Zynga, the gaming king at Facebook recently came out with the best and most original game so far which has seriously very interesting social mechanics that gets a player hooked to the core. I have so far, no negative issue towards this new game that's growing fast.
I regularly play Friends For Sale (which Zynga only acquired from its' maker in September 2009) and Mafia Wars but in the past, I also tried Zynga Poker, Yoville, Farmville, Petville, Cafe World and Treasure Isle. Call me a Zynga-whore but I have always been a keen observer and player of their games. The latter games that I mentioned managed to keep me up until Level 30 and I let go of them due to lack of strategies to keep me playing. In short, I got bored. I usually play these during the beta stage but it is actually during beta stages that an online game can make me or break me.
Last Saturday, I accidentally clicked on a request to be a neighbor at FrontierVille and voila... my short-attention-span self was immediately captured.
In the beginning of FrontierVille alone, I felt alive! This game is not single-minded. It's complex yet I feel already that it will be more than complex. They managed to incorporate series of events that make that virtual world seem real... like the chores, the appearances of the snake that one needs to clobber to take it out and running out of life's energy just like humans.
Things I find interesting with FrontierVille which encouraged close and attentive playing:
1. FrontierVille is cute to begin with customizing your own avatar just like in Yoville.
2. One gets to buy crops, plant and harvest in certain time periods to gain coins and experiences or XP at FrontierVille.
3. The game makes the player complete tasks and actions just like in Treasure Island.
4. FrontierVille incorporated Mafia Wars' highly addicting "collection series" where one is task collect and complete items in exchange for rewards.
5. The game keeps you to make money like in Cafe World.
6. New events and real-time game play... it will just keep one going back and forth to play.
7. Bonus mechanics... they rock!!!
In a nutshell, here are the things that I am seeing myself to be doing for a long time and I mean not just up to Level 31:
1. I have to chop down trees to build structures such as barn, school, bars, churches and many more.
2. Clear grass away which by the way will keep on growing just like in the real world.
3. Plant and harvest crops to get money and food.
4. Feed the animals for food and money and also to sell them later on if I want to get rid of them.
5. Fighting wild animals like the snake which I am loving to do because it makes me feel I am actually clobbering fucked-up people I know.
6. Help my neighbors by tending their homestead and getting energy, popularity, food, clothing, etc. in return.
7. Marry a virtual spouse and create a virtual family (LOL) which makes it really really interesting and I wonder if later on, I can clobber my husband too If I catch him cheating!
There's so much more there to do just to tame the wilderness that could absolutely get you hooked! There's just no room for repeating things.... this game is absolutely brilliant!!!