Test of the Coffee Grower

Abstract

In the Test of the Coffee Plantation you must plant and tend delicate coffee bean trees. During the signup period, you can register your intent to compete against others in a coffee growing competition. As you progress in the competition, you must enlist the help of those you defeat to continue advancing and pass the test.

Coffee Plantations

This test will modify the plantation building. When you build a plantation, you may click on the building and designate it as either a coffee or cocoa plantation (for the Test of Plantation). You can only do this if there are no trees currently planted on the plantation. You can convert a cocoa plantation to a coffee one or vice versa by mulching all trees first. Alternatively, you may build separate plantations for cocoa and coffee should you decide to participate in both tests. During the signup period for competitions, you can travel to a University of Leadership to pick up a packet of coffee beans. You will be given three different types of coffee beans (1 bean of each type), randomly selected by the University professors specifically for the current competition. All participants will receive the same 3 types during a single signup period.

Signing Up

When the test is demonstrated, the first signup period for the competition lasts for 12 Egypt days. The competition begins when the signup period ends and lasts for 24 egyptian days (6 days per round). After the competition ends, another signup period begins which lasts for 48 egyptian days. It thereafter cycles between 24 day competitions and 48 day signup periods. You can sign-up for the next competition at any University of Leadership as long as you have started the test.

The Competition

When the contest starts, you will be randomly paired against someone else who signed up for the contest during the signup period. A group of 3 may be formed if there is an odd number of participants. 8 players must signup or the competition is cancelled, and you must wait until the next signup period.

Rounds – Each round lasts 6 Egyptian days

In the 1st round, you must plant your first seed on your plantation and tend to the coffee tree as many times as possible. You will be declared the victor over your opponent if you tend more than they do. In the case of a tie, the person who tended last wins. You will then be paired up with someone else who also won their 1st round. In the 2nd round, you may plant your second seed on your plantation. Additionally, the person you beat during round 1 can continue tending their tree, and may also plant and tend their 2nd tree. This player's tendings will count towards your total. If you beat your opponent (and their 'helper') you will be paired with another player who won their 2nd round. In the 3rd round, you may plant your third seed and continue tending. Additionally, all players you have defeated so far (and the players that they beat) can plant their 3rd tree and continue tending and adding to your total. If you beat your opponent this time, you will advance to the final round (you do not have an opponent in the final round). In the final round, you must get at least 7 people you beat/advanced ahead of in the previous rounds to tend one of their own trees at least once before the end of the round. Do this, and you pass the test!

Visual Representation of a Coffee Competition

• In the above example, 8 players (A-H) are competing. Players who are in parantheses are no longer in the running to win the contest, but can still participate to add to the tending total of the competing player who beat them in a previous round. In the final, fourth round, player "A" must get everyone they beat (B-H) to tend one of their trees at least once, in order to pass the test. For each round, the game will attempt to pair up competing players in groups of 2. If there are an odd number of competitors, a group of 3 is formed. In the case of a group of 3, the person who tended the most will advance, the person who tended the least will be completely eliminated from the contest (they and any people tending 'for' them cannot tend anymore during the contest) , and the person who tended the middle-most will 'lose' but can continue to tend in further rounds for the winner. In this way, a player who wins amongst a group of 3 will not have an unfair advantage in later rounds (they will not have 'extra' people underneath them tending). As stated before, in the case of a tie, the player who tended last advances. If no players in group tend (they both tended zero times or failed to plant anything) then the winner is the player who signed up for the current competition at the University of Leadership first. If in the final round from the example above, player A does not get every other player (B-H) to tend at least one time, then player A does not pass the Test this competition. It is possible for multiple players to pass the test per competition, if at least 16 or more people sign up.

Coffee Beans

There are 49 types of plantable coffee beans that have been imported into Egypt. These are a new type of complex item. Tending a coffee tree requires 1 jug of water and another item that is unique to each variety of coffee bean. During each contest period, only three types of beans can be cultivated, which are selected by the University of Leadership. Other types of coffee cannot be planted on a plantation at this time. When you sign up for the test, the University will provide you will 1 bean each of the chosen types. You may plant one bean per round of the contest and tend them as often as you like. At the end of the contest, you may harvest the beans that grew on your trees. The harvested beans are a different item (non-complex) from the beans received from the University, and appear in your inventory as Coffee Beans (Raw). These beans can roasted in a grain oven similarly to wheat, barley, etc to become Light Roasted, Medium Roasted, Dark Roasted, and Burnt. The amount that you harvest from each tree is equal to the number of times that you tended that tree. When you harvest the beans, which can only be done after a contest ends, the tree is mulched and destroyed. If you fail to harvest your beans after 36 Egypt days from the contest end, your tree will die and wither away. You may only plant one tree per round of the contest excluding the final round, and you can only plant if you are signed up for the current contest. Therefore, you may never own more than three active trees at any one time. Trees can be tended up to 10 times before needing to rest. After tending 10 times, you must wait 8 Egyptian hours to tend again - you can tend another 10 times after the time has passed.

Coffee Variety	Tending Item (plus a jug of water)
Orange Catuai	Catfish
Yellow Catuai	Camel Milk
Catuai	Coconut Meat
Mundo Novo	Grilled Garlic
Typica	Carrot
Java	Egg
San Ramon	Honey
San Bernando	Royal Jelly
Pache	Mutton
Chickumalgur	Fish Roe
Jamaican	Grilled Fish
Kona	Cabbage Juice
Bergendal	Oyster Meat
Pluma Hidalgo	Garlic Oil
Kent	Cucumber
Maragojipe	Salt
Pacamara	Onion
Pacas	Date
Maracaturra	Fish Oil
Caturra	Rotten Fish
French	Oil
Ieatu	Flax
Jackson	Raw Barley
Chocola	Carrion Mushroom
Mbirizi	Iron Knot
Villa Sarchi	Peasant Foot
Yellow Bourbon	Camel's Mane
Orange Bourbon	Nile Fire
Gesha	Abdju
Wolisho	Carp
Kudhume	Rainbow Cod
Dega	Joy of the Mountain
Harrar	Satsatchi
Wush Wush	Pale Ochoa
Arabica	Tagetese
Sudan Rume	Strawberry Tea
Moka	Pippali
Arusha	Discorea
Liberica	Fire Lily
Canephora	Chives
Timor	Watermelon
Catimor	Steel Bladegrass
Colombia	Mountain Mint
Castillo	Sea Urchin
Ateng	Rabbit Meat
Sarchimor	Strychnos
Lempira	Orris
Batian	Golden Gladalia
Ruiru	Deadly Catsclaw