Level 1, score 76
Level 2, score 183
Lost level 3, score 234.
Received 98 potatoes.
Level 1, score 77
Level 2, score 191
Lost level 3, score 279
Received 25 potatoes and a cake.
Level 1, score 107
Level 2, score 212
Lost level 3, score 236
Received 94 potatoes.
Level 1, score 105
Level 2, score 224
Lost level 3, score 228
Received 90 potatoes.
Level 1, score 73
Level 2, score 186
Won level 3, score 310
Received 50 potatoes and a cake.
Level 1, score 91
Level 2, score 190
Won level 3, score 247.
Received 99 potatoes.
Level 1, score 82
Level 2, score 195
Lost level 3, score 290
Received 25 potatoes and a cake.
Level 1, score 85. Should have won, but game continued regardless. (See here)
Potatoes earned under standard conditions - dataset
These games were completed under standard grinding conditions - that is, using some existing knowledge of the scoring system gained from the above dataset, aiming to lose level 3 as fast as possible with a score below 250.
Level 1, score 80
Level 2, score 180
Lost level 3, score 247
Received 100 potatoes.
Game length 03.16 minutes
Level 1, score 97
Level 2, score 198
Lost level 3, score 247
Received 98 potatoes.
Game length 03.27 minutes
Level 1, score 73
Level 2, score 179
Won level 3, score 287 (whoops)
Received 50 potatoes and a cake.
Game length 03.01 minutes
Level 1, score 85
Level 2, score 184
Lost level 3, score 247
Received 100 potatoes.
Game length 03.18 minutes
From all of the above, we can conclude the following:
There is a minimum score requirement to earn any potatoes at all. This number is most likely exactly 50. The minimum possible earning is 6 potatoes.
Scoring exactly or above 250 will result in an immediate and heavy potato penalty, capping potato earnings at a mere 25 potatoes under ordinary circumstances, or exactly 50 under special circumstances. The exact nature of these special circumstances is not yet known, but appears to involve earning a significant number of points in later levels. Alternatively, it may be utterly random. Therefore, avoid scoring above 249 unless in desperate need of cake.
Because of this, the most potatoes it is possible to earn in a single game is 100.
It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, you will earn the same amount of potatoes regardless. Earnings are determined entirely by final score, not how the game came to end.
Earnings appear to be either slightly randomised, or dependent upon which level the score is earned in. Let’s examine some of this data more closely, this time breaking down how much of the score was earned in a given level, rather than what the total score was at the end of that level. (This kind of thing is why it’s important to collect all available data, in case you find yourself in need of it later. Be thorough!)
Score 234 – 98 potatoes
Earned in Lvl 1: 76
Earned in Lvl 2: 107
Earned in Lvl 3: 51
Score 236 – 94 potatoes
Earned in Lvl 1: 107
Earned in Lvl 2: 105
Earned in Lvl 3: 24
Score 247 – 98 potatoes
Earned in Lvl 1: 97
Earned in Lvl 2: 101
Earned in Lvl 3: 49
Score 247 – 99 potatoes
Earned in Lvl 1: 91
Earned in Lvl 2: 99
Earned in Lvl 3: 57
Score 247 – 100 potatoes
Earned in Lvl 1: 80
Earned in Lvl 2: 100
Earned in Lvl 3: 67
Score 247 – 100 potatoes
Earned in Lvl 1: 85
Earned in Lvl 2: 99
Earned in Lvl 3: 63
As suspected, earning a higher score in the later levels, especially level 3, results in a greater payout, even if the final score is otherwise identical. In fact, final score seems far less important than the level in which the score was earned.
Consider the first three listed games. A whopping 98 potatoes earned for a total score of 234, a lesser 94 potatoes for a higher total score of 236, and then 98 potatoes again for a higher still total score of 247 - the maximum reasonably achievable without triggering the cake penalty.
Upon examination, it’s clear that earning points in level 3 is the best way to gain potatoes, netting a higher gain for an otherwise lower total score. As the cake penalty exists, this means it is beneficial to finish levels 1 and 2 as fast as possible, and taking the time to get the score as high as possible, but below 250, in level 3.
Examining the levels in which the cake penalty is triggered, the same pattern emerges. Earning more points later on results in a 50-potato cap rather than a mere 25.
With an admittedly very small sample size of 4, and questionably corroborrated by the length of games preceeding this set, which were somewhat experimental and sometimes extended or shortened in length by that experiment:
Average game length is approximately 03.15 minutes. Average earnings, taking into consideration the occasional accidental cake-game, is 73 potatoes. This works out at around 24 potatoes/minute.
It would take, for example, 12.5 games (or thirteen since it’s not really worth it to play half a game - might as well go all out) to gamble on Bernard’s wheel of chance once. That’s roughly 39 minutes. For one try at the cheapest gambling machine on the whole site - and remember, there are no shops! Gamble or nothing!
That is an incredibly slow rate of earning and, in my opinion, a complete and utter waste of time.
This game was already a very slow means of earning potatoes, but now that it’s either been nerfed or bugged, it’s even worse than it was before. With turnip theif being a much worse contender still, it is currently not worth the time invested to play minigames unless truly desperate.
Given that we currently earn potatoes for posting on the forums, I hypothesise that I will literally earn more potatoes complaining about this game than actually playing it.
Discuss.
pixelskylines
romaincrisis
janainaart
germansingergirl
areudirty
jacobvanloon
yousharknotpass
2087
turnnoffyourmind
ellievsbear
