Re:An Actual FAQ (Work in Progress)

vaicilajean wrote:
In the interest of minimizing repeat posts, encouraging interesting forum interactions, and helping players, I'm trying to construct an actual FAQ here (as opposed to the minimalistic one that you get if you click through EA's link).

This is definitely a work-in-progress, so please suggest additions and corrections/clarifications if I've misstated anything. And I'd appreciate it if you'd "bump" this thread to keep it at the top (or let me know how to request that it be made sticky).

Here goes nothin'!

USING THE FORUM
There are no moderators on this forum and no employees of EA who visit (at least not reliably). Be a good doobie, use the search function, and try to post in existing threads when possible. Follow these suggestions: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9163296.page

BONUS FORUM USE: HOW COME I CAN'T POST LINKS/PICS/ETC.?
You have to be promoted by the Admins in order to do so... but there's no clear idea of when/why that happens. If you post often enough, you should eventually get promoted. See here for more: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9123063.page

HELP! MY TOWN IS GONE!
Make sure you're logged into Origin. https://help.ea.com/article/simpsons-tapped-out-origin-access

MY TOWN IS STILL GONE!
Okay, try these potential fixes (one at a time):
-- Log out of origin on the start screen, then log back in
-- Close the app completely (double click the home button, which brings up all open apps on your device. Press and hold on any app until they all start shaking. Now there are little red buttons to the left of each app. If you click on those red buttons, the app will be completely closed)
-- Restart your device (press the on/off button, slide to power down, wait a bit, and turn it back on)
-- Delete and then re-download the app (press and hold on TSTO app until they all start shaking. Now a black button with a white X pops up to the left of each app. Click on this button to delete the app. Then go to the Apple store and re-download it. Log in with your Origin ID)

NO SERIOUSLY, MY TOWN IS FREAKING GONE!!
There is a slight chance that you'll get it back after a while, as EA continues working on bugs, glitches, etc. However, posting on this forum will do absolutely nothing. No EA person is checking through all the threads to see if your town is missing. You can try posting here, as they might actually check this thread.
http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/8244205.page

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!
Okay, you're angry, and rightly so. But again: posting on this forum will do nothing! The only way to get a refund is to complain to Apple through the iTunes store. Several people have had success this way. Also, you'll need the order code number from your purchase, which is in your iTunes order history. Read more here: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9163911.page

ADD ME!
Don't start a new thread, for Flanders' sake. There are plenty of existing add me threads. Add yourself to one of those, and go through the most recent posts to find other people currently looking for friends. This one is currently very active. http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9150382.page

HOW DO I ADD FRIENDS AND ACCEPT FRIEND REQUESTS/INVITATIONS?
Click on the button with Bart and Milhouse on it. Then click on the Origin button (orange circle). Under the Friends tab, you can Add Friends using the "Find friends in Origin" function. In order to accept an invitation from someone else, click the News tab, then the Invites tab. There you'll see any pending invites, and you'll be able to click on an invite and then click Accept.

HOW DO I MAXIMIZE MONEY EARNED FROM VISITING FRIENDS?
This is a strategy that has been explored in depth by dedicated forum members. You appear to receive a bonus for the number of friends you visit in a row (without heading back to your Springfield, experiencing a crash, or otherwise leaving the app). See these two threads for more details: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9164472.page and http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9164683.page

MY FRIENDS DISAPPEARED!
When the Origin server has issues, you sometimes can't see your friends. They'll all be there when the server is back up and running, so don't panic. And resist the urge to post a new thread about it. If you want someone to commiserate with, try here: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9158217.page

I'M STUCK. I CAN'T GET _____ QUEST TO START.
Check out this truly amazing walk-through. It starts with Java Server and just keeps on going. You need to have accomplished certain tasks and have certain people free to trigger any given quest, so check here if you're not progressing. http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9043283.page

I'M LEVEL __ BUT I CAN'T BUILD __________ (MOE'S, POLICE STATION, MAPPLE STORE, ETC.)
You level up when you reach the necessary amount of XP, but leveling up does not automatically open up quests. As it says in the walk-through, "There is a progression of challenges that must be completed to build. There appears to be no skipping ahead, so the next building in your store will be the next to be built." If you play a lot, have a lot of premium items, and/or have a house farm, you'll likely level up far faster than you'll unlock the quests. Just keep following the walk-through. http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9043283.page
For players just starting out, check out this for earlier quests: http://simpsonswiki.net/wiki/The_Simpsons:_Tapped_Out_buildings

HOW MUCH DOES _________ COST?
Again, see the walk-through. Sometimes the posted amounts in the original post are higher because the prices of earlier buildings tend to go down with subsequent updates. This helps newer users catch up while keeping long-term users busy with new levels for longer. If you continue reading in the walk-through post, you'll usually be able to find the newest info on building costs.

HOW MUCH DOES ALL THE LAND COST?
A lot. Prices go up as your town gets bigger, with the most expensive plot coming in around $125,000. See here for details: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/8594091.page

DO I NEED TO BUY _________ (PREMIUM CHARACTER/BUILDING) IN ORDER TO PROGRESS?
No. You will progress through the game just fine without purchasing any premium content. Premium characters will unlock extra side quests, but they are absolutely not necessary for playing. Whether you choose to spend actual money on this game is up to you.

WHERE IS LEVEL 25??? I HAVE ALL THE XP NEEDED FOR LEVEL 25 BUT I'M STUCK ON LEVEL 24
You're not stuck; you've just reached the max level for now. EA seems to release a content update about once a month, and this will include at least one new level. In the meantime, decorate your Springfield, arrange things the way you want, and expand your land. Also, check out the Awesome Threads listed below.

BUT ALL MY XP IS BEING WASTED!
When you've reached the current max level and maxed out your XP, it appears that no more XP is being added/recorded. However, when the next update comes out, you'll receive at least a portion of the XP you earned while waiting for the level.

CLETUS/GRANDPA/ETC. TASKS KEEP REPEATING
This was a known issue that seems to have been fixed with the latest update, though who knows what'll happen in the future. When this happens, it has no real impact on game progression, since the characters involved are not needed for main quest progression. You have two choices: 1) continue to send the character on the requested quest, which gives you a slight $ and XP bonus per task completed, or 2) ignore the repeat quests and send the character on tasks that fit your collection schedule. Read more here: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9065594.page

CONFORM-O-METER RIGHTEOUSNESS RATING IS WRONG
Sometimes the righteousness rating drops to 0 or 0.5 stars, despite your best efforts to clean up graffiti. When that happens, just keep cleaning up after vandals, and eventually it'll pop back up. http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/15/9038558.page

DOES THE PREMIUM BONUS WORK?
Prior to the Christmas update, the premium bonus did not work at all, meaning that if you bought the Springfield sign, which advertises that it gives you 4.5% bonus to $ and XP, you didn't get this bonus after all. Multiple users have since confirmed that the bonus does work now. http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9149633.page

DO I NEED TO CLICK ON $ AND XP TO COLLECT THE FULL AMOUNT?
No. If you don't tap on it, it will automatically be collected after a few seconds. This is true both in your town and in friends' towns. In a friend's town, you can even leave before it is "scooped up", and it'll be automatically added to your total. This greatly reduces the time it takes to collect! http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9164572.page

I CAN'T FIND ________ (COMIC BOOK GUY, MILHOUSE, KRUSTY, ETC.)
It's possible you just forgot what you assigned the character to do, and s/he will pop up when they're finished. But in order to be sure you don't have any idle characters, it's best to hide buildings and decorations and look around that way. Click on the "move items" button (two crossing arrows, bottom right), then click the two buttons in the lower right (buildings and decorations) so that the eyeballs are closed. http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9160057.page

HOW DO I GET A LEMON TREE?
The lemon tree is not available for purchase, but you may receive it in a mystery box if you're lucky. Early on in the game, you could steal them from neighbors, but this is definitely NOT possible anymore.

HOW DO I GET FAT TONY/THE COOL BROWN HOUSE WITH COOL HOMER/THE DUFF RACER?
Each of these items was given away for free as a promotional tie-in for an episode of The Simpsons. If you didn't log in during the promotion, you missed out. There is no way to purchase these items (at present).


CHRISTMAS BONUS FAQ

DO I GET 5 SANTA COINS PER TYPE OF HOUSE OR PER DECORATED HOUSE?
You'll receive 5 coins per TYPE of house, regardless of how many of that type you have. Example: if you have 1 brown house, you'll receive 5 coins. If you have 10 brown houses, you'll still receive 5 coins.

HOW CAN I BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR DURING CHRISTMAS?
It helps if you decorate several houses, especially the ones that have a fast turn-around time (Simpsons, Flanders, brown, etc.). Your friends want to tap 3 decorated houses when they visit, so try to have at least multiple browns that are decorated. Keep in mind, though, that if you've built new houses after you initially decorated a type, you have to switch the building facade over to decorated. See here for a how-to: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9160676.page

FUN THREADS
As promised, here are a few spectacular threads that provide additional TSTO enjoyment. Feel free to keep these alive with your own additions!

Texture glitches: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9091715.page
Humor in your Springfield: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9091695.page
Best Simpson episode: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9163102.page
Most/least favorite tasks: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9164838.page
Most/least favorite building: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9095019.page
Best part of your Springfield: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9111512.page
Springfield Pics: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9095969.page