Clarify magic row prizes in quests

I am not the only one who worked to get a cloud row, only to find (once I open the stalk) its worthless because I did not ALSO earn all the EP givers first. Don't assume that folks know. New people are joining and there will always be a few who are completing any quest for the first time!


You could do this several ways easily...

#1 post AT THE BEGINNING OF THE QUEST FAQs that you have to get all the EP givers to make the final cloud row worth anything. Posting at the front, in the beginning is important so people see it before investing in the quest.

If not then, at least post that when describing the cloud row in the FAQs for the quest.


#2 post a warning notice if someone skips over an EP-giver step, (something like "warning, Chili cookoff is needed to activate cloud row. You can come back to it later, but are you sure you want to proceed now?).

 

I sincerely hope you are kidding.
Themed cloud rows are simple to understand. The EP givers are listed below the table, followed by the cloud row with the EP givers, showing you the complete cloud row requirements. Simple.
From the recent {FAQ} Specter of the Opera.

 

Sure, ONCE YOU ALREADY HAVE A STALK..

I am talking about rows offered in quests, and that are won BEFORE folks have stalks... and no, definitely not kidding nor am I the only one with that issue. It is not at all clear that these special rows have to have ALL the EP givers from a quest.. and that it will ONLY work if you have ALL of those special EP givers.

And... try finding info on the stalk since the they redid the forum.

 

Kaydd2 you're right that the cloud rows are simple to understand (and explained clearly)...but only in the FAQ. I think Woody's second suggestion (that a warning be given if a level is skipped over while doing a quest) is a good idea. A lot of new players aren't aware that there is a FAQ that gives more information. When I started playing about 6 months ago, I had no idea there was a forum, never mind a FAQ section. I didn't know what "cloud row" meant or how it worked or what was required. All I knew was that when I clicked on the farmhouse, there were quests to do that would give me stars, coins, and points. I don't think a little pop-up explaining cloud row requirements while doing a quest is a bad idea.

 

The FAQs were clear, but as noted, you have to actually find them... and new players don't always. Also, I actually have not been able to find the stalk facts since the forum was redesigned. When I did a search, I got info on a cloud row awarded from the glade.

 

Game FAQ's > {FAQ} Magical Beanstalk
OMG. It might be idea for you to look through the many information pages provided.

Do not paint me with the same brush . I have all the clouds rows that were available BEFORE I opened the clouds with ALL required EP givers

 

Greetings,

I concur to woody's argument for in-game. There are items/objects that do what woody said, including my complaint of other EP - Giver's that are known as Pets and the similar, to the outcome of 'no warning'; as to what/when the "______" will end, or, if I want to buy the item/object (in-game)conclusively to the warning of the expiration of items/objects and/or EP that makes it a 'decoration only' until it is too-late!!!!

 

Maybe the announcement on the In-Game newspage could actually include a link/button to the FAQ in the forum?
I agree with woody that the way the beanstalk works is difficult to understand before having opened it up, unless you do your homework and search the forum for information. I think that certain features of the game should be explained better within the game, because new players don't usually start with reading the forum. And this way they might actually be excited about possible future achievements (and having a couple of extra rows including their decorations already "waiting" for you until you access the beanstalk is really nice). It is worthwhile to play for the rows even if one might still have to wait until you can open up the beanstalk to use the decorations that way (especially since rows started giving BEP).
A functioning mentoring system could really help with that.

 

I think linking to the FAQ would be great, as are the warnings.

 

I agree with woody. There is less clarity on some issues.
My questions may sound kiddish but they are BIG questions for me. May be others are more involved in this game than me but There are certain things which I still do not know....... For example ....

For my THIRD ROW, how to get Organic Cotton Farm item and sustainable fashion item as I have only Wild Weavers with me . Similarly no idea for FOURTH ROW items as Habanero salsa, Guy Fiery and Chili cook-off.I don't have them in inventory and don't know what to do with cloud row now.

In the FAQ section we can see the names of rows and their details in the table BUT I don't know name of rows that I have . Do you have any info. here.

I read about THEMED ROWS and EVENT ROWS ..... Now my question is how to get items for these rows . I may have jumped some tasks just to get the event row ........ now tell me DID I MISSED THE ITEMS in that events unfulfilled tasks. My question is how can I get those items to Activate that row now.
For themed rows same question HOW and WHERE I can have those items to activate the cloud row. Can I activate them now if Yes then it's OK .......... but If no then I should have been warned that I have to get those items along with the cloud row.

I may get my answers eventually but they are not there in FAQs in my first ,second and third attempt . But I hope some Kind Farmer will help me in the Forum

 

sudhir, for event rows, you usually need all the items that can be won in that event. If you didn't get them from the event, there are a couple of ways to get them later, but it is not easy.

• One option is during the gift and trade event, but the items for cloud rows are usually very popular, so it can be difficult.
• Another option is to buy them during a magical stalk sale. In a magical stalk sale you can usually buy one or two particular cloud rows, and also the items needed for them.

There has already been a sale for the "Fair trade cloud row" you mentioned, so I don't know if it will be offered again.
So far the only way to get the items Habanero salsa, Guy Fiery and Chili cook-off was from the chili event.

I don't really have an overview over which themed cloud rows exists apart from the ones from events. But I here are some I know of:

There has been some for sale, like the Fraggle Rock Row of Clouds or the Scare Row of Clouds. Then you usually have to buy the items as well. There is also the music box cloud row. The music boxes were on sale last year (?) and it is possible to get them from wonder boxes.

Recently two cloud rows have been introduced as rewards in farmer society quests, namely in the Clean for a spell and in Jack's Back. Both these quests require moonlight mania crops, and the items for the cloud rows can be bought in Jack's shop during moonlight mania. And in the fourth cuckoo quest there is a cloud row were you need the cuckoo items from the first four cuckoo events. All the cuckoo events are available each time the cuckoos come around, so it is still possible to get those items.​

If you are wondering about other themed cloud rows, please ask. But as I said, for event cloud rows it is not easy to get the items later on

 

Thanks a lot Mir85 .......... Your info. is very well explained and very helpful to understand some points about cloud rows

As you mentioned that the only way to get the items Habanero salsa, Guy Fiery and Chili cook-off was from the chili event.

That was the point of discussion that if we have to get all those items along with the row then there should be some sort of warning or Highlighted info. regarding this so one should win those items in the event before going for the cloud row. Some farmers like me can waste their resources due to lack of proper info. and lack of time to investigate properly.
You all guys and Mods are very helpful but a detailed and easy FAQ regarding this topic is necessary.

Thanks again dear...... You rock

 

One thing.. you can still get EP from those items on your fields, but whether they are worth more than items you already have is hard to say. (usually the event items are at least decent EP givers, even if you don't earn enough to activate the cloud row)

 

Firstly, the information is quite clear. The FAQ's give you all the information that you need to know (and whether or not you read them is on you, not BP or Farmerama). The Magical Beanstalk FAQ makes it very clear that you must fill a row before the bonus can be activated.
Furthermore, each individual event that gives a cloud row makes it plain that there are certain specific items that are required to fill the cloud row. For example, the Septemberfest 2014 FAQ clearly indicates that there is a cloud row prize, and that certain items are required to fill that row.
In my opinion, you should always read the FAQ before investing in an event or quest. If you have/had done so, you would be aware of the requirements to earn, and fill, the cloud row. If you do not, it is most certainly not the fault of BP for not providing you with that information. If you choose not to make yourself aware of the information, you should expect to make mistakes and potentially lose out of it.
So it is not at all a case of them "assuming" that you know. They don't, which is why you are given ample information to make the correct, and educated, decision. It is not their fault if you choose not to educate yourself.

If you are talking about Farmer's Society Quests, the respective cloud row is usually the last prize to be won in the quest. Therefore, you should already have the EP givers from the quest. If not, the quest does not go away (if it is permanent) and you can therefore continue to play to get those remaining EP givers. If it is a quest that is part of an event, as I mentioned above, the information is made very clear in the FAQs. If you choose to begin an event without educating yourself, that is your choice.

As for finding things on the forum, an advanced search will lead you in the right direction. Or you could manually click through the FAQs, as I did, to find the relevant one for your issue.

Players don't tend to take long to find the forum. By the time they're at a level where they can reasonably participate in an event and for long enough that they achieve a cloud row, I think it's reasonable to assume that they would have found the forum. Common sense also dictates that very few players would participate in an event without having the foggiest idea about how, or what to do. If they don't know, then one of the following situations would occur:
1. Players would play a little, but wouldn't make it far enough through the event to get the cloud row
2. Players would find the forum and hence the FAQ
3. Players would find the forum, ask for help and be directed to the FAQ
4. Players would IGM a neighbour asking for help, and get directed to the forum and/or the FAQ

A popup takes a lot more programming than people realise. Based on the fact that most players who have the potential to get a cloud row will either have found the forum or find a way to find the forum, it's unnecessary work that can be spent on other features of the game.

Did you click through the FAQs, or assume it was too hard? Simple logic says that it will be under Game FAQs, since it's not an event, and from there it's the third page. Not much clicking. I'd have thought you would get that far. And a search for the word "stalk" turns up far more than your comment suggests.

The In-Game newspage does actually already include a link to the forum, where the FAQ titles are fairly obvious as they are written in bold letters. Granted, you have to scroll, but generally if you open up a page you can be expected to do that, given that without scrolling you can barely see anything anyway.
Although the beanstalk is only accessible from level 30 onwards, it is visible on the map from the start. It therefore isn't a surprise feature once you achieve that level. In spite of that, in order for players to be able to open the beanstalk, they would have to be able to understand either the market or breeding or the Tree of Wisdom or all. I highly doubt they would manage to gain a complete understanding of any of them without at least some exposure to the forum.
If by some twist of fate a player manages to make it to level 30 and either breed their own animals or buy them on the market or earn them from the Tree of Wisdom (and thus earn stars) without having ever laid eyes on the forum, the beanstalk itself includes a help button, clearly labelled with a great big letter i.

As I and others have mentioned above, event FAQs specifically indicate that certain items are required to fill the cloud row. Please follow my link above to Septemberfest 2014 for an example of how this is done. It is not a case of lack of information provided or lack of FAQs to detail this, but rather an issue of players not taking the time to do the necessary research before investing in an event.

 

That is not quite true. It only shows a picture of the cloud row filled with the items. The problem is (like woody said before) if you have no idea how the magical stalk works. If you don't know that you have to put items on the cloud rows in the first place, you might think that the cloud row is just decorated with pictures of the items, or something like that.

That being said, I think this discussion is a bit out of proportion. How about asking teddy nicely to add a sentence to the FAQs when there is a cloud row. It could be something like this:

The cloud row must be filled with the items from this event before you can activate the bonus.
​

How about it teddy?

Edit: My suggestion was for future events

Edit: I am so sorry, I quoted the wrong thing I did not mean to suggest that the Magical beanstalk FAQ was unclear

What I meant to quote was this:

 

(note-- this thread was begun before some recent changes)

I am talking about beginning players playing events. I think the proof that lies in the number of people who make this mistake. I don't just mean then number who have posted here (or mentioned this issue in other threads), but in the game itself. You figure than mayb 1% of people come and post in a forum.. at best 1 in 30 (though that would include people who just check in once or so).

Also, I am specifically talking about events. Events are rushed, and while some beginning players may check the event FAQs, not all are going to even know there is an issue they need to check regarding the cloud rows. Many just see the older players saying its a good deal and go for the row, not knowing that you have to have ALL the givers to make it work.

Further, in the past 2 events the row came before the other items. In other events, the cloud row EP givers were the last on each level, so people thinking that you just needed the cloud row (again, just look through the posts of people who have made this mistake) jumped over the EP givers thinking they were OK to just get the cloud row.

Again, this HAS happened to not just me, but many people. We are human. The point is do you want people to leave the game over something so easily corrected.

OH, and I posted this thread before Teddy modified the FAQs. I believe a note was added to the last event also. So... thank you.

 

[QUOTE="-Mir85 : I think this discussion is a bit out of proportion. How about asking teddy nicely to add a sentence to the FAQs when there is a cloud row.]

I agree that this discussion is now getting out of proportion. We just wanted an additional warning that a farmer needs all the event items to activate the event cloud row. PROCEED WITH CAUTION type.

Moreover it was a suggestion , now if any suggestion which can ignite a long discussion then that also shows that there are some issues or points to be noted before closing the thread. It should be heard properly if some senior/Active players are showing concern again and again about ,even,a minor problem.

We all definitely need some hugs from Teddybear to create calm again

 

This is a suggestion thread. Suggestions are neither correct nor incorrect...they're suggestions, based on opinions, and everyone is entitled to have those. I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally don't feel that many people on this thread are particularly agitated and in need of calming down. Nor do I feel like the issue is being blown out of proportion: this cloud row thing is an issue for some, and not for others. Just because people have differing opinions doesn't mean anyone is wrong. *shrug*
As for me, I forgot about this thread, and only was reminded because I got a notification stating that I was quoted on something I wrote almost two months ago. In terms of what I had written (suggesting a pop up containing a warning), if a pop up requires extensive programming, then another notification method can be found, even if it's just adding a note in the event's FAQ. The notification is the point, not the means of delivery. Suggesting that players are in some way informed about how a cloud row works is valid. As for the comment that players will have figured out (one way or another) how the cloud row works before they reach the point where they are able to achieve the cloud row, there are several players with useless, grayed-out cloud rows who would beg to differ. I am one of them. And I can assure you, I have plenty of common sense. I achieved several useless cloud rows long before I was able to climb the magical beanstalk. I did an event the very first day I started playing Farmerama...and I indeed achieved the cloud row, because I'm good at computer games. Not good enough to have finished the event completely, though, since I had no resources in stock...hence grayed out cloud rows.
No one - not me, not Squiggle, not anyone - can speak for everyone, as each of us have different experiences. A notification of some kind explaining the importance of getting all items needed for a cloud row is a good idea. That was my point two months ago, and, having (unwillingly) been brought back into the conversation, it is still my point now.

 

Please note that the FAQ actually states that, in these exact words, "the aim is to fill a row, in order to activate a bonus."

It seems highly unrealistic that people would leave a game because they made a mistake. If so, they are the sort of people who will leave over the tiniest thing. The game can't accommodate their every need, nor can the game force them to educate themselves before participating.

 

I am so sorry, I quoted the wrong thing I did not mean to suggest that the Magical beanstalk FAQ was unclear

What I meant to quote was this: