Hey Howdy Hey Tappers!
It’s that time of the month again, time for the Addicts Monthly Open Thread! So, let’s get the conversation going! Oh and remember…just because this is posted here today doesn’t mean you can’t comment on it all month long. This open thread will still be open for comments long after today is over!
Here’s where you can talk about anything you want to talk about…TSTO Related, Simpson’s Related or ANYTHING. You’re free to talk about ANYTHING your little Tapping Fingers desire…just keep it PG.
So, here is your Open Thread…..
Not much you may have missed this month around the Addicts Site. Oh, except:
and
So chat about the Simpsons, TSTO, end of the game, or anything else you can think of! (Just no politics, it never ends well) Can’t wait to chat with you all, you know we love hearing from you!
Have Fun! And happy February (we’ll be back first Sunday of March)!
Hi Everybody! I just checked in to find something from Safi. I didn’t see any comments in this open thread. Hope he’s doing well..flying..Toronto..Uap collisions continue…another today in cali? Just a 2 seater…no news…but huge news com8ng soon….
Rafi you are as sigma as always! 😂😂🤑
?
Almost time to fire up the hot dog cooker bot! Baseball is nearly here! Who do you have winning the All Star game this year, the Yankees or Dodgers? 😛
Missing the game! Thought I’d share a game that’s been keeping me busy. Great graphics and things to do. The Harry Potter game.
Which one? There are a couple of them in the ap store.
Sorry I missed this! Hogwarts Mystery!
i’m going to try and login incase they turned it back on
🤣 I’ve done that too!
@4junk3000: I went to the website and downloaded my game. It’s a pb file. I searched for .pb file and got this website: https://file.org/extension/pb
It gives options for app you can download but when I tried to download Cyberlore Studios Play Boy Game Map, which seemed the most likely, it says website suspicious.
I hope just downloading the .pb file won’t cause a problem. I think I will delete it and go back to an earlier restore point on my computer, just to be on the safe side.
Sunday morning big HELLO, big Scottish breakfast and now a big walk up the Pentland hills and the water of leith, Super Bowl LIX on tonight, New Orleans or Philadelphia Eagles? Scottish Cup last 16 games on today, FA cup 4th round also.. few beers later 😃 🍺 🍻
Have a good Sunday 👍
Hey all! Ok, here’s the page spanSer set up for downloading the game data files he managed to rescue: https://towns.spanser.dev/
This file is only your game config, it is not the game itself. TeamTSTO and others have been working on Discord to get the game going again. There are tutorial videos on YT already, explaining the process to first build a private server on your PC, then modify an android apk of the game, to connect to your server instead of EA’s. This process will require 30gb of game files to host locally. They are also working on shared servers so you won’t have to build your own (and download that 30gb). I have not been successful building my own yet, so i haven’t shared links to the how-tos yet. But you will need this file to restore your town. I will post more info as progress is made. But i have seen the game running, it is working. They have made significant progress and I’ve seen one new custom interface that allows selection of the old events too. You can follow this on Discord yourself, or wait for future announcements from teamtsto. I’ll post again as i make progress testing their work myself.
I checked on the site and my username is there but not sure about this?
How did you find yourself there? I tried to look for my town, but gave up, since it didn’t seem that I could sort by name and I saw no search function. I tried sorting by last played (since I knew I played up to the last day) and then I tried sorting by level (since I was a 939er), but, after going through tons and tons of pages, I didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere.
Just use there search bar
I didn’t see a search bar! Either I missed it, or it shows up differently on an iPad…
I just found the search bar…. can’t believe I didn’t see it before! 🤦♀️
Can you share the link to the Discord thread?
Searched teamtsto. Looks like they’re Discord is currently private.
You guys are actually amazing. Does every event work fine? Also, can you explain why it won’t work on apple phones? (I have an Android, but it just seems interesting to know.) Will we be able to host our own events, and will we you guys make your own events for the players to download?
My guess …
If they don’t get shut down I figure the peeps behind it are more used to Android, or the way to run Android on a PC.
I figure if they can keep going and work out all the bugs they’ll try to figure an iOS version.
Catch 22, perhaps. Getting Apple to run Android or install a non-app-store app.
They have an iOS version in testing NOW! But it requires either jailbreak or side loading bc of apple’s tight lockdown on the AppStore.
What will you be able to see on this PB file if I open it?
It’s just source code for your game. You can’t do anything with it as is, we’ll have to wait for whatever they’re doing to be finished, then presumably we could sort of play our towns again, if that’s what I’m reading correctly. If you open it right now, you’ll just get about two million characters of code gibberish in a text-reader 😀
This is great! Thanks for sharing. So happy to be able to see my town again.
Have you actually been able to see your town again, or are you talking about in the future?
Hi Sandra, yes, I was able to follow the steps in the youtube video and play the game on my laptop using the downloaded file that was saved (so awesome someone did that) and the Android emulator app. It worked well, but it sounds like it’s still a work in progress. It’s not the easiest thing to do if you aren’t experienced with that type of tech setup, but the video does a good job of explaining it. I could provide some links for some of the things you need that aren’t specifically given if you want to try.
Can you share the discord server?
I looked up teamtsto. Looks like they’re Discord is currently private.
I deleted the game from my iPhone, but had forgotten to do it from my iPad. I happened to be near it just recently and heard Homer exclaim, “Are you cheating on me with another game?” as a notification came through saying I hadn’t played in 14 days. Even though I took my screenshots and recordings on the last day, it was nice to get one last little alert from the game after 12½ years.
@ Joe: That’s so cool! How I miss their voices! I miss both those and the animations. You had a nice little connection with Homer, there 🙂
I played pretty much from day one and as much as I miss the town building side of tsto I certainly won’t miss the tedious event format repetition. So much amazing hard work from the artists and developers pretty much down the drain now. Such a waste. Mixed emotions
So it’s been what, a couple weeks since it ended? I still find myself every night with my finger hovering over the TSTO icon on my tablet about to click and begin to clear and reset my town. Old habits are hard to break and you can’t teach an old rhino new tricks. I think that’s how that saying goes. Still won’t delete the game just for nostalgia sakes and that teeny tiny sliver of hope of a resurrection one day. A guy can dream can’t he.
I still have my game too. I think it’s really normal to grieve for anything that has been a large part of your life for so long.
I am working on being kind to myself. If for you thats hoping for it to come back, trying for a way to get it back, or deciding to let it go, if it works for you that’s all that matters.
I have been in therapy a long time and the best coping strategy I have ever learned is to be kind to myself. And kind to each other. Everyone has a right to feel what they feel and post what they want (as long as it’s appropriate, of course.) I pass this on to all of you, for whatever it’s worth.
All my best,
Crypticcrossword
AKA
Cathy
Ladies and gentlemen, I’ll begin this post by making a statement: You can say whatever you want (freedom before anything else) but then it comes reality: we are not 12 years old; stop your crazy fantasies. TSTO is NOT coming back. If one day we have (GREAT) news and the game is back, we’ll celebrate. All of us. Together. And I’ll be waiting to download it. But nope, so far, it’s just imagination.
To be honest, this is a (soft) mourning. And it includes denial. It’s not the feeling like when someone dies. It’s more like a breakup. We all were this game’s partner. You and your app were like a couple. Happyness and sacrifice. We all escaped from our lifes by going to Springfield. The place in which we built a life. A town. The place in which we have memories. Xmas, Thanksgiving, events… some of them include family celebrations, and going back in August to see that elf builing from the last Xmas event. We linked the app to our “calendar”. So far I’m not thinking of trying a “prívate” server of so.
We will remember this game as an important (very important) part of our lifes. And TSTO Addicts is a great tool to remind the good times. We can share, beside memories, what you are using your time for. What other games you found to enjoy your freedom between duties. I do appreciate the outstanding job of this website.
Take care, all of you. We are a community, a kinda family. Enjoy your free time. Keep playing. And TSTO will always be with us.
J.A.R you have a big tone, a loud comment, everyone here has there way.. this is the way.. everyone has there memories.. that’s there way… wishful thinking and a glimmer of hope.
Did I read that wrong? Am I wrong….?
Probably you are.
My loud “tone” is not about whatever you do with your time. What you read is my advice and the way in which I face reality (about TSTO). I’m free to think like this and to say it to everyone else, it’s not an imposition. Is my way. And it’s focused on the random commentaries expecting a new game (or TSTO to come back). What I’m not pretty sure is if you feel disturbed because of the way I write. If it’s like that, I’m not saying “I’m sorry” because it was not meant to be anoying. I’ll just say that I am free to share the way it makes me feel. I you wanna talk about it, I’ll be glad to do it.
Best regards
Life without hope isn’t worth much
😁
I think “breakup” (vs. “death”) is a good analogy, but I think what’s making it extra hard for some people to accept is that it wasn’t a mutual breakup…we were dumped! 😄 We thought everything was fine in the relationship, but then we got the “it’s not you, it’s me” breakup speech. I do wonder how age correlates with the reaction to this….somehow, I don’t that the ones who are expressing great anger or highly unrealistic expectations are those of us who are over, say, 50 (to pick a somewhat arbitrary number). But I could be wrong….that does happens once in a blue moon! 😉😄
Sandra, I like the analogy of being dumped versus a mutual break up. Which is why it’s important to allow ourselves time to come to terms with it and be kind to ourselves while doing so.
Don’t call us a family and then talk condescendingly to us. We all deal with loss in our own way.
I am crypticcrossword on The Simpsons Tapped Out. Did anyone happen to save my town?
I did some RecordIt but not as much as I wanted.
Thanks so much!
Cathy
Good question, while I did not…wondering if anyone saved my town: karenskuality ??? It was a lovely little place … and I miss it so 😢
MAYBE this wonderful site could be a go-between for folks who never saved their towns looking for people who might’ve saved neighbor towns??? Perhaps it could go up on a special page/section??? Thanks for even considering it.
What future post are planned for the addict site, need something simpson related to look forward too 😆
Does anyone have a subscription to the New York Times? There’s an op-ed online today by Hank Azaria about the downside to using AI to do voices for The Simpsons. If you have a digital subscription, could you post a gift link for the article here? TIA!
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/04/opinion/simpsons-hank-azaria-voice-acting-AI.html
Thank you!!!!
Ooops – that’s not a gift link, it’s just a regular link that only lets folks with a subscription read the article. Look for an option (upper-right corner, I think) with a little gift box next to it, which lets you generate a link that allows people without a subscription to read the article.
I just read it, just rejected cookies and dismissed the Subscribe bit
I don’t have the option to reject cookies (at least that I know of) using Safari on my iPad…sometimes I can read these in private browsing, but not always, and this was one case where I couldn’t. Easiest thing would be if someone with a subscription posted a gift link.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/04/opinion/simpsons-hank-azaria-voice-acting-AI.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u04.T2X-.mR5gNaSMIvYX
THANK YOU!!! Great article, but, man, that interface was super annoying (at least on Safari on an iPad). Definitely a sense of the page designer trying to be “cool” at the expense of usability.
Posted this on TOUK with a heads up to you for the mention
I’m long overdue for a visit to TOUK…kept meaning to go over there and commiserate in the final days. This might just be the kick in the tuchas I needed! Thanks for keeping me alive over there…it’s such a great group and I’ll always be thankful for the refuge y’all have me over the during the period when things were tough for me on Addicts.
@Sandra Shill: What is TOUK? 🙂
Tapped-Out.co.UK.
At the moment it’s closed to new sign-ups though, sorry.
Question to all, how much of the new land did you open up before the end of the game? I am sure it was not a priority for most, but I was trying to “get it all” and that was the last thing on my list to “purchase”. I didn’t even come close and it got me wondering, why oh why, when we were asking, begging, for more land throughout the years, that at the very end we were given a plethora of land, but not enough time to obtain it, or to fill it.
I will miss the game, but glad to see that this site will remain in business for the forseeable future. Lucky to have you give us a year of sharing our grief and memories of the game before you close up shop too. Then we get to go through it all over again. Assuming you won’t renew your “lease” next year…
I got the lot, as many did, for at least one of my 3 games.
It’s all kinda a blur, but I had the Donuts to do as I wished and realised I just wished for another 12 years or more.
Spent the last 8 weeks sulking –
Awwww, not yet, I wanna play some more …
I managed to buy all the land, i put a monorail around it and designed memory squares with each square I tried to put items from favorite events in each, I had loads planned but ran out of time.
Thank you for inviting me to your you boob live shows over the years. I am gutted the game has ended. Enjoyed every single time I was part of addicts and my own site of course now members only sorry. Long live our beautiful game in our hearts and memories. I Choo Choo choose you!
I never took a picture of my town i guess it too late now, things i did every day poor nota chance wont get any more wins i wont be able to shoot the elf cannon and i guess ea will never get around to fixing the rollback bug.
I miss the cute Christmas Elves. I think that was my favourite quest. But so many other good ones. The game was getting tired towards the end with the same 4 part quests, but I still miss it overall!
I have still been clicking on my game HOPING it would work!!! I wish they wouldn’t have taken it away!!!
What happened to the stern warning…
Just No ADD ME on the open thread?
😁
Anybody else still go to their game app and click, just in case….
Someone had mentioned Snoopy Town Game. Been playing, similar, not the same .
But I’m having fun.
And to add friends one must do so through Facebook Friends.
I saw that game too, after being disappointed in everything else. So, you think it’s worth a play?
I do. I’m almost enamored for the first week or two, first dozen levels. Now, I can start s l o w I n g down, now that I have a dozen characters. 😁
I tried it, seems like they constantly bombard you to spend actual cash on things…”advertised” all over the screen?
I’m missing the game more bc we should be starting or in the thick of a Valentine’s Day adventure. 😕 I miss have those pretty rose bushes.
Why’d you have to remind us all? 😢
I miss the game very much. I didn’t really notice extra time in each day without it but sitting here now, thinking back on the week, I guess I did have extra minutes that I frittered on other pursuits like work and family (lol). There were many, many moments this week when I’d think of the game and feel a bit adrift. In the past when I didn’t log in for a long period (weekends in recent months were busy and I logged in infrequently) I’d feel a little guilty and anxious that I hadn’t gotten around to it. Now I just pause and feel a little sad as it sinks in that I’m not neglecting it; it’s just gone.
However, earlier today I had an idea that I think is a good one. For Christmas, our daughter and son-in-law gave us a digital frame because they had a baby girl back in May (our first grandchild!). It’s one of the newer ones that doesn’t need a memory stick or SD card, you just log into the app and add pictures from your phone. Anyway, I’m going to buy another one and load it with all the screenshots I took of my town! I haven’t had time to begin trying to stitch them together (it’s only been one week!) and I still intend to do that but I think a digital frame on my desk scrolling scenes from TSTO is a swell plan! I’ll follow up once I buy the frame and load it. Have a great weekend everybody! Happy Groundhog’s Day!
Just for fun Question: If somehow another company acquired the license to relaunch TSTO but you has to start from the beginning, would you?
At first I thought no way. But, then to be able to do the first Christmas and Halloween events that I missed?! I’d do it for sure. And I would just rebuild my favorite parts of town and keep it simple this time.
Hi Bluntcard!
I would begin my town again if another company bought it 🙂
Cathy
I don’t think we’d have to make that choice, unless we wanted to. From everything I hear, and folks setting up private servers where you could use your old town (if you saved it) OR chose from any of the saved towns they already have… you could just pick up from there and continue to make it your own?
The copyright infringement would have this shut down very quickly.
🌈✨️Completely agree… It would be quite nice if someone stepped in or the million+ player community all chipped in whatever was required to enable the game’s continued existence, be it with at least minimal access with no events or additions, or another enhanced format…
●Original player since the start (Dec ’13 actually once majority of glitches were overcome)… Been thru dozens of ups & downs, minor glitches, hysterical storylines, events, & tons of funny dialog banter, as well as plenty participation in forums via EA, Addicts, & Cranky Old Guy. It’s quite dumbfounding to fathom anyone would actually decide to discontinue such a major mainstream high end game, with such a fantastic foundation, rooted in decades of iconic TV history, graphics directly from creator Matt Groening, & a dedicated fanbase of mega-millions… The writing & events continued at a solid quality & pace, with impressive humor & creativity, displaying a dedicated creative team who clearly appreciate & enjoy their work.
●Several logical options exist if additional revenue was necessary, including paid memberships, basic monthly fee, &/or temporary shutdown to enhance or upgrade servers for numerous elevated game enhancements.
●To simply outright discontinue a game that such a massive player fanbase plays on a daily basis for so many years seems extremely illogical, quite foolish & frankly totally disrespectful to them, & just a sincere genuine shame… not to mention a disservice to the entire company, staff & continued opportunities to move forward with elevated game opportunities.
●Living a mile from EA HQ in Playa Vista, CA I’ve attempted direct contact / & online efforts to mobilize additional player support with all these logical issues to no avail. Anyone with further final suggestions is welcome to chime in both here, & the EA Tapped Out Forum sites👌
This sounds great! Btw, my username is crypticcrossword. Were any of you my neighbors?
Were you mine? Karenskuality…l desperately looking for any friend, or friend of a friend, etc… who might have?
@Karenskuality: I don’t recognize your username. Sorry!
Would’ve liked to be your neighbor
What a week, the feeling like somethings missing or something I forgot to do, I so missed logging into my game and scrolling through my town 😔 😟
Seems that that our friends across the pond are noting the demise…good article!
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-simpsons-tapped-out-game-b2690073.html
I am from across the pond and miss it played religiously ever day for ten years
Thank you to all the people who are working on enabling us to continue playing The Simpsons Tapped Out. I fully support you! If you need my help, please let me know what I can do.
Cathy
How is everyone doing without having the game? Not going to lie, I really miss it and still can’t delete it off my phone. Sigh!
Miss the winter scene and Maggie flying on her balloon.
Is this monthly open thread in place of the weekly one?
You didn’t happen to save your town (or any of your very best neighbors … hint hint hint) for hopes to use in a local server you could set up, did you?
No, I wasn’t sure how much I could trust the one repository that I followed the link to (thinking I might do that) or how kosher it was to do that, and I certainly didn’t know how to save my game files from my iPad. However, I also haven’t deleted the game yet from my iPad, so, whatever files are stored locally should still be there.
I don’t know if I ever can delete it…always hoping they turn the magical server back on some day? Miss being your neighbor 😢
Same, on both counts.
Your username and files are on the list!! See the post from 4junk3000, don’t like the fact that anyone could download my game and play it or trust it..
Thanks!! I posted my other reply to you before I saw this one. Seems odd to me that anyone would want to play someone else’s game, so I guess I’m not too worried about that, myself. But it’s nice knowing that, if someone figures out a way to revive the game, my town isn’t totally lost. Otoh, I’d be careful before hopping onto a strange server to play with it…