Tapped Out Halloween Walkthrough: The Ghost in the Machine-based App Parts 12-15 (Final)

Hey howdy hey Ghostbusters!

Back with the final part of the main Halloween questline…. If you need to catch up you can find part 1 here, Parts 2-4 here & parts 5-11 here.
When we last left off Homer was possessed by James Bont and dining with Marge at the Truffle.  We pick things back up with Moe and Lisa…

Don’t forget 6 FREE donuts await you in part 14 of this walkthrough…you can find details here or in the walkthrough below….

Freak 1
The Ghost in the Machine-based App Pt. 12
After tapping Moe

Moe: Hiya Lisa.  You look down in the dumps.  Although that’s still better than I feel at my happiest.
Lisa: I’ve been trying to find out about a tent of horror that used to be in Springfield, but I haven’t learned anything.
Moe: Horrible tent?  That sounds like the old Freak Show exhibit, from the 1900s.  My grandfather was the chief attraction there.  I’m named after him: “Repulsive Moe Syzelak.”
Lisa: The Freak Show Ten!  It’s so politically incorrect.  I never thought of it.  Moe, you’re a genius!
Place the Freak Show Tent– It will now unlock in your build menu.  It costs $760 (got to love that price tag!) and is an instant build.
Completed Quest Goal earns you 25 GOO
Freak show Tent 2 Freak show tent

Freak 5

The Ghost in the Machine-based App Pt. 13
Should Auto-Start (Lisa & Moe need to be free as well)

Freak Show Spirit 1: We are the ghosts of the freaks – the sword swallower, the bearded lady, the guy who can put his whole foot in his mouth….and others.
Lisa: What must we do to end your anger?
Freak Show Spirit 2: We will tell you.  After you watch the Freak Show performance.
Freak Show Spirit 1: Please feel free to tip.  We’re dead, so we can’t use the money but we appreciate the sentiment.
Make Lisa and Moe Watch the Freaks– 24hrs each (sorry guys no GOO on this one, just boring cash)

Completed Quest Goal earns you 25 GOO

The Ghost in the Machine-based App Pt. 14
After tapping on Moe

Moe: Okay, we watched all you freaks doing your stuff.  Really made me feel better about myself.
Lisa:  What do you want, O ghosts, so you may rest quietly in eternal peace?
Freak Show Spirit 1: That’s what’s going to happen to us?  I thought we got to go to a big spring break party in Ghost Cancun.  Oh well.
Freak Show Spirit 2: We demand….back pay!  Our old boss never paid us the money he owed us.  And then we all died.
Lisa: Okay.  What’s the name of your old boss?
Freak Show Spirit 1: That mystery you must solve for yourself!
Make Lisa Solve the Freak Show Tent Mystery– 24hrs (earns you 10 GOO)
Lisa’s task does not have to be over to get the dialogue below.

Gypsy:
The spirits want to help you, Lisa, so they’re sending a message: “CEBCREGL BS OHEAFHZ”.
Lisa: Oh great she’s speaking in tongues again.

Now here’s the deal…if you’re typically someone who rushes quests DON’T RUSH THIS ONE.  EA has hidden an “Easter Egg” in this part of the Quest and you want to find it before Lisa is done at the library.  EA has hidden 6 FREE DONUTS in the Task Bar of the character if you can get them to confess before Lisa figures it out.  If you’re like me, you most likely assumed the old boss was…Mr. Burns.  So tap on Mr. Burns and you’ll see the first option in his task bar is Confess.  It takes 6 seconds and rewards you 6 FREE Donuts!
Burns confess
Make Mr. Burns Confess– 6 seconds (rewards 6 Donuts) Make sure you do this while Lisa is STILL solving the mystery.
Once you’ve done it, this auto-starts:
Mystery solved
Lisa dialog

Lisa: Wow, you must be very smart…But I’m going to stay at the library and figure it out for myself.  I could never respect myself if I’d just looked up the answer on the internet.  (I bet for 6 donuts she would!)
Again, Lisa does not have to be finished at the Library for the questline to continue if you make Mr. Burns confess.  So the Quest will continue!

The Ghost in the Machine-based App Pt. 15
After tapping Mr. Burns

Mr. Burns:
So, you’ve discovered the truth.  My grandfather, Montgomery Burnsum, ran the old freak show, before he changed his name to make it less ethnic.
Lisa: To stop the ghosts all you have to do is give their back pay to their descendants – five bucks.
Mr. Burns: Forget it.  I already pay enough weirdos and goofballs at the plant as it is.
Freak Show Spirit 2: Then all the ghosts of Springfield will haunt you!
Mr. Burns: These ghosts are picketing my plant day and night.  They’re worse than the Teamsters.  There must be some way to stop them, Smithers, hire a force of magical Pinkerton detectives to bonk them on their ghostly heads.
Smithers: I’ll do my best, sir.
Mr. Burns: In the meanwhile, I’ll check the Necronomicon!
Make Mr. Burns Read from the Necronomicon– 4hrs (sorry no GOO…just boring cash!)
Smithers: You’re looking cheerful, sir.
Mr. Burns: Yes indeed.  I’ve discovered that GOO burns!  Who needs expensive uranium when I can power y plant with cheap, stinky, GOO.
Smithers: You do realize you are using the essence of human souls to power light bulbs.
Mr. Burns: Hey, I’m a capitalist.  Burning human souls is what I do. So keep those ghosts coming, and collect all the GOO you can!
Completed Quest Goal earns you 25 GOO

And with that The Ghost in the Machine-based App, main questline, is complete!  We’ll be back with mini quests as they pop up on our games, but for now that’s the main questline of the Halloween event!
15 parts
And if my math is right…which is often not…should take you about 9 days to complete.

36 responses to “Tapped Out Halloween Walkthrough: The Ghost in the Machine-based App Parts 12-15 (Final)

  1. After the Halloween event is doen what quests ‘expire’? I know the The Ghost in the Machine-based App main questline probably does but what about all the other pop-up ones that come with the various characters and buildings? Will those quests likely dissappear after the Halloween event is over?

    • Once the building is yours, the quest should stay in your task book. In previous events, this was the case and I don’t see why EA would change that now. (Furry fingers crossed) The Ghost in the Machine quests will unfortunately be gone for sure.

  2. Hi, just to let you all know that the freak tent can be placed on Squidport Tiles…

  3. Oh! I just found out on an EA forum response that characters missing/disappearing (especially Lisa & Homer) is a widely known issue in this Halloween update. So I am hopeful it will be corrected soon.
    Thank you again for all of you time & effort to assist me 🙂
    librarychic1

  4. Just did that but selected “General Technical Support.” Will send same message to what you suggest.
    It is hard being an addict during withdrawal….

    One odd thing though, I accidentally have 2 TSTO Springfields and the extra one is playing anonymously (level 8, only the basics) so I can help get more GOO for the Community Prize. That one is fast with no problems collecting GOO — but not up that far in Halloween quests because I do not have the donuts or cash to rush anything.
    I’ll use my anonymous Springfield to see if I hit the same problems.

    • I have my 2D art in my town…tons of decorations, buildings, etc….so mine slows a LOT with all the extra animation running on it. I don’t mind. I am still enjoying playing.

      Please keep me updated on if/when EA replies to you. 🙂

      • Yes, I went nuts with 2D art and lots of detail — always get that warning so keep below that. Plus I just purchased all the extra new land since I had about 20 million in cash (thanks ******!) for future use.

        I’ll keep you updated. If anyone else has this issue, let me know!

        • FYI…please be careful of any “source” that you allow into your game. EA tends to frown on any “changes” to their games. It is not a very wise way to go in my opinion.

          • Thanks about that, I did not know as it was advertised & promoted as “legal/legitimate” on another SimpsonsTO reputable site so I thought it was okay. They are out of business now and I will take your advice & not do so in the future.

            A little tip/trick I just found: I put all the Boardwalk characters, Fuzznos, and other non-Halloween “decoration characters” that do not earn $$$ or do tasks into storage. My game is running much faster now.

            • I won’t go into detail…but I would suggest to research what happened over there if you want to know more. 🙁

              But yes, PLEASE…do not EVER let another person into your game. Only EA is authorized to make any changes. Any other source, no matter what they say, is not.

              I am just glad you found us here. We are happy to help out our readers anyway we can. 🙂

              I appreciate the tips. It is something I have suggested too. The more “unnecessary” items in your town with all this animation…the more issues. Not to mention it makes it harder for others to go into your town to haunt and leave Gremlins.

              Happy Tapping 🙂

              • VERY wise advice! Feeling stupid now…changed my password.
                Thank you, and may your house be filled with an unending supply of donuts!
                So glad I found you guys!

              • That would be an AWESOME house! Delicious one too! Glad you found us too 🙂

              • librarychic1

                Thanks!

              • Awww please, do NOT feel stupid. The site was trustworthy BEFORE that post was made…long story. Many were led to think it was “OK”. The rest of us sat helplessly and couldn’t do anything (our comments not allowed through).

                PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not feel bad. It is honestly not your fault at all. EA is well aware of what happened…they even included it in the dialog of one of their updates. Lol

                Just keep in mind for future and don’t let it discourage you from fun. 🙂

              • librarychic1

                Thanks. I am a professional librarian (could you guess?) so really should have known better! One of the reasons so frustrated Lisa cannot go to the library to do research! Love how the update is so similar to Ghostbusters. My daughter & watched it last night and had a great laugh in the opening at the famous NYC 42nd St. Library. I have not seen the film since I became a Catalog / Technical Services Librarian so the ghosts messing up the old-fashioned card catalog is especially funny for me (yes, I am a nerd….but at least there is a candy named after us Nerds!).

                You guys should look up the Sociological experiment Improv Everywhere conducted on New Yorkers by re-inacting that scene in the same library on YouTube: “Flashmob Ghostbusters in NYC” (link if allowed to post): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNtq0CT6S0I

                As a New Yorker, I have to say I was not surprised that hardly anyone was surprised. I’ll post the link if allowed.

                I do recall Lisa reciting what people were saying on the Internet at the beginning of the update. Change the first letter to “L” I believe!

              • Yes…”L” is the one. 🙂

                I will have to give the other stuff a look once it slows down here. 🙂

      • UPDATE #2:
        OK — just got off the phone with EA and they are now seeing that it is effecting many characters and tons of users. This is going to the Development team for a patch update.

        They seem to have a very clear idea of the problem as the person I spoke to was checking all of the TSTO site — including this one! — for similar complaints in addition to their own EA forum.
        Last, they need to sort out if it is an Apple/iPhone/iPad or Android issue or both. Plus what issues effect which users (iPhone 4 like I vs. iPhone 5, iPad, etc.).

        I was told that we should expect a patch update as soon as they sort it out.

        Hope this was helpful,
        librarychic1

        • It sounds like you are getting the same kind of response that others are. Some just get brush off…others are being told they are “looking into it.” This is why I like to have people report it. More complaints/issues…the faster it gets resolved. 🙂

          Thanks again for keeping us up to date with all the info. I may be in contact with you in regards to this further via email, if that is ok. 🙂

          • Of course you can contact me further on this! Always glad to pay it back and forward.
            You probably have my email so please feel free to contact me, just identify yourself in the subject line so it does not end up in my “Spam” folder by mistake. Always happy to be of service.

            My experience with the two individuals from EA was extremely helpful & cordial. I spent well over one hour on the phone with them taking screenshots of the problem I am having and going into detail about the issue and the issues others are having. So I have to say that the two individuals I spoke to were professional and really looked into the problem.

            I have had the “brush off” experience with EA online chat but in this particular instances the 2 employees I spoke to were truly trying to figure out the problem in order to solve it. Plus they had a sense of humour which always helps 🙂

            As my Dad always says, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”
            For now I am just going to keep collecting GOO until Lisa is released.

            Best,
            librarychic1

  5. Hi,
    I am up to the Halloween quest “The Ghost in the Machine-based App part 14” where lisa is to go to the library to solve the mystery of the Freak Tent.
    Lisa is finished Trick or Treating but is “stuck” on her broom with a light blue background and the yellow “thumbs up” to indicate her task is done. But this image is only a quick flash when I click on the task to send her on the part 14 quest.
    This has been going on for or 18 hours now.
    I have tried logging out, shutting off my iPhone 4 but nothing works. Also, the game is agonizingly slow & crashes for the last 24 hours. So I sold uneed decorations in case that was the issue. No luck.
    Any advice? Is this a known quirk that will be updated soon?
    Thanks,
    librarychic1

    • Sorry about that. Many complaints of glitches all throughout the event. I am hoping another update will come and help fix them. In the meantime, do contact EA to ensure they are aware you are having an issue.

      Have you tried using a secondary device other than the one you are playing on to access the game? Sometimes accessing the game from a completely different device will help “jog” the memory in it and correct glitches.

      • Thank you for such as quick reply!
        I posted the same question, including the screenshot, on the EA Simpsons “Bugs” forum. Are there any other places I should post this?
        In terms of other devices, all I have is the iPhone4. But I could try from my daughter’s iPhone4 — she used to play but then when Mom liked the game, the 15 year-old decided she was no longer interested. Kids!!!!!
        Thanks again,
        librarychic1

        • Honestly…emailing EA, though they take a bit to respond…is critical. That way if it is NOT a part of update to correct glitches, it can be added. Not to mention if they have a quick fix for it and can correct it right away, it’s great.

          I am on Android device and was stuck many times during the Whacking Day event in May. I used my 3rd Generation iPod Touch to play instead. It helped to “jog” the memory and fix some glitches. Just make sure the other game is logged out first. Also…make sure you are logged out completely on your device too. Otherwise you will get the “…game not saved…” pop up.

          • I tried from my daughter’s iPhone4 — fresh new download but I had the exact same problem with both Lisa stuck in Purgatory and the game being extremely slow.
            I shall email EA right now but I cannot seem to find an email address for them…just chat, phone or Twitter. Is there a direct email? I am GOOgling it now.
            Thanks again,
            librarychic1

            • The best results I have seen is to log into Origin and send an email directly to them from there. That way they have all your game info to make any corrections if necessary.

              You can see if there is anymore info by filling out the form here.. https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/select?question=Character%20Stuck%20in%20Game

              You will need to just select The Simpson’s Tapped Out, then Lost/Missing Item, then your device. Then click on the Find Solutions. If the information isn’t there (which I haven’t seen yet)…to the right side of the screen will be a box that says “I still need help”. Once you click on it, It will redirect you to log in to Origin. Do it. Just use same info as you do to log into your game. From there you can seek further info, or just below “Email me”.

              Hope this helps. Sorry they don’t quite have a fix for this yet. 🙁

      • UPDATE:
        I tried storing the houseboat as my Lisa is “lost at sea” as someone suggested but no luck.
        I am on the phone with EA going over the details of this glitch including what others have reported.
        The pattern I see is that is characters whose tasks involve collecting GOO, correct? If so EA may be able to target a patch update faster with such info.
        So while I am on hold feel free to post anything relevant to this issue (Constructive of course, not griping…) so EA can fix it!

        librarychic1

        • Thank you so much for the update. It has effected Martin and Homer as well, to name a few. They’re stuck off screen. I have even seen my gremlins out to sea.

          • On the phone with EA now — they are in my game now.
            I just read you details to him and he is working on it.

  6. oh right I see! Thank you! still have 8 hours left till hes done 🙁

  7. In my game after Pt 5, instead of getting Pt 6 I got a totally random task making homer eat the pumpkin house? Any ideas why this happened?

    • Hi Kay, Yup it’s because the pumpkin house was unlocked (you earned a GOO prize!) And placed in your town. Once it’s placed it’ll automatically start that quest. It’s just 1 part though then you’ll go back to the main one. To avoid it just don’t place your pumpkin house right away. You can also “get rid” of it your pumpkin house in inventory, if you didn’t start the task already.

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