Reaching back into the Addicts archives once again for another TSTO Anonymous meeting. This time a topic I think we all can relate to…TSTO burnout.
Something I’m sure we’ve all experienced at one time or another. Heck, I’ve been doing this site for 5 years and playing the game for almost 6 I’d be lying if I said I never felt burnt out on it. People change, priorities change and life gets in the way, so it’s only natural to feel a little burnt out over the game. What’s important is what you do when you’re burnt out and how you handle it overall.
So without further ado, I turn it over to 2016 Wookiee…
From TSTO Anonymous: Fuzzy Thoughts About Burnout. January 29th, 2016
Hello… my name is Joe “The Wookiee” Riot and I am a TSTO Addict.
So… over the past five months since we held a meeting, I’ve watched tons of episodes. One of the things I do is take a screenshot whenever something strikes my fancy. Amidst these images are ones I think would fit in with TSTO Anon. I decided to share the images and based on the image, just ramble a little on some thoughts about burning out on this game. Hopefully it all ends up cohesive.
We’ve been writing these silly posts for a while now albeit less frequently than originally imagined. I always wondered where the meetings were held. Obviously it’s all done digitally but I like to have a mental image to make me smile. Then I was watching “Walking Big and Tall” (S26:E13) and I found the answer. While this makes me smile, feel free to show a different meeting spot if this one doesn’t fit the bill. Hopefully these meetings aren’t depressing though.
2015 brought lots of content but events always have their downsides. All of the tappin required during an event can definitely lead to burnout. I’m always a fan of the events where I don’t have to be completely engaged throughout it. When I see the majority of folks earn the prizes and items, it makes me happy. Of course, then the event is over and you’re spent, right? Just hoping for some TSTO downtime to recoup and recover.
But then there’s the lulls. Here on the site, we see lots of comments of folks waiting for the next big thing. When’s the next level? update? character? etc.? Add to that requests for posts that take a bit to come up with and I can vouch for Alissa, Bunny, and I when I say we enjoy the piss out of a good downtime or chill update like Deep Space Homer. Heck, posts like this don’t get written when we’re crazy busy with content (possibly good or bad depending on your viewpoint). I enjoy the chance to catch up on other geek passions and spend time with family and friends.
You know… some days you sit on the couch and other days, it feels like the couch is sitting on you.
But we are the skyfingers! TSTO is often an escape from the hustle and bustle of the world. Internet communities offer a place to not worry about bills or work or weather or relatives. We can just send our barflies on 8 hour drinking tasks and talk about game based on a silly cartoon.
There’s a lot of people who visit this site daily and we’re all doing the same thing. Playing a mobile game about a yellow family who we may or may not identify with. We take this game one tap at a time and best of all… we do it together.
If you’re really bored you could always take up crossword puzzles, solitaire, board games with the family. Pass the time with other fun Simpsons stuff if that’s you’re cup of tea. Design your town… nuke it ’til it glows… take part in the Open Thread… take up knitting… try writing your own From the Mouths of Addicts post or a better TSTO Anon than this one… solve world hunger… whatever floats your boat. TSTO can be a perplexing and frustrating enterprise and sometimes it’s good to take a break (especially if the game isn’t fun any more) but I find the Addicts here to be a diverse bunch hailing from different decades, countries, and walks of life.
Thankfully, this place for the most part is a happy place or at least I find it that way. Familiar names and avatars grace the comment thread and there’s way more than just three moderators willing to help out frustrated tappers. When the bullys of reality come knocking, this site is here for you whether your burnt out or not. This is the place you can find people that know the next image is a Newton’s Cradle made entirely with nerds/geeks.
We don’t have any outcasts, burnouts, rejects, or losers here unless you count the guys in the following pic. This site is home. Which animal do you identify with?
Being a TSTO Addict is about coming to a fun place where we can geek out together about whatever. For the record, I’d probably be like Bart in the following picture.
It probably needs to be said that we all have to be semi-cool with first world problems considering we all have access to the internet. Whenever I’m frustrated with life in general, I try to think about how good I really have it. Things could always be worse and I know there will be plenty of new things in 2016 to celebrate. When all else fails there are new Simpsons episodes and Star Wars in December!
Now who needs a hug?
So let’s wrap up. How is your game treating you? Despite any let-downs or glitches, is it overall something you enjoy? If you don’t like down times, what else can you do with the free time? If you’re happier during events, what sort of event would you really like to see? What’s your favorite part of your town? Who’s your favorite neighbor? What hobby/passion have you possibly been neglecting? TSTO is definitely fun but I can promise it will never be exactly what any of us want. We’re all too different for that to be possible and the signs for Springfield really do tell us what to expect.
You could always pass the time doing fun mazes.
Seriously though… I hope the game is still as fun for you as it is for me after alm0st two and a half years. If burnout is an issue, we’re all here for you. We end this meeting like we normally do with the TSTO Serenity Prayer.
“EA, grant me the serenity to accept the updates I cannot change, the courage to recommend the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on burnout, The Simpsons, the site, or whatever you think is related. We generally only have one rule when it comes to communicating with each other.
TTFN… Wookiee out!
We hope you enjoyed this look back from the TSTO Anonymous Archives! What are your thoughts on TSTO burnout? I feel like even though this was written in 2016, a lot of it still applies today. Sound off below, you know we love hearing from you!
It’s no surprise that Plopper is one of my favorite characters…I can definitely identify with the little snouter. Cute and cuddly when we’re young, not so much when we get older…smart enough to be trainable, but stupid enough to trust human beings…and has a never ending appreciation for foodstuffs of all shapes and sizes. Mmmmm…🐷🍔🍕🍰🍩👍😄.
“Which animal do you identify with?”
I’m the water gun that shoots jelly, or possibly the train with square wheels.
~MIB🕵️
I suppose burn out would be an issue, except I’ve learned to take breaks from Tapping (2 – 3 days at most). I have a Springfield so large – an over 200 Characters – that it’s impossible to Tap Buildings and People in under 15 minutes (now it takes 30 – 40 minutes, lol). It’s easier to Kem Farm …. and saving those sprinkles to spend on what I don’t have (or never earned) is all I have left. 🤔
I miss decorating, as well as 3D plotting, but that darn ‘cap on what you can have’ ruined things (a shame that animated Buildings and Character Tasks can’t be appreciated when there is game lag at times). Not enough Land Tokens are offered to make space for new Buildings, or Decor, so I’m at the point where some more things will be going into Storage (that’s my biggest gripe vs burn out). 🤷♂️
Logged in game today, ALL my friends are gone. Anyone else having this issue? I’m on an iPad.
This has happened before…usually it resets itself in a few hours. Some discussion last time about a glitch with log-in ids causing it, but who knows?
I never take a break for more than a day.
It hurts to tap sometimes.
I try to limit tapping to once a day if burnt out.
I find I can only tap about 2 or 3 times a day now at most. My town is too big to collect all the building cash. I send all my people on 24 hour jobs. And collect about every 36 hours. Most days.
Between the slowness of the game and the large amount of space. It takes about 20 -45 minutes to tap everything I need to. Time vanishes. (Times 4 during events)
During events I only send the characters on their tasks. And don’t worry about anything else.
I also have found my brain cannot tap for more than 15 min or so without almost completely shut down. Doh! I am starting to know what it feels like to be Homer.
The events and the collecting of missed items from the past keeps me coming back.
It’s like any kind of relationship. Phase 1: Excitement! Everything is new. Phase 2: You fall in love. Phase 3: You get married and maybe have kids. Phase 4: Everything turns “normal”. Phase 5: Contentment. Phase 6: You get a little bored, and maybe burnt out. Phase 6: The kids move out of the house, and then you retire. Phase 7: You die.
You can make your own interpretations.
I was really starting to feel burned out before I took a 4 day break while I had to reupdate my game I turn I cane back with a mindset that I have a really good town and I can’t leave it. The next day the update hit and it turned into a week and a half before I payed again I now realize I dont think the same like I don’t grind the rail yard or where’s magie as much as I did and I often forget to send all my characters in tasks… I hope the zoo update with capture me back in as it sounds like a WHALE of a time 😉
I’ve been feeling burned out on everything lately. Like always, I keep on doing the same things anyway, because that’s all there is to do. Eventually something will bring the interest back, and I’ve already learned that bailing is a bad idea…I bailed on my main hobby in 2006 due to burnout, went back in 2012, and now consider it one of if not the biggest mistakes of my life, to leave.
Great article! I have had a few times when I got burnt out and took a break for a week or two. I hope the upcoming events aren’t where you have to do something every four hours. It’s really hard to keep up when you have an adult life. Lol Can’t wait to see what the next event is!
I find I’ve advanced to a point where I don’t worry about burnout. I did go a whole day without playing but without doing mystery boxes have a 900% bonus. Get at least 12 bonuts a day without KEM farming or recycling center. Even during events I don’t worry about the 4 hour grind. Twice maybe three times a day and even if I get the last prize with only a day to spare, I don’t stress it. My only frustration is that with land tokens, we get 4 tokens for 8 worth of new stuff so designing, my favorite part of the game is now a memory.
Bravo! 👏