Some Unfortunate New Options in Seaside

New regrettable options in Family Farm seaside


I recently wrote a post about another game, comparing it unfavourably to Family Farm Seaside, adding that Seaside was 'almost perfect' as a mobile game.  Well, as usual, I should not have been so very positive as almost immediately afterwards, some rather regrettable new options were added to the game.

First of all, the log-in screen and Calendar no longer appear automatically.  They are represented by a tiny icon in the left top corner of the screen.  If you fail to tap on that icon, you will miss your log-in, even if you play the game for hours.

Next, there is a new floating advertisement that actually FOLLOWS the farmer as he/she works.  I do not mind the fact that there is an option to watch a commercial video to earn Green Mystrons but I dislike the aggressive nature of this advertisement.

Then there is the new Bingo game in the form of the Cooking Stall, an item that, once built, cannot be deleted or stored.  Unlike the Seafood House and Beauty Shop, however, the Cooking Stand is not really a productive item apart from filling a Bingo card very slowly in different rounds.  This is an option that was taken, I believe, from FarmVille and I never liked it in that game.

In fact, one of the reasons I liked Seaside so much was that there was a certain simple elegance to the game.  It was a farming simulation game pure and simple, with an option to cook and fish. 

Fishing always was problematical in Seaside and never my favourite option but it has become more and more unpleasant as Quests now demand an impossible total of items.  Remember that the Items caught when fishing are RANDOM.  There are specific lists for each of the Hooks that you can use, but within the scope of that list, the actual item you catch is random.  Moreover, you are given only 7 attempts.  If you want more, you have to wait.  In time, you will be given more.  If you do not wish to wait, you can pay premium cash for extra attempts. 

When a Quest required 5 of a specific Fish in the context of a Recipe or Task, it could be difficult enough to obtain the number.  Now, however, we have a Recipe in the first round of the Bingo that prompts the player to make 60 of a specific Dish that requires 1 Smoked Mackerel for each.  In other words, you need 60 Mackerel and that is caught with a hook that requires 200 Bait to use.  Very expensive and very time-consuming.  You can purchase a Mackerel with 1 RC if you wish.

The first round of the Bingo has 4 different Recipes, and you need to 'sell' a total of 200 to unlock the next round.  That means that, at the very minimum, if you sell 60 of the other three Recipes, you still need a minimum of 20 of the Recipe that requires the Mackerel...  Perhaps I am mistaken and each player has a different Recipe to produce, but I cannot imagine that other Players will be fortunate enough to avoid the Recipes that involve Seafood.

What is the point of all this?  Very little in my considered opinion.    The Bingo Card has 16 slots and you can fill a total of 4 by selling 200 of the Recipes demanded by the game.  I suppose some fortunate players might be able to fill a row of four, but in my game, the places filled are entirely disparate and do not connect at all.    I do not like this sort of mini-game at all.  I prefer to use my own efforts rather than relying upon Dame Fortune. 

In fact, recently, Family Farm Seaside made some offers that carried with them a random reward.  Of course, I did not receive the good reward.  It was a matter of luck and I am singularly devoide of the favours of Lady Luck in these games.  Why do this to loyal players???  Better to offer the same reward to every one, in my view.

There are items that other players have that I never have been offered in a game where I have played continuously for over 400 days.  Why am I not entitled to purchase a male or female Cupid?  I have been on a farm that had FOUR female Cupids (or Putti).  How did this individual obtain four when NONE ever were offered in my game?  Players who have played less than 100 days evidently were able to obtain these items.  Are there different offers depending on the platform on which you play?  Are tablet owners less fortunate than Nook or Kindle owners?  It is all very vexing and I am disappointed with the powers that be at Seaside.  I hope that they will reconsider the new trend of copying FarmVille, a game that has increasingly FEWER fans and players and go back to the fairly simple and elegant methods that made Seaside unique and enjoyable.

Finally, there now are a number of fairly LARGE buildings that once constructed, cannot be removed by any means from the player's farm.  These include the Kitchen, Beauty Shop, Seafood House and now, Cooking Stand.  Why do these buildings have to occupy so much space?  Why have no new land expansions been offered???