24 January 2020

The Year of the Rat Quest and Gift Packet Collection Mission




A new 11 day timed quest has been released in tandem with a Collection Mission that celebrates the Lunar New Year that will begin on Saturday, 25 January.  The Reward for the Collection Mission is a Chives Planter, a 'Collectable' Item.

POST COMPLETE!

Gift Packet Collection Mission
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70 Pink from Oat
50 Yellow from Rye Flour
30 Red from Black Forest Cake
10 Green from Wafer Tree

Reward: Chives Planter, a new 'Collectable'.  There is a way now to speed the collection from a 'Collectable', by using OP!  This is a fairly new option, but  I still would advise farmers to focus on the Collection Mission to obtain and place this Chives Planter as quickly as possible to at least begin the production of Chives.  I did not look for this immediately, but it appears that collection occurs approximately every eight hours, and  that 78 OP would be required to harvest at once.  When I took the option, I received 4 Chives.  I believe the actual amount you receive each time is somewhat random, but I received 4 each time today.

Incidentally, the 'Gift Packet' probably is Hong Bao or Lai See, a red envelope usually filled with money or coins that traditionally is given by the elders of any household to the younger members.




When I was a student at University, other students who came from Asia and celebrated the Lunar New Year would exchange red envelopes and two Clementine or Mandarin oranges.   In England at the time, what often was wrapped in red was a 2 p. coin or Tuppence in the old currency.  This was considered appropriate because of the number 2, an even number.   (Always give an even number and use both hands.  Red and Gold are the most auspicious colours.  Do not wrap anything in white paper, as white is the colour of death.  If you give paper money, new money is best.  It is not the value, but the quality that counts here, apart from the number being even or odd.  You often see $2 bills that have been altered to include New Year Animal icons or other New Year symbols being offered on Ebay and Amazon in recent years for that reason. )



(Coin chosen for New Year gift in red packet to exchange with other students at University)
Mind you, I received a severe scolding from a very traditional Chinese friend who, when I began to follow this tradition with my own daughter, told me the giver should be a MALE.  He certainly would have frowned upon the student exchange of 2 New Pence coins between peers!

Note:  I set my Batch Production at 160 for the Animal/Machine that needs to produce 70 of the Collection item, and at 100 for the Animal/Machine that needs to produce 30.  I always am able to obtain the total required using these settings.  I always activate the Monkey Boost that decreases the OP required in any case before I begin one of these timed quests.  Where the Tree is concerned, I have noticed that a Premium Tree like the Wafer Tree has a better rate of dropping the item required than any Coin Tree (like Apple, Orange and so on.)

Note as well that when you place the Chives Planter, you will receive a prompt: Get Gift.  You then will be given 14 Chives instantly to use in the Quest once you have transferred them from your Gift Box into your Barn, so go to your Gift Box and tap on 'Use'!

RESEARCH LAB TECHS:  You can use 'Out of Nowhere' to produce Machine products, and 'Wild Hunger' to produce Animal Products for Quest tasks, but they cannot be used to produce the Packets for the Collection Mission.  For any farmer who has not unlocked Mechology or Zoology, Goldfinger can be used to produce a smaller amount of the required items in tasks.

Note from Freyashawk:

My heartfelt thanks to every farmer and dear friend who voted for HM. Freyashawk in the Farm Beauty Contest that ended a few hours ago.  At No. 7 at reset, continuing as No. 7 two hours before the contest was due to end, the rank dropped to 10 in that last two hours.  I mention this simply to give farmers an idea of the actual effect of the difference in time zones.  Asia definitely has an advantage in that last voting period.  For me, however, No. 10 is as good as No. 4!  It is when one drops below 10 that changes are significant.  Nonetheless, it is not a matter of personal ego, nor of obtaining 2 RC and an Avatar that matter, but rather making certain that players who link the name Freyashawk with strategy guides for games, and have done for over two decades, realise that Freyashawk still is active, and that the site still is recognised as being useful.  In all honesty, though, after seven years of updating this site for farmers, it does inspire me when I receive this small recognition for my work.  Players who simply perform the tasks to complete a Quest or Activity often do not realise how much more effort is required to make a guide for that Quest or Activity.

Incidentally, there is a small advantage here when I do rank in the top 10 in that I receive a few Farm Aids in a bag.  To complete these posts as quickly as possible, I speed the growth of ALL Crops to mature instantly by using either Weather or Fertilisers.  Although I set the Monkey Boost to decrease OP, I always use double OP in order to speed the production so as to be able to collect instantly.  It actually can be costly, but help in the form of rewards of Fertilisers and Weather Farm Aids really do make a small difference here!




The Year of the Rat
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I will add a section at the end of this post that will give detailed information about the Lunar Calendar and Zodiac.  The Year of the Rat officially will begin on 25 January this year.  It is not as simple as the application of a specific Animal to each year, however.  

Lunar Calendar and Zodiac from China

The link will take you to an excellent Chinese site that explains the Zodiac and the qualities given to each Animal in every one of its aspects.  I will write about all of this, however, at the end of this post for those farmers who distrust links to other sites!

This will be the Year of the Metal Rat, by the way.

Crop List
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40 Corn
40 Carrots
40 Tomatoes
40 Wheat
40 Rice
50 Rye
50 Lilies
50 Spinach
60 Onions
60 Mushrooms
60 Tea Plants (Island)
60 Mint (Island)
60 Tulips

Batch Production List
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40 Eggs
40 Ketchup
40 Wheat Flour
40 Turkey
40 Buffalo Milk Cheese
50 Oat Flour
50 Wool
60 Wool Yarn (Island)
60 Beef
60 Minty Morocco Tea (Island)
60 Lily Essential Oil (Island, and Essential Oil Machine will require Mastery)

Special Task Requirements
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You will be required to fish 8 times with the Squid Hook in Part 13, and tend 15 Flowers in your Botanic Garden as one of the final tasks.

Thus, do not cast a net if you wish to complete the Quest as quickly as possible, and do not tend ANY flowers in your Botanic Garden until you reach the final part of the Quest.

Unless the developers change something, and that has occurred in the past, there is no task that requires your Pets to dig Chests.

You will need the Spinach Lasagne Stove House Recipe.  The prices are shown in the Market only if one does not own the Recipe, but the cost of skipping the task is 9 RC, and I feel that it probably is almost the equivalent of the price of the Recipe itself.

Here are the directions for making a successful Bronze Star Spinach Lasagne, which is what is required for the task:

Cook 3 Spinach Lasagnas in the Stove House
  Skip for 9 RC
  Each requires 1 Pasta, 3 Buffalo Milk Cheese, 1 Spinach Salad, 7 Power


  Place all ingredients and set timer for 9 minutes and 20 seconds.  The Bronze Star will activate before that timer expires, and you can tap 'Finish'.  

The Year of the Rat Quest
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The Year of the Rat 1
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Penny: Hello?  Have you met my new Pet, Binky?  Isn't he the cutest?

Harvest 40 Corn
  Skip for 10 RC

Collect 40 Eggs
  Skip for 10 RC

Harvest 40 Carrots
  Skip for 10 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 160 XP

Penny:  Hey!  No need to scream like that!  Binky will jump out of his skin!

The Year of the Rat 2
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Penny: Binky is really friendly.You do not have to be frightened of him!

Harvest 40 Tomatoes
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 40 bottles of Ketchup
  Skip for 10 RC

Harvest 8 Cherries
  Skip for 8 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 160 XP

Penny:  Would you like to hold him?  Well, I shan't push you to do it!

The Year of the Rat 3
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Penny:  Many people do not like rats, but they actually are wonderful pets and companions.  They are very intelligent and are willing to learn tricks for their owners.  Would you like to see Binky play a game of 'fetch' with me?

Harvest 40 Wheat
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 40 bags of Wheat Flour
  Skip for 10 RC

Prepare 8 Batter
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 2 Wheat Flour and 1 Egg

Reward: 2500 Coins, 170 XP

Penny:  Do you see?  Binky can play 'fetch', jump through hoops, and perform a multitude of cute tricks for me.  He actually appears to enjoy it as well.

The Year of the Rat 4
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Penny:  I did not bring Binky today simply to show off his skills.  There is another reason why here is here... can you guess what that is?

Harvest 40 Rice
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 40 Turkeys
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 40 Wheels of Buffalo Milk Cheese
  Skip for 10 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 170 XP

Penny:  I will give you a hint:  it is linked to the Lunar Zodiac.

Special Reward: Mission Gift Box containing Farm Aids

The Year of the Rat 5
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Penny:  According to the Chinese Zodiac (adopted by some other cultures as well), this year will be the Year of the Rat.  I thought you might be interested to learn about the attributes of the Rat according to the Zodiac.

Harvest 50 Rye
  Skip for 12 RC

Produce 50 bags of Oat Flour
  Skip for 12 RC

Prepare 8 Cake Flour
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 2 Oat Flour and 2 Rye Flour

Reward: 2500 Coins, 180 XP

Penny:  Astrology from every culture and period of history is an essential subject for any Witch or Wizard, and I study hard!  So please pay attention!

The Year of the Rat 6
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Penny:  Once upon a time, in the heavens far away, the Jade Emperor invited some animals to visit him.  Among these was a Rat.

Harvest 50 Lilies
  Skip for 12 RC

Prepare 8 Wafer Graveyards
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Wafer and 1 Black Forest Cake*

*Both of these are items from the Collection Mission, so you should have them yourself.  Without a Wafer Tree, you cannot complete the Collection Mission.  Once the timer expires, you will be able to access this Quest from the Lighthouse, but you will not be able to perform the Collection Mission.  Of all the Collection Mission Rewards, however, the 'Collectables' tend to be less expensive when they are placed in the Market after expiration of the Collection Mission that offered them initially than the premium Trees or Stove House Recipes in their RC price (or sometimes when offered for TC).

Harvest 8 Gisela Cherries
  Skip for 8 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 180 XP

Penny:  Of course, the Rat scurried instantly to go to the Palace.  After all, being invited to the Heavens by the Jade Emperor was an incredible honour, and apart from that, Rats are extremely curious by nature!

The Year of the Rat 7
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Penny:  One of the other animals invited to this event was a Cat, and as Cats are perceived generally as more desirable than Rats, the little Rat became a bit worried that the Cat would outshine him in the eyes of the Emperor!

Produce 50 bundles of Wool
  Skip for 12 RC

Harvest 8 Rosemary
  Skip for 8 RC

Prepare 8 Roasted Turkey with Rosemary
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Roast Turkey and 1 Rosemary

Reward: 2500 Coins, 190 XP

Penny:  The cleverness of the Rat often is underestimated, however, and he devised a plan.

The Year of the Rat 8
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Penny:  The day before the event, the Cat asked the Rat if he would awaken him early the next morning so he could prepare for the meeting with the Jade Emperor, and suggested they travel together.  Unfortunately, the Cat underestimated the Rat's cleverness and ambition!  The Rat had no intention of giving the Cat any aid, and decided he would not awaken him at all.

Harvest 50 Spinach
  Skip for 12 RC

Place a Chives Planter on your Farm
  (Reward from Collection Mission)
  Skip for ???  (Usually the price for skipping the task is 10 RC, never worth doing!  Any farmer who can pay 10 RC to skip this task would be better served by completing the Collection Mission, even if he/she has to purchase a Premium Tree to do so.  Trees seldom if ever cost more than 10 RC.)

Prepare 8 Longevity Noodles
  Skip for 8 RC
  This is a new Kitchen Recipe
  Each requires 1 Wheat Flour and 2 Chives.  If you placed your Chives Planter recently, you will have at least 14 Chives from the instant 'Gift'.  You can use OP now to speed collection.

Reward: 2500 Coins, 190 XP

Penny:  When the Cat finally awakened that day, he had missed the event in the Heavens completely!  That is when the Cat became the eternal enemy of the Rat, and he still wages an endless war against the clever rodent!

Special Reward: Snow Pet House Ears

The Year of the Rat 9
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Penny:  On the way to the Jade Emperor's Palace, the Rat found himself in a bit of trouble.  His path led him to a very deep and rapid flowing river, so deep and fast that he doubted his ability to swim across it.

Harvest 60 Onions
  Skip for 15 RC

Produce 60 Wool Yarn
  Skip for 15 RC
  This is an Island task

Prepare 8 Spinach Salad
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 2 Spinach and 2 Onions

Reward: 2500 Coins, 200 XP

Penny:  Rats can swim.  They have amazing skills really, but a river that deep and swift probably would have been the end of him.

The Year of the Rat 10
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Penny:  The Rat could not continue his journey without a new plan.  As he stood at the water's edge, however, he was approached by another Animal who had been invited to the Jade Emperor's Palace.

Harvest 60 Mushrooms
  Skip for 15 RC

Harvest 60 Tea Plants
  Skip for 15 RC
  This is an Island Crop
  N.B.  Island Crops, like Island Animals and Machines have Dev. Point requirements.

Prepare 8 Soft Dough
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Cake Flour and 1 Batter

Reward: 2500 Coins, 200 XP

Penny:  The other Animal who was on his way to the Palace was an Ox.  Every one knows the strength and sturdiness of the Ox!  He would have no trouble at all when he forded the river!

The Year of the Rat 11
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Penny:  The Rat asked the Ox if he could climb onto his back to cross the river with him.  As the Ox was a pleasant creature, he agreed instantly.

Collect 60 Beef
  Skip for 15 RC

Harvest 60 Mint
  Skip for 15 RC
  This is an Island Crop and it requires a specific number of Dev Points to unlock it.

Prepare 8 Dumplings
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 2 Beef and 1 Soft Dough

Reward: 2500 Coins, 210 XP

Penny:  The Ox had no trouble fording the river with the Rat clinging to his back.

The Year of the Rat 12
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Penny:  When they reached the far bank of the river, the Rat leapt instantly from the Ox's back, and abandoned him so that he could run as quickly as possible in order to be the very first to arrive at the Palace to introduce himself to the Jade Emperor.

Harvest 60 Tulips
  Skip for 15 RC

Harvest 8 Chinese Toon
  Skip for 8 RC

Prepare 8 Plates of Chinese Toon Salad
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Chinese Toon and 3 Mushrooms

Reward: 2500 Coins, 210 XP

Penny:  Yes, the Rat arrived first at the Palace, and the Jade Emperor was very impressed by that.  It is why he designated the Rat as the first sign of the Zodiac.

Special Reward: Island Mission Gift Box

The Year of the Rat 13
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Penny:  Many people do not like rats at all, so if you were born in the Year of the Rat, you might think initially that this was not positive.  You could not be more mistaken!

Fish 8 times with the Squid Hook
  Skip for 8 RC

Produce 60 Minty Morocco (Tea)
  Skip for 15 RC
  This is an Island task

Prepare 8 bowls of Dumpling Soup
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Dumplings and 1 Egg Soup

Reward: 2500 Coins, 220 XP

Penny:  As with every other Animal of the Zodiac, Rats have their own positive attributions and strengths.

The Year of the Rat 14
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Penny:  Those born in the Year of the Rat are both cheerful and filled with energy, much like their Animal counterparts.  They can be rather shy as well, however.

Harvest 12 Cedar Wood
  Skip for 4 RC
  This is an Island Task

Produce 60 bottles of Lily Essential Oil
  Skip for 15 RC

Prepare 8 Chinese Dumpling Soup
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Dumpling Soup and 2 Chives

Reward: 2500 Coins, 220 XP.,

Penny:  Rats know how to deal with complicated and difficult problems.  They succeed therefore in business, as they are very intelligent where finance is concerned as well.

The Year of the Rat 15
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Penny:  So you see, Rats are more wonderful than you thought, both in the real world and in the Zodiac!

Craft 6 Wooden Aroma Bottles
  Skip for 6 RC
  This is an Island task
  Each requires 2 Wool Yarn and 1 Cedar Wood and 1 Power.  Unlocking this option in the Workshop requires a specific Dev Point total.

Craft 6 Lily Aroma Bottles
  Skip for 6 RC
  Each requires 1 Wooden Aroma Bottle, 1 Lily Essential Oil,  1 Distilled Water.  Task takes 8 minutes to complete but counts as soon as the item enters the slot in the Beauty Shop

Prepare 8 bowls of Pasta
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Cake Flour and 1 Ketchup

Reward: 2500 Coins, 220 XP

Penny:  If you or any member of your family was born in the Year of the Rat, you should be proud and happy about that.

The Year of the Rat 16
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Penny:  I must go now, but if you would like to play with Binky again, watch him perform more tricks, or simply learn more about the Zodiac, let me know!

Take care of flowers in the Botanic Garden 15 times
  Skip for 15 RC

Cook 3 Spinach Lasagnas in the Stove House
  Skip for 9 RC
  Each requires 1 Pasta, 3 Buffalo Milk Cheese, 1 Spinach Salad, 7 Power
  The cost of the Recipe in the Market if you do not have it would make it better to purchase the Recipe if you lack it than pay to skip the task.
  One of my Community members did a wonderful job of making a table with all of the Stove House Recipes on my site, but in this case:
  Place all ingredients and set timer for 9 minutes and 20 seconds.  The Bronze Star will activate before that timer expires, and you can tap 'Finish'.

Prepare 8 Dumpling and Noodle Soup
  Skip for 8 RC
  This is a new Recipe
  Each requires 1 Chinese Dumpling Soup and 1 Longevity Noodles

Reward: 2500 Coins, 230 XP

Penny:  Bid farewell to the nice farmer, Binky!  See you soon!  Happy New Year!



Final Reward:  Lucky Rat Statue for Seaside

N.B.  The Lucky Rat Statue Decoration can be stacked on the Ice Base.  It is worth 10 Landscape Points, and gives a Purple Gift Box when cleaned.

Collection Set:  The Collection Set consists of the Chinese Toon Tree, the Chives Planter and the Lucky Rat Statue.  Register before timer expiration to receive the bonus Reward of Gallery Book Friendship Flower as well as ordinary rewards of 88 Green Mystrons and 1 RC.

Zodiac
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The Zodiac that is attributed primarily to the Chinese, but used in many different countries primarily in Asia is generally believed to have originated with the Han Dynasty, based on the Gregorian Calendar.  The Chinese Zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao, is based on a cycle of twelve years.  Each year in that cycle is attributed to an Animal Sign.  In order, these are:  Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep/Ram/Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

The number 12 is vital throughout the system.  One ji equals twelve years, one year has twelve months, one day has 12 time periods called shi chen.  In most years, there are twelve full moons.  The original of this Calendar thus was based on astrology.  With the twelve heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches, each Animal sign is associated with an Earthly Branch.  The Animal Years thus are:  Zi Rat, Chou Ox, Yin Tiger, Mao Rabbit, Chen Dragon, Si Snake, Wu Horse, Wei Sheep, Shen Monkey, You Rooster, Xu Dog, and Hai Pig.

Similar to the tale told by Penny in this Quest, the Calendar was created according to the arrival time of each Animal to the Heavens.

The Animal Year of birth is called his or her Ben Ming Nian, Zodiac Year of Birth.  Each individual will experience his/her birth year Animal sign every twelve years.

If you find yourself in your own Ben Ming Nian, you may offend 'Taisul', the God of Aging, who has charge of illness, economic loss, physical injuries and other obstacles in their life and career.  To diminish these unlucky effects, one can wear red underwear, stockings or waist belts given by elders, as red is the colour of good fortune, life and power.  Pendants and bracelets with auspicious images can assist as well, according to ancient traditions.

Traditional Chinese New Year Celebrations Timeline
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If you are interested in following or at least understanding many of the traditions associated with the extended festival in China known as the 'New Year Celebrations', here is a very useful timeline:



I copied the following from a Chinese site.  (Link given above) .  It gives the time of day that is associated with each Zodiac Animal:  


Rat
Zi Shi: 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
This is the time rats actively seek food.
Ox
Chou Shi: 1 to 3 a.m.
This is the time that oxen ruminate.
Tiger
Yin Shi: 3 to 5 a.m.
Tigers hunt prey and display fiercest nature.
Rabbit
Mao Shi: 5 to 7 a.m.
The Jade Rabbit on the moon is busy pounding medicinal herb with a pestle.
Dragon
Chen Shi: 7 to 9 a.m.
Dragons are hover in the sky at that time to give people rainfall.
Snake
Si Shi: 9 to 11 a.m.
Snakes start to leave their burrows.
Horse
Wu Shi: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
With the sun high above, other animals are lying down for a noon break while the unconstrained horse is still vigorous.
Sheep
Wei Shi: 1 to 3 p.m.
It is said that if sheep ate grass at this time, they would grow stronger.
Monkey
Shen Shi: 3 to 5 p.m.
Monkeys become lively.
Rooster
You Shi: 5 to 7 p.m.
Roosters return to their roost as it is dark.
Dog
Xu Shi: 7 to 9 p.m.
Dogs begin to carry out their duty to guard entrances.
Pig
Hai Shi: 9 to 11 p.m.
All is quiet and pigs are sleeping soundly.

17 January 2020

Wooden Fishing Boat Collection Mission

This is an old-style Collection Mission which means that there is no traditional quest sequence linked to it, and it requires the placement of a special object that then can be upgraded to Level 5.  Sorry I made an error in the level requirements initially...

In this case, find the Wooden Fishing Boat and place it on your farm.  If it is NOT interactive, clear your cache, and/or reload the game.

I did not make this clear initially:  On these Collection Missions, the timer is different for every farm.  It is activated only when you place the interactive item (The Wooden Fishing Boat in this case) on your farm.

Definition of the Interactive Collection Item/Building/Decoration
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NOTE HERE THAT THESE INTERACTIVE COLLECTION ITEMS ARE NOT CLASSED
AS DECORATIONS ORDINARILY.

I will not be able to confirm this until the timer expires, but although originally the farmer had to upgrade the actual Collection Item to the final Level 5 in order to be able to store it once the Mission ended, more recently, these items can be stored at any level after expiration of the Mission.

They are NOT decorations, however, in the strict sense of the word.  What this means is that they are stored, not in the Decoration section of your Warehouse, but in the General section.  You usually have to search for them manually there, as they do not have a special classification.

They therefore will not be cleanable or stackable or even storable in the special Decorations section of your Warehouse.

After expiration of the timer:  When I used the 'Store' tool, the game displayed a prompt:  Special Limited Items cannot be stored', but despite that, the Wooden Fishing Boat did go into the General section of my Warehouse.

Completing the Mission
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Place the Wooden Fishing Boat on your Farm and tap on it to open the Menu:

You will see first a description with prices of the four rewards that can be obtained initially.  You will see at the very bottom of this menu a bar that states: Improve your Luck!

Now you need to ask your Neighbours for as many Blue Goggles as possible.  The initial upgrades to the Wooden Fishing Boat require the following:

Blue Goggles:  Ask Neighbours
Canvas: Trade Blue Anchors for Canvas or pay 1 RC for each Canvas

It appears that farmers at EVERY level have the same limit to the number of times they can request the Blue Goggles from their neighbours in Global Chat.  In other situations in the past,  the total was greater for farmers at higher levels, but I asked a low level farmer to see how many times he could request them and it was 5.

NOTE:  This total will be given at reset.  You probably cannot obtain all of the Blue Goggles you need in a single 24 hour period.  How often you request depends on your own gameplay habits.  It probably is more likely that you will receive responses if you stagger your requests, especially if you do not have the maximum number of active neighbours which still is 310 I believe.  (After you have 300, you only can obtain the other 10 if THEY request that you add them.)

The FINAL Level 5 upgrade will require that you pay 8 RC for a Treasure Map.  There are no options to obtain it any other way.  This is consistent with other Collection Missions of this sort, although the price of that final upgrade once was 5 RC instead of 8 RC.  I suppose inflation has affected our virtual Seaside farms...

Once the Wooden Fishing Boat is placed:

You randomly will receive Blue Anchors from Crops, Animals, Machines and Trees.

You have five days to 'complete' the Mission.  The timer will expire after that period.  It is only when you fully upgrade the Wooden Fishing Boat that you will receive 2 Blue Anchors (randomly still) from Crops, Animals, Trees and Machines.

Effects of Level 5 final upgrade
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Note that the actual appearance of the Wooden Fishing Boat does not change with any upgrade, including Level 5.  In some of these old-style Collection Missions, the actual appearance of the interactive object would change a little (become a little more elaborate or attractive) when one upgraded it to the final level.  The Wooden Fishing Boat remains the same.  I do not know if you will be able to store the Wooden Fishing Boat if it is not fully upgraded once the Mission expires.  Originally, one only could store the interactive item (not really a building or a decoration, but storable in the 'general' section of the Warehouse) if it had been fully upgraded.  In some of the more recent Collection Missions of this nature, however, players have been able to store the item at ANY Level of upgrade.  I cannot tell players what will occur with this one, as it depends on how the developers created it.

Strategies
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How you choose to tackle this mission depends on your devotion to this game.  If you wish, you can plant a fast crop like Clover and harvest it again and again, but I myself have found that the crops that take longer to mature actually yield more of the required random item.

A good neighbour of mine (Morningstar) almost instantly reminded me that Beehives produce Honey from Clover.  I always have about 10 Beehives in my Warehouse at all times, fully loaded with Honey for any timed Quest, but when she reminded me of that, I bought five new Beehives and placed them on the farm, allowing me to collect an Animal product at the same time that I harvested the Clover.

This is the FASTEST STRATEGY for collection of the Blue Anchors.

You must trade or buy one of each of the four Rewards available in the Menu to unlock the final Reward item.

The cost for the upgrades

To upgrade to Level 1:
   20 Blue Goggles
   2 Canvas

To upgrade to Level 2:
  20 Blue Goggles
  2 Canvas

To upgrade to Level 3:
  30 Blue Goggles
  8 Canvas

To upgrade to Level 4:
  30 Blue Goggles
  8 Canvase

To upgrade to Level 5:
  10 Blue Goggles
  5 Canvas
  1 Treasure Map (8 RC, no other option)

Note that, previously indicated, it is only at Level 5 that you receive two Blue Anchors randomly rather than one.  You really must decide if you wish to upgrade to the final Level to obtain the final Reward decoration faster.  You have five days to collect the necessary Blue Anchors, one way or the other.

The final reward requires 400 Blue Anchors, once unlocked.  It is a little Hovercraft Decoration.

Description of Hovercraft Decoration
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This is a small Decoration for your Seaside Farm.  It is stackable on the Farm Pool Base, but it will not become animated even when it is placed on that base.  It occupies the position on the left side, where the Magical Fountain that IS animated otherwise would reside.

If you go to your Gallery Menu and tap on the Hovercraft, you will see, first that it is cleanable and gives a Purple Gift Box when cleaned, that it can be stacked on the Farm Pool Base (and you can see a preview of this by tapping on the jigsaw puzzle house icon), and that it is worth 30 Landscape Points.

The real question now is: how much is this decoration worth to you?  You must obtain one of each of the OTHER four Rewards simply to unlock the ability to claim this one with 400 Blue Anchors.  Many farmers will have earned the Yellow Boat Decoration previously, so that will be a duplicate you are forced to 'buy' with 200 Blue Anchors.  The rate of collection is not terrific, even at Level 5, incidentally.  They have made it a little more difficult.

Personally, I would advise farmers who feel that they cannot possibly collect a total of 660 Blue Anchors (for all the rewards apart from the Canvas Material) to shoot for the Thunder and, if they are low level or new farmers with few Watering Cans, the Watering Cans.  These are the most valuable of all the rewards in actual fact.

The four rewards are:

Canvas: 1 RC or 1 Canvas always
Yellow Boat Decoration: 200 Blue Anchors or 15 RC
Watering Can: 2 RC or 10 Blue Anchors for the first one
Thunderstorm: 50 Blue Anchors or 15 RC for the first one

As you trade or purchase these, the cost of each increases.  You only can obtain 1 Yellow Boat, but you can obtain a total of 10 Watering Cans at escalating prices and 5 Thunderstorms at escalating prices.

It will be more difficult for players who are not given as many opportunities to use Global Chat as those at high levels, or those with few neighbours who are active in the game.

10 January 2020

Sleigh Bells Ring! Quest and Mittens Collection


(Above, the exquisite and magical sleigh of King Ludwig of Bavaria, who was neither mad nor bad, but a very progressive thinker who acted, among other things, as patron to the great composer Wagner and was murdered for his ideas about creating a more democratic government for Bavaria.)

A new 11 day quest has been released in tandem with a Collection Mission.  The reward for the Collection Mission is a premium Tree in the form of the Sea Buckthorn Tree.

POST COMPLETE NOW

Mittens Collection:
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70 from Corn
50 from Sugar
30 from Peanut Sauce
10 from Butternut Squash

Reward: Sea Buckthorn Tree

The Sea Buckthorn Tree takes 11 hours to produce a Sea Buckthorn fruit, but you can use Super Watering Cans or ordinary Watering Cans to speed the process.

Note:  For the Collection Mission, I always set the Animal or Machine that needs to deliver 50 Collection items to produce 160.  I set the Animal or Machine that needs to produce 30 to 90 or 100.  For any premium Tree that needs harvest, the ratio appears to be 1 in 3 harvests to produce the item.  These are only my own experiences.

Special Tasks:
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Dig 12 Chests on the Paths
Take care of Flowers in Botanic Garden 12 times

Strategy Tips
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First of all, I usually set the Monkey Boost to the one that decreases the amount of OP you need to use for any Batch Production task.  All of these timed Quests requires significant Animal and Machine production.  Island Machines are particularly greedy in terms of the amount of OP needed.

Second, I urge low level farmers or those who look at the Crop and Batch Production List and then feel it is impossible or too expensive for them to consider seriously to at least complete the Collection Mission for the premium Tree.  Once the Quest expires, it will become available for completion from the Lighthouse at your leisure, but the Collection Mission will not be available again.  The reward instead will be offered in the Shop for an RC price.  Any new premium Tree tends to cost between 9 and 10 RC when it is in the Shop.   So do complete the Collection Mission to earn the Tree.

Third, I think the safest way to prevent yourself from collecting the maximum number of Pet Chests before the Quest even has been released is by turning off the automatic collection switch at reset on Thursday night when you know there will be a new Quest on Friday.  When I forget to do this, I am forced to pay RC to complete the Quest for this site as quickly as possible, as often I do not have enough Pet Chests left for my Pets to open!

Although this particular Quest does not require fishing, so you can cast a Net and not worry if you have that ability, you do have to tend flowers in your Botanic Garden 12 times.  So refrain from tending any of them if you wish to complete the Quest quickly.

There is no real NEED to complete the Quest quickly, however.  You do have over 11 days for these Quests and Collection Mission.  I do it to be able to complete a guide quickly for other players, but otherwise would not use double OP or endless Fertilisers and Weather aids.  It can be very expensive now, as the Quests become increasingly demanding.

Research Active Techs:
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If you attempt to use Wild Hunger or Out of Nowhere for a Collection Mission, you will not receive the Collection Item.  You can use both, however, if a task requires an Animal or Machine Product.


Note from Freyashawk:
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Any individual who has a Facebook Group for this game is welcome to post a link to my site and my posts, but please do not simply copy and paste the work I have done without giving credit to Freyashawk.  I am happy to share with all farmers.  My site is freely accessible and free from advertising.

Finally, I wish to thank all the farmers who have voted for HM. Freyashawk and continue to do so in the Farm Beauty Contests.  I do try to keep my site updated, and I have been trying my best to help other farmers enjoy this game for 7 years now!  It may appear silly, but your votes and being able to rank in the top 10 inspire me to continue.  Moreover, having my farm in the top 10 is an indication to other farmers that I still remain active, and that my site therefore still is being updated by me regularly.  I thank you all for your kindness from the bottom of my heart!

Crop List:
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40 Cane
40 Rye
40 Tomatoes
40 Sunflowers
50 Strawberries
50 Rice
50 Peanuts
60 Carrots
60 Chamomile (Island)
60 Beans
60 Zucchini (Island)
60 Lavender

Batch Production List
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40 Eggs
40 Rye Flour
40 Buffalo Milk
40 Ketchup
40 Sunflower Bouquets
50 Strawberry Juice
50 Turkeys
50 Beef
60 Horse Hair
20 Chamomile Baskets (Island)
60 Venison
60 Dried Zucchini (Island)
60 Beef Hotdogs
60 Lavender Essential Oil (Island)
60 Turkey Hotdogs (Island)


Sleigh Bells Ring! 1
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Grandpa:  I thought winter was almost over, but it has been snowing all night.  Look at the fresh snow on the ground.  It is very lovely.

Harvest 40 Cane
  Skip for 10 RC

Collect 20 jars of Honey
  Skip for 10 RC
  N.B.  I tend to keep fully stocked Beehives in my Warehouse for these Quest tasks.  When the game requires 20 jars of Honey, I simply place them on the farm and collect instantly.  There are other ways, of course, but I find this easiest.

Collect 40 Eggs
  Skip for 10 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 160 XP

Grandpa:  Come!  We mustn't waste a beautiful day like this one.  It may be cold, but bundle up and we'll be fine!

Sleigh Bells Ring! 2
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Have you dressed in your warmest clothes?  Excellent!  Now we can enjoy the beautiful Winter Wonderland that Nature has created on our farm.  The snow glistens, and the air is crisp and fresh...

Harvest 40 Rye
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 40 sacks of Rye Flour
  Skip for 10 RC

Collect 40 bottles of Buffalo Milk
  Skip for 10 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 160 XP

Grandpa:  Ho ho ho!  Your face is ruddy from the cold... you say my nose is red as well?  Well, that is part of the experience, and it is a price that is worth paying!

Sleigh Bells Ring! 3
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Grandpa:  Where are my grandchildren?  They should not be inside on a special day like this one!  When I was a child, I never would miss a chance to build a snowman or have a good old-fashioned snowball fight, no matter how cold it was!

Harvest 40 Tomatoes
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 40 bottles of Ketchup
  Skip for 10 RC

Harvest 8 Lemons
  Skip for 8 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 170 XP

Grandpa:  Felicia and Darryl!  Join us for a day outside.  Make certain that you dress as warmly as possible... this will be a day to remember!

Sleigh Bells Ring! 4
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Grandpa:  The children are having fun in the snow.  Felicia's snowman is impressive and Darryl is busy making a veritable army of snow angels, but I have an idea to make this day even more memorable!

Harvest 40 Sunflowers
  Skip for 10 RC

Produce 40 Sunflower Bouquets
  Skip for 10 RC

Prepare 8 bowls of Cottage Cheese
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 2 Cheddar Cheese and 2 Milk

Reward: 2500 Coins, 170 XP

Grandpa:  Ring a ding ding!  The bells should provide a clue!

Special Reward: Mission Gift Box containing Farm Aids

Sleigh Bells Ring!  5
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Grandpa:  You guessed correctly!  Those are sleigh bells.  Is it not a perfect day for a sleigh ride with our family?

Harvest 50 Strawberries
  Skip for 12 RC

Produce 50 Strawberry Juice
  Skip for 12 RC
  N.B.  Produce these in the Juice Machine

Prepare 8 plates of Custard
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 3 Milk and 2 Eggs

Reward: 2500 Coins, 180 XP

Grandpa:  There is an old sleigh in the barn.  I will get it ready while you fetch the horses!

Sleigh Bells Ring! 6
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Grandpa:  We need hot drinks and some food for the expedition.  Let us pack some torches as well in case we are out after dark.  Winter days are short.

Harvest 50 Rice
  Skip for 12 RC

Collect 50 Turkeys
  Skip for 12 RC

Produce 50 Beef
  Skip for 12 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 180 XP

Grandpa:  Ready?  Climb into the sleigh, every one!

Sleigh Bells Ring! 7
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Grandpa:  Let's go!  The snow may be deep, but our horses are strong.  Hold on, every one!

Harvest 50 Peanuts
  Skip for 12 RC

Harvest 8 Red Currants
  Skip for 8 RC

Prepare 8 plates of Butternut Squash Roll Cake
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 2 Butternut Squash and 3 Cottage Cheese

Reward: 2500 Coins, 190 XP

Grandpa:  We are moving very fast!  What fun!

Sleigh Bells Ring! 8
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Grandpa:  Are you cold, Blair?  Let's budge up together to stay warm like we did in our romantic sleigh rides when we were young.

Dig 12 Chests on the path
  Skip for 6 RC
  N.B.  This task requires that the Pet actually dig the Chest, not that you collect the contents, so it is best to set your switch to 'Off' at reset until the task becomes active, then switch it back 'On'

Place a Sea Buckthorn Tree on your Farm
  Skip for ?  (Usually the price is 10 RC, but mine was placed.  There really is no point in skipping this task.  The most valuable part of these Quests is the Reward from the Collection Mission.)

Prepare 8 Lemon Honey Syrups
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Honey Syrup and 1 Lemon

Reward: 2500 Coins, 190 XP

Grandpa:  Your cheeks are rosy and you are as beautiful as you were when first we took a sleigh ride together.  We must do this more often!

Special Reward: Snow Pet House Base

Sleigh Bells Ring! 9
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Grandpa:  I see some children playing in the snow over there.  They are waving at us, and appear to be quite excited!

Harvest 60 Carrots
  Skip for 15 RC

Collect 60 Horse Hair
  Skip for 15 RC

Prepare 8 Red Currant Coulis
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 2 Red Currants and 2 Sugar

Reward: 2500 Coins, 200 XP

Grandpa:  Are those your friends, Darryl?  Let's stop then!

Sleigh Bells Ring! 10
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Grandpa:  Darryl has asked if we can take his friends for a sleigh ride.  Unfortunately, we have no space for any one else on this sleigh...

Harvest 60 Chamomile
  Skip for 15 RC
  This is an Island Crop

Produce 20 Chamomile Baskets
  Skip for 10 RC

Prepare 8 plates of Red Currant Creme Brulee
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Custard and 1 Red Currant Coulis

Reward: 2500 Coins, 200 XP

Grandpa:  I think I may have an idea.

Sleigh Bells Ring! 11
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Grandpa:  We can tie their small sleds to our sleigh and then pull them behind us!  We did that ourselves as kids.

Harvest 60 Beans
  Skip for 15 RC

Produce 60 Venison Steak
  Skip for 15 RC

Prepare 8 Butter
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Milk and 1 Milk

Reward: 2500 Coins, 210 XP

Grandpa:  Of course, I will not drive the sleigh as quickly now as we did before.

Sleigh Bells Ring! 12
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Grandpa:  Every one ready?  Make certain that you hold on tight!  We do not want any accidents, do we?

Harvest 60 Zucchini
  Skip for 15 RC
  This is an Island Crop

Produce 60 Dried Zucchini
  Skip for 15 RC

Prepare 8 Sour Cream
  Skip for 8 RC

Reward: 2500 Coins, 210 XP

Grandpa:  Ho, ho, ho, this is fun!  The children are excited and delighted.  Listen to their cheers.  Oh, but what is that?

Special Reward: Island Mission Gift Box

Sleigh Bells Ring! 13
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Grandpa:  Whoa, whoa!  One of the children has fallen out of his sled into a deep snowdrift.  We must rescue him.
.  He is
Produce 60 Beef Hotdogs
  Skip for 15 RC

Produce 8 Butternut Squash Puree
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Butternut Squash and 1 Sour Cream

Prepare 8 Sea Buckthorn Jelly
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Sea Buckthorn and 1 Sugar
  This is a new Recipe.  If you do not have the Sea Buckthorn, you can purchase it for 37 TC each, but it is far better to finish the Collection Mission, collect the Tree and use Super Watering Cans on it to make the quantity needed.

Reward: 2500 Coins, 220 XP

Grandpa:  There he is!  I can see his legs sticking up out of the snow.  He is buried head first, and that is a dangerous situation.  We must hurry!

Sleigh Bells Ring!  14
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Grandpa:  Thank God!  We saved him in time.  He is a little chilled but fine.  Come onto the big sleigh, and have some of the tea from my flask.  Burrow under the blanket if you like, and you will be warm very soon.

Harvest 60 Lavender
  Skip for 15 RC

Produce 60 bottles of Lavender Essential Oil
  Skip for 15 RC

Make 6 Lavender Honey Hand Creams in the Beauty Shop
  Skip for 6 RC
  Each requires 2 Honey, 1 Lavender Essential Oil and 1 Glass Bottle (Free Gift from Neighbours)
  The task takes a quarter of an hour to complete but is counted as soon as the item enters the slot

Reward: 2500 Coins, m 220 XP

Grandpa:  It is becoming dark now.  We need to turn for home.  No worries, child...  you will be seated in front of a roaring fire in no time!

Sleigh Bells Ring! 15
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Grandpa:  It's very, very dark now.  I am glad we brought some torches with us.  The snowy forest looks utterly magical in the light of the flames, doesn't it?

Harvest 8 Juneberries
  Skip for 8 RC

Prepare 8 Juneberry Dots
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 2 Cottage Cheese and 1 Juneberry

Prepare 8 Sea Buckthorn Tea
  Skip for 8 RC
  This is another new Recipe.
  Each requires 1 Sea Buckthorn Jelly and 1 Lemon Honey Syrup, both of which you should have from prior tasks in this quest sequence.

Reward: 2500 Coins, 230 XP

Grandpa:  Let's take all the neighbours' children home first.  I would not wish for them to become lost in the forest in the dark, especially on a cold winter night, however magical.

Sleigh Bells Ring! 16
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Grandpa:  What do you think?  We had a jolly time, didn't we?  It was a day to remember.  There is nothing quite like a sleigh ride with friends and family on a gorgeous winter day like today!

Take care of flowers in the Botanic Garden 12 times
  Skip for 12 RC

Produce 60 Turkey Hotdogs
  Skip for 15 RC
  This is an Island task

Prepare 8 Butternut Squash Pies
  Skip for 8 RC
  Each requires 1 Butternut Squash Puree and 1 Butternut Squash Roll Cake

Reward: 2500 Coins, 230 XP

Grandpa:  Let us all sit in front of the fireplace together with a cup of tea.  That would be the perfect ending to a perfect family outing and a perfect day!

Special Final Reward: Horse Sleigh Decoration for Seaside Farm, can be stacked on the Ice Base

Collection Set:
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The Collection Set consists of the Sea Buckthorn Tree, the Horse, and the Horse Sleigh Decoration.  Register all three before the timer expires to receive a bonus reward in the form of a Gallery Book Friendship Flower as well as the usual ordinary rewards of 88 Green Mystrons and 1 RC.






03 January 2020

Piggy Party Farm Beauty Contest

A new Farm Beauty Contest has been activated.  You can find a visual list of Theme items by tapping on the Farm Beauty Contest Icon of a Gold Trophy in the centre of the top of your screen.  I have listed them below, however, with the number of votes each is worth if that value is greater than one vote from each of the three characters who vote for theme.  If you see no value in the description, therefore, you can assume that the total number of votes it is worth is 1 x 3 or three.

There is a new tool that is extremely useful when you are setting up your Farm with Theme decorations.  When you access the Red Theme Book, you now will find a magnifying glass next to the picture of each decoration.  Tap on it to see its location.  If it is on your farm, you will be directed to the precise location.  If it is in the Warehouse, it will take you there.  The only time that it will remain non-active is if you do not own the Theme Decoration or item in question.

I believe I have included most of the information any player will need, but I still need to access the Lucky Wheel to see which Theme Decorations appear there.  Please refresh your page until this information is included in the Theme List.

As stated previously, for those who are not familiar with the Menu, you always can find the Farm Beauty Contest icon in the MAIN Menu.  Tap on that and then tap on the icon of the golden trophy to see details about the last contest as well as any upcoming contest once the information has been added.  Incidentally, if you did not collect all rewards from any past Contest, you should be able to do so by using this feature as well.

Note:  It has come to my attention that Facebook groups again are simply ripping off posts from my site without giving Freyashawk credit.  I always encourage any one with a Facebook Group to link to my posts, or even share information, AS LONG AS CREDIT IS GIVEN.  What does it cost you to credit the person who did the work?  As always, if you appreciate the work of almost seven years on this site, please consider voting for H.M. Freyashawk in the Farm Beauty Contest.  I am humbly and deeply grateful to those farmers who show support for this site with their votes.  For the first time in months, HM. Freyashawk ranked 9th at the end of the last Contest.  My gratitude is immense.

All the basic information and rules about Farm Beauty Contests in general is given now AFTER the list of Theme Decorations, as I feel that many readers of this post will be aware of them.  I include them for new farmers or those who are not certain how the Contest votes work.

Note here that the new Base for this Contest and season is the Piggy House Base.  You will find it in a message from Felicia, along with 6 of the first material needed.  You will obtain 2 of the second material each day by opening the first two chests on the Daily Quest path.  To complete the Base on the first day of this Contest to gain a maximum of 9 votes for theme, therefore, the minimum you will spend is 32 RC.


Strategy Tip:  It is a little difficult to earn maximum for theme in this Contest if you do not purchase or have the premium items that are worth multiple votes.    For all premium items that give multiple votes, I have added that information in the list below.

Note from Freyashawk:  For the first time, I  changed my avatar to the special Avatar I received for ranking at No. 8 in the last Farm Beauty Contest, thanks to all of the wonderful farmers who voted for HM. Freyashawk.

Sensing it might prove confusing to farmers who have seen my original avatar for seven years, I returned to the original Hawk in tree against a dark sky Avatar.

Theme List:
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Trees
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Ice Tree

Bases
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Piggy House Base

Arabian Base
  Worth a maximum of 3 votes per day for theme (1 from each of 3 of the characters)

Decorations
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Feather Duster Piggy
  Worth a maximum of 9 votes per day for theme
  New Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Broom Piggy
  Worth a maximum of 6 votes per day for theme
  New Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Wood Piggy
  Worth a maximum of 6 votes per day for theme
  New Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Ice Cream Princess
  Worth a maximum of 6 votes per day for theme
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
  Worth a maximum of 6 votes per day for theme
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Seal on the Rock
  Worth a maximum of 6 votes per day for theme
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Bobo Fishing On Ice
  Worth a maximum of 6 votes per day for theme
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Ice Cream Prince
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Christmas Backdrop
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Princess Jasmine
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Seal Ice Pond
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Arabian Monkey
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Seal Fish Bucket
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Snowy Owl
  Premium decoration that can be purchased in special offer

Christmas Gifts
  Reward for reaching a total of 4000 votes in the last Farm Beauty Contest

Fish Ice Pond
  Calendar Reward from the past; possible it will appear in the Lucky Wheel

Snow Socks Fence
  Calendar Reward from the past

Broom Snowman
  Purchase from Market

Mini Christmas Tree
  Purchase from Market

Sledding Hill
  Purchase from Market

Christmas Hamper
  Reward for a recent timed Quest, can be earned from Lighthouse

Ski Penguin
  Premium item from special sale

Ice Cream Snowman
  Premium item from special sale

Fireworks
  Reward from the current timed Quest of Carlo's Fireworks Show

Brick Fireplace
  Reward from this contest with 4000 votes

Snow Lantern
  Calendar Reward from the past

Ice Tower
  Calendar Reward from the past

Chest of Jewels
  Calendar Reward from the past


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Introduction
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This post is designed to allow you to gain as many Votes as possible from the four characters by maximising your own Farm to achieve the highest number of Votes in every Category.

The Farm Beauty Contest can be confusing and difficult for new player.  Often, they are unaware of their own ability to increase the Votes from the 4 Characters to the point where they can obtain the Reward Decoration without any votes from their Neighbours.  It requires a little planning.  This post was created to show you how to do precisely that.  Every aspect of the Farm Beauty Contest as well as the rules by which each Category operates is covered here.

Remember ALWAYS that the votes you receive from the Characters are based on your current 'Snapshot'.  If you change your farm to obtain more votes, always take a new photograph or Character votes will not change!  You do not need to take a photograph more than once, however, if you set up your farm for maximum Character votes at the very start.

One more point about the 'Snapshot'.  If you play on more than one device, you may see your Photograph only on the device you were using when you submitted it.  Do not fret about this!  It remains valid for the duration of the Contest, even if you do not see it on your other devices.

The quickest way to maximise theme votes, therefore, especially for a new farmer, is to pay cash for one of the new premium decorations.  They can be expensive, however, and for many farmers, earning the Reward Decoration for 4000 Votes in the Farm Beauty Contest is a long process that requires patience.  Do be aware, however, that the premium Decorations not only count for multiple votes, but give special Rewards often in the form of RC, Yellow or Blue Mystrons as well as giving the best Gift Box both to the host and to the visitor when cleaned.  Sometimes the judicious expenditure of cash in a 'free game' is worthwhile.

For a new farmer, the easiest way, however, to raise your Character vote total probably is by obtaining a couple of farm expansions and by raising your Landscape Point total to at least 2100.  I need to confirm the precise number of points now required to maximise your Landscape Point votes, but it really is worth the effort and you need not spend any premium cash to do this.  There are coin paths that will do the job.  See my section on Landscape Points below.

Knowing where you can capitalise on your own Character Votes is key to success.  For a farmer not to improve his/her farm for the Contest and then beg for votes from Neighbours ultimately is not the best strategy.... why not make the most of your own farm first?  At least then you can guarantee that you win the Reward decoration in EVERY Farm Beauty Contest as Landscape Points remain constant as do Farm Expansions.

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Note from Freyashawk:
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It is becoming increasingly difficult to make the total needed to rank in the top 10.   I appreciate every vote.  Votes at the end of the 'Contest are critical for rank as well.   After three Contests when I lost my rank in the top ten AFTER reset in the very last hours of the Contest, the votes from my neighbours in the Thanksgiving Contest allowed me to place 9th.  I am absolutely thrilled by that result.

The farmers who were at the top were from Eastern Europe or a nation from the former Soviet Union.  They have an advantage at the very end, simply because of the difference in time zones.  As I have tried to explain, for 99% of farmers, votes over 6000 simply are wasted, which is why many farmers apply the Contest Avatar reward to their farms to show their neighbours they have reached that total.  For HM. Freyashawk, however, EVERY VOTE COUNTS.  One needs a total of at least 12,000 Votes to rank now.  I always hope that seeing my strategy guide name near the top may help farmers who need help with the game find my site.  I thank you for helping me with this goal.

I created this site 6 years ago shortly after the game first was released.  I maintain and update it with all new Quests and new options, as well as posts like this to help players with every aspect of the game.  I may not be the best farmer in the world, but if this site is useful to you, please vote for HM. Freyashawk in the Farm Beauty Contest.  Your vote for the farm is a vote of confidence for the site.  It is not a matter of personal ego but rather the desire to make players aware of the site.  When HM. Freyashawk places in the top ten in the Farm Beauty Contest, it reminds players that both this site and my Facebook groups for this game exist and, one hopes, can help them with any aspects of the game when needed.  Every vote counts for rank and I appreciate your votes greatly.  I know that it requires an effort on your part to vote for HM. Freyashawk each day.  I only hope that this post helps every farmer attain the total needed for the pretty Reward Decoration.

Heartfelt thanks to every farmer who voted for my farm!

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Note to new Farmers
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I believe that the Farm Beauty Contest still is unlocked at Level 30.  Even at that Level, it IS possible to maximise your Farm to obtain enough votes from the Characters to receive the Decoration Reward for having 4000 Votes.

You must start on the first day, however, with the best possible configuration, if you are at the lower levels and have not played long enough to have acquired many of the Theme items.

Even if you are not that concerned about your own results, you can register and help other farmers with your votes.  Even if you feel you cannot obtain a total of 4000 or 6000 votes, do your best to organise your farm for maximum votes to practice for future Contests.  If you are a low level farmer but are willing to spend a little money, purchase of the new theme decorations should make a big difference in theme totals, which could make all the difference in terms of reaching the goal of 4000 votes by the end of the contest.

COUNT YOUR TOTAL EACH DAY.  Most important are the Character Votes.  If you are reaching a total of 182,  you will obtain the Decoration.  (The required total used to be 200, so now it is easier to reach the necessary total of 4000 before the end of the Contest.)

Tips:  Where Landscape Points are concerned, try to find a Buddy who is at a high level who will send you paths as Gifts.  If you are able and willing to spend RC, the Macaron Path and Pebble Paths can boost Landscape Point totals faster with less effort, but if you can place enough of the other Paths and make certain that your Decorations are within their sphere of influence, you can reach the necessary total for maximum votes in that category.

The theme list is to be found in the little red book in the Farm Beauty Contest Menu.  I publish a list of all Theme items in my post with details as to where and how they can be obtained.  Some Theme items originally were released as Mission Rewards.  In many cases, these old Missions can be activated from the Lighthouse and you can obtain the Decoration without paying RC for it.  Others can be purchased directly from the Gallery using Blue or Yellow Mystrons.  Try to do it at the start, however whenever possible and make certain that, should you improve your farm's configuration, you take a new screenshot immediately!  You do not have to take more than one screenshot during the course of the contest UNLESS you obtain items that improve the Character vote totals.

Every day counts!  Count the total number of votes you receive from the four Characters at the end of the first day of the Contest and then see how you can improve this number if, multiplied by 20 (days), you do not have 4000 Votes as the projected total.

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OBTAINING THE REWARD DECORATION
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You need a total of 4000 Votes by the end of the Contest to receive the significant reward which is the Decoration.  Almost any farmer should be able to maximise the Votes of the 4 Characters to obtain this even without a single vote from a Neighbour.  You basically need a total of 182 Votes per day, although the Contest is giving an extra voting period and that reduces the total needed per day.  (It used to be 200 votes per day.)

If you care about this, register your farm on the first day with maximum votes from the 4 Characters using the guidelines below.

For the Avatar, you need 273 votes per day, but with the recent changes in Character Votes, it is not impossible by any means to reach these totals from the Character votes alone.  If you are receiving 273 votes per day from the four Characters, you will obtain the Avatar by the end of the Contest.  If you have reached Level 90, you should be able to obtain 273 Votes per day from the Characters alone.  This was the case when 300 votes per day were needed, and 273 is a much lower number.

Note that for almost 99% of farmers, ANY VOTES ABOVE 6000 simply are wasted.  Many farmers therefore announce when they have reached 6000 and urge the friends who vote for them to vote for some one else at the end of the contest.  The only reason to vote for a Farmer who has reached 6000 Votes is to try to help that farmer to RANK in the Contest.  I always ask ONLY for votes for HM. Freyashawk throughout the Contest to try to have that farm rank in the top 10.  The name Freyashawk has been associated with the strategy guides I write for a couple of decades.  It always is my hope that a farmer will see the name in the top 10 and then look for a guide for the game if that farmer needs help with Seaside.

Apart from that, I have been maintaining this guide and site for 5 years now, without any financial benefit.  You may notice that I never allowed Google to place advertisements on my sites.  That means I receive NO benefit from Google.  It does make me feel as though my work is appreciated, however, when farmers take the time and energy to vote for HM. Freyashawk in the Farm Beauty Contests.

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Pet Category
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The total number of Votes that can be given by Grandma for Pets is 12.  Equipment (the collars, scarves and bow ties and so on) that you forge in the Factory each count for 1 Vote.  Apparel counts for the other Votes and it does not matter if it is premium Apparel or Temporary Apparel or even duplicate Apparel.  All will count equally.  A Buddy Pet does NOT count.  That was a glitch.

PETS MUST BE OUTSIDE THE PET HOUSE TO COUNT!

In other words, to gain 12 Votes from Grandma each day for the Pet Category, you need a total of 4 Pets, each wearing a piece of equipment and 2 pieces of apparel.

For players without premium accessories:  First make certain each has equipment.  Go to the Apparel Menu and find the 7 day hats and accessories for each pet that can be purchased for 100 TC each.  Equip four Pets each with a Hat and whatever other accessory that Pet can use and then let them loose outside.  Take your snapshot for the full 12 votes from Grandma!

For players with sufficient Country Club rank to purchase the Exclusive Pet Hat in the Exclusive Shop, this is a permanent Hat that can be worn by ANY Pet of either gender.  It can be very helpful.  As with any item in the Exclusive Shop, you can purchase only one per day.  It does cost 15 RC, but I believe that players who really are concerned about reaching their goals in the Farm Beauty Contest but do not have the necessary Pet Apparel definitely would benefit from this purchase.

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High Level Farms
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This has changed a few times through the years but I only know for certain that Freyashawk at Level 117 received 15/18 votes for 'high level farm' from Dad.  At Level 120, HM. Freyashawk received 16/18 votes from Dad for 'high level farm'.   At Level 133, now receives 17/18 from Dad for 'high level'.  This was NOT the case in the earlier Farm Beauty Contests.  At Level 145, another player received 18/18 but I believe the actual level requirement for maximum votes in this category is lower.

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Basic Rules
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It is your current photograph of your Farm or 'snapshot' that determines the Votes from the 4 Characters in the game every day.  In previous Contests, a Theme decoration often would be counted if it had been placed on the Farm, even if it had not been registered yet.  I believe this still is true, although it is a good idea to register all theme items as quickly as possible as you do receive rewards for registration.

IF YOUR PHOTOGRAPH DISAPPEARS FROM THE CONTEST MENU, DO NOT FEEL YOU MUST REPLACE IT.  THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN OCCUR WITH ANY GAME UPDATE AND THEY ARE VERY FREQUENT NOW.  THE PHOTOGRAPH THAT YOU REGISTERED STILL COUNTS AND YOUR NEIGHBOURS CAN SEE IT!   Do not waste time nor energy reorganising your farm to maximise votes if the 'snapshot' that you registered GAVE you maximum votes.  It still exists and is used for vote totals.

Balance and variety always is the key in these contests.  You need a variety of Crops, Animals, Trees, Machines and Theme Decorations on your farm to maximise the votes from the 4 Characters.  If you design your Farm for maximum votes from the 4 Characters, you should not need ANY Votes from your Neighbours to obtain the Theme Decoration Reward that requires a total of 4000 Votes by the end of the Contest.

Duplicates never have counted where Crops, Trees, Animals, Machines and Decorations are concerned.  I doubt that has changed.  The only change really is that duplicates of Pet Equipment and Apparel DO count.

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Crops
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Have at least 16 different Crops on your Farm to obtain maximum Votes from Darryl for 'variety of Crops'.  You may need less but Crops are easy to plant.  They do not have to be mature when you take the photo to count.

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Trees
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Try to have 16 different types of Trees ON YOUR FARM when you take the photograph.  Trees in the Tree Nursery will not be counted.  Again, you may need fewer than 16 types but it does not hurt to be safe to obtain maximum votes from Grandma for 'enough Trees'.  Some farmers recently have been counting the totals and claim that fewer are needed.

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Animals
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Beehives and Butterfly Houses as well as the Bat House are considered Animals so every different TYPE of Beehive or Butterfly House counts but duplicates of any type of Animal do NOT Count. You should not need a total of 16 different types of Animal to obtain maximum votes from Felicia for Animals but again, if you have 16, use them.

I believe that the new Elephant may not be counted, but cannot confirm.

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Machines
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In Contests in the past, you only needed a total of 12 different machines to obtain maximum Votes from Dad for Machines but this may have changed.  Players claimed that the Salad Machine gave 2 Votes instead of 1, but never confirmed that.  In any case, duplicates do not count and if you can cram 16 onto your Farm before you take the photo, better to be safe than sorry.

It is possible that upgraders boost votes in the Machine category but cannot confirm this.  Again, better to be safe than sorry.

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Expansion
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Both Felicia and Dad give Votes for 'Big Farms'.  The good news is that you do not need many expansions on your original farm to obtain 16/16 from each of them.  A farmer who does not have even the 23 x 23 Expansion will obtain maximum 16/16 votes in this category!

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Theme
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Only Grandma does not vote for Theme, so you have Theme Votes from three out of four farm characters.  The Theme List always can be found in the little Red Book in the Farm Beauty Contest Menu.  I will include a list below as well with the price of each Decoration if you can purchase it and how to do so in each case.

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Gallery Registration
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Register as many items as possible BEFORE you take your photograph to maximise this Category.

Both Darryl and Grandma give Votes for Gallery... furthermore, you obtain rewards from the Gallery when you register any item.

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Landscape
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'Beautiful Paths' is the term for your Landscape Point total.  As three of the four Characters vote for this Category, it is a very good idea to have Paths on your Farm and place as many Decorations as possible within their 'sphere of influence'.  I have covered the details of Paths and Landscaping elsewhere on this site.  The better the Path, the more points you receive when Decorations are placed next to it or near it.  The Macaron Path, Pebble Path and Snow Path each are worth 50 Landscape Points.  The Snow Path no longer is available but the other two can be purchased in the Paths Menu for 1 RC each.  The Wooden Path is worth 35 Landscape Points and costs 50000 Coins.  Next best is the Forest Path worth 25 Landscape Points with a price of 15000 Coins.  If you have Buddies, however, they can send Forest Paths and Stone and Flower Paths to you.  To send, go to the Special Gifts Buddy Menu.  You can send a Stone and Flower Path to a Buddy for 4000 Coins and a Forest Path for 12000 Coins.  You actually can send a Macaron Path to a Buddy for 1 RC.  There are Buddy Level requirements for sending some of the Special Gifts.

Remember that Landscape Point total is the total of the value of ALL the Paths PLUS the Decorations that are close enough to those Paths to boost Points.

In the past, you needed less than 2300 Landscape Points to achieve maximum... not certain what the current requirement is but here are some farmers who have less than that and their results in the current contest:

1059 Landscape Points: 16/24 Votes

1421 Landscape Points: 19/24 Votes

1484 Landscape Points: 20/24 Votes

1720 Landscape Points: 21/24 Votes

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How to Maximise Landscape Points
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First of all, you will not be able to move any Paths or perhaps even set any new Paths now if you have Pets roaming about your Farm.  You must place all of them in the Pet House before you can set new Paths or move existing Paths, including Water Paths as well as those on the land.

Remember that placement of Decorations and Bases is everything.  A Decoration or Base will give additional Landscape Points only if it is placed near a Path that has not used its maximum number of Points yet.  For example, the Macaron Path can give a boost of 50 Landscape Points when Decorations are placed close to it.  Once that amount is reached, however, piling more Decorations or Bases near it counts for nothing.  Use the Move Tool to hover over various spots to see how your Landscape Points will be affected.

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Pet Category
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This is one of the newer Categories and only Grandma votes for it.  To gain 12 Votes from Grandma each day for the Pet Category, you need a total of 4 Pets, each wearing a piece of equipment and 2 pieces of apparel.  A Buddy Pet on your Farm at the time you take your photograph will NOT count.  That was a temporary glitch.

You can purchase apparel for a temporary period in order to take a snapshot that will give you more Votes for this category.  It may be worth the effort.  12 votes per day from Grandma, multiplied by 20 is 240 Votes... I constantly see messages in game chat near the end of the Contest from a player who says he or she is 'short' 200 votes... maximise the Pet Category and you have them.

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High Level Farm
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Only Dad gives votes for a 'high level farm'.  At Level 117, HM. Freyashawk received only 11 Votes for this category in old contests  but at Level 120 with the new values received 16/18, and at Level 133, received 17/18.  At Level 135 and above, 18/18.

Here are some current results:

Level 40: 6/18 Votes
Level 47: 6/18 Votes
Level 48: 7/18 Votes
Level 63: 8/18
Level 76: 10/18 Votes
Level 79: 10/18 Votes

(Thanks to my neighbours who sent this information to me)

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Theme Items
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Recent Contests, including this one, differ from many of the early Contests  in that you can obtain multiple votes from the Characters by having Theme Decorations from the past, rather than being forced to buy the NEW premium Theme decorations to gain a high score from theme.  The values are given at the beginning of this post in the section on Theme.

N.B.  Go directly to the Gallery to see if a Decoration is available for purchase now.  I will add more information later about the Theme items that are available in the Lucky Wheel/Buddy Share Box.  I have listed those that can be found currently in the Wheel but had no luck whatsoever landing on any of them when I spun my Wheel so am collecting prices slowly.

Please be aware that often you can find premium decorations both in a current special sale offer on the top right of your screen AND in one of the Boutique Shops in your Market.  If you see the item in a special sale offer, however, you are best served by purchasing it in that way, as it usually is bundled with other items, including farm aids and/or Stove House Recipes and RC.  These sale offers expire at different times so the items I have listed below may no longer be available in a special sale offer in a day or two.

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Lucky Wheel
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It now is possible to obtain more Tokens for the Lucky Wheel through the rewards given by Darryl and his House on a daily basis.  Most of the Decorations in the Lucky Wheel originally were given as rewards for timed Quests or Calendar Rewards.  If they were given as Quest Rewards,  these Quests often still can be activated from the Lighthouse.

As far as the Wheel is concerned, if you land on the box with the Decoration, you get it free. Otherwise, there is an RC price attached to it.  When you place it in the Share Box, it will have the RC price.

In the current contest, you will find both Decorations from recent timed Quests and a few that originally were Calendar Rewards.  In the theme list above, I have included the price of any Decorations that currently are found in the Lucky Wheel.

Lucky Wheel or Special Sales?
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If you are low on Theme votes from the Characters, you may have to choose between spending cash and spending RC to increase your Theme items.  RC can be earned in the game, but is often 'bundled' with premium Decorations sold in special sales offers.  You can purchase RC as well separately, and any such purchase will include a Gachapon for your Community.  On the whole, I prefer to choose one of the bundles that contains a new premium Decoration for a new Base, some RC and some Farm Aids.

A point to consider here is the type of gift box your chosen Decoration will give to you when cleaned by a neighbour or buddy.  The new premium Decorations usually give Blue Gift Boxes which are of higher value than the Purple Gift Boxes that are linked to Calendar Reward Decorations as well as Quest Reward Decorations.

I personally feel that the Gold Gift Boxes that are linked to the Cooking Contests are of higher value as well than the Purple Gift Boxes linked to Quest and Calendar Reward Decorations.  The 'silver' or 'white' Gift Box has the lowest value.  When I use the word 'value' here, it refers to the contents of the Gift Box.  Island Blue and Purple Gift Boxes probably are the best of all, as they include items like Electric Saws that are never found in Seaside Gift Boxes.  Thus, if you have the opportunity to purchase a premium Island Gift Box, it will serve you well.  Neighbours who use Batch Cleaning Tickets often have their order of visits set to start with Farms that have Decorations on the Island that give Blue and Purple Island Gift Boxes when cleaned.  Unfortunately, the game is very glitchy where rewards to the host farmer are concerned.  You may or may not receive the benefit from a neighbour's batch cleaning of your farm.  This is a problem we have been trying to address with Support since the batch cleaning option first was introduced.