Anyone Buying the Premium Scenes?

[Chudley]

Are any of you buying the premium scenes? It looks to me like you can get all three for 76 gold. That's only $20 and I really like the cool stuff you get with them.

[Deb1234]

Any idea of what the stats are on the items you get with them?

[Chudley]

No but I don't think I care. There's a cute sand castle, the Washington Monument, an eagle and when you get 4 stars in each, you get the statue of Liberty. They probably have the same rep as the recent artifacts, I'll bet.

[frkurt]

I bought it, and I'm happy with the purchase. The Eagle, from the first scene, is one square worth 590 rep. The Sandcastle is also one square, and it is worth 710 rep! I haven't reached the Washington Monument yet on the third scene.

I also bought the premium item of Monticello, since I had some extra gold left.

I'm a happy 4th of July camper. :)

[Lora's Garden]

The washington monument is 4 squares and 1420 rp. Its really tall. The eagle is holding sparklers, but is still kind of odd looking.

I thought the 4th July pack was a pretty good deal, going to take me a while to get the Statue of Liberty.

The scenes are nice with the Statue of Liberty one being, by far the hardest. I thought the story was lame, but cute.

Also the water mill is really very pretty, the water mill part moves and its 2 squares. No animation on Monticello.

[White Wabbit]

The washington monument is 4 squares and 1420 rp. Its really tall. The eagle is holding sparklers, but is still kind of odd looking.

I thought the 4th July pack was a pretty good deal, going to take me a while to get the Statue of Liberty.

The scenes are nice with the Statue of Liberty one being, by far the hardest. I thought the story was lame, but cute.

Also the water mill is really very pretty, the water mill part moves and its 2 squares. No animation on Monticello.

Lora, once again you're full of great information. Thankyou so much for sharing it. :) I agree, the water mill is lovely. I'm very pleased with it. I'm not sure about the Monticello though. Can you tell me if it's pretty? And how many squares is it? Thanks. :)

[Chudley]

I bought it, and I'm happy with the purchase. The Eagle, from the first scene, is one square worth 590 rep. The Sandcastle is also one square, and it is worth 710 rep! I haven't reached the Washington Monument yet on the third scene.

I also bought the premium item of Monticello, since I had some extra gold left.

I'm a happy 4th of July camper. :)I'm a happy 4th of July camper, also. I bought it and I LOVE it.

[Lora's Garden]

Thank you for the compliment! There are so many wonderful helpful people in the forum that it is hard to add anything new!

Monticello is 2 squares and 1140 rp (15 gb), I suppose the extra rp are the reason it is priced a bit higher than the Water Mill which is 950 rp (12 gb).

Monticello is crisp, but for some reason a tiny bit cartoony looking to me (like the mill). However, it is on the pretty side, lol. It will definitely help with the Americana section I am building. Ben Franklin would look completely lost without it.

You know they keep giving us so many odds and ends in such a tight space, its getting annoying. lol

[Nita]

What an odd bunch of stuff! Did Ben Franklin go to the beach and surf? Surf boards? Odds and ends is right. At least they could give us a little something with higher rep that we didn't have to buy. I've bought a lot of things but now $20 for the latest "good" stuff. Makes one wonder what the next chapter will cost. I don't mind spending some because it is entertainment, but if they're going to continue to pump up the costs, I'll drop out because when it gets to the cost of a decent dinner out, then I'm outta here! lol I'm a bit miffed because my place is FULL. We needed an expansion really badly. Wonder if they ever read these posts?

[meg9000]

Does buying the premium scene give you any extra energy - or do you still have to save and wait for energy to build up?

[Lora's Garden]

You don't get any extra energy and its still the same price per round. :(

[AngieDawn]

What an odd bunch of stuff! Did Ben Franklin go to the beach and surf? Surf boards? Odds and ends is right. At least they could give us a little something with higher rep that we didn't have to buy. I've bought a lot of things but now $20 for the latest "good" stuff. Makes one wonder what the next chapter will cost. I don't mind spending some because it is entertainment, but if they're going to continue to pump up the costs, I'll drop out because when it gets to the cost of a decent dinner out, then I'm outta here! lol I'm a bit miffed because my place is FULL. We needed an expansion really badly. Wonder if they ever read these posts?

They do know that has been suggested many many times over and it is listed in the official suggestion thread that was put together to make it even easier for them to find the most popular requests. Unfortunately that may not work for keeping the game running as it is. I don't have a direct line to them by any means but I am positive that they aren't sitting there holding expansions back for no reason.

[meg9000]

What an odd bunch of stuff! Did Ben Franklin go to the beach and surf? Surf boards? Odds and ends is right. At least they could give us a little something with higher rep that we didn't have to buy. I've bought a lot of things but now $20 for the latest "good" stuff. Makes one wonder what the next chapter will cost. I don't mind spending some because it is entertainment, but if they're going to continue to pump up the costs, I'll drop out because when it gets to the cost of a decent dinner out, then I'm outta here! lol I'm a bit miffed because my place is FULL. We needed an expansion really badly. Wonder if they ever read these posts?

I hope we get some water to go with those surf boards, beach chairs and fire pit. What's the beach without water?

[AngieDawn]

I hope we get some water to go with those surf boards, beach chairs and fire pit. What's the beach without water?

No we didn't and I was kinda bummed too. I'm just gonna have to pretend that my garden is going through a really bad drought, lol.

[Chudley]

I'd love to have some water, also. One odd thing, when I got the 2 stars in the beach scene, it gave me the eagle. You are supposed to get the eagle when you get 3 stars in the Boston Harbor scene. I wonder if I'll get another eagle later or the sandcastle?? lolol

[frkurt]

I got the Eagle in the first scene, the Sandcastle after the second, and right now I have two Washington Monuments after the third. :)

I don't know if one of my Washington Monuments will eventually disappear, but I put them both in the garden for now!

[AngieDawn]

I just noticed that the Golden Gate Bridge wonder looks to be sitting on a full blue square. If so it looks like we did get water in a way :)

[snowyowl1954]

The Washington Monument?!? Didn't we already see plenty of that shape for Egypt?!?
There are a slew of things to choose from in Washington DC. There's the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial...
No wait! Mt. Rushmore would be perfect! Then outside of Washington DC, there is the Arch in St. Louis. How about
Yellowstone National Park? We got the Old West but where are the Indians Teepees and Buffalo?
I think the Statue of Liberty should be available to everyone. Not all can spend on the premium items....and...
Last but not least....EXPANSIONS OR MORE GRIDS!

[JodiTzucanow]

I agree and I'm done. This Chapter made me lose complete interest in the game. I'm off to find something else. So disappointed.

[LeslieC]

I got the premium scenes this time only I "earned" the gold instead of buying it. Was able to find a couple of magazine subscriptions for a good price and for magazines I buy at the checkout counter anyway, so I am a Happy Camper. I like that there are things you can actually earn with these unlike previous premium scenes I unlocked by mistake and found there was really no value in doing them.

[Jannieb]

You could use the Oasis from the Egyptian stuff and put your boards and beach chairs around that

[erica3347]

I am all for some beaches, lakes, rivers, puddles, deserted islands...whatever LOL

(and a bigger garden)

[meg9000]

You could use the Oasis from the Egyptian stuff and put your boards and beach chairs around that

That's exactly what I did temporarily till I get the GG Bridge which I see has water! :)

[meg9000]

I just noticed that the Golden Gate Bridge wonder looks to be sitting on a full blue square. If so it looks like we did get water in a way :)

I saw that later too! The Golden Gate bridge looks great in the picture!. And I guess we can use a few Victorian Manors to create a little bit of San Francisco.

[Dizzy-Ann]

Being in UK, I can't 'earn' gold, afaik, and I'm certainly not paying real money for such a bugridden game

[White Wabbit]

The Washington Monument?!? Didn't we already see plenty of that shape for Egypt?!?

I like that though. With my next expansion I want to free up some space and have my garden flow from sandy Egyptian to sandy beach with surfboards and beach chairs between an oasis and the Washington Monument; then it will flow into the sandy Wild West (need some Red Indians) and then onto my Indian Market. We need some Native Americans now please. ;)

[Amee]

I got the premium scenes this time only I "earned" the gold instead of buying it. Was able to find a couple of magazine subscriptions for a good price and for magazines I buy at the checkout counter anyway, so I am a Happy Camper. I like that there are things you can actually earn with these unlike previous premium scenes I unlocked by mistake and found there was really no value in doing them.

I bought so much gold, I didn't realise I could do that. I checked out the offers and decided to (finally) try GameFly. That might save me from buying some Wii games that I only play once. BTW, that's something I like about the Facebook game method of payment. You don't pay for games until you really get into them. Unfortunatly you can end up paying more than you would for a popular Wii game.

[rcongdon]

Going back to the OP, I'm playing with the idea. I'm content with the idea of giving them about $10/month. However, they seem to be demanding much more than that in order to play all the scenes, and I really resent this. So, while I think I'd like to buy the 4th of July pack, I don't want to reward them for what I personally perceive as overcharging, especially since I play about 3 days a month. Anyway, I don't know yet.

Playdom, please realign your pricing structure.

[Nita]

Yes, they're beginning to price us right out of the game. I don't mind a few bucks every couple weeks, but now they're hitting us with a buy all or none kind of thing. A buy 4, get 2 you like sort of packaging. I don't know what I've spent so far, it's been $5, $4, etc., and I haven't really added them up, but when the start $20 at a pop, I'm a bit put off by the tactic. Of the 4 things in the package, I only want the Statue of Liberty -- have no interest in sand castle, etc. They've got a money making game going tho'. I'm afraid it's going to get worse as far as the spending required (I know it's not REQUIRED, but to buy what you'd like, it is).

[Cherie J]

i made a beach scene with the sand dunes, palm trees, the oases, surfboard, eulysses (sp?) boat, ephedra, and the chairs. looks awesome. might add the bridge too....
i love the surfboards....adds some bright color.

[GardenofTime]

What an odd bunch of stuff! Did Ben Franklin go to the beach and surf? Surf boards? Odds and ends is right. At least they could give us a little something with higher rep that we didn't have to buy



At least they should put in the paths section some water, maybe a sailboat - and maybe some colonial houses in with the Victorian houses. I bought Ben, but I don't have anywhere to put him so I'm thinking of putting him in front of the victorian houses. I'm just going to stick him in my England scene. I bought the sand, surfboards and fire - I don't have anywhere to put those, either. I don't want to buy anymore gold items unless they give us more space to put them all up. They should give us the land for free at the beginning so we're motivated to keep playing and buying things to put on the land. They should also, as someone suggested somewhere else, make it several small plots of land where you can build different countries. Maybe they'll put up some more 4th of July stuff to make the other stuff make more sense.

[Jannieb]

I put Ben in France - he did spend a lot of time there, but I don't think he brought his kite.

[Lora's Garden]

France is an excellent place to put Ben Franklin. He also visited England a couple of times.

[Lora's Garden]

The Statue of Liberty is 4 squares and an amazing 2350 rp!

[Annie Lee]

Frankly, no. I absolutely would if they were reasonably priced, but $20 for three scenes, and that's a bargain? I purchased shrinkwrapped (and downloadable) hidden object games before Gardens of Time came along. Some of them are only $10 for the entire game, with lots of scenes, and even the most expensive ones are still a much better deal than even the cheapest premium scenes offered by this game.

Sorry, but in my opinion, it's a total rip-off.

[GardenofTime]

Frankly, no. I absolutely would if they were reasonably priced, but $20 for three scenes, and that's a bargain? I purchased shrinkwrapped (and downloadable) hidden object games before Gardens of Time came along. Some of them are only $10 for the entire game, with lots of scenes, and even the most expensive ones are still a much better deal than even the cheapest premium scenes offered by this game.

Sorry, but in my opinion, it's a total rip-off.




Do they put out a version of this game that you can just buy and put on your computer or one that is similar? I don't want to have to buy gold either. And I'm running out of room so I don't know how much longer I'll be able to play without an expansion.

[IvyKay]

This is the Beta version of this game. That is why it is free. They are letting people play it in order to perfect it and to find all of the bugs. There are several hidden object games out there, I have probably 20 on my computer. None of them contain a garden like this one.

[rcongdon]

I don't think "beta" means the same thing on FB as it does with more traditional, bought outright software. There are many games on FB that are still beta after a year or two. It gives the developers a certain license to play with things. Also, I could be wrong, but I don't think that there are any games on FB that are not free. If you want to take full advantage of the games, you pay them money, but it's not strictly necessary to do so.

[AngieDawn]

It's definitely true that "beta" in general is more of a wiggle room title. For this game at the moment though, it's just barely over 2months old so it's still finding its legs ;)

[ZombieGorilla]

Beta has always been a loose term, even in traditional software. Beta versions of OSs sometimes cost money for users. Beta on FB is just a informative tag for players that lets them know that the core game is still under active development. Also FB games are bit of a different type of thing, they more of a service than a traditional game, as they are live and game is updated on the fly.

And yes, all (at least all the large and top FB games), have some component (extra item or ways to speed up or play more) that costs a premium price. But with all of them, the core game is free. Add-ons and extras are what cost real money.

Beta usually comes of the game when all the original features are complete and released and it is largely bug free. But again, there is nothing set in stone with regards to the term, and is up the company and development team.

[safyrejet]

I did a couple of the offers I found reasonable and got the gold to purchase this pack. For me the value of this game is the hidden object scenes, I love games like this! And yes, I have several games of this type on non-fb and non-computer type systems, but this game works well for me when I need a 5-10 min break while I'm at my desk working on slides or papers or stuff. The Americana style scenes were particularly appealing to me. http://forum.sistersapps.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif Considering the other end of chapter premium scenes increase slightly each chapter from about 20 gold, these scenes didn't seem overpriced to me--plus they actually give a really nice garden item.

I am curious about Ben though, I found him for level 25 I think, and I'm only level 13. Does that purple exclamation mark with him mean he'll be leaving the market soon and I'll miss out on purchasing him? Or is there some other way to get him that I'm just missing?

[AngieDawn]

I am curious about Ben though, I found him for level 25 I think, and I'm only level 13. Does that purple exclamation mark with him mean he'll be leaving the market soon and I'll miss out on purchasing him? Or is there some other way to get him that I'm just missing?

The ! just means it's a new item. So far none of the silver/coins items have been discontinued so you should be ok if that history holds.

[jhoy]

You're right, I wonder if the tech guys ever look at these posts!!!!????
I am very frustrated, because I can't complete the Statue of Liberty scene. The dart is a DEAD link. I've clicked on it at least a hundred times. I've had to abort 3 games
because I can get everything but the dart. The only reason I one star is because the first scene didn't require clicking on the dart.
HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM???

P.S. The premium scenes on each chapter give you NOTHING. You ALWAYS have to wait for energy to build up.

[jhoy]

Good Idea

[AngieDawn]

You're right, I wonder if the tech guys ever look at these posts!!!!????
I am very frustrated, because I can't complete the Statue of Liberty scene. The dart is a DEAD link. I've clicked on it at least a hundred times. I've had to abort 3 games
because I can get everything but the dart. The only reason I one star is because the first scene didn't require clicking on the dart.
HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM???

P.S. The premium scenes on each chapter give you NOTHING. You ALWAYS have to wait for energy to build up.

Hi jhoy! Check over in the Bugs and Technical area with that link for your question on the dart. I've answered it over there already :)

The premium scenes at the end of each chapter give you more xp, more coins, a quicker route to star completion for quests, and a bit more of the storyline. But you're right, this is the first time we've had special items with a gold premium scene pack.

[ell]

I find the gold too expensive and the value isn't there.

I've played a few FB games for years and if I spent $20 for a few months of entertainment, I'm very pleased.
I believe all FB games are free, but you can buy extras.

At this point I'm wondering about levels. We haven't had a new level in over a month. That is getting frustrating. I'm beginning to think the lack of levels is to force us to buy gold instead of earning it. See all the bright shiny new things and you have no gold. :P

[ZombieGorilla]

When the new levels come out, you will be bumped up and you will the gold you would have earned. But also bear in mind that the levels up to 40 have all taken more and more xp to go up. 40 took me a several days to achieve. So after 40, we can expect the levels to get increasing longer to achieve.

[Lora's Garden]

You're right, I wonder if the tech guys ever look at these posts!!!!????
I am very frustrated, because I can't complete the Statue of Liberty scene. The dart is a DEAD link. I've clicked on it at least a hundred times. I've had to abort 3 games
because I can get everything but the dart. The only reason I one star is because the first scene didn't require clicking on the dart.
HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM???

P.S. The premium scenes on each chapter give you NOTHING. You ALWAYS have to wait for energy to build up.

I hate the dart but I found a sweet spot, not actually on the dart itself but slightly above it and a little bit off center towards the right.

[kevink]

That's exactly what I did temporarily till I get the GG Bridge which I see has water! :)

Don't forget the koi pond! and isn't there one with swans? Go surfing down the aqueduct? There's the very nice reflecting pool.

[kevink]

You're right, I wonder if the tech guys ever look at these posts!!!!????
I am very frustrated, because I can't complete the Statue of Liberty scene. The dart is a DEAD link. I've clicked on it at least a hundred times. I've had to abort 3 games
because I can get everything but the dart. The only reason I one star is because the first scene didn't require clicking on the dart.
HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM???

P.S. The premium scenes on each chapter give you NOTHING. You ALWAYS have to wait for energy to build up.


I had that trouble with the red picnic blanket under the picnickers by the Eiffel Tower. That one I got by clicking a bit to the rigth of it, so try clicking the area closw around the item.

[tioluis]

Nope, don't have premium money ;-(

[Jannieb]

I got the dart to work - once I tried clicking on the dart and not the arrow! The dart is almost dead center on the bottom of the screen. And yes, there is a sweet spot just above and to the right of it. At first I kept clicking on what proved to be an arrow. Found the dart using a hint and then it worked just fine.

[Deb1234]

They are beyond reasonable in their pricing. With the huge reputation required now I am looking at what to put away and it is the chapter wonders and some of my gold purchase items that are coming under the radar. Statue of Hera is like a set with Statue of Poseidon only the stats on Hera are quite low and even though Poseidon is still very so so, I never dreamed so quickly they would make up a crappy reputation set and be at risk for the storage box.

They seemed to have learned absolutely zero about ensuing gold purchases remain relevant. I bought some gold when the game came out and when the gold is gone, that's it for my purchases. I'm done with this garbage of releasing better free stuff then the stuff you paid for.


Going back to the OP, I'm playing with the idea. I'm content with the idea of giving them about $10/month. However, they seem to be demanding much more than that in order to play all the scenes, and I really resent this. So, while I think I'd like to buy the 4th of July pack, I don't want to reward them for what I personally perceive as overcharging, especially since I play about 3 days a month. Anyway, I don't know yet.

Playdom, please realign your pricing structure.

[Jannieb]

I bought the new scenes today - seems like a fitting way to celebrate the holiday. They are beautiful scenes and the premiums you win are very high rep for single space items. Liberty Island is proving the most difficult, mainly because the sky is very dark and there are a lot of items hidden up there. There's lots of fireworks going off but sadly, they don't offer any free hints. The goggles are proving their worth at last - they are the most helpful at finding the stuff in the dark.

[Nita]

I hate the dart but I found a sweet spot, not actually on the dart itself but slightly above it and a little bit off center towards the right.

I've had to click on the upper left, almost off the dart. Clicking in the center just never gets it.

[meg9000]

I bought the premium scenes for the Independence Day special and I have been very pleased with this little 4th of July treat! I think Playdom did a fabulous job in putting this together for the holiday weekend. The scenes were colorful, festive, and challenging. They addressed the spirit of the holiday perfectly! We had a beach scene, went to the Boston Tea Party, and saw the fireworks off of Liberty Island. I liked the Eagle, the Washington Monument, and the Statue of Liberty, and all fit together well with Ben Franklin and Monticello. I've been waiting for some of the USA's monuments to appear, and hoping we see some others like the White House, the Capitol, maybe Mount Rushmore, etc. to appear in the future. This and the Golden Gate Bridge from Chapter 12 are a good start. The storyline was cute, campy, and festive in the spirit of the holiday. Gotta love Lulu and that great pouty face she makes! It's the first gold I've spent and I was very satisfied with the value I received. It's about the cost of a movie with treats, but the value lasts longer. I do have one small criticism, however. I think the premium package should at least come with 60 energy points to get you started. I think that would add a little perk to its value. Anyway, good job guys. Thanks for the virtual fun!

[Chudley]

Meg, Great idea for the 60 energy points. I've thought that would be a nice perk, also. I love this premium package as well, you described my feelings exactly :)

[White Wabbit]

Yes, totally agree with Meg and Chudley above. And the 60 bonus energy points is a MEGA-fab idea! :D

[Lora's Garden]

I've had to click on the upper left, almost off the dart. Clicking in the center just never gets it.

At least we have established that there is a spot slightly above the dart that works, maybe it shifts, who knows. I hope they fix it soon.

[sparkling]

Yeah this time I will soon before they go but I will never never ever ever buy a premium scene from the standards chapters as the price is way way way too high, even if I was a millionaire I still wouldn't.

[Annie Lee]

Do they put out a version of this game that you can just buy and put on your computer or one that is similar? I don't want to have to buy gold either. And I'm running out of room so I don't know how much longer I'll be able to play without an expansion.


There are several hidden object games out there, I have probably 20 on my computer. None of them contain a garden like this one.

As IvyKay said, there are plenty of shrinkwrapped/downloadable hidden object games around. A search on Amazon will come up with several.

After I posted before, I was looking for a similar game that would be safe for my kids to play and came across a $6.99 Amazon download game that combines hidden objects with a story and *gardening*. I bought it, and so far it's pretty cool. I won't mention the name here as there's probably a policy against promoting competing products, but you can find it if you search Amazon for hidden object gardening.