Topic

They Also Play Who Wait

The current game mechanics and the emerging understanding (by some, at least) of game rules are leading to the belief that waiting for a desirable resource in a shared space is wrong because it can create an expectation that may be violated and thus lead to sadness and the expression of sadness (aka complaining). 

They also play who wait. In some cases, they not only wait, but also seek to have a shared social experience while waiting. The key to this experience is that it combines the fulfillment of a significant individual goal with a sense of shared purpose in a shared context. There are ways to have this kind of social experience that do not involve waiting for a desirable and up-for-grabs resource in a public space, but the game itself currently does not provide them (to my knowledge), and I have not yet seen anyone succeed in organizing them in any sustained way. Perhaps we should try. 

(This is the short version.  The background that originally came before this in what would have been a very long post can be found in my comment below, for those who care to read it all.)

Posted 12 months ago by Splendora Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • I the real world, I've had some great experiences waiting in a queue with other people.  We've shared jokes and stories, made paper hats, passed around sunscreen, and sometimes sang together.  I've had people come by with hot coffee and cold sandwiches or cold beer and hot sandwiches, and there have been times when I've been the one coming by to offer such sustenance.  I'm not advocating the deliberate creation of long queues by, say, reducing the number of voting stations available during an election.  But I find that sometimes it's not a bad thing to wait, especially if the waiting leads to a positive, spontaneous social interaction. 

    In Glitch, there are a number of spaces in which people reliably gather, but in most of these people are engaged in some sort of task.  In these spaces, if I make a comment to another Glitchen, sometimes I'll get no response -- which is perfectly fine with me. Other times, I'll get a response that may lead to a conversation.  Usually these conversations are short, with both parties not being sure how eager the other is to get back to whatever they were doing.  There are a few situations, though, in which you find people waiting in Glitch rather than busily going about some task. 

    I've had some great conversations with people waiting for a key to spawn.  I've found that most of the time a person waiting for a key plans to use it right away to enter a locked space, and they will gladly have others follow them into that space.  When I've found someone is waiting for a key that they plan to sell in auction, they have always been willing to give the next key to someone who shows up wanting a key they can use right away. In either case, a small group can sometimes form at a key spawning point and people can enjoy socializing while they wait, with the understanding that whoever gets the key will let everyone else follow them into the locked space. I know the experiences of others may vary, but I've had positive experiences with people waiting for keys. 

    There are periods of waiting in Ajaya Bliss (I assume in Neva Neva too, but I am more familiar with AJ). During those periods of waiting, people converse and engage in other sorts of interactions. This is one of the main reasons I go to AJ. With Mining IV, I usually can get more sparkly faster elsewhere, but not with the same enjoyable social interaction. When I go to AJ, I do mine, however, rather than spending all my time standing around chatting.  I mine because this creates a shared context and a sense of shared purpose. I know some people have had negative experiences with being told to play a certain way in AJ. I've never experienced it myself (and I don't endorse it), so I've enjoyed the times I've spent in AJ. I know that some people don't like AJ because they think it favors those with lower-level mining skills.  I don't think this is quite true (anyone who wishes a detailed, wonky explanation is free to IM me), but I do think the design of AJ puts those with lower-level mining skills at less of a disadvantage -- and I think that contributes to the social experience that I enjoy in AJ.  I know that some people don't like AJ precisely because it involves periods of waiting.  However, I believe the waiting is a key ingredient for the social experience.  So all I can say to those who hate to wait is don't go to AJ.  Finally, I know some people don't like the frenzied movement in AJ.  I completely understand that.  There's a rational reason for moving in the way people do (again, I can give a long, wonky explanation to anyone who want to IM me), but it would be nice to have a place or two where one could have a social experience similar to that of without the chance of motion sickness. 

    That brings me to the community gardens.  Thinking about the community gardens is what motivated this post.  The purpose of this post is NOT to claim that the community gardens are "broken," to advocate for changes to game mechanics, or to vent about the way people behave there.  You are, of course, free to ignore my request,  but I also am free to ask that those who want to engage on such topics post elsewhere.  My comment on the community gardens is simply this:  I had initially thought these might be a place where people could wait together, sharing a common purpose while also satisfying individual goals.  It's clear to me now that the community gardens do not function in this way, and I understand why they do not function in this way.  However, shared spaces with the characteristics I've described give rise to certain kinds of social interaction that are otherwise difficult to achieve among people who start out as strangers, and this is a reason why people seek such spaces. 

    Now we come to the sticking point.  While I would argue that waiting is not necessarily a waste of time, waiting does involve the use of time. Time is a very real resource. Indeed, it is one of the most basic and most valuable resources we each possess. Using resources we possess by birthright (our time, our labor) gives rise to expectations of control.  I think this is natural and understandable. I don't think it is prima facia wrong or selfish to have such expectations.  However, sometimes such expectations are unrealistic.  And you will lose the sympathy of others if you persistently ignore reality and complain about the consequences. But castigating people for having desires that are natural and understandable is another form of denying reality. 

    Too long for sure, as usual, but perhaps they also serve who only write and write.
    Posted 12 months ago by Splendora Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This old thread in Ideas talks about some of the issues you're bringing up.  Perhaps the devs could unlock it so we can continue the discussion

    Social Spaces in the World

    See especially this comment
    Posted 12 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • interesting thoughts - I've met some really nice people whilst 'waiting' for things in here, have also met a fair few drongos...  As my granny used to say 'patience is a virtue' and 'good things come to those who wait'...
    Posted 12 months ago by Arietty Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks for posting those links WindBorn.  Looking over it quickly, I like the idea of a community kitchen -- especially if that involved, say, providing food that new players might otherwise not get.

    I think having a sense of shared purpose adds an important element that isn't there with, say, a coffee shop. Including a way to satisfy important personal goals, such as completing a quest or getting a badge also helps. (I believe in working with the human tendency to see ourselves as the center of the universe as a way of helping us transcend that view.)
    Posted 12 months ago by Splendora Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Since the thread is still locked:

    There are also those who like hanging out, without a "shared purpose".  Eventually, when you see the same person over and over again, you say hello, and even more eventually you start a conversation.  It is a slower, more gradual way to become acquainted, but is a real-world style that seems to be well represented in Glitch.  
    Posted 12 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks for the thoughtful and insightful post, Splendora. The Sandbox Group does a great job of bringing people together with shared purposes too.
    Posted 12 months ago by Fluxan Subscriber! | Permalink
  • About the links posted by WindBorn
    I totally dig those ideas!
    a library
    a public aquarium 
    a planetarium
    an area with a gigantic bonfire
    a coffee shop

    We don't need all of them of course, but at least one would be a giant leap in social aspects of Glitch
    Posted 12 months ago by Lemo Subscriber! | Permalink