The old events drove me to distraction. Too much stuff to do and keep track of.
Also in the old events if you failed to complete a section that could mean you couldn't finish the next section because you didn't get all the prizes that paid out event currency...
I like this new way better. Sure, I can see doing a big event once or twice a year, but the old style made me feel like this was a second job. "Gotta log in... Gotta tap invaders... Gotta collect from building... Gotta cycle the characters..."