Thank Grog It’s Firday!
I always felt kind of smug when I saw the pollution pics of Beijing, China. All of those people moving around in a thick haze, wearing masks, and scurrying from building to building.
And then the West Coast fires hit…and our area, most especially the “Real Springfield,” is still chewing the air in small doses, as we run from one AC haven to another. If we are lucky, we are supposed to be down to just “unhealthy,” from “you would be an idiot to go outside,” by midweek…next week.
We joke about toads and locusts being next. But, we don’t joke much anymore.
**Update…as I write this, we got a few hours of respite after a night of coast air blowing things out for a bit. But, we are predicted to go back to awful for the weekend. Yes. I am golfing today while the air is less chewy. I will only play nine. I’m not a complete idiot.
However…the hideous smoke has forced me away from my last home improvement chore of rebuilding our deck, and made me take time to do some “Digital Tap-Worthy Remodeling” of my town.
After deciding to store some of my “Bonus % Items” so I could design a bit within the Item Limits…I am kind of pleased at how the organization and designing has gone.
It really comes down to mastering and executing the ability to purge, design, and place. Let’s take a look at how things turned out.
As I wrote about a couple of posts ago, my wife and I are in the middle of de-cluttering our own house, which amounts to doing the “keep, sell, donate, trash” routine on decades of accumulated “valuables.” We have also figured out that this is a useless exercise if we continue to accumulate crap. So our new rule is, “If You Bring Something In, You Have to Get Rid of Something.”
Because of the item limits…I pretty much use this method in TSTO. And with the addition of a lot of clutter from this update, some “made it,” others did not.
Here’s a mini- WDIDWT (What Did I Do With That).
Here’s the stuff we won…less the Characters, Skins and Tokens
- Go-Go Ray (Deco w/Animated Job)
- Milhouse Balloon Archway (Decoration)
- Milhouse Bounce House (Decoration)
- Milhouse Squishee Machine (Decoration)
- Gelato stand (Decoration)
- Sjoelbak Table (Decoration)
- Milhouse Chinese Dragon (Decoration)
- Milhouse Pool and Zipline (Decoration)
- Milhouse’s Scooter (Decoration)
Most of this stuff ended up In Storage…
With the exception of the GoGoRay, which I placed in the tennis court, next to my other huge “Playground Death Ray.” I figured kids could shoot one another while trying to play tennis. Sounds like fun to me.
But a lot also ended up in Storage…because it was Stupid. More stupid than the Milhouse Chinese Dragon you say? It was a close call…but it made the cut. Kinda.
I placed the Milhouse Chinese dragon as a reminder of just how stupid and lazy EA/Gracie can be in this game. It is soooooooooooooooo random.
But, this was also about the MAJOR catching up I did to get rid of the huge “Southern swath of nothing” that had become a waste site for the last year and a half. (And no…I’m not going to argue about North and South in our games. The Water/Ocean is WEST…go from there…as it is in the REAL SPRINGFIELD…so I am the authority).
Let’s start with a reminder that I had created a large area that I dis-affectionately called “Plopper-Ville.” It’s where I dropped stuff I “earned” during the updates over the past year and a half, after I hit the Hard Item Limit.
To free up some space, I deleted a TON of tennis courts (along with their Bonus % earning power), and a then started getting serious about storing buildings and decorations that I deemed “meh” or “completely useless and silly.”
The Before and After show a lot of new water, some organization to the chaos, and some “mildly creative” locations for stuff I wanted to keep, after I got rid of even more buildings that I didn’t.
Zooming in from there… I have three new areas of building clusters with their own themes:
a. Life Therapy Lane
b. The Theater District
c. X-Cessive Sports Zone
I know. Not that creative. But, come on…I have been in a smokey haze for almost two weeks! A perpetual state of brown gets to you after a while!
The Theater District is admittedly uninspired. Mostly just buildings that have to do with the theater (duh!). But let’s face it…during Covid, all live theater is shut down anyway.
X-Cessive Sports Zone is pretty much what you would think. Exorbitant, homages to our X-treme need for sports, at any cost…as we have seen witnessed during the pandemic. We have turned into a nation of gladiator patrons…with so little actual testosterone flowing (watchers don’t do more than watch), we need a Hard Lad donuts to keep us…well…going.
And finally...Life Therapy Lane…which is skirted by “the Final Path Blvd.” If you follow either path Left to Right…the outcomes for where you end up are kinda self-evident.
I especially like the way Marriage Counseling and “Moving On” are across the street from the League of Extra Horny Gentlemen…and the way the Shapes workout club sits right next to the counseling Stripper Pole. There is a lotta life in this little strip.
Click to Zoom to play along.
It’s not great, yet…especially when compared to how I used to design with loads of trees and shrubs, and natural accouterments. But it will have to do for a while.
Compromise seems to be the nature of things these days. Compromise is going to have to be the solution for most of what we are dealing with in the world. If we can’t find a way to get along, and reach a consensus, at least on what is worth keeping and what is worth changing, I fear that 2020 may not be just a horrible anomaly…but the shape of “the new normal.” But, from where I sit…in yet another “record year for heat and fires,” believing science seems like a pretty basic thing to do.
But, then again…we shape our worlds, and over time, just like the frog in the pot who doesn’t know he is being cooked because the water heats up slowly, it is sometimes too late to fix it. Clutter…laziness…and being afraid to do the hard things, so that life is better in the future. Makes sense to me. NOT!
And come on… Who the hell needs a Truck Truck Truck or a Shower Computer in their town? Not me.
It’s All About Choices. Just because it is easy and free, doesn’t mean it is a good thing. THAT is a good lesson to learn in life.
at least we know you’re in the “real Springfield…”
Exactly. Land of Matt…and Skinner…etc.
I wonder..What will the history books say about 2020? Covid, elections, social injustice, wildfires and it’s only September. Hopefully they say something good or lessons learned came out of this mess!
What if 2020 isn’t cancelled?
What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for?
A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw — that it finally forces us to grow.
A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us from our ignorant slumber.
A year we finally accept the need for change.
Declare change. Work for change. Become the change. A year we finally band together, instead of
pushing each other further apart.
2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather
the most important year of them all.”
Credits to Leslie Dwight
If nothing else…we are learning hard lessons for our lack of diligence in the past.
Change is going to come. One way or another.
I’d have to agree with Wouter…
No Springfield can be compete without a Truckasaurus!
Then again, on most of the other places I go, I’m either Gojira or Atomic Lizard, so I may be biased 🙂
It does cause fun at the Jaguar owners meetings, though – everyone else has a plush Jaguar on the dashboard while they are parked, and I have either a plush Godzilla or a plush Super-Cthulhu, so maybe I’m not the best person to ask!
I’d be fine if he just stayed inside the arena! But…he seems out of place in loads of my town design.
1st –
https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/14/21437031/ea-play-electronic-arts-origin-access-desktop-app-subscription-pc
With EA discontinuing Origin Accounts for PC’s and Console Access, I think it’s only a matter of time before Origin Accounts will be discontinued from their Mobile Game Apps (as a means of creating a player Account, signing into a Game, etc). 🤔
You can take this information in a variety of ways, I don’t necessarily see it as the end of TSTO ….. but I wouldn’t be surprised if we are asked to migrate our Origin Accounts to the new EA Play / EA Play Pro (even better if this allows Tappers to play TSTO on their PC’s without using a 3rd Party App AND eliminates glitches – I’d pay a 1 time $3 or $4 just for that!) 🤔
Now back to reality – maybe Nevada was spared from out of control 🔥’s (any that we had this summer were contained within 10 – 16 Days), but we haven’t been spared by the 💨 blowing into town (it’s a reminder that CA OR WA, even UT & CO, are still on 🔥) and those of us who work in the field (me ✋🏻) could potentially be filing a paid “work injury” status IF we have permanent damage to our lungs (so it’s not just covid-19 one is concerned about). If what I share paints an ugly picture of our skies, I can only imagine it’s worse someplace else (and not necessarily in China anymore). There should be blue skies with clear views of mountains and the Vegas Strip / Downtown leaving my Condo community, but it’s this neverending ‘smoke fueled overcast’ (satellite views show this smoke from 🔥’s has now made its way back East). 😔
https://imgur.com/a/2xsFwvJ
I know Halloween Event 🎃 2020 is approaching (will we get a Mini Event 1st like last year? will Halloween only be a Mini Event? only time will tell!), so is the next Season of The Simpsons (Sunday Sept. 27th), but – thank you Patric (sorry the foul weather is keeping you from working on the Deck outside!) – for reminding me that I definitely need more time to ‘purge’ parts of my Springfield to remodel before the 🎃 fun starts!
One look into my Storage shows that more of the Event Prizes this year are Stored compared to prior years (the Event Prizes have gotten Crappier, even if ‘they’re new to the Game App!”, but it’s L-EA-Z-Y even if it’s just a small dedicated EA Staff). 😲
The Premium Combos are great (makes you wonder if it’s better to just spend sprinkles on Premium Content and forgo Grinding for Crap!), I actually have more ideas on ‘what to do’ with some new things, thanks to what I’ve seen other Tappers have done (thank you, Patric for reminding me that even our Springfield Military Academy Decor can be a kid’s playground! 😅) 😲
Choices, you say? Well, I choose to say that there will always be a ‘plopper section’ (just drop that Prize and get back to it later), with less and less of Springfield Heights (should’ve took the hint when EA gave up on this Section!), and reevaluating Krustyland (❤️ it, but apparently EA stopped doing so when new Characters had no Tasks there). 😲
Stay Safe Tappers! 👍🏻
They will probably move to a FB login, like they do with other mobile games. Play a few that let you use game center on Apple devices. But Game Center essentially only let’s you back up your game and you have to use FB for any social connections. They make more money letting FB mine your data than they would off of a one time subscription.
That, or sign up and login with a Google Account (which is required if you use any Android Device).
I’m hearing good feedback on EA Play for those using it on PC’s (faster login screen, less glitches, no Network problems), so maybe Origin truly is the problem (outdated Network) that’s plaguing Tappers. 🤔
I love the Truck Truck Truck! It sits ouside of Powell Motors and the car lot I designed.
I like it OK…but it is SOOOOOOHUGE!!
Aw Pat, unintentionally you’ve riled up a pet peeve of mine, I blame all the smoke here on the West Coast, theatRE not er. I apologize for my TED talk.
Yeah…I’m sure it’s a political thing. The Left coast on fire, while the rest of the country just has to deal with Covid and hurricanes. Yes. I am looking into living in a metal storage unit. Seems like a safe bet for the rest of 2020.
Patric,
Don’t know your last name. Don’t know where in Eugene or Springfield you live. Have seen that rains came and the AQ improved.
No longer in the 500 range — nor is Talent/Phoenix.
An ex neighbor from many years ago, lost touch with, lives in Eugene.
NW section if you divide the town with I5 and 126. Bob and Patty MacDonald. Son 35 year old Jason lives somewhere.
And an ex girlfriend from the third grade in Phoenix, lives in Eugene
Judy Cade Harris with her husband Jimmy, who works at Lane College.
So, I have a vested interest in hoping all of you are safe and breathing well.
Tracy
Tracy- Pardon me for not answering this soon…I was out dancing in the puddles! Yes…we got hit with a rainstorm this morning that finally turned the red dots on the map to green! I am hoping it lasts.
The destruction was horrible in several of thee small towns. I am heartbroken for what they lost…as well as the fact that the fires are far from out. Thanks for keeping us all in your thoughts!
Looks good! I’m aldo reorganizing my town. I’m weirdly happy that it’s a perfect rectangle. 😖 And sorry about the smoke.
Smoke is getting better today…we finally got some RAIN!!! Woot woot! I actually see my shadow…and it’s not from my pants being on fire.
You put Truckasaurus in your inventory? But it’s canon! 😮
While I appreciate the “canon-ness” of that item…I got tired of watching him wandering randomly, away from the arena. But, I will consider adding it back…