Like some of you, I have been trying to keep track of what items and skills are needed for street projects. I discovered a pattern: the titles of the phases match a set of items and skills that are always the same, with the exception of a few that have a couple of versions to them. Some sets have multiple titles, but the same six items and six skills all hang together.
I have to admit I was happy with this discovery, because it meant I could prepare whatever was needed for the upcoming phases by just knowing the title. Sure enough, though, I wasn’t the only one who’d discovered this advantage. It wasn’t until this test that I noticed some street projects being completed in less than five minutes. I noticed that some people were nabbing large percentages very quickly, and not just due to donating a lot of one item. Most importantly, I noticed that the newcomers to street projects weren’t able to contribute a single item in edgewise.
I see Glitch as a place where community and cooperation are important values. When it comes to street projects, this gap between veterans and newcomers – in resources, skills, and knowledge – worries me. If the phases are completely predictable, and more people figure them out, my guess is that contributions will be a matter of preparedness and how quick you are to the draw. I realize that not everyone works on street projects to be in the top five, but I think it discouraging to see all of the items completed in a matter of seconds. Where is the opportunity for teamwork? Why would a newcomer even bother participating?
I humbly submit this concern to the Glitch staff and community in the hopes that we can make street projects (more) fun for everyone now and in the future. I can imagine many possible alternatives, such as randomizing items/skills within certain categories, making all skills needed of low level, creating some kind of donation cap, asking for not just items/skills but quest-style actions, etc., but I’d like to hear people’s thoughts. Thank you for reading.