New Release -- August 30th, 2011

[tnbskts]

Originally Posted by Scarlett128

Who said the Red Sprinkler does not work on crops less than 2 days?

I don't think people are saying it doesn't work, they're just saying it isn't the optimal use of the red sprinkler since you can't speed up a short-term crop and then go back and immediately speed up a longer one.

All of the complaints about the Red Sprinkler are much ado about nothing! It works beautifully if you take the time to understand how it works and how it can benefit you, and plan accordingly.

They obviously aren't much ado about nothing because we have some very experienced players reporting that the loss of the brown sprinkler is causing problems for them. They paid significant FC for that tool, and the best way to fix these problems is, rather than expecting them to rethink and rearrange and redo, to just give the brown sprinkler back. The other problems with the red sprinkler seem to just be bugs that'll be worked out. Regarding the issue of wanting the red sprinkler to work more than once a day, that seems to go back to the fact that the in-game description of the red sprinkler didn't mention that it was a once-a-day machine, although I suppose that could be inferred since the other sprinklers also are. Then again, this is the only sprinkler that works on crops as well as flowers so we're in somewhat uncharted territory here.

Come on Guys, this is a game! Not life or death. Try to enjoy it instead of making yourself and others around you miserable with your complaints. Look at this as a challenge to your creativity. If the Red Sprinkler does not work to your satisfaction, then try to figure out a way to MAKE it work for you rather than against you.

Which seems to involve, reading what some players are reporting, moving most of your flowers to just one or two farms and keeping track of when you last watered and goodness knows what else. Why should people have to do that? As you said, it's a game; people shouldn't have to jump through hoops and rework their farms and their play schedule to do something they were doing quite easily before. Some people don't find flowers all that important, but it isn't really fair for them to tell those who do that they shouldn't either. There has to be a way the devs can work things so the brown sprinkler can be used on its own to water flowers without speeding anything, and for the red sprinkler to also be used to speed crops and flowers as needed. It ought to be possible to adjust the red sprinkler so it doesn't alter the remaining time for flowers watered by the brown sprinkler within the last 20 hours. That's the only adjustment they'd need in order for us to have both available, unless I'm missing something. Or, as I think I suggested in another post, to have the red sprinkler configured so players can choose to include or exclude flowers when using it.

You may think this is a simple little game, and that all of your wishes and desires should be just as simple to provide, but if you know anything at all about programming, you will recognize that it has a very sophisticated and complex foundation that the Developers are building upon constantly.

I think people are aware of that. Presumably if a requested fix is too problematic or has undesirable side effects, the devs just need to tell us that, sorry, it can't be done because {insert layman's explanation}. However, these are feedback forums, and part of the point of feedback is for people to let the devs know if a new development is causing problems. This new development seems to be causing a lot of problems, and it isn't inappropriate for players to explain the problems and see what solutions are available (hopefully other than "just change the way you play and it'll be fine").

[Deborah1979]

Originally Posted by tnbskts

I don't think people are saying it doesn't work, they're just saying it isn't the optimal use of the red sprinkler since you can't speed up a short-term crop and then go back and immediately speed up a longer one.


They obviously aren't much ado about nothing because we have some very experienced players reporting that the loss of the brown sprinkler is causing problems for them. They paid significant FC for that tool, and the best way to fix these problems is, rather than expecting them to rethink and rearrange and redo, to just give the brown sprinkler back. The other problems with the red sprinkler seem to just be bugs that'll be worked out. Regarding the issue of wanting the red sprinkler to work more than once a day, that seems to go back to the fact that the in-game description of the red sprinkler didn't mention that it was a once-a-day machine, although I suppose that could be inferred since the other sprinklers also are. Then again, this is the only sprinkler that works on crops as well as flowers so we're in somewhat uncharted territory here.

Which seems to involve, reading what some players are reporting, moving most of your flowers to just one or two farms and keeping track of when you last watered and goodness knows what else. Why should people have to do that? As you said, it's a game; people shouldn't have to jump through hoops and rework their farms and their play schedule to do something they were doing quite easily before. Some people don't find flowers all that important, but it isn't really fair for them to tell those who do that they shouldn't either. There has to be a way the devs can work things so the brown sprinkler can be used on its own to water flowers without speeding anything, and for the red sprinkler to also be used to speed crops and flowers as needed. It ought to be possible to adjust the red sprinkler so it doesn't alter the remaining time for flowers watered by the brown sprinkler within the last 20 hours. That's the only adjustment they'd need in order for us to have both available, unless I'm missing something. Or, as I think I suggested in another post, to have the red sprinkler configured so players can choose to include or exclude flowers when using it.

I think people are aware of that. Presumably if a requested fix is too problematic or has undesirable side effects, the devs just need to tell us that, sorry, it can't be done because {insert layman's explanation}. However, these are feedback forums, and part of the point of feedback is for people to let the devs know if a new development is causing problems. This new development seems to be causing a lot of problems, and it isn't inappropriate for players to explain the problems and see what solutions are available (hopefully other than "just change the way you play and it'll be fine").

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! You addressed these issues in a very non-confrontational way, and I do so appreciate your comments. The issues with the red sprinkler are not being addressed as quickly as the fiasco with the "belts & bonuses" was, and I do wish either the mods or devs would let us know something.....and soon!! I am very hesitant to spend that much FC on something that doesn't work quite like I expected it to from the original wording on the update.
Thanks for the comments.

[HelenJS22]

Originally Posted by Scarlett128

Who said the Red Sprinkler does not work on crops less than 2 days? It absolutely does work on every crop, regardless of the harvest time! You are correct that the Red Sprinkler can be used only ONCE each day on EACH farm; however, I have planted 8 hr. crops, as well as 12 hour crops, and irrigated each with the Red Sprinkler in order to afford myself the flexibility of harvesting at my convenience at anytime between 4 and 16 hours after planting for the 8 hour crops and at anytime between 6 and 24 hours after planting for the 12 hour crops. Sure, if you harvest at 4 hours and plant another crop immediately, you won't be able to irrigate that crop until the next day, arguably as early as 16 or as late as 20 hours, until a final determination has been made as to what constitutes a "day" in Farm Town. But consider this: If you plant a 4-day crop, which I believe is still an 80 hour crop, and irrigate it 16 hours after planting, it will be ready to harvest in 32 hours from time of irrigation. If you must wait 20 hours to irrigate that same crop, it will be ready for harvest 30 hours from time of irrigation. In either case, you will be able to harvest, plow, plant and irrigate immediately whatever crop you choose.

All of the complaints about the Red Sprinkler are much ado about nothing! It works beautifully if you take the time to understand how it works and how it can benefit you, and plan accordingly. Just because you may be unable to grasp the concept completely is no reason to attack either the Developers or those who take the time to explain and try to help you understand what this wonderful tool can do for you. Is it perfect? No, of course not. Do I wish I could still use my brown sprinkler the way it worked before we got the Red one? Sure, but 50% of the time, the Brown Sprinkler DOES work the way it did before--when I water for my friends and neighbors--and, Dear Hearts, 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing!

Come on Guys, this is a game! Not life or death. Try to enjoy it instead of making yourself and others around you miserable with your complaints. Look at this as a challenge to your creativity. If the Red Sprinkler does not work to your satisfaction, then try to figure out a way to MAKE it work for you rather than against you. And, by the way, for those of you who still layer crops on your farms and seem to be having serious problems with the performance of the Red Sprinkler with respect to harvest times for those layered crops, just remember that this game was not designed for layered crops--you do that at your own risk and with the understanding that there is a distinct possibility that it may corrupt your farms at any time. The Developers are not obligated to provide you with a tool that works with an unsupported and unsanctioned aspect of this game.

You may think this is a simple little game, and that all of your wishes and desires should be just as simple to provide, but if you know anything at all about programming, you will recognize that it has a very sophisticated and complex foundation that the Developers are building upon constantly. It is still the Beta version, which means we are all guinea pigs--testers, if you prefer--and the Developers are relying upon our constructive feedback to help them make it better and more enjoyable for everyone. It would serve us all well to be mindful of this and to be more respectful in our treatment of the Developers and in our suggestions for improvements. A belligerent, defiant, demanding tone is uncalled for and counter-productive.

No one twisted our arms or forced us to pay real cash for the Farm Cash we need in order to buy the premium items. There are many who take great pride and pleasure in playing this game without ever spending one dime for additional Farm Cash. My sister is one of those people, and she is as happy as a pig in sunshine! :-) If you feel you can't be happy without the expensive toys, don't be an early adopter and risk disappointment in the way they perform. Wait until others have bought and used them for awhile and then read the reviews and make an informed decision as to whether your hard-earned Farm Cash will be money well spent.

The foregoing comments are solely my opinions and in no way are intended to reflect or convey the opinions of the Moderators and/or Developers. They will just have to speak for themselves! :-)

Let's farm!

I want a 'LIKE' button. Totally agree with this.

[Raine Logan]

Originally Posted by Scarlett128

Who said the Red Sprinkler does not work on crops less than 2 days? It absolutely does work on every crop, regardless of the harvest time! You are correct that the Red Sprinkler can be used only ONCE each day on EACH farm; however, I have planted 8 hr. crops, as well as 12 hour crops, and irrigated each with the Red Sprinkler in order to afford myself the flexibility of harvesting at my convenience at anytime between 4 and 16 hours after planting for the 8 hour crops and at anytime between 6 and 24 hours after planting for the 12 hour crops. Sure, if you harvest at 4 hours and plant another crop immediately, you won't be able to irrigate that crop until the next day, arguably as early as 16 or as late as 20 hours, until a final determination has been made as to what constitutes a "day" in Farm Town. But consider this: If you plant a 4-day crop, which I believe is still an 80 hour crop, and irrigate it 16 hours after planting, it will be ready to harvest in 32 hours from time of irrigation. If you must wait 20 hours to irrigate that same crop, it will be ready for harvest 30 hours from time of irrigation. In either case, you will be able to harvest, plow, plant and irrigate immediately whatever crop you choose.

All of the complaints about the Red Sprinkler are much ado about nothing! It works beautifully if you take the time to understand how it works and how it can benefit you, and plan accordingly. Just because you may be unable to grasp the concept completely is no reason to attack either the Developers or those who take the time to explain and try to help you understand what this wonderful tool can do for you. Is it perfect? No, of course not. Do I wish I could still use my brown sprinkler the way it worked before we got the Red one? Sure, but 50% of the time, the Brown Sprinkler DOES work the way it did before--when I water for my friends and neighbors--and, Dear Hearts, 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing!

Come on Guys, this is a game! Not life or death. Try to enjoy it instead of making yourself and others around you miserable with your complaints. Look at this as a challenge to your creativity. If the Red Sprinkler does not work to your satisfaction, then try to figure out a way to MAKE it work for you rather than against you. And, by the way, for those of you who still layer crops on your farms and seem to be having serious problems with the performance of the Red Sprinkler with respect to harvest times for those layered crops, just remember that this game was not designed for layered crops--you do that at your own risk and with the understanding that there is a distinct possibility that it may corrupt your farms at any time. The Developers are not obligated to provide you with a tool that works with an unsupported and unsanctioned aspect of this game.

You may think this is a simple little game, and that all of your wishes and desires should be just as simple to provide, but if you know anything at all about programming, you will recognize that it has a very sophisticated and complex foundation that the Developers are building upon constantly. It is still the Beta version, which means we are all guinea pigs--testers, if you prefer--and the Developers are relying upon our constructive feedback to help them make it better and more enjoyable for everyone. It would serve us all well to be mindful of this and to be more respectful in our treatment of the Developers and in our suggestions for improvements. A belligerent, defiant, demanding tone is uncalled for and counter-productive.

No one twisted our arms or forced us to pay real cash for the Farm Cash we need in order to buy the premium items. There are many who take great pride and pleasure in playing this game without ever spending one dime for additional Farm Cash. My sister is one of those people, and she is as happy as a pig in sunshine! :-) If you feel you can't be happy without the expensive toys, don't be an early adopter and risk disappointment in the way they perform. Wait until others have bought and used them for awhile and then read the reviews and make an informed decision as to whether your hard-earned Farm Cash will be money well spent.

The foregoing comments are solely my opinions and in no way are intended to reflect or convey the opinions of the Moderators and/or Developers. They will just have to speak for themselves! :-)

Let's farm!

now that i've figured it out the red sprinkler works fine for me because it suits my style of play - it's by far and away my favourite tool to date.

that said we don't all play the game the same way and if others have issues, concerns or complaints about it then they most certainly do have the right to, and should, air them. a lot of the positive changes we've had in this game stem from complaints and feedback so good on those who make the effort either way.

[driverdave]

Originally Posted by Raine Logan

now that i've figured it out the red sprinkler works fine for me because it suits my style of play - it's by far and away my favourite tool to date.

that said we don't all play the game the same way and if others have issues, concerns or complaints about it then they most certainly do have the right to, and should, air them. a lot of the positive changes we've had in this game stem from complaints and feedback so good on those who make the effort either way.

with respect...i think what Scarlett was getting at was the mode or tone of the words used by people and i agree with her on that ...and in the final analysis what good does it do to a person to be all het up and frustrated it only causes blood pressure to go up and posts written whilst in that situation can be prone to '' not supplying enough information to enable the mods or devs to figure out what is REALLY wrong

[tnbskts]

Originally Posted by driverdave

with respect...i think what Scarlett was getting at was the mode or tone of the words used by people and i agree with her on that ...and in the final analysis what good does it do to a person to be all het up and frustrated it only causes blood pressure to go up and posts written whilst in that situation can be prone to '' not supplying enough information to enable the mods or devs to figure out what is REALLY wrong

Also with respect...there's been some quite unwarranted condescension on the part of some of the people who like the current situation toward people who are having problems with it. Nobody enjoys the sort of "just try using a bit of intelligence and you'll find it'll be fine" put-downs that we've been seeing, or being told to simply change the way they play the game and stop complaining, even though they were doing their complaining in a feedback thread, which is at least partly what feedback threads are for.

[KayGee]

Originally Posted by tnbskts

Also with respect...there's been some quite unwarranted condescension on the part of some of the people who like the current situation toward people who are having problems with it. Nobody enjoys the sort of "just try using a bit of intelligence and you'll find it'll be fine" put-downs that we've been seeing, or being told to simply change the way they play the game and stop complaining, even though they were doing their complaining in a feedback thread, which is at least partly what feedback threads are for.

Amen tnbskts...

[StoneFace]

Originally Posted by Raine Logan

now that i've figured it out the red sprinkler works fine for me because it suits my style of play - it's by far and away my favourite tool to date.

that said we don't all play the game the same way and if others have issues, concerns or complaints about it then they most certainly do have the right to, and should, air them. a lot of the positive changes we've had in this game stem from complaints and feedback so good on those who make the effort either way.

I agree, that once the advantages of having Big Red are understood, it can be a fun tool.... and I would rank it right up there close to the Big Combine and all the one-click tools for restocking the facilities.

For example, this morning... 7:30am, I planted all one-day crops... and then Big-Reded them. The will be ready after dinner tonight, at which time I will plant the 8 and 12 hour stuff I need. Those items will not be able to be watered, but they will mature overnight on their own fertilized schedule and be ready in the morning. At that time I will probably plant 2 & 3 day crops and the Big Red will have passed the 20hour wait period, so all those times will be halved......

the tool works just fine. And if it is used just with crops in mind, and is used at least once every three days or less.... the flower problem is a mute point I would think, because they will be watered on the crop cycle, not the other way around.