Thank Grog It’s Firday!
I want to start with a disclaimer right away. This entire post may have been influenced by the fact that I have been inhaling epoxy fumes all week. Kitchen counters and a host of detail additions to the new kitchen remodel will do that. I also admit it. I like the smell. I used to build a lot of model airplanes when I was young. I never huffed…but certainly got happy once or twice putting the clear “dope” sealer on my balsa wood planes. But, I digress…
The real reason for this post should be obvious. It is a clear and pointed op-ed on the state of TSTO, as it appears to signal in this most recent update.
I know I am not alone. But, after trying for months to put on my “happy face” about the game, it is time to be honest…and pragmatic…and serious.
I’ve made mention on a few of the most recent “Addicts Live” episodes that I think the game is in “Hospice Mode.” The patient is most certainly circling in a death spiral, kept aloft by a handful of occasional thermal blasts from the writers, that give the impression of life, while remaining firmly in a coma and waiting for the plug to be pulled.
As of this year, we have had absolutely nothing worthy of the title of “TSTO MAJOR EVENT.” They have all been multi-part snooze fests (which actually began during the Winter/Christmas event in 2018). They have been four mini-events, rolled into one over-arching theme…that may or may not hold together…and have for the most part, been a balance of new (and not that exciting) content, along with a TON of old content.
This is fine for players who have played for less than three years. But, for many of the longest-term players (I just crossed 7 years), this is just a tad-bit insulting.
We are stuck in a “Catch 22” of a situation, in that many of the long-term players have reverted to Donut Farming as the content and game-play became boring and predictable (at least two years ago…and maybe longer). The “Catch” is that if players stop giving EA money…there is no real reason for them to invest in programmers and graphic artists. And, it is clear they have stopped.
Hell, even “TSTO John” has left the building…to be replaced by Abby…who sent us “insider info” that was rife with errors. John skeedadled…or simply got tired of being bothered by the morons on the TSTO Forum and Discord, and got Abby to do it. But, I digress…
I get the retread syndrome. It gives newer players a chance to get items they missed in other updates. But, that’s what the YEAR BOOK and the MYSTERY BOXES are for. NOT THE MAIN PRIZE TRACK!!!!!
When I look at the list of “new” prizes that I can win by playing this event…it barely comes out to 50%. I have so much of this content from past THOH events, that there is little motivation to play. So, I most likely won’t… very much.
I mean…YES…being able to buy a ton of Wailing Walls to increase your bonus is great (while it lasted) …if you could actually put them somewhere, without decimating your landscaping…due to the fact that they DIDN’T RAISE THE ITEM LIMIT!
I actually decided to sacrifice a ton of my bridges and highway water borders…so I could raise my Bonus %.
It left my town looking horrible…without real character.
But, I was able to increase my bonus % substantially…which means I can get more donuts faster.
I am doing this for one reason… I want GOD.
But, I’m not wiling to pay money for him (just as I don’t believe you need to tithe to be a good Christian).
So I will farm…Get God…and then store my walls, and replace my waterworks and bridges.
Yep. It’s time to talk about the most expensive Premium Item in the history of TSTO.
God Almighty.
So…do you think that EA is sending us a message? Does a patient “see God” right before they pass to the other side? I’m not sure about that.
As many of you know…I had an NDE in the mid-1990s…and got the distinct impression that most of the “God” stuff was not exactly as we have been taught. I came away with an amazing amalgamation of Quantum Physics, Religion, and more questions than answers. I became aware of the fact that the terms “God” and “Heaven” were profoundly insufficient to explain the totality of what I experienced. It pretty much made me look at “God” and religion more closely, along with science, and a whole new appreciation for the phrase, “God is Everywhere…and in Everything.” I’ll stop there…for now.
But, what I also have come to realize in the 20+ years since my experience, is that you get joy by giving the same. You experience the best of life, when you learn to appreciate the little things, which are often as miraculous as the big, obvious things.
So…let me temper my TSTO rant, with the appreciation that the game still exists at all.
But, like watching someone you love age, lose a step…and then lose a lot of steps, and a lot more…you have to appreciate what they were, along with whatever is left of their current selves. People, like almost everything in existence, have a cycle. And it is clear that we are watching the final gasps of a game that used to be great…gave us infinite joy…and now, is simply suffering from a lack of sustaining resources. They pulled the feeding tube a while ago. The writers are just working and reworking the eulogy.
Yes, the writers still write. Some would argue that this is some of the best writing of the 7 year history. But writing alone does not a great game make. It takes twists, turns, clever programming, and challenges that are worthy of our time.
Bliss-Ninnies be damned. It is almost cruel to watch a once great entity be forced to keep “getting out of bed” only to repeat the same sad, predictable soft shoe shuffle, over and over and over. Left, right, count to four…repeat.
I loved this game. I truly appreciated the untold hours we have spent together in this strange “relationship.” And, like a good friend…I will continue to visit and support it until someone else pulls the plug. But, I don’t think we are too far off.
When God shows up…that can’t be a good thing.
So…this “faceless” bearded dude…who simply proclaims “I am,” has a way of making even the most agnostic person among us take pause. The fact is, we really don’t know all of the answers…and likely never will. Creation is such an amazing miracle, that it all but laughs in the face of anyone claiming that it is all just a series of random sequences, started by a singularity. The math involved to get from point Alpha to point Zed (or whichever point we currently inhabit), to become who and what we are today…INCLUDING the infinite number of single cell, and even sub-atomic particles with sentient properties…is beyond our ability to conceive or believe. But, that doesn’t stop us.
So full of hubris is mankind, that we think we are the dominant factor in this universe. We are, in fact, more fragile than the smallest bit of bacteria floating across a seemingly infinite expanse of space and time.
But, because of our hubris…we also feel entitled to be entertained. After all…didn’t we take the time to download and throw a few bucks at this thing we call TSTO? They OWE us something better…right?
Nope. We have all received our just reward several times over. We chose to invest the time. We chose to vest in the possible outcomes, all outside of our control. And we all chose to make the game something more…
If the game comes to its logical conclusion…I will mostly miss the community of friends that it created as a byproduct. We are now, in many ways bigger than the game itself. It brought us together. It made us care. And for that, I will always be thankful.
So…I’ll play. I’ll farm to get God. And I’ll simply keep visiting. Until they pull the plug.
And for those of you interested in why I was inhaling fumes all week…the Kitchen Project is coming along.
Gone are the horrible press-board cabs with their weird plastic laminate coating and hideous Formica counter tops.
In their place…new full wood construction cabs…with quartz counter tops and an island (Mrs Miller’s suggestion).
PHASE 3.7…cutting a hole in the wall for the French Doors…
Bring on the Saws-All! Then flooring…and crown molding…and loads of trim.
And…if you rattle enough walls, large, hairy visitors come out to see what’s going on. This guy (a giant house spider) or gal…mostly likely a gal actually…was captured and released in the shrubs across the street. We don’t kill spiders in our house. They eat the bad bugs…right?
OK. Back to Grinding for God…and then I’ll take a rest. I have flooring to do…and trim…and moulding…and lighting. No time to play a “silly game” that has all but croaked right in front of us.
Keep on Tappin’! Or don’t…
What annoys me the most is that everyone gets the stuff they have previously missed, but I still have no Sideshow Bob. And I know there are a few players who haven’t had the chance to get even though they are a high level. I am level 550 something 🙁
I posted my opinion on the game ending and why I thought it was a little while back.
About item limits…..
This has probably been asked before, but could anyone tell me if there is a way to find out how many items I have so I know how close to the limit I am?
Thanks!
BTW Patric, kitchen looks great, the spider, not so much. Glad you released it though instead of sending it’s soul to GOD.
The only real way to figure out the item limit number… Is when you get a warning it will tell you where you are at that point they give out warnings for a number of benchmarks 11,000,12,000 etc. and then you have to do what I did, which is to place a whole bunch of fences or something like that until you hit the mark counting backwards as you go. I did that several times last spring when we hit the hard limit of 13,000 items. It hasn’t changed since July.
Well darnation. Having followed the Golde Goose Realty discussion only half, I just thought that leaving one landtile open would keep it from shutting down. And me continuing to hamster land tiles until better times approach.
Alas, it shuts down by itself and has now become an ATM instead.
For some reason it appears the BS is appearing less and less….. now off to find a big piece of wood to knock on.
I just cashed in my accumulated land tiles.
When you are down to having one open land square, a message pops up saying GGR will now generate cash. But it doesn’t, you continue to accumulate tiles. When you purchase the last land tile, the store will show that it has a new item: land tile to donut conversion. You can then cash in your tiles.
But who cares, GGR is only good for getting land tiles. If you want donuts, just farm for them or buy rat trap trucks….much easier.
What if they came up with a new premium currency or had items that could only be purchased with real money. Either could make EA some money to continue the game.
Interesting how a freemium game has become the center of a philosophical debate.
Should players pay money anyway and hope the developers reward them with a good game
or
Should the developers provide a good game and hope the players reward them by choosing to spend money
Hmmmm ??
I spent nothing as freemium. I began to gather in level ups and the odd found sprinkle cleaning and maybe I would get a premium decoration a couple of times in a year but once I started farming I got the taste for premium content and often paid cash for extra sprinkles to get things.
I didn’t mind because the game and events were fun and varied and challenging and the amount of land and the item caps were frequently increased to allow content to be used.
Get this, I want to want to spend. I’ve got more than enough sprinkles – bought a load of wailing walls after the patch and rushing SkyFinger is not an issue – but I want to be motivated to get the last sprinkles and a character deal and to buy Golden ScratchRs now and again.
Agreed. This is an entertainment medium, pure plain and simple. Income for entertainment is based on its ability to provide pleasure, or some type of existential reward to the person who laid out the cash. Just like music artists who start repeating themselves, whose careers die off… The game is no different. If it becomes repetitive, predictable, with a little reason to support it, except out of blind loyalty, the majority of players will stop playing. It’s the same reason I refuse to pay hundreds of dollars for tickets to see the Rolling Stones… I’ve seen it, I’ve heard it, there’s nothing new here.
Ahoy- hoy.. quick question does the covered bridge go on water? I don’t remember. Thx.
It doesn’t.
Thank-you.
I bought a few wailing walls but stopped because my bonus % is so high anyway. I just couldn’t be bothered. Some love given to Heights would be grand. I have expansion plans over that side. Still waiting……..I have God. God is good………….🍁🧡X
P.s.What is a McGuffin disk? Does everyone know except me? Best I could find was something Alfred Hitchcock came up with.
“McGuffin is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself”
Having commented months ( if not at least a year ago) on the donut farming idea that it will be the death of this beloved game and receiving pushback from Patric,it is pretty funny to see how views have changed. Stating in this same oped that not spending real money will be the end but then stating that “ I will farm to get God” is so oxymoronic. This is absolutely why character donut pricing is getting ridiculous and punishing new players. Simple economics come into play…How will EA pay their programmers if no positive cash flow is available? Simple rule in life “Just because you can,doesn’t mean you should”. Call me a sucker but I believe in actually paying for a product and not gaming the system to get ahead.
I’ve been saying that farming was destroying the game economy for quite a while now…pretty much since the big time xp farming started…
Maybe a new premium currency should be introduced. One that cannot be farmed or at least not as easily farmed. I think it should be “Duffs” or “Buzz colas”. Aside from quests and other tasks, perhaps 50,000 donuts could earn 1 duff or something. Or is that too easy?
No EA shot themselves in the foot by allowing farming.
All the had to do was stop giving bonuts after level 939 was reached.
They could have done other things to stop farming.
I’ve never said farmers. I said farming…
To farm you need farmers! 😉
Not trying to argue semantics with you. My point is, I don’t understand why EA hasn’t closed this loophole.
But if they did, how many people would pay for donuts? I’m like Patric, there is just not enough new content.
Maybe if they offered some sort of package deal with lots of new content and characters, but you have to pay directly for it. It is a chicken-egg scenario. Be interesting to see who would pay up if forced to.
And as for the game ending, when it does, it does. But maybe Disney will breathe new life into it. You never know.
I’d give them $19 if they increased the item limits by a couple of thousand…so I could actually place what I win/buy without decimating my town. Try THAT EA!
But… there is a way for EA to make money. I’ve said it over and over again. EA needs to adopt the business model Words With Friends and Candy Crush uses. They should offer donuts (or unique decorations and/or characters) in return for watching ads.
Thank you so much for voicing your opinion on this Patric thread, Alissa. I have never myself farmed for donuts,nor will I. Straight up,People,Stop bitching for an improved/upgraded product unless you are willing to pay for it yourself.Nothing is free in life, accept that fact.Yes the game is “free” but the excuse of” oh , I spent 10$ two years ago” does not work anywhere. Come on people,I love this game so do not kill it by justifying by saying ya I got 80000 donuts and do not care but anyone new is going to (with a hard earn 12)see 777 donuts for God and just quit or not even download Just plain stop it. You killing the game by your own actions and have no one to blame but yourself
I think what I wrote is that they need to provide gameplay that is WORTHY of spending money upon. Months of the same old, doesn’t do that.
If you go back a couple of years, you would see that I argued adamantly against farming. However….when the gameplay became repetitive and lackluster, and the only items worth having were Premium, my opinion changed.
Furthermore…outside of a handful of super expensive items, the pricing has remained relatively stable. 150 donuts for a character building combo has pretty much been the norm for a while now.
And finally……EA could have killed farming years ago. Instead, they have made it easier in many ways. So…who is to blame?
Blaming farmers is pretty short sighted and one dimensional.
There is finite amount halloween decorations right? Maybe change their colours? I can’t complain about scary trees, coffins, pumpkins coming back etc..
Assuming God’s appearance in the game symbolizes the end TSTO is frankly ridiculous. There have been numerous episodes with God in them. Just another character imo.
When Jesus was entered our game you could say he symbolized the endlessness of life and rebirth of the game lol.
it will end as all things some day. Forecasts for the the end of days however have never been accurate 😉
Holyfreakinshirt…the God bit was a joke. Literalists. Get over it.
Wow I got a Hoylfreakinshirt 🙂 Does that get me a free shirt? It went over my head I guess. However I’ve literally been called worse than a Literalist. That’s also a joke 🙂
🤘😂👍
I like this post. Kitchen looks nice. I would prefer to not kill spiders in our house as long as they don’t get out of control but sometimes the wife just won’t tolerate one in the shower with her. Go figure.
I’m not mad about the game. There is a part of me waiting for release. If they would just give the damn turkey NPC I would let go happily.
God?
Did I miss something.?
http://tstoaddicts.com/2019/10/23/thoh-xxx-week-1-is-live/
This post from Patric will make you smile, cry, laugh, mad, sad (the positives are what Patric has accomplished in Game o Dr the years / at home …. the negatives are what EA has done to this Game App)
Friday
I got the last Act 1 / Week 1 Prize by noon ….. and I hate to say it but it isn’t THOH related (again! a lil’ something from a prior Event! whoop-dee-doo!)
If you want actual THOH content? The 1st Premium Character / Building Combo, a Mystery Box (just one of them), along with a few returning Items (thankfully we don’t have to craft for it!) some worth the 🍩’s – the rest give you a reason to spend Simpson’s $ (how long has it been since Tappers had a reason to do that?) – and that’s it! (exceptions? If you’re a Noob, this is the best Event ever!)
Act 1 / Week 1 for me –
1 – not THOH Character
2 – 12 🍩’s
3 – dumb Decor (gets stores)
4 – 12 🍩’s
5 – not THOH Character
Zero motivation to Tap, except to Farm for 🍩’s (and it’s been that way for too long if you’ve been Tapping since 2012-2013!)
Zero reasons to buy 🍩’s (especially if Tappers don’t receive them, half to fight with EA Customer Support for them!)
Weekends
I’ve enjoyed talking time off from TSTO, but now Patric has given me an idea (what if I Farm 🍩’s like mad thru these damn Bart Simpson Screen of Deaths ’til I actually get 600 – 700 🍩’s in 4 Days, then obtain G-O-D for free – because I’m not paying real $ for ’em – and exploit this new Premium Character to my advantage? (FYI I still have 700 🍩’s and I’m being frugal in order to see what new Premiums show up next week!) 🤔
Did Patric just alude to solvent abuse? (FYI kitchen looks fantastic! I look forward to seeing the double doors done – I put a Dutch door in my kitchen that both cats exploit!) I’m having flashbacks to all of those Aurora Models I used to build and paint in my youth (and those polar lights Monster Hot Rods – mmmmm sniff that glue)! 😅
https://pm1.narvii.com/6443/048df7f11ffe3cb05343dad840f2a94c72a6ea3b_hq.jpg
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0616/06/monster-hot-rods-frankenstein-dracula_1_32db8abdf4fcffb604f191677b40da82.jpg
Future of TSTO
It’s painfully obvious this is the “last ride” for TSTO! EA doesn’t want to spend 💰 on what isn’t making them profit (and they’re not putting resources into keeping a tech team to handle things)! It happens! It’s on par with all of my favourite TV Shows from the 60’s (Munsters, Addams Family, Batman, Green Hornet, Star Trek) only lasting 2 to 3 Seasons – the writers ran out of ideas and the viewers went buh-bye!
I not happy with this situation, for I appreciate the TSTO Addict Staff, as well as my Fellow Addicts (we may have to start a post about which Game Apps to switch over to once TSTO ceases!) and I’m scared what Disney will do to The Simpson’s as a Game App (so should all of you!)
Ned Flanders Family / Relatives is the only Main Event we got (unless you truly count Teenage Versions of some Springfield Characters, or their Toddler variants – I don’t!) in 2019! The rest has been revisiting prior Events! Item Limits are putting an end to my “Zen garden” experience …. but even if one has to give up on TSTO? I certainly won’t give up on TSTO Addicts and how I’ve applied what I have learned here into real life! 😉👌
Frustration
Mad? Frustrated? Join other Tappers on Social Networks (except the official EA Forums – what a 💩 show that place has become!) Discord, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, etc ….. Tappers are being vocal …. I do thank them when it’s merited, but mostly I heckle them. Or, channel that boiled up whatever and do something constructive (volunteer, donate, accomplish). If you’re not getting Event Prizes worth the time, there is always the Mystery Box(es), unless you have everything. 😄
FYI
If you exploited the Wailing Walls before the Patch, but don’t want to spend 🍩’s on them? Well, those THOH Trees are 18 🍩’s each at 1% Bonus XP each (no limits on how many!) Keep on Tapping, or don’t (no Item Limits increases is irritating isn’t it?)
As a non doughnut-farmer, my main goal now is to accumulate 30 doughnuts at a time to buy good mystery box items and complete my town before I hit the max item limit. I think I’m around 11400(?), so hopefully I’ll be able to put down enough fences, trees and accessories to harmonize everything to my liking.
This event is pretty meh for me because I don’t really care about spamming my town with Halloween decorations more than I’ve done already. I haven’t even put out the jack-o-lanterns yet!
Max item limit is and has been..13,000. So you are good for a while!
gorgeous cabinets patric & the view is even nicer. thanks for the other pic too – I won’t be sleeping tonight. how’s the school? fundraising is year round?
We are doing well. Will be going a holiday one soon! Watch for it.
Now that I’ve finished Act 1 might as well aim for the 777 donuts given my inflated bonus %age as a result of the wailing walls glitch.
I can totally see why a lot of the long time players are pissed off. For me TSTO is still quite a good thing. I originally started in 2015 lost that world and started again in 2017 so a lot of the returning content is either new to me or that I couldn’t afford to get at earlier stages of the game.
For those totally bewildered with the game maybe it’s time to call it a day but if you still have some enthusiasm for it how about starting a new world from the get go.
I’ve been a faithful player for 6 years and I said about a month ago we’d know where we were with the game based on the THOH release.
What did we get? A delayed, tappable-free event with recycled prizes…the arrival of the Creator…and event currency called “McGuffin” disks? The writers are telegraphing the end…
Zoooooombie mode for EA! Well it’s Halloweeny!
I like the kitchen but the fridge appears to me in the wrong spot. I would personally put it on the other side of the door, close to the microwave. You can still hae a nice glass door next to it, maybe not as big as you plan. I have a very small kitchen too and needed working space, so I ended up putting my fridge in the laundry. I am used to it now after 9 years. I’ll send you photos eventually.
I like the fall color (colours if you are Safi) outside your kitchen window.
It really is gorgeous outside! Crisp…clear…blue skies, and beautiful foliage.
That’s what i said…foilage.
🍁🍃🍂
Please bring back the land tokens
Pretty much 👍
The kitchen is looking beautiful! Now, when you’re done, take a nice road trip across the US and cover that refrigerator with souvenier magnet! Which is what I have done, but I can’t post a photo as we’re in our car now returning to Indy from a trip out west! Love Rt 66!!!
I meant “magnetS”, as in MANY!😊
Some of the things I miss in the game: completing tasks to go to the next level, earning rewards for neighbor visits and chasing down various tappables that roam Springfields during events. With all of the THOH episodes that have been, it seems some additional prizes could have been added. The game has really lost the challenge of playing to complete an event.
Glad to see the refrigerator magnets made it through the devastation and reconstruction.
I’m going to offer a different perspective. I’ve been playing since the day the game came out. I enjoyed most of the events. But now I’m older, have a demanding job so I can’t log onto the game as much as I’d like to. Although these events are boringly redundant, it still gives us “part time” players to get all the new stuff. Having said that, I do miss crafting.
I for one don’t miss crafting. I could hit the prize targets with ease but never seemed to be able to craft what I wanted if I even wanted any of it. Crafting levels just made that worse in my opinion.
I think having a load of items in store you can get for game cash as and when you like is a much better idea.
I do miss hunting the random NPCs spawning all over the place and I really miss having good neighbour interactions during the event.
I do like the shorter formats and the only time pressure being when the last week starts or if an item is only available for one particular week so you need to make a decision and do whatever is needed if you plan to get it before it’s deadline is up.
I liked it when they brought us mini-games and little riddles as well as having tasks to complete to gain prizes. Maybe they could borrow from the code and just tweak the graphics and rewards and bring those and the NPCs back into this current format.
Make the task rewards and the targets higher and have a load of low value items to hunt and tap or to win in a simple game.
– Right, let’s see if Santa EA listened in time for Christmas 😊
One can only hope….. we have actually lost so many aspects of the game over the past year and a half. We have just all agreed to “meh” being normal.
Nice rant. I guess the thing I would agree to the most is the idea that we are still able to play the game at all. Having said that- I wish EA would step up their game and give us something new and exciting.
I enjoyed the 777 donut challange. Some rat trap farming was needed to get there. Otherwise, I’ve been doing the $2B Heights challange. Does having less new content make the game less fun? Not really to me. I like that we had a Halloween event. There’s been some good dialog and fun characters. EA needs to make a profit. If selling old stuff to new players rings the cash register, keep on keep it on EA. I’d like an even more audacious donut challenge for Christmas.
I have to say I hit this point several years ago with the pagan “Christmas” stuff. At that time I scrubbed the game off my phone and tablet and let it go dormant. But I’ve continued following the community in hopes that the game would, at some point turn around. But every even has been a repeat of the same boring formula: collect, craft, grind to get the “big prizes”, wash, rinse, repeat – which was a formula I had already come to loathe by the time I had scrubbed out.
It was fun early on, and frankly might have stayed fun if the crafting orobouros were not so often re-used. But it was just an endless accumulation of cluttering junk and useless decor to get at the 1 or 2 worthwhile things in the event. At least they nuked Krustyland.
Oh well.
no no NOOOOOOO!
I live in a world of Denial and i like it that way so Shhhhhh.
Lol.
As much as i fear spiders…we also have a no-kill bug policy in our house, per my daughter. Lol. Kitchen looks AWESOME! Nice job!!
Please stay in denial you are one of my few neighbours who still visits regularly! 🐱
LOL…I have a LOT of Neighbor catching up to do…. I will do so over the weekend! LOVE my neighbors (especially the Taggers!)
I ain’t goin nowheres!!!
I’m going to San Antonio.
Have a good trip????
Thanx????
Yup…😕
ebron, did you get god? I’m trying to decide!
Everyone needs God in their pockets…(providing you play on your phone…and keep it in your pocket).
Not for 777 donuts! 😬
I actually have so many characters already in storage (including Jesus) that the attraction just isn’t there. Maybe if the offer comes back in the future…but it just isn’t anything that special to me. Don’t need the income or the bonus at this point, so I passed.👎