f you'd like to get more out of the Pioneer Trail Halloween event, and don't mind spending some (ok, a lot of) Horseshoes to do just that, you can now purchase a series of five limited edition items in lovely shades of pink and purple in a special event. To be especially clear, this option hasn't rolled out to all users just yet, but once you receive it, you'll see a list of five items, along with their prices and a time limit for how long you have to purchase them.

The five items are those that you'd normally see around Ghost Town while playing:

Cursed Chicken - 5 Horseshoes
Ghostly Grave - 35 Horseshoes
Cursed Sheep - 40 Horseshoes
Cursed Cow - 45 Horseshoes
Haunted Dog - 45 Horseshoes

For the full set, it will set you back 175 Horseshoes. That might sound like a lot (ok, it is a lot), but you'll have incentive to go for the whole lot. If you do end up purchasing one of everything, you'll receive a free, exclusive limited edition Ghostly Horse. This one is bright purple, and will apparently only be made available through this event. Of course, this horse is one of the many "rideable" ones released in the game, so if you want your avatar to be able to ride in style the whole year through, make sure to give this event a look.

Unfortunately, if you don't have enough Horseshoes on hand by default, you'll only have a matter of days to either earn some extras, or purchase them - six days, to be exact (or less, depending on when this finally rolls out to you). Again, these items will likely only be available via this particular event (or, at the very earliest, might be released next Halloween), so do any shopping sooner, rather than later to make sure you won't miss out entirely!

Talk about incentive! With Pioneer Trail throwing multiple Halloween events this year, you've got plenty to work with when it comes to decorating your Homestead for the holiday. That's a good thing too, as Zynga wants to see just what you can do with all of those items (even those that you still have from last year) in its Halloween on the Homestead contest taking place on the game's official forums.

From now until November 2, you can take a screenshot of your Homestead decked out in all of its spooky, creepy glory and then post it on the forums for judging. At the end of the submission period, the Pioneer Trail Community Team will judge each picture on three categories: Originality, presentation and holiday theme. Once they've picked the top 20 entries, the fans will get to vote on which three pictures they like best.

The top prize? A whopping 2,000 Horseshoes! If you don't purchase them while they're on sale, that's a current value of over $200 US! Just think of all the decorations, boosts and animals that could purchase! If you're not lucky enough to be voted into the top prize, you could also win second or third place, with prizes of 1,000 and 500 Horseshoes each, respectively.

Did something ... strange happen to your homestead over the weekend? It apparently happened for lots of unfortunate pioneers, so Zynga is doing something about it. Between Friday night and Saturday morning, many FrontierVille players seemingly went, um, back in time.

But what really happened was that the game suffered a bug that caused its servers to roll back on players' progress by a few hours. In response, Zynga has compensated players with a hefty package. Here's the statement from Zynga community manager Stumpgrinder:

"We are aware of an issue that started to occur between roughly 6PM PST Friday (8/5) and 6AM PST Saturday (8/6) where FrontierVille players experienced rollbacks (their homestead was "reset" to a prior state) typically back to when they had first started playing during this 12-hour period. We have a listing of all the players affected by this issue and we will be issuing a compensation package on behalf of Frontier Jack (this will be awarded in-game). We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused."

Since a great many players probably lost a level or two, thanks to that time warp rollback bug, Zynga has gifted players a Book of Experience and a Tragic Jack Statue. The Book of Experience will grant you another level instantly, regardless of how much XP it requires. The Tragic Jack Statue is, well, tragic. In fact, it's kind of a pathetic image of Jack riding on a ragged animal that looks like a bear ... maybe. We can't tell. Wouldn't you release more of a pick-me-up than something so, well, ew?

Either this is a bug, or the answer to that question is "yes." According to multiple reports on the official FrontierVille forums, it seem as though crop and animal acceleration boosts have gone entirely missing from the game. Users are searching their inventories time and time again, looking for boosts that they know were there, only to come back empty-handed.

Even methods that were previously known to give users an acceleration boost no longer seem to work. That is, when turning in collections that grant free boosts, the other prizes were rewarded, but not the boosts. The question now becomes "is this intentional," or better yet, "is it permanent?" Why would Zynga go through all of the trouble of creating this system of boosts (which can help any animal or crop grow faster), only to delete it from the game entirely? Were users not spending enough Horseshoes to purchase packets of boosts that way? Did they believe the boosts ruined the balance of the game? If so, why would they continually pass out free boosts as goal rewards?

Things just don't make sense here, but we can make a case for this being either a bug or downright purposeful. There's been no official comment by Zynga on the issue, so unfortunately there's no way of really knowing, at least for now. If Zynga makes an announcement acknowledging the missing crop/animal acceleration boosts (even in that announcement states that they've been removed from the game), we'll make sure to let you know.

Say goodbye to withered crops, pioneers. Zynga will soon release the Amazing Grain Silo in FrontierVille, a brand new building that will provide players with Unwither and Wither Protection Boosts through its Daily Bonus. (And that's not a typo.)

The new feature, which will require players to ask for materials from friends like all new buildings, will come with a duo of Goals. These Goals will guide players through the process of creating this building that sounds too good to be true. Well, it is, and let's get on with it:

1. A Grain Idea
Place the Grain Silo
Clean 12 Debris on your homestead
Harvest 25 Flax

To place the Grain Silo, purchase it from the Market for 2,500 Coins and 20 Wood, and just throw it any old place. To harvest 25 Flax, you'll need 3,750 Coins and at least eight hours for them to ripen. Your reward for completing this simple Goal is 500 XP and a Pink Rose Ready Boost.

2. Serious About Silos
Tend 15 Neighbor Crops
Harvest 25 Blue Corn
Collect 10 Silo Tarps

Blue Corn is a brand new crop to FrontierVille, and will cost a total of 5,700 Coins and take 12 hours to ripen. Better yet, each harvest of Blue Corn rewards players with 376 Coins, five Food and 18 XP. However, you may need to complete the Grain Silo to unlock this crop. To finish the Grain Silo after you whack it a few times using Energy and Wood you will need to request the following items from your friends:

10 Silo beams
10 Roof Tile
10 Silo Ladder
15 Hopper
15 Stone Siding
15 Silo Crate

Like most feature-rich buildings in the game, we imagine that the first three items will be asked for directly from friends, while the latter three will simply post News Feeds for players to respond to.

Once this is finished, the Blue Corn crop should unlock. The 10 Silo Tarps for the Goal look to be another item requested from friends. For finishing this Goal, you'll score 800 XP and a Queasy Chicken.

If you're still reeling from the Newlywed Newbies Goal in FrontierVille, this otherwise good news might be a doozy. Zynga will soon release yet another Timed Goal, titled "The Dog-less Shepherd." This looks to be part of an ongoing series of Timed Goals that will be stymied across a period of time.

This Goal, like the first in this new series, seems as if you'll have to accept it by Aug. 31. However, this information is early, and details are subject to change before this content is released. Enough with the disclaimers and onto the good stuff:

The Dog-less Shepherd:
Clear 30 Grass on a Neighbor's Homestead
Collect 10 Doggie Toys
Collect 10 Doggie Treats

Since there should be no need to explain how to clear Grass (Hint: You click on it), let's move along. The 10 Doggie Toys, if the previous Goal in this series is any indication, will be collected through individual help requests sent to friends. Doggie Treats, on the other hand, will likely be found through general News Feed posts. Both options read as "Ask Friends" on the Goal menu, so it can get confusing. For completing this Goal, you'll score 10 Chunky Chow for your Old Dog, 400 XP and 300 Coins.

As if FrontierVille wasn't already filled with enough wedding talk to last most of us a lifetime, a new timed goal has been added to the game that takes life after the wedding into account, as a pair of Newlyweds (Kit and Connie) have made a pit-stop on your Homestead on their way through to the Pioneer Trail. The Newlywed Newbies goal should be available to most pioneers as of this writing, and you'll find its icon along with the rest of your goals on the left-hand side of the screen.

This timed goal must be started by August 31. Once you start it, you'll have seven days to complete it, and if you do, you'll earn some Wedding Gifts that can be used towards special wedding decorations, if you're still trying to complete your collection of those. As you might have expected, this goal comes with three tasks:

Harvest 30 Potatoes
Collect 10 Spare Harnesses
Collect 10 Water Canteens

Apparently, Kit and Connie have found themselves in a spot of trouble, and you'll need to help them make up for the poor planning by rounding up some supplies. The Spare Harnesses are earned through individual requests sent to friends, while the Water Canteens are earned through a general wall post. As for Potatoes, they take just four hours to grow, so you'll likely finish that step first.

For completing this goal, you'll walk away with the aforementioned 10 Wedding Gifts, but will also earn 300 XP and 200 coins. Those prizes aren't huge, but the requirements here aren't too terribly difficult either. Just make sure to have some free space on your land to plant those crops, and the rest should come to you way before your seven day time limit is up. Good luck!

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?