Vinesweeper

Winkin's Farm is a Farming/Hunter-based, members-only Activity released on 19 February 2008. Official worlds for this activity are 51 and 78.

Requirements

 * Spade (or 5 coins to buy one; the Tool Leprechaun can store a spade)
 * 3,500 coins to rent a set of 10 flags, possibly more in case you lose a flag. First 10 flags are free.
 * Or, 50 points per flag.

Getting to the Activity
At any farming patch with a Tool Leprechaun wandering around, except on Harmony Island or Trollheim, right-click him or her and click 'teleport'. Request to be teleported to the activity. He will then say "Avach nimporto" and you will find yourself at the activity site. There is a portal North-East of the farmhouse to return to the patch. Familiars and pets cannot be brought into the activity.



Playing the game




It is suggested to go to world 78, as this is the world where most players play the game. To start, speak to Farmer Blinkin or Mrs. Winkin, who will give you 10 free flags and tell you how to play the game. You can only have a maximum of 10 flags.

The game involves a grid of holes. After digging at a hole with a spade a number will appear at the digging location. The number indicates the number of adjacent squares that hold a seed. The numbers range from zero to seven. (0 is invisible, 1 is blue, 2 is green, 3 is red, 4 is yellow, 5 is purple, 6 is teal, 7 is very light brown.)

In case of a zero, the activity will show an empty area if the edge of the empty area is close enough the numbers on the edge will be displayed instantly too. Digging at a location that carries a seed, destroys the seed.

After locating a square with a seed indicate the location by planting a flag. A farmer will retrieve the seed and give points as a reward. If the indicated location does not carry a seed, the flag will be lost and the number of points is reduced.

Once you have used your 10 flags, you will need to retrieve them from Farmer Blinkin or Mrs. Winkin, who will also offer to replace any you have lost for 500 coins each. Mrs. Winkin will also sell them for 50 points.

Rabbits


After planting a flag, rabbits will race the farmers to the indicated spot. Rabbits can be chased away by feeding them Ogleroot, which can be bought from Farmer Blinkin for 10 gp or found during the digging process. This will give you 30 Hunter experience. If a rabbit reaches your flag before the farmer is finished digging up the seed, you lose the flag and get no points. Any excess ogleroots are refunded when you leave the activity.

Tips

 * There is never a seed on the edge of a numberless spot, so if there are mounds next to an empty spot it's always safe to click those.
 * If you get a message saying you're unsure of what is in the hole, search again until you're sure.
 * If you do not know where to start or if you think there is a seed but you are not sure, use the investigate option. It does not always work, but it does not hurt to try.
 * Don't plant a flag near a rabbit hole (they're on the outer rim of the fields).
 * Always stay close to farmers to increase the chance a rabbit will be too late.
 * If you can't figure out where the seeds are, it is possible to follow other players, but you get fewer points that way too.
 * The number of points received for identifying a seed is related to your farming level. At very low levels, digging up ground is more efficient than planting flags.
 * As this activity is based on Minesweeper, see the Wikipedia page for more information. If you do not wish to risk losing flags while learning to play, playing Minesweeper can be a good way to start off. Many computers automatically have this game, and free online versions can be found.
 * Playing near edges helps you when a seed is near your chance to pick a seed, because there are less holes to pick from.
 * Whenever possible, play with other players.It allows you to cover more land and locate seeds quicker. You should remember that you can get points for their finds as well as yours (providing you are close enough). It also makes the game more enjoyable as a whole.
 * However, a down side to playing with others is that sometimes less experienced players will dig up a seed near you or start flagging all of your spots without permission. It is suggested that you either choose to work alone, which often provides the largest amount of possible points, or choose with others, which will be more fun and slightly easier, but at a slower point gaining rate.
 * When a seed is dug up, the numbers around the area where it was are cleared. This is mildly annoying, however, the seed positions themselves will not reset (though new ones may be added in previously safe spots), so a solution is to bring weeds or other disposable non-stacked items, and drop them on known seed holes before flagging nearby seeds. Then the holes can be immediately flagged, regardless of whether the numbers are there or not.

Points


Points can be spent by trading with Mrs. Winkin inside the house.


 * Note 1 You have to be close to the spot where the flag is planted

Farming experience
One farming experience costs from 1 point (at level 40+) to 7.75 points (below level 40.) A player would need around 101.01m vinesweeper points to get 1-99 farming in one exchange unless the game automatically changed the rates while exchanging; in this case a player would need around 13.16 million points.

You only get farming experience for trading in points.

Farming Seeds (and other items)



 * {|class="wikitable"

!colspan=2|Row 1 !colspan=2|Row 2 !colspan=2|Row 3 !colspan=2|Row 4 !colspan=2|Row 5 !colspan=2|Row 6 !Item name !!Points needed !Item name !!Points needed !Item name !!Points needed !Item name !!Points needed !Item name !!Points needed !Item name !!Points needed
 * XP
 * style="text-align:right"|n/a
 * Tarromin seed||style="text-align:right"|10
 * Torstol seed||style="text-align:right"|45000
 * Jute seed||style="text-align:right"|50
 * Poison ivy seed||style="text-align:right"|30
 * Spirit tree seed||style="text-align:right"|55000
 * Flag
 * style="text-align:right"|50
 * Avantoe seed||style="text-align:right"|1250
 * Rosemary seed||style="text-align:right"|10
 * Yanillian seed||style="text-align:right"|60
 * Acorn||style="text-align:right"|100
 * Compost potion (4)||style="text-align:right"|5000
 * Cabbage seed
 * style="text-align:right"|10
 * Wergali seed||style="text-align:right"|3800
 * Nasturtium seed||style="text-align:right"|10
 * Krandorian seed||style="text-align:right"|20
 * Willow seed||style="text-align:right"|1800
 * colspan=2 rowspan=7|
 * Tomato seed
 * style="text-align:right"|10
 * Ranarr seed||style="text-align:right"|4000
 * Woad seed||style="text-align:right"|30
 * Wildblood seed||style="text-align:right"|100
 * Maple seed||style="text-align:right"|12000
 * Sweetcorn seed
 * style="text-align:right"|150
 * Kwuarm seed||style="text-align:right"|1000
 * Limpwurt seed||style="text-align:right"|70
 * Redberry seed||style="text-align:right"|5
 * Yew seed||style="text-align:right"|29000
 * Strawberry seed
 * style="text-align:right"|165
 * Cadantine seed||style="text-align:right"|1000
 * Cactus seed||style="text-align:right"|1200
 * Cadavaberry seed||style="text-align:right"|5
 * Pineapple seed||style="text-align:right"|10000
 * Watermelon seed
 * style="text-align:right"|680
 * Snapdragon seed||style="text-align:right"|16000
 * Mushroom spore||style="text-align:right"|800
 * Dwellberry seed||style="text-align:right"|5
 * Papaya tree seed||style="text-align:right"|20000
 * Guam seed
 * style="text-align:right"|10
 * Lantadyme seed||style="text-align:right"|7500
 * Belladonna seed||style="text-align:right"|300
 * Jangerberry seed||style="text-align:right"|10
 * Palm Tree seed||style="text-align:right"|35000
 * Marrentill seed
 * style="text-align:right"|10
 * Dwarf weed seed||style="text-align:right"|9000
 * Asgarnian seed||style="text-align:right"|5
 * Whiteberry seed||style="text-align:right"|25
 * Calquat tree seed||style="text-align:right"|35000
 * }
 * Palm Tree seed||style="text-align:right"|35000
 * Marrentill seed
 * style="text-align:right"|10
 * Dwarf weed seed||style="text-align:right"|9000
 * Asgarnian seed||style="text-align:right"|5
 * Whiteberry seed||style="text-align:right"|25
 * Calquat tree seed||style="text-align:right"|35000
 * }
 * }

Making money
Most items traded from Mrs. Winkin can be sold to other players or at the Grand Exchange. Flags are not tradeable. Experience for planting per seed bought is also given. It assumes an average harvest of 15 for allotments, 7 for clean herbs, 10 for hops, 4 for bushes, 6 for fruit trees, 3 for the cactus, 1 for belladonna and flowers (except limpwurt, which is 3), and 6 for mushrooms (even though bushes, fruit trees, and the cactus can be harvested more than once). Experience growing a seed can be compared to the points needed to buy it, as points can be traded directly for experience. Note that allotments and hops require planting multiple seeds.

Prices are updated at Grand Exchange Market Watch/Farming.


 * {|class="wikitable sortable"

!Item !Points needed

!Coins per seed

!Coins per point

!Experience per seed grown

!Coins per seed harvested per point


 * Cabbage seed
 * 10
 * Tomato seed
 * 10
 * Sweetcorn seed
 * 150
 * Strawberry seed
 * 165
 * Watermelon seed
 * 680
 * Guam seed
 * 10
 * Marrentill seed
 * 10
 * Tarromin seed
 * 10
 * Avantoe seed
 * 1250
 * Wergali seed
 * 3800
 * Ranarr seed
 * 4000
 * Kwuarm seed
 * 1000
 * Cadantine seed
 * 1000
 * Snapdragon seed
 * 16000
 * Lantadyme seed
 * 7500
 * Dwarf weed seed
 * 9000
 * Torstol seed
 * 45000
 * Rosemary seed
 * 10
 * Nasturtium seed
 * 10
 * Woad seed
 * 30
 * Limpwurt seed
 * 70
 * Cactus seed
 * 1200
 * Mushroom spore
 * 800
 * Belladonna seed
 * 300
 * untradeable
 * Asgarnian seed
 * 5
 * Jute seed
 * 50
 * Yanillian seed
 * 60
 * Krandorian seed
 * 20
 * Wildblood seed
 * 100
 * Redberry seed
 * 5
 * Cadavaberry seed
 * 5
 * Dwellberry seed
 * 5
 * Jangerberry seed
 * 10
 * Whiteberry seed
 * 25
 * Poison ivy seed
 * 30
 * Acorn
 * 100
 * Willow seed
 * 1800
 * Maple seed
 * 12000
 * Yew seed
 * 29000
 * Pineapple seed
 * 10000
 * Papaya tree seed
 * 20000
 * Palm tree seed
 * 35000
 * Calquat tree seed
 * 35000
 * Spirit tree seed
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * Lantadyme seed
 * 7500
 * Dwarf weed seed
 * 9000
 * Torstol seed
 * 45000
 * Rosemary seed
 * 10
 * Nasturtium seed
 * 10
 * Woad seed
 * 30
 * Limpwurt seed
 * 70
 * Cactus seed
 * 1200
 * Mushroom spore
 * 800
 * Belladonna seed
 * 300
 * untradeable
 * Asgarnian seed
 * 5
 * Jute seed
 * 50
 * Yanillian seed
 * 60
 * Krandorian seed
 * 20
 * Wildblood seed
 * 100
 * Redberry seed
 * 5
 * Cadavaberry seed
 * 5
 * Dwellberry seed
 * 5
 * Jangerberry seed
 * 10
 * Whiteberry seed
 * 25
 * Poison ivy seed
 * 30
 * Acorn
 * 100
 * Willow seed
 * 1800
 * Maple seed
 * 12000
 * Yew seed
 * 29000
 * Pineapple seed
 * 10000
 * Papaya tree seed
 * 20000
 * Palm tree seed
 * 35000
 * Calquat tree seed
 * 35000
 * Spirit tree seed
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * Belladonna seed
 * 300
 * untradeable
 * Asgarnian seed
 * 5
 * Jute seed
 * 50
 * Yanillian seed
 * 60
 * Krandorian seed
 * 20
 * Wildblood seed
 * 100
 * Redberry seed
 * 5
 * Cadavaberry seed
 * 5
 * Dwellberry seed
 * 5
 * Jangerberry seed
 * 10
 * Whiteberry seed
 * 25
 * Poison ivy seed
 * 30
 * Acorn
 * 100
 * Willow seed
 * 1800
 * Maple seed
 * 12000
 * Yew seed
 * 29000
 * Pineapple seed
 * 10000
 * Papaya tree seed
 * 20000
 * Palm tree seed
 * 35000
 * Calquat tree seed
 * 35000
 * Spirit tree seed
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * Cadavaberry seed
 * 5
 * Dwellberry seed
 * 5
 * Jangerberry seed
 * 10
 * Whiteberry seed
 * 25
 * Poison ivy seed
 * 30
 * Acorn
 * 100
 * Willow seed
 * 1800
 * Maple seed
 * 12000
 * Yew seed
 * 29000
 * Pineapple seed
 * 10000
 * Papaya tree seed
 * 20000
 * Palm tree seed
 * 35000
 * Calquat tree seed
 * 35000
 * Spirit tree seed
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * Acorn
 * 100
 * Willow seed
 * 1800
 * Maple seed
 * 12000
 * Yew seed
 * 29000
 * Pineapple seed
 * 10000
 * Papaya tree seed
 * 20000
 * Palm tree seed
 * 35000
 * Calquat tree seed
 * 35000
 * Spirit tree seed
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * Yew seed
 * 29000
 * Pineapple seed
 * 10000
 * Papaya tree seed
 * 20000
 * Palm tree seed
 * 35000
 * Calquat tree seed
 * 35000
 * Spirit tree seed
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * Papaya tree seed
 * 20000
 * Palm tree seed
 * 35000
 * Calquat tree seed
 * 35000
 * Spirit tree seed
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * Calquat tree seed
 * 35000
 * Spirit tree seed
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * 55000
 * untradeable
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost buckets


 * 5000
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost bins (60 buckets)
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost bins (60 buckets)
 * Compost potion (4)
 * on 4 compost bins (60 buckets)
 * on 4 compost bins (60 buckets)


 * 5000
 * }
 * }
 * }
 * }
 * }


 * Coins/point is a measure of how profitable it is to buy seeds with Vinesweeper points and sell them for coins.
 * Coins/harvest/point is a measure of how profitable it is to buy seeds with Vinesweeper points, grow them, and sell the harvest for coins.
 * Experience and return/point values for "harvesting" supercompost are the differences between using/selling supercompost versus using/selling compost.
 * Experience/seed can be used to judge how much sense it makes to buy the seed for points and grow it for experience. For most of the mid to high level seed rewards, the amount of experience for growing per seed is less than the experience purchased directly with the same number of points. For example, it takes 29,000 Vinesweeper points to purchase a yew seed. The experience for growing per seed is only 7150.9 experience points, while purchasing farming experience is 29,000 experience points (for farming level 40+). As such, it is advisable to avoid spending points on seeds costing over 100 points apiece, with the possible exceptions of the Spirit Tree Seed and Compost Potions, both of which are much more difficult to obtain otherwise.

Music

 * Charmin' Farmin' - Visiting the area

Trivia

 * Vinesweeper is similar to minesweeper, a computer game.
 * The house in the farm is similar to that of the Hobbit holes in The Lord of the Rings.
 * The main NPCs bear the names "Winkin" (the Mrs. and absent Mr.) and Farmer "Blinkin". This is a reference to a bedtime poem about three fishermen named Wynken, Blynken, and Nod who sail into the sky in a wooden shoe. The poem alludes to a sleeping child and, specifically, the world of dreams. "Now Winkin' and Blinkin' are two little eyes and Nod is a little one's head. And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one's trundle bed." Full text at Home of Love - Nursery Rhymes.
 * When you examine the entrance portal is says: Gnome sweet Gnome?, a pun on Home! Sweet Home!
 * The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a children's book about a rabbit sneaking into Mr. McGregor's garden and eating as many vegetables as he can before being chased around. He is also in another book The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (name similar to Mrs. Winkin).
 * During the quest Grim Tales it is possible to find Mr. Winkin imprisoned near the Witch's Experiments.
 * You are not able to enter Vinesweeper - even after the Christmas Event - with an Ice amulet.
 * It is very difficult to completely solve the entire game as dug up holes will eventually reset.
 * If you are wearing a Cap and Goggles, Double Eye Patches, or a Runecrafter hat, with the goggles on, you can still get the message, "You get some mud in your eye and it stings! You have no idea what is in the hole."
 * It is possible to trade while playing the activity, so it is useful for giving items to a friend who would normally be far away.
 * Although Tool Leprechaun prohibit familiars from entering the activity, it is possible to smuggle one in if the familiar "Cannot join you at the moment.", when you are standing in a location too small for it to fit.
 * The game text: "You add a flag to the patch.", and "You feed an ogleroot to one of the rabbits and it starts to disappear...", show up past the game filter.
 * If you climb over the stile, and choose the spot ahead to dig, you can't, as it says: "You can't dig here. You need to be in the farmyard.".