Topic

Staff Topic

Changes to Machines

We've made some changes to the way machines work:

Good news! You can now craft or use other machines while a machine is going. And the tradeoff? Most machine actions take much longer  (e.g., making a board takes 5 seconds, a girder 30 seconds). But, there's more good news: each Machine "remembers" what each player has to collect from it and will remind you to collect every time you come close AND others can use the machine while its still waiting for you to collect from it.

Note: Machines never "forget" what its owner has collect (owner = player whose street the machine is on) but they do "forget" the things made by non-owners if they haven't picked it up in 6 game days, or if the owner disassembles the machine (the owner gets a warning if there's other players' stuff in it).

Oh, and there is also more good news: machine Fuel capacity is now 200 (up from 100) and making Urth Blocks and Fuel Cells no longer takes energy (it used to take 5 and 2, respectively).

Posted 5 months ago by Mart Lume Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • Yay, brilliant! :D
    Posted 5 months ago by Loki Laufeyson Subscriber! | Permalink
  • woot I love free gas!
    Posted 5 months ago by Polly Nomial Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Haha.. just as I started a stopwatch while board-making because I thought I was crazy!
    Posted 5 months ago by Sheepy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Wonderful!
    Posted 5 months ago by Stuv Subscriber! | Permalink
  • can i still sleep in my machines? its warm and cozy..
    Posted 5 months ago by ☣ elf ☣ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • WOW   loving that.  Thx bunches   HUGS
    Posted 5 months ago by Mystbecky Subscriber! | Permalink
  • YaaaaaaYYYYYY
    Posted 5 months ago by Angel_Tali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • oh this is a sweet surprise:) thank you:))
    Posted 5 months ago by mira gaia maia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • haha, brilliant.
    Posted 5 months ago by Rook Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Wonderful! I stumbled up some of these changes by accident. I was smelting while the woodworker made boards! More fun to do other things besides twiddling my thumbs waiting for posts/rods/etc to be done. And the larger fuel tank is so much better now. All makes sense. Thanks!
    Posted 5 months ago by GreyGoose Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Are you sure that TS hasn't been bought by Zynga???  This is the kind of stuff that Zynga pulls with its games.  Piece by piece, Glitch is getting more like FarmVille.  Why would you need a 'trade off' of each machine taking longer to make stuff?  The Glitch Masters should make the game better, or leave it alone.  Why make it harder for people to play?
    Posted 5 months ago by swampfox2222 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It's now -less- harder to play! Also, this means it is easier! I don't know about better, though. You'll have to ask the giants for an evaluation of such a subjective issue.

    The exciting, lovely thing that is now -easier- is that you're not hamstrung while using those silly machines. You can do other things! Which frankly is what machines are good for, amirite?
    Posted 5 months ago by Stuv Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thank the giants!
    Posted 5 months ago by Curtis C Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't think this is making it harder to play. On the contrary! Instead of idly waiting for one machine to finish, I can wait for all four to finish -- all while repairing or making something else! This is a great update. 
    Posted 5 months ago by Tonya Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yeah, this is not making the game harder, this is allowing me to do 3 or 4 things at the same time, but making the things take a bit longer. I personally don't mind the wait time, I like to multi-task while I play glitch :D  Yay!
    Posted 5 months ago by Grupletruge Subscriber! | Permalink
  • aw they fixed the free fuel back to 50, bummer :(
    Posted 5 months ago by Polly Nomial Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Shhh don't talk about the free fuel. There's No Such Thing As a Free Lunch, remember? As long as we don't pay attention to it publicly, it can't disappear under the consequences of its own reality.
    Posted 5 months ago by Stuv Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Super update.. thanks!
    Posted 5 months ago by MzMunchken Subscriber! | Permalink
  • swampfox2222, re "This is the kind of stuff that Zynga pulls with its games.  Piece by piece, Glitch is getting more like FarmVille."

    Why don'tcha come here and say that?
    Posted 5 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm not fond of the trade off. Making things seems to take an awful long time now but I'm sure it will grow on me :) Multiple machines on the go seems to be the answer =)
    Posted 5 months ago by The Pheebs Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm a fan, but I think we're still lacking one thing.  I want a way to check how close the machine is to being finished.  Make it an upgrade, or an addon to the machine, or standard, but let it be out there so that I have a way to know if I want to go start something else or wait a few seconds.
    Posted 5 months ago by Magic Monkey Subscriber! | Permalink
  • swampfox222 - if we were Zynga, then every time your machine finished making something, you would get a big pop-up message suggesting you post to your Facebook wall that you made 5 boards (or whatever). And the message would suggest that you spend credits to make your machine more efficient. 
    Posted 5 months ago by Etna Subscriber! | Permalink
  • While this seems nice now while we are all in tower building mode, I can see a frustrated me cursing at TS for doubling the time it takes to whip up a board or two to fix a simple resource project.

    Similar to the cursing at the result of the jellisac upgrade card that renders multiple people scooping at once impossible.

    In one case something takes longer. In the other not quite as long. In both I have less fun.

    Why not apply a time penalty if, and only if, I use multiple machines at once? Brilliant! Obvious!

    *shrugs*

    ETA: Or, since upgrades seem to be all the rage, why not have a larger fuel capacity (or machine multi-tasking) be an upgrade, at the expense of time efficiency?
    Posted 5 months ago by Joe Blow Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think Joe Blow has a good idea there: the time penalty should only apply if one is indeed multi-tasking.
    Posted 5 months ago by Pascale Subscriber! | Permalink
  • TY TY TY!!!! at least now i can do something else while i make whatever in the machines. I don't do one at a time for anything and always have some in SDBs if needed for projects. 

    So thankful to see the increase in fuel!!!

    TS you just get better and better!!!!!

    :D
    Posted 5 months ago by KinOfWolf~♥ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • QUESTION!  do we still need to have the materials on hand fo the machine to keep working? For example:   if I dropped my bag of wood planks before the machine was done making boards, the machine would stop and say something about the ingredients being missing?
    Posted 5 months ago by Gadzooks Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Alternately, the ability to Focus Machinery and make single-use go faster seems more fitting if you're talking upgrades.  I can't think of any other sensible reason (relatively speaking) that machine speed would be altered by your own actions since they're independently run.
    Posted 5 months ago by Magic Monkey Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Fortunately, I still need some meditation badges, so I just med while the machines hum!
    Posted 5 months ago by Mollie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Magic Monkey, re: "I want a way to check how close the machine is to being finished … so that I have a way to know if I want to go start something else or wait a few seconds."

    Yes, good point. We are thinking about it.
    Posted 5 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Excellent, I'm glad to hear it!

    If it were up to me, I'd make it happen via an Egg Timer (made with a tinkertool, installed on a machine).  It would have to at least require barnacle talc and eggs to make.  
    Posted 5 months ago by Magic Monkey Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The big question on my mind....

    Do they now consume supplies immediately upon loading instead of at the end when they might not be in your inventory anymore?  (Especially likely since they take longer now.)
    Posted 5 months ago by Nerd of Epic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • All in all, I think this is an excellent update. I always want to repair tools and such while the machines are going, so glad I'll be able to do that now.
    I also like the suggestions for additional overall updates or machine-related upgrade cards.
    Posted 5 months ago by kastlin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yes, I too am interested in Nerd of Epic's question.  Particularly with metal projects, the possibility of trying to use an already claimed Metal Ingot seems high.. ???

    Otherwise, interesting and I like it. :)
    Posted 5 months ago by Grem Sketch Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thank you thank you thank you!  Now if you could just do something about the loomer..really 10 at a time.  My bad, drove me crazy this afternoon.  Love this, not that...but you are making great progress.  Thank you so so much.
    Posted 5 months ago by AlmostSilver Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks for this...I'm still so used to doing one thing at a time, that I find myself still waiting for the big machines to finish before starting the next...but love that I can work on other things now while they are running (even if a bit longer)...I can now use my construction tool to multitask while a machine is running...it's great...maybe I'll see how many things I can get going at once... :)
    Posted 5 months ago by Uniquely Prime Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Gadzooks & Nerd of Epic & everyone else: materials are now taken at the beginning of the process rather than the end, so no mistakes! (This is pretty easy to see for yourself.)
    Posted 5 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This is a welcome change :) Any chance loomers will be able to make string with a bit more zeal in the future :)?
    Posted 5 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Well I can see how making single items here and there might be a bit more of a PITA, personally I prefer these changes as I almost always make massive amounts of boards or girders or whatever at a go so this is quite wonderful IMO.
    Posted 5 months ago by Fauxfire π Subscriber! | Permalink
  • this is great! so helpful. thank you :)
    Posted 5 months ago by Beans, Obviously Subscriber! | Permalink
  • last section is my favorite..yay
    Posted 5 months ago by Raktivist Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hm, 30 seconds to make ONE girder? Seems a little too much...
    Posted 5 months ago by OMG BACON!! Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thank you so much, wonderful exciting stuff going on :)
    Posted 5 months ago by Fogwoman Subscriber! | Permalink
  • As I was working on my tower yesterday I was wishing I could do other things while the machines were whirring away... glad to see it addressed!
    Posted 5 months ago by Cristy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "I want a way to check how close the machine is to being finished … so that I have a way to know if I want to go start something else or wait a few seconds."

    Yes please ^^

    Also, "Refuel How Much" Option!
    (4 for full refuel)

    ETA: actually "How Much" should replace "What" - we all know "fuel" is to refuel right??
    Posted 5 months ago by Lemo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It already took far too long to do anything with the machines, so this time extension is just torture (and how is it necessary?), but the other changes are appreciated. So thanks. And please, please reconsider that one. ._.
    Posted 5 months ago by Kestin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I really want my machines to work faster.. I get that I can go work on something else.. and that is definitely an improvement, but would  be willing to pay a premium (upgrade) not to have to fuss with the going away and coming back (or just waiting afk).  Gimme cards :)
    Posted 5 months ago by Joni Mitchell Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I realize that the extra time can be annoying, but a game has to have time sinks otherwise everyone would have everything done is a few minutes and be cursing for more things to do. 
    It's the way it works, folks. 
    Asking for fast machines is like asking for one click mining or chicken squeezing!

    And Etna forgot to add that if this was made by Zynga, every upgrade card would require clicks and facebook shares of 25 friends (6 of whom must be new, every time :-P)
    Posted 5 months ago by Zira Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yay! Great update guys...thank you!


    (also lmao at Stoot's 'Why don'tcha come here and say that?') lol
    Posted 5 months ago by Sir Mixalatte Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Love this update!! Thank you :)
    Posted 5 months ago by Milly21 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'd love to see a quantity selector on the refuel screen now.  Going from 0 to 100 wasn't bad, but 0 - 200 for multiple machines is tedious.  
    Posted 5 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
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