So I guess I should apologize first off if the title of this post got an awesome 80s song stuck in your head but I’m not going to. First off I like the song and second off it makes me think of The Wedding Singer movie and that’s A-O-K in my book. How the heck are my favorite Christmas spy-catchers and elf-smashers doing? Enjoying all the snow in your towns? You can ask Alissa and Bunny, I love when my town is full of snow. Seriously take the time to scan your town for all the little details that go into TSTO Winter. It’s sooooooooooo cool (pun intended)! Anywho… I was in the middle of doing Where Did THAT Come From posts for the 2014 Christmas Event and got to the destoryed holiday wheel and said to my self, “Self… you haven’t done a Diary of a Wookiee post in a while… maybe this new decoration would be the prefect excuse for some shenanigans?”
Well… I don’t know about shenanigans but here I am typing words about perhaps the most despised event item to ever be created by EA. For those unacquainted with the wheel, it was the main feature of the 2013 TSTO Christmas Event where after you collected Krusty tokens from the Egg Nog Bar, gave you the “chance” to earn prizes.
Let’s just say despite game coded odds, a lot of folks felt like the wheel was rigged. Lots of tappers either didn’t earn everything or were forced to use donuts for extra spins in the hope they would. Alas, even some of these tappers didn’t. Despite being one of the fortunate few to clear the wheel, it’s safe to say most tappers came to despise the dreaded wheel. I saw everything from bloggers calling it the w-Hell to some pretty colorful exclamations about it.
Did I mention some of the prizes were skins for premium characters you;d then have to buy to enjoy? It’s safe to say, it’s not a good idea to ask veteran tappers why they don’t have Clausco or the Snow Monster. You may just find yourself listening or reading a diatribe about the holiday wheel. Don’t say you weren’t warned. Also not a good idea to discuss how many times someone landed on cash or gift cards (these replaced spin spots as you earned prizes) instead of what they want. We seriously had posts about little tricks of the trade to help earn prizes easier. Ridiculous doesn’t even begin to cover all the hatred this device created.
Of course, EA saw how much we all “loved” Krusty’s Non-Denominational Holiday Wheel and decided to bring it back not too much later during the 2014 Valentine’s Day Event. Sure it was pinker and featured cupid Bart, but we all knew the drill. Spin and cross your fingers. Of course this time, instead of cash or crads, you clogged your inventory with lots of ugly pink decorations you didn’t really want. In fairness, I liked some of them and the later addition of placing them in Krustyland was nice but still… ugh… pink… basically like a Two-nicorn drank too much Pepto and it’s vomit is ugly.
After two events with wheels of friendship/mayhem/fortune/frustration and other words… we all basically felt like it was a real version of the Wheel from the real life Krustyland in Florida and Hollywood.
Just remembering those wheels makes me shudder. When talking to Bunny and Alissa about upcoming TSTO Events, it was funny when we all agreed we just hoped there wasn’t another wheel. (NOTE: We’re also not a big fan of “boxes” lol.)
So imagine my surprise when I finished the Day 9 Elf Tunnel and it included a wheel I was happy to see. It’s the Holiday Wheel and it’s destroyed! Hallelujah… thank you 8 lb 6 oz baby Jebus… free at last and all that good exclamatory happy stuff.
Seriously… this to me is one of the best apologies EA could make for 2013 tappers coming back for Christmas. The wicked wheel is dead and on display for all to see. The dialogue was also pretty great.
So EA says sorry and possibly admits the wheel was crooked. Also a little Homer smashing time. Thanks my friend. I must say I am more than happy to display this new decoration in my town. Also a little look at my Clausco factory design. It’s still a work in progress but I’m liking how it’s coming along.
I wonder what it will look like when the snow melts?
So there you have it jinglers and janglers. A little background on where the destroyed holiday wheel comes from as well as some fuzzy thoughts from yours truly. Of course, no post is just about me. Chime in below with your thoughts on the new decoration or share an image of where you placed it. I’d also really love to hear your rants or stories about previous wheels. Thank goodness it appears they’re gone but let’s all remind EA how much we hated them just in case… LEST THEY FORGET. Stay classy, enjoy the event and also don’t forget there are real holidays and family just outside your tapping device. Much love.
TTFN… Wookiee out!
So, since I didn’t start playing till last year or so, any idea on how to get Christmas lights for all my houses without the holiday wheel? I just bought the holiday light plunger hoping that it was what I needed… :/
So why don’t people like the wheel
i personally loved it
I laughed so hard at the broken wheel. I still get a little mad every time I see that snow monster in a friend’s town.
Have you noticed that when you’re in a neighbors town and tap on Santa a few times he makes a precarious sound that resembles a fart? It isn’t very loud but hilarious none the less. The other 2 noises he’s making I haven’t figured out what they are or why he’s making them but they’re funny as well. But hey, it’s not the typical “ho, ho, ho” ya’know. 😉
I hadn’t noticed (admittedly my phone is often on silent) but Santa is certainly in for it as of right now lol.
Since I wasn’t playing last year I did not get the wheel. Of course I never had to suffer through it either. I would love a crushed Easter box or 3 however.
Snow monster, yeti, abominable snow man, whatever you’re called. Sigh. and that’s all I have to say about Christmas 2013 and the wheel.
I didn’t really mind the holida wheel last year (I did spend donuts on spin tokens, but it was out of my own impatience not as a last resort to get all the prizes) and since I started near the end of Christmas 2012, I had Barney and some of the skins which improved my odds, though I was a little safe o hear that I had paid 90 donuts for mr. Plow and then he was being was awarded for free) an for Valentine’s Day I loved the heel because it was just decorations and I got the tunnel of love without spending any donuts. But the Easter wheels not so cleverly disguised as boxes were the worst I spent donuts at the end to get a few of the prizes. The concept of Easter was alright I like when EA tries something new (after all we wouldn’t have our beloved prize system if not for some inventive thinking for whacking day ❤️ Oh how I love whacking day memories) and I think the design would have worked if the fail safe spin numbers were WAY lower, or eggs were easier to earn. At least they are learning from their missteps and continuing to tweak the events to keep them interesting. Here’s to the wonders of tsto future!
I remember throwing my phone across my room(thankfully it landed on my bed) during the Valentine event when ithat wheel landed on an item I wanted just for that spinner to move and land on yet another pond. I didn’t get everything I wanted from the Chistmas one last year but it seems I got off lucky compared to others.
When Krusty popped up talking about that wheel again I was ready to delete the app and avoid the torture so I was very happy when Homer jumped in and broke the wheel. I wish we got the animation, but I’ll take never having to see that wheel whole again.
lol that would have been a very fun animation!
TBH i liked it since it gave me most of the houses decorations
I didn’t hate it terribly but it definitely frustrated me and completed in the zero hour.
I got everything on the wheel except the coveted Claus co. and Snow monster. Also lacking Skinner house and White House decorations, to mention a few. And on Valentine’s Day, I got more gazebo’s than I can happily say. And Fountains.
The only way that could have been better from EA was if they added an action for Homer (even if it was 1 time) to have animation of Homer actually smashing the wheel. But this was great!
In retrospect I didn’t have an issue with the Christmas wheel. I got what I wanted & the “trick” worked for me. But valentine’s day? die wheel die! sooooo many stupid fences & choo choo choose me trains….
I really really wish that EA would gift us a premium character of our choice on Christmas eve…..or Christmas day!! What an awesome Christmas it would be!!
It would be very cool but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that kind of generosity. Maybe we’ll see something great though.
What I really wanted to unlock was Costingtons from the Xmas event last year. But just wasn’t able to accrue enough to unlock it. Other than that I was pretty lucky when it came to the wheels and if I remember correctly I didn’t spend any donuts for more spins. But as I said in another comment, I REALLY wanted the Blocko store and was never able to get it.
One thing I have noticed though since the Clash event this summer, the amount of free donuts have gone down considerably. As a freemium player I used to always have a few laying around. But, they just dried right up. Hopefully I can work my way to getting the free ones from the current event.
I have to disagree. I got a TON of free doughnuts from Halloween, though to be fair having the ray gun (and the ammo it generated) helped a lot with that. But between the UFO dropping 30 doughnuts and getting 2 more at a time from a pile of treat bags, I think that was actually the event that gave me the most free doughnuts.
I saw these at Home Depot the other night and instantly thought of you wookie!! I bet you probably already have one. Its a Wookie Christmas Stocking. Just thought youd like it. Happy Holidays, Sheri V Svisborg-my game user name
Sent on a Sprint Samsung Galaxy S® 5
One of my good friends bought one for me… thanks for sharing though.
Every time I look in my inventory and see all the Easter and valentines fences i cry a little haha. Hope they keep the stone cutter system it’s way better now.
I was lucky enough to get everything from both the Christmas 2013 and Valentines Day 2014 but I spent more donuts than I care to admit for extra spins. DIE WHEEL DIE!!!!!!!!
I placed the wheel before I paid enough attention to the notes – is it actually a multiplier in Krustyland? Or does it just add to your 5 star rating? I placed it in KL in the hopes of a bonus – I’m already at 5 stars so there’s nothing more that I can do to earn tickets, which is a bummer. I’d love to have a big bank of tickets for when they decide to release KL updates.
Also, a note to EA (who I hope is following this site!): release more decorations! Maybe after you’ve completed a tunnel task and it rewards you with decorations (nutcracker, candy cane) it should also unlock the ability to BUY those items. I’d LOVE to spend more money and decorate like crazy all over town (and Krustyland, too!!) but I’m not fond of the bells and already have too many.
It improves vanity in Springfield and merch in KL.
Which year gave away donuts if you completed all the Christmas tasks? They should bring that one back!
They did bring it back. It’s donuts for collecting all the prizes….
This may be the ONLY alternative item that makes sense in for new players, since a Broken Holiday Wheel doesn’t even have sentimental value for anyone who was not playing this time last year.
Unlike, the Elf House or the Holiday tree which seems to cater to veteran players by providing more gift-gathering opportunities to them.
I think EA tried to balance it since some of the alternate prizes are just a nutcracker, bell or candy cane. New players get something good every time though. I love the lights and am glad newer folks get the chance for them.
I started playing Valentine’s Day last year. I kinda wish I could get the destroyed wheel because I hated it in that event. 🙁
I think I was very lucky on the wheel because I’m freemium and I got all of the prizes except the Helter Shelter and Santa’s Little Helper snowdog. Don’t mind about the former, but I wish I had the latter to display in my Springfield. I created a Christmas area and Santa’s Little Helper snowdog is the only one missing from the Simpsons snow family set.
I must say that being a veteran who plays since October 2012 helped me a LOT. I already had the house decorations so I didn’t even know they were being offered as prizes of the wheel. And when I earned Plow King, I was able to “use” him because I got Barney free during the Christmas 2012 event 😀 😀 😀 otherwise there’s absolutely no way I could afford him. I currently have 126 doughnuts and that’s a fortune to me.
But I totally agree with Shauna who commented below. I hated the boxes.
Shary Bobbins is my favorite character of the game and I don’t have her :'(
And let`t not forget the many tappers that went up in flames when the wheel landed on the prize they REALLY wanted but were given the prize next to it instead. Several screen shots were posted of it. I almost expected newspaper headlines about people jumping off a bridge because of it. Nuff said as I don`t want to bring back nightmares…
Anyhooo, I really love your Clausco Factory design! Very nice!
I absolutely hated the wheels. I was very pleased to get a smashed wheel prize. It brought back memories of the wheel and now satisfaction that it’s been destroyed. The Easter boxes was a big pain as well. I spent doughnuts. I wanted Hugs Bunny, absolutely ended up using all the odds to get him. Doh!
Did the wiggum house ever get christmatised
Not yet.
I was so happy to place that decoration it was like E.A. said ok ok here it’s officially dead (Kevin Mccallister voice) “yesssss”
I did really well ith the wheels, getting all items for Christmas ’13 & Valentine ’14. My biggest peeve of the whole TSTO experience? Being forced into the ‘blue’ team at Easter & not getting the Blocko store! This upset me more than missing out on Father Sean and Shary Bobbins! If EA read this and ever think its a good idea to bring teams back (its NOT btw) at least give us the option of which team we join. Thanks
I cringe every time I see someone got the Blocko store. I really wanted it! But back then I didn’t have very many neighbors and got very few eggs from the ones I did have.
That’s weird. For my 9th Elf Tunnel, I earned the Christmas Blue House. Does it only give the wheel to people who played on Christmas last year?
Only got the wheel if you already had the Blue House decorations. Not everyone from last year got them…since they were on the wheel.
I’m one of the veteran tappers sans Claus Co. I hate wheels. Hate hate hate. It still stings every time I visit a neighbor and see their Claus Co. 😩 I also have an inventory packed full of pink goodies that I enjoyed, for like, a day. This smashed wheel is the greatest thing to ever hit my Springfield!
I feel your pain! Clausco was the only thing I didn’t win last year. I had my husband spin the wHell in the hopes that his fingers were luckier than mine (see what that wHell did to me-it doesn’t even logically make sense to do that lol).
I’m not paying 90 d’oh-nuts for it (though wish I could 🙂
I didn’t enjoy the differential candy loot either–ended up with thousands of candy corn and barely a chocolate or broken fence.
Love this event though what with the lovely snow and the ease of FBI-ing my neighbours.
I hated the boxes more as I was lucky enough on the w-Hells but didn’t get half of Easter’s prizes. I did drop lots of sprinklies on every event though. Shari Bobbins *sob*
I agree, I spent more donuts on the Easter chances than anything else. I got Sheri Bobbins, but I missed the Egg Council mascot. >_<
Same here, he’s the only thing I didn’t get lol…
I think many will agree that system made the wheel look fair. You basically had 3 rigged wheels to deal with, only one was easy to get currency for, and the only way to spin one of those “wheels” was to randomly gain extra rare event currency by being lucky in your spins on the other wheels. The amount of randomness in that event was terrible.