Topic

Like, seriously, something REALLY has to be done to prevent stolen blockmakers

I know that this subject has been touched on alot in the past, and many great suggestions have been made, but I'm not sure how much attention it has gotten by the "powers that be". 

Those who frequent the projects will know that I often leave my blockmaker sitting there unsupervised with a note telling people to feel free to use it, but to please leave it there. Up until now, it has a been a great source of pride for me in the Glitch community that everyone has respected that. Today I had a blockmaker stolen from under my nose while I watched. I saw it happening, and asked the person to stop--they paused, but then continued when they realized I was blaming the person standing in front of the blockmaker (who was innocent), and that they had complete anonymity because there was no way for anyone to know who was doing it. This is the last time I will ever leave a blockmaker at a project--from now on I'll selfishly go home and make them by myself then teleport back to the project to donate them. I highly recommend others do the same--this will only get worse as more people join the game.

 OR: something can be done about this. I doubt the devs want these feeling of animosity to flourish: all this is doing is turning machine rooms into ghost towns and ruining the sense of communal sharing between players. A multiplayer game should be encouraging cooperation, not discouraging it because people are afraid to get hurt. I recommend the following easy solutions:

1) Make it so only the builder of a blockmaker can disassemble it. If abandoned blockmakers are a concern, make it so they decay after a reasonable time period: perhaps after 1 day they disintegrate into their individual parts, which anyone can pick up.

2) Prevent anonymous blockmaker stealing: make the one disassembling it move to stand in front of it for all to see (perhaps with the "disassembling" notice appearing over their heads). Moving slightly next to it isn't good enough: at projects, everyone is standing next to the blockmaker. Of course, if #1 is implemented, this won't be necessary.

3) Make it an option of the builder to "lock down" a blockmaker for a certain period of time (an hour or whatever). Once the lock down is expired, anyone can disassemble it, but the builder will get a warning that the lock down is about to expire before hand. 

4) Machine rooms are utterly worthless if everyone is afraid to leave a blockmaker there. Right now they are just useless eye-sores. Lock down all blockmakers placed there (at least for a few days or something, I don't know), or just get rid of them. There is no point to them right now.

Posted 18 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • I gave up on leaving blockmakers at projects a few weeks ago, when I got too stressed out about hovering over it constantly to ward off those who would disassemble it and remove it.   Makin blocks at home worked for me for a while, but it became a drag to not have that community involvement of people dropping by with resources... and collecting those resources solo is a drag. I know that suggestions have been made in other topics with no staff response.

    I agree with what you're saying - something needs to change.  

    But I don't want it to change to 'anyone can take one, but now we can see who is taking it' because that doesn't solve the fundamental problem of how this breaks the community vibe and makes community rooms worthless shells.

    I like the idea of the blockmaker decaying after a reasonable time - I'd say more like a week, though.  If the owner doesn't pick it up within a week of dropping it, then it decays into its parts and anyone can take it.

    Not sure how that solves the community room issue, though.  I think the best way to handle that is to simply have the game itself own the machines in that room, no one else can disassemble them, ever.  Say 3 blockmakers and 1 fuelmaker per room and leave the bonuses in place there for using them.
    Posted 18 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I agree, zeeberk, that would be one of the best ways to control this.

    I would like to add that I was touched by the outpouring of generosity I received from several people when my blockmaker was stolen. Many condolences (including people trying to help me stop it from happening at the time), and even some people offering to give me currants or a replacement blockmaker. I didn't accept any of these offers, as I had more than enough to replace it myself (the money is certainly not the issue), but the fact that the offers were made reminded me that in general the Glitch community is a warm, welcoming, and wonderful thing. Thank you to all of you! Although I still greatly love and cherish most of the people here, it is a very sad day for me as it marks the end of an era of trust--they must have felt the same way several decades ago when people realized they could no longer leave their doors unlocked. 
    Posted 18 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What about some sort of locking mechanism? Lock the machine down and require only the owner to take it away or something similar? I like the way people all pitch in at projects. This was my first weekend where I finally took part in a couple and they were a lot of fun.
    Posted 18 months ago by Nerji Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oh dear, Shepard! What an awful thing to happen. Such bold thievery! I am not surprised that the community rallied in support. 99.5% of the players are polite, friendly and honest---but that .5%! gr-r-r-r

    You and zeeberk offered some really practical solutions and I have fairh that the awesome devs will come up with something so that no one has to experience what both of you did.
    Edit: I posted just after you, Narji. I like your good idea too.
    Posted 18 months ago by GreyGoose Subscriber! | Permalink
  • it could take either ..

    an energy value equal to the purchase price of the component to remove the component..

    or ..

    currents paid equal to the purchase price of the component to remove the component. the currants would be sent to the installer of the component..

    or ..

    both.

    take the economic incentive out of stealing the components.
    Posted 18 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think a "Drop & Lock" option needs to be available. As suggested before a decay function on the lock. Still leave the "Drop" function for those things people want to donate to others or abandon. Actually this would be a good idea on any item... Block makers or other machines should have great time length, but other consumables should have a much shorter one. The timer should not start until the owner leaves the area of course. I watched a ground thief go after items I had dropped. I was trying to make space to completer a quest with a very short timer (5 minutes) and just could not react. But I saw his dot just lingering on the map for the longest (just stole some blue bubbles which were easily replaced but the point is the same). Thieving is very disruptive to the enjoyment of the game.
    Posted 18 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I always wondered what the Community Machine Rooms were for, since all the ones I went into were empty...

    I have to agree, there really has to be an option to lock your machines and make it so that only the owner can pick it up again.
    Posted 18 months ago by Liridona Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think the Community Machine Rooms should have a project attached to fill them with the machines much along the lines of the street projects. This would allow them to truly become 'community' rooms rather than a target for thievery.

    I don't necessarily agree with a drop and lock option. I think this would lead to a larger cluttering issue. If you drop something out in the game, its open for anyone to grab honestly. It becomes too much of a confusion to newer players especially if they have to question items out in the world and whether they belong to anyone. I remember the first time i just saw a random musicblock just sitting someplace and i was hesitant to grab it myself.

    If you are worried about someone taking your block out at a project, don't drop it, or just post a guard. It's not that I don't agree with your plight, it just that i don't want the developers to have to include an option that i have to select every time I drop something now.
    Posted 18 months ago by Jackie Paper Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Posting a guard won't work, as the OP states.  Right now, it can be disassembled even if you're standing right next to it and you can do nothing about it nor can you see who is taking it.  

    All the of drop/lock suggestions include a decay or time to unlock for anyone to pick up to prevent the clutter problem.

    There's no 'new player confusion' if the thing is locked anyway - they can click it and it just wont have the option to take it apart.  I think it's more confusing to have something that someone can take and then to have a bunch of people freaking out at you for taking it.

    However, +1 for being able to donate to the project/s right from the community room machine (for blocks/bricks only) - that would definitely drive up community room usage.
    Posted 18 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What if they're locked, but only while its owner remains in the same street? That could go for anything, really... if you mean to leave something lying around, you leave the street, and if you want to hang on to it, you stay there.

    Posted 18 months ago by Jennyanydots Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Jenny, have you ever dropped a blockmaker at a project?  

    The project might require 1000 loam or some other high quantity of some scarce resource.  That means it's best to have a team of people go out and get that resource, which means leaving the street.  Having dropped a blockmaker at a project, I have had to choose between standing there to guard the blockmaker when the project comes to a standstill or leaving the blockmaker to go get resources.  Packing up the only blockmaker at a project to leave might mean that anyone who came along while we're out gathering wouldn't be able to make anything unless they have a blockmaker or someone else drops one there.  

    The point being that sometimes you want to leave your blockmaker and leave the street.  It's not like any other item you drop because no other item needs to be dropped in order to be used to make something and no other item is as expensive as a blockmaker.  It's not dropped to leave it lying around - it's dropped so that people can use it.
    Posted 18 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think I've even seen this thieving in action. Not this last test, but the one previous to it. We were having a party on the street where it happened. I saw the note. After a while the block maker was gone, but the note was still there. I don't know if the owner simply forgot to pick it up  or something else, but I know what I saw.  I thought it pretty sad that they even had to leave such a note in the first place. Sometimes it may not be deliberate theft but, as one person noted, just a case of a new person not knowing what is going on.
    Posted 18 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink

  • +1, for the temporary lock idea, maybe for several game days (and warnings to the owner at say, 1 game day and at 20 minutes)
    Posted 18 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Well, never mind then. I didn't realize how obvious it was that you had to drop it and leave.

    *slinks away, thoroughly chastised*
    Posted 18 months ago by Jennyanydots Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like the timed lockout idea with warnings to the owner; could work similarly to the messages about your plots being dry, your milkers being full, etc. — and be far more useful as well (anyone but me not give a rip if their plots have gone dry?). I definitely think that each community machine room should have machines that belong to the room and are always there.
    Posted 18 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Agreed we really need to get something done here.
    Posted 18 months ago by Ani Laurel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Maybe community machine rooms could have machines belonging to the game, but they would require some upkeep?  Players would collectively need to do some amount of maintenance to keep the machines operating.
    Posted 18 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Larky - upkeep, beyond providing your own fuel? Hm... could work.
    Posted 18 months ago by Zany Serendipity Subscriber! | Permalink
  • it sounds like a temporary lock would be the best solution but i think it should only be on things like blockmakers and fuelmakers. i couldn't imagine how frustrating it would be if that option came up on every cherry you dropped on the ground - i think people are right to think that would be annoying.

    ps also agree that the game should just own and lockdown at least one blockmaker in the community machine room...which is always empty...
    Posted 18 months ago by Mimi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Actually a single menu line addition would not be annoying:
    Give
    Drop
    Drop & Lock
    Eat


    vs.

    Give
    Drop
    Eat


    I have  had the problem of people stealing things I've had to temporarily put on the ground.
    Posted 18 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Did anyone else notice the key in one of the bog areas (maybe Jethimadh, I can't remember) that was on the ground and was called "Tii's key", or something like that? When clicked on, it said it belonged to that person and could not be picked up. My first reaction was to check my items to see if I could assign ownership to them and drop them, but I couldn't.

    Perhaps this was the dev's way of testing out just such a lock option that may be released in the future?

    Edited to add: by the way, I think Fokian's suggestion on implementing such a thing is a very good idea.
    Posted 18 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • SM, that key was probably in the Tower. When you enter a certain hallway or room, it triggers the game to create a key for another area that you've unlocked.
    Posted 18 months ago by MaryLiLamb Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Shepherdmoon We may have come across the same key. I meant to post about it and forgot until I saw your message. 

    In fact...I did a screen capture of when I saw it and what the message was.

    ta2's Yellow-Purple Triangle Key
    Posted 18 months ago by g33kgurrl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • That's the one, g33kgurrl! No, it's not in the tower, and yes, it's impossible to pick up (unlike the ones in the tower).
    Posted 18 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It was like running into the Rubes and none of them wanted to talk to me. I kept clicking and clicking. I expected to eventually get, 'That's nacho cheese, man!'
    Posted 18 months ago by g33kgurrl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think locking machines and things like that is a good idea but i don't know about being able to lock any item because then people can leave stuff lying around everywhere and never pick it up (like that key) but then the streets would get overflowed with items of all types making an annoying element to the game.
    one idea is that after half an hour or an hour or something like that the locked item will go to your mail (just like auctions do). But i think machines should stay waaaay longer and things like meat collectors and things like that will stay forever if you have it in your house and possibly items can stay in your house as long as you want as well. But then all items in your house will come to your mail if you sell your house because if you can sell a house with locked items in it it would be really annoying.
    Posted 18 months ago by drakodood Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Wow, I've never seen that happen.
    Posted 18 months ago by MaryLiLamb Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Dethe -- Agreed. So maybe it's more aligned with a concept of "durable goods" as opposed to consumables and other types of goods (i.e. shovel, scraper, etc)
    Posted 18 months ago by g33kgurrl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Lol g33kgurrl!
    +1 Shepherdmoon and I'm sorry to hear you lost your blockmaker :( I've lost one too.
    +1 Zeeberk
    +1 Rascalmom
    Posted 18 months ago by Millie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "Actually a single menu line addition would not be annoying:
    Give
    Drop
    Drop & Lock
    Eat


    vs.

    Give
    Drop
    Eat"


    Fokian, I think this is an excellent solution and very simple.  As for this option on every possble item, that needn't be necessary.  I'm pretty sure this could be applied on a case by case basis, maybe based on something like.. items above a certain value in currents.. 500, 200, 1001?

    As for people being able to take the blocks from the community rooms, I have never understood that from my day 1 in the game and still don't.  It makes the community rooms totally pointless.  I think of a rl comparison.. I go to the library, but is complete empty, no books, computers, etc. because someone walked in and took them all.  Our rl Devs (Community Managers, Librarians all have the ability to "lock down" ie "lock up" these items securely so that everyone benefits from their use.  Otherwise, why bother to have it at all? 
    Posted 18 months ago by Joni Mitchell Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yes, I agree that only certain types of items should be lock-downable (to avoid inevitable clutter). Rather than being based on worth, however, I think it should be based on use: only those things that can be used by multiple people without having to pick them up should be locked down. This will encourage communal sharing and only lead to good things. At this point in the game development, blockmakers and fuelmakers are the only things I can can think of that fit this description. Everything else is for personal use only.
    Posted 18 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 Shepherdmoon
    Posted 18 months ago by Joni Mitchell Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Psst.... the devs have locked down the machines in the community rooms, so they can no longer be stolen. There are two of each kind in each room.
    Posted 18 months ago by Essie Kitten Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm just learning to use machines... Before, I went into the community machine room and it was empty. Recently, I went in there and it was full, and I made a fuel cell. I thought I was seeing the machines because I had learned a skill, and before that the machines were invisible.... Was the machine room full because the devs are locking down the machines in that room now?
    Also, stealing is bad.
    Posted 17 months ago by sakmet Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The machine rooms are now full because the devs locked them down :)

    I also like the bonuses of making blocks in there very much - now I try to trek to the nearest one whenever I'm in a blockmaking mood.
    Posted 17 months ago by Millie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks, Millie.
    Posted 17 months ago by sakmet Subscriber! | Permalink
  • you mean I could have been stealing blockmakers all this time? 
    Posted 17 months ago by Btaylor Subscriber! | Permalink