Topic

Obfuscation of projects?

I admit that my gameplay style involves doing kind of grind-y things while I do other stuff like listen to music and chat on non-glitch thingies. But really, I still have no idea how these project things work, and have never participated in any of them. And now I feel like I'm running out of things to do, and I've run around on occasion trying to figure out on my own to participate in street-building or whatever, with no success. 

Maybe this needs to be more apparent, somehow, in-game? Or is this by design? I mean, I could look it up, or ask people. Maybe I am supposed to do this. Or am I missing something? 

How did you all figure out how to participate in projects?

Posted 19 months ago by Nuance Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • There is a New Streets group.

    On the map there is a greyed out street, on one of the adjacent streets there will be a street spirit with a project sign.
    Posted 19 months ago by Ani Laurel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • it seems like something that you're supposed to be invited to or reach a certain level before you find out about it.  i heard about it through the grapevine.  i'm guessing most other people did too.  it's glitches secret society. and now that you know about it... start hording fireflies and loam :D
    Posted 19 months ago by IxÆoN Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I haven't worked on a street project yet, because I'm working up to the level where I can be useful, also I'm gradually collecting some of the needed materials, like loam, boards, etc.
    Its not a "secret society" at all, or any kind of secret. I've been hearing people talk about it, people participating, since I first came into Glitch. If you talk to people, or read the chats etc. it wont be long at all before you learn about it. The New Streets group is a great one to join, also read thru the forum, you'll find posts about it. Maybe increase your friend list, most people are glad to chat & pass on information, some of them are sure to be working on a project.
    (Oh, btw..I think you can contribute at any level, as long as you can collect things. I just want to get the building skills.)
    Posted 19 months ago by Phoebe Springback Subscriber! | Permalink
  • No invitation needed!  Just join in.  As said, you can see a grayed out street on the map.  one of the streets adjacent to it will have a project.  When you enter that street, the info that shows what is on that street will also say "Active Project".  Projects are run by the Street Spirits.  They will announce the project.  You can also tell there is a project if you click on the Spirit and have the extra "Talk To" option.  Click on "Talk To" and the Spirit will tell you what Phase the project is in and what items or skills are needed.  If you have any of these, the amount needed will be gray.  if you do not have the items or skills, those will be red.  If there is a green check mark, that item or skill is complete.  There are several min. between phases.  Some higher skills are needed but most people can do something.

    Some items commonly needed are :  Blocks, bricks, loam, earth, planks, etc.  Lately they have also asked for odd things like pigs, notes, Flaming Hambabas.

    Join in and have fun.  A project is a lot like a big street party!  Also, if you contribute you will get a FREE teleport to the new street.  You may also receive some XP, Mood and Energy according to how much you contribute.  Top contributors may also receive partial trophies.
    Posted 19 months ago by Brib Annie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I felt lost and unnecessary at the first few projects I stumbled upon and the first few I searched out and headed for. Now I know some of the things that are needed and how I can help it's good to be able to be a part of it.

    Hang in there and like Brib Annie Said have fun. That's what it's all about. :)
    Posted 19 months ago by Leithwyn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think if you're TOO low of a level, you can still contribute to the project, but mostly by giving resources to the players who are high enough level to have the skills needed to make the final product the project needs.

    I think you need to be probably at least in the level 20ish range to be able to really participate fully.  I did my first project at like level 15 or something and generally I could only contribute one or two things/skills because I wasn't high enough level.  
    Posted 19 months ago by Fleep Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Each Phase has two parts.  The first part is usually for items that most people can get such as earth and loam.  However, there really is not a lot a low level player can do to participate.    You can socialize though and join in the after parties.  Soon you will be able to do more.
    Posted 19 months ago by Brib Annie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Actually, for the most part if you have the items needed in your inventory you can contribute no matter what level you are. Sometimes on the work part they are looking for a specific skill, I've seen higher level skills needed like Tinkering 5 or Soil Apprecitation 4 to use a particular tool. But often the work is for anyone, no specific level needed. From what I've seen once all the items are collected the work usually proceeds very quickly. Sometimes items needed are drinks or food for instance and you may not have learned the recipe for those items. It's helpful to keep an eye on the various chat windows, as other's have said, New Streets group often posts a rundown of what is needed on a particular project, sometimes it's in Global Chat or a group chat window. You can always ask in Global or New Streets (if you are a member) if there are any active projects and question what is needed. Now that we have more subway stops you can get there more quickly, sometimes people ask if anyone needs items brought from a grocery/produce vendor for instance. You could pick up things along the way and auction or trade/give to other players.
    Posted 19 months ago by Gizmospooky Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Anyone and everyone can participate in projects. No need to be hi-level. Overall, I think it depends on what you want to get from projects. You can get:

    --rewards (energy, XP, favor with giants, currants)
    --community and kinship (working with everyone else, helping with energy, items, auctions)
    --free teleport (after the project is finished you get an offer)
    --participation (different from community & kinship in that you might just drive by and drop something off and then move on)
    --others?

    For me, I like to visit new areas and spend alot of time walking around. I bump into a project, see what's needed and do what I can. I don't like to hang out waiting for the next phase. I also don't generally like to go get things and bring them back. So I am a drive-by. Sometimes I can participate, and sometimes not. So, for other potential project-teers, figure out what you want out of the experience. Folks have built good relationships via projects (community + kinship) so that's a good way to get there. Regarding rewards, they are usually not very substantial and usually I get the energy boost once I have had a reload so it doesn't help me. I definitely like the free teleport. You?
    Posted 19 months ago by Mac Rapalicious Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hi Nuance....welcome to Glitch...great to hear you would like to participate in the projects going on ...
    .all the above advice is spot -on......gonna list some ways i found to help out regardless your level, or of major pre-reqs...lol....(well, maybe a few, but not difficult to get/learn/etc/..lol...

    Using a Focusing Orb..and the Transcendental Radiation skill to radiate to others..helps give energy&mood to those working/doing/macines/etc..grinding..making energy powders, hi-energy foods...np if you don't have this skill yet...because:.
           the one very needed & helpful thing, no matter what your level or skills is
      Leave food..usually 20-30-40-50 pieces of grain makes a difference...1gain=1energy;
         by leaving 50 grains..= 50 energy points when eaten..its fast, it works, grain not $$ and                            relatively: easy to obtain for free by gently squeezing chickens...lol...
      Leave meat from nibbling piggies (keep eye on your own energy levels, please...lol 
           even a 5 piece lot of meat makes for a great gift...
      Leave Spinach..again.5 or more pieces of spinach gives hi-jumper ability for 30-60seconds
           (sorry, forgot actual amount of time given, but its good...lol)
      Leave bunches of cherries...again free when you water-pet-harvest the cherry tress that are
          usually in abundance as you walk about the world....other folks can use this item to make
          any other fruits, esp, oranges for juice, that will sustain energy/mood for project folks
              ( you too, remember, orange juice & spinach are your good friends)
     Leave food by dropping it on the ground..it will land behind where ever you are standing, by the way      ..lol..you should let folks know food is there for them..usually look for someone talking to the rest of us, asking for items, updating needs, etc, and politely interrupt to briefly tell them what foods/amt.you left for everyone...if you can't do that...np..know folks will appreciate you helping them keep their energy up & not go to Hell (really..4super-low energy) 

                   and welcome to the Projects.....Peace....out....
    Posted 19 months ago by SavannaBlueRose Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I literally walked into a project on my first day in the world. Had no effin' clue what was going on, 'til I asked in chat and Rascalmom told me why everyone seemed to be just standing around a weird-looking street spirit. I don't remember if I actually had anything of use for that project, but I know I contributed a smidge of somethingerother to one of them at the very beginning, and kinda squeed over being on its leaderboard for about .00034 seconds.

    tl,dr version: I wander into projects randomly, just by exploring.
    Posted 19 months ago by Jennyanydots Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hi Nuance,

    I agree with you that the way projects work could be improved. If you want to participate in them, you need to be alert, and/or hover in the area of new growth (which a new player wouldn't necessarily know, but could ask about). It would be good if there were a bulletin board announcing current and planned projects, and also to allow at least one teleport to a construction site. But no such luck. I find the project system annoying and generally avoid projects myself. Others, obviously, adore them.

    Welcome to Glitch!
    Posted 19 months ago by clare Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Some things which haven't been said yet:

    At the moment, the areas with projects are Alakol, which is the northernmost area on the map, and Ilmenskie Deeps, which is sort of southeast, under Ilmenskie Caverns. 

    Right after the reset, projects were geared toward lower-level players, since no one had any advanced skills yet.  Now they're designed to be accessible to people at all skill levels.  Anyone can contribute pieces of ore, earth, paper, and many other items.  The only trick to it is to be around at the beginning of the project phase, so you get the opportunity to donate before other people have donated everything needed.

    After the donation phase, the work phase will typically require a mix of skills.  There are usually six types of work in each phase of a project, and at least one will require no skills or lower-level ones.  Bring lots of food with you, because work requires a lot of energy. 

    There is usually a twenty-minute pause in between project phases, and a pause of perhaps an hour, give or take, between projects.  At the end of a project, a new street opens, and often (but not always) the next project will appear on that street.
    Posted 19 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I have the greasemonkey location script on this thread and use http://beta.glitch.com/locations/ to find the areas that say active project. I usually go look for one when i am sick of mining, \help out with what i can and then go back to whatever else i was doing... lol...
    Posted 19 months ago by HarleyQuin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Setting all of the 'how a project works' aside (there are plenty of threads dedicated to both that and the merits/flaws of various improvement suggestions - great reading if you have the time and a thick skin).... there is absolutely nothing secret about Street Projects. One of the Quests even sends you off to donate to one - so I'll go with 'how do we improve locating one to donate to' as the jumping off point for the question.

    Personally, I think the Magic Rock could include a link to a dynamic 'existing project' page (available when you have the Quest and the in-game introduction to Street Projects happens), which could reduce the confusion and provide a little in-game direction. Such a page could also include some basics about how Street Projects work (the phases/rewards) but that assumes massive changes won't be made to the way projects work down the road.

    Street Projects are not generally beneficial to the very low level. They require materials and skills that are often hard to obtain early, and can be insanely frustrating if you are still processing the game basics. I'm against introducing them too early, but understand it happens (mainly due to the most effective in-game method: word of mouth).
    Posted 19 months ago by Travinara Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I got the quest to hand something to a project - didn't know what it was and asked.

    Generally how I learn how to do most things - that or work it out - in this case I asked - am guessing I would not have worked that one out.

    Great thing about MMO type games - usually lots of people to ask
    Posted 19 months ago by Accy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • what if a project pops up like your quest?  i also feel like it can be confusing to find out where a project is and when it's happening.
    Posted 19 months ago by greenkozi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yeah, greenkozi, I had suggested that the project window be detached from a particular street and instead be accessible from the rock at all times, no matter where you are, so you'd always be able to donate or work.  A related chat window would facilitate community play.

     I think one or two people liked the idea, and some others didn't because they like the communal aspect of going to a single street.  Of course, things aren't terribly communal as it is now, since people generally have to go home or run around the game world to gather things for donation.
    Posted 19 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think having every Street Project as a one-click in the Quest Log would effectively tank Street Projects as a recreational activity. If people are complaining when there are 20-50 people contributing to a single project, imagine the frustration of 5,000 players all trying to contribute at once (frustration scales easier than community). 

    Such a move would also incite confusion in the new players who haven't been exposed to Street Projects. Imagine 20-100 confused new people each and every time there's a new project... because that's what will happen when this strange new thing suddenly appears in the Log, and people will feel utterly compelled to donate because 'it's in the log and must be completed'. Who wants to explain the process of common crudities to someone who has only been in the game a few hours a couple hundred times every day?

    Still trying to think of way to make understanding them from the game itself easier though :D
    Posted 19 months ago by Travinara Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I had come up with an idea to make a lot of different parts of the game easier to understand, and I think I posted it in the Greeter group, not Ideas, so here goes: imagine a series of film strips on different topics -- one on cooking, one on alchemy, etc. -- and then a little lab experience afterwards so you could practice with tools and whatnot.  There could just as easily be a lesson on street projects, with explanations of the various bits of the project dialogue. 

    Of course, most players are intelligent, and figure things out pretty easily, especially if the things are designed well.  I think most of the frustration surrounding projects stems from the lag issues, which are mostly gone, and the fact that they can't get items to donate and then get back to the project fast enough to donate them, which would just mean that projects should be larger, requiring more items.  500 lumps of earth are one thing; 10,000 are quite another.  With a rock-centric project window, everyone would have the same chance at contributing.
    Posted 19 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I really like the idea of micro-movies as a form of educating within a game (the videos in DIY sites are your friend if you can follow instructions).... seems like the mini-tutorials would be better housed under Help with a mention of it from the Rock in the tutorial. Can't leave the feedback there anymore, but the biggest question I see out of the greeter-less new players is 'how do I find help'. Perhaps one final note to point out things like the Groups/Forums/In-Game Help?
    Posted 19 months ago by Travinara Subscriber! | Permalink
  • My experience was similar to others: I spent my early days just doing my own thing and would hear about projects but never got involved. I had the "donate ingots to a project" quest in the queue for a long time until I final got an opportunity to do it. (Does that quest still exist? Seems the way projects go, it would be a major pain in the rump to complete.)

    One day, I had nothing much on my Glitch-plate so tracked down a project and figured it out. I kind of liked it that way. It was a certain amount of discovery about how the world worked... and how others worked in the world.
    Posted 19 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It will be very interesting to see how they work out when the game is open to all...it seems it will be detrimental? Or at least a hard balance to get right. Will quantities needed increase seven fold?

    Is there a infinite number of street projects? As soon as one finishes souther opens up?
    Posted 19 months ago by hoppy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The street projects open up when the devs say so and that starts a time-delayed queue.
    Posted 19 months ago by Ani Laurel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Theoretically, they can use projects to both scale the world and to control the "economy."

    If projects are getting completed quickly and being completed by a certain low percentage of active players, more projects could open more quickly. If projects are taking a longer time or if it is taking a large percentage of players to complete them, they could pace them out. 

    Additionally, if there is an excess of something in the world (say ingots) projects could need more of them.

    This could be done all automatically... but it will take a good long while to figure out how to balance the math.
    Posted 19 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink