Belt System Updates -- June 2nd, 2011

[Caren Katsmom]

Originally Posted by Raul

Hi There,

Here are some updates to the Belt system that we just launched:

1.Currently there are 6 belts that you can achieve, when you reach the first 3 there will be no confirmation box or a chance to ask for a bonus, only a regular non-obstructive fading message on the top of the game.

2.For the higher 3 belts, there will be a notification message and the chance to post to the news feed to get the extra bonus, but users will have the option to close the message box without opening the facebook news feed.

3.There will be limitations similar to the one used for the request ingredients posts:

a. You can ask for the extra bonus only 3 times every 3 hours, users then decide which 3 extra bonus they will request when they get new belts.

b. You can earn up to 250000 coins by receiving or sending bonuses.

4. The limitations will be separate from the one used when you request ingredients, meaning you can post 3 times and earn up to 250000 coins requesting ingredients and also post 3 times and earn up to 250000 coins requesting bonuses on the same 3 hours. Also, you can help a friend by sending him ingredients and also help the same friend right after that by sending him a bonus, you will also get the benefits for both actions if you are below the 250000 limit.

5. This one should be released tomorrow. Users on levels < 150 have 1-2 farms as an average, users on levels > 150 have 8-9 farms as an average, that’s why is difficult to come up with a grade of difficulty for the belts that make everyone happy. So this is what we are going to launch tomorrow:

a. Users on levels < 150 will be getting belts with the same level of difficulty that we have now.

b. For users on levels > 150 and that have already black belts, they would be able to specialize even further by reaching Dan degrees, there will be 6 different Dan degrees that will be much more difficult to achieve for each product. (see) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_(rank) if you are curious about the Dan system). If you have any suggestions for the amount of harvest required for those harder Dan 6 degrees please mention them here.

We think these changes will make things better but we may need to do some additional tweaking later on.

--Raul

Raul, you are breaking my heart. I truly loved this game. You have been a genius, up to now (in my opinion). The belts are a disaster. Your explanation above is clear as mud. I get a headache trying to read it, much less trying to understand it. Shall we all start taking notes?

I've been playing Farm Town for two years now. I left the game for several months when it became boring... started playing Farmville, which was exciting at that time (to me). Zynga made the same mistake you are making right now. They decided to change the whole character of the Farmville game. They started making us post constantly... beg endlessly... build and build and build... makes me shake all over just remembering how frustrated I became with the game. The glitches multiplied with every new bell-and-whistle they added. I quit playing Farmville. Eventually, I quit playing every Zynga game and only send gifts if I can avoid opening the game.

I came back to Farm Town, and I was enchanted. You took a tired game and brought it to life. It was exciting again... and kept getting better and better with each new update. Raul, you achieved something that no other game on Facebook had ever done. You got me to spend real money on your game. I never gave Zynga one cent, in spite of playing many of their games for long periods of time. You got my money because Farm Town was different; special. At last, I could come home from a long day at work and just relax and have fun playing a game.

I trusted you, and I trusted Slashkey. I invested quite a lot of real money into Farm Town. I've recruited friends to play the game, and/or to return to playing the game. I can only speak for myself, but based upon many comments I've been reading today from other loyal Farm Town players... many long-time players who have invested in this game are feeling betrayed right now. I definitely am. The Belts feature is much more than just a new thing in the game. It represents a major change in policy... a change in the whole character of the game. You are taking away the game we love, and turning it into a Zynga game clone. You are introducing LIMITS. I hate limits. You are introducing pressure to post and spam the news feed. I hate spam posting and begging. People who leave Zynga games and feel at home in Farm Town are not going to stick around if you change this game to a Zynga clone.

I have a long list already of glitches in the modified Belts feature. I'm posting them on my wall. I feel my blood pressure rising, like it used to when I played Zynga games. I work hard all day, Raul. I won't play games that stress me, or put Stop signs in front of me... make me watch a clock... pressure me to choose which friends to help... frustrate me with glitches every day. I want to control my own game. I will not play a game that insists on controlling what I do, when I do it, or makes me beg others to be able to do it.

Limits are bad enough in a game, but... three hour limits? Raul, wake up. People work. They have jobs, and families to take care of. It's nice that you want to give an advantage to the unemployed or disabled, or whomever else is able to stay home all day and night and play games whenever they want to; but it's a very bad policy.

It will break my heart to walk away from Farm Town, and find another game that makes me (once again) feel relaxed and comfortable; but I will do it. I've done it before. I beg you to reconsider the direction you're taking this game, before it's too late. Get rid of the Belts -- and limits -- and anything else that is not what Farm Town is about.

Thank you for letting me express my thoughts and opinions. If I didn't care so much about Farm Town, believe me... I wouldn't waste my time doing this.