Hello There Clammers!
Seeing lots of questions pop up in the comments and on Facebook about what happens once you’ve cleared the 10 required clowns for the task with Chris. Do the clowns stop appearing? Will you be able to earn all the required horns and pies? Do you have to buy premium? Why is TinyCo Forcing you to spend clams? And my personal favorite…Why Don’t they give us MORE free clams?! So let’s take a look at all of these and more….I promise it’s not as bad as it may seem.
Disclaimer..Sorry if this comes across as a bit of a rant on my part. It’s not how it’s intended, I just want to make it clear to you guys exactly what’s going on and how the game could/should be played. 🙂
After you’ve cleared the 10 Clowns as part of the quest with Chris a little more dialogue will appear:
Chris: That was fun! On another note, do you need to go to the doctor if you were bit by a clown?
Completing The Greatest Little Quahog Circus task will earn you 10 FREE CLAMS…yes, you read that right. 10 Free clams just for clearing the 10 Clowns…in addition to the Pies and the Horns you’ll get.
So what happens next?
Will Clowns Still Appear After I’ve Cleared the 10 From the Quest?
YES! Clowns, will still appear even after you’ve finished the quest with Chris (see this post for how often). They’ll appear at the same rate they have been appear in the game. So just check your game every few hours and clear the clowns to continue to collect the stuff.
To clear the clowns after you’ve completed the quest you must tap on the clown to clear it. Since there is no longer a quick access from the task bar.
Will you be able to earn all the required horns and pies?
Yes. The Clowns appearing will still drop pies and horns. The goals are entirely achievable (see this post for how) but it will take lots of patience and you WILL NOT unlock the costume before Sunday if you’re playing freemium. So just accept that fact right now. The quicker you realize that the more fun you will have with the game.
What’s the Deal with the Costume?
Once you’ve collected all the necessary stuff you’ll unlock the Pee Pants costume. It’s a 5 second build, and comes with a full set of tasks. As of right now there is no questline associated with the costume.
Here’s a look at the tasks:
| Task | Length | Earns | Extra |
| Do That Scarf Trick | 1hr | $20, 12xp | Earns Fancy Pants and Pawtucket Ale |
| Circus Jump | 4hrs | $80, 50xp | Requires Premium Ring of Fire/ Earns Wine |
| Wet Himself | 4hrs | $50, 30xp | Earns Dry Martini |
| Blow up a Balloon | 8hrs | $80, 50xp | Earns Eyeshadow & Skechies |
| Extract the Unicycle | 12hrs | $100, 65xp | n/a |
Do I Have to Buy Premium to Complete this Event?
N-O. No, no no no no. The answer is just that simple NO. This event CAN be completed with out buying premium, it just takes a lot of patience and diligent “tapping”.
The premium items are meant for those impatient players with deep pockets. The players that want the premium items and don’t want to wait forever (or play constantly) to get the pies and horns. If you’re a freemium player FORGET ABOUT THEM. Pretend they don’t exist…I promise you’ll enjoy the game more.
Why is TinyCo Forcing you to spend clams?
They aren’t. There is no requirement to purchase clams in this game. You can enjoy the game and progress quite nicely with out spending a single clam.
Just keep in mind…clams is how they make their money. There are no ads in this game. They’re giving freemium players a game completely for FREE, and not forcing you to spend a dime. So, when they make premium items and have the specials posted (like the buy coins get clams free), that’s how they make their money. With out people buying clams (or coins) this game wouldn’t exist. So don’t flip out over them having premium items or running specials like that. It’s still a business.
Why Don’t they give us MORE free clams?!
They do! They give plenty of free clams in this game, more than I can remember from another freemium tapping game. You even get 10 Free Clams when you clear the clowns with Chris.
Again, clams are how they make money and why the game can still run. They’re not going to give away what’s funding the game. If you want clams, you have to pay for them. Be thankful for the clams you get for free (which is quite a bit) and save them for something you really want.
If you can’t accept the Freemium vs. Premium aspect of this game…maybe it’s not a game you should be playing.
Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff is a game of patience or very deep pockets. If you don’t have deep pockets to shell out hundreds on clams you need to exercise PATIENCE. I know in today’s world of instant satisfaction that’s not always the easiest thing to do, but you have to realize this game IS playable completely Freemium BUT YOU NEED PATIENCE TO DO IT! You’re not going to unlock everything immediately, it’s going to take work and constant playing to get there but you CAN get there…and completely for FREE. It’s just not going to happen overnight. The sooner you accept that it’s going to take time to get places in this game, if you’re not spending money, the more fun you’ll have with it…I promise.
Family Guy Addicts 
I know the circus event is now over but I wanted to make a couple of points. Yes there are loads of free games out there but I have yet to find one that is amazing and, I’ve always ended up spending some money in game – this is no different. You wouldn’t work for free so why do you expect game developers. Also, anyone who only got a clown an hour must have had a glitch. I didn’t play every hour and got at least 3 every time I went into the game. The rate of clowns didn’t change for me. I got the first 10 clowns in 3 visits and got the costume by Saturday night. I did buy a cotton candy machine and the other object that gave out pies, but I had enough in game currency to get those without making a purchase. I probably played for less than 5 mins every 2-3 hours. The longer I was away the more clowns I got so I don’t understand why people are saying they only got 1 clown an hour. The event was still going on Monday morning so I’m guessing they extended it due to feedback. I think TinyCo gave us a nice mini event and I loved it. Whilst I did buy all the other circus items, I inly did so after getting the costume and that was so I had a nice little circus in my town. That was my choice! I just don’t understand people who expect to play an updated game completely free, and then bitch about not being able to get things quicker or at all! At least you have loads of chances of getting free clams unlike the donuts in TSTO! Every day I get at least 1 from friends. Stop whining and if it bothers you that much, play something else. There will always be glitches in a game like this. TSTO has had far more complex glitches EVERY time they update. As a result, many people were unable to get everything during the Christmas, Valentines Day, St Patricks Day events and their Easter event is no different. I know blogs are there to vent, but going on and on about the same thing and getting stressed and frustrated with a game sounds like you need to stop playing. Games are meant to be fun. If I like a game, I’ll spend money on it just like I would for a console game, film or anything I enjoy. Expecting not to have to pay is just greedy on your part IMO. TinyCo are a small company who have spent a very long time developing an authentic game, as well as a lot of money on the Licence, show writers and character voices. Personally, I am fed up with hearing people moan about spending a bit of money (you really DON’T have to unless you want everything instantly). I’m also fed up having to moan about those who moan. It’s simple people – if it bothers you that much, stop playing! Rant over – yet again! Vince – either you had a glitch with the clowns or I had a glitch giving me more clowns. If you inform TinyCo I’m sure they will make amends. They did for me when I had a glitch! I only bought 2 items with the currency I had already earned in the game and didn’t play every hour and I had clown Peter by Saturday night! Sorry but I really do get angry when people complain. In TSTO people are having to play pretty much all day for the last 2 weeks to even get a chance of getting everything for the Easter event. Either that or spend a much bigger amount of real money to buy truckloads of eggs as the last 2 characters are only guaranteed on getting the 80th and 81st gold box. Just getting 1 of those is hard enough. They have had massive glitches with egg baskets not being able to be collected when full of eggs, which you have a 0.3% chance of getting (without spending 10 donuts) in the first place. I think EA are more greedy than TinyCo. Instead of moaning on a forum, contact them through the Help & Support in game and tell them what your issues are. It does work. Originally Consuela’s house cost nearly 600 clams but after complaints that was way too much they dropped the price to 300. Nearly half. TinyCo do listen and we all need to give them a chance. Moaning here won’t help you, talking to them just might. There, NOW my rant is over!!!!
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Sorry to say that when a game gives a task to get a free item without spending money, adds premium content to finish said task faster and makes the time frame so short you will have to spend every hour day and night to complete it or buy the premium items; that is forcing players to spend money. No, TinyCo is not twisting people’s arms and making them spend $10 to play but it is a subversive way of making players spend money or be frustrated because they could not complete a task that was made so free players had a “chance” to get it. EA did that with their Sims social game on facebook; made weekly quests every week without rest that required you to play constantly to finish the quest and win a prize. It drove me away from a game I loved to play and it drove a lot of others away.
Compounding this is the fact that after the first 10 clowns are removed and you finish the quest the spawn rate of clowns drops off. A clown does not appear every hour as it was supposed to and only one of each type of clown ever appears in town at once. One that gives pies and one that gives horns. Unless you monitor it every hour or every 30 minutes to clear the clowns as they come you lose out on a lot of pies and horns. The clowns do not accumulate as they should have been. This may have been just a bug but it is a costly bug to the players moral for this game. It is one thing if this was a week long event that was advertised ahead of time and players prepared, but this was a 2-3 day planed event. it leaves no time for bugs to be found and dealt with.
Advise to the future for TinyCo: Do not make events so short as there will always be some sort of bug that arises. If an event is only 2-3 days long and requires a lot of collecting of new materials and from new sources there is no time to spot any bugs and fix them in time.
If you want event content to be strictly premium then make it so, Do not give it the illusion of being free. players mad be sad if Pee Pants was a buy with clams only costume, but doing so is a lot friendlier to the players than making it a constant activity.
I know free games need money to survive. That is why you need to do things correctly and make players feel they can spend money if they want to to get cool stuff, and if not then it is ok because there is still lots of other stuff you can get. manipulating players into feeling they NEED to spend money is never a wise idea.
There are plenty of free games on the market and if players feel threatened or cheated they will go elsewhere easily. Make players want to stay by making them feel safe and comfortable.
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This was their first event. It’s difficult to predict how things will play out until it’s actually in play (and millions of people are playing off of the server). It’s reasons like this that cause them to ask us to do those feedback posts. This gives them direct feedback from you guys on what was good and bad in the game during that time. This allows them to make changes for the next event.
As I said it was their first event, so in my mind they deserve a pass on it (and I think you should give them one too). It’s up to them now to take the feedback from players for the second event. So we’ll see what happens then.
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So I’ve been very patient with this game. Have just now started on District 6. I love this game, but not this circus update. I constantly check the game, and have yet to get any clowns. I also go to bed, wake up 6 hrs later, only to collect 2 clowns instead. I understand I won’t be able to get the clown on freemium mode however, I just don’t understand the clown spawning logic. I wish they offered better freemium since this game is a new game and EA should be trying to lure gamers in with the cool free stuff rather showing them that the cool stuff you need money (clams). 😦
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I’ve had an issue with the game clock in this game. After collecting clown pies & horns I’ll send Chris on his 1hr task of picking nose goblins in the hope that when I return there will be clowns to clear. This evening I sent him on the 1hr task then went to run errands. I was away from my tablet for more tham 2.5hrs & when I returned to my Quahog Chris had 2 minutes left on his task. He should of been done! Have you heard of, or experienced this issue? Now I’m beginning to wonder if I’ having other time issues with this game. According to your post clowns should be appearing every 1 to 2 hours, but when I return to the game after what seems to be around an hour no clowns. I haven’t set a time clock to test this yet, but considering how often I’m checking this game & TSTO I should have Pee Pants the Hobo Clown by now or at least be closer.
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Yes, but this is slightly different. Definitely report.it to tinyco asap.
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Darn Alissa, I came to complain about clowns….😉, but your post was so well written, I had to put the guns away. I must admit, I’ve now invested some real money bc I like this game and company, and want to help them pay their light bills. I also bought a scale and big top tent (I really want that stupid outfit), and was not sure how often I would be able to play this weekend. I know you’re working “Bunny” time….err…”Double” time, keep up the great job. Keep feeding her carrot soup…lol
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Will do 🙂
And glad to have you join the “darkside” and keep the lights on lol
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Sure, You can collect enough pies to unlock the costume… if you’ve got nothing else to do once an hour and every hour for 16 hours both Saturday and Sunday. The pie clowns only appear one at a time, so if you don’t collect one, the next one won’t come up until an hour after you collect the one in your town. A game should be fun, not a stressful or disappointing way to spend your day. The horn clowns seem to be easier to achieve the target number but I’d have to access FG every hour without missing one from 6 in the morning to 10 at night to get all the pie clowns required. Miss just one, and it’s too bad, game over or get out your wallet.
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Really?!?!?! If you don’t have the time to play for a few minutes every hour, then shell out for some clams (pun intended). I don’t get why people expect to play a great constantly updated game with good content, real voices and excellent graphics without paying a single penny. How do you expect the game to keep going if no one pays anything? I usually spend £6:99 for a game and once it’s completed there is no update or new content. Why should this game be any different? For £2:99 you can buy more than enough clams to get the circus object that gives you money and a pie every hour. Doing that, along with getting clowns will get you the FREE costume (I did and I didn’t play every hour). You wouldn’t work for free so why should game developers. I’m more than happy to buy clams and anyone who isn’t shouldn’t, quite frankly, play if they are going to get frustrated that it takes longer to get items. I know not everyone can afford to spend a lot on a game and I know I’m lucky that I can, but I would not moan and bitch if I played the game completely free. Every day I get free clams from tapping my neighbours and some tasks (like clearing the clowns) give you a decent amount free. Either spend a bit of money, play the game for a few mins each hour or just don’t bother playing at all. The costume is FREE, you do not need it! Yes it’s cool but you always have to work for things you want. It’s called life. I bought 2 circus items that give out pies and noses and that was enough for me to get the costume yesterday! (I bought every item as well but that’s just because I wanted a cool looking circus – not because I had to). Personally, I LOVE that TinyCo did this event. Thanks TinyCo
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Forgot to mention – pie clowns do not only appear once an hour. The first time they appeared I got 4 and 1 nose clown. Since then I’ve got at least 2 of each every time I go in. Once the noses were complete, every clown was a pie clown and there were 2-3 every time!
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Does the amount of streets dictate the amount of clowns that spawn at any given time?
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No, it shouldn’t. But you need to have enough room for clowns and characters to move around.
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Just wondering because I have one long strip along the top from end to end and my wife has more road intertwining around her city she is a lower level than I am with less land yet every respawn she has one to two more clowns than I do
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