Snow Ride Event Dec'19

[Mayfield]

... But I completely agree with you. It's dumb as H that the game acts like we've "earned" points, but if we fail, then calls them a bonus. ...I really hate the tcash trigger tactics, but in comparison with the gumball game this one is a lot less infuriating. I don't generally walk away with a feeling that playrix purposely make the last piece of the run harder so I WOULD FALL. With the gumball game, I lost on the very last platform many times (and often because the platform didn't have even 1 good space to land), and that really aggregated.

The gumball event is totally the worst tcash grab event of all. I barely played it last time.

At least the snowboarding event is fun to play. I think I am liking the snowflake limit more and more. Now, every time I play TS, I do a few snowboarding runs. Also I found a snowboard run is a good way to kill time waiting for the helicopter to make it back from its delivery.

[Zealous]

The gumball event is totally the worst tcash grab event of all. I barely played it last time.

At least the snowboarding event is fun to play. I think I am liking the snowflake limit more and more. Now, every time I play TS, I do a few snowboarding runs. Also I found a snowboard run is a good way to kill time waiting for the helicopter to make it back from its delivery.

I was just thinking this same thing. I quite like that the snowflakes are on a timer. Whenever I come back I have some tries to take (more than 2). Also, though it's still got lag/gitter etc. problems which make my guy do stupid things, I make it to the end more often, When I lose I can try again right away (I especially like that) and most times even when I fall I have collected something useful I don't need to make. That's probably the best part in general for me. It feels worthwhile to try, and less unsatisfying when I fall.

[ebliever]

Why do they decrease the number of stars if you don't use tcash? That's not fair! These stars are what I've collected. I'm being reduced from 107 stars to 32 stars. Give bonus at the end but don't reduce the hard earned stars.

I'm convinced the primary purpose of this mini-event is to suck Tcash out of the ecosystem. The reason the stars get reduced is to try to get you to spend the Tcash to keep going so you don't lose them.

[Eagle.One]

I finished the event yesterday, again, totally for free... no outlaying of all sorts of barn product to progress. Now, I will just enjoy the remaining days taking runs whenever I feel like it to collect the mostly higher-tier products that are sprinkled throughout. I can then use these items to send high coin level helicopters and also mostly help others.

I disagree that this is designed to be a total t-cash grab. And I’m honestly surprised so many are complaining when the hard fact is that this event can be absolutely finished completely for free. All the rewards... the cash, the zoo packs, the deco, the good barn items here and there... free. What more are people wanting? See the forest through the trees... Patience wins the day in this event; t-cash plays on impulse and emotion and it isn’t Playrix who decides one’s level of either...

The issue of taking stars away? I was annoyed at first as well, however realizing that - again - I was not needing to invest barn product to play, which therefore raised the stakes if you will, it was obvious there needed to be a bit of a stop gap in place to prevent people from completing the event so quickly. And, had they allowed us to keep earned stars, no doubt they’d have simply raised the required amounts necessary to clear levels.

Again... this event is like a gigantic gift. No barn product required, meaning no effort required to participate... All the rewards can be earned for free... So what they take away stars... Just keep letting the snow refill, take those runs, hit some good luck streaks where the pace is slowed down and the barriers aren’t as aggressively placed... and eventually you’ll cross the finish line. Remember the tortoise and the hare.

[Downton]

Well done finishing the event Eagle One I am just at the beginning of collecting stars for the final personal prize. Like you I am not spending money and just plodding along. I agree it is like a big gift, earning rewards for nothing. I do however quite miss the lack of effort required on our part to compete in this event.

I am sure if it was in the old style I would be having a little whinge about all the products it would ask for for the snow machine, but....I miss having to contribute towards this event in some way. It is way less engaging for me. Overall it feels so controlled by Playrix rather than us the player. I used to enjoy building my snow up and deciding when to enter the race.

[Eagle.One]

I do agree with you 100%, Downton, about missing the more strategic aspect of the game. Building supply up, dealing with potential barn space, when to “make a move” if I might want to “try” for top three or number one... That was part of the enjoyment but it did, and does, create a bit of stress and frustration at times.

It does feel controlled and it is less engaging... but in a way I liked it for this one event. It took away the stress and frustration and allowed me to enjoy the event and just take my time versus having the little pressure points here and there.

You make excellent points and I do have to say I would not want this for every event. Period. The strategy and barn product management and those sorts of things I do also enjoy. So, while I did enjoy this experiment they threw out, I also enjoy the traditional ways we have received events.

[Blytonrocks]

So playrix has sucked the life out of another mini game! It was bad enough losing stars that had already been collected, but now playrix wants to dictate when we play and rations the snow flakes. I can understand why it wants us to spend tcash but what's wrong with saving snowflakes and having lots of goes in a row?! And what's with miss bosomjiggle demanding I race every I return to the game?! Just annoying!!

[Mayfield]

...

I disagree that this is designed to be a total t-cash grab. And I’m honestly surprised so many are complaining when the hard fact is that this event can be absolutely finished completely for free. /

I think the issue is not so much the 3 tcash to resume, but the psychological manipulation ploy they use to temp people to spend it. In practical terms, there should be no numeric difference between giving us the completion bonus at the beginning or at the end (* see correction in post below), but giving it then taking it away is just so slimy.

I agree there is no reason to pay the tcash just for the stars. We get enough snowflakes to do a lot of runs, so just take your 19 points (or whatever) and say no thanks to bribing the referee to pretend he didn't just see us fall down.

I think the greater temptation for bribing your way back on is to build a big number for the continuous run competition. I've been able to reach 1800 points with honestly clean runs before encountering the next to impossible course set up, which may be good enough to get me the nails, which is usually my preferred prize anyway.

My only suggestions for those trying to build their continuous run number are:
1) don't be tempted to use tcash unless you already have a pretty long cumulative distance working.
2) don't use tcash if you crash on the first half of the course. That usually means you've gotten one of the more difficult courses and will likely crash again anyway.

This strategy probably won't get you into top 3, as those folks are likely spending way more than the 30 or 50 tcash rewarded, but it might get you some nails. That's the group I usually target because I value barn expansion over animal cards anyway.

[Zealous]

I think the issue is not so much the 3 tcash to resume, but the psychological manipulation ploy they use to temp people to spend it. In practical terms, there is no numeric difference between giving us the completion bonus at the beginning or at the end, but giving it then taking it away is just so slimy.

Yes to this. This IS the tactic that's the most transparent. There is absolutely no other way to reason what they're doing with those points other than calling it a purchase trigger tactic.

But they have improved their approach over the gumball game. That one was significantly more obvious and it actually felt like I was being robbed. This one is much much more subdued and there are little rewards within the game which make you walk away not feeling like someone's trying to trick you. Yet, the mechanism is still there. It's just less obvious.

[Cody Lyons]

Excellent points being made here!

As I stated earlier, when this event was first introduced a couple of years ago it was by far my favorite. Getting snowflakes for helicopter orders (instead of product), nothing stored in the barn, and picking up product along the way -- all wonderful in terms of game mechanics.

The change to making the overall distance without falling what counts in competition was annoying but doable. Adding bonus points at the beginning for the full run and then taking them back if you fall is annoying but doable. Having a cap on stars and doling them out slowly is extremely annoying as I like to play in chunks and do better if I can do lots of runs in a row and "get in the groove" of the game. But that kinda forces one to play for most of the week which is annoying but doable.

But what I completely resent and what has totally sucked the joy out of this mini event is the extreme glitches to the game play. I am old. I love these mini games because they challenge my focus and coordination and I like "learning" how to play them successfully. Make them challenging with a steep learning curve (fishing, gumball) or make them based on luck (flying event). But when I fall 9 out of 10 times due to the game freezing up and being non responsive it ticks me off. (I don't mind falling when I chose to zig instead of zag).

So I am complaining even though I can play this event for free (one can play all the events for free). I don't even mind spending a bit of trash (supporting the devs and all). But I really am disappointed that I can not be successful in this event due to built in glitchiness/screen lags. Not fun!