Thought I would give an update with some helpful new information I posted in the other Glitch thread here......
Well...got hit for the 13th time (and the 3rd time in 3 weeks). The person I got when I called was from India. He had never heard of the glitch. He didn't know what it was, how to fix it, or anything.
I had to tell HIM what tech support & customer service he needed to do to help me, the customer. After being on hold for 25 minutes with him trying to see the date of the last backup was and roll back my game. He told me he cannot roll back and will escalate to specialist team. When I explained that is false, they can roll it back, but they are ASKING him to escalate. He refused to ask again.
I hung up and called back in...got an American and had my roll back in under 3 min.
I did want to share some insight I learned on how to ask for a for roll back from a specific backup file . The American team (and apparently not vendor Customer Service centers like the one in the Philipines) can look at the backups and see some key things....
They can see the level of the broken parts of the game, i.e. if you are level 20 Friend Points (FP) but the back up they are looking at level 1, then that backup has the The Glitch. But if your FP is level 20, it is a safe backup to use. Same for IRS tapping radius level, etc....
They can also see premium items you owned during that backup. So if you know you a premium item 12 hours and 3 logins before you were hit with the glitch and they see that premium item in your backup file
You put those two items together and you can narrow down the most recent valid backup to restore (after you bought that last premium item and before the broken item levels are at 1.)
So I didn't even loose a single login with rolling back my game. It remembered my donuts level and my cash level and I simply redid clearing my overnight 12 hour task cycle. So I actually came out ahead as I doubled my overnight case and farming donuts.
This American guy was VERY helpful and one the most knowledgeable reps about the Glitch I have talked to. I shared I have nearly a year history with the glitch to review. I am on the VERY FEW who actually had my game fixed (not root cause but made playable again) without doing a roll back. I am also very tech savvy. I am not a programmer but my job entails overseeing mobile roll outs of all physical devices as well as software updates. So I am very good troubleshooting, testing, giving detailed feedback, along with potential workable solutions for the programmers to look at. I offered I am willing to help in anyway possible.....only if they take advantage of me and reach out.
He said he is sending an email outside of the website case files with my info and case #s to someone he knows has contacts deep in the glitch research / development teams. No idea if anything will come of it, but I am willing to help if they will let me.
What was kinda ironic is I just sat down for lunch and started a Tivo'ed episode of the Simpsons when I was hit with the glitch. While on hold with the first guy for the rolling back my TSTO game I was able to watch the entire Simpsons episode. So if they recorded my call while I was on hold (which is common practice for many companies) they heard me watching the Simpsons while waiting for my Simpsons game to get rolled back.
@hobbesisreal Thanks again for your post about the 13th glitch rollback. Seriously though, this seems like the equivalent of a triathlon. I hope you won’t suffer from exhaustion!
As far resolving this issue, I see it as two parts.....the Root Cause and fixing affected glitched games.
ROOT CAUSE
Long term final solution. This is the obvious best thing to determine the underlying factors and correct them from corrupting the variables. Of course this is has been an issue for 1 year and 5 months but with small growing groups of players being affected each new event update until the last few events which had a MASSIVE explosion of players that hopefully has woken EA up to actually address this. But not holding my breath
SHORT TERM SOLUTION
Currently the only short term solution is to roll back the game to the last known working backup file, which results in loss of progress on the player's part.
In addition to finding and fixing the root cause, I think that EA should also be working an patch fix that can be run by EA tech support whenever a customer calls in when hit with this glitch. This would be a process that would automatically look that items that are known to be effected by the glitch (i.e. character button, IRS radius, FP points, Monty's Mountain, mini games, etc.....) and see if either
Variables are not valid for current update of the game
Or are within known bad variable parameters
Then automatically restore the current correct variables. The last VERY GOOD AND KNOWLEDGEABLE EA rep I talked to this morning proved this is possible as he is able to look at a game backup file and immediately see if FP is set to 1, IRS is level 1, etc.... and knows that file is corrupted with the glitch.
This process could even scan the last backup files for that players game and validate that FP / IRS tapping radius / etc.. are above 1 variable, then if the current game is 1, it auto resets to last backup file without 1 variable to that file's variable levels.
I know this does not fix the root cause but gives EA customer quick and fast process to run against a player's glitched game so they can play again with out loosing progress. I know they will be hit again, cuz it does not fix root cause, but at least when hit again, player would know they can call EA and it can be fixed without loosing progress. IN fact players could even continue to play broken games and keep that progress whenever EA finally runs this auto process to fix it.
So here is what I have learned while getting rollbacks in the last two glitch hits in my game........
EA is apparently attempting to limit servicing of customers with roll backs, at least with the outsourced vendor locations outside of the US.
Here is what happened with my 13th and 14th glitch hit over the last 10 days or so.....
13th Glitch Hit
(this is highlighted above but I will share additional points I learned) I requested a call from EA and was routed to an outsourced vendor location outside of the US. The person I got when I called was from India. He had never heard of the glitch. He didn't know what it was, how to fix it, or anything.
I had to tell HIM what tech support & customer service he needed to do to help me, the customer. After being on hold for 25 minutes with him trying to see the date of the last backup was and roll back my game. He told me he cannot roll back and will escalate to specialist team. When I explained that is false, they can roll it back, but they are ASKING him to escalate. He refused to ask again.
I hung up and called back in...got an American and had my roll back in under 3 min. When he asked why I requested call just after already talking to another rep, I explained. He immediately acknowledged that he has had multiple reports from customers that two things are happening with several out sourced vendor customer service locations outside of the US......
That many individual outsourced CS reps are not getting basic updated communications or training on current issues / glitches (my guy had never even heard of the glitch and expressed doubt that I knew what I really explaining to him was real) / fixes / resolutions. As a result they give a wide variety of (false) solutions ranging from coming to this forum to get their game fixed to the point listed below...
They will check with (remotely) with their contact at EA and they will instruct the CS rep to tell the customer it is impossible to do a rollback because their case is in queue to be investigated and fixed. This is a flat out lie that they are forcing the CS rep to share with the customer as it is not impossible to do a rollback, only they do not WANT to do a rollback.
14th Glitch Hit
I requested a call, and again I was routed to an outsourced vendor location outside of the US. He heard of the glitch and did the same as the outsourced rep and he came back with the same answer it was impossible to do a rollback and I had to wait until EA investigates and fixes my game.
I countered (politely but firmly) that this was not true. It was NOT impossible to do a rollback and that whoever is telling him he cannot do a rollback due to my case being investigated was doing so by policy or avoidance not to any technical limitation. I told him I listened to that same exact line in Oct last year was then forced to play with a broken game for over 4 months. And after 1 year and 6 months since the glitch was introduced, EA has yet find a global fix.
He still refused to do anything and enforced I have to simply wait for EA to find a fix.
AGAIN>>>>> I hung up and requested a new call back immediately and was routed to an outsourced vendor location outside of the US again. This time I told her that I will have a rollback before getting off the call AND before she talked to her EA support remote contact I explained that if they tell her they cannot do a roll back they are lying and shared what happened and what was shared with me by the US rep the week before.
She came back and low and behold she was able to do the rollback that the previous rep absolutely / defiantly / stubbornly insisted was 100% impossible to do and there was nothing he could ever do to help me.
Conclusion
US based customer service reps will do a rollback with little push back and very quickly. BUT.....EA is actively trying to convince their own CS vendor customer service locations outside of the US reps that EA cannot do anything to help a customer that is affected by the glitch (which 80% of time I have ever called in I am routed to outside US location).
So...
My game was actually fixed with a REAL fix... but EA refuses to have their CS do this for anyone.
Rollback is the only remaining temporary fix....and now unless a customer is willing to go through multiple reps (or lucky enough to get a US based rep) who are told by EA to refuse processing a rollback until they get a rep willing do this ONLY fix, EA is starting to refuse to help customers beyond trying to force the customer play with a broken game for a fix that is has been promised for 1 1/2 years and still no ETA when (or if) it will be available in the undetermined future time.
So customers have to FIGHT and DEMAND that EA conducts a roll back they are officially starting to say is (falsely) impossible to do.
@hobbesisreal you are a warrior! The grief you have put up with is the stuff legends are made of. My 9 year old son came home from school and told me about his friend's dad being a fireman and saving people everyday. and I told him I know a guy who got the glitch 14 times! He was most impressed!
Seriously, bless you. Not only have you endured everthing, you're still on here trying to help! Most (possibly me) would have thrown in the towel a long time ago.
I do not accept unsolicited friend requests! PM me and say hi first.
Thank you for the support. I just wished the guys at EA would stop trsleating the gamers as a cash cow and fix the issue. I have paid about £20 over the years I'm tighter than a ducks behind but some have suunk hundreds if not thousands into the game. This is poor customer care at its finest.
Replies
Well...got hit for the 13th time (and the 3rd time in 3 weeks). The person I got when I called was from India. He had never heard of the glitch. He didn't know what it was, how to fix it, or anything.
I had to tell HIM what tech support & customer service he needed to do to help me, the customer. After being on hold for 25 minutes with him trying to see the date of the last backup was and roll back my game. He told me he cannot roll back and will escalate to specialist team. When I explained that is false, they can roll it back, but they are ASKING him to escalate. He refused to ask again.
I hung up and called back in...got an American and had my roll back in under 3 min.
I did want to share some insight I learned on how to ask for a for roll back from a specific backup file . The American team (and apparently not vendor Customer Service centers like the one in the Philipines) can look at the backups and see some key things....
You put those two items together and you can narrow down the most recent valid backup to restore (after you bought that last premium item and before the broken item levels are at 1.)
I have also updated my how to fix your game post here with this info guide how to get your game fixed.... HERE )
So I didn't even loose a single login with rolling back my game. It remembered my donuts level and my cash level and I simply redid clearing my overnight 12 hour task cycle. So I actually came out ahead as I doubled my overnight case and farming donuts.
This American guy was VERY helpful and one the most knowledgeable reps about the Glitch I have talked to. I shared I have nearly a year history with the glitch to review. I am on the VERY FEW who actually had my game fixed (not root cause but made playable again) without doing a roll back. I am also very tech savvy. I am not a programmer but my job entails overseeing mobile roll outs of all physical devices as well as software updates. So I am very good troubleshooting, testing, giving detailed feedback, along with potential workable solutions for the programmers to look at. I offered I am willing to help in anyway possible.....only if they take advantage of me and reach out.
He said he is sending an email outside of the website case files with my info and case #s to someone he knows has contacts deep in the glitch research / development teams. No idea if anything will come of it, but I am willing to help if they will let me.
What was kinda ironic is I just sat down for lunch and started a Tivo'ed episode of the Simpsons when I was hit with the glitch. While on hold with the first guy for the rolling back my TSTO game I was able to watch the entire Simpsons episode. So if they recorded my call while I was on hold (which is common practice for many companies) they heard me watching the Simpsons while waiting for my Simpsons game to get rolled back.
ROOT CAUSE
Long term final solution. This is the obvious best thing to determine the underlying factors and correct them from corrupting the variables. Of course this is has been an issue for 1 year and 5 months but with small growing groups of players being affected each new event update until the last few events which had a MASSIVE explosion of players that hopefully has woken EA up to actually address this. But not holding my breath
SHORT TERM SOLUTION
Currently the only short term solution is to roll back the game to the last known working backup file, which results in loss of progress on the player's part.
In addition to finding and fixing the root cause, I think that EA should also be working an patch fix that can be run by EA tech support whenever a customer calls in when hit with this glitch. This would be a process that would automatically look that items that are known to be effected by the glitch (i.e. character button, IRS radius, FP points, Monty's Mountain, mini games, etc.....) and see if either
Then automatically restore the current correct variables. The last VERY GOOD AND KNOWLEDGEABLE EA rep I talked to this morning proved this is possible as he is able to look at a game backup file and immediately see if FP is set to 1, IRS is level 1, etc.... and knows that file is corrupted with the glitch.
This process could even scan the last backup files for that players game and validate that FP / IRS tapping radius / etc.. are above 1 variable, then if the current game is 1, it auto resets to last backup file without 1 variable to that file's variable levels.
I know this does not fix the root cause but gives EA customer quick and fast process to run against a player's glitched game so they can play again with out loosing progress. I know they will be hit again, cuz it does not fix root cause, but at least when hit again, player would know they can call EA and it can be fixed without loosing progress. IN fact players could even continue to play broken games and keep that progress whenever EA finally runs this auto process to fix it.
Notice the timestamp of the "later post" is 1 minute before the previous post!
How unlucky?
Jebus!!!
EA is apparently attempting to limit servicing of customers with roll backs, at least with the outsourced vendor locations outside of the US.
Here is what happened with my 13th and 14th glitch hit over the last 10 days or so.....
13th Glitch Hit
(this is highlighted above but I will share additional points I learned) I requested a call from EA and was routed to an outsourced vendor location outside of the US. The person I got when I called was from India. He had never heard of the glitch. He didn't know what it was, how to fix it, or anything.
I had to tell HIM what tech support & customer service he needed to do to help me, the customer. After being on hold for 25 minutes with him trying to see the date of the last backup was and roll back my game. He told me he cannot roll back and will escalate to specialist team. When I explained that is false, they can roll it back, but they are ASKING him to escalate. He refused to ask again.
I hung up and called back in...got an American and had my roll back in under 3 min. When he asked why I requested call just after already talking to another rep, I explained. He immediately acknowledged that he has had multiple reports from customers that two things are happening with several out sourced vendor customer service locations outside of the US......
14th Glitch Hit
I requested a call, and again I was routed to an outsourced vendor location outside of the US. He heard of the glitch and did the same as the outsourced rep and he came back with the same answer it was impossible to do a rollback and I had to wait until EA investigates and fixes my game.
I countered (politely but firmly) that this was not true. It was NOT impossible to do a rollback and that whoever is telling him he cannot do a rollback due to my case being investigated was doing so by policy or avoidance not to any technical limitation. I told him I listened to that same exact line in Oct last year was then forced to play with a broken game for over 4 months. And after 1 year and 6 months since the glitch was introduced, EA has yet find a global fix.
He still refused to do anything and enforced I have to simply wait for EA to find a fix.
AGAIN>>>>> I hung up and requested a new call back immediately and was routed to an outsourced vendor location outside of the US again. This time I told her that I will have a rollback before getting off the call AND before she talked to her EA support remote contact I explained that if they tell her they cannot do a roll back they are lying and shared what happened and what was shared with me by the US rep the week before.
She came back and low and behold she was able to do the rollback that the previous rep absolutely / defiantly / stubbornly insisted was 100% impossible to do and there was nothing he could ever do to help me.
Conclusion
US based customer service reps will do a rollback with little push back and very quickly. BUT.....EA is actively trying to convince their own CS vendor customer service locations outside of the US reps that EA cannot do anything to help a customer that is affected by the glitch (which 80% of time I have ever called in I am routed to outside US location).
So...
So customers have to FIGHT and DEMAND that EA conducts a roll back they are officially starting to say is (falsely) impossible to do.
And again offered duff gardens.
How are you finding playing with a broken game? My thoughts are that if/when it happens to me I will just have to ride it out...
My friend had it, hes a day 1 player and he said it brought back a lot of memories, none of them good. He got a roll back
I've just had to grin and bare it. It's a pain in the bottom after years of effort. But like any addiction stopping is hard.
Quitting smoking was easier for me!
Well....I am still here....I should be in the 12 steps program in TSTO Anonymous.
@grant981 .... I played with a broken game for 4 months. IF it helps..... Here is my guide on how to play your game while broken by this glitch
@hobbesisreal you are a warrior! The grief you have put up with is the stuff legends are made of. My 9 year old son came home from school and told me about his friend's dad being a fireman and saving people everyday. and I told him I know a guy who got the glitch 14 times! He was most impressed!
Seriously, bless you. Not only have you endured everthing, you're still on here trying to help! Most (possibly me) would have thrown in the towel a long time ago.
Thank you for the support. I just wished the guys at EA would stop trsleating the gamers as a cash cow and fix the issue. I have paid about £20 over the years I'm tighter than a ducks behind but some have suunk hundreds if not thousands into the game. This is poor customer care at its finest.