Buy buff Milhouse? Event Brainstorm

I think a financial boycott would only result in the game going quiet for good. While things haven't been ideal for a while, I'm still grateful that they are still doing what they can to keep this very old game alive.

I happen to like the way events are running now. I've always felt massively stressed by the events ever since I started playing back in 2014 during Treehouse of Horror XXV. That's part of why I quit playing for 2 years - the game felt like work.
Buff Milhouse does not cost $20. Buff Milhouse is FREE. You're paying for the donuts and you get Buff MIlhouse FREE. That's like if you go to a fast food place and buy a burger,fries and drink and they give you a free dessert.
Ive spent money in the past and I wish I could buy the donut pack with the free Buff Milhouse but I don't have 20 bucks to spare right now.
And yes, I'm always encouraging people to make use of the game's ability to create donuts, but my feeling is that a lot of those people will still buy donuts anyway, just because churning them out is too much work.

- Not so long ago every second thread was about the game dying. The last few events have landed frequently and regularly, which has been reassuring. I'm ok with the way events are running - format's a bit bland and samey, but at least they're still rolling out.

- Crafting would be nice, but this was something a lot of people complained about previously. Little point in crafting for me anyway until the item limit is raised.

- If I want Buff Millhouse and can afford the donuts, I'll buy the donuts. Otherwise I'll pass. I've never been motivated by notions of 'supporting the game' or 'boycotting the game'. But what anyone else does with their money is their business.

"simpsonare;d-262764" wrote:
ok... I want to make a suggestion with you all. I know many of us have grown tired of this game ever since Dec. 2018. Could it be because of funding? There's so little in events compared to what it used to be. I'm requesting you to make a decision.

My thinking is that I will support Tapped Out. So that even more will come. But should I support something that I am not enjoying. Should we be in arms for buying this 20 dollar milhouse. Hoping for something extra. Or should we be in arms refusing to purchase until they give us what we ask.

Recently EA added ads to UFC during replays. A vocal majority announced their disapproval of it and EA responded to it. So we need them to respond to us. These multi events are not it!

What do you want to see as a standard event?

Me: 3 Acts. Prize track with purchasable content through the event. A crafting option for more content. Tappable NPCs that will be purchasable after the event for memorabilia. Mini games. A funny story

So the question remains. Are you happy with the current event set up? Should we buy Milhouse to show support to EA. Or refuse buying Milhouse for a cause? Leave your thoughts below.

I'm not someone who usually agrees with ya, but you summed up pretty much what I've felt about these events for quite a while.

These aren't really even events...they're "Mini-events"

"wadebear;c-2153616" wrote:
I happen to like the way events are running now. I've always felt massively stressed by the events ever since I started playing back in 2014 during Treehouse of Horror XXV. That's part of why I quit playing for 2 years - the game felt like work.
Buff Milhouse does not cost $20. Buff Milhouse is FREE. You're paying for the donuts and you get Buff MIlhouse FREE. That's like if you go to a fast food place and buy a burger,fries and drink and they give you a free dessert.
Ive spent money in the past and I wish I could buy the donut pack with the free Buff Milhouse but I don't have 20 bucks to spare right now.
And yes, I'm always encouraging people to make use of the game's ability to create donuts, but my feeling is that a lot of those people will still buy donuts anyway, just because churning them out is too much work.

An interesting amount of perspectives.

I'll be blunt, I wanted to compare this to various things, and use ongoing trends to make sense of it.

I'm just feeling too lazy to write it all down.
This is a rare occasion, where things are far too complicated.

Listen, what EA is currently doing with these....."Mini-events" is just keeping us busy, something to do, nothing to write home about.

I want to compare the current event structure to Coca-cola and their New Coke, some people enjoyed it, but most didn't like it.

Want more proof?

Look around these forums, less people, less debates.... We are in the middle of a pandemic, most people have more time to play.... Nintendo has shown greater sales not only in the Console Division, but with their Software as well, I'm looking at you Animal Crossing.

I'm glad someone is enjoying it, but when was the last time we had a real event?
Some wandering NPCS?
An atmosphere with some fun sound effects and music?
Meaningful Neighbor Visits, that aid towards the event?

Events have become very predictable, very basic.....


I'm going to create a wild theory based on what happened last year and the year before that.....

EA will release a Building during Black Friday, that generates 6 donuts every 24 hours for $50, with various other buildings/decos at various milestones building up to that grand prize.

Most events follow the 4 hour formula yes.
Minigames, tappables, various other game mechanics added a layer of flavor to events that we no longer have....

It's basic and plain, like a vending machine sandwich.

The problem arises with the idea:

Do we boycott or support?

See by supporting them, we are buying into the fact that everything is fine.

They won't change anything, don't fix what ain't broke mentality.

We stop?
Well then, pull the plug it's not generating any revenue.

So we find ourselves in a complex middle.

Whales are rare nowadays, if anything they might be doing the Burns method of fishing...big net...lots of little fish.

That may be why they keep releasing events in a timely manner, but keeping them simple.

Simple events means more can be made, newer players are more likely to spend, while they might not become whales all you need is a couple hundred players spending $20 and what better way than by sweetening the deal with a character?


We had this debate with Sven Golly.

Many people demanded refunds because they felt cheated, a type of false advertising if you will.

The bundle is the current only method of obtaining that character, therefore we could assume (with a degree of certainty) that this will be the only viable method of obtaining that character.

Sven Golly was the exception not the rule, as I have yet to see other of those bundled characters resurface.....


It reminds me of a seasonal limited edition popcorn bucket.

You can buy popcorn, and you can buy the popcorn bucket...both have popcorn.

The reason why the seasonal edition sells better is because it's rare, released for a period of time afterwards everything returns to normal.
No guarantee that it will return, and if another seasonal bucket appears, it tends to be a different type.

Year round a generic bucket is used, but when that limited edition tag is applied....they sell.... quickly.

The Buckets afterwards sell quite well, they have value without the popcorn.

It may seem like I'm cheating by comparing as it is using something tangible...but the concept is similar.

Different popcorn bundles exist, not all guarantee the limited edition bucket, however the price of the bundle with the bucket is always the same regardless of the type of bucket sold.

So if you buy the generic popcorn bucket, it would cost the same as the limited edition one. (when bought at the location, online....you'll definitely see which is more expensive).

So are you buying the popcorn and the bucket comes free?

Or are you specifically buying the popcorn as no other means of obtaining the bucket are available?

Sure I can buy a pizza and tokens with cash at Wally Weasels, but can I then use tokens, or prize tickets to buy another pizza?

Hardly.

In the end, to each their own decision they will make, me personally?

I'd have spent five bucks on Annika....but this is Milhouse, Buff MILHOUSE, but a MILHOUSE all the same, twenty bucks?

Heck no!

But I will say this, to quote a wonderous little film known as Robocop:

https://tenor.com/bcDuw.gif

IIRC people only felt cheated by Sven Golly because he was made available through regular gameplay after having been initially offered as part of a real-cash bundle.

"lucienleon519;c-2155924" wrote:
IIRC people only felt cheated by Sven Golly because he was made available through regular gameplay after having been initially offered as part of a real-cash bundle.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but it was that incident that seemed to suddenly trigger a lull in the game, followed by the current format of events.... coincidence, possibly, the sale to Disney would be a lot of people's choice of blame for the change in how events run..

I wasn't happy at people demanding refunds because, as @wadebear says, the item was a free gift for purchasing donuts, I want those characters but choose not to spend money for reasons well documented on this forum previously..

As you also said earlier, a lot of people hated crafting, I was one of them, for me, the events seemed to be complicated enough without that in the mix, but it did give me some stuff to help me build up IGC and XP when I first started around the time of the Sci-fi event, so I bared with it but have not lamented it's demise..

Spend money, don't spend money, it's your choice and your cash, no one should tell you what to do.. but to those who have spent real cash, I thank you for helping give me some enjoyment over the last three years or so

It's a hobby like any other hobby, you can spend money on it if you enjoy it. And I do. So I did.

Angel Lisa, she's a separate character from regular? Lisa. Flies around with red eyes casting judgment on everyone. Kinda like the Wife ? There's 1 more character that was originally a cash for donuts then released later but I don't remember who it is. In closing, it seems that the bonus characters eventually are reoffered. Still here after all these years ? stay safe!

Maggie as a butterfly, It's under Moes ark. Yes, the witch... that's the ticket!

I bought the deal to support this game, because even though the game has become highly repetitive, I still love it.

And enough of this malarkey about Buff Milhouse being a FREE addition to a donut purchase.

Donuts are FREE (to most players), Buff Milhouse was the purchase.