Earlier this week, we brought you a detailed look at the six goals we expected would launch with the return of Lt. Flintlock in FrontierVille. Well, that prediction was right on target, as the event has officially launched in the game this evening, with a few rules.

You see, while the six goals we brought you in our guide are final, they won't all be available to you all at once. This is yet another event that allows you to complete only a single goal each day, as they are unlocked over a six day period. Lt. Flintlock has appeared on the outskirts of your land, complete with a new stagecoach. Each day, a new goal will be unlocked within the stagecoach, so you'll need to click on it and start each manually.

These missions are timed, as you'll need to help Lt. Flintlock prepare for his secret mission before August 30, when the event ends. Once you reach the halfway point of these goals, you'll receive a special Black Buffalo as a prize, and when you finish the sixth and final goal, you'll receive a special Carved Tree (presumably, carved with Bess and Lt. Flintlock's initials).

Unfortunately, the return of Lt. Flintlock doesn't exactly end in a happy, romantic getaway for Bess and the Lt., as he's off to the wild frontier on a mission of incredible danger (and equal importance). If you're as big of a fan of the romantic saga of these two as I am, then this is actually a bit worrying, as the Lt. leaves the Homestead by giving Bess a letter to read should he not return after six weeks. How tragic (and yet romantic)! Let's just hope everything goes well for the Lt., and that we'll eventually get to see these two live happily ever after. They deserve that much, right? Perhaps we'll even get to meet Lt. Flintlock on the Pioneer Trail and ensure that he gets back to her safely. We'll make sure to let you know if that happens to be the case.

Nothing about this new collection screams relaxation and new love. Considering it released right in the middle of the Yosemite Honeymoon Sweepstakes Goals in FrontierVille, you'd expect at least a lick of cuddliness, no?

At any rate, this new update introduces us to three new Trees to chop down in hopes of scoring an even bigger tree to hack up. The new trees--Black Oak, Coastal Pine and Sequoia--all now grow on every Homestead as a result of the new Goals. Hack em up to receive these items:

Gray Owl
Sierra Newt
Waterfall
Scorpion
Alpine Butterfly

Once you collect all five items, you have the option to turn them in for a Giant Sequoia Tree and a cool 350 XP. However, we recommend waiting on that, because who knows when Zynga will turn those Collection items into a requirement? First rule of the frontier: Always be prepared. (Or was that boy scouts?)

Sure, FrontierVille's Hank and Fanny are celebrating their honeymoon--whoop dee doo. Wait, you mean if I help, I could win a trip for two worth $5,000 from Zynga? How many bears do I have to clobber? The Yosemite Honeymoon Goals have arrived in FrontierVille along with the Honeymoon Sweepstakes. If you're doubting your chances at that coveted trip for two, 100 first prize winners can score the entire Mystery Animal Collection and 250 more second prize winners will net 200 Horseshoes.

However, players must complete these repeatable Goals as often as possible to increase their chances of winning any of the three prizes. Getaway Passes are rewards from all four Goals, and they're each worth one entry into the contest. Better start stocking those Getaway Passes now, as the contest ends Aug. 7, so here's everything you need to know:

See Em Off!
Have or Collect 6 Stagecoach Tickets
Collect the General Store Daily Bonus
Talk to Hank

The first Goal of this series starts with the infamous pop-up window. Click it, and on Hank on your Homestead, to get started. The Stagecoach Tickets come from friend requests. From this Goal forward, Hank and Fanny will send players postcards through Frontier Jack, but players can revisit these Goals by click the "View Postcards" option on the Wedding Wagon. Your reward for completing this Goal is 250 XP, 500 Coins and your first of (hopefully) many Getaway Passes.

Her Sunny Disposition
Harvest 30 Sunflowers
Have or Collect 10 Wine Bottles
Have 2 Cherry Pies


To harvest 30 Sunflowers, you'll need 9,300 Coins and at least 18 hours to grow them. The 10 Wine Bottles come from friend requests, while the Cherry Pies are part of the Cherry Collection completed through tending Cherry Trees. Finish these tasks, and 500 XP, a Yosemite Flower Crate and another Getaway Pass are yours.

Home on the Range
Have or Collect 10 Bait
Craft 3 Trapping Nets
Have 3 Feed Pans

The 10 Bait will be found through asking friends on your News Feed, while the three Trapping Nets can be crafted in the Wedding Wagon using 10 Strong Twine and five Ropes per three Trapping Nets. The Strong Twine comes from friend requests, while the Rope is part of the Flax Collection, completed when tending to Flax crops. Another 500 XP, a Yosemite Animal Crate and another Getaway Pass await those who complete this Goal.

Hacker's Delight
Have or Collect 10 Hacksaw Blades
Chop Trees 20 Times on your Neighbors Homesteads
Have One Arrowhead


The 10 Hacksaw Blades come from more friend help requests, while the Arrowhead used to be the reward for the Clearing Collection. Our guess is that now it's become either a Market item or another requested from friends. This simple Goal rewards players with 750 XP, a Yosemite Crate and one Getaway Pass.

Yosemitrees!
Have or Collect 10 Burlap Sacks
Craft Two Large Spades
Clear 25 Debris on your Neighbors Homesteads

Finding the 10 Burlap Sacks for this Goal is as simply as pressing the "Ask Friends" button. The two Large Spades are also crafted in the Wedding Wagon, and require Sheet Steel and 10 Wood a piece. The Sheet Steel comes from friend help requests as well, so ask away. Complete this final Goal for another 750 XP, a Yosemite Tree Crate and one Getaway Pass.

Win Your Own Vacation for Two!
Collect All Four Postcards from Hand and Fanny
Restart a Yosemite Honeymoon Mission
Collect Ten Getaway Passes

This Goal appears only after completing the other four found in Postcards, it seems. To restart a Honeymoon Goal, click on the Wedding Wagon and then "View Postcards." A menu will appear with flavor text for each of the four repeatable Goals--just click on one to get started all over again. Collect another 10 Getaway Passes doing this, and 500 XP, a Soapstone Carving and one more Getaway Pass are yours.

What, working toward a getaway for you and your squeeze wasn't enough for ya? Of course it was, much less gather another 400 thousand or so Golden Hammers. This leaves us wondering why Zynga would release this set of six Goals, the Return of Lt. Flintlock, as it prepares to release the Pioneer Trail in FrontierVille any day now.

At any rate, these Goals tell the story of Lt. Flintlock's return to the Homestead and his ... augmentations to your Stagecoach. Though, it doesn't seem like he's back for Bess, like many had hoped. (Keep in mind that this is very early information and could change before the Goals' release.) Here's everything you need to know:

Flintlock Returns:
Plant 20 Peas
Tend 10 Horses on your Homestead or a neighbor's
Collect 10 Cardboard Boxes

To plant 20 Peas, you'll need 9,500 Coins and at least two days before they're ready for harvest. The Cardboard Boxes look to be sourced from friendly help requests. You reward for completing this Goal is a paltry 250 coins and 250 XP. (It gets better.)

Scrubbin' Down:
Harvest 20 Peppermint
Collect 3 General Store Daily Bonuses
Collect 10 Leather Balms

In this Goal, the 20 Peppermint will cost 4,000 Coins, if you don't already have them planted, and take four hours to harvest. The 10 Leather Balms look to be found from friend requests as well. A much improved 500 XP, 500 coins and a Clean Stagecoach (decoration) await you as a reward. The Stagecoach looks like it might be a new feature altogether, as future rewards involve upgrading it.

Trail Rations:
Craft 20 Batter
Harvest 40 Potatoes
Collect 10 Fluffy Biscuits

To craft 20 Batter in the Inn, you'll need a whopping 400 Food and 18,000 Coins. The 40 Potatoes will cost 3,600 Coins and take at least four hours to complete. As for the 10 Fluffy Biscuits, those seem to be another friend-requested item. The rewards climb again to 750 XP and 750 coins, if you finish this Goal.

Fortification:
Chop Trees 50 times
Clobber 5 Snakes
Collect 10 Steel Plates

Snakes are most frequently found clearing Debris like Skulls and Rocks. The 10 Steel Plates seem to be, yes, yet another friend-requested item. Finish these simple yet daunting tasks for a nice 1,000 Coins and 1,000 XP.

Offensive Upgrades:
Sell 20 Adult Oxen
Harvest 30 Pear Trees on your Homestead
Collect 10 Spiked Wheels


Assuming you have little to none, 20 Oxen would cost a crazy 19,800 Coins and take days to mature. Pear Trees go for 972 Coins a piece--so, like the Oxen--just take your time and use what you have. The 10 Spiked Wheels seem, again, like an item found through help requests. Finish this Goal and score 1,200 XP, 1,200 coins and a second Stagecoach upgrade.

Long Road Ahead:
Collect 4 Covered Wagon Daily Bonuses
Clear ten debris on your homestead
Collect 10 Gatling Parts

While the first two requirements are self-explanatory, the 10 Gatling Parts may be yet another item you must request help in finding. For requesting your heart out in these Goals, enjoy 1,400 XP, 1,400 coins and the final Stagecoach Upgrade.

Holy cow, I think I might faint. Seriously, after never seeing any real sales on FrontierVille's Horseshoe packages, we've now seen two sales in the same month! More importantly, unlike the sale that took place earlier this month, today's 50% off sale hasn't been advertised as being available for just one hour, giving more players a chance to stock up!

If you missed out on this sale last time, here's your chance to purchase anywhere from 75 to 2,100 Horseshoes for a little over $5, all of the way up to over $100 and change. Here are the specific packages that are available (all prices are in US Dollars):

75 Horseshoes - $5.41 (down from $10.82)
170 Horseshoes - $10.82 (down from $21.64)
465 Horseshoes - $27.05 (down from $54.10)
1,000 Horseshoes - $54.10 (down from $108.10)
2,100 Horseshoes - $108.20 (down from $217.40)

Am I suggesting everyone go out spend $108 on Horseshoes? Definitely not, but if you're even remotely interested in stocking up on Horseshoes for future Mystery Crates and other premium content, the $5 package contains enough Horseshoes for at least one splurge purchase, and won't break the bank.

On the other side of the token (horseshoe?), you can also purchase discounted coin packages, if you'd rather not earn your coins for free by simply playing the game. Less packages are available, but you can pick up anywhere from 7,500 to 100,000 coins, if you feel so inclined.

There's no exact expiration date or time for when this sale will end, so make sure to take advantage now while you have the best chance of it still being available. Who knows, if this sale is productive for Zynga's pocketbook, perhaps 50% off Horseshoe sales will become a more frequent thing! I don't know about you, but I definitely wouldn't complain about that!

While Hank and Fanny Wildcat have found true love in FrontierVille (and have even headed off on their Honeymoon), what does that leave Bess to do? Will she ever find true love? Signs point to yes, as Zynga has given us a bit of a sneak peek today concerning the Captain and Bess. We've been told that Captain Flintlock definitely will be coming back to the game in the future, although the form and duration of his stay is still unknown.

Remember, Bess and Captain Flintlock aren't exactly strangers, as he gifted her (well, us) a lovely Black Stallion at the end of the Cowgirls Don't Cry missions which were released back in May. Could Flintlock's return be something as romantic as him refusing to stay away from Bess any longer, or will the "will they / won't they" storyline continue even with his return?

Personally, I'm all for Bess finding true love, just as Hank and Fanny were given. After all, it's still interesting to think that so many players had Hank courting Bess instead of Fanny back in February's Valentine's Day event, and that Zynga decided to finally make a decision themselves, so it's only fair that we should see this romantic soap opera come to a close for Bess as well. Am I reading too much into the game's storyline? Probably, but after investing so much time with these characters, it's hard not to! We'll just have to wait and see exactly what happens between Captain Flintlock and Bess when he makes his return to the Homestead in the future.

Is there really any other way to present virtual goods these days other than with more free virtual goods? Zynga obviously hasn't found that alternative yet, so it presses on with FrontierVille offers for Horseshoes that come with enticing little items.

When players purchase certain amounts of Horseshoes, Zynga will reward their generosity with things like Food, Boosts and even gobs of XP for the heavy-handed folks. Here are all three offers:

40 Horseshoes ($5 value) -- 2 extra Meals
180 Horseshoes ($20 value) -- 30 Animal Ready Boosts and 1 Beef Jerky
1,050 Horseshoes ($100 value) -- Mystery Animal, Boosts and a Book of Experience

In our "expert" opinion, we'd say that the $20 option is the biggest steal. (Well, aside from its price.) Considering Beef Jerky, which costs 27 Horseshoes alone, comes in the bundle and XP can be gained any time, you're best bet is to drop 20 clams. That is, if you're willing to drop any clams, really.

As we begin to pass the halfway point to the long-awaited Pioneer Trail expansion release, Zynga teases us once more with this FrontierVille screen shot. It's of a new face, Trader Bart, a man who will be waiting for us on the Avalanche Pass. It looks as if we'll be needing more help than our friends can provide, as Bart will be able to sell players items for use on the trail.

And, judging by his horse's illustrious hair do, I'd say it would be alright to take Bart on his word. I mean, any guy who can style his horse that way must know something about something, no? But just don't hang around his cart for too long, unless you want to get buried again. (Is this hinting toward movement being a gameplay consideration? Possibilities!)

Zynga released the, um, comfiest building upgrade in FrontierVille to date today with the Inn L'Amour--or maybe we're just really tired. (Hey, it's Friday, people.) At any rate, the release of this new upgrade reigned in a brand new Collection and, of course, some new Badges to obtain. But first, the Collection, which you can complete simply by collecting Daily Bonuses from the Inn L'Amour, is made of these items:

Toiletries
Room Service
Broken Lamp
Bed Bug
Tips

Collect one of each of these items, turn them all in, and the Fuzzy Blanket is yours. While not all of the information on the new Badges is available, at least we know generally what will happen. The first Badge, titled "2 Stat Standard Inn," requires players to book 18 guests in their Inn. From there, you can likely guess that we'll have to book more and more guests for a special reward and title. Now that you know what's ahead, go on and do it, will ya?

As the days creep on toward an eventual release of The Pioneer Trail, more Goals have appeared in FrontierVille to keep us occupied. Zynga has released the Inn L'Amour, a brand new Inn upgrade.

This admittedly interesting new feature allows players to take guests into their Inn to increase the Daily Bonus they receive each day. Hey, don't I know this feature from somewhere? Never mind that (it's CityVille), and let's get on with telling you what you need to do to complete these Goals:

A Clean Well-Lit Inn
Start Inn Upgrade
Visit 5 Neighbors
Collect 15 Room Keys

To start your Inn upgrade, click on the Inn and select "Upgrade." Then, Humble Bob will appear to offer you the upgrade, which initially costs 1,000 Coins and 25 Wood. Then, just go from there. The 15 Room Keys come from your friends through requests. For this, enjoy 250 XP, 1 Grannys Gut Punch and 250 Coins.

Stockin' Up On The Goods
Tend 50 Geese on Your Homestead
Have or Collect 2 Minty Toothpaste
Harvest 100 Fruit Trees on Your Homestead

This one might take awhile, unless you have 50 Geese and 100 Fruit Trees. The cheapest options here are, well, Geese for 330 Coins and Cherry Trees for 620 Coins a piece. The Minty Toothpaste comes from Peppermint Collection. Complete these tasks for 500XP, 1 Fuzzy Blanket and 500 Coins.

Inn Grand Re-Opening
Have or Collect 2 Milk
Harvest 50 Sunflowers
Collect 10 Guestbook Signatures

Milk obviously comes from the Cow Collection, and harvesting 50 Sunflowers will take a whopping 15, 500 Coins and at least 18 hours if you plant them all at once. The 10 Guestbook Signatures seem to come from friend requests ... again. A sweet 750XP, 1 Fast Hands Boost and 750 Coins await the victor.

Feeling Inn L'Amour Tonight
Have 9 Guests Visit Inn L'Amour
Collect 2 Inn L'Amour Daily Bonuses
Customize the Inn L'Amour

Inviting guests to the Inn, once it's built, is as easy as pressing a button. The Inn takes a max of nine guests, so just fill 'er up. Then, collect the Daily Bonus from the new Inn twice--the more guests in your Inn when you collect, the more and better rewards you'll score.

The guest list resets daily, so remember to keep stocked with new guests. Customizing the Inn is as simple as it is with any other building--click it and then "Customize." These simple tasks will reward you with a sweet 1, 000XP, 1 Door Man, 1,000 Coins when met.

As if FrontierVille players didn't already have enough incentive to upgrade their Doctor's Office to the Animal Hospital (just think of how much land space you'll free up by storing Injured or Mystery animals!), you now have even more, as a new series of Badges has been released that rewards you for doing just that. The more animals you store, the more Badges (and of course rewards) you'll also earn.

Here's a rundown of the available Badges, and just how many animals you'll need to store to earn them.

Store 5 Animals - Reward: 500 XP, 500 coins and 500 Food
Store 25 Animals - Reward: 1,000 XP and 2 Dinners
Store 100 Animals - Reward: 5,000 XP and 5,000 coins
Store 500 Animals - Reward: 7,500 XP and Dr. Cluck

Dr. Cluck is a new animal (a dressed-up chicken, as a matter of fact) that can otherwise be purchased for 80 Horseshoes in the game's store. Needless to say, if you have the 500 animals to store, that's a pretty great reward. And who knows? With all of the XP you'll earn on top of this, you just might find yourself one level higher. That's always a good thing, right?

To help celebrate the launch of the Animal Hospital upgrade in FrontierVille, Zynga has released three new wild animals in the game's store. Two are truly wild, just as they are, while the third is wild simply because of the way it's dressed (yes, we're talking about animals wearing clothing, so brace yourself). These three animals are the Ocelot Cub, Albino Gator and Dr. Cluck. Both the Ocelot Cub and Albino Gator are fairly self explanatory, costing 50 Horseshoes each, while the Dr. Cluck item here takes the cake in terms of unusual animals being released in the game's store.

This Chicken comes complete with jacket, bow tie, wild gray hair and even a mustache. Its outlandish appearance is backed up by an even more extreme price tag of 80 Horseshoes. As all of these animals truly are animals, they can all be fed (giving you a few coins in return), and once grown into an adult, they can presumably all be stored. Let's be realistic now though. If you paid either 50 or 80 Horseshoes for an item, would you really want to store it out of site? If you're like me, the answer would definitely be "no." Why not place these animals front and center on your Homestead, showing them off for all of your friends to see?

If you'd like to get your hands on one of these items, you're in luck, as there's no time limit currently posted with them as to when (if ever) they'd expire from the store. This gives you plenty of time to stockpile Horseshoes for an eventual purchase, if you don't have enough to do so right now. One final thing to note is that you can actually receive a Dr. Cluck for free by completing all four of the new Livestock Vet Badges, if you needed more incentive to do so. Free premium animals couldn't hurt, right?

Along with the new ability to upgrade your Doctor's Office to an Animal Hospital (that can store Mystery and Injured Animals) in FrontierVille comes the launch of a four-part goal series that will see you not only completing the upgrade on your Doctor's Office, but also saying farewell to a few of your animals, among other tasks.

Remember, these goals are on a slow roll-out, so don't panic if you don't have them on your game yet. There are also a few cutscenes to expect here too, so keep your eye out for them to see more of the game's story unfold. Without further ado, let's get started on the goal guide, yes?

What's Up, Doc?

Collect one General Store Daily Bonus
Collect one Daily Barn Bonus
Tend 20 Neighbor Animals

What, would you look at that? A goal that's actually incredibly easy. So long as you haven't already collected all of your buildings' bonuses when you receive these goals, you can finish this first goal in a matter of minutes. You'll receive fairly good rewards as well, in the form of 400 XP, 400 coins and 2 Critter Milk.

Granny Gets to Work

Rehabilitate 2 Injured Animals
Place 10 Animals in the Animal Hospital
Collect 10 Animal Anatomy Books

As you can see, this goal will require you to have finished the upgrading process on the Animal Hospital, and you can find a complete guide to doing so right here. Once you've finished healing any two injured animals, make sure to hold onto them (unless you have an overabundance of animals already, as you'll be required to sell some critters later). Finishing this second goal gives you 600 XP, 600 coins and a Dr. Cluck Statue, a new decorative item for your land.

Getting In Shape

Clobber 5 Varmints
Have or Collect 10 Critter Milk
Harvest 50 Peppermint

Luckily, it doesn't matter which varmint you clobber, so long as you do so five times. Meanwhile, you can ask your friends for any Critter Milk you may not already have on hand. Finish this goal and you'll be rewarded fairly well with 800 XP, 800 coins and a Spring Bear Cub.

Off to a Better Place

Collect 3 Animal Hospital Bonuses
Collect 15 Anesthesia
Sell 5 Rehabilitated Animals

See? I warned you. You'll have to sell five formerly injured critters to pass this one, which is where the two injured animals you cared for earlier (and even the Spring Bear Cub from the last goal) will likely help you out. It doesn't seem to matter which kinds of animals you sell, so just sell something you're tired of seeing (or that you know you can replace) and call this one good. Finishing this goal not only wraps up the entire goal series, but also rewards you handsomely with 1,000 XP, 1,000 coins and a Brown Alpaca, which can be stored right back in the Animal Hospital - how convenient.

All told, these goals don't see too complicated, and with the new Animal Hospital feature allowing us to free up so much space on our land, I'll gladly complete them to celebrate the fact that I won't have dozens of animals cluttering up my land any longer. Will you?

Last week, we brought you a brief sneak peek of the upcoming Doctor's Office upgrade in FrontierVille, that we knew would be coming this week. Well, guess what? The feature has started rolling out to pioneers, and it's actually a lot more helpful than we thought! Of course, you'll have to complete a few steps to turn your Doctor's Office into an Animal Hospital, but you can only begin to do so if you are at least level 24.

To start the process of upgrading from a Doctor's Office to an Animal Hospital, you'll need to spend 500 coins to literally purchase the ability to do so. From there, you'll need to collect a new set of building materials: 15 each of Chew Toys, Animal Kennels and Animal Pillows, and 10 each of Stethoscopes, Hypodermic Needles and Medical Scales. The first trio are earned through individual requests, while the latter three are acquired through general wall posts asking all of your friends to help at once.

Once you have completely upgraded to the Animal Hospital, you'll find that you can now store all adult Injured Critters (that is, those that have been completely healed), along with adult Mystery Animals, up to a limit of 1,000. While most of these Mystery Animals aren't marked as their current age state, we've been told to simply feed each animal four of five times until the game registers that it can be stored, because it's an adult. Interestingly, if you're an animal collector or just wish to purchase a Mystery Animal that you've missed in the past, the Animal Hospital's menu will allow you to see shadows of the missing animals in your collection, and will allow you to purchase them for Horseshoes (each costs a lot of Horseshoes, so don't get too excited).

Leveling up in FrontierVille can be a drag, especially in the later stages of the game. Going about your daily Goals and other chores, it could take months to jump from one level to the next. But there is a way to give your experience a hefty boost, but it takes quite a bit of Coin to do it. That said, we only recommend this strategy to veteran players looking to inch towards the max level that much faster.

Decorations, while pretty additions to your Homestead and blah, blah, blah, have the added bonus of providing players with XP upon purchase. In fact, there are a few decorations that give up quite the nice chunk of XP. Here are three decorations that, if bought in bulk, could send you soaring to triple-digit levels and beyond in no time:

Silver Carriage:
Cost: 475,000 Coins
Experience: 5000 XP
Sell Value: 100,000 Coins
1 XP = 75 Coins

Smoker:
Cost: 38,000 Coins
Experience: 400 XP
Sell Value: 8,000 Coins
1 XP = 75 Coins

Flowery Can:
Cost: 9,500 Coins
Experience: 95 XP
Sell Value: 5,000 Coins
1 XP = 47.3 Coins

These three decorations are all ideal for boosting your XP, but by far the Flowery Can is most efficient when it comes to XP per Coins. However, that amounts to quite a bit of mouse clicks. If you're up for the click-fest, buying 16,842 Flowery Pots could get you from Level 99 to Level 100, for instance. But that would cost just under 160 million Coins. Hey, we did say this strategy is for veteran players. Either way, give it a shot to send you over the fence from one level to another.

You've got one hour, pioneers. One hour? One hour for what? For 50% off all Horseshoe packages in FrontierVille, that's what! Sure, we're all used to seeing the "sale" pop-up each time we login, that advertizes Horseshoes as being one sale for something around 35% off, but this is a full 50% off sale that is legitimately a sale!

Head to the game's "Get Horseshoes" tab, located above the gameplay area, and you'll see that the prices of all five packages of Horseshoes have been sliced in half. For just $5.41, you can have 75 Horseshoes, with the final package costing a still whopping $108.20 for 2,100 Horseshoes. With quite a few packages to choose from, you should be able to find one or more that fit your budget, but remember, you can always buy separate packages that cost different amounts to add up to something more in the end. Say, for instance, you wanted to spend $15. Even though there's no $15 package, you could just purchase a $5 and $10 package separately to end up with plenty of Horseshoes while still holding onto your budget.

If you're low on coins, you can also purchase coins packages for 50% off, but just remember that this is far less economical in the end, as you'd be able to earn coins faster than Horseshoes, making the deal basically worthless.

Remember, this sale is happening right now, but only for one hour (give or take, whenever Zynga finally decides to hit the "off" switch). If you've ever contemplated purchasing Horseshoes before, but didn't because of their price, make sure to hit this sale while you still can!

A rabbit with antlers? Who in the world thought that one up? Anyway, Zynga has released a new Mystery Animal Crate to FrontierVille that contains the mysterious (and completely fictional) Jackalope.

Well, don't tell that to those southwestern folk. The Mystery Crate, which costs 40 Horseshoes (about $5), also features the most iconic bird in the history of the nation, the Eagle ... and the Anole. What a motley crew, huh?

At any rate, the Jackalope is essentially your standard bunny rabbit, though with antlers planted on its head. However, you'll notice the clever nod to Pikachu (you know, the Poke--forget it) in that yellow one with brown stripes. It's other varieties include boring white and brown.

The Eagle comes in standard black, gray and brown tones while the Anole Has some crazy color combinations including one an orange body, orange eyes, a blue belly and yellow stripes. This Mystery Crate is only around until for another two weeks, so scrounge up those Facebook Credits quick if you want Pikachu--I mean, a Jackalope.

I have some good news and bad news, pioneers. If you're someone who has complained about being overwhelmed with injured critters in FrontierVille, you'll soon have a place to store them. That's great news, to be sure, but if you've deleted animals to regain much needed space on your Homestead, you've unfortunately done so for nothing (I know, I'm a little upset too).

Injured Animal Storage will come via upcoming upgrades to the Doctor's Office. We're assuming new goals will be released that must be completed before storing your fully healed animals (yes, they must be fully healed, just as other animals must be Adults before being stored), or at the very least you'll need to collect additional building materials to "build" the storage room in the Doctor's Office.

We've been told that other new features will be launched next week as well, but no other details have been given. You know us, though - the second something new launches in the game (whether it deals with Doctor's Office upgrades or not), we'll make sure you're the first to know (well, after we do).

Get this: the FrontierVille team apparently got bored this week (because, you know, there are no bugs to work on fixing or anything), so they've created a music video detailing the upcoming Pioneer Trail. This music video comes to us from the "Horseshoe Bottom Boys," a band made up of Fanny Wildcat, Hank, Frontier Jack and Granny, and the song is called nothing other than "The Pioneer Trail."

The folks at CEGamers have tracked down a high quality copy of the video, which was originally posted by Zynga on Facebook. In it, we see that we'll be headed out on the Pioneer Trail by our lonesome, as we say goodbye to our spouse and children to take on the trail alone, hence the need to hire folks like a Carpenter, Hunter and Doctor. As these characters perform actions, we see items like food or medicine drop as bonus items, along with a golden, circular TP icon. We can only assume that "TP" stands for "Trail Points," which will likely be some form of currency or at the very least score boost that we'll use only in the expansion. That's speculation, of course, but it is an educated guess.

At some point, we'll get out of our wagon and explore the wilderness, where we may be attacked by wolves. Our path will be blocked by snow that falls in between mountains, and we'll need to put out a prairie fire by having friends bring buckets to pour on the flames. We know that this is a friend-based activity as you can see friends' profile pictures above their avatars.

One final thing to note is that we'll apparently come across some... interesting critters in the forest, as we see a single shot of what appears to be a turtle/raccoon hybrid being waved around by the tail by the video's main character. You can find the full video below; just make sure to not have the volume up too loud, as your friends might look at you a bit weird when the bluegrass starting blaring.

About a week ago, a few very lucky FrontierVille players were given access to the new 41 x 41 land expansion goals on their Homesteads, but the rest of us have been left in the dark. While a slow rolll-out is one thing, no additional users seem to be gaining these goals at all. Basically confirming this fact is Community Manager Stumpgrinder, who posted on the game's official forums that we should all simply harvest our crops (that is, if we've planted peas and the like to prepare for the goals ahead of time), rather than keep our lands cluttered with crops that will apparently have time to wither before we receive the goals.

The cause for the stoppage was, as you might have guessed, a series of bugs and other problems that Zynga apparently wanted to work on before the rest of the community had access to the goals. We appreciate bug fixes as much as the next player, but it seems as though they've completely disregarded these goals in favor of the One Billion Hammers event, save for this slight announcement of the delay. We're told that "everyone will get [the goals] eventually," and to have patience, but I can totally understand user annoyance.

The kicker? Stumpgrinder blatantly admits that Zynga didn't want to let this goal series' problems "get in the way of other features we wanted to deliver after that." That sure doesn't sound promising for a quick fix on these goals, especially when we've been given sneak peeks to other features, like an upgrade to the Doctor's Office that will allow storage for Injured Critters, that will be coming next week. I guess now, all that's left for us to do is wait, impatiently I'd imagine, until "eventually" finally arrives. We'll make sure to let you know when it does.

Along with the One Billion Hammers event in FrontierVille comes the new Golden Trails collection. This collection offers a free Golden Hammer to anyone that completes it, along with 350 XP, and contains items that will "offer a sneak preview of Pioneer Trail areas and events."

There's a Golden Beaver Trap, which makes sense, as one of the Trail's areas is called Beaver Valley. A Golden Water Bucket apparently refers to the Prairie Fires in the High Plains, while a Golden Show Shovel likely alludes to Avalanche Pass. There's a Golden Musket for hunting food or just showing those bears who's boss, but the Golden Goose Egg is a bit of an odd one. Unless we'll be able to come across a magical Golden Egg laying Goose, I'm out of ideas. My mind is definitely intrigued though, and I can't wait to see what that hint actually develops into.

Remember, we have the power now as to when the Pioneer Trail will launch. If you're antsy for a new adventure in the wilderness, make sure to send (and ask for) as many Golden Hammers as possible, along with completing the event's new goals, to help the expansion launch that much faster!

As part of the new One Billion Hammers event in FrontierVille, that will have all users working collectively to reach a one billion Golden Hammer mark to open the Pioneer Trail early, Zynga has also released a three part goal series to really keep us busy. These goals reward you with Golden Hammers, and since every hammer does ultimately count, you'll want to get started on these as soon as you can - it's for a good cause, people!

Here's a complete rundown of what to expect (note: these goals are on a slow rollout, so don't panic if you don't have them yet).

Carin' Carpenter

Build the Hammer Forge
Collect 10 Planks
Visit Fanny (collect the Schoolhouse Daily Bonus Twice)

Planks are available to craft inside the Wagon for 7 wood and 250 coins each. Meanwhile, for a complete look at how to build the Hammer Forge, check out our guide. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 250 XP, 250 coins and 10 Golden Hammers.

First, Do No Harm

Tend 30 Chickens on a Neighbors' Homestead
Clear 10 Skulls
Get 10 Medical Degrees

You'll need to ask your friends to send you the Medical Degrees, and while you wait, you can turn in the Cow or Graveyard collections to earn extra Skulls if you don't already have ten growing on your land. Finish this goal and you'll earn 500 XP, 500 coins and another 10 Golden Hammers (sensing a theme here?).

Out With a Bang!

Clobber 5 Bears
Clobber 5 Snakes
Collect 10 Buckshot Balls

Again, ask your friends to send you these items, then remember to let some debris and trees grow on your land, so you have enough "bait" to actually pull out five bears and snakes in a reasonable time frame. For completing this last goal, you'll earn 750 XP, 750 coins, and - you guessed it - another 10 Golden Hammers.

Sure, 30 Golden Hammers may not seem like a lot when the overall goal is one billion, but just think - that's 30 Golden Hammers per person. Let's say all 3.5 million of the game's daily active players complete these goals - that's suddenly 105 million Hammers, which definitely isn't shabby. Add all of these goal-rewarded Hammers to those earned by friend requests and the one billion hammer mark is definitely doable. Just remember to stay vigilant over the next few days or even weeks, and we'll all get to the Pioneer Trail in no time!

Phew, just try saying that five times fast. Actually, where was I? Oh yes, Zynga has officially started rolling out the beginnings of the FrontierVille Pioneer Trail, through a One Billion Hammers event that places the power to open the Pioneer Trail in our hands. Through this event, we'll be able to construct two new structures, and will be able to share Golden Hammers between friends. The entire community will pool their progress together automatically, and when we reach one billion Golden Hammers collectively, Pioneer Jack will finally open the Pioneer Trail to us all. To be clear, it does look like this event has a time limit, as we're told that the Pioneer Trail will launch in the future either way, even if we never make it to one billion, as the end goal will see us receiving the expansion "early."

Unfortunately, this feature is a slow rollout, as all tend to be, but we'll make sure you're as prepared as possible for when the event finally launches in your game. First things first, you'll be able to place both a Pavilion and Hammer Forge on your land. The Pavilion will change in shape and complexity as you collect Golden Hammers, and will then reward you with exclusive new items as you reach certain stockpile levels. The Hammer Forge, meanwhile, allows you to earn free Golden Hammers by collecting its daily bonus. However, you'll need to build it first (c'mon, it couldn't all be that easy).

The Hammer Forge requires 10 each of Forge Hinges, Forge Gears and Forge Chains, all of which can be earned through general wall posts. In addition, you'll need 15 each of Forge Levers, Forge Molds and Forge Bolts, which are earned through individual requests to friends. Once completed, you'll be able to earn Golden Hammers by simply collecting the Forge's Daily Bonus, but you can also add to your progress by clicking on the "Do Your Part" button on the new Hammer meter at the top of the gameplay screen.

You see, as all of our progress is being counted as one total, we'll be able to keep track of how many Golden Hammers have currently been sent using a new bar at the top of the screen. The bar will refresh with the current total every 15 seconds, and by clicking on "Do Your Part," as seen below, you can ask your friends for even more Golden Hammers.

As for the Pavilion, it comes equipped with a new menu that will allow you to track your own individual progress on collecting hammers. As you reach certain amounts (20, 50, 150 and 350 Golden Hammers), you'll receive exclusive rewards as a way to thank you for contributing to the cause. You can also manually send out Hammers to friends by clicking on the Golden Hammer icon, instead of just waiting for them to come to you.

When we as an entire gameplay community reach the one billion hammer level, Zynga will donate $200,000 to Save the Children, and we'll finally gain access to the Pioneer Trail. This means that now, perhaps more than ever before, it really matters that you play the game regularly, as you're not only affecting your own game, but helping to move us closer and closer to this highly anticipated new feature. So what are you waiting for!? Get into your game and see if you can send Golden Hammers already! I'll go and pack our bags for our trip to the Pioneer Trail!

If you've taken to decorating your entire FrontierVille Homestead with wedding-themed decorations to celebrate Hank and Fanny Wildcat's big day, make sure to enter Zynga's newest forum contest as you have a chance of being rewarded for your work. This newest giveaway asks you to "design the perfect wedding," using any and all wedding-themed items, along with items that may have been released previously but happen to fit in with the theme (flowers, planters, trees, etc.). The options here are limitless, just decorate until you're satisfied and then post screenshots in this forum thread.

This contest will be open until July 17. After that point, Zynga will choose the top ten Homesteads that will then be voted on by the community. If you win it all, you'll receive the grand prize of 1,000 Horseshoes. Second and third place winners will receive 500 and 350 Horseshoes each, respectively. Don't think you have a chance? Just remember that the final vote is up to your peers, so if you've got plenty of friends that play the game, why not enter? You just may walk away with enough Horseshoes to last you a lifetime!