Hey Howdy Hey Tappers!
The snow in Springfield is falling and friends are calling…oh wait. Anyway, the snow is Springfield is falling and the store is full of premium items from Christmas past! It’s like 2 of Ebeneezer’s 3 ghosts are visiting us, as we’ve got premium items of Christmas past & Christmas present in our stores.
As with Christmases past (and other events) EA has decided to make old items new again, and give players who might have missed out on something a second chance to get it. Of course that second chance doesn’t come with out a price, as many of the returning items are premium.
Last Friday EA brought back Several items from Christmas past…although most are from recent past (like Phase 1)….Yes Guy, Holiday Tree, Present Depot, Christmas Totem & Elf Home…AND for the final installment they’ve released 3 new items (small Islands)!
I know many of you have been asking if these items are worth your Sprinkles. Well before you hit that confirm button…let’s break down the pros and cons and take a look and see if these items are worth YOUR donuts!
This will run a little different than our typical Should I Buy posts. Basically I’ll give you a quick overview, some pros and cons & my opinion on it now…but I’ll also link you to the previous Should I Buy for more insight…
REMEMBER: ALL of these items will leave the store on 1/13/15 (Which is also when the event is slated to end). So make your purchases before then…or you’ll miss out.
Let’s get started with…the Characters coming back for this week.
Character: Yes Guy
Cost: 100 Donuts
First Introduced to TSTO: Christmas 2013
How Did You Get it Before: Community Prize
What Does it Do: Premium character for Springfield, full list of tasks and questline.
Pros
-Premium character, earns 50% more on all cash and xp for tasks completed.
-Comes with a full questline (at least he did last year)
-Voiced
Cons
-Was completely free last year. If you played TSTO during Christmas 2013 you got him automatically (because he was a Community prize)
-Expensive for just a character. No building/decoration comes with him.
Final Thought
I have him, I enjoyed him…last year, but I almost never use him in Springfield anymore. In fact I often forget about him. I think the cost for this one is a bit steep & really not worth your donuts. You could get someone like The Rich Texan or Dr. Nick for less & get bonus quests with them. The Yes Guy, for me, is a pass.
Previous Posts:
Where Did That Come From
Walkthrough
Community Prize Overview
Decoration: Holiday Tree
Cost: 75 Donuts
First Introduced to TSTO: Winter 2012, Reintroduced Christmas 2013 & Again in 2014
How Did You Get it Before: Premium, Prize (2013) and Tunnel prize (2014)
What Does it Do: Typical Decoration, for most Christmas events it awards additional Currency (does not earn extra bells) and after that it awards cash and xp. .75% bonus
Pros
-Nice Holiday Decoration to your town
-Adds to Vanity (+200 Conform-O-Meter)
-Earns cash and xp ($550, 50xp/24hrs)
Cons
-After Christmas it’s a bit out of place
-No Conform-O-Meter Bonus % payout That’s been changed for this year..noted above.
-Adds vanity points, but that’s currently the easiest to max out
Final Thought
I currently own two of these and I was awarded both for free (1 last year and 1 this year). Save your donuts! This just isn’t worth investing 75 donuts in, especially since it adds absolutely no bonus value to your town.
Previous Posts:
Should I Buy
Decoration: Present Depot
Cost: 50 Donuts
First Introduced to TSTO: Christmas 2013
How Did You Get it Before: Freemium item, in game cash 2013, in 2014 this was a tunnel prize.
What Does it Do: Typical decoration except it earns cash and xp.
Pros
-Different spin on a Christmas tree, unique
-Decent pay out, $55, 5xp/1hr
Cons
-Was free last year, well it cost in game cash. (and was free this year as a tunnel prize)
-No bonus % awarded with it
-No character interaction
Final Thought
I own this from last year & most of you should have it as well (either from last year or as a tunnel prize). Personally, don’t waste your donuts on this. It’s a complete pass in my opinion. It serves no purpose for the remaining days of this event. So skip this one & save your donuts for something better.
Decoration: Elf House
Cost: 60 Donuts
First Introduced to TSTO: Christmas 2013 and again in 2014
How Did You Get it Before: Christmas Prize & a Tunnel Prize if you didn’t already have it.
What Does it Do: Earns income for your Springfield, $260, 26xp/10hrs. 2.5% bonus.
Pros
-Looks cool
-Another building for Springfield
Cons
-Very small.
-Serves no purpose other than to generate some extra income.
-Was previously free
Final Thought
I own this from last year & most of you should have it as well (either from last year or as a tunnel prize). Personally, don’t waste your donuts on this. It’s a complete pass in my opinion. It serves no purpose for the remaining days of this event. So skip this one & save your donuts for something better.
Previous Posts:
Prize Rundown
Decorations: Christmas Totem
Cost: 40 Donuts
First Introduced to TSTO: Christmas 2013
How Did You Get it Before: Community Prize
What Does it Do: Decoration for your Springfield. Offers a 2.25% bonus on all cash and xp
Pros
-Gives a decent bonus % for donuts spent
-Looks cool, especially if you have Kamp Krusty
Cons
-Was completely free last year. If you played TSTO during Christmas 2013 you got him automatically (because he was a Community prize)
-Can be out of place in Springfield if you don’t have the right placement for it.
Final Thought
I own it from last year. It currently sits outside of my Kamp Krusty…and is often forgotten about. However, out of all of the returning items this is one I’d say to get because of the 2.25% bonus it awards. So if you’re thinking about purchasing 1 item from Christmas past…this is the one to get (assuming you don’t already have it)
Previous Posts:
Community Prize
So that sums up all of the…”if you haven’t seen them, they’re new to you” premium items!
So now let’s take a look at the TREE brand new items to arrive in Springfield…the Small Islands
Decoration: Small Island
Cost: 30 Donuts
Bonus %: No bonus
Conform-O-Meter: Tree-Hugging +80
Where Can I Place It: Ocean Only
Pros
-Can be placed in the Ocean only, so won’t take up space in an already full Springfield
-Fun look to it. Something different for the water
Cons
– No bonus % awarded with it.
-Ocean front is expensive. So might be hard to find a space for it if you’ve got limited water space (especially with Squidport)
Final Thought
Personally I’ll probably end up buying this…mostly because I like the idea of the Islands in my water. However, if you’re a freemium player PASS on this. Do not spend your hard earned donuts on this one…especially since there’s a freemium one you can purchase.
Decoration: Small Island
Cost: 90 Donuts
Bonus %: No bonus
Conform-O-Meter: Vanity +900
Where Can I Place It: Ocean Only
Pros
-Can be placed in the Ocean only, so won’t take up space in an already full Springfield
-As a fun look to it. Like something out of Lost or even Castaway.
Cons
– No bonus % awarded with it.
-Ocean front is expensive. So might be hard to find a space for it if you’ve got limited water space (especially with Squidport)
-Most expensive Island..pricey for something that doesn’t award a bonus %
Final Thought
Personally I’ll probably end up buying this…mostly because I like the idea of the Islands in my water. However, if you’re a freemium player PASS on this. Do not spend your hard earned donuts on this one…especially since there’s a freemium one you can purchase.
Decoration: Small Island
Cost: $10,000
Bonus %: No bonus
Conform-O-Meter: Vanity +100
Where Can I Place It: Ocean Only
Final Thought
This is a freemium item….BUY IT! Even if you stick it in storage just grab it while it’s here. It’ll only cost game cash & eventually you’ll wish you had it. So pick it up…do it! Right now! 🙂
Whew and with that we’ve covered ALL of the Limited-Time items that arrived in our games this morning!
Remember…everything is marked Limited-Time. And they will ALL leave the store on 1/13/15. So if you’re thinking about making a purchase do so before they disappear again!
What do YOU think of the items? Have you purchased any? Have some from previous Christmas, or Phase 1? Any advice on what to buy for TSTO Noobs? Sound off in the comments below, you know we LOVE hearing from you!
Elf home offers a 2.5% bonus on all cash and xp. The holiday tree offers 0.65% bonus on all cash and xp.
They did before…for some reason on the return for purchase…again the bonus % does not show anymore. So until we get a complete confirmation…we are going off what we are visually seeing in the game info. I myself hope its still there.
I was hoping we would get to buy the elves to keep in our town. I’ll be sad to see them go. They crack me up. 🙁
I bought the islands. I earned the main island today so was a bit euphoric. Gonna be sad to see some of the Christmas stuff to go but I’m kinda over it. Am I gonna be able to store Santa’s Workshop in a few days? They say I can’t hoard it now.
Hopefully it will become storeable like previous items once the event is over. Only time will tell though.
I had to stop my brain from exploding over the creative genius involved in naming those islands. “Small Island” for all 3! Just boooooooom <- my mind exploding. (Well tried to stop it but it was just too much)
Ha ha ha ! So funny 🙂
See ya bye , Shine on you crazy diamond .
Figures. The two Christmas things I really wanted from other people’s towns (the nutcrackers and the raccoon) did not come back this year. Drat, drat, drat.
I’d gladly give you my raccoon if I could. He really doesn’t do anything but roll over squeal when you poke him. In fact, I’ve stowed most of my NPCs because they make it hard to find those danged elves.
Now as for my rainbow puking two-nicorn, ya can’t have that! Not for anything! 😉
My twonicorn keeps disappearing… I’m too lazy to call ea
I wanted the raccoon and the reindeers. So disappointed! But I did get the abominable snowman, so I’m happy about that!
I was hoping for the return of the Mapple Store as it was originally a holiday event item, but not surprisingly, it did not come back in this event.
Me too!!! The only thing I’m missing from previous Christmas events is the Mapple store. Why didn’t they bring it back?….Everything else did.
I picked up the 30 donut island for my premium game, and some 10k islands for all three of my games. But the 90 donut island is ridiculous. And it is TINY.
Looking at the pictures, I realized that ALL the islands are littered with a at least one Christmas gift box. I guess this was ea’s loophole to making the items fit with festive season, but what they succeeded in doing is making them look even more out of place during other times of the year.
The origin for the islands will be out in the future and the gifts will make a bit more sense.
Looking forward to it!
I always enjoy the WDTCF posts!!!
The presents on ALL the islands annoyed me, too. Then I got the last Christmas prize, and it all made sense. It’s so horrifyingly hilarious!! I think I’m about to spend 90-120 donuts to get more funnies.
The only premium item in this group which is somewhat close to being mild consideration is the 30 doughnut island. It looks the best. Figures, the in-game cash is the ugliest of the lot, not to mention that it looks like it belongs in a Viagra advert.
As for the returning Christmas decorations, WHY would I pay doughnuts for anything that was given away FREE TWICE to other people. It would be like knowing the person, in the table next to you, receiving two free entrees; yet, the restaurant charging you a ridiculous, over-inflated price for the just one of the exact same dish. Am I paying for his meal?!
Does the elf home still affect indolence?
Decided I wanted at least one elf home and checked myself by storing brown houses till I went down in indolence. It bumps it up the equivalent of a brown house.
Indolence +10
Similarly, the Present Depot adds to Consumerism. I was storing Christmas stuff and realized I lost my 5th conform-o-star somehow. Bringing the Depot back out restored it, so it definitely adds Consumerism.
50 donuts isn’t too bad for a consumerism building but it is sort of ugly and becoming more and more out of place after Christmas…
Still, thought it was worth mentioning!
Got all three islands immediately lol. Should get the last island today or tomorrow.
I just bought the Small Island. Thanks for the advice! (:
Sitting with almost 21,000 elf bells and accidently spend 100 donuts on 50 cog wheels!! So so angry with myself. That’s my next purchase off the cards now.
Ah crap. You can try to contact EA and let them know it was a finger slip and see if they’ll hook you up. Can’t hurt to ask.
I went ahead and picked up most items. Yes Guy cause he is a favorite, the Present Tree and Elf house because I didn’t get them phase 1, and I think they add to Christmas decor. I also got the cheaper small island and the island you can get with cash. Still deciding if I want to have a year round Christmas Village area- kinda sick of seeing it at this point lol!
Has there been a breakdown of the tropical island yet? Not really rushing, just wondering. Hopefully I’ll win it before it’s gone. (gonna be close) Thanx.
It’ll be coming in the near future for both the info and the origin. We go prize by prize.
awesome, keep up the great work
Thanks for the review above. Your suggestions pushed me further to the negative on purchasing The Yes Guy, he’s just too expensive. I was also on the fence about the Elf House, and after reading the above, I still think I’ll pass on that, too.
However, I did buy all the islands (one each, so far) and a 3x Holiday Trees. The islands look great, even if the 90D tiny one is overpriced.
Your review on the Holiday Tree says it doesn’t have an Earnings Bonus, but I noted that when I added the Trees to my SF, my Bonus went up. Looks like +0.65% per tree, and this is consistent with the info on the wiki.
There is a bonus I honestly just forgot to double check the files before I posted it. Instead I went off of last year’s post. But i’ll update it
Anyone else notice how the freemium island tree is kind of all sad and bent over, and even the leaves look a little wilty, compared to the 30 donut tree? I don’t like that I feel that was very intentional. I’d have bought the 30 donus island, maybe even the 90 donut one if they gave a bonus percentage.
Was there a should i buy for the Springfield mall, helter shelter, happy little elves and the skating rink? Maybe I missed it.
Those are all flashbacks… ie they were from past events. So they are on the site from then and a recap recently….
http://tstoaddicts.com/2014/12/29/limited-time-items-redux/
http://tstoaddicts.com/2013/12/18/tapped-out-christmas-5th-and-6th-personal-prizes-happy-little-elves-on-ice/
http://tstoaddicts.com/tag/should-i-spend-donuts-on-helter-shelter/
Let us know if that helps. 🙂
Yes this is what I was curious about. 3 days to decide… Probably get at least a couple of them. Thanks!
I already had all of the rewind items, but agree with most of the opinions. It is hard to predict what the 2015 Christmas event will use from previous years.
As for islands. I had to buy at least one of each premium and then I loaded up on the in-game cash ones. Since they were limited time only, I bought a dozen; two left out, ten in storage. You never know when they will expand the ocean area and I’ll want them.
Random ? I know the limit on squid port tiles is 151. If I visit friends who have far more than that can I assume that’s a hack of some sort? Some folks have almost all the water filled with them…
Once upon a time there was a glitch that let folks earn more. Alas EA fixed it but this could be the case. I know I used the glitch and have about 200 tiles.
I won’t buy the islands for donuts – not with out % bonuses. What gives on premium fixtures that don’t give bonuses? Harumph!
I agree. Was really surprised they didn’t give a bonus.
Totally agree with jaybro777. The Yes Guy is one of my faves and I’ve been dying to get him, so it was an absolute must-buy for me. A great way to bring this event to a satisfying close.
Got and placed two freemium islands and bought two more for my inventory, for any future ocean expansion (may ever end up getting one or two more for inventory before the event ends). Can’t imagine spending 90 donuts for one, though! (I think the premium islands ought to at least give a multiplier bonus.)
Since I don’t have Kamp Krusty (would love to, but it’s too expensive for a freemium player like me), and I think the totem pole is u-g-l-y (and would look out of place, as you said), I’ve hidden it behind the only building I had tall enough to hide it (mostly) that had room behind it – my Gold Navy. Would have put it in inventory, but that multiplier is too good to miss out on!
Minor point but newer players didn’t get an Elf House as a tunnel prize. I got Christmas decorations for Willie’s Shack instead (tunnel 4). As cute as this is, I agree that 60 donuts seems a bit too much.
I just got a freemium island — from your subtle hints, I guess you like this too.
Isn’t it sad they didn’t bring back the reindeer? I love that I grabbed them at the time and have them now, but my mom and my aunt are both without them…so I feel bad for them. By the way, what’s with the large price discrepancy between the two donut islands? They are almost identical: one is 30, one is 90?? Doesn’t that seem odd?
Anyhoo, glad I got all the cool prizes last year and can save my precious donuts…just working on the last prize now.
Can’t wait for V-Day! Bring back the wheel! (Most of you hated it, and I did too, but it was hella exciting!)
No wheel!!!!!!!! Lol
The cheaper island is bigger than the more expensive one, I think. I have wanted the reindeer for a long time, I wasn’t playing when they came out. The reindeer were one of the first things I noticed when I added my first neighbours. The neighbour had a bunch of them set out in a checked pattern in a wooded area, and I thought ‘oh how cute! Those deer really look great in the woods!’. Then, all together, they looked up, then went back to grazing in perfect synch; ever since then I have really wanted those creepy deer. I’d use them in an area with stolen bumper cars and creepy houses I think.
The cheaper one IS bigger than the expensive one…weird, right?
They really should bring back the awesome reindeer…love that you called them “creepy” deer!
One of my neighboreenos has their reindeer lined up in front of the Christmas float. It’s so perfect!! Sadly, I only have one.
I would love to get all of the islands and maybe make my own archipelago or something but the donut cost is insane! I snapped up a bunch of the freemium ones right away. *Le sigh* my tropical paradise will have to remain incomplete.
Will I ever be able to get the Mapple store ???
Probably not. I don’t think it’s something EA will ever bring back
Think I’ll be buying the 30 donut island but passing on the 90 donut island (it’s so small!). I like the idea of the Holiday Tree but it’s a bit late for Christmas and I’ll pass on the off chance I’ll get it for free next year.
At least the 30 donut island adds to tree-hugging, makes a change from the normal default of vanity 😉
Load of rubbish in my opinion. The islands are pointless and once again the returning items massively overpriced! Really need some good original content soon or they’re going to start losing people’s interest…
I also bought the new islands. Definitely a unique fun addition to the waterfront. Anyone else notice the increase in donut cost?? $119.99 from $99.99 for 2400 donuts. Good grief.
The platforms determine conversion rates, and the base prices stayed the same, the conversion rates were adjusted on the App Store for players in the EU, Canada, Norway, Iceland, and Russia. Are you using iOS?
Be thankful you don’t live in Oz where for some unfathomable reason donuts cost more. It’s not like there are Australian employees or infrastructure that costs more to maintain. The pixels cost the same to produce regardless if you’re purchasing in the US or Botswana.
I only noticed this after setting up a U.S. iTunes account in addition to my local one. Maybe it’s an iTunes thing rather than EA but it still sucks. All my donut purchases (which have massively reduced in recent months) are now bought in the US store.
It’s the overseas app markets. They all hiked their prices. Game houses have nothing to do with it.
Similar in US. State taxes vary on what extra we pay on app games. All established outside the games.
Snapped up yes guy straight away! Don’t care if it isn’t worth it cos he’s one of my all time favourite simpsons characters