New Toys Added to the Toy Machine

As in the case of its larger counterpart, the original Family Farm game played on PCs and laptops, Family Farm Seaside has expanded the options available with respect to the Toy Machine.  One now can make more than Red and Blue Teddy Bears.  The following have been added:

Toy Alpaca: 230 Coins
  Uses Alpaca Hair
  Feed the White Alpaca Green Lettuce to obtain Alpaca Hair

Toy Horse: 128 Coins
  Uses Horse Hair
  Feed the Horse Carrots to obtain Horse Hair

Toy Reindeer: 48 Coins
  Uses Reindeer Fur
  Feed the Reindeer Mistletoe to obtain Reindeer Fur

The two original Toys are:

Red Teddy Bear: 74 Coins
  Uses Wool
  Feed the Sheep Wheat to obtain Wool

Blue Teddy Bear: 105 Coins
  Uses Angora Hair
  Feed the Angora Rabbit Carrots to obtain Angora Hair

The Reindeer, originally a final Reward for completion of a Christmas Quest sequence, now has been added to the Market and can be purchased for 6 RC.

Perhaps ultimately Seaside will follow the original game even further to add some of our feathered friends in the form of Peacock Toys and Goose Toys to the options available.

Time-Restricted Chinese New Year Quest

 Family Farm Seaside has released a time-limited Lunar New Year Quest.  As some one who has celebrated the Lunar New Year ever since I was introduced to it by my comrades at the dojo at Univeristy when I first began to study taekwondo years ago, I always welcome the opportunity to celebrate it in a virtual reality.  I do wish they would refer to it as the Lunar New Year instead of 'Chinese New Year' as it is not only the Chinese who celebrate the festival.

As uaual in these time-restricted festival Quests, there are two separate components to the affair.  First, there is the Ice Lantern Castle that must be placed in order to be able to redeem prizes that are used in the Quest sequence that is the second component of the festival Mission.

Thus, first place the Ice Lantern Castle on your Farm and collect Couplets from Crops, Trees, Animals and Machines.  The cost of the Castle is 500 Coins and it will operate for 9 days after its placement.    You can upgrade the Ice Castle by requesting Window Papers from your Neighbours and redeeming Snow Flakes from the Castle by using your Couplets.  The cost of each Snow Flake is 1 Couplet.  Unlike the other three ordinary prizes that can be redeemed with Couplets, the cost of the Snow Flakes will not increase with each 'purchase'. 

Level 2 requires: 20 Window Papers and 2 Snow Flakes

It is only when you wish to upgrade to the final Level 5 in order to double the number of Couplets that you receive randomly from any Item that you will be required to invest in one of the materials with 5 RC.   Personally, in all the time-restricted Quests I have completed that involve the Collection of an Item or Items from Crops, Animals, Trees and/or Machines, I have not noticed ANY real difference between Level 1 and Levels 2, 3 and 4.  In other words, you really need to go 'all the way' and upgrade to Level 5 or you are wasting time and energy by upgrading the build.

At Level 5, however, you will notice a marked difference in the speed at which your Couplets increase as each Collection will be doubled and you will obtain two Couplets instead of one.  Is this worth the price?  I personally think so, especially as the developers appear to be raising the difficulty level of these Quests by requiring that you complete the Collection earlier and earlier in the sequence.  In terms of the Chinese New Year Quest sequence, you must collect a total of 260 Couplets to redeem all 5 Prizes before you can complete Chinese New Year III, the third Quest in the sequence.  The Plum Tree that is the final Reward for the Couplets Collection is not being sold in the Marketplace yet.  No doubt it will become available AFTER the Chinese New Year Quests expire but the purchase price undoubtedly will require RC.

Meanwhile, redeem Snow Flakes for four different Prizes, unlocking the final Prize which is a Plum Tree.

The initial prices of each Item are as follows:

Snow Flake 1 Couplet (50 total)
Ice Swan: 100 Couplets (5 Total)
Rain 8 Couplets (15 Total)
Power 1 Couplet (50 Total)

Note that you will need to obtain the final Reward in the form of the Plum Tree in order to complete Chinese New Year Quest III in the following sequence.  In order to claim the Plum Tree, you need to redeem one of each of the four Items given above.  The Plum Tree requires 150 Couplets.  What this means, in effect, is that you will need a total of 260 Couplets in order to advance beyond Chinese New Year III.   You therefore should grow the Crops needed to complete Quests I and II and then grow as many Crops as possible while using as many Animals and Machines as possible in order to obtain the random Couplets.

STRATEGIES FOR COLLECTIONS:

There are two different strategies for obtaining the Item/Items in this type of Collection Quest.  One is to grow the fastest growing Crops again and again until all Prizes are redeemed.   Players at low levels are restricted to Clover and Pasture in terms of Crops that mature in an hour or less.  At higher levels, you can grow Pineapples.  This type of Collection Quest, where the Item can be found in ANY Crop, Tree, Animal or Machine is far easier than the other sort where there usually are four set objects, each of which yields a specific colour of the Colleciton Item.  The fact that Players cannot progress past Chinese New Year III until the Plum Tree has been redeemed makes speed of the essence in completing the Collection Quest.

Pineapples can be fed into Jam Makers to produce Pineapple Jam.  You can make a significant profit with Pineapples as well as being able to collect Couplets randomly from the Jam Maker as well as th eoriginal Crop harvest.  Although I usually follow the second strategy of Collection rather than this one, in this particular case, I grew a lot of Pineapples and completed the Collection Quest in a few hours.

The second Collection strategy is to grow the Items that the Quest sequence will need.  It takes longer to complete the Collection simply because the Crops required for the Quest sequence probably will take longer than an hour to mature, even with the aid of Rain or Thunderstorms.  In this case,  you will need Corn, Oats, Wheat and Rye in fairly large quantities.  Make certain that you have a good quantity of Sugar on hand, both for use in the Kitchen and in the Popcorn Machine.  You will need 60 Chardonnay as well for Champagne.  . Make Condensed Milk, Orange Smoothies, Cake Flour and Soft Dough in the Kitchen in advance.  Your Power will be needed for specific Recipes later.


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Chinese New Year Quests Strategy
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A series of Quests goes in tandem with the Ice Lantern Castle Collection Quest.  As indicated earlier,  note that you will have to redeem the Final Prize of a Plum Tree before you can progress in the New Year Quest past Quest III unless you wish to 'skip' the requirement by spending RC.  In my view, this would be a waste of premium cash.  Much better to complete the Collections and gain the Plum Tree.

In order to perform the Chinese New Year Quests efficiently, you would be well advised to grow an enormous quantity of Corn.  You will need Corn for the Eggs in the new Kitchen Recipes that are featured in the Quest sequence and in the Black Forest Cakes as well as an ingredient in the Popcorn that is the subject of one of the Quests.  You will need 60 Chardonnay in order to make Champagne to complete the last step.

Whichever strategy you follow in terms of growing Crops, try to Fish as often as possible.  You will need a couple of items, including Seaweed and Hairtails, in order to complete the Chinese New Year Quest.  Do NOT process the Seaweed.  You will need it in its raw, natural form for the Recipe.  You will need 10 Hairtails for the last step in the Quest and the requirement will be to smoke them, so do not smoke them in advance! 

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Small Profit Tip
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Do not sell the Orange Ice Cream that you make for the Chinese New Year III if you have a Matcha Tree.  Instead use the Orange Ice Cream to make Matcha Ice Cream and then sell it.  There are only three uses for Matcha and using it to make Matcha Ice Cream is one of the most profitable as it sells for 699 Coins.  Orange Ice Cream sells for only 614 Coins.  Wait until you have completed the entire Quest, however, as you will need all your Powers.

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A Note about Investment in Premium Items
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A player who belongs to a Family Farm Seaside Group on Facebook argued that it was not worthwhile to pay RC for the Ice Tree and the White Vinegar Stand required to complete the Quests because the final Reward was nothing more than a Decoration.  This is one way of looking at it, but quite honestly, the Ice Tree and White Vinegar Stand produce Items that are required again and again in Quests.  Sooner or later, it is a good idea to make certain that you have ALL item-producing objects in Family Farm Seaside if you are really interested in the game.

Any Quest sequence will give you rewards in the form of Coins and XP.  Perhaps the rewards are not significant but quests inspire Players to push themselves a little and farm more aggressively.  I never have been the sort of person to tell a Player that hs/she MUST play any game a certain way...  in fact, I would argue that Farming Simulation games give Players the opportunity to live in a virtual world and do precisely as they please in that world.  You need not perform ANY Quests if that is your preference, but you will not advance very quickly and it is progress in experience that unlocks new options.  In any cvent,  without the ability to make Ice (whether with the Ice Tree or the Ice Dolphin) or the ability to produce White Vinegar, you will find it impossible to make certain Recipes.  It is not only this particular Quest sequence that requires these Items.
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Chinese New Year Quests
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Chinese New Year I

Place an Ice Lantern Castle on your Farm
  Find it in the Market for 500 Coins

Harvest 40 Sweet Potatoes
  Skip for 20 RC

Produce 40 Angora Hair
  Skip for 20 RC

Reward: 80 Coins, 16 XP

Can you believe that it's -40 degrees C in Harbin?  So cold!  Luckily we have these comfortable hand warmers!

Chinese New Year II

I'm super hungry!  Bread is the favourite food of the people in Harbin.  Let's make some to share with our new friends!

Produce 40 Wheat Bread
  Skip for 20

Produce 40 Black Bread
  Skip for 20

Prepare 10 Whole Oat Fruit Bread
  Skip for 10

Reward: 85 Coins, 17 XP

Good job!  My new friends from Harbin love the bread.

Chinese New Year III

I'm so glad we had a great snack time!  Now it's time to visit my friend's lovely Chinese farm!  They need to prepare some nice fruits for celebrating Chinese New Year with all their family and friends! Let's help them!

No problem!

Havest 6 Plums from Plum Tree (Final Reward from the Ice Lantern Castle)
  Skip for 6 RC

Place an Ice Swan on your Farm (from Ice Lantern Castle, redeeming 100 Couplets)
  Skip for 10 RC

Prepare 20 Bowls of Orange Ice Cream
  Skip for 20 RC

Reward: 90 Coins, 18 XP

It's never too cold for ice cream and it was very tasty!

Chinese New Year IV

Hurry up, the Spring Festival evening gala will start in an hour!  We need to prepare all the dishes before the dinner starts.  I am a bit nervous about cooking all these new Chinese dishes.  Can you help me?

Of course!

Chinese New Year IV

Catch 3 Hairtails from the sea
  Skip for 3 RC

Harvest 50 Cabbages
  Skip for 25 RC

Prepare 5 bowls of Boiled Fish with Pickled Cabbage
  Skip for 5 RC

Reward: 100 Coins, 20 XP

Nice!  I can tell it will taste fantastic, just from the amazing colours and the fantastic smell.

Chinest New Year V

The gala has started.  People are singing songs and performing funny shows!  My friend has things to do for the midnight event tonight!  We still need dumplings.  It is said that eating dumplings will bring prosperity for the rest of the year.

Sounds great!

Produce 40 Beef
  Skip for 20 RC

Prepare 10 bowls of Dumpling Soup
  Skip for 10 RC

Prepare 10 Lemon Cocktails
  Skip for 10 RC

Reward: 100 Coins, 20 XP

Tadah!  Nice try for your first show at a Chinese New Year event!  Now every one can sit together and enjoy the New Year Dinner!

Chinese New Year VI

The show just ended and we have nearly finished all the food.  Now it's time to go outside and enjoy the fireworks.

Collect 10 Chinese Lanterns from your Neighbours
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 20 Raisin Chocolates
  Skip for 20 RC

Prepare 6 Egg Tarts
  Skip for 6 RC

Reward: 110 Coins, 22 XP

The fireworks were spectacular and the red lanterns look beautiful!

Chinese New Year VII

Bravo!  I am having so much fun with my new friends!  We really fancy some snacks.  Maybe some popcorn?  Do you want to join in and help?

Produce 40 bags of Sugar Popcorn
  Skip for 20 RC

Produce 20 Bags of Chocolate Popcorn
  Skip for 10 RC

Prepare 8 jars of Apple Jelly
  Skip for 8 RC

Reward: 120 Coins, 23 XP

Popcorn always brings good luck in Chinese culture and I'm pretty sure that I will have a really sweet dream!

Chinese New Year VIII

Oh, it's nearly morning now and the start of a new year!  Tomorrow I need to visit other places to make a New Year's wish!  Can you please help me with some special gifts?

Produce 10 Smoked Hairtail
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 60 Black Forest Cakes
  Skip for 30 RC

Produce 60 Champagne
  Skip for 30 RC

Reward: 120 Coins, 23 XP

What a fantastic experience to celebrate Chinese New Year in Harbin.  I'm sad it's over, goodbye Harbin!  Maybe I'll be back next year.

The Final Reward for the Chinese New Year Quests is a Dragon Decoration.  It is eligible for cleaning, if that is any consolation for players who were hoping to receive a new product from a mythical creature!



The new Recipes in the Kitchen that are featured in the Quest sequence are as follows:

Spicy Fish: 1100 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Spice, Smoked Mackerel

Pickled Cabbage: 69 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients: Cabbage, White Vinegar

Boiled Fish with Pickled Cabbage: 1181 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Spicy Fish, Pickled Cabbage

Dumplings: 658 Coins, 1 XP
  Beef x 2, Soft Dough

Egg Soup: 152 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients: Egg, Seaweed

Dumpling Soup: 841 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Dumplings, Egg Soup

 Credits:  To Abbas Teshana for Chinese New Year III.

New Cleaning Option in Family Farm Seaside

Get out your rubber gloves and cleaning supplies, your mops and brushes!  There is a new cleaning option in Family Famr Seaside that allows Players to collect all sorts of random items, from Green Mystrons to OP and Power.  Visit your Neighbours' Farms and look for the large icon of a Brush above any Decoration.  You then will be given the opportunity to polish it.  Doing so will give you a Reward in the form of a Cleaning Bag.  It may be Purple or it may be Silver.  Where the Market Stall is concerned, the Reward will be a Blue Gift Bag.   When you arrive home, look in your Gift Box and 'Use' it to open it to find your Reward.  Rewards so far from the Gift Bags I have collected have included Gasoline, OP, Power, 100 Coins and Green Mystrons. 

The corollary to this is that any one who cleans Decorations on YOUR Farm will leave you Cleaning Gift Bags.  Tap on the icon of the Bag to collect it.  You then will find it in your Gift Box.  The colour of the Gift Bag is  based on the type of Decoration that is cleaned.

I have noticed a lot of posts about this in Family Farm Groups.  Players actually become annoyed with Neighbours who either do not have any Cleanable Decorations on their farms or have their Decorations behind Trees or otherwise in spots that cannot be accessed.  Really, though, is it not every Player's right to create and maintain his/her Farm in whatever way pleases the Farmer?  If you want to obtain Gift Bags, it really is YOUR responsiblity to place Cleanable Decorations on YOUR Farm.  That is my opinion, in any case.

Mind you, if you wish to entice your Neighbours to visit your Farm daily to fertilise your Crops and Trees, the best way is by placing Cleanable Decorations on your land.  

My own farm is clogged with Cleanable Decorations.  I have placed so many that it becomes difficult to find room for my Animals and Machines now.  I daresay one day I will become too frustrated and will remove some of the Decorations but for now, any Players who wishes to find a Cleanable Decoration that has not been cleaned by some one else on any given day should have a good chance of doing so on my Farm.

Another Farmer who has a large number of Cleanable Decorations that appear to be available for cleaning most of the time is:

 LikeMyFarmMisty'sFarm

There are many Farmers who place a fair number of Cleanable Decorations on their Farms but most of them are visited early by others and it is difficult to find a Decoration that has not been cleaned previously.

Cajun Country is a Farm with as many Cleanable Decorations as I have if not more, but they usually are cleaned instantly. Naboo Fawitjs's Farm has a few as well, but is another very popular Farmer.

By some peculiar logic known only to the developers, only certain Decorations are eligible for cleaning.  At first, I visited Farm after Farm to try to ascertain which of the Decorations were included, but then I discovered that one only need access the Decorations section of the Market to find out.  Next to any Decoration for sale in the Market that is eligible for cleaning, you will find the icon of a Brush.  The list is as follows:

Christmas Tree: 10000 Coins
Christmas Cake: 12000 Coins
Christmas Candle: 5 RC
Santa Sign: 8000 Coins
Little Christmas Tree: 3 RC
Market Stall: 20 RC
Snow Globe: 3000 Coins
Mailbox: 4 RC
Swimming Pool: 4 RC
Gift Hill: 4 RC
Snowy Arch: 12000 Coins
Sledding Hill: 25000 Coins
Willow: 5 RC
Snowlauncher: 6 RC
Snow Man: 8 RC
Bonfire Tent: 15000 Coins
Mini Beach: 16 RC
Chinese Pavilion: 3 RC
Panda Lantern: 5 RC

The irony here is that many of us put away our Christmas Trees and Santa Decorations after Twelfth Night but now are being tempted to bring them out once again... Curious really how many Christmas Decorations are on the list.

Of all the above, it is the Market Stall and the Flamingo Pond that give the most valuable Cleaning Gift Bag in the form of the Blue Gift Bag.  The others give Purple or Silver or in rare instances Coins.  The Purple and Silver Gift Bags appear to contain the same Items frankly.  The Coin Reward is given by the Snowy Arch and the Christmas Cake as well as the Bonfire Tent.

Other Decorations that were Rewards for Quests and are not found in the Market are eligible for cleaning but again, not every Reward Decoration can be cleaned.  Some that are include:

Scout Sun
Hot Spa
Nutcracker
Angel Sheep
Farm Beauty Trophy

Rosy Posy
Thumbelina
Gingerbread House
Chocolate Easter Bunny
Samurai Dog
Tea Table
Sun Terrace
Matryoshka
Dragon Statue
Flamingo Pond
Peter Pan Table
Angel Rain Egg 
Easter Bunny
Gnome
Egyptian Ship

The OP Sheep that is a Daily Orders Reward that will stay on your Farm for 90 Days can be cleaned as well.

I have many Decorations on my Farm, so I shall have to pay attention tomorrow to see which of the others I have placed are eligible for cleaning.  Come visit me if you want to use some 'elbow grease' to earn a special Reward.  I do not have the heart to bring out the Christmas Trees but I have kept out many other Christmas Decorations as well as Reward Items.

Note that when you visit any Neighbour's Farm, you will be able to clean only ONE Decoration, even if more still display the icon of the Brush.  This allows other Neighbours an opportunity to obtain the Cleaning Bag Reward from their Visits.  Furthermore, the Cleaning action is given in addition to the five regular actions that can be performed on any Neighbour's Farm on a daily basis.  In other words, you still can perform five actions upon Crops and Trees.


If you visit a Neighbour's Farm and an Item has been cleaned by some one else, you will see a prompt to that effect, but if it is a Decoration that cannot be cleaned, you will see the prompt: 'Oops, try to do something else.'   You ought to see a large cleaning brush icon above any Item that can be cleaned.

In the past couple of days since the option was initiated, I have discovered that you must be up very early in the morning if you wish to have any chance of cleaning the Decorations on any Neighbour's Farm.  There are a few Players who appear to go from Farm to Farm at the crack of dawn, cleaning everything in sight...  Nonetheless, you still can benefit from their visits to YOUR Farm!

New Beauty Shop in Family Farm Seaside

There is a new option in Family Farm Seaside in the form of a Beauty Shop.  You first must purchase the unfinished structure in the Marketplace for 5000 Coins.  You then must complete it by asking for 20 of two Materials each from your Neighbours and buying a third material for 3 RC.  The Materials requrested from Neighbours are Oval Stone and Candle Decorations.  Do not worry if you receive more than 20 of each as these are needed to upgrade the Beauty Shop as well.  You will have the ability to craft only one item at any given time unless you upgrade to unlock more crafting slots.

To upgrade to the next level, you will need 10 Oval Stones and 10 Candle Decorations.

To upgrade to Level 3, giving you 3 slots for Crafting, you will need 20 Oval Stones and 20 Candle Decorations.

It is when you attempt to upgrade to Level 4, which would give you 4 slots for Crafting that you will find the price a little higher as it includes Materials that must be purchased with RC.   For Level 4, you will need the following:  30 Oval Stones, 30 Candle Decorations and 5 Yellow Iron Work.  Each Yellow Iron Work costs 1 RC.  You cannot request it from Neighbours but it is possible, although I have not seen it myself yet, that it will appear in the Mystery Shop from time to time to be purchased with Green Mystron.

Unless you are fanatical about fishing, however, it is unlikely that you will need more than three crafting slots once you have exhausted whatever Items you may have stockpiled.  I never sold any Seafood House items that could not be used in the Kitchen, suspecting that ultimately, they would appear in some context in the game.

Many players had asked what we could do with the Coral and Pearls as well as the Seashells  we collected when prcessing certain items caught when fishing.  These now can be used in the Beauty Shop as well as Algae Powder and Algae Clay.

In the past couple of days, some new Items may have been added to your Gift Box.  These include Earring Hooks, Glass and Distilled Water, all used in Beauty Shop Recipes.  I had 7 Earring Hooks, 2 Glass and 24 Distilled Water.   (I am not certain, however, if these were sent by Neighbours as free Gifts or if the developers added them.)  Make certain to choose the 'Use' option to transfer them to the Beauty Shop or you will not be able to access them!  You can request more of these Items from Neighbours or buy them for 1 RC each.

Here are the initial Recipes with an explanation as to how to obtain each Ingredient.  Many of the Ingredients used in the Beauty Shop Recipes are items that are processed in the Seafood House from Items caught while fishing.  Some of these are very low probabilities which means that the raw Ingredient only produces the Item occasionally.  The Items used in Beauty Shop Recipes that are made in the Seafood House are as follows:

Conch (Janthinan Sea Snail)
Pearl (Scallop)
Sea Snail Shell (Nautica Sea Snail)
Coral Slice (Coral)
Polished Coral Twig (Coral)
Algae Powder (Gulfweed)
Algae Clay (Seaweed)

See my Fishing Page for more details.

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Jewelry
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Red Cord Necklace: 254 Coins
  Ingredients:  Angora Hair, Wool, Red Rose x 2

Angora Hair is made when an Angora Rabbit is fed Carrots, Wool is made by a Sheep when fed Wheat and Red Rose is a Crop

Coral Necklace: 464 Coins
  Ingredients:  Red Cord Necklace, Conch, Ostrich Feathers x 2

Red Cord Necklace is made in the Beauty Shop, Conch is made when Janthinan Sea Snail caught while fishing is processed in the Seafood House and Ostrich Feathers are made by an Ostrich when fed Daisies

Pearl Necklace: 391 Coins
  Ingredients:  Red Coral Necklace, Pearl, Sea Snail Shell

Red Coral Necklace is made in the Beauty Shop, Pearl is a low probability when Scallop caught when fishing is processed in the Seafood House and Sea Snail Shell is a low probability when Nautica Sea Shell caught when fishing is processed in the Seafood House

Conch Earring: 223 Coins
  Ingredients: Conch, Sea Snail Shell, Earring Hooks

Conch is made when Janthinan Sea Snail caught when fishing is processed in the Seafood House, Sea Snail Shell is a low probability when Nautica Sea Shell caught when fishing is processed in the Seafood House and Earring Hooks can be requested from Neighbours

Peacock Feather Earring: 301 Coins
  Ingredients: Pearl, Peacock Feather x 2, Earring Hooks

Pearl is a low probability when Scallop caught when fishing is processed in the Seafood House, Peacock Feather is made by feeding a Peacock Rice, Earring Hooks can be requested from Neighbours

Goose Feather Earrings: 147 Coins
  Ingredients:  Coral Slice, Goose Feather x 2, Earring Hooks

Coral Slice is a low probability when Coral caught when fishing is processed in the Seafood House, Goose Feather is made by feeding a Goose Lotus Flowers and Earring Hooks can be requested from Neighbours

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Facial Masks
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Note that all Facial Mask Recipes require the Clay Facial Mask as an Ingredient.

Clay Facial Mask: 268 Coins
  Ingredients:  Algae Powder, Batter, Distilled Water

  Algae Powder is made by processing Gulfweed, an item caught when fishing.  Batter is made in the Kitchen and Distilled Water can be requested from Neighbours (You will have 25 Distilled Water initially)

Seaweed Facial Mask: 395 Coins
  Ingredients:  Clay Facial Mask, Algae Clay, Honey x 2

Clay Facial Mask is made in the Beauty Shop, Algae Clay is a low probability when processing Seaweed in your Seafood House.  Honey is made by Bees in a Beehive when Clover is pollinated.

Oatmeal Facial Mask: 393 Coins
  Ingredients: Clay Facial Mask, Oat, Goat Milk x 2

Clay Facial Mask is made in the Beauty Shop. Goat Milk is made by a Goat when fed Pasture, Oat is a Crop

Rose Facial Mask: 643 Coins
  Ingredients: Clay Facial Mask, Blue Rose x 2, Red Rose x 2

Clay Facial Mask is made in the Beauty Shop, Blue Roses and Red Roses are Crops

Milk Facial Mask:
  Ingredients:  Clay Facial Mask, Buffalo Milk x 2, Condensed Milk

Clay Facial Mask is made in the Kitchen, Buffalo Milk is made by a Buffalo when fed Cucumbers, Condensed Milk is made in the Kitchen

Mayonnaise Facial Mask: 601 Coins
  Ingredients:  Clay Facial Mask, Mayonnaise x 3,  Provence Honey x 2

Clay Facial Mask is made in the Beauty Shop.  Mayonnaise is made in the Sauce Machine using Duck Eggs and Provence Honey is made in the Provence Beehive by Bees when they pollinate Lavender

Lemon Facial Mask: 347 Coins
  Ingredients: Clay Facial Mask, Lemon, Almond

Clay Facial Mask is made in the Beauty Shop, Lemon is harvested from a Lemon Tree and Almonds are harvested from an Almond Tree

Pearl Hydrating Mask: 487 Coins
  Ingtedients: Clay Facial Mask, Cucumber x 4, Pearl

Clay Facial Mask is made in the Beauty Shop, Cucumber is a Crop and Pearl is a low probability when you process Scallop in the Seafood House

Banana Facial Mask: 365 Coins
  Ingredients: Clay Facial Mask, Milk, Banana

Clay Facial Mask is made in the Beauty Shop, Milk is made by a Holstein Cow when fed Clover, Banana is harvested from a Banana Tree

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Decorative Mirrors
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N.B.  You will find Glass in your Gift Box initially

Starfish Mirror: 365 Coins
  Ingredients: Lavender Bouquet x 2, Dried Starfish, Glass

Lavender Bouquet is made in the Flower-Packing Machine, Dried Starfish is made when Starfish caught when fishing is processed in the Seafood House and Glass can be requested from Neighbours

Coral Rose Mirror: 203 Coins
  Ingredients: Red Rose Bouquet x 2, Polished Coral Twig, Glass

Red Rose Bouquet is made in the Flower-Packing Machine, Polished Coral Twig is a low probability when Coral caught when fishing is processed in the Seafood House, Glass can be requested from Neighbours

Pearl Mirror: 355 Coins
  Ingredients: Blue Rose Bouquet x 2, Pearl, Glass

Level of Experience is the Key where Quests are Concerned

A number of players have asked me why they did not receive the Time-Restricted Quests that I cover in my posts.  Unfortunately, the time-restricted Quests usually require the Player to be at Level 20 or higher.  There are other Quests that have no time limit but will not appear on the screen until the Player has attained a specific level of experience.  All permanent Quests are given on my Quests and Missions Page.  Time-restricted Quests are given as Posts.

In one sense, it is rather a pity when new Players cannot perform the time-restricted Quests but there are plenty of permanent Quests for them to complete in order to familiarise themselves with the game and obtain access to the Crops, Trees, Animals and Machines that are featured in the time-restricted Quests.   Fishing has been added to the game, but the Fishing Pier will not be accessible to players who have not attained Level 20 I believe.

Players who have no access to the time-restricted Quests yet may wonder if they are missing out on Rewards.  A general rule with respect to the Rewards for time-restricted Quests is that Items that will be NEEDED will become available in the Market a short time after the Quest period has expired.  Examples of this include the Wasabi Pond and the Dark Chocolate Tree.  These were Rewards for completion of time-limited Quests but now can be purchased in the Market.

When the Rewards are Decorations or other Items that may be unique in colour or style but which have ordinary counterparts in the Market usually will NOT appear there.  An example of this is the Maroon Sheep that was the Reward for a recent time-limited Quest.  One cannot find the Maroon Sheep in the Market but it is not a vital item.  One can purchase an ordinary Sheep that will produce the same product.  The Maroon Sheep produced a little faster than the ordinary one but again, is not VITAL.

The current time-restricted Quest has three different Rewards: Hot Spa, Mango Tree and Ice Dolphin.  The Hot Spa is nothing more than a Decoration.  The Mango Tree is a Tree that has been in the Market for a long time.  The Ice Dolphin produces Ice, an Item that can be harvested from Ice Trees that are sold in the Market.  Thus, although the new Players cannot access these Quest sequences, the Rewards are not needed for the game itself.

Happy New Year Time-Restricted Quests

Collect New Year's Cards

You will need the following:

70 Pink New Year Cards from Peacock Feathers

50 Yellow New Year Cards from Cheese Burgers

30 Green New Year Cards from Cucumbers

10 Red New Year Cards from Maple Syrup

The Rewards are a Mango Tree and a Hot Tub.  The Mango Tree produces Mangoes, which are needed for a Quest Recipe, inter alia.  The Hot Tub is a Decoration that produces no coins.

As usual, the second part of this time-restricted adventure is a Quest sequence.  As is often the case in these time-restricted Quests, you will be required to use the Rewards from the Collection Mission in order to complete at least one of the Quest sequences.  In this case, it is as early as New Year 2014 III that you will be required to place the Hot Tub that is one of the Rewards for completing the Collections of New Year Cards.

WARNING:  DO NOT SELL THE ITEMS THAT YOU MAKE IN ANY OF THE SEQUENCES AS ONE OF THE TASKS IN A LATER SEQUENCE MAY VERY WELL BE A REQUIREMENT TO SELL THE ITEMS PRODUCED IN A PREVIOUS STEP!

New Year 2014 Quests

New Year 2014 I

Woohoo!  We had such a great celebration to start 2014.  This could be the new beginning for the rest of our lives.  However, we must clean up this house the party was quite crazy!

Where did the mop go?

Collect 10 Mops from your Neighbours
  Skip for 10 RC

Harvest 40 Rice
  Skip for 20 RC

Produce 20 glasses of Orange Juice
  Skip for 10 RC

Reward: 80 Coins, 16 XP

Every time I see Grandma clean up the house, I always think it's easy peasy.  But it's exhausting!  Especially after the party we had.

(I guess it is better late than never to start to participate in the cleaning effort, but shame on you, Felicia and Darryl for leaving it to Grandma for so many years!)

New Year 2014 II

Oh snap!  I only thought about the party and totally forgot that I still haven't sent gifts to all of my buddies!  I hope they're not angry with me.

Get ready now, quick!

Produce 40 Grape Candies
  Skip for 20 RC

Produce 40 Red Teddy Bears
  Skip for 20 RC

Produce 40 Sugar
  Skip for 20 RC

Reward: 85 Coins, 17 XP

Alright, the cendies and gifts are ready to go!  Looks like I'll have to play Miss Post Woman for a bit hehe.

IT IS HERE THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE COMPLETED THE COLLECTION MISSION AS THE HOT TUB IS REQUIRED FOR THE NEXT QUEST IN THIS SEQUENCE.

New Year 2014 III

This house is cleaned up and now it's time to spoil myself.  Who'd want to wear old clothes?  I just bought a new dress for Christmas.  It's make over time, a New Year means a New You :)

Fabulous!

Place a Hot Tub on your farm (from the collection mission)
  Skip for 10 RC

Harvest 8 Coconuts
  Skip for 8 RC

Prepare 10 Surf n Turfs
  Skip for 10 RC

Reward: 90 Coins, 18 XP

See?  I'm already feeling so much beter and I'm ready to take on 2014.

New Year 2014 IV
It's so wonderful to be on holiday and relax.  I have been thinking about a clean and tidy farm.  We need some new things for it!  Let's go find cool stuff.

Let's go!

Produce 50 Bottles of Champagne
  Skip for 25 RC

Sell 12 Tiramisu
  Skip for 6 RC

Prepare 8 Thai Green Curry
  Skip for 8 RC

Reward: 100 Coins, 20 XP

It looks like every one has become really excited about the green curry!  Sweet!

New Year 2014 V

Do you agree that giving is caring?  We can show the love to our friends and surprise them with gifts.  I'm sure they wouldn't mind some help from us with their farm.

Surprise!

Plant a Mango Tree

Prepare 6 Bowls of Sweet Mango
  Skip for 6 RC

Fertilise your Neighbours' farms 40 times
  Skip for 40 RC

Reward: 100 Coins, 20 XP

We are all so happy.  That's all I could ever ask for.


New Year 2014 VI

Grandma said our next door neighbour's nephew will come and visit her tomorrow night.  We have been invited and we need to take some muffins alone with a special dish.

Show time!

Produce 50 Mayonnaise
  Skip for 25 RC

Sell 50 Pitaya Jam
  Skip for 25 RC

Prepare 6 Tropical Fruit Muffins
  Skip for 6 RC

Reward: 110 Coins, 22 XP

All day I've been checking our barn, but no idea has come to mind.  Ho, whats this?  A postcard from Thailand?

New Year 2014 VII

Oh haha, I remember now!  My Thai friend taught me this classic Thai dish called 'Pad Thai'.  It's soft chewy rice noodles stir-fried with crayfish that's freshly caught from the sea!

It's gonna be amazing!

Catch 4 Crayfish
  Skip for 4 RC*

*Having 4 Crayfish on hand will not satisfy this requirement.

Collect 15 Thai postcards from your Neighbours
  Skip for 15 RC

Prepare 6 Bowls of Pad Thai
  Skip for 6 RC

VERY IMPORTANT:  Do NOT process the Crayfish.  You need raw Crayfish for this Recipe.  Processed Crayfish becomes Shrimp.

Reward: 120 Coins, 23 XP

The aroma makes this dish so irresistible!  Every one is going to ask about Thailand now.  I think I can pass as a Thai ambassador.

New Year 2014 VIII

Darryl just came up to me and said all the mangoes on the farm are ripe.  Good timing!  Now we can make another all-time-favourite Thai dessert.  Mango with Sticky Rice!

Rice Rice Baby!

Collect 6 Jars of Nectar from Butterfly House
  Skip for 6 RC

Prepare 6 Fruit Salads
  Skip for 8 RC

Prepare 8 Plates of Mango with Sticky Rice
  Skip for 8 RC

Reward: 120 Coins, 23 XP

We're ready for tonight!  Let's hit it!

New Year 2014 IX

Actually, opening up your heart and trying out new things is not only for New Year.  Every day is a new beginning too!  I hope it's a fantastic year for all of you!

Happy New Year!

Harvest 50 Love Fruits
  Skip for 25 RC

Sell 60 Bottles of Champagne
  Skip for 30 RC

Sell 60 Buffalo Milk Cheese
  Skip for 30 RC

Reward: 122 Coins, 25 XP

The first mission of the year is already complete.  So bring on the rest of this year.  Check for your awesome reward in your gift box.

Congratulations
Well done, you just finished the New Year's mission.  Check out the gift we have just sent to your Gift Box!  Happy New Year!

FINAL REWARD: Ice Dolphin that produces Ice every 8 hours.

There are new Recipes in the Kitchen as well, some of them time-restricted.  Three are time-restricted, but the others appear to be permanent additions.  The time-restricted Recipes are available for 4 Weeks:

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Time-Restricted Recipes
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Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken: 294 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients: Spice x 2, Turkey x 2

Coconut Milk: 316 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Coconut, Sugar x 2

Thai Green Curry: 640 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken, Coconut Milk

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 Other New Recipes:
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Rice Noodles: 363 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Wheat Flour x 3, Rice x 2

 Egg Crayfish: 138 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Egg, Crayfish

Pad Thai: 525 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Rice Noodles, Egg Crayfish

Sticky Rice: 561 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Rice x 2, Coconut Milk

Sweet Mango: 308 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients:  Mango,  Honey Syrup x 2
  Required Utensil: Knife
  Knife costs 7000 Coins

Mango with Sticky Rice: 907 Coins, 1 XP
  Ingredients: Sticky Rice, Sweet Mango

Rune Factory and Harvest Moon Series

I understand that many players of the original Family Farm as well as Family Farm Seaside never have played any console or handheld system games, but I would like to recommend two magnificent series to you.  These two series are Harvest Moon and Rune Factory.  As Freyashawk, I wrote over 200 strategy guides for these two series over the course of a decade and still believe that these games are incredibly imaginative and rich in philosophy and beauty as well as being simply fun.  They do require a certain amount of patience and perseverance.  You must be willing to spend many hours in the world of Harvest Moon or Rune Factory in order to obtain the greatest rewards that these games have to offer.

Both Harvest Moon and Rune Factory include games that can be played on the Wii as well as the DS and 3DS systems.  Older games in the series can be played on the GameCube and PS2.  This autumn, Rune Factory 4 was released in the States for the 3DS system.  Although I no longer write guides for IGN or even commit myself to writing any comprehensive guides due to health issues, I did create a site for Rune Factory 4 and am working on a little guide for the game.  A link to the site is given on the right of this page.

One reason I mention these games on the Family Farm Seaside site is because they both are based on farming, although mining, fishing and social interactions are vital to the games as well.  Rune Factory includes a plot that requires combat, although killing never is part of the game.  Instead, the 'Monsters', who can be very cute, either are sent back to their own world or can be tamed to work with the player's Character on the farm as well as becoming companions in combat situaitons.  Harvest Moon does not have any combat.  It usually has a fairly simple plot that requires the Player to revitalise a failing village.  In the course of this, the Player can court and marry one of the villagers and start a family.  Events are detailed with dialogues that make any Harvest Moon game an interactive novel.  Rune Factory usually includes all the activities of Harvest Moon but is more plot-driven as the Player must rescue the village from a recent onslaught of Monsters who have trespassed from their own world and have become bothersome for the villagers.  Rune Factory has a Request system as well that allows Players to earn Rewards by completing little Quests for specific villagers.