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Tree Farm Sign
Tree farm entry

The entrance to the Tree Farm.

When Congress moved to nationalize my forest, I burnt it to the ground. God did not plant the seeds of this Arcadia; I did.
― Andrew Ryan[src]

The Tree Farm was a small place within the Arcadia district of Rapture where citizens could see trees and farm plants growing under the ocean. The farm is contiguous with the bulkhead connecting Arcadia with the Farmer's Market, meaning Jack is required to pass through here during the events of BioShock.

History[]

Arcadia Entrance

Welcome to Paradise.

Less of an actual tree farm, the area was more of a display of farming techniques and cultivated plants. Actual tree plantations or nurseries meant for Rapture's wood, agriculture, and oxygen needs required far more space. However, the Tree Farm did demonstrate the horticultural process to visitors. Situated next to the entrance gates to Arcadia, it was nigh impossible to miss.

The plants within the Farm were watered via an automatic overhead sprinkler system; a water tank in the center of the provided any additional water needed. Operations within the Tree Farm were interrupted by the outbreak of the Rapture Civil War. Things got worse as the Saturnine took over much of Arcadia. By the end of the war, the area was in disuse and became overgrown, making it nearly inaccessible with a growth of vines keeping the doors shut.

BioShock[]

Arcadia-Tree Farm-01

Greener pastures.

Main article: BioShock

The Tree Farm has two entranceways located along the Arcadia Glens promenade. When Jack first arrives in Arcadia, the doors to the farm are enshrouded in kudzu-like vegetation, so the space is blocked off.

Spoilers


Later on, Andrew Ryan releases a deadly poison into the air system, which kills most of the plant life. Jack seeks out Dr. Julie Langford to reverse the process before the oxygen runs out. She leaves a note with the needed ingredients for assembling a revitalizing agent she's been working on. Atlas suggests he move onto the Farmer's Market for supplies.

Tree Farm[]

Arcadia-Tree Farm-02

Pipes and plantlife.

When Jack enters the area, the defoliant has withered much of the plant life, but still it's apparent that the place hasn't been tended to for a long time. There are eight trees growing in the farm along with seven rotting pumpkins, some ferns, and various other leafy plants. A Leadhead Splicer controlling a Security Bot patrols the planting grounds.

On the platform in the back are various planting tools and materials along with the Audio Diary Arcadia and Oxygen. A wall of windows exposes the myriad pipes and valves controlling the area's waterworks. A Dr. Grossman Splicer took refuge under the metal walkway before eventually passing away. The corpse of a woman lies in the field. By climbing the terraces around the farm's perimeter, Jack can gain access to a trove of valuables located on the ledges, including a First Aid Kit, 00 Buck, an EVE Hypo, a pistol, five bottles of Arcadia Merlot, and a storage crate containing an Automatic Hack Tool and two units of Electric Gel.

Arcadia Entrance[]

Arcadia-Tree Farm-Houdini

Up in flames.

Adjacent to the farm is the Entrance to Arcadia. A charred corpse is located on the steps up to the area. At first sight, the area seems deserted. There is a Power to the People vending machine along the pathway. Ahead and down a short flight of steps is a courtyard leading to the ticket area that has a Circus of Values machine and a Little Sister Vent. In a scripted event, a Thuggish Splicer engulfed in flames suddenly comes running up the stairs screaming about the Saturnine; he quickly dies on the steps. Sure enough, a Houdini Splicer is skulking around the ticket booth plaza. She lobs a salvo of fire balls at Jack when he comes in range, one of which lights an oil slick, effectively blocking his path.

Arcadia-Tree Farm-03

Blood in the grass.

The ticket booths are immediately ahead. The gates were locked until Jack extracted the key from the safe in Langford Research Laboratories. The leftmost booth houses a safe containing sixty seven dollars, two first aid kits, and twenty antipersonnel auto rounds while the rightmost holds only two Pep Bars. The middle one has nothing but a blood stain. Just beyond the gates is Brigid Tenenbaum's audio diary Maternal Instinct.

Immediately in front of the bulkhead to the market is the bloody corpse of a female Rapturian and a shotgun. Whether she was killed by an enemy or chose to end her life herself, she met a grisly end in "Rapture's Vacationland." As Jack enters the bulkhead, images of his home farm suddenly flash through his mind. When he returns after gathering the needed components, Ryan contacts Jack over the radio. He reminds Jack of the impending oxygen shortage, invites him to go quietly, and then sends a fleet of Security Bots to carry out the task.

New Discoveries[]

Single Use Events[]

Audio Diaries[]

  1. Julie LangfordArcadia and Oxygen
  2. Brigid Tenenbaum - Maternal Instinct

Behind the Scenes[]

  • The ticket booth area was originally decorated with the Chinese lanterns seen in the The Fighting McDonagh's Tavern and the Farmer's Market. For whatever reason they were removed, but they can still be seen in the loading screen images for Arcadia.
  • The flames on the Saturnine figures that are burning in the ticket plaza will only go out once the Houdini Splicer is killed.
  • Developer Jean-Paul LeBreton remarks on this area:
    • "This was the very first room in Arcadia to be decorated, as an art test space by Irrational art director Scott Sinclair, for whom Bio2's Augustus Sinclair was named. The color palette he set down in that space became a guiding focus for the level's art."
    • "There is a secret in the demake that takes you up the rocky face of one side of this area, which is a nod to all the little climby spots in the real Arcadia that take you up to various caches of goodies. I tend to enjoy finding these in games with rich worlds, and thus I enjoy setting them up. Sorry if any of the jumps are too fiddly."[1]

References[]

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