Game update: 25/11/15

We've reached the big week! The last weekly update of November is always something of a sideshow as we prepare ourselves for the drama of Black Friday, and this year is no exception.

Notification for Acorn Crate

We were long overdue a new box, so it should come as no surprise that the Acorn Crate has been added. As ever with boxes, upon opening it for 24 gems you'll receive one of nine possible prizes. It's just your luck as to how rare an item you obtain so think carefully before making that fateful tap.

Okay, let's get real. Nobody in their right mind is going to risk this box before we see what's up for grabs on Black Friday. There's no time limit that we know of for the crate, so there's no need to rush out and blow your valuable gems.

Indeed, you have to wonder why Storm8 bother releasing a purely gem update like this in the lead-up to their famous annual sale. They did the same thing last year too, and I can't imagine that the Bonfire Crate got many hits, although it's out of season release probably didn't help. Maybe the gamemakers are relying on less well-informed players spending heavily tonight without realising the mistake they're making. Then they may get out their wallets come Friday.

But overall I just don't think it's a logical move by the game's developers. Then again, I don't think any kind of release today would garner much excitement - we're all too focused on what's still to come!

Nevertheless, let's crack on with the Acorn Crate (in the market they've mistakenly just called it 'Acorn'!) All the prizes can be seen in the teaser which was posted on the Storm8 Blog yesterday:

Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog

And here's a distribution list for the items:

First Prize (1% chance)

• Fall Picnic

Second Prize (10% chance)

• Hay Ride
• Family of Bears

Third Prize (35% chance)

• Autumn Spread
• Fall Owl

Fourth Prize (54% chance)

• Leaf Lanterns
• Pilgrim Scarecrow
• Pinecone Basket
• Acorn Planter

As per usual, I'm not clear on the position of certain items. The Family of Bears doesn't look like a very good second prize, but it appears to be one by a process of elimination. This is because the Hay Ride is definitely a second prize, while the Autumn Spread and Fall Owl are confirmed as third prizes.

If you are among the mad folks I described earlier and have opened the box, do feel free to leave a comment with any findings, including the prize level and official name of anything obtained.

For me the big story with this box is that the Hay Ride is not the top prize. It looks to be 4x4 in size and is even taller than the exterior walls! There aren't many items which can lay claim to that, so to have this decoration available as a second prize is actually quite impressive. The horses leading the wagon are well-designed, and the decision to abandon safety by having the kids bobbling along on top of the haystacks is refreshing.

The only downside to this item is the ladder leaning on the side. This kind of forces you to display the Hay Ride in a stationary scene, whereas without the ladder it could be on a road and travelling somewhere.

The other prize which catches my eye is the Owl Tree. I discussed my craving for new tree designs in the Suggestions Box last weekend, so inevitably am very satisfied with this one. The varying tones of orange and brown give a more luscious feel to the tree, and the owl is impressive for its realistic appearance. I just wish this beauty wasn't in a crate!

 Autumn 2015

 18/11/15 Thanksgiving update
 17/11/15 Goals content report
 11/11/15 Goals
 11/11/15 Goals update
 04/11/15 Leafy update
 16/09/15 Fall Harvest box update

In contrast, the Family of Bears look ridiculous. Unlike the aforementioned owl, the bears take on a cartoonish look. Mother bear even has a pink bow on her head! Of course this is all very deliberate and I'm sure plenty of players will view this family of bears as the most cute thing they've ever seen. But I'd rather have the wise old owl!

It's difficult to pass judgement on the Fall Picnic based off the teaser image, but the notification window does offer a full shot of it. There's so much included that you have to give it a firm thumbs up. There's two trees, a table with a basket of fruit, a small picket fence, a family of three enjoying the freezing temperatures and a tiny dog wagging its tail. Add in the Autumn leaves and you have a really top drawer item. It's almost three or four decorations rolled into one, and is definitely a worthy first prize.

As for the smaller items, they're not all that bad, but as is always the case they don't tick the value for money box. Both the Leaf Lanterns and Pinecone Basket are nice little pieces which would do a decent job of filling out your restaurant, and the Pilgrim Scarecrow would go nicely as a partner for the Scarecrow out of the Fall Harvest box from September.

In all I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with this crate. The items are generally well put together and there's no complete dud in there like we often get. It's just the timing of the release which is a problem. Not only does the box fall within the giant shadow of the looming sale, but it also comes very late in the Autumn season. At this point most of us are starting to think about Christmas decorating, and so expensive fall purchases are difficult to justify.

Before I wrap up, it is my duty to offer a few words of wisdom ahead of this weekend's fun and games. This will be my fourth experience of Black Friday, and yet the excitement never fades. It's actually been mildly amusing over the last few months to see other players stating their lack of interest or optimism for the event, only for that to dissipate as we approach the big day.

My previous preview post contains lots of details about what to expect, but here's a brief overview of how to deal with Black Friday:

• Watch out for a notification tomorrow (Thursday). In each of the last two years there has been a pop-up the night before to let everyone know that 'something special' is coming, so be on the lookout for such a teaser. If there is one I'll let you know on here.
• Don't buy gems in preparation for proceedings. Never have Storm8 failed to offer a 40% off gems sale to all players on Black Friday, so the day to buy if you plan to is the day itself. There may also be a sale on Cyber Monday if we're lucky.
• Make any purchases promptly. The sale is likely to only last for the one day, with any deals over the rest of the weekend (including Cyber Monday) probably consisting of stuff from Friday but at higher prices. So do your purchases on Friday.
• Be wary of timers. Last year ended up being a bit of a mess with the sale starting earlier than expected (it's most likely to commence at reset time - 12am PST, 8am GMT) and finishing before the timers ran out. So don't take any chances - buy early if you can.
• Consider the possibility of a Christmas sale. There wasn't a festive deal in 2013, but in the other two years of my tenure there have been special sales in the lead up to Christmas. In last year's case this was much better than the Black Friday offerings, so be careful of blowing all your gems this weekend.
• Be prepared for disappointment! Remember that Storm8 have no obligation to offer up any sales. Of course it would be an atrocious business decision not to, but there's always an outside chance that the game's developers won't bother, particular with the next generation of games now in full swing.

So there's a quick round of advice to get you set for the upcoming shenanigans! I'll be back on Saturday to analyse all that has and hasn't hit our screens!