Garden-limited plants

I don't think I'd support this. Some players are forum shy and others may have a language barrier. Either way, I don't enjoy games that force community interaction. Players should be able to chose whether they want to garden alone or take part in the community

Personally, I think it's a great idea! It would be cool to trade with people and it would be fun to find out what flower you can breed c: However, I can see what JCStitches said, some people might not want to trade with others. All the same though, they could still pick up gifts from the flower adoption centre if they didn't feel like trading their own plants.

that's a pretty interesting idea!! it would definitely boost the activity level in the forums... and as clara said, if people had extras of their variant, they could gift them out through the adoption center. my only problem is someone just anonymously taking plants even if they didn't need that variant, or not posting to say that they took something. but i guess that happens sometimes already, so. :U plus it would be easier for shy people to get variants they needed.

and as for the language barrier, anyone playing flowergame would have to know at least german or english, since those are the only two languages offered, or use a translator, so putting a post though a translator would be no different than doing the same thing to the greenhouse text.

No, you can play the game without knowing either language, you just can't use the forums. You might miss the events, and you might not learn how to get the breed-only variants, but you can still play the game itself.

I'm a bit iffy about the idea of variants that are based on a particular user's scroll number, or something like that. While some of us can do trades, it will limit some people who are unable - or unwilling - to use the forums. I don't think the forums should be forced on anyone. But that's just my feelings on it.

Isn't one of the fundamental rules of the game that everyone is equal and any player can get any plant?
It could get a bit like DC where some people make ridiculous demands when trading rarer variants - which there would be. I wonder how many FG players there are and how many of those use the forums. I suspect not very many at all, in proportion, as it's always the same few players on here.

EDIT: Just read Mia's post and completely agree.

Quote from Shelybear

Since the game is welcoming its update, I guess an in-game message system(or something resemble) might be considered.

Quote from Exterminans

We actually do have plans to add more elements to the game, e.g. a crafting system, some type of ingame message system and a bunch of other social features. And we are now open to suggestions since the corresponding systems are not fully designed yet.

Quote from Exterminans

"Timeline" on your personal garden page

Notifications on flower growth
Personal messages from other users
Visitor counter

I think that's been covered.

Old event plants may not be available to new members immediately, but they ARE repeated. I think I have them all now - those I want, including a ghost which I didn't expect to get, ever.

Well, I think it's a neat idea - but perhaps they could do it on a volunteer based? Maybe another section of the game. Idk - just thinking out loud.

I personally like the idea of group dynamics but looking at other people, they may not prefer to interact with others on the forums. Also, the forum is of a different entity from the main site as it requires another account.

This sounds like a game I play on my tablet, where you randomly have a mine that gives only blue, red or yellow crystals and have to trade with others to get the two you are missing. I for one will never have the upgrades on the buildings that require the crystals, because I prefer games I can play all by myself and accomplish all tasks by myself. Gives me more of a feeling of completion and accomplishment. I don't mind sharing what I have, but I just don't really like being forced to be social.

I think that's it in a nutshell for me; I get more of a feeling of accomplishment when I can do it all myself, and don't have to rely upon others.

That's why VERY few of my plants are from trades; I wanted to find or breed them myself, if at all possible. Then I feel like I've accomplished my goal and done something by myself, which makes me feel very good.

Everyone has different drives, but that's mine, and it's why I avoid games that FORCE me to be social.

Quote from Shelybear

Few can play a game alone for a very long time.

Oh, I can! I'm actually quite anti-social. I see my friends once every couple of months and that's fine with me. (This may sound like we're not very close, but that's actually not true. I've known these friends for almost 40 years, and we're closer than you might think.) I have less of a need for social interaction than most people. I could happily become a hermit and never see anyone except once or twice a year and it wouldn't bother me, whereas one of my best friends is so social that he HAS to be doing something with friends every single day or he goes crazy. Different people have different levels of interaction needs; mine just happens to be at one extreme end.

So no, I can find a game amusing and interesting with no interaction with anyone whatsoever. The majority of my games include no interaction with other people at all (Sims 3, SimCity 4), and even the one that does (EQ2), I am in a guild all by myself and I solo everything and I am QUITE happy with this. (I become disgruntled whenever I come across a quest that FORCES me to group, because I hate grouping.)

As for your last bit, that it wouldn't need to be rare, the fact that it's limited by garden would automatically make it uncommon. For the most part, in this game there aren't many uncommon (I don't want to say rare, because I don't think anything here IS actually rare) variants except a few breed-only variants (like the black rose), and a couple of the older event "plants" (like the reddish rabbit). But the breed-only variants can be gotten by anyone with a little persistence, and even the more uncommon event plants can be gotten by anyone eventually. If you limit a plant by garden, many people will never get one, unless those with a garden who CAN get that variant deliberately get extras in order to gift them. Right now this game is a lot nicer than Dragon Cave because everyone can get everything on their own, but if you want to make it more like DC, then the stress level in this game will go up. I for one wouldn't appreciate that. I like this game BECAUSE it isn't stressful. Please don't turn it into another DC.

Quote from MiaSkywalker

Right now this game is a lot nicer than Dragon Cave because everyone can get everything on their own, but if you want to make it more like DC, then the stress level in this game will go up. I for one wouldn't appreciate that. I like this game BECAUSE it isn't stressful. Please don't turn it into another DC.

Quoting this because it sums up why I stopped enjoying DC very fast. I love the relaxed pace of Flowergame and the fact that I can get all my plants on my own as long as I'm patient

Would it be possible to make it optional?
You'd have to make a choice to either be able to grow all variants slowly or only one variant very fast (maybe the first option taking twice as long as normal and the second only half as long as normal).

Quote from Shelybear

I'm definitely a patient person and it's not hard for me to wait couple years and raise all variants by myself.

You know, if you're lucky you could possibly get all the flowers in less than a year. I've been playing for a year and a month and I'm only missing 8 plants (and I've had a lot of duplicates grow up).

But yeah, I agree with the general sentiment. I'm not particularly social myself and if joining the forums had been compulsory for getting all the plants, I'd be a lot less happier here. And likely a lot more scarce too. (I hardly ever venture outside trading subforum on DC) My joining here was my choice and I'm happy with that.