I have to admit that I often get that panicked feeling when I think I am going to miss a “tapping cycle.” I end up “talking myself down” with a pep talk of “Hey…it’s not that big a deal if you get 4 in today, instead of 5.” But, I know myself. I know that if I start to slack off, it’s a very slippery slope.
It’s very much like buying a bag of Halloween Candy and promising that you will only eat 2 Kit Kat bars or 1 Butter Finger bar a day…wait…did I say 2 or 3? They’re tiny…and probably don’t amount to even a half of an actual size bar. So…maybe 4 a day is no big deal if I hit the rowing machine sometime today. But, I don’t have time to row…and I really want 4…so what the heck…4 it is…I’ll row longer tomorrow.
See?
But, tapping isn’t the same as Kit Kat bars. The fact is, I get a whole lot less satisfaction from tapping, but I am a whole lot more addicted to it. Which presents a problem when you travel. Which I am going to be doing…
In fact, I am writing this early. By the time this posts, I’ll be in New York, with my friend Dave….after battling a week when I had 3 weeks of work to do, in one week, before I took off…knowing that although I SAID it would be a “working trip” I most likely wouldn’t do much at all. Like I said…I know when the slope is slippery…and I am used to knowing when I am going to slide.
BUT, WE ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A HUGE UPDATE!!!!!!
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?????
Well…I am thinking that this is the 175th Update to Hit TSTO since it was reintroduced…6 years ago!
I started playing this game on October 1st…2012. There are tons of things that I have done for a lot shorter time (including my first marriage) which have brought me far less pleasure (like my first marriage). But, the simple fact remains…I would NEVER have imagined playing this game for 6 years, much less blogging about it to a worldwide audience for 5 years. Never, ever, ever, ever…
And yet here we are…
And to celebrate, I am on the East Coast…and I am going to cram a TON of fun into the next few days. Saturday night, I am going to see the Tedeschi Trucks Band at the BEACON THEATER in NYC with my best friend Dave. Earlier Saturday, we are hoping to find a bar that has the Ducks/Huskies game on (could be one of the greatest games of the year…or another heart-breaker).
Sunday…I am heading to New Jersey, for 4 days of a Baby Jake Full Immersion, with a special visit on Tuesday to see Alissa and Sam! (and yes…Deb can’t get the time off, and is really jealous!) Somewhere in there, I will track down my last chance of the year for a Rita’s Frozen Custard…and all will be right with the world!!
Here is a shot of Jake, right after he discovered his new “chewy spoon” along with apples and peas. Yes. He is strong enough to hold an elephant on his head!
And guess what? I will probably STILL find a way to tap…to at least clear my 4-hour tasks every 4 hours...roaming data be damned!
It’s a game. And I’m going to celebrate 6 years of tapping…by mostly not tapping. Life. It’s more than tapping…for sure.
The fact is, I started playing this game for something to do remotely with my grandsons who live in Portland. They quit playing years ago…and yet I tap.
But, tapping, and tappers have been fulfilling in ways I could never imagine. Through the generosity of tappers…we have changed lives in a remote village school in Buyijja, Uganda. Twelve rounds of books and supplies, shoes, playground equipment, a bathroom facility, clean water, and countless other small additions to make life bearable, and help increase Hope for more than 260 kids (more than 40% of whom are orphans).
Tapping did this…
Do I regret that I have spent so many hours, and dollars on this game? Well…there are days. But, for the most part, the greatest experience, and the reason I continue to tap and blog, is because of all of you. Yes. Sometimes you make me nuts. And sometimes I make you nuts. But, that’s how families are…right?
Have fun. Tap…get the stuff…and know that we get even more frustrated with EA than you do (we have to clean up their messes!). In the end…it is a game.
But, we are family…
Now pass me the bag of Kit Kats. I’ve only had 3 today. I think.
I’ve done some work at UW and know a few professors there, so I always pull for them, but that was a great game. Better for you than me I’m sure, haha.
I only hit my 4 year anniversary this year. I started near the end of Clash of Clones and am still sad I didn’t get everything from that event. I’ve been able to get a good amount of the walls, etc. from digging and had the castle, but I wish I had the characters, nerds, and recycle/trash walls. I’m VERY glad they re-released the Stonecutter stuff that came before it, because that (and the Flying Hellfish) were my most desired items for a long time.
Recently events have all seemed to work out so that I’m done with each act a few days early with minimal tapping. I usually have/buy a premium character or two, and start each act with 4-5 log-ins a day and end the act with 3, sometimes 4. I was out of town this weekend and barely tapped, but still got the Countess Sunday because I was so far ahead.
I remember some early events where I actually had to set an alarm to wake up at 3AM to make sure I got my 6th round in and still barely finished the prize track. This year I was recovering from a surgery as Moe’s Ark started and remember being up at that time and just laughing at the thought of needing to log in. Part of it is that I’ve got more characters to help, and part of it is I think events are easier/less complicated than they used to be, but part of it too is just the slow creep of apathy.
I’m to the point now that if EA shut the game down I would be sad but I think I’d get over pretty quickly. I’m definitely addicted, but know that my time could be spent elsewhere for a “better high” and think I’m just riding this out until the end for some strange sense of completion. Not that the end seems to be coming anytime soon… I did the same with my previous addicting game, Parallel Kingdom, and would still rather see that come back than TSTO survive. :/
To end on two positive notes: This game has rekindled my interest in the show and I’ve been watching old episodes (and a few newer ones) on FX and enjoying them after a long time off. And this site has kept me interested in the game when I think I would have slipped away a while ago without it. The SIBs, WDTCFs. event rundowns and recently Patric’s Friday Fillers have been really good and kept me going in the game. I listen to too many other podcasts to add this yours, but I am subscribed and I download them, with the assumption that that helps your ad revenue/at least makes you higher in the lists.
Thanks for everything you all have put into this site over the years.
I heard about the game through my son, though not directly. Charges for “donuts” kept showing up on our shared account. After first questioning how important these purchases could be I decided to check it out for myself and here we are years later.
When traveling I look for ways to keep up with my game. For example, in Romania many gas stations had WiFi so when our driver would stop to gas up I had my phone out and ready to connect for a quick play before we continued. Without the game I probably would have used that same time to be put purchasing snacks do it’s a good thing, right? Uh… right?? 😂
I like the cake that you have pictured, Patric. Who made it? Because I would like to get one myself.
Congratulations on your Ducks, Patric! Helluva win.
Woot woot!!! Amazing game!
My wife & I saved up for years to take a trip to Walt Disney World. We finally went there last weekend for our 28th anniversary. Every 4 hours, we found a place to sit, took out our phones, and tapped together. We then put our phones away, got up, and continued our visit to the Magic Kingdom. Addiction? Yep. But at least we were indulging together.
Lol I’ll be there in 4 weeks and I guarantee you I’ll be tapping throughout
Mmmmmm cake….
So after years of play, and 5 seasons of Halloween, Im thinking of redecorating and jamming all the Halloween stuff together in a giant witches brew of nasty.
Also, I noticed the nice towns you’ve highlighted, Patric, with little details and trees and what not. Thinking of doing this.
Right now I create conservatively. I jam fun things together in a tiny space. I have bits of fun because I don’t want to cap out on the item limit you are always talking about. I don’t want to hit it. And I don’t want to run out of land.
Currently, I have a lot of land available for cash, still. After playing for years and leaving almost every item on the field. And having multiple house farms.
How can I tell if I am close to hit the item limit?
You’ll get an in-game warning.
Your football game is close. Go ducks go
I actually found myself wondering how you’re making out with fitting in tapping time…. Then I thought there’s probably alot if hit spots back there on the floor East coast…. I’m in California myself. I remember you saying roaming charges be damned,,,,lol. It’s funny how important this big can become,,,, I really believe it has helped keep this game going so long & keeps it interesting. Hope you’re having a great time. Lil Jake is just the cutest little baby ever.
*hot spots*,,,meaning to use wifi to save on your data. Grrrr,,, autocorrect
Well…tapped through the weekend. But got Countess Friday…so that took the urgency out. Backslid to three times a day…
Once I get the final prize I notice my tapping is less intense. Although it seems to me they are asking a lot to get bonuts this time around.
For a moment I was like ‘6 years? Wow…’ and then I realized that come Dec 26 I’ll have been on this crazy ride for 4 myself, only a third less than you. There are definitely days I may have given up in frustration if not for advise from this blog, but it was actually the very first app I downloaded when I got my entry level Samsung tablet. I’d seen my brother playing it on his iPad and thought it looked like my kind of game as I’ve always been a big fan of Sim City and The Sims. Clearly I was right.
Have an excellent trip. Enjoy lots of playing and snuggles with Jake, and have a great visit with Alissa! We’ll be here when you get back 🙂
6 years…. seems like just yesterday….
I remember I started mid October 2012, right after Homerland ended and Halloween started. I was behind on the event and still managed to get all the community prizes and such..that was the ghost goo/ghost vacuum Halloween with the little gremlins and community visits that mattered!
Loved that event…so yeah my 6 year is right about now…
After that event Stonecutters was the best. Hasn’t been one that I liked as much as those two I don’t think….
I am pretty sure the goo/gremlin was October 2013, not 2012
Oh wow,,,have I been tapping that long?!? I think that was my 1st Halloween cuz I remember the goo,,,,miss the community prizes. It’s all such a haze,,,lol.
Have a great time, should be free time and collecting for act 2 if you have the last prize, chillax time
Happy Anniversary Patric!! I’ve been tapping along side you for 6 yrs also and can’t hardly believe it’s been that long! All of you there at TSTO are AWESOME!!! The crap you have to deal with from EA and also us knuckleheads, yes I do put myself in that category (I should know by now all the in’s and out’s of bug fixing by now). This game has gone thru soo many changes from when we used to play back in the very beginning, back then we really had to work hard and we actually had to visit a friend’s game (not just this 10 friend stuff) it was more like 30 friends back then and they had to visit you too!! And all those old characters and buildings we have we worked hard for them or paid a pretty penny or some were free and now you all are paying the price now hahaha, sorry had to laugh. Well I hope you have a great trip and I look forward to another 6 years of tapping with you!!!
couple of good breweries in north jersey if you’re into that sort of thing.
have a safe trip.
DK
Go Dawgs!!
I need to gain 30 donuts in 4 days! I thought that the boat stayed the whole time! Oops…
I have to say I never thought I would be Tapping for over 5 years, probably because I didn’t expect this Game App to last as long as it has (I think it has lasted longer than most from EA, which I am thankful for, because I don’t know what mobile Game App I could replace it with).
Having reached the last Prize for Act 1 yesterday, I think I can keep Kem Farming and just collect Crafting Currency / Pickaxes for Act ….. and do it by slacking over the weekend. This is the Saturday and Sunday where I volunteer at the local Animal Shelter, as well as the local Food Bank, so I won’t be slack when away from TSTO (but I will feel the same satisfaction volunteering as I would obtaining all of the Event Prizes! 😀
Have a nice weekend everyone 👍
Safe travels, enjoy your trip!! : )
I am you first answer today. Just woke up, uuuuuh! Not true, my brain has an alarm for 5.45, I call it my Tappin alarm, I tap then try to get back to sleep. When I am on holidays usually hotels have free wifi, so I do at least one or two Tappings during the night. As it can be difficult during the day. On a cruise ship I get some free internet as well but never enough as it’s very slow so I end up begging for my travellers companions for their quota of internet. They don’t get it! I am addicted. Tapped Out rules my life. My appointments, my shopping times etc. I have been a player since the very first day this game appeared in the game store, as I am a big Simpson fan. I have a huge collection of Simpsons artifacts, which I am now planning to sell, although reluctantly, as I have redecorated my home. Well at least I am not addicted to chocolate! Enjoy your holiday and give a kiss to this lovely baby Jake, he is adorable, you can see a good nature. And another kiss to little Sam, and a big hug to Alissa for all her hard work. Thank to you to as I love your truth in your blogs.
Wow, 6 years!……
Happy Anniversary Patric! And, pass the Kit Kats. I enjoy your sense of humor and style. It’s a game, I’m addicted, It’s fun, frustrating, and financially frazzling! I love it and tstoaddicts.
Thanks for sharing Patric ❤
I took an enforced break after the event where Krusty Land was moved into the main game because the last update for that event caused my game to crash every time I opened it (3 different devices, re-install, rollback, didn’t matter)… 3 weeks with EA telling me “we’re working on it” and I just gave up… and found (much to my surprise) that I really didn’t miss the game that much… missed visiting this site more 😝
Then last week, on a whim, I thought, “Hey, I wonder if they ever fixed it? I’ll just pop in and see…”
And now I’m back at it, 4-5 times a day, convinced I’ve missed something, but about 1000 shy of the countess… It’s a drug I tell ya, a drug!
6 years. I’m jealous.
Sometime in 2013 I saw this TSTO game in the app store. I went to download it. Apparently, I downloaded it in 2012 and never opened it.
Oh, the regrets….
I’m making up for it now, though.
Off topic, but has anyone else found a ton of their buildings and decorations being constantly animated despite not being in use by a character??
Sometimes that happens to me too during an update.
Some has to do with the time you log in, I think.
Patric forget the kitkat. You sound cranky. Like the TV commercial says you better have a Snickers. Lol!
Been tapping for the longest time, still remember being really excited with the first Christmas update because of the falling snow. I’m still enjoying the game and have no plans of quiting. Thank you guys for this site, you guys make tapping better!
Hi Patric, Tedeschi/Trucks at the Beacon will be great. The band has contributed their version of the Bob Dylan deep cut classic “going, going gone” to the Doyle Bramhall II new album “Shades” and they have been performing the song live recently too. Hope you enjoy the show!