Archives for category: Level 25

Do I really have to build Zesty’s?

By TSTO Tips
June 2, 2013 //
53

Unfortunately, the answer to this is “no”. I say unfortunately, because it looks like Zesty’s is another Springfield white elephant (for those unfamiliar with the term, take a look here), at least as far as quests and tasks go. This puts it firmly in the same category as the unloved Pimento Grove.

This is the fourth regular building that has appeared and then been largely unused:

  • The first was the Post Office, which appears when your XP bar reaches level 23 but doesn’t come into use until you’re at least at level 25 and unlock Burns Manor and Smithers.
  • The second was Pimento Grove, which unlocks when your XP bar takes you to level 25 and still sits unused and unloved.
  • The third was El Chemistri, which appears as part of Ralph Wiggum’s storyline. This is used again when Lenny and Carl appear in your game, but there are still no regular tasks that involve it.

The Community Center that arrives with Jasper is another building that seems to touch the lives of none of your characters – but that’s a premium building, so there’s nothing to suggest that you have to buy it. And, of course, there are the Valentines and Halloween buildings that haven’t had any use outside those two events.

So, you’re not missing out on anything if you decide to save your cash for now and build Zesty’s later when you have more money or the price drops. And the 10 points it adds to your Gluttony rating is probably not enough of a reason to build it now if you’re short of game dollars. Besides, it serves exactly the same stuff as Luigi’s!

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Categories Carl, Cash, Community Center, El Chemistri, Gameplay, Lenny, Level 23, Level 25, Level 26, Level 27, Level 30, Pimento Grove, Post Office, Smithers, Zesty's

Do I have to build the Post Office and Pimento Grove?

By TSTO Tips
March 18, 2013 //
6

Well… no, you don’t.

The Post Office and Pimento Grove are exceptions to the rule for The Simpsons Tapped Out. All your other buildings come as part of a quest, and have to be unlocked in order. Sure, you can build additional houses, Kwik-E-Marts, Krusty Burgers, and Gulp ‘n’ Blows when you get to the right XP level, but the first one of each of these has to be unlocked at the right time.

The Post Office and Pimento Grove work differently. They’re not part of a quest and you unlock these simply by hitting level 23 and level 25 respectively. And if you choose not to build them, your progress won’t be affected. While both buildings earn you additional rent, the Post Office doesn’t come into use as part of the game until you get to level 25 and unlock Smithers (where it’s needed for his quest), and Pimento Grove isn’t used by any of your characters at all.

So, if you’re trying to save your money for the buildings that you actually need to unlock to keep moving ahead with your game, you really won’t need the Post Office until you unlock Smithers – and, asd to say, you really don’t need Pimento Grove at all. They’re nice to have though – and they do help your conformity bonus.

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Categories Gameplay, Level 23, Level 25, Pimento Grove, Post Office, Smithers

What happens in the “Executive Lackey” quest?

By TSTO Tips
February 17, 2013 //
27

This post walks you through the Smithers quest, Executive Lackey, and takes you up to the end of the quest and unlocking the Wiggum House. It continues from the Hibbert level (level 24), which you can read here.

Remember that your XP may have taken you to level 25 faster than you have progressed through the tasks. You also need to have unlocked all the buildings prior to it on the list before Burns Manor will unlock.

Here, then is what happens during Executive Lackey:

1. Executive Lackey Part 1 Burns should have been free at the end of the previous level so he can tell Homer to work at plant (16 hours – keep Burns free as he finishes)
2. Executive Lackey Part 2 Wanting a rich man’s house, Burns initiates the building of Burns Manor ($120,500 and 24 hours to build, unlocking Smithers – but keep Burns free as he finishes to be safe)

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3. Executive Lackey Part 3 Smithers checks mail at the post office (the first time a character has used this building – 4 hours and keep Comic Book Guy free as he finishes)
4. Executive Lackey Part 4 Smithers writes his Malibu Stacy newsletter (6 hours) then whips it (8 hours – these tasks can be done in either order, but keep Burns free as he finishes both of them)
5. Executive Lackey Part 5 Burns decides that he can doesn’t really need Smithers to run the plant, so Smithers becomes a hideous drunken wreck (he needs to do this twice at 12 hours each – keep Chief Wiggum free as he finishes for the second time)
6. Executive Lackey Part 6 Chief Wiggum makes Smithers sleep it off (24 hours – keep Burns free as Smithers sobers up)
7. Executive Lackey Part 7 Burns, who we now know has an enchanting musk, decides he needs Smithers to handle his laces and initiates a task for Smithers to attend an AA meeting (2 hours – keep Burns free as the meeting finishes)
8. Executive Lackey Part 8 Re-hired,Smithers exercises for Mr. Burns (this task has confused lots of people but Smithers and Burns simply need to be free at the same time and the screenshot below shows why – 1 hour and keep Principal Skinner free and Chief Wiggum, to be safe, as they finish to begin the next quest, which you can find here)

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Categories Burns, Burns Manor, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Executive Lackey, Gameplay, Homer, Level 24, Level 25, Level 26, Principal Skinner, Smithers, Walkthrough, Wiggum House

My XP bar says my next target is 796,279,688! Is my game over?

By TSTO Tips
February 12, 2013 //
2

No, your game isn’t over. This XP bar glitch being experienced by some level 25 players is one of two significant glitches that arrived with the Valentine’s update. (I’ve written about the other one, the frozen game with the spinning donut and the harp sound at: What do I do about the frozen game with the really strange harp sound?)

What happened for some players is that they reached the bonus level and then the game went crazy. Some got lucky in the midst of the craziness and received around 100 donuts. But when the craziness settled down, they found that the new target on their XP bar was impossibly high – somewhere between 3 million and 796,279,688.

As usual, EA have made no comment on this glitch (and if they have and I’ve missed it, please let me know). However, it will almost certainly be fixed by the release of the level 26 update, which will happen in the next week or two.

In the meantime, keep playing and don’t think that you need to start your game again. If you received donuts as a result of the glitch, at least there’s some consolation – and if you didn’t, I’m really sorry.

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Categories Bonus level, Bugs and glitches, Donuts, EA, Level 25, Level 26, Update, XP bar glitch

Why does my XP bar turn pink when I finish level 25?

By TSTO Tips
February 12, 2013 //
0

Your XP bar turns pink at the end of level 25 to show that you already have enough XP to get to level 26, but you’re now working towards a bonus level. This distinguishes it from your regular blue XP bar, which has reached the end of level 25 and should stay there, but hidden, until level 26 is released.

When level 26 is released:

- your XP bar should turn blue again,
- you should have a head start on level 26 XP
- the bonus levels will probably be moved to the end of level 26

For more on the bonus levels and how they work, take a look at this post: What happens at the bonus level for level 25 players?

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Categories Bonus level, Level 25, Level 26, Update, XP

How many fountains can you buy?

By TSTO Tips
February 11, 2013 //
4

You can buy as many fountains as you like – but you need to have built Burns Manor before the fountain can unlock in your decorations menu (until then it’s marked as part of a Quest). Once it’s unlocked, it’s available for $3500.

Personally, I’m going for a bit of a Palace of Versailles look in the grounds of my Burns Manor – and that requires lots of fountains!

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Categories Burns Manor, Fountain, Level 25, Quests

What’s Pimento Grove and which characters carry out tasks there?

By TSTO Tips
February 9, 2013 //
0

First – what’s Pimento Grove? Well, it’s a fine dining restaurant in downtown Springfield owned by Fat Tony. It first appeared in the episode “A Fish Called Selma” and is apparently the restaurant of choice for many local and visiting celebrities, whose pictures line the walls.

In the game, it arrived as part of the level 25 update. What’s special about it from a game perspective is that you can unlock it as soon as you hit level 25 on XP. You don’t need to first unlock the buildings that come before it in the list – all you need to do is save up enough money. Currently, it costs $138,000 but the price is expected to come down to $112,00 when the level 26 update is eventually released.

Which makes it a shame that the answer to the second question is “none”. None of your characters, including the limited-time Fat Tony, ever go and eat there. So, Pimento Grove just sits there just making money and XP ($350 and 30XP every 24 hours). While this is not really a bad thing, it just seems a bit of a waste.

However, it could be that EA have plans for Pimento Grove in future updates. After all, the post office sat unused for a long time until Smithers arrived with his Malibu Stacy newsletter.

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Categories EA, Fat Tony, Level 25, Level 26, Pimento Grove, Smithers, XP

I’m at level 25 but I’ve only just built Krabappel’s Apartment and the other buildings are still locked!

By TSTO Tips
February 8, 2013 //
54

This is a fairly common issue (I went through it too), and it can be quite frustrating. The good news is that there’s nothing wrong with your game – it’s just how it works for frequent players. So, in this post, I’ll give you some background on the inner workings of the game, and a walkthrough of what happens between building Krabappel’s Apartment and the next building, Channel 6.

If you play a lot and visit all your friends every day, your XP builds up very fast – and that can mean that your game level can rise faster than your task level. The problem is that most of the buildings only unlock when the whole series of tasks before them has been completed. For example, Channel 6 won’t unlock until the entire Edna storyline is complete.

So, that means that while your XP might tell you you’re level 25, your real game level is level 22. To unlock those shaded buildings, then, you just have to do what you’ve been doing throughout the game – complete all the tasks in order.

At level 22, however, the tasks can feel like they go on forever – and this walkthrough shows you why. But first, to start off the level, Principal Skinner interacts with Willie to build the Krabappel Apartments after Bart and Lisa have finsihed after being sent to school. The Apartment will cost you $70,000 and will take 24 hours to build, unlocking Edna.

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1. Once you’ve built her apartment, Edna teaches school (8 hours)
2. When she’s finished that, she teaches school, again (8 hours – keep Skinner free as she finishes)
3. Edna hosts detention (12 hours) while Skinner goes bird watching (24 hours – keep Edna free as he finishes)
4. Edna relaxes in the teachers’ lounge (1 hour – keep Ned free as she finishes)
5. Edna and Ned dine at Gilded Truffle (2 hours each – they don’t need to do this at the same time, but it’s nice if they do)
6. Edna takes a smoke break (10 minutes – keep Bart free as she finishes)
7. Bart skips school (8 hours – keep Edna free as he finishes)
8. As a result, Bart has to serve detention (6 hours) while Edna hosts detention (12 hours – keep both Bart and Lisa free as she finishes)
9. Edna goes on strike (24 hours) while Bart skateboards (4 hours) and Lisa does next week’s homework (24 hours – keep Bart and Marge free as Lisa and Edna finish)
10. Marge sends Bart and Lisa to Sunday School (12 hours each – keep Milhouse free as both Bart and Lisa finish)
11. Bart, Lisa, and Milhouse go to Sunday School (this is the second time for Bart and Lisa – 12 hours each)
12: Bart, Milhouse, and Martin have a sleep over in Bart’s Treehouse (24 hours each)
13. Bart, Milhouse, and Martin go to Library (24 hours each)
14: Bart breaks into the school’s CPU while Milhouse pulls the fire alarm (10 mins each – keep Chief Wiggum free as they finish)
15: Milhouse has to clean the school (he has to do this twice at 12 hours each – keep Edna free as he finishes for the second time)
16: Edna goes back and teaches class (8 hours – keep Mayor Quimby free as Edna finishes as he prompts the start if the next level)

So, there’s a lot to do at this level and many of the tasks are very long – which is why there can be a very long gap between building Krabappel’s Apartment and finally getting to Kent Brockman and Channel 6.

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Categories Bart, Channel 6, Chief Wiggum, Edna Krabappel, Gameplay, Krabappel's Apartment, Level 22, Level 25, Lisa, Marge, Martin, Mayor Quimby, Milhouse, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Walkthrough, XP

Where can I find the answer to all my questions on the Valentine’s Day update?

By TSTO Tips
February 6, 2013 //
0

I’ve written a lot of posts over the past week on the Valentine’s Day update. With three weeks still to go, they risk getting pushed off the front page, making them harder for new players to find.

So, I’ve added a new page to the blog, linking the key posts. I’ll be working on it a bit over the next day or so, but even as it is, it’s a good place to start looking for the answers to all your Valentine’s Day questions.

You can access it through the menu bar at the top of the page, or go direct to: http://tstotips.com/valentines-day-update-faq/

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Categories Bart, Donuts, Gameplay, Hearts, Homer, Kwikimart, Level 25, Limited time, Marge, Milhouse, Mystery Love Box, Shauna, Update, Valentine's Day, Valentines

What happens at the bonus level for level 25 players? (An update)

By TSTO Tips
February 6, 2013 //
14

When the Valentine’s update was launched, level 25 players got a message saying that because level 26 wasn’t ready yet, there would be a bonus level and were instantly presented with a choice of 3 gift boxes and a chance to win 1,2 or 3 donuts.

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If you don’t get 1 or two donuts, you get a second chance to get 3. However, it costs you $50,000 and, if you have already won 2 donuts, you could just as easily end up with 1. (Be careful about this – you could find yourself tapping for the second chance without realizing that there is now a green cash bar with $50,000 on it just below the two remaining boxes.)

This means that all that XP isn’t going to waste anymore. It keeps building up to the bonus level, then resets again so that you can have another shot when you have enough XP. The XP bar looks different, however, and is pink instead of blue. (It will probably turn blue again when level 26 is released.) You don’t level up to level 26 and won’t until level 26 is released.

For those of you who have had the second round of XP building to over 76 million, that’s clearly a glitch that should be reported to EA. The new XP target should be 151,200, as the image below shows, with the gift box indicating the next time you get the chance to win donuts.

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Given that donuts are so hard to come by, this isn’t a bad way of keeping long-term players happy until the update comes. Yes, I’ve seen some grumbles that it should be 10 or 20 or 100 donuts – but it’s better than having XP go to waste. And I hope they keep this bonus level game on after the level 26 update as a reward for patience while we wait for level 27!

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Categories Bonus level, Donuts, Level 25, Level 26, Update, Valentine's Day, XP

$2,000,000 for a building? Really?

By TSTO Tips
February 5, 2013 //
20

With the Valentine’s Day update came 2 new buildings – the Escalator to Nowhere and the Popsicle Stick Skyscraper. But they came at a price that caused many people’s eyes to do a cartoon-style pop out of their heads – $1 million and $2 million dollars.

Now, if you’ve just started playing the game, those look like unattainable prices. But for those who are at level 25 and have all the characters and buildings and are waiting for level 26, they’re something to strive for.

Early on in the game, your money doesn’t build up that fast. But as you go on, it becomes very easy to gather more than $100,000 every day (and more, if you’re a house farmer).

One of the problems with the game for level 25 players is what to do with all the money if you’ve got all the buildings, land and decorations you need until the next level arrives. The new buildings, while expensive, are a good answer to a problem that arises every month.

So, the Escalator to Nowhere and the Popsicle Stick Skyscraper are what I’m currently saving for – and they also help me to keep checking in to my Springfield, visiting friends, and collecting cash every day. And that means that EA has probably made a very smart move in releasing them, despite their price tags.

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Categories Buildings, EA, Level 25, Level 26, Prices, Update, Valentine's Day

How can I be a good neighbor during the Valentine’s event?

By TSTO Tips
February 4, 2013 //
2

This is much simpler than being a good neighbor over Christmas. All you really need to do is:

1. Visit your friends every day. They’re waiting for your Valentines and are going to be a bit disappointed if they don’t get them.

2. If there are no BE MINE cards in your friend’s town, go back out and try again later.

3. If your friend is Level 25 and has no BE MINE cards, click on something else. Your friend may well prefer the cash and XP bonus they get when you do that, anyway, because Level 25 players are currently working towards some bonus donuts.

4. Particularly if you only have a small number of characters, be sure to collect your Valentine’s at least once a day. A friend can only leave a Valentine for a particular character if you have collected the one’s he/she sent the day before.

5. Make sure you visit all the friends who visit you. You can see who sent your character a Valentine when you tap on it to collect it. If you have a lot of friends, that may make it easier for you to prioritize who to visit.

6. Keep your characters busy – while this doesn’t necessarily affect your friends’ ability to leave Valentines, it makes them feel more comfortable about taking the time to visit your town!

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Categories Friends, Hearts, Level 25, Valentine's Day, Valentines, XP

Where is level 26?

By TSTO Tips
January 31, 2013 //
0

Level 25 players got a new message that there is no Level 26 with this update because it’s not ready yet. The message also said that there were bonus levels to keep us happy in the meantime.

However, there are lots of new buildings for you to buy using hearts rather than donuts or cash and the XP is building again towards a bonus Level. Go here to see how it works – http://tstotips.com/2013/02/02/what-happens-at-he-bonus-level-for-level-25-players/

That means that there probably won’t be a Level 26 until the Valentine’s event is over at the end of February.

Update: see this post for some new information on the Level 26 update –

http://tstotips.com/2013/02/02/wheres-ralph/

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Categories Gameplay, Level 25, Level 26, Updates, Valentine's Day, XP

What happens at the end of Level 25?

By TSTO Tips
January 29, 2013 //
2

Update: There’s a change for Level 25 players since the Valentine’s update – see here:http://tstotips.com/2013/02/02/what-happens-at-he-bonus-level-for-level-25-players/

Nothing – the game doesn’t start again at level 1 and you don’t get a message saying “game over”. The game just goes into a bit of a holding pattern until level 26 arrives (as it doesn’t come with the Valentine’s update, it may not happen until March).

You can still collect money from houses, restaurants and businesses and send your characters on tasks. You can keep expanding and reorganizing your Springfield. But your XP doesn’t continue to build. This makes sense – XP rewards frequent players by leveling you up (and giving you the free donut or two) a little faster than your your game levels, which gives you access to buildings like Pimento Grove a bit earlier than less dedicated players.

When level 26 is released, you’ll have a 30,000 or so head start on your XP. Why it’s not more and whether or not that’s fair is a question for another time.

Update: Since the Valentine’s update, your XP continues to build to a bonus round, although there’s still no level 26. It seems like EA have been listening!

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Categories Donuts, Level 25, Level 26, Levels, XP

The January update didn’t work – I got Pimento Grove but the 4 building before it are still locked!

By TSTO Tips
January 25, 2013 //
0

There’s a very simple reason for this.

In the January 2013 level 25 update, you got two buildings – Pimento Grove and Burns Manor. Pimento Grove unlocks as soon as you get to Level 25 on XP. There are no quests associated with it so you can build it right away.

To get Burns Manor, though, you need to have completed all the quests and built all the buildings before it. And even if your XP says you’re at level 25, you may not be for gameplay. This is because if you play a lot, visit a lot of friends, or house farm, your XP build up faster than your game level.

So, relax. There’s no bug or glitch even though you’re at Level 25. You’ll unlock everything else soon.

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Categories Buildings, Burns Manor, Level 25, Levels, Maxed out, Pimento Grove, Updates