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Staff Topic

Baqala Projects - you like?

Hey Glitches!

We tried something a little different with the projects for Baqala, and I'm hoping to get a little feedback from you. 

Each project in Baqala used a template that required items from a particular 'class'.  So, we had projects that only asked for bubbles, fruit, spices, crops, compounds, gasses, currants, and 'harvestables'.  The projects were also only one phase, partially because players had to deal with the time limitations caused by 'Overwhelming Ancestral Nostalgia'.

Oh, and the rewards were much higher than they have been in the past.

So, how did you feel about the new project templates?  Good?  Bad?  Same?

Thanks!

Posted 18 months ago by jdawg Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • I went into Baqala like 5 times, and I never got the 3 thingies. And I think that's why I couldn't see anything at all in Baqala - no vendor interaction, I wasn't able to participate in any projects... I was very let down. I ran around like crazy, and I couldn't get anything done.
    Posted 18 months ago by Joy La Maru Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i think the change offered by these one phase projects balances when i don't have anything a project wants and i can't return with it in time. which is more often than not. its fun to participate in projects but i have rushed to get peat or barnacles only to return too late and not have the next item to participate. would love to join project group or sign up for individual projects and then use strategy and teamwork to fulfill projects. for now i just give to the project list if i can, radiate energy or leave food to help out.  :)   <3 for giraffes (or something really tall the juju's are afraid of)
    Posted 18 months ago by coolbettycakes Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I love the higher rewards including the transcripts and the one-phase aspect of the projects. Personally, I think it's ok if people stop by and donate just one item to the project in order to score a transcript. That just means those interested in being a top contributor have a better chance and it allows folks to easily return in half an hour without overpopulating the area outside the gate. The time limit makes the new area more challenging. You really have to hustle and pay attention if you want to hit all the streets. The cool-off gives a chance to cook, run races etc and creates a sense of anticipation. The prizes you get as you run through the "sprinklers" give a little extra thrill. :) Can't wait to actually find something in one of the holes. :P
    Posted 18 months ago by Riverwalker Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I hadn't been able to work on projects before since I am only level 11 and they usually call for items only high level people have. I still didn't get to work on these in baqala, but I am glad to know the items were attainable even by me.
    Posted 18 months ago by Magill Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I love the setting and artistic style of Baqala.  Nothing quite like the open plains to me.  And I loved the introduction of gameplay elements that played with the possibilities in Glitch.  I'll be happy to see more experimental areas, be they ephemeral or permanent.

    The new project style was cleaner from a design perspective.  The relative ease was seemingly appropriate with the Nostalgia time limits...

    But I had a wandering thought when I first walked into the area and heard about the Jujus: Who are the Juju anyway?  And what of this claim they have to the land?  Later, when I had slept and logged back in I was astounded by the explosive growth of streets in Baqala.  I felt impressed and disturbed.  What gives us the right to trample all over these people's land? (and especially stealing everything we see along the way)  Perhaps we have some claim to it by ancestral right, but we don't even know who the Juju are or why they're there and we're happy to chug along anyway... in any event the topic deserves attention.

    Back to the projects, well, I thought perhaps they could be more difficult.  It would be symbolic of the fight the Juju are putting up against our unwanted development of their land.  If we want their product, err, seeds, it only makes sense we'll have to fight a war to get them.

    Or, to put it in another light: it's a fantasy game world where good is good and bad is bad, and Juju = bandit = bad.  It's all just wandering thoughts... and in-game I certainly heeded no socially moral compass.  I wanted seeds and I took them.
    Posted 18 months ago by Homsar Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Totally enjoyed it.  Can't tell you how many times I was there, but alot.  Love the projects with the quick donation, the script with the ability to go the the new street, was feeling pretty good that I had figured things out, lost a few valuable things (a diamond really?/) but got two gnomes, 2 saphires and seeds plus paper, lots and lots of paper.  Fun, frustrating, stressing and just a great change and addition to the game.  (Learned not to go there with anything you wanna keep) Loved it.  Agree, needs some African antelope or giraffes as a backdrop provided it doesn't cause lag to some.  A big two thumbs up!! I shall return you evil JuJus.
    Posted 18 months ago by AlmostSilver Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Can the Jujus take anything you have, or just things you picked up in Baqala?  I would like it a lot if the latter were true. (For example, they took a diamond from me, but it was a diamond I got from one of the little holes, so I didn't feel too bad.)
    Posted 18 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Larky, they are fans of taking orbs. They love them orbs.
    Posted 18 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @larky lion  They took a key that I did not get there but it is easily replaced.  Apart from that, they took a key that i did get there and the paper i got there.  So far they have not taken anything valuable from me but i left that stuff home after my first theft just in case.
    Posted 18 months ago by Brib Annie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • larky lion: they can take anything you have as long as it is the kind of thing you get in Baqala (though it doesn't have to be the exact item). That way the things are more easily replaceable, or, usually, they are just taking back something you already got for free.
    Posted 18 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • They stole my orb, but I enjoyed the area and the change to the projects there (except it would have been nice to be able to get trophy pieces :-)
    Posted 18 months ago by IxÆoN Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Fair enough, I'm okay with that.  I'm just not going to import any diamonds into Baqala ;)
    Posted 18 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I've been thinking on feedback to the original post and hope I have my thoughts in some kind of order now. 

    Overall, I love Baqala. The whole thing is a great addition to the game since elements of it are so different. I think for experienced players especially, it was wonderful to have a whole new challenge (I forgot to even work on my achievements because I was caught up with the crazy fun of hoping to find flower seeds). The time limit and the jujus and the nature of the little blue bubble things that aren't ALWAYS there or that you are racing others to get...great.

    I liked the projects in there, too. Though I exploited the bug a couple times, I admit, where you could stay through the debuff by not clicking "okay." Even though I liked it, that should be fixed...but it was hard not to use it sometimes while it was there ;) What I liked about these was that you couldn't fill them up by yourself because it would deplete all your basics, and they needed so MANY work units that even staying through the debuff didn't finish the work up sometimes. Plus I think it's great to have simple projects going that new folks would have some of the items to donate. I also noticed that a "usual" project got going in Kajuu twice while the Baqala ones were also going, which I think is GREAT. That way those who have the skills and materials for the longer projects have the choice to work on those, but others can do the fly in and out projects. Also, although I love getting trophy pieces (but I wish we could get those fixed so that game "remembers" which ones you have and gives you nonduplicates...or at least up the chances of not getting duplicates; the ratio seems too slim right now), I liked that these did not give them out because I think it made them seem less competitive. I agreed with the person who said that these felt intimate because you were often working with a very small number of people. Actually, I saw a lot of coordination because of that: people asking each other who was changing fruits, etc. Easier to coordinate with just a few folks (not that I don't also see this on large projects; I just saw it more often on these). So again, not having trophy bits on these projects gives people more choice as well: compete hard or just do it to build new places. Finally, I thought getting the TP scripts was important because of the size of the area and the time limit; you wouldn't really get to explore much unless you have TP 5 without those.

    My caveat would be that if more areas like Baqala are planned with similar-style projects, I think you definitely ought to have "regular" ones going at the same time to give people more options. If only those short ones are going, I still think you'll have people feeling as if they can't do much on projects because others can finish them too quickly. And of course fix that timing/nostalgia bug, which will help spread the work out as well. (Fyi, we even discovered that if you die while working and have not clicked "okay," you come right back and are able to keep going as long as you still don't click "okay." Three of us were experimenting in the middle of the night when no one else was really around.) Oh, and I am not sure that the jujus ought to be able to pilfer you while you stand there...but on the other hand, I suppose it is a way to make sure you plan well/don't stay too long and hog things up.

    I know this is a long post, but I hope the feedback helps!
    Posted 18 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I loved how we got the same types of objects from the freeby thingy-ma-jigs as the jujus were taking. It made it seem as if the jujus we grabbing them, then burying them, and then they resurfaced for someone else to acquire thanks to the thingy-ma-jigs.
    Posted 18 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Loved Baqala,those bad jujus took my orb and my purple flower! when i go there next time i will go with an empty inventory! lol
    Posted 18 months ago by PocketSand Subscriber! | Permalink
  • One project I participated in this past test in Baqala was pure Alchemy ~ giving elements and compounds.  Love the idea of having a mixture of different activities to do for projects.  

    Really haven't participated in projects as much as I would like to, (so this is coming from a novice projectier), but for me the way previous projects were set up I felt like I needed to have a mass hording of items even to start.  Which I suppose is why I haven't gotten in and just gone at it like a mad man.  

    I think though I am at the point in my game where participating in projects would be a fun thing ~ *nods yes* just have to buckle down and do it, do it, do it!  
    Posted 18 months ago by Sayuri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1000 @ Mer maid,I hate crowds and in this game stay away from the projects ,there are just too many people all clamered around.I would go if set amount only were allowed at every project.Folks like me that enjoy a quiet and more comfortable relaxing game will probably agree.I know some folks just love the projects and they seemed thrilled at the new site.It took a while and good friends to explain how you have to wait after the timer bar to go into Baqala,but when you do you try to go to every street there is,have not been able to get them all in one shot,just love jumping over the Ju Ju`s they are a hoot.
    Posted 18 months ago by Jellybelly Baby Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It was, in all honesty, nice to stumble across a project that I could contribute towards without having to go get loads of ingredients and depend on skills. But I'm of a level where I can afford to do that, both in terms of energy and supplies, so it was mostly just a good break.

    Perhaps there could be level-based projects from time to time? Opening part could be limited to items/work from people under level 10 or something, then part two for under 15, and so on.
    Posted 18 months ago by Lianne Subscriber! | Permalink
  •  I think for experienced players especially, it was wonderful to have a whole new challenge (I forgot to even work on my achievements because I was caught up with the crazy fun of hoping to find flower seeds). The time limit and the jujus and the nature of the little blue bubble things that aren't ALWAYS there or that you are racing others to get...great.

    This, absolutely. I loved the whole region and while I haven't bothered with projects at all for weeks, I enjoyed participating in these. Partly, it was just cool to often be the only person there for a change, instead of part of a herd. And I loved the teleport scripts that allowed me to get back into the area without running down my timer retracing old steps.
    Posted 18 months ago by Helcat Subscriber! | Permalink
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