What’s up friendereenos?
Enjoying Level 39? Got characters on long-o quests? Finished? Salivating for what’s next? Somewhere in between?
I’m that last question but enjoying the new level. All the tapping and the coincidental recent earning of E.A.R.L. (Best. Neighbors. Ever.) has me in a blissful mood and I felt like rambling about happiness.
Last week reader SteveCTTW had a great comment about happiness which sparked some good replies. I don’t like to summarize people so here it is…
“Personally I’ve been really enjoying level 39. I’ve been reading a lot of negativity online regarding our latest level (and pretty much every other update), and quite frankly it annoys me. I’m always happy when new content pops up. I’m sick of these entitled, whiny bastards complaining about being unsatisfied with -place update here- . This is a freemium game in which EA owes you nothing. If you want something, then pay the money for it. If you can’t afford it at this time, save up for it. They’re a business doing this to make money. If they choose to add a much coveted character for donuts, that’s good business. It’s not a charity. It’s business!”
This comment and the responses got me thinking, what about TSTO makes me happy? Generally, I’m a pretty pleasant guy so is it something about me that keeps me blissful about the game or is it my viewpoint? Hmmmm… let me think.
First off… TSTO is a game about The Simpsons. I love love love the Simpsons. Watching episodes is always fun and getting to play a game where I have Simpsons fun every day… Epic. Just the subject alone probably is enough for this Wookiee’s happiness.
Level 39 brought Manjula and Sanjay Nahasapeemapetilon. While I don’t remember any clamor for Apu’s brother, folks have been talking about Manjula for quite a while. I hate to be a debby downer but here’s a fact. The more we all let EA know that we want something on the assorted social media available, the more likely it is that when they do give it to us, it will cost money. Thankfully, this time it was only 160 donuts. Realizing this is still about ten bucks, it could have been much worse. Case in point, prices for Miss Springfield and Barney. Keeping that in mind, I think it’s only fair to let you know that if Crazy Cat Lady ever enters the game, someone at EA has argued she should be premium. Like SteveCTTW said, it’s just business.
Alright… discussions of freemium vs. premium are decidedly not happy for every one. I wish there was more free stuff too. Even though I could rush all the friend prizes if I wanted, I earned them the hard way and how cool is the E.A.R.L. lighthouse? Even forgetting the hilarious episode it came from, it just fits in to the water of my town quite nicely. I used it to dot the “i” in my Squidport aka Wookieeport and enjoying seeing it spell EARL in Morse code when tapped.
New stuff and designing certainly makes me happy. I’m a sucker for anything new for SqP or Krustyland and we got new stuff there too!
Defining happiness is actually a lot more complex than you might think. I found all sorts of great stuff via Oogle ranging from ancient Greek philosophers to Confucianism and Buddhism (your welcome Lisa) to Utiliatarianism and modern Christianity. It’s fair to say that one of the pursuits of humans has always been to be happy. To make this topical, an Indian thinker named Patanjuli wrote exhaustively about the state of bliss and its pyschological and ontological roots. Shout out to the interweb!
NERD NOTE: Ontology is defined as the philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence, or reality, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations.
While geeking about happiness and giggling to myself that this was all for a post about a mobile game, I came across this great happiness acronym asserted by Psychologist Martin Seligman. The acronym is “PERMA” and suggests that humans are the happiest when they have:
1. Pleasure (tasty food, warm baths, etc.),
2. Engagement (or flow, the absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity),
3. Relationships (social ties have turned out to be extremely reliable indicator of happiness),
4. Meaning (a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger), and
5. Accomplishments (having realized tangible goals).
I figured I’d use this to see why I’m always such a blissful ninny when it comes to TSTO. So first is pleasure. I think I kind of covered this. TSTO is fun and I have fun while playing. Add to that all the great people I’ve met and interact with via social media and it’s even better. Happiness step one with a big check.
Engagement. Well, the easiest way to stay engaged is new content. Sure I’d like new stuff all the time but I have felt pretty engaged in the game consistently. Level 39, episode tie-ins, Valentine’s Day, St. Paddy’s Day, friend points. Of course, what keeps someone interested is up to them but between the game and of course this blog, I give this a big double check.
Relationships. I mentioned I have met some of the Best. People. Ever. through this game. Friendships that will last well beyond the life expectancy of TSTO. I think my happiness about TSTO is definitely flavored by the positive attitudes of the folks I choose to surround myself with.
Meaning. Hmmmm… this one might be hard to figure out but I guess I just have to decide what impact I was looking for when I started playing this game in October of 2012. I wanted something to do in my spare time. Yup. I wanted to see The Simpsons and smile, maybe even laugh. Absolutely. I wanted Simpsons Halloween stuff. Done and done. I really had no other expectations so I’m good. We’re not gonna change the world one tap at a time. Find meaning in other things, TSTO can be your break from that.
Accomplishments. Well, you tap on the game, you gain XP, you build stuff, you set tasks, you earn limited things. While not the accomplishments you want to hang on your office wall next to that fancy schmancy degree, they are accomplishments. Nothing sweeter than a friend giving you a “woo hoo” for finally earning that last prize.
Well, it seems TSTO satisfies all those criteria and maybe I’m happy because of it. While writing, what I really realized is it’s all the extras besides the game that have made it what it is for me. TOuk, adipose live streams, finding TSTO blogs and then becoming a blogger myself. All the readers and friends and dare I say it freaders? Yes it’s a silly game that is “life ruiningly fun”. Yes I find myself addicted. Yes I enjoy how much of a time suck it is sometimes. I really wouldn’t have it any other way.
We all know those people that never seem to be happy. Give them a piece of heaven and it’s not good enough because it’s only a percentage of the pie. They didn’t want roses, they like tulips, the service is too slow, the food too whatever. The best thing about happiness is you get to decide whether you are or not. External sources have an impact but only we can shape our opinions. While I would never endorse bliss at the expense of reality, the true reality of TSTO is it’s just a game you get to choose to play or not. If it really makes you truly unhappy, my best advice is to stop and find something else. As far as I’m concerned, I’m like cookiee monster in a Keebler tree and a wookie in a Cheetos factory when I’m tapping or rambling about it. I choose to be happy. Just for fun, here’s some other random thoughts on happiness before I sign off.
– A smile is happiness you can find right under your nose (my happiness is bearded)
– Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them.
– “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
– Money can’t buy happiness, but I’ve heard crying in a Lamborghini is much more cathartic.
– When you smile about the life you live, you end up living a life worth smiling about.
– In the latest episode, “Luca$”, wise guy the mechanic offers this quote from Oscar Wilde: “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”
– When interweb searching for happiness, don’t start off with a famous Beatles song.
– A fact of life, after monday and tuesday, even the calendar says W T F
– Maybe it’s not the game… maybe it’s you?
Y’all stay classy… TTFN… Wookiee out!
This is my first time posting on here. Well one thats not an add me request 🙂 I totally agree with SteveCTTN. And you too Wookie. This supposed to be fun. TSTO I love it , I love it, I LOVE it! Even though I can’t afford many donuts ,lol.
I also would like to let Bunny, Alissa, & you too Wookie know how great you all are! I get great info, pics of awesome designs and inspiration to do designs in my town.
Before I found this site I almost gave up on the game. My faith has been restored thanks! 🙂
Aww thank you for reading and posting! So glad we could help restore your faith in your game and bring a little happiness back to TSTO! 🙂
The folks here have a great way of keeping the game fresh during the ‘boring’ times.
Excellent article, Wook! I love how you centered around happiness. I admit my post may have been a bit negative. Though it was truth in how I felt at the time, Yet you’ve managed to expand it into a much more positive and inspiring article.
Thank you.
Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!
I would never have met Drew if we didnt tap and next month we’ll be together irl. I can hardly wait! 😀
Freak, when i said ” well said” i was speaking of your post on happiness, donut gain, being a Freemium Tapper, etc..! 🙂
I know…again, for a laugh… 🙂 …and thank you…I remember living in Hawaii…BORED outta my head…we’d be sitting back watching “The Price is Right” and somebody’d won a trip there, and I said, “damn it, more tourists!”… 🙂
ROFLMAO!!
🙂
PERMA never thought that would show up on a game blog either.
cool if slightly hippy ramblings
We aim to be different. As for the hippy comment, them’s fighting words lol.
Me n Sheldon
Well said. That’s why I don’t really care for any drama in the TSTO-blog-world, because honestly, it’s just a game.
E.A.R.L. comes from Season 8’s El VIaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer, by the way. I absolutely love this episode, especially Homer’s chili-induced dream sequence.
Yeah… Bunny did a WDTCF for it and I even mentioned it in reference to the hot pants… forget when.
The INSANITY chilis…made by people at an insane asylum. My kind of chili. What could be more perfect? Lol. 😛
http://tstoaddicts.com/2014/04/02/where-did-that-come-from-e-a-r-l/
I’m NEVER happy!! 😛
Rrrrrrrriiiiiiggggghhhhtttt…..!!!!! 😉
Never Happy? ha, a “water” induced Bunny is a happy Bunny ! 😉
😛
I’m happy! Great Post Wookie!!
Come on guys Alissa bunny wookster
1 2 1 2 3
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do
Now I feel like singing Pharells happy song
TSTO makes me happy! Great post!
🙂
Good post Wookiee…I have found that being happy for extended periods of time can lead to many hardships…often simple problems can seem like the apocalypse is upon you…best to have a sampler platter of happiness all sliced and ready for you to enjoy a little at a time…the name of the game for me is “contentment”…
I agree with Steve, well, to a point (hey Steve) as I also saw a few whining about getting a new update…for once I was apalled…sure I was the one complaining months ago but I have been VERY happy with this years events and such…my complaint was that I wanted a whole game with full unlockable content and characters that you pay for up front like any other game…I was fighting change, a battle I cannot win.
I voiced my discontent with Wookiee and Bunny sometimes a bit crudely and, well…not very nice…gave Bunny an “earful” about the christmas event and that dang spinner…I laugh now…Sorry, Wookiee…really!!! (I did apologize to Bunny by the way)
So, yeah…I’m content with life…happy to have a place to call home…happy for each new day…happy that I got E.A.R.L….and happy I just got two donuts a moment ago!!! 🙂
Steve, I’m a diehard freemium player who won’t buy donuts unless I can eat them…I put silly signs and such up in my town to make up for not having the bowling alley and other stuff I can’t afford…the main thing I wanted to relay with my comment is contentment…life can’t be full of happiness…we MUST know sadness and sorrow in order to recognize happiness…jus sayn 🙂
Freak out
Contentment is an awesome thing. It usually leads to being humbled. A quality few have.
I have a calming effect on people? 😉
O shut up Bunny… 🙂
Make me 😛
🙂 …yessss Bunny, you do…!!!
Well said Freak!!! 🙂
…thoughts pour outta my head…sorry if any got on you… 🙂
Bunny knows I was adding a punchline to my rant when “shushing” her… 😉 …I’d actually like to hear if she’s picked up that Jersey accent…LOL
Nah…I got my west coast accent. Though…I am good at mimicking others. Now…go start your new update so you can start getting that new FP item and MORE donuts. 😛
whaaaa??? …see ya!!! 🙂
Lol! I agree you need sorrow, sadness, even tragedy to recognize happiness. My point was pointed more to those who are unhappy with everything. It all starts with attitude, and the internet is over run with the Darkside of the ‘tude.
Whith that said, There’s nothing with being a freemium player. Some of my best neighboreenos are freemios (I just coined a term… I want a quarter for every time it’s used).
Btw… Your ‘silly signs’ are friggin awesome.
*nothing wrong with being freemium. Seriously! I need to start proof-reading my posts. I have a feeling I think faster than I type.
Lol 😛
Hey dude…thought we were gonna have to put together a search party… 🙂
freemio… 🙂 …thanks man…
I also misspelled ‘with’… FML.
But you are giving me giggles 😛
Giggles are great! Especially when it’s at my expense. 😉
Awesome post and very well said.
If anyone was unhappy before reading this, and you’re still unhappy.. I don’t know what to say…other than you should be very happy.
It’s The Simpsons…how can you not be happy.
🙂 Well said!
🙂
Great post! I feel if all you ever do is rant and complain about TSTO then why bother playing? After all, it’s just a game and games are meant to be fun, right?
I agree whole heartedly. But unfortunately there are people that only get satisfaction out of putting others interests down. I laughed so hard at the Twilight reign. People that have never read the books or seen the movies completely tearing it down just because so many loved it. (For the record I did read the books but I didn’t see the point in the mass insanity) unfortunately this type of thing happens with everything. I have a lot of friends that are against mobile games because they are “a bunch of money hungry amateurs that couldn’t make it to developing console games. They ruin gaming industries and rob people of money” OK, in that theory, why do gamers spend $400 on a console and $60 a game every month? I’m not close to spending that kind of cash in TSTO and my game keeps me interested a lot longer 🙂 not to mention, the mobile gaming boom has alot of people employed, and that’s never a bad thing.
Sorry didn’t intend to go on that long. This is just a hot button of mine I’ll behave now 🙂
I get your point Evil, my feeling about mobile games really depends on the games…there are hundreds of really great simple time killers out there…I don’t mind a repeating ad banner as many games have…My beginnings in the mobile gaming world had me face to face with games catering to spoiled rich kids that encourages the “pay to win” attitude, no skills necessary, just “gimme gimme gimme that credit card number!”
I don’t totally agree with your friends but I understand them…but even the consoles are going to downloads with no product that you can actually sit in front of you and admire…I wish they still made N64 games… 🙂
Oh yeah…the book reading part of your comment, I ignored cause I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about…never really learned to read…lol 🙂
Lol! I still have my 64 somewhere. I am a gamer with consoles and with mobile games, so I do see both sides. But those prices are too steep for me. I rarely buy new games and I rarely spend $$ in TSTO. But when I do I know I’m helping the economy (haha) People need to spend to keep up supply and demand. What I never understood is why others feel the need to dictate what people spend their money on. I don’t tell anyone to buy donuts, why should they tell me not to? My boss even told me the other day that having pets is a waste of money. Whaa?? Lol everyone has their own opinion, and I respect that. Just know that of you share yours, I will share mine 😉
“In tonight’s sharing corner…we will all sit and discuss the meaning of life…cookies, carrots, and water will be served…” 😛
YES, games are expensive!!! …used ones are being phased out…times have changed with the focus on adult gamers being the majority users…this mobile era is still very young and will evolve in 9 month cycles for years to come…just last night my son showed me he could use his kindle as a 360 controller…mobile is not going away and the games are gonna just keep getting better and better!!! 🙂
BUNNY!!! Cookiecookiecookie!!!mmmmmmmm 🙂
I knew I would be put in a corner sooner or later 😉
I’m happy! I’m just a little bored lately with TSTO because I’ve played for a long time. But I love this game so much.
I just had an awesome summertime task idea ( EA ), every character is given the option to float in an inner-tube in the ocean or water, task. Imagine your ocean full of floating Simpsons and everyone else you wanted to send to the beach. How fun would that be? And maybe have picnic tables and send families on a picnic at the beach? Task: Make Apu’s family have a day at the beach.
Oh, beach umbrellas, too.
Task: Lisa build sand castle.
I get frustrated because this game has insane potential. ( But I’m happy. )
Great Post Wookie.
Oooooh tubin party. I like this idea. 🙂
This post made me happy, except “beyond the life expectancy of TSTO”. What do you mean? Is the game not going to outlive all of us? They wouldn’t stop the game would they? Now I’m sad jus thinking about it, lol!
There’s plenty of content for EA to pull from and I see EA liking money. As far as all of us outliving the game, it’ll probably happen. Awesome to know friendships I’ve made through TSTO will persevere beyond it.
I agree, very well said. The people who always complain about things not being good enough in TSTO are just not true fans of the game and will likely not remain long time players. I’ve been playing for a few months short of a year now and I’m still just as interested as I was when I first started, maybe even more considering the time and some money invested in it. I’ve enjoyed all the events, updates and episode-ins as well as the new Friend Point system and I’m really looking forward to Whacking Day, especially since I missed it last year. 🙂
Love this post….. 😅 your experience of the game is my experience of it….. I do often feel guilty about the time I spend on tapped out (too much time) but it brings me ‘enjoyable, yet challenging’ fun…. much love and happy tapping xxx
Another blog that makes me smile I like to give them everyday cuz they are contagious!
SMILE..=o}
Couldn’t agree more !!
Fantastic post Wookie!!
Well said 🙂