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### Topic

#### Note to staff re: mining

EDIT: Thanks for informing me that the discrepancy was because lower mining skills mean longer mining, rather than because anything has actually changed. Regardless, I still think it would be better if it were to work this way, so consider this a suggestion. :)
It used to be that when I mined the same rock as a bunch of other people, I would get a bonus solely proportional to how many others were on the same rock, whether I was first or last to get there. Now, it only gives me bonuses for anyone who joins in after I do. From what I've heard, a lot of the elitism in mining centers around who gets to have first shot at the rock. If this change were to be reverted, the focus would be removed from "who gets there first" and put back on "how many"; i.e., it would encourage the whole community thing, which is what you want. As it is now, people may be discouraged from mining in groups because being the last one to a rock only means they'll get fewer chunks, rather than getting more because there are more people there (which is probably why a lot of people started mining in groups in the first place).
Please consider changing the balance of bonuses back to the way it was. I think it will be good for both the individuals participating in group mining and the community attitude towards doing so.

Posted 11 months ago by Kestin | Permalink

### Replies

- +1
  I've seen people say wait...only because they want the first crack at the rock, and not because they want to share.
  Posted 11 months ago by Saraphim | Permalink
- A classic case of "you snooze you lose".
  Posted 11 months ago by Volkov | Permalink
- Exactly, "snooze you lose" negates the sharing/community and puts the action back into solo play of Me/Mine/I'm first. Would be nice to give community/equal share a go. Save the competition for the game rooms.
  Posted 11 months ago by Ooola | Permalink
- *nods* Agreed -- as I just said in another thread, I have a disability that affects my hands/response time, and the culture in the shared-mining areas essentially made it impossible for me to play. (I got yelled at if I didn't wait "long enough," but if I waited until I saw the first pick moving, the rock would be gone or I'd at most get one swing in before it disappeared.)
  As a result, I'm a solo miner -- I'd certainly prefer going back to the bonus being proportional to how many people are on a rock, versus who got the first swing in.
  Posted 11 months ago by Ashbet | Permalink
- +1
  Posted 11 months ago by Arietty | Permalink
- +1
  I've lost most interest in Ajaya Bliss since I noticed this. I can get many more sparkly rocks in the same time period by wandering the maps solo mining, rather than waiting for those rocks to spawn. Given that rocks last half as long when two people mine them I actually prefer solo mining now.
  Posted 11 months ago by Zimzat | Permalink
- This hasn't changed in around four months or so … something like that. Bonuses have always been based on the number who started after you (i.e., the number of people who are helping you).
  Posted 11 months ago by stoot barfield | Permalink
- MOAR DIAMONDS, PLZ.
  I mean, if you want....
  THNX, STOOT!
  Posted 11 months ago by Somebody Somewhere | Permalink
- @stoot barfield: Do you mean that it wasn't like this before? I would +1 this, as I have semi-laggy internet connections and would love to get the entire help from mining:P However, when I get Mining 4, the time will be cut, and therefore, I will be "helping" more than receiving... so, it is best to "+1" this idea if you are a lower mining-skill level:) This is my opinion! (along with some other glitchen, i suppose!)
  Posted 11 months ago by Avariella | Permalink
- Really? Because I'm fairly certain that a month or two ago, I would be getting 15-30 extra chunks just by hacking at the same rock as twelve other people, even if I was, say, the eighth one to arrive. Either way, I'd still like to suggest changing it, for the reasons I detailed -- whether or not I'm remembering correctly, it would still be a better system in my opinion.
  After all, when you're trying to dislodge pieces of solid rock from a larger chunk by slamming a pointy metal scythe against it, there really is no difference between "you're helping them" and "they're helping you", is there? :P It really would feel like more of a community effort if rewards weren't curtailed for bad timing (or laggy connections, or hand-related issues...just as long as you get to the rock while it's still there, you know?)
  Posted 11 months ago by Kestin | Permalink
- Kestin - maybe you've upped your Mining skill level recently?
  If you're a slow miner (Mining 1 or 2) then there's a longer window of opportunity for other people to start mining the same rock & 'helping' you. In fact people with Mining 4 might even get in two goes before your first attempt completes. All that will give you a bigger bonus.
  If you're a fast miner (ie you've got a high mining skill level) then there's a shorter period in which other people can start mining the same rock that you're mining and so you'll probably get a smaller bonus.
  Posted 11 months ago by Snazzlefrazz | Permalink
- ...yikes. That might explain my memory. I didn't upgrade past Mining I until after I'd been hanging around AB for a while and noticed everyone else was mining faster. >.<
  Posted 11 months ago by Kestin | Permalink
- +1
  "You snooze, you lose" is not the point of this game
  Posted 11 months ago by Saposhiente | Permalink
- +1
  I'm super-new, so maybe my chiming in won't be welcome here (though happily this doesn't seem like that kind of community, so here's hoping) but I have to agree. Making it so sharing the load rewards everyone seems much more in the spirit of the game. More fun, too.
  Posted 11 months ago by Hoyden Nova | Permalink
- +1
  And I wish the rewards were better for mining with others. As it is I still kind of grumble to myself when I have to share my rocks. X(
  Posted 11 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ | Permalink
- Kestin - ahhh, glad we solved the puzzle.
  Really I think the philosophy on mining skill depends on whether you see yourself as a social miner, mostly mining in AB and NN, or a solitary miner wandering from street to street.
  I remember some people in AB pondering the idea of unlearning their higher mining skills in order to get higher bonuses. Wonder if anybody did that?
  Posted 11 months ago by Snazzlefrazz | Permalink
- Seems like a pretty inconvenient solution though. There are sparkly caves, but no metal caves, meaning anyone after ingots would still do some solo mining. And then if you decide you can't stand leaving anything unlearned (like I would -- I get pretty twitchy about 100% completion *glares at intern achievement*), it'd take the better part of a month to relearn them.
  Posted 11 months ago by Kestin | Permalink
- How DOES one get that?
  Posted 11 months ago by NicSTX | Permalink