Nerd Alert!!

Let’s face it. TSTO (The Simpsons Tapped Out) is a technical game with lots of technical stuff and technical words. Technical, huh? Lol. Some of us, we know just what it all means. For the rest of us, we just nod our heads, smile, and pretend we know exactly what the heck all those words mean, while secretly…WE HAVE NO CLUE!!! No worries, that is why we are here. No question is too dumb or asked too many times. I was clueless on MANY things until I asked, so I am happy to share all the help I can.

In this post, I will break down a few items, things, and stuff. Lol. I basically will try and explain in the simplest terms some of the technical items that are being asked about in the blogs, chat rooms, and comments. Since more information is needed, I made this post to go more in detail on the answers.

One of our readers named “mummie“, asked a question, “What is Blue stacks?” Some may wonder if it is a stack of blue items in the game? Or if it is smoke stacks, like at the Power Plant, puffing out blue smoke? Neither one of those, though blue smoke would be cool. 🙂

Blue Stacks is just another way of playing games, like TSTO. Right now most of us are playing the game on our cellular phones. Some may even have other devices like the iPad or the Google Tablets to play the game on. These type of items allow us to go to the “App Store” for either Apple or for Android and download games to those devices to play. Well there is another fun way to play the game, and for most people, on a much bigger screen. Simply put, Bluestacks is a way for you to play those same mobile apps on your home computer or laptop. Imagine going from a little 3″ or 4″ screen to a 19″ or larger one. WOOHOO TSTO REALLY BIG!!! (…and lots more other popular apps). As with any program you can download online, I suggest to research it thoroughly to see if it will fit your wants, needs, and your current desktop/laptop capabilities. This program is fairly new and is currently free.

Here is the main site for the program. You can go through the different areas at the top of their home page to find more details:
http://www.bluestacks.com/

Here is some really nerdy talk about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlueStacks

And here is some blue stacks of stuff, because I’m being a Smart Aleck and/or a Nerd. 🙂

Next up, what is Jailbreak? NO NO NO NO…wait…come back, don’t call the cops, settle down, have a donut…shhhh shhhh…it’s ok. I promise. 🙂 Jailbreak in this case does not have anything to do with a bunch of fugitives running loose in your Springfield, hiding from the law, and causing chaos. It is actually something to do mainly with cell phones. (iPhone users seem to talk about it a lot).

When you get your cell phone, it comes preset with a lot of basic programs that make it run and function in a pre-determined way by the company/manufacturer that made it (like Samsung, Apple, HTC, etc) or the provider that sold it to you (like Sprint, Verizon, Tmobile, ect). This means you can only use programs and apps pre-approved for that phone. “In essence, jailbreaking your iPhone means freeing it from the limitations imposed on it by your carrier, whether that’s AT&T or Verizon, and Apple.” This means it is blocking you/prohibiting you from using any other outside programs, apps, ringtones, and so on. (For instance you can’t use Apple products with Android phones). No other options allowed. To jailbreak a phone means that you remove these blocks through downloading a specific program. After the phone is broken into, it allows you to install basically whatever you want on your phone. Customizing it to what YOU want to have. You can get apps, games, music, or other items from anywhere and anyone you want. Sky is the limit. Downside to this, since you just changed the phone from the way it was made, you probably just voided any warranty on it. You are on your own.

Here is a site that goes into jailbreaking a cell phone a little further…
http://cellphones.about.com/od/glossary/f/jailbreak_faq.htm

A different side on jailbreaking…

Jailbreak in relation to TSTO can also mean to “hack” a game. Hacking is kind of the same concept as jailbreak, only you are doing it to a specific game. In most games, this is not allowed by the creator. “To gain access to (a computer file or network) illegally or without authorization”. Those with enough information and experience can get into the game, find out information of the game in its hidden files/codes, and change the game to be the way they want. This is why you see some neighbor’s with thousands upon thousands of donuts, limited items from last year even though they just joined, and a LOT items that don’t seem to belong there. (Not all players do this. Some really do spend 100’s of dollars to buy them). Hacking is considered illegal to EA, the company that made TSTO. It is like stealing from them. (Also there is rumors they are starting to lock out/shut down any hacked games & users. I would cry if I lost all the hard work I put into mine).

The following is MY OWN personal opinion on the matter. Each individual can make their own decisions and choices. Just PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RESEARCH THOROUGHLY on the subject, persons, company, etc. This is not something you want to learn the hard way.

I look at my game account the same as my bank account. It is full of personal information, emails, contacts, etc. I do not want anyone to get a hold of this info, so I won’t give out my log in or passwords to anyone offering to “make my game better”. Free or charged for (…and if it is out there for free, why give some stranger my credit card/bank information to access my account and do it? What else are they doing while they are in there?). Also, I do not think games should be hacked in a way that it ruins the fun. I understand it is cool to find upcoming spoilers and details hidden in the game code files, but to go in and physically change the game…I just don’t see the point in that. If I could go in tomorrow and have anything I wanted from the time of release and all the donuts I wanted for future release, speeding up tasks, playing the entire game in a matter of minutes… then what is the point of playing? No need for tasks, got all the money I need. No need for walk-throughs, I have all the items I want. Nothing to look forward to. It would just lose all fun and excitement for me that I go through reading all the thought and effort put into making funny dialog between characters. I don’t mind waiting that day or two to see what happens next after I build something new. I could go on for days, but this subject gets too involved on so many levels and is not something needed to be continued further within this discussion.

…and breathe. 🙂

I hope this helped to clear up some things. If anymore questions on the subjects, please feel free to keep asking and we will answer them as best as we can.

Feel free to use this link to ask any other questions outside of the topics discussed here. Some have simple answers, others we may need to add a post like this one.
http://tstoaddicts.com/questions-and-answers/

*Bunny*