FrontierVille 12 Days of Christmas Goals: Everything you need to know for Day Three

With nine days behind us in this long, arduous series of FrontierVille Goals known as the 12 Days of Christmas, we arrive at Day Three. In "On the Third Day O' Christmas," players will have to make lots of chicken soup. On a completely unrelated note, you'll first have to fulfill three items on friends' wish lists. It doesn't seem as if there are too many stipulations to this portion of the Goal, meaning that if one friend has three different items in their wish list that you can fulfill, sending one of each of those items will fulfill this requirement.

Secondly, you will need three Chicken Drumsticks, which are found at random while tending to Chickens. And remember, these are part of the Chicken Collection, so do not turn them in as you attempt to complete this Goal no matter how tempting the 4 Energy reward is. Lastly, it's back to the begging as you will need 10 Chicken Soup Recipes and only your friends will have them. Finish this and enjoy 3,000 coins and three Chickens. Alright, being rewarded with items we could have used in the Goal is getting tired, but the extra coins ain't too shabby. Not to mention that you're now one step closer to that elusive Partridge in a Pear Tree.

Find the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.

Have you started this Goal yet? Have any tips of your own to make this go along faster?

FrontierVille Bess Goals: Everything you need to know

Finally, the time has come to reveal probably the most hyped character in all of FrontierVille's short history: Bess. As it turns out, she's kind of a freeloader. With nowhere to stay, it's up to you to prepare a place for Bess to live for a while... like your Barn! In here very own set of Goals, Bess comes to the homestead after having "her heart broken by a two-timin' rodeo clown." But before you begin working with Bess, Zynga reports that you must have a Barn built already and have started the "Get Ready for a Baby" Goal.

Bess
The first Goal, titled simply "Here Comes Bess," is fairly simple. All you need is to have one thousand coins, 20 planks and to move 10 Cows. (Pro tip: Moving the same cow 10 times has the same effect.) If you don't have 20 Planks, you'll have to spend 140 Wood and five thousand coins crafting them in the Covered Wagon. Finish this Goal for a reward of 25 XP and three Cows.

Find out how to complete the rest of Bess' Goals after the break.

Late as Usual
The second Goal in the series, "Late as Usual," is even simpler than the last. Seriously, this shouldn't take more than a minute. Just hire one friend from your Friends List on the bottom half of the screen, buy one Lunch for 165 Food and customize your Barn once. And that's it. For completing this Goal, you'll be 75 XP and 75 coins richer.

The third and final Goal of the series "Sure Beats Wrasslin' Steers fer a Livin'," which is probably true for both Bess and us pioneers. It's in this Goal that we discover something special about Bess: she can help around the homestead. Much like your spouse and kids, Bess is a controllable character that can do chores as well as the rest of them. Well, as far as clicking glowing things goes. But on with the Goal (pictured below).

Sure Beats Wrasslin' Steers for a Livin!
First, give Bess one chore to do--feed the animals, tend the fruit trees or anything, really. Second, sell one Cow and lastly collect 10 Milking Stools, which is business as usual (ask your friends). Finish this Goal for a sweet 75 XP and 25 extra Energy. Alright, Bess might be a freeloader, but at least she works for it. With Valentine's just around the corner and Bess sending this letter before her arrival, expect to see a lot more of her in future events.

Step off the train into Wild West Town on Facebook

While many games have tried to take on FrontierVille's gameplay style, but have failed to overcome Zynga's massive popularity, it looks like Wild West Town from Clipwire Games might actually have the gameplay necessary to put at least a dent into FrontierVille's player base. Released just four days ago, the game has already amassed over 100,000 players.

While the gameplay here is the established mold created by FrontierVille, having you clear debris and collect supplies for your ever-growing town, there is a wide range of characters here (even a few villains), and a railroad mechanic that do give the game its own identity. To start, you'll create your avatar, and will be given a small plot of land in the middle of the desert - an area called Deadman's Hollow. From there, you'll be greeted by one of the more colorful in-game characters, a bully who won't leave until you've fed him food (for free, mind you).

More friendly characters quickly take his place, along with Ranger Chip (think Frontier Jack), who will show you the ropes of surviving in the desert. New characters will travel in on a train, and you'll need to click on an icon above their head to see what they'll be able to add to your game's story. Meet us behind the break more details about building your own town in the wild west.
You'll be quickly taught how to plant crops and then find water to help those crops grow. This is done by digging for a geyser with your shovel, and then placing a water well on top of your newly discovered geyser. The game's initial portions play out through text-based dialog sessions, and a few simple quests that have you complete construction on your land's dilapidated cabin, build a Bank, and so on. The Bank introduces the concept of premium currency to the game, with one free Bank Note being available each and every day you play the game, just for collecting from your Bank daily.

Quests will last long after the game's introduction, and contain the expected tasks - clear a certain amount of debris, purchase certain animals or decorations, plant specific crops and so on. Most actions you'll complete will cost energy, save for some like watering crops, which is a free action. Some types of debris also take more than one click to remove, but you'll be able to see how many are required before starting to clear them.

As you go along, your inventory will start to fill with your harvested crops and items that you'll receive from your livestock (eggs from chickens, etc.), and you'll be able to sell these items for additional profits. This money can then be used to purchase various buildings for your town, like a Saloon, Sheriff Station, Vegetable Stand, and even an Oil Derrick. While some of your first buildings are completed after simply whacking the frame, eventually, you'll need to gain the help of friends to be staff in your buildings before they'll be open for business.

Technically, Wild West Town has a lot going for it. You'll be able to level up extremely fast as the beginning of the game, constantly raising your maximum amount of energy. On the other hand, there is no bonus meter present, which negates any incentive to click on the many bonus items that appear when completing actions on your land. Additionally, there is no button available to stop your character's cue of actions should you change your mind.

All told, the game's technical differences from FrontierVille add both positives and negatives to the experience. With a clever art style, and a seeming boom in users in such a short time, we can see this one being worth trying at least once, especially if you find yourself stuck on a particular mission in FrontierVille, but you'd still like to play the same type of game.

FrontierVille Teddy Bear: Ring out St. Patrick's Day with this free gift

St. Patrick's Day might be over, but Zynga got to sneak in one last celebration in FrontierVille. A new gift, the Teddy Bear, is available on the Free Gifts page. This decoration really is nothing more than a stuffed bear, but the tiny green top hat makes for a cuddly way to finish off the holiday. However, we can't help but wonder why this item wasn't introduced in the thick of the St. Patrick's Day Goals.

Either way, send it around and spread that last sliver of green pride. As an added Patty's Day Bonus, players who redeem a Zynga Game Card through March 20 will receive a 20 percent discount on Horseshoes. Sometimes, it's good to be late to the party.

Have you amassed an army of Teddy Bears yet? Will you take advantage of this Horseshoe discount?

FrontierVille Flash Mob: Win Horseshoes in this forum trivia contest

How fresh is your FrontierVille knowledge? Zynga wants to test just that in its next FrontierVille Flash Mob. This trivia competition will test your ability to regurgitate random facts about the game. (You know, like how all trivia games test useless knowledge.) However, five prizes of 50 Horseshoes are up for grabs for the most savvy pioneers. It all starts at 2 p.m. EST, so open that FrontierVille Wiki page and hop in the forums for your chance at some free Horseshoes. If you're at work, don't worry--we won't tell.

Do you plan on joining the competition?

FrontierVille April Fools Collection available for one month only

Just like the St. Patrick's Day collection in FrontierVille, which contains collectible items that can be found by completing all manner of tasks on your Homestead, from feeding animals to harvesting crops and trees, a new collection has launched that will celebrate the month of April. This new collection is called the April Fools Collection, and it asks you collect five "prank" items around your land.

Snake in a Can
Fake Vomit
Finger Trap
Dribble Glass
Itching Powder

Once you complete this collection (which, if it's anything like the St. Patrick's Day collection, you'll be doing many, many times over), you'll be able to turn it in for 200 XP and a Cactus. Even if you didn't need the Cactus, the 200 XP is nothing to scoff at, making this arguably a much more valuable collection than most of those that have come before.

It's presumable that you'll be able to turn in this collection after April itself has passed, but the items themselves will apparently only be available as drops during that time frame. Play fast and play a lot to make sure you earn as many free experience points as you can, while you can.

Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.

What do you think of the items in this April Fools Collection? Will you play any virtual pranks on your neighbors?

FrontierVille Designer Q&A offers hints for future features

Earlier this week, we told you that some of the designers behind FrontierVille were going to be answering user questions via the game's official forums. The Q&A fan session is now over, and we learned one or two things from the designers as to what to expect in the future. Here's a quick rundown:

First, the designers officially acknowledged the change in the Oregon Trail sign, saying that "My hope was to make the signs both more visually compelling, and less space-intensive!" Unfortunately, any info about when the Oregon Trail itself will launch is still unknown.

We also learned that Dogs will have a larger part on your land in the future, and apparently it has to do with the removal of critters. This came in a user's question about lowering the amount of whacks it takes to remove a Snake or Groundhog, so perhaps our old dog will work to remove them instantly?

Meet us behind the break for more on this designer Q&A.
Here's are two other brief things we've learned

- The team has apparently been thinking about how rivers can be added to the game, although no official plans have apparently been set.
- Skunks will likely be coming to the game at some point, as multiple members of the team discussed how much they would like to see them, either as a Mystery Animal, a Varmint, or otherwise.

So, all in all, no groundbreaking revelations to be found here, but I suppose it is nice to see, from multiple members on the team, that the Oregon Trail and other expansions are actively being worked on, with one even going so far as to say "soon" in terms of the first one's release.

We'll make sure to let you know if Zynga holds another similar event, even if it's for another game, and we'll let you know if and when any of these features officially launch in the game.

Did you have your question answered via the Q&A session?

FrontierVille Bess vs. Fanny Contest: It's decision-makin' time

It's been a month since the heated battle began between FrontierVille's Fanny Wildcat and Bess. Pioneers everywhere submitted their creative cases for either Fanny or Bess, and the Zynga community team has chosen their favorite submissions. The prize? The queendom over homesteads everywhere.

Really though, the winners receive a varying amount of Horseshoes and a FrontierVille t-shirt. And now the time has finally come to decide a finalist. Zynga has posted this survey on the FrontierVille fan page and it's up to you and your fellow pioneers to decide which is best.

Each of the 10 selections has a direct link to the submission itself, in case you forgot so soon. You're able to choose your three most beloved pieces of art or prose defending either Fanny or Bess. It's unknown how much time you have to participate, so you better do it quick if you want your favorite female to (and to make some pioneers very happy.)

FrontierVille Pee Collection: Don't eat the yellow snow

With the addition of a whole pack of puppies in FrontierVille, your land might start to become a bit cluttered with the... uh... wastes of those puppies. It seems Zynga is looking to celebrate this, however, rather than shun it, as they have quietly released the Pee Collection into the game.

This rather disgusting collection is full of five items that can be earned at random each time one of your puppies or dogs "makes wee-wee" on your land. In other words, you'll need to hurriedly finish the Pet Shop, and the accompanying Pet Shop goals to earn the right to have puppies on your land and then watch where you step! Here's what to keep an eye out for:

Yellow Snow
Damp Tree Trunk
Damp Bush
Damp Mailbox
Damp Leg

If we were still close enough to April Fool's Day, I would think that Zynga was playing a joke on us with this collection, but it seems entirely legit. For finding all five items, you'll earn a Yellow Snow Sign (a decoration made available at first last winter) and 50 XP. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go clean up after my puppies before their "business" stinks up the joint.

Zynga launches Bingo on RewardVille: Play games for extra zPoints

While accepting my RewardVille gifts from Facebook just moments ago, I came across the RewardVille home page, where an interesting new development has launched in the form of RewardVille Bingo. When logging in, you'll see a miniaturized Bingo card of sorts at the top of the screen, where some of the participating Zynga games have been given their own squares. The point is to play a certain set of games within a 24 hour period to create a three-in-a-row pattern on your board, with the default RewardVille square acting as your "free space."

In the image above, I would need to play games like CityVille and Zynga Poker to create a vertical line, or play PetVille and FarmVille for a horizontal line. I suppose in that way, the game really resembles tic-tac-toe, rather than Bingo, but I digress. Once you earn a three-in-a-row line, you'll be rewarded with free zPoints. The first day, you'll earn 30 zPoints, the second day 40 and so on, until the end of the counter. Playing all five days in a row grants you a "Super Bingo Bonus" of 100 zPoints, making playing all of those days in a row definitely worth it.


To be clear, you won't have to login to RewardVille each time you play a new game, and for most players, you won't even need to try and complete a line on your card, as you might play enough games on your own to finish it automatically. In those cases, you can simply go about your business each day, and then add one last step of logging into RewardVille before signing off for the night. Your board updates with everything you've done that day and voila! Free zPoints are likely coming your way.

We'll make sure to keep an eye on this Bingo system, to ensure that other (non zPoint) prizes aren't added in the future.

FrontierVille Pioneer Trail: Catch crawdads in scenic Beaver Valley

Two new pieces of information have been released about FrontierVille's Pioneer Trail this week, with Zynga releasing images showing what Beaver Valley itself will look like on the FrontierVille fan page (remember, we knew of Beaver Valley's existence via the Trail Map image that has also been released), and giving us a bit of information about what our carpenter and hunter will spend their time doing on the trail.

The image above shows us beautiful Beaver Valley, while the image below shows us a set of crawdad traps. We've been told that "the creeks in Beaver Valley are burstin' with crawdads! Yer hunter can rustle up meat fer bait, and yer handy carpenter can build a trap to nab 'em! Be sure to get plenty o' hot sauce and invite yer friends to squeeze the tails and suck the heads."

While we're left with that lovely thought, we can also take some time to further speculate as to what all of this means. Will we need to collect building supplies from friends to actually construct crawdad nets like we do other buildings? Will we have to hunt for our own bait, or do we really have to leave that up to the hunter? All of these questions will be answered in time, and I know I for one simply can't wait to find out the answers. Come on Zynga!

What do you think of these two new pieces of information about the Pioneer Trail? Are you excited about the idea of actually hunting these wild animals virtually, or would you rather leave that task to friends?