My Nightmare before Christmas

I don't even know why I am surprised anymore by the B.S.  It is Christmas Eve, and I, like many of you I am sure, have a busy day today.  And when does Zynga decide to spring a 2x build? That's right, on Christmas freaking Eve.  So please hang with me through this entry, it will have a point.

THE SCENARIO:

Every year my family goes to see a movie on Christmas Eve, this year we are going to see The Hobbit....at 12:00 P.M. Central...   FACE FREAKING PALM.

I realize this will speak greatly to the depth of my addiction, but when I spend the amount of money that I spend in anticipation of a 2x build, I have little choice but to do what I have to do to catch it.  This year I will be late to the movie.  I will have to drive separate and find a parking spot. Blah blah blah.

Bottom line this 2x build will disrupt my plans in real life.  I get that it is my choice (sort of), but this is the how Zynga has designed the game.  Zynga has created a game, by design, that is extremely competitive and addictive.  

MY POINT:

So why I am I bitching and moaning about all this to you?  Welp, because I believe there is a much more effective way to execute the timing of these 2x builds.  I have repeatedly told this to Customer Support: instead of designating a random time during the day of a 2x build, allow the player to trigger the time on the day chosen.

If today, of all days, just HAD to be the day for a 2x build, why could that 45 minute time frame for a 2x be TRIGGERED to start at whatever time is convenient for the individual?  THE MADNESS MUST STOP!!! but of course, madness is what Zynga does best.

Let the players trigger the 2x build event clock on the day a 2x build is released. Then so much stress over these things will be relieved.  Zynga has certainly proven they know how to use a freaking countdown timer FFS.  They are all over the damn place.

ANYWAY, Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or Happy Hanukah, or what have you from me and the crew.

And a Merry Screw you to Zynga too.

{ℳ}қ-ultr㋰² @ Ł๑қɨ  aka ҚetąmῗиeҚῗd

Marketplace: More Sale Crap or Zynga Fundraiser 9/03

Pop-ups are getting overwhelming again for me, what about you? This is worse than Marketplace Mess (facepalm)

The Rewards Card Sale "Event" is going on for 6 more days, get some skill points as you spend your way to Mafia Wars Oblivion. There is some nice loot in the Limited Edition area, but how long will it be "nice"?

Pick Your Own Bundle popped up on me too, and the best deal I could find was this:

+8 Skill Points x3 for 57 Reward Points.

Spotlight Sale "Event" is still going on, and we can hope if you purchase other sale "event" items that those will count *towards* completing this, but we're dealing with Zynga, so who knows?

Psychology Crates are on sale as well. What's inside Psychology Crates 

And because too much is never enough with Zynga, we also have the Group Sale going on. 

I don't know about you, but I am not going to be buying a whole bunch right now, considering Reward Points are still *not* on sale.

2x Builds....where the HELL are you?

If you're like me you have a job.  I work construction/remodel, and computers just aren't really part of my work day, so when the bastages at Zynga SCHEDULE a two FREAKING hour BLOCK of time to do these elusive 2x builds while I am working, it sort of chaps my ass a bit.

I have BLASTED customer support about these damn things numerous times, because I always seem to miss the 30 minute blocks, but the whole 2 hour block in the middle of the damn work day really tore it wide open for me.

I have been sitting on several hundred RPs since then, AND have had 3 days in a row off work.....and there have been no more 2x builds....YES, I have now reached the appropriate level of anger to blog about it.  A friend in my white tag family said it quite well:

It's as if Zynga KNOWS when I am gone (facepalm).  I spend a stupid amount of money on this game only to get shafted by these type of "events" that i can't participate in when I am gone from the computer.  Zynga has set the game up to make it  hard to stay competitive without living by the computer.  Hmmmmm.....I think we should all collectively hire an attorney and SUE the pants off of them for all sorts of punitive damages.

Lately my desire to continue this addiction has been waning.  As more and more people quit, it's easier to run across the egotistical and maniacal players that take the fun out of the game for us who chose not to spend $20k a year on RPs or buy injected accounts.  I have had had people defriend me and remove me from mafia over the pettiest of bullshit. And then Zynga adds fuel to the fire with these 2x builds.

The only real reason I continue to play is because of the decent people and good friends I have met and made.  At this point I still find it too difficult to say goodbye.  But every day and with each damned bi-weekly fire sale and all the special events and CRAP, zynga makes it easier and easier.  The bullies and the ego monsters make it easier and easier.  I am holding out longer than most, and if you are reading this, then you are too. But one day all that will be left will be the monsters.

Wow kinda went to a dark place their :P  In closing, let me say I hate you Zynga, from the heart of my bottom I hate you and what you have done to Mafia Wars.  Now please set up a private 2 hour block of unlimited 2x builds personally for me :D

{ℳ} ɤ ßrµ†µ§ =Ʀ²Ƒ=

Mafia Wars Delayed Reality: Athletes Mystery Bags 8/13

The 2012 Olympic Games officially opened on July 27th, more than two weeks ago, and the Closing Ceremony was on August 12th, yesterday. As with *many* recent events, Zynga has been well behind the times, like back on May 4th, when we finally got April Fool's Foolproof Gift Collection Event (facepalm)

On Saturday morning Mafia Wars seems to have accidentally released the Athletes Mystery Bags You can see on that post that I did not get any of the lovely loot items that we normally get with Limited Time special Mystery Bags, like Pa Barker Mystery Bags had the Pa Barker. This morning these new Athletes Bags were back and with a banner to announce them.

Voila! And I was even able to get two of the new loot item released with this bag:

First Step, Weapon [120/160]

Not bad if you can get a few of these. 

Now that they have released this, and all the bogus purchasing events, maybe, just *maybe*, we can get them to open the third Family Property

I'm not holding my breath, and they're not getting me to purchase anything more for now.  My Mafia Wars spending diet continues.

Marketplace Mess (facepalm) 8/10

With Zynga stock in the toilet and the Resignation of their COO they seem to be getting desperate to show increased earnings by selling us more and more crap.

This week in the Marketplace in game we have loads of stuff to spend cash or Reward Points on.

Today's is Pick Your Own Bundle.

Earlier this week we've had Finally a Bargain LMAO

Rewards Card deal.

Daniela's Deal (not)

And of course these lovely collectible Cards

Sorry guys, I'm still on my Mafia Wars Spending Diet.

No Sale.

Arc Reactor (facepalm) 8/3

Yet another new limited time property Arc Reactor

More new items to build

Little stat bumps come with these items

If you are a VIP player, like I am, you probably *have* to make it to at least level 13 to be using this equipement.

There will be lots and lots of begging. Again, too many things going on at once in the game causing event fatigue and general burn-out. But don't worry! There *are* things that the Zynga Studio has yet to complete!

We got our Family Boss fight back, though the loot is almost useless, but we still do not have the third Family Property. I'm guessing we never will.

Daniela's Deal (not) 7/27

*facepalm* If I thought I would be playing for another year, I might take this up but....no.

Official Mafia Wars Blog tries to explain Daniela's Deal

From what I read, it seems to me Zynga is saying, "Hey folks, buy 260 Reward Points now, let *us* hold them for you, and we will give you ten Reward Points per week for the next 52 weeks" And yes, that is double the money. With the mess that's been going on the past 16 weeks, I can't say that I see myself playing  in 52 weeks. Sorry kids, I'm just not that into the spending on the game.

"New" Boss Fight?

Zynga never ceases to amaze me.  The timing of the ridiculous "New" Boss Fight with Mimi La Noir is impeccable.  Yesterday we witnessed what was probably one of the most epic fails the game has ever known.  Hundreds of items were suddenly giftable.  Some of those were stupidly made giftable (in my opinion), like gold treasure chest keys and knob wrenches. Of most interest to me were special parts and exotic animal feed (EAF), because I always need more.  But in classic Zynga fashion, they OVER corrected and took away MOST of the items' giftability.  No more gifting of special parts and EAF.  In half a day the trading community went through an entire life cycle - reincarnation, life, and death - déjà vu all over again. Coinciding with this catastrophe was the return of the family boss fight (FBF). What I find to be another FAIL is that nothing is really different.....

When rumors spread of the return of the FBF, I'd hoped there might be all new loot to fit in with the evolution of current loot stats.  But of course I was an idiot for thinking Zynga would do something rational.  With the exception of maybe a couple superior items that i don't recall seeing before, and of course the new holy grail item (the Quick Draw 203/203), nothing has changed other than the name.....Mimi La Noir (facepalm).  Even the top item is not that awesome.  With how much loot scores have shifted upward, I would have expected the top item to be higher than 203/203.  Hell, the crates in the market place offer items that are approaching 200.  Not like it matters though, since so few people have ever earned the top FBF loot item legitimately. I would only see my scores change by 65 points lol. WOW I gotta get one of those :P

In conclusion, I don't even care that the boss fights are back.  It's a big snoozefest.  I'll join the FBFs simply to hand out whatever buffs people are beggin for, but not even the 3.0 stamina/XP ratio interests me.  I'll keep using my stamina on the fightlist and my rivals.

Truly befuddled,

{ℳ} Қetąmῗиe Қῗd =Ʀ²Ƒ=

*UPDATED* New Event: Robbing Spree 7/18

Robbing Spree involves Robbing Houses, sending and receiving Knob Wrench gifts, use of stamina and wow there's a lot going on here! More *gifting* while we have poker and two secret districts already? Brilliant (facepalm)

I clicked "Go Rob" after I had enough of the Knob Wrenches 

I was about to grab the shot of what it looked like after I robbed but the page evaporated because I had triggered *three* alarms, so pay attention!

This part is what you will see when you click the little Question Mark on the Robbing Spree

(How To)

When you ask for more Knob Wrenches, a beg post will appear in the feed

More How To:

*You can earn a total of 20 Knob Wrenches per day*

This seems to me to be too low considering how many it takes just to get *inside* the robbing.

******UPDATE*******

Earn up to 50 Knob Wrenches per day 

(20 from requests + 20 from feed + 5 from clicking feed  + 5 from jobs)

About the Houses

The Payout Table

Falkland Islands Wolf (animal) Gooey Choco (vehicle) & Lights Out (weapon)

Various attack and defense

**************UPDATE*************

What it looked like after I robbed a neighborhood

I robbed *one* more, got a 2nd "alarm" and collected and a new pop-up

*************UPDATE************

I'm tired of all these events, and I'm sure you are too. Yeehaw.

By The Bookie Secret District (facepalm) 7/17

Bookie

(Henchmen, 84 att/ 192 def)

The banner just popped up in game.

I clicked "Go Now" of course, and was stopped cold by this

(facepalm) Seriously, Zynga? We already have *one* secret district going on, and you want to open this one up *and* charge me 35 Reward Points for the pleasure? I then clicked the cute little question mark next to the 35 RP deal 

The Bookie has good stats, for now, but still... more crap to send during a poker season?

*eyeroll*

Stop screwing around with all these secret districts and fix the Third Family Property and the Family Boss fights. 

5 things I would change about Mafia Wars

*Updated* New Secret District: Obelisk of Sao Paulo 7/13

This Secret District has the Collection and 2X loot part at the top of the page like the past several have

There will be a lot of these Contracts in free gifting

There will be bandits of course

Watch for those guys when you do these jobs

And now time for the boss fight: Defeat Miss Mausoleum

Boss Fight Combos: #1

Boss Combo #2

Boss Combo #3

*****UPDATED*****
When you complete the entire District *and* beat Miss Mausoleum to Ruby you should have these two items in your inventory

  *****UPDATED*****

So, again, Zynga managed to pull off all of this lovely stuff for us to do without completing

 Third Family Property or giving back our Family Boss Fights

Way to go (facepalm)