Photo Studio Activity

I have completed the Activity and this guide now.

This is a basic guide for the new Photo Studio.  I wasted money initially  because my game froze in the middle of the tutorial.  I am a little disgusted with Seaside right now because of all the farmers who now cannot play since this update, but will write a post about this new Activity because it is in my nature to do this to try to help probably because I hate it when solutions elude me!

Personally, I feel this one is a waste of time, money and energy unless you invest in the VIP Pass.  The most significant Reward is a new premium Animal that is obtained only if you have the VIP Pass.

The one real reward (in terms of an item you can use) from this mini game is gained only with the VIP Pass when you reach Level 21 and is a Red Panda for Seaside who eats Young Bamboo Shoots and produces a Red Panda Cushion.  Without the Pass, you will receive a new frame in the form of the Spring Bamboo Avatar Frame.

At the last Level, which is Level 25, both paths yield a decoration for Seaside.  They are rather valuable decorations.  One yields a blue box and the other gives a red box.

This is a long activity.  If you are not certain how many levels you can complete, delay purchase of the VIP Pass until you see how you are progressing.  If you then believe you can reach Level 21, buy the Pass.

Essentially this game combines elements from mini games we have had before.  It is similar to the Cake making activity, but I feel they made it more complicated than necessary by having the Camping Stove inside one of the squares.

The object of this is to complete Orders.  Do this by submitting the item or items requested.  Sometimes you have them.  Sometimes you make them through merging or combining ingredients on the Camping Stove.

Note that rewards are earned through the Stars you gain by filling orders.  Merging items gives you space on the map as well as items for Orders but you earn nothing simply by making items.

When you make a new item for the first time, there will be a small reward of 1 Energy or 1 Amethyst.  Collect it by tapping on the book in the lower right corner.

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Tip:  It is easier to merge to the highest Level of any type of item when the generator is at the lowest level, producing only one type of item.  For exqmple, the Small Greenhouse produces ONLY Mushroom items.  Try to merge to the maximum level and stash at least 1 Large Chanterelle in your Backpack.  At Level 2, the Greenhouse generates both Rose and Mushroom items.  With limited spaces on the board and limits to Stamina, it can be more difficult to merge to the highest level of Mushroom using the Level 2 Greenhouse.

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The activity is fueled by Energy or Stamina.  When you run out of Energy, you either can purchase more with cash, RC or Amethysts.  The game offers a multitude of packages.  See the section where I give details about the price changes when purchasing 100 Stamina.

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Note that Energy will be renewed over time but the maximum you can obtain this way is 100.  You may be ofgered the chance to earn 30 Energy by watching an advert as well.

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The board is divided into squares.  Some are vacqnt.  Some have 'locked' items on them.  Others display numbers.  To unlock an item, merge it using the same item by dragging it over the locked item on the board.  The numbers represent levels and the items on those squares will become visible and unlock when you reach that level.

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Level 1:  

At the start, the only item 'generator' is the Small Greenhouse.  You merge various mushrooms that this item generates.  The next item group are rose petals and roses.  The maximum level item is a Vase of Roses that is a generator of itself.   It creates butterflies and nectar. Unlike all other generators, the Vase of Roses generator has a limit.  When you have made a certain number of items, the generator itself will disappear and you will be required to craft another.  The next item is a Camping Stove.  This is not a generator of items that can be merged.  Instead, it makes cooked dishes using two items.  All recipes are listed here.

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The Camping Stove allows you to make special items.  It is found in a square on the map.  When raised to Level 2, more recipes are available.

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The Basic Camping Stove makes items for Orders.

At Level 1: 

Rose Jam: Medium Bottle of Nectar + Rose Petal Trio

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms:  Medium Porcini + Medium Chanterelles

At Level 2, Intermediate Camping Stove:

Honey Croissant: Croissant+ Medium Bottle of Nectar

Mushroom Toast: Large Loaf + + Large Portobello

Elegant Afternoon Tea: Latte + Swiss Roll

Rose Cake: Two-Tier Strawberry Cake + Rose 

At Level 3, the final Recipe is available for the Advanced Camping Stove*

*unlocked for me at Level 18, may differ from farm to farm

Rose Fruit Tea: Medium Pot of Fruit Tea + Large Bottle of Nectar

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Scroll up and down to see all Orders.

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Note that you can merge both Stamina bolts and Amethysts when they are placed on the board.

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Discarding Items

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To discard any item, tap on it.  On the right of the screen you will see the item showcased.  There is an icon of a rubbish bin on the top left.  Tap on that to discard the item.  You can undo the action by tapping again.

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Increasing Stamina and Amethysts

Your Stamina will refresh autimatically over time until it reaches 100.

As far as the Amethysts are concerned, you can opt to watch videos to receive 30 I believe.

There are different sakes offers and 'package deals' that combine Stamina and Amethysts.

You always can exchange your RC for Amethysts and use tge Amethysts to buy Stamina.  As described elsewhere, the first purchase of 100 Stamina each day (after reset) costs 10 Amethysts.  The second costs 20 and after that the price will be 40.

I did not log this the first time round because I thought each farm might be different.  I now am going to log it in case it is the same across the board.  I believe now that I have added all details as to when each new generator is unlocked.

Tip about generators:  Any small Level 1 generator, apart from the Vase of Roses that creates two types of items from the start, will geberate only one type of item.  Your board fills quickly and it can be difficult to obtain the irems you need when the generator is producing two dufferent types of item.  I now realise it might be useful to delay the merge that raises the generator to the next level until you have produced at least one of the highest level of item.  Stash it in your backpack.  Even perhaps create two, then perform the merge that widens the list of irems the generator produces.

This is when new options were unlocked:

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At Level 2, drag the Greenhouse over to the locked Greenhouse icon to unlock it and merge it into a Medium Greenhouse.  The Small Greenhouse only generates Mushrooms.  The Medium one can generate Rose Petals as well.

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When you merge Rose petals, you can create the Vase of Roses that acts as a generator to make butterflies and nectar.

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Level 1 Simple Teapot: unlocked at Level 8.

This allows you to make Coffee products.

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At Level 10, you unlock the Intermediate Oven.  This allows you to generate bread items as well as the sweet cakes.

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At Level 12, unlock the Intermediate Camping Stove.  It will allow you to make more Cooked Dishes.

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Unlock the Small Camping Cart at Level 14.  This allows you to generate tent items.

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Level 16 unlocks the Exquisite Teapot that allows one to merge juices.

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Level 18 unlocks Advanced Cooking Stove

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At Level 20, unlock the Large Greenhouse

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Level 3 Advance Oven unlocked at Level 22.  It makes Plain Donuts as well as lower level items.

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Level 2 Large Camping Cart:  this is unlocked when you reach Level 24.  It generates Campimg Tables and Chairs as well as tents.  (There is no intermediate Camping Cart)

There are tools in the form of a wand and scissors.  I do not think it is worth buying these.  The wand allows you to raise an item to the next level.  The scissors allows you to cut an item down to the previous level.  Although this can be useful, one can live without either.

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The items on the map that appear 'frozen' as a friend described them requirw tgat you place the same item om top of them to liberate the square and merge the item as well.  The numbered cards on the map define the Level at which they automatically will be unlocked.

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The 'makers' that generate items have either two or three levels and are, in order:

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Greenhouse:

  Small Greenhouse

  Medium Greenhouse

  Large Greenhouse

Oven

  Basic Oven

  Intermediate Oven

Teapot

  Simple Teapot

  Exquisite Teapot

Camping Cart

  Small Camping Cart

These, when tapped, generate items.

There is one more that, unlike the others, is not unlocked on the map but rather by merging irems generated by the Greenhouse.  There is only ome Level to this 'generator' which is the maximum level item created by merging Roses.  It is the:

Vase of Roses

Any item generator will have the icon of an Energy bolt on the bottom right corner.  The Vase of Roses is created when you merge 2 Rose Bouquets.  It generates all the butterflies as well as Nectar.

The Camping Stove, also with three Levels is different as it requires two different items to be loaded to produce a cooked dish.

Camping Stove:

  Small Camping Stove

  Intermediate Camping Stove

  Advanced Camping Stove

There is one other type of item that is generated randomly when you merge two items.  It is a 'bubble' item that is on a timer and if you do not pay the amount of amethysts required, it will vaniah when the timer expires.  It is not always profitable to pay for the item to be made permanent.  If, however, it is a high level item or you need the sevond one for a merge, it can be a godsend.

You can store items in a backpack and purchase more space there.  You can toss items in the rubbish if you need space.

I see no option to refresh Orders.  One has to fill them to clear them.

'Bubble Irems':  When you merge two itwms, you will get one item of the next level but sometimes a second item will be generated randomly.  It is translucent, however, and on a timer.  It must be purchased using Amethysts or it will vanish.  In other words, it is a second potential item, not an actual one.  

When the bubble contains a common item, I recommend ignoring it.  It takes a space but ultimately will vanish.  When it is a rare high lebel item, however, you may wish to pay for it with Amethysts to use as is for merge with the other item like it.

The numbers on the map represent the Level at which the square will unlock.  

Purchases:  do not let the game push you to buy 100 Stamina for 40 Amethysts with the pop up offer when Stamina reaches zero.   I think the current prive should be loaded, but make certain it is.   Every day, the price will reset.  Go to the menu for Stamina instead where you can buy either 100 Stamina or a Stamina Chest.  100 Stamina costs 10 Amethysts in the first purchase of the day.  The price then goes to 20 Amethysts for 100 Stamina.  It then goes up to 40 Amethysts for 100 Stamina for the remainder of the day.

The first Stamina Chest costs 12 Amethysts.  The second costs 24 Amethysts.  There are a couple of issues.  One is the number of squares the items require on the map, especially if you cannot merge them instantly.  The other is the random nature of it, unless I am mistaken about that.

If you buy the Stamina Chest, place it on the map.  You can tap on it five times.  One result: 

15 Stamina

2 Stamina

15 Stamina

15 Stamina

5 Stamina

I think it may be random.  I merged the 2 15 Stamina for 40 Stamina.  

The purchase of 100 Stamina is a better deal probably.

Item chains

The book on the bottom right of the screen gives the item chains.  The second tab is the one that gives rewards when you merge a new item.

Greenhouses: Small, Medium, Large

Mushrooms:

Small Portobello, Large Portobello, Small Porcini, Medium Porcini, Large Porcini, Small Chanterelle, Medium Chanterelle, Large Chanterelle

Roses: Single Rose Petal, Rose Petal Trio, Rose Bud, Rose, Rose Bouquet, Vase of Roses (a generator!)

Nectar: Small Bottle of Nectar,

Medium Bottle of Nectar, Large Bottle of Nectar, Jumbo Bottle of Nectar

Butterflies: Small Morpho, Mefium Morpho, Large Morpho, Small Swallowtail, Medium Swallowtail, Large Swallowtail

Ovens: Basic Oven, intermediate Oven, Advanced Oven

Cake: Macaron, Plain Donut, Glazed Donut, Cupcake, Swiss Roll, Square Cake, Slice of Cake, Strawberry Cake, Two-Tier Strawberry Cake

Bread: Sweet Bun, Sweet Bun Duo, Small Loaf, Large Loaf, Croissant, Cream Horn, Danish Fruit Loaf

Teapots: Simple Teapot, Exquisite Teapot

Coffee: Espresso, Double Shot of Espeesso, Iced Americano, Hot Americano, Pour Over Coffee, Mocha, Latte, Frappuccino, Caramel Macchiato

Juice and Fruit Tea: Small Lime Juice, Large Lime Juice, Small Orange Juice, Medium Orange Juice, Large Orange Juice, Small Fruit Tea, Medium Fruit Tea, Large Fruit Tea

Camping Carts: Small Camping Cart, Large Camping Cart

Tents: Tent Frame, Tent Guyline, Tent Fabric, Folding Tent, Simple Tent, Dome Tent, Refined Tent, Deluxe Tent

Camping Table and Chairs: Camping Tarp, Camping Stool, Camping Chair, Camping Armchair, Camping Table, ,

Camping Table and Chair Set

Camping Stoves: Basic Camping Stove, Intermediate Camping Stove, Advanced Camping Stove

Dishes: Sauteed Wild Mushrooms, Rose Jam, Mushroom Toast, Rose Cake, Honey Croissant, Rose Fruit Tea, Elegant Afternoon Tea