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Farm Town is a free, Flash-based browser multiplayer game for the social network platforms Facebook and Myspace. It is social media developed by software company, Slashkey. The game version number is undisclosed, however updates have been made available every few months and the current (as of July 2009) online version has 34 levels but is still considered in beta phase.
About the game
The game is an isometric-2D simulator of a farm. Despite its lack of complexity and advanced feature compared to standalone MMORPGs, its availability through successful social networks allowed it to attract 14 million registered users as of July 27, 2009. The following day, Farm Town was cited as the most popular application on Facebook with growth of nearly 300,000 new users per day.
The game was created as a device to build web traffic, but by playing the game, participants have fun while they learn basic agricultural concepts and traditional social aspects of a rural farm community. The game is safe and simple; however, unlike the real world, market prices don’t crash, crops and animals won’t develop diseases, crops aren’t lost to droughts or hail storms, and the bank doesn’t foreclose on property.
Playing the game
Each user creates a personal avatar and receives a tract of vacant land that can be plowed into 144 one-acre plots. Farm layout is the responsibility of the farmer. The basic activity is to plow, plant and harvest crops.
It costs a farmer 20 coins to plow each acre of land. Each farmer must plant their own plots, but the only expense is the cost of the seed, which varies by crop from 15-300 coins per acre and plants mature after growing from 2 hours to 4 days. The value of a crop at harvest ranges from 47-512 coins per plot .
The game encourages cooperation with other players. For example, it costs nothing to hire workers to assist with plowing and harvesting; on the contrary, the farmer actually gets a 25% bonus for having someone else do the work. Players can also establish a buddy list which indicates when friends are online and enables messaging. Harvesting and storing crops earns more than harvesting and selling immediately. In Farm Town, animals won't leave their farm if they aren't fenced; they don’t have to be fed and never damage crops. Trees bear fruit which never spoils. As the player accumulates experience and coins, they rise to higher levels which reveal more options, permitting the purchase of more land, improvements and buildings. The game developers frequently add new crops and items to purchase, keeping the game interesting.
Farm Town Game Levels Level Experience Points Title Advice Land Upgrade 1 0 Getting Started 12x12 2 20 Just Moved In 3 50 Learning the Ropes 4 100 Apprentice 5 250 Farmer 6 500 Adept Buy Wheat seeds / send gift Banana trees 7 750 Promising Farmer Buy Water Well / send gift Pigs 8 1,000 Green Thumb Buy Sunflower seeds / send gift Plum trees 9 1,500 Popular Farmer Buy Silo send gift Cows 10 2,000 Superb Farmer Buy Coffee seeds / send gift Peach trees 11 2,500 Talented Farmer Buy Windmill / send gift Horses 12 3,000 Talk of the Town Send gift Cherry trees 13 3,500 Distinguished Farmer Send gift Mango trees 14 4,000 Specialist Send gift Coconut trees 15 4,500 Inspiring Farmer Buy Barn 14x14 @20,000 16 5,000 VIP 17 6,000 High Achiever 16x16 @25,000 18 7,000 Master Farmer Send gift Palm trees 19 8,000 Influential Farmer Buy Squirrels 18x18 @30,000 20 9,000 Expert Farmer 21 10,000 Eminent Farmer Buy Brown Dog 20x20 @35,000 22 11,000 Mighty Farmer 23 12,500 Gifted Farmer Buy Llamas 22x22 @40,000 24 15,000 Green Ace 25 20,000 Acclaimed Farmer 24x24 @80,000 26 25,000 Just Brilliant 27 35,000 Extraordinary Farmer 28 45,000 Virtuoso 29 55,000 Green Prodigy 30 70,000 Awe Inspiring 31 85,000 Force of Nature 32 100,000 Green Genius 33 120,000 Tycoon 34 150,000 Green Wizard
Neighbors
Initially, the player is encouraged to invite at least four Facebook (or MySpace) friends to play the game and be farming Neighbors. Coins and experience are earned by visiting neighbors and helping them rake, weed and water their farm, and by exchanging gifts of animals and trees. Adding more neighbors and visiting them also makes farmers eligible to receive trophies, which unlock higher value crops to plant and new items to acquire. Advancement requires more neighbors; for example, ten neighbors are needed before a farmer can hire someone to plow their fields.
Get coins
Game components, including buildings, trees and animals, are normally purchased with coins earned while playing the game or received as gifts from a neighbor. Another option available to players is to visit the Bank. A user can quickly acquire game coins via a credit card by spending real money. A third option is to patronize the application's sponsors through the "Earn Coins" tab. Some businesses offer free coins for taking a survey or requesting product information; others award coins for purchasing their products and services.
References
- ^ Truitt, Gary: Hoosier Ag Today, May 25, 2009-Virtual Farming, A New Tool To Teach Consumers
- ^ Slashkey website, About Farm Town
- Slashkey website, Farm Town forum
- Facebook website, Farm Town Application
- AppData, Independent, Accurate Application Metrics and Trends, Facebook Farm Town
- Facebook page statistics, Monthly active users, as of July 2009
- O'Neill, Nick: All Facebook website, July 28, 2009-Largest Facebook Game FarmTown Goes Down, Run For The Hills!
- Farm Town Crop Data Information Sheet