Valentine's event 2020: What advice to tell new players?

[HortonsWho]

Believe it or not, there are still new players finding their way into this game. It used to be a simple thing to advise new players when they asked how to prioritize the items to go after in the event merchant. But with so many different items available now for extraordinary prices that they might not even begin to be able to approach, I barely know what to begin telling a new player when the question comes up. Right now I'm thinking that if a new player could only afford one item during the event, the geologist might be the most useful thing.

I'd like to hear other people's thoughts on this question: How would you advise a new player (maybe in the level 20s to 30s) on how to prioritize which items to try to get during the Valentine's event?

[Perwyn]

I would advise a new player to get any and all Explorers they can, but if they can't get them all to get those that have a speciality skill when it comes to treasure searches. Why? Because Treasure Searches are an easy way to get event resources and the more event resources you can get the better off you are going to be.

Example: This event offers the Lovely Explorer and the Keener Explorer.

The Lovely Explorers specialty skill is "Always brings highest possible resource amount from treasure search tasks" meaning if there is a chance of finding 3 flowers or 6 flowers she will always find 6. With the Sturdy Shovel Skill that would be 7.

The Keener Explorers specialty skill is "Explorer that rolls on the loot table for adventures thrice with every adventure search". While this Explorer has a chance of finding more than 1 adventure at a time, her usefulness during events is not as good as the Lovely Explorer.

Out of 10 searches with a chance of 3 or 6 flowers:
the Lovely Explorer will find 6 each time for a total of 60 (or 70 with Sturdy Shovel Skill). The Keeener will find 3 flowers 7 times and 6 flowers 3 times for a total of 39 flowers (with Sturdy Shovel it would be 42).

Cost: Lovely Explorer = 2,099 flowers. Keener Explorer = 2,899 flowers.

So not only is the Lovely a better choice for gathering event resources, she also is less expensive and easier to get.

[KingHomer]

Economy advice: make sure you are set up to make recruits - bread production (bread people from prov house), brew production and bronze sword production should be your priority. Try to upgrade pop space a little too heading into event. Keep your barracks running on recruits.

Figure out which co-op (Tomb Raiders or Siege) you can run the most quickly with just recruit losses given your other available troops and gens.

Get your flower farms going for event resources. Talk to a friend or guildmate about a couple either better buffs or longer buffs (like fish steaks so the farms stay buffed for days).

Keep your farms going by running Tomb Raiders or Siege as often as your economy allows for refillers.

Keep your explores out on treasure searches. As soon as you have enough event resources, get the next explorer and send them out on treasure searches. The flowers they bring back effectively lower their cost, so the earlier you get them the better.

Save your valentine card buffs to use three at a time, swap them with a friend to get 3 hours of +200% xp, refillers, resources from adventure loot. So make sure you have the recruits available to run multiple tomb raiders or siege coops when you swap cards. These bursts of activity when you have real life time can probably provide more refillers and loot than trying to play the whole event without the 3x periods.

Open all the event doors. If you don't have time to play one day, still log in and open the door

Complete the quest chains.

Ignore decorations, etc. Focus on the explorers early in the event and unique buildings later in the event. If you think you can get enough flowers to buy the 16999 flower package with Anslem, that's a good way to obtain a solid general with in game currency (instead of gems).

[Spleeter]

I'd tell them not to bother. BB once again is so stingy with event currency a new player won't get crap.

[Wyndywalker]

Agreed Spleeter, unfortunately it seems they removed a lot of the venues to get the currency that were available in the similar event during Halloween. No collections, practically no quests, no achievements, and adventures/explorers bring back hardly any even with premium and premium friend buff. The adventures that drop them are too limited as well. I get the "coupling up" theme but at least give more in the few ways you can get them now. There was a collective groan when many found out the best way was co op's as there is always one person who just lollygags and drags the time out limiting the amount you can do at a time. The first couple of days the TO was helpful but as people realized how hard they are to come by and how expensive the items in the market are priced that too has gone bust for the most part. I've observed the even the most savvy and the biggest traders are having their offers going expired. So all in all very disappointing

[Crazy-Beard]

Tell new players to bring money. Flowers are hard to get

[CoffeeCat]

I'd tell them this event isn't a good example of what events are usually like. Most events can be played by people with real lives and event items are within reach even for those like me who are limited in online game time for whatever reasons. This one has been nerfed out of proportion to resources, merchant item prices, and event currency available to ordinary players (those who can't spend 8+ hrs a day playing games almost every day). Valentines is playable only with others, you can't go this one solo unless you are willing to drop a lot of real cash. So don't judge the game by this event. It does get better.

[Perwyn]

Nice post CoffeeCat!

[Gwalben]

Does it really get better, though? Much as I'd like to think that, I'm waiting for the next shoe to drop. Granted, Valentine's was a pretty weak event that they breathed some life into, but could have done without all the nerfing. I still find entry level TSO potentially an interesting concept on paper, but the disadvantages are rather pronounced.

[Spleeter]

The 14 adventures I did averaged 7 or fewer flowers each. BB just doesn't give a crap, at all, about what makes a game fun. Done with adventures, tore my flower farms down, and once again renewing my plan to never give BB a dime as long as this is how they plan to do things. My money goes to companies that don't crap on their customers.