Older News

• massive performance improvements in HTML5. Optimized several aspects of the game. Still a few tricks up our sleeves to implement, but in our tests it already runs sensibly better than Flash, even on our weakest test computers. NOTE: We will look at why the game doesn’t load in HTML5 for a few players as soon as we finish with the game optimizations. Most probably it’s a files cache issue, or some glitch where a single item not loading blocks the whole loading process. So, since HTML5 now uses less resources and is faster, don’t worry, it’s not your computers. 🙂
• Blue Dot improvements:
  – now the Blue Dot shows the nearest mushroom / loot / seed near Joe, not randomly as it did before, so you don’t annoyingly run around the farm in zig-zag any more.
  – now the Blue Dot has improved showing order in BfM: first shows the loot, so you don’t go over 50, then the plants / trees ready or empty plots, then the seeds.
  – when you click on it, now the arrow takes you to a medium zoom level, because if you play zoomed out, it’s hard to see where the arrow appears.
  – fixed Blue Dot in the mine, where it was completely broken.
• other gameplay improvements:
  – Sarah axe orders will give much better XP and Coins. But starting from next ones, if you have one order from her now on your board.
  – now the Old Shack shows the items quantity when you hover over it.
  – when you hover over a Seed / Fruit in Shop or in Barn, it shows you the quantity in both Barn and Old Shack, so it’s easier to manage multiple properties, and maintain a stock for those orders. 🙂
  – fixed a bug when collecting Walnuts from BfM and the Old Shack was full.
  – now Joe unloads his Backpack too, when you click to unload the Truck, so you don’t forget to unload things from BfM in the Barn, and then take them back to BfM.
  – the Trucking Menu now shows the loaded items quantity, and warns you if Tyrone is “a little” hungry.
  – fixed a bug where you could click on the empty Truck space next to the Orders, even if the Truck was away.

NOTE: all above improvements are HTML5 only, and all future ones will be HTML5 only.   There’s no point in updating Flash, for the obvious reason it will be gone in a month. 

• bug fixes and performance improvements (HTML5): fixed gifting Neighbors, added Collections, Themes, added helping Neighbors in BfM, fixed bug when adding to Cooler in the Train, fixed Train sound continuing after departure, fixed bug where the game was not loading for some players with really old computers, fixed Cool Packer showing Carrots, fixed Jam’r giving an error when switching to another product, plus numerous other small fixes. Now the HTML5 version has all functions working.

• HTML5 version is available for everybody to test (link at the bottom of the game). It has all main game functions implemented, so you can play hassle free. Still some font styles for window titles to implement, switching Themes and Activity. Of course, you can switch back to Flash at any time.
• Better way of loading your Neighbors farms when visiting (HTML5 only): instead of loading the landscape, then all items on it, it now loads everything behind the clouds, then shows you their farm. This way, it doesn’t feel like an empty place slowly populating with objects, but feels like a farm. PLUS, this way the farm loads faster. Of course, Neighbors with huge farms naturally will take longer to load (you’ll see the clouds for a couple of seconds more than Neighbors with small farms).
• During the Competitions only, Conan the donkey gets hungrier, seeing Tyrone pass by him, running around the town all day to deliver your orders. Therefore, Tyrone will accept 60 “Orchard” Grass daily, for a total of 20 fuel/day.

Hello dear farmers, just wanted to let you know we are aware of the issues experienced with the game in some browsers. We didn’t change anything in the game, we’re still checking, but most probably it’s something the browsers changed. Since Flash will be gone at the end of the year, we’re not expecting much support or interest from them to fix it as soon as they can.

That is why, we plan to add a HTML5 WIP (Work In Progress) link next week, so, worst case scenario until the HTML5 version is fully ready, you can at least plant, harvest, use the gear, feed the animals and sell your produce, without any unexpected surprises / game speed issues from the browsers. You will of course be able to switch back and forth between Flash and HTML5 versions.

Our current status is:
Working in HTML5:
– planting
– harvesting
– feeding animals
– using gear
– kitchen, craft shack
– train
– achievements
To be converted to HTML5:
– mines
– log cabin
– gifting
– neighbors
– font effects
– competitions
– orders
– activity
– visiting neighbors
– farm chat
– foraging, crops management, logging, skills, quests (Joe stuff)

HTML5 tools for games only recently have matured enough, to the point we could make the most informed decision on how to convert the game. We’re constantly creating scripts to automate this task and make the conversion even faster, to the point we will be ahead of schedule.

Until the conversion is ready, we will update the game with only small things (such as the Happy Egg Carrier in your Craft Shack). We’re not currently planning anything for Halloween (although we will put all previous Halloween stuff in the Shop), because we’re fully focused on getting the HTML5 game to you as fast as we can.

Thanks for taking the time to read this info! 🙂

• Now, Neighbors can help you cut that pesky “Orchard” Grass and Wild Bushes! A setting will prompt you to choose if you allow them to do so.
  Features:
  – you have 50 “Visit Energy”, allowing you to help 5 Neighbors, if they have Bellflower Meadow. Visit Energy IS NOT Joe’s energy!
  – you must click 10 times on any grass or bush. You get your reward when you click the 10th time. If you quit midway and get back to your farm, you will have to start over.
  – all grass and bushes gives 2 loot for you, and 8 for the Neighbor. You also get 15 XP for helping.
  – example: if many Neighbors choose to cut the same grass at the same time, each Neighbor gets 2 grass, and you get 8 grass, waiting for you when you refresh / travel between farms.
  – example: if you have 48 loot waiting to be picked up and a Neighbor helps you, it will allow the 8 grass above the 50 loot limit, so you will find 56 loot waiting for you at BfM reload.
  – example: If you have 50 loot wating, the Neighbors won’t be able to help you, so you better pick up your loot, if you want to get rid of those plants without consuming Joe’s energy.

• Added a Best Neighbors tab in the Activity window, so you can keep track on the amounts of gifts received/sent to a certain Neighbor. List populates when a Neighbor sent you a gift. Counter starts from now. Counter registers when you send a gift, not when the Neighbor claims it. Counter registers when you help somebody building something too. Counter updates at game refresh.
• you can now move Rustic Fences and Weathered Green Fences back to your farm and decorate your farm with them. Also, you can move other items – insecticide, pesticide, etc.

• Beta invites for Bellflower Meadow are again available.
• every farmer with land in Bellflower Meadow gets 2 Sell from Barn Tickets, valid for 6 hours each, when activated. You’ll find them in the Vouchers tab.
• now, when you hover over any required ingredients icon in the Gear selectors, you see ALL required materials in the text bubble.
• added Zzz icon over the Neighbors inactive in the game for more than 10 days, so you can easily see who to send Gift requests to, and have the best chance to receive some back. Also, you won’t be able to visit these Neighbors, but you will have the possibility to “Wake them up”, and they receive a game request (as per Facebook available tools and recommendations). After they enter the game, you can visit them again.

• now Tyrone doesn’t stop the Truck engine when coming to the farm or BM loaded, so you don’t forget the items in the Truck and go back with them. He even honks if you don’t click to unload.
• fixed a 5109 bug related to eggs priority.
• fixed a longtime 5159 bug when adding produce in the Train crates, if it was used by automation, and there was no more produce in Barn.
• added a button to see what crops and trees are ready in BM — click on the little tree inside the Map popup window.
• improved Orders and added the new items for them.
• shortened the time it takes between your farm and BM.

• added 3 new recipes: Marshmallows (made in your Farm Kitchen), Roasted Marshmallows (made by the Campfire) and Bacon, Egg and Potato Breakfast Skillet, made inside the Log Cabin, on the stove. There’s 2 Green Vouchers, 40 Power and 40 Energy for you to claim on our Fan Page, and don’t forget to LIKE and SHARE if you like the new recipes and the campfire, and for more gifts!
• added possibility to start a Campfire in front of the Log Cabin.
• added possibility to start a fire inside the Fireplace in the Log Cabin.
• added the Breakfast Skillet in Joe’s energy menu.
• now when you hover on Joe for a short time it shows you his Backpack quantity.

• changed how Engineering works – now, instead of crafting an Axe for 36 hours, you research it only one time, then craft it in 30 minutes, for example. First axe and pickaxe of any type goes to equip Joe.
• added possibility to craft superior Axes and Pickaxes that you can sell. This way, we close a gameplay loose thread, so you can do something with all the minerals you mine.
• added a new Orders location, Sarah M & C – she will order some axes from you, and she will reward you with coins, Purple Vouchers (good for upgrading the Backpack), and Oxy Propane Tanks that she happens to have around her workshop, a useful coincidence.
• fixed a bug in The Mines where you couldn’t break rocks.
• increased prices for: Mountain Stone – was 4, is 9; Bush Wood – was 9, is 13; Fir Resin – was 3, is 19; Fir Cone – was 2, is 19; Beech Tree Seed – was 3, is 16; Acorn – was 15, is 17; Elm Tree Seed – was 4, is 14; Samara – was 10, is 15; Orchard Grass – was 1, is 19.
• added separate Blue Dot for The Mines.