18: Collections

Chapter 18: Collections

Collections are objects that are acquired in the game in several ways that are collected as related sets, usually following a theme.  Collections were never intended to be permanent in the game, however after they were first introduced a very long period of time passed with no updates for them, so players started to think that they were permanent. 

When several temporary collections were added to the game (limited edition/limited time) that came and went with the main set of collections remaining unchanged, it was widely thought that the main set was permanent -- until May 2011 when they were all removed and replaced with new sets!

The current collections items are obtained through regular play in the game, and can be discovered/acquired by doing normal game activities like harvesting crops, animals, and trees, and other activities.

A Unique Collection Reward - Mooonalisa

The current set of collections consists of:

-- Berries Collection --
x3 Fruit Bar / x3 Sorbet / x3 Preserves / x2 Dried Berries / x1 Berry Basket
Level 1 Reward = Bag of Fertilizer 500 Coins 50 XP
Level 2 Reward = Fruit Crate 1,000 Coins 100 XP
Level 3 Reward = White Cherry Blossom Tree 1,500 Coins 150 XP (*)

-- Citrus Collection --
x3 Bubblegum / x3 Sherbert / x3 Juicer / x2 Fruit Wedges / x1 Citrus Peel
Level 1 Reward = Arborist 500 Coins 50 XP
Level 2 Reward = Arbor 1,000 Coins 100 XP
Level 3 Reward = Zesty Pony 1,500 Coins 150 XP (*2)

-- Cow Collection --
x3 Cow Bell / x3 Milking Bucket / x3 Milking Stool / x2 Milk Bottles / x1 More Cowbells
Level 1 Reward = Fuel Can 500 Coins 50 XP
Level 2 Reward = Cow Topiary 1,000 Coins 100 XP
Level 3 Reward = Rainbow Cow 1,500 Coins 150 XP (*3)

-- Flower Collection --
x3 Corsage / x3 Humming Bird / x3 Dried Petals / x2 Butterfly / x1 Pollen
Level 1 Reward =  500 Coins 50 XP
Level 2 Reward =  Flower Bucket 1,000 Coins 100 XP
Level 3 Reward = Flowery Cow 1,500 Coins 150 XP (*4)

-- Grain Collection --
x3 Grindstone x3 Scythe x3 Bran x2 Chaff x1 Flour
Level 1 Reward =  500 Coins 50 XP
Level 2 Reward =  Wheat Scarecrow 1,000 Coins 100 XP
Level 3 Reward =  Spring Water Mill 1,500 Coins 150 XP (*5)

-- Squash Collection --
x3 Pumpkin Seeds x3 Stuffed Pasta x3 Decorative Gourd x2 Yerba Mate x1 Sitar
Level 1 Reward =  Arborist 500 Coins 50 XP
Level 2 Reward =  Gourd Hat Gnome 1,000 Coins 100 XP
Level 3 Reward =  Pumpkin Pig 1,500 Coins 150 XP (*6)

(*) The White Cherry Blossom Tree is a decorative ONLY tree, and does not have a harvest-able element to it.

(*2) The Zesty Pony can be bred in the Stables with a Stallion, and will produce a Zesty Pony Foal.

(*3) The Rainbow Cow can be bred in the Dairy Farm with a Bull, and will produce a Rainbow Calf.

(*4) The Flowery Cow may have a calf and may be able to be bred, but we have not managed to obtain one yet, so we just do not know for sure.

(*5) This collection includes as rewards the decorative items "Wheat Scarecrow" and "Spring Water Mill.  We have not actually obtained these items yet so we do not know if the Water Mill is functional or animated.  The Wheat Scarecrow is presumed to be a decorative item consistent to the other types of Scarecrow in the game already.

(*6) Possibly the best set of rewards from the new Collections, the Squash Collection includes an awesome Gnome for the Level 2 reward, which should make all of the Gnome Collectors out there wicked happy -- but in addition to that, the Level 3 reward is a specially colored Pig that is fully integrated into the new Pig Breeding System, which means it will turn out to be a rewarding reward... We are just saying...

The rewards above are just the ones that we currently know about -- and while the new collections system includes three reward levels per collection, there may be levels beyond the first three that become available after the first three are completed -- we just do not know about them yet.  A source previously employed at Zynga tells us that there were plans to add in special rewards that became available once all of the six collections have all three levels completed, but we have no way to verify that this actually has been implemented in the game.

The New Collection Sets

Boosting Collections -- Strategies to Improve Your Chances

While you cannot really boost the collections, there are steps that you can take in your regular game play that significantly increases your chances of obtaining the collection items, so in that sense you can boost them!  The following techniques have been carefully tested and are confirmed strategies for working towards completing the collections in as short a period as possible.

We owe a significant debt of gratitude to Farmville Gamer Geofry Glenn (GSGlenn) for his patient work on exploring the new Collections, and working out the new Collection System that has been added into the game.  Make no mistake about it, the Collections System in the game has been completely redone, and now operates under a different mechanism than it previously did.

-- Basic Collection Strategies --

The system that was in use in the game prior to May 2011 was split between game actions and the Gifts System in the game, and required the player to rely upon their neighbors for acquiring some of the collection items in order to complete the individual collections.  This is no longer the case.

While some collection items can still be obtained through gifting, game play (clicks) are now the primary means for obtaining the items for the new collections. 

In May 2011 the original set of basic collections was completely removed from the Collection Menu and replaced with the new collection sets, which consist of the following specific collections:

(1) Berries Collection
(2) Citrus Collection
(3) Cows Collection
(4) Flowers Collection
(5) Grains Collection
(6) Squash Collection

Each of the collections has three levels -- and each level has a basic set of requirements:

-- Level 1: 3 of each common item, 2 of each uncommon item, and 1 of the rare item.
-- Level 2: 6 of each common item, 4 of each uncommon item, and 2 of the rare item.
-- Level 3: 12 of each common item, 8 of each uncommon item, and 4 of the rare item.

Each Collection Level has a basic reward set and a special reward associated with it.

The Random Number Generator (RNG) and You!

From everything that we can tell on the outside looking in, the new mechanism for the Collection System uses the Random Number Generator in the game to trigger the Collectible Events.  It appears that the RNG runs multiple times when you use a vehicle or a special harvesting item (Arborist/Ranch Hand) but it also appears that this may not be a one-to-one ratio, and that performing the actions by hand, one at a time, may be beneficial.

In simple terms, each time you make a click-action, there is a chance that doing so will cause the RNG to return a number within the target range to spawn a Collectible item.  Usually the use of the RNG to trigger an event is not considered a good thing, because that sort of mechanism provides very little control on the part of the player, but in this case it is actually a good thing!

Since we know that the system is using click-action to trigger the RNG check, it is in our best interests to cause as many individual click-actions as we can, because doing so increases the chance that we will acquire another collectible item!

For example, assume that you have upgraded your Tractors, Harvesters, and Seeders to Level 4 -- that means that whenever you use them, they process a block of 3x4 plots (we plots at a time in other words), so each time you use one of the farm machines you are processing 12 plots and generating  several click-actions but not necessarily 12...  In addition to that, it may be lumping all 12 actions into the same roll, which means that you are less likely to obtain a variety of the items you could obtain.

That is actually a bad thing for our purposes, because that convenience may actually be costing us items!  While there is no way to know for sure, acting with a caution cannot hurt us here, and may be the smartest approach.  That being the case, instead of using the farm machinery to do our farming, we do it by hand, so that we generate as many click-actions as we can, and thus a chance for a collectible item with each click-action!

Obtaining Collectible Items

While each of the collections has some unique actions to obtain items for them, generally speaking you have the chance to obtain an item when you:

-- Fertilize
-- Harvest a Crop
-- Harvest an Animal
-- Harvest an Orchard
-- Harvest a Tree
-- Harvest the Dairy Barn
-- Harvest the Stables
-- Plant
-- Plow

Each of the new collections has a specific element associated with it, and that is where the bulk of the items will be found for it.  For example:

(1) Berries Collection
Actions related to Berry Crops.

(2) Citrus Collection
Actions related to Tree Crops (note: not just Citrus Trees).

(3) Cows Collection
Actions related to Cows and the Dairy Farms (including both farms).

(4) Flowers Collection
Actions related to Flower Crops.

(5) Grains Collection
Actions related to Grain Crops (Rice, Wheat, etc).

(6) Squash Collection
Actions related to Vegetable Crops (confirmed).

-- Alternate Sources --

Under the previous system it was possible to obtain collectible items from Special Delivery Boxes and Mystery Eggs -- this no longer appears to be true.  The only alternate sources for obtaining collectible items in the game now appears to be directly from your friends and neighbors as gifts, or by clicking on a news post in their feed from when they find a collectible item through click-action.

Retired Collections

If you were not playing the game prior to the addition of the new collectible system in May 2011, you may be unaware of the collections that were previously available and that are now officially retired.  The following information about the retired collections is presented here to help you better understand the approach that was used and the variety of items and collectibles that have been part of the game in the past...

Art Collection (Moooona Lisa Reward)
Autumn Collection (Leaf Pile Pig Reward)
Bugs Collection (XP Fuel Rewards)
Butterfly Collection (XP Fuel Rewards)
Button Collection (XP Fuel Rewards)
Country Kitsch Collection (XP Fuel Rewards)
Feather Collection (XP Fuel Rewards)
Gardening Tools Collection (XP Fuel Rewards)
Gemstone Collection (Gem Trophy Reward)
Snow Collection (Cow Snow Globe Reward)
Toy Collection (Uber Cool Sheep Toy Reward)

Our very reliable source inside Zynga tells us that additional collections are currently planned in both of the established Collection Types -- Regular (Longer-term) and Limited Time ("Lightning Collections") as well as a third type that previously was not implemented in the game, Special Event Collections.  There may be Holiday Collections added as well, but probably not for every holiday.