Helpful VF2 iOS Tips & Answers

Posted by: MissKathyAdministrator

Helpful VF2 iOS Tips & Answers - 02/01/13 12:47 AM

**IMPORTANT MESSAGE**
Is it ok to change the date and time on my device to make my game go faster and/or to get lots of coins? No, we highly recommend that you NOT alter your device clock to make your game go faster or to get coins. It prevents the game from running normally, due to the complexities of the game's real-time engine, which requires an accurate clock.

Click to reveal..
While that sort of "time travel" is a popular way to speed up game play, real-time games rely on the accuracy of the device's system clock to operate properly. Unpredictable results can occur if adjustments are made to the clock, especially moving the clock backwards in time. Different games will respond differently under those circumstances, ranging from minor statistics anomalies to killing whatever is living in the game. Virtual Families 2: Our Dream House has a much more complex real-time engine than some of our other games, and you're much more likely to see problems with it when adjusting the system clock.

Some problems you may experience are that your little people may not be able to age normally, store areas may not rotate or restock (Sale items, Flea market, Clothing), proposals and email events may no longer arrive, if you hired a maid/gardener they may stop coming to the house (and you won't be able to fire them or hire another one), etc.

While many people do adjust their system clocks to speed up play, doing so affects far more than just the games. Every application in your device is affected, including the file system and other system applications. For all of those reasons, we do not recommend changing your device's clock to speed up game play.

If you've adjusted your device's clock and are now having problems with your game running normally, there are a couple of ways to resolve the problem: If you are still in the first generation and want to "start over", you can evict your family without affecting in-app purchases and game progress. That will start you out with a new family member, who should age properly if the clock remains accurate. Otherwise, you will need to wait until the time issue resolves itself. Pausing the game may ease the wait time.
Please note that if you have purchased any coins, you should definitely not delete and reinstall the game in an attempt to resolve a problem with the game. Doing so will cause you to lose all of your purchased coins, and we have no method of restoring those purchases, due to how Apple's In-App purchase system operates.

For more information about how In-App purchases work, Apple has a knowledge base article that is very helpful.


A. Tips for successfully growing your little family
Click to reveal..

1. How do I get my couple to try to make a baby?
Click to reveal..
Make sure your little couple has a cozy place to snuggle (sofa or bed will work) and then drag the adult male onto the adult female or vice versa. With any luck, your little family will have a new addition soon!


2. My couple won't make a baby. As soon as it says "Trying to make a baby", one of the little people walks away to do something else.
Click to reveal..
This usually occurs because there is something blocking the path between your little person and where they need to go (bed, sofa, etc). The most likely cause is furniture or other decor items that you have placed in the house. Even if it looks clear to you, they might think it isn't. Our little family members can be pretty picky about what "clear" means!

Some examples of how to correct the problem are:
  • If the little people suddenly change their mind about trying to make a baby, try moving the bed or couch away from any walls and try for a baby again.
  • If it still gives you trouble, place the bed or couch on the front porch (or even in the yard). They shouldn't have any problems getting to the furniture then.
Just make sure to put it back into the house afterward, so that the little people don't have to sleep outdoors and make themselves sick!


3. My couple always argue about having a baby, what do I do?
Click to reveal..
If they argue, just keep dropping them onto each other repeatedly until they try. There is no need to wait. Keep in mind that (just like real people) the more children they have, the less likely they are to want more children, which can cause them to argue about having another baby. This is especially true if one or both of the parents are showing "Not Really" or "No Way" for wanting children.

It is also recommended that you make sure they are happy, healthy and well fed, although I have had babies (and even multiples) when my little peeps were exhausted and hungry. smile


4. My couple keeps saying "It's too soon" to make a baby, what do I do?
Click to reveal..
You can see the "too soon" message either after the mom stops nursing the baby or shortly after a previous attempt at baby making. How long a couple will want to wait after a baby is born before having another child, or between attempts to produce a baby, varies depending upon their desire to have children. For example, couples who "definitely" want children will be willing to try sooner than those who "no way" want children. The length of time you will need to wait between attempts can range from 15 to 45 minutes. Just keep trying. smile


5. My couple won't make a baby. How do I adopt a child?
Click to reveal..
You can adopt children at any time by accessing the Special Upgrades category in the Store and tapping "Adoption Services." Each adoption costs 4000 coins (not real money). Your little family will then grow by one. smile


6. What is the cutoff age for having children? When is a woman too old to have babies?
Click to reveal..
There is no set age at which couples can no longer produce a baby. As with real life, though, it will be rare to see a baby born to couples in their 50s and beyond, although they can still adopt a child.


7. What is baby boost? How does baby boost work? Can baby boost give me twins or triplets?
Click to reveal..
Baby boost simply increases the chances of having a baby. Because there is a small chance of having a multiple birth when you are successful at having a baby, then yes, it can increase the chance of a multiple birth (but only because it increases the chance of a birth). A doctor's consult will tell you if one or both of your little people need baby boost.


B. Tips for managing your little family
Click to reveal..
1. My little people are freaking out because the sink is leaking, the shower or toilet is clogged, or there's a fire burning. They won't fix it or do anything else. What do I do?
Click to reveal..
One of your little people (age 14 and up) must fix the sink / shower / toilet / fire before everyone will calm down and do something else. See this post for spoilers on how to fix these common household problems.

Sometimes it will take an additional minute for other family members to realize that the problem has been fixed. If it bothers you, you can always pick them up and drop them after the repair is complete to "snap" them out of it. smile


2. My little person gets stuck when I praise him/her. They just stand there waving. What's wrong?
Click to reveal..
This happens when your little person doesn't like jumping. Just pick them up and put them back on task after praising them. You can also purchase the "Systematic Desensitization" in your little person's Upgrade Me! section to remove the dislike.

To access the "Upgrade Me!" section for each of your little people:
1) Tap your little person to select them, then tap their portrait (picture) near the bottom-left of the game play area, opening their "Details" screen.
2) Tap the purple "badge" labeled "Upgrade Me" at the upper-left corner on the Details screen. You will now see all the upgrades that are available for that little person. You may see checkmarks on services that you did not purchase. Don't worry, these checkmarks just mean your little person does not need these services at this time.
3) Choose the upgrade you want, tap "OK' to dismiss the confirmation, then tap "Done" to return back to the game play area. Voila!


3. Why are my little people constantly looking for snacks, heating up food, etc?
Click to reveal..
Just like you and me, your little family gets hungry. Teach them how to prepare a meal and then sit them down to eat it. smile If they still insist on looking for snacks when meals are present, and it bothers you, scold them so that they will learn that you want them to eat meals instead.


4. How can I find out how much food my little people have in the refrigerator?
Click to reveal..
Tap the refrigerator, and the available amount of food will be shown above the Action/Status bar at the bottom of the screen. It's important to make sure that your little family always has enough food to eat, especially when left overnight, or if you're going to be away for a long time. Otherwise they may become weak and starve.


5. My little people never do what I want them to do! They won't work on their career. The kids are always being naughty and disrupting their parents.
Click to reveal..
How you shape your little people's behavior is completely up to you! Your family continues to do what they have learned from you, based on what you encourage (with the green glove) or discourage (with the red glove). If you want them to work on their career, place them in the career room and praise them with the green glove (or yummy candy/fruit) when they begin to work on their career. When a child is being naughty, discourage the behavior by using the red glove on them (or salty candy). Just remember to praise them for positive behaviors; otherwise they will become "a bit blue" and later "depressed."


6. Why are there checkmarks next to "Psychotherapy" and/or "Systematic Desensitization" in the Upgrade Me! section for my little person? I didn't buy them.
Click to reveal..
When these items are "checked" it means your little person does not need these services at this time. Think of it as purchase protection. smile Desensitization is useful for removing a dislike. Very handy when you have a peep who dislikes "running". Psychotherapy will help your family member only if they are depressed, in which case, there will be no checkmark, and you will be able to purchase the service if you want to use it.


7. My couple just had a baby! How can I see what it is?
Click to reveal..
You can see what the new baby looks like, and his or her name, by viewing the "Family Tree" in the Family screen. Tap the “Menu” button at the bottom-left of the game play screen, tap “Family” and scroll down. The last child shown to the right of the parents is the new addition to your little family. smile


8. How long does it take to nurse a baby? How long until a baby grows up? How fast do my little people age?
Click to reveal..
From birth to two years of age takes the equivalent of 4 hours of our time. From two years of age until death our little people age at approximately one year every four hours. So from two years, until they leave home at the age of nineteen years, is a total of 68 hours of real life time.


9. How long do kids stay in the house? What happens when the kids leave home?
Click to reveal..
Children stay at home until the age of 19, unless you've sent them to boarding school or they went off to be famous. You won't see them again until you're ready to choose one of them to begin the next generation, although they do send their parents e-mails occasionally. The parents continue to live in the home.

Upon the death of either spouse, you are presented with the "Next Generation" screen with complete instructions on choosing your next generation. You may choose to wait and begin your next generation after the remaining spouse has died, meaning your family will continue to live in the house with the surviving spouse and remaining children under the age of 19, or you may choose ONE child to pass the house to and begin your next generation immediately.
When you choose to begin the next generation all the children are randomized - their ages, desire for children and jobs are completely random, just as when you chose your first adoptee. You select one of them to inherit the house, all of its furnishings, the family bank account, collectibles and all of the progress you have made in the game.


10. Can kids work?
Click to reveal..
Children do not have careers. However, they can be very helpful around the house by washing dishes, taking out the trash, cleaning dirt smudges, wrappers and socks up off the floor. Of course they can also pick up collectibles while their parents are busy working.


11. Can I train my kids to choose the career I want them to have?
Click to reveal..
No. When you choose next generation, the children's ages, careers and other information are completely randomized. Only their names, likes and dislikes and appearance stay the same.


12. I put the husband in the shower, then he takes a nap in it! Is he sick?
Click to reveal..
It is possible that someone in the family opened a "special" e-mail and it had a delayed effect on him. LOL! After he finishes his shower he should automatically go take a nap. If you have other plans for him you can pick him up and then put him down and he'll go do something else.


C. Tips for managing your little family's health
Click to reveal..
1. One (or more) of my little people is weak or extremely weak and their health is low. How do I raise it?
Click to reveal..
First of all, make sure there is food in the refrigerator. Next, if they are sick, you must cure the sickness. If their status shows that they are "Sick," drop them several times until their action line gives you an indication of the symptom they are having. The symptom will let you know what medication they will need from the store.

In addition to illnesses that require basic medications, our little people sometimes get infections that will require antibiotics. A physician consult will tell you if they have an infection and, if so, which antibiotic they need.

Fruits, antibacterial hand gel and vitamins (sometimes available in the Flea Market) are also helpful for improving health.

For a spoiler of sicknesses and cures see this post.


2. One (or more) of my little people is tired or exhausted a lot. How do I raise their energy?
Click to reveal..
The game is designed to run in "real time" so that your little people get a full night's rest when you do. The game should be closed for 6-8 hours and left un-paused so that they can sleep uninterrupted. Your little people will feel more rested if they each have a bed to sleep in. Also make sure that the Reverse Day/Night box in the Settings Menu is set to "No." smile

To completely close the game you should do so through the Multi-task Bar on your iOS device. If you don't know how to quit the game from the multi-task bar, please refer to the user manual for your device or Apple's support document about iOS multitasking.


3. My little person/family is depressed or a little blue. What is wrong? How can I make them happy?
Click to reveal..
Our little families will become depressed after they lose a family member. They usually recover fairly quickly from the loss though. People who “definitely” want children can become “blue” or “depressed” if they don't have them. However, those who “no way” want children will often go from happy to elated when they get them. Illnesses also bring their happiness levels down.

There are many ways to improve your little people's moods. Spend time with them; they enjoy attention from you. smile Praising them for good actions using the green glove, candy and/or fruits, purchasing home improvements, as well as keeping the house clean are just a few examples.

You can also purchase Psychotherapy services for your little person by tapping their Upgrade Me! button on their Details page.


D. Tips for managing your little family's home
Click to reveal..
1. I bought a maid and a gardener. They came once and then they left.
Click to reveal..
The maid and the gardener don't actually live at the house. They come when needed (as you enter the game), do their work and then they leave. They will come back once every hour. They prefer to work during the day, so you won't see them at night.


2. Help! There's a wrapper/sock on the floor and nobody will pick it up, no matter how many times I drop them on it.
Click to reveal..
For wrappers, this usually means 1 of 2 things: Either the trash can is full or your little people "think" that something is blocking their path to the trash can. To tell the difference, look at the message in the player feedback area (the blue area above the Action/Status bar). When you drop a family member on the wrapper, the feedback area will either say that the trash is full, or there will be no feedback/message and the little person will choose another activity and walk off.

If the trash is full, drop one of your little people at the trash can to take out the trash. If the trash is not full, your little person "thinks" there's something blocking a clear path to the trash can. Try moving furniture or other decor items that could be perceived as "blocking" your little person's path and have them try to pick up the wrapper again. If they still fail, continue moving things our of their way until they are able to place the wrapper into the trash. smile

For socks: Drop a family member on the sock and look at their Action line. If it says "Picking up a sock" and then quickly changes to something else and the little person walks away, then your little person "thinks" there's something blocking their path to the washer (or to the sock pile in the bathroom if you don't yet have a washer). Try moving furniture or other decor items that could be perceived as "blocking" your little persons path and have them try to pick up the sock again. Continue moving things our of their way until they are able to take the sock where it needs to go. smile


3. How do I fix the house/hire workers to fix the house?
Click to reveal..
To fix the house, tap “Store” and then “Home Renovation” to see which rooms are available to fix. After you make your purchase, a team of workers will arrive at the home to complete the renovation. Additional rooms become available as your family progresses to the 5th generation, at which point all rooms will be unlocked.


4. How do I progress to different levels?
Click to reveal..
When one of the adults has passed away you will be given the opportunity to choose one of the children to pass the house to, to begin a new generation (level). You will be able to choose any child in the family (a child still living in the home or one who has gone away to college or boarding school). If you're not ready, you can wait until the second adult passes.


5. Can I sell the furniture and other decor items that I no longer want?
Click to reveal..
Yes. To sell these items, with the Decor tray open, drag the furniture you want to sell to the area outside the front gate. Green colored text will come up above the item and will tell you the number of coins you will get for it. Example: Sell for 22. If you're happy with that price then drop the item and it will be gone and the coins will be added to the family bank. Don't expect to get the full price of the item. If you decide not to sell it then don't drop it. Put the item back into the house or in your decor tray. Once sold you cannot retrieve the item but you can repurchase it from the store.


6. Why are all my little family members freaking out about the leaky sink, clogged toilet/shower, and fire instead of doing something to fix it?
Click to reveal..
Your little people do not know how to fix these problems without your guidance. Take one of your little people (age 14 and up) to the right tool for the job and they will happily fix the problem. smile See this post for spoilers on how to fix these common household problems. Sometimes it will take an additional minute for other family members to realize that the problem has been fixed. If it bothers you, you can always pick them up and drop them after the repair is complete to "snap" them out of it.


E. Store tips and information
Click to reveal..
1. I bought everything in the Flea Market and it didn't restock. Is this a glitch?
Click to reveal..
The Flea Market restocks approximately every 6-7 hours.


2. Why are items 1/2 price in the Sale category of the store but at the same time full price in another category of the store?
Click to reveal..
Those are actually two different "places" to purchase items. Think of it as separate showrooms (one for the regular store, and one in an "overstock" area). In order to get the sale price, you must go to the sale area.


3. What do the locks on store items mean?
Click to reveal..
The number on the locks tells you how many generations need to have owned the house before that item can be accessed. Once you have reached that generation, the lock will be removed.


F. Other Helpful Game Play Tips
Click to reveal..
1. Where is the "Start Over" button?
Click to reveal..
Virtual Families 2: Our Dream House does not have a "Start Over" button. If it did, and you chose to start your game over, you would lose all of your purchased coins. You can “evict” your first family and start with a new adoptee, as long as you do that before beginning the second generation. This feature allows you to keep everything you have accomplished in the game, while starting a new family from the beginning.


2. What is the "Evict" button? Where do I find it?
Click to reveal..
If you are still in your first generation and want to "start over," you can choose to evict your family without affecting in-app purchases and game progress (you keep the house, all of the furniture and decor items you purchased, all the renovations, and all the money in the family bank account). Your original family will be gone and you will be able choose a new person to live in the house and start a family. Perhaps you want someone with a different career, a new spouse (perhaps one that has more money in the bank), have fewer children, etc. You can only do this one time, though, and ONLY in the first generation. The “Evict” button can be found by tapping “Menu” then “Settings”. It will be visible next to the “Done” button and will disappear after it's used. If unused, it will disappear after your family moves to the 2nd generation.


3. I can't find any bugs! Where are the bugs? Are there any tips for finding bugs?
Click to reveal..
Bugs like it when it's wet outside. Try looking for them when it is raining. There is also an e-mail weather event from the helpful neighbor, and tropical rain is sometimes available in the Flea Market area of the Store. There's also another surprise way to get bugs. smile


4. Where is the Family / Collections / Goals Screens?
Click to reveal..
To access the Family Screen/Family Tree (and other menu screens):
1) Tap the orange "Menu" button at the lower-left of the game play area.
2) Then tap whichever screen you want to view: Settings, Goals, Family, Buy Coins, Help, Upgrades!, Store, Collections.
3) Tap "Done" to return to the game play area.
4) To leave the Menu tap the "X" in the upper-right corner of the screen.

You can also access the Collections screen in-game by dropping one of your little people on the wide cabinet in the hallway, outside of the kitchen/office.


Also see Fires, leaks, clogs and more! for additional tips.