Thank Grog It’s Firday!!
I want to be clear about something. I have done my best to remain “relatively Not Cranky” since my return to the “land of the Bliss-Ninnies.” (inside joke). But, the fact remains, every once in a while, I look at my screen and say, “ARE YOU FREAKIN’ KIDDING ME???” when EA dangles a carrot in front of our faces, then snatches it away to replace it with a hammer.
And then, I am forced (yes, forced!) to break the serene calm of a TSTOAddicts culture that mostly just wants to “keep it happy.”
Case in point.
“So…you think that Cletus is actually going to DRIVE that huge Monster Truck around your town???” I hear EA Chuckle…
Pffftttttttt…. “THINK AGAIN, LOSER!!”
So…after grinding for weeks…in order to get the “final prize,” we gleefully tap his new task, “Make Manager Cletus Go for a Spin (1h, Cletus’ Monster Truck)” expecting the truck to move around our towns with Cletus waving wildly from the driver’s seat…
But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…. He is stuck in the mud. Literally…wheels turning…truck bouncing…mud flailing…going NOWHERE. (Sorry to spoil the surprise for any of you still grinding to get him!).
And then there is the snake on the side…some weird “throwing shade” reference to Taylor Swift??
We know that EA COULD program vehicles to move around our streets. They did it with the Street Sweeper. We know that they COULD have even just had the giant Monster Truck drive indiscriminately around our towns…ignoring barriers, trees, roads (as in “off-road”), and just had a load of fun, watching it randomly cruise with Cletus at the wheel. They made the annoying Arnie Pie animations that seem to disregard time and space…why not Cletus???
And to TEST THIS THEORY…I actually BOUGHT the StreetSweeper…because so many of you reminded me that it actually drove on the streets, and I had missed it the first time it was offered…
The results? Underwhelming…but DID prove that they could do an “Off Road Vehicle” easily.
I placed my Street Sweeper… and it instantly headed toward tents. Across land, water, and yes, even a water wheel. It remained completely confused. Imagine a Roomba (this thing is kinda small) running around in a catacomb of rocks and water…bouncing around and hiding, while being completely obsessed with tents…and then simply getting stuck in my Western town, as most of you have reported.
So…they COULD have made an Off Road Vehicle…(even if it is haunted).
But, what they did instead, was to simply make fun of us…drawing attention to the fact that no matter how large the vehicle… it just isn’t going to move. It is perpetually “stuck in the mud.”
I was originally going to post a long list of all of the vehicles we have available in TSTO…but once I got past 14, none of which moved at all, I got Cranky. It takes a lot of energy to be Cranky…and frankly…I’m trying to be done with it.
So…I’ll back off from being Cranky about this latest slap in the face, and just resolve myself to the fact that I can, and will, now have to do something more interesting with my Monorail. I’ve been collecting spare track for months and months. Perhaps I’ll simply place all of my vehicles near the monorail stations, as a way of mobilizing what is clearly going to remain immobile. You might not be able to drive, but you can take the train! Some effort to make us think about saving the planet with “Forced mass-transit planning?” Maybe. But, I really think the EA programmers are just being lazy…
Fie on you EA!!! Once again…you could have done something cool…that actually warranted the number of grinding hours dedicated to reach a final prize…that is little more than just more mud in our eyes. BAH!!!
ON ANOTHER NOTE… I REALLY Need your help.
We are WAY behind in our fundraising for this round of School Books. We only have ONE WEEK to raise more than $1,000. So…PLEASE…turn over your couch cushions, raid the change jars…and help. Every dollar helps. If we just had 1% of the people who come through here every day donate just $5…I’d never have to “beg” again! (1% would fund 10 years worth of books!)
So far…just 19 of you have raised $790 (with a big chunk coming from Alissa!)… that is a fraction of those who benefit from this site. Please step up… we only have a couple of weeks until the term starts!
DONATE HERE… and THANKS!
Patric – Do you have your charity signed up as an Amazon Smiles charity? My cousin works with a charity called Midwives on a Mission, which also works in Africa gand other third world countries, I think). They made their charity an Amazon Smiles option and I chose that one, so now, every time I buy something on Amazon (provided I remember to go in through Smiles.Amazon.com (which is what I have my Amazon bookmark set to)), Amazon donates 1% of the purchase price to that charity.
Great idea! No. I hadn’t heard of that. Will check it out.
Totally agree w/your crankiness towards EA..
but donating to the cause improved my mood!
Thanks for all you do!! 🙂
My husband used to take all the vehicles in his game and put them on a race track looking thing that at least implied motion. Eventually he needed the space for something else, and so he now has them all placed together like they are at an outdoor car show.
Also, added what I could to the school supplies effort. You’re doing a great thing, Patric!
Thanks so much! Every dollar helps!
I don’t think EA is even trying to attract new players at this point. I kinda feel like I’m shopping in the “old lady” section of a department store…they have to keep offering something, but you know they are putting in the minimum effort to keep it going. There are very few (and ugly) choices, little or no displays, and a non-existent service staff. We seem to be playing a game that has been pushed back into the far corner, on the second floor of “EA World”…behind the small appliances and next to the rest rooms.
I like the way you write…it’s the same kind of cleverness you display in your game designs.
What do you do for a living, if I may ask?
(Fun fact….I recently learned that, outside of the US (and maybe Canada and one or two other places?), it’s unusual for someone to ask someone that question…sort of considered rude, even! The friend who was explaining this to me (he spends most of the year living in other countries) said he has close friends whom he’s never asked that question of — doesn’t even know what some of them do for work!)
I admit I check the funding progress daily, however I did not yesterday. Wow! Addicts are quickly becoming Friends, I am amazed!!!
Yep! Still a low percentage of those who read, compared to those who support…but, we are “getting the job done!”
As always, thanks, Fred!
Get cranky old man everybody should. Seriously in my opinion E.A has really half-assed it lately, when it comes to the events. If E.A is going to accept money for the game we want or should demand a little bit more than a half ass attempt. I agree 100% with Patrick in this posting, the end of this event really did feel like a slap in the face a lot of work and dedication for what? The truck doesn’t do anything it doesn’t even fling the mud into the air.. a simple concept but that right there shows E.A. not putting effort into their game. They have so many other projects I don’t know if they even care if this one fades out they’ve made money on the game time to move on. This to me broke the camel’s back, I’ll continue to play because I just love the Simpson’s before this game, without, and long after this game. E.A. has a duty to all of the fans and especially the fans paying freaking money to the designers who are getting freakin lazy hard earned money because we want a Simpson’s game to play and have fun with at home or on a break whatever. I understand E A has many many games to design and develop they’re a huge company got it but if you’re not going to do the game with some passion then don’t even bother let someone else do it, don’t just do it for the money do it for the Simpson’s. I wonder sometimes if the game designers are even fans of the show I really do. But I just had to vent and this post was open for the score thank-you Patrick. This is just my opinion. Thx.
Good words man. After they really dropped the ball and made Weird Al a boring a character with little thought put in, it really grinded my gears. Al deserved so much more attention and care in my opinion. Not even a simple costume change… At least he is playable and “free” (no donut charge). I expected much more though as a lifelong Al fan. I was slightly let down by their seeming lack of imagination, knowledge and care with his character. It was an awesome surprise to see him though. Thanks for that surprise.
Could not agree more!
Just donated, hope it helps. Sorry it couldn’t be more!
Thanks much!!
The Parsons – 24-hr task – drives his golf cart all around, on the streets of my Springfield. It’s one of my favorite character outdoor tasks. Poor guy spends a lot of time in that golf cart 😆.
I sympathise with your crankiness Patric,
The world is pretty annoying, but I’m sure we’re wasting our time by talking about it because nobody ever listens
🇬🇧😃
Just donated! And yes, total bummer about the truck.
You…ARE…AMAZING!!!! Thanks Mary Martha!
I want a boat or jet ski that rides around in the water too. Maybe a submarine that randomly surfaces or a Knightboat: The Crime Solving Boat upgrade that moves around and has a few jobs for characters would be sweet. Also, I want a nighttime/sunset for my Springfield please programmers!
Night time would be sweeeeeeet
YES!!!
I also bought the “my first street sweeper” that only the leprechaun could drive…WTpho?! And to add insult to injury, the ¡grand prize! SPINS for a whopping 60 minutes. Sheesh, pass the Tylenol. 😡
Oh, and the vehicle I’ve always wanted is Lisa’s kiddie car. Sooo kyooot!
I’m with you Patric, was not impressed at all! Especially with the go for a spin came up and then NOTHING again! Let’s hope EA finally do something about it
Lol! And here I was happy to have a vehicle where we could actually see the character inside. I didn’t even think about it actually driving on the roads, I guess because I don’t have the street sweeper. Oh well, small steps Patric.
That’s why I parked all of my “vehicles” in one spot:
http://jstricklandphotography.com/unnamed.jpg
I have topped up my previous donation to make a nice round sum. I am sorry I can’t afford more just now but wish you the best in hitting the target.
As you say there are a lot of people who benefit from this site and a small donation to your cause would be a great way for all of us to show how much we appreciate what you guys do for us all.
I honestly don’t mind. Next to oversized planes vehicles are my least favorite items in the game. Other than a small car lot in front of Powell Motors I just try to hide them. Plus I gave up driving over a decade ago and my resentment of cars clogging the streets only grows and grows. Yeah they destroy the air and overall environment but who needs to consume that much space. I see them as pure selfishness.
I’m completely with you on the car-pollution. I don’t own a car either, and I am a great supporter of public transport.
I bike for transportation too. I carry groceries on my handlebars in bags. lol