Topic

The antisocial glitch

I've been playing for about three days now, and a couple of thoughts have crossed my minds. For your consideration:

* I know that Glitch is supposed to be a social game, but frankly I'm having a hard time balancing the chat activity and the gamescreen action. I mean: most of the time if you try to organize something through the chat, by the time you're all set up the world has already changed enough (people got offline, resources have been drained, etc.) to make the organizing completely useless. This is probably just me, but I'm finding this so annoying that I usually prefer playing alone... thus making the game quite pointless and boring, really.

* I don't like grinding. Who does, after all? So I'm seriously considering just leaving the game alone, methodically going through the skills tree while I'm offline (playing just enough to get the needed emblems to unlock particular skills), and only come back as an active player when I'll be a superskilled player, bypassing most of the grind. This sounds like a good balance between posponing playing for a couple of weeks and playing in a much less frustrating way.

* I am not going to build it (as it sounds like enormous work) but I am envisioning a Glitchy form of communism, with a huge number of very specialized roles working together to provide the community whatever a player needs to zoom through the quests/levels/skills.
Say you might have a dozen of "energy provider" building Pork Fountains, a small army of super miners to collect enough stuff to build/donate the hell out of the game, a group of growers working in tandem with cooks to create foods to be sold to vendors... If things were organized enough, every player could initially benefit from everyone's work, level up thanks to this help, then when he's good enough he would contribute with a couple of hours of his time, dedicating them to collect/create resources for more newbies to keep the process going.

I can see how each of these points go in the opposite way of a fun game... but seriously, am I the only one having these thoughts?

Posted 15 months ago by Ayzad Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • It's very easy to be a bit overwhelmed at first, and you can always ignore the chat and just roam around working on solo quests that you get by completing your skills. There are some quests that do need help, so you can try the local chat to see if someone in the same area as you are can help so that it won't take so long to get togther to complete the task. As a beta player it's a bit frustrating to not be able to act the way I got used to acting when I had completed all the skills, so I can understand your thoughts about waiting till you get more skills. But I would encourage you to play for a bit here and there and complete the quests as they come to see what you like and don't like about playing. Hope you find a happy medium.
    Posted 15 months ago by Gizmospooky Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hey Ayzad

    I am not crazy for the social aspects of the game most of the time, so you are not alone! Neither do I enjoy grinding. So for me, the game is much more about exploring and playing around with things, experimenting with recipes, discovering new items and activities and so on. I minimise the chat windows a lot of the time, just get on with doing what I want to do. It's still fun: don't imagine you're missing out on the point of the game... in the end, there is not much of a point.
    Posted 15 months ago by wurzel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • + 1 simply for the phrase "glitchy communism"
    Posted 15 months ago by Arii Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like the social aspects most of the time... I just have trouble breaking into them. I don't really chat that often, and I have a little problem with lag on the busiest of the streets (which compounds when I'm trying to chat and do, well, anything else). And everybody says, "Look at the groups!", but if I'm in-game, I'm probably not checking groups that closely; and a lot of the groups are more message-boards than chat-windows anyway. Like I said, I enjoy the socialization, but it's hard for me to break out of the grinding and solo wandering much of the time. I've been getting into this rut much more than I did when I started in beta.
    Posted 15 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • If you are actually complaining about not being able to be more social because it is hard to do at the same time while interacting with the game, then I would suggest some planning. First I would find a group of friends that think like you do (or start your own group). When you are then ready to play next, open up your group page and either post a note, or open up the group chat and see who is there currently. Post that you'd like to (scrape barnacles together or whatever) and see who responds. Set up a time that is good for you and go have fun. Talk in local chat or group chat or even just run into someone there and invite them to a party chat. There are so many ways to get together with a few people when you want and not to when you don't. Most importantly, if the people get offended because you aren't talking or are typing fast and making spelling mistakes or whatever, then they aren't worth worrying about. True friends will understand and won't care in the first place anyway. I hope you find the right balance for you whatever that may be.
    Posted 15 months ago by Holly Waterfall Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Ayzad

    Social is not a synonym of chatting, you can interact with the emo bear, playing races, etc. and many other activities that doesn't require talking. The global chat is too crazy, but some groups chats are useful, because you can chat with people with the same interest, so it's easier to get things done.

    Some tasks take too much energy without the skill, so basically it makes sense what you say, but you also need to spend the emblems, so it's impossible to get the highest skill level without playing.

    It's possible to trade with other players, but for me, the most collaborative work are the street projects, when everybody contributes for the same cause. Have you participate in one?
    Posted 15 months ago by Natalia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I wrote right in my profile bio that I'm not likely to be very social.  I'm friendly, and helpful, and nice to the other players...but I'm not out to talk to everyone I run into on the boards.  That's how I am in real life and that is how I've been in the game.  But I'm still having a lot of fun with it.  I like going through all of the work and discovering new things.  
    I probably won't be a builder either.  I'm more of a gardener/cook in the game.  That's more my speed.
    As far as Glitchy Communism, I'm all for it.  LOL  I'm a socialist and a liberal.  I believe in sharing everything for the better good.  So I'm on board if you want to start some sort of anti-social social group!  :-)

    I think Glitch is sort of like The Sims in a way (which I also play).  You can be social or not be social and either way there is something in the game for you.

    And if it's not for you, then it's not for you.  What are ya gonna do?  :-)
    Posted 15 months ago by Poppy of Detwoit Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Sometimes I talk and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I mine and sometimes all I do is make food and nibble pigs. The beauty of Glitch is that there are many different skills and things to do so you can be whatever kind of Glitchen that you want to be.
    Posted 15 months ago by anonymoose Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Can we please enable voice chat? :P
    Posted 15 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Cerulean - for you perhaps not for me.

    I sing while gaming, learning new songs for our folk/renfaire/chantey group.  After the 8th time working different harmonies through Santiano, or Greenland Whalers, even the Old Dun Cow, people tend to get annoyed in chat lines lol.  I'd rather sing than chat.

    I know, I know, how can anyone not like the Old Dun Cow - a song about  drinking the remaining stock in a bar basement while it burns above you sounds very glitchy to me!  The Ale Firehouse Badge, for doing it 11 times!  Marc Gunn sings it here on youtube.

    I'm  not necessarily anti-social - I'm just multi-tasking!  Must dash, Murphy's closes on the hour!

    ~~TJ Fuzzybut
    Posted 15 months ago by Thaddeus J Fuzzybut Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @ TJ - As long as you sing in tune, I can listen to anything, but you will definitely want me to shut of my mic if I get the urge to join in =)
    Posted 15 months ago by Nymity Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The day Glitch *requires* socialization to remain competitive is the day I leave. My work day is often 'interruption-driven' ... and being able to just focus on a simple, basic task is refreshing.
    Posted 15 months ago by TK-855 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm a lot like Poppy. I'm more than happy to help; I love helping, but I won't seek out socialization most of the time. I like the non-social side of things more often than not.

    I'd never, ever use voice chat (though certainly that doesn't mean there shouldn't be the option for those that would). I hate talking on the phone or on Vent or whatever. My guildies from WoW had a hard time getting me into Vent.
    Posted 15 months ago by Little Miss Giggles Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Good grief, no voice chat please! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has trouble following spoken conversation for one reason or another, and once voice chat is put in a game you feel left out when you're not using it because everyone else is.
    Posted 15 months ago by Fussycat Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Completely concurred with voice chat. That would be so obnoxious... -_- The last thing we need is crackly voices from darkened bedrooms interrupting the beautiful chink-chink of mining. :P
    Posted 15 months ago by heychrisfox Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Well I'm just saying the option would be nice. OPTION. I don't know why people think in absolutes. It's so rarely one way or the other. OPTION. O. P. T. I. O. N.

    There are plenty of users that have fun in Google+ video chat or voice chat altogher. There are bound to be others that would like to utilize that option.
    Posted 15 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would be sad if voice chat O.P.T.I.O.N. was implemented and I didn't want to participate and then ended up feeling like I was missing out on info because all the cool kids are doing it, as has happened elsewhere on the internets. Just my two currants...
    Posted 15 months ago by katlazam Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What I'd really love is a hotkey of some sort that toggles between the game screen and the chat boxes.  Does such a thing exist?  Because it's distracting having to take my hand off the keyboard to move the mouse to the text area, click, then move my hand back to the keyboard to type.  It isn't a major inconvenience, but I notice it makes for some herky-jerky conversations sometimes.

    I also suspect that the constant drain of mood and energy from just standing around typing is a disincentive to people who might otherwise want to stop and chat with someone.  Glitches are very, very busy little creatures, and seldom bother to stop even for something as pleasant as conversation, and it's too bad.

    The other thing that puts me off is people adding me as a friend or starting conversations with no intention of actually being a friend or conversing - they're simply out for a badge.  Why would you put a badge before genuine frendship and good company?  Baffling.

    On the upside, though, I seldom think about these little pet peeves - I'm usually too busy having fun to be bothered. ^__^
    Posted 15 months ago by Shagbark Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @katlazam -- But the same can be said about Global Chat in general. It's so busy and convoluted in there sometimes that many, including myself, may feel completely left out of the conversation. But that doesn't mean Global Chat shouldn't be an option. It just means I have to utilize and make the best out of the options that I do have and can use comfortably. The same can also be said of the forums, too!
    Posted 15 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • ... except that global chat *won't* be an option before too long.  and forums are asychronous to gameplay, so it's not really the same thing.

    anyway, unless stoot changed his mind since 16 months ago, this won't be a priority for development, and i hope that this remains the case. :)
    Posted 15 months ago by katlazam Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Cerulean - not sure what's in the Glitch API, but I'm sure some clever so-and-so could hack together a way for users to voice chat with other Glitchen through a service like Google voice or Skype.
    Posted 15 months ago by wurzel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • So you're advocating for the removal of any form on in-game communication that may be overwhelming, including Global Chat?

    Well, anyone that does want to video/audio chat can still do so via the same Google+ hangouts that we did in Beta. :D

    Ooh! I may even create a sub-group within the QUILTBAG group for any QULITBAGgers to get their cam/voice on. :D

    EDIT: Piratice, I'm looking at YOU! :p
    Posted 15 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i'm not advocating anything.  except i guess for this feature not to be implemented in-game.  but the fact that global chat is on borrowed time at this point is well documented.
    Posted 15 months ago by katlazam Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oh, I know that. But if you're stating that global chat "*won't* be an option for too long" as a way to justify not creating voice chat, then it's fair for me to ask.

    ETA: I suppose the point I am slowly approaching is HOW can we maintain ongoing, novel, in-game communications that aren't so overwhelming that they distract from gameplay but rather add on to it? My idea was that voice chat with a few people would do the trick for me, but clearly everyone has their own tastes. So what CAN we do?
    Posted 15 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Shagbark, re "a hotkey of some sort that toggles between the game screen and the chat boxes." -  a bunch of us well-seasoned glitches were surprised to learn the other day that you can in fact do this with the tab key.  whee!
    Posted 15 months ago by katlazam Subscriber! | Permalink
  • All of the keyboard shortcuts/"hotkeys," including chat toggle, are listed here: www.glitch.com/help/faq/#q1 Except for Tab, lmao.
    Posted 15 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i wasn't using the imminent death of global chat as a way to justify anything, simply responding to the equation of what i said with global chat, which isn't what i was meaning to say.  heck i am not even sure what i was meaning to say anymore.  but i think we CAN all agree that the question of how to maintain novel in-game non-overwhelming communications is an excellent one.  :D
    Posted 15 months ago by katlazam Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Agreed, lol, BUT HOW. I really like the addition of speech bubbles, but at the same time, I can never read them because everyone is always moving and I have to look at the chat to really read what anyone is saying. It's like everything that gets tossed in is really cool but backfires somehow, lol.
    Posted 15 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink