Topic

Discontinue old Cubimal series?

The suggestion was made in the Series 2 Cubimal Value List thread to eventually phase out the Series 1 Cubimals, making them unavailable at vendors. This sparked some rather heated debate that was squelched by the fact that it was hijacking a thread that was about something completely different: I figured it was important enough that the discussion warranted its own thread.

This is my take on the debate so far:

Tiny Speck released a new set of Cubimals and specifically called them "Series 2", wrapping them up in newly designed boxes that look completely different from Series 1, and are bought separately. This is reminiscent of real-life collectibles (like Magic the Gathering, as just one of many examples), where new toys/cards/whatever are released each year or so, at which point the older series are discontinued and no longer available in stores. The older series then (if there is a demand for them) go up in value, and can be bought on E-Bay or what-not for more than they were originally sold for in stores. It should be noted that in real-life sometimes older collectibles are re-issued at a later date so that new collectors can more easily find them (as in RainCat's suggestion that Cubimals are treated like Disney movies, taken in and out of "the vault" every once in awhile).

Proponents of the discontinued Cubimal idea say that it makes Cubimal collecting more interesting and exciting, and will help make the older Cubimals more valuable (i.e., not worthless). Opponents say that it is unfair to new players to remove the items from the vendors, and that they should have equal chance of getting any objects that any players before them have had.

I'm sure Tiny Speck has thoughts on this already, but given how wonderful they are at listening to their players and reacting accordingly, what we say here may help shape the future of collectibles in Glitch. What do you think about the topic?

Posted 6 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • That's what I thought when I heard Cubimal 2 Series were in a new box: Series 1 were discontinued.
    Posted 6 months ago by Palindrome Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think I want a spare set just in case ;) otherwise I'm not worried at all. It would be nice to have some more rare items, although if I was starting all new I'd want to feel like I could achieve the same things as those who've been here. Tough one.
    Posted 6 months ago by jiva Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The game is still in beta. I do not think it would be fair to discontinue them at this moment. Maybe 6 months after release?
    Posted 6 months ago by Innie✿, Obviously Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like the idea in concept. However, from a selfish standpoint: the rarest of series 1 are out of my price range *now*... so any hope of my collecting them in the future, should series 1 be discontinued, would essentially be gone for good. I can only imagine how high the prices on Rube and Rook would soar. x.x
    Posted 6 months ago by MX Ghostie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hmm, I'm tired of the endless series of collectibles I seem to come into possession of ;) It's starting to take up a lot of space. I have my GNG, my cubimal sets, my icons, my emblems, my strawberry seeds, my dolls if I had any, my imaginary dusty stick, my definitely a cryptid yeti, my non-existent SB-1, my Super-non-existent T-1, my plate of beans constructed purely of my own dreams etc.

    Point being, there are a LOT of collectibles ;) I think it's fine if we just come out with new series every once and a while, and always have old series' available for collecting. That and I think it'd be too weird for piggy cubimals to be worth money. Nuh uh, can't happen. And they WOULD be the new freeing mechanic has certainly reduced their numbers to the point where they'd be very valuable if series 1 was discontinued.

    Anyway TL;DR Toss me in with the opponent crowd, I'd like series 1 to be available forever :)
    Posted 6 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Or have the different Series switch in and out.

    Of course, there are hundreds of Series 1 currently in the world. Even the rares, I guess at least 100. People will be able to get them from current cubimalists. And of course, Series 1 could be some kind of Beta only rare cubimal prize incentive thing.

    If Series switched, this would definitely increase the number of cubimailsits, and the reason, or goal, for cubimalists. Definitely would be a big part of Glitch if implemented.

    From another site I used to play, there were plushie type item collections, I believe. Three series(es?) were sold at a time, and a new series would be released every 2 weeks (or was it month? more, or even less, whatever). If current selling series(es) were 1, 2, 3, then 4 was released, the now current selling would be 2, 3, and 4. That way cubimals would truly be rarer.

    Currently there's about 20 cubimals in Series 2 and 23 in Series 1. Perhaps each Series is about 20, or if it's going to be a big scale, even 10 or less is fine.
    Posted 6 months ago by Palindrome Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yeah, no one technically recommended removing them during beta.  

    Again, in a game where there are already items that simply cannot be acquired unless you played during a certain period of time, in a game where there is an item which even if you played during the right period of time you only received if you suffered from a particular major bug, in a game where there is an item that no matter when you played, you could only acquire if you hung around a certain message board and were friends with someone who now works for TS, fairness just doesn't seem like a major motivator for the devs.  Driving players away who are going to quickly have a negative reaction over "fairness," or who are angered by "rare item envy" just seems like a good long term plan, if they want to continue doing such things in the  future.  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Never discontinue them!!!!!
    Posted 6 months ago by AwesomeCardinal2000 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Discontinue them, let people go absolutely crazy about it, then re-release them for 50c a box, then make batterfly cubimals rarer than an SB-1, then replace currants with beans, then add some whipped cream and a delicious maraschino cherry on top.
    Posted 6 months ago by Sloppy Ketchup Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm not so jazzed about this idea. I get where the proponents are coming from, and yes, sometimes ya' had to be there to participate in something/get the goodies, but in the case of cubis (no pun intended), making them ever-rarer just seems to serve only those players that are focussed on making/spending vast quantities of currants or obtaining elite achievements and would put them out of reach of your average player.

    Hell--maybe I have a personal bias here. I've always imagined having a nice, lazy opportunity to collect series 1 over time. I've yet to get my hands on most of the semi-rares/rares of the first set. It strikes me as sad that we'd deprive others of the opportunity to enjoy collecting the series as we did.
    Posted 6 months ago by Voluptua Sneezelips Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would not be a happy bunny if they were discontinued - I've still got lots to get, and I would rather take my chances with a vendor than either forego the collection and badge, or buy from another player :(

    I quite like Sloppy's idea though. Especially the cherry on top :D
    Posted 6 months ago by Ama Gad Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Things like "sad" and "fairness" just don't enter into my thought processes, at all, when thinking about game mechanics.  I have trouble even imagining using those emotions to make design decisions.  Not a motivator for me, but couldn't we also say that it's "sad" and "not fair" that some received dusty sticks while others have no opportunity to?  Wasn't it actually said and completely ignored by TS?  

    And I do think there should be notice -- I wouldn't recommend that Tiny Speck pull them so that we all wake up one day and series 1 is just plain gone.  So the "I haven't finished the collection yet so would find this upsetting" isn't really an objection to me.  

    I'm not sure it serves only the cubi sellers of the world.  I think it would also serve to motivate more people to buy them, knowing that someday they would end, thus serving as a currant sink for MORE people, as there are definitely not a lot of currant sinks in this game.  

    ETA: Not that I think it's wrong to be motivated by these feelings, just that I'm simply not and unable to relate.  And I tend to feel that Tiny Speck has not been motivated by these feelings in the past, or in their plans, hence stoot's surprise at the reaction to the eventual death of the subways.  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • NOOO no no no omg no please don't discontinue the Series 1!  I still love the commons from that set.

    Plus think about new players in 6 months or a year, who will NEVER be able to get a Series 1 cubimal wrangler trophy if the Series 1 is discontinued.  :<

    So please.. TS.. don't discontinue Series 1. Ever.
    Posted 6 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I still don't have all of the Series 1 Cubi's and haven't been ingame since the new ones were introduced, so don't have any of those. I hope that TS will keep both sets so that we can take our time completing our collections.
    Posted 6 months ago by Gizmospooky Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Auren, we're apparently never going to get the street building trophies, or the ascended badges -- how is that any different?
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Who says there won't be any street projects in the future?
    Posted 6 months ago by Electric Wizard Subscriber! | Permalink
  • As Saucelah stated, no one has suggested removing Series 1 during Beta, and I would suggest not even thinking about removing it until at least Series 3 becomes available. Along those lines, if TS has no intention of releasing any more Cubimals beyond Series 2, then yeah: I would say keep both around forever. But imagine a world (which I hope will come to pass), in which new Cubimal series are released on a fairly regular basis, such that some day in the distant future we see Series 10 come out (or Series 20, or whatever other number you think is large). In that sort of future, would you want all 10 series to be available all at once at the vendor? As a new player, would you be overwhelmed by this? ... I only hope this is not purely hypothetical and we will see this day :)
    Posted 6 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't think they should ever be discontinued. The only reason to discontinue them is to make the existing ones more collectible, right? To raise profits for people who have had the chance to buy Series 1. Which is just greedy.

    These are not items like Spoiled Strawberry Seeds or old-style Tree Poison/Antidote, which disappeared from vendors when certain game mechanics were changed. The only game change in game mechanics which might require the removal of any cubis is if the vendors are removed from the game. They're not even like the dolls, which are rare because they are only available from Rube. Some cubis, S1 or S2, are already designed to be rare. They were never a one-time-thing like Senor Pickle. Cubimals have been sold continuously and were intended to be sold continuously.

    There aren't any achievements associated with Strawberry Seeds or owning a set of dolls. If S1 cubis are discontinued, that would make it unfairly difficult for new players to get the S1 cubi trophy (hell, it would make it unfairly difficult from some of our current players.) Periodically switching out cubimal series at the vendors would just make more work for the devs, and Glitch doesn't really need to ape things from other games.

    The S1 cubis are fine as is. Discontinuing them to just basically make some Glitches richer, isn't.
    Posted 6 months ago by Filox Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think keep them both.  We are still in beta.  This is not the game - the game will be the game (LOLOL) when it goes live...then when all the 'real and proper' game players come into the non-beta game I'm pretty sure they're get a big kick out of buying every type of cubimal that has so far been released :D :D

    ps - I'm not trying to imply that we as a whole are not real players, only that we are playing a beta game : )
    Posted 6 months ago by ~Arabesque~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Shepherdmoon has the strongest point in this thread: what do you do when you are on series 3, 5, 10, 20, 50?  People seem to be having an emotional reaction to the thought of removing series 1 RIGHT NOW, but no one has ever suggested removing them right now.  That would, indeed, be a bad idea.  But this game is designed to exist and grow over a long period of time, so what do you do in the future?  In the deep future?  In the deeper future?

    I think it would be just as bad an idea to have 10 different series of cubimals all available on the vendor at the same time: while some would like that, others would be overwhelmed, and still others would choose to ignore them feeling like they'll never be able to "catch up."  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • At a certain point, unless more characters are added, they will run out of things to make Cubimals out of. I mean they've already made just about every creature in the game, what would series 3 be? Dirt Pile, Fruit Tree, and Metal Rock?
    Posted 6 months ago by TRB4 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • But imagine a world (which I hope will come to pass), in which new Cubimal series are released on a fairly regular basis, such that some day in the distant future we see Series 10 come out (or Series 20, or whatever other number you think is large). In that sort of future, would you want all 10 series to be available all at once at the vendor? As a new player, would you be overwhelmed by this?

    Yeah, sure. I can imagine people deciding that they are going to collect S2 cubis because they really want a flaming Bartender and Purple Scion. Then, when they have that entire set, deciding that they are going to start collecting the S5 cubis next because that set has a cubi for each giant (or whatever.)
    Posted 6 months ago by Filox Subscriber! | Permalink
  • They haven't covered every character in the game yet, and even if they had, again, this game is not static.  The claim that what exists now is all that can exist is a claim that TS will never add new content: never a new animal, never a new NPC, never a new robot.   I'm pretty sure, no matter which side you fall on, we can all agree that new content, and all the potential for cubis that entails, is inevitable.  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • TRB4, I have to imagine there are hundreds of plans that involve adding new characters xD And yes, I would love to collect the Resource edition of cubimals. I would die to own a gas plant cubi. It would be ADORABLE.

    I would also love to have a Machine-Series of Cubimals, and have the Craftybot and Maintenance bot moved into a Series 3/4/5 whatever we're at when this would potentially happen, together with a Woodworker, Metalmaker, Blockmaker, Fuel maker, and any other new machines they add.

    EDIT: Overall, just segregating the cubimals into logical series' would be cool :) It'd be nice to buy an animal series box and have a chance at either a pig, firefly, frog, squid, rook, sloth, fox, batterfly etc.

    Not that I expect any of that to happen!
    Posted 6 months ago by Liza Throttlebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I collect sticks and clam shells
    Posted 6 months ago by ☣ elf ☣ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I generally think thoughts like "oh no, other players won't have the same opportunities I have" belong in other games, where every character is continuously told he's the most important character in the game world, and where there is no such thing as exclusive or one-time-only items.  

    In a silly little facebook game I used to play, a few times a year a special merchant would "land" and offer unique items . . . and never offer those items again, even when she next came back.  Rage about not getting those items was pretty much non-existent.  In my experience, there tended to be a heck of a lot more guilt from the older players for having those special things than there was envy from the new players who could not.  It was part of the game.  And a few months after I started playing, that merchant came through, and I had my own chance to pick up a special item that only the players active at the time had the chance to buy.  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Good idea, Liza Throttlebottom. That would be an interesting way of re-releasing previously discontinued cubimals, as well.
    Posted 6 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • okay yeah..I would like the series 5 Gods collection : )

    For me it's not about the new players having the same opportunities.  It's about TS testing the items out on us beta players in preparation for when the new players come in : )
    Posted 6 months ago by ~Arabesque~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  •  Saucelah do you mean the Civil War Chess set?  Available from the Franklin Mint?

    I missed out, because I was busy getting all those collector plates.
    Posted 6 months ago by ☣ elf ☣ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Exactly.  And I must say, you really really missed out on that chess set.  Beautiful hand-carved and painted pieces guarantee that this set is going to go up in value.  And only three easy payments of $99.99!
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I doubt we will ever discontinue them.
    Posted 6 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • So we can still get Civil War Chess pieces?
    Posted 6 months ago by ☣ elf ☣ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks Stoot!  I was panicing there for a moment as I still need Rook and Magic Rock!  
    Posted 6 months ago by kat65 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Ah, lol, Stoot: that makes the point moot. Thanks for ending our pain!
    Posted 6 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Well, yes, but only from me.  But I'll need your full name, social security, and at least two different credit card numbers to release the shipment.  

    @stoot: aw too bad.  I'll never get to see if the price pattern reflects that of real life blind box collectibles.  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I am glad that they will not be discontinued.  I want to collect them all on my own without buying them from auctions etc. (though I did win one once which was lovely!) 

    I am in no rush to do this and am happy to know I have lots of time. 
    Posted 6 months ago by Cassandria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Rather than discontinue them, I could see just raising the price of the series 1 boxes.  Suppose they cost double or triple that of series 2 boxes.  Indeed, if there were 5 sets of boxes I can see a series 1 box retailing  for 25,000 currants next to a series 5 box retailing for 5,000 currants.   
    Posted 6 months ago by WalruZ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • heh, Cassandria and kat65 and VS and I'm sure a few of the other posts above sort of back up my feeling as to why they should be discontinued: they're really not much of a currant sink when so many players just think "someday, casually, slowly, I'll spend currants on them" then are never motivated to spend currants on them.   

    I don't think they NEED to be a currant sink, but speaking for myself, they are the only thing I've ever spent a lot of currants at once on beside my old house, and even that 50k pales in comparison to the approximately 2.6 million I spent to obtain the first set, and still never opened a rube: I had to trade for it.  

    But we really really NEED currant sinks for vets, especially for the grinders.  Many players, even after series 2, are sitting on millions of currants.  If they're not motivated by cubimals, and will never be motivated by feeling they are running out of time on cubimals, there's really nothing left at all.  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm thinking the same as WalruZ
    I think instead of having cubimal series discontinued and inaccessible to newer players, they could just make them less accessible by increasing the price of that series over time.  This way the value of the super rares will be less affected by the increased supply, simply because it will cost more to get in the first place.  And new players will still be able to get the cubimals from vendors.

    And TS can determine the vendor price increase necessary for each series, to match whatever ideal they had for cubimal values to maintain.
    Posted 6 months ago by Ghaurok Subscriber! | Permalink
  • But Saucelah, some of us sink all the money we have into it... I have never had a million currants, probably never will.  However, I sink as much as I can into cubies as is evident by having almost both sets done.  I'm glad I have time, because I can't make that much money that fast.  I don't think "someday"... I've worked my butt off (gamewise) to get what I have.  It's not my fault I haven't opened a Rook.  As well, my son has bought probably 300 with no rook.  Not fair that he'd never have a chance at one when he's worked so hard either.
    Posted 6 months ago by kat65 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yeah, someday people will understand that words like "fair" just have no meaning to about half the people in the world.  

    Is it fair that he can't get an SB-1?  A T-1?  A dusty stick?  A beta pickle?  When did this concept of fairness begin to seem an overwhelming motivation for the way this game is designed?  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • If you want to discontinue series 1 cubimals, obviously you don't like them. Give me all your rook cubimals.
    Posted 6 months ago by OMG BACON!! Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 Bacon
    Posted 6 months ago by kat65 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • To be clear, I don't actually WANT anything.  

    I suggested in another thread that it would be interesting to observe prices if they were discontinued, and other people ran with it.  After Janitch said he thought it was a good idea despite not having most of the collection, I started to think seriously about it.  

    But ultimately, I think it's a thinking versus feeling issue, again.  Using "fair" on those who are thinkers over feelers is like telling a color-blind person to pick up the red but not the green M&M -- it makes no sense.  It's pretty obvious that some people wouldn't be able to collect them if they were discontinued, yet most opposing point that out.  Why anyone would think those that want them discontinued are unaware that such means not all players would be able to collect them is beyond me.   

    But then, it worked so well on TS when people were upset they didn't get dusty sticks.  I mean, everyone has a dusty stick now, right?  Right?  
    Posted 6 months ago by Red Sauce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Glad to see stoot weigh in on this debate.  I personally don't like the idea of discontinuing or raising the prices or making them any different to get for a player who starts 5 years from now or was here for beta.  Especially since the series 1 cubis are core entities in the game.  

    I do like the idea of items (cubis, decorations, etc) that are only available seasonally so that you have to wait to purchase them again.  Maybe some spring, summer, fall and winter ones would be cool...but bring them back every year during that season.  Maybe have one or two collectible items that are marked with the year, but bring back the bulk of the set of the items, for those that might be on hiatus or who have different priorities during the initial release.
    Posted 6 months ago by b3achy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks for the word stoot.

    I for one have not collected the series 1 cubis due to my lackluster performance in gathering currants so it would be very painful for me if they were to be discontinued. I take my time with almost everything in Glitch, the better to savor the game.
    Posted 6 months ago by Mal'akh Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Goodness me, gee I'm sorry I said fair. Thinking about others is a problem of mine. I really should work harder on my greediness skills. :P

    On a serious note, I still think waiting for 6 months after release before contemplating this, then hold a vote.
    Posted 6 months ago by Innie✿, Obviously Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +100 Bacon.
    Also Mal'akh ~ same here (taking my time)....
    Thank you, stoot.  :: snuggles ::
    <3 <3 <3
    SO happy to hear you're not planning to discontinue them.  :3
    Posted 6 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think I was the person who first said that it wouldn't be fair to new players.  I see the point - i don't have an SB1, an probably never will, and that's not  fair, and so what? 

    BUT, fair or not, I don't think it would be a NICE thing to do to new players.   So I still vote no. 
    Posted 6 months ago by WalruZ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • So glad to read that they won't be discontinued!
    I've been taking my time playing and enjoying every minute of it (even if I do gripe sometimes) - would hate to have to rush, rush, rush to try to accomplish part of the game that shouldn't have to be rushed.
    Now I can set my game back on cruise control, kick back and enjoy the ride once again 0^)
    Posted 6 months ago by sgjo Subscriber! | Permalink
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