In the realm of “gaming maturity,” TSTO should be an old codger, doddering on bandied legs toward the pudding line at the rest home lunch counter. But, surprisingly, the game continues to reinvent itself and morph into new versions of its former self that appear to keep it fresh and alluring. For those of us who have “known” (not Biblically, but casually) TSTO since its birth, the changes have been dramatic, and obvious, harkening to a friend who shows up for a monthly dinner with a facelift, dyed hair, and a boob job, but still has that ring of familiarity that allows you to feel comfortable while feeling uncertain if they have “gone too far” in their quest to remain relevant to younger players.
To quote Booberella, “mmmm…boobs!” No wait…that was Homer…or Moe…or me… but I digress…
The real thing that I notice as a TSTO blogger of three years, is not so much the changes in the game, but what I see as clear delineations in the players who play the game. The game has changed, no doubt about it. But, so have the players.
The game has gone from a very casual, some would say stilted and low-tech pace, to one that is based upon incessant, frantic, cadenced tapping that requires a sense of dedication for those who “want it all” without spending copious amounts of real money. What has become clear, is that many of the casual tappers have dropped out of the game, replaced by the super tappers who live, eat and breathe the game, perhaps to the detriment of their “Real Lives.”
The key question at this point may very well be, “What Is a Real Tapper’s Life Like?” and “If Tapping Takes Over the Majority of Your Waking Hours, Is Your Life Still Real?”
STOP…do not hit the “comment button” until you read the rest of this post. Really. Back away from your padular device and take a breath. This isn’t an attack piece, or even an opinion piece…we really want to understand the changes that have happened in the game and the tappers of the game, so we can better serve both. OK?
Let’s take a look at the evolution of both…so we can understand where we are headed. If we understand you, and why and how you tap, we can figure out how to keep everyone happy…mostly…kinda…
Genesis and Evolution
In the Beginning, there was Homer. And like the Homer of the show, he was mostly a broken man. If you really started at the VERY beginning, in the Spring of 2012, you may have been one of the unfortunate few to play a game that was so buggy, and so cumbersome, that it was actually pulled from the Apple Store for several months. This period is rarely mentioned, because so few people actually could play the game long enough to constitute it as an actual game. It wasn’t until late September 2012 that the REAL version, the granddaddy of this version, began.
I started playing on October 1st, 2012, just before the release of the very first THOH update. I thought the game was hilarious, and other than brainless games like Tetras and Paper Toss, it was, and remains the only game I have ever played consistently. (Yes…I admit to a three month flirtation with Family Guy…but always felt like I was cheating on Marge with the tarts in Quahog).
The short outage yesterday while EA updated the Origin Server made me laugh…as I remembered the outages that were regular occurrences when the game first started. It was almost standard to have outages with every update, sometimes lasting days in length. We all loved the game so much, that we were almost willing to put up with anything, as long as they didn’t pull it again from the Apple iStore shelves.
But the game was MUCH slower paced back then. There were no “speed tapping resources” like the “Employment Office,” “Town Census” “Transporters” or tools like the “IRS Building” to help you clear a wide range of your town. Updates came fairly regularly, but were not the elaborate, multi-layered events like we see now, with crafting, mini-games, and prize tracks all offering rewards for completion. You tapped…in a linear fashion…working through the questline…and it just waited for you for the most part.
That has changed. The game now seems to be geared to those who have the inclination and time to dedicate, to almost constant tapping. It has created a level of Uber-Tappers that spend more time tapping, scheming, and plotting…perhaps like most addictions go, “Tapping more but enjoying it less.”
But, I could be wrong. And that is what I want to find out.
There appear to be Three Categories of Tappers that have emerged in the “Modern Era of TSTO,” (that era after the first crafting/prize track updates, after the old school Level Updates were suspended); The Casual Tapper, The Dedicated Tapper, and the Truly Obsessed Tapper.
Casual Tappers
Even though I have written a book about TSTO, have blogged for more than 3 years, and played the game for almost four, I consider myself by today’s standards to be a “Casual Tapper.” A Casual Tapper (CT) works on their town, has a scheme for how they want to lay things out, and may in fact be more concerned with the aesthetic values of their Springfield, than acquiring everything an update offers. Their storage units are full to the brim with clutter that just doesn’t fit. They look forward to every update, and try to stay on track, but they don’t lose sleep over the game. They may have found a way to make the seemingly obvious 4-hour update cycle work in their “Real Lives,” but have stopped sneaking out of a movie, family functions, or work, for a “bathroom break” to meet a 4-hour task request.
In short…they love the game…play the game…but keep it all in perspective.
They are most likely to be long-time Simpsons fans who have watched the show faithfully (especially now that all of the episodes are streamed) for almost 30 years. The updates they like the best, are those which come from their favorite episodes, but they aren’t “freaks of origin” who demand that every item be locked to something in the show.
Having played the game for almost as long as it has existed, I take the “casual” aspects to the extreme. I don’t give a rip about my “Conform-o-meter” because I am by nature a non-conformist. I have 5 stars, mostly because I have a huge, robust town that has more than 8,300 items in it…which is by its very nature, not conforming well to the Item Limits EA tries to place on me.
I don’t chase XP, and would never consider farming anything. It just takes too much focused time away from my real life. I am on level 122…and am happy when I hit a new level. I own the XP Collider, but I don’t use it. I am obsessed with my monorail, because it is fun to build and build and build…while earning free donuts.
I am a “Cheapium” player. I am mostly Freemium, but will drop $1.99 or even $4.99 on donuts if I get impatient to get something I really want. But, I have only spent gift card Christmas money ONCE in four years, on a “boatload.” I value time (Life Currency) over “getting everything.”
There are far more of us “Casual Tappers” on this site than one might think. But for the most part, the CTs don’t take the time to comment. The daily stats would tell you that there are tens of thousands of readers who read, look for info, and move on…sometimes daily…but don’t comment. They leave that to the “others.”
I am no better or worse than any other tapper. I just don’t tap as frequently, or as obsessively as…
Dedicated Tappers
While it’s possible to be mostly dedicated to TSTO and still remain “Casual,” at TRULY Dedicated Tapper (DT) is simply not willing to miss out on anything being offered. They are likely to take any shortcut (Glitches, Easter Eggs, Tips, Tricks) to get ahead of “The Calendar,” and will likely be pretty upset if it is too hard to “get everything” an update has to offer. For the DT, the game is the game, and it is THEIR game. Like a dedicated sports fan, they would sooner miss a wedding, or free tickets to a concert, than miss the chance to win the “Final Prize” being offered in an update. The Dedicated Tapper does have a sense of balance, and maybe even a plan for how they want their Springfields to look. They are not afraid to use the “Nuke Button,” because the simple fact is, doing so allows them the freedom to correct past “mistakes,” and offers a whole new reason to tap. It’s very much about the “Here and Now,” with each update, but there is still a sense of tradition.
Dedicated Tappers may or may not watch “The Simpsons” regularly. But they know the basics, and would be more inclined to watch a show that has an “Easter Egg” in the game that relates to a new episode of the show.
They are inclined to comment on TSTO Addicts, but rarely if ever go to the “forum,” the WIKI, or any other source of information. They are dedicated to this blog, and have become somewhat reliant on the site to help them get everything they want, as EAsily as possible, with as little effort as possible, while still not being above whining when something doesn’t go their way. It’s OK. We get it.
DTs have likely tried farming Kwik-E-Marts or Bloodmobiles, but for the most part, are more inclined to play the game “straight” without the added falderal of additional levels of stress. They are inclined to find a rhythm and method, and stick to it. My guess, is that like me, most DTs are not above setting their phones with 4-hour reminders or alarms to remind them when to clear their towns of invaders. And, they will certainly think nothing of finding a way to do so at almost any event or family function. They know what they want, and aren’t afraid to ask for it.
They play mostly Freemium, but there is a subset of the DTs that is not talked about a great deal. They are the “Completists” who actually spend real money…A LOT of real money by this point…to get every Premium Item that EA offers…legitimately. They are the fuel of the game. They are the less than 1% pf overall players, who keep the EA coffers full to the point of keeping the game alive. It is “recreation money” or “mad money” for these types…and they spend their money, unabashedly, because what they buy brings them joy.
But the fact is, they still have more balance in their lives than the…
Truly Obsessed Tappers
You know who they are. If you have been coming to this blog for even a few weeks like I have, they stand out in the crowd. The Truly Obsessed Tappers (TOTs) are the first to comment when anything happens…good or bad. They are clearly in the 1% of overall tappers, and pride themselves in being ahead, knowing all the tricks, and not being afraid to use anything to get ahead. And in some cases, I mean anything (including ill-gotten donuts).
They are Freemium to the extreme in almost every way. They are obsessed with Bonuts, because they can. Simple as that.
This breed of tappers is obsessed with “the next shiny thing,” but is also driven to click off the next challenge, so they can move on to the next challenge, knowing that there is another challenge after that. They don’t rest. They farm. They play the numbers. They CARE about every number in the game, because to them, it is ALL about the numbers. Most of their towns are cluttered, without true form, because actually designing and maintaining a pleasant, happy, cogent Springfield takes too much time…and the fact is…they don’t have the time, because they are too busy tapping, and commenting about tapping, and searching for tips, tricks, and shortcuts on myriad forums, blogs, and IM channels, because they simply can’t stand to not get everything, have the highest totals, or be “at the top of the game.”
They have reached a billion in game cash. They have tons of donuts in reserve. They get everything in every update, just as fast as they can, and take great pride in telling everyone about it. They think nothing of staying up late, or rising early, or setting alarms in the night, in order to “stay ahead.” And they have no issue with telling the world about it.
And what is amazing to all of us…is that we NEED the TOTs, because they are the ones who make the rest of our lives EAsier. If it weren’t for their obsessive tapping, we wouldn’t know when there is a shortcut to take, or a better way to get something we want (because most of us really do fixate on at least one item per update that we MUST have, and want to know the best way to get it).
It is the TOTs that drive this blog…keep us on our toes…and make us all better players (while driving us a little nuts). We all realize that just like other things in life, if it wasn’t for the “Truly Obsessed” we wouldn’t take the time to find out about the details of things that peak our interest, but not enough to dedicate our lives to them. It is those who are “over the top,” that make life EAsier for those of us who want to play casually, but efficiently.
Think about it. In real life, if you want to know the best way to Bar-b-cue a pork loin, you don’t go ask someone who likes Bar-B-cue, but only does one a couple of times a year. You ask those guys who actually understands and know what it means to have a grill with 6 Stainless steel burners, 60,000 BTU-per-hour input, 12,000 BTU-per-hour input flush-mounted side burner, 6,800 BTU-per-hour smoker burner and stainless steel smoker box, 10,600 BTU-per-hour infrared rear-mounted rotisserie burner, Tuck-Away™ rotisserie system with flip-up motor and separate spit and fork storage in the enclosed cart, 10,600 BTU-per-hour input sear burner.
Like I said….for the Truly Obsessed…it’s all about the numbers.
We need the TOTs to be obsessive, so the rest of us don’t have to be. They sacrifice their lives, so we don’t have to. I only hope that there is more for them at some point…but I have faith that when/if TSTO finally gets pulled from the App Store for the last time, they will find something else to obsess about.
SO. WHERE DO YOU FALL IN THIS PANTHEON OF TAPPING???
Are you a CT, DT or TOT? Or, are you a hybrid of several of one or two of these categories? A CDT? Or a DTOT? LET US KNOW…even those of you LURKING in the background of our daily stats. We want to know…so we can better serve you!
I kind of have traits from all 3. I amostly freemium, but am willing to drop $20 once or twice a year if I run low and really want something. I care about bonuts d do my best to stock up, but I don’t take advantage of glitches or farm at all.
My town is mostly organized except for one or two WIP sections, but isn’t as insanely decorated as some peoples. Mostly due to my own lack of design skills. I do have several little jokes in my town.
I don’t set alarms to wake myself up, but since I tend to wake up at least once a night and have to walk thru most of the house to a working bathroom, I tend to login often. My breaks at work tend to line up well with the 4 hours too.
I try (and with few exceptions) succeed in getting all the prizes each time. I don’t get all the premium characters at all. I have to recognize them, like the episode and think the price is decent before I buy.
I comment fairly often here, mostly because I know how hard releasing things on the Internet and not getting any feedback is.
What would you consider me?
You actually sound more like a DT…leaning toward a CT. ALL GOOD!
Wow, I’m not sure where I fit. I started playing in Jan 2014 after seeing something about TSTO while at the App Store DLing other apps & updates. The game was MUCH slower paced back then. Certainly not so many events. I like having down-time to design. I adore the show & watched the first 10-15 seasons of the Simpsons religiously since Day One. I only see new eps once in while though. I keep telling myself I’ll catch up one of these days, but I don’t watch as much TV as I used to, besides for movies.
My favorite thing is designing my town. I used to be a photographer & graphic designer. I suppose I still am, but I don’t do as much with it these days. I would never use my Nuke button though! I accidentally tap it every once and in a while & just about give myself a heart attack until I cancel it. I design my town in sections which is so much easier since EA gifted us with the new ‘move sections’ control.
I’ve never bought a ‘boatload’, but I have spent $5-$10 month here & there, mostly for scratchers. I can’t really afford much more, but even if I could afford more, I doubt I’d spend much ‘real money’ on this. That’s not the point for me, I guess. I only buy things I like – for example, I’d never have that giant mountain with Carl’s head on it in my town – yuck! Oops – I’m going to have to try to finish this later, I think! RL’s calling. RachelS😎
I really think you are a CT. Leaning toward a DT. But mostly CT.
Okay, back from RL… Yes, Patric, you’re probably right about me being mostly a CT. I’ve almost always had a small house farm though, and I’ve always done a certain amount of XP farming; first with the decos & now with KEMs, & I run my collider 24/7 nowadays.
I’m at the max level of 939, but I didn’t do that intentionally. When that update first hit I had my XP collider on. I started using it occasionally when we first got them to help with my XP farming using the bloodmobiles. I had bought a 24 hr session the night before (I buy the 10 day ones now) & had done my farming, so it was still running when the update hit about 12-15 hrs later. Well, unfortunately my game kinda wigged out and started flipping through level after level, going non-stop & I wasn’t getting any donuts!
I finally had to shut down my tablet to get it to stop. When I launched the game again I was at some ridiculously high level in the 500s somewhere. I didn’t know what the heck was going on at first until I came by here a day or so later & read about the new changes of no more levels. Once that happened it didn’t take long until I was maxed out at 939 just through regular playing. It’s too bad I missed out on so many bonuts though!
What else? I mostly just read this blog, though I’ll occasionally check out EAs boards. I will use shortcuts & stuff I read about over here occasionally, but not obsessively. I don’t care about finishing an event super early. I wouldn’t mind having a bit more time in between events, like we did the first year I started playing. I do like to get everything during an event & so far I have; I’m not sure if I would spend donuts to get something I missed during an event. I guess I would if I really liked/wanted it.
I’ve come close to having a billion in game cash, but not anymore since the KEM farming. I can’t stand to have too many tasks open for some reason though, & often my task bar is empty. My fave items to buy are characters & stuff that has a multiplier on it. My multiplier level is ridiculously high at this point – I think I’m almost at 600%. Makes for some nice XP farming! RachelS
Eeeek. I take that back. With a billion in ash you are at least a DT. Lol!
You’ve pulled me from the shadows with this one, lol. I check the site quite often for updates, love and appreciate the information you put out here for us, but I’ve never commented. I think I’d be considered a CT. I’ve played the game for a little over a year now and thoroughly enjoy it. I grew up watching The Simpsons and I am certainly more concerned with the aesthetic look of my Springfield than acquiring everything an update offers. Although I do have somewhat of a collectors mentality and “try” to get everything in each event, but I’m not going to loose sleep to obtain it. Although I have had my husband play the game for me at times when I just have other obligations and can’t play or when he’s up at night and can’t sleep to help me finish events while I sleep, haha! No rules that say I can’t recruit help, right? lol
Ahhhhh welcome!!! See? It’s nice and bright out here!
Thanks so much for sharing.
When I first read the categories listed, I thought that I might fall in the “dedicated” group. I’ve been playing since the original whacking day (around the time the game was released for Android), and I really like earning every prize from each event. I have a “house farm” of white houses that earns me enough game currency to keep up with new releases.
But I don’t make the game a huge priority. I only have the game installed on my tablet, which I only use when I’m at home. I don’t stress if I miss a visit. I don’t pay attention to XP and certainly don’t farm it. I’ve never spent a real dime on the game, and I’m very judicious when it comes to buying things with donuts since they’re so scarce.
Ultimately, I treat the game like SimCity. I have an overall plan for how I’d like things to look, and I enjoy arranging everything in a creative way. And just like any big city that’s been around for a long time , you can tell the old parts of the town that were established early on before anyone could envision how it might grow.
I like this site, and I sometimes check another wiki if I want “spoilers”. Both are good resources for understanding the game and developing a strategy in advance instead of stumbling through by trial and error.
So, based on the definitions, I’m a casual player, and that’s cool. I like that the game allows the flexibility to play in a way that works best for each player and their priorities. It doesn’t force you to play a certain way, and I think that’s why it’s been so successful.
CT… Absolutely. And that’s just fine!
Dedicated/obsessed. I spend more time on this game than I care to admit, including the middle of the night. I lurk on this and other sites for tips daily. I love the numbers. My collider is on most of the time and I farm Kwik-e-Marts. I am about level 560ish. The only quasi real money I spend is my free Play credits if you count that. Since I started about 19 months ago I have never failed to complete event prize tracks. Even though I can’t afford to get all the premiums I have been able to pick up a few premium items from each event (I like the obscure/limited items). My Springfield is fairly orderly and I like spending time on my designs but don’t see myself ever nuking it.
I think you gaff “self-labeled” correctly!
I’m probably a.DT. I play numerous times a day or one or 2 long times all day. I’ve never seen the show (I don’t have a TV), so my town is based on my discernment of how it should be. My town is well organized: residential, commercial and industrial zones. I have a toen hall park and a camping and lake park. I have a farm with 35 orange trees, cane, pumpkins, palm trees and actual corn. Springfield Heights buildings were stored when I got to a billion, and I built a military base there: barracks (25 brown houses), operations and launch areas, and a small strip mall right outside the gate. I have a 3 block strip mall in the center of town. My river starts in the arid Wild West and runs to the ocean, with a river park along it and some water diverted into a cooling pond for the power plant. My town is elegant with trees, flowers and shrubs. I get notices from EA that I am running out of space. I have bought bought boatloads of donuts on 4 occasions, but I buy premium items only when I have to have them. I am grateful to EA for the game, and to TSTO for the informative posts and the camaraderie of the readers and commenters.
You are the prototype IMF a DT. Absolutely!
I started playing a couple of months before you did, and your CT description is completely accurate for me.
I wrote a comment earlier today on the Turbo Tappin’ post complaining about the end-of-event bonut round being short-circuited by losing the alt.Homers as part of the event storyline. While doing so, I laughed a little bit remembering how rare bonuts were in the beginning. Having never spent a cent on this game, I’ve bought more premium characters this year than in all the others combined.
In the last four years, you know what has annoyed me the most? Easter 2014. Need I say more? I will: Father Sean. Shary Bobbins. Not getting event characters because they’re premium is fine. Not getting them because of chance. Still bitter.
Agreeeeed! The wHell… Argh. The wHell!!
What do you mean?
I guess I am a mix. I started playing from the beginning, back when “people” roamed the streets waiting for you to put them on a task and you had to search them out and if you missed one then, oh well, because there was no little icon to let you know that someone was “free.” Weeks would go by without an update or event. I’ve always spent real money on donuts (hundreds) and probably always will because I like the items offered for donuts and, back in the day, donuts were damn near impossible to come by without buying them. I have, however, become less of a completionist in my old age and now only buy the things I really like. I can’t ever imagine spending money on a NPC (or the giant robot or truckasaurus). No offense to anyone, to each his/her own. I will, however, usually buy any building because, to me, buildings add to the overall design of my town. And it’s a VERY designed town, in which I take great pride. Nothing is placed haphazardly and I dislike it very much when I “friend” someone and their town is a mess. Unfortunately, I have only a handful of friends (like tapebelt) who actually take time to design their town. Again, no offense to anyone, to each his/her own. I understand that designing a town takes a lot of time and I probably have more time than most (but that is also what I love about the game -the design aspect ). And I have to admit that I spend a lot of time playing this game, probably more than I should, but I have also gotten better about that in my old age. I no longer freak out when the servers are down but I do take my ipad on vacation because I don’t want to miss out on anything. So, that’s my profile, call me what you will 🙂
Wow! Great post. Thanks!
Hi Patric. You have a well thought out post, and you raise some interesting and (mostly) valid points. Having said that……I think there’s a lot more gray area than you might think.
First off- I’m pretty sure that you would put me in the TOT category, but honestly, I would put myself into the DT category. Do I farm for doughnuts? Yes. Do I take advantage of glitches? Hell yes. But more importantly- do I have a life outside TSTO? Most definitely YES! I’m what I would term and “opportunist”. For instance: Why would I want to pay for doughnuts when I can farm them for free? In my mind it’s logical to farm for doughnuts. I’m not trying to cheat, or swindle EA. I’m just taking advantage of the game as it’s been designed.
Second- I don’t spend all of my free time working the numbers, nor do I visit the forums (I visited the forums once in regards to the act two glitch). Do I watch the Simpsons tv show? Yes, though not as religiously as I did when the show was at its pea years ago. I don’t watch reruns anymore either.
Third- do I like visiting TSTO Addicts? Yes. I like the information that is shared in this blog, and I feel that everyone has something to offer- both moderators and visitors alike. It’s a community, and I think the regular visitors to this site genuinely like each other, and enjoy the interaction with other players. Some visitors like to post comments. Some like to read comments. Some treat the comment section as a kind of chat room. But I think for the most part people treat each other with respect and kindness, and that’s a good thing.
That’s my two cents.
Ps. Sorry for the typos.
Pps. My town is beautiful and uncluttered. I’m constantly working on the design, and I’ve never nuked my town.
Dude. You are a TOT. In denial. But a TOT! Lol!!!
It’s all good…but be loud and proud!
My wife and I went on an all day hike today. I’ve visited my town twice today. Would you like to change your mind?
It doesn’t matter to me how you want to label things. The important thing is for everyone to be happy inside their own skin.
Agreed! You can slide back to DT…by taking a whole day off. And not twitching. Lol!
Whew! I’m glad to know that I’m not going to have to take any drugs to treat my TSTO addiction. 😜
Nah… But I still owe you an ice cream.
Ice cream!!! 🍦
Amen, brother!
I’m exactly the same sillyboy, I only used the forums during the act 2 glitch. The only difference is old Simpsons re runs are the best! Lol
Can anyone tell me if the ea Simpson forum is not working. I have been going back and forth with ea custom support for two days and they sent me a message saying that the forum was closed. I have a screen shot is this true? Just don’t know where to turn at this point, thanks for any comments.
I am a Long Time Truly Obsessed / Dedicated Tapper that hates this latest Event (and gave up on the official EA Forum last year)!!
I feel so let down by EA – so should any long-time Tapper who has plenty of Nerd Characters that were not used, because this event obviously pandered to the noobs – that after 4 years of Tapping? I nominate this latest Future-istic Event as thee worst ever! Worse than Earn Tokens To. Spin The Wheel Easter! (Any long-term Tapper would tell you how bad that Event was!)
Congrats EA – you managed to top (erm lower yourselves) with the Epic Fail of an Event’s end in Act 3! I <3 this Game App, I hate this Event, I hope EA redeems themselves for Halloween!
Wow!!!!! And how do you rEAlly feel???
All good points…and I agree with some of them.
I’m definitely a CT. I play regularly, sometimes playing 6-8 times a day IF I have the time but if I don’t well that’s fine too. I have a small monorail but don’t even have the buildings used to get more track because, well, I really hated the grind of that event. I’ll buy donuts occasionally if there is something I think will look cool in my town but I probably only own about 1% of all premium items. But I do love playing the game and hope it will continue, at least long enough for me to get the Fortress of Choclitude.
Well defined!
By your definitions, I fall in between CT and DT, I try to get all the prizes, but don’t do farming. Areas are themed – western, future, etc. Now, if only EA would build a “Rail Salon”, where we could trade my ONE HUNDRED FORTY curved and ess monorail pieces for usable ones………then I’d be a happy tapper!
Agrreeeeeeeeeeed!!!!
I think I am DT with traces of TOT and CT, I use a calculator to work out figures and some statistics to find expected cost. I was tinkering with the idea of differential equation to work out whether to have houses or multipliers. I have many buildings filling up the whole available land. But in the mass of clutters, the buildings are zoned properly and I have a lovely civic district. I try to my best effort not to overlap my items and I have a long double lane road that is not blocked.
I would love to watch The Simpsons more but my country put it in an odd hour. We don’t even have family guys nor south park. Too politically incorrect for the censors. Being playing the game from start with iPhone and was glad to have the apple building for a long time.
Uhm. You are in TOT denial…
But that’s cool!
I would say in totally obsessed but by yr definitions I’m more dedicated. I must have everything but don’t set alarms and this blog is my only source of info and I avoid reading when a new event hits until I’ve figured most of it out myself. I rarely farm, usually only when a new event hits and that usually gets me through to the next one. Also I’ve never taken advantage of a glitch. I’ve spent way too much money on this game but not nearly as much now. Easter 14 was awful, I don’t even want to know how much I spent to get either Hugs or Sherry, can’t remember anymore but I think it was over $60!
This is the first one that’s got me worried. Done with the prize track and crafting but really struggling with the Sci fighter game. It was fun until act 3, now I wish I had stocked up on flash cubes. Must have Evil Homer.
Hmmm….actually…I really think you fall in the DoT level…Dedicated with a penchant for Obsession when forced! LOL!
OK all these comments have me wondering if others perceive my town as a mess or fairly well organized. I see towns that have plazas for buildings, big yards with lots of trees and flowers. I think mine is more influenced by living in NY. I think and open space is a waste of space. I never put anything in storage (unless it’s something I already have, one brown house, one white house, one Kwik E Mart, etc).
I see them designed as neighborhoods with their own individuality and the roads don’t really match up from one neighborhood to the next. Trees are mostly for green spaces or parks. Would love to see it all in one view.
If anyone is neighbors with Sonicboi, I’d be curious about what you think, an interesting yet convoluted maze or just a big mess?
I am somewhere between Casual and Dedicated. I started playing right after Wacking Day. Nowadays I always get all the free stuff and occasionally buy items I love. I missed Father Sean and Mary Bobbins one Easter, I still regret it. I very rarely spend money for donuts. I log in every 4 hrs during events, I really try not to loose sleep over it. I love my Springfield, and can’t wait to make my future neighborhood when this event is over. I really like those silly Domicle buildings, I think they look like giant alien trees.
Yep…kind of a cDT. Not totally casual…leaning toward Dedicated!
I am like you, a casual tapper who has been with the game almost but not quite since the start. I enjoyed the wit of the character comments back then and the pacing of the game to earn good characters/buildings and still work a full time job and keep my family cared for. The best mini game the app has ever had was the original snake whacking day. I find the newest games with their three tiers and incessant tapping monotonous and the prizes worthless. What’s the point of playing if you use flashes to collect everything. Now the funnest part of the game is hide and seek with Maggie and even that is quite predictable. After putting so much time and effort into the game when it was a pleasure to play I am sad to see the way it has evolved and find myself playing less and less as the goals are harder to reach and quite frankly not worth getting there. I truly hope the game will return to its origins, but it doesn’t sound like there is any hope of that.
Its interesting that you are a casual tapper, but loved Whacking Day. Most of us remember that as being far less than casual in the demand for tapping! But, it was the FIRST time that all of the stuff we consider normal now, first showed up.
I like that you thought this through!
I am mostly a CT, but there are a couple of things on the DT that I notice about myself. I used to be a dedicated fan of the show…way back when. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen an episode. But I still love it. And I’m not afraid to use the nuke button. I hit it about once a year, but I think I’ve finally gotten it to a certain way so I don’t have to anymore. But the rest of CT is me!
It’s good to know who you are…right? CT’s unite! Mostly…
I would consider myself CT bordering on DT. I started playing in February 2013, just after TSTO was released on Android. I don’t believe I have missed a single day of tapping since. I have only spent $1.98 on the game – I bought 2 scratchers during my first event (Whacking Day) so I would have enough donuts to buy the Whacking License, which I thought I would need to get Miss Springfield. I have completed every event since and earned all the prizes, avoiding most premium items until last year when the Railyard made earning donuts easier. And including this one, I can probably count the number of times I have posted in the comments here on one hand, although I keep a tab open on my browser full-time and check in a few times a day. I do quite enjoy this site and want to thank you for everything you do!
Great to have you out of the shadows, Scott! That alone makes you a CT…for sure.
I’m a DT Completionist, so I spend a lot of $; more than I should on a game. I refer to TSTO Addicts blog daily for guidance on purchasing items, and occasionally reply to posts! As a dedicated Simpsons fan of 30 years, I really enjoy building my own little town of characters, my town is fairly organized, and I’m running three monorails! I find it really interesting how we tappers fit fairly well into three categories! Well done, Patric.
It has taken years, and years of research! LOL!
I’m a CDT. I have missed tapping when I do things with my children. I will buy donuts. I always use donuts when there is a character/building combo with a refund of donuts. I don’t buy everything. I have only left a comment once. This will make it twice. I have been playing since February 2015.
I have been watching the Simpsons since it started. Yes, I was in my early twenties when it started. I love the Simpsons.
Y’all do a great job. Yes, this is the only site I go to for information. Especially, the should I spend donuts. Keep it up!!!!
Yes.
CDT – I don’t set alarms but want it all. Will go for a day or two if I have life obligations, but sometimes play every hour or two. Haven’t ever gotten super mad about missing something now and again, but will spend hours redecorating my town to get it “right” and do regret stuff I missed. Play because the Simpsons is the best show ever.
Well…by your description I think you are more of a CdT. Casual, with a diminished, but present dedicated gene!
Rita…you sound like a very balanced tapper! I like the part about you taking time off to be with your kids… BOOM! Balance! CT!
Howdy Patric and assorted Tappers.
I guess I am a “Super Hybrid) because my style spans all three categories. My town is a mess, not because I play the numbers, but because I don’t want to spend the hours redesigning, or give up my one street cuz it will make finding Insanity Cauldron tortoises harder, my neighbors will have to scroll around too much to find event tapables, and I am too cheap to buy more land.
I only have 8 mil or so, at level 118ish. And even though during events I sometimes set an alarm to come back in four hours, most of the time I click off the alarm and forget to log in, busy doing something else.
Lastly, I don’t have tons of donuts, never did, never will. Have only bought some a few times thanks to Quick Thoughts, but even with this iTunes boost, I still managed to buy Pocket Don’t Starve instead of the pinkies. Yes, I complete each event, but not with my money. And I have never lost sleep, friends or activities over it.
Thanks for making us think Patric. Ow, ow, ow!
LOL… I think you are closer to a DT than a TOT. Just sayin’…
Hi Patric
I am a TOT. I want every tiny shiny things. I have become the laughing stock of all my family and friends. I am a player from the very beginning, but did not know about the blog. EA put me on to it when I had an issue. At the beginning I could not get all the prizes because then you needed neighbours to score points and I remeber missing out on Tattum, which I have since paid with bonuts. I am a freemium player and spent only $50 in the 4 years since the beginning of the game. I am obsessed with the Simpsons. My house until very recently was covered in Simpsons. I just redecorated, the only reminiscence of Simpsons is now my brand new (Simpson) yellow walls and bedding. All my collection is in boxes now. I am a non conformist but I am addicted to winning prizes. I get up at night sometimes, well, who am I kidding! Many times! To play when there is a challenge and I am not proud. I play at the restaurant, at choir, not in church because I am not religious! But I would if I went to! That’s how bad they got me hooked. I have invested too much in this game. I love it and hate it at the same time if this makes sense. In between challenges I try to stick to 3 times per day, but sometimes I cannot help myself and go back again. I hope this help!
Joco…You are an UBER-TOT…but in the nicest of ways. I love your dedication to all things Simpsons- and to TSTO. I think we will have a new shirt idea here. “I’m a TOT…this yellow shirt proves it!”
I’m a CT. I also started back in late 2012. I also miss the days of placing 100’s of snake eggs in friends towns knowing they would have to tap all those snakes when they hatched. Awwww… I digress.
I actually stopped playing for 6 months when you could no longer level up. The game seemed stale and I rarely spend money for donuts. I came back to play last month and am shocked at how quickly you can level up and win free donuts.
I miss tapping on friends towns to see the creativity of their set-up. Most of my current friends seem to be TOTs that just like to buy and cram their towns without a thought of actually building a working town.
My only sadness in playing the game is watching some individuals collect all prizes the first 24 hours. How is this even possible? Please don’t answer. I am proud of my town and being a CT. Change can be good. I’m just not ready to give up on my earlier memories of TSTO. I’m glad to know there are others who still enjoy the casual tap and designing their towns.
You are one of us…one of us… the CT’s…the proud, the balanced…the few…but gaining! Thanks for sharing! I agree with everything you wrote!
When I saw the choices at the start, I would have said I was a CT outside of events and a DT during them.
Then I read the descriptions and realised that I’m a CT regardless of whether there’s an event in progress.
Having said that though, the Superheroes Vol 2 event saw me creep into the TOT category – but that was very brief, as I wanted the last prize (I’m a playable character completionist) but was going on holiday a few days after the Act stated and had no guarantee that there’d be WiFi at the hotel. (It turned out the hotel had WiFi…) (I also briefly went into the OT category during Act Two, has I took advantage of the Big Digi Ben glitch, although I only went part of the way through the prize track, not right through it.)
Too funny… very fluid in your categories, so I can’t refute your choices!
I would say that I am a Dedicated Tapper. I come here to find out shortcuts and whatnot. (Thanks again, folks!) But…I go for hourly tasks whenever I can. Keep that $ and xp streaming in. I’ve been playing since August 2015, and I’m up to level 159, I think. So crazy, but not too crazy.
Or just right? Does Goldielocks play TSTO?
I would consider myself a Dedicated/Casual Tapper. It really all depends on what’s going on in the game and in my real life. Obviously I’m much more dedicated during an event, logging in more often and visiting neighbors, whereas I might only play once or twice a day during non-events (sorry to my neighbors for the sporadic visits during the downtime).
In any case, I think there has only ever been one time in all my years of playing TSTO where I missed a day of tapping and had to pay (donuts? In-game cash? I can’t remember) to catch up. And that was because I was camping and had no wifi or cellphone service in order to play. I don’t buy everything that’s offered, but I definitely spend some donuts during every event. I figure it’s the price for entertainment, much like buying movie tickets or paying the bar tab. If it’s something that contributes to your happiness then it’s okay.
Perfect! Thanks.
Yep! A DT to the core…
It is an interesting question. I don’t think I fall into any category directly as written though casual is closest perhaps. The superhero update left me cold and bored but I loved the previous one. I have bought nearly every thing on the science fiction update its brilliant. I will get the boatload of donuts every few months if I am spending them and get things i like or enjoyed from the cartoon. I will be relaxed about playing and if I miss a 4 hour or a day then I miss it but I wasn’t always like that and was obsessive until I took a break for a while to regain perspective and my wife not being upset when the first thing I did in the morning was the game. It still is but not so much!
So I guess I will be all of the above depending on the event and rl calling with exceptions made for a real good event. I paid 350 donuts for Sgt skinner in the end stupidly really as I loved the episode but won’t spend 20 on a crappy sign so it’s relative to me and my memories of the episodes which you can’t really stratify.
Does refreshing your website every 10 minutes during your peak hours count in your descriptions… During an event I am always seeing if you have done a breakdown of is it worth my donuts as I have been stung too many times so really try to wait to see if you guys recommend buying it or not. Keep up the good work!
Lol. I was with you as casual until your last paragraph!
Hmm… well I guess I could be a DT, but it really depends on the day and events in real life. I do spend money on the game (probably more than I care to admit), but my husband is also a DT and so we have that in common and it’s not an issue for us. I’ve been known to play when I wake in the middle of the night during an event like this one (although I have never set an alarm to do that). If life gets too busy I’m OK with skipping an interval of tapping, but you can bet if I have the time, I will get in to the game to clear the invaders as you say.
My husband has more waking hours than me, so it’s a competition between us as to who can reach the prizes first. He usually wins, but sometimes he’ll forget on the weekend and I can get an edge.
My town is only partly organized. It has streets and trees and sometimes a well designed area. After reading this post I was reminded that I need to hit the nuke button and reorganize, but I live in fear of that because of the large number of items in my inventory. I fear I would lose track of them 🙂 I could do a better job organizing, and it’s on my mind to, but sometimes it feels like too much pressure. I think “what if someone visits my town while I’m still putting it all back together!”. I worry that they would think I had abandoned the game and simply drop me as a friend. So, I could have elements of all kinds of tappers. Perhaps tappers defy categorization into a single type? 🙂
I started to read this, but my Poly Vac will be ready in a few minutes, so …. later!
MIKE- 😂😂😂😂😂😂Read this just before bed but I can’t type anymore. Gotta set my characters on their overnight tasks & play the Polyvac too😂😂😂😂….💜X