I’ve Been a Bad TSTO Blogger…

Sorry, I’ve been a bad TSTO blogger lately 😦  My posting has become very sporadic and worse yet; I’ve completely fallen off on updating my TSTO Walkthroughs. I haven’t even created one for Level 35 yet.

There are a couple of reasons for this…

First, due to the wealth of new TSTO fan based websites that are now thriving, I fear my meager efforts here at DrewDabble.com have, alas, become surplus to requirement.

Second, there’s been a somewhat unexpected development in my personal TSTO playing habits. After spending over seven months ceaselessly searching (scouring) the Internet for the latest information on upcoming updates and walkthroughs, I’ve found an ‘amazing new joy’ in trying to figure out (for myself) who starts (and who is needed for) the various quests without any advance information.

In addition, there also seems to be an intriguing new wrinkle in the TSTO information food-chain. The latest TSTO update from EA with a Season 25 / Halloween teaser had some very direct dialogue stating that, as of now, only EA knows what’s coming next…

Unless a need arises again, I will not be adding any new walkthroughs on this site. Instead I will be posting (and updating) links to some great TSTO fan-sites and blogs that provide all the info any Tapper could ever hope to know.These are the sites I personally frequent and highly recommend. They can be found on my new TSTO Links page… HERE.

Not wanting to completely pull content that is still getting some hits, I am moving the links to my old walkthroughs to my TSTO Archive page… HERE.

TSTO – Halloween 2013 Teaser

The TSTO update today contained a teaser for Halloween and the TV show’s season premiere.

Spoilers…

Finally, Patty and Selma – Thanks EA!

Now for some light-hearted TSTO Level 35 fun 😀

I used my emotional turmoil (over this issue) as an excuse to blow a bunch of donuts rushing Level 35 to the point of building the Springfield DMV.

Satisfied with my modest (as always) design I wanted to grab some screenshots to share. Patty was all over the place while I waited for Selma, who was wandering around close by. I was hoping for a dream shot with both Patty & Selma by my newly placed DMV.

I made several shots but alas Selma never made it into frame. So I decide to do a paste-up pic with four Patty’s around my DMV design as a tribute to EA for finally bringing us not only the long sought after Patty & Selma twins but also Sherri & Terri with Level 34!

Hmmm… Twins and then more Twins in back to back updates? 11:11? 🙂

My Andriod TSTO game freezes and crashes regularly!

I am so dang frustrated!!!  For weeks now, my main (premium) Simpsons Tapped Out game (on my Samsung GS4 Android phone) freezes and crashes almost every session, usually within a minute or two of game play.

I was hoping yesterday’s update (Level 35) might also bring a fix for this, but NO!

I’ve worked in IT for over 25 years, and I’m confident I’ve run down all the usual suspects. My GS4 phone is super clean with all OEM bloatware disabled (and none added). Plus I’ve done all the standard trouble-shooting steps… up to and including uninstalling & reinstalling TSTO – multiple times.

Also tried it from all manner of network connections from the phone’s 4G to many otherwise perfectly functioning Wi-Fi systems.  Still get the same thing… a minute or two of game play and then FREEZE-O-MATIC. It takes around 45 seconds to crash-out back to the Android OS screen by itself or I can hammer the home button until it closes.

The good news, if any, is sometimes times after it crashes-out once (or twice) it will work ‘OK’ for a while. Also, it seems I can sometimes avoid the freeze/crash if I quickly go back and forth between either Krustyland and Springfield (or visit Friend’s Towns & KLs) several times.

Just to be clear, I haven’t tried my ‘main game’ on a different device (Tablet, BlueStacks, Etc.) because (due to the mobile nature of my job) the only satisfactory solution for me to get my required ‘TSTO Fix’ every hour (or two) is to play the game on my phone. 😉

Here the thing ~ professionally, right now is my busiest time of year. Plus this year (thankfully) it’s much busier than recent years. For the next couple of months I don’t have the time or resources to even consider replacing (or factory resetting) my otherwise perfectly functioning phone. BTW: TSTO is only the app I’ve ever had any problems with at all on this phone. In fact, it’s the only problem (period) I’ve had from this remarkable Samsung device, at all – EVER!

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m still a very dedicated TSTO fan and will continue to play as best I can. Plus I’m very excited about the possibilities for an awesome upcoming Halloween 2013 event!  🙂

Is Futurama Tapped Out?

Last night (in the US) the final episode of Futurama aired. Or was it? This series has come back from cancellation before… http://ftotips.com/2013/06/08/oh-cruel-fate-to-be-thusly-boned/   Without getting to spoilery, all I’ll say is ~ if ‘Meanwhile’ was indeed the final Futurama episode ever (as a dedicated fan) I’m satisfied ♥ ♥ 🙂

But I really hope we haven’t heard the last from Futurama… I’ve already read that a crossover episode with The Simpsons is in the works for season 25 (or 26). Here’s the thing… this gets me crazy with anticipation. Once they’ve been in a Simpsons’ episode maybe that makes the Planet Express crew eligible for inclusion in The Simpsons Tapped Out game.

Now for a confession… I enjoy Futurama as much as I do The Simpsons – maybe more, because I’m a huge science fiction fan. Back in June when final new episodes started airing on Comedy Central, I got all fired up about the idea of EA possibly creating Futurama Tapped Out. I even created a whole ‘FTO Tips’ blog just in case.

The problem is, with only 140 episodes compared to The Simpsons massive 530 episodes (so far), I’m not sure if Futurama has a big enough fan-base to support the development of a full Tapped Out game of its own. Not yet, at least. If EA made a Futurama expansion to TSTO (like Krustyland), this would expose Fry, Bender and the PE gang to a tremendous number of TSTO players worldwide. This might stimulate enough interest to then spin-off a full FTO version. I actually proposed a scenario for a TSTO-Futurama expansion in this previous post…
http://drewdabble.com/2013/08/10/upcoming-tsto-tie-ins/

Anyway, Futurama seems to be far from over… I’ve spotted rumors about all kinds of things including a ‘video game’ (maybe FTO?) and more Direct-to-DVD movies. I even saw talk of a full length theatrical movie and possibly even bringing the series back to Fox TV. Take heart Futurama fans, I really don’t believe we’ve heard the last from  Professor Farnsworth and his zany team of misfits. 😀