Topic

Staff Topic

We are back!

And it’s up!  The grand Imagination Conversion of ‘12 completed a few minutes ago.

Two big things in the game changed with this update: we’ve switched to the new Imagination system and overhauled the UI.

Glitches now have Imagination (iMG) instead of experience points (xp).  As you gain Imagination by playing, you can spend it on Upgrades (as well as expanding and cultivating your property … and other stuff, still to come).

The various Upgrade Cards do things like increase your brain capacity, add one-off improvements to skills you’ve learned, increase bonuses for activities in the game and even enable whole new capabilities. You can choose from 3 possible Upgrade Cards at any given time. You’ll be able to “re-shuffle” to see different upgrades once each game day.

We also reorganized and modified the game interface to streamline, simplify and better reflect these changes. Look in the upper left corner to check out the new energy and mood display, as well as the revamped “player menu” (just click on your pretty face). The iMG button next to it opens the “imagination menu” which is the new home for skills, upgrades, and moving back and forth from the surface world to imaginary spaces, like your house.

Of course, there’s a lot more detail than mentioned here.  If you want the nitty-gritty, check out the FAQ! http://www.glitch.com/help/faq/#imagination

So get in game and check it out.  We love reading your feedback and be sure to let us know of any problems you encounter.

See you in game!

---------

Q: Where is the keyring?
A: It is disabled temporarily; it will be back in the game, but not right away.

Q: The new growl messages (explanation/notification text at the bottom of the screen) are bugging me!
A: We are still working on the final design for this, but they will bug you a lot less soon anyway, since a large number of them will just stop showing up and go straight to your activity log (e.g., almost all animal interactions, since those already give you feedback via talk bubbles).

Q: I see random XP notices here and there!
A: We haven't taken all out yet, but we've got most of them cleaned up. If you see something else, go ahead and open a case and we'll be sure it's on the list if it isn't already.

Posted 7 months ago by Mayor Quimby Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • @Sirentist I know that, logically, but it still bugs me. Mostly that it was automatically spent on things like the BL equivalents... that I have no use for *right now*. I'll get over it, no worries. =)

    Also, hopefully there will be another use for those BL-ish skills soon. :D
    Posted 7 months ago by Lady Cailia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Sirentist: Yes, yes you do really look that... Err.. I mean, you don't. You don't look that dorky when you smile. *nods sagely*

    Right. That is all.

    I do agree with some of the interface things; some things are just a bit hard to see, especially the buffs and number for energy. I'd like to be able to see a number on mood too. I like the look of the interface though! Those things are just a bit hard to see at a glance.

    I don't have a problem with the growls, but if they were to change to fading, that'd be fine. I don't really want them to leave. I also second the desire for a sound notification on the qurazy quoins. :)
    Posted 7 months ago by Little Miss Giggles Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks Liza, you explained the xp to img change very well; I needed that reassurance. What the heck, I'm going on a card spree! After all, the faster I upgrade my skills the faster I can earn more img to build a resource-rich home street.
    Posted 7 months ago by N2ZOrtolanaBlue Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The Tinker Time upgrade does not do anything. After getting it, I repaired 10 tools, some of which were nearly broken and I did not get even ONE iMG.

    ETA: Also, I have the same choice of cards even after the new day. Are they supposed to change, or is this working as it should?
    Posted 7 months ago by Audaria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yes, it is up to you to spend iMG to shuffle the cards. (Which you can only do once per day)
    Posted 7 months ago by Rook Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thank you! And pass the mojitos please!
    Posted 7 months ago by 1padme Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +all-the-things to what Liza Throttlebottom said. Remember, this imagination isn't there to be hoarded - that won't get you anything! Spend spend spend! There will always be more to amass.
    Posted 7 months ago by Flowerry Pott Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @stoot You could look at it that the time you spent learning a skill was given back to you as imagination -- except that it was not. Every level 60 got the same exact amount of imagination as every other level 60 player. 
    Posted 7 months ago by Dotcom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • That's actually not true, Dotcom. Some level 60's had more or less iMG. Most had the same amount. Most probably had similar skill sets.
    Posted 7 months ago by Little Miss Giggles Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Great post Liza!  I am also spending iMG like a lunatic.  I guess maybe some people are reluctant to "spend down" the imagination as the it goes against the hoarding instinct?  The whole "I've got more currants than I can spend but am going to save 5 million more" thing. 

    I also really like all the changes I've experienced so far, thanks TS!  I do really like the notices/growl along the bottom of the screen - I hated the ones top left as they were always in the way. 
    Posted 7 months ago by Golden Retriever Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I am over the moon with this update.

    I have been gaming online since Al Gore invented the internet. I have contributed to a number of creatively quirky online communities including Gaia, Tinkatolli, etc. After thinking quite a lot about it, and especially considering the last few weeks of updates, I can definitely say that this is one of my very favorite online experiences ever.

    I realize that this game is seriously in a class of it's own. The musical score and general soundtrack are absolutely wonderful.

    Thank you, Tiny Speck, for this awesome gift.

    -Branfowl
    Posted 7 months ago by Branfowl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Increase quoin multiplier description on the card says "increase by 100%; the description in the upgrades says "increase by 1." Considering this costs 28,000 iMG, I expected it to increase by 100%! Which would actually have taken it CLOSER to what I got before (but still less.)

    ETA: Not only that, but the qurazy quoins on the streets I'm visiting for the first time have DECREASED in value! This can't possibly be working as it should, right?
    Posted 7 months ago by Audaria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Audaria - qurazy quoin value is dependent on mood. Maybe that's the cause of the decrease you're experiencing? I agree about the multipliers though.
    Posted 7 months ago by Aurora Dellaterra Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think the first thing to realize about this new update is that the card's upgrades are permanent.

    Just plan on spending most of your iMG to get back to where you were! Right?
    Posted 7 months ago by Branfowl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The upgrades we get will stay after the housing reset...correct?
    Posted 7 months ago by Pickle Bob Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Correct, Pickle Bob.
    Posted 7 months ago by Little Miss Giggles Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm confused on one of my upgrades, Alchemic Speed IV... "Speed up your Alchemy Skill learning by 15%" ... that's great but I've already learned the alchemy skills ... should I be getting this card? Bug? Or ... am I missing something lol
    Posted 7 months ago by Viresse Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Qurazy quoins are not affected by multipliers.
    Posted 7 months ago by Pascale Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Branfowl, you may note that you've already gained a number of cards during the conversion, so you may not be as far behind as you might think.
    Posted 7 months ago by Carl Projectorinski Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Viresse - rumor has it that there are more skills coming to us in time.  :)
    Posted 7 months ago by Zoethor2 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Are the Qurazy quoins affected by level? I've been getting 326 imagination with each of mine
    Posted 7 months ago by MarbhDamhsa Subscriber! | Permalink
  • There's no obvious indication in the UI now about how fast we're learning. Can we expect that to show up somewhere? (Maybe the color of the iMG cloud or something like that?)
    Posted 7 months ago by Pascale Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The black-box "repair" notices now no longer fit in with the rest of interface/growl system.
    Posted 7 months ago by Pascale Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks  Zoethor, I hadn't heard that rumor yet (guess that means I need better gossip skill! haha) good to know though... I'll just ignore it for now :)
    Posted 7 months ago by Viresse Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Golden Retriever, I don't think the reluctance to spend down is a 'hoarding thing' but more likely a 'fear of the unknown' thing, mixed with a bit of the "if I spend it all on useless cooking cards, I'll have none left over for the skills I actually use" thing. But hey, this is a reckless spender's dream come true, so have fun!
    Posted 7 months ago by N2ZOrtolanaBlue Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Kudos to Liza for expanding on what I was trying to say, and doing it far more eloquently!

    I do think it's a bit of a bump to get over, that first shock of feeling your skills have been taken away and now you have to pay to get them back. This is only something those of us who have played for a long time will have to deal with, though. Aside from some of the interface issues, I think the changes have been great. Some of the upgrade descriptions are pretty confusing, even misleading, but I'm sure that will get ironed out in time.
    Posted 7 months ago by Sirentist Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yep, Carl, I am not really behind at all. I gotsa lotsa!

    I actually enjoy reading each card and grasping an understanding of how our game data is collected. It's silly, nerdy fun!
    Posted 7 months ago by Branfowl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Very cool!  I feel exactly the same way.  There are a lot of complications with how energy and mood work, too, as I'm reading in a different thread, and they seem more fun to me as well.  Frustrating to some, but it's a puzzle to me.
    Posted 7 months ago by Carl Projectorinski Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Just wanted to say good job!  I know there are lots of changes, and that upsets some, but just wanted to pipe in that I like the direction Glitch is going now!  

    I was a bit confused about the currents when everyone lost different percentages of currents with no difference in Imagination.  I was expecting to lose currents for Imagination and I knew it was going to be on a sliding scale.  Is that still planned?  

    Anyhow, some have been very vocal in their dislike of the way things are going, just wanted to say I'm happy :)
    Posted 7 months ago by Cabinwood Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I've been holding back on posting, but here's my deal:
    This upgrade is amazing.
    It contains some potential frustration at having to learn how the new system works; however, this suits my play style very well.
    Because I like to explore systems and mechanics. 
    I think the cards are great. I love the new interface (had to figure it out, but then I enjoy that kind of thing).
    Overall, the whole thing just got more wonderful, more magical, and more amazing.
    This kind of dev work by itself is hard.
    To do this conversion midstream is nothing short of heroic.

    And as a consumer of the product, I really really like where this is going.

    Ur just got cooler.  And it was pretty cool to begin with.

    I think new players, when the gates are open again, are going to literally squee.

    My one issue is with all the angst being expressed here.
    But I think Liza's post covers that well.
    Posted 7 months ago by CrashTestPilot Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I love the new screen layout. Buffs and the map used to get in my eye when I would rather have been enjoying the scenery. I also love the image of the street in "back to world." Both of these changes are things I had been wishing for. Like many others, I'm happy with growls at the bottom-center of the screen and, even though words zipping off to take up residence in the local chat is charming, the distraction/charm ratio is a little high for me.
    Posted 7 months ago by Aleph Zero Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The Ancestral Lands are no longer a place to quickly restock energy. There is plenty of iMG to be had, and sandrap goodies, but the energy quoins seem scarcer and more anemic.
    Posted 7 months ago by Pascale Subscriber! | Permalink
  • As I expressed elsewhere, we are pretty much just re-arranging the deck chairs.  
    Posted 7 months ago by WalruZ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "The Ancestral Lands are no longer a place to quickly restock energy. There is plenty of iMG to be had, and sandrap goodies, but the energy quoins seem scarcer and more anemic."

    I found the opposite to be true -- plenty of energy and mood and currants, but in three trips I have yet to see an imagination quoin that wasn't unhinged.
    Posted 7 months ago by MarbhDamhsa Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I have very few complaints about the new system. Even though I've noticed a few of them don't work yet (iMG from tinkertool, Rube's Favorite immediately come to mind), I love love love the upgrade card system. It really appeals to the irresponsible spender in me -- I blew through 620k in about 15 minutes when I came home for no obvious reason. I also like how you can, to a certain degree, completely customize the different aspects of what your glitch does. There was a sort of uniqueness that was lacking. Pretty much after you learned all the skills, you were just like everyone else... this way you can specialize in what you enjoy/do most.

    Although I'm aware that level doesn't really play that big of a role in the post-xp game, it would be nice to have a mouse-over of iMG to level for convenience. Also, as mentioned, the energy tank readout is too difficult to read at a glance.

    One thing I would like to see, that I haven't are notifications whenever you get a bonus item from harvesting/mining. Perhaps placed above the normal mining/harvesting/whathaveyou notification?

    Aside from that, I don't have too much to say other than that someone needs to call the Waaahbulance, because the whining level is a big obnoxious.
    Posted 7 months ago by MarbhDamhsa Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Liza, since you spent all your iMG and have a great report on the results, would you be willing to say how much you've already earned back with your enhanced mad skillz? If it's quick to replenish (as I suspect it is), that would go a long way toward alleviating people's hesitation about spending their iMG in a hurry.
    Thanks!
    Posted 7 months ago by dm Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Ooh, I am liking this very much

    :)
    Posted 7 months ago by shhexy corin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I really like the the total # of iMG you have to spend displays at the top of the UI, and I noticed the # of iMG needed to the next level is under the profile menu, but I don't see the total # of iMG needed to level that you started at anywhere. (That is, how it used to display, as current/total.) Since some limits like iMG you can gain from crafting or donating to shrines depend on that number (or I assume they still do), it'd be nice if that displayed somewhere in the interface.
    Posted 7 months ago by Touya Subscriber! | Permalink
  • A note: Do not take my experiences as normal. I am insane. I play way too much and generally earn a lot more imagination than is probably healthy.

    But, to answer dm's question, so far I've earned over 200k imagination. So, yes, it's been coming back in pretty quick ;)
    Posted 7 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Over all I like the changes. It's taking a little bit to get used to it but that's true with anything new. Here are three concerns/questions. 1) How will the new reduced yields impact new players when they are trying to complete their quests? For example, I think after one of the mining skill completions you have to mine until you find a gem of each kind. Will the new player get an opportunity at that time to purchase an upgrade card so they can get the quest achieved without it seeming like grinding? 2) Would it be possible in the random shuffle of upgrade cards to give us a choice of which areas to shuffle in?  If the upgrade is to allow players to customize as they want, it should be a tad bit easier to get to the skill set you need. I'm not suggesting we get a list and then pick. That would be too easy. But I am wondering whether its possible to get a choice to randomize say in intelligence or gathering skills, something like that?  3) When you spend iMG for upgrades, does that increase the amount of iMG you need to acquire to get to the next level? 
    Posted 7 months ago by Leelah Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think I've probably earned about 90-120k total back over the course of 3 or so game days (mostly last night in real time). It feels like I earn imagination a lot more easily than I did XP (though I'm sure I haven't). I was also playing a bit more relaxed than I had been the past few weeks. More dawdling and goofing off/afk time than focused gathering and seasoning.

    Just to give another example of how much can be earned back over the space of time (at a slower pace).
    Posted 7 months ago by Little Miss Giggles Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I have to echo everything Liza Throttlebottom said - I think she's absolutely right about just joyfully unpocketing the imG (like you were *intended* to do, it's not really in your best interests to hold on to it, all that does is hold back your earning power on every level).

    At the same time, I would have been happy enough to be one of the only players (along with Liza, clearly) to have basically gone on a total upgrade spree, because the results are amazing. The first time I harvested - ONE harvest action, just ONE - after doing all my upgrades, I got around 120 beans. In one go. I was like *starry-eyed* thinking "I'm gonna be riiich, Pa!" But now Liza's gone and told *errybody* and now I'm just wondering when the big economic rollycoasty-milk-and-toasty reaction is going to happen. Boom-bust-normal, maybe? 

    So anyway... All y'all keep holding on to those millions and hundreds of thousands of imagination. Because... Maybe in six months you'll be able to buy a dragon to take the place of the subway. Or a pony. Hold on to the imagination! It's the only way that those who don't can become ueber-glitchen. 
    Posted 7 months ago by Aviatrix Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "  When you spend iMG for upgrades, does that increase the amount of iMG you need to acquire to get to the next level? "

    No. The levels are based off of the total iMG you have earned since you first came into Ur. Now off to work, whoosh!
    Posted 7 months ago by MarbhDamhsa Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Wow, it is nice to read all the kind words about this big change to the game. So nice. We've felt like imagination could be a real winner for quite a while now, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say, so we're glad you like eating our pudding :)

    To those of you expressing concerns and frustrations, we thank you. We're reading it all, and will be continuing to make fixes and improvements. Your feedback is appreciated!
    Posted 7 months ago by eric Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Nice, Liza! First chance I get, I'ma drop my iMG like it's a hot rock and earn those sweet upgrades. Ahem! Wait, NO I'm not! I'm saving...for...a dragon, yeah! ;)
    Posted 7 months ago by dm Subscriber! | Permalink
  • eric, I have to say that you guys HAVE hit a home run with imagination. It's already an awesome mechanic and I feel like less than 10% of what it will eventually be able to do is currently implemented with this initial conversion.

    I cannot WAIT to see what you guys have in store for us :)

    Good luck developing!

    ~Liza
    Posted 7 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Is it intended that you may sometimes end up with three upgrade cards, none of which you can actually afford? It's a great incentive to get out there and earn more imagination!
    Posted 7 months ago by Sirentist Subscriber! | Permalink
  • *reminds everyone of the definition of beta*

    *gives emotional collapse victims an "it's a game" chill pill*

    *kisses Stoot and all the devs for giving us such a wonderful, fun game where we can meet with friends, make new friends, and have lots of fun*
    Posted 7 months ago by KatGamer Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Someone up there said that Rube's Favorite doesn't work. Is this true? When I saw Rube's Favorite card come up I thought it was like a trump card that would outrank some of the others. Now it seems that everything about the Rube is lame.

    Apart from that, I like the new system.
    Posted 7 months ago by Appy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This is awesome! PS:300th Comment :D
    Posted 7 months ago by Sutton Subscriber! | Permalink