# The Simpsons: Tapped Out **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231 "2012-12-06T21:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 132
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2624 "2014-02-09T15:42:26Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > But I can’t see how to delete friends. Hiding them doesn’t seem to be useful. Click on their profile photo or their names. Really just anything but “hide”. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2625 "2014-02-09T22:00:17Z")
Well, not really. But I was finally able to get through my neighboreenos today. What a pita. I also think I figured out why my game crashed everytime i went to K-Land… If there is anything still floating around, like money or XP, I cannot go to K-Land. If I tey, crasherino. However, if everything is captured and accounted for, i click on K-Land and get there with no trouble. This has been a problem ever since I started playing it. I didn’t think everything had to be cleaned up before trying to move into K-Land, but apparently it does. That is a major find for me. I hope if anyone else is having the same problem out there, you read this and benefit from it. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2626 "2014-02-10T02:03:23Z")
> [@minionkat](#): > > … I can always use the multipliers. > > … I am kind of at a loss for what to buy now. I keep thinking I should save them up and buy something big. Saving up donuts is a bit of slog if you don’t put real money into it. While I’m not impressed with the wheel overall, I do like that we can get multiples of multipliers. Much better than cash. I’m not clear myself yet, but I’m not worried this early on. I only have 2-3 things left to get. I’ll keep my heart-earning characters on task and plant roses through this and visit all my friends every day just to try to get a couple extra choo-choo-choose-me trains. Do you have Otto? He’s not super expensive and comes with the bus, which I guess acts like a building. I’m finding today is a lot less crashy overall. I think I’m going to go for Brandine because it’s just donuts. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2627 "2014-02-10T02:24:43Z")
Is there anything on the wheel besides the choo choo choose me train that is a multiplier? I haven’t hit it yet, of course. But i did get a snazzy gazebo and a lamp post. BFD. I got a couple of other things, too. I need some more spins, and i’m hoping that since I got through my neighbors today, the worst is over. ---
**Author:** ![minionkat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@minionkat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minionkat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2628 "2014-02-10T04:37:38Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > Do you have Otto? He’s not super expensive and comes with the bus, which I guess acts like a building. Otto is a top contender. I do love him. > [@Raza](#): > > I just bought the Duff Brewery a couple of weeks ago (after putting it off for a long time - I rarely buy premium items), but I’m really tempted to buy Brandine: > > - she’s available for a limited time > - the “kid” mechanic is something very different, and potentionally lasts 9 months > - the kids generate cash (when was the last time you saw a kid do that?). I have almost $6M so I don’t really need cash, but the concept seems neat. > - the Cletus clan are among my favorite people on the show. Brandine is also attractive (probably a poor choice of words here). I am afraid of the shine of a limited time offer. A good deal today is a good deal tomorrow. I am super wary of LTOs. It makes things seem more valuable than they are. > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Is there anything on the wheel besides the choo choo choose me train that is a multiplier? I believe the pond also has a small (0.75%) multiplier associated with it. ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2629 "2014-02-10T13:28:06Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > This update blows. I had to make the same spin on the wheel 5 times before the game quit crashing and accepted it. Today I can’t even get logged in. > > EA is the worst company ever. [You are correct.](http://consumerist.com/2013/04/09/ea-makes-worst-company-in-america-history-wins-title-for-second-year-in-a-row/) I haven’t been able to login for about 2 weeks. I’d sunk many, many hours, but (thankfully) no money into the game. Last time I played, I think I was around $3.5 mil. Alas… ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2630 "2014-02-10T14:09:19Z")
I liked the Achievement Unlocked. 2 golden poos! I read last night that EA has earned over $100 million from The Simpsons Tapped Out. Do players that pay real dollars get better performance from the game? Or are they just treated like everyone else? I would be pissed if I invested real money in TSTO. And to be honest, the performance is so bad, that even if I wanted something, At this point I wouldn’t buy it. My screen cannot render properly now. Half of my houses are missing at any one time, and I have very few premium items. If i had a number of the premium buildings, I can’t even imagine how badly my town would look. Oh, and my wheel of hell seems to be the same one I had at Christmas. 4 pink fountains now, three birdbaths, 12 fence sections… It goes on and on. I would be happy if every spin just gave me the train, and i had about 10 of them when the promotion ends. Screw the K-L ride. I rarely go to K-land anyway, so it wont be missed. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2631 "2014-02-10T14:36:29Z")
I read that article about EA being the worst company in America, and it made me laugh. I’m sure EA would rather not be named worst company in America, but they are making money hand over fist. The only way they will change their business model is if consumers stop playing (and paying) for games. This is economics 101. The indignation of the author cracked me up. “Until EA stops sucking the blood out of games in order to make uninspiring sequels, or at least until they begin caring about how much gamers hate their lack of respect for our money and intelligence, this is going to continue,” writes Penny Arcade’s Kuchera. “We don’t hate them because we’re homophobes, we hate them because they destroy companies we love. We hate them because they release poor games. **We hate them because they claim our hate doesn’t matter as long as we give them our money**.” Read that last sentence again. That’s right! Your hate DOESN’t matter! Why would it? I’m not much of a gamer, so EA’s poor game performance doesn’t affect me much. But if I actually paid for TSTO, it would be the last EA game I ever purchased. The fact that so many people complain about TSTO, and yet continue to buy donuts and other in-game premium items really gives EA little incentive to improve. Why sink money into development and testing when people will just buy the game anyway? The fact that they won the award two years in a row tells me that they really don’t care, and they aren’t going to change. Customers of EA are to blame, not EA. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2632 "2014-02-10T15:20:38Z")
This Valentine wheel is already making me twitch - out of my first seven spins, five have been “lovely fence.” I’ve almost encircled Burns Manor with them. I did get the fountain and the pond, but if 2/3 of my spins land on the fence I will be put out. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2633 "2014-02-10T15:22:49Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > I’ve gotten 10 donuts twice in the last 3 weeks on my 7-day Mystery Box! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Urge to kill…rising…:mad::mad::mad: I suppose I should be happy, this last mystery box had _ **FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS** _ in it…as opposed to my usual two-fitty. :D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2634 "2014-02-10T15:26:51Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Do players that pay real dollars get better performance from the game? Or are they just treated like everyone else? Heh heh, nope. Tapped Out has been running fine for me for over a year (with an occasional hiccup. Nothing’s perfect, right?). It’s just now starting to crash recently. It will crash at a few other Springfields for some reason and last night it kept crashing when I tried to collect people off tasks. In the past, EA has generally been pretty good at patching up the problems. I still don’t understand why I can tap hearts at some friends towns and not others. There are a few that are updated – I see Brandiene running around one of them but no hearts. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2635 "2014-02-10T15:27:06Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > This Valentine wheel is already making me twitch - out of my first seven spins, five have been “lovely fence.” I’ve almost encircled Burns Manor with them. I did get the fountain and the pond, but if 2/3 of my spins land on the fence I will be put out. Update – after posting this, I logged in, collected a few hearts, and spun again… _Lovely Fence_. Again. That’s 6 or 7 fences and one each of the fountain, pond and (I forgot above) the lamppost. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2636 "2014-02-10T16:16:17Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Update – after posting this, I logged in, collected a few hearts, and spun again… _Lovely Fence_. Again. That’s 6 or 7 fences and one each of the fountain, pond and (I forgot above) the lamppost. :mad: You and i have the same wheel! I have hit every piece of crap prize that no body wants more than one of. What the hell am I supposed to do with 4 big fountains shooting pink liquid? It looks terrible. Plus, my vanity rating is pegged at 5, so they don’t help me in any way at all. I will put this crap in storage when V-Day is over. One thing I am also amazed at is how unlucky I seem to be with the mystery boxes, the dog races or anything else. In the entire time I’ve played this game, I have found only 1 donut while cleaning up the town. I also have one only one race, and that was because I accidentally chose the 19-1 dog, and not the longest shot. So, I won. $40k, or whatever that bet pays. And that was spent on one chunk of land. Whoopee. That’s it. I can’t even begin to count how many hedges the mystery box has provided me. One thing I forgot to mention and i haven’t seen it here… I was given a chance to “catch up” on my daily payout for playing. Today was the second day in the cycle, but for some reason on the fourth day icon, there was a donut in there. The message said something like “get caught up”, so i clicked it and got one donut. It also moved me closer to the mystery box by cutting out two days in the cycle. At least i think that’s what it did. I’ll know for sure tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2637 "2014-02-10T16:43:12Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I was given a chance to “catch up” on my daily payout for playing. Today was the second day in the cycle, but for some reason on the fourth day icon, there was a donut in there. The message said something like “get caught up”, so i clicked it and got one donut. It also moved me closer to the mystery box by cutting out two days in the cycle. At least i think that’s what it did. I’ll know for sure tomorrow. Yeah… I 'm pretty you actually paid a donut for that… ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2638 "2014-02-10T16:50:02Z")
$40k is still meaningful money to me, so I bet the 19:1 dog and won twice in the past two days, which is nice. It makes up for the crap mystery boxes I’ve been getting (ooh! $500!). Re: random donuts on land - this has only happened to me twice, but it was _twice in a row_ on the same plot of land that Lisa was clearing. I couldn’t believe it. More than once, though, I’ve accidentally spent donuts to buy another dog race, so I’m still at a net loss. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2639 "2014-02-10T16:53:06Z")
Finally able to delete some inactive friends. If anyone wants a daily heart-deliverer, and isn’t my neighbor yet, I’m hrhomer in-game. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2640 "2014-02-10T16:54:20Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > As the game mentioned a few weeks ago, Reddit has some good resources on this also. [http://www.reddit.com/r/freedonuts](http://www.reddit.com/r/freedonuts) I just submitted a request for some donuts. If it’s a scam, no big deal, it’s just a game. I’ll update with results, hopefully ~24 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2641 "2014-02-10T17:04:04Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > Click on their profile photo or their names. Really just anything but “hide”. Thanks. Works for me now. I’ll have to dump my strangers and try to pick up as many Dopers as I can. ---
**Author:** ![gus28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6de8d8/32.png) [@gus28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gus28)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2642 "2014-02-10T17:09:10Z")
I hope this doesn’t get my cyber ass kicked. I just cleared the VD wheel, with only 2 duplicates. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231/2643 "2014-02-10T17:14:07Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Yeah… I 'm pretty you actually paid a donut for that… No kidding? Well, that wouldn’t surprise me, but i have no way of knowing since I don’t know what my donut total was. Why would they even give that as an option? Did I miss a day? Maybe that’s what happened. Maybe I missed a day or two (or the software didn’t record my playing), so I can see what might have happened. If it cost me a donut, that must have meant that I wouldn’t have to start from scratch on my five-day string for the mystery box. Well, THAT sucks. Here I thought I actually got a donut, and EA figured out a way to take one more from me. What a bunch of bastards. I’d have never spent a donut for that. Oh well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231.md?page=131) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-tapped-out/643231.md?page=133)