Topic

Block and Fuel-Makers - Lock to owner?

Over the past few days, I've seen several instances of "theft" of block and/or fuel makers, both from public machine rooms and from project sites.

Now, I'm no programmer, and I have no idea what's possible, but I have a couple of thoughts.

1) Make the machines in public machine rooms un-disassemble-able.  They're there for people to use, not to steal part for profit (unless I misunderstand the purpose).

2) Make some sort of lock option when assembling a machine at a project site so that only the person who assembled it could disassemble it and pick up the parts. Project sites have so much going on, and it's so hectic, and it's disheartening when in the midst of all that teamwork, someone just walks off with a couple of expensive (and important) machines.

Posted 19 months ago by Krikket Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • The ability for machines to be disassembled by anyone but the owner is new, they used to be immobile once built. I think we've seen one extreme and now the other and the dev's will work a happy middle ground from that.

    Otherwise, treat it like a really really expensive feeder or collector... expect that if it's anywhere but your home - it (and any accompanying notes) will grow legs and walk away.
    Posted 19 months ago by Travinara Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I didn't like the fact that the machines became permanent fixtures of streets. They're not all that purdy and just looked 'left behind'.

    But the current deal is kind of expensive, too.   That's a lot of currants to invest and then leave sitting next to a project for anyone to walk off with.

    Maybe there could be an additional component that one could purchase which would act as a lock and alarm/remote unlock.
    Pay 600 currants extra, set up the lock on your assembled machine and only you can unlock it/ disassemble it.  With an added timer feature you could get a pop-up warning letting you know that your machine has been unused for 2 game days and will be unlocked if you don't collect it.  That way the machines would get automatically unlocked after a while and 'cleared away' by other players if left abandoned.
    Posted 19 months ago by Wrendolin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like Wrendolin's suggestions a lot. 
    Another player (I don't remember who, sorry!) also suggested that we have keys with the locks so that we could lend the keys to trusted friends so they could use the machines without our having to be there to disassemble and move everything.
    Posted 19 months ago by Millie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I want this so much. I had no problem buying a blockmaker for the tower project in the wee hours of the morning when those who owned the ones we'd been using up until that point took theirs with them when they logged off so they wouldn't get stolen. This is even though I don't even have the skills to use the machine and benefit from it myself. But after reinstalling it this morning for phase four and opening the tower, someone stole it in the first few minutes while we all rushed inside. So it's not even as if the person who took it could justify it as not being used or having been abandoned. 

    I'm all for helping out at projects. I actually like the biggest projects best, the ones that open new continents and things, because the most people get involved. I like the sense of community and us all taking turns and passing things back and forth; I wouldn't have stayed up until 5 am last night capturing piggies and whistling at fireflies to build the tower otherwise. But I don't like knowing that something I bought specifically for other people to use for community-building work got stolen for someone's private profit. Not cool.

    I also worry that the rampant theft is going to cause people to start making their blocks and bricks at home and stockpiling them to bring to projects, which is understandable but would sadly result in less working together and more lower-leveled or differently-skilled Glitches being left out of the process. When we make blocks at project sites, we all contribute supplies and donate the results, and that's the best thing about them.
    Posted 19 months ago by karibean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like the idea of having an expiry time when you assemble items. 

    After the expiry time the items can a) either be returned to the owner's inventory , or b) to the owner's house if the inventory is full, or c) to auction under the owner's name if they don't own a house and inv is full. 
    Posted 19 months ago by gia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • karibean said: "I also worry that the rampant theft is going to cause people to start making their blocks and bricks at home and stockpiling them to bring to projects, which is understandable but would sadly result in less working together and more lower-leveled or differently-skilled Glitches being left out of the process. When we make blocks at project sites, we all contribute supplies and donate the results, and that's the best thing about them. "

    This, and this exactly. *nods* I love Wrendolin's idea.
    Posted 19 months ago by knitmeapony Subscriber! | Permalink