New Release -- December 22nd, 2009 - UPDATE

[Myklaila]

I am a newbie here at the forum only because this is the first time that I have felt the need to say something. I am VERY glad that you are going back to the old plow ahead model for Farmtown. I would like to see a limit to hiring... however I dont think that limit should be set to 1 plowing and 1 planting.

My idea would be

Limit the number of total hires to 4 -- 2 plowing and 2 harvesting

I would be happier with the 4 limit than a 2 limit, due to the fact that sometimes I am simply not able to stay and wait for someone that i have hired who turns out to be slow.

So, if there is a limit to how many we can hire, we should also be able to fire someone.

SPECIAL NOTE: I rarely hire more than one... so this is not coming from someone who hires the entire marketplace to harvest 100 plots. I am a lvl 60 with 580,000+ xp points under my belt. I have two full size farms and run crops on both full time. I rarely hire more than one person unless the situation that I mentioned above comes up (someone is just slow)

This is a game. In any computer game, learning skills and getting good at that skill set is a part of the game. If you dont learn to control spyro, you die. A long long list of examples could be used, but spyro was the most simple I could think of. As in any game, those who learn the skill sets are going to advance while those who dont will not do so as quickly.

It could be said that those who can go really fast are considered greedy. I am one of the people who can fly through a farm. IF the people that I am working with are not "clickers" (my name for the folks who land and start clicking randomly all over the place), I wont ever get into their line or their area of the farm. It is entirely possible for 2 people to work together on a farm in a calm and easy way while getting the work done quickly and efficiently. Clickers though... I dont feel the need to avoid. I work in order, in rows, and I do so quickly. When a clicker interupts a row that I am working on, I simply continue on my row and ignore them. When that row is done, I go to the next row. The fact that harvesting, plowing this way gives me more of the farm than they end up with, is proof positive that the way that I am doing things is more efficient than the way that they have chosen. Simple conclusion.

I am sorry that some people have a slower connection than others. However, that is the way things are. I dont know of another game where the playing field is leveled to accomodate those with slower connections. Maybe those games exist... I just haven't seen them. There are system requirements on every piece of software that you buy. There are system requirements on almost all online games. While those on a slower computer are able to play Farmtown, this doesn't mean that they should be able to do as well as those with a quicker connection.

While I understand the wish to accomodate as many people as possible, this is a game. If you make everyone equal by force, then you are running a group activity not a game.

So... my dreamworld solution ...

***Hire 1 person to plow and 1 person to harvest (on each of my two farms 4 total) with the ability to FIRE that person if they are not doing what I need them to do.

***The ability to HIDE all decorations (including and maybe especially animals) While the new stuff is really cute to look at, when you are planting plowing or harvesting, they are just awful... especially the decorative trees

[aunties em's farm]

Thank you for listing to the players of Farm Town.
As for the limit on hiring people to 2 is not a good idea, like other I have friends that get together on each others farm to play and talk. If you limit the hires then I have to chose what friend I want to do the job. You could make it so the farmer who hires has the right to fire, or use the good old ignore button.
Again that you for listening to us. I will be back to play now.

[Kisa3]

Please go back to how it was before yesterday....
I would NOT like the possibility to have only 1 worker.
that takes too much time sometimes (more than i have at least)

This way of harvesting and plowing has completely destroyed my fun in the game

And yes: I uesd to love it !!!!!

Much better than all others.

What i really like(d) was the possibility to harvest/plow, wait for it to catch up and have the possibility to chat while waiting.

The chatting and working for each other is the real core of this game !!


Thanks for tha hard work and thanks for turning it back

[Spleenmonger]

i don't like the idea of being limited to only 1 person to plow or harvest, there is not enough time to wait for them to click and wait click and wait click and wait. i prefer the ability to que up the plots. if you just wait until the coins/xp points are doing appearing then you know that you are finished with the area. I haven't lost any points/coins. if this is the way that we must go for now, maybe we could randomly spawn on the farms that we are hired on so that we don't all land in the same place and have to fight over the areas closest to us.

[Baloo_uk]

Thanks indeed for going back to how it was before the change.

I do like the idea of being able to fire people from the job, as I had it before where someone would just stand around after being hired. If there would be a limit on the ammount of people you could hire I can see this being an issue.

So if you would be able to fire people who misbehave, I think this would be the best option.

[lulabelle]

Thanks for rolling back to the previous version.

Regarding the loss of xp/coin, I've never had that experience. I *thought* I lost coin once, but realized that I must have been clicking on plots that were already harvested by someoneelse. In a multiple harvester situation, watch to see that your xp and coin are adding up. When they stop, all plots have been harvested and no more coin is available. Quit harvesting. Eventually you'll see that the harvest is complete. You are not entitled to coin because someone has already harvested that plot.

[Patsy Anne]

I experienced the "new" way of harvesting and plowing this morning and just find it too slow. On the other hand, being fast, yesterday I - and my hirer - had to wait an interminable time for the coin and xp collection to catch up before i could move to the next job. A compromise between the two would be ideal!
Like others here i also think limiting jobs to one isn't necessary when as both hired and hirer you have choice to either hire one/more or simply leave a room if its too chaotic!
Anyway - glad to know someone is trying on gamers behalf - just dont jump out of the frying pan into the fryer too soon! lol

[Kisa3]

Originally Posted by Buppa

Raul,
Thanks for hearing us. While you had to endure a lot of **** from folks ranting, there were some valid points, and you saw that. Good for you. Instead of only getting to hire one person, maybe a ratio of people to the number of developed squares. If you have 576 squares (full 24x24 farm) developed, then 3 people max, 100 or less 1 person. This would allow a farmer to move on. If you just hire one person for the big farm and they are a slowbie (some are and thats ok) you would have to wait a half hour for them to finish?
I do think it is necessary to be able to fire workers. Once they are on your farm they can do whatever, and be disrespectful, and you have no recourse. I would love it if you could fire, and then when you are in the market, hover over applicants and see their 'rating' Hire/fire ratio
Thanks again for hearing us.

This last bit is a good idea, very funny, but would not have my priority..

[shiylo]

Originally Posted by shiylo
Hello developers I am in agreement with the people who hate the changes at level 60+ and millions of dollars it has taken the challenge out of the game made it more for the younger or people who don’t like a challenge seems these changes are to keep people in their place instead of having fun as for myself I have never lost a dollar or an xp the game was a blast now it take forever to do a harvest or plow and everything is on top of everything to me this game is now a dud.. hard to see with the huge tools and words flying all over the avatar right on top of everything not to mention it feels like your under someone’s thumb not this girl I will be finding another game seems the game has had a lot of creativity taken out of it along with the challenge of it humm could be a meany phoo but why you all know why the changes. I know what your saying the changes are for but those of us who play the game hard know better. People make things up so it looks better well it looks worse and the play has gone out of it thanks for what was a grand game it really is to bad it was the best game out their till now…The game has now become so pathetic!

i think you missed the point of this thread. This is the thread giving feedback to the devs on which way would be better for the reversion back to what it was before today's update.

do you want the reversion with or without the alternative they have mentioned. This is a time to give a little feedback on a way to improve the previous way the game was, not the new and unimproved way.


Efwis maybe you should know where you speak from before you speak this was one of the first post before Rual began talking about a roll back so if you read the whole thread you would of know this it was posted not more then 30min after the update so it isn't me out of place it is where the tread was started thank you very much and I except your apogee their is no need for rudeness when you know not where you speak from...Have a grand holiday...Merry Christmas...

[Vee.]

I am thrilled to read you are reverting to the old way of harvesting/ploughing. For the first time ever, this afternoon, I actually asked my neighbour to hire someone else to finish her farm because I simply didn't have the time (nor the inclination) to hang around while my avatar screamed "wait, I'm busy" over and over again... Thank g-d you've listened to us!!

I disagree with implementing a change that will only allow us to hire one or two people. Personally I usually only hire one person to harvest then rehire them to plough, occasionally two people if I'm in a hurry to get the work finished but I do not think it is fair to place a limit on how many people can be hired at any one time. I certainly disagree with the fact that proposed limits be based on the size of one's farm because not everybody has their whole farm filled with crops. Some people have the largest size farm but only have a few small sections dedicated to crops and it would be unfair if those farmers could hire three people (for example) while someone else who has the smallest farm and has filled the whole thing with crops can only hire one person. What about those of us who have two farms? How many people would we be allowed to hire?

I would be happy if things went back to the way they were with no hiring limits and no firing rights. If people aren't happy to arrive on a farm to find a dozen other workers already there, then they can just leave. If I hire someone and I'm unhappy with their work I will set them to 'ignore' (so that I don't make the mistake of hiring them again in the future) then I will head to the MP and hire someone else to finish the job. Being able to fire someone is just plain wrong, imo. I can see too many people using this option and then the forum will be filled with people complaining about being fired. Let's keep it simple - it's the simplicity of FT that makes it so much fun.

Thanks for reading.