Feedback Producer Newsletter: February 2015

Howdy Farmers,

We are looking forward to your feedback regarding this month's Producer newsletter.

We hope you will enjoy it!
​

Best regards,
Your Farmerama Team

 

Nice to hear about the mill redesign and the changes to Golden Bananas but the next G&T, early JUNE? Really? Can't you give us the old version now, please? I've been promising some trees to my neighbors for months! They think G&T is a figment of my imagination! I'm worried that they will stop playing before June. I'd like to keep my neighbors. They are a good bunch.

 

I'm shocked to see that G&T will not resurface before June (this coming June, I hope), it's been too long.......Mentioning that the player's feedback is being taken seriously is not necessary, I think seeing what is being discussed and what appears in the game speaks for itself.
For myself I wouldn't mind to see the Coral Reef being shifted back and other features like the Cloud Row Harvester and the Mill upgrade being moved up in priority....those are essentials that I miss dearly.
Also, it is good to hear and see that the game is still in development, as long as the wheels are turning I'm on board.....

P.S. Another Newsletter without Bonus Code.....

 

Michael, where did you get the idea that the newsletter was supposed to come with a bonus code once they put one in because of some problems in the game/forum, that's all

 

I'm very happy to hear that the Coral Reef will be launched soon and that the requirements would not be high.
I'm also very relieved to hear that the mill pictures were mockups and that the feed requirements will be the same.

Regarding the Gift and Trade, you are going to have the next one in early June?
I started in October 2014 and haven't experienced one! Varun, please give us one now, I am very eager to experience gift and trade.
I am going to have my first gift and trade in june 2015 (my ninth month) also means that the frequency was one gift & trade after a long period of time. That's terrible! So I'm very happy to read that you are increasing the frequency in the previous newsletter.

Regarding the crow event, I'm also very happy that you are making it more often.

I have other feedback, but I think I will not say it now...

 

Dear Mr. Varun,
You did it, you managed to increase the excitement by giving more promises and sweet talk, but you managed to increase the disappointment, better go back please and revise your promise before about the coral reef, when you said it should be introduced in early 2015 and change it to late 2015, as I understand from your letter, and the things the team are working on, I do not see it coming before August or September, another disappointment is the G&T event coming on June, I lost my interest in reading more news letters, and I am considering stopping writing feed back, better I go and play as a simple farmer.

 

I'm aware that the Bonus Code was a compensation for the problems that occurred at that time, but this doesn't mean I can't wait or hope for another one.....the same principle that applies to me purchasing seedlings and wonder stables.....always hoping for the newest item....(almost never receiving it)......But, thank you for reading and replying......

 

This letter has some much-looked-forward-to good news. Thank you all for your hard work in seeing that - when they are released- they will be of good quality.
That being said, it is a great shock to hear that G&T won't be available till JUNE, 2015!! We don't just want it in the very, very near future....we NEED it, ASAP!! We have been needing it for months! There have been several giveaways over these months that require G&T to be able to deliver their prizes! To have to wait till June for the giving of prizes may just cause havoc in records of who gets what, and for those depending on remembering, it could be a disaster. It is also needed for all the other reasons that have been stated elsewhere.
I must most emphatically add my voice to the loud cry to please give us the old G&T now, and we will gladly wait for the new one - as has been stated by many others. I repeat - this has become a necessity. We have already had to wait too long!
I would also request that you consider giving us this feature every 4 months as a regular feature.
Thank you for considering our suggestions - and for all your hard work.

 

It is good to hear the Coral Reef is progressing nicely. It is a game feature players have yet to experience, so not really missed imho.

Now, While it was good news to hear the CO. is still onboard in keeping the G & T event available and that refinement's are in the works to hopefully full fill player requests concerning this event, the release date of June is disappointing to say the least.

As you already know the G&T event is quite popular, a much anticipated event. I'll go as far to say an invaluable key game feature.

It is perhaps the chief reason I allow myself to splurge on all those Mystery Stables & Trees.
While some valid points have been mentioned regarding the recent forum give-a-ways, I understand this really is of no concern to BP as these events were not CO. sponsored contests, rightly so.
(* side note: give away winner list are safely tucked away , just waiting)
Again imo, This one event, the G & T is perhaps the most powerful game feature offered by BP in regards to player attitudes and feelings.
It gives the chance of obtaining necessary game items, yes.
But It also enhances the game experiences for many players by promoting the availability to do good, help those in need ( being kind has its own rewards) reconfirms that sense of community.
In allowing this event to take place BP shows that they are willing to put the money making focus temporality on the back burner, so to speak. At least this is how I choose to view it.

The normal G & T event could have been offered earlier as many players mentioned, players have been requesting it for many months. So, My question would have to be , Why then did BP choose to over look these requests?

Back to the Coral Reef,
No worries from me in regards to the delay, I would much rather have a smooth introduction with most of the bugs work out prior to launching.
Nice to hear the requirement's for unlocking this new feature have been well thought out. Although I am not sure how much more valuable Golden Banana's can get, Their so sort after now but it will be interesting to witness this new twist.

The mill rework sounds like a dream come true. Very good to see another case in which player requests are being addressed. Only time will tell if it keeps it's dream like status.

I sometimes question the priority order of implemented game features but there is much I do not know in regards to technical requirements/challenges. Just hearing that the cloud row harvester and extra storage are on the design table is quite satisfactory for me.

Thank you for providing a still fun game environment, I will look forward to reading the CO. game philosophy in the next newsletter.


Edit-Grammer
Response Edit- Thanks for posting your outlook farmlily3

 

Wolfie, Everything concerning this game and how its players perceive it is of concern to BP. It is their bread and butter, and affects their bottom line.

 

Looks promising, but I'm a bit disappointed about the G&T , I would have liked it sooner...c'est la vie.

 

G and T - soooooooooo long to wait. I am sure you can understand our disappointment and frustration. Whilst I like the idea of Renzo coming more often no mention was made of fixing the lag that some of us experienced making the last one impossible to play and therefore, reducing my excitement on this one. The coral reef has now been promised for so long that frankly I'm bored of the hype - perhaps it would have been best to wait until only a few flaws were present before it was announced. However, I understand that it takes time to test these things and am happy to wait. My big issue now is stars - colour it any way you want, but a whole bunch of us just got side-swiped and are stuck with very few ways of earning stars to open runes we want.

 

Hello Mr. Varun,
I would prefer you put the Gift and Trade event at the top of your list/pile and let the other fun stuff hold off until June. Let us have a chance to Gift and Trade before the next re-work. I have many players that have been waiting for promised items and we players enjoy G/T more than any other fun aspect in this game.

Thank you and hope you consider this feedback.

 

What can I say? Only that I am extremely disappointed with this newsletter: no extra stars from events (lvl 91 and 312 stars in 'pocket', need at least 800 to unlock the runes I would like to). I do not understand why you should be worried about someone who missed the event. It was their choice. Actually, I believe you will get more players skipping events from now on.
Do not really care about Coral Reef but it's another 'shot into your foot' with G&B event being in June as it has been said before. First time I haven't renewed my subscription to Mill for RM because I'm not sure whether I want to play this game any more. It's sad for me...Defenitely nobody from BP will bother about my feedback

 

I like all the good news. Thank you all for your hard work. My husband is game designer, so I know what it means to create a game and all other aspects of an online game. First, it takes a team to make a functional game. It takes many 'ingredients', time, hard work, meetings and more meetings, ideas, and much more. I like this game and I appreciate all their efforts.

 

First, I would like to add my thanks to the voices above, I enjoy this game greatly, and it's nice to feel like at least some of our complaints/wants/needs get listened to. I do feel like BP is trying to address our likes and dislikes, even if we don't always agree with the outcome. You can't please all the people all the time. That being said, I have to say I am extremely disappointed in the removal of stars from events, I think this is a horrible idea. I am aware of the complaints of useless stars by those few players who have been playing long enough to have opened all the runes. The fact of the matter is, tho, that the vast majority of players, even higher levels (I myself am 88 ), still need stars to work on their tree. I think the much better answer is not to eliminate getting stars in events, but to create an exchange of some type that would allow players with unusable stars to trade them for golden bananas, or maybe even whatever we'll need to have to progress in the coral reef. This has been suggested and heartily supported many times in the player suggestions. Please rethink this decision, I do believe it is quite detrimental to the mood of the farm community as a whole. Bad mood=less farming=less revenue.

As for the coral reef, I personally am content to wait for its arrival. It is something we've all been looking forward to, so better to work out the issues now than have wailing and gnashing of teeth if things don't work as they are supposed to once launched. It is a relief to know that the cost to open it in GB is not supposed to be so horrific as to be unattainable, but then again, my idea of reasonable may not match with the game producer's.

I think I'm the only one here who's not completely aghast about G&T being slated for June . Of course, that's purely selfish on my part, as I will be on vacation in April and most of May, and don't want to miss it. I too have many items promised, and would like to be able to deliver on my promises. I think the suggestions above to have a regular G&T now are excellent, therefore. We could get our G&T "fix" to hold us over until the new and improved version is ready for release. It would also serve to appease some of the disgruntlement that is brewing, I think. This is a feature that definitely needs to be held more than twice a year. Not all the time, but more than it's currently offered.

I'm greatly looking forward to the mill rework (whew! what a relief to know feed recipes aren't changing!) and the cloud row harvester (I personally dread harvesting my clouds, what a pain ). These are great innovations that will improve player's farming experience and pleasure. Thank you to listening to us on the need for these improvements .

Thank you for allowing, and seeking, our feedback about current and future features of the game. I play several games online, and this is the only one that not only requests our thoughts on things, but actually tries to give us what we want, as much as is possible. Farmerama will never be 100% perfect, there will always be dissatisfaction of one kind or another about various features, but I appreciate the chance given us to actively work to improve the game. This alone will keep me on the farm for the foreseeable future.

 

Dear Mr. Varun,

Thank you all for your hard work and take our feedback seriously. Every time you bring Farmerama Producer's newsletter, I see you brought all good news and wonderful ideas to improve the game, such as:

• Coral Reef feature, since September 2014. Unrealized!
  
• Storage Quarters feature (provide more space), since September 2014. Unrealized!
• Cloud row hasvester feature, since December 2014. Unrealized!
  
• Redesign the mill feature, since January 2015. Unrealized!

and also some that have been or are being realized, such as:

• Fix balancing and pricing issues, since September 2014. Being realized, with new updates & improvements (new permanent quests, manure system improvements, many items that called for an event, and many more)
  
• Provide content for long term players, since September 2014. Have been or are being realized, with new event mechanics (Cinema updates, Renzo Fair updates, Halloween contents, Christmas contents, Vacation Mode improvements, Valentine's Day contents, star system improvements, and many more)
• Gathering datas of our experiences in the game with Farmerama Forum Surveys.

I'm sure a lot of players will wait for new features is realized, but does not eliminate or ignore the old feature that already exists. G&T mini event is an old feature that have many fans and has been long awaited by many people.

Why is this disappointing again?

On this occasion, I also give some brilliant ideas to tackle star issue and tools issue by improving a new twist on compensation of plant refinery. I think you and your team are aware of these updates.
This should be your highest priority immediately.

Please not to make any false promises anymore in the next installment of the newsletter. And I'm sorry if my post can be regarded as offensive. I did not mean it!

Thank you and hope you consider this feedback.

 

I don't mind waiting for G&T. it was too cumbersome to use and I gave up last time. we should be able to have an alphabetical and category list. or it's very difficult to navigate. So I'll be waiting.
Stopping the stars is NOT a good idea. Giving us more way to use them would be much better. If people skip events for what ever reason, it is their choosing, and there is no reason to penalize the other players for them. I have extra stars, and I also have skipped events either because I did not like them or because my RL prevented me to do them. It's OK, it's just a game.
I would like more space to grow stuff, and I'm very glad to hear the coral reef is progressing. Hopefully we can use stars with it.
If you want to be fair to ALL players, don't change the rules constantly. We old players (level 91 now) have had to really work hard to progress. But you can be more generous with the GB, the PF and the BB in the future with new quests. No one would mind.
Thanks for asking.

 

Thanks for the update.
I am disappointed that we still do not have a firm launch date (month) for the coral reef but I do want it to run smoothly when it is launched so I can be patient while the final touches are being worked. The mill rework is definitely appreciated and I look forward to its implementation into the game. I am a little concerned by how many golden bananas you think is 'fair' that will be needed to unlock the new features for Bahamarama. With new content being added this month requiring GB, I am not sure how many I will have left to access the coral reef when it comes. For example, for the Island cosmetics quest, it took 72 GB to unlock the new tree and crop (moringa and ginger) to complete that quest but the BEP for the entire quest was not enough to level up once. New content that requires investing GB with little BEP in return will leave players short of GB for the coral reef launch.

I am very disappointed to learn the Gift and Trade will not be until June. Maybe I am very cautious by nature but when you say 'planning to rework' indicates to me that rework has not begun and that potential problems not expected could cause further delay making it possible that it won't happen in June. I know the Gift and Trade event has some problems but I think it is clear that the majority of players would prefer the event with problems soon and then again when you work out the new features.

I am interested in seeing next month's letter with the long term vision outlined. I think it is important to know where the game is headed.

Though not specifically mentioned in the newsletter, I would like to add that the removal of stars from events is not a good idea. A more appropriate plan would be to create something for the longer players to invest their stars in. Younger farms and new players need the stars given by events in order to open runes on the tree of wisdom. There are not enough stars in permanent quests to fully open the runes and the stars gained from Fuzzles, leveling up and other areas are not sufficient either to offset the loss of event stars.

 

Personally I don't mind waiting for the Coral Reef, but I know others look forward to it a lot.

I do, however, mind the changes to the stars (ie removing them from event quests). It's not exactly something I'd rage!quit the game over or anything, but it definitely counts as a huge game changer in my book. Having more stars than you need is hardly a problem. It's not a disadvantage, nor does it take anything away. So I admit I have a hard time seeing the issue in the first place. But if you feel like it needs addressing then like already mentioned; it's better to put something new in for the high levels (and rich in stars, my high lvl certainly isn't!) to spend them on than take them away for those who still need them. This will benefit ALL players as everyone who continues to level up and play the game will eventually have the same chance to get that.

As for the GB becoming more valuable, I'm kind of holding my breath as well as keeping my fingers crossed since with no clues as to what that entails, it worries me more than it creates anticipation and excitement. So wait and see, I guess.

Been waiting an eternity for another G&T it feels like, but I am happy we're getting another one even though I'm a bit sad we'll have to wait that many months more for it.

A cloud row harvester is definitely needed and that we're eventually getting one is good. I feel like there's way too much focus on cloud rows overall though. Especially don't like the themed ones. I much prefer the park, both visually (shallow I know, but I don't play a game with bright colours in a farm setting for no reason...) as well as technically (much less clicking involved, and much more freedom to arrange how you want it).