In with the scores of other changes, we got dirt piles. I'm trying to avoid forming an opinion on them, because the jury is still out. On one hand thee was the first blush of 'hey cool - new stuff', but after the new stuff wore off I'm finding I don't like them as much. Also, it seemed like it took less time for the shine to come off this particular 'new'. So I asked myself why.
First, they're unsightly. Dirt piles aren't going up in the Louvre, they're not an aesthetically pleasing subject matter. I get that much, but now they're all over some of the most beautiful streets! It takes away from some of the really wonderful artwork. To me it's jarring, and forces you out of the 'gaming experience suspension of disbelief bubble'. Every time I walk by one, I get the urge to grab a broom. It wouldn't be so bad if they were in places that made sense visually, but they're not. They wind up being right there, on the street.... between the gas plant and the bean tree. My husband works with dirt... he'd love to be able to leave a load of dirt in a yard overnight, but it tends to annoy HOAs, neighbors, and the city because... it's ugly.
Second, my mind keeps circling 'dirt piles = band-aid', except I'm not sure a band-aid is the correct tool for the job here and I think it has the potential to make things worse. Now, before the whole dirt/tree/project debates start up... I'm purposely not discussing that here, there are at least a dozen other threads on those topics. What I'm talking about is the answer to the (increasingly common) question 'what is dirt used for'. The answer is - making bricks. Next question (and here's where it gets sticky)... 'what are bricks used for?'. The answer is either 'in as-yet-undetermined construction things' or 'Street Projects'.
So, in one 'fix' it feels like the unfinished skill/crafting chain has been brought to the forefront and instead of the intended 'supply' resource balancing, the balance has tipped even further into the already overweight 'demand' column. More people asking about dirt = more people involved with Street Projects = more demand for scarce resources (like loam - which apparently the piles don't provide). I understand wanting to get people asking questions leading them into some of the more complicated pieces of Glitch, but I think this throws people into the deep end of 'frustration points' and potentially does it in the first few hours (because the dirt patches are all over Groddle). Not to mention it's yet another 'object' to fill up an inventory early in the game.
Last, I'm not sure what it means in the bigger scope of things. It seems like the last few 'fixes' have been bandages as opposed to the belts-and-braces. I guess when it came to the broken leg that was resource balancing, I was hoping for a plaster cast rather than an aspirin. Not to be a big downer about things, I think dirt piles have a wonderful use. I can totally see them as an 'upgrade' to houses or Group Halls, especially if the group or homeowner was inclined towards dirt farming. It would be nice if all that construction people have been doing generated a few on the newer streets (left over debris from building) that gradually went away as it was exhausted.... but the current deployment of them just feels weird.