Thanks, Barbara, that was interesting, but it didn't really answer my question as to why they stop studying the strange plants. Do you mean that the developers don't know why they stop their studies?

And sfrose, I'm sorry that I used an icon that you didn't like, but I am entitled to my opinion. I've had 3 villages running on VV1 since September, and the villagers in VV2 are just programmed differently in this game. The builders won't fix huts until the thing on the beach is uncovered. And if you take a master scientist and put them on farming, then that is what they will continue doing, even though you haven't checked that skill. There are a lot of great things about this game. I thought the way the puzzles played out was fiendishly clever the first time through the game. The graphics and added behaviors of the children are wonderful. My grandson loves the collectibles. However, after playing the first game for so long, I just find a lot of things frustrating in this version. So, I'm entitled to be a bit about it if I want to. I hate that they go grey at 55, that just seems too much like real life. And I'd prefer just to F6 my way through their clothes, and not have the sewing hut there to block the exercisers. It's cute to have the hospital, but the doctors get stuck pacing back and forth above the hospital. I miss having the drum to summon all the children. All computer games have bugs, and nothing in life is perfect, but I guess I just prefer the first game.