Food always seems to be a problem. I'm still on Level One, so is the bush the only food source?

no you have to generate your tech skills in order to earn points to buy the 2nd level harvesting...then you can plant crops, at level 3 you can fish...etc. you have to purchase the full version in order to enjoy it to the fullest.

When I play the game I always lose because before i even get to level 2 in building it doesnt work and when i get to the 2 level my food runs out and i lose. I GET SOOOO MAD!

You really should choose Level 2 of Harvesting before any other Village Techs. Another food source is essential to the villagers' survival. Higher levels of Building technologies are related more to the puzzles than they are to helping the villagers stay alive.

Something I've always wanted to know, but can never seem to test myself...Is there a real advantage to saving up tech points to buy the highest level of the Science tech before all the others? (After, of course, purchasing at least Level 2 of Harvesting, so they don't starve in the process)

I try to save up for the highest level of Science, so that the tech points multiply faster, so that I can get the others more easily, but I can never do it! As soon as I get enough points that would purchase other [lesser] Village Tech, I spend it on those! lol!

In other words, how much do the points increase with each level of Science?

It's not quite that simple, since the skill level of each researcher affects how many points they will generate - as they gain skill, they will produce more and more points with each attempt. But you are correct that a researcher of a given skill level will produce significantly more points once you have attained Level 3 of Science!

I think I've tried what Brenda said, at least once, in my early days of playing VS. But I could only get up to Level 2 and I was struggling with famine by then, so it's hard to go for Level 3 in Science before going for Level 3 in Harvesting.

One has to consider the tech points required for each levels. Levels in Harvesting demand much less tech points than say respective levels in Science or Medicine. So naturally it's logical to prioritise & secure the food source first.

However, I could only come to this realisation after playing the games many times over. It's not apparent to me in the initial games I played. So may be I am not as logical & rational as I thought I'm.

Thanks gang... So it sounds like it's worth reaching all 3 levels in Science, ONLY if you can survive that long, lol! By the time you can benefit from those substantial increases in points from level 3 Science to spend on the other tech levels, then you almost don't need them, because you've already had to make the other purchases, as needed, to keep your village moving along happily. And level 3 Science in itself is painfully slow to acquire anyway, so I guess it's a toss-up for necessity’s sake.

I've gotten up to all 3 Science levels and level 2 Harvesting, simultaneously, and can hold everything together with that, but then I have to proceed methodically with population control and pacing out the building tasks, so that when the need arises, I'll always have a Master builder on hand (and not near death, lol!). But that gets difficult too, as some of the building projects can only be done with certain other tech levels reached. I would try leaving the Medicine tech for last, as the villagers seem to be able to heal each other, regardless, but then they don't live as long either, without higher Medicine tech levels too. Sooo...So it's a dizzy circle... but definitely a fun one! Probably why the game is so addicting, over and over... and over and over.

There are just so many ways of approaching the game. I guess it also reflects on how we deal with challenges in our own lives. I think how I play my games reflects how I am in real life. I play safe and I don't plan too far ahead. That is why I can play a game and leave it on for days and months after solving all the puzzles. I'm like an old granny in this sense! LOL

But of course, during the initial few games, I tend to work differently because I wanna challenge myself and see how fast I can solve each puzzles and yet maintain my village. Also after challenging the Easy game, I will try out the Medium and then Hard game.

I guess I'm more "easy" going... I have never played any of these games on anything but Easy. I'm such a whimp!

LOL you big wimp! You have to try the next level. Come on Brenda, you can do it! I just know it!

lol! But I have enough challenges in my life! I'm even "Organizationally Impaired" ...in other words, I can't open my closets without a hard hat on.

Now, if we could only put life on Easy mode! lol!

LOL! Brenda, u r not alone in the terms of the closets & a hard hat! Nobody can believe that I am such a messy person until they step into my room! Hohoho!

I think I am more organised when I play VS, hahaha! That's cuz it's much more interesting than cleaning and tidying my room. And I get the villagers to do all the dirty work!

That's for sure. I myself wander away from tasks so easily. Yet when my villagers wander off, I drag them back and say "No you don't! Get back to what you're suppose to do!" lol!

Such power!

lol! They're a little slow on the up-take, aren't they. We'll have to start a thread on Village Sim Psychology-101

LOL! We're beyond help with our involvement and commitment with these villagers! Well, at least now we know how God feels!

I was pretty much like a slave driver initially. But now I am more laid back as God. LOL! I guess v1.1 isn't as tough as v1.0, so I can afford to be a bit more laidback.

They do attack the food pile a lot with the events. I kept encountering the storm that washed away my food. Then yesterday it's the food pile getting mouldy. We really need some more interesting events happening.

I haven't even installed v1.1 yet, so I'm not sure I want even MORE food-flooding storms! Maybe if the storms only washed away HALF the pile, it wouldn't be so bad. lol... after reaching all tech levels, the food pile gets up into the thousands, so the villagers could easily squeak by on half that.

LOL, well Brenda, I've finished a 1.1 game last week and not once did I have the storm. I did have the birds with the bush, but never lost my food. It is still completly random and the "law" of averages will catch up with me, I'm sure.

Yep, if there's a one-in-a-million "Typhoon" event, it's probably headed your way.

...or at the very least, a Village Sim's rendition of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". lol

Warren, you're so lucky! I was hit by moulds last week after being hit by storms many times over. Seems like all the challenges I ever face is to do with food source. So bored of it! May be it's time to start a new game?

I get hit by the birdies a bit but usually it's when my food pile is still so sky high, so not much effect felt. During this game, I've not seen much of other events. I do get the drum and this floating "cargo" thingie and also the red vial. But I guess I play it too safe. Next time I should just go for them.

I have not come across in this game is the face in the bush. I used to get it a lot and always crossed my fingers and hope that its outcome is good!

Brenda, have you started with v1.1?

No, I've not installed v1.1 yet. I'm soooo slow at getting to things (sooo sidetracked, is more like it!). I downloaded it eons ago, but just haven't gotten around to installing it yet.

One of these days... lol!

Brenda, is it also a case of not able to let go of v1.0 and the savedgame?

I hesitated too initially because I knew that my old games would be gone and I wasn't sure if I could still use VS Editor and Toolkit. The thought of starting a new game was not that appealing as I am used to being laidback now. Luckily it was not such a hard game and I was able to solve the puzzles and secure survival for them all pretty soon.

Hope that you'll join the v1.1 bandwagon soon!

lol, nah, it's not that. Not for me anyway. I did have that problem early on, before v1.1 though, so I know how you felt. Back when VS first came out, I played my original game for what seemed like forever! In fact, I posted my final stats here somewhere when my village finally died. It was sad, but due, as I wasn't taking good care of them anymore. I've had a few new villages since then, and just play them through until all puzzles are solved, then I start over. I think I've reached a point where they aren't as endearing, and it's just "the game" now.

Still a fun game though, and there's very few games out there that have held my attention for so long. LDW games even surpassed Bejeweled 2, which was my all time favorite! (and still play when I get sleepy but can't sleep, lol)

Ahh Brenda, you have moved on and is able to "let go" now, so to speak, hahaha! I still prefer to keep a solved game going on until I feel like starting a new game. A new game means more attention and I can't give that all the time.

So far the Isola Trilogy has surpassed Bejeweled or equivalent puzzle games for me because puzzle games are pretty repetitive and it never seems to end if you're pretty good. And with puzzle games, I tend to get a bit stress out esp. if I am running against time - it makes falling asleep hard afterwards.

I definitely know what you mean. Life can get too crazy and hectic as it is, so I like my games to be relaxing and rewarding, not hurried and tense. Bejeweled2 is a prime example. It has it's fast, beat-the-clock modes, for those that like intensity in their games, but "Endless Mode" is the only level I play at. "Tense" is not what I personally look for in a game. Endless is relaxing, and just slow moving enough that I can enjoy the game, and the beautiful graphics ...until it puts me to sleep. lol So when I have a few moments where I need to unwind, or can't sleep, that does the trick.

LDW games, on the other hand, are relaxing (especially FT, because of the motion of the fish), but not put-you-to-sleep relaxing, just involved-without-stress relaxing.

And because of the way they progress, and depending on the speed level you choose, you don't need to be at it all the time... just check in when you have a moment. Or stay and play when you have the time. Not too many (any?) games out there give that sort of customized involvement.

In this "super gaming" age, it taks a brave programmer to venture into a different arena of gaming than the standard cookie-cutter games of the beat-the-clock or how-many-can-you-shoot genre. And it takes near genius to actually succeed. LDW games prove that it can be done.

Ooops, guess I should have checked the forum BEFORE having two cups of coffee?

The idea of creating a game is that: entertain, keep the people happy, and enjoy the games. Sometimes by the beautiful grapics, other apps for the music, or the gameplay. For the people, a game is a bad game if he/she doesn't like it.

Absolutely!

Oooo, that reminds me... I hope they use the same music that's in the handheld version for the PC version. Both tunes were so perfect for the atmosphere of Village Sim! Happy and cartoon-like, very enjoyable music.

Brenda, you said it all!

As per music, I don't use it for my Isola Trilogy, well, not for FT nor VS. I find them annoying somehow, hahaha! So thanx to LDW that it's optional.