Farm Town Etiquette

[ellshere]

I am not a long time player but quickly became addicted to both the game and the forum.

I have noticed several running themes in many of the threads that really come down to etiquette during game play. I thought it would be nice to have one place to put them all down. I would even be willing to compile the suggestions into one document to be passed on to a moderator to be posted elswhere. For the time being these are in no particular order. Simply things I gather from other threads or get as suggestions from those who read this post and add ideas.

Some of the things I have gathered already.

1. When in the market place it is best not to repeatedly ask for jobs.

2. When adding someone as a buddy don't do it as a one time only thing just to get work. Keep up the relationship it will be good for both of you.

3. If you visit other farms at random be polite and say hello. (I call these people my wee lil ghosties, they are forever showing up and refuse to speak to me) For those of us who are just as addicted to the Forum as we are to the game; when you visit a farm due to a post on the forum and the farmer is in please mention the specific thread or post that brought you to the farm. When visiting please do not do so simply to look for work. Seasoned farmers consider this the highest of insults. They love visitors who come for advise and ideas. Beggers most likely will be promptly ignored.


4. Please refrain from using foul or suggestive language. Regardless of whether or not children are present most of us adults do not appreciate it either.

5. If your buddies and neighbors are not online and you need crops harvested share the wealth, hire someone at random if your whole farm is ready.

6. When accepting work from someone you don't know be polite and ask which crops you may harvest. ie don't harvest treess if asked not to. Since the fruit does not go bad like other crops many like to leave the trees for color on their farm.

7. Only harvest those crops you are told you may harvest.

8. The report abuse button is NOT a toy. Use in only when reporting legitimate abuse.

9. The inn and the real estate office are not places in which to look for work. Go to the market place.

10. When asking to trade work please have actual work to be done that day. Do not accept a trade and disappear as soon as you are done or tell the other person you will not have crops ready for two more days. Many who play this game feel that is akin to stealing.

11. Please refrain from leaving derogatory notes on others farms such as telling them they should be allowing others to harvest their trees.

12. Try not to become upset if someone loses their connection and cannot hire you back. The connection issues are something we all face. It does not necessarily mean the person who did not hire you back is a scammer.

13. Offer the forum as a place for advise as often as possible. There are many people who do not know about the forum. The more who use it the better experience we will all have.

14. Remember many people go to full screen to harvest so they cannot see chat when you try to talk with them while they are harvesting.

15. Trade at your own risk. (sounds a bit harsh but is best said plainly, there is NO garauntee your trade will be reciprocated unless it is with someone you already know).

16. Be considerate when asking someone if they will add you as a neighbor. Since you have to be friends on FaceBook to be a Farm Town neighbor many will want to take their time before adding you. They will want to get to know you a bit better.

17. Hire at your own risk. (again sounds a bit harsh but also best said plainly), you have NO control over someone you allow to harvest on your farm. You take the risk they will ignore you when you ask them to leave certain crops alone.

I placed this here rather than in one of the technical threads as I did not intend this thread to be about suggestions to boot or punish people or ways to improve the abuse reporting etc. This is meant as a place for advise from players to other players to make the game more fun for everyone.

As you can see I wrote this before I was made a moderator. There will be some editing done in the near future.

As always if you have a suggestion that is not included here feel free to post it here. However, in the spirit of the new format of the forum posts that would be better suited in other threads in the forum will be moved to those threads.

[bindifry]

#3-why not? i enjoy looking at all kinds of farms. the farms would be blocked if that was not encouraged. honestly, i'm not sure there are any real rules to this game. there seems to be a wide range of reasons to love this game.
i always talk to the ghosts that come to my place. sometimes we hang, sometimes they just disappear. i'm not sure anyone is really there, like the ghost crops that come sometimes, or stuff moving around occasionally.
of course i would not want to be rude, but also am careful not to take this game too seriously.

[ellshere]

I probably should rephrase that one. You made the point better. If you visit be polite. I keep getting visitors who stick around and don't say anything no matter what. I know they have come from the market place when I went to sell crops. Sticking around on a farm hoping to get a hire request with no converstation probably could be a seperate point.

[Nadine]

I agree with most, except #3. I've jumped into people's farms from the forums, from the bottom of the page. I like seeing their layout. If they're home, I'll say hi. I'll even note them that I was there & liked their farm. I might just pop in & out.

I don't mind if random people drop by. I do mind if random people drop by asking for work. I'd hire a random person, who doesn't ask if I had stuff ready.

[bindifry]

that's a good question, ellshere. i think they actually could be ghosts cause it's very rare anyone talks to me.
something that happened earlier to me was someone in the market asked me to trade, so i hired her, and asked if she could send me to her farm so i could get to work. then she said she just planted & would let me know in 2 days.
now i think if you look to trade at the market, your crops should be ready to go. it's ok, cause i was not looking to make money at the time, but still...then they harvested some of my trees when i told them not to! not cool, either, however, i will give her a couple days to make good, so who knows.

[Rainer's friend]

I think you are talking about a glitch in #3... when I have a ghost on my farm I take advantage of the situation and write them a note asking if they are on my farm or if it is their "essence". Usually they are not on my farm but far away... I have met some nice people that way. I can even use their essence to visit thier farm... It's kind of cool as soon as I let go of the unsettling feeling of having a ghost around. Refreshing will boot the ghost if thats what I want to do.

As to the other rules above... I agree with some and realize that not everyone will want to play the same way I do... live andlet live... Enjoy watching people be human (or in this case Avitar lol)

Vivian

[Katie]

The harvest thing is interesting (only what you're asked). When I hire a buddy or a stranger, I ask them to harvest it all and have assumed that's what others want unless they tell me in advance. I don't really get the "don't harvest" except when folks want to keep pretty trees since they never rot. If I promised a buddy s/he could harvest something, I would just wait for him/her to do it all.

[bindifry]

they never rot? because i was wondering about it. i want to keep my trees cause it would be great to see them in full bloom-the colors! plus you don't make much $ on those anyways. if i have a large harvest, i hire 2 people because i thought our machetes got dull? or is that not happening anymore?

[Scarlet]

The machetes no longer get dull.

The point about only harvesting what you are asked to do is really important : if someone says "Please don't do the trees!" they most likely mean DON'T do the trees!! Or if they ask you only to do the potatoes, they may have someone they are keeping stuff for. It is really rude just to go ahead and do it all.

The ghosts are those who come back from the market place with you and don't speak. They are fine now you can plough under them (you couldn't at first but that seems to have changed). I don't mind random visitors from the forum myself - so long as they do not beg for work!

[Katy]

I believe that this is an essential tread and that everyone should read it. Etiquette is very important in social games. Showing common courtesy, respect for others, and following the "rules" makes it more fun for everyone.

I would personally stress #1 and 7.

I never hire beggars. Period. End of story.

#7 is essential for those of us who participate in harvest parties. If you don't follow the host's rules when you are a guest at a party, you won't be invited back! Also, you probably will be black-listed from the parties of other guests.