Topic

This is the big change? Interior Decoration?

I'm not very enthusiastic about the housing change.  I guess I'm not that into interior decoration, and don't see much in the way of functional change to the game.  Possibly, hopefully, the housing update is just the tip of the iceberg and there will be actual game-play oriented additions coming soon as well.  If not, this doesn't really look like the kind of change that would have required a re-release to me.

Posted 10 months ago by Polo Reede Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • As stated in the introduction when you first enter your house, in the future we will be able to craft furnis, upgrade, enlarge, and cultivate in our homes. I don't know about everybody else, but that's all that I think I expected from the update.

    The un-release of the game wasn't ever stated to have to do with just houses, was it?
    Posted 10 months ago by QuinnR Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This is clearly not the big change because as stated many times in the past there are other aspects of the game in development. This is only the first of many content changes.
    Posted 10 months ago by TomC Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What worries me is the statement that some upgrades may be subscriber only. So far, nothing gameplay advantage-wise has been fully subscriber only. Maybe give them a discount, or require non-subscribers to acquire some materials to build upgrades that subscribers can skip?

    (I'm all for subscribers getting benefits, but many free players like to play, too, and completely locking off certain things that could possibly become very helpful wouldn't be a good design choice, in my opinion.)
    Posted 10 months ago by QuinnR Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Polo Reede, before posting in the forums it would be a good idea to read what's already here.
    Posted 10 months ago by Sloppy Ketchup Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm looking forward to better organization and storage of Glitch-stuff, and I remain quite confident that it's coming.  It takes a crane to build a crane...

    Besides my confidence in the people who run this site caring about the players, they've SAID that storage etc. is coming!

    They can't get everything in there at once! Patience, child.
    Posted 10 months ago by So sorry Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think it will be like clothing in how you can buy the fancy outfits or decorative furniture with credits aka real money. It won't be that free players can't use these features just that if you want some of the more fancy decorations it is a subscription/credits benefit. I don't think anything that effects game mechanics will be pay to play.

    This is just the tip of the iceberg for the housing update. Houses will be extensible in time.
    Posted 10 months ago by Melting Sky Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think the bigger, more interesting change will come with the onset of 'imagination'. I'm not much fussed what my house looks like, but I do think the ability to extend resources (ie plots and possibly patches and rocks) will be interesting.

    As for subscriber only, I like the idea that everything would be easier for them but not exclusive to them. I would imagine subscribers want a busy Ur with plenty of other players and the best way to do that is to make the game great for everyone, whether they want to pay or not.

    Then again I'm getting access to all of this absolutely free at the moment so I don't think there's much to complain about!
    Posted 10 months ago by Lund! Subscriber! | Permalink
  • QuinnR: how do particular furniture upgrades give you a gameplay advantage? They'll work just like clothes (some free, some paid, some subscriber-locked).
    Posted 10 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Polo Reade: yesterday's release was part of the changes to the way housing works in the game,  and the changes to housing are part of all the changes we are making to the game. This is definitely not the end of what we are doing.
    Posted 10 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hopefully the house extension mechanisms will rely a bit more on the resources, a bit like street projects or items you can craft.
    It's fine to me if most of the furniture works like clothes, but you may want to introduce a part of harvestable resources in the making of houses, so everything connects well, and so that you actually may grind for a creative reason.
    Posted 10 months ago by Lemo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Lemo, yes —  furniture will be craftable and house expansions & adding floors both require crafted items. Yesterday's release was just a small part of what we have in development … we just wanted to get the decoration stuff out and tested while we continue to work on the rest (otherwise it is too monolithic).
    Posted 10 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • According to what stoot said before, I can only assume that this is part of a part of the change in gameplay, content, etc. http://prntscr.com/6np22
    Posted 10 months ago by Rook Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @stoot kk good to hear
    I saw the posts about the furniture craft indeed, glad you're keeping that in mind for the whole thing
    Have fun with the development then^^
    Posted 10 months ago by Lemo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Finally, I found the thread I wanted to post in...(and sorry this is going to be a long one, but it's something that really bugged me that I think needs a relatively long explanation)...

    Stoot...I'd like to respectfully request that you and the team consider there might be different definitions of game play...it's actually something that I've been mulling most of the night and morning, since I read your post yesterday (so you're not the only one that loses sleep over this game, some of your players do also).

    If by game play advantage, you mean the basic tenets of moving around in the Ur world, or just doing quests, I will agree with you...decorating and clothes are just aesthetics, not anything 'real to the game' itself. 

    However, since this is a social game, where we're supposed to be able to express our own personal creativity, I'm starting to wonder if the current model of only free or credit (or super special credit because you're a subscriber) really matches up with some of the more currently creative aspects of what I think many of us would dub as "game play".

    Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not even advocating for more 'free' items...actually, I might even advocate for less, once you hear my thoughts...however, I do think that those that might not have the extra funds in their budget (especially during these current economic times) shouldn't feel like they have to pay to be creative, if that is their desired 'game play'.  So, what's the solution that is smart business?

    I'd propose that some things are CURRANT only (which I know is something you have been quite against for reasons that I truly don't understand), some things are credit only and the super cool things are subscriber only. How many times have there been discussions there aren't enough currant sinks in the game?  I propose that the model becomes that some basic 'aesthetics' are able to be earned by working hard in game to get currants...now this actually will benefit you on the business side as well...I'll explain in a bit.

    For me, I'm a subscriber, have been for a while, and frankly have been saving up my credits ever since you mentioned months and months ago that furniture would likely be bought with credits.  However, every so often there has been a clothing release or some event, where I really wanted to dress up for it, so I'd eyeball my credit balance and eek out some credits from my tight little glitch fists, and buy some new clothes.  However, I have some friends that play that aren't able to spend credits much less buy a subscription.  So, while I happily wander Ur, with my silly pumpkin head for Zilloween, my friend is relegated to their 'free only' tshirts and pants.  However, if they could spends some currants on maybe one of the pumpkin heads (and just make it maybe the plain orange one, not one of the cool colored ones), then they could join in the fun of 'dressing up' for Zilloween...which they currently cannot do, and don't have an option to do.  Granted, a pumpkin head is just aesthetics, and doesn't really 'affect game play'...or does it?!  I'd say it DOES affect game play in a social and especially a social game that promotes creativity...and at this point those that have credits / subscriptions ARE getting a social/creative advantage during holidays and such.

    So, I'd propose that maybe there are currant only items (and not a low level of currants, make it something like 1,000 currants per credit (which since pumpkin heads are 40 credits this would be 40,000 currants)...yea, you can either buy a house or a pumpkin head...how bad do you want it?).  But at least this would give those 'free' players an option to actually get some cool things, if they work hard enough for it in game. It at least allows those players to feel more a part of the game when there are special events or parties.  

    Now, you may ask, how does that benefit you, the business owner? 1) Due to the non-trivial number of currants required, it will require that player, to spend more time in game.  The more time they are in game, the more they may try to get their friends to play, and some of them might be paying customers. 2) Once a person has the opportunity via a 'free' but work-basis venue to purchase some of the mildly cool things, it might be enough to 'hook' them to find those dollars in their budget to either buy credits or a subscription...because they start to want more of the cool things, but either don't really want to put in the hours to earn it via working for currants, or they want some of the credit only cool things.  3) It allows people to play the game (even those that are paying) and be creative without feeling like we're being taken to the cleaners for every 'pretty' thing, which will build a level of customer loyalty that isn't really easily explained or measured.  

    Okay, so this example was just with clothes, but hopefully you can see how this readily transfers into the new housing upgrades.  Especially for those that are extremely creative in decorating...that just MIGHT be their version of 'game play' is to decorate and redecorate their homes so they can throw themed parties for their friends. It would also allow for other things like decorating (or costume) contests where anyone can truly participate, because even the free to play folks have options.  To say decoration isn't game play, might just be a bit of a mistake in the definition of game play...it might not be YOUR game play...but it just might be someone else's. 

    So, 1) provide only the minimal of things for free; 2) provide basics for a moderate amount of currants, some of the advanced items for a substantial amount of currant, and a few of the unique things, but the 'less cool ones' for a very large amount of currants, and potentially color options for a moderate amount of currants also; 3) provide additional advanced items, and other really cool things for credits only; 4) provide super cool things or extra special colors or effects for subscribers only.

    I think modifying to this model, will have people that are a bit more willing to play for longer periods, even if it can be a bit 'grindy' because they are working toward purchasing that unique item, or that color swatch, or something with currants that they have to work to earn (they now have additional goals in the game that don't necessarily relate to the given quests)...we need more goals with our currants, and this model seems like it would help to provide those opportunities...I find that is what is majorly lacking in this game...doing stuff in game to either get what I want, or to make currants that allows me to purchase what I want...Right now, we primarily do stuff...just to do stuff...there isn't much of a goal behind a lot of what we're able to do right now, other than maybe making food for energy and drinks for mood.

    Now, I agree with the addition of being able to craft some of the things, will also open the possibilities (and give us more goals and things to do since we'll have to collect materials for the crafting of items)...but there will be times when I don't want to spend the time/energy it will take to craft something, and I may not want to spend a credit on it, but I'd be willing to purchase it with a currant....however, while I may be willing to purchase the base items from another player, I will want to make it my own, by changing the style or the color, and I don't want to only be locked into the 'credit' only option...I'd like to have a currant option for some of these things...

    I know there is more to come, and I look forward to it...but I think that we can't use currants on what you guys are considering aesthetics, is a bit of a problem, because in a creative game, they aren't just aesthetics... 

    Just some thoughts to consider...maybe I'm the only one that thinks like this...but I played a former game where this method worked very well...and I'd still be playing that game, if it was still around...
    Posted 9 months ago by ~Pink Flamingo~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like the idea behind what Beach Bum says, but I think the line between currants and credits has to be VERY decisive. A subscriber should not be able to pay real money to get ANYTHING that can also be bought with currants. That just seems messed up to me.

    What I would propose, and this could apply to clothes and housing, is that there be a credit store with a lot of super fancy furniture/clothes items, then a currants store with moderately fancy items, and finally a free store with more basic items. The biggest point here is that no piece of furniture should be found in more than one of the stores. All items should either require credits OR currants, not both.

    I think it's important to have the option to work a little and be able to decorate your home to pretty fancy levels with currants, which then encourages you to purchase a sub or credit package if you want the MOST fancy items. 

    It just seems a little discouraging to me if there is a piece of clothing or furniture in game that you buy for 10k currants, which you spent an hour earning mining or piggy nibbling or what have you, and a friend buys the same one for 10 credits. As I keep repeating (Theme here maybe?) I believe they ought to be distinct :) 

    That's just me though. Thoughts?
    Posted 9 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Liza, I admit, I was originally thinking it would be nice to have an option to earn some things (ie, currant payment) vice just spend credits on that item...however, if it would be a discouragement to some players, I can see your POV, and come over to your way of thinking to have them completely separate/distinct. I like the idea of different types of shops for each of them.

    I definitely agree that there should not be a crossing of lines of the items; if bought for currants, they need to stay in a currant system.  If bought for credits, they should stay in the credit system.  Otherwise folks will try to "make" currants or credits for things they purchased in the other system.  While it was fun to do in a previous game I played, it did get out of hand with some of the free players pretty much scamming unwitting newer players for the equivalent of credits...many that switched between the systems were reasonable players (some trying to help free players get credit only items by putting them up on the currant system), but there were the handful of rotten apples that ruined that system for so many others.

    I guess to me eye types, hair color, noses, mouths are primarily aesthetics; whereas, clothing allows me to further express my creativity in my character,and decorating a house is another way for me to express my personal creativity, so are not just aesthetics, but are part of 'game play' for many...
    Posted 9 months ago by ~Pink Flamingo~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • whoa dude, what if like... everything in the world was free... like nature... and none of those fucking BIG CAPITALISTS like tiny speck ever got any compensation for their work...

    100 credits costs 7 US dollars. You have to be either pretty cheap or living in poverty to not have at least 7 dollars budgeted for entertainment once in a while. And I wouldn't ever tell a person actually living in poverty that they can't have entertainment because they are poor, but I highly doubt many serious players of Glitch are living in poverty, since Glitch requires a semi-functional computer, a decent internet connection, and a massive amount of spare time. 

    If you are just really cheap and don't WANT to spend any money on clothing/furniture, and just want it to be free because you say so, then there are plenty of free dress-up games out there, since apparently it's not good enough for you that Glitch, unlike many MMOs, is free to play, and unlike many other MMOs, is not pay-to-win.
    Posted 9 months ago by Effigy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Who are you talking to Eff xD? I don't think either me or Beach Bum said that everything should be free! There are already free options, so we already know one won't be forced to pay to customize their houses. 

    I just think there ought to be a sort of three tiered system. Basic items on the bottom for free, pretty nice items in the middle for currants, and Super Awesome items on top for credits. That just sounds like a nice system to me. Adds a middle ground in between free options and credit options. Since free and credit options already exist all I'm really suggesting is the middle option of currant furniture :)

    Also, I'm fine spending money on furniture :) I've got 900 credits saved up with which I plan to do exactly that.
    Posted 9 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Beach Bum -- I've been pondering this issue, too. Here were my thoughts: 

    I don't think a system for buying currant-only objects would really work. Those items may just as well be free. Having to grind to make currants to buy a desired object would be tedious for some; those players would eventually get fed up and either stick to free objects or just not play at all. Not to mention that for players with higher skill levels, currants aren't really an issue. If you have a large amount of currants to begin with, or you can make currants easily (mining for an hour while watching TV can get me between 30-50k, for example), you could buy any or all of those objects. And then it would be just as easy for some of those players to say 'well, I like these currant-only items, so I'm not going to buy credit-only items, even when I can afford them'. (My last point also applies to the idea of buying some credit items with currants, such as Beach Bum's example about the pumpkin head.) 

    Glitch as a game has a very delicate balance to maintain. There is little they can actually sell (for real money) without affecting game play. They can't do paid upgrades for characters or skills, which only leaves housing customisations and character aesthetics such as clothes, hair, etc. Subscribers may be able to vote on things soon, but that's not really reason enough to buy a subscription, I think. 

    TL;DR: free and credit-only items provide enough of a divide to encourage players who can to buy credits/subscriptions. Currant-only items may just muddy the waters and lead to less credits sold. It may seem unfair for some players to be able to afford things others cannot, but Tiny Speck needs to make a decent income just like any other company. I'm just glad we don't have to pay to play the game itself!  

    (Watch, TS will introduce currant-only items now and prove me utterly wrong :P)
    Posted 9 months ago by Nyx Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Personally, I'm just hoping that as much time as they've spent on this new housing system, which currently I think has a lot of potential, (but probably won't keep me coming back to the game) that they've spent an equal or greater amount on skills and quests, and ways for us to be engaged in the game itself.

    Three tiers, sure, why not. Could become grindy, but at least you'd be grinding towards something and by choice.

    I think this system could work if the ability to trade and gift the really cool things was there. If not, all it does is create a caste system within Glitch, which is pretty much the opposite of what they want. It would create exclusivity rather than inclusivity.

    So, @Beach, I totally agree that different people will have very different definitions of Game Play, however, it's not TS's responsibility to make sure that all those different types of Game Play are considered.

    If you use a frying pan to cook with, and everything sticks, that's an issue. If you use a frying pan as a bat and it doesn't hit the ball as far as you want, that's not.

    It's a slightly silly example, but I feel your argument comes down to product definition, if we define 'Game Play' in ways other than how TS defines 'Game Play' that is our choice, and we have to understand that they may or may not consider accepting it as such ( which I know you have).

    I love the creative aspects of the game, it's why I subscribed and then upped my subscription. Not for credits and tokens, but to make sure there is a bit more cash for them to do things.

    So, tiered system? All for it, as long as the items can be traded regardless of what level they were bought at. Yes, this may cause some issues and some people will get taken for a ride, but I want to be able to give cool things to people, no matter what.
    Posted 9 months ago by rorschach Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I concur with Nyx. The current (heh) division of free and paid seems sensible to me.
    Posted 9 months ago by Pascale Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm pretty sure in that long thread somewhere, staff already said there will probably be furniture that you can buy with currants...

    Last quote on this post

    ====Quote====================================================
    "It would be great to have some of the decorations buyable via currants"
    Highly likely!
    =============================================================
    Posted 9 months ago by TomC Subscriber! | Permalink
  • lol Eff... I live in poverty but I do budget for entertainment and the things I like, I spend money on.  I'm kind of silly in that regard in that I'd rather keep my subscription on Glitch active then, for instance, go out and buy cute new dresses or something.. I don't know.. whatever "normal" girls my age do with their spare / entertainment money.. >_>

    Edited to add -- There are a lot of things that we go without but we always have enough food, and clean water to drink, and my kids never go without good shoes or go hungry.  So one could argue we're not "really" living in poverty, although technically we're living on less than 20k$US a year.  We just budget real well and save money where we can, and balance needs with wants.  :s  We're precarious enough though that when an emergency comes up, it sets us back a lot.. last month both I and my son ended up getting MRSA (which I'm still fighting, or, rather, again :p ) and I had to pay the hospital bills and for all our antibiotics, then we didn't have enough for food for the rest of the month.. and to feed my kids I just went hungry.  But then we got paid again and everything balanced out so... you know.. we're still ok even though it was tough for a couple weeks.  I think that's what poverty is really.. at least in America, for a lot of us.. it's that living on the line .. it's not knowing if you're going to be ok because something bad has just happened. You know?

    But I wouldn't ever argue that TS needs to cater to players like me who don't spend a LOT of money, who just spend a little here and there when we can.  You know?  If they started charging more I just wouldn't pay it lol.

    /rambling
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Well, considering I'm someone who pays for 3 moly subs in my household, and given my personal beliefs, etc, I'm very pro-capitalism and pro-making money, even on a frivolous entertainment item like an MMO.  I actually am advocating that things aren't completely FREE anymore. 

    Look I have thousands of CREDITS saved up just for this update...I've not been spending them on costumes and clothes because I wanted to be able to afford anything they might throw at me when many many months ago stoot said in one of his postings that furniture and decorating items would cost credits...so I'm actually sitting pretty, but I'm a compassionate capitalist that feels for those that like this game but don't have extra income to throw at it and may also like to decorate like I do.

    The current system of FREE vice Credit is already creating a caste system in game...what I recommend would add in that middle ground and reduce the difference between the haves and have nots.  I personally feel the only completely free things in this game should be some of the starter basics, the gifts the company wants to provide for events or holidays for player loyalty, and gifts provided between friends in the spirit of sharing.  The rest of the items, while they may not cost RL money, like credits, should at least be earned - ie, an in game capitalist economy...oh, hey, based on currants.

    I do have friends that since they are already budgeting for the internet connection, aren't going to be able to spend the big bucks on lots of extra credits.  They might be able to get some, and maybe even $7 worth...but that will buy you maybe one or two upgraded tables and maybe a chair with the new design....oh, wow...so much stuff...not.  Also, we have folks that play this because they don't have jobs and/or are recovering from illnesses (so they are on tight budgets), are bedridden due to illnesses (so this is their window to being social with people), or are teenagers that might be on an allowance, and might not be able to afford getting extra credits.  I don't think they should be penalized in the more creative areas because it's lumped as 'just aesthetics'.

    None of my comments are saying that everything should be free...none of my comments are advocating making it simple by giving everything away in a socialist manner. (Socialism quite frankly repulses me, since it doesn't work anyway.)  I am recommending that the term 'game play' needs to be inclusive of the creativity aspect of this game, not just the quest aspects. Unfortunately, to date, it seems like some creative aspects have been put into the aesthetics bin...and I'm not really sure that's how some of the players see those aspects of the game...and that was my primary point in the post...but you guys are right, just because I define aesthetics differently than the devs, doesn't mean they have to modify their definition for me...

    TomC - thanks for finding that post - I must have missed it in the pages and pages of comments in the thread.  I hope that is truly a sign that they are recognizing that creativity and decoration is more than just aesthetics. ;)

    (((Auren))) - hope your situation improves, but thanks for posting...it really highlights the point that folks from all strata of the population are playing this game...and for some when it really becomes a choice between eating that month or buying some credits, people will do without the credits because they need to put food on the table for their family.  Having an option to purchase things with currants earned in game, might keep you playing for fun for a month or two or three until your budget does allow for those credit purchases...and having some fun in a game like this might just be the cheap entertainment option to help you forget your cares for a little while. 

    Everyone is free to their own opinion, and the devs have dismissed many of my thoughts and ideas in the past...however, I just think it really was a point that the needed to be clarified from a player perspective...I'd hate to see this game become so elitist that it does drive away players because they feel like they can't participate in aspects of what they might consider gameplay due to a credit vs currant issue or a communication difference over definitions.  And I'll try to shut up now because I'm already at TL/DR x2...
    Posted 9 months ago by ~Pink Flamingo~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks Beach Bum.. yeah I agree.. having a currants option would definitely let people (like me) continue playing when our finances wouldn't otherwise allow it.  :: nods nods ::

    I don't think the most elite and best options should always be subscriber only.. just *different* options, and different upgrades.  If it ever comes to the point where you have to pay real money always to get the "best" items in-world or to be the most creative or have the most freedom.. I don't know.. that's not a move I'd agree with.  But I don't see TS going that direction.

    I do hope they lower the prices on some of the furniture items.  They seem really insane honestly ... but on the other hand... I don't even know what the other hand is.  :: slinks out of the thread quietly ::
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Before I start, I am not feeling sorry for myself or begging. I hesitated to post this in case some thought it was a sob story :D

    I was made redundant and we live somwhere where it is extremely difficult to find work, one son at home still at 25, with a Masters Degree, only able to find part time shop work and today they asked him to take a pay cut (he earns a fraction over minimum wage) So, three of us live on my Partner's war pension. Times are very, very hard.

    The internet is my escape, entertainment and my social life at the moment and it really is the last thing I would want to give up.

    I am glad for those of you who are able to subscribe, I would if I could. TS are a business and it's better that those who can afford to buy things do so and this means the game keeps going for all of us.

    Just like real life, you can't always have all that you want. it's good to be participating and having fun here and it will be thanks to subscribers like Beach Bum that the game will carry on.
    Posted 9 months ago by Miss Parsley Subscriber! | Permalink
  • (( hugs )) Miss Parsley.. I'm sorry times are so rough on you right now..

    The internet is my escape too and really the ONLY entertainment I do spend money on... well.. besides my yearly subscriptions to PonyIsland... I loves me some ponies.. :: googly eyes ::

    http://ponyisland.net/index.php?src=pets&sub=profile&pet=10292812&usr=802696
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • boo updates
    Posted 9 months ago by Volkov Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Meh. The OP makes me grr but I think because I see this all over the 'tubes/rl: jumping to conclusions before even bothering to get the info.

    Meanwhile, someone up-thread said there are no in-game subscription advantages. That's not true: what about teleportation tokens?
    Posted 9 months ago by emdot Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Teleport tokens can be purchased without subscribing, just like credits can.  
    Posted 9 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • And, if you make scripts ahead of time, you can teleport as much as you want. 
    Posted 9 months ago by Rook Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yeah.. seriously tokens don't really give an advantage.. it's more of a convenience issue.  Like getting your papers and riding the subway.. which I did before I had all the teleport skills.  Now I'm wondering how to sell my teleport tokens because I never use them anymore, I just use map teleports, walk places, take the subway, write scripts.. seriously there's so many options....... now that I'm not on a laggyass computer.  >_>  I'd probably still use my tokens all the time to get around if A) I didn't have all the tp skills, and / or B) I was still playing on my laggy backwater bucktooth computer of dimwittedness.  Which luckily, B is impossible because my hubby accidentally spilled coffee all over it and ruined it!  Hurrah!  ^_^  There's always a bright side to the dark side!!
    Posted 9 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Beach Bum — I appreciate you taking the time to formulate your opinion and I understand what you're saying, but it is not something we are likely to do. Another way to summarize your advice to us is "take some of the things you currently charge for and make them free; that will attract more people who will play Glitch for free and some of them might end up paying … or attracting still more people, some of whom might pay".

    I believe that would be a worse business decision for us as measured by the absolute number of dollars we take in (it is definitely worse in terms of the average revenue per user just because 'more free users per paying user' lowers the average) but even if it wasn't, it's still not something we'd want to do: all other things being equal, we'd much rather have a smaller number of people playing Glitch (i.e., earning an average of $10 from each of one hundred thousand people is much more attractive to us than an average of $1 each from one million people).

    If we were selling widgets it might not matter much, but part of Glitch is the community and interactions players have with one another and that just gets so much harder when the number of people gets huge.
    Posted 9 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • WindBorn, Rook and Auren -- thanks for the info. I never really thought about doing it differently (and I think I've only written two teleportation scripts my entire time playing the game). I think I get going on auto pilot and don't think of ways to play that are different than my regular ways.

    Meanwhile, I use my tokens constantly.
    Posted 9 months ago by emdot Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Another problem with the 'three tier' (free, currants, credits for basic, moderate, or super furniture) system, is that not everyone agrees on what the 'best' stuff is.

    So you'd get people who have paid money complaining because the thing they wanted is arbitrarily categorized as 'moderately fancy' and that means they have to go grind currants instead of using the credits they've paid for.
    Posted 9 months ago by Lukie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @emdot

    I've only ever used 3 tokens, and that was to imbue scripts for newbies.
    Posted 9 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • stoot, thanks for the read and the reply...we'll have to just respectfully agree to disagree. I get that offering some "free" things (where people have to work for them, so they aren't really completely free since I consider people's time as a cost) is counter-intuitive...but I've seen it work to harness potential income that currently isn't captured...but I'm not up for long discussion about customer psychology vice flaws in strictly bottom-line business models.  Cheers!
    Posted 9 months ago by ~Pink Flamingo~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Beach Bum has identified a much larger problem with the game: despite giving us the ability to create a wide variety of items, the game has not yet given us a reason to do so.  (Street projects supplied a reason, but there haven't been any projects for months.)  We'll probably be less focused on aesthetics and more on actual gameplay once we're given a new set of goals in the form of housing upgrades.  Past that, I hope that larger things are planned, because, at level 60, with plenty of currants and all skills learned, the social aspect of the game is all that keeps me coming back.  Even that can wear thin, especially with so few people playing right now.  I don't want to wait months for updates, run out of home expansion options, and then run out of fun things to do.
    Posted 9 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Why is Glitch free?
    Posted 9 months ago by bayBi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I am very upset about the change: once we stop "testing", our house will be reset. I am a non subscriber with no credits left. What will I do? Just live in a wooden house?!?
    Posted 9 months ago by gracerigney Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @ Grace There will be plenty of free options :) You won't be forced to live in a house that is actively ugly, you'll simply have to pay if you want the really pretty, interesting or exotic stuff.
    Posted 9 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • And hopefully we will be able to do some kinds of crafting so there is scope of our imginations
    Posted 9 months ago by Tibbi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I for one look forward to living in a very spartan and utilitarian house.  I love the irony of the 'decorations' that are basically a nail in a board.  I will expend my energy and imagination on expanding garden, patches, etc.  If I wanted an 'Interior Decorator' game I would play Yoville.

    Isn't it wonderful how we get to set our own priorities?
    Posted 9 months ago by Polo Reede Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I have to agree with that statement Polo :) I WILL enjoy decorating my house, since I have the credits and nothing else I'm interested in spending them on, but my number one priority will be expansion on an epic level. I want my house to be a monolithic icon to all that is awesome and large :)

    Edit: And don't forget full of resources ;) Is a 56 plot herb garden too much ;)?
    Posted 9 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would tend to agree with Polol Reede on that point.

    Actually, what I'm a bit disappointed with in this test release, is that we're still not able to cooperate in building something together.
    Everyone is locked into his own "imagination", building his own self-empire, without any possible way to get together and make something interesting.
    I'll be waiting for the actual "world-expansion" ideas, that have been mentioned to come for sometime later...

    The technical challenges are obviously greater when talking about cooperative gameplay, but it may also start with very simple things, that could be more creative for the player than lovely designed furniture, like the ability to stack basic items on top of each others for example.
    Posted 9 months ago by Lemo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Just before the game launched, some testers were able to test a group hall-building concept which involved small, cooperative street projects.  Hopefully those will return at some point.
    Posted 9 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I used to play a lot of puzzle pirates, and was part of the launch of the "Dabloons" micro-payments system, where you could exchange what, in glitch, would be basically currents for credits and vice versa. It is a good system for the way the game worked, but I didn't care for it over a subscription-based model.

    I believe such as system ultimately paves the way for meaningful Gold Farming in Glitch, and I think that is a Very Bad Idea (tm).
    Posted 9 months ago by HeyGabe Subscriber! | Permalink