Thank Grog It’s Firday!
Except it isn’t.
Once again, life has forced me to write this early Thursday, during a week when “early” or “too soon” and “not soon enough” all seem to be running into one another.
I have been overwhelmed with friends, TSTO buddies, and others texting, emailing, and FB messaging me about my thoughts on “the big story.” And yet, here…I am sworn to keep politics off of this blog, which is supposed to only be “about the game.” I am word-cuffed in sharing any real thoughts about what has transpired this week. But, I put those cuffs on willingly. It’s important for our friendship.
So, I will do my best to keep it all about the game. Mostly.
In fact, I will do a lot better job of not mentioning my slant on the elections than the Simpsons did in the most recent THOH episode, which finally ran this past Sunday after being delayed by the MLB playoffs and World Series. I will not comment…but merely place some screen shots and let you figure out The Simpson’s writer’s take on things. 
OK. So that is as political as this post is going to get…and I DIDN’T WRITE A WORD ABOUT THE ACTUAL ELECTION!
What I will write about, is a couple of observations I have made during this last Chapter of the TSTO version of “hell on earth.”
I have long thought it weird that so many of the tasks that they have us do during these repetitive, lazy, “Chapter-Events” take place in “The Brown House.” It is weird. The Brown House(s) are apparently just catch-all placeholders for the programmers.
But, in the most recent Act, it seems that the programming has become even more lazy, and has had the characters just compete their task at any random “house/building” that is available.
Bart has been doing his tasks in a random “blue house.”
Homer, Lenny and Lisa have been “performing” at the “Outlands Simpson’s House.”
And my favorite…Carl and Old Scratch have been hanging out in the Alien Nativity scene.
Why do they do that? Why do they default to the laziest path possible, during the same, repetitive, EALPish (EA Lazyass Programming) events?
Are we rEAlly in a place where the programmers are so bereft of creativity or resources that we are destined to just keep recycling the same, lame, mind-numbing cycle over and over and over and over and… Wait. I said I wasn’t going to talk about the election.
And, speaking of “Why Do They Do That?”
Why do they keep expanding our Springfields with random, weird, disconnected, Non-Canon characters and decorations, when there are hundreds of ACTUAL storylines, characters and premises from the actual show, they could pull from.
I’m doing my best to play along. I have placed my “Hellscape” near the Dystopian area that is near my KEM mining marsh operation, which is overseen by “Robot Homer.”
I bought the original Premium offering (Old Scratch) with mined donuts…but have not, and will not be buying any of the other random, “hell characters” from this event. I don’t need them to complete the event, and don’t want any more “hell” in my town than I am forced to have. There is enough real-life hell in the world right now. I didn’t buy Donut Homer…or Old Scratch’s Gym, or Hell Moe’s. Enough Hell. 
Believe it or not, I find myself at a loss of words today (some of you are rejoicing, I know). But the fact is, my agreement with Alissa keeps me from writing what I’d really like to write. But, I’m fine with that.
Unlike so many in the world today, that have ramped up the discourse to new levels of vitriol, Alissa and I have chosen to “agree to disagree” on our choices. But, unlike so many who have decided that violence, destruction, threats and intimation (from BOTH sides), is the hand they want to play, we choose to remain friends, who simply “don’t talk about it.”
Again, I’m fine with that. That is what voting is all about. It’s our chance to make our voices heard, where it counts most, and then find ways to live with the outcome, because we don’t have a choice. Administrations change…but, the survival of the world depends on us knowing this, and working to find commonality where we can.
I hope that by the time you read this, the elections have been settled, and we are moving in a direction that gives us at least a couple of years before the whole damn election process starts again. Why do they do that??? It’s been almost two full years of “primary” chatter. The general election comes at a time when we are so fatigued, so weary of “the message” and so tired of winning without solutions, that I honestly feel that the frustration in the streets is mostly just about people saying “enough!”
But here we are. Playing and writing about a game that has so little consequence on anything important, that it feels like doing a post about the drapes, while the house burns around us.
But, that’s fine. I just wish that if we are actually playing our game to escape the realities and stress that is going on in the real world, that at least it was more challenging and interesting than just logging in to earn something I don’t really want.
I suspect that what is actually happening as I write this, is that a “winner” has been declared, just long enough for a rash of lawsuits to be filed, that will drag this thing out for weeks…while we all become more diminished, fatigued, and worn out…while “holding the line” on whatever color of hat we chose to support.
It’s time to make this all more than a team sport. People’s lives are at risk. This all feels like one, long, wasteful diversion.
Why do we do that?
You should be earning enough donuts by now to buy all the premium items. Even if you don’t want now, you can stick it in storage just in case.
Do you guys think this is really it? Like that EA is planning on pulling the plug on TappedOut and they will grind on for just a tad bit longer?
As a newer player I’m terrified of losing this game. I’ve been enjoying it way too much for it to disappear.
On a more positive note, you mention lots of characters that could be included in the game instead of non-canon randomness.
Do we have a list somewhere?
I’ll start:
– Brad Goodman (PLEASE!!!)
– Frank Ormand
– AUNT GLADYS!!
– Clancy Bouvier
– Alvarine Gurney
– That kid from Bart’s class with the insane sunglasses
– Charlie (Homer’s coworker)
And I feel like they could definitely do a mini event around Tomacco! Like you have to harvest it to earn currency and people are going crazy over it it would be fun!
These are all great suggestions. And no…we don’t “like” that EA seems to be telegraphing the end. But we are not the creators of anything more than the towns we build from what they give us.
Ye this hell updates dope to bad you dont want anymore of the hell in your town i love it ..mabe its forshadowing for something cannon. Later on .. ye theres hella negative stuff in world rite now but it fits the halloween perfect i just wish wasnt so expensive and insted of the little things they gave us the tokens use in the limited time mystery box junk
Patrick, I’m telling ya… too many people are getting increasingly identified with just ONE aspect of their being. It’s essentially now making who you follow as core and foundation of your personality and being.
There’s something gravely psychologically disturbed about that.
And I’ll have not a single bit of it for myself. The covid situation is also just magnifying it as a factor. That’s been happening all over the world since March — for those who haven’t been paying attention to international news. People are upset because of the strains this has put on us and everyone’s agitation levels are up.
I don’t need people to agree with me. Not everyone is supposed to agree with everyone else. What we don’t know is how to listen. No one really philosophically “sees” how the other side sees the same issue, so they fundamentally fail to really talk about the same thing. They just think they are.
Agreed. We have a loooong way back to finding even basic compromise.
Amen!
Opinions 🤔
The Content for this multi-act Event is best suited for a Mini Event
As clever as some of it is, Purgatory 🔥 isn’t Halloween-ish’ 🎃
I’m getting more enjoyment with the Premium Content than the Event Prizes (not that there wasn’t any Event Prizes I didn’t appreciate – I did – but there’s too much crap!)
I believe the pandemic is bringing out the worst in everyone during the election (and that’s as far as I will go statement wise, going to respect the TSTO Addicts rule) 😉
It is important that everyone stay safe, we still need a working vaccine to be available to everyone and everywhere. 📿
One of favourite bands from my youth. I am no longer the youth they speak of though lol. However video still seems relevant during these lets say..Halloween times..
All I can say is “Hanging Chad and Dimpled Chad”. History does tend to repeat itself no matter how Gorey (get it).
I actually like the latest development of the characters going to the closest brown/blue/hell house. It takes less rounds to grind through the event. I have had issue for the last multitude of events with sending all eligible characters on the event task several times to only need 5 more event tokens to complete the next prize. You then send all the characters again, and when you clear them all from the one building they are assigned to, you only get those 5 event tokens you need and then the counter starts back at zero for the next prize. With the characters being spread throughout town when you clear one character for the last 5 tokens, there are others available in other buildings working away waiting for you to cash in event tokens for the next prize. Anything to lessen the grind feeling is good.
I think the operative word there is “grind.” Which, frankly it feels like no matter which house they go to. Soooooo ready for another format. We can only hope they change it up for the winter/Christmas/holiday event.
Yet another disgruntled former White House employee.
It’s just sour grapes.
We didn’t really know the guy when we appointed him.
Bart pukes, the end.
Confused by this…but I think I get your drift. Not sure who is saying what…but I understand the puking part.
Peachy!
I’m having a hard time figuring out a final destination for my “hellscape” set. Might downsize it later. Either way, great read Patrick.
Question, and I don’t know if you’ve guys have answered this in another post, is there going to be a Gil deal this event?
It is hard to figure out where Hell belongs. But it feels like something changed over the weekend…so Hell lost some power, and it doesn’t have to seem scary anymore.
Oh…and sorry…I don’t see a Gil deal in the outline we were sent.