The Final Countdown: The End of Halloween is Near!

Hey Howdy Hey Tappers!

Well here we are…we’ve reached the end of the Halloween update!  While Halloween was officially over on November 1st, EA decided to give us a few extra days of trick-or-treating to see what prizes we could win!  However…now it’s all coming to a close!  So squish the last of those Rigellians, send those kids on their final Trick-or-Treat tasks, shoot down the last of those UFOs…because tomorrow it’s ALL gone!

As of right now, we see no signs of this event being extended.  In the past, if an event was going to be extended, EA would make an announcement several days before  it was initially scheduled to end.  As of now, no announcement & no changes to the files.  So I think it’s a safe bet to assume Halloween will be gone tomorrow.  (and hopefully a something new in it’s place!)

So beyond the items what else do you need to know for the end of the Halloween Event?  Let’s take a look at some of the steps you should know to finish out the event and get ready for some kind of update.

Based on previous events this is what we can expect to happen tomorrow:

-The set end time for the event is 8:00 GMT (3am EST…remember in the US we jumped clocks back 1 hr on November 2nd, so GMT to EST is now 5 hrs instead of 4.).  However, based on past events, the update won’t end at that point.  It will take the update to remove it from your game.  So you should still be able to play your game for some time tomorrow morning.  (remember….this is based on previous experiences.  You never know with EA)

-Some kind of update will hit our games tomorrow.  This will be an App Store (or Google Play Store) update, where you will need to actually go in and update your game.

–Usually, and again I say this because it’s based on what’s happened in the past, the update will hit sometime between 12PM EST and 2PM EST.  

-The update may contain a new Event, or a level update, or it could just be an update to remove Halloween with nothing new in the game (like what happened after Easter).  Right now we’re not seeing anything in the files to indicate anything.  So we’re all flying blind & at the mercy of EA.

As always if we see anything in the files…we’ll let you know.  Usually if something is going to appear in the files before the update hits it’s a 2-4 hr window before it actually hits.

What you can do to get ready if you’re on Level 46:

-Do not send your characters on 24hr tasks.  Whatever task you send them on tonight into tomorrow morning make sure they’ll be free after 10AM EST (just to be on the safe side).

-Ignore all of the random quests the game will try to send you on between today and tomorrow, unless they’re short quests.  Just because they’re telling you to send Bart and Milhouse for a 24hr Sleepover doesn’t mean you have to.  So hold off on those quests until you know what’s going to happen tomorrow.  (you’ll know it’s a random quest because there won’t be dialog popup with the task request)

-Check your App Store tomorrow, again this will be an App Store update.  So you will need to download and update TSTO for it to work.

Finishing Out Halloween:

-If you haven’t yet cleared all of the prizes…keep trying.  You still have time.  Also, just because an update is here doesn’t mean you have to update your game.  Because this will be an App Store update, if you haven’t yet cleared your prizes you don’t have to update your game.  You can keep playing in Halloween and earn more Protein Strings  (usually 2-3 days after the update hits, although in the recent past they’ve forced Tappers to update hours after the update hit the App Store).  Just keep in mind if your neighbors have updated it makes it that much more difficult to earn Protein Strings, since you won’t be able to squish Aliens in their towns, or shoot down UFOs.

-If you’ve finished the event…STILL HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS!  Visit neighbors who are behind and leave them Grem-Aliens.  Also, don’t defeat Grem-Aliens in your own town…this way they can earn the max from them.  This is the best way to ensure your neighbors can earn all that they can before time runs out!

-Make sure you purchase all of those limited-time items before they’re gone, if you want them.  They won’t be here late tomorrow for you to make a decision on.  If you’ve already purchased the Halloween items, they’re yours forever and will remain in your Springfield (or storage) unless you sell them or delete your game (via origin ID…not uninstalling from your phone).  This also applies to items won.  If you’ve won them, they’re yours.

So just what are the limited time Halloween items? Well here’s a complete list of everything that you will no longer be able to purchase (with think) after November 12th:

Freemium:

Dead Tree- $270

Jack-o-Lantern- $135

Pumpkin Patch– $450

Spooky Tree- $325

(Make-A-Thing will also no longer be available to build..but by now you all should have built it)

Premium:

Drive-In Theater- 150 Donuts.  Comes with Space Mutant

Tentacle Tree- 18 Donuts

Portal to Rigel 7- 100 Donuts

Teleporters Alpha and Omega- 50 Donuts.

That’s it for limited-time items.

For the complete TSTO Addicts Guide to Halloween check out our Halloween Event Page.

Confused about what you should purchase before it’s gone? Well here’s my advice. If you have the cash buy everything,  you can add a few of each (you can also store them). I’m not saying run out and spend all of your cash on decorations, but be sure you buy them before they’re gone. Trust me you’ll regret it in a few months if you didn’t purchase them. Plus, it’s part of your “battle scars” for playing TSTO. So next summer when new Tappers are coming into the game they’ll covet those spooky decorations!

As far as premium items go, check out our Should I Buy Guide (listed on the Event Page) to see if it’s something worth your hard earned donuts!

Remember the event ends tomorrow so be sure to purchase everything you need by tonight before it’s all gone!

Now…some are you are asking what to do with all the items from Trick Or Treating.  Are there better items to craft?  What’s the best for you to do?  Well here’s my advice…

First…and most important.  Craft what you like.  If you want 10 Rigellian Shrubs, craft 10 Rigellian Shrubs.  If you want a ton of Spooky Houses, craft them all!

If you’re looking for the best strategy when it comes to crafting, here’s my suggestion.  Spooky Walls are the only items craftable that will earn you a bonus %.  So if you have everything else, craft as many walls as you can (remember…you will have to place them in your Springfield in order for them to count toward your bonus).  This is especially great advice for freemium players who don’t have a lot of premium items to boost their bonus %.

Now…it you’re like me and already have a fairly high rate as your bonus % and are looking for other fun things to do…craft other stuff.  Personally, I’ve crafted several Rigellian Tribal Hunts & Shrubs.  This will help me decorate my Rigellian area once Halloween is over.

Remember…the Pumpkin House, Spooky House & Tribal Huts should all earn you cash and xp after Halloween is over.  So those are also great investments…if you have the space.

The one thing I do not recommend crafting more of…Human Test Subject.

What did YOU think of the Halloween update?  Which premium items did you purchase?  Did you finally clear out the prizes?  Will you be updating tomorrow when the App store update hits?  Sound off in the comments below, you know we LOVE hearing from you!