My wife talked me into playing Farmville. The challenge to me has been to spend no hard money (currency) nor soft money (filling out forms for virtual currency).

As a result, I’ve been able to accumulate millions of coins, regular crops, and many of the animals and buildings that generally result in accumulation of more coins. This is getting to the point of diminishing returns, now, so I’m not sure how much longer I will continue.

If I were designing the game to be more interesting (to me), I would allow those who accumulate large amounts of coins to start banks and loan it to others. Also, you can “help” one another in very limited ways. I would allow other players to harvest crops and so on for other players.

I’ll be interested in seeing your follow up on the game.

I’ve been in FarmVille for a couple of months now and I’m enjoying it. Yes, there’s an inherent commitment to return regularly, but it’s not as bad as some other Facebook games. I don’t fall for the cash-for-extras offers – of all the games I play on Facebook, and I’m a bit abashed to admit how many, I haven’t spent any money on them. As you advance in the games, you can adjust your level of participation. In Farmville, for example, crops will ripen anywhere from 2 hours later to 60 hours later. Of course, the longer term crops are the ones you get access to as you advance. All of the games seem to give you the shorter term items to get you to come back more frequently at the beginning. I’m playing three farm games, and they each have their own charms and quirks. Farmville’s animals are more interactive than the others I’m in – you can “harvest” them, and you can pet most of them, and they react to being petted. I find that an attractive feature, personally, because I like critters in general.

All things considered, Farmville isn’t the most time-absorbing game on Facebook. If you try it, have fun with it – and add me as a neighbor.

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Just a little post to share an amazing tool : Farmer Extreme Manager.
Perfect to dominate FarmVille for free
http://tinyurl.com/farmer-extreme-manager

One thing people seem to forget is the amount of information this company gets from players and their friends and sells it. The thing is information people would normally not give out is freely given in Facebook games such as Farmville.

You think it is bad now? wait until phones start using flash and people can play farmvill even when they are away from their computers. I’m not ready for my facbook to be flooded with “facbook user just gave facebook user a cow” lol

I only wanted to drop you a short note to let you know that I really enjoy your blog. Thanks! Keep on the good work

If only people spent the amount of time they do playing games like Farmville on actually working to collaborate on and develop sustainable crops, livestock and farming methods, as well as sustainable buildings and other designs, we would all be in a much better place.

farmville is the best game ever and this is the best blog post!

i am also play Farmville. i am keeping enjoy with it, i like Farmville then other facebook game

I played farmville and its really addictive. I had my current tab on my work and another on facebook farmville, I wonder how do zynga made money out of this game.

im on facebook but ive never played the games. My reasons: i have an actual life lol. Seriously though there’s something very wrong with intelligent grown ups playing time wasting games. Reminds me of when everyone was playing snake on their mobile phones, does anyone remember that? I agree with Whitney Parks’s comment and i urge you all farmville addicts to make an effort to control yourselves..

I played farmville due to peer pressure but it sux big time. It so stupid I wanted to punch the developers in the face for making it! Its great for kids I must admit but its also bad as it gets young kids too involved and on computer for hours.