Discussions about Hiring and Hiring Practices

[Charo]

Originally Posted by ScottLanter

Competitive isn't a cover for "greedy". Games are naturally supposed to be competitive. Imagine how boring Monopoly would be if everyone shared properties and cash. Would it be rude for someone to have Boardwalk and Park Place, both? Or, should they give one of those two properties to another player to level the playing field? Some might consider auto clickers to be unfair. I don't use them, myself, but if somebody does, that's up to them.

Farm Town isn't a race. There isn't a prize for having the most xp, or the most stuff. It is more like Seinfeld, except in the context of farming. Yes, there are levels that present a challenge for players. But you don't gain anything by stopping another player from leveling.

By hogging everything, you potentially turn other players off from the game, which means less work for everyone since you lose a participant in the market. And more importantly, you potentially turn away another source of income for Slashkey, to keep this game going.

Is it really worth that, being "competitive" in this non-competitive game?

[Emily Murphy]

I am level 185 and do not need to work on others' farms. However, I enjoy it. I have all the tools, but try to watch to see if someone else is hired to work without the tools. If so, I switch to single tool and go pretty slow. Or if it's not a very large farm, I just leave. I've been embarrassed a few times when I didn't see someone else working until I was done. I felt bad and apologized. But I agree, people should be more considerate. Just because you are at a level or have enough money to buy tools shouldn't handicap others, and they probably need the work more anyway. On the reverse side of the coin, I have found it difficult to find people who will actually complete my large fields if they don't have tools...not always, but quite often. And I always hire solo...always have. I come back and find fields partially done. And I have been hired often to work on farms left unfinished. I do understand that sometimes people get kicked off. But it too is something to think about.

[topmop]

Originally Posted by Keeta

Greetings,

I've always enjoyed playing FT with or without all the bells and whistles. My most enjoyment would be relaxing after supper with a cup of tea working for others through the market place. I do NOT own any of the tools that I can use on another persons farm. I do however, own all of the 1x1 tools and pluck those pretty flowers with my own gardening gloves, or shake them trees myself, or put string on a stick to fish and I do it all fairly quickly and efficiently.

I am NOT against any of the spiffy tools that allows another to advance in the game far more quickly than myself. What I do find to be quite rude and very frustrating is when another person comes to the farm after being hired and takes everything in one fast swoop leaving me with nothing but my overalls. At the beginning I went with the flow, feeling that some people are just greedy because they can hide behind a monitor. Then it started happening on a very regular basis. Now when I think about logging in to relax on farm town, I find myself questioning whether I want to even bother with the market place or not.

Can we please have a little common courtesy when working with others on farms? Not all of us have every facility or own every tool available or have billions of coins stashed away. Some of us like to enjoy the game just as much as you enjoy doing all the work in one nice quick swoop.

Thank you

Agreed, but the courtesy must go both ways. I have all the tools and when harvesting with someone else I always leave half. Then I will say something like; "you can have the rest." If there is no "thank you" I go ahead and take it all.

[bluemoon2011]

Originally Posted by topmop

Agreed, but the courtesy must go both ways. I have all the tools and when harvesting with someone else I always leave half. Then I will say something like; "you can have the rest." If there is no "thank you" I go ahead and take it all.

I too have noticed that people are very quick to complain about the 4x4 harvesters that take everything but they don't bother to say thank you when you tell them you will stop at half. I always leave half if I'm working with someone else, and I always tell them right away not to leave just because I have the 4x4 tools because I will stop at half. Only ONCE has anyone ever said thank you, and it was the farm owner, not the other worker who said it. Courtesy goes both ways.

[ScottLanter]

Originally Posted by Charo

Farm Town isn't a race. There isn't a prize for having the most xp, or the most stuff. It is more like Seinfeld, except in the context of farming. Yes, there are levels that present a challenge for players. But you don't gain anything by stopping another player from leveling.

By hogging everything, you potentially turn other players off from the game, which means less work for everyone since you lose a participant in the market. And more importantly, you potentially turn away another source of income for Slashkey, to keep this game going.

Is it really worth that, being "competitive" in this non-competitive game?

I didn't say it was a race. I said it was competitive....like games are intended to be. And, nobody can stop another player from leveling, as there are always jobs to be had in the marketplace. If some players choose not to purchase Farm Cash and obtain the 4X4 equipment, that is entirely their choiice. But, as one who did make that investment to enhance my game playing, I will utilize the 4X4 equipment to their maximum. The farmer who hires me is wanting the job done so he/she can plant. I won't keep them waiting. After all, they're competing against their neighbors, and time means money for them.

[LoreneC]

There are no real races or competitions set up by the game

People who like competition will find a way to make it competitve such as racing for crops, xps, coins. etc. To each their own, I say.

[ScottLanter]

Originally Posted by LoreneC

There are no real races or competitions set up by the game

People who like competition will find a way to make it competitve such as racing for crops, xps, coins. etc. To each their own, I say.

Very true. And, people who don't like competition can always find a way to make a game non-competitive, as well. Everyone has different tastes, I suppose. If the game were not set up to be competitive, there wouldn't be coins or XP. Everyone in the game is competitive, whether they think they are or not. Some of them simply compete with themselves. I find competition with others to be more challenging and fun. Think how the World Series would be if neither team were competitive. Wouldnt' be much of a game, would it?

And, I'm really happy to have like-minded neighbors who are also competitive. We keep each other on our toes, and always have a fun goal to achieve, even as we all approach the 15,000,000 XP mark.

I can't remember one time ever being bored with Farm Town. There are so many ways to play the game, and we can all chose which path we like to take. In the end, enjoyment is the ultimate goal for each of us.

[Freespirit.13]

I really must agree with Keeta, the same thing has happened to me many times and you become despondent, and then start to think is it worth keeping going with the game. And I disagree with Artinsox when they say that you shouldn't even have to go to other farms to work, part of the "joy" for me is going and meeting new people, having a "chat" with them, that is how the game started and how we all got our neighbours/buddies. I will stick with the game a bit longer, but it is disheartening.

[Ljj]

Today I stood in the Market place surrounded by people only wanting to plow. Me, I said I will do all jobs and I got hired twice and was asked to do harvesting and then the all important plowing on all their farms!! There is work out there and there are people to do it, one of the farmers I worked for asked half a dozen people before I said yes!!

[Charo]

Originally Posted by ScottLanter

Very true. And, people who don't like competition can always find a way to make a game non-competitive, as well. Everyone has different tastes, I suppose. If the game were not set up to be competitive, there wouldn't be coins or XP. Everyone in the game is competitive, whether they think they are or not. Some of them simply compete with themselves. I find competition with others to be more challenging and fun. Think how the World Series would be if neither team were competitive. Wouldnt' be much of a game, would it?

And, I'm really happy to have like-minded neighbors who are also competitive. We keep each other on our toes, and always have a fun goal to achieve, even as we all approach the 15,000,000 XP mark.

I can't remember one time ever being bored with Farm Town. There are so many ways to play the game, and we can all chose which path we like to take. In the end, enjoyment is the ultimate goal for each of us.

The xp is strictly a measure used to determine levels, which unlocks new things. It gives people goals to work toward and keeps the game fresh, as you cannot buy everything available in the game - some things have to be earned.

As I said before, you don't get anything by preventing another person from leveling. You don't "win" Farm Town. Just because you make it into a race doesn't mean that it is a race. This isn't the "world series" of internet farming. Nobody "wins" versus another player here. Your level 185 is the same as my level 185, although I'm sure you have a lot more xp than me.

And though you may focus on the word "race" - even if you substitute the word "competition" it doesn't change the fact that the person without tools now has to race to get a few plots before you scoop them all up. It's a race.