Season Switcher

[Arkive86]

In short: a set of purchasable items (or something) that let you temporarily force a certain holiday event for a small period of time.

In long: I was browsing through the responses to the Halloween update and noticed that many people weren’t a huge fan of the limited time, exclusive items. I myself am not a huge fan, as people who didn’t find the game until later or simply can’t participate in that time are out of luck with regards to obtaining these items (just look at how many people mourn being unable to fund the IndieGoGo). It’s a big “Sucks to be you” kind of thing, and that’s just not fun.

I am also addicted to casually invested in a browser game known as Cookie Clicker (don’t start playing it, trust me). Cookie Clicker is just another idle game, but it has some special events, upgrades, and achievements for a couple seasons if you’re on at the right times. However, rather than needing to wait a year to try obtaining them again, there’s a set of purchasable items (which need to be unlocked, technically, but that’s not a part of this suggestion) that will change the season from whatever it currently is to the selected season for one day. Here’s a screenshot of what I’m talking about:

Right now, the game is in the Christmas season despite it being the middle of October.

My idea is very similar; allow players to buy something that temporarily switches seasons to the desired season for a decently hefty cost, provided another season isn’t already occurring. If you’re willing to shell out a fair bit of cash, you can give everyone in the lobbies a chance to obtain some missed items. The items probably won’t change the entire lobby to their holiday counterparts (that seems a bit difficult to do, not to mention the file sizes), but they would at the very least reactivate events, minigames, and stores present during the season. For example, buying an item to trigger the 2017 Halloween holiday would bring the Beelzebub’s cauldron back, see the return of Forgotten Remains, have the special guests arrive, and reactivate the spooky minigames.

I do want to repeat this, though: these are not cheap items. They change the servers for multiple hours (probably between 6 and 24) to give everyone present the holiday experience. If the items were too cheap, the holidays would almost never end. Only those who have saved up a great deal can purchase these items. It’s something to work towards, or a pleasant surprise from a generous benefactor.

So, what are your thoughts? Feel free to comment, and if you like the idea don’t be afraid to vote. You can also use the poll below to give a more specific response.

• These items must be implemented!
• I’d like to see the seasons change.
• It doesn’t really matter to me.
• Such items are best left out.
• Adding these would be detrimental to the entire game!

[Umbra]

I personally think that exclusive items are a good thing, otherwise everybody would be the same

[cynicalCyanide]

Nice idea I don’t got alot of time on my hands this whould be a life saver. But I think it can be changed up a bit maybe for the person who used it.

[bromhamsam]

I got the feeling that the items come back once a year (like overwatch events)

[LAH]

Well What about a “special caterlog” which would sell the items at a higher than normal price so long after the season and update?

Or maybe the cat will sell them again at a higher price randomly saying something like “This weeks special item!” And only show one or two items at a time, making them limited.
This would be abit like what they do in the vending machines in boardlands or the shopkeeper in animal crossing

[Umbra]

they could call it “Throwback Thursdays”

[Searith]

No this would be unfair you don’t see backer items being thrown around so why should are special items be?

[M2TheT]

While I like the idea of being able to swap to a seasonal event at will, I feel like it could cause problems if it does so for an entire server. I can see people swapping back and forth because someone wants Halloween content whereas another person whats a Christmas item. I think I’d be fine waiting a whole year if it was guaranteed that items would return.

[Cakemagic]

Personally, I really like this idea. Not only are you given another shot at getting something you may have missed, but the entire lobby get to go back to Halloween, if everyone misses it. It’s sorta spontaneous, very fun, and it’s something that only sounds like it could happen in Tower Unite.

Not to mention that if you’re filthy stinkin’ rich, you could grace people with christmas, or halloween, or whatever, and it would give you something to buy with all your money, instead of blowing it all on catsacks.

It’s a fun idea, certainly better than what I could have come up with. Arkive, you make great suggestions.

[rythian]

I don’t really like this idea, since it would remove the fun and excitement from when a holiday event arrives, since it could just be Christmas time or Halloween any time of the year rather than at the excitement of trying to get the new items. I think a better way to counter people being unable to get the items is to make the items from the past year available the next year, along with newer items from the newer year.

[MightyBalian]

Count me in the no crowd. I have no problem with the items being exclusive. It’s part of what makes the holiday events special. It’s stuff you can only get once a year. The holiday events would feel way more pointless to me if you didn’t get special stuff for participating in it. I’ve always been a fan of holiday events for that very reason.

[vtipoman]

Yeah, I’m on the same “keep the items exclusive to the actual events” boat. Obtaining, collecting and displaying them feels special, like with souvenirs. Same with the actual events. The exclusivity makes them feel, well, like the actual events they represent. Having Christmas in the middle of the summer would be kind of weird.
I’m not against later reruns though.

[macdguy]

Seasonal events are custom created each year; this item will be incompatible with our development process. It also takes away the excitement of the event when it occurs on its proper holiday dates.

[Umbra]

will the halloween trees still be in the nature store after the halloween event?