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### Topic

#### Apprenticeship (a might controversial)

Really bizarre idea. Here's the gameplay problem: early players have a hard time getting involved, partly because a priori, Glitch is a big, complicated game, until you get your legs and start to understand how it all works. Older players start to get bored because their game has simplified, and they can do their thing relatively easily.
What if higher level players could apprentice new players? Basically, I think this would mean two things: the "master" would lend some of their skills to the apprentice, and they would take over the new player's quest-setting.
For example, if Joey (lvl 1) is my apprentice, I could loan him Mining IV, give him a pick and an embued teleport script, and set him the quest of "Mail me 600 chunks of sparkly." Maybe he needs to be able to say "boring, different quest" or something. And certainly, he should be able to leave my tutelage when he wants to. Maybe even to go to a different master.
The advantage to all this is that, for Joey, Ur becomes much more manageable - he has a pick and some rocks and a mentor. There's a player who has a definite interest in him getting some kind of grasp on the game. He can try out higher-level activities and get a sense of what he wants to do with his game. And his acquaintance with the game can develop from the simple to the more complex.
For the upper level player, the benefit is that it's no longer important to grind - instead, you manage a coupla-few apprentices, show them what's fun about Glitch, and hopefully develop long-lasting relationships in the game. The game becomes more complex and interesting just by introducing the responsibility of master for pupil.
There's also the drama of stealing good apprentices, and the decision of an apprentice to move on to journeyglitch, or a master to admit that there's nothing new they can teach their student and it's time for them to move on.

Posted 13 months ago by Yarrow | Permalink

### Replies

- So basically you're turning new players into sanctioned mules? I dunno, this seems kinda icky to me.
  Posted 13 months ago by Fluxan | Permalink
- One of the things that Tiny Speck want to accomplish with the un-launch is to implement ways to make it easier for new players to find their footing and get into the game.
  I don't think that your idea is controversial! Higher-level players giving advice and help to newer players is great. But if I were just starting out, I wouldn't enjoy being given chores to do. It was more fun figuring it out for myself.
  Posted 13 months ago by Flowerry Pott | Permalink
- I personally wouldn't want to have waited to learn Mining 4 for 16 days, only to "lend" the skill out to someone else. But, thats just me being a selfish glitch.
  Posted 13 months ago by Popcorn☺ | Permalink
- I did say it was a little controversial - and yes, I see there's a weird mule/indenture thing going on there. But yes: new players get the opportunity to get immediate direction and a simpler play experience. They don't have to - I'm not saying that the introduction street should end with a chute into slavery.
  As for the loan - I don't know if it would mean that you couldn't mine yourself, or couldn't loan multiple times.
  Posted 13 months ago by Yarrow | Permalink
- I like this idea a lot. It's entirely voluntary for everyone involved and it gives people another reason to work together and build relationships in the process. I especially like giving players the ability to create quests.
  I don't see a problem with the mule/indenture aspect. Glitch is an incredibly easy game. The worst punishment in the game is to be sent to Hell where we crush grapes for a minute. I'd say this game is heavily on the carrot side of the carrot/stick spectrum. Masters are not going to be very popular if they mistreat their apprentices. It's a self-governing system.
  I also like that this proposal seems to be very much in the style of what TS has done with Glitch so far.
  Posted 12 months ago by Crag | Permalink
- I agree, although instead of "mail me 600 sparkly" it could be "mine 600 sparkly" and the game would notify the master when the task was completed. That way, the apprentice benefits from their work.
  Posted 12 months ago by Fernstream | Permalink
- Wait, if the apprentice gets the resources, what does the master get?
  Posted 12 months ago by Crag | Permalink
- The master gets prestige and a loyal following. Badges
  Posted 12 months ago by WindBorn | Permalink
- The notion would be that the master could set mad-libs style quests - so "mine 600 sparkly" would also be possible.
  Posted 12 months ago by Yarrow | Permalink
- Yeah, what jsnkrns said. I waited for days to get that stupid level of mining I have now. No way would I give it up to an newbie player, even for x chunks of rock or whatever. Nope. Not happening. =)
  Posted 12 months ago by ♪♥~ Auren ~♥♪ | Permalink
- I didn't get the impression from Yarrow's posts that the master would "lose" their skill while it was "loaned out". Maybe "loan" isn't the right word. I don't know if there's a word for what Yarrow proposed.
  How about "while under the tutelage of a master, an apprentice enjoys the benefits of the master's level in the skill the master is teaching."
  Posted 12 months ago by Crag | Permalink
- meh.
  Posted 12 months ago by Woochi | Permalink
- Could work, but might be tricky to figure out the logistics.
  I do like the idea of player-made quests though, but as others pointed out there's some grey area between "mentoring" and "slavery". Fair enough, if you don't like the quests you can refuse them and find a new master, but if not done properly really new players may not know this and start believing Glitch is all about mining sparkly and therefore boring.
  It's a great idea, but it would be difficult to get right.
  Posted 12 months ago by Xain | Permalink
- I don't see the gray area. Real slavery is only possible when one person already has enough power over another to keep them on the bottom. Whether that power is physical, financial, social or emotional isn't relevant. A person can only be enslaved by force, and there is no force in this situation. There is no compulsion whatsoever. As long as apprentices are free to quit at any time and they know it, they cannot be enslaved.
  Seems like lately people are mixing up Glitch with the real world a lot more than I ever would have thought possible...
  Posted 12 months ago by Crag | Permalink