amount of required requests for the Family Reunion missions, more commonly known as the Chilli missions.<br />
<br />
In the time it took to complete these missions I could have gone to cookery school, specialised in chilli, created my own supreme chilli recipe, started a chain of chilli cafes, sold them to Starbucks and blown my new found fortune on wine, women and song.<br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">Barter Office</b><b> - </b>Was anything ever more disingenuous than the Barter Depot? We heard Barter Depot and got all excited at the prospect of being able to trade things with neighbours or the game and swap things around that we needed.</div>
<br />
<br />
Instead, it was a 1016 to 1696 item craftathon where everything we made and bartered for just ended up being something else we would use to barter with ad nauseum.<br />
<br />
Even the REWARD we received at the end, the Victorian House, actually needed us to build it by going through the whole tedious "bartering" procedure again and again... In my eyes, easily the worst missions we've ever had.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Best Missions</u></b></div>
<br />
It could be requirements, or storyline, or reward... but some mission threads become more memorable and just better than others.<br />
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<b>Canning</b> - Right, lets start with one of the most iconic and remembered mission threads... OK, deja vu much?<br />
<br />
Let's accept that taking the food made Canning a really bad mission. But then, once you realised you could buy the requirement with just one Horseshoe and keep your food, the whole thing changed and it just became a mission of true homesteading, plating, harvesting, tending, tracking down what animals gave what food...<br />
<br />
There's a certain irony that after being so reviled before more and more times these days we see people harking back to it with rose tinted specs, and wishing for another mission like it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdJkWqgZMXaS_fTcFaMdK-O26fSBHs3mT5WC4N4wc_iRHkh2EkreVwedHip69finSRgO25CmKoUUvm_UpMREpzhv-ABWEPC44-6OPAtZ1WdFQsWXB42uQuZo0k0DCMUTk5vwosU8uAME/s1600/canon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdJkWqgZMXaS_fTcFaMdK-O26fSBHs3mT5WC4N4wc_iRHkh2EkreVwedHip69finSRgO25CmKoUUvm_UpMREpzhv-ABWEPC44-6OPAtZ1WdFQsWXB42uQuZo0k0DCMUTk5vwosU8uAME/s200/canon.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
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<b>Cattle Drive</b> - I know, I have placed a set of repeatable missions in the best missions set... let me explain my apparent insanity.<br />
<br />
"I hate repeatables" has become something of a mantra for Frontierville players, but this was a set of missions that changed a lot of people's minds. Once you stopped the knee jerk to the R word it became clear the missions were actually (whisper it)... nice.<br />
<br />
Although the final one was iffy (how many people knew what alfalfa was before these?) they were generally not bad missions, and soon a new mantra arrived... "I'd rather do a good mission three times than a bad mission once."<br />
<br />
I can honestly say I would rather get the Cattle Drive missions all over again than the Barter Depot!<br />
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<b>Kissing Tree</b> - The Kissing Tree gave us a lot of new stuff. It gave us romance, it gave us interaction where we could pick a storyline, it gave us the chance to be a real controller of destiny.<br />
<br />
Of course, we all know how it ended with Hank getting Fanny, but that feeling of interaction and control meant something, we had a hand in our own game, even for a short time.<br />
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<b>Prairie Pox</b> - How often have we seen "this isn't realistic, this wouldn't have happened in the Frontier." Well, this was VERY realistic...</div>
<br />
The wild frontier, a ravaging illness and the desperate need to get cured by building a Doctor's Office and getting good 'ol Doc Auburn in to help.<br />
<br />
Mission wise these were basic, but storyline wise, it really was as true to Frontier life as any game would be. Plus they looked fun while sick, it made you connect to your avatar and WANT to heal them!<br />
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<b>Make Believe</b> - I'm going to finish off with one of the most recent mission threads, and one of the best.<br />
<br />
The recent Make Believe missions had a great storyline, a fairly gentle set of requirements and fairly nice rewards... so what's not to like? That's as simple as I can say it, everything about the missions was enjoyable to do, they were a thread i almost regretted was over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7anqRBlMDYDZ0JIx2wh1zDfuOQWaYAXZN4KF4ttDMeN1zZ3KRPV6-80X7am8Gbb6HGb7ZPFOdh2K85PDIR2TtOBk8PUtfpww7W6J5JlAopcTEvYMuQ-HAqRbU0g7tPLLofkwStLVZSE/s1600/icon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7anqRBlMDYDZ0JIx2wh1zDfuOQWaYAXZN4KF4ttDMeN1zZ3KRPV6-80X7am8Gbb6HGb7ZPFOdh2K85PDIR2TtOBk8PUtfpww7W6J5JlAopcTEvYMuQ-HAqRbU0g7tPLLofkwStLVZSE/s1600/icon.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
But in it's excellence the Make Believe series does open up a question. How often will we get this kind of thread?<br />
<br />
I think it's fair to say that a lot of people would be happy with more Make Believe series of missions, but is that what we'll see? Or will we get more partnering missions?<br />
<br />
Will we continue to see requesting at a doable level or will something like the Barter Depot rear it's head again. Will we see threads the players would like to see, more of the Best than the Worst?<br />
<br />
Let's hope so, because above all the Make Believe thread gave the page and the game a generally positive feeling for a while, and it's a feeling I enjoyed.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-30007807798365209172013-01-19T14:38:00.001+00:002013-01-19T14:38:59.812+00:00Players Wanna Play...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" /></a> [As usual, all thoughts in this blog are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily represent the views of the admins or members of Frontierville Express.]<br />
<br />
You know, not a lot in the game frustrates me, I tend to follow the teachings of one of the greatest spiritual minds of our time, <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/04/yogic-ftv-enhancement-with-dalai-alpaca.html" target="_blank">the Dalai Alpaca</a></b>.<br />
<br />
This is after all a game, it's what we do for fun and if there's a problem...well, it'll be fixed soon enough.<br />
<br />
But the one thing that frustrates me is when the game actively goes out of it's way to stop me playing it...<br />
<br />
What I'm talking about is incessant and pointless popups, especially when we first load up the game.<br />
<br />
It's a weird vagary of my mind that I'm long-term patient, if something will take a month or two then I'm fine. I am however SHORT-TERM impatient, when I load the game, I want to PLAY the game, not be bombarded with things I just close automatically.<br />
<br />
When I loaded the game this morning I had around 7 windows I had to close before I could even begin to plan what I wanted to do on my homestead.<br />
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They ranged from the Carnival Games Manager randomly appearing despite having nothing in (Zen gaming?)...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjIMTcmnHdLnwuB3Jk0GPfm7LOHb2YQIh9I9fwCgOlp42cdfMKD5OO6UHopcMTl2VnOP_R5OZtraRNY8PivZCygm6lbFH839IATJvxZQTnU6WsRGtVudnvQhc8zflQCh4Ahj3WkkGiX8/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjIMTcmnHdLnwuB3Jk0GPfm7LOHb2YQIh9I9fwCgOlp42cdfMKD5OO6UHopcMTl2VnOP_R5OZtraRNY8PivZCygm6lbFH839IATJvxZQTnU6WsRGtVudnvQhc8zflQCh4Ahj3WkkGiX8/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...to the USELESS free gifting that tries to make me send a naff little lunch to my friends...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13YWcNiRyW55qqTFEamVpFnIpoMT9vEfH2iMD5Siz_NYcCMk2XfYychF_j-3y3WGUaqB-XYuRdrkZ-BegEiuRaSv2g6k8XQSrrBOb6yWJm-fcwcS7iMB93mMNRWDpaRMZ75mKgSqtCas/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13YWcNiRyW55qqTFEamVpFnIpoMT9vEfH2iMD5Siz_NYcCMk2XfYychF_j-3y3WGUaqB-XYuRdrkZ-BegEiuRaSv2g6k8XQSrrBOb6yWJm-fcwcS7iMB93mMNRWDpaRMZ75mKgSqtCas/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
...to mission posts and even a number of build stages, most annoyingly of all the Ice Pond build which then drags you to the far reaches of your stead to look at the building you've been ordered to complete.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBluLnv0ap9NkTS0mgYLYoCJjAGie-AGHWs3aiJyMrulPZo6RMEVaqp80ybI9S0nkL07phLxqivsNH3G1Vtvgwac0FXzIpJIfb1B4v20ARqUgvfdypCUhZycWfKY3yjn2Xsm4JI-Ze8js/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBluLnv0ap9NkTS0mgYLYoCJjAGie-AGHWs3aiJyMrulPZo6RMEVaqp80ybI9S0nkL07phLxqivsNH3G1Vtvgwac0FXzIpJIfb1B4v20ARqUgvfdypCUhZycWfKY3yjn2Xsm4JI-Ze8js/s200/5.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCD2mfwgrHnxBj3Y1LFOKcRUIZnWk0XdohgR9NGJurjoZfNDguE7o9WnTH2WsQSERe81LSflLRCIGBW46CJ5s-IdXPLanadxjZaEjbRgRUaHpRcgpka56HlY_TFAN0neYFMSijwgxsgQ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCD2mfwgrHnxBj3Y1LFOKcRUIZnWk0XdohgR9NGJurjoZfNDguE7o9WnTH2WsQSERe81LSflLRCIGBW46CJ5s-IdXPLanadxjZaEjbRgRUaHpRcgpka56HlY_TFAN0neYFMSijwgxsgQ/s200/1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
I think it's fair to say most of us are incredibly aware of our active missions and builds, to the point of obsession and nervous twitching, so what is the thinking behind this? Do you REALLY think you're giving helpful reminders (you're not) or are you hoping to just guilt and annoy us into finishing stuff or hurry up on it just so we have a more pleasant time in the game?<br />
<br />
We GET that you're a business and we'll have Horseshoe Sales and stuff when we load, even cross promos we understand, that's life and we're playing a free game.<br />
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But there is very little reward for making us sit through and close a half dozen screens that are nothing less than an overbearing, officious, fun leeching version of Fanny telling us if we haven't done our homework we don't get dessert...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUqD3nhRt8s0gsD8S8aweRlGpmIyxwPWlTyJ-VTcPRRp1jUuYeEPqSINP8NZZRjFJ4ax6zZJDBFCFLrwjbLG-9r-6Oq_hPhUr_ko9nG-KEkqfxqoVV5vp962P_Gip4b8S3dy148vIx4o/s1600/m3end.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUqD3nhRt8s0gsD8S8aweRlGpmIyxwPWlTyJ-VTcPRRp1jUuYeEPqSINP8NZZRjFJ4ax6zZJDBFCFLrwjbLG-9r-6Oq_hPhUr_ko9nG-KEkqfxqoVV5vp962P_Gip4b8S3dy148vIx4o/s640/m3end.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Seriously Zynga, there's frustration and delays enough being a Frontiersperson, let the players play.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-61696448823787346922013-01-13T21:11:00.003+00:002013-01-13T21:13:09.629+00:00My Frontierville Homestead - UPDATED[I last posted this on 11th September 2011 so it's fair to say it needed an update!]<br />
<br />
A little look inside the Frontierville mind of me...<br />
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As you can see, I lean towards realism with my homestead, there's very few daft animals (NO clothed ones!) or decorations as I really can't be having with dressed chickens or rings of fire. I also like having a nice thick forest around the back and some debris around just for realism (and it REALLY helps when needing bears...).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHx7nQLnC3NbDQR1DexGQ_6LhnlvL7KVBMxhT_-J1Z1yTQBPy_811kVfCg2bUDD4VUpbba3Sbsy-wj0f7CN1-eOv4QA5q7ans8ZRqaL9bO1X9uEN7-ZES3nwK0VGklUfoCb8VnMU5fDM/s1600/homesteadsmall.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHx7nQLnC3NbDQR1DexGQ_6LhnlvL7KVBMxhT_-J1Z1yTQBPy_811kVfCg2bUDD4VUpbba3Sbsy-wj0f7CN1-eOv4QA5q7ans8ZRqaL9bO1X9uEN7-ZES3nwK0VGklUfoCb8VnMU5fDM/s1600/homesteadsmall.png" /></a></div>
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You might notice there's some buildings missing, they're either stored or deleted. If I don't like the look of a building or it doesn't feel right it's gone, Detectives Office is deleted, Pet Shop/Kennel is stored. It also counts for upgrades, I didn't like the look of the upgraded Inn or School so bam, back to basics on them!<br />
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So, here it is, the Homestead of me... (Click the picture for a high resolution version)<br />
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<a href="http://www.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/images/steadbig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6daD4eMhFcD_rp9OOrf0jCBan8uDAk43YWlQFuJMPIXQ5KAzP2sIXDUQgv4OzVEmidWKvTjMvZSHy_0Aw4HohqheAA7Hqwzgzxpajh-a2Q0iG7K0cKs1QhIY4wv2Lmu9AMQPuYjkYzo/s640/stead-big-small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see, my OCD has split the stead into areas! (I know, the things I spend my life doing...)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF062lnZSJKyQtlb-xza9V_gT-O1Cf_4Oi7dFo5p99Kpq3tvIQROdd3Vgvxq-Zv_CZ0y_QLNuIs5uxaxllyjKUXNzJhsJQ6vMMaYbW7nzoBJZGb4Qv9D9TQ5K3rYDnTE_bzPH0r8AEOuM/s1600/areas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF062lnZSJKyQtlb-xza9V_gT-O1Cf_4Oi7dFo5p99Kpq3tvIQROdd3Vgvxq-Zv_CZ0y_QLNuIs5uxaxllyjKUXNzJhsJQ6vMMaYbW7nzoBJZGb4Qv9D9TQ5K3rYDnTE_bzPH0r8AEOuM/s640/areas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-30828286017482980712013-01-09T12:57:00.002+00:002013-01-09T12:57:59.154+00:00Building on Buildings...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="148" /></a>[<b><i><u>Please note</u></i></b>: this is an <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/search/label/Andy%27s%20Imagination">Andy's Imagination</a></b> post, purely my own thoughts and will likely not appear in game]<br />
<br />
Recently space has become a hot topic. We know soon an Animal Hospital Upgrade is coming so those with various special animals coming out their ears will find more space, and also at least one land expansion.<br />
<br />
But what about building storage?<br />
<br />
Personally I think one of my highlights in 2012 was the invention of the Building Storage Building, or "Streets" to give them their in house name.<br />
<br />
Not only did they open up space but they were all wonderfully designed, I still think the Ranch is one of my favourite buildings for it's look and just the frontiersyness of it, if I had a Frontier town, the Ranch might be the one building I looked at first and thought... yup, I want THAT!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewfEaCaDYaJcyWuQZdL6vkYDoZbLAdtRpCof6EMzggPiYUpBt8uzTR9PcPOKZ0encUaQaRe17CIp08eWJZICcuQGp4OUrpa2dotOOLgMYsgP8PH7doT2TPsNutrHKi46mTdiOTlu0XzI/s1600/image019b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewfEaCaDYaJcyWuQZdL6vkYDoZbLAdtRpCof6EMzggPiYUpBt8uzTR9PcPOKZ0encUaQaRe17CIp08eWJZICcuQGp4OUrpa2dotOOLgMYsgP8PH7doT2TPsNutrHKi46mTdiOTlu0XzI/s320/image019b.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still love it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But, since they were brought out, we've seen more buildings that could, perhaps should go inside them. So this is my idea... We have a new mission thread for building storage, but NOT a new building.<br />
<br />
Let's be honest, the ones we've got are nice enough but sooner or later we'll end up with something that doesn't work as well, as a design on a Frontier town.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwh26pErT5wdO8qGVISkPBdzKZWKU_fz1MdZxxfH-Ne4dsqFcNm6dc0QiRW2jA-7eRQ4PFSSbo7ZHCCfvytkjva3oAmR0zvBoSIfHJtctbjAJMy-Fhx0g7257ycVSVOALeS5EiOXujlhk/s1600/icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwh26pErT5wdO8qGVISkPBdzKZWKU_fz1MdZxxfH-Ne4dsqFcNm6dc0QiRW2jA-7eRQ4PFSSbo7ZHCCfvytkjva3oAmR0zvBoSIfHJtctbjAJMy-Fhx0g7257ycVSVOALeS5EiOXujlhk/s1600/icon.png" /></a>So, instead of having a five mission thread with a building attached, make it a SIX mission thread with SIX buildings attached...<br />
<br />
Each mission is the thread is do a couple homestead tasks... and expand on one of our building storage buildings.<br />
<br />
The Ranch to now hold our Prize Animal buildings, Show Pen and the Combine Harvester. The Civic Centre to hold our Fire Station and Wagon. The Holiday Hall, expanded to hold the Snowball Fort. The Works to hold our Glassworks and Leatherworks. The Stately Estate can take the Quilting Station and Hanks Climbing Wall. The Emporium expanded to hold the Barter Office and the Bakery...<br />
<br />
...I'm sure there's more we could slot in various places, that's just off the top of my head. The only thing I know is tricky is buildings with characters attached like the Shaman Lodge, the Barbecue or the Habitat.<br /><br />So each building just gets a single new 6 item build, an upgrade to it's current level, and that adds more buildings in the same way as each previous upgrade during each buildings' own thread opened up more space...<br /><br />So for example... Mission One:<br /><br />Feed 50 non-rideable horses<br />Collect 10 Horsefeed (drops from Oats)<br />Expand the Ranch (a single build stage)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjmqfSzeE6fXED4eNjZC29szBJPXGGcOJ3EmCo4TCfWCBhqRitVpM0MVeSaOaetB-jsG1nAQXCJh84j9aVfHgXLZ3FnJpANlpB-1jS7ImwRyuR3yKYKkb57NGNG1OkdW5cDD6gmUVNt8/s1600/icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjmqfSzeE6fXED4eNjZC29szBJPXGGcOJ3EmCo4TCfWCBhqRitVpM0MVeSaOaetB-jsG1nAQXCJh84j9aVfHgXLZ3FnJpANlpB-1jS7ImwRyuR3yKYKkb57NGNG1OkdW5cDD6gmUVNt8/s1600/icon.png" /></a><br />
Yes, it would be a big mission thread, but if that was the ONLY thing we had that week, I think the rewards outweigh the length, just like the expansion missions are hard, but worth it for the extra land.<br />
<br />
From the other angle Zynga still get what they need, requests, interaction and social stuff.<br />
<br />
Course, I don't know how easy it would be to do... but hey, that's why it's my imagination, I can do ANYTHING in my imagination... ;) *flies off like Superman to save a damsel in distress from 42 small but extremely annoying dragons of every colour but the ONE she wants...*<br />
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-68507067182011093312013-01-05T22:13:00.003+00:002013-01-09T12:32:42.762+00:00If You Build it...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQD4BhJ8daisqod1Ew1GrB3XUmVGYw5gn53Uuc8APUUdtaJLDN_fjgcNHmhdK4hkZhgHfoc20onDXT6nO5K-did6mv1fyTQYbPMvRcWd1M2rZHQUUgrOouQE1-zEIYgfO7eTaG3CgQyc4/s1600/reddog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQD4BhJ8daisqod1Ew1GrB3XUmVGYw5gn53Uuc8APUUdtaJLDN_fjgcNHmhdK4hkZhgHfoc20onDXT6nO5K-did6mv1fyTQYbPMvRcWd1M2rZHQUUgrOouQE1-zEIYgfO7eTaG3CgQyc4/s200/reddog.png" width="124" /></a>...They will get rather excited.<br />
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[<b><i><u>Please note</u></i></b>: this is an <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/search/label/Andy%27s%20Imagination">Andy's Imagination</a></b> post, purely my own thoughts and will likely not appear in game]<br />
<br />
Folks, it's been a while since I got my imagination out in public, so I decided it would be an interesting way to start the year.<br />
<br />
So, with that in mind, along with an idea I had earlier, I thought I would introduce you to the Red Dog Construction Company!<br />
<br />
This band of intrepid jobbing builders are renowned among the Frontier and so in demand their services only come up now and again, and their list of employment conditions are around a mile long...<br />
<br />
First up they'd insist on a palatial and well constructed Red Dog Construction Company office... because they like to make other people do some building before they do.<br />
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This will be a long building to make but, like the Expansion missions which are long but rewarding, this one might just perk you up.<br />
<br />
So, once the building is up and the long mission thread is done, what happens next?<br />
<br />
Well, you hire the builders of course...<br />
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This is my thoughts on the age old arguments of buildings taking too long and there being far more coins than anyone knows what to do with, eventually you can only melt down so much for statues of Fanny.<br />
<br />
See, the Red Dog Construction Company bring their own resources, and they work QUICK... but, on the other hand, they're also expensive, but all they care about is cold hard coins.<br />
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So, once the RDCC Office is up, you click it, select the option to "build..." and get this screen...<br />
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Yes, it's a list of all your unfinished buildings and a COIN price to finish the current stage of the build. The price could be linked to how much you have left to get , so the more items you've collected yourself, the cheaper the purchase price.<br />
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Once you've bought your upgrade the RDCC are FAST and will get the building done instantly... although choose wisely, you only get one each time...<br />
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As I said earlier, the RDCC are much in demand and once they've finished a building project they have to travel on so will be unavailable for a while, but never fear, in somewhere between a fortnight and a month they'll be back and ready to go again!<br />
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On the player side we get to clear some old buildings where people don't need the stuff any more, and dump some coinage.<br />
<br />
On Zynga's side they get happier players with one less thing to worry about, and by setting reasonable prices and with a longish timer it shouldn't impact the gameplay that much or adversely affect what Z get from it, remember we can't wipe out requesting and the other social aspects, we need to compromise...<br />
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I guess imagining fictional building companies and dog logos in day-glo waistcoats might be abnormal... it's just what the game does to you...Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-57742266845686295462012-10-03T15:34:00.002+01:002013-03-07T12:18:24.994+00:00Five Step Plan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhaUUOvqyKmphlTnrQouAEa4Wfr0DPkyocPJ57vNNlMjsgStAhFGaag_LLoN-OfFHXjICWXk1-cdQO-Gjxf5Qb4RUlWAp_Rid6nmLo_zpHCr_FqWb6g7RWYKKhpP_slcYJoKLuHvzGok/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" /></a>[As usual, all thoughts in this blog are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily represent the views of the admins or members of Frontierville Express.]<br />
<br />
In this post I'm going to try and split myself into two minds, the easy one, as a player, and the harder more serious one, putting myself into the mind of Zynga, the mind of a game developer or manager.<br />
<br />
I know what WE want, but I don't know the business plan etc of Zynga, so I'm going to have to run on a few assumptions and guesswork, but hopefully I hit fairly close to the mark.<br />
<br />
So, why am I doing this? Because there's a negativity over the game at the moment, we see that every release day, actually every day.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, I still love the game, I'd have to be insane to spend the time I do working a fanpage if I didn't. I also know we've had a lot of things lately go our way, smaller builds, smaller amounts of crafting, more homestead items... things have happened purely for OUR sakes.<br />
<br />
I still think there's a lot of things to be positive about in the game, but I also think there's a few things that consistently appear when people are complaining, and need looking at.<br />
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So, because of this I've designed a five step plan I think could help the game. Am I arrogant enough to think this would make it the best in the world? No, course not, but doing any of these would, I think, enhance the fun of the game.<br />
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It won't be perfect for both sides because what we as players want, and what Zynga as a business want are different... but we'll see.<br />
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If you agree, please use the Like box, share it to friends, send it around... if I get enough likes maybe it'll help.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Step One: Players want to PLAY.</span></b></div>
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How annoying is the word "Buffering?"<br />
<br />
There you are, on NetFlix or LoveFilm trying to watch a great movie and it st...ut...te...rs... and up comes the spinning circle and that word buffering.<br />
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Well, recently that's how the game has felt, especially loading. We're gamers, we want to game! Instead, each time we load we have to go through the gaming equivalent of previews before a movie. Popups about games, animals, Horseshoes, even forcing us to go to a build before we can even start playing the game.<br />
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Despite what people think these don't cause a big issue with loading times or performance, but they do harm the fun of gaming. By piling these on at the start you instantly break the enthusiasm of the players, we go into the game wanting to play, and then you stop us playing, you give us something that 99% of us just X out of.<br />
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Popups are never good things, forcing people to get through them when they're enthused enough to want to play the game? BAD strategy, both in gaming terms, and simple psychology. I see the reason for them, I really do. But why not slip them in through the game?<br />
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Have a think, do we REALLY need this popup? Will popping up the carnival games manager make people want to play carnival games or give them a negative feeling towards the feature? I think I know which.<br />
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Equally, Letters? Those annoying things with a yellow arrow over them. There is nothing that infuriates players quite as much as trying to get on and play the game just to see "Don't ya want your letter?"<br />
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Little garnishes like that are all well and good, the idea of the letters is quite cute... but making us click them before we can do what we WANT to do turns them from a cute bit of fluff into yet another annoyance "buffering" our game... just remove the "must click" aspect of them, let us play our game and then go click that later.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Step Two: Giving people what they want.</span></b></div>
<br />
It used to be that the Barter Depot was the most misused phrase in the game, but these days the most disingenuous phrase is "Free Gifts".<br />
<br />
Let me explain, Tomorrow is my sister's birthday. I've bought her something she wants and needs. If real life was like the game her birthday "gift" would have been something I wanted her to give me back for Christmas.<br />
<br />
We don't really get to gift any more, it's just become a third method of requesting items and has become a race, who gets to ask first and get back what they need.<br />
<br />
I understand that you need us to send free gifts for statistics, clicks etc, we get that. However, the current setup is excessively frustrating and again, takes away from the fun of the game. There's two things I think you can do to help this.<br />
<br />
1) After 2-4 weeks, make free gift crops or animals available in the market for coins. We get at least one new free gift crop a week, standard players will always have to request something, and right now most players are stuck in the frustrating position of having to decide which they want, knowing they can't ask again until tomorrow.<br />
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They also know if they're a few missions behind, they're most likely to be "gifting" this crop to people who don't even want it. Giving someone something they don't want, that's not gifting.<br />
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2) We know those things that pop up in game are to make us gift. Problem is it's ALWAYS rubbish, breakfasts, crops we don't really need, broken things... Keep those gifting popups but make it something GOOD, remove the Level 100 limit from giving Dinners for example and put them in.<br />
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Gifting works best when we're giving people things we know they'll like. So make gifting really worth it with some great things to send that will make people happy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Step Three: A few less rocks in the landslide.</b></span></div>
<br />
OK, I'm just going to come out and say it. Why not try one release a week? There, it's in the open.<br />
<br />
I see the problem that some folks, by fair means or foul, can get through a mission thread in a few days to a week.<br />
<br />
But just think this way... Players with nothing to do can be distracted with favours, more school missions, more mastery... stuff that doesn't HAVE to be done but can be a filler.<br />
<br />
Most players can't do the missions that quickly and overwhelming people just doesn't seem to make sense for business reasons, gameplay reasons, even just design reasons.<br />
<br />
On the business side you want new players, you want to widen your interest base and from that, gain more marketing across Facebook. But instead of what used to happen, a drip feeding of missions in a story tree, new players, once they hit about level 15-20 become overwhelmed.<br />
<br />
If, by that early stage, they're not emotionally invested (and there's every chance they wont be at that early level) it's very possible that they'll look at the massive mission list and just decide it's not worth it, in fact I'm worried for the future as I don't think I'd have fallen in love with FTV if it threw as much at me so early on as it does today.<br />
<br />
There's also the simple fact that you spend a LOT of time designing these features, and we don't really get to enjoy them. Not only do people just want to rush through them knowing another one is coming soon but each release now is greeted with negativity because people are feeling overwhelmed. That's not great for your publicity and your PR.<br />
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Give us one mission thread a week and then give the folks who do rush something else to occupy them. Better favour missions (less crafting heavy) or more mastery, things they can do but don't HAVE to be done.<br />
<br />
Also think of threading more missions, the Mae/Birdie arc was ridiculous when you were finding out (SPOILER ALERT) that Birdie was innocent and they were making a Sheriff Academy, often before a player had even completed the set of missions introducing Mae.<br />
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If we're going to have a story like that, a full on cliffhangers and episodal story, have them spawn off the back of each other like the old days, limiting the amount of simultaneous missions while allowing players to go at their own pace.<br />
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Players would greet new missions with more positivity if they knew they wouldn't have to do them until AFTER they've cleared some out.<br />
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Honestly, I hear "no more missions!" enough that it's something to look at.<br />
<br />
Also see my Open Letter To Zynga: <a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/03/open-letter-to-zynga.html">http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/03/open-letter-to-zynga.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Step Four: Shorter Shopping List</b></span></div>
<br />
I am going to say something that's going to sound a bit nutty. Work with me.<br />
<br />
When people complain about the amount of items needed, they're not complaining about the overall amount of items needed.<br />
<br />
What they're complaining about is the amount of items needed PER thing, whatever it is they're building or crafting.<br />
<br />
We want to feel like we're achieving things, and having to collect so many wall posts and direct requests to finish ONE mission or build becomes monotonous. By the 4th or 5th item we craft it just feels like a repetitive trudge.<br />
<br />
If your metrics or stats say you want THIS many posts or clicks, then spread them out over more missions, at least then we'd feel like we're getting somewhere, not spending a week or two requesting the same item, over and over again with nothing to show for it.<br />
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You'd be laughed out of the room if you tried to sell a game that was based solely around clicking things on Facebook's wall, but that's what FTV has become, we spend 10 times as long NOT in the game "playing" it as we spend IN it.<br />
<br />
I know you love a lot of wall posts and virals like that, it's what YOU want to get out of the game. But what if it's costing you players? Isn't 5 wall posts from 10 players better than 20 from 1?<br />
<br />
Less requests would equal more players because it would make the game faster paced and more fun. More players equals a much wider spread for your marketing. Pioneer Trail is in danger of becoming insulated by missing out on new players, leaving you with just the current players, posting to the same set of current players, because all THEIR friends who don't play are sick of seeing 50 posts a day so have either hidden the game from their newsfeed or blocked it totally.<br />
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Of course on the subject of new players I'll repeat something I've said before. How many people will look at a wall full of requests, often with negative and depressing counters in the comment box (I've just seen one person posting and writing "only 55 to go!") and think, oh yeah, that's the game for me! I LOVE posting wall spam.<br />
<br />
The amounts have been dropped from the previous heights of insanity where one single build required hundreds of items, but it's still too high to be fun.<br />
<br />
As I'm already rambling enough I'll just leave a link to another over-long article on requesting and a few fix ideas here: <a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/02/we-dont-want-no-charity.html">http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/02/we-dont-want-no-charity.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Step Five: Bigger Trolley</b></span></div>
<br />
You knew it was coming, I knew it was coming, everyone reading knew it was coming.<br />
<br />
Rationing is no fun, and what seemed, to begin with, to be a fairly generous gift allocation now hasn't changed in over two years, when the game itself has changed immeasurably.<br />
<br />
When the game started and we had 50 clicks that was fine, a few mission requirements here, a few building bits there, for months we probably never hit 50 items we needed per day.<br />
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Now we're needing twice that many items just for one building requirement, and the restrictions that felt so generous 2 years ago feel so crushingly small now.<br />
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Let me plead the business case.<br />
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Most people don't continue to click after 50. Player after player are only getting one to two clicks on a post if it's something even a few days old, let alone the poor folks trying to catch up.<br />
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Giving people more clicks might still keep them being selfish and only clicking what they need, but at least it would get YOU more click statistics and more happy players. Happy players spend money, happy players get friends to play, happy begets happy...<br />
<br />
We then come to the envelope, an even more unfair problem. By limiting the amount of items an envelope can hold you're making it a nightmare carnival game of luck to request items from neighbours.<br />
<br />
After the first 50 gifts get through, BAM, nothing else. We only get to DR twice a day, most players will only take advantage of one of those... and you're standing there like a bouncer outside a busy nightclub saying however good we are, however much money we'll spend... the club is at it's limit and we can't get in.<br />
<br />
Even worse, it's not that we can't get in until some leave, it's that we can't get in AT ALL and our request is dead. That item we need, one of far too many, we'll never get because 50 people got their first.<br />
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That, even more than clicks, is the cruellest cut, things we're sent, requests we make... poof, gone into the ether. This is a phrase often misused and often overused, but here I think it's apt;<br />
<br />
It's just not fair.<br />
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I don't know who's placed the limits on the game, if it's Facebook, talk to them. But what we need, right now, is 100 clicks and far more envelope space, even to the point of infinite space, the current setup is unfair and frustrating. Limiting clicks I get, limiting gifts and DRs smacks of meanness.<br />
<br />
See my ideas on how more clicks could be WORKED for, not just given: <a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/09/clickety-click.html">http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/09/clickety-click.html</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The End</span></b></div>
<br />
Right now your plan with Pioneer Trail seems far too skewed towards making life difficult for the people who are determined to finish missions in a few days. Well, they're only a small percentage, and in making it difficult for them, you make it impossible for standard players.<br />
<br />
I'm not asking that everything gets changed, I'm not asking for unrealistic demands like many players, no missions, no requesting, that's not going to happen.<br />
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Hopefully what I'm asking for is compromise.<br />
<br />
Or just, ya know... let me run the game for a month ;) *shrug*<br />
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Further reading: A few articles on gaming aspects...<br />
<br />
Horseshoes and prices: <a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2011/12/lots-of-little-pies-or-one-big-one.html">http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2011/12/lots-of-little-pies-or-one-big-one.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/08/the-bother-of-business.html">http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/08/the-bother-of-business.html</a><br />
<br />
Missions: <a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/07/misfortunes-of-missions.html">http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/07/misfortunes-of-missions.html</a><br />
<br />
Prize Animals: <a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/08/booby-prize-animals.html">http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/08/booby-prize-animals.html</a>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com92tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-41109356159015665262012-09-02T15:49:00.002+01:002012-09-02T15:53:06.580+01:00Clickety, Click...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="148" /></a>[Please note: this is an <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/search/label/Andy%27s%20Imagination">Andy's Imagination</a></b> post, purely my own thoughts and will likely not appear in game] <br />
<br />
OK, let's start by stating two pretty certain facts.<br />
<br />
1) We could do with more clicks.<br />
<br />
2) It doesn't look like we'll simply be given them.<br />
<br />
So, what could be done? Get my imagination out for a compromise of course! I've thought of three ways we could see this clicks issue change that are... Zynga style ideas.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Building Version</b></span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-tz_PAvtVfmY2txsZq2OE6AO7qSMEWxHKr7VJIoi0K_QJmu0oM1IbxVHQXNzaO-ZnDrd7BeOcajTooqzEo2IV3ILLDwUvO6bVV6bMYrUiONy4xKfX32YGYciwjPK14Tfh5kxp-IRix8/s1600/image006.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-tz_PAvtVfmY2txsZq2OE6AO7qSMEWxHKr7VJIoi0K_QJmu0oM1IbxVHQXNzaO-ZnDrd7BeOcajTooqzEo2IV3ILLDwUvO6bVV6bMYrUiONy4xKfX32YGYciwjPK14Tfh5kxp-IRix8/s1600/image006.png" /></a>I know, I know. We've got a Pavlovian reaction to the word building these days, be it for space reasons (although it's rare to find a really tight space issue these days of storage and expansions) or just for building issues.<br />
<br />
But let's be sensible, not only do we know it's a favourite of Zynga, it's also not so bad if we're building it with a view to a good outcome, like we did with the Irrigation Station. A convoluted build, sure, but with the excellent end product of something that makes a difference to our gameplay.<br />
<br />
One building, and when completed we get 50 extra clicks per day.<br />
<br />
I think we'd ALL agree a manual build would be far better than a Horseshoe Purchase, yes?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Boost Version</span></b></div><br />
Option two is inspired by the Clock Tower, a building with a good boost that affects gameplay.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIH6Q-ZwxLoW94UyPMM0ATz7uS8YrVIpdzc8g_o8SLPQwsnbI9Kuz2cqwCdu6HjInNrn5eqTcET2aE9_AQwjMEjZbf1QcA8FOrcxy1IElJ5a-V1aqglooRZ_mN2QBojA_tIyLuLSCsDM/s1600/icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIH6Q-ZwxLoW94UyPMM0ATz7uS8YrVIpdzc8g_o8SLPQwsnbI9Kuz2cqwCdu6HjInNrn5eqTcET2aE9_AQwjMEjZbf1QcA8FOrcxy1IElJ5a-V1aqglooRZ_mN2QBojA_tIyLuLSCsDM/s1600/icon.png" /></a><br />
As we don't use the Bulletin Board for the Favours any more, it can be re-purposed. After all, people post wants and needs on a bulletin board, not just requests for help...<br />
<br />
From the Board we craft a boost that, once a day, resets our clicks. Used your 50? Just click the Board, select "Click Reset" and bam, 50 more clicks to use on the wall.<br />
<br />
Make the boost craftable from something on the homestead and a request, either DR or wall, and we're paying 2/3 clicks or sends to get 50, pay small, get big, and with the chance to stock up.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Mission Version</b></span></div><br />
The simplest of all options. Clicks and requests are basically mail, right? So, we have a mission thread where we use new technology, including the railroad, to streamline the Frontier Mail Service.<br />
<br />
It's a five mission thread with each mission giving us an extra 10 clicks, so we get more and more help towards the missions the further we go through them and feel we're really achieving something.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxKDYCmRI_E65GUA5KiU5ObR2AFdfVvjpF65xSQix1gJGxUbUCcd2NCMYe4YUAA82vHfD0nA9yLJXQSeYIqTEPG9n6aq3tD5WGaFPyeaDN2ZN2WDyuUFAvQX2zZnaQzUuBDjaqED6N0g/s1600/mailbag.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxKDYCmRI_E65GUA5KiU5ObR2AFdfVvjpF65xSQix1gJGxUbUCcd2NCMYe4YUAA82vHfD0nA9yLJXQSeYIqTEPG9n6aq3tD5WGaFPyeaDN2ZN2WDyuUFAvQX2zZnaQzUuBDjaqED6N0g/s1600/mailbag.png" /></a>A couple missions based around the Pony Express that are a mix of things including a nice amount of Homestead... say:<br />
<br />
Mission: We need to make sure those horses for the Pony Express are the best we have!<br />
<br />
Tend 30 Standard Adult Horses on your Homestead to find the fastest for the Express<br />
Collect 4 Blacksmith Bonuses to get Perfect Horseshoes<br />
Ask your friends for 10 Freshest Feed to give your horses energy!<br />
<br />
Then a couple missions based around the Railroad to get mail cars up and running, maybe a couple of those mailbag poles that they used to use that trains picked up as they drove through...<br />
<br />
And bam, at the end of the mission thread, 50 more clicks, 10 per mission.<br />
<br />
I don't doubt they'd need to be tricky missions, but c'mon... wouldn't you be happy with some tricky missions if it was giving extra clicks?<br />
<br />
<hr /><br />
Bottom Line, we need clicks, so maybe it's time to tell them we'd happily work for them instead of just being given them, after all, it's got to be a better reward than some more coins and a decoration, right?Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-76901448052210210572012-08-28T15:43:00.000+01:002012-08-28T15:43:55.921+01:00Booby Prize Animals<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="148" /></a>[As usual, all thoughts in this blog are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily represent the views of the admins or members of Frontierville Express.]<br />
<br />
I've decided, if I can indulge myself, that it's time for another <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/search/label/Letters%20To%20Zynga" target="_blank">letter to Zynga</a></b>.<br />
<br />
Agree or disagree I'd be interested to see your thoughts in the comments, although remember to stay nice.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><br />
Hey Zynga, thanks for coming, sit down, there's something serious I wanted to talk to you about.<br />
<br />
I like pizza.<br />
<br />
Thin crust mostly, really don't like the big puffy ones, but other than that I'm pretty open minded, meat, veg, anchovies, even pineapple. When it comes to pizza I'm an unfaithful topping-chasing pig with a fear of commitment.<br />
<br />
But here's the thing, however many different toppings I'll cruelly masticate with and discard, I can't do pizza every night, even trying a variety of eating positions.<br />
<br />
So, we get onto prize animals, or specifically the mechanic of them.<br />
<br />
Get animal, team with neighbour, feed it a ludicrous amount of times with something we have to craft, weight it, lather rinse repeat.<br />
<br />
Basically we've now had Pigs, Sheep, Bulls and Ponies, not to mention the Carnival and Frontier games which were prize animals in a disguise so thin they might as well have just worn a pair of those comedy glasses with a big nose and moustache on.<br />
<br />
We've had all of those in, near as makes no difference, exactly three months. That means this exact mechanic has been used every fortnight, 1 in 4, 25%, a quarter... however you read it.<br />
<br />
That's bordering on the slightly daft, if I may be blunt for one second, you're flogging the <strike>ass</strike> donkey off it.<br />
<br />
"But it's new things!" I hear you cry. Well, it's not. It's just pizza with a different topping, only it's being given to people who don't like pizza.<br />
<br />
Thanks to the monotony of a free gift crop (just make them coins after a month) and a request being needed for every feed (and LOTS needed) the issue is the actual spine of the mechanic is as tedious as a four hour lecture on toenail clipping.<br />
<br />
There are some people still doing ALL four prize animals and both carnival game missions, missions that are equally dull and differ only in cosmetic features, like the Kardashians.<br />
<br />
We're already dreading Prize Goats, Prize Oxen, Prize Cows... I'd worry about giving you ideas if I didn't assume you'd already had them.<br />
<br />
Expansions release night... people were HAPPY... they WANTED those missions. That's what we need more of. Compared to a normal release night it was heaven.<br />
<br />
We need some fun homestead based mission threads without a building, like we used to have, harvest this, request that, tend the other, job done.<br />
<br />
We certainly need that before we need any other prize animal. Because pigs were fun, sheep were interesting... and from then on it went downhill. Probably 7 out of 10 people hated the sight of the Prize Ponies. A few more and you may find a 10 out of 10 universal hatred rating for those poor Prize Goats...<br />
<br />
So how about a compromise? You get one mission thread a week that's tedium and requesting for your clicks and marketing... We get one mission thread a week where we get to have fun?<br />
<br />
Hows about it? Mundane Mondays and Thrilling Thursday, sorts both sides out...<br />
<div></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-18839293422358707522012-08-23T13:40:00.000+01:002012-08-28T14:19:12.922+01:00The Bother of Business<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" /></a>[As usual, all thoughts in this blog are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily represent the views of the admins or members of Frontierville Express. To set the scene regarding my personal situation of it, I've only bought horseshoes once and they weren't for me, it was a contest prize on the site.]<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>As it's a Thursday Lord knows I have a few things to write for the site but I thought I would just take a moment to share some thoughts regarding something that's recently become a fairly emotive issue. The inescapable fact Zynga are a business and, if we're honest, we'd rather they weren't.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure why, mentally, we tend to lean more away from paying for stuff on the internet, obviously I don't mean shopping, but services.<br />
<br />
Logically Zynga need the same consideration as Ford, or Starbucks or McDonalds. They provide us something we want, and we can pay for it. Strangely it doesn't seem to work that way though, and there's a mildly illogical annoyance over Zynga wanting to get us to buy Horseshoes.<br />
<br />
Perhaps it's because it's via the medium of Facebook, a free service in itself, or because it's an online game. Perhaps because there's adverts... although there's endless adverts and trailers when we go to the cinema and we still have to pay for a ticket.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Of course, it could be that even Zynga themselves slightly misuse the word "free", understandably so. The game IS free to play, and for most of us that's all it'll be. But a more precise definition is "FreeMIUM", specifically what the industry call Effort Limited Freemium and Feature Limited Freemium.</div><div><br />
</div><div>In other words, the game is free to play and you never HAVE to pay, but there's a fair bit of effort involved and you can bypass that with the moolah. You can also buy special little extras to put on your stead that looks pretty or give money back.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I mean, the point is worth making, it's not just Zynga. These Freemium models have been around for many years and are almost the staple now of mobile or Facebook games. Games take developers, support staff, community teams... they cost wages.</div><div><br />
</div><div>So, this is the compromise solution as I see it, and it'll take different things from BOTH sides...</div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">-----------</div></div><div><br />
Players? Join me in the Lounge, grab a sofa, tea and biscuits on the table (that's cookies for the Americans).</div><div><br />
</div><div>Ok, can we all agree Horseshoes isn't a dirty word? The step WE need to take is take a deep breath, admit Zynga are a business and allow them some steps to make money. When we see Horseshoes, don't automatically go with the obvious "Zynga want to make money" (of course they do) and take a look about whether THIS might be a good reason.<br />
<br />
Take the Rejuvenation Plant for example, costs Horseshoes but is widely regarded as an impressive purchase. Or yesterday's feature of spending Horseshoes on extra requests.</div><div><br />
Mathmatically it makes sense if you buy Horseshoes. Each single item usually costs 6-8 Horseshoes each, spending 5 HS to get a possible 5 items is something of a bargain. There's also the knock on effects, even if you don't pay yourself then there's still the extra posts coming from neighbours, and with one or two neighbours posting, that could mean YOU don't have to post for an item.<br />
<br />
We, as players, need to say "they want to make money and that's ok" and also take everything on it's own merits, not just on the fact it's a HS purchase.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">----------</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Zynga? Join me in the boardroom, coffee and doughnuts on the sideboard.<br />
<br />
If the players do that *points up* then there's stuff YOU need to do, because there's a REASON people have got twitchy over Horseshoes.</div><div><br />
</div><div>For starters, most things cost too much, there's no real connection between the prices and the usefulness.<br />
<br />
Take the Rejuv Plant for 100HS... That is a PERMANENT boost, and it's something that is helpful! It's not just about having to catch up or buy something because it's too much hassle, it's the perfect HS purchase.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Then you look at premium animals for 95 HS, that do nothing but look pretty. Or build/mission items costing up to 8 HS for ONE item.<br />
<br />
Take the recent feature for adding an extra request... 5HS, good price. 20HS, daft price.<br />
<br />
Let's have a bit more logic about prices, eh? Cheaper things are more likely to make people buy Horseshoes and be comfortable with Freemium items.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Secondly... take a break. the Freemium model calls for SOME extras people can buy, not everything, all the time.<br />
<br />
The amount of "free gift" crops and animals in recent missions have been ridiculous, not least because the average player has a number of missions on the trot at the same time, so gets stuck. Maybe think about making the items a coin purchase a fortnight or so after the missions first roll. With how often missiosn are released you KNOW that people will have more stuff to gift, you get your clicks, people get to play the game, not just wait for the kindness of neighbours.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Freemium games still need to feel like you're progressing without paying, the paying is meant to hurry along the impatient, not give people the option of stationary or moving.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The amount of stuff needed lately? The amount of builds and crafts etc... That is what takes huge steps towards festering the discontentment.<br />
<br />
If people enjoy a game, they'll be more likely to pay for it.<br />
<br />
Make it good prices in a good game that's enjoyable even without paying, and you're onto a winner. It's not about glitches, they happen, it's about gameplay decisions that have been actively made.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">----------</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Players? Zynga? Join me in the bar, we ALL need a drink now.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Players, empathise that Zynga are a business. If NOBODY bought HS, the game would go away. I've played games that have become unprofitable and have shut down. They want money, they need money.<br />
<br />
Zynga, have a think about WHY Players are so adverse to paying for things, examine your project and think, what could we do to get more Player contentment.<br />
<br />
Do it because you love the game and want it to succeed or do it because it might make more money, whatever your reason a better product helps everyone.<br />
<br />
Now clink glasses, drink up and lets get to work. We've ALL got things to think about.</div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-8336992243310077332012-07-14T13:57:00.002+01:002012-07-14T13:59:20.318+01:00Bess' Romances... where next?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57l29E7Y6i-GOeaQ_P3X100Fujo9o_sTfxYx-N7cpyr8neuw8gFJZxNz5PQzK02hLY2PXDnuU9_qGG78Nj_ohSTMy3GMwChwop7wF2MukwGLnymCoJwAHe2kq7yVW-_TjlGlKnNG0nBk/s1600/icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57l29E7Y6i-GOeaQ_P3X100Fujo9o_sTfxYx-N7cpyr8neuw8gFJZxNz5PQzK02hLY2PXDnuU9_qGG78Nj_ohSTMy3GMwChwop7wF2MukwGLnymCoJwAHe2kq7yVW-_TjlGlKnNG0nBk/s200/icon.png" width="150" /></a>We can be sure that whatever happens with Bess' uncertain love life it'll involve one thing...<br />
<br />
Missions.<br />
<br />
So, I decided to get my crystal balls out and do some prognostication at just what we might end up expecting in another of my <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/search/label/Andy%27s%20Imagination" target="_blank">Andy's Imagination</a></b> series.<br />
<br />
I'll take a look at the options she has, and try to imagine just what might come of each one...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiVjwScqBSixxq3Dgru1qROmzoU5ObtrHsK4rw_xVsMMKPEhTMAbCHbAmipcIqwVjd8amdVD7xxWf3rkHDeweuOzuMKfmuh8_aJwJwDPRb2wKiKn9AurN3v1SVSz_Nf_hnpFGLJrv7WM/s1600/ted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiVjwScqBSixxq3Dgru1qROmzoU5ObtrHsK4rw_xVsMMKPEhTMAbCHbAmipcIqwVjd8amdVD7xxWf3rkHDeweuOzuMKfmuh8_aJwJwDPRb2wKiKn9AurN3v1SVSz_Nf_hnpFGLJrv7WM/s320/ted.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The interest: Ahh, Ted. The newest option in the field and right now an odds-on favourite, if only because he's the latest trouser in the press. With a mutual love of animals and the wild there's certainly common ground there.<br />
<br />
The missions: Surely the barn is no longer a good living place if they do decide to start dating and tie the knot, although for people who don't wan't ore birth missions 1'000 of each species of animal in your bedroom is likely (in fact, hopefully) a reliable method of contraception. Surely a log cabin would fit in with Ted's wild man lifestyle and environmental outlook.<br />
<br />
Let's just hope Bess' doesn't have a trophy room of all the animals she blasted on the Pioneer Trail...<br />
<br />
So, a new house, and of course, the first all-organic, environmentally friendly wedding.<br />
<br />
Odds: 1/4<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtADchsUb-1CrgIrS5Ykyr_fFCuQPWp1NsNBU7AyP-x0wnA50QnnUa-9tdfAclRkYj1XtfZ6F4hnT8Bc06JSwJ9fZDZIvLBHvKg6LXgwD309AWDhc5Yvud2JL_V9dbfhyphenhyphenXqrn6_ILekYM/s1600/flintlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtADchsUb-1CrgIrS5Ykyr_fFCuQPWp1NsNBU7AyP-x0wnA50QnnUa-9tdfAclRkYj1XtfZ6F4hnT8Bc06JSwJ9fZDZIvLBHvKg6LXgwD309AWDhc5Yvud2JL_V9dbfhyphenhyphenXqrn6_ILekYM/s320/flintlock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The interest: Good old Flintlock, the man of mystery. WHERE did he go when he left Bess holding the Horse? WHY did we build him an armoured car covered in spikes and weapons? WHAT happened to his wonky eye? WHO grooms his eyebrows? We may never know...<br />
<br />
The missions: Flintlock returns like an Officer and a Gentleman, all white uniform and rousing soft rock guitar. Picking up Bess he carries her from the barn and onto the back of a horse where they ride off into the sunset... We just have to make sure it all happens right, so imagine a lot of crafting and various sneaky plans to keep all other love interests out the way.<br />
<br />
Alternatively Flintlock reveals he's actually Albert Bickerthwaite, a shoe salesman from Boston and the entire thing has been an elaborate <strike>psychosis</strike> ruse to win the <strike>feet</strike> heart of the cowgirl he fell in love with when cobbling her boots. He returns the socks he stole during the fitting, although we do have a delicate mission to clean them thoroughly first.<br />
<br />
Odds: 3/1<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjnYhDO-dppTXM0wLKo32jfQvLT3r3vzPceAvGNrqFris4jHSmqCojgQmsyxu1GULFIoqgMUI5SStIN4LTdHYDohdfi_VqqbSHu2GwfJb7WplsdKLVsO1PC3JVgY0w08ZUdWBt3wyLrY/s1600/hank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjnYhDO-dppTXM0wLKo32jfQvLT3r3vzPceAvGNrqFris4jHSmqCojgQmsyxu1GULFIoqgMUI5SStIN4LTdHYDohdfi_VqqbSHu2GwfJb7WplsdKLVsO1PC3JVgY0w08ZUdWBt3wyLrY/s320/hank.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The interest: Hank, the man who refuses to let any pre-makeover pictures to ever see the light of day. He impresses single women with his ready grin, his DIY skills and a discount on all cucumbers.<br />
<br />
The missions: Well, c'mon... first thing up is the breakup and divorce thread. With Fanny getting the house, the money, the General Store, custody of the children and the moral high ground this set of missions will be something of a doozy. Hank's only hope is to either build his own house or forever move to Beaver Valley with Bess... so it looks like we'll be building him a house.<br />
<br />
An interesting graphical sidenote of this will be the new slap animation any time the Hank and Fanny NPCs are within 100 pixels of each other.<br />
<br />
Odds: 10/1<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamjERjH_RTCtL3cig_qDAcUTIqYGV33vLdAViqluPE1Pmftg44atv2qE9_86dUWzk1V12f6QgFCU4gwPNrCdoa-RugB2jfrxM76_N_ISD2_VEeNs3czEmOaqVTJevmT70HBxA6-u7TdE/s1600/fanny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamjERjH_RTCtL3cig_qDAcUTIqYGV33vLdAViqluPE1Pmftg44atv2qE9_86dUWzk1V12f6QgFCU4gwPNrCdoa-RugB2jfrxM76_N_ISD2_VEeNs3czEmOaqVTJevmT70HBxA6-u7TdE/s320/fanny.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The interest: The Forbidden Fanny, love of her life, torn from her by a closed community who refused to allow their free love, driving her to fake a series of "love" interests to try and conform to their narrow-minded "normality".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The missions: Fanny comes clean with Hank that their marriage is a sham, she was just scared of losing her job in the School, he's really just a brother to her. After a handful of missions Hank forgives her and they part amicably, Hank moves back into the general store and Bess moves into the house with Fanny. Hank surprises everyone by admitting his late "wife" before he travelled to our homestead was a transvestite called Geoff, was last seen in La Cage Au Folles nightclub with Jacques.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final mission will involve having to get a second bridal dress form... If you thought a wedding with ONE Bridezilla was hard, you just wait.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Odds: 10/1</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OrnERPuU7lEEp0n2NvykZw8IOUFV7mp_7KvEZuCwp2qybJr82w12_hrXvSYzd3BiT7AvYVBfOH1v4WhLuhpZRhp-TPTX2Uj7prZHrva8XDbeGwwsbSJaFJuKkhjmAgYxxRzpLCVNIHQ/s1600/hankfanny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OrnERPuU7lEEp0n2NvykZw8IOUFV7mp_7KvEZuCwp2qybJr82w12_hrXvSYzd3BiT7AvYVBfOH1v4WhLuhpZRhp-TPTX2Uj7prZHrva8XDbeGwwsbSJaFJuKkhjmAgYxxRzpLCVNIHQ/s320/hankfanny.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The interest: What can we say? Sometimes love isn't just two people...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The missions: Dealing with the twins is becoming just too much for the couple and we're sick of babysitting the little tykes, so Fanny and Hank hire Bess to be a live in Nanny. We spend 4 building stages moving Bess into the house and building her a Nanny-Flat, although after a few weeks of being in close confines the three of them come to an "arrangement" and Bess' nanny flat never seems to be very lived in...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final set of missions involve hiring help for the General Store as Hank is finding himself feeling increasingly worn out these days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Odds: 20/1</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd49-ubiJ-fh7ioJTSsMd4u7nx8lpWhEsECCmn-xf7Xn8cOmgkqa6tHHSE1wHFddejvq5qGCqCUU_8P8FRYyJ4OkNBwVa8RnzwGAJ3lzfu8QMobO-lvvbbrPiRQfEaQ2GqUWetOs7tezc/s1600/nun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd49-ubiJ-fh7ioJTSsMd4u7nx8lpWhEsECCmn-xf7Xn8cOmgkqa6tHHSE1wHFddejvq5qGCqCUU_8P8FRYyJ4OkNBwVa8RnzwGAJ3lzfu8QMobO-lvvbbrPiRQfEaQ2GqUWetOs7tezc/s320/nun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The interest: Bess gets completely sick of the whole romance thing and being the local talent for a string of new characters. She leaves the homestead and returns 2 months later as a nun, working in the chapel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The missions: This will be a multi-thread set of missions, the first thread will be to help Bess find God (preferably not with a solvable Mae-style clue, "Request burning bushes from friends") and leave the homestead. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thread two is sending her various parcels and letters to keep her spirits up in the nunnery. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thread three is welcoming her back to the homestead and getting her all set up in the Chapel as a fully fledged member of the Holy Mothers of the Frontier Order. (Note, keep "collect 10 Chastity Belts" artwork family friendly, no razor edged blades or spikes.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As an effect of these missions we will also need new talent and be introduced to Humble Bob's Niece, Not So Humble Tallulah.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Odds: 50/1</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojWR6H5a-D3GSjsEYplL9JCYCjMevlovubG5esG5AfQCsLIWnOPxwA9fZZ-SZ1Fdm8ONPBe8tcn80zzc9i6uxnsltVZN0xiRBju-_dIshkeTlIvopHxZZsKltDWWscrlh_irNj-LRBvg/s1600/stallion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojWR6H5a-D3GSjsEYplL9JCYCjMevlovubG5esG5AfQCsLIWnOPxwA9fZZ-SZ1Fdm8ONPBe8tcn80zzc9i6uxnsltVZN0xiRBju-_dIshkeTlIvopHxZZsKltDWWscrlh_irNj-LRBvg/s320/stallion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The interest: What? It's the wild west...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The missions: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"> </span>Censored <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;">â–ˆ</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div>Odds: 200/1Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-39506317320051242162012-07-07T17:47:00.000+01:002012-08-28T14:19:12.922+01:00The Misfortunes Of Missions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="94" /></a>[Please note: this blog is my own thoughts and ramblings. Anything contained in it does not necessarily mirror the thoughts of the other admins or Express as a whole.<br />
<br />
Although I do have the membership of <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/FrontiervilleExpress">Frontierville Express</a></b> to fall back on for impressions, there's going to be people who disagree, I don't speak for every gamer, just myself and the views I've got from my own gameplay and the page.] <br />
<hr />I'm going to start this post with a sentence you'll have seen a lot.<br />
<br />
"Too many missions!"<br />
<br />
This got me thinking, is this cause, or effect? Illness, or merely symptom?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLWzia8BJ6EgAjJG_kbW_2HUITPu0YLLmlyJTsqhOSIQU_HAv7TVU0X3znBh0JMYiXGzJDvkAXPl7hsxtxFlvGzsR4sgg1mIWanEeemRxrl08TdTRyhxdn1zshGQFPb88DgBvVRxAezM/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLWzia8BJ6EgAjJG_kbW_2HUITPu0YLLmlyJTsqhOSIQU_HAv7TVU0X3znBh0JMYiXGzJDvkAXPl7hsxtxFlvGzsR4sgg1mIWanEeemRxrl08TdTRyhxdn1zshGQFPb88DgBvVRxAezM/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>See, work with me here. In my mind, too many missions isn't a cause for unhappiness but an effect of other factors. Missions are why we play the game, we should love them... but then it hit me, missions are like food.<br />
<br />
Give me a steady supply of duck in plum sauce, chicken jalfrezi or jambalaya and I'm happy, keep it coming (What? I'm built for comfort not speed...). On the other hand, by the second plate of sprouts or goat's cheese quiche and I'll be thinking "ok, too much, too much!".<br />
<br />
So, to complete the meandering food analogy, I think our problem lies not in the amount of courses we're being cooked, but the unpalatable nature of them.<br />
<br />
I think "too many missions", isn't the problem, it's an indicator of other problems. With that in mind I thought I'd see what those other problems might be...<br />
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Sharing is Caring</b><br />
<br />
I used to work for the BBC, one of our studios shared their building with a Chinese Medicine Clinic. People SHARE work space.<br />
<br />
Recently one big problem for me has been single use buildings with long convoluted building procedures. We build them, and then they're never used again, specialised buildings with extremely minimal use.<br />
<br />
It's most frustrating when there's already similar buildings, the most obvious example being Mae. One storyline has so far accounted for four individual buildings, a Sheriff Office, a Jail, a Courthouse and a Sheriff Academy.<br />
<br />
OK, the Jail had it's own graphical interest as you build it up a piece at a time (like Lego) and see the Gratchets hanging out of it, but surely instead of the oversized Courthouse and Sheriff Academy we could have just used current buildings? Attach the courthouse to the Jail, attach the Academy to the Office, both would do the same job and not be out of place.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6GX3o8kHwLbL-Ki_RUySeZWPBVfvgu_JwPNDaV9Ek2i84R6KbZ0gBc27GMOC3f_WhttjHWnU1E9VbvtSmpMHYmsAywsdDKIqenzfZURMNuh7LurbsOExuJMtc3dSy00KeI2nfHMZtno/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6GX3o8kHwLbL-Ki_RUySeZWPBVfvgu_JwPNDaV9Ek2i84R6KbZ0gBc27GMOC3f_WhttjHWnU1E9VbvtSmpMHYmsAywsdDKIqenzfZURMNuh7LurbsOExuJMtc3dSy00KeI2nfHMZtno/s320/download.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We're now seeing buildings for almost EVERY mission, and too many of them have a lifespan totally at odds with how long it takes to build them and the space they take up (the recent Ferris Wheel being an obvious example). They take days, WEEKS sometimes to build, but the only reason to build them is because we have to build them... they serve no useful purpose.<br />
<br />
I see Zynga's point of view, they survive thanks to viral marketing, wall posts and direct requests. Buildings are a massive source of those posts. But they don't have to be NEW buildings, they also don't have to be buildings we have to keep for no discernible reason. There's two options I see...<br />
<br />
1) We upgrade current buildings. OK, so instead of building the next to useless Sheriff Academy, why couldn't we just upgrade the Sheriff Office? We could still need all manner of building supplies etc, but no more space used up.<br />
<br />
2) We build them off the homestead. The Ferris Wheel could have just gone next to the Country Fair, not using up room on our steads.<br />
<br />
We also need to think about REUSING buildings, or giving them good bonuses like the Clock Tower. Too many buildings right now feel like we're trudging along a marathon for absolutely no reward but a building that won't ever be used again.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buy None, Get One Free</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ73_cW7Y0yAdcOK0n0Ok7uB452AfX-0MHC4zkfOdrf6sKlqxsBs3ZlXj8Mdho2uu0-IyKnFiD4HF5S_qNja4GgUBNlLWSC8Vri77fjmm5_5gyEg0gm6Gy1fJ9yScSEq7n8duhK9ssL8/s1600/Untitled-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ73_cW7Y0yAdcOK0n0Ok7uB452AfX-0MHC4zkfOdrf6sKlqxsBs3ZlXj8Mdho2uu0-IyKnFiD4HF5S_qNja4GgUBNlLWSC8Vri77fjmm5_5gyEg0gm6Gy1fJ9yScSEq7n8duhK9ssL8/s1600/Untitled-3.png" /></a>These days we're shopping deprived. Even as a man I love a bit of retail therapy, although for me it's gadgets and PS3 games instead of shoes or a handbag (well, not unless I have a "special" party to go to).<br />
<br />
Currently we're seriously bereft of shopportunities. I seem to spend as much time browsing my inventory in the hope I'll have some forges or lillies than I do planting items from the market.<br />
<br />
Again, we get it, Z need viral marketing, but there's a few things to think of here. For starters, any future players or anyone who takes more than a week to finish a mission thread is stuffed.<br />
<br />
Usually at LEAST every other mission has one of these dismal free gift crops that needs sending or requesting. Once that comes out, interest in the previous one dwindles. We're then trapped between the rock and hard place of either begging to be sent them or sending items to other people we KNOW won't want it in the hope they click to return them.<br />
<br />
It also renders almost the entire gifting page obsolete, the main reason I wanted to get to level 100 was to be able to send dinners to neighbours and help them in their game. That basic, useful way of being social and helping our neighbours, is now killed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjBnIpSSOGCDXs5sLnKISxj8WMbBPBwTjSpi_GYPeAtlXMplhdFdAsTllZWY8r8O3Vt5QpAleKdphBtfEsaGltj-su5WEx4wTI8yoAFemU_TsI8ew2BPUYMuTROn6OrkzOW45yCvZ1cU/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjBnIpSSOGCDXs5sLnKISxj8WMbBPBwTjSpi_GYPeAtlXMplhdFdAsTllZWY8r8O3Vt5QpAleKdphBtfEsaGltj-su5WEx4wTI8yoAFemU_TsI8ew2BPUYMuTROn6OrkzOW45yCvZ1cU/s320/Untitled-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It also makes a mockery of the constant popup we have in game for us to send things to neighbours, why would we EVER use that when we know we'll need mission items? (Not to mention the fact the things in those gifting popups are, without exception, awful things like breakfasts etc).<br />
<br />
Finally, things we should want to KEEP doing, fishing, Pigs, Sheep... game mechanics that we should want to do behind the scenes are ruined because we can't ask for American Moss, Corndogs or Lemon Mint because we're having to ask for new stuff. It takes features designed to be long term and replayable, and turns them into another short term feature, done to complete missions then never touched again.<br />
<br />
So, Frontierville, either stop it completely, or do what you did with the mixed tulips and after a fortnight or so make the items market items too, for COINS. Hoping to get one of 20 different things you've decided can only be free gifts (seriously, we're not going to buy them for HS, we're just not) is not fun, in fact it's extremely dull.<br />
<br />
Then, if you want to increase gifting? Take the Level 100 limit off being able to gift dinners and put them in the popup, I can say with almost full certainty gifting would rise.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Century Break</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08PpYL50pXd_HefMkvLXCFkgBx-WizwcM4QPw-trkpxpfkZO1gnoxHB_d05PUxjMdGexvPpxUX2TiVm-SqgCFQ33gzAFnzIr2G7czJfw7I1-rSWJ_yiZ7vjCvpWQjgK_IfHRUUNyY5DI/s1600/Untitled-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08PpYL50pXd_HefMkvLXCFkgBx-WizwcM4QPw-trkpxpfkZO1gnoxHB_d05PUxjMdGexvPpxUX2TiVm-SqgCFQ33gzAFnzIr2G7czJfw7I1-rSWJ_yiZ7vjCvpWQjgK_IfHRUUNyY5DI/s1600/Untitled-5.png" /></a><br />
We need more clicks. Seriously, I used to think 50 was fine. It's not. 100 would be.<br />
<br />
Zynga, let me appeal to what you desire. You want networking, clicks, virals etc. Many, MANY people stop after 50, give us all 100 clicks and it will increase YOUR statistics and help everyone, as people will be more inclined to help, even if it's something they don't want.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>It's About Fun</b></span><br />
<br />
The whole thing, from start to finish is about fun. The missions should be the most fun we have, and right now they're not, in fact quite the opposite at times.<br />
<br />
Frontierville, dear Frontierville, I love you but you need to think what happens when a game stops being fun.<br />
<br />
I say this because I care, consider it an intervention.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-70785500903395803372012-06-30T14:14:00.001+01:002012-06-30T14:20:23.017+01:00The Future Of FTV<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="94" /></a>This will be an unashamedly geeky post, but a couple things recently have made me ponder the future of online gaming and where we might see things going.<br />
<br />
As much as it may not seem it with the various glitches and bugs that seem to haunt our existence on the Frontier we're entering what I think is going to be an exciting time for gaming over the web.<br />
<br />
Online gaming is a much different beast now than it was ten years ago. For as long as there's been computers and the World Wide Web there's been gaming on it but in the early days it's fair to say it was the realm of the nerd, the geek, people like me in fact.<br />
<br />
It tended to expand upon social gaming already in the "real world", role playing on tables with hand painted figures became role playing on a computer with a "skin" you've designed yourself.<br />
<br />
Then came the three things I think changed it, World of Warcraft, Second Life and Facebook.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7Fc3iLK7QNhhysN63Fqar6-kveYDXCH325LsBD1izly3oSX9qaV0ckoKojPvh3raBmAqvmxO8HOuNqRiOXyeCymFusLWePgLdc7xPg_DWnPYn5M8eYMtjDh_YshIBq_BhAioG37WiIE/s1600/230px-WoW_Box_Art1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7Fc3iLK7QNhhysN63Fqar6-kveYDXCH325LsBD1izly3oSX9qaV0ckoKojPvh3raBmAqvmxO8HOuNqRiOXyeCymFusLWePgLdc7xPg_DWnPYn5M8eYMtjDh_YshIBq_BhAioG37WiIE/s200/230px-WoW_Box_Art1.jpg" width="139" /></a>World of Warcraft (WoW) first drove the idea of an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplay Game) into the mainstream in a way none had before, it put the idea of playing online into the heads of new crowds of people.<br />
<br />
Second Life gave people the understanding of social networking in more than just text form, creating an avatar that would be a digital you.<br />
<br />
Finally, the one most readers of this will be interested in, Facebook came at the whole thing in a completely different direction. Whereas other platforms like WoW and Second Life gave you a game and told you to go find a social circle, Facebook gave you a social circle and told you to go find things to do with them.<br />
<br />
Now, we're in a world where online gaming is huge business, be it console games with a multiplayer or online section such as Call of Duty or Little Big Planet, or companies like Zynga who are based solely on non-traditional gaming platforms, online and mobile.<br />
<br />
So, past and present, but what about the future, especially for us in Frontierville/Pioneer Trail? What could we be seeing as the game and the systems continue to evolve. Unsurprisingly the two biggest question marks for me surround the two biggest areas of contention when it comes to issues and problems in the game.<br />
<br />
The first question to ask is where we'll even be playing the game. More and more games are being ported over to Zynga.com now. Although YoVille somehow beat us on the last vote it's probably not going to be long before we see the game over on Zynga's own site.<br />
<br />
But will we always see this double-networking that we see right now, or are we going to see a separation between the two companies?<br />
<br />
We know, and a lot of current problems are proving, the digital communication between Zynga and Facebook is often at the root of many issues. Gifting, requesting, neighbours... it's all times when the Zynga system needs to communicate effectively with the Facebook one.<br />
<br />
It's feasible we may soon see Zynga.com rise up as a social network in it's own right, although there's positives and negatives for that.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan4cp-Z7QIEaObso-Rz_FZwucdIWrz0WngabD4pgTT48GhLyx4adixBTa42FckGpYq9yZR_h02JUCRRgj87qc8i_K2HrLklp3OYZhtg2PqnnyTPL9SZACmelgvjwF0U4372TZEYI1PHs/s1600/zlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan4cp-Z7QIEaObso-Rz_FZwucdIWrz0WngabD4pgTT48GhLyx4adixBTa42FckGpYq9yZR_h02JUCRRgj87qc8i_K2HrLklp3OYZhtg2PqnnyTPL9SZACmelgvjwF0U4372TZEYI1PHs/s200/zlogo.jpg" width="130" /></a>Although it may give more game stability as we see a single in house system running everything, Facebook has the infrastructure in place for such a massive network. There's also the fact that Zynga games work on viral marketing, Facebook posts being seen by friends or requests sent to people who don't play games.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, Zynga.com would be gamers, it would be a pure demographic. Instead of annoying your friends who hate gaming, it would be shooting fish in a barrel on Zynga.com, you've got just people who are gamers, nobody else.<br />
<br />
Arguably Zynga are now so prevalent in the online gaming market that it's hard to think of anyone who wants to play that doesn't use at least one Zynga game. Add that to the fact non-gamers will likely hide and/or block games and you do wonder if Zynga's efforts are better spent avoiding trying to recruit people with no interest and instead looking at osmosis bringing players from other games via cross promotion and posts on a Zynga-only social network.<br />
<br />
Could they drag people away from Facebook which has become so much a part of our lives though, do we play the games because we're ON Facebook so much? The question of whether they could make people think Zynga.com first is the million dollar question, maybe literally as the freedom of their own network would raise the Zynga profit margins without FB dictating how in-game purchases are made and taking their cut.<br />
<br />
Of course, there's also the fact that adding people you don't know is actually both a cornerstone of gaming and against Zynga's ToS... This could solve that issue.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/questions/405641826139042/" target="_blank">Answer our question on where YOU'D like to play.</a></b></div><br />
<br />
Secondly, we have to look at a more technical aspect, in what shape will the game exist? This comes from a much more recent and topical news story in the geek-press that I read.<br />
<br />
As most folks know, Frontierville uses the Flash platform to build and deliver the game. That, in itself, is a problem as Flash has long been known to be unstable and problematic, although for so long has been the only possible solution for the types of games we play, nobody has really been able to come up with a competing platform.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBHMBjEjGt2PGn53Zmiv1xeCBJ_d7B_BE5yUNZ1LYnTGOYTRLH3-BsWi8sBghQ_8CyQQ8MsjcSwo24E8p_b4IdVHJVyfP7AdIxGEM_vzANhWnzz9LYvOqd3ZzxtpYgHQ0mm6NzC06vHM/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBHMBjEjGt2PGn53Zmiv1xeCBJ_d7B_BE5yUNZ1LYnTGOYTRLH3-BsWi8sBghQ_8CyQQ8MsjcSwo24E8p_b4IdVHJVyfP7AdIxGEM_vzANhWnzz9LYvOqd3ZzxtpYgHQ0mm6NzC06vHM/s200/images.jpg" width="130" /></a>Now that's changing with the onset of HTML5, a new language online that is already replacing Flash in many areas, YouTube for example now has an HTML5-based test up. Next up is games.<br />
<br />
Although opinion is divided about HTML5 and it's abilities to handle games it's getting a big push right now with many companies creating game tools to help design HTML5 fun, for examples see PocketGamer news about <b><a href="http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/PlayCanvas+news/news.asp?c=42474" target="_blank">PlayCanvas</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/PlayCanvas+news/news.asp?c=42474" target="_blank">Gamemaker: Studio</a></b>.<br />
<br />
Now, however, we've seen potentially the biggest hit to Flash. It's one thing when folks in other companies look at other options and diss products, a whole other thing when your OWN company does it.<br />
<br />
We all know Apple devices have never allowed Flash for a few reasons but one of the most public was due to instability and unreliability. However, anyone with an Android tablet or phone could download a Flash Player and plugins that would allow you to use Flash on your tablet, you could even play games on it if you didn't mind horrendous lag on most devices.<br />
<br />
Now, that's changing. Adobe, owners of Flash since 2005, have announced they're going to stop supporting Flash on Android devices, saying they're going to be looking more into HTML5 and their own latest entrant, Adobe AIR.<br />
<br />
Yes, true, this is the mobile market... but many of the problems, instability and high memory usage, cross over into PC gaming just as much, especially as PCs become more reliable and have longer lifespans.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_sJU_UFE7iPrIlsHvt5FUHt6tyF6INp1PdHfVR_avfV8VB3hRSXo1ef4MQk908N3EGx9z_Ny19SYE97SRoJYb5xVlJww65QJyLJQ4OltClpe6Y72s8grNlIP8zjIE5EJIHGWeqXSYik/s1600/HTML5_Logo_512.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_sJU_UFE7iPrIlsHvt5FUHt6tyF6INp1PdHfVR_avfV8VB3hRSXo1ef4MQk908N3EGx9z_Ny19SYE97SRoJYb5xVlJww65QJyLJQ4OltClpe6Y72s8grNlIP8zjIE5EJIHGWeqXSYik/s200/HTML5_Logo_512.png" width="130" /></a>How often do we have to clear Flash Caches? How many issues have been down to PC performance and heavy Flash usage. Heck, the entire recent market issue shone a light on that as a problem, the better your PC, the more memory in particular, the less likelihood of a crash with the market.<br />
<br />
If HTML5 takes off and proves itself to be more reliable and stable than Flash, how long before developers begin to port games across? Zynga have shown in the past they can see which way the winds are blowing, and if HTML5 will cut down those Support tickets I don't doubt they'd look at the possibility of a platform change.<br />
<br />
Suffice to say, if the game changes it'll be another fun decision, do they go the Mafia Wars route and create a whole new game, potentially losing players, or do we see our current homestead in a slightly different form? I think it's obvious which would garner the most support from players so we'd have to wait and see.<br />
<br />
I must admit right now I can see both the development of Zynga.com as a network, and the rise of HTML5 meaning a change in our game. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if we're playing an HTML5 based version of the game on Zynga.com in a year or two.<br />
<br />
All in all it's a frustrating and exciting time for online games, especially ours. Frustrating because there's so many problems, but exciting because the future could hold some interesting, and issue-stopping, changes.<br />
<br />
Although if I'm honest... you get more out of it if you're a geek ;)Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-14293051261800171022012-06-20T10:42:00.000+01:002012-06-20T10:42:17.431+01:00Mae Monroe Sings...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKStFgjDPsufA3Ofnoo9ip-qdC1uNnTfBhUHe0JS9VIF3LiBrfZIH7ceNQZkhH3gYXiiPrODiqFskzKRRfMnMKSpNR-yfolFVqiAYCmfZJP4RdOtXwUdETTL0htKKi0KyuycwOzROFsQo/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKStFgjDPsufA3Ofnoo9ip-qdC1uNnTfBhUHe0JS9VIF3LiBrfZIH7ceNQZkhH3gYXiiPrODiqFskzKRRfMnMKSpNR-yfolFVqiAYCmfZJP4RdOtXwUdETTL0htKKi0KyuycwOzROFsQo/s1600/download.png" /></a></div> Ladies and Gentlemen, it's or pleasure to present Sheriff Mae and her chart topping hit, all about the love of her life, and we don't mean Birdie... (I hope he's good at DIY)<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Buildings Are a Girls Best Friend</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sung by Mae Monroe</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The players are glad to fight for doobers.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They delight in doing collections.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But I prefer a man who works</div><div style="text-align: center;">And gives me some erections.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A beast on the land</div><div style="text-align: center;">May be quite continental,</div><div style="text-align: center;">But buildings are a girl's best friend.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Decorations may be grand</div><div style="text-align: center;">But they won't pay the rental</div><div style="text-align: center;">On your crops and trees</div><div style="text-align: center;">to make quests a breeze.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Crops grow dry </div><div style="text-align: center;">Events go by,</div><div style="text-align: center;">And we all lose our bonus in the end.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But square-brick or wood-frame,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Whatever the part names.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Buildings are a girl's best friend.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Trading Post!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cabin!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Big Barn!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Fishing Pond!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Talk to me Hank Baby.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Tell me all about it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">There may come a time </div><div style="text-align: center;">When a lass needs a tailor,</div><div style="text-align: center;">But buildings are a girl's best friend.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">There may come a time</div><div style="text-align: center;">When a guy says he wont fail her</div><div style="text-align: center;">But make sure he mentions,</div><div style="text-align: center;">That he crafts extensions.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">He's your guy </div><div style="text-align: center;">When quests are high,</div><div style="text-align: center;">But beware when they come to an end.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's then that those louses</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mortgage your houses.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Buildings are a girl's best friend.</div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-18831671445220426972012-05-21T16:22:00.001+01:002012-08-28T14:19:12.922+01:00The Dangers of Deja Vu<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="94" /></a>[Please note: this blog is my own thoughts and ramblings. Anything contained in it does not necessarily mirror the thoughts of the other admins or Express as a whole.<br />
<br />
Although I do have the membership of <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/FrontiervilleExpress">Frontierville Express</a></b> to fall back on for impressions, there's going to be people who disagree, I don't speak for every gamer, just myself and the views I've got from the page.]<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">{<b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/questions/385213384848553/">The question I asked about repeats for some research is HERE</a></b>}</div><br />
<br />
<hr /><br />
Dear Zynga, here we are again.<br />
<br />
I must admit recently things have happened that have made me think you're really taking notice of the fans, we're seeing more stuff on our own homestead, we're seeing lower crafting levels and less upgrades to buildings.<br />
<br />
It's been really positive and it's been noticed (and I'd say appreciated) by the fans.<br />
<br />
So, please, listen to the general consensus we're getting from gamers and rethink repeats.<br />
<br />
It's got to the stage "repeat" is a dirty word, there are people out there who just won't get past it, that becomes the overriding aspect of the whole thing. It may seem like throwing an entire burger away because you don't like the slice of pickle or dumping your girlfriend because she has a birthmark the shape of a mongoose riding a polo pony on her inner thigh... but it happens.<br />
<br />
You could write any mission you like, and as soon as you add in that dreaded overview mission... It's dead to them. Worse than that, it taints all the missions, people often don't see interesting missions, they see the word "repeat" and bam.<br />
<br />
What gets so insane is it's not even just THOSE missions, at the peak of "Repeat Fever" every mission we put up was greeted by "I hate repeat missions" or "No more repeats"... even when there wasn't repeats in the missions, it just became an automatic reaction. Frankly at it's height I probably could have posted a folder of tasteful art nudes of the admins and 7 of the first 10 comments would involve the word "repeat".<br />
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The cowgirl missions were great, these babysitting missions are great... but then many people dislike them anyway for the addition of that one factor, the R Word.<br />
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Worse, you often get accused of lacking ideas or creativity, you'll give us nine brand new missions with a total of 27 requirements. and it'll all come down to the two or three in the overview mission.<br />
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Surely whatever you are getting out of repeats, be it to slow the game down or increase wall posts for marketing, it can't outweigh the negative PR? An entire mission thread, which presumably takes some time to design and code up, all brought down by one bit of it...<br />
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So, ideas, ideas, ideas. I suppose usually this is the point I get all arrogant (other pages love that) and try and suggest what I think could be done differently... well, I hate to disappoint and the insults make me laugh so here goes.<br />
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1) The Unrealistic Nirvana Solution.<br />
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No, I'm not getting a naked baby swimming or some unenthusiastic cheerleader backing dancers, it's about a perfect world. No repeats at all, gamers hate them, we've got enough missions already, folks will like the missions so much more.<br />
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OK, here's the problem with that. You must have some reason to do repeats or you wouldn't keep shooting yourself in the foot by having them. Therefore, to hope they'll go away entirely is generally a fanciful notion... but hey, it's a game, it's all fanciful notions. You want a massive PR boost? Try it.<br />
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You know full well on current release schedules we'll have one or two more threads come out before the final mission of these is active so where's the harm? Doing the same thing again, just doesn't excite people.<br />
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For the gamers though I think we should be looking more at a compromise... remember, they can't give us EVERYTHING, sometimes it's good to meet them half way.<br />
<br />
2) The More Realistic Compromise Solution.<br />
<br />
OK, I'll start this bit off with a pointer to one of the things that annoyed people with the babysitting. If we're being told to repeat certain missions we'd expect to get close to the final total of reward items (in this case "hugs") that we need. Having barely two thirds of the final total from the mandatory repeats really wasn't on, a lot of people felt they were a little ambushed there.<br />
<br />
Instead of tying us into specific missions, just give us a set total of items such as Hugs we have to get and let us loose.<br />
<br />
The fact is we all know the missions you get us to repeat will be the worst ones, to the point that your average player will know they've got no chance of finishing them off in short order. <br />
<br />
If we're going to repeat, let us pick how many times we'll do each one, like you have in the past with the Native American threads, along with the overall bonus for completing each mission ONCE.<br />
<br />
There's going to be the advantage to those prepared to go for the harder missions, more "hugs" or whatever is that series reward is, better individual mission rewards like mystery animal crates etc that people won't mind challenging for.<br />
<br />
Personally, I would rather do a mission that takes me a day or two 10 times, instead of a mission that takes a week or more to complete even once. I want to feel I'm succeeding, not just seeing the same icons in the same places every day and picking which gets my limited request stock this time.<br />
<br />
I know it's a balance for you, you have to keep it interesting and fun, while still making sure you're advertised by the social part of the game. We get that, we don't mind that... but there's something mildly predictable and boring about knowing the missions we'll be forced to repeat will always have an undue amount of requesting in them.<br />
<br />
The average player will never be short of wall posts, eventually you run the risk of alienating potential gamers by having them see folks post 6-10 times in a row for all different kinds of things.<br />
<br />
In all we're going to need to request 844 items during babysitting, 288 of which comes from the 2 repeats each of missions 4 and 8. Was 556 Wall/Direct requests too small a number? <br />
<br />
So let us pick, let us feel like we're achieving things by letting us have the choice over the missions we want to repeat. Have these as the requirements...<br />
<br />
Collect 120 Hugs<br />
Complete Missions 1-4<br />
Complete Missions 5-8<br />
<br />
There we go, we've all done the missions once, and now we get some autonomy, some personal choice about whether we'll hammer the little missions again and again or push the bigger ones for better rewards.<br />
<br />
If nothing else, think about it logically for a sec. We can only post once every 6-8 hours anyway. Does it matter if we're posting for muffins to finish mission 1, or mounting bolts to finish mission 4? Add that to the fact that as they're daily missions and we're seeing a two thread a week pattern, most players will have TWO more mission threads appear before the final mission of this one.<br />
<br />
What makes more sense? Players losing interest in an entire thread because of one word, or players searching the thread to see which are the best missions to keep doing?<br />
<br />
Players just want to achieve things, they want mission completion popups, they want rewards, they want to FINISH something because it gives a sense of pride and achievement.<br />
<br />
So... if you can, stop the repeats altogether, I don't know your reasoning behind them but I could probably argue each one, in the end always coming back to "folks hate them".<br />
<br />
But if we have to have repeats, just let us pick WHAT we'll repeat. Give us a reason to do the harder ones, but don't FORCE them on us. Number of posts, speed of game for the fast or rich minority... neither of those things really seems as important as a happy player base.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-12179740187964781082012-04-27T11:13:00.004+01:002013-12-20T20:41:56.586+00:00Yogic FTV Enlightenment with the Dalai Alpaca<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="94" /></a>Good morning and welcome, children of the wide world of Frontierville.<br />
<br />
I am the Dalai Alpaca (it's like a llama but bigger and hairier) and am here to guide you through the zen-like path of Frontier Enlightenment.<br />
<br />
Many travel on a pilgrimage to my <strike>bungalow</strike> monastary atop Avalanche Pass where I spend my days contemplating Beaver Valley and meditating upon the world in front of us. They ask many questions of me.<br />
<br />
"How can we better approach Frontierville?" They ask.<br />
<br />
"I find myself frustrated, how can I stop this?" They ask.<br />
<br />
"What's your qualifications again?" They ask. (I can sit in the lotus position, have a resonant and tuneful Ommm and look like Buddha after a series of hair restoring treatments, frankly I consider myself overqualified.)<br />
<br />
I therefore devised my Path Of Frontier Enlightenment, Zen Edition. This was written to aid those lost souls in better connecting with the world around them, and I share it here.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1) The moment of enlightenment.</span><br />
<br />
There is many a story in this world of a moment of enlightenment that eases and educates. The sudden realisation of a fact that alters your outlook on life or brings to meaning to it.<br />
<br />
Well, my children, open your minds to mine.<br />
<br />
We WILL get missions each week barring special occasions.<br />
<br />
When you have to deal with something you may not wish to, or that is distasteful to you, the first step is acceptance.<br />
<br />
We will receive two mission threads a week for the foreseeable future, that has become the norm. Take a moment, allow yourself some time to soak that up and come to an understanding with it. That fact does not have to break you, it can serve as a first step on the road to enlightenment.<br />
<br />
This realisation will open your mind to new possibilities.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2) You control the game, the game does not control you.</span><br />
<br />
Close your eyes... NOT YET! OK fine... *waits*... opened them yet? ... *gets a cup of tea* ... right, close your eyes <b>in a minute</b>, I'll sound a beep or something.<br />
<br />
Close your eyes, breathe in and out in a steady rhythm and think to yourself this mantra.<br />
<br />
"The game is not my master, I am ITS Master. It shall not lead me into the darkness I do not wish to enter. It shall not lead me into building something I do not want. It shall not lead me into clobbering that snake if I do not want to."<br />
<br />
Repeat that to yourself five times. OK, you can close your eyes... now. *BEEP*<br />
<br />
We do not have to do anything we do not want to do. This is, after all, enjoyment. Look upon the tasks life gives you and understand you can choose to, well, choose.<br />
<br />
Think of picking missions like you're dating. Survey the options in front of you. Is that one going to be too much work? Is that one fun and enjoyable to be with? Does that one look attractive? Does that one seem tricky but, according to what you've read on the internet (and grafitti in the bathroom), gives a great reward at the end of the day?<br />
<br />
Do you want one that finishes quickly, that needs you to do it over and over or one that demands you reach the end within a set timeframe?<br />
<br />
OK, we may be meandering slightly... but still, allow your mind a moment to defeat the notion that you must complete everything. You can be selective, you won't be judged for that and, in being thus, you can clear your mind of many a cloud caused by overwork.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3) Break the universe into bite size pieces, is an icon worth all that trouble?</span><br />
<br />
It's a 64x64 pixel icon on the left side of your screen. Is is REALLY worth worrying about?<br />
<br />
Consider yourself a politician and the icons are your constituents. You might APPEAR to be there to do what they want you to do, but we both know it's best to ignore the little things until you want to pay attention to them for XP, coins or if an election is coming up.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4) Enjoy the journey, not the destination.</span><br />
<br />
The game is not a road with a beginning and end. It's a road trip that never ends.<br />
<br />
You don't need to hunker over the steering wheel like an 87 year old spinster in a Nissan Micra. For once, the world wants you to take your eyes from the road and enjoy the scenery. Look around, take stuff in, enjoy the trip.<br />
<br />
There is no final destination (which is good, never did like those movies) so you have freedom. Do you skip over some roadside attractions and come back to them later if you have time or do you take in everything you can, from the worlds biggest ball of yarn to the magical oak tree that drops a different type of wood with every chop?<br />
<br />
When you're missioning don't feed 30 sheep thinking "this will get me *insert reward*" (please be careful when inserting rewards, some are spiky) and instead think "yay, I'm feeding 30 sheep, look at all those doobers!"<br />
<br />
The reward is not the reason we should play the game, in the same way as we don't live our lives doing certain tasks planning a method of death. The game is not about achievements but how much fun we have along the way.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5) Reach out to your fellow man.</span><br />
<br />
Remember, the world is full of people, don't think of those people as strangers, just do what I do and think of those people as friends you haven't managed to alienate with your annoying habits yet.<br />
<br />
Reach out, click, help. Sometimes you'll get something in return, sometimes you'll get nothing but the warmth of helping, sometimes you'll get a restraining order (send a woman leather straps through Facebook and it's "helpful"... find where she lives and try to deliver them by hand and that's apparently "creepy").<br />
<br />
Once you've had your 50 clicks don't stop, keep giving as much as you can click. If everyone clicks everything they spot, then the world will be full of people getting what they need. You don't have to click everything, just let it come naturally and do what you can, you will be karmically rewarded in the end.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6) A reward unearned is a reward worth nothing.</span><br />
<br />
The road to completion is a long one, a tough one, but a rewarding one. Do not be tempted to take shortcuts or rise upon the back of others. You could not truly celebrate winning the London Marathon if you took a bus. You could not truly celebrate beating your niece at chess if she was 6 months old. You could not truly enjoy the compliments of others if your date for the school reunion was being paid by the hour and considers kissing a billable extra.<br />
<br />
A brag post sent thanks to the medium of cheating is a brag post of deceit, a brag post that will turn to ash in the eyes of it's onlookers.<br />
<br />
As the aforementioned date of negotiable affection endures the hard things in life as a duty, so should we. But not in the same way obviously, it would be distracting while trying to harvest wheat.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion</span><br />
<br />
My Children, do not get angry, or frustrated, or homicidal... If I can paraphrase the Bard, all the world's a screen and all the men and women merely players. They have their clicks and their request posts and one man in his time clicks many posts.<br />
<br />
Take the Dalai Alpaca way, be the controller of your own gaming destiny and, in doing so, your own blood pressure.<br />
<br />
The world is full of things we don't want to do. Repeating, Sprouts, Long Division... when we have the chance to pick and choose, grab it with both hands... actually no, grab it with one hand and use the other to wave goodbye to the notion that you need to follow the orders of a game... but for decency's sake, try to use the whole hand, not just one or two fingers.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
-----</div>
<br />
The Dalai Alpaca has written three books "Alpaca-Happy: All You Need To Know For A Good Life", "Alpaca-Happy II, OK, I Lied The First Time, There's More." and "Alpaca-Happy III, The Gratuitous Cash-in".<br />
<br />
He also produced and starred in the bestselling fitness video "Alpaca-size! Yoga Yourself Cuddly".Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-48718359808804386332012-04-13T00:50:00.000+01:002012-08-28T14:19:12.923+01:00Why, Zynga, Whhhhhhhy!?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="94" /></a>Zynga... Oh Zynga, you just couldn't do it could you?<br />
<br />
You build me up, you let me get a taste of wonderfulness, then you just ruin the moment, like a 20 stone old guy in speedos in the background of a family holiday picture.<br />
<br />
And thus, did I gaze upon the wonders of your latest mission thread, The small and understated wafers of crafting, adding texture but not enough to become stodgy and stale. The fruity pieces of requesting, just enough to give us the spice of social interaction, but not enough to turn to the bitterness of overuse.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPif7_ru06Y_l5DtCM95iq4LT-VjFCEI9AmNjKxceXmzxYMSv-9OFsgSWC5Fm8IkLOoRkWLXOSi02_4cWKDNadKdsomojisqukZ8OCgWpsJlz88bsQYeCJrji7bkMCE9-xevy1LeYQaE/s1600/knickerbocker.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPif7_ru06Y_l5DtCM95iq4LT-VjFCEI9AmNjKxceXmzxYMSv-9OFsgSWC5Fm8IkLOoRkWLXOSi02_4cWKDNadKdsomojisqukZ8OCgWpsJlz88bsQYeCJrji7bkMCE9-xevy1LeYQaE/s320/knickerbocker.png" width="123" /></a>The sumptuous and colourful ice cream layers of requirements that need us to work on our own homesteads... bringing us memories of the golden days of FTV and giving us exactly what we had begged for, the chance to work, the chance to be self sufficient, the chance to grow and nurture the givers of dropped items for ourselves.<br />
<br />
You finally gave us something great, a Knickerbocker Glory of mission thread delights, combining just the right amount of ingredients to make it a treat to savour.<br />
<br />
And then, and then... as if solely done to make me weep... you ruined it all by topping the sweet guilty pleasure of a great mission thread with the Boiled Sprout of Repetition, half hidden in the cream to boobytrap us into tasting the sweet, sweet missions and GAH!<br />
<br />
Why? Why torture us so?<br />
<br />
What is so painfully funny is that I feel it's probably done because of the sweepstakes, to make it hard for the prizes... but *whispering* <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>folks don't care about the sweepstakes</i>.</span><br />
<br />
If given a choice between a 1 in a few million chance of some cash or a few weeks of actual fun in the game, I'll pick the latter.<br />
<br />
So, when taken to it's logical conclusion, it can be summed up as: "And Zynga then paid $2'500 to annoy players."<br />
<br />
Let's be honest, if you want to pay $2'500 to make us unhappy there's better ways.<br />
<br />
Acquire the licence for a series of missions based on Piers Morgan.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfyWvAX2tP7b_7EGcWAFquelbcRonAIIGTxfUknJY2caJXfuS93CL0k4P87MzhT3rMLbbppbDX1GKcmyxrwbhCBoja8ZTtFs6iAMd-Zb9gFyheXI8vo8jJqDK6mVsL4FVYtqbDvZAX8I/s1600/beiber.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfyWvAX2tP7b_7EGcWAFquelbcRonAIIGTxfUknJY2caJXfuS93CL0k4P87MzhT3rMLbbppbDX1GKcmyxrwbhCBoja8ZTtFs6iAMd-Zb9gFyheXI8vo8jJqDK6mVsL4FVYtqbDvZAX8I/s200/beiber.png" width="200" /></a></div>Sign up Justin Beiber to record a new theme song that we HAVE to listen to.<br />
<br />
Hire me for a couple months to bring my unique brand of sarcasm to the forums.<br />
<br />
All of these things will annoy a large percentage of your membership for the same money, but here's the kicker... Probably LESS people than a new set of repeatable missions... People REALLY hate them... like, Yankees/Red Sox or Sane People/Rush Limbaugh type hatred...<br />
<br />
In fact, let me sell you an idea, actually you can have it for free, like a gift... just, you know, let the marketing department roll this over in their brains.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Campaign Identity: Not doing Repeatable Missions.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Planned Audience Response: Pleasure.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Overall cost: A SAVING of $2'500 all in with no cost outlay.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Level of Risk: 0%.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPdXAMaS5E93Pbxzvqo2CH7jGTftihoCrm3a9GSnjui8ztd98Gf977izq0Rmjz8OTEe0dlB2x42G3vC1bXhsI0Uht4iWOHu6mQhoT4GaWuc_or5hBGgVrsdI5exQ70-LH6ZgL8OeuH0s/s1600/norepeat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPdXAMaS5E93Pbxzvqo2CH7jGTftihoCrm3a9GSnjui8ztd98Gf977izq0Rmjz8OTEe0dlB2x42G3vC1bXhsI0Uht4iWOHu6mQhoT4GaWuc_or5hBGgVrsdI5exQ70-LH6ZgL8OeuH0s/s320/norepeat.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I know I'm not going to be on the Apprentice any time soon... but I think gaining yourself a net $2'500 and public support for doing nothing... that's a pretty good business strategy in anyone's mind.<br />
<br />
And the next time we gaze upon a naughty but oh so nice treat from you, we're not in any danger of a vegetable-based boobytrap.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-58898749062278494172012-03-20T12:51:00.000+00:002012-03-20T12:51:16.732+00:00Bartering In A Parallel Universe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYFHJadtDeOjU8rE1wG-cWCwz2rju_wYtxNbcgOH0nUbQYxmFH_HeatwILO6EuHIJVAOTEJjN46ImSHDZnownC9q34KoJ0AxEC-ccqWtT-0X0C78A78iCGztr3HwHxKWCkmdtkwiLC18/s1600/icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYFHJadtDeOjU8rE1wG-cWCwz2rju_wYtxNbcgOH0nUbQYxmFH_HeatwILO6EuHIJVAOTEJjN46ImSHDZnownC9q34KoJ0AxEC-ccqWtT-0X0C78A78iCGztr3HwHxKWCkmdtkwiLC18/s1600/icon.png" /></a>[Please note: this is an <b><a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/search/label/Andy%27s%20Imagination">Andy's Imagination</a></b> post, purely my own thoughts and will likely not appear in game]<br />
<br />
It's been a couple months since my imagination got an airing... well, for gaming things anyway, but that's what happens when you find Movies4Men on your satellite TV... but that's off track, my gaming imagination hasn't had much of a run out but Zynga have done their best to change that by giving us something that automatically made my head go.<br />
<br />
They gave us the Barter Depot. A building who's name is, at best, misleading and at worst an attempt to pretend we're not crafting, we're bartering. (No, we're crafting...)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNIIeK2OdYCdmJz1v-Tl_EUuOawXF45KvV6ssC-OzbT5ZBuL94_cV_xOLl-NGaduLs36DSNauj_ZH5TVegWHyzIujimQiGf_anrsW1s4qRZa1W7UPxg-qME0ucoVpcz4QXki8gBD1U0Y/s1600/icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNIIeK2OdYCdmJz1v-Tl_EUuOawXF45KvV6ssC-OzbT5ZBuL94_cV_xOLl-NGaduLs36DSNauj_ZH5TVegWHyzIujimQiGf_anrsW1s4qRZa1W7UPxg-qME0ucoVpcz4QXki8gBD1U0Y/s1600/icon.png" /></a>I'm fairly sure most people will have been like me, when I saw the email title I got excited thinking of the possibilities, then I opened it and read what it was all about... and realised this wasn't bartering.<br />
<br />
So... it got me thinking. If I had designed it, what would it have been? Thus here we are, the first Andy's Imagination post based on something already in game.<br />
<br />
I think the first thing we can all stand up and agree here is, we're not bartering. We're crafting stuff. So how do we MAKE it bartering?<br />
<br />
Simple, we do what this game was designed to do, we get social. We don't barter with some faceless entity, we barter by trading with our NEIGHBOURS.<br />
<br />
Everyone remember this screen where we see wishlists? (A feature no-one gets around to using any more because nothing we need is giftable)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixutqBv_w9vuqiFaeRrwyaGxKdLCGT4V_uP91UHWFDvhFEVRlgHB92_YNwoChZMkGGqdcPGkCSkYgszcmC7rlrTMwc0ETQx6vOX9un9Y2Hs9ffu4zHi1Cu88rWQ_NiRYHX2zoMgKOY92Y/s1600/neighbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixutqBv_w9vuqiFaeRrwyaGxKdLCGT4V_uP91UHWFDvhFEVRlgHB92_YNwoChZMkGGqdcPGkCSkYgszcmC7rlrTMwc0ETQx6vOX9un9Y2Hs9ffu4zHi1Cu88rWQ_NiRYHX2zoMgKOY92Y/s400/neighbour.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, we adapt it and move it into the game.<br />
<br />
Say for example my Great Aunt Bathsheba wants a Spanish Coin, the rare item from the Debris Collection. She's given a few choices over what she can Barter for it (to stop one sided barter based cheating), say another rare collection item like a Bear Claw, 10 Ribbons or 10 Dinners (just as an example).<br />
<br />
Well, Great Aunt Bathsheba has finished all the School Lessons so decides to trade away 10 Ribbons for the coin and, depending on what could be coded, either sends her Barter out to be viewed in her neighbours Barter Depots or it appears when neighbours visit her.<br />
<br />
Then, when I, being the loving and doting great nephew that I am, either check my Barter Depot or visits her homestead I see this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSYhEx125sZb8nUK9PZruDtc1mHADIaHv9hpxX_W36SRWxnUpkuugQUSZv2i5SnHGJ9GzIf0NN6iNO-jQUzz8nD01aVxLh3RaLydDg7seJlFNmF8rt1pwR0TMzjtrJHtYWz3DY9tLgW0/s1600/barter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSYhEx125sZb8nUK9PZruDtc1mHADIaHv9hpxX_W36SRWxnUpkuugQUSZv2i5SnHGJ9GzIf0NN6iNO-jQUzz8nD01aVxLh3RaLydDg7seJlFNmF8rt1pwR0TMzjtrJHtYWz3DY9tLgW0/s640/barter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Ten Ribbons for one Spanish Coin... OK, I think, I'm a bit of a thicko and still have school lessons to go, but I do have a bundle of Spanish Coins, so I accept the Barter and click the button. I get credited 10 ribbons from Great Aunt Bathsheba's inventory, she gets credited a Spanish Coin from mine.<br />
<br />
If you wanted to be REALLY cool you could set it that when Great Aunt Bathsheba logs in there's an arrow over her Barter Depot, and when she clicks that a Train rolls into the station and "delivers" her goods! But that might be asking a little much...<br />
<br />
Obviously there would have to be some things set as limits.<br />
<br />
Firstly what you can barter needs to have set rates so folks don't cheat the game trading 100 Spanish coins for a manure collection...<br />
<br />
Secondly there would need to be a limit on the amount you could do, I reckon setting 3-5 Barters at a time would be pretty fair.<br />
<br />
Finally it would have to only be collectible ONCE, so that Great Aunt Bathsheba doesn't end up losing 100 ribbons for 10 Spanish coins.<br />
<br />
All of that I think is fair and possibly codeable... we could have brags to pop on our wall to say we've Bartered, we could have brags to pop on our wall to say we'd put up a barter, we could have badges for "Barter so and so amount of times" that could be posted on the wall, Zynga would get their marketing posts...<br />
<br />
So there we go. That is how I would have designed a Barter building, not as another Crafting Workshop with a different name, but a real chance to go back to the Frontier and Barter with our neighbours.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573894712753520150.post-57981984055113374382012-03-20T08:56:00.001+00:002012-03-20T09:26:40.497+00:00Seeing The Diamond In The Coal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s1600/andyprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx25xBrDYT-Xmzb_PkqRGffCRddEc-zJ-wwj2fKIn3Y10yfq9A7ZcXk2x2ofKT_kK2VLZtiBPEY3jIWkfovlGYNdtMI9Zz_3Yz5SSIgV41ONAsLvfxxjJ7HoX-UdQZAmxTy3ve3yy05gE/s200/andyprofile.jpg" width="94" /></a>You know what saddens me most about the current state of the game?<br />
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Over the last six months or so I think we've had some great new features, the Emporium and Ranch spring to mind as innovative new items that helped out and weren't overly onerous to build, I don't mind making the building/crafting effort when the end product is useful and furthers the game.<br />
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Effort for reward is fun, it's when the effort doesn't really further anything along I tend to find issue. The Debris Generator and Irrigation Station are examples of things I don't mind building. Yesterday's badly misnamed Barter Depot, much less so.<br />
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Also, Prospect Falls, a divisive area to be sure, but that was to be expected. If you treat the falls like the main game and attack it with gusto it may prove to be frustrating, but I think many folks have taken it as a diversion, a 10 minute break from the homestead, and enjoyed it more as a result.<br />
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I think we've been inundated so much that many folks have almost been institutionalised into needing to rush because of the fear of more stuff coming, but the Falls are a gentler prospect, to be taken at a slower pace so were always going to be a love/hate split.<br />
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Whatever your feelings I think it's fair to say the art department have again created a beautiful area, and we are getting something much different, much more interactive than previous expansions.<br />
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But, right now we're getting too much stuff to easily get an objective view of what's appearing.<br />
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Even when we get good mission threads (and there have been fun ones now and then) it becomes hard to see the the enjoyment in them when the first thought is "oh Christ... More?!"<br />
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So, I think we need to start taking each set on their own merits, and thinking about the game accordingly.<br />
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We need to start concentrating on the diamond, and ignoring the coal.<br />
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Me? I'm going to be ignoring Rekindling, Get Rich and the Barter Depot. Instead I'll be doing the baby naming, the Falls and the Prospecting Tales.<br />
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From now on I'm going to take a picky view of my gaming. I'm going to pretend every new thread is the first I've had in a while, see it objectively and make a choice.<br />
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Will I enjoy this?<br />
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Yes - I'll do it.<br />
No - I'll ignore it.<br />
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It's a liberating thought, we only need to do what we want to do.<br />
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As a bit of blatant self promotion, if you haven't already, please read <a href="http://andy.frontiervilleexpress.co.uk/2012/03/open-letter-to-zynga.html"><strong>THIS</strong></a> and if you agree, share. Perhaps it might make a difference.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835352478462194673noreply@blogger.com9