Park Farm Beauty Contest

Note:  You will find the current time-restricted Quest, 'Journey of Dreams' in the NEXT post, in other words, the post below this one.  Here is a link:

http://familyfarmseaside.blogspot.com/2016/04/journey-of-dreams-quest-and-paper.html

Park Farm Beauty Contest
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The theme for the new Farm Beauty Contest is 'Parks' and thus includes many fountains.  Originally, the infamouse Love Fountain was displayed in the Theme Book, but now has disappeared once again... very frustrating!  Why the developers simply cannot place it in the Market for us is beyond me...  every one wants it and very few have it, as evidently it was offered only in the very earliest days of the game.  I have been playing for almost four years now and did not ever have a chance to purchase it or obtain it... never mind!  On with actual Farm Beauty Contest matters.

Note here that there are a few Decorations that are obtained outside the Market or the usual time-restricted Quests.  Three of these are obtained in a new Festival Mystrons Shop.  The Base that is featured as a Theme Decoration is the Springtime Base.  That is obtained through completion of a new Gallery Quest entitled 'Farm Fest'.    Here is a link to that Quest:

http://familyfarmseaside.blogspot.com/2016/04/farm-fest-gallery-mission.html

The three Theme Decorations that are found in the Festival Mystrons Mystery Shop are:

Little Dog Deco: 700 Festival Mystrons

Ride on Car: 400 Festival Mystrons

Picnic Hamper: 400 Festival Mystrons

Unlike some of the other Mystery Shops, these offerings do not change on a daily basis.  The Picnic Hamper was just added to the items offered.

Festival Mystrons are earned in a variety of ways.  The game announces these in rather annoying splashscreens periodically but if you wish to know all the current methods by which the Mystrons can be obtained, tap on the Magic Bunny.  The first tab gives announcements about this sort of option.  The second tab is for the 'Weekly Activity'.  Incidentally, the current Weekly Activity does yield Festival Mystrons as well as the usual 10 Yellow Mystrons.  Another current method of obtaining them is by completing the first 8 parts of the time-restricted Mission.  The Treasure Chests in the Daily Quest Path contain Festival Mystrons as well.

Basic Rules of Contest
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The basic rules of any Farm Beauty Contest remain the same.  Try to create a balance of Crops, Animals, Machines and Decorations on your Farm to gain the maximum number of votes possible from each of the four Characters, take a 'snapshot' and then you can remove whatever you wish from your farm... as long as you do not change the photograph!  If you obtain more Theme Items, that would be a reason for taking a new photograph.  Otherwise, it can be exhausting to count the items needed again and again, making certain that you did not decrease the number required for each of the Vote categories.

Note that one rule has changed... definitely for the better.  There will be a limit on the number of duplicates of any Coin Purchase Decoration that will count in terms of Charm Points.  This rule was instigated because of the proliferation of farmers who cheated by 'flattening' items in order to be able to place more on their farms.  It is beneficial as well in terms of creating farms with actual 'beauty' rather than farms with hundreds of ladders or firecrackers side by side simply for the purpose of increasing Charm points.  You can find the limit (usually 5) by tapping on the Coin Decoration in the Market and looking at the flip side.

Theme Decorations
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You always can find a comprehensive list of all Theme Decorations by tapping on the little red book icon on the far right of the initial Farm Beauty Contest screen.  In this particular contest, you will find that all the new Decorations that have been added to the Lucky Wheel constitute Theme Decoraitons.  Other Theme Decorations are being offered in the special sales offers on the top right of your screen.  With them are paired premium trees in many cases that are needed for the current Fairy Tale Quest.

Theme Decoraitons are:

Animals
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Valentine Beehive
  Available in the past and still in some Buddies' Share Boxes but no longer on Lucky Wheel

Decorations
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Flower Cage
  Available in current sale and from past
  Gives Gold Box, 7 Charm Points

Flower Barrow
  Available from Lucky Wheel and from past Mission, can be purchased randomly from Blue Mysrons Shop for 300 Blue Mystrons
  Gives Purple Gift Box, 6 Charm Points
  Costs 15 RC in Lucky Wheel or Share Box 

Koala
  Available from past
  Gives Gold Box, 5 Charm Points

Fishing Elephant
  Available from past as Calendar Reward, now found on Lucky Wheel
  Gives Purple Gift Box, 11 Charm Points
  Cost on Lucky Wheel or Share Box: 25 RC 

Cute Monkey
  Available from past mission, now found on Lucky Wheel
  Gives Purple Gift Box, 4 Charm Points
  Costs 15 RC I believe on Lucky Wheel or Share Box 

Reading Teddy Bear
  Available in past as Calendar Reward, now found on Lucky Wheel
  Gives Purple Gift Box, 2 Charm Points
  Costs 25 RC on Lucky Wheel or Share Box 

Peter Pan's Picnic Table
  Available in past as mission reward, now found on Lucky Wheel, can be purchased randomly in Blue Mystrons Shop for 300 Blue Mystrons I believe as well
  Gives Purple Gift Box, 11 Charm Points

Little Puppy Deco
  Available in new Festival Mystrons Shop for 700 Festival Mystrons
  Gives Purple Gift Box, 6 Charm

Flower Basket
  Available in the Market for 2500 Coins
  Cannot be cleaned, 1 Charm Point

Picnic Basket
  Available in the Market for 1500 Coins
  Cannot be cleaned, 1 Charm Point

Ride On Car

  Available in Festival Mystrons Shop for 400 FM
  Gives Silver Gift Box, 5 Charm

Toys
  Farm Beauty Contest Reward Decoration

Picnic Hamper
  Available in the Festival Mystrons Shop for 400 FM
  Gives Silver Gift Box, no Charm value as of yet 

Tree Arch 
  Available in the Market in Decorations section for 10000 Coins
  Cannot be cleaned, 1 Charm Point

Lovely Lady Cat Deco
  No longer available
  Delivers Blue Gift Box, 8 Charm

Lotus Pond
  Available in past in various activities, now found on Lucky Wheel, can be purchased for 300 Blue Mystrons randomly as well
  Gives Purple Gift Box 

Park Fountain
  Available in current sale
  Gives Purple Gift Box, no charm value yet

Oskar Dog
  Available in sale offer currently 
  Gives Blue Gift Box

Flower Hedge
  Available in the Decorations section of Market for 1 RC 
  Cannot be cleaned

Love Fountain
  Mystery Item, frustrating beyond belief... has been removed now from Theme List on Kindle but not yet removed from Android List.

Bird Bath
  Available in past from Mission, now on Lucky Wheel, can be purchased for 100 Yellow Mystrons randomly as well
  Cannot be cleaned 
  Costs 12 RC on Lucky Wheel or Share Box

Picnic Table
  Not yet available

Lovely Mister Cat Deco
  Gives Blue Gift Box, 6 Charm (2 additional Charm when placed on Lovely Planter Base) 
  
New Path
  Not yet available

Tyre Swing
  Available in past and from current sale offer
  Gives Silver Gift Box, 

Willow Tree
   Available in the Market in Decorations section for 5 RC
  Gives Gift Box, 6 Charm Points

Collectable Decorations
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Water Fountain
  Available in past and on Lucky Wheel, can be purchased randomly in Blue Mystrons Shop for 300 Blue Mystrons
  Cannot be cleaned, but gives Distilled Water to owner every few hours 

Other Decorations in Current Sale:  Warning:  The Bird House is worth 5 Charm Points and is utterly charming but it is not listed as a Theme Decoration at present. 

Festival Mystrons Shop
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A new Festival Mystrons Shop has opened and is offering the Little Puppy Deco for 700 Festival Mystrons.  This is a Theme Decoration for the current Farm Beauty Contest.  This Shop will be open for 2 months evidently.  Whether it will offer one special item per week or offer one each day randomly remains to be seen.  Various activities including the Daily Quest path will give you Festival Mystrons. 

Rules for Votes
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Maximum Character Votes
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To obtain the maximum from each Character as far as the Crops, Animals, Machines and Trees are concerned, this is the total you need to place before taking a photograph:

16 different Crops
21 different Trees
13 different Machines
10 different Animals

As far a 'high level' is concerned, you originally needed to be at Level 160 to have maximum votes for THAT, so most of us fail there, although I think it has been modified to Level 150 for the maximum.  .. as far as Expansions are concerned, you do not need the maximum farm expansion to get the maximum Vote for that.  In fact, even if you do not have the 20 x 20 Expansion, you will get maximum votes for your expansion of your farm.

Note here that Beehives and Butterfly Houses as well as the Bat House are Animals for this purpose.

What Characters Value
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The Characters gave their Votes for the following:

First of all, the idea that every change will be worth 1 Point is misleading.   Originally, the developers wanted to keep it all a mystery.  Now each category is given a total:

Felicia:
Charm Points: 24
Theme Items: 24
Animals: 16
Expansions: 16

Dad:
High Level: 16
Expansions: 16
Machines: 16
Theme Items: 24

Darryl:
Charm Points: 24
Theme Items: 24
Large variety of Crops (used to be Trees): 16
Gallery Registration: 16

Grandma:
High Level: 16
Charm Points: 24
Trees: 16
Gallery Registration: 16

How Character Votes Work
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Now, it is important to remember that 'theme-related Decorations only account for a percentage of the Votes given by Felicia, Darryl and Dad.  I believe that once you achieve the total that is the maximum those Characters can give to you for theme, you will not be able to earn any more Votes from them for THAT, irrespective of the number of Theme Decorations that you purchase and place. Bear this in mind when you are tempted to go mad in the upcoming sales.  Originally you had to purchase the NEW Theme Decorations in order to achieve the maximum of 24 Votes for Theme from each of the three Characters but that may have changed as on the very first day of the Contest, Harvest Moon FDC this time had 24/24 for Theme and 24/24 for Charm.  Now bear in mind the fact that two of the 'new' items in the current sale were offered last year as well so those two were on the farm even before the contest began...  whether they would be considered 'new' or not is another matter.  It is entirely possible that not being able to earn the maximum before one purchased the 'new' theme decorations was a glitch or programming defect that has been fixed.

As for Charm Points, the maximum required for 24/24 Votes has been lowered now to 1400 Charm.  This has been verified.

Duplicate items count only towards total Charm Points and will not add to the Votes that you receive from any of the four Characters.

Although there is a 'ceiling' to the number of Votes you can earn from the three Characters for Theme or Charm,  there is no limit to the possible Charm Point total for global ratings.  How does this benefit you?  For the Characters who value Charm, once again, you can achieve only a total of 24 Votes each day for that aspect of your Farm from those Characters... once you achieve that, additional Charm points will not be considered by the Characters.  After that total is reached, additional Charm only benefits as far as your global rating is concerned.  It does not affect your Votes from Neighbours.  Each Farmer has 3 Votes per day to give to Neighbours.

The Votes from the four Characters dropped off once the final Reward was received in some of the Contests but continued to accrue in others.   Even after receiving the Avatar Reward, Farmers did continue to receive Votes in at least one of the Farm Beauty Contests.  It remains to be seen whether this one will continue to give Votes or not.

Voting for my Farms
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Of course, I would be thrilled if farmers who used my site would be willing to send their Votes to Harvest Moon or Rosewood Farms.  Winning the Contest may be hopeless but I would love to be able to obtain the special Decoration and the Avatar if possible.   I would like to thank every one who voted for me again.  As I wrote previously, I do not make any money with my site.  I do not have any adverts on it and do not promote anything other than the game itself.  I write the guide because I always find a good guide useful when playing a game and I believe other players feel the same, so if you wish to give me anything, please give your Votes! To do this, tap on the FINAL icon for 'My Neighbours' and then 'Visit' Harvest Moon FDC or Rosewood.  Once at the farm, you can choose to Vote once for it or use all three Votes in quick succession.  That is how the Voting procedure works.  On the left you will see 'My Snapshot' menu where you interact with your own options to post a new secreenshot, collect your Rewards as well as the Votes you are given each day from Characters and Neighbours.  On the right you will see 'Vote for Others'.  Tap on the 'Vote for Others' and you will be given three choices: Random Pick, Great Farmers and My Neighbours.  I personally think 'My Neighbours' is the only really fair option.  You then will be taken to a list of your Neighbours who have entered the Contest.  You have to choose to 'Visit' one in order to be able to vote and you can Vote up to three times either for one farm or for different farms.

Voting for Items
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There is an option to vote for any Item, whether it is a Crop, Tree, Machine, Animal or Decoration on a Neighbour's Farm when you give your Vote for the Contest.  On both Harvest Moon FDC and Rosewood, there are Iris Flowers.  Please do 'Like' the Iris.  I am hoping this one day will persuade the developers to return it to the Market as a permanent Crop.  On Harvest Moon FDC, there is one Love Rose and one Primrose as well.  Please 'Like' them if you can!

How to Vote
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For farmers who are participating in the Contest for the first time, a brief set of instructions on voting:

First either tap on the little gold trophy on the top right of your screen or go to your Menu and tap on the Farm Beauty Contest icon there.  You will be taken to the general Farm Beauty Contest Menu.

Your Photograph
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According to Support, your current Photograph or Screenshot is the basis for the Votes of the four Characters each day.  You cannot participate in the Contest until you submit a Photograph.  You can change your Photograph once each day, but many players do not do so unless they have changed something on their farms to obtain more Votes either from the Characters or to achieve a better global rating by increasing Charm Points.

To take a new Screenshot, access the General Farm Beauty Contest Menu.Tap on 'My Screenshot' and then tap on the small icon of My Screenshot that appears in the top left corner. Now you will see options below to 'Re-Take or to 'Check'.    You will see an option to write a new message to visitors and potential Voters as well.   Tap on Re-Take when your Farm is at its best and a new Screenshot will be submitted.  To write a new message, tap on the script box and you will have the option to change it and then 'Save' it.

When you access the Farm Beauty Contest menu and then tap on My Snapshot, you should see a countdown of how much time remains until the next Character Votes are logged for you to collect.

Boosting Character Votes
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Now, how can you boost the Votes of the four Characters even if your Charm totals are low and you cannot afford to buy Theme Decorations with real Cash?

First of all, each of the four Characters bases his/her Votes on different aspects of your Farm as you can see from the list of farming aspects that each favours..  As shown in the list of Theme Decorations, there are three Characters who give Votes for the Theme. Votes are given by different Characters, however, for a wide variety of Crops, for Trees, for Animals and for Machines.  Gallery Registration will give you Votes with two Characters.  Expansions count as well...

So what I suggest to every Farmer is to make certain that you have registered as many items on your Farm as possible before the Contest begins and if you cannot complete this task prior to the start, keep registering your Items until they all have been added to the Gallery.  This cannot give you more than a total of 16 Votes daily but if you do qualify for the maximum number of Votes for Gallery from the two Characters that value this aspect of Farming, you will be in a good position.

Expansions give Votes as well.  Actually, you can get the maximum of 16 Votes for Expansions even without the last farm expansion.

It is not mere ownership of items that gives Votes but PLACEMENT of them on your Farm.  When the Contest begins, place a good balance of Animals and Machines on your Farm and plant a variety of Crops as well as making certain that you have as many different types of Trees as possible.  Again, each of these aspects of farming will not give more than a total of 16 to 24 of the Votes of the Character or Characters who value them.  As indicated, each Character has four different categories of farming upon which his or her Votes are based.

The one aspect of Character votes that is difficult to obtain is the maximum given for 'high Levels'.  It appears that one would have to be at Level 150 in order to obtain the maximum number of Character Votes for high level.  At Level 90, you obtain only 9 Votes!

As previously discussed, Charm is valued by some of the Characters but piling Decorations on your Farm is pointless as there is a ceiling to the number of Votes given by the Characters for your Charm. I therefore would recommend that farmers who cannot place in the top 50 globally focus more on creating a balanced Farm with a good mixture of Crops, Trees, Animals and Machines than attempting to load your Farm with duplicate Decorations or indeed Decorations that are not cleanable once you have exhausted your normal stock of Theme Decorations and a certain number of Charm points.  The members of my Group on Facebook, Family Farm Seaside Freyashawk and I experimented with this during the last Contest to see how Votes would be affected.  It really did not require too many Decorations to achieve the maximum number of Votes from a Character who valued either Charm or Theme... beyond that, one was using space on the farm that would be better allocated to ANOTHER aspect of farming that would garner Votes from a Character.

Theme-related Decorations only add to 'Theme' Votes from a Character ONCE.

Now, this is how low level Farmers can benefit from full participation in the Contest. There is a list of Rewards given for achieving specific Vote totals.  Every couple hundred Votes or so, you will receive a specific Reward.  Most of them consist of Farm Aids, Coins and Purple Mystrons but there is a Decoration Reward and at the very top of the list, two Rewards that consist of RC, the final one being paired with a special Avatar.  In the current Contest, the Decoration is a  Balloon Decoration that no doubt can be placed on the Lovely Planter Base when it is complete.  The Decoration really is more significant than the Avatar Reward for most farmers.

Your Votes from the four Characters DO make a difference, therefore, even if you cannot achieve huge totals of Votes or place globally.  You can achieve a number of the Rewards on the list if you maintain a balanced Farm.

NONE of this will count, however, if you do not take photos of your Farm.  The Votes of the four Characters are determined by your CURRENT PHOTO in the Contest.  In other words, give your Farm the greatest advantages in terms of Crops, Trees, Animals and Machines as well as Decorations,  take your photograph and THEN AND ONLY THEN store items or do whatever is necessary for REAL work on your Farm.  A new time-restricted Mission should be released next Friday if everything goes according to the regular schedule.  You may need to store items in order to produce products and so on... so start your day by registering for the Farm Beauty Contest by taking a photo after you have made your Farm as profitable, vote-wise as possible.  You then will be free to get on with the business of real farming.