I have a ton of memories playing Toontown with my sisters. The Walt Disney Company launched this multiplayer computer game almost fourteen years ago. Now the game is free to download by Toontown Rewritten. I spent last summer playing and I found myself filled with nostalgia. For those out there who remember this game, maybe you can remember the lessons we learned from it.
1. You have to fight for what you need.
If I need to collect cog gears for Woody Nickel at the Feather Duster, then I need to go out on the street and fight some cogs. You can’t expect Woody Nickel to just give you the pouch letting you hold fifty jellybeans. You need to fight the cogs, retrieve the gear, return to Woody Nickel and if that’s all he needs, he will award you. I'm not going to be given what I need, I have to work for it myself.
2. Depend on others.
Unless you have over one hundred laff points and every gag possible, defeating a four story building is impossible alone. Completing toontasks with other toons is vital to developing your toon in the game. Early in the game, you will learn to depend on the help from others. Other toons make life easier and the game more fun.
3. Pick your battles wisely.
Approaching a Level 9 Yes Man when your toon has only twenty laff points will ensure your death. Going into battle without preparation will certainly lead to losing the battle. As a toon, you always need to keep in mind your ability. If I need to defeat a three story lawbot building and I only have fifty laff points, I won't go in alone and approach the battle unprepared.
4. Sometimes you have to go the long way.
If you are in Daisy Gardens, you need to go to The Brrrgh and you don’t have teleport access yet, you must suck it up and run all the way to your destination. Running from playground to playground is tiresome. Once you complete the toontask to earn teleport access, traveling in ToonTown becomes a breeze. However, before you earn that ability, you must take the long way to your destination. This act of earning the shortcut ensures that you will actually appreciate it.
5. Always help a friend in need.
You are diligently working on a toontask but all of the sudden, your friend sends an SOS, what do you do? You teleport to them as soon as you can! Helping other toons in their time of need not only reflects well on your character, but in the long run will give you more experience as a toon. Helping a friend may not lead to lifelong companionship, toontown is only a computer game. But, helping another toon encourages them return the favor and help someone else. You can’t get through this game alone. Be the toon to help others so in return, others will help you.
6. Enjoy the journey.
When you first begin your journey on toontown, you have fifteen laff points. As you complete toontasks and play more, your laff limit will increase. The most laff points I’ve ever seen a toon have was 135! Everyone desires to have highest laff points, the most gags and the coolest SOS cards. But, you don’t earn those benefits in just one day. You must do the grunt work, complete the never ending supply of toontasks and along the way, you will find yourself enjoying the journey. I won't accomplish all my goals as quick as I want, but I will wake up everyday with new tasks at hand. I must focus on the task in front of me, and the experiences I have will be my daily reward.
