The Insanity of My Addiction
Strawberries. Sweet corn. Squash. Sunflowers. Sugarcane. Sheep. Shed. Super Spin Ride. Small Pond. Scarecrow. Stone Mailbox. Seeder…
And
Shilpa
Wondering about the connection between them and Me??
Well apart from the Letter “S”, all these things (and much more) have become a part of me. No, not just a part of me, but an integral part of me!!
Or in plain simple words, I am addicted to FarmVille.
KG, my best half, calls it insanity.
And you know what??
Even I believe him…
So, let me share, how insane I have become courtesy this addictive game…
- My day starts with it! Yes!! I get up half an hour earlier than the scheduled time for getting the lil’ AG ready for his school, to harvest the crop!
- Of course, my day ends with it.
- I keep looking at the watch to see, if its the time for the next harvest.
- Formulating strategies for my farm has become the major job for my grey cells in a day.
- I keep checking my farm every few minutes and wait for the first spurt of the ‘ready to harvest crop’!
- When KG started giving me dirty looks at being on my farm so early in the morning, I timed the harvest for 9 am, the time he leaves for office!!
- My farm is my new baby, which I do not leave unattended even for few minutes.
- I hoard the new goodies a la the latest clumsy reindeers, maple trees, hay stacks, wild turkeys like a woman would do with gold or diamonds!
- I keep clicking on the Live Feed every few seconds to look for “Hatch a egg”, “get a perfect bunch”, “get a bonus from them”, “Adopt the Pink Cow”, …because they vanish in few secs!! And missing them is so heart-breaking!! So I click…click…click every 2 secs!
- I have to visit my neighbors farms, of course to fertilize their crops and also to check their new design pattern on their farm and also to see how many turkeys they have or how have they arranged their baby elephants!
- When KG was not in town for 2 days I got up at 4 am to harvest and plant the Haiti Sweet Corn as I didn’t wanted to waste on the time and the XPs (Experience Points) and coins gained was too much!!
- My favorite topic for discussion at a party now is FarmVille, its tricks, new animals or plants on the farm, level or mastery achieved!
- I have not planted 3-4 day crops still, because no major activity on the farm for 3-4 days would kill me! I have plans to harvest these 3-4 day crops whenever I believe I’d not be in town!
- I am constantly on a lookout for ‘neighbors’ and would accept any neighbor request in a flash of a second. Though talking to my own real life next door neighbors will be a big task!
- The calculator on the mobile has found it new usage…to calculate the harvests needed for mastery achievement or no. of XPs needed for reaching the next level.
- I keep giving tips and share my ‘learnings’ with the new ‘farmers’ every now and then.
- And counsel the non-farmers incessantly, to join our club!
- I keep looking at the coins I have earned with so much pleasure and happiness and have never done so with my own bank balance, about which I always have complains and grouses.
- Depending upon the schedule for the day, I’d plant my crops. If the forecast is for a busy day, so a 16 hour or 1-day crops will be planted otherwise, I plant my favorites…the 2 hours- 4 hours –6 hours or 8 hour crops! With the latter I can be on my farm, the whole day!!
- I already have 2 farms! Yes, I play from KG’s FB id too and am too tempted to start a 3rd farm too!
- In my heart of my heart, I know (very loud and clear) that my blogging is getting affected because of this farming business! But still…
- Even as I write this post, I must have visited my farm 10 times in 5 minutes, despite knowing the fact that no major activity will take place on it till 9.40 am of the 1st December 2009. (Peas will be ready to be harvested at that time!)
Till, all this while I considered myself to be very rational, balanced, sensible and mature!!
But this FarmVille mania has caught me. And I am stark, raving mad about it! I don’t how long this will last!
Whatever said and done, I believe, I don’t suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!!
So wanna be my neighbor??
For the uninitiated, FarmVille is a real-time farm simulation game developed by Zynga, available as an application on the social networking website Facebook. The game allows members of Facebook to manage a virtual farm by planting, growing and harvesting virtual crops, trees, and livestock.Since its launch in June 2009, FarmVille has become the most popular game application on Facebook with 56.1 million active users in October 2009.
Images Courtesy : http://farmvillefreak.com
November 30, 2009 11:33 am|
God Shilpa,
You have become real addicted of the farmville thing!
You made me join too, but in vain 😉
Keep playing, sometimes insanity equals sanity 😀
November 30, 2009 11:33 am|
True! it is indeed very addictive! I went all the way to level 32, gifted all my neighbors with an olive tree and booted myself from the farmville app!
It was a sheer addiction and I wouldn’t have come out of it unless I had not revoked access to that application 🙂
November 30, 2009 12:02 pm|
You sound like me Shilpa but I’m trying to do less of it now. My daughter’s exam are just around the corner but may be I’ll pick it up again soon. And yes, it’s rather addictive.
November 30, 2009 12:30 pm|
I managed to keep away from FV as I realised that it’s addictive; don’t let FV affect your blogging to lead to disappointing us…:)
November 30, 2009 12:50 pm|
Shilpa, we are farmville buddy more than blog buddy na 😀
oh remember when i was regularly playing, that time sending and receiving gifts, those notifications, new tricks, comments, adopting the animals and thanking the person who displayed it, the day a new gift was introduced, we immediately used to send that first to all the neighbours, collecting all the ribbons, cleaning others farms, etc. etc. My my, I can go on and on..
loved this nostalgic post..sob sob 😛
November 30, 2009 1:05 pm|
Amazing post yaar! In fact, today only I was telling my Dad that I’m going to plant some crop that would harvest at 5:30 am! Right now, even at 6.30 am, I always turn off the alarm, turn on my tummy, cover my head with the ‘rajai’ and snooze off for another half hour! But if I have a crop to harvest, I bet God couldn’t keep me in bed for more than 6am at the max! And guess what… Dad agreed with the idea! What else can I say!
Btw, “F5” is a faster way to refresh the page! [wink]
November 30, 2009 1:11 pm|
Virtual World! Come out of it Shilpa! 🙂
November 30, 2009 1:39 pm|
Never before have I read of an addiction as strong as this!!!!! :-)))) I don’t play as I lose interest in online games that last more than 30 mins. I don’t want to be an irresponsible farmer you see. My crops would wither away I’m certain.
P.S. – I’m sending your post to all the farmville addicts I know. Trust me, its a huge list. I may not ever be your neighbour, but you may land up some neighbours b’cos of me 😉 No need to thank me, pleasure to serve for a gooood cause!
I enjoyed reading this!!
November 30, 2009 2:05 pm|
I’m addicted to this as well!And i LOVE it!No game ever has had me hooked!I want to be your neighbour-you sound like a good one to have!
November 30, 2009 2:49 pm|
The common thing about drugs and video games(or real-time games in your case) is that they make you an addict. That is the reason i don’t do drugs and i don’t do these games. 🙂
November 30, 2009 3:40 pm|
Ahh…I was that way, once upon a time. i used to put alarms for 3AM so that I can get up and harvest the crop and go back to sleep. Seriously! But I haven’t been able to do much for past month or so as other priorities (as finding a real job!) came in the way.
I am on level 36 and I have hit a plateau..What level have you reached? Among my friends I think I am on the highest level and most of them have already hit a plateau. So I was curious about the highest level people have acheived in the game…
November 30, 2009 4:10 pm|
I am also a Farmville addict but not as addicted as you. YOu are the queen of Addiction in Farmville. I thought i get beat you in Farmville but now after seeing your addiction I would not even beat you in my dreams. do share some tips with me. Do you actually spend money to buy Haiti sweet corn?
November 30, 2009 4:22 pm|
Indeed it is an addiction. I was like you all the time whiling away most of the time farming. It was like a race between me and my friends. Thank God, I came out of it offlate as I was occupied with my German exams. Now I dont think so I shall turn towards it again. I hope not to, better be blogging, than farming 🙂
November 30, 2009 4:43 pm|
Hmmm. Nothing ‘official about it’…
You see, India is an agrarian economy. Now it has just ‘diversified’ into the net as well 😉
November 30, 2009 5:11 pm|
@pawan : Yes I am! :p
Its not in vain, I shoo away foxes, crows, gophers from your farm every day and earn 20 coins and 5 XPs!! 😀
Thanks for the encouragement!! (Do I need it?? :P)
@ Mohan : Wow…left at 32!! Good for you! Wish I get that sense too! :p
@ SushJ : Hi! And welcome on my blog!! Less of it meaning…you plant Artichokes and melons etc or you have taken a break!!?? 🙂
All the best for your daughter’s exams! 🙂
November 30, 2009 5:19 pm|
@ Musings of a lonely traveler : Sensible decision!
Yeah, I’ll blog more often! :p
@ Neha : Oh, yes FarmVille brought us together! 😀
I know, what you mean!! Its amazing that you left it at a height!
Come, join again, we miss you as an active neighbor!! :p
November 30, 2009 5:26 pm|
@ Kaddu : Thanks Kads!
LOL!! Gosh, you too!! Your dad is supportive of you getting up early. Here, KG finds it weird…me getting up early for a harvest!! 🙁
BTW, it was you who introduced me to this game!! So guruji, thank you and thanks for the F5 tip too! 😀
@ neeraj : Yes, I will Neeraj…eventually! 😀
November 30, 2009 5:35 pm|
@ lostworld : Oh, an opportunity lost for we farmers!!
We are happy with even irresponsible farmers as neighbors coz even they help us in earning 20 coins and 5 XPs everyday!! So join us…please! 😀
Thank you! I am Maha-Happy at this! 🙂
@ Miss_Nobody : Cool!! Great to know that!! I LOVE IT TOOOOO!! 😀
It would be my pleasure to be your neighbor! Search me as Shilpa Garg. You’ll see me with the same pic as on my blog or alternatively as shilpaagarg@yahoo.co.in
Cheers! and Happy Farming. 🙂
November 30, 2009 5:56 pm|
@ Shilpa : That’s a very sensible thing to do!!
Actually, you have become a saint, Shilpa while we lowly creatures are still finding pleasures in virtual games!! 🙂
@ Richa : Oh wow!! So, I had company at wee hours of the morning!! 😀
I am on Level 39! And still so very mad about it!! 😀
My friend’s neighbor is on Level 59!! Yeah…59!!
While in my neighborhood, there are ‘farmers’ on level 44..43..42 etc!
I read somewhere, you can go up to level 70! I wonder, if anybody has reached there yet! :O
November 30, 2009 6:03 pm|
I don’t think anybody is at 70 yet… the game only started in mid-June. And yeah, my Dad has finally realized that FarmVille will be the first thing I do in the morning! Actually I don’t even harvest my crops so early! I just scour through the previous night’s feed, looking for lost animals still available for adoption, and for eggs that can still be hatched by any luck! LOL! So my Dad figured I might as well wake up early and get it done with earlier!
November 30, 2009 6:06 pm|
@ vEnKy : Thanks for the compliment!! 😀
(Only a true addict will take this as a compliment!)
Tips…there are plenty of them. Buy cherry trees…lots and lots of them to achieve your Knock on Wood Ribbon. Cherry trees harvest in 2 days and economical to buy too! And for Zoologist Ribbon, buy plenty of chickens. They are ready to collect eggs in 1 day and occupy very little space!! Similarly, buy 5 cow sheds and 100 cows in them will be ready in a day!!
Happy Farming! 🙂
November 30, 2009 6:11 pm|
@ Seema Syed : Oh wow!! Yes, you are right Blogging is any day better than this farming!!
But when will I practice this?? 😛
@ Roshmi Sinha : True…very true Roshmi!! 🙂
November 30, 2009 6:16 pm|
@ Kaddu : Yeah, you are right. Level 70 was mentioned in some FarmVille Tricks/Cheats site. I guess, she is your neighbor too, Outi is on 59!
Ok…I first harvest my crop and then scour for lost animals/bouquets/eggs!! 😀
Cool, hats off to your Dad for understanding! 🙂
November 30, 2009 6:26 pm|
I’ve stuck to my addictions of blogging and tweeting, not a chance of farming unless God extends more hours to a day:)
All the best with the farming.
November 30, 2009 6:29 pm|
@ Swapna Raghu Sanand : That’s a sensible stance! 🙂
Thank you! 😀
And Happy Blogging and Tweeting! 🙂
November 30, 2009 6:31 pm|
ah Shilpa, only u miss me there…kaddu ne to muje hakaal diya 🙁
now she will call me a nautanki too after reading this comment…
I am going back in my sulking mood Kaddu…won’t plant new corps, so no more fertilizing for u now…u missed a golden opportunity 😛
November 30, 2009 6:46 pm|
Oye Shilpa, Finally a post on Farmville … this was, infact, long overdue!!
Yep, it is very addictive! I am, in a way, glad that I am not as addicted to it as I was before … but I would still call myself an active player!
Just wondering how & when this game ends … though, “The End” seems nowhere in sight currently!
Happy Farming!!
Ciao
November 30, 2009 8:33 pm|
One day, I am sure you will get bored, I was.
See my farm withered and I have no money to buy seeds.
😛
I am sure, u will also return…;)
Cheers,
Ravan
There is a funny story in everything!!!
December 1, 2009 5:45 am|
I too play FV.. but because my job takes me away from internet quite often, I am not addicted to that extent. But if I had an opportunity, I sure would have. But it seems, that after certain time, it become little boring…:)
December 1, 2009 5:53 am|
Just yesterday I was laughing with my friends about setting the alarm to harvest, and how to level, etc. I spend so much time re-arranging and creating new things, I forget to do my household chores! But it is a way to “check out of reality”. When major problems in life have you down, it is a way to clear your mind for a little while; a break from the real world. Sometimes we need that!
December 1, 2009 7:15 am|
Call me ignorant but I seriously dont know whats farmsville 😛 . Have to check it out sometime soon 🙂
December 1, 2009 8:06 am|
I tried FV but failed.I don’t know why,but so be it.
If you get addicted beyond a limit,how will we get to read your blog posts?
December 1, 2009 8:32 am|
Oh my oh my ! You have become a master farmer! I tried my hands at farmville since the while facebook seems to be playing it and got bored on the first day only :S Ofcourse your addiction behaviour reminded my earlier addiction to Ogame- a browser based war game. (Ofcourse i like war games :p) and used to keep alarm to wake up at midnight and so on ) Happy farming!
p.s > there is an uncompleted story in my blog, see if you can give your finishing touch to it 🙂 title: Journey of life.
December 1, 2009 10:14 am|
These two games Mafia Wars and Farmville are goddam addictive…
December 1, 2009 10:34 am|
Oh no, Shilpa! Not you too 🙁
Everyone I know is going gaga for Farmville. I hope you are not going to desert your blog for this :((
But, I must say your farm looks damn cute, tempting even me to try it out. But, so little time ya these days. How will I manage if I get into another virtual addiction ???
December 1, 2009 12:01 pm|
@ Neha : LOL!! 😀
@ Anan : Yeah, finally! Going by the success of this game, i doubt it will end. They could just keep increasing new ribbons, new animals, plants, decorations etc. Of course, the most needed thing is BIGGER farms!!
Happy Farming! 🙂
December 1, 2009 12:06 pm|
@ Ravan : Hmm…let see when that happens. I can see your farm has wilted crop!! No money…you spent all money in buying decorations et al??
Start fertilizing our crops and you will earn some money! 😀
@ aativas : Wow! You are on FV too!!
Oh, I can understand…job’s a priority.
But FV boring…I doubt…coz so many new things keep coming on the farm. At least till now I am excited abt it! 😀
December 1, 2009 12:51 pm|
@ Aditya : Good to see you here, Aditya!
You must check it out sometime!! 🙂
@ BK Chowla : Oh…you didnt like FV much! :O
Hmm…what you say has merit. Am trying to mend my FV usage pattern! 😛
December 1, 2009 2:31 pm|
Congratulations on the Tangy pick! … and Celebrations… !!! 🙂
December 1, 2009 3:01 pm|
@ Roshmi : Thanks a lot Roshmi!! 🙂
December 1, 2009 3:08 pm|
Shilpa,Shilpa,Shilpa…you are the undisputed Queen of this game.My oh my ..never seen such a dedicated KISSAN as you.
December 1, 2009 3:10 pm|
@ Lakshmi Rajan : Oh, you got bored on the first day!! You didn’t try playing it later? 🙁
Or may be FarmVille is majorly played by girls, though many guys are there too. (65% of my neighbors are women!!) Guys are more into Mafia Wars!
Am ruminating on the Journey of Life. Will get back to you on that ASAP! 🙂
@ Tarun Mitra : Oh yes, they are!! :p
December 1, 2009 3:15 pm|
Ur so damn addicted to Farmville…it happened with me..when i played mafia war(another zynga treat)….but i definately didnt wake up at 4 to kill my opponents ….Hats off for you…. :O
December 1, 2009 3:16 pm|
@ nishitak : Yes, me too!! 😀
Nah, I am re-setting my priorities now!! 😛 And Blogging is No. 1!!!
Should I say… “Try being a farmer, it’s fun!” or “Beware!!” :p
@ kavita : Nah, there are lot many of them like me out there in the fields!! 😀
Dedicated Kissan I am, that’s for sure!! You seriously don’t want to try this?? 🙂
December 1, 2009 3:18 pm|
@ Rohit : So, you have left Mafia Wars now??
Ya, I know, its a bit maddening…4 am..I mean! 😛
December 1, 2009 4:38 pm|
I am a Mafia Wars addict – truly hard core. If I am not doing jobs or attacking people I am just checking if I have earned enough to bank! Farmville and Mafia – Phew! Really addictive – I wonder if we should sue Zynga for foisting them on us?
December 1, 2009 5:33 pm|
@ Phoenixritu : Ohk! So its Mafia Wars for you! 😀
I agree, shud sue them for making us loonies like this! :p
December 2, 2009 8:51 am|
first…congrats….for the pick !!!
second….well you initiated me to farmville so what do i say…..whatever but i ain’t getting addicted….. and well you were ALWAYS like this….getting after one thing and then sticking to it for long time b4 finally moving on….have been seeing this since childhood….
i haven’t forgotten your Bhindi fixation for lunch
and sandwich fixation for lunch box…..
so i guess its ok….
enjoy while you are at it !!!!
December 2, 2009 5:13 pm|
@ aashi : Thanks a lot Coco!
Thanks for taking me down the memory lane. Bhindi was during Cipla days! 🙂
December 4, 2009 1:09 am|
OMG! that’s like heights of addiction 🙂 🙂 I liked the game and still like it. But I somehow did not get that much addicted to it. I play it whenever I get bored or feel like playing. Other times, I forget to visit my farm 🙂 I am sure you will get over this addiction. But I still am sooo much addicted to blogging.
December 9, 2009 6:40 pm|
I avoided reading this earlier because I want to stay away from farmville, but read it in my Reader just now and although I only know of farmville from other bloggers, I was in splits 🙂 Lovely post and surely deserves to be a Blogadda pick 🙂 Congratulations 🙂
December 10, 2009 5:45 pm|
@ evanescentthoughts: Yeah..my addiction is bordering insanity! 😀
That’s very sensible practice rather…play when you are bored!
And blogging is the best addiction!!
Cheers 🙂
December 10, 2009 5:48 pm|
@ ndianhomemaker : Am glad that this made you laugh and thank you for kind words! 🙂
I am giving you a big broad smile!! 🙂
Cheers 🙂
January 2, 2010 3:15 pm|
heheheyou seem to be totally addicted to farmville… same with me… at present as i write this i am ploughing my farm too… i even dream about it these days…
god this game is absolutely addictive 🙂
October 22, 2012 2:49 am|
LOL 😀
January 6, 2010 1:53 pm|
Very nice! After reading your post, I’m glad I postponed Farmville on Facebook to the next rainy day!
October 22, 2012 2:50 am|
That’s such a sensible thing to do!! 🙂
March 24, 2010 2:25 pm|
Great report! What an addictive game, but so much fun to play too.
October 22, 2012 2:51 am|
It sure is fun, that’s why I played it non-stop for 3 years! 😀
June 18, 2010 6:08 pm|
Don’t worry, you are not the only one addicted to farmville, even movie stars are addicted too.
October 22, 2012 2:51 am|
Ah! I am in esteemed company! 😀
August 2, 2010 10:11 am|
Good god! 😀 Do I have company or what? I play FV even at office, building competent neighbours everywhere, hehe!
I just feel like saying “Ek hi thaali ke chatte batte” 😀
October 22, 2012 2:52 am|
LOL 😀
October 21, 2012 10:07 am|
Omg! What a lovely thoughtful post on the addiction that had managed to rob me of my sanity just like you! I liked the way you described your activities on the farm so honestly! 🙂
October 22, 2012 2:53 am|
Oh My!! You play/played FV too?? I quit in Aug this year after playing it for 3 years NON-STOP!! Thanks 🙂
November 20, 2012 2:25 am|
Shilpa ,I am really amused to know hat once you were addicted to FarmVille.How did you manage to leave it? I am addicted to Scrabble,I want to leave it but perhaps I am not so strong as you are.your post is gripping.
November 20, 2012 2:38 am|
Ma’am, I have played FarmVille for 3 years and that too without any break ever. Then one day, I just gave it up… deleted the game and everything related to it. I realized I was spending a lot of time playing this game and now that I dont play it, I have so much time to do so many things! You can do it, if you decide to quit anything! 🙂
November 21, 2012 1:02 pm|
Thank you Shilpa. I will now make a sincere effort to leave Scrabble.
November 21, 2012 2:24 pm|
🙂 All the very best, Ma’am! 🙂
January 1, 2013 6:29 pm|
very very cute! I was a Restaurant city maniac, so i can relate to whatever you meant!
January 3, 2013 6:32 am|
LOL 😀 You call this insanity cute! I know, only birds of the same flock can understand and empathize about our love for these online games! 😀
April 1, 2013 5:18 am|
Gosh!
April 1, 2013 6:44 am|
😛
June 18, 2013 4:46 pm|
hi Shilpa , its like I am giving a reply to 2009 post in 2013 🙂
I opened my FB account as many of my family played Farmville and they wanted a neighbour . and I played it ,like you mentioned and accept all friend requests if they played fv . didn’t know anything more .
going through your blog took me into those addicted days
cheers !
September 25, 2013 6:34 pm|
Hi Anupama! Those were really some crazy days! FV mania was at its peak and so many of us were addicted to it! Thanks for reading! In fact I am glad that you read such an old post of mine! 🙂