Thank Grog It’s Firday!!
I mean it. Sheesh! What a week.
This is the kind of week that requires you to have some perspective…and maybe make hard choices…and adapt. Or, if you choose to really internalize and personalize the situation, just “break up,” and walk away.
Neither solution is ideal. But, then again…life is like that. Especially when you start to get older, and life throws you curve balls that you weren’t counting on. The lesson here? Adapt, perish, or walk away.
Wait…are we still talking about the game? Oh. Right. Yes. The Game, and the multiple glitches that are becoming more and more prevalent.
Let’s take a look at the options you have…not just as a player, but as a person.
I have to start with a disclaimer. For whatever reason, I have not experienced any of the major glitches that have hit the game over the years. As in none. Yes…my game gets laggy (I hard reboot). Yes, I get some of the same “death screens” that others report…usually in massive server outages (they rarely last very long). But, I have not been infected by the BIG ONE…the Roll Back Glitch as we are calling it.
I’m not really going to even address the minor annoying ones, like the “log-in glitch” (being forced to log back into your game after being told that you have been logged out, or another device hasn’t finished closing down). Yes. It’s annoying, but hardly earth-shattering or life-changing.
I will talk about the big one…the Roll Back Glitch (RBG). Because, of all of the minor inconveniences that have come along, RBG has an added ominous vibe, because our “creators” (EA) and our “medical staff” (EA programmers) don’t have a “cure.” They are only offering to “fix” the situation by altering the “who you are” in the game, by either taking away a load of time and effort by rolling back your game (messing with space/time is never a good thing), or basically, giving you a new “you” (town), that has most of the parts, but is just randomly cobbled together in a Frankenstein’s Monster kinda way.
From EA: We have two options for you to pick from:
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We can roll your game back to a previous save. You’ll lose progress and Donuts from today until the rollback date, but you’ll get 50 Donuts per week of lost data. If you have receipts, we can restore the Donuts that were bought during the rollback period. Just attach them to your case when you respond. You will also be required to remain logged out of the game across all devices for 48 hours after we confirm rollback. This final step can help prevent it from happening again.
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We can give you a brand-new Springfield: It won’t be the same as your current Springfield, but you’ll still have your level and can continue playing your game. If you have receipts, we can replace the Donuts you bought before the template land was applied. Just attach them to your case when you respond.
We’ll also be giving you an additional 100 Donuts to get you back up and running.
Neither of these are great options. I’ll grant you that. But for me, the former is a far better solution than the latter. And in many ways, seems to reflect real life at an “advanced age” like mine. And no…please don’t try to placate me with “you’re not old!” comments. I am 7 months away from 65. Trust me. I’m not young.
Let’s try some perspective.
This game is pretty much free. I have played it for coming up on 6 years. Yes. I have spent real money on it…but not much over the last few years. I have become a certified “casual” Donut Farmer, which has all but negated my need to spend money…but does require loads of time. This is a choice.
If I compare the game to real life, it is pretty brain-dead simple. A lot of repetitive actions for a few rewards. There is an entertainment value that is unquestionable…but, I admit that many of my actions are born out of habit than actual reward. The items and donuts come so frequently these days, that I am often in the “what’s next” mode, before a “Great Prize” has barely been placed and decorated.
So, maybe the RBG is actually a great time to take stock of what you have, learn to appreciate the value of all you have been given, and chillax to at least “roll with it” a bit if you are “infected.” Again, comparing it to life, I know that it took me being riddled with the “real deal flu” this year for 6 weeks, to appreciate how I feel now that I feel much better. And frankly, when compared to real life issues, anything happening in a silly game, pale in comparison. At least you HAVE a choice...right?
If we took the RBG as an “illness” and not a fatal disease. and realized that going back in time, (while losing time and effort spent along with a bunch of free items), isn’t really as bad a “pulling the plug,” on the game altogether, maybe we can all just hang in there while the “research team” continues to look for a solution.
Perspective.
Real life has a way of offering perspective. When a dear friend loses a child in an accident, or others talk of losing parents or siblings to real life disease…it’s hard to be too jacked up over being “inconvenienced” by the RBG. When everyday life seems more and more split between the “haves and have-nots” and horrible headlines play out on an almost daily basis…the RBG starts to take on a new level of silliness.
Yes. I get it. It’s annoying. But compared to cancer? Or the real death of a loved one? Pfftttt… Not so much.
This is the perspective that aging brings about. Because the fact is, aging is one compromise after another. Your body and mind start misbehaving in ways that you simply couldn’t imagine. You find yourself moving from the “Not me…knock on wood” camp, to the, “oh…so this is what they meant by getting old” reality. And through it all, you learn to compromise, and roll with the punches, and just adapt to your “new reality.”
Over the past year, I have had myriad blessings in my life. I have also had a ton of random aging issues that seem to revolve around my early life with contact sports. Add to this old eyes…a penchant towards crankiness and impatience…and an abject distrust and disgust with government, and I could be a “chuck it all in” kinda guy. But, I’m not. I never give up. Ever.
What keeps me going? Getting out of my own “needs filter” and engaging in solutions for the needs of others.
This game…and the blogging about the game over the years, has taught me that change is inevitable. But, more important, it has taught me not to make TSTO the key focus of my existence. Blogging, and the TSTO community have done amazing things for the town in Uganda we have adopted. Amazing things. We got off to a good start with our hope to build a new dormitory. But, now we need to take a pause to get back to our core mission…education.
We have just 2 weeks to raise Book and Supply money for this term. Education continues to be the lynch-pin of our work there, helping to insure hope and an opportunity to escape a life that is simple survival.
Take the time to donate today. Every dollar helps. Every single dollar.
DONATE HERE…Thanks!
https://www.gofundme.com/books-for-buyijja-school
As far as the RBG? Take a breath. Realize that any investment of time or treasure is your choice…and keep perspective on the value of your actions. You do have the choice to “pull the plug.” But then ALL of your work is gone…not just a snatch of time.
If you choose to roll back...did you lose the experience of earning and playing? Or did you just lose the “trophy.” It is an interesting question to ask. I have boxes of awards and trophies from my life in sports and production arts. But, they sit in boxes. Why? Because it wasn’t the reward…it was the experience that mattered. Creating…doing…achieving is its own reward. If I had to roll back…I’d just take it as a chance to do something differently, and experience the joy of accomplishment all over again. We’ll see if I feel the same way if I get the RBG.
It’s the same way that I can be cavalier about death…or life choices that may or may not extend my life. Quality -vs- Quantity. It’s the same with TSTO. Sometimes just going with the flow…adapting…and enjoying the journey is just a better way to live life.
Unless you spent a bunch of money. Then you sure as hell better have your receipts!!! That is another great lesson for life…that TSTO and EA seem to be teaching us all. But, that is for another post.
Have a great weekend. HELP US BUY BOOKS! And keep in mind the value of perspective, as we celebrate Memorial Day Weekend. Right?