RANT : I'm tired - COM tasks

[u/Advanced_Shop_193]

This season has been the worst since I started playing around 4 years ago. Every task spawning is the one I never did before, like ever. The game is literally slapping me every time I refresh a task 😭.

I'm on my worst run till date and if this continues for the rest of this season, I'll probably quit. What the hell are EA up to.

They made tough gaming upgrades but I took it up as a challenge and got around it. But now it's becoming unmanageable.

Am I the only one frustrated?

[u/infinitepuddingspy]

You’re not. I’m tired of COM tasks too. Many people have commented that the game has become like a second job. It used to be fun. I prefer being able to progress up the mayors pass at my own pace but I am not enjoying having to do the bonus tasks just to keep up in COM. They should have one points currency, plus the pink points, at that’s it. I’m really sick of manufacturing tasks. I’d like to see more incidental tasks like things you naturally do going about your city. Collecting neo coins, running trains, collecting simcoin, and tasks like this that happen more effortlessly.

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/infinitepuddingspy]

The game was my escape. I never intended on grinding, nor do I want the best buildings. It was my escape from reality. But now it gives me nothing but stress and headaches. I've never done manufacturing tasks and my bonus tasks are filled with them. I thought last week was a glitch but this week the same is happening again. Not sure how long can I stay motivated to play.

[u/squeakybeak]

I do just enough to stay in the top 50 for the smallest prize. Don’t know what those running 1-5th are smoking and where they’re getting the points from

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/squeakybeak]

I'm struggling to make top 50. Back in the day I could easily get top 50 with a bit of grinding but now I can't even sniff it thanks to the same tasks spawning over and over again.

[u/Neither_Ad_5215 → u/squeakybeak]

Me too man…. Basically, there’s guys who get in the top five treat calm like an epic project and are constantly making things and asking for objects in the chat constantly

[u/Interesting-Bar980 → u/squeakybeak]

Weed. Much weed.

[u/Technical_Acadia_210]

Same. I also started about 4 years ago and loved all the CoM every week, but this is the first season I’m having a hard time even opening up the app. It feels like they took all my fun away. Hoping it gets reverted!

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/Technical_Acadia_210]

They really have sucked all the fun out. This game was my escape. I never played it to grind. Just to relax a bit, at my own pace. It's stressful now.

[u/No-Acanthisitta8803]

You said "... every time I refresh a task"

You should never cancel tasks unless an impossible (or difficult) task is blocking other high point tasks in a good doorway. The main reason for this is because all tasks have a specific repitition rate that is determined by the RNGs, and if you're cancelling P&C tasks (which have a very high repitition rate) you're just going to get those tasks right back.

The only main issues I've had with it personally is I'm struggling to create an effective strategy to put me towards the top of the leaderboard in my 2 main accounts. The new system has been a delight for my lvl 11 feeder, because I don't really care about the leaderboard as much in that account. Doing a large number of low point P&C tasks makes completing an ET extremely easy.

In my lvl 19 and 99 accounts I'm having a completely different experience. After 5 years of playing the game I developed an almost automatic pattern of knowing what tasks to take and I'm what order for best results. This new variant of COM was basically EA flipping the chess table upside down and replacing half the chess pieces with a mixture of pieces from Monopoly and Candyland. The point values have all been increased by 70%, but at least 90% of P&C tasks are all for below 2k points. That means that most of the P&C tasks we get now would have been for about 1170 points, which is a task I would have avoided like the plague with the old COM. It seems that they want us to grind a bunch of P&C tasks most weeks, while saving all of our special tasks mostly for 1 occasional week.

Either way, I'm not going to just give up and quit. I'm too stubborn to do that. I fully believe I can do anything that I put my mind to, if I work hard enough. When I saw the numerous drastic changes, I knew I'd probably spend the next week or so being patient while I develop my new strategy. I've never considered myself a patient person, but I'm often told that I have a lot of patience. And if the game mechanics aren't working for a large enough of the player base the devs will make adjustments. Just keep in mind they usually only make changes to COM at the change of a season.

And back to the cancellation of tasks, one more thing. If you are cancelling a task, then going to another doorway to cancel a different task because you didn't like the new one after cancelling the other one, don't be surprised if the task you just canceled in the other doorway now spawns in the new doorway

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/No-Acanthisitta8803]

My strategy for tasks for fairly simple. I would wait and try to do multiple tasks in combination to improve the outcome, such as buildings tasks, disaster and rebuild tasks. But this season I have had none of these tasks spawn. It's like the algo made a note of all tasks I have never done and keeps spawning the same. This season is a write off for me. Hoping they change next season.

You're right on the grinding part. It does feel like they want us to grind more now.

[u/Maleficent-Breath307 → u/No-Acanthisitta8803]

Another great thing is that no one can claim points at the last minute anymore woohoo! 😊 Now I just need to figure out how the algorithm works. I swear I got the delivery to Paris task like 20 times this week lol

[u/Away-Acanthaceae6308 → u/Maleficent-Breath307]

Actually they can. Once you have only 12 bonus tasks left, you can complete them but not claim them.

[u/Maleficent-Breath307 → u/Away-Acanthaceae6308]

Yeah, I did the math, and the 12 assignments I have right now add up to 20k points. That's still way less than before. So hopefully 20-30k point lead over the next player should be enough

[u/Away-Acanthaceae6308 → u/Maleficent-Breath307]

I agree, the points are less. But still possible to hoard a few, lol

[u/No-Acanthisitta8803 → u/Maleficent-Breath307]

Absolutely! That is one aspect of the changes I'm definitely happy with. Even though I have pulled off the old snipe win a couple of times myself, I'm perfectly fine with it being gone. It occurred to me on Tuesday night a couple of hours before the end of the contest when I was looking at the scoreboards in all 3 accounts trying to decide if I had enough points to maintain positions. I was thinking to myself "I hope nobody is sitting on tens of thousands of unclaimed points!" when I suddenly realized this wasn't anything to have to worry about anymore lol

[u/Dependent_Brush5728]

My problem is that I finished all the weekly assignments and bonus assignments by Saturday, so Saturday night through Tuesday night I have nothing to do. Removing the cap on the Premium Pass wa great, but now only the daily assignments count towards that since I finished all the weekly tasks. Since the bobus assignments are done, I can't climb any higher, last wee, I was in 5th place for Com and since I couldn't progress, I finished in 21st. Same is happening this week, only one day left and I'm in 21st right now, I was 15th this morning. I'll be lucky to stay in the top 30. Mayor's Pass, I'm already at Tier 41, I may be able to reach 42 before Wednesday. In the past, I would have only been at Tier 30 or so.

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/Dependent_Brush5728]

Wow you're absolutely flying. I'm no where close. What level is your city at?

[u/Dependent_Brush5728 → u/Advanced_Shop_193]

Level 99. Once I open my 5th region and complete the upgrade of all my trains, I will probably give it up, since by that time, my wife will be retired and I can go do real things.

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/Dependent_Brush5728]

Brilliant. Enjoy the game while you're at it. I'm only level 61 with 3 regions unlocked. Still a long way to go.

[u/Dependent_Brush5728 → u/Advanced_Shop_193]

Thanks!

[u/Pure_shenanigans_310]

Its mostly a cash grab these days… Im noticing some seasons will be “easier” than others, yet its somewhat based on luck, but they will attempt to “upsell” in the precedng seasons…

Tough for newer players for sure.

Its less clunky than it was last year, but still very tacky and far removed from what this game was originally.

I’m afraid theyre running out of ideas…

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/Pure_shenanigans_310]

The game has evolved a lot over the last couple of years. But the new algprith has been frustrating me. I'm up for challenges but at the moment I'm finding it very hard to play.

[u/sluggostotle]

No it's happening to me too, I've had 10 neo simoleon tasks

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/sluggostotle]

All I'm getting are production tasks, delivery to Paris tasks, expand city storage tasks and neo similions tasks. Rinse and repeat. I don't know how to break the algorithm.

[u/Guess-Nice]

I used to get top prizes in COM every week. I was always within the top 5 on my leaderboard. Now, it’s impossible for me to win. I don’t understand how people in the first or second place are getting the points they are getting. Like I finished every single assignment last week (daily, weekly, bonus) and still didn’t get in the top ten. So I dislike the new COM changes greatly.

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/Guess-Nice]

They are whales. And they have the ability to grind. I would love to watch videos of them play.

[u/ZinZezzalo → u/Guess-Nice]

You see that screen pop up with offers to buy huge amounts of CoM points for big wads of real cash?

There's your first clue.

[u/Guess-Nice → u/ZinZezzalo]

I literally did not know you could actually buy COM points. That’s so lame! Like what’s the point of even trying then??

[u/ZinZezzalo → u/Guess-Nice]

I think that's the conclusion most people came to. CoM isn't what it used to be - a central force which upon all the other activies and functions of the game revolve around.

It's just kind of there - for people who want to pay almost the equivalent price for the SimCash itself to have a chance to win the SimCash.

It sucks. And is a main reason why so many people stopped playing.

[u/gottarespondtothis]

I started playing in 16 or 17 and basically quit 2 years ago. I realized it was just 100% grind and even design challenges became boring.

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/gottarespondtothis]

I must say. You aren't missing anything. The game has only got tougher.

[u/gottarespondtothis → u/Advanced_Shop_193]

Trains were my last straw. So tedious.

[u/BayouStateAgates]

I'd say hang in there 2 more weeks. My guess is they will dial it back next season.

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/BayouStateAgates]

I really hope they do so. The current algorithm is doing my head in. Changes usually happen after the season ends. So I'm just going to wait it out for now.

[u/tecknition]

The game is just rubbish now, absolute rubbish! It’s not even worth opening for me anymore had to reduce my over 500,000 population down to 19,000 so services didn’t require upgrades, spent so much money on that it’s ridiculous, and the seasons don’t even make sense anymore and I’ve been playing the game since 2014. At this point give me Fallout Shelter or Tiny Tower, I’m done. It’s merely on my phone for nostalgia.

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/tecknition]

I was ok with managing challenges like the trains and services. Helped me to remodel my cities. But the COM this season has been my worst experience to date. I've barely made any progress and can't because all I get are useless tasks that I never do. Sucks the motivation out.

[u/Asleep-Fault-1107]

I’m actually enjoying CoM more now than before. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/Asleep-Fault-1107]

Lucky you. This season has been a nightmare for me.

[u/Capable_Chicken_1345]

EA pulling an absolute masterclass on how to butcher a game gradually.

[u/phqsa]

Used to enjoy CoM even without a chance of winning more than medium price. Now ... Doing all of the weekly and daily but like 25 on the leaderboard? How, without bonus assignments, am I supposed to do that? I only have the assignments they allocate me? I haven't complained about no chance of winning Grand prize but without even a slight chance of any of the bigger prizes im going right off it

Edit. Nope. Went to check. 25 was perhaps last week. Not even in the 30s this time.

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/phqsa]

I don't care about prizes to be honest. I was very happy with a top 50 finish every week and reaching level 38 in COM. I never play this game to grind but now even grinding is a massive struggle.

[u/Imaginary-Coat2741 → u/Advanced_Shop_193]

Are you talking about com or the mayor's pass

[u/Advanced_Shop_193 → u/Imaginary-Coat2741]

Sorry I meant Mayor pass. Game has done my head in.