Wow, limited items have proved to be very divisive! I’m just glad that everyone’s remained civil at this point, arguments tend to get very hot headed very quickly (especially over the internet). It seems to me that people see these limited time items either see as unnecessarily exclusive by use of an arbitrary time constraint or as a fun way to celebrate the holidays thematically. Let me say that, while I prefer to have as few time-restricted items as possible, that doesn’t mean there isn’t merit to holiday exclusive items.
As a celebration of the holidays, it only makes sense for them to be limited to the holidays they surround. Getting an evil cauldron doesn’t make sense during Christmastime, after all, and I can’t deny that seeing people getting these neat interactable spooky items and then running around spamming them is quite a nice sight.
On the other hand, though, you can’t assume that everyone who wants these spooky items will be able to obtain them. One person might have left the game for a bit, only to return to find that they must wait an entire year before having the chance at getting them again, and who knows what will happen in that timeframe? A new player might spontaneously find the game and join in November, then see everyone running around throwing knives. Upon inquiring about this, he’ll be met with the misfortune of having missed the event by only a week or so. Must he be punished for what he did not know? Another might simply be busy, trying to balance a schedule of work, sleep, and self-care on their thin tightrope of time. For what reason should they be excluded from the hauntings? Simply because time isn’t on their side? I myself have been battling computer issues for over a week now, and let’s suppose I straight up had to send mine in for repairs (something I luckily have not had to do). Those can take a while, and with no backup computers it just means I’m out of luck for this season. In all of these cases, it’s just a huge bummer to miss out, and in none of them is it the fault of the player for not wanting to participate.
I’m sure there’s a way to appease both parties. I’ve suggested something and I’ve seen other great ideas casually mentioned as well. I certainly don’t want to lose the joy that holidays bring, after all, but I don’t want to exclude people simply because they don’t get the chance when the event is active. It doesn’t mean they are entitled to the full holiday experience, but if they were looking forward to getting throwing knives I don’t see why we should hold that back. It could be harder to get, sure, but I think there should be alternative ways to obtain them.
Granted, there is one last thing to note: these items won’t make as huge an impact as we seem to be making it out to be. They’re just a handful of festive items, after all, and there’s plenty more to mess around with that’s available year round. Players who missed out might be bummed at the missed opportunities, but I doubt it will ruin the experience for even a single person. The only way this could possibly change is if any of them were given a larger gameplay effect than making noises and particles, and I highly doubt that the devs would make a mistake like that. Time limited items are not an issue we should ignore, but it’s certainly not going to have a deep impact on the health of TU as a whole.