Topic

Social Spaces in the World

There appears to be a complete dearth of explicitly social spaces in Ur. By explicitly social space, I mean a location where a primary purposes for being there is to engage in social interaction. I'm talking bars, parks, coffee shops, pool halls, libraries, cafeterias. 

Notice I'm not saying the world lacks social activity, far from it. As a new player, though, I found it somewhat difficult to break into that social interaction. Either people were chatting away like old pals, in which case it felt rude to just jump into the conversation, or else people were absorbed with their task and completely ignored any social overtours. (exception, there were a small number of people who reached out to me, as a noob i guess, and were very kind indeed)

I know the Groups occupy that social niche somewhat. They do, after all, have a significant bonus in being able to connect no matter where in Ur a glitch is glitching. But there is just some sort of je ne sais quoi about chatting with someone while at the same in-game location, am I right? You get to see the (likely expanding array of) facial gestures. You can watch the chat bubbles instead of the side bar. You can conga!!!

By entering a social space, a glitch communicates that she desires social interaction, so it's easy for others to strike up a conversation with her. Broadcasting one's availability for communication would also foster collaboration. "You have a butterfly milker?! Omg, I haaate milking butterflies. I will totes give you 5 earthshakers for every load of butterfly milk you give me." Or, "Crap, I still need 15 more green elements to make that extreme shrine powder, you got any man? I'll prime a shrine for you if you do." 

I'm sure I'm not the first to have this thought, SO... ideas for types of explicitly social spaces? Besides the obvious coffee shop or bar, off the top of my head I'm thinking: neighborhood clubhouse/pool/playground (omg swings!!!); community kitchen (it gets lonely fixing lemburgers); dog park (surely we'll get pets eventually)...

Posted 16 months ago by La_La Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • One of the reasons I like mining in Ajaya Bliss is that it's a great social space. I often see old friends and fellow miners there, people share Earthshakers and Awesome Stews and generally help each other out, and there's a lot of local chat. I also wish there was a gathering place or at least a location where many people pass through. In Warcraft, localized questing and vendor areas enabled social interaction.
    Posted 16 months ago by SleepyAce Subscriber! | Permalink
  • + oo (infinity) Surely in a space as food-and-drink oriented as Glitch, bars and restaurants would not be out of place.
    Posted 16 months ago by Wiggles The Fluent Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 - I had the same "breaking in" troubles upon first getting here; it could also help a lot with the general sort of n00b questions that get asked repeatedly if there was a place somebody could go to ask them without getting shouted down.
    Posted 16 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • When the world was just the Groddles, Ix and Uralia, it was definitely more focus.

    This ties back to other threads today: a marketplace. With vendors on every street and throughout the world, there is very little directing folks to any one area.
    Posted 16 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Ooo, Djabriil, a Noob Community Center! Staffed by other understanding Glitchen, perhaps with ready links to wherecanigetsalt.com and wherecanigetpapers.com and helpful pages on the wiki.

    Or a Noob Question Box 2000! With pushbuttons for certain FAQs and snarky, clever, Glitchy answers (perhaps utilizing the aforementioned links). Located near start streets and/or transition areas... or perhaps it could be like the Crab or the Rube and wander unpredictably. (Or answer incorrectly occasionally, sending a poor noob on a wild goose chase with nary but a booby prize at the end.)

    Oh. Mah. Giant. I totally want to see the Nooby Box 2000 wandering around Ur now....
    Posted 16 months ago by Jennyanydots Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @ Jennyanydots - fo' real. I'm no ancient, wise, learnèd sage or anything, but a Nooby Box 2000 (awesome name, btw) might make repetitive, simple questions a little less hard to take for those who've been here for a long time... simple stuff like, "Where I can getz currants?" could get handled that way, too.
    And definitely send 'em on wild-goose chases every so often- above and beyond any "altruistic reasons", it'd be pretty funny :)
    Posted 16 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think there was some mention of plans of Group communities in-game. There's also been talk of getting rid of the Live Help and General Chat and such communities, especially a Beginner and Help center would be vital later.
    Posted 16 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1

    I had this feeling when I was trying to get the racing quest achievements or the "chat with [x] people" achievements. There are just so few hubs of activity in the game.
    Posted 16 months ago by The Crepeist Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What if, in addition to all the street signs, there were "hitching posts" for lack of a better term.   A place on a street where you could hang your hat and it meant you were here and available for conversation.
    Posted 16 months ago by Pirate Apples Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would LOVE to be a librarian in Ur. (I'm a librarian in RL as well.) Reading groups! Reference questions (stump the librarian... go on, try)! Newbie orientation! Homework help (I've noticed quite a few college students on the fora...) Even directional questions would be kinda fun in Ur!

    +eleventy!
    Posted 16 months ago by Clumdalglitch Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Clumdalglitch - a library is an amazing idea!  Needing a library card means you need papers or bureaucracy skills.  Needing an address vs not is an item for debate.  Librarians, in-depth tutorials... books!  I want to decorate my home with books!  I think the first book should be the history of time and the giants by @Lord Bacon-o ...

    ETA:  can't find the link to his story at the moment, if anyone has it, much appreciated!
    Posted 16 months ago by Wiggles The Fluent Subscriber! | Permalink
  • A library full of Glitch-made books (and possibly an ability to vote for best reads- 1 vote per glitch)  and even the possibility of a volunteeer Glitch librarian= awesome ideas. think of the stories, history, events that could be planned out!

    Maybe even there could be voting on whom the Glitch librarian would be.
    Posted 16 months ago by Zeezee Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I am loving the library idea so much. Maybe there could also be a minigame cafe? With things like space invaders and pinball, costing 1 current for each game?
    Posted 16 months ago by Amy Galda Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Ooo, Djabriil, a Noob Community Center! Staffed by other understanding Glitchen, perhaps with ready links to wherecanigetsalt.com and wherecanigetpapers.com and helpful pages on the wiki.

    Would be a great idea, but we've already got greeters, which pretty much fill any need for something like that :]
    Posted 16 months ago by Cupcake Subscriber! | Permalink
  • An in-game library of Glitch fanfic and poetry and history and art sounds fab. I see bits and pieces every day on the forums that deserve to live in-game!

    No reason there should be only one librarian. It's the rare RL library that only has one!
    Posted 16 months ago by Clumdalglitch Subscriber! | Permalink
  • But Cupcake, what about the runners? They still might need someone! 

    (...to keep them from being Extremely Irritating in global, or whatever ends up becoming the new newbalicous area...)
    Posted 16 months ago by Jennyanydots Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +bajillion for the library idea!  Love that idea for both a social meeting space and a get-help-and-ideas space.
    Posted 16 months ago by Miel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm no expert on the matter, but just wanted to chime in by saying that this is quite an important topic for all of us devs. We'd love to hear any other ideas you come up with. Bring 'em!:)
    Posted 16 months ago by sugarQb Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Cool ideas, especially like the library suggestion - perhaps with a secret passage/room, too.
    (@SleepyAce, I like Ajaya Bliss for the same reasons as well.)

    How about...
    a public aquarium 
    a planetarium
    an area with a gigantic bonfire?
    Posted 16 months ago by Christine Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I got two words for y'all on the secret passage/room: "Special Collections." (Which really exist. Libraries that have Special Collections store rare books and manuscripts and unique items such as personal papers and items from Important People there.) Infinite possibilities.

    If the devs are interested in extending the Penpersonship skillset, "Library Hand" is another thing that really existed, though it's not much in use these days (thank goodness; my own handwriting is awful). Maybe it grants more interesting typography on Notes and whatnot?

    Regarding other public spaces: I've seen talk about moving Auctions in-game. What about a flea market, or farmer's market?
    Posted 16 months ago by Clumdalglitch Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I want a coffee shop.  Where I can sit down, have a cup of coffee, chat with other Glitches (or not).

    And the idea of a community kitchen is awesome.  Standing around cooking, sharing spices and vegetables.  I'd also like to see either:  cooking on those stoves gives a benefit (less energy consumed, perhaps) or imbues the item made with more energy. 
    Posted 16 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink