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#### New Multi-Phase Projects

I rather enjoyed the new multi-phased projects. I'm inclined to think that a longer cool-off period between phases is needed, especially when the next phase starts in only 10 minutes. That length of time means nothing to a pro street-camper - I say 45 minutes to two hours - or even longer between phases is called for. I think it would slow down the creation, plus give a wider number of players the chance to participate...

Posted 23 months ago by Yeoman | Permalink

### Replies

- It was all so concentrated today in ust Somewhat Sump (and the subway station!) being the reason I think the street was overcrowded (30+ people!), but in a longer test (48 hours +), I'm sure multiple multiple-phase projects in separate parts of Groddle would keep crowd control at ease. But then again, that would make each project progress slower than a snail taped to the floor. :/
  Idea though: good! Okay so not actually good in terms of us being accustomed to a single stage build then upgrade procedure that can take place in 30 mins, but for the 'greater good' and scaling, then yes, it makes sense.
  Posted 23 months ago by Hburger | Permalink
- I think the gap has to be longer to discourage people waiting about in one place for it to re-open, but I enjoyed the quick-slow-quick pace of the project overall.
  Posted 23 months ago by bluto | Permalink
- Beefcake has said that the wait times in between will be much longer, so there you go. I like the multiple phases, but I'm not sure I like the wait in between. One good thing about it is it gives you the time to contribute to more than one project, instead of devoting yourself to one.
  Posted 23 months ago by Houdini | Permalink
- I love this idea. I think the longer wait times are definitely needed in the long run, but this test was too short to allow them. Opening up a new street should be a big deal, not something that is over and done with in a few minutes. Over time, I'd like to see extremely long projects dedicated to opening up new regions.
  Posted 23 months ago by Aldaris | Permalink
- As I was just complaining about elsewhere, I was locked out of the game for two hours because so many people were hanging around on the project street today, and trying to reconnect caused the game to crash over and over again, until a kind developer moved me to another street... at which point the test was almost over.
  I'd like to see some sort of remote contribution feature, perhaps something along the lines of the auction, or maybe a post office? If we could mail in items, we wouldn't have to congregate on a single area for hours at a time. (I know that I can currently put items up for auction, and other people can contribute them, but then I won't receive any of the xp when the project completes.)
  Posted 23 months ago by glum pudding | Permalink
- The multiple phases are good if someone doesn't understand how they work - they can go there, watch what people are doing, try it out, then in the next phase they'll understand more about what to do.
  Posted 23 months ago by Emu | Permalink
- I thought of a "No Loitering" fine at some point, as in, if you hang around too much some form of Glitch Police shows up, and you end up paying a penalty of some sort (mood? Currants?) but then it reminded me too much of a martial law state and I got an icky feeling. Maybe if it was made to be very cute. Still. *shivers* Not sure I want policemen in magical game world.
  I stayed by the project for twenty minutes waiting, because I had such trouble getting into the street I didn't want to risk leaving and crashing again (I had gone to loiter in the subway before) And so by avoiding the issue for myself I made it worse for others.
  One thing I noticed, besides the obvious lag: when so many people just wait for a project to start, the requirements get filled in SECONDS. Five hundred eggs were donated in, what, five to ten seconds from the project phase start?
  This gives a huge advantage to hoarders, and quick-clickers, and I don't like it. I mean, I guess if the idea is to encourage a different playing style for those who want to build streets- aka, hoard as many materials as you can and hunt down projects, then I guess it's a lifestyle choice. But if projects are meant to be social and accessible to all level players, I think this could seriously put a spanner in the works. I realise some slots will fill up quicker than others, but this is too quick.
  I'm not sure which path projects are taking, so these are just observations. :) But I agree with what Aldaris said: "Opening up a new street should be a big deal, not something that is over and done with in a few minutes."
  Maybe the time of the next phase should not be announced at all? I wonder if that would discourage people from camping, or encourage them to camp longer.
  That said the phases themselves are a super idea, and I love the way they're described as preparing soil etc. Are the items required still random, or do they pertain to what the street will look like? I didn't hang around for the opening.
  Posted 23 months ago by Cefeida | Permalink
- As a newer player and still lagging way behind in the knowledge stakes I found it all a little over whelming. I must have missed some sort of announcement of it taking place but wondered over there as a friend told me a project was running. Taking aside the whole problems of getting in there in the first place, there just seemed to be know way to find out what on earth was happening and how to help? was I allowed to help even? Was I missing a skill to help. At this point the help channel was a wast of time :( I certainly agree more time. Also more help in some way to any new players. If the the only way to progress is to just "hope" you guess how, then new players may just be put off altogether trying to join in to what looks like organised ciaos but great fun.
  With the greatest of respect there are a good few new players now who are just floundering around trying to make scene of it all [ great fun though] But definitely please more time. I'll quote the saying " more hast less speed" :P
  Posted 23 months ago by Misha | Permalink
- Misha, there's no announcements, unless you count the New Streets group. Generally people just stumble on projects and then spread the word- or you can always look at the map and try to find greyed-out streets. Those are streets in progress, which means there is a project nearby.
  Besides the fact that I agree the building goes by way too fast, yesterday was EXTRA mad also because there was only one project, the test was short, and the street where the project was had a direct connection via Subway (easy access). I'm not sure the number of low-level, low-experience players is balanced out with the high-level, high-experience ones right now, or if it can be expected to be when tests are short and sporadic. Things would be much different during a longer test.
  Hm, I wonder if maybe taking part in a project should be something the rock teaches a new player, via a quest. After all, early quests feel a bit like tutorials, so why not have one that explains roughly what a project is and what its purpose is, then suggests the player go find a new street being built somewhere, and contribute in some way. For a good start. Later they can work the details out by themselves.
  Posted 23 months ago by Cefeida | Permalink
- Misha, if you talk to the vendor on the street, it tells you that there's a project, and gives you a list of what's needed at that moment. Once those items have been given, a new list of items will be needed, and so on until no more items are needed, and the street is built.
  People would naturally gravitate toward working locally if there were multiple projects going on at one time, but since projects are relatively rare now, we're forced to travel in order to participate. Once we arrive at the project street, it makes sense to stay there; where else would we go? If teleportation were a bit more elegant, we could pop in and out as needed, but as it is now, it takes a long time to get anywhere.
  If only residents of an area were allowed to contribute to a local project, we'd avoid some of the lag issues. People without houses could be randomly assigned to areas until they purchased houses. I don't think there's housing in Shimla Mirch yet, but people who'd been assigned there could work with nearby Groddle Heights residents, for example, if too few people were part of Shimla Mirch. This does take some of the fun out of things for people who don't have projects at the moment (though each area could have a project start at the same time), but it could also give new people a chance to participate, since projects would be accomplished more slowly.
  Posted 23 months ago by glum pudding | Permalink
- If the concentration of projects were increased, but the time duration between each phase was also (massively) increased, then any one person could still participate in a project very often, but an individual area would progress slowly, which I think would be interesting.
  Posted 23 months ago by RobotGymnast | Permalink
- What if it took longer for each of the actions each phase required? I was trying to help last night, but by the time I clicked on the watering can, it was just about done being watered. Or maybe cap how much each player can help? I know top three get better rewards so I don't know how easily you could cap it, but maybe say each player can only contribute a certain percentage of each phase? That way, people with items can help even if they don't have the necessary skills, and those with the skills but no items will still get a chance. Or maybe even limit how close together your actions can be? That way, you can help out as much as you like, provided you wait say 20 minutes in between. It would encourage people to go elsewhere to collect materials to help out once the wait is over, and would prevent overcrowding.
  Posted 23 months ago by Oo | Permalink
- you can find a new street project by looking on the map for lightly shaded streets, which haven't been built yet, then going to the existing street the new one connects to. it used to be hard to find upgrades, but with the new multi-phase projects process where the street isn't accessible until it's fully upgraded, you can find the projects via the map much easier.
  that being said, i liked the previous way that the streets were accessible from the first phase, which is just sky and earth. it really contributed to an exciting element of active participation in the 'dreaming up the world' theme of the game. and the ability to get the free teleport back at the end of each stage encouraged wandering after you pitched in as opposed to camping out to wait for actions. so i would prefer a map marker for upgrades, rather than having to complete the whole thing before the street opens.
  i did like the announcement of the time to the next phase, it should either be transparent to everybody or a random and unpredictable amount of time. and in previous tests, when there were multiple projects with staggered starting times, that seemed to do a good job of keeping people running around the world hither and thither.
  Posted 23 months ago by katlazam | Permalink
- Cefeida and glumpudding thank you for the info.
  If I may add an idea. If the these tasks were to be made slower, giving more time to take part then how about some part of the task only being able to be completed by a NEW game player lets say under level 10 then another part could only be done by a player over level 20. Some of it could be done by anyone at any level. This way the newer gamer gets a chance to get involved, learn from it and not feel like they can't join in or are just not as quick to react as the older more wiser gamer obviously is :)
  Posted 23 months ago by Misha | Permalink
- I like the idea of the rock giving a quest to contribute to a project - with a couple of hints about how to get started. Also maybe when you 'learn' a skill there could be some interactive part to that instead of just picking the skill and starting it off. There does seem to be a connection - when you finish learning a skill you get a related quest. But the learning itself is completely passive. Maybe when you start learning a skill it could tell you to go and get an item or do something in order to complete learning it.
  Posted 23 months ago by Emu | Permalink