Farm Town is Facebook's Newest Game Addiction

For those social networkers that have ever wanted to just sit back and watch the corn grow, Farm Town is the perfect online game. Facebook added the new gaming application developed by SlashKey back in February 2009 and since then more than 9 million people have set up farms. The premise is simple; players plant, harvest and sell crops to make money and gain levels, collect farm animals, meet new people, and have a lot of fun.

Setting up the Farm

To begin, a player is given with an empty 12x12 farm and an avatar, both of which need to be named. Using the initial Farm Town Coins, clear a few plots of land by selecting the hoe icon. Each plot that is plowed costs 20 coins and earns one point. During the first few rounds of play, it is a good idea to plow only a few plots at a time to conserve funds since seeds also cost money.

Planting the Crops

Now that a few plots are ready for a crop, a trip to the Store to buy some seeds is necessary. The types of seeds are available according to experience level and vary in growing time. For the purposes of Farm Town, a growing day is 20-hours long so a 3-day crop of onions will be ready for harvest 60 hours after planting. After selecting the seeds, head back to the farm to get them in the ground. To plant, select the Walking icon and click in one of the plowed fields. Each planting awards two experience points per plot.

Harvesting the Crops

Once the crops are ready for harvest, farmers have three options for gathering them for market. Crops can be harvested and sold by the farmer or harvested and stored, both of which are accomplished by using the Scythe icon. The third option is to hire another player to do the work. The amount of money earned depends on the method used to harvest the crop. Choosing Harvest & Sell earns the least, Harvest & Store brings in a bit more and hiring someone else produces an increased yield and earns the most. The hired hand earns 25% of the harvest but their wages do not decrease the farmer's take.

The Marketplace

The Marketplace, accessed through the Map icon, is where farmers take their crops to sell and hire workers. Click the Marketplace symbol to open the Farmer's Market where Tom, a non-player avatar, will ask if the player wants to Sell, Hire, or Leave. If the choice is to sell, Tom will ask about crop prices and then the storage area will appear. Click the crops that are shown and payment will be automatically be added into the farmer's Farm Town Coins tally.

Hiring workers or becoming a worker, is also managed at the Farmer's Market. To hire another player, click his or her avatar and then select the Hire to Work on My Farm option from the popup menu. The selected farmer will receive message asking about their availability indicating that they have been hired.

The Fine Points

In addition to seeds for vegetable crops, players may purchase animals, buildings, fences, scarecrows, and other items likely to be found on a farm. As levels progress, various items are unlocked and become available for purchase.

Farm Town Coins can be earned by visiting and tending other farmers' fields, as well as hiring out as harvest help. Gifting other farmers with trees and animals is another way to either populate a farm or increase net worth. At present, players can only give gifts to Facebook Friends that also play the game.

A popular moderated Farm Town forum is available to help beginning players learn the game and experienced players trade information. Farmers can learn the ins and outs of the game, find growing times and details on each experience level, marketplace etiquette and once registered, offer suggestions for improvements to the game. Flowers and new animals have just come into play and other changes are in development.

Still in the Beta stage, SlashKey's Farm Town is growing in popularity by the hour. According to developerAnalytics.com, as of June 13, 2009 Farm Town with 3.5 million Daily Active Players has surpassed the star of online social gaming, Mafia Wars, and the runner up, Pet Society.

Sources: http://www.developeranalytics.com/app.php?id=56748925791; http://www.slashkey.com/forum/; http://www.socialmedian.com/story/4795578/farmtown-overtakes-pet-society-as-most-popular-facebook-game