I have the PC version from BigFish.

The "Pro Tips" do not display long enough to read (and I read quite quickly); the fish that are meant to be collectible AREN'T. OK, technically they are, I got ONE. Mostly the kid just drops and nothing happens. - IF by some miracle I get there while they (the fish) are still jumping.

Wait times would be nice if they were shorter for a paid version since we've paid and don't have access to an in-game store to buy upgrades etc.
Lavastone wheel NEEDS lavastone balance for gambling addicts. Or potential addicts. Or even just those who like to know how much they've "spent" - am I in "budget" or not?

Not the best VV by a long shot, don't know if I'll even persist - but I'm obsessive so who knows.
Like the crafting idea but not the implementation (wait times).

Also seems to be far less intuitive than previous games - I have needed far more help already than ever before.

Overall, I have yet to see what I think, but the tech points required after level 1???? Basically, I'm kind of finding much more negative than positive but I REALLY wanted to like this game.

Thank you for your feedback on the paid version of the game.

We're always reviewing the in-game economy to ensure a balance of fairness and a reasonable difficulty level.

There are many other ways to earn Lavastones and Tech Points apart from buying them in the Marketplace - you can earn them through random events in the game, the trading ship, exploring volcanic cracks, the daily reward calendar, the Lavastone Generator and much more!

Let us know if you have any other questions and thanks for playing!

A note about the pro tips - the few I've managed to read are applicable to the mobile or online versions, not the BF version (I don't know if it differs from, for example, Steam or any other platform). There may not be a LOT of differences, but there are just enough to be confusing - herons, frogs, lemurs, green statues... to name what I've come across or read (either on forums or in pro tips) so far.
I don't have quick reflexes so I'm not expecting to collect anything that isn't either created/crafted or found (like magic is also a collectible).
What I really wish is that games that require the amounts of patience this game does were marked as such at the sales points. Unfortunately for someone like me, it is a factor in choosing a game. I bought this without even trying it because I liked the others, and while they required a level of patience, it was possible (nearly...).

In-game economy - not really sure what that is, but since this is essentially an adapted online game, I don't think the balance is there. Online games (in my VERY limited experience) are there to generate cash flow - fair enough, for example I worked out that the reason the lavastone generator pauses when I pause the game is to avoid deliberate misuse (I pause the game so nothing goes awry while I'm gone, not to cheat the system) - while in a paid version, well, we've paid already. If the price asked isn't fair, review that instead. Going from (again for example) 22,000 tech points to 130,000 tech points to 720,000 tech points is kind of excessive I would have thought. How does one sustain the colony while trying to achieve that kind of goal? In most technologies the jumps are similiar. That seems to me to weigh the game to an unreasonable difficulty level - but again, I am basing my opinions on comparisons to your previous VV games. 5/6 good ones is a very good effort. (I'm a harsh critic, sorry.)

Random events are, well, random. So they're not much of a guarantee, and the trading ship currently wants things I can't give it, and the things I can (well, would be able to if I had time to craft them) I don't have yet and will need - and can't craft before it leaves again anyway. It's a nice thought, but not very practical. *To me, anyway. At level 0 I didn't realise that once I'd traded that was it and I should WAIT until the last minute (or nearly) to maximise the benefits. Look, sorry to be so negative. Like I said I really wanted to like it, I still really want to like it, but I'm not sure I do. It REALLY needs a nice clear walkthrough like all the old ones had. Spoilered, sure, but available. I come looking for help and instead find more questions.


That said I won't not buy future games, but I will TEST them first!

I hope my criticisms are constructive feedback even though I imagine it's too late for this game, it is not my intent to simply slag the game off. I am trying to provide useful feedback for future endeavours.

I do have a question though - since this game does not offer the availability of playing more than one game at a time, nor does it have the speed options of previous games (not relevant to my question just another feedback note), is it possible to save the game file to come back to after starting a new game? I want to try to document exactly what happens when and what triggers what (and avoid some of my mistakes) if I can. Probably won't be able to, but I'd like to try. If it is, I've got Windows 10 on a PC (laptop).

Hi Lisa, as there are many points you've raised here, I'll try to address all of them I can in point form, to help improve your enjoyment of the game!

- The Pro Tips apply to all versions of the game, including paid versions

- Magic is a resource, which you'll need to craft a special item to progress in the game

- You can increase Tech Point production by assigning more scientist villagers to your Research Table, as well as adding Science Totems to your village

- Call the Trading Ship back at any time when you have the necessary resources/items, by clicking on the dragon head statue, which functions as a beacon

- We can't comment on the Big Fish version of the game as we don't support it, but it's not possible to save one village and create another in the same app. You could, for example, start one game in the Steam version and one in the Windows Store version (these are identical versions), that would be completely separate and both on the same device

If you wish to try a free-to-play desktop version of the game that comes with support from us, you can download it from Steam here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/949050/Virtual_Villagers_Origins_2/

And from the Windows Store:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/p/virtual-villagers-origins-2/9pdm6gwqb6zm

You can also play the game directly in Facebook or the Facebook Gameroom app on a desktop computer:

https://apps.facebook.com/villagersorigins

And finally, the game is still available for mobile devices in the iOS, Android, Amazon and Samsung app stores.

All of these versions do contain in-app purchases, but they're completely optional.

Please note that your game's data can't be transferred between versions or operating systems.

Thanks again for playing!

What is a Science Totem?
Where does one obtain such a thing?
How does one obtain such a thing?


I apologise for opening this can of worms; please feel free to take the constructive content as feedback, put it wherever you store that stuff, and then delete the topic.

Final Feedback (BF version):
Having wasted nearly 100 lavastones on the "necklace" wheel because there isn't a balance anywhere on that screen; having persisted to the point where I only have 4 puzzles of Chapter 2 to go (and at least 2 of those are nearly finished by the meter not time, just needed to upgrade crafting one last time); and having found that if I send a villager to an earthquake crack and they are not quick enough the rope goes back to the crafting hut; I just lost about 4 DAYS of progress through a tiny error in putting crafting materials together.

I hate it. I give it a Z- as I can't think of a low enough score. Your past work has been enjoyable but I will not be playing any other future games, especially those botched together for offline PC use. (I assume it was botched together without much testing due to the constant denials of responsibility. So what IS support then? All I wanted was answers to questions, not technical assistance.)

I am glad for you that the online versions are so much better received, and I do wish you continued success. But it just won't be from me.