This was my 3rd Winter Event. The basic mechanics of opening presents has remained the same, the only mechanic happening in the first Winter Event I participated in. The main prize was the Winter Spire, I got one fully upgraded and a bunch of Sleigh Builders for free, I was happy with the event.
Last year Inno added the Reindeer Sleigh, it's a nice addition for those who spend diamonds, a chance to score some extra prizes for a few of the diamonds they've bought. Last year and this year, even though I had enough free diamonds to buy, what was in the Sleigh was not worth parting with them. If nothing else, having the sleigh in my city with reindeer flying in, and Rudolf with his nose so bright, is nice to have at the edge of my city during the event. The main prize was the Winter Train, I got one fully upgraded Charcoal Express (attack boost), a second train with a few extra upgrades and an bunch of cars, adding both attack boost and FPs to my city. I was very happy with the event. Not buying the Reindeer a non issue for me.
This year, Inno added the Winter Calendar, along with Keys and Lockpicks to the presents and the Daily Challenge. I will say this, Inno has gotten quite good at adding distractions. Distractions that lessen the chance of attaining the main prize for free, and require diamonds to complete. Giving more to folks who spend diamonds is fine with me. It's the distraction itself I find interesting.
Essentially, the keys and lockpicks in the presents are a wash. When I get a key, I get to open a door and get the prize of the day from the calendar. A prize on par with what I'd have gotten from the present had the key not even been there. Open a present, get a key, open the door, get the prize tied to the original present. Lockpicks are a wash as well. I open a present, get a lockpick, plus the stars needed to open another present and get the prize I would have received had the lockpicks not been there. All a distraction that amounts to nothing, but it get's us to interact with the Calendar. The distraction of the calendar.
The Calendar itself is a fun idea. It's a bit of a nod to an Advent calendar, without being explicitly Christmas. The lockpicks added to the DC was also nice, although next year I won't select them every day, just when the alternate choice is less attractive. I'll not pass on 30 FPs for a lockpick again, given that the prizes behind the doors are no better than what you'd find in a present. Essentially, it was 5 DCs to get a junk prize, which unless it's FPs, goes to the AD, like most the DC prizes, but at least selecting the DC prize, I get 5 items for the AD, not just one. With no plans to spend the diamonds to complete the calendar, the lockpicks were overall a net loss for me. I'll be much more selective next year.
Even so, the lockpicks from DC did give me 6 additional keys. With the keys that coincided with the days I opened presents, and with the help of the 'wiki that shall not be named' I was able to score all the FPs, all the fragments, a Store Building and a One Up kit. All the lesser prizes left behind.
Overall, I was quite surprised I was able to get 3 fully upgraded Bakeries for free. I expected two plus some leftovers, so getting three for free exceeded my expectations going into the event. My goal beyond the Bakeries were to finish upgrading my second Winter Train, having a base and a few upgrades leftover from last year, which I did. I opened presents the first day and got my first upgrade kit with my last 10 stars from the first quests (those pesky shuffles). I was also able to pick up a couple of upgrades from the AD early on in the event, which lessened the number I needed from the presents. I also picked up 3 cars from the AD during the event. Then I used the rest of my stars to open presents when the Train Car selection kits were up.
But... the distraction of the calendar.
I think I was able to get 3 fully upgraded Bakeries because I avoided it. I went for the lockpicks in DC under no illusion I'd finish the calendar and to me, it was far more important to save my stars for the Train upgrades and Car kits than open the doors in the calendar. I spent my stars in bulk on the day I wanted specific prizes and when, in the case of the Train upgrades, I had all I needed for my second Charcoal Express, I stopped for the day and waited for the Cars to come up. Then I spent and saved, spent and saved using the rest to get 8 Train Car kits. Along with the three I got from the AD during the event, I got a total of 11 cars.
Had I spent stars every day, or near every day to get the keys for the calendar, I would not have gotten as many 14 star presents, etc. which allowed me to open more gifts earning more matches to get me all the way to 3 full Bakeries. Which means I would have needed those two upgrades from the Calendar, which means I would have needed to spend diamonds. Distractions indeed. I think I ended up with as much as I did because I treated it like the event in the last 2 years.
Complete quests, save stars, open presents on days you want the daily special, rinse repeat. All the rest is just noise. Fun for those who regularly buy and spend diamonds, but for me, someone who plays for free, just a whole lot of noise and distractions.
Probably why I never much liked Christmas anyway, just a whole lot of noise and distractions. Bah humbug and Happy New Year.
