Hey Howdy Hey Tappers!
It’s time to get our space on, as Deep Space Homer has hit our Springfields! Time to blast off and stock up on those donuts, for all those brand new premium items in our stores. Now I know you may be trying to decide if these are worth YOUR donuts, but don’t sweat it! We’re here to tell you what’s worth the donuts and what you might want to hold off on.
Wondering if you should add Astronaut Barney and the Shuttle Simulator to your Springfield? Well before you hit that confirm button let’s break down the pros and cons of adding this space drunk to your town!
First a couple of notes. 1. Sorry this wasn’t up sooner. When EA drops events late on a Thursday it’s hard to get everything up on Friday. And then with the weekend right up against it, sometimes posts like the Should I Buys get held off until the following Monday. Just because we like to take our weekends off too (we need the mental break 😉 )
2. If you do not already own Barney…stop what you’re doing and take advantage of the special rebate deal on him right now. That’s the best deal you’re ever going to get for Barney. And not only will you get Barney but you’ll get his Astronaut skin for free when you buy him. (simulator not included) So get him. if you don’t already own him. Best deal you’re going to get.
And now on with the Should I Buy…for those of us who already own Barney
Building/Decoration: Space Shuttle Simulator
Character/Skin: Astronaut Barney
Donut Price: 120 Donuts (75 Donuts for the Simulator only…)
Bouns %: 2.5% on all cash and XP
Conform-O-Meter: Vanity +100
Size: 8×5
Unique: Yes, only 1 per Springfield
Pros:
-Comes with a questline
-Simulator is animated when tapped, rocket boosters fire
-Earns a decent bonus %
-Astronaut Barney will help you earn more NARA stars
-Astronaut Barney has a couple of fun outdoor tasks
*I forgot to mention that this does have a cash/xp payout every 3hrs. But it’s not something you see if you tap on it. So the cash will appear over it every 3hrs to clear, but you won’t see the countdown timer for payout
Cons:
-Barney is a premium character, so buying a premium skin for him doesn’t increase his task value
-Frustrating for those who already own Barney and paid full price for him that players who are getting him during the event not only get him at a lower cost, BUT also get the Astronaut skin for free
-You don’t need him at all to complete the Deep Space Event. You’ll have plenty of other characters that can do the tasks to earn stars and help you earn the prizes. So his event benefit is neutralized.
-Pricey for a skin/decoration combo.
Final Thought:
Premium or Freemium:
Here’s my take on this….(only applies to those who already own Barney) if you like it and want it, get it. Don’t buy it for any benefit other than it’s something you want. The star earning potential really isn’t crucial for the event, so that’s not a reason to get him. This one should be purely a personal decision.
Of course in the end it’s your decision, we can only tell you what we would/wouldn’t do…and I can tell I’ll probably be picking this one up, but I’m still debating it. However, this IS a limited-time item. So if you’re thinking about getting him make sure you make your final decision before he leaves our games on February 4th.
Psst…if you just purchased Barney during this event and received the Astronaut skin as part of the deal and are wondering if you should buy the Shuttle Simulator the answer, in my opinion, is no it’s not worth it. The 1 task he has there and the bonus % are not worth the 75 donuts in my opinion. So be happy you got the skin for free and pass on the simulator.
Here’s a look at Astronaut Barney’s Tasks:
| Task | Length | Earns | Location |
| Pretend to Fly Like a Superhero | 1hr | $105, 26xp | Simulator |
| Demonstrate Balance | 3hrs | $200, 55xp | Outside |
| Blast Off | 4hrs | $260, 70xp | Outside |
| Eat “Astronaut Ice Cream” | 8hrs | $420, 105xp | Moe’s Tavern |
| Stop in for a Soda | 12hrs | $600, 150xp | Moe’s Tavern |
| Study for Online College Courses | 24hrs | $1,000, 225xp | Java Server |
What are your thoughts on Astronaut Barney? Will you be spending the donuts to bring him to your Springfield (or did you already)? Thoughts on the Deep Space Event? Sound off in the comments below, you know we love hearing from you!
After I bought the Barney combo, the space shuttle disappeared from the store. That was next on my list. Anybody know where it disappeared to or if it’s a glitch? I restarted the app but still gone from the store.
I got Barney because the deal was too good to refuse. With the rebate donuts (and some) I could buy Kamp Krusty which had been on my list a long time too. I did some calculating and the possibility of getting both of them at once was an extra motivator.
I wondered if there will be more tasks at the hangar? I really liked it with the roof open, but I am afraid there won’t be any permanent tasks there… which is a bit of a shame.
I’ve wanted Barney for a long time but thought he was expensive. This deal was a no brainier for me and I’ve got enough donuts left for (hopefully) anything that tempts me for Valentine’s Day! Didn’t buy until after I’d finished the space event but not an issue. Now to move on to a bit of reorganising!
I bought the combo and got barney finally. I had enough Google points from doing surveys to get enough donuts to get him, and with the rebate ended up with more donuts I had before I turned in my points. If they didn’t have the rebate I would have passed, but character, building and skin combo was good deal for me.
I am in need of about 10 donuts to get barney. how do you do surveys and get donuts?
You do them to earn google play credits. There’s some info in the comment section of the discount donut deal post
http://tstoaddicts.com/2014/08/15/discount-donut-deals-share-your-finds/
Just tried and found I cannot use it. I am from Singapore, not US. Thanks anyway.
believe it or not, i actually managed to get enough donuts (without spending real moolah) to buy barney! thanks to a well-timed strategy of getting donuts from monorail, maggie, neighbours (thanks to all my neighbours out there!) and a lucky mystery box of 10 donuts! whew!!
at least this game does not make it seem like you need to really spend real cash just to get what you need. starting to see the charm of tsto!
Having previously purchased Barney I was hesitant to drop more donuts, but I opted to go for it and try to contact EA regarding the price gap. The guy I talked to from EA said there is actually a list of people that have contacted them unhappy about the way the skin was distributed and they are waiting for a response from the studio to see what to do. So, I’d say if you did buy the skin for 120 to contact EA if you’re unhappy about the bundling of the skin deal.
I do not have the simulator and Barney’s task list has the 1-hour task (I think at the NARA building) but no 4-hour task contrary to the task list.
you need to get through the questline first, it will be the last task you are required to do with astronaut barney.
Cool, thanks! I’m working through the quest line now that I’ve completed the event quests. Good to note though – I’ve still got the 1-hour task without the simulator so it really is just an expensive deco by itself.
so if you don’t have the simulator, does he just do the 1 hr task wherever he is at the time you set it? i haven’t actually tried that task yet, as i’m working through barney’s regular questline right now.
and for the record, the simulator is not just a deco, it has a payout as well. so it’s more like a taskable building with a bonus multiplier, which makes it a pretty decent deal for 75 donuts if you ask me.
Barney has been on my want list for awhile so was super happy to get the deal. Here is my take on it, if you have been playing long enough, unless you started at the very beginning., at some point people will get a deal on something you prime price for but you will also get stuff at a discount or for free that others paid for. It’s just the way it is. I missed on the Frink deal cause I had the Try n Save which I believe I got for in game cash not donuts but I was eligible and got the Barney one.
I’m one donut away from getting Barney. One! Crossing my fingers for some luck before the event ends, since I’m a hardcore freemium player. No exceptions. :p
Been wanting to get Barney for a while now but couldn’t afford the price. Knew if I was patient I would be awarded, such a good deal. I got the simulator too, I’m a sucker for the space program.
People forget that Barney started out as a free character in 2012. Like any free event character, they cost donuts afterwards. I think many people wrongly assumed that Barney was always a premium donuts only character. This game always has an advantage to people who played first and play most. The way his really looks is that people who got Barney for free in 2012, now have to pay to get the skin… Because they got the original character free. This looks to be aimed at them, and the people who decided they needed to have Barney in their town at the tankard 250 got caught in the crossfire.
I don’t usually buy donuts except for something I really wanted and was close to getting in a past event prize list. So I was really happy with this deal on the one character I have been trying to save up for since first starting this game. However I think EA should of gave the skin free to the long time players who bought him or got ihim free.
I feel like they should have given the skin away as a prize so people who already have him could get something to sooth the fact they paid so much for him. Seems a bit mean!
Great post by our Addicts. If you want Barney then buy the donuts to get him now or save the $ & donuts and pay more later. You definitely don’t need him to finish the event
Now that he has been discounted he might pop up on a Gil’s deal in the future, but I wasn’t chancing it. Plus EA is giving us several of opportunities to earn free donuts (Monorail and Playdough Factory).
For those who purchased him at full price and aren’t happy; I would contact EA. Maybe they will develop more content with Barney that we all enjoy. At the end of the day EA needs to make money to fund development of this game and hopefully they’ve thought this through. If Barney is more active in the events then I think we all will be happy in the long run.
big omission that could potentially convince more folks to buy this….
the space shuttle simulator has a payout in addition to the bonus. once you finish the event, the event currency payout turns into a regular payout, giving you $75 and 7xp every 3 hours. it just doesn’t pop up that info for you when you tap on it because of the animation. so like the wailing wall, it becomes one of the few items in the game with both a bonus and a payout.
i never intended to buy barney at regular price (especially after being offered for free initially as an event prize), so for 120 he was an instant buy. i got the space shuttle simulator just a quick because i wanted it for my spaceport, but also in hopes of the event currency payout to turn into a regular payout… and it did!
Another pro is that he has new lines, most especially
“Ba-la-la-lup ba-doo!!!”
I only have the donuts to buy the space shuttle. I’m a freemium player, don’t own Barney. Is the shuttle alone worth the buy? I heard it have a payout, is this true?
Read the post above…
My shuttle seems to be earning money. But I can’t get the progress bar to pop up on it. It just has the stack of cash icon over it sometimes.