I thought “Farmville” and “patience” are words that would rarely go together. In fact, “Farmville” is often followed by “cheats” when googled, as in Farmville cheats, that may refer to the legal and more benign strategies or tips on how to be the richest farmer in this most popular online farming game to the illegal codes and bots that could ban one from Facebook. When I actually checked “Farmville” and “patience” in Google, I ended up reading a few interesting blogs and articles that pointed to certain positive aspects of the game that were thought of as helping one to become more patient, among other things including giving or sharing, cooperation and networking.Farming and Patience
“Be a farmer” was the response given by Joel Magsaysay, a bee farmer and natural living advocate, when asked how one develops patience.
This was the final question I posed during a class field trip of biology major students to Ilog Maria, a bee farm in Silang, Cavite, Philippines. The query was in the context of today’s insatiable insistence on instant everything…from instant messaging to instant information and from instant food to instant love…everyone’s seeking instant gratification. It was particularly important to bring up the topic as many of those students listening have much to learn about patience, persistence and diligence.
As the presentations and discussions bring up aspects of their farm operations and plans that took months and years to come into fruition, such as their extraction procedure of propolis that takes more than one year to complete or their project to completely rely on renewable energy sources that’s been on-going for the past 30 years, it was the perfect set up for learning about patience not only for the students but for myself as well.“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
- Jean-Jacques RousseauThe laws of harvest naturally apply to any farming operation, whether in bee farming, crop production or animal husbandry. The laws of harvest (sowing and reaping), that I also applied in a discussion about change in the context of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s presidency that renewed hope for a better Philippines, are the following:
1. One harvests only where he or she has planted
2. One gets the same kind of seed that he or she has planted.
3. One harvests at a later time.
4. One harvests more than the amount of seeds planted.
5. One harvests in proportion to what was planted.
6. The present harvest was planted in the past, while future harvests are affected by what is planted today.
7. A good full harvest is only possible with perseverance throughout the cropping season.
Patience is developed when one needs to wait for harvest as law number 3 states. It’s just the way it is and there’s no shortcut to the process to immediately reap what was sown. Law number 7 also tells us about being unwavering (i.e. patient) during the long wait to realize the full potential of all our efforts.Farming and Farmville
As the discussion ensue, Farmville got mentioned and our host quickly pointed out why this online game is very popular. It’s because many people like to be farmers but not in a way that would be too tiring, dirty, sweaty, stinky or involving too much waiting time. Farmville got around these hassles to the joy of farming and simple farm living in the virtual world. Well why not? All operations are just a click away from being done and the months of waiting for the strawberry to grow in real life is only 4 hours in Farmville!The above infographic illustrates some interesting contrasts between Farmville and Real Farms. Read more details in Mashable.Developing Patience in Farmville
There were pronouncements that patience is required in Farmville. Coupled with strategic planning and time management, you can be very successful in this game that somehow mirrors what is required in real life. A few even argued that Farmville is good for kids. I see that it’s not actually a stretch to imagine how such a game can illustrate the virtue of waiting, considering that there are many more online games that provide much faster rewards for one’s efforts. In fact, Farmville is much more benign and slow than the violence and instant loots promoted by other types of online games.
Obviously, I am no gamer and the closest I am to experiencing Farmville is through Mama Sez who reached level 30 or so before retiring. When asked why, she said there were other worthwhile stuffs to do online like blogging and she’s been quite successful in maintaining a very good hubber status here at hubpages. As a true Farmville fan, she even likened our ever increasing challenges in parenting as levelling up in Parentingville!
But addiction in online gaming can be a problem and has been talked about much. The worst that has happened so far is the death of a baby because the mother was upset when interrupted in her Farmville gaming by the demands of her baby. Obviously not an example of patience but of immaturity and escapism, this online game can be a boon to some but a bane to others and they are likely to be unaware of it.My two cents
While thinking about farming, Farmville and patience, I came up with some ideas to improve the game and the whole online farming concept to increase its usefulness in developing the virtue of patience in the gamer.
First, lengthen the waiting time as one move up in level. I see that it is necessary to provide instant benefits or prizes to sustain a gamer’s interest and that has been successfully implemented in Farmville with so much variety and interactions available as one continue to play and become better at it.
If patience is to be truly developed, there should be some point where increasing the challenge and interest also involve waiting longer to get higher rewards. This should be gradual and strategic to sustain interest. It may also just be an option or a choice that provides a different kind of challenges that offers greater rewards. Such challenges that simulate real world farming gives one a sense of accomplishment such that claims at being excellent virtual farmers need not be hollow honors but in fact realistic and meaningful.Note: while soliciting feedback from Mama Sez about this article, she once again visited her Farmville farm and was pleasantly surprised to find more features that fit what I wrote about increasing challenges with longer waiting to obtain better prizes. This is, of course, if one does not cheat and really play within the rules that patience and persistence is developed.Second, connect the game to actual existing farms and farmers. I later found out in my research that there are a few who have done something like this. They have connected online interest to real life farming that not only help support farmers in terms of direct marketing, but also provide online gamers opportunities to develop appreciation for real world farming. That appreciation may be enough to value what farmers do and how patience is key to a successful farming life in the real-world Farmville.
FarmVille for Real is trying to do this while promoting organic farming as well. City dwellers can design vegetable plots that farmer partners plant in real farms. The former is assured of organic food and shares in both abundance and loss of the farmer. The farmer is encouraged to produce organically with an assurance of market and reduced risk of complete crop failure.
Again it’s the element of waiting that is a huge hurdle for city dwellers that are used to walking into a grocery store and readily get what they need. By emphasizing on the relationship, contribution to farmers and production of safe and healthy food, and ownership over the whole process, people behind the concept are optimistic that the movement would gain momentum.“All good things come to he who waits” -ProverbWith the popularity of Facebook and Farmville, I see a glimmer of hope that virtues like patience can still be developed in the online world. That is, if game developers, online business people, gamers and online consumers see it as a virtue to learn to be patient. But then again, who am I kidding?
No comments:
Post a Comment