by FEMAELSTROM, HSM team writer

As this year winds down, and we get a chance to review it in total, I thought to take a moment to see what the year has been like — and one aspect I thought to write about was a review of my favorite items that we got this year in Home.

Often at this time of year we see TV programs that encapsulate the year. We see shows that encapsulate the funniest sports moments, or the most shocking political moves of the year and the like. So it is in this nature that I take the time to list what I think are the best items I got this year in Home, along with short explanations for each choice.

To be fair, there were a lot of items that came out this year in Home, and I did not buy them all. I am simply reviewing the ones I got and why these are my favorites. This is a personal list, sorted in no particular order; your mileage will obviously vary.

This place is just a fun place to be.

1. Juggernaut’s Bramblenook Farm.

Simply put, this place was just fun, and I love one huge thing: it has a diurnal selector, and I leave it always set to night. Plus, it is rendered so well, with loads of fun packed into it when it comes time to harvest the crops and raise the animals, though with an upcoming need for new employment, I don’t think I will look into farming. One last note: I love diurnal selectors. I personally think every estate should come with one, whenever possible.

2. nDreams’ Complex 2. Yes, I had to buy all the portions to add to the free place, but they are done so beautifully that I look back and say that it was just a great buy. I liked the first Complex set, and it was fun to own, but this one brought the idea back to a less specific concept of a military complex and gave us a beautifully rendered home to decorate and enjoy.

3 and 4: MyGym 1 and 2. These are the exercise machines that gave me the better ability to match buttons and give me rewards for the education. This soon became a part of my daily routine, and I was able to buy some cool clothing items with the in-game currency. Thanks VEEMEE!

5. The Modular Kitchen. This is more of a functional item that I listed here, but since I got it in silver and black, they have gone nearly everywhere I choose to make into literal homes. This for me was a must in my estates. Another great VEEMEE item.

6. My Bedroom. This is like the above. Since I got the set, it goes everywhere that I want to make look like an actual home and adds a great accent to a home that has the modular kitchen in it. A great job again, VEEMEE.

7,8 and 9. nDreams’ Orb Runner Consumables, The Orb Attractor and Harmful Orb Anti Attractor. These are power ups for the nDreams’ Aurora Orb Runner game. One can play with out them, but it takes a lot longer to rank up. This expedites the game a little by allowing more points to the user and lets us get those great nDreams freebies even faster. I have currently used up all my consumables and maxed out in points there, but when the level is raised again, I will be back.

10. Flashman Studios’ Star Trek: The Next Generation costumes – namely the Starfleet duty uniforms. As a major Trekkie, this was a must-have after I stopped drooling at my monitor.

11. Lockwood’s Sodium Blimp. This is a great buy. I had a little trouble setting up the decor, but when I pegged it, I was happy. It also had some freebies to be dug up, and though they were not the greatest I had ever gotten, I still loved the place and the ability to fly the blimp in the vast space.

12. Summer with Flowers Blooming Home by O-Two. This is one of those quiet and secluded little places to go and hang out with friends. Well rendered and serene, it is a place that I am glad I got, and I eagerly await more like this from O-Two.

A few more favorites, Sodium Blimp, nDreams’ motorcycle LMO and Granzella’s Mandarin clothes.

13. Mandarin clothes (black and gold) by Granzella. This one just looks so elegant and makes my avatar look so damned handsome. Thanks Granzella for giving a slob like me a chance to be dashing. Keep it coming; I need it.

14. Luxurious partitions in black and white. Another offering from Granzella, this time for the home. I use these a lot to help in my efforts to decorate. They are a great tool to use in a home as they can help to separate the space at hand into rooms that you want.

15. LOOT’s Hollywood Hills House At Night. I always loved the estate but wasn’t a fan of the daytime setting. I always wished that it came in a night variant, and when the night version did come out, it became a must for me. Remember, I love night settings.

16. Lockwood’s Serenity Lake bundle, male. A small place that has great gifts, and is perfect for those serene moments. Complete with a season cycle, it is a beautiful place and I love the way it’s allowed to be decorated. I went all zen with it and even did a few things that I think make it even cooler.

17. Granzella’s City By The Bay. A four-story home with a cheap price tag for the 72 items one gets. Well-crafted and massive, this place is just amazing and may be one of the best buys of the year. Thank you Granzella for the night and rain options.

18. Castle Durrant. Yes, this was not a purchase, but it was the grand prize for finishing the daily challenges — and I love it. Size wise it is small-ish, but it is worth the play of the challenges for the freebie hunters in Home.

19. Lockwood’s Horse LMO. Though well-crafted and pleasing, this is more of a utility. I use it to traverse places like the races at the VEEMEE parks, and the sand work in the Lockwood Sodium Blimp space, to move faster on the desert floor. Yes, other LMOs can go just as fast, but this one fits so many places so well.

20. Pulp Star Dance Moves by Lockwood / AVAN. This one is because I don’t have many dances, and when I need to pull one out, this is the one I am glad I got. I use it a lot and everyone knows what it is. Can anyone say Vincent Vega?

21. Metal Rod (black) Granzella. This is a weapon to be used in the Defending Edo game. I have used it in many of the different versions of the game, all with great success. It is a pretty good overall tool in the toolbox, and I’m glad to have it whether I’m facing caterpillars or giant Cyclopes.

As a NASCAR fan, this is a must.

22. Contenders Stock Cars,  Game Mechanics. This is a simple and fast reason. I am a huge NASCAR fan (go Tony Stewart!), and though these are not licensed by NASCAR or any team therein, these are really well crafted and detailed models that one can sit in and rev the engine.

23. Weather Cube (rain), nDreams. This item helps put rain where rain is not, and that is exactly what I have done with it in a few places. It is a great piece to add to make environments more rainy.

24. LMO Dream Chopper by nDreams. With the right costume on, this LMO, just looks cool. I have the American Flag, red/white/blue model, and it just makes your super cool avatar look even better.

25. Star Trek: The Next Generation Enterprise- D Bridge private estate. This is my most recent purchase and I am glad to say that I love it. I mean come on, it’s Star Trek, the thing that makes many Home geeks drool. It is worth being on my list.

Again, this is just my personal list. Other virtual goods in Home were really excellent too, and everything really is worth an honorable mention. To the developers: keep up the incredible work in the next year, and keep amazing us Home users who want to buy and share the fun with our friends. This has been another banner year in Home, and from all of us that enjoy Home so dearly, thank you.

Let’s see what 2014 brings.

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