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Staff Topic

Baqala Projects - you like?

Hey Glitches!

We tried something a little different with the projects for Baqala, and I'm hoping to get a little feedback from you. 

Each project in Baqala used a template that required items from a particular 'class'.  So, we had projects that only asked for bubbles, fruit, spices, crops, compounds, gasses, currants, and 'harvestables'.  The projects were also only one phase, partially because players had to deal with the time limitations caused by 'Overwhelming Ancestral Nostalgia'.

Oh, and the rewards were much higher than they have been in the past.

So, how did you feel about the new project templates?  Good?  Bad?  Same?

Thanks!

Posted 18 months ago by jdawg Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • i like.  baqala is an interesting addition all around.  also, the scripts that came in from participating in those projects made it a lot easier to explore, since i could teleport deep into the territory right away without having to recross the same entry points each time.
    Posted 18 months ago by BeatFreq Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like a lot, especially since we don't have time to sit around when our goods are threatened.

    It was also nice that you went back to reasonably available items. I missed those projects, when you can run past and drop something off.
    Posted 18 months ago by Ani Laurel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I have enjoyed every project I've been able to help on, all over Ur. I like feeling helpful.

    Also, time limitations could be ignored while working on projects. =)
    Posted 18 months ago by Zany Serendipity Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I am really interested in projects and I never seem to get to them in time... But I can't wait to check these out. :D
    Posted 18 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I figured I'd be kicked out while performing actions, so I did maybe ten and left again.  I wanted to like the whole thing much more than I did.  :/
    Posted 18 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I was totally confused and lost in the beginning...( not hard to do)  but after getting the quest done, and knowing what was expected...i think its a blast!  Having fun now, running from side to side and jumping over the little juju's....lol  Nice addition to the game, hope to see different types like this added in, but with more explanation, like maybe in the forums, as some either got booted, or people cant read that fast, or what ever the reason...so everyone can go in with an even chance. 
    Posted 18 months ago by im4noles2 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1
    I like it too. I enjoyed it more than the regular projects. I was able to contribute more on this one than any other I have done which was great!
    Posted 18 months ago by Ruby Specklebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like it - it gives a really different sort of pace to the game.  Good variety.
    Posted 18 months ago by jasbo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like it. If Baqala were like a normal region, then it would've been hard for other people to donate/help out with the projects. Because one person could easily monopolize the project. But because of the nostalgia, it kind of allows other people to pitch in with the work. And I like that it asked for the "basic" stuff. Sometimes, I walk around with all these unsold cherries, bubbles, and milk, thinking where I could dump them. And, I don't know, they're less stressful to harvest compared to loam/barnacles. :)
    Posted 18 months ago by C'Joni Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I liked it when other projects were ongoing in other regions as I wasn't a big fan of the nostalgia timer. I liked how it encouraged more participation and teamwork though so I guess I'm somewhere in the middle :-P
    Posted 18 months ago by Nerji Subscriber! | Permalink
  • At first, when you enter Baqala, you're like "Oh no! Oh no! I have to find those remnants(?). And what are these Jujus doing?!?! ARGH!" After a while, you relax and figure out how to use your 10 mins wisely. 
    Posted 18 months ago by C'Joni Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Loved it as an addition.
    Posted 18 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I really liked the new style of projects in Baqala and that whether I donate 100's of items or just 5, I'll still get a script to the next place within a few minutes, so as the earlier poster noted, it makes it easy to go right to the new place without losing a lot of time getting there.   I did participate in at least 4 projects and  noted that trophy pieces were not given out - intentional or bug? 

    Not to crazy about JoJos robbing me while at project donating... was funny the first time..
    Posted 18 months ago by MzMunchken Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It was nice to be able to contribute without having to know some of the higher-end skills, such as blockmaking (which seemed to be always needed in other projects). However, it'd be nice to have the jujus ignore you if you're busy working rather than wandering around.
    Posted 18 months ago by YukiaN Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I loved them!  I was more able to contribute there than in some other places even though I left some of my equipment at home.
    Posted 18 months ago by Brib Annie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I really enjoyed it, went back lots of times to check it out and donate where I could. Love how it kept growing! Found lots of stuff and lost a bit too lol! The scripts were good but was kinda disappointed with no street trophy piece?
    Posted 18 months ago by Teena Subscriber! | Permalink
  • they were a good addition.

    i don't like the nostalgia timer for the region, however i like the idea of timed component to the projects. if the timer vanished after the region was complete, or if the region was more 'disconnected' from the word at large [portal?] i think i'd prefer that.

    i liked the 'one phase' structure. had missed that.

    it felt like there was less organization needed to complete these projects. that's fine. not all projects should be that way though. there should be a mix.

    ideally i would like some huge, one phase projects with massive quantities of stuff required and a big reward at the end. that would be my personal ideal.
    Posted 18 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • jdawg ~ I really enjoyed the new area and especially liked the way the projects were worked ~ I was able to participate in several, and did like that it was only one category of item type - cool, that.

    Thanks, yet again, to Tiny Speck and its' awesome team for a great game with fantastic new additions at each test.  Great job guys ~ give yourselves a big hand!  :)
    Posted 18 months ago by Firestone1960 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like it, specially because we don´t see people sleeping on the streets thanks to 'Overwhelming Ancestral Nostalgia' haha.
    I get pretty depressed when I see people sleeping while I try to get some adventure on.
    Projects by class was much better to do
    Posted 18 months ago by acreditando Subscriber! | Permalink
  • maybe if the nostalgia [or something like it] was focused on just the street with the project itself.

    that'd be really cool.
    Posted 18 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I liked it. I would like it better if the rewards included energy, but otherwise it was a nice change.
    Posted 18 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I participated in my first street projects since the last wipe because of their location, the lack of people dominating all of the projects, and the variance of ingredients needed.

    So, well done! You got me back in the street project game with these changes. Keep 'em coming!
    Posted 18 months ago by Herp Derp Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like them only because I was actually able to participate. I did some hoeing, blended, awesome potted and made drinky-poos. That was neat.

    The only downside, is that I only contributed, at most, like 2% to a project (the others lower), so I felt guilty for even getting credit for it. Granted, the guilt passed quickly, when it bumped up my energy or helped in leveling up.
    Posted 18 months ago by Jarhaven Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I loved it, and really enjoyed the varied tasks making it accessible to everyone.  I do wish there was some sort of project status screen for projects I'm contributing to, but outside of the area gathering supplies or trying to be productive during an "overwhelmed" time-out. The result was often returning to a project stocked up with goods that were no longer useful, and then start the process all over again with the next project or next phase of the project.

    Instead of a status screen outside of the project area, it could be helpful if the vendor gave some notice of what sort of project it would be, during a 10 or 15 minute countdown to the project. For instance, if you knew the project was going to be spicy, fruity, elemental or earthy, you could speculatively mine/harvest/purchase materials that might be useful as potential ingredients for the project. That would mean less time waiting for frogs or mail, or wasting "overwhelming Ancestral Nostalgia" countdown time running in and out of the area, and more time blending/grinding/crushing/cooking/otherwise contributing once the project starts (and before being timed-out).
    Posted 18 months ago by Eureka Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I didn't really like it (with one caveat). I think it would lead to a hit-and-run style of donating that would kill the community aspect of projects completely. Assuming that street expansion rates will stay where they are now, required amounts of a given 'class' would have to be fairly high.

    Let's say I run across a project that needs 500k various spice, but I only carry 2k at a time. My only option is to decimate my spice collection completely, then go back out to collect more, or give up on that project entirely until the next one. If I happen to have only 100 spices? I'd contribute 1 and leave until I got my completion script.

    With the old 'theme' style templates of projects (Feed the Crew, Finish the Job), I'm able to deplete my inventory failry evenly during each phase - a few spices and meats for meals, some cheese/butter/milk for something else, etc. I don't have to completely wipe out a single class of resources to be able to contribute for a relatively long period of time. I can wipe out 25% - 50% of 3 or 4 classes, crack the Top 5, and still have leftovers to be able to make a snack for a picnic with a favorite friend.

    The caveat is that it did happen to work in this instance because it was combined with the time limitations, which resulted in a hit-and-run result anyway. You had practically 3 - 4 people per project for short periods of time. If you removed the time limitations, I think you'd probably still see a similar result, and not the 25 - 35 people around for normal projects. I actually like to see people hovering around on an active project street;makes it seem like something important is going on.

    I wouldn't mind seeing these class templates used in certain situations, like a special project or something. But for regular street projects, I'd vote no. Variety is the spice of life . . . but not 500k spices and nothing else :)

    Edit: One last thing to note, it was also made better in that there were multiple projects open at once. So that would be the only way that it *might* work - one project open for each class all at the same time. But I'd have to give that a bit more thought.
    Posted 18 months ago by Joe Blow Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What were the special rewards for top 5?  I got one or two but didn't notice.  Also, I really disliked that energy was missing from  the rewards.  And to be honest, without trophy pieces, I was not as motivated to throw everything I had at a project.  Sure, I'd toss in whatever I had at hand, but I didn't order extra auction stuff or anything like that.  (Which is fine, as I was really burning through currants on earlier projects.)

    Overall, I like the idea of some phases consisting of LOTS of one basic thing, whether they are single phase projects or just part of a bigger project.  And I like the unique aspects of Baqala.

    However, because of the bug (allowing you to ignore the overwhelmed popup and continue project work, we were just blowing through these, and I don't think I like that every time I turned around, there was a new project.  Or so it seemed.  

    Also, I now have about a bazillion scripts to Baqala.  I think it's a little overkill to give them out to everyone who contributes anything at all.  I could donate just one cherry or just one red element and get a free script deep into Baqala.  I don't know what a reasonably fair fix would be, but it feels a little cheap as is.  It makes tokens seem a lot less valuable when you can rack up free scripts like this.

    Finally (for now), I would like to second the suggestion that new projects have a countdown before starting, to have a moment to get the word out and give more people a chance to contribute.  It would be nice to have a hint about the type of project, but I think a 20 minute counter is worthwhile with or without the hinty part.
    Posted 18 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i thought each aspect was really cool: the need to collect tons of kind of rare stuff that one person couldn't do but wasn't SO rare as loam/bricks/crystals AND the kicking you out after 10 minutes, but i thought that combining both aspects into one project made it not quite as cool and kind of offputting. i'd go gather stuff/gas and try to communicate with the people who were still on the street, but by the time i was done with my 30 minutes kick-out time, the people on their 10 minutes allowed weren't overlapping anymore, so they weren't really able to tell me what to collect, if that makes sense.

    basically, i would travel far and wide to get the wrong stuff, because it's hard to talk to the people who are at the streets knowing what's really needed, and even harder when they can only stay there for 10 minutes. so i'd pick EITHER stuff that you have to travel far and wide for but is possible to get/make, OR time limited projects so the same 10 people can't do all the projects. this was the first project i did a lot of, because i happened to stumble on one with a pack full of gas and use it before getting kicked out, when no one was standing there :)
    Posted 18 months ago by greenkozi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Actually, here's another (not especially thought out) thought.  If you want to have phases without the big sparkly trophy pieces as prizes, it would be nice to put a cap on how much any one person can donate, so that more people have to make meaningful contributions to push it through.  Say, nobody can do more than 3 or 4 or 5 percent of the donations, something like that.  
    Posted 18 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Once I got over my fear of the JU JUs I enjoyed Baqala.  I LOVE projects.  I usually am only able to donate 1% or so but I do what i can.  These were interesting in that basics were needed.  That was good.  Except for the one that wanted spices and I'd left my spice rack at home! :P
    Posted 18 months ago by Marla Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Great!!!!!
    Posted 18 months ago by Lionshead Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Once I developed an exploration strategy I really enjoyed myself! I felt that a lot of the mood and energy quoins were wasted though. By my second time through I was really picking and choosing. The projects were good even though I could not contribute much!
    Posted 18 months ago by Mistress*of*Fishies Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I liked it alot cause to be honest the game was becoming boring because it was the same stuff over and over and these new projects and limitations added some interest and I enjoyed playing again.  I think it is a big problem with any MMO that the higher you get in level the easier the game gets but I enjoyed being limited no matter what level I was at
    Posted 18 months ago by cowjumper Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think for the projects you should focus more on the working phase, that is after you have collected all the materials necessary. For instance, I had several projects I was willing to donate time and energy to by grinding or doing work for the project, but I could only donate my materials once or twice before that 'work' process is completed by someone else. It's hard with the Nostalgia debuff to time yourself to get to work on a project when that was what I was interested in most.

    I like especially the idea of the players creating the zone themselves. Taking that further and following that train of thought will be what sets this game apart from others. Players should create their own zones through community cooperation, and populate it with housing, desired trees and wildlife, etc.

    Excited to see what comes next.
    Posted 18 months ago by Zionite Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I, personally, thought it was the most "fun" project I've worked on yet. Maybe it's just because all the other projects were in the firebogs, which make me feel depressed to be in, where as Baqala is so bright and cheerful (although slightly oddly colored). I look forward to spending more time there if I ever get a chance to play for more than an hour at a time, between working two 8 hour jobs a day.
    Posted 18 months ago by Essie Kitten Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I want more things that are Baqala styled! Baqala is much more interesting than the rest of the game. But, I would like the jujus to be harder to outrun because besides the surprise, there's not much challenge to outrun them. They're kinda slow and they can't jump. I would like more interesting stuff to be added to the firebog areas, besides the herb gardens, and maybe some special effects like fog patches, so that people return there. It's kinda pretty but besides firefly whistling, there's not much to do there.
    Posted 18 months ago by KitkatCat Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I personally don't really care for the "big" projects where there are 30 people working on something.  I quite enjoyed working on a project with fewer people.
    Posted 18 months ago by Mer Maid Subscriber! | Permalink
  • As a newcomer, I enjoyed Baquala more because I felt helpful. In the previous ones I felt pretty overwhelmed by the high level players who had all the skills and tons of stuff to put in, finishing everything almost before I could click on anything. 
    Posted 18 months ago by Zira Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't do projects very often so I was enjoying contributing  & was second.  Then I got booted out and didn't seem to get any reward at all (I doubt I stayed second, mind...) which was pretty disheartening.

    I think once you know it's a 10 min buff that kicks you out, it's easier to deal with.  But as a first impression it wasn't fun.

    (Baqala itself is a nice idea though)
    Posted 18 months ago by Thessilian Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I loved the time limitation - it makes you spend your time wisely. However, I don't think I contributed to a single project simply because I didn't think to take my items along! I hid them at my house and by the time I'd go back to get stuff, and come back, the job would be finished and a new project with different needs had started.
    Posted 18 months ago by Hburger Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Everyone seems to have really good ideas.  I like the idea of time outs to allow more people to participate.   Right now its a very select few who know when and where the new projects are and by the time I usually show up I either don't have the right skill or so crowded can't even get near the vendor in time to really join in.  With several projects going on and time outs I saw a lot more people helping out, which was great.  The Ju Ju's are thiefs, and seemed to really enjoy chasing me around, which was cool, a whole new element to deal with.  

    I did notice by late Sunday afternoon everything was starting to get a bit wonky.  The music boxes were even scratchy like old time records that been played too much.  First time I appreciated the amount of work you must do between opening to keep so many thing fine tuned and now I won't  push so hard for game to open up right now, this minute etc.

    And I love our more animated facial expressions.  What a crack up just going grr, made me roar with laughter.  Really great work.  Thanks for the fun.
    Posted 18 months ago by xoxJulie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I enjoyed contributing when I was able but often I only discovered a project after it had progressed past the point where I had the skills to do so. Would be good if it were easier to find projects and, ideally, determine if it's possible to help prior to trekking a long distance to get there.
    Posted 18 months ago by martian-b Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I liked them. They're the first projects I've bothered to contribute to in ages now. I liked the fact that requirements were pretty easy to meet - it was easy to walk up to the project and start helping, but that the challenge came from balancing the desire to contribute with the peculiar demands of the local environment (nostalgia timer, Juju bandits stealing your focussing orb whilst you're not looking). 
    Posted 18 months ago by dopiaza Subscriber! | Permalink
  • On my first visit to Baqala, I had a Juju on every street, making it impossible to contribute to a project, since the screen prevents me seeing a Juju approaching. With the time limit, I did like that there were simpler things to contribute.
    Posted 18 months ago by andonida Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Could you consider using levels to restrict what people can donate? I am at level 12 but by the time I got to a project all the "easy" stuff I could actually make or donate Was gone, so I did not get to help out.
    Posted 18 months ago by trickywicketywack Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 on the baqala projects - I thought they were awesome because of the 'theme' to what was needed and that there was only one phase.  The 10 min limit (aside from the bug which allows you to ignore the prompt and not get kicked out of the region - that loophole ought to be fixed) also worked well, as it ensured a rotation among contributors.  I also liked that multiple projects were happening at the same time.

    I really enjoyed contributing to a project for the first time in months - often there would be only 1 or 2 other people there and I liked the tiny sense of comradeship it inspired. 
    Posted 18 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Well, I am not really into the projects, but it was good for once to be able to just pass by one and actually have something to donate.  Normally when I have tried, I battle to get there and am either too late or don't have what's needed, so this new aspect I like very much.  Whilst they aren't really my thing, it was good to feel I could make a contribution there and then without having to spend all my time there, now usually wasting a TP on it to one to get there.

    Side note:regarding the Baqala overall concept: I thought it was fun, even if at 1st I didn't really know what I was doing!  More rushing around and avoiding the purple juju's to notice that in my 1st 2 visits, I'd actually found 2 of the artefacts.  So, come my 3rd visit, I was surprised to complete the quest straight away!  So far have managed to keep my Orb but, my bad that I was Iming with a friend, who was asking why they'd been booted out, and a juju pinched the key I'd just found!

    Wasn't adversely affected by the buff issue as, once booted out each time, I just went about doing other things

    Loved getting the script to return, not just because this is the only way to get into the area, but because it then saves you battling to get to a project in the old way and missing out.  Ok many have their own multiple ways to TP, but the free script serves to reduce the pressure on 'getting there' and for those where projects are not their main pull to the game, this makes it a more enjoyable event.  I tended to go back, when I wanted a break from mining and harvesting etc and wanted something different to do for a little while and didn't have to use my own TPs to get there;-)
    Posted 18 months ago by ♥joby♥ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I liked these projects and the Baqala area tons and tons. 

    The projects felt more casual which I really really liked. I could happen along and donate what I had that was useful and there weren't 80 people hanging around waiting for the work phase. 

    I love the treasure hunt feel of the whole area, and what I got from the thingers far outweighed what the Jujus were able to take from me. 
    Posted 18 months ago by Wren Bramble Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like the new area. It needs giraffes though.
    As far as the project was concerned, I was only able to contribute a slight bit-same as usual. I usually leave my machines at home since they are the easiest thing for me to leave in my cabinet. It was way too far away (Doon in the Forest) to go back and get my Fruit changer when I came upon the project so I bought one in auction. I made a bit of fruit and donated it and moved on. I got free TP scripts and enjoyed that. It is a long way to travel just to donate a few bananas. I did like how there was not a ton of people there to freeze me like other projects. I also like the suggestion of a notification that a project is available and what it will need so I am able to collect and contribute more efficiently. I wasn't affected by the juju's. I only saw one during my whole time there. I hid from him and was fine. I also was able to complete the quest w/o too much trouble.
    Posted 18 months ago by Holly Waterfall Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The beautiful but sparse landscapes do need something.  Giraffes is a good idea.  Maybe this is a good place to reintroduce Gum trees.  Exotic animals and trees would be appreciated!
    Posted 18 months ago by Brib Annie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This was my first time getting to participate in a project, and I LOVED it. I think the tactic of having certain skills for certain projects is appealing and might help to spread the work of street projects around a bit, since not everyone can contribute at the same level. (Presumably most players don't have ALL skills?) I thought the rewards were fair, and the aspect of trying to contribute the most work made things pleasantly competitive.

    On the whole, Baqala was pretty exciting. I wanted to spend tons of time there, though I think Overwhelming Nostalgia lends enough sense of urgency that it keeps it interesting.
    Posted 18 months ago by Cricket Subscriber! | Permalink
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