19 June 2010

Confession Time: I am a Farmville Hoarder.


They say that the first step to dealing with a problem is confessing the problem. So hear goes.

I am a Farmville Hoarder.

For those living under a rock, let me explain Farmville. Basically it goes something like this:
  • You create a little farm utopia by plotting little squares of land, planting & harvesting crops (which have a coin, experience point attached), planting & harvesting trees, raising animals.
  • Along the way, you gain coin and experience to level up to by "level" only items and gifts.
  • The social aspect of the game means you send gifts, fertilize your neighbours crops, grab loot they post on their wall.
  • To do any of the actions above, follow this sequence: click, click, click, click, click, click, oh..shiny thing, click click click, back to wall, click, click, click, back to game, click, click, click.
  • It is a complete addictive time waster and just when you get bored, they introduce something new and shiny that you MUST have.
I'm cool and confident enough to admit I have a Farmville addiction. I know they signs. I see the symptoms, made worse by my stagnant unemployment. I see the folly in going to 7-11 to buy special Zynga items (and do so anyways just to get more items). I recognize that since I was laid off, I spend almost all day on Farmville instead of looking for a job. I get that this was made worse by "Mr. M" going to the States for a freaking month vacation (planned prior to relationship and my fault for not updating my passport sooner because I probably was wasting time playing Farmville). And I also see the folly in staying up all hours of the day and night to play this game. I notice my tendencies to talk about Farmville with my real life friends. I am cool with my addiction. * or at least until Mr. M. gets back and my life can revolve around him as is apt in new relationships.

But the most serious problem that is emerging is this: I am becoming a hoarder.

As I discussed, Zynga, the evil creators of Farmville (and it's equally nefarious cousins Mafia Wars etc...) keep coming out with shiny new things that I MUST HAVE. And therein lies the problem: I MUST HAVE every little item that I can get my greedy hands on. And now my farm looks like an episode of A&E's Hoarders.

This is very very bad. My want to have things I don't need on my farm, coupled with my attraction to shiny new stuff means my farm is a complete waste land. In real life, my farm would be condemned. With the shear amount of animals, I'm surprised my virtual horses haven't died from avian flu due to the sheer number of chickens.

And what is made worse is that I want a pretty farm like other people so I spend hours organizing my farm to look like this epic place of grandeur. I get hooked on buildings and spend hours trying to get enough of God knows what to get some exclusive item like the Eiffel Tower. I ask you: have you ever seen a farm with the Eiffel Tower? Nope. Didn't think so. But I must have it. To make an international theme. Have too many cows? Don't purge them, just buy more barns! My farm looks like a big old blahp of junk. The only thing missing are some virtual junkyard cars on in front of one of my 6 or so virtual houses.

Part of this stems from a bitter experience where I accumulated things and then not the day after I deleted them, they came out with something new that required the things I deleted. And I hate shameless wall post begging! *The wall posts are both a blessing (if you are receiving said gift) and a curse (if you hate wall clutter as a giver and your friends hate your page because it's all application related).

This is insanity I tell you! The fact that I am even blogging about this goes to show how deep my addiction is and how ashamed of how I have become such a hoarder! And I look to my left as I type this and I see the two piles of unfolded laundry and the three piles of clothes that need to be sorted for donation or keeping.... good gracious...this hoarding is spilling over.

HELP! I NEED AN INTERVENTION!

6 comments:

Elizabeth said...

ha ha ha ha ha! you are terribly funny my friend.

come play Mallworld. it's like shopping. :p and I swear, you won't get addicted.... yeah.... no problem.....

Anonymous said...

I don't understand what the problem is. All these activities sound completely healthy to me...

p.s. this comment comes from the man who spends all night rating men I want to date on OK Cupid and when I find one I like taking like 100 compatibility tests to see if we're a match. Oh, and I think I've applied for 1 job this week... Sorry, wait, that was last week...

p.s.s. Farmville promotes taking care of the earth and healthy eating so technically, you're doing your civic duty...

p.s.s.s. how DARE Mr. M leave you for a month! Doesn't he know about the line of men waiting to go out with you and he leaves! There better be some amazing gifts from the USA when he returns!

Dani said...

Mary. NO. NO MORE GAMES. NOOOO. Well maybe. I might check it out. No promises.

LOL Junior. He is buying me stuff so all is good with the world. LOL

Girl in Carolina said...

That was me a few months ago! Could.Not.Stop.Farming. I was at the dinner table, and would think "omg I wonder if my grapes are ready for harvesting!" That's when you know you have a problem. LOL

Not sure what happened, but a few weeks ago, I just sort've stopped. I guess I burned out. Just ride it out...you'll be ok! hee hee If that's your only addiction, you are doing just fine! :)

Girl in Carolina said...

OH PS I also knew when I had a problem with FV when I whipped out my credit card to buy more FV dollars. Here's your sign...

Dani said...

LOL. Yah. I need to stop. Now.