🏠 THE TOWN - Ode To a Place Misunderstood 😉

I write this essay that no-one asked for😁
1. in support of the town, and
2. as a (kind of) tip to players. 

I hated the Town with a passion.  Hated it.  As a new player to HD, I was waiting to open it because I suspected it would need EMs required on my farm.  I asked the members of a NH I was in at the time and I was advised to open it.  

I did and found that I was right.  Not going to lie, I really resented (what I decided was) the self-serving advice especially since I had specifically asked about the resources.  Eventually left the NH, but I digress.  

To add insult to injury, I found the Town very difficult and for a long time I avoided it.  Many dozens of levels later, the derby came along and I started playing the Town.  I expanded it and maxed the buildings* and the train, little by little.  By then my farm was much bigger and resources easier to come by. 

I have since realised that unlike almost every other part of the HD “universe”, the Town is easier to play at higher levels.  It starts out very difficult, mainly I think, because the initial buildings given (looking at YOU grocery) ask for so many of every basic product produced on the farm.  But once the Town is established, the other buildings become available, the train is up to speed, and townies are available from other farms, it is an amazing resource.  

As Mom’sCar said in another thread, it’s the only place you can somewhat reliably get the EMs that are scarce on your particular farm.  There is a lot of XP to gain.  It helps to manage your barn and silo.  If HD consisted solely of the farm and the Town (as it used to) it would be an incredibly balanced game...even more so than it is now. 

To those who resent the Town, I would urge anyone at Level 75 or over to give it another try in regular play.   If you only play the Town for the derby, you will continue to hate it, I promise you that.  Play it when you have no pressure to take ANY townie or fill ANY building.  
A. Serve the ones you can;
B. Decide whether you want to cater to those who ask for just a bit more consideration;
C. And send the ones it is impossible to satisfy packing.  
You know…do as one would do in RL.😉 You may be surprised at the benefits. 

* To this day I still haven’t maxed any shop that asks for barn and silo materials.  I have maxed their time, capacity and XP slots.  But the coin, no.  And I still make the grocery the very last shop I fill.  Because I toss so many of its customers, I fill it last to maximise every multi-customer.  I even leave townies idle until other shops become available because grocery store customers are so.very.unreasonable.🤨😄

If you’ve stayed with me to the end of this epistle, here’s your medal. 🏅🙂 I hope you give the Town a chance.  It’s better than it seems at first play.

EDIT: I should add: think about this.  Every time you serve a customer, you get XP and coins and every time you fully serve a customer, you get XP, coins and a gift.   In a fully maxed Town, that’s 42 chances to get an EM, saw or axe.  If you fully serve a full town twice a day, that’s 84 gifts, not to mention the coins and XP.  I haven’t checked the stats (and never will…okay, lack the capacity to…😁) but I suspect that not even “wheating” gives those returns.

EDIT 2: Look at what occurred to me for the first time because BauldersGate kicks out the non-sanctuary three-fers 😁 - the townies who visit the Sanctuary leave TWO gifts. One of those fashionable ladies in the hat just gave me dynamite upon her release from the B&B, then ogled my yellow giraffe and left a saw at the bench.  The Town rocks!