Happy Musings Thursday my friends! I’m back with another musings post for you. The Fall Events have ended (THOH and Thanksgiving) and the Winter Events will be arriving soon (Snow!), which means it’s time to do a combo musings post to wrap up the two Fall events. So, I’ve got some thoughts, let’s get to ’em…
So we’ve got a Multi-Event and Mini-Event in this one, THOH being the Multi and Blargsgiving being the Mini. So we’re going to take each one separately, starting with THOH, but before I do that I just want to remind you all that I compare each event with similar previous events.
So for THOH XXXI: 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.
And for Blargsgiving: I’m comparing this mini-event to other mini-events. It’s the only fair way to assess each event, to compare it with other like events.
So now let’s break them down, starting with THOH XXXI…
So comparing the 2020 Halloween Event to other multi-events, and reviewing it in the same light…
It was ok, given the Halloween context. I wasn’t a huge fan of the theme, and it certainly wasn’t my favorite THOH theme. But given the context it was ok.
Again, as I say every year…I’m not a big fan of Halloween. So my views may be a little jaded in that regard.
It was an ok event, and surely better than some other 2020 Multi-Events. However, there was nothing spectacular from it, nothing terrible. Just there. Nothing really memorable, at least to me…since most of my THOH items ended up back in inventory.
Ultimately, this event prize track consisted of 2 costumes, 2 new characters, several buildings, and a whole lot of decorations.
Let’s get into the Good, Bad, and Ugly…
The Good
-The broken record is talking once again, 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.
-Free characters on the prize track. I’m always a fan of full characters on prize tracks.
-The premium offering pricing. I like that the item pricing varied between 125-150, but non exceeded 150.
-Animations. The animation of the cursed desk was really well done, as well as several of the character animations. The artist team really stepped it up for THOH this year and it was nice to see.
-Easy to finish
The Bad
-The theme. A lot of you took issue with the theme of this event. I wasn’t super thrilled with it, feels like 2020 is enough hell for all of us to endure, but a number of you took a big issue with it. I get that it’s Halloween, but I feel like they maybe could have made the central focus a little different.
The Ugly
-Donut Homer for Cash. I’m not a big fan of paying real-life cash for costumes, (Heck I’m not a fan of paying donuts for costumes!) so I wasn’t super thrilled to see this one. I wouldn’t have minded if it was a separate character, but a costume for Homer, of all people, isn’t my idea of a good idea. Donut Homer was a great idea, and something a lot of people wanted, but making him a costume for cash wasn’t great.
Final Thoughts
Overall I give this event a solid C. With the reputation THOH has in TSTO, yes even Multi-Event THOHs, I think EA missed the mark a bit with this one.
Onto Blargsgiving…
Every year I feel like the Thanksgiving mini-event is generally a miss, and that’s how I felt about this year’s. And I think that’s more a tribute to the amount of Thanksgiving content EA has to work with in the world of The Simpsons…it ain’t much.
This mini-event wasn’t the best of 2020, but it also wasn’t the worse.
The prize track contained a new character, as well as buildings and decorations. A decent mix of items, and not difficult to unlock.
Now let’s get into the Good, Bad, and Ugly…
Note: this is only about Blargsgiving, and not about Black Friday stuff.
The Good
-Once again, great dialogue
-Free character on the prize track, never something to complain about
-Swapper Jack’s. I feel like that was the best prize of the whole prize track.
-Blarg Alien premium combo was well worth it. Not only did you get a full character and buildings, but also a bonus % earning decoration.
The Bad
Really there wasn’t anything I would view as bad with this event…
The Ugly
-A can of jelly. As a prize. Really? Come on EA, you’re better than that.
Final Thoughts
Overall I give this event a solid B. Lacking in the Thanksgiving content, but again they have to work with what they have. I give them credit for thinking outside the box a bit.
And that’s it my friends. Wrapping up thoughts on the two Fall TSTO events, just in time for Winter to arrive!
Thoughts? Sound off in the comments below, you know we love hearing from you!
I think EA was spot on with the can of cranberry monster for the end to Thanksgiving COVID 2020 👏👏👏 The snowy blizzard with springfielders living in tents ⛺️ Should have followed quickly after to be in line with the epicness of this global fiasco of a year!
Very good summation Alissa. Couldnt agree more. Bring on the Xmas event. I live for this time of year when the snow hits Springfield. Can’t wait to turn on all my lights and decorations in my town.
An entire hell event that made ZERO use of devil Flanders??!! Come on! As bad an omission as the Milhouse event that made zero use of his parents. Stop overlooking the obvious tie ins/relevancy.
Could have re-used the donut torture device too.
When will the next event begin?
I’m sure you’ll know soon enough. If I was a betting man, I would bet on some time next week.
Please help:
There is the Wiggops Station and Burns’ Dragon included in the Black Friday. I saw that some characters can battle these creatures. Will this be available as permanent tasks?
@Alissa
They really need to change up the events. Basically they’re just glorified questlines using most of the same characters over and over again. It’s gotten so repetitive that I’d even welcome back crafting. I’d also like them to make visiting neighbors meaningful again (at least for events). Face it, once you’ve reached the prize limit for visiting It’s pretty pointless unless your looking for ideas for your own Springfield or helping out a new player. And once again I’d like to repeat my call for EA to do an event (or add to) focusing on Springfield Heights. Lastly, they need to find a way to make in game cash meaningful again. Keep up the good work guys.
Blargsgiving
I was not expecting a Thanksgiving from EA. I’m surprised (like many of you) that this Mini Event borrowed from the ‘Thanksgiving of Horror’ Episode (I guess we should be thankful we didn’t get the 🦃 version of Springfielders about to be eaten!) I appreciated the Black Friday Mystery Boxes (I scored more prior Content, which gets a thank you for EA!), I lol at my Premium Character Combo (Blarg Alien w/Blarg Huts!), grateful for the new Buildings (yay new Character Tasks!) and we all know where Event Prizes I don’t care for go (lol!)
Giving it a B Grade due to the prior Content I obtained (I spent $9.99 – $4.99 = $5.99 for Tokens and got what I wanted, but I wasn’t going to spend $50 on that 2nd Prize Track!)
THOH XXXI
GOOD
Event Prizes that were new Buildings / new Characters (a Questline where God takes the day off and goes to Krustyland – kudos to the writers as that was funny!). Decent Premium Character Combos and prior Content via Mystery Box Character (yay! Fortune Teller!) Item Limits increased (thanks EA!)
BAD
This wasn’t Halloween 🎃 themed at all, it took a patch update to have the ‘music and murky waters’ we all 💜 (well some of us), and asking real 💵 for Character Skin + 🍩’s bonus? (No thanks, EA!)
UGLY
Amusing Segment (“School Is Hell”) from Season 26 (Treehouse of Horror XXV), stretched into a Multi Act Event … that should’ve been a Mini Event (half the Event Prizes got Stored!). EA made prior Content available except for the No. 1 requested (Evil Shopkeeper & Talking Krusty Doll!)
A C Grade is generous ( this year was better than last year’s), but it comes with constructive criticism ….. how about Halloween and Funny next time!
How do you get the cursed desk to animate? I haven’t figured it out yet…
Lisa has a 3hr task there (animated), Examine the Cursed Desk
Thanks! 🙂
👍👍
I love Halloween but this years event wasn’t my favorite, I’d probably give it a C to C-, it was sorta on the meh side for me. Thanksgiving event I didn’t care for it at all and once again no npc turkey …. that just makes this event even worse. I want my darn turkey. 😢
I agree that THOH this year lacked being Halloween 🎃 themed ….. it was better than last year’s (a Mystery Box that allows you to get prior THOH Content) but not by much. 🤔
Hey Safi…I’ve got your Monday math column…do the math for various populaces..and determine the time needed to vaccinate each individual. It would just be a guideline, of course, because who knows how many people will choose not to be vaccinated….but a close estimate for the U.S. populace would be 32 thousand vaccinations every hour for a year straight…is a little more than 280 million people…not quite the entire US…not counting illegal immigrants of course.
I’ll try to tie it into The Simpsons though. How long it would take to vaccinate everyone in Springfield.
I liked both events 🙂 I was super disappointed about paying for Donut Homer costume but got it anyway, just wished they would have done a full character! Can’t wait to see what EA gives us for Christmas!! I’m all prepared with donuts from taking advantage of the Black Friday track…I always do a big purchase this time of year to support my favorite game and continue to do smaller purchases throughout the year 🙂 Happy Holidays everyone!!!
The Blarg Alien – a Jar Jar Binks, which is not necessarily a good thing. 🤣
Or a Jim-Jam Bonks, perhaps?
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/2/2f/IMG_1668.GIF/revision/latest?cb=20170102194225
^^ that link came up blank, so I edited out the bits after .GIF and got this – if it’s the one you meant . . .
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/2/2f/IMG_1668.GIF
Yeah, that’s it! Thanks.
Do you know when winter/the next event will arrive?
As I said the other day, based on the schedule of when they’re releasing stuff my guess is next Wednesday.
Is that sort of like ‘tomorrow’?
Tomorrow never comes
NEXT Wednesday never comes
Oh well…
Given that nobody can go anywhere, EA script writers should be able to develop FANTASTIC scenarios— what else have they to do?
Michael
there are 4 weeks and 3 days in December ….. going by Alissa’s logic, an Event that starts next week will give enough time to do a Multi Act Event and end after New Year’s. 😉