Topic

Routes feel like "guilds" (in a good way!) and really deserve in-world entrances (imo)

I started playing again about a week ago after a long hiatus beginning around the rollback to beta. I am loving many, many of the changes (iMG is a perfect fit yay!) but my first impression of Resource Routes was, "Bleh, too easy, caters to OCD resource collecting/clicking, takes me out of The World."  

However, after having wandered about a few Routes I now think, "Yay, I get to really SEE other Glitches, their decoration choices, their funny notes, their secret communities, their street item generosity, etc."  

It feels like Routes are Glitch's accidental foray into "guilds" (c.f., other games). Routes are a means of committing yourself, permanently, to a group identity/service in a way that was largely missing earlier in the game and I think it's awesome and has great potential. 

But the lack of "place" feels wholly at odds with the type of community organization involved. 

At the most minimalist I could imagine a means of Registering your Route with Papers (and a minimum member requirement?) which would allow your Route name to appear on a sign/portal door/something. On the more fanciful extreme I could see Towers or Route entrances or whatever decorated by their cooperative. 

I am a solo player in Glitch for the most part and the existence of Routes makes me happy. Not because I'm greedily wallowing in resource collecting -- honestly, I still have more fun farming resources out in the World -- but because it really showcased for me the variety of players and playstyles. It made me more aware of the microcosms that might exist than ever before. Despite there being no there there for Routes there's a real sense of People There. 

The Beta World is a happy protected cozy bubble of familiarity. I vaguely remember the unsettling feeling when the game "launched". I went from being a quiet soloist who nonetheless recognized a large number of glitches by name as I zipped by them on the road to feeling completely disconnected from a World populated by strangers -- there was no Home to retreat into. 

Guilds in other games have always served to create communities within the community and I think TS should totally support and applaud the player-inspired Route creation and try to grow it into something slightly more substantial.

P.S. Sorry for wall of text.

P.P.S. Hi!

Posted 5 months ago by Hydi Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • I really like what you're saying here. Also, welcome back.

    However, I have no clue how it would all work. Maybe in addition to the street signs on home streets, there can also be clickable signs to the routes. 
    Posted 5 months ago by girlthulhu Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hm. I disagree. I'm not fond of resource routes in general. I prefer actually going around Ur. Plus some home streets are laggy for me.
    Posted 5 months ago by Piratice Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hydi, I am much the same, was a longtime player, went away in January or so and just recently came back to discover *so many* changes.  Now the loners go outside to get their stuff.  I seem to remember we were on the same street briefly today (enchanted forest maybe?)

    I am pro-route, but it is still quite a shock to visit old familiar places that used to be teaming with life.  I went to Neva Neva today...I couldn't go without a Xanax in the old days, IF I could score a key.  It feels a tiny bit like an episode from the Twilight Zone.

    Anyhoo, welcome back!  I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.
    Posted 5 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • One advantage of game support for routes is to direct players to a random point on the route instead of the beginning all the time. This will even out the IMG gains particularly for the people who joined the route early and are now way at the end of the line.

    On the other hand, I think it's really neat that players have come up with the routes (and now a resource database) all on their own. Emergent gameplay is fantastic; it is not necesssary for game developers to add in special code to support everything players are doing in their games.
    Posted 5 months ago by Yendor Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Just want to point out that if you use the "Visit Route" button to get on a route using the Glitch Housing website, it will teleport you to a random spot on the route :)
    Posted 5 months ago by Scarlett Bearsdale Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I just recently talked about this in a post I made on the Ideas board. I'm definitely for the idea of guilds/routes (TS has talked about adding guild halls in the future, so I'd assume both would go this route if either did) having an in-game entry point of some sort. I think a signpost with a small advertising fee would be the simplest way to do it, but theres alot of ways you could go even just with that idea alone.
    Posted 5 months ago by Grupletruge Subscriber! | Permalink
  • All this to thank you for your kind words.
    Oh, and Metal.
    \m/
    Posted 5 months ago by CrashTestPilot Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Good point — thanks Hydi!

    We have been thinking about ways to let groups grow their streets together (not necessarily home streets, but other adjacent streets they'd build in the future) and making private group-only (or public) lands.

    But I like the idea of the street being the thing that belongs to the organization, rather than just the player. Interesting!
    Posted 5 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "Private group-only" lands would be an incredibly awesome thing, stoot! Shared projects to open new streets, unlock resources and reach cultural milestones.

    Give me a group signpost in my back yard and I'll be on my way :)
    Posted 5 months ago by Joe Blow Subscriber! | Permalink
  • How do you actually join those routes? I would like to add my friend and myself to the list.

    I remember there was a forum thread but I can't find it anymore.

    Sorry for the off topic post :(
    Posted 5 months ago by MonkeyPantz Subscriber! | Permalink
  • There is a stub article in the Wiki with some links, but this page could certainly use some love.
    Anyway, start here for info.
    Posted 5 months ago by Janitch Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Related thought: what if the in-world entrances took you to a random Street on a Route?  One thing that bugs me a little about Route membership is that the head of a route (probably) gets more traffic than further down the route.

    Why do I say that?  Because the head of the route is the reference entrance for the route - I assume that most Glitchen enter the route through the head - go to the HRR group, click the head of route link, or use the Route of Routes to link between them.

    Then you proceed along the route, collecting resources.  As you finish a street you (ok: I) think "more stuff?  or use the stuff?"  And at each street there's a reasonable chance that you're done and move on.  So the head gets all the visitors, the next street gets some fraction, the next gets a similar fraction of that.  It's like the story about the chessboard and grains of rice, only in reverse.

    I think even the 6-street routes probably don't always get a complete circuit done, probably.  I'd love to hear about evidence either way.

    The solution would either be: a complicated API app to manage routes, so that the "head" of the route was random or least-visited or some fair approach OR world entrances that took you to a member-street automatically.  Game support for routes would mean they'd be less hacky and prone to breakage, too.
    Posted 5 months ago by Yarrow Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Yarrow If you use the web site, it takes you to a random spot in the route.
    Posted 5 months ago by Janitch Subscriber! | Permalink