Hello @Jambo and welcome to our friendly community.  I am sorry you are having these issues.  I want to make sure I understand the exact nature of your problems so I can assist you.

When you say you have no access to comments - what are you referring to - since you obviously have access here in the Community.  You mention the various friends but also say they are just 'downloading' Are you referring to when you are collecting stickers by winning various levels so you can add a friend or new costume to your collection?  If you are referring to something else - can you please take a screen shot and post it here so I can see what you are referring to? 
(If you need help with a print screen, please follow the steps from here. )

You also mention no access to gold bars - do you mean you don't have access to the store where you can purchase gold bars?  Candy Crush Friends does not provide a way to win free gold bars from inside the game but there are many opportunities here in the community to enter various contests and win gold bars.

You also talk about no advancement except hopping pothole to pothole when you win.  That is how you advance in the game.  The game is made up of many episodes and each episode has 20 individual levels.  When you successfully complete an episode - you go thru a magic wormhole to the next episode.  I assume when you say only 3 different variations you are referring to the three different landscapes you continually travel thru in the game.  Even though the scenery may repeat itself, the individual challenges are each very different with the board layout varying from level to level and the friends that you are allowed to use also changes, as well as the daily quests - where you can win helpful boosters and stickers towards new friends and outfits if you haven't collected them all. 

If you are having different issues from what I have mentioned or if you have any additional questions - please post them here and I will be glad to assist you and/or answer them if I can.

Hi @Elsa - since I only play on mobile and not on a PC - I haven't seen the 'oops something went wrong message.  Can you please help this player out?

Thank you.

@Geoff_Hitchcock, A Warm Welcome to our friendly King Community   

By any chance, are you talking about the "Farm Heroes" game?  If so, this area belongs to Candy Friends game. 

Can you please post your comment in this link which is about the same issue  --->  "Game NOT Loading on King.Com"  

Thank you for your patience and understanding!  Have a great day/evening!