The prioritisation of annual events.

[Techy]

Growtopia's annual events are a large part of the game and allow for the developers to add themed items for these events, enticing players to log on and enjoy the event before it's over. However, over this past year, it seems more and more apparent that annual events are taking the bigger load on content for the month's update. I don't exactly find this healthy for the game because it creates an unhealthy aspect of 'FOMO' (fear of missing out) and doesn't greatly benefit the depth to the game since annual events are annual and temporary.

In regards to holidays, Hamumu said this in 2016:

The POINT of a holiday is that you get to experience the same thing as in previous years. We are putting the effort into the monthly updates, not the holidays. The point of a holiday is not to get a bunch of amazing new stuff, it's to get another short-term chance to grab those special items you can't get at all for the rest of the year, and to engage in special events that don't exist year-round (tossing pineapples around and running from people is FUN).

What we have done with monthly updates this year has absolutely demolished everything that's ever come in Growtopia in the past, and I will make NO apologies for what we're doing with Growtopia this year. It's off the charts how much better, more complex, more unique, more inventive, and just plain MORE STUFF we are doing this year than ever before. Why do you care whether the items are attached to a specific limited week instead of being available forever? More importantly, why would you prefer the items be only available for a week instead of forever?

(from this thread)

I know that the developers of Ubisoft are different people to the previous developers with different attitudes, ideas, motives, etc., but the point still stands. Permanent content is better than temporary content - you may entice players into Growtopia through these fun and engaging annual events, but these events are limited to 7~ days of an entire month. People want to do more things in general than only during specific time-periods.

Temporary content does break up the cycle of gameplay players experience which is absolutely healthy, but the extent of prioritisation of these events over general content updates doesn't actually develop, add to, or change the cycle of gameplay in the first place. Annual events don't need to be swept under the rug, but they shouldn't be the only content for the month. Yes, we also get the IOTM and the Subscriber's item, but they also have temporary availability.

Currently, the game feels like "play during week(s) of event, then stop until the next one happens." We're excited for new content, especially for the new upcoming new feature mentioned, but improving the general content of the game and old features should be the priority over annual events, or at equal. The roadmap is definitely a way to go for transparency of Growtopia and things to look forward, and I know that this list of priorities is for the next couple of months, but I feel that permanent content such as new features (like Card PVP and Startopia) and improving and developing older content (like Blocktor's Orders and Startopia 2.0) are much more valued. I found that the month of June 2019 was nearly perfect, which started off with improvements and balancing to the Pandemic (improving older features), had Super Pineapple Party (annual event) and also Blocktor's Orders (new feature/improving older features).

[BigBootyLuigi]

It's a weird balance that goes back and forth for sure. Events, in any MMO, are what usually bring in the most money, so in theory, more Annual Events = More Money. But then at that point, the more events you put in, that's less time to work on a content update such as Startopia 2.0, and more time working on putting in new items for those annual events.

Look at October now. They need to work on the IOTM, Sub item, Wing Week, Growganoth, AND then the monthly. 4 limited aspects that have priority.

I would hope they stop adding in NEW limited events, because then at that point, there is just an event all the time, and no down time, and that is no fun at all, look at the game Realm of the Mad God, which while it's events are not like Growtopia's where they need to add new items, they constantly have an event for drop rates somewhere up, or some event that has a huge grind back to back. It feels like there is too much to do, makes me feel like I can't play anything else.

However, then back to pro-annual, all annual events are feeling the same since you just gamble in all of them now, maybe putting time into them can bring them back into glory? But fleshing out each event? But at the same time, it seems like Ubi doesn't want to drop RNG loot boxes anytime soon....

Then swinging to pro-monthly, it's a permanent feature on the game, if it's done right, it can be part of the game forever, see Startopia. But then swinging to pro-annual, there is the common trope of "The monthly dies within a day" as all the items get found in a day. However this isn't an issue for annual since it should be expected to find all items in a limited event. Something even spanning the whole event. But then... back to Pro-monthly... the only reason why it dies out so fast, is that there is more effort put into annual events, making it such a weak monthly to begin with.

I stand on pro-monthly, I would rather get an update that builds off our old content, which usually changes the game forever. Than some week of gambling. Those annual events do bring some cool items yea, but we have Thousands of items already. I want new things to see and do. Plus Annual events are easy to guess. Sometimes not such as thanksgiving week this year, since they changed the whole theme, but WinterFest this year for example. "Oooo wow who could of guess frosted items during a Winter Event?" They're predictable. Monthly updates are not.

Ubisoft has good some good monthly updates too and proved they can do great things.

Transmutatbooth changed sets and the general looks of players.

Startopia became one of the big features along side surgery and fishing.

The Role Update, that allowed some features to actually bring in World Locks so they can be continued to be done without the worry of basically a limit.

Then all the little side effects from various updates such as...

WOTDS actually having competition from blocks being easier to get, and WOTD Trophy prices skyrocketing.

Daily Challenges being more competitive due to legendary quest being easier

Certain features now have their "Thingamabob" such as the Anubis Mask, making them viable to grind out.

[MiMelody]

Annual Events should not be offering year-limited stuff. It should always be available the next year and so on.

I enjoy Growtopia for offering seemingly endless option, at any time, any date, and hold on it's availibity for those who have to miss the event by any reason.
I have noticed that most of the content being put into the game are no longer offering the same vibe as what I used to feel.
Having Phoenix-related item being the only lifetime-limited content was only so much until we start getting more and more of these lifetime-limited item with no sign of returning, causing at least a number of people left in sadness for knowing that they will never be able to experience of getting that particular item by their hand.
I strongly dislike the idea of those lifetime-limited items. Not because I couldn't afford to buy it and have my own, but rather it's presence to the whole general player at some point in the future. Growtopia should let everyone, to experience nearly if not all aspect of the game content, including it's acquisition.

To top that off, pretty much everything is now based on RNG. It's just very unhealthy to make every content into a gambling-sort of event. Growtopia used to provide a sure way of obtaining something, with much less RNG involved. When was the last time we have a new item that can be grow on a tree by splicing? Oh yea that one was a while back. We rarely see one, aren't we?
I will be honest to say that I didn't enjoy anything that requires luck. Not that i disagree with it being added as part of the game, but rather sick of it being one used in every single update.

Last but not least, please do not let down the game performance. I will be honest that Growtopia client, both mobile and even worse PC, doesn't perform well in modern standard. It's very wacky and unstable. It could be unpatchable due to it being hardcoded or something, but please somehow find a way to optimize the game client. There are a metric ton of lag spike, sudden frame drop, and crash. Not to mention that in-game SFX causing massive frame drop on Android Q device which turn out to be client side problem and needed to be fix yet no sign of it being worked on. Ah, also the renderworld image not rendering some newly added block btw. Just saying.

I really hope Growtopia developer team take these feedback seriously. One player being unsatisfied and leaving the game may not look like something to worry but it could potentially trigger another event from similar group of people.
I love Growtopia. I have been playing for nearly 6 years now with over 10,000 hours of gameplay. It's literally making up one forth of my life. But I've yet to rate this game as Excellent due to reasons i mentioned above.

[MiMelody]

Just come into realization that my last couple of paragraph were out of context from this thread. But oh well..

[Eutimio]

If this is regarding the update of Ubidev, I am on board with them re-investing on old features. I cannot pinpoint specifically what feature I want to be revamped. When I tried pixel worlds, I really loved Nether and their fishing mechanics (it's nice that the fish there is convertible to gems), I wish there is something equivalent to that degree with Growtopia. Something cheap that I can enjoy with my friends that don't have too many wls.

Also, I hope they won't release any more items that are unobtainable, such as the phoenix items and tridents. I hate the concept of it.

[SeaBoy]

Can you elaborate why you hate it? Other than because those items are expensive.

[Olaf1234_gt]

In a way, RTSoft started this whole limited edition item for summerfest when they released the phoenix wings, you can't really stop it as its been a tradition every year that they release a new limited item.
But if we are talking abt other events then yea you may have a valid point

[GrowPixel]

bumping this