Sunday 15 November 2015

Botanic Garden Island Missions and Friendship Flowers

The Botanic Garden is situated on the Island.  There is a total of 12 places for flowerpots in the garden and four places for Neighbour flowerpots.  Only two of your own places will be unlocked at the start.  Tools that can be used on flowerpots include trowels called 'spades' and trimmers.  These can be used at specific intervals only.  One cannot purchase any of the possible upgrades for the Garden, whether in the form of more places for flowerpots or to unlock the 'Glasshouse'.  You only can unlock new options by growing flowers and engaging in other Garden actions.

Other tools apart from the Spade and Trimmer that will be unlocked at higher levels include Insecticide, a UV Light and Music.

Your Garden Level is displayed on a pillar with a five-petal flower or five-point star on top of it.  After planting a second flower and using 1 Trowel/Spade on each of the flowers, my Level remained Level 1 but I had earned 3 out of the 8 points needed to ascend to Level 2.  Each Level upgrade requires more points.

Your Botanic Garden Level has nothing whatsoever to do with your general Experience Level.  You raise it only by tending your Garden.  Initially the Greenhouse when unlocked had a limited number fo plots for your own Friendship Flowers and you had to unlock the remainder by increasing your Level.  When the developers began to issue special sale Friendship Flowers, however, I do believe all farmers were given the total of 5 Greenhouse slots.

There are three little stalls to the right of the Pillar.  The first is the Mystery Shop.  The second is a Flower Book akin to your Fish Book, listing all possible Flowers and your own mastery of them.  The third is a help stall, indicated by a question mark.

Once a flowerpot is placed, tending the flower is time-based.  The icon of the Tool that is needed to tend the Flower will appear above the flowerpot and, provided you have the Tool ins question, all that is needed is a tap of a finger.  It appears that the actual Tool that is needed is random, although certain tools such as the UV Light and Insecticide require a specific level of Garden experience.

The Flower Book contains the following:

Ordinary Flower Chapter:
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Venus Flytrap

Viola Tricolour

Chrysanthemum

Epiphyllum

All ordinary Flowers can be purchased from the Shop.  You need to access the Shop regularly to see what is available on any given day at any given time.  Remember that you can refresh the list of Items offered for Coin purchase.

Each Flower has a different growing time and the time that must elapse before another Tool can be used is different in each case.  The Chrysanthemum is one of the slowest-growing flowrs.  The Viola Tricolour appears to be one of the fastest.  You need not grow two of the same type of Flower in order to complete the requirement to grow 2 Level 2 Flowers for the Mission.  Obviously you do not need two of the same type to create a hybrid.  As the Mystery Shop Coin Menu will change each time you refresh, you can choose to wait until the flower you want appears, even when you have an empty space in your garden.

Super Flower Chapter
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Super Venus Flytrap

Super Viola Tricolour

Super Chrysanthemum

Super Epiphyllum

Super Lily

Super Jagger Lips

Super Flowers are obtained through cross breeding.  There is a low chance of achieving these.

Mega Flower Chapter
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Maga Chrysanthemum

Mega Epiphyllum

Mega Lily

Mega Jagger Lips

Mega Rose

MEga Rafflesia

Mega Venus Flytrap

Mega Viola Tricolour

Mega Flowers are obtained through cross breeding.

Extraordinary Hybrids
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Doughnut Flower

Super Lollipop Flower

Cupcake Flower

Super Doughnut Flower

Super Cupcake Flower

Mega Doughnut Flower

Meag Cupcake Flower

Lollipop Flower

Mega Lollipop Flower

These flowers are obtained on rare occasions through cross breeding.

A new Island tutorial Quest is involved in this.

Trading Places
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Trading Places I
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Darryl:  I made a bet with Felicia on whose tasks are harder.  Now I have to do all Felicisa's tasks for a day and she'll do mine!  And guess what?  I'll be working in the flowr garden all day!  No way, it's so girly!

Have 2 flowers in the garden
  N.B.  You will begin with one flower.  I was able to purchase a second flower using Coins in the Mystery section of the Market.  I do not know if the new items available in the Mystery section change daily or if they always are available but today, one can purchase 10 Trimmers for 8000 Coins.

Help 2 flowers with the Spade
  Skip for 3 RC

  N.B.  When you are able to use a 'spade' on a flower, the icon of a trowel will appear above the flower pot.  It really is a trowel and not a spade...

Help 2 flowers with the Trimmer
  Skip for 6 RC

Reward: 1500 Coins, 250 XP, 15 Dev Points

Darryl:  That wasn't too hard!  Especially with your help!  I wonder how Felicia has been getting on with my work!

Trading Places II
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Oh dear!  Felicia left me instructions and according to them, I have to crossbreed flowers.  I have no idea on how to do this!  Can you help me, so that Felicia won't laugh at me?

Have 2 matured Level 1 Flowers
  Skip for 6 RC

Crossbreed 1 level 1 flower
  Skip for 6 RC

Reward: 1500 Coins, 250 XP, 15 Dev Points

Darryl:  Wow!  Did you see that?  Look, we've got a special flower!

N.B.  The Chrysanthemum takes far longer to mature than the Epiphyllum.  When my first Chrysanthemum finally matured, I had been continuing to feed the Epiphyllum for a day or so at least.  Cross-breeding the two resulted in a Super Chrysanthemum in this case.

Trading Places III
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DarryL;  Oh!  I think I can even win the bet you know!  All we need to do is take care of these little flowers when they need something!  Look, I'll show you!

Have 2 Level 2 Flowers
  Skip for 6 RC

Help 2 Flowers with the insecticide
  Skip for 6 RC

Help 2 flowers with the UV Light
  Skip for 6 RC

Reward: 1500 Coins, 250 XP, 15 Dev Points

Darryl:  These garden flowers are so delicate.  I was scared about hurting them when I used the garden tools!

Trading Places IIV
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Darryl:  Remember the flowers which you helped me crossbreed for the first time?  We need to find another flower to crossbreed with this one!   I still need to learn how to do this!  Please help me one more time!

Have 2 matured level 2 flowers
  Skip for 6 RC

Crossbreed 2 level 2 flowers
   Skip for 6 RC

Rewards: 1500 Coins, 250 XP, 15 Dev Points

Darryl:  Yes, ow we have one more resident for our garden!  Grow, little guy!  Become big and beautiful!

Received a Mega Epiphyllum by crossbreeding a Super Epiphyllum and Super Chrysanthemum incidentally.


Trading Places V
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Darryl:  I was planning to run to  the fishing pier with my friends for a few hours, but these flowers need constant attention!  I give Felicia credit, this juob isn't as easy as I thought it would be!  But I still want to win the bet!

Have 2 Level 3 Flowers
  Skip for 6 RC

Help 2 Flowers with Music
  Skip for 6 RC

Reward: 1500 Coins, 250 XP, 15 Dev Points

Darryl:  Nice!  All flowers have had their fair share of my attention!  Now I have some free time!

Trading Places VI
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Darryl:  We have enough flowers in our garden!  Time for some experiments!  I will corssbreed flowers and try to get a totally new type of flower!  Felicia will be stunned!

Have 2 Matured level 3 flowers
  Skip for 6 RC

Crossbreed 2 Level 3 flowers
  Skip for 6 RC

Reward: 1500 Coins, 250 XP, 15 Dev Points

Darryl:  It's so peaceful here in this garden!  No wonder Felicia spends hours here!

Trading Places VII
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Darryl:  I need to free up some space in the garden.  Can you help me decide which one I should sell?  I am so attached to them now that I won't be able to make a choice!

Sell 1 Matured Flower
  Skip for 6 RC

Reward: 1500 Coins, 250 XP, 15 Dev Points

Darryl:  Thank you for your help!  Now we have more space and more coins! Gardening sure is an awesome thing!

Last quest in sequence.

Mystery Shop
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The new Mystery Shop offers the opportunity to buy new Flowers for the Garden, more implements for the Garden, as well as items from both the original Seaside Farm and the Island Farm, provided always that you have unlocked the Island and the Garden.  If not, you will not see the Items from the Garden or the Island Items.   On my second farm initially, I had unlocked the Island but not made the expansion that allowed the Garden to appear.  I therefore saw only regular Island Items and Seaside Items in the Mystery Shop.  Note, however, that Crops and products you may not have unlocked yet WILL appear in the Mystery Shop from time to time, as well as a multitude of Sea creatures.  For players like me who dislike the fishing option, it is great to be able to buy seafood supplies in the shop now.

The Mystery Shop moreover, in terms of the new Coin option is on a timer that allows the player to refresh up to four times, depending on the amount of time that has passed.

Be advised that you can have only a limit of 99 tools of any kind for the Garden.  When you have 99 Spades, you cannot purchase more until you have used some of them.

Seeds for flowers cannot be stored.  If you do not have a spot to plant the seed, you cannot purchase it.

Greeenhouse
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The Greenhouse is where your own Friendship Flowers are located, both the real Friendship Flowers and those that you have purchased in a special sale.  You can keep purchased Friendship Flowers in your Gift Box, however, if you wish to keep a slot or two open for a real Freindship Flower.

When  a Friendship Flower has been created in your garden, it immediately will go into the Greenhouse. You then need to open the Greenhouse to tap on the flower in order to find a Neighbour to tend it.  When you have chosen the Neighbour, you then need to visit his/her Island farm to place your flower on an empty Neighbour Plot by tapping on the plot.

There is a new option in Seaside that allows you to place a special welcome pink or red ribbon round your Neighbour plots to let your Neighbours know that you would welcome Friendship Flowers.  Although most farmers do welcome the chance to tend them, there are farmers who would rather not have the burden of what can be considerable labour, especially if the flower is Level 2.  Thus the new option.

If you find that your Neighbour is not tending your Flower, you should be able to take it back and place it on another farm.  If you do this, however, all growth progress will be lost to the flower.  It is not a step to be taken hastily.  Some farmers have more access to the internet and the game than others.  It may not be neglect but lack of access that makes one farmer slower to grow your Flowers than another.

More about Friendship Flowers
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As discussed previously, the Botanic Garden is on the Island and is tied to one of the Island expansions.  It has begun to feature in the time-restricted Missions so if you have access to the Island but have not made that particular expansion, you may wish to do so.

There are three different types of flowers basically.  There are the ordinary Flowers that you buy in the Mystery Shop, grow on your side of the Botanic Garden and then crossbreed with another mature Flower os the same Level after it has grown to maturity itself.  These flowers all can be found in your Flower Book in the first three categories or chapters.

The second type of Flower is what call the real Friendship Flower.  All types appear in your Book in the final chapter for Friendship Flowers.  They can be produced only through crossbreeding and are a random result.  Usually, you will find that a Level 3 Flower crossbred with another Level 3 Flower is the one most likely to produce a Friendship Flower although it can occur with two Level 2 Flowers as well.  The Friendship Flower you obtain in this situation would be a level 1 Flower.

It is when a real Friendship Flower is sent to a Neighbour, brought to maturity and crossbred that you may receive a level 2 Friendship Flower.  Again, this is a random result.  Too many times, you will tend to the Friendship Flower a neighbour has entrusted to you only to obtain an ordinary Flower when you finally are able to crossbreed it.

Finally, there is the type of Friendship Flower that you obtain through purchase in a sale.  These so far have been of two varieties: the Ice Cream Flower and the Macaron Flower.  The Ice Cream Flower gives higher RC when crossbred than the Macaron but the Macaron has two separate Decorations associated with it.  When you have opened your 8th Gift Bag from a Macaron Flower, you receive the Spoon Shovel Decoration.  When you open the 10th, you receive the Macaron Flower Decoration.  Both can be registered in the Gallery.

The Friendship Flowers that appear in sales are not included in your Flower Book and no one I know ever received a Friendship Flower or even rare Flower from crossbreeding one.  The real purpose of these is to share RC with a friend and to earn XP towards the upgrade of your Botanic Garden.

Note that the Colourful Plumeria is tied to this type of Friendship Flower.  It only appears in the Mystery Shop when the sales are running and no one I know ever received a rare flower from crossbreeding the Colourful Plumeria with another flower.  The purpose of this type is speed... it matures faster even than the Epiphyllum or Tricolour Violet.  It appears to be related to both of these actually as the flowers you receive when you crossbreed the Plumeria tend to be one or the other of these.

I remember when the fishing option first was released in Seaside.  We logged all the results of the position in which the bait was cast to try to discern the nature of the catch.  Utterly useless: results are random.  I firmly believe it is the same for the Botanic Garden.  We could log our results until the proverbial cows come home and still not have any way to make certain that we obtain specific flowers in crossbreeding.  I do hope that the developers will modify the incidence of obtaining the Level 2 Friendship Flowers when Level 1 Friendship Flowers such as the Cupcake Flower, Doughnut Flower and Lollipop Flowers are crossbred.  Even more time and energy goes into the tending of the level 2 Friendship Flowers and when one ultimately obtains only a common Flower after crossbreeding one, it is too depressing for words.  Not to mention how upset I am not to be able to send a rare Friendship Flower back to its owner after crossbreeding finally occurs.  I really think that this aspect of the game needs to be changed in our favour.

There are different probabilities, however.  Apart from the possible result of a Friendship Flwoer when two ordinary Flowers are crossbred, there is a possibility of obtaining a flower tyat is rare.  The rare types are the Jagger Lips, the Lily, the Rafflesia and the Rose.

In my own experience, the Lily appears to be associated with the Epiphyllum and Viola Tricolour while the Jagger Lips appears to be associated with the Venus Flytrip and possibly the Chrysanthemum.  I personally believe that although all the rare types are described as having a 'rare chance' of appearing in the Flower Book, it is the Rafflesia and the Rose that are the rarest of all.  No one I know ever has obtained one so far...

Here I am descending to the realm of pure speculation.  Is it possible that one only can obtain the Rafflesia or the Rose by crossbreeding two OTHER rare flowers such as the Jagger Lips and the Lily?  Time will tell...

It is possible that the appearance of the Rafflesia and Rose, although random, may be more likely if you are at the highest level of Experience in the Botanic Garden.  On the other hand, the Jagger Lips was a result on my lower level Rosewood Farm long before Freyashawk obtained it on the higher level Harvest Moon Farm.  The Botanical Garden is at a higher level there, in other words, than Rosewood's Botanical Garden.  So perhaps it is entirely random after all.  It does seem odd though that none of the farmers to whom I have spoken have had either Rafflesia or Rose.

A little note here about the nature of the Rafflesia.  It is famous in the Animal Crossing series of games as a terrible weed that occurs if you neglect your village shamelessly and fail to pull your regular weeds... In the Rune Factory series, it is a 'boss' monster you must defeat.   In Seaside, it is a rare flower.

I have used the basic designation for the rare flowers rather than using the Level names.  In other words, there are Super Lilies and Mega Lilies, Super Jagger Lips and Mega Jagger Lips...

Finally, your ability to send Friendship Flowers out to Foster Care depends partly on your experience Level in the Botanic Garden.  Initially it began with two slots but when they released the sales with the Macaron Friendship Flower, they expanded the number of slots even for low level Botanic Farmers to four.  When you purchase a Sale flower, you can keep it in your Gift Box until needed.  I recommend this actually as I had a situation where a real Friendship Flower from a neighbour matured but I did not have any free slots in my Glasshouse.  I was uncertain if this would affect my chances to produce a Level 2 Friendship Flower as it would have nowhere to go.  I therefore had to wait until one of my existing Friendship Flowers on Neighbours' Garden plots matured in order to clear a space in the Greenhouse for the hypothetical Friendship Flower.

There is a question here as well.  Where should you send your Friendship flowers for foster care?  Well, there is a little reciprocal rule that is unofficial.  Where sale flowers are concerned, when some one sends one to you, it is good manners to send one to that farmer if you have any.  Where real Friendship Flowers are concerned, should you be fortunate enough to breed a Level 2 type, you really ought to send it back to the farmer who sent it to you for fostering in the first place.

Although there are many farmers who request Friendship Flowers, there are others who do not bother much with the garden.   The speed with which a flower matures depends partly upon the frequency with which you tend it.  I have a post in my Family Farm Seaside Freyashawk Group where farmers can post their Friendship flower requests and status.  Remember that any Friendship Flower has to be crossbred with a normal Flower when it matures, so keeping Level 1 mature flowers in the Garden is one factor that makes some farmers more desirable 'foster parents' than others.

Note that, if you feel that a farmer is not tending the Friendship Flower you placed in his/her garden, there is an option to take it back and re-foster it somewhere else.   Any progress made in its growth will be lost of course if you do so but if you see that the farmer truly is inactive, it is good to know that you can rescue your flower from oblivion.

Garden Strategies
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It is your Farm, your Island and your Botanic Garden.  How you choose to allocate your resources there is your business, but there are a couple of consideration that may or may not make a difference. First of all, there is a Quest sequence that is associated with the Botanic Garden.  Quest sequences on the Island give Dev Points and these are critical if you wish to have access to all options, including the Pizza Machine.

You do have a limited number of plots in your Garden and a limited number of slots in your Glasshouse.  You will reach a point ultimately where you may be forced to make some difficult choices.  Do you opt for the Friendship Flower strategy by keeping as many mature Level 1 Flowers in your Garden as possible or do you concentrate on your own Flower Book and the business of raising Level 2 and then Level 3 Flowers.  With the sales, I found that I was selling every Level 2 Flower that was obtained through crossbreeding instantly without tending it at all, thereby losing potential income and the ability to add another result to my book in the interest of replacing it with another Level 1 Flower for potential crossbreeding with a Macaron Flower from a Neighbour.  That was the choice I made but other players may make a very different decision.

Level 1 Flowers ar ethe quickest to mature and each type has a different growth rate.  Level 2 Flowers take longer but the slowest are the Level 3 Flowers.  As you increase your Garden experience level, you will unlock new plots but it takes time.    The Botanic Garden really is a cosmic lesson in patience.


The Pizza Machine and achieving maximum 6500 Dev Points

At 6000 Dev Points, you can purchase the Pizza Machine on the Island for 30,000 Coins,    This is the last Machine available at this point in time.  You must build it, but you can own a total of four, if such is your fancy.  The items required to build the Machine are as follows:

Pizza Machine: 30,000 Coins for 1st Machine
  15 Pastry Rollers
     Ask or pay 1 RC for each
  10 Iron Ingots
    Craft or pay 1 RC for each
 15 Copper Ingots
     Craft or pay 1 RC for each
  5 Screwdrivers
    Craft or pay 1 RC for each

As is usually the case with Island Machines, the 2nd one purchased will require 25 RC rather than being a coin purchase like the first.

When completed, you can make the following:

Zucchini Pizza: 549 Coins
  Ingredients:  Zucchini, High Gluten Flour, Cheddar Cheese

Pineapple Pizza: 587 Coins
  Ingredients:  Pineapple, High Gluten Flour, Cheddar Cheese

With 1 Mastery, you can make:

Red Pepper Pizza: 547 Coins
  Ingredients:  Red Bell Peppers, High Gluten Flour, Cheddar Cheese

Mushroom Pizza: 478 Coins
  Ingredients:  Mushroom, High Gluten Flour, Cheddar Cheese

With 2 Mastery, you can make:

Onion Pizza: 528 Coins
  Ingredients: Onion, High Gluten Flour, Cheddar Cheese


With 3 Mastery, you can make:

Eggplant Pizza: 1134 Coins
  Ingredients:  Eggplant, HIgh Gluten Flour, Cheddar Cheese

Achieving 6500 Dev Points
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Dev Points, short for Development Points are earned by completing all Island Quests, completing Helicopter Orders and building all the Landmark Decorations.  At this point in time, the maximum number of Dev Points is 6500.  At some point, you will find that your Helicopter Orders no longer yield Dev Points, but yield Helicopter Bags instead.  If you have not reached the maximum 6500 Dev Point total, you will need to make certain that you have completed all the Island Quests and built all the Landmark Decorations.  Note that you receive Dev Points only for building any Landmark Decoration  the first time.  Building them again is profitable if you want to earn coins by selling them or if you wish to use them as Island Decorations, but only the first gives any Dev Points.

Friday 27 February 2015

Strategies for completing Time-Restricted Island Quests

The most recent time-restricted Missions or Quests in Family Farm Seaside have combined Seaside tasks with Island tasks.  Generally, there are twelve parts to the traditional Quest sequence.  A Collections Mission usually is released in tandem with the traditional Quest sequence and all Collections items must be obtained on the original Seaside Farm.  A single reward in the form of a new Tree has been given for completion of the Collections Mission.

Meanwhile, the traditional Quest sequence now is divided into three sections, each consisting of four parts.  At the end of each part, a Reward is given.  The first Reward, given after completion of the fourth Part, consists of a Special Mission Box containing Super Fertiliser, Super Watering Cans and Power.  When the Farmer completes Part VIII, a second Reward in the form of a cleanable Decoration to be placed on the Seaside Farm is obtained.  With the completing of Part XII, a special cleanable Decoration to be placed on the Island Farm is given.

It has been the last four Parts of the traditional Quest only that include tasks that can be completed only if the farmer has access to the Island.  All players therefore have the opportunity to complete Parts I through Part VIII.  Players either with access to the Island or the willinigness to spend large amounts of RC to 'skip' Island tasks can complete the entire sequence through Part XII.

Strategies for completing Island Tasks
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The Island is an expensive affair and patience is a virtue generally speaking when one is dealing with Island tasks.  Where time-restricted Quests are concerned, however, there is a limited amount of time to complete Island tasks.  With no ability to use Batch Production on the Island, one either must resign oneself to a slow progress, use large amounts of OP to speed a Machine or purchase and build a SECOND Machine.  All second Machines when purchased are incomplete.  A list of Materials required to complete any Island Machine are included in my General Guide to the Island.  All second Machines require RC to purchase, unfortunately and there is a limit on the number one can have on the Island Farm at any point in time.  (Machines stored in the Warehouse count!)  It is the basic Machines such as the Loom and the Spinning Machine that have been featured in the recent time-restricted Quests.    If you are an avid player, you may wish to consider the purchase of a second Spinning Machine and a second Loom.  It will cut the production time in half and when 60 of an item is the requirement, that saving can be significant.

Buildings on the Island, with the exception of the Warehouse, unlike Machines are fully complete when purchased.  There is a limit to the number of any type that one can own but again, it may be worthwhile to invest in a second or even a third building in some cases.

The Hardware Store is one of the most important buildings on the Island.  It is there that most of the Materials required to build Machines are made.  Furthermore, with the opening of the Mine on the Island, all the Ores that one obtains through mining must be processed in the Hardware Store before they can be used.  It takes almost an hour to process ANY Ore as well as the Rough Diamond.

The price of each Hardware Store, like the price of any Machine, increases and the fourth and final Hardware Store will cost 35 RC.  I do believe that the third Hardware Store cost 20 RC.  I should have logged the price before I made the purchase!

Sunday 8 February 2015

The Mining Option and Decorations in the Market


There are a number of new developments in Family Farm Seaside.  One of these is the Daily Quests Log which will be discussed elsewhere.  It simply is a list of tasks that you can perform on a daily basis for Rewards that include golden raindrops, Coins and XP.  Some of these tasks are specific to the Island, but most can be performed on the original Farm.

If you have unlocked the Island, you now have a mining option as well as the ability to craft items that can be used to make new Decorations.  These Decorations earn the Farmer Dev Points when made for the first time and, although Decorations are called 'Landmark Buildings'.    Some of the items are crafted in existing buildings but others are crafted in the new Glass Factory.

A player asked why those of us who had unlocked all Crops, Animals, Trees and Machines would wish to increase our Dev Points.  Well, there is a new Pizza Machine in the Market that is unlocked only when a Player has  a total of 6000 Dev Points.  Is the Machine necessary?  Who knows?  I suspect that, like the Hot Dog Machine, it is optional at this point as few players will be able to attain those lofty Dev Point heights at this stage in the game.

How to Mine
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In order to do any mining, you must have equipment.  There is a wide variety of equipment, all of which must be crafted.  The Items you receive whenever you set off an explosion depend upon the equipment used.  Mining is a timed Event similar to Fishing.  Once you set off an Explosive at 100%, your percentage will decrease and it is only over the course of time that you will regain the percentages lost.  You still can set off more Explosions, however.

The percentage is related to the number of items currently in the Mine.  If your percentage is less than 10% and you try to load a stick of Dynamite, for example, you may see the following prompt:  The mine doesn't have enough items right now.  Please wait for it to refill or use another explosive!

The most inexpensive and easiest equipment to use is a Pickaxe.  The following Items can be obtained with pickaxe mining:  Nitre (High Chance), Claystone (High Chance), Iron Ore (Rare Chance)


With Dynamite, you can obtain the following:

Nitre (High Chance), Quartz (High Chance), Silver Ore (Rare Chance)

Bomb: Nitre (High Chance), Copper Ore (High Chance), Gold Ore (Rare Chance)

Barrel Bomb: Iron Ore (High Chance), Nitre (High Chance), Silver Ore (Low Chance), Gold Ore (Rare Chance)

You can set off up to three different explosives at a time.  One is by choosing a Neighbour with access to the Island.  Drag your chosen Explosive or Pickaxe into each of the other two Bomb-shaped Icons, then tap 'Boom'.

Do always choose a Neighbour.  It appears that the Neighbour will use a random explosive.  In one case, my Neighbour used a stick of Dynamite and in another, a Bomb. 

If you have played CastleVille Legends, you will see that Mining is similar to the various expeditions you can take in that game where your choice of characters determines the chance of obtaining specific Items.

Begin with a Pickaxe, then craft Gunpowder or Dynamite from the Nitre you obtain and escalate from there.

What will occur after the explosion is that a number of items will fly out of the Mine's opening.  Tap on each one until the screen is cleared of them and you then will see your actual Explosion Reward which will consist of a number of different items, depending on the explosives used.

The new Items added to the Workshop, Sawmill and Hardware Store are as follows:

Workshop Menu
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Gunpowder: 1333 Coins
  Ingrdients:  Nitre x 1, Sawdust x 1
  Nitre is obtained from the Mine and Sawdust is crafted in the Sawmill.

Dynamite: 2768 Coins
  Ingredients:  Nitre x 2, Bamboo Shoot x 1
  Nitre is obtained from the Mine and Bamboo Shoot is harvested from the Bamboo Tree

Bomb: 3558 Coins
  Ingredients:  Gunpowder x 1, Iron Ingot x 1
  Gunpowder is crafted in the Workshop and Iron Ingot is crafted in the Hardware Store.

Barrel Bomb: 5401 Coins
  Ingredients:  Gunpowder x 1, Wooden Panel x 1
  Both ingredients are crafted in the Workshop

Stone Brick:2805 Coins
  INgredients:  Ceramic Plate x 1, Claystone x 2
  Ceramic Plate is made in the Hardware Store and Claystone is obtained from the Mine

Water Pipe: 3575 Coins
  Ingredients:  Lag Bolt x 2, Iron Ingot x 1
   Lag Bolt and Iron Ingot both are crafted in the Hardware Store

Grill: 33298 Coins
  Ingredients:  Copper Ingot x 15, Iron Ingot x 5

Cauldron: 58405 Coins
  Ingredients:  Nail x 25, Iron Ingot x 12
  Both ingredients are crafted in the Hardware Store

Cornerstone: 74763 Coins
  Ingredients:  Mirror x 8, Golden Glass x 3

Cornerstone (Silver): 55229 Coins
  Ingredients:  Silver Ingot x 5, Diamond x 3

Cornerstone (Diamond): 97569 Coins
  Ingredients:  Diamond x 8

Horn of a Unicorn: 118443 Coins
  Ingredients:  Diamond x 5, Gold Ingot x 8


Glass Factory
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The new Glass Factory costs 10,000 Coins and is complete when purchased.  You can have a total of two Glass Factories on your Island.  You can make the following:

Mirror: 4157 Coins
  Ingredients:  Quartz x 1, Silver Ore x 1
  Takes 15 Minutes

Ceramic Plate: 1636 Coins
  Ingredients:  Quartz x 2
  Takes 18 Minutes

Emerald Glass: 1526 Coins
  Ingredients:  Quartz x 1, Cactus x 12
  Takes  20 Minutes

Ruby Glass: 3606 Coins
  Ingredients:  Quartz x 1, Cranberry x 20
  Takes 1 Hour

Amethyst Glass: 6075 Coins
  Ingredients:  Quartz x 2, Violet x 8
  Takes 1 Hour

Golden Glass: 9194 Coins
  Ingredients:  Quartz x 3, Gold Ore x 1
  Takes 1 Hour, 40 Minutes

Sawmill:
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Pickaxe: 1755 Coins
  Ingredients:  Wooden Cylinder x 2,
  Cost: 1185 Coins

Sawdust: 925 Coins
  Ingredients:  Oak Wood x 1, Cedar Wood x 1
  Cost: None

Hardware Store:
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Copper Ingot: 1458 Coins
  Ingredients:  Copper Ore

Iron Ingot: 2155 Coins
  Ingredients:  Iron Ore

Silver Ingot: 3655 Coins
  Ingredients:  Silver Ore

Gold Ingot: 7042 Coins
  Ingredients: Gold Ore

Diamond: 11957 Coins
  Ingredients: Rough Diamond
  Combine different explosives to find it in the Mine Caves

Crafting the New Decorations
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A list of all Decorations in the Market is included below but I wanted to discuss the crafting process.  To do so, I will use the Unicorn Father as an example.  Here is the price and materials needed:

Unicorn Father: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 300 when built for the first time
  List of Materials Needed:
  Stone Brick x 20 (or pay 1 RC each)
  Water Pipe x 4 (or pay 1 RC each)
  Cornerstone (Gold) x 1 (or pay 15 RC)
  Horn of a Unicorn x 1 (or pay 20 RC)
  Complete instantly for 59 RC


Stone Bricks are made in the Workshop using 3 Ceramic Plates and 2 Claystone.  Ceramic Plates are crafted in the Glass Factory. using 2 Quartz each.

Water Pipes are crafted in the Workshop using 2 Lag Bolts and 1 Iron Ingot.

A Cornerstone (Gold) is made in the Workshop using 8 Mirrors and 3 Golden Glass.  Mirrors are made in the Glass Factory using 1 Quartz and 1 Silver Ore.  Golden Glass is made in the Glass Factory using 3 Quartz and 1 Gold Ore each.

The Horn of a Unicorn is made in the Workshop using 5 Diamonds and 8 Gold Ingots.

Remember that Workshop crafting requires Power and all other crafting takes time.


Mine Gift Bags
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You will receive a  Mine Bag from a Neighbour if you have helped him/her mine.  With it, the prompt: 'Thanks for your help.  Here is a mine bag for you.'

I received a Mine Gift Bag from a Neighbour that contained the following:

4000 Coins, Bomb x 1, Nitre x 1, Gold Ore x 1

Another contained:

4800 Coins, Nitre x 1, Iron Ore x 1

Another:

3400 Coins, Dynamite x 1

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Neighbour Explosions (Unaided)

Grey Bomb: 2 Power, 1 Super Fertiliser

Barrel Bomb: 3 Iron Ore, 1 Nitre

Barrel Bomb: 3 Iron Ore, 1 Nitre

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Explosion Rewards Log



Quartz x 3, Nitre x 9, Claystone x 4

With a Bomb and a Pickaxe, I received:  Iron Ore, Nitre x 4, Copper x 2, Claystone x 4

With a Pickaxe, a Dynamite and a Neighbour who threw in a Bomb, I received the following:  Nitre x 8, Claystone x 2, Quartz x 4, Silver Ore x 3, Gold Ore x 1, Copper Ore x 3

With a Pickaxe from a Neighbour, a Dynamite and a Barrel Bomb, I received:

Iron Ore x 3, Nitre x 4, Claystone x 3, Quartz x 3, Gold Ore x 2

Bomb, Barrel Bomb and Dynamite:  Iron Ore x 3, Silver Ore x 1, Quartz x 4, Nitre x 6, Copper Ore x 3

Pickaxe from Neighbour, Barrel Bomb and Bomb: Iron Ore x 4, Nitre x 6, Claystone x 3, Silver Ore x 1, Copper Ore x 3

Barrel Bomb from neigbhour, Barrel Bomb and Dynamite:  Iron Ore x 6, Silver Ore x 2, Quartz x 4, Nitre x 4, Gold ore x 2

A bomb I never saw before from a Neighbour, with a Bomb and a Barrel bomb gave me:  Iron Ore x 4, Nitre x 8, 1RC, 3 Power, Copper Ore x 6

A Pickaxe from a Neighbour, Dynamite and Bomb gave:  Quartz x 4, Nitre x 8, Claystone x 3, Copper Ore x 3

Dynamite, Bomb, Barrel Bomb:  Iron Ore x 3, Nitre x 5, Gold Ore x 1,  Quartz x 4, Silver Ore x 1, Rough Diamond x 1, Copper Ore x 3

Grey Bomb from Neighbour, Dynamite and Bomb:  Silver Ore x 2, Power x 2, Nitre x 10, Quartz x 6, Copper x 6


No Neighbour as at the last momet was told that neighbour had been chosen by some one else today, Dynamite, Bomb: 10 Nitre, 2 Power, 8 Quartz, 1 Super Watering Can, 6 Copper ORe

Barrel Bomb, Barrel Bomb, Bomb:  7 I4on Ore, 3 Nitre, 1 Rough Diamond, 2 Gold ORe, 3 Copper Ore

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Decorations in the Market
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With the release of the new Mining Option and the Glass Factory in mid-February of 2015, new Decorations were added to the Market that must be built using Materials one can craft.  These Decorations when purchased are incomplete obviously but completing one for the first time will earn the Farmer Dev Points.

Rabbit Plant Stand: 4 RC
  Cleanable

Panda Plant Stand:: 8 RC
  Cleanable

White Octopus: 4 RC
  Cleanable

Little Duck Parasol: 6 RC
  Cleanable

Little Round Table: 50000 Coins
  Cleanable

White Fish: 100000 Coins
  Cleanable

Deck Chair: 70000 Coins
  Cleanable

Sheep Plant Stand: 120000 Coins
  Cleanable

White Dolphin: 80000 Coins
  Cleanable
  Requires 3500 Dev Points

Cow Plant Stand: 120000 Coins
  Cleanable
  Requires 4200 Dev Points

Landmark Decorations
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Cranberry  Crystal Deco: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 100 whe built for the first time

Cactus Crystal Deco: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 120 when built for the first time

Flax Crystal Deco: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 180 when built for the first time

Roast Spit: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
   Increases Dev Points by 180 when built for the first time

Cauldron Fire: 500 Coins
 Unfinished
 Increases Dev Points by 200 when built for the first time

Unicorn Child: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 200 when built for the first time

Unicorn Mother: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 250 when built for the first time

Unicorn Father: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 300 when built for the first time
 

Crafting the new Landmark Decorations
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Cranberry Crystal Deco: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 100 whe built for the first time
  Materials List:
  Wooden Panel x 1 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Silver Ingot x 1 (or pay 1 RC each)
  Emerald Glass x 2 (Craft in Glass Factory or pay 1 RC each)
  Ruby Glass x 1 (Craft in Glass Factory or pay 1 RC each)
  Complete instantly for 5 RC

  A Wooden Panel is made in the Sawmill using 1 Red Sandalwood.  It takes 30 minutes to complete.
  A Silver Ingot is made in the Hardware Store using Silver Ore and takes an Hour to complete.
  Emerald Glass is made in the Glass Factory using 1 Quartz and 12 Cactus.  It takes 20 minutes to complete.
  Ruby Glass is made in the Glass Factory using 1 Quartz and 20 Cranberries.  It takes 1 hour to complete.

Cactus Crystal Deco: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 120 when built for the first time
  Materials List:
  Wooden Panel x 2 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Silver Ingot x 1 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Emerald Glass x 3  (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Amethyst Glass x 1 (Craft of pay 1 RC each)
  Complete instantly for 7 RC

Flax Crystal Deco: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 180 when built for the first time
  Materials List:
  Wooden Panel x 4 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Silver Ingot x 1 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
   Emerald Glass x 4 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Golden Glass x 1 (Craft or pay 2 RC each)
  Complete instantly for 11 RC

Roast Spit: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
   Increases Dev Points by 180 when built for the first time
  Materials List:
  Grill x 1: Craft or pay 10 RC)
  Wooden Plank x 3 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Claystone x 8 (1 RC each)
  Complete instantly for 21 RC

Cauldron Fire: 500 Coins
 Unfinished
 Increases Dev Points by 200 when built for the first time
 Materials List:
 Cauldron (Craft or pay 15 RC each)
 Wooden Plank x 5 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
 Claystone x 20 (Pay 1 RC each)
  Complete instantly for 40 RC

Unicorn Child: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 200 when built for the first time
  Materials List:
  Stone Brick x 5 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Water Pipe x 1 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Cornerstone (Silver) x 1 (Craft or pay 5 RC each)
  Horn of a Unicorn (Craft or pay 20 RC each)
  Complete instantly for 41 RC

Unicorn Mother: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 250 when built for the first time
  Materials List:
  Stone Brick x 12 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Water Pipe x 2 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Cornerstone (Diamond) x 1 (Craft or pay 20 RC each)
  Horn of a Unicorn x 1 (Craft or pay 20 RC each)
  Complete instantly for 54 RC

Unicorn Father: 500 Coins
  Unfinished
  Increases Dev Points by 300 when built for the first time
  Materials List:
  Stone Brick x 20  (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Water Pipe x 4 (Craft or pay 1 RC each)
  Cornerstone (Gold)  Craft or pay 15 RC each)
  Horn of a Unicorn (Craft or pay 20 RC each)
  Complete instantly for 59 RC