Posts for the Christmas Snowman Building and Fortune Hunt Activity as well as the current Winter Wonderland Quest will be found below this one. Here are links:
Christmas Snowman Building and Fortune Hunt Activity
Winter Wonderland Quest
A suggestion here: Obviously, if you can have your Farm organised for maximum votes in all categories on the first day BEFORE you take the photograph to enter, it will give you more Votes on that day, but if you do not have time for that, at least enter as early as possible, then take a new photograph for the contest once you have gone through all the categories and made certain you have maximum Crops, Animals, Trees, Machines and Theme Decorations as well as sufficient Paths to make the Landscape Point total needed.
The following is taken from a post I wrote for an earlier Farm Beauty Contest but I believe all the same rules still apply:
You really do need to maximise the Votes from the four Characters if you wish to achieve the Decoration at 4000 Votes or the Avatar at 6000 Votes. Asking for Votes from other players is NOT the answer unless you are very close to 200 Votes per day from the 4 Characters or 300 Votes per day from the same 4 Characters. Try to organise your farm to maximise votes from the very first day. It can make a huge difference to your vote total.
Originally, you would obtain the Reward Decoration in the Contest if you were receiving a total of 200 votes per day from the Characters without ever needing votes from other farmers. The Contest length was changed... now I believe you need 182 votes per day to reach the 4000 Vote total that gives you the Decoration. The Decoration is the most important reward of the contest. You will find it again and again in Theme Lists in the future.
It is the current photograph or Snapshot of your Farm that is the basis for ALL Votes, not the current state of your Farm if you changed anything. In other words, take your time to organise your Farm BEFORE you take the initial 'Snapshot' for entry to the Contest. This can make a big difference as every day counts in these contests.
You can take a new snapshot every day but there is no reason to do so if you have maximised your Farm for all possible Votes.
The key to this is balance. You need to have a variety of Crops on the Farm. Try to have 16 different Crops growing... the total number needed may be lower from 12 to 13 but it is easy to grow different Crops and you have nothing to lose.
You need to have at least 12 different Machines on your Farm to obtain the maximum Votes for Machines from Dad. Some players claim that the Salad Machine has counted as two Machines in the past but again, to be safe, move as many Machines onto your Farm as possible before you take your initial Snapshot.
Do the same with respect to your Trees. You need a variety of Trees. Duplicates never count. Most players should not have any trouble in placing 16 different types of Trees on the farm. I believe that the total needed is less, possibly 12 or 13 but again, it does no harm to be safe.
Finally, there are the Animals. Butterfly Houses and Beehives of each type count as Animals and every type counts as a different Animal.
Landscape Points count for Votes with three of the Characters. You do not even need 2300 Landscape Points to maximise these votes. I believe the actual total now is closer to 2100 points but need to confirm for the current contest. Recently, the game changed to add Landscape Points to Charm Points for a new total. I will try to pinpoint the number required for maximum votes.
Expansions are another good source of votes. You only need to have performed a few expansions to gain maximum votes from Felicia and Dad for expansions.
Another category is your Gallery. Now that you can register Crops and other items, even low level players should be able to maximise votes for a good Gallery. Votes are based on the totals of the items you have registered. Your Gallery 'upgrades' at specific totals.
Finally there are votes for a 'high level' farm. I have not achieved the maximum on Harvest Moon FDC yet because I believe you still have to be at Level 150 now for this.
'Theme' gives votes from three of the four Characters. Your best bet to maximise your Theme Votes if you have not played long or did not collect Reward Decorations for any other reason would be to purchase the Bear in a Sock from the special sale offer in the top right of the screen and when they are released, the They are expensive but if you are not at maximum for Theme, the first can give you 9 extra Votes for theme each day from the Characters and the Cozy Santa can give 6 extra votes for theme from the Characters.. Two old Decorations now in special offers again that can give 6 extra votes as well for theme if you have not reached maximum are the Festive Angel and Wind-Up Reindeer.
EVEN AN UNFINISHED SNOW BASE GIVES 1 VOTE EACH FOR THEME FROM THREE OF THE CHARACTERS IF YOU HAVE NOT REACHED MAXIMUM FOR THEME. NOTE THAT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE ARE TWO OLD DECORATIONS THAT GIVE MORE THAN ONE VOTE PER DAY FROM THREE OF THE CHARACTERS FOR THEME. THESE ARE THE FESTIVE ANGEL AND WIND-UP REINDEER.
Obtaining Theme Items: There are more options now to purchase items in Seaside. Trees can be found in the Special Deal (Daily) section of the Market and Decorations often can be purchased directly from the Gallery as well as being found in Special Offer bundles and in the new Boutique Decoration section of the Market. The Decorations loaded into the Lucky Wheel each month usually include a number of Theme Decorations for the current Farm Beauty Contest as well.
Theme List is as follows:
Theme List:
Theme Trees:
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Mistletoe Tree
Theme Animals
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Reindeer
Theme Decorations
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Snow Base: You can have a total of 3 now. You can purchase an unfinished Base in the Decoration section of the Market for 3000 Coins and find the materials in the various Mystrons shops as follows:
Snow Gift: 50 Green Mystrons
Snow Lollipop: 10 Yellow Mystrons
Snow Ball: 8 Blue Mystrons
Snow Brick: 20 Red Mystrons
Christmas Wreath Fence
From past, from a former contest
Gluhwein Cup
From past, from a Quest and now in Lucky Wheel/Buddy Share Box for 15 RC
Singing Elves
From Past, can be obtained with 100 Yellow Mystrons or found in lucky Wheel/Buddy Share Box for 15 RC
Christmas Crystal Ball
From Past, now in Special Offer
Snow Tree Arch
From Past, now in Special Offer
Bear in a Sock
New, in Special Offer; gives 3 Votes from 3 Characters each daily if not at maximum for theme for a maximum of 9 Theme Votes daily
Christmas Arch
New, not yet released. Will be included in special offer
Cozy Santa
New, not yet released. Will be included in special offer. Gives 2 Votes from 3 Characters each daily if not at maximum for theme for a maximum of 6 Votes daily for Theme
Christmas Fireplace
Reward for obtaining 4000 Votes in current contest
Festive Angel
From past and now in DIY offer. Although it is not a new Decoration, it will give you 2 Votes daily from 3 of the Characters for Theme if you are not at maximum for theme. You can find it as well in the Ornate section of Boutique Decorations.
Snow Magician
From past and now in DIY offer. You can find it as well in the Ornate section of the Boutique Decorations.
Wind-Up Reindeer
From past and now in DIY offer. Although it is not a new Decoration, it will give you 2 Votes daily from 3 of the Characters for Theme if you are not at maximum for theme. You can find it as well in the Fancy section of Boutique Decorations in Market... where it is significantly less expensive!
Christmas Backdrop
From past and in Lovely section of Boutique Decoration department of Market now
Bunny Snow Girl
From past and in Lovely section of Boutique Decoration in Market
Mini Christmas Tree
In Market for 3 RC
Christmas Tree
In Market for 10000 Coins
Christmas Cake
In Market for 12000 Coins
Christmas Candle
In Market for 5 RC
Gingerbread House
From past; purchase from Gallery for 300 Blue Mystrons and now in Lucky Wheel/Buddy Share Box for 15 RC
Gingerbread Man
From past; purchase from Gallery for 100 Yellow Mystrons
Winter Fairy
Final reward for completing the current time-restricted Quest, Winter Wonderland
Christmas Train
From past
Christmas Sled
From past
Tree Reindeer
From past but will be available again
Santa's Legs
From past and now in Lucky Wheel/Buddy Share Boxes for 15 RC
Note from Freyashawk
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There are only two totals in terms of votes that are relevant for most farmers. The most important is the 4000 Vote total that gives you the Decoration Reward. With 6000 Votes, you receive an Avatar and 3 RC. Beyond that, very few farmers benefit from extra votes.
If you are my neighbour and use my site and find it of benefit, please consider sending your votes to Freyashawk's farm, which is Harvest Moon FDC. I am not a better neighbour or better farmer than others but I do work very hard on this site and I spend considerable real cash sometimes to expedite new options so I can log them for other farmers. I have been working on this guide for a number of years now. It really does make me feel my efforts make a difference when Harvest Moon FDC is placed in the top 10 globally in the Farm Beauty Contest. I really do not enjoy the competition aspect of these contests. I would like to see every farmer receive the Decoration. On the other hand, I make absolutely no money for continuing to write this guide. I have refused Google's invitation to allow advertising on my site. It is against my principles. I definitely could use the money but I find advertisements obnoxious and they overload some players' devices and prevent easy access to sites, so I never include them. I try to keep my site as simple as possible. Thank you for your continuing support of my farm, Harvest Moon FDC.
