Sunday, July 31, 2011
FarmVille: Vineyard Model Farm shows off decorating ideas for limited edition items
While it may reveal nothing about upcoming releases, the FarmVille Model Farm does serve two purposes: showing users the scale of items in a particular theme without actually purchasing them, and giving decorating tips for those who may like an item, but aren't sure how to design around it. Such is the case with the updated Model Farm, which gives us a look at the current Vineyard limited edition item theme (sans the random Boar and Ram released this week), with items like the Vineyard B&B and Tasting Room being surrounded by a forest of trees (both old and new) and a field of plenty of grape vines.
As usual, should something strike your fancy on the farm, you'll be able to purchase it by hovering over it to first see its price and then clicking to confirm the purchase. Of course, there are some non-limited items mixed in with this theme as well, like Peach Trees and Hedges, as just a couple of examples.
Sure, straight copy-and-pasting designs isn't very original, but hopefully with the Model Farm as inspiration, you'll be able to think of something even better! Be sure to let us know if you do.
FarmVille: Free Mystery Game Darts get you one step closer to a French Unicorn
This, of course, is good news for those who have yet to play the game this week, but bad for those who've already spent dozens or even hundreds of Farm Cash to complete the game. There's no word on whether those particular farmers will be able to save the free dart until next week's game (it doesn't show up in your inventory), but I wouldn't get my hopes up about that. As it stands, you'll need to manually check to see if you have been given the dart, by entering the Mystery Game as though you were about to pay to play it. There, you may be greeted by the "You've been selected for a free dart" pop-up, although there's no guarantee that you'll be so lucky.
Now that this is the second time we've been given a free Mystery Game Dart, it leaves us to wonder: has the popularity of the entire game slipped, or was this French Unicorn debacle simply something Zynga wanted to apologize for? The real test will come this evening, when the Mystery Game is restocked. Will another "free" item be available to lure players back in, or will Zynga have learned from this week's fan backlash? Stick with us to find out.
FarmVille Vineyard Animals: Race Stripe Ram and Boar offer patterns for the impatient
The Race Stripe Ram is a red and orange Ram that offers you the Racing Stripe pattern in Sheep Breeding, while the Race Stripe Boar is a two-toned blue Boar which also gives you the Racing Stripe pattern, but in Pig Breeding instead. The Boar costs less at 20 Farm Cash, while the Ram costs 30.
Let's not be so hasty to press the "buy" button though, farmers. Keep in mind that both of these patterns (albeit not in the same colors) are available for "free" by simply leveling up your farmer as a Pig or Sheep Breeder. To be specific, the Racing Stripe pattern unlocks at Pig Breeding Level 20 and Sheep Breeding Level 15. That being the case, the only real reason you should purchase these animals is if you have a true love of their colors, or don't want to work your way through leveling up the old-fashioned way, and want these patterns right now.
If you are toying with the idea of purchasing either of them, know that you only have a limited amount of time to do so: 11 days, as of this writing. Hopefully we'll see more actually "Vineyard" themed items released in the "Vineyard" theme in the future (how novel a concept), and we'll make sure to let you know if and when we do.
FarmVille Bug Report: Invisible Vineyard Goat available for 120,000 coins
You can hover over the item's very large shadow (it seems large for a goat, anyway), and it says that the item is the "Vineyard Goat," but right now it might as well be called "Vineyard Ghost." We're sure that it's only a matter of time before the FarmVille team spots the error and removes the "animal" from the store, but if you're interested in seeing what happens to the item in the future, make sure to add one to your farm while it's still available. You'll gain 1200 experience points for purchasing it, so at least you'll come out ahead in the end. Remember, if you're having trouble finding the item, just search for "Goat" in the store, and it will show up as one of the three items in your search.
All things considered, it's likely that the true Vineyard Goat will be launched as early as tomorrow, when FarmVille is once again expected to update with new items in the theme. As the final version will most likely cost Farm Cash, it will definitely be interesting to see if we've all just scored on a bargain, or if the item will be removed entirely, forcing us to purchase a real one for cash. We'll make sure to let you know the final verdict, just as soon as we know more.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
FarmVille: Zynga asks for opinions on possible friend-of-a-friend neighbor feature
Once you start, you'll find that the majority of the survey asks us to rate current or possible social features in the game, based on how much we like them. There are plenty of current features here to rate, such as how much we like having to ask for building ingredients from friends, or how we like gathering bushels for crafting recipes, but (of course) the more interesting options here are those that aren't currently available. While there's no guarantee that any of these will launch in the game officially, it's hard not to be a little excited.
Two features in particular have us cautiously optimistic, both offering the ability to add new neighbors to the game, without actually adding them as Facebook friends. Specifically, we've been asked if we would like the ability to add complete strangers as neighbors (and then interact with them as normal), or whether we'd like to simply extend our neighbors list to friends-of-friends. Both of these choices would (we assume) allow us to add another user to our network, with which we could trade free gifts, send quest items or building materials, and even visit each others' farms, all without worrying about that person finding out our personal information as we've never added them as a friend.
Remember though farmers - while these features may be incredibly exciting, they aren't actually live yet (and may possibly never be). To help things along though, remember to take the survey and vote accordingly. Who knows? With enough positive votes, we might actually be able to expand our farming networks to dozens more people that regularly play the game!
Friday, July 29, 2011
FarmVille Vineyard Items: Bay Laurel Tree, Stomp Barrel, Camarillo Horse and much more
Trees:
Bay Laurel Tree - 5 Farm Cash
California Laurel - 5 Farm Cash
Here's something that's both exciting and confusing, as both of these trees are only 5 Farm Cash each. They are a pair, meaning that one will give you the other via Mystery Seedlings, but which tree is the Mystery Seedling tree? Fear not, farmers, as we've figured that out for you. If you're looking to just purchase the level one tree, then purchase the California Laurel, as Bay Laurels will appear from Mystery Seedlings (for free) after the fact.
Animals:
Camarillo Horse - 28 Farm Cash
White-winged Scoter - 18 Farm Cash
For duck collectors, the White-winged Scoter is a mostly black duck, with white feathers on its wings. Meanwhile, the Camarillo Horse is all white, and actually looks quite dainty when standing next to other, larger horses (mind you, it's still cute). The Camarillo Horse can be bred, producing an adorable Camarillo Foal, so keep that in mind as well.
Buildings:
Vineyard - 30 Farm Cash
Vineyard B&B - 25 Farm Cash
Personally, the Vineyard is one of the prettiest buildings I've seen in quite some time, with tons of landscaping and an animated water wheel. It's just unfortunate that both of these buildings cost Farm Cash, as I would've loved a cheaper option to add them to my farm.
Decorations:
Barrel Cart - 30,000 coins
Grape Vines - 1 Farm Cash
Grape Vines II - 5,000 coins
Green Hill I - 5 Farm Cash
Green Hill II - 2 Farm Cash
Grape Baskets - 10,000 coins
Stomp Barrel - 50,000 coins
For the Grape Vine items, the difference between the two is that the premium item has grapes visibly growing on the vines, while the coin version does not. Meanwhile, Green Hill I is a much larger, and more complex item than the Green Hill II, which also explains the pricing.
While there may not be many truly impressive items in this release that are available for coins, you'll still have two weeks to decide whether or not you'd like to splurge by spending some Farm Cash instead. It's likely that Zynga will release more Vineyard items into the theme before these expire, however, so keep checking back with us as we'll be sure you're the first to know if/when they do.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Vineyard Horse and Foal love crushing grapes
Anyway, these pristine, white horses look fantastic. They're each adorned in necklaces made from grapes that make the two steeds look almost regal.
But look more closely, and their hooves are covered in grape juice and guts. Who knew those of the equine persuasion were such lushes? FarmVille Feed estimates that these horses will hit the Market for between 24 and 28 Farm Cash.
Of course, we also imagine they'll be part of the ongoing Vineyard Theme. Better go grab that five bucks quick, if you want to be the first with these delightfully-stained horses.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
FarmVille releases new quests and Craftshop expansions
Wednesday afternoon proved to be a big day in FarmVille, with the release of Craftshop Expansions and three new quests for players to work on.
Players can now expand their Craftshop to craft up to six recipes at a time. This will certainly help those on the path to mastery, as we were previously only able to craft one item at a time. For each new station you wish to unlock, you’ll need to add 5 Wrenches, 5 Clamps and 5 Pipes in.
The three new quests are only here for the next 13 days, so if you plan on participating in them, you should get started on them as soon as possible. Here’s what you will be doing, and the rewards for competing them.
Quest 1: A Fitting Beginning
Your first quest asks you to build 1 Craftshop (if you already have one, you’ll immediately get credit for it), obtain 6 Sawhorses, and harvest 200 items of any type (crops, trees and animals count). Completing this set of tasks will earn you 100XP, 1,000 Farm Coins and 5 Love Potions.
Quest 2: The Big Job
Your next quest requires you to add a station to your Craftshop (by collecting 5 Wrenches, 5 Pipes and 5 Clamps), harvest 1 Pigpen, and craft one Yellow Racer. The Yellow Racer recipe needs 4 Bags of Manure, 10 Coffee Bushels, and 6 Pepper Bushels. It’s a good idea to ask your friends to send you these bushels now if you can’t find any to purchase! Finishing this set of quests will get you 250XP, 2,500 Farm Coins and 10 Fuel Tanks.
Quest 3: Joy Ride
Your final quest entails getting 12 pair of Fuzzy Dice from friends, use a Tractor 15 times, and harvest 1 Orchard. Your prizes are 500XP, 5,000 Farm Coins and a Mechanic Gnome.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in new AT&T U-Verse promotion
This promotion comes with the same ground rules as others: you'll find the sponsored link to the activity underneath the FarmVille gameplay area, but this promotion may not be available to all farmers, depending on where you live, even if you live in the United States. If you're lucky enough to have this promotion available to you, all you need to do is complete a short survey concerning AT&T's U-Verse service, and will be rewarded your free Farm Cash on the spot.
If your Farm Cash total doesn't automatically update with your new funds, try a refresh of the game to see if that sets things straight. To skip any issues though, make sure you stick around in the promotion's window until you see the familiar black text appear in the top right corner, letting you know you've actually earned your Farm Cash. After that point, you should be able to confidently close the window.
Don't have this promotion? I feel your pain farmers. Hopefully, this promotion will roll out to more users over time, so we can all have a chance at those free Farm Cash! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to rapidly refresh my game in the hope that it shows up.
Zynga discounts FarmVille 2X Mastery Statue, still about four bucks
Zynga has cut the price of the 2X Mastery Statue from 25 to just 20 Farm Cash, which slashes about a buck off of its price. However, keep in mind that 20 Farm Cash could nearly restock your Fuel tank, or buy a slew of attractive Trees or Animals.
Alright, the statue stays on your farm even after the effect wanes. Well, if that's worth 20 Farm Cash to you, then pick it up by all means. But this price cut only lasts for another five days, so run--don't walk!--to your nearest credit card/Pay Pal/Wal-Mart.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
FarmVille Vineyard Animals: Add a Vineyard Sheep to your collection
Unfortunately, for all of this particular sheep's cuteness, you can't breed this pattern into Lambs as this is simply a Sheep and not specifically labeled as a Ram. Still, if this Sheep goes over well enough, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a Vineyard Ram released in the future - perhaps one with a vine pattern running down its side/back?
Either way, if you'd still like to add this Vineyard Sheep to your collection, you'll be rewarded handsomely with 2000 experience points, but again, it will only be around for a limited time. Too bad this isn't an item that's immediately "on sale" upon release, huh?
Monday, July 25, 2011
FarmVille Marans Chicken Mystery Egg: What's inside?
Here's what's inside:
Old English Hen
Dorking Chicken
Silkie Chicken
Clover chicken
Scots Grey Chicken
Cornish Chicken
Butler Gnome
Town Fountain
English Bench
Fuel
Does that list seem familiar? It should, as the contents are those found in many other eggs, and specifically the English Mystery Egg. The biggest problem here isn't so much that there aren't tons of new items here (or any), but the simple fact that you apparently can't earn more Marans Chickens from a Marans Chicken Mystery Egg (as of this writing) is disappointing at best, and a deal breaker at worst. Is the chicken worth a purchase, at 20 Farm Cash, if you can only earn these old items by opening its eggs?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Lonley White Mustang wanders into FarmVille
FarmVille players may notice a new wandering animal on their farms Saturday afternoon. A new White Mustang is being spotted on farms, and you'll need the help of your friends to catch him for good.
If a White Mustang wanders onto your farm, you will receive a popup notice letting you know there's a wandering animal around. Clicking the message will bring you outside the borders of your farm to find a sad White Mustang.
Once you'ce spotted the White Mustang, you can ask five friends to help coax him onto your farm. Alternately, you can skip asking your friends and pay 20 Farm Cash immediately to call in the help of an animal expert, who will catch it for you right away.
When you have received enough help, you will get the White Mustang and you'll be able to share a free one with your friends via a Facebook post.
Friday, July 22, 2011
FarmVille Super Crop guide
FarmVille released Super Crops into the game on Thursday night! These all-new crops give players something new to plant and mastery, and they boast special Gold Mastery Signs upon completion of all three mastery levels.
In order to plant a Super Crop (and there are several available), you’ll need to master their regular crop counterpart first. For example, in order to plant Super Pumpkins, you must have Pumpkins mastered first. You’ll also need to obtain approval from 6 of your friends before you can plant.
There are nine new crops for you to unlock:
- Super Cotton: Requires Cotton mastery. This is a 12 hour crop that yields 3XP and 207 Farm Coins per harvest.
- Super Pumpkin: Requires Pumpkin mastery. This is an 8 hour crop that yields 2XP and 68 Farm Coins per harvest.
- Super Yellow Melon: Requires Yellow Melon mastery. This is a four day crop that yields 10XP and yields 528 Farm Coins per harvest.
- Super Grape: Requires Grape mastery. This is a 1 day crop that yields 4XP and 270 Farm Coins per harvest.
- Super Watermelon: Requires Watermelon mastery. This is a 4 day crop that yields 10XP and 400 Farm Coins per harvest.
- Super Pepper: Requires Pepper mastery. This is a 1 day crop that yields 4XP and 162 Farm Coins per harvest.
- Super Pink Aster: Requires Pink Aster mastery. This is a 1 day crop that yields 4XP and 165 Farm Coins per harvest.
- Super Cranberry: Requires Cranberry mastery. This is a 10 hour crop that yields 2XP and 98 Farm Coins per harvest.
- Super Strawberry: Requires Strawberry mastery. This is a 4 hour crop that yields 1XP and 50 Farm Coins per harvest.
If you do not want to wait for your friends to answer their game requests and approve your crops, you can skip this step for Farm Cash. We suggest being patient and waiting though – these are permanent crops for you to master!
For those who need mastery signs as soon as humanly possible, remember you can purchase the 2 day Mastery Statue in the FarmVille Market for a little while longer!
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Tasty Truffle Trees joined by Merens Pony
However, FarmVille Feed guesses that they'll release with an extension of the Parisian Theme. Like most trees, and this is just a guess, these will probably release through Mystery Seedlings and later into the Market for Farm Cash.
As for this adorable Merens Pony, which will also likely be part of an extension to the Parisian Theme, as these doe-eyed horses reign from the Pyrenees mountains in southern France (and Spain). However, Horses have been released outside of a theme plenty of times, like the random Dartmoor Pony gift many of us received recently. Well, until you can see these items in-game, enjoy the pretty pictures.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
FarmVille: Yellow Sow now available through Animal Feed Trough
As usual, the animal you'll find is random, but if you're a Pig Breeder, this is actually a really great animal to find, as it will add this pale yellow color to your breeding catalog, so that you can pass it on to Piglets with patterns... Well, again, if you're lucky. Hopefully, if enough users start using their Feed Troughs again, Zynga will take it as a hint to add more new animals, and we'll make sure to let you know if they do.
FarmVille: Boer Goat available as free gift for a limited time
The Boer Goat can be found on the free gifts page, and sent like any other item. You can add the animal to your "Wishlist," should you wish to post a news feed item directly to your friends, letting them know you want one, or you can do the gifting to new players, or anyone you know that's an animal collector. Remember, the time limits for these limited time free gifts are unknown, so if you want a chance to send (or receive) one of these cute little animals, do it fast.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Emma Stone Deactivates Facebook Account After Becoming 'Addicted' to FarmVille
Emma Stone says she deactivated her Facebook account after becoming addicted to the online game FarmVille, Cambio reports.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the cover girl says she was hooked on the app, which allows users to create a virtual farm by growing crops and accumulating animals. "I got addicted to FarmVille, so had to get off," she admits.
The 'Easy A' star isn't the only celeb who loves the game. Lady Gaga teamed up with the app to debut her new album, 'Born This Way,' on a version of FarmVille called GagaVille.
Emma shouldn't feel too bad -- the game has driven users to do some unbelievable things. In 2010, a 12-year-old became so obsessed with FarmVille that he racked up $1,400 worth of charges on his mom's credit card to buy "farm cash."
It's no wonder why the actress wanted to cancel her Facebook account all together! Emma is starring in 'Crazy, Stupid, Love,' which opens in theaters on July 29.
Zynga spices FarmVille up with limited edition Habanero Chili crop
But Zynga just turned it up to 11 with this new limited edition crop, the Habanero Chili. And, get this, it doesn't require a Farm Cash license. (You can applaud now.)
The Habanero Chili costs just 50 Coins and, after eight hours, the crop will ripen and sell for 110 Coins and 1 XP. The crop has full Mastery, though it's
However, you only have the next 21 days to master it, so get started now if you want that big old Chili sign. And don't get too confident now that you've planted them digitally--unless you can do without taste buds.