Originally Posted by ElkRiverRancher (Post 3107326)

I've been having some fun, with the hiring process. I now present an employment 'test'. I begin by announcing that I've got crops ready for harvesting, then plots to plow:

Greetings, Farmers. I have 2 farms; I need two employees for harvesting and plowing.

Then, I remind players that they have a very useful 'tool' available to them:

But I present an employment test. Those who do not wish to participate, please click my avatar, and select 'ignore'.

I then remind the marketplace of the 'reward' for participating:

First two correct answers will be offered the employment, both harvesting and plowing


Then, I present my 'test'. The test varies, and is based on the crop that is ready. For example, overnight I usually plant squash. My 'squash' test is a riddle:

Test: Riddle: Which FarmTown crop would be best, for killing a cockroach?


When the crop is grapes and wheat, the question is based on wine and bread, taken from the Fitzgerald translation of the Rubiayat of Omar Khayyam:

Test: Fill in the blanks: "A _ _ _ of _ _ _ _, a _ _ _ _ of _ _ _ _ _, and thou beside me, singing in the wilderness; and wilderness is paradise, now ..."


If the crop is only grapes, the 'test' is simple math -

The test: My farms yield 525 dry quarts of grapes. There are 105 dry quarts in every barrel. Each barrel yields 2 gallons of wine. How many gallons will my farms yield?

Sometimes, with grapes, the test is on American Literature:

Test: Who is the author of 'The Cask of the Amontillado'?

If the pomegranate trees are ready to pick, the test question is based on Greek Mythology:

Test: What fruit did Persephone consume, when she was being held captive by Hades in his Underworld Kingdom?

I've had great fun with some of the answers. When I get any 'irritated' players complaining that they did not 'come here to be in school', I just gently remind them that this is a game, and the developers of the game provided them with a wonderful tool, called the IGNORE button - and I recommend they employ that tool, posthaste! lol!

The hired hands are always thanked, when they arrive on the farm, for their participation in the employment test, and the usual result of the test is to stimulate a conversation with fellow FT players. I've met some very interesting people, via the 'test' and this game.

I wonder, does anyone else have any interesting ways to hire employees?

Originally Posted by Sheila Buttercup (Post 3126762)

I need to rant...sorry!

I am fed up with...people who come to harvest and don't read instructions given to them....I have a lot of crops under the trees etc....I ask for them to turn the trees off...send them personal messages...send them notes...almost always totally ignored....IT DRIVES ME MAD...I even stipulate what is needed when I hire them, and ask them to ask for work by my name...just to make sure they can read and understand....still ignored.

Then on the other hand....I hate going to work for other farmers who hire a number of workers...who end up falling over one another and getting very little for the pleasure.

Sorry folks ...Rant over

Originally Posted by CynthiaSue (Post 5488282)

I think the hiring process is probably the most time consuming part of the game for me. Finding someone willing to do trees, etc. is sometimes nearly impossible. If they could come up with a way to match employer with employee better, it would really help.

Originally Posted by Scooterbratt (Post 5488914)

I have a different type of question about hiring for someone to answer. I am at the highest level and sometimes will go into the work area to get some work. My comment is for the multi-hire farmers. I get hired, for example, to work a farm. I get to the farm and there are other farmers. I don't have a problem with that at all. Because I am at a higher level and want to see other lower level farmers get leveled up as well, I try to let them do the harvesting as much as possible. I popped into this forum because I'm have a little issue and was looking for a thread and saw this one. I never want to make the owner of the farm mad or anything, but for me it's to help the other employees and not make the owner of the farm upset. Question though, when hiring multiple people, how does the bonus come into play? Does all the farmers get it, or no one? My biggest issue as the "employer" is that people will come in and do half a job and leave. I go in to plant and the job is not done. I personally have spent 4 hours on a farm on one occasion just to finish a job I was hired for. I have gotten to the point that I don't even bother hiring people anymore.

Originally Posted by jghchurch (Post 5490166)

i got hire to do muilty, all done but 3 fish that will not let me get. now i lose the coins and everything ealse. please fix this. its not right. just like getting kicked out of a farm and not getting to go back to finish.