This event has been a beast

I haven't had any problems and I do not have any of the premium characters for this event.
As a note, you do not necessarily need to trade in resources until you reach the daily cap. I have not reached the daily cap on any day and have still obtained all prizes. However, you do need to trade in more resources than the minimum that you trade to get the daily prize. What you really need to do is make sure you are keeping up with the daily calendar posted here:

http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/10409199.page

As long as you have that many whatevers (clues, deputy badges, whatever) that it says you need on each day, you will receive all the prizes by the end of the act.

I gave up trying when I realized you need to log in at least 4 times a day. I run 3 towns and have a life outside the game so it's just not gonna happen. The prizes aren't worth it anyway in my opinion. Hoping the next event is better

Great tips above. I also log in at minimum every 4 hours, some days every 2 hours. I'm always baffled how some players end up ahead when playing regularly while others don't. Here's the full comprehensive list of what I'm doing when I enter my town to hopefully figure out the difference:

To start, I don't clear the town plaza right away - more just preference to make sure I don't mess up setting monorail tasks though.

1. Sit and wait in one position to let the bandits come to me. I use my town centre as it doesn't have many houses (indolence) buildings so I can clear prospectors at the same time.
2. Clear town until I get the all bandits clear message.
3. Clear town of tasks/money, starting with monorail (reassign tasks), then leave town plaza last.
4. I assign two tasks at town plaza. Whatever your last task was at town plaza can be assigned at the bottom i.e get riled up in this image. Make sure to keep Homer, Apu or Snake free for the next one. Then start a craze with the second task you want to start. This way you assign all characters possible.
https://tstoaddicts.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/2016-04-19-20-49-34-e1461113433503.png?w=366&h=229

5. Then I clear all bandout hideouts.
6. Assign rest of characters on task.
7. Synch with server (friend screen or KL) to make sure I got all bandits.
8. Using only the largest bundle, trade in as many times as possible at the general store - largest bundle has the best payout, so I wait if I can't do the largest.
9. Drop prospectors if it's the right time of day. A fair amount of neighbours are forum regulars so I have an idea of potential time zone to make sure I'm dropping in towns that can clear them. I assume they last 4 hours like past events.

Once I finish the act, I hoard prospectors. Also only do the minimum trade in at the general store using the smallest bundle.

Other points - I have all the premium characters except Texan, and have two extra bandit hideouts from premium purchases. Don't think you need these though as I had about 6 days to spare when I finished.

ETA: As DrumminBeard stated maxing at the general store daily is not a requirement, just a preference of play style. Your unused amount will carry over if you don't get to the daily max. Last day of act, caps are lifted so you can do as many as you want.

ETA2: I also prioritize the main event questline at the beginning to unlock the rest of the act at the start. I put all event quests for prizes and premium characters on hold until I finish the act. Basically I avoid pulling anyone off town plaza jobs until I get the last prize.

petehd14 wrote:
A couple of problems we've seen around here:

1. People stop exchanging items for event currency at the General Store once they obtain the daily prize. You need to exchange until you reach the daily cap.
2. People do not realize you can switch the items that are produced at the town square. You can make pickaxes, hats, and guns so far. It's the only way not to have a shortage of one of those things.

Really am not a fan of the design or interface of this event. It really feels more Family Guy style than Tapped Out. Pretty sure it took me at least a week to feel comfortable I'd figured it out enough to really know what I was doing with this one.

I log in at least 3 times a day, sometimes 4, I drop prospectors, I can't seem to hit the cap because I never have enough crafting materials. I tap all the bandits before the hideouts, this event is just not going well for me.

I log in when I come home after work, and then play on-off until I go to bed. Like, I keep the tablet close to check for new bandits, or dropping prospectors after 24 hours. Thats it.
I have the mine which creates bandits, but not the fort. I finshed both act 1 and 2 about two days early. Only time I hit the cap was today, first day of act 3 because I had collected a lot of material during those days.

You must be doing something wrong.

krysface wrote:
I just had to spend donuts to get the last prize (because I like to have all the prizes) and I'm a multi times a day player. I have never had issues completing an event and getting all the prizes without using donuts or having premium buildings/characters. Is anyone else having this problem or do I just have bad luck this time around?

I had to spend about 30 donuts in Act 2 and 80 donuts in Act 1 to get all the prizes and I play about 5 times a day. This event has been a bit more strict I'd say.

rwvolture wrote:
I gave up trying when I realized you need to log in at least 4 times a day. I run 3 towns and have a life outside the game so it's just not gonna happen. The prizes aren't worth it anyway in my opinion. Hoping the next event is better

I would think if you would just axe 1-2 of those additional towns so 1 town would have gotten everything.

I've logged in twice daily, and Act 2 I finished earlier then before. Act 1 I finished on the final day or with 1 day to spare. I think I got lots of resources from all the bandits or something (as I haven't been visiting any neighbors). No idea what I did differently that I was able to finish early. I definitely have an active outside life of the game, and I only manage 1 town, and only log in the morning and before bed. Weekends I may fit a third time in depending what's going on.

I don't get it my secondary town has no premium characters I've never had to spend Donuts on any prizes I've even caped the General Store multiple days in a row and I've earned everything for free I will never understand why you guys are having a hard time with this

krysface wrote:
I log in at least 3 times a day, sometimes 4, I drop prospectors, I can't seem to hit the cap because I never have enough crafting materials. I tap all the bandits before the hideouts, this event is just not going well for me.

It is possible that you have been extremely unlucky and have had a real bias in the resources that you have to turn in. What resource are you having a shortage of when you turn in resources in the General Store? If you are sure your town hall is producing this (ie. if you are always short on hats, you set this task in the Town Hall - Homer to rile up) and you still find yourself short of hitting the cap, then it may just be terrible luck - I have heard of at least one case of this.