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#### Help a n00b?

I've been playing about a week now and I seem to keep stumbling upon doing something "wrong". Anything from helping someone mine (part of a quest at the time) to watering/petting egg plants. So, oh larger more experienced Glitch community, can I please have some tips so I can quit irritating people accidentally?
Also, if you ask someone something in the main local chat channel and they don't respond ("say, X, you dropped this really expensive thing, I picked it up to give it back to you but I can't 'cause your inventory's full" or "Y, I love your outfit!" or "May I help mine?") how should one proceed?

Posted 14 months ago by Belasco | Permalink

### Replies

- If it's accidental irritation, then I wouldn't worry too much about it.
  While there are some truly wonderful people about the place, there are several different 'styles' of playing, and you can never please all of the people all of the time.
  Some love help mining, some don't.. Some love talking, some don't.
  As long as you're not intentionally annoying people, then you're not doing anything wrong. You're simply playing the game.
  There are so many ways to play Glitch, just play your way and try to enjoy yourself as best you can :)
  If someone drops something expensive and can' be bothered to respond to you trying to give it back and their bag's full, then you are now the owner of that something expensive :)
  I guess you could send a friend request and spend 20 currants mailing it back to them if you really want, but if they haven't responded to you in local chat then I wouldn't expect any gratitude for your good deed.
  Posted 14 months ago by Ebil | Permalink
- I usually IM people in game cause no one ever responds to me in the open chat not even my friends!! But I think Ebil has summed it up - if you need help please feel free to add me to your list - if I can help I will.
  Posted 14 months ago by Really Pissed Off | Permalink
- You've had some bad luck haven't ya.. There's nothing wrong with helping someone mine a rock. And if someone had a problem with it, the problem is theirs, not yours. Same with eggplant, the only reason I can think of that that would be a problem is if someone was trying to get the last egg. Your not doing anything wrong.
  As for people not responding... move on and talk to someone else, some are just antisocial..or busy and didn't see...
  Posted 14 months ago by Iconoclast | Permalink
- if someone chews you out for helping them mine just ignore it and plow through.
  the vast majority of us welcome your help, and even when we don't, we won't have a problem with it.
  Posted 14 months ago by striatic | Permalink
- I usually respond if someone talks to me, and will IM someone if they've switched streets (I think there was just ONE person that said something to me, and I was AFK, and I didn't respond) to respond. Someone told me that hardly anyone talks in this "social" game, but I think it's just a matter of choice. I'll admit I'm not fond of people randomly adding me without chatting to me, though. Matter of preference and all.
  Don't let it get to you though, people will play as they chose to, just move on and you'll find friendlier folks.
  Posted 14 months ago by Ayasta | Permalink
- I sometimes get tooo busy to chat but normally will chat back if i am actually paying attention to it and not just clicking into the game every few minutes because i am working while playing.
  Posted 14 months ago by DriveSafe | Permalink
- I sometimes get tooo busy to chat but normally will chat back if i am actually paying attention to it and not just clicking into the game every few minutes because i am working while playing.
  Posted 14 months ago by DriveSafe | Permalink
- Belasco, some people just never pay any attention to local chat, so the IM is a good second option. If they still ignore you while you can see that they're not afk, then all you can do is content yourself with the thought that you have made the effort.
  If I see you in the game, you can bet I'll say hello.
  Posted 14 months ago by caley dunn | Permalink
- Thanks for the replies, guys! :)
  I promise if I've irritated anyone it's entirely accidental, trolling (in any context) is NOT my thing. I'm big on trying to keep things fun for people, so I'm mostly trying to learn the do's and don't's 'round these parts.
  Please feel free to add me, and let me know if it's alright to poke you via IM in game with questions. So far I'm really enjoying Glitch, enough so I'm starting to dread the end of my free month.
  Is there a tips for n00bs forum thread somewhere? I looked, but goodness knows I could've easily overlooked it.
  About the mining thing...is there a downside for either party when someone helps mine or dig?
  And again, thank you for all the help!
  Posted 14 months ago by Belasco | Permalink
- It's polite if someone has dropped an item to ask them before picking it up. Not every player does this by a long shot, but think about how it would look in real life!
  This is especially true if you see a group of glitchen standing around a pile of food and drinks on the floor. That's a party. More often than not you are welcome to help yourself to SOME of the items there, but snarfing it all up and dashing is about as rude as it would be in a real party. Just ask! As someone said above, most players are extremely sweet and friendly.
  Posted 14 months ago by Epilady | Permalink
- Belasco, I added you - feel free to poke away :)
  As for mining and digging - yes, it is highly beneficial to do these with other people. With mining, you get bonus chunks if people "help mine" with you, and you contribute to their bonus chunks in turn. The more people on a rock, the higher this bonus, with a cap of 30 chunks. So if you're in a crowded area, chances are you're hitting mine once, spending that little energy that usually would just get you 5-9 chunks, suddenly giving you 30+ chunks!
  With digging, I believe helping dig gives both (or more) parties a better chance at digging up loam. Co-operative action is encouraged in many other places also, for example in scraping barnacles and jellisac. If multiple people scrape together, they each get an item from that location!
  Posted 14 months ago by Sharmy Knope | Permalink
- Yay, another noob question for y'all (yes, I'm from Texas)...anyway! Is there a way to subscribe to a forum topic so I can follow a particular topic/thread without having to dig to find it each time? I'm used to the PHPBB forum set up, so I'm feeling a bit lost with this variety.
  Thanks again for your patience, and many many thanks to those of y'all who've added me. It's sorta amazing how one little post has made this a much more social game for me :)
  Posted 14 months ago by Belasco | Permalink
- There isn't any way to subscribe to a forum topic atm, so what I've been doing is bookmarking those threads I want to return to.
  Please feel free to poke me with any questions or anything at all (plank? :p) if you see me around or online :)
  Two threads that may be helpful (copied from geekybird's post in another thread):
  Biggest "noob" mistake
  Pro tips for newbies and pros alike
  Posted 14 months ago by Millie | Permalink
- With mining and certain more rare types of rock, there is 'opportunity to mine' that is lost when someone else comes up and takes away away a big part of the chunk of rock you worked hard to find and are mining. This lost amount of rock is NOT offset by the small number of 'bonus chunks' you get.
  This does not by any stretch of the imagination mean that it is forbidden to 'help' somebody mine. But don't delude yourself that they will consider what you are doing as 'helping' if they don't see it that way. Don't pretend you are 'helping' them. You are helping yourself.
  Posted 14 months ago by Parrow Gnolle | Permalink
- That's harsh, Parrow - a noob will be on Mining 1 or 2 and will barely scratch a rock in the time it takes for an M3 or M4 to dig into it. And there are no rare types of rock, and there are always more rocks nearby. As an M3 yourself, you should know this.
  The game is set up for co-operative mining - this is clear from the change of message to "help mine". Scan back on past threads to see why.
  Posted 14 months ago by Spong | Permalink
- It actually is offset! The Devs worked out the game mechanics so that if you are helped by someone, you get a bonus. It really does work out.
  Belasco, I added you. Feel free to ask questions if you see me in game. :)
  Posted 14 months ago by Feylin | Permalink
- Yes, when you help someone mine, the rock is mined through faster. It's still more efficient to help others mine, however. Why? Because you get more chunks per mining attempt/energy spent than when mining alone. You also get a greater chance of landing gems. By "helping yourself" you are, indeed, helping others. Just because others mistakenly believe otherwise doesn't mean you aren't.
  Posted 14 months ago by VorpalCheese | Permalink
- Reality is sometimes harsh. I was specifically speaking to the interest of people on Mining 1 or 2 who really want, for example, some sparkly rock. Someone with M4 walks up and takes it away from them.
  Don't fool yourself. There are rocks that it is difficult to find and there are rocks that are all over the place. The 'rare' rocks are rare because they are perceived as more valuable, so players make them rare.
  The game is set up to permit cooperative mining. As long as people wish to cooperate. Which is an option, not a mandate. I can and do sometimes just walk away when people 'help' me mine. My choice. We have freedom of association. We get to pick who we associate with.
  Posted 14 months ago by Parrow Gnolle | Permalink
- "I was specifically speaking to the interest of people on Mining 1 or 2 who really want, for example, some sparkly rock. Someone with M4 walks up and takes it away from them. "
  I was at M2 not so long ago. When someone with M4 walked up and mined with me I got big bonuses. Yes, they mined through the rock much faster than I did...but I got big bonuses of rock. I didn't expend energy to get those, which I find to be awesome. I could have sat there and mined away and used up my energy and mined the entire rock.....but when the other people come along, I get rock for NO ENERGY. Pretty good deal.
  The game is set up to *encourage* cooperative play. Not just cooperative mining. Of course, you're right, you do not have to play this way. There's no right way to play Glitch!
  However, if you post incorrect information you're going to get corrected by people on the forums. Particularly if you're posting on a thread of a new person asking for help learning the game.
  Posted 14 months ago by Feylin | Permalink
- Politically incorrect information.
  Posted 14 months ago by Parrow Gnolle | Permalink
- Yup, that too! Yet another reason I like this place. The community doesn't tollerate any sort of hateful nonsense.
  Posted 14 months ago by Feylin | Permalink
- Whoosh!
  Posted 14 months ago by Parrow Gnolle | Permalink
- Enough has been said about mining... as to trees, some players would prefer to avoid petting egg plants, because there is a quest to harvest the last egg, and that gets easier to do if the tree isn't petted often. Also, if you select 'Harvest and Clear' on a wood tree, it will get chopped down and die.
  However, there isn't really any right or wrong in this game. If you found an item on the floor you can keep it, if you found a rock you can mine it, and if you find an egg plant you can pet it!
  By the way, I'll add you, and you can ask me anything anytime :)
  Posted 14 months ago by Mandy.23 | Permalink
- Ok, so, if I'm reading the forums right...there are still some fairly big question marks even for players who've been around for a while. I'm guessing that's 'cause the game is still forming in a lot of ways...fixing bugs, looking to code ways that encourage cooperative play, etc. Am I getting that right?
  Again, thank you to everybody answering in here :) The links were very helpful and I can't help but grin when I get to add someone new to my contacts list. I'll try not to spam y'all!
  Posted 14 months ago by Belasco | Permalink
- " Don't pretend you are 'helping' them. You are helping yourself."
  Lookee here...dogma in action. Is this one of the Miner's Commandments now?
  Belasco, I didn't realize you were encountering so much flack in the game! Well, I mean...it's sort of unavoidable I guess, but Glitch DOES have a lot of ways to offset the occasional flaying you get by experienced players...looks like you got a very good demonstration of that in this thread.
  You can mine with me any time! And please do not hesitate to holler at me via IM or frog if I am not online at the time.
  See you Thursday, for sure.
  Posted 14 months ago by Nanookie | Permalink
- When and if there cease to be question marks, the game will be over.
  The only dogma I see being rattled out here is the dogma that we all NEED to operate collectively to get ahead. We are free to choose who we want to work with. The terminology people use in the discussion is a little jarring. Flaying? The only time I feel assaulted is when I am mining on a block of some sort of rock and a gang of three or four other players shows up and disappears the rock before I can mine it more than once, then swoops off. There's a LOT of gang-like behavior in the mines.
  Posted 14 months ago by Parrow Gnolle | Permalink
- "I'm guessing that's 'cause the game is still forming in a lot of ways"
  yes! That's what makes the game so awesome, too. There's always new stuff to be figured out.
  I've got an excess of meat and milk right now, so let me know if you're low on it.
  Posted 14 months ago by Feylin | Permalink
- "gang-like" behavior? This hilarious! And you're totally wong about the mining thing Parrow. When you are a n00b the best thing to do is to mine with others. You are strugling with energy the whole time, and because it takes longer for you to mine, you usually get bigger bonuses. When you go up in the minng skill tree, it's actually harder to get big bonuses, because you are quicker than most players. After I got mining 4 I never got more than 14 chunks as bonus. So that's when mining alone can be more profitable, especially if tou have blending skills and can do earthshakers. Also the reason why I switched to minng metal. Very abundant and turns a nice profi when you smelt it. But at the same time you miss the fun of hangng out with people at places like Neva Neva, which can be very fun.
  Posted 14 months ago by Asha Greyjoy | Permalink
- "gang-like" behavior? This is hilarious! And you're totally wrong about the mining thing Parrow. When you are a n00b the best thing to do is to mine with others. You are strugling with energy the whole time, and because it takes longer for you to mine, you usually get bigger bonuses. When you go up in the minng skill tree, it's actually harder to get big bonuses, because you are quicker than most players. After I got mining 4 I never got more than 14 chunks as bonus. So that's when mining alone can be more profitable, especially if you have blending skills and can do earthshakers. Also the reason why I switched to minng metal. Very abundant and turns a nice profit when you smelt it. But at the same time you miss the fun of hanging out with people at places like Neva Neva, which can be very fun.
  Posted 14 months ago by Asha Greyjoy | Permalink
- I am 'totally wrong.' Not 'expressing a different opinion, and we are all entitled to play the game the way we like.' Whew.
  When something is 'hilarious' think further on what we have the laughing mechanism for. That nervous laugh might signify something. It's not hard to see the gang structures that 'cooperation' encourages here turning rather nasty. It's also not difficult to understand why people who 'belong' would have difficulty grasping why it might be an issue for others.
  Personally, I am about done mining, at least in the special 'mining' areas. They draw in too many people afflicted with shiney fever. Thankfully there is plenty of dullite and metal and what-not out in the regular areas. The Gods really like offerings of copper.
  Posted 14 months ago by Parrow Gnolle | Permalink
- You can have a different opinion about the behavior of players, but it's kinda different with facts. And the fact is, you get more rock for less energy when you do it with others. Now there are other factors you have to take in, like the time it takes for a rock to spawn in the special rooms. And that's why higher level players usually can make a lot more mining general mines. Also I'm sorry if I offended you in any way, I just find it sort of funny to bring such a serious topic like gangs in a discussion about a game like Glitch. Also I'm not saying that everyone is nice to each other all the time, I've certainly encountered my share of annoying players in the mines, but never something that came close to gang behavior. Of course, that's my experience, and can differ a lot from others, but mostly I've met some very nice, helpful people in the mines, people that gave me food when I needed energy, and hugs when I needed mood, people that tinkered my tools without asking for nothing back, so I guess you had some bad, bad luck.
  Posted 14 months ago by Asha Greyjoy | Permalink
- @Parrow, there is a difference between playing the game as we like and telling someone something that just isn't true. I'm a great believer in the ability to play the game whatever way you like - I agree with you about the enforced co-operation. I think solo play is as valid as co-op, and I do think there is a tendency to frown upon solo a little.
  That doesn't change the fact that mining is more rewarding when you do it in a group. You get bigger returns for your energy, especially when you are Mining 1 or 2. I'm always really glad when someone joins in if I'm mining, sparkly or not. There is room for both ways of playing, if you choose to mine on your own, good on you, but if you are strictly looking for no. of chunks vs. energy spent, the more miners the merrier.
  Posted 14 months ago by Midi Reifsnider | Permalink
- Sorry for the double posting, my ipad does weird thing to the forums
  Posted 14 months ago by Asha Greyjoy | Permalink
- Unless you are stalking people, then I don't see why people get so annoyed with you helping someone. It's true that you will each get rewarded with more if you help each other out (i.e. mining and digging).
  Trust me, there are a lot more people out there that will appreciate your help, but if you are worried about irritating them, ask if anyone needs help in local chat. Sometimes there are people on the same quest as you and it makes it 10 times easier and faster to get it done.
  I don't know what supposed "gang-like" activity is happening. I will say that people meet other glitches, or know each other in the real-world, and may want to work with them on quests.
  Posted 14 months ago by Lela Naomi | Permalink
- "Personally, I am about done mining, at least in the special 'mining' areas. They draw in too many people afflicted with shiney fever. "
  Right. There's LOTS of other places to get rocks/make money without only going for sparkly in the traditional mining areas. Metal is good for donating to shrines for favor, Beryl sells for a reasonable amount at the tool vendors, ect.
  Your reasoning for doing this I totally disagree with, however. You would still get a nice amount of rock in the busy mining areas, because those "gangs" you dislike so much would be giving you bonuses.
  Posted 14 months ago by Feylin | Permalink
- Ok, this bugs me: You "worked hard to find" that rock (don't you mean stumble upon?) but the next guy who doing exactly as you hasn't "worked hard?"
  Let's get this in the right context: Collaborative mining is really about SHARING. So when you say "you aren't helping, you're helping yourself", so is the person who doesn't want help and wants to hog the rock for themselves and act like that rock is theirs to own and mine alone. That attitude bugs me, especially when it's attempting to make the other part into the greedy person. Both are greedy points of view, please don't pretend that the idea of not sharing is less greedy. Of course you free to do what you want. You don't have to help or like help. But it's going to happen. There are not enough rocks. We have to share.
  I don't mind the people that swoop through. I find that by hanging and mining the less mined rocks in an area, they aren't around when the shiny does pop back up. Different strokes for different folks.
  Posted 14 months ago by QueenKellee | Permalink
- Observation number two! There is one person out of everyone who has posted here who has an issue with people helping mining...ergo: probably best to ask if it's okay to help before helping, but chances are even if you don't (there doesn't seem to be time to, often) the person you help won't mind. If they do mind, it's most likely not that big of a deal and one can apologize, shrug, and move on.
  @Nanookie: It's been really interesting, and really there have only been a couple of bumps in the road in my interactions with people. The vast majority of people here seem really helpful, fun, and just the right kind of silly :) Also, after years of playing that other game this is a walk in the park socially!
  eidt: As a total aside I'm soooo glad I took up cooking rather than mining! I have to admit, though, my first image at the "gang" reference was of a chain-gang of Glitches wearing black and white striped outfits all being hauled out to break up some rock. *snicker*
  Posted 14 months ago by Belasco | Permalink