Topic

Mining Etiquette (again)

I would like to re-open the discussion on mining etiquette.

I am a relative newbie and I was confused about the glitches who swoop quickly through the mines, "helping" others finish off rocks. At first I thought it was nice to see so many helpers. But then I noticed that, unlike other miners, the "helpers" tended to be surly, never chatting, trading, or giving kindness. Also, the helpers hate it if you trail them and attempt to "help" them!  I have concluded that "helping" like this is actually an act of rudeness.

I read through the old closed discussions and it seems that most people feel the same way.

I understand that any system to prevent "helping" would be cumbersome.

My question is: Why is this behavior still called "helping"? I feel like calling it that and having the system report mining progress as though it were a good thing just gives jerks permission to act like jerks.

There are a lot of cool things about Glitch but what makes this game really unique is that it does not encourage or reward people for preying on each other. Except in the case of "helping" someone mine.

It is sad to see the fast, high level "helpers" clean out an area before the others can even finish one rock.

I realize that, especially with the new house stuff coming out and all, there are a lot of more pressing concerns to be addressed now. I just hope that the "helping" feature could be renamed to something more accurate before re-launch.

I also hope that you will take my comments as I intend them, as questions and suggestions, not as criticism and that you will correct me if I am mistaken. Thank you.

Posted 9 months ago by Miss Bobbit Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

Previous 1 2 3
  • A lot of miners who are out and about just want to run solo.
    Either having a bad day, or just, like I said, running solo.

    And I don't see how not trading, chatting, or giving Random Kindness a quality of being a jerk.
    Expecting something nice, eight times out of ten always lands a negative action.

    Also, if you do run into "surly" people, there's a few ways you can deal with them. 

    Either block or report!
    "Oh, but I shouldn't have to do that.".

    Or continue to get upset.
    Posted 9 months ago by Volkov Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Usually I mine alone but I don't mind anyone helping me, there are plenty of rocks for all. You said you are new, perhaps you haven't tried the quieter mining areas yet?

    You seem to be attributing negative emotions to other Glitchen, I wonder what makes you think they are surly, my Glitch seems to pull all sorts of random faces (and scratches her butt!)

    I rarely speak when in game as I lag so badly (using a little netbook) and it is difficult. I try to bestow kindness when I can but, again, I lag so badly people are usually on the next street by the time I am ready to zap.
    Posted 9 months ago by Miss Parsley Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I suffer from lag too particularly when using a laptop and as soon another miner comes near me I can barely do anything so I also mine alone.  I know people say you get more from helping such as Bonus rocks but truthfully mining alone gives me more rocks :) I am there for supplies, not to be social though I do chat to a few friends I have made provided I haven't just had an earthshaker drink :D :D

    You mine with someone or mine alone.  The choice is down to the individual.
    Posted 9 months ago by ~Arabesque~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • ps..I can clear a room too but it took me a long time to be able to do that.  Mining 4 took me close to 30 days to learn.  Once you learn that skill OP you too can mine just as fast.  It's another reward ingame and makes mining a lot less tedious :)
    Posted 9 months ago by ~Arabesque~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • If you're mining something that is rare (like sparkly), then I frankly think it's selfish to claim the rock for yourself and refuse to share. If you're mining something common (like beryl), then you probably don't have a problem with people trying to mine with you so that's probably not why you're complaining. If you're a low level player, would you prefer that high level players "help" you and then move on to the next rock with you (hopefully waiting politely for you to get there before they start), or leave you to your one rock while they clear out the rest of the room by themselves?

    There are various places in Ur where coop mining is extremely common (and if you go there you have to expect it), and others where it is not common, so you are more likely to be able to mine by yourself. Callopee/Pollokoo are very co-op, for instance because of the large amount of sparkly, while Groddle Heights is more for loners (and yes, it does contain some sparkly). Try different areas until you find one that has the right vibe for you.
    Posted 9 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Miss Bobbit: my understanding is that the "helping" system was put in place because of the difference in yield due to the higher mining skill levels. If a player with a high mining skill was mining the same rock as a player with lower (or no) mining skills, the high-skill player would be able to mine so much faster that they would practically get the whole rock. With "help mine", everyone, even a lower skill miner, will get an extra chunk or 2.

    If you are going to Ajaya Bliss or Neva Neva to mine, then there is this whole sort-of arabesque that has evolved among the regulars who go there. It may take a bit of a learning curve to get used to it.

    If people are being snappy because you are joining them at a rock, just ignore them. You have as much right to mine a rock as they do and they can't stop you. However, if someone doesn't want to chat, you probably should not assume that they're surly. Maybe they are just focused on what they are doing and didn't see that you were saying something. Maybe they only have a limited time they can play and want to get as much done in that time as they can. It could be any number of reasons besides surliness.

    That said, there are plenty of places with rocks and no-one there. (I really mean no-one. Just this week I was part of a group delivering food to miners and we only found a handful of people outside of AB and NN at all! It was darn empty!)
    Posted 9 months ago by Flowerry Pott Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm shy so I rarely talk, even though I'm afraid it might come off as rude.  Usually I'll hug someone who helped me mine a lot, and I don't have any problem sharing rocks.  I'm just more comfortable mining alone because, like a lot of things in Glitch, mining "politeness" seems counter-intuitive to me.  I love the game, but one of the things I could nitpick about it is that in many cases, what seems nice or polite to do (like meditating for people, petting trees, replanting, what-have-you), is actually hurting someone who needs a negative action for an achievement or quest.  In the case of mining, I've kind of gotten so used to the backwards-polite stuff in the game that I'm never sure if I'm helping mine correctly.  For all I know I think I'm being useful and the person across from me is sitting there thinking, "What a jerk!"
    Posted 9 months ago by Ring Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Just wanted to add my 2 currants to say that I agree that sometimes, it's easy to miss that someone tried to chat with you.  

    I often play with the sound off, and if my attention is divided--which it often is if I'm mining or going on an Ix spice run--I sometimes don't realize that another Glitch tried to chat with me until I'm not even on the same street anymore.  I'm not surly, just distracted :-)
    Posted 9 months ago by Georgia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Forgive me for not making myself clear! I never "help" anyone mine who hasn't already helped me.

    I am not upset with anyone and I am just curious about what I have noticed as far as the 2 styles of mining.

    One group tends to be friendlier but seems to prefer to mine alone. The other is not very friendly but prefers to rush in to "help" the solo miners finish their rocks.

    I thought it was odd because I naturally expected that people rushing around to "help" would be more social. It also seemed odd to me that the game seems to encourage the second style of mining even though the old comments indicate that many people are annoyed by aggressive "helping."

    I am just trying to make sense out of this new world. I appreciate all the good advice and helpful suggestions. I have mined only in the caverns and deeps of Ilmenskie and should try some of the locations mentioned here. Thanks so much!
    Posted 9 months ago by Miss Bobbit Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think there is a third group that you're missing, Miss Bobbit, which would be the friendly helpers. I count myself as one of those. I usually only help mine on sparkly, since it's the rarest of the rocks. I start out very cautiously--if the person gives signs of not wanting help I move on. If not, I continue and then give them random kindness. I'll chat back if they seem to want to chat. If I move on to another rock before them, I wait for them to show up before starting.
    Posted 9 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm not chatty, but if I'm mining with a random someone and I finish with the rock first, I generally wait for the other glitch to arrive at the new rock before I smash it with my burly Level 4 miner's arms & Super Ultra Rock Exterminator brand pick. 
    Posted 9 months ago by Aleph Zero Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Miss Bobbit, I think the game just takes a bit of getting used to.  I found it hard to keep up when in "help mine" mode when I was starting out.  But, as you get to the higher levels of mining skills, you'll be going very fast, too.

    At first, it might seem like players are being surly but in fact they are just playing their own game.  When I mine, I'll help or mine alone and then I'll move on.  If I'm in one of those areas where a certain etiquette is expected, I'll just participate even though it isn't my normal thing.  If the etiquette is to all wait at the rock for everyone to get there, I'll wait.  Then, everyone starts mining at the same-ish time.  If I'm done sooner and I get to a recently spawned sparkly, I'll call it out in the local chat like this "tl" for top left, "br" for bottom right etc.

    I never knew about any of the mining etiquette until someone said, "we usually wait for each other".  I just said "I didn't know" and then waited.  It isn't surly, it just lacks everything but words.  No tone of voice, no RL facial expression, just typed words.  So, it can come off as just about anything.  I like to imagine everyone is smiling when they play, but that is just me.

    I agree with other posters, Groddle Heights is a great place for mining solo. There are some days when, wow, fifty million people, but not always.  And, there are zillions of animals so you just have to pay attention to what you are clicking, so as not to waste your earth shaker.

    Oh, and one thought on random kindness.  Some players never do all the available tasks/skills.  I used to receive zillions of random kindnesses from my garden crops when I had a big 50k house.  I used them all the time!  Everybody gets random kindness, wheeeee.  But, now that I have a bog house, I hardly ever get random kindness from my herb plots.  I'm a little more sparing with my random kindness now as I don't have much to give out.  I save it up for days when I feel the need to mine a lot.  So, some players might not be reciprocating because they might not have anything to share.  Just a thought.

    Also, it is possible that you can post a message on the forum or on your home page to seek out a mining partner.  You can keep an eye on the part of your home page that shows which of your friends are online.  That way, you'll know who is in game around the same time of day as you.  They'll be more likely to make good and available mining partners.  Plus, you can agree to what you both think are fair terms, such as sharing random kindness after each rock is complete or after every three rocks etc.  One day, you bring the earth shakers, next time your friend brings them.

    And, (since I didn't look at your profile I don't know) if you don't have many friends added yet, go ahead and start adding!  If you give someone something (randomly give a sandwich to a newer player etc) or if they give you something, add them!!  If you find a post on a forum funny or much the way you think, add that person.  I have found that players add back.  I'm not sure I've ever had a player not add me back.  I'm far from social but I still add people, it is a good part of the game that helps keep players connected.  And, when you do find players who like to chat during game, be sure to add those guys too.

    I do think it is clear that you are not actually upset with anyone, it just happens to be the kind of game where players do things totally differently.  Oh, and look for a mining group!  That can also be a fun way to meet players who like mining the same way you do.  Just go to groups and then do a search.

    When I first started, I was so afraid to use the community herb gardens due to the forum posts about all the disagreements.  It took me forever to finally try it and I only tried it the one time for my quest log.  I was careful, asked a zillion times, then took what i needed, planted, and said TY and left.  Why I was so nervous, I don't know.  There can be a lot of strife in the forums but don't let that psych you out.  I let it get to me and it limited my herb abilities for ages. 

    Have fun!
    Posted 9 months ago by Minkey Subscriber! | Permalink
  • OT here but that was a great post Minkey.  I've added you and will send you some RK's via inbox.  I do still have the big house and am inundated with RK's.  I generally only use them in built up player locations such as cebarkul or if I see someone AFK.
    Posted 9 months ago by ~Arabesque~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Unless I'm in Neva or AB (which.. I don't really go to..) or at a party I don't pay much attention to any "rules" for miners.. If I see a rock, I go and mine it, if there's someone there mining it, I mine with them.. if there's nobody, I mine it.. if there's someone on the street sometimes I'll tell them if a sparkly has spawned over where I'm mining.. but otherwise I just leave people be.  I used to make conversation in the mines but so few people talked back that I don't really do it anymore.  I don't mean to be surly it's just when I mine I Just want to mine and be done with it.  The exception is when I'm chillin in Calloppee with my buddy MixMaster.  Then I just stay and chat and wait for rocks to spawn, and mine with him.  ^_^
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Miss Bobbit, It is called "helping" because, the more people who mine at the same time (up to 9 glitches, I think)  the higher the yield per action for each person. As such,  you get more ore for less energy than mining alone.

    Add to this that sparkly rock has the highest resale value and you had an understanding arise that "More is merrier."  This is such a widespread assumption that nobody stops and asks "oh, mind if I join you?" because it is assumed (not always correctly) that everybody is aware of the improved returns and will welcome the assist.

    My advice, and please do not take this as a criticism, is to be more open to it. Yes, for a single rock, you may get less ore as a result, but you will see a better return for the time and energy. Try going to NevaNeva or Ajaya Bliss and see how people coordinate it there ("When in Rome...") and even give it a try. You would be surprised how quickly your bags fill.
    Posted 9 months ago by MrVolare Subscriber! | Permalink
  • TY, Casarat!
    Posted 9 months ago by Minkey Subscriber! | Permalink
  • As to Conversation, most folks mining are focused on gathering resources and aren't real chatty. At best, they are listening to music and watching Global chat go by. At their homes, their SO's are asking them questions they can't hear and don't acknowledge, their children are sticking forks in the microwave, and they are completely unaware their dog is making sweet romance to their loafers.

    In other words, people get rather focused when they are mining.
    Posted 9 months ago by MrVolare Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm laughing so hard right now, Mr Volare!
    Posted 9 months ago by Minkey Subscriber! | Permalink
  • :: giggles :: SO true Volarre.. :: nods :: it was in fact when I was mining the other day that my son exploded my microwave.  >_<  So yeah.  Um.. sometimes focused just on getting the job done.. other times focused on real life issues that suddenly crop up in the middle of game time that we're trying desperately to deal with while still mining sparklies lol >_>
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I personally do not like sharing any type of rock. It is my personal preference. I like being the sole depleter of a rock. People say that you make more in the long-run but that doesn't console me. I swear I make more when I mine alone and at least I don't have to waste precious time sourcing New rocks. I don't care about the gems as I just hoard them anyway. If someone joins me, I simply move on to the next one. Some people feel offended by that, but I won't apologise for my peference. I know that I have no exclusive rights on anything in this game but I can't help but feel that mining is all about benifitting at another's loss (picture arriving at a street that has been mined clean). When you nibble piggies, does that mean that others can't for any set time? Mining is an unpleasant and (somewhat competitive) experience for me. It's only natural for me to get in, get the most out of effort and get out.
    Posted 9 months ago by Trinitaria Starr ™ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I hate co-op mining and will leave a rock if someone comes up.  I know this is my deal more than anyone elses so I dont do anything about it,  but I HATE sharing a rock.  WHat drives me nuts is when there are 2 sparkles and Im mining one and someone gets right on top of me and starts mining.  Not only do I lose rock,  but half the time I accidentally IM the person instead of mining.
    Posted 9 months ago by TheBoyWhoCriedRook Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oh what does bug me is when someone stands right next to my avatar.. like instead of picking the opposite side of the rock.. they stand right on top of my avvie.  I'm like, dude personal space.  XD

    I used to hate mining with others too but then just gave up.. it was too much work staying angry all the time.  Now I just mine whatever whenever.. if someone moves away from me when I start mining a rock I don't go out of my way to avoid them though.. all the rocks are there for us to share and if I want to mine a rock, unless someone nicely and politely asks me to go elsewhere, I'll go ahead and mine their rock more.

    Mining has bonuses because it's meant to be a cooperative thingy that we do in the game.  Also there are plenty of little hidey holes in the mines up in Pollokoo and Calloppe I've found that hardly ever have people there.  And timing matters too.. if you get on during off-peak-hours you won't have to mine around others.  You can even mine in Ilmenskie when there's no-one there if you get on at like, midnight PST to about 4 am PST.. for all you insomniacs out there.  >_>

    /sigh anyways... I'm going to go take advantage of my apple computer now and make it help me imagine up some goats... :: cough :: I'll be back in .. um.. an indeterminate amount of time later..
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • My two cents. I hate co-op mining. If I wanted to co-op I'd go to AB or Neva. With one person helping, I get half the yield and less chance at gems--and all i get in return is ONE bonus piece of rock.  As of 4 minutes ago, according to http://glitch.alwaysdata.net/, there are 233 beryl, 249 dullite, 1180 metal, and 254 sparkly on public streets. None of this stuff is rare. Leave my rock alone.

    That being said, it's not that I'm in any way rude to the person who hops on my rock.  I finish mining and walk away (preferably to a different street than the one they go to so I can avoid frustrations).  We all play the game differently.  I love being social and helpful in most situations, but when I'm in the mines I'm very goal oriented--get in, get my stuff, get out.
    Posted 9 months ago by Soupie♨ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I see rock, I mine rock, others mine rock or no doesn't matter to me. Side choices aren't always under your control doesn't matter to me. All that said, I do enjoy the stillness of Illemenski in the off hours and during U.S. workday.
    Posted 9 months ago by MrVolare Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like to group mine because when others "help" you, you gain additional chunks of sparkly without wasting the energy of mining the whole darned rock yourself.

    So people who rush up to help you are not trying to hog the rock, but rather trying to help you gain more for your mining energy, as well as reap more ore for themselves. It's not a selfish thing, trust me.  ;)
    Posted 9 months ago by Black-Eyed Susan Subscriber! | Permalink
  • There are a couple of places I co-op mine in. These places are generally the abodes of people I'm friends with, and there's a certain protocol to the operation. Those are the places I go to mine when I'm feeling especially chatty and not in a particular rush. Anywhere else, I'm pretty well mining solo by choice- meaning, if more than one person swoops in on a given rock, I'm bouncing to the next room, and I don't mine anything somebody's already mining (if you're AFK in front of a rock, however, all bets are off). As far as interaction goes- again, if I'm mining solo, I'm trying to get done ASAP, so I don't generally say much. I have no qualms about clearing out a room; I'm responsible for my own mining, and, lo and behold, the rocks regenerate. To be perfectly blunt, if somebody's concerned about the number of rocks available in a room, they should perhaps move to another room. Same goes with the speed at which I mine- I'm mining, you're mining, but we're not mining for each other. What we get is what we get.
    As far as Pollokoo and Callopee being "very co-op", the only evidence I've seen of that in recent times has been 20-player herds clear-cutting everything in their paths. It's all well and good to talk about co-op mining when you're not a hapless solo or one of a pair in the path of a huge swarm of locusts... imagine how rude that looks from the outside (though that seldom seems to occur to those in the raiding-parties themselves). I think the divide between co-op-only and solo-only is pretty subjective- both sides look just as "wrong" to each other. Massive swarms of co-op miners (often viewed as intolerant of other methods) look just as greedy to solos as solos sweeping a room clean (often viewed as rude) look to co-ops. It's a matter of perspective.

    ETA - Haven't all the above comments been made on the other 400 mining threads? I guess I don't get what new conclusion people are supposed to come to on the 401st. Maybe that makes me dense; who knows.
    Posted 9 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oh for real, what DJ has said.. :: nods :: I hate the SWARMS of co-op miners >_<!!  Then again that's the best way to reap rewards... and really the ONLY way to see the mining bonuses working in your favour... so I can't complain too much.  They mine their way, I mine mine >_> and in the end rocks respawn so.. :: shrugs ::
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Helping really is the same as "Mining".
    Posted 9 months ago by AwesomeCardinal2000 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @ ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ - Perhaps if you're part of the swarm the bonuses are awesome. If you're just minding your own business when 20 more people show up, you're just kinda SOL.
    Posted 9 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I usually get people who want to help me mine when I only have a tiny bit of rock left. I personally think that's rude and greedy. If I have a mostly large rock I don't really care. If I don't want to mine with anyone, I just walk away when they come help me. I actually had someone follow me everywhere and didn't get the hint I wanted to be alone. But I didn't get mad. Just walked away.
    Posted 9 months ago by DamitaJo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yeah DJ.. that's what I mean.. I'm SOL but then again I can always just 'port to a corner of the mines I know to usually be empty and with quickly respawning sparklies and let them do their thang.  :>

    And Damita... I've done that to people a lot.. because it happens to be the rock that's in the room that I'm going through at the time.. I don't see it as rude or greedy, it's just there's a rock there and I hop on and share it.

    I did have someone yell at me in the mines in Ilmenskie a few days ago (well, more like a couple weeks now, since I was away for several days), they were like, "Are you trying to get ALL the rocks?? go somewhere else! >:(  " And I was like, Umm yeah?  I AM trying to get all the rocks.. that's what they're here for... >_>  ... ~O.o~

    I mean if someone's nice and tells me, "Excuse me, I prefer mining by myself.." then I happily 'port far away from them.. but otherwise?  I stay where I am.  I'm not hurting anyone really and hey.  Rocks respawn.  If you find that an area is too crowded for your liking, explore until you find somewhere that's not so crowded.  They're out there, you just need to look for them.  (Tip: Go to dead-end streets.. not a lot of peoples pass through those..)
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think the developers called it "helping" so people would see co-mining in a more positive light.  Immediately before the current system, only one person could mine a rock at a time, which meant that by pressing or clicking quickly enough, we could stop each other from mining a particular rock at all, until after it had respawned.  While I personally found this screamingly funny, many others were not amused. 
    Posted 9 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • *oOo* i didnt realize ppl got pissy over isht like this...the rocks dont belong to ne1...whats the dilly? *oOo*
    Posted 9 months ago by *oOo*Shizz*oOo* Subscriber! | Permalink
  • yeeaaa, this is a game focused on community and sharing and hugs and kisses. If I see a rock and I'm looking to mine...I mine it. I also do not mind if ppl mine with me, I rather like it.
    When ppl get rude about "their" rock I remind them that you can't tell others how to play their glitch and a new rock will spawn in a few mins. :)
    Posted 9 months ago by Hybie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Helping as in "Im from the government,  Im here to help"?  Scary words.  Seriously though i would love to be able to put like 3 sparkly rocks in my front yard and then never have to mine with others again.  Just my two cents
    Posted 9 months ago by TheBoyWhoCriedRook Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @ ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ - Oh yeah, I totes agree. I just think it's weird how seldom the other side of the coin is looked at.
    Posted 9 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • A rock doesn't belong to someone just because they stuck their pick in it first.

    If there's a choice between a rock that is being mined and one that isn't, I'll 'help' in so we both get the bonuses.(I don't 'wait' for people if I move onto a new rock, or expect others to wait for me, its no biggie if you miss one mining interaction). It doesn't bother me in the slightest if other people choose to join me mining or not. 

    I'm not in the mines to chat with strangers or give out hugs though, I'm there to get some rock.
    Posted 9 months ago by Lukie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I may be wrong, but i believe the old "mining etiquette" was before they made the "help mine" feature, one person would mine, and the other would be locked out of the rock, doomed to repeat that until the rock was gone. it did seem to fix alot of problems with mining-- and honestly, what i do while mining, if im an area with tonnes of sparkly, lets say, 4 rocks, and me and one other person is mining, ill go to a different rock, if they come to mine, i will mine all with them, if no, we split the rocks one each :) works pretty well :D
    Posted 9 months ago by blackwidow Subscriber! | Permalink
  • We can make up all the stories we want in our heads about why that person just ran up and helped us mine the rock away but it's a huge waste of time and energy. 

    Eventually, you just see a rock, mine it and go onto the next one without any thought to it at all. Same with the tree wars.  Que Sera Sera
    Posted 9 months ago by Eye Wonder Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Miss Bobbit...what exactly would you like to call it if not helping? Mine Surly-ly? lol

     "But then I noticed that, unlike other miners, the "helpers" tended to be surly, never chatting, trading, or giving kindness. Also, the helpers hate it if you trail them and attempt to "help" them!  I have concluded that "helping" like this is actually an act of rudeness."

    1. You say people don't talk...how do you know they are surly? How do you know they "hate" being helped?

    2. Aside: You didn't ask but did say you were new, so I'll clarify. An Earthshaker is a drink with a 3 minute buff which makes mining energy free. Even with Mining V it isn't a whole lot of strikes.

    3.---People play differently...unless someone is outright rude in chat maybe think the best of them instead of thinking they are being passive-aggressive jerks.

    4. "I read through the old closed discussions and it seems that most people feel the same way." Miss Bobbit

    SAMPLING ERROR! 

    What you meant to say is "Of the few Glitches who post at all, those fewer still who post on this particular type of thread feel the same way." Which is a skewed sample of the mining population. It's the echo-chamber effect not proof, or even indication, of consensus.

    C. When I 1st started playing I had similar confusion over the "Help Mine" option. 

    Cerulean: "So should we try to help mine, when possible?" — we'll see what happens: it will always work out better for both players, but some people are extremely ... possessive. And so they might be mad anyway :) stoot barfield

    http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/3906/

    "I guess the answer is communication: "do you want all that rock or would you like a hand?"" Snazzlefrazz
    http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/4257/

    My memory and search-fu fail to find the "lone wolf" miner suggestion in which a glitchy wanted to set a standard that being all in black meant solo-mining please.
    Posted 9 months ago by M<3tra, obviously Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oh also.. don't forget a lot of players use Earthshakers.. which have a certain time limit on them, so they're under pressure to mine as much as possible in that amount of time.. :s  hence.. not a lot of talking or hugging or RK'ing, and lots of scurrying to a rock to mine it quickly and then move on.
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Shepherdmoon wrote: If you're mining something that is rare (like sparkly), then I frankly think it's selfish to claim the rock for yourself

    I really can't understand why people think sparkly is rare. I never have trouble filling up my bags quickly with sparkly. And I never go to Neva Neva or Ajaya Bliss. I have a regular circular run in Callopee  and when I get to the beginning again they have respawned. But even if I go for a wander somewhere else there is plenty of sparkly waiting to be mined.

    Callopee for instance has 22 dullite, 32 beryl and 79 sparkly (although 12 are in Neva Neva)
    Pollokoo has 30 dullite, 29 beryl and 64 sparkly

    That makes sparkly roughly twice as common as dullite or beryl
    Posted 9 months ago by IrenicRhonda Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'll chime in as someone who has done the Bliss and Neva loops, group mined through the caves, solo mined everywhere. The majority of the time I solo mine, but am happy to have help and will help others as I run into them.

    I am certain I earn more rocks per energy when I have help (yes, I'm a nerd and I've done the math over several runs.) However, it usually takes longer real time to group mine due to waiting for rocks to respawn. I guess it just depends on whether you want to finish faster (at the cost of having to refill your energy and repair your pick more often) or have fewer expenses but take a bit more RL time.

    When I run into a Glitch who runs away from a rock that I start helping to mine, I will often pause and send them an IM mentioning that they will earn more rock per mining action with help. I'm not trying to tell them how to play, I just know that when I started mining I had no idea that I earned more efficiently with help. I happen to think it is nicer to have information before choosing how to play. Perhaps when I message someone they think I am being rude instead of helpful. I hope not, but am not going to worry if they decide to take it that way.

    Specific thoughts based on the OP:
    - Rocks can't be "claimed", they are public resources. If a person wants to mine alone it is up to them to walk off to somewhere else. It is rather selfish and entitled to think other people should leave you alone when you are harvesting a public resource.

    - Yes, there is a difference in what can be accomplished based on level of mining skill. And it is a cool aspect of the game that learning a skill offers a real benefit! How lame would the skills be if they took a long time and offered you no real benefit for taking the time to learn them?

    - Regarding chatting - I use Earthshakers sometimes. When I do there is nothing that annoys me more than someone deciding they want to be chatty. Heck, most of the time I have a limited amount of time I can spend mining or gathering whatever I'm after. If I'm not standing still, I rarely have time to chat - even when I don't have a timed mining buff happening!

    - Sometimes I have RK with me, sometimes I don't. I do like being nice to people, and if someone mentions that they are low on energy or I notice someone meditating I will try to help. But really, if one expects people to give RK it seems to me that they have simply not bothered to plan very well. I run out of energy when mining. EVERYONE runs out of energy mining. Bring food, Earthshakers, emblems or icons to refill it. My opinion - RK is intended to be a nice surprise when it happens - that's why they call it RANDOM kindness.

    Bottom line - to those who want to mine solo and are annoyed by people who show up and help, take a step back and realize that this is a multiplayer game. People should respect each other, try to be kind and friendly, but realize that the environment belongs to everyone.

    No one is right or wrong in how they enjoy playing, and for every person out there who annoys you with their choice of playstyle, there is someone out there annoyed by the way you are playing. If someone is making your time less fun, for heaven sake just take a few hops, go to a different street and leave them behind! That's what I do. :)
    Posted 9 months ago by scullyangel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hi Scullyangel I'm one of those runners lol - I run because aside from the extra lag I get my time is more important to me than the energy I expend (which is none as I use Earthshakers all the time).  I never have to eat food or receive a RK to restore energy whilst mining :D

    The Earthshakers themselves are expensive to buy I guess, but I always make them myself using the ingredients I collect along my travels so the only currant cost to me is for the beer which is dirt cheap anyway.

    It's doesn't annoy me that someone will join me but I will move away before my next strike of the rock.  I think the helping issue is a bit confused too in this thread.  The majority I would think aren't mining with you to help.  They are just in need of sparklies also.  I still stand by the fact (from experience) that mining solo will give me a lot more rock in a massively shorter amount of time allowing me more of my time to explore and have fun in other areas of Ur : )

    I still LOVE or is it LOBE this game :D :D :D :D :D :D
    Posted 9 months ago by ~Arabesque~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It will take time for a new little Glitch to find their way. If it doesn't float your boat, move along. Not every place is suitable for every Glitch; but, every Glitch can find a suitable place. You don't see more than one shrine on any street...this is what makes the world go round!
    Posted 9 months ago by bayBi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "People play differently...unless someone is outright rude in chat maybe think the best of them instead of thinking they are being passive-aggressive jerks."

    I think this bears repeating.  Not just for mining, but for everything.  A lot of the complaint threads have people making assumptions about the intentions of other players, even when the source of the complaints are things that the game encourages.  Right there on the login screen are tips that tell you all about how helping others do certain actions is beneficial to both parties.  The game doesn't do math for you to figure out the exact difference in ore gained between mining solo and mining with a friend, or anything like that.  I just don't perform positive actions any more until I'm sure of what the "rules" are, because I'm afraid doing so will screw someone over, or make them upset, or they'll think I'm rude, or whatever.  Glitch is lovely but the emphasis on social interaction and friendliness I think maybe makes some people assume that everyone else is a mind-reader and that there's a consensus on what constitutes friendly or polite behavior.  That's really not fair in a game where it can be taken as both nice to help someone mine because the game says it's nice, and thoughtless or rude because it's not what the other person needs at that exact time. 
    Posted 9 months ago by Ring Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "I really can't understand why people think sparkly is rare."

    You are right, of course; sparkly is not rare. What IS rare these days, though, are players. Most streets are pretty empty lately. Even Cebarkul has far fewer people standing about on it that it had just a month or 2 ago. Once current players start coming back into the game to explore all the changes (and definitely after re-launch), sparkly may seem to be a lot more rare because many more people will be harvesting it.
    Posted 9 months ago by Flowerry Pott Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I agree with you Miss Bobbit. I prefer to mine alone and I am given no choice in the matter. I have been followed when I moved from the rock where I was being "helped" to another vacant rock; when I have politely stated, "I prefer to mine alone" I've been called selfish and told that's too bad, anyone can "help" me; I've had people try to "educate me" and tell me that I would benefit by having them "help" me and then badger me when I disagree.

    I also agree that the majority of people prefer to mine solo. Even many of the former die-hard "group miners" have stated that they now find it more efficient to mine on their own. Calling it "helping" only gives people an excuse to run rampant over others. I now mine only in "off" times and for very short periods of time, when I absolutely have to in order to accomplish something. In my opinion, the "help mine" actually makes mining a LESS social aspect of the game.
    Posted 9 months ago by Audaria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • All this is why I just nibble pigs anymore.
    Posted 9 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I have my own mining spots because I do like mining alone. mood/energy or whatever doesn't matter to me much. I'm using multi-tasking anyway and and its nice to get 50 sparkly or whatever from 1 rock, then having to run all over the place getting 15 or so each.

    In the past, I just changed what I was going for. I usually aim for the dulite or metal rocks now anyway and I can mine any where I want.
    Posted 9 months ago by EzBreezy Subscriber! | Permalink
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