Another Thursday, another Musings post. Finally getting a moment to sit down at the computer to write up my thoughts on the Van Houtens event. I’ve got thoughts, so let’s get to ’em…
It’s been just over a week since the Van Houtens Event ended. So I’ve had a week to collect my thoughts and assess the event. That assessment has come in at…eh. It was ok, but nothing spectacular. I’ll go into further detail for you and share some thoughts from this event…
Once again I’ll preface this by saying, I’m holding this event in the same light as all other multi-events. I’m no longer going to do the “this event was ok, but compared to this event from 6 years ago it was terrible…”. I think we need to compare apples to apples at this point. We all know Stonecutters (from 2014) was the best TSTO event ever, and no event since has lived up to that greatness. So, we have to analyze this multi-event compared to other multi-events. It’s only fair.
So comparing the Van Houtens Event to other multi-events, and reviewing it in the same light…
Again, I arrive at “eh”. It was an ok event, and surely better than the Game of Games Sequel, but it was just there. Nothing spectacular from it, nothing terrible. Just there. Something to tap through and move along.
Ultimately, this event prize track consisted of a couple of buildings, 10 decorations, 2 costumes, 2 new characters, and 4 mystery box tokens. Fun times.
Let’s get into the Good, Bad, and Ugly…
The Good
-I feel like a broken record saying this, but yet again the dialogue stands out as the best part of the event. The writers are really putting in solid efforts in the writing and it’s not going unnoticed.
-Premium offerings. I enjoyed the trip down Van Houten family lane, and I love that Milhouse’s Grandpa is in town!
-Free characters on the prize track. I’m always a fan of full characters on prize tracks. I loved that we finally got Annika and Grandma Van Houten is a hoot!
-The two buildings we did receive via the prize track were really nice, well done additions. The vineyard fits in well with other elements, as does Little Italy. Those are two buildings that will end up in Springfield, not perpetual inventory.
-Easy to finish
The Bad
-Secretary Van Houten didn’t earn even currency. For 200 donuts you would expect a character to earn event currency. But I do appreciate that they added him more as a “bonus” character, instead of an Act premium character (like they did with Game of Games and Hugh Jass)
-The decoration prizes. Really lame, in my opinion. And they all ended up in inventory, where they’ll remain.
The Ugly
-This seems to be my ugly for all events…Mystery box tokens as prizes. Not sure how many times we can complain about it. Give us 5 NEW prizes for each Act, it shouldn’t be that hard. Don’t recycle old content…especially when the alternative is donuts. The donut has so been devalued that it’s not even worth it. If you can’t come up with 5 NEW prizes for each Act than just do 4. Don’t patronize us with the stupid mystery box tokens, when the box is full of old content.
Final Thoughts
Overall I give this event a C+. It’s still missing the mark, in my opinion, but was way better than the last multi-event (Game of Games 2).
I’m really hoping EA mixes it up for Halloween this year, but it’s 2020 the last thing I’m doing is holding my breath hoping for something good to happen.
Thoughts? Sound off in the comments below, you know we love hearing from you!
I agree with the ugly, comments, tokens useless if no prizes to use them on. EA get on it
This was my favorite content update so far this year. I always love adding family members. I wish they had a VanHouten crowd or some visual tasks associated with the balloon arch like they did the Flanders Family reunion. I actually really love the decor prizes. Milhouse’s Birthday party will be a permanent fixture in my town as I remember the episode fondly (I have to just remember as we don’t stream Disney- Boo!) and as Kando would say, it brings me joy. I even stored my beloved Volcano Lair to make space for the Van Houten’s bigger backyard. One tappers decor trash is another tappers treasure, I suppose.
Went for all the premiums of course. I didn’t mind the tokens as much as I had two available items, one of which I had been grousing about wanting to come back for ages- I finally got Nikki and the Skate park! That alone gave this update an A for me. Principal Dondelinger was pretty cool too, so I was happy there.
My agrarian vineyard areas are already developed so I’m going to see how Nana’s house and the Sarsparilla tree work with my Virgil’s cabin area. Had to put my Fine Art museum in inventory in order to put Little Italy in my Little Italy area, but was glad that was all the rearranging I had to do.
Super happy with this update. Also really liking the All That Jazz update. A little nervous for Halloween since my Magic areas and Transylvania are already pretty full. Really hoping TSTO gives us a content update based on the only canon Halloween episode I ask for every year, like a broken record (see what I’m doing here?), that takes place in Krustyland.
Hope everyone is safe, enjoying the new update and Happy Tapping!
I have reinstalled the game during the update so I bought everything but the update was a great one to me
For me.. it’s always the mystery box.. I don’t get one anymore since what they are offering I already have. I EA had a glitch with my account and I lost most of the Flanders Family Reunion items.. I was able to get stuff back but not stuff that I bought. I had to redo the acts to get those prizes but that was all I could get.
They haven’t added those to the mystery box.
The Yearbook I finished off a long time ago So ya.. those coins really are lame land should be actual prizes.
whats with all the server issues lately ?
david tilley
it’s only a small dedicated EA staff handling the TSTO Game App, EA has pushed new Console / PC Games as more of a priority (because they are more profitable), EA has discontinued Origin Account on everything except this Game App (they are now using a more stable EA Play & EA Play Pro – this last one is monthly subscription based), and yes it is disappointing when one can’t login to Tap …..
I don’t mind The mystery box tokens.
Since I don’t buy all the premium items it gives me some new content that I’ve passed on in the past for one reason or another.
What does bother me is costumes, how many costumes can one character use ?
The Van Houtens Event
Grade C
There’s Good Bad Ugly regarding everything (less Bad and Ugly if EA would just make some changes to Event Format!)
I appreciated getting more Van Houten Family members in TSTO (Grandma Van Houten, Grandpa Van Houten, Annika Van Houten, Milford Van Houten, Secretary Van Houten, Kirkedemious Van Houten, Milhoose Van Houten), as well as their Buildings and Decor (they all came with Character Tasks)!
The new Mystery Box helped Noobs obtain prior Content easily (and free!), but that’s pointless for a Long Time Tappers …. and 12 🍩’s for 1 Token? (that’s insulting!)
The returning Premiums (Principal Dondelinger w/Golf ‘N’ Die Retirement Village and Samantha Stanky w/Saint Sebastian’s School for Wicked Girls) were worth spending 150 🍩’s each (neither is in the Mystery Box, both completed Character Groups for me, I’ve patiently waited to obtain both!)
I appreciated the new Buildings (Nana Mussolini’s Vineyard, Little Italy, Van Houten Villa) as Event Prizes – we need more of this and less of Crap Decor!
The writing was better on the separate Questlines vs the Event Acts (I blame it on this tired old boring Event Format that needs to be replaced by something new!)
Cool Milhouse and Italian Milhouse were fun Character Skins, but these need to stop as Event Prizes (just offer them up new Characters, or choose other Springfielders who don’t have Skins!)
There is only one Decor (a Go-Go Ray) Event Prize I felt was worth keeping out (the rest is Crap that got Stored!), with four that are Premium (Sarsaparilla 🌲, Grandpa’s RV, Marine One 🚁, Vancoover 🚌) and these all have the fun Character Tasks, while some also increased your Bonus % (EA should know by now that’s what Tappers want!)
This would have been Grade B (and one of the better Events in 2020), but 👆🏻 all of the constructive criticism above brought it down to a C, because we got another “meh this was better than but not as good as” Event!
1. Eliminate the Crap Prizes!
2. Make Events Two Acts running 8 Days each from now on!
3. Offer 2 Quality Premium Combos (throw in an extra Gil Deal as a 3rd, but at least make it a Character that earns Event Currency at Premium amount!)
4. Bring the Event Writing up to par with Questlines!
5. Keep the New Mystery Box, but stop with the Tokens as Event Prizes (let Tappers buy Tokens with 🍩’s, or real 💰 – if we want them!)
All of these ideas 👆🏻 would make any Event a Grade A!
Hey lady! Hope u and the fam are doing well!💚
Im with u…..a C or C+. I love having milhouses grandparents! Everything else was a big Meh. Couple things went to Krustyland….kept the vineyard out but it needs a better place to go than Springfield Heights where it is for now. Other stuff landed in the virtual purgatory…inventory. Stay safe….stay SANE.😉🎃👍😝🌻
Aside from, you know 2020…I can’t complain 🙂 Hope you’re staying sane! Did your kids go back to school or still virtual?
Theyre actually in school. But now my sons 8th gr class is isolating for 2 wks due to a positive covid case. Go figure. I like having them there. Its just better for everyone mentally. Im telling u they are different kids in class vs at home. You both ok job wise? Its pretty rough on our end…still.
Things are DUE to get better, right???
Lol. Hang in there….💚
Glad they were back in school. My kiddos too. Better for everyone that way! Like yours, mine are soooooo much better back in school. Riley really had a hard time with the shutdown.
We’re good work wise. Obviously baseball and hockey being back helps my hubby…and gets him out of my hair 🤣🤣
My work is keeping me busy but it’s still wayyyyyyy slower than this time last year. (Hell its slower than it was in February) But things are starting to ever so slightly pick up. I’m hopeful for the next few months.
You guys are in my thoughts! And hey 2020 is almost over lol
What’s wrong with getting past items that go for several+ donuts, essentially as free prizes?
For older players the past content is content they’ve had already. So the tokens are nothing.
TakTak
There is nothing wrong with prior Content being made available to obtain with 🍩’s …. provided it is Content not already available in our Regular Mystery Box. 👍🏻
I believe the biggest constructive criticism is Tokens for new Mystery Box (not worth it as an Event Prize if said Token has little to no value for Long Time Tappers). 🙄
It’s evident that a looooong Event padded with Decor (most of which will go right into Storage) isn’t going to encourage gameplay, when you compare it to the Prizes available in the current Mini Event. 🤔
It’s great for newer players, but long-time players already have that stuff and have generally figured out a way to make more donuts than we can ever used. I say put event-related recycled items in a mystery box as a separate item in the store and make sure every prize on the prize track is new for everyone.