Phedre
Members
121
Jan. 2003
|
4. Have you considered how the in-world experience is going to change once there are 10K simultaneous avatars at any one moment?
We’ve thought about it once or twice.  By the time we grow to be that big, many things will be different than they are right now (by the way, based on what we are seeing in Beta it will be a long time before we have to manage that level of simultaneous usage).
First, there will be many more places, so the population density shouldn’t become an issue. Saja and Tyr are very limited initial examples of what we mean. When we release our more sophisticated place-building tools (with the ability to set up permission zones and do object layout and environmental visual effects across a large land area) sometime next year we expect to see an explosion of creativity in places-to-visit that is similar to what we’re with the variety of member-created clothing.
Second, we’ll have better forms of community organization tools in place, so that it’s easier for people with common interests to find each other and hang out together. Right now, for example, the villages are really just some buildings and trees. To be really effective, they will evolve into real villages, and then communities, so that people feel as is they belong to a group(s) of people they like, while also having the freedom to explore and meet all sorts of new people. This means more clubs features such as voting, multiple forms of leadership, and group ownership.
The goal is to grow and to let the There community naturally form sub-groups so that as the number of members increases, There doesn’t turn into a crowded, unfriendly, over-run kind of place.
I also wanted to preview two important approaches we’ll be taking in the early months of launch. We call them “Limited Release” and “Velvet Rope”.
Let me start with “Limited Release.” We want to set expectations carefully and clearly to the general public and our early members. So, instead of calling the launch version "version 1" or "final", we're going to call it "Limited Release." "Limited" means that it is still a work in progress, that we won't be open 24x7 (instead we're shooting for 20x6), and that we haven't ironed out every single bug. "Release" means that it is a shipping product that's fun and that works reasonably well, for which we can charge.
Because it's "Limited Release", though, we plan to offer a substantial discount to people who sign up, and extend to them "Charter Membership" benefits in exchange for their agreement to be the pioneers who help create the nucleus of the There community. (Importantly, Beta Members are even more special -- they (and their friends who sign up fast) will get an even better offer as thanks for the work they've done to help us get There to the Limited Release phase).
On to “Velvet Rope”. Because the launch service will be a “Limited Release,” and because we want to provide as good an experience as possible to the early members, we will be using a "velvet rope" to manage capacity. We do this today with the beta tester survey -- many more people sign up than we invite. We plan to do the same kind of thing (with some changes) for Limited Release. Put another way, we won't be letting in everyone who comes to try There, since we want to avoid meltdowns, and since we want to make sure the community isn't overrun with disruptive newbies.
As far as we know, this has never been done before. In fact, it may be really stupid to ask people who are excited about There to wait before they can try it. But we think it's more stupid to open the floodgates and cross our fingers that nothing breaks (technically or socially).
5. Would it be a fair assessment to describe There today as a "consumer oriented world", because a small company trying to handle the immense interest found it easier to bring out features along these lines to a much larger group than initially expected?
By “consumer-oriented world”, I assume you mean a place that promotes buying/consuming things/objects, as opposed to a place that doesn’t. If that’s what you mean, then I’d say that we are embracing the desire that most people have to acquire things, both for the pleasure of doing so, and as a means of personal expression. Most people like to own things, and most people care a great deal about how they look. So we decided to embrace that idea and find ways to make it fun and entertaining.
That said, There needs to be more balanced. It’s currently much more skewed toward “buying stuff” and “showing off” than it should be. Specifically, we are beefing up two other really important areas. First, like I said earlier, there needs to be more fun stuff to do. It’s kind of like a resort where they built the malls first, before they finished all the golf courses and beaches. Second, there aren’t enough fun ways to earn Therebucks. As a result, it feels as if only rich people (or very clever people) can have fun in There; but if you’re not rich, or just want to have fun (and not get another “job”! , you seem to be out of luck. We think everyone comes to There to have fun, but not everyone can afford to spend tons of money. Creating more fun ways to earn Therebucks is therefore a void we need to fill.
Given this, it’s fair to ask why we’re rolling out new objects instead of new activities and jobs. The reason is that objects are much easier and faster to build; more activities and fun jobs are on the way (see below) but they take more time. So please don’t interpret our rollout of objects as a focus on “consumerism”, but instead simply the effect of a development pipeline with different gestation periods.
6. When there goes public, and this population trend is multiplied, how will There address the retention concerns of the core group as it expands?
This is a very interesting question, since there are two “core groups.” One is the current core group, and the other is the upcoming core group. We have different plans for each.
For the “upcoming” core group, we have developed a plan we call “Unveiling.” The beta test has made it clear that it’s too easy to consume There too quickly. As a result, people race through the experience and can get bored. So, new people coming to There will have a very different experience than you did. They will still have fun, and still have “wow!” moments. But they will need to earn the right to explore more places, or buy cool things, or join certain clubs. In games, this is called “leveling up.” We certainly don’t want to turn There into a game that insists on the completion of repetitive activities, but we do think that it will be more fun for everyone if you have a sense of accomplishment, and can enjoy rewards for mastering certain things or making certain contributions to the community. We are cautiously optimistic, based on our modeling using the last 7 months of member data, that our unveiling system will have a positive impact.
Our existing core group presents a different challenge. We think it would be silly and unfair to take away things that beta members already enjoy, just because they haven’t “leveled up” in a system that wasn’t in place when they joined. We therefore plan to treat beta members like special members (which you are!. We therefore need to create different ways to keep our existing core members interested.
Our sense is that there are at least two things we can do that would matter the most to our existing core members (besides more fun things to do). First, we need to give them the tools to take more active roles in the community, whether as club leaders, event hosts, newbie helpers, merchants, or developers. We have some tools right now, but they are still primitive. Our sense is that many core members want to play a more active role as organizers or community leaders, and that we need to support them more actively toward that goal.
Second, we want to open up the communication bandwidth between employees and core members. This interview is an example of that. While we are appropriately concerned about protecting competitive advantages, we also realize that happy, invested members are the bedrock of our success. Trusting them with information and influence, therefore, seems like a true win-win. Specifically, this means that we will be organizing member councils that include core members and key employees so that employees can get quick, direct feedback about new ideas and plans, and so that core members can feel their impact more directly than by simply posting on public forums. We haven’t worked out all the details, but we’re eager to, since we all read the Forums religiously, and can’t wait to turn postings into true dialogues! Stay tuned for a specific update, with plans, from Lee Pearson (lpearson@thereinc.com, our head of There Community), which we expect to have ready by late August.
7. Currently, if you compartmentalize all of There, it falls into the following categories: Dressing Up, Social Games, Exploring, Sports, and Personal Decoration Space. Can you address new features of retention (not fixes or consumer based facets) in each one of these categories? Can you give us dates for every feature? What about larger features like Amusement parks?
Right now we are planning two major releases: on September 1, and in late October. We can be very specific about the September 1 features, since they went into QA testing on July 12! The October release is still fuzzy in some areas, but we can explain what we have in mind. That said, please remember that building things is an unpredictable art, not a science.
In keeping with our decision to be more open with our members about plans, we’d like to list the new features today. In addition, we are working with Life In There, There Universe, and other fan sites to create descriptions of the features, along with the ability to have interviews with the key responsible employee. We plan to release this information every week between now and Sept 1 (and then hopefully keep it going after that). At a minimum, we’ll be providing a look into our feature pipeline about every 6 weeks.
To help organize features, we group them into 6 categories: Dressing Up, Nesting, Social Games, Exploring, Sports, and Partying. The categories overlap, and most members are active in more than one. Each one has opportunities for visitors, regulars, and locals. Each also has entrepreneurial opportunities, some of which are similar across categories (for example, features that support an event host are relevant in each category), which we call “Entrepreneurial Tools”, “Jobs”. Finally there is an overall category called “GUI”, which we think is critically important.
Let me sketch the immediate release plans as well as the future for each area, starting with the ones that cut across categories:
Entrepreneurial Tools. For September 1, we’ll add “Try On” to auctions, which will make it more fun to shop, and more profitable. For September 1 you’ll be able to access your personal detailed transaction history, and import it into Microsoft Excel for analysis and tracking. Club leaders and members will have the ability to pay each other via a simple web page form, which will make it easy to create businesses. Finally, event hosting will get a whole lot easier with improved invitation and RSVP management features, and better performance. For late October, we hope to have rentable mannequins and other display devices that merchants and developers can use.
Jobs. We’re reviewing all of our in-world jobs and adjusting salaries so that they will be more attractive to all members. In addition, we’ll be introducing professional leagues – if you love to race, or play paintball, and test knowledge in trivia, or go on scavenger hunts, you’ll be able to qualify for membership in professional, ranked leagues. Once you’re in, you’ll be able to compete for prizes or Therebucks. Finally, we expect that the “club payment” mechanism described above will create a lot of new entrepreneurial jobs.
GUI. We think There needs to be really easy and intuitive to use. We are therefore adding a bunch of most-requested features on September 1, such as cut and paste in IM and chat balloons, volume controls, and dragging browsers out of the 3D window. ChangeMe will be much faster, even when it’s chock full, and you’ll be able to organize your stuff into folders.
On to the “activity-specific” categories: Dressing Up, Nesting, Social Games, Exploring, Sports, and Partying:
In Dressing Up, it’s all about more fun ways to express and manage your identity. On September 1 (as explained above) ChangeMe will be much faster, and will include powerful new ways to organize your things. We’ll also have more templates for StyleMaker, which will help members design the clothes they really like. For merchants, Auctions will include “Try On” in Auctions. In mid-October and afterwards, watch for things like tattoos, facial hair, more jewelry, things like that – these are important both for personal expression, and to indicate membership in groups, which is an important component of retention. In parallel, fashionistas will find it much easier to organize fashion shows, “trunk shows” that showcase There developers, specialty bazaars, and fashion reviews.
In Nesting, it’s all about creating a personal space, or bonding with a pet. We’ve heard loud and clear that we need more houses. We still won’t have enough for everyone on September 1, but we’ll have a lot more (the reason it’s taking so long is due to some unnecessary complexity in how houses are created. We are planning to simplify this complexity, and then create a whole lot more houses, and help members who are interested get into the house-building business. Timeframe for this is early 2004.
In addition to more houses, for September 1 we’ll have a new and fun way to truly personalize your house by dragging and dropping objects. You’ll be able to decorate with wallpaper, carpeting, picture frames, and windows you can see through. We’re optimistic that these features will give members a much stronger sense of personalization and control over their environment.
In addition to houses, on September 1 you’ll also be able to rent “LandParcels,” which let you build outside without worrying about having objects repossessed. We hope that members will create sky houses and all sorts of other wonderful places.
Finally, on September 1 you’ll be able to rent a portable “FunSpot”, which you can drop and then build on top of without fear of object repossession. To make sure you have enough building blocks, we’ll be releasing many fun new decorating/building objects. For late October, we’re planning even more houses and ways to decorate them. What’s fun about all of this creative construction is that you’ll be able to do it alone and/or with others.
Later in the year, these “place building” options will expand to include gardening of all types. We also put pets in this category, so stay tuned for more species, more tricks, more personalities, and more interaction in 2004.
In Social Games, our top priority is cards and board games, like chess and checkers. You’ll be able to play these in special places that attract others who like to play, as well as any other place (like your house). These games will have professional leagues, so you can earn Therebucks if you’re good. We want to make these really good, so we are taking our time. We expect to have either card games or board games ready by late-October.
For late October, we’ll be souping up the AdventureMaker with a scripting interface, which means that members who can write scripts can create all sorts of fun things for everyone else to do. We expect to see lots more creative treasure hunts and scavenger hunts, as well as road rallies.
For September 1 we’ll also be introducing a number of important improvements to our events management system, which collectively should make it much easier (and more fun! to organize events. In addition (as noted previously) we’ll be adjusting the salary structure for event hosts.
After late-October we’ll be rolling out things such as Amusement Parks (Tunnel of Love, Shooting Galleries with fun prizes, etc.), Arcades (Bumper Cars, MiniGolf, etc), Bowling, Golf, and ball-based sports. We will also be deploying technology that supports events that involve really large audiences all in the same place. Think concerts, or Shakespeare, or really fun game shows…
In Exploring, we’re not planning to deploy any major new places for September 1. We will make the places we already have more interesting, introduce one new island, and have places evolve over time. Instead of using our resources to create more places, we are instead focusing on the creation of tools to turbo-charge the creation of places by us, and by members (see more detail below).
In Sports, the key focus for September 1 is the introduction of competitive leagues and professional competition. This means that one way to earn Therebucks is to get good at a sport, which we know will be fun for lots of people.
In Partying, on September 1 we’ll bring back music jukeboxes, this time with anti-griefing and volume controls in place. Since we’ll have music, we’ll be introducing an initial set of dance animations, so you’ll no longer have to create complex macros to have fun. In case dancing isn’t your thing, you’ll have access to more fun emotions that are designed for use in clubs and bars. Miss P
:::make me your sin:::
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Phedre
Members
121
Jan. 2003
|
8. Do you really think these will help with retention? Which would you specifically cite, since Thereinc claims that retention has become a focus as opposed to just more consumer toys and existing feature polishing?
Retention is a tricky thing, since members are all different. Some members really love to race buggies, and have rightfully been clamoring for better collisions and professional leagues, so these features matter a lot to them. Other members love There for the shopping and clothes, and have made it clear that making ChangeMe really work, and providing TryOn in Auctions are key. Still others love to run businesses, but have been getting frustrated without transaction histories and the ability to pay employees. Many members clearly love building and decorating; the new “creative construction” features will enable hours of fun with friends. Finally, some members love the “club scene” in There, but want music back, and the ability to dance and flirt. All of these are on track for September 1.
At first glance, these may not seem to be “retention” features, but we’ve learned that the There community is actually composed of broad spectrum of people, each with varied interests. Our belief is that if we can address the top few “hot buttons” for each group, we will materially improve the extent to which these members stay active in There over time.
Based on chatting with you two, however, my sense is that you and your friends are mostly interested in more “casual” things to do with small groups of friends. Those are due out in late October, since they are hard to do well. You can already play cards and board games online with other people. Hugsalot had a great arcade that connected web-based games to There, but everyone noticed that it’s hard to hang out together in There when everyone has a green eye shade on.
So, the reason that these “casual games” are taking longer is that we are integrating 2D control interfaces into our 3D environment. It’s kind of like how we use a 2D ChangeMe to control your 3D avatar appearance, only much harder. Rather than rush something out that isn’t good, we’d rather release something that is truly a breakthrough in online fun. We hope to have some screenshots of what we’re planning by September.
I also wanted to point out that most of the “feature polishing” has a clear retention focus. For example, many members think that member-run events are really fun and would keep them coming back. The reasons that there aren’t more of these fun events is because the invitation, RSVP, and entry management systems don’t work well; “Happening Now” is too slow to search; and event hosts aren’t paid enough. Another example: because it’s hard to multi-task when using There, some people stop coming back; this was the genesis of the “drag browsers” feature.
The bottom line from our perspective is that we won’t improve retention with one or two new things to do, since not everyone likes the same things, and since some of the problems in our “infrastructure” are the root causes for the relatively low number of things to do now. So while I understand that you might find the list dominated by “polishing”, our research indicates that many of these things will help improve retention.
9. Exploration of the world and places is one of the most compelling experiences in There. But after a month you've seen everything and want more - Thereinc must have developers who would jump at the chance to create more terrain and objects. Will this happen? When? How? Dates? Is it your intent that the citizens also become these developers? If so, please outline how and when will this happen?
Exploring There really is fun. The challenge, as you point out, is that it’s easy to race through There and see everything. It’s kind of like walking into a candy store and being told you can eat all you want. For new members on September 1, they’ll find that it’s not so easy. Instead of rushing to see everything, they’ll need to participate in There to earn the right to visit certain places. This is part of the “Unveiling” process.
All that said, we clearly need more places to visit. Our plan is to create more terrain (after we address some technical issues related to memory management), and then lease islands (big and small) to members who want to develop them. With the lease comes the ability to control who can visit, and how much it costs. You will also be able to control what you can wear, drive, and do. Our hope is that groups of members get together to develop their own places in There, either for their own enjoyment or for others.
We hope to have the core underlying technology that enables this reasonably complete by late in the year so that development by members can start early in 2004. Land parcels, fun zones, and fun spots are a first release, but they are just the tip of the iceberg.
One more important note. We don’t make a big distinction between “developer” and “member.” A member who uses StyleMaker to make clothes, for example, is a “developer.” So is someone who plans and hosts a great event. Our sense is that there is an enormous creative community of people who can create wonderful objects, experiences, and places given the right tools. So, rather than exclusively focus on a few “professional developers”, we instead hope to democratize the development of next-generation online experiences.
10. Thereinc has stated the development of the bike took 2 days since it was based on the existing hoverboard technology. With a new concept like an amusement park, what retention oriented features could There build just as easily using these new core technologies?"
Let me answer by explaining a bit of the method beneath the madness.
Underneath the experience of There is a software platform that enables next-generation interactive online experiences. We believe that as more people go online, we will need a robust platform and tools that support an unlimited variety of experiences and features. Some people have called that a “metaverse”, and think that There might be (finally) an early version of the metaverse. We’re flattered by the comparison.
As we’ve made clear by our actions to date, we are providing open access to this platform, both to “amateurs” (through StyleMaker) and “pros” (through Builder and shortly AdventureScripter). Rather than control the creation of all content, we prefer to develop a platform, tools, and initial applications that inspire others to be creative.
The bike is an example of the benefits of this approach. Because it is built on the top of the software platform, it was very easy, and fast, to develop. You need to be a solid C++ developer, but not a rocket scientist. It took one engineer 2 days to do.
Now that we have this platform largely in place, we expect to release lots of new stuff. For example, an amusement park would build on technologies we already have – tunnel of love, or shooting arcade, are essentially different configurations of basic building blocks.
Best of all, we intend to make this platform, and the tools, widely available. We’ve started with “simple” tools to learn what support is required. In some cases, we mis-judged, which is the case with our current backlog on submissions. But these early speed bumps are not roadblocks – we fully expect to release ever more powerful tools in the months and years ahead.
11. In that same vein, how will things like There's current sports be transformed into a retention-oriented activity?
We think the best way to make sports “sticky” is to create professional sports with competitive teams. On September 1 we’ll be releasing features that enable that and will be working to jump-start the first divisions and leagues with prize money and salaries for officials and managers. After that, we expect that leagues will become self-sufficient, and grow. For people who like sports, we expect that the camaraderie of teams, the thrill of competing, and the opportunity to make some money if you’re good should be pretty compelling…
12. Future retention can also be attained if people can to work towards a long-term goal. What kind of long-term goal oriented activities can we anticipate, and when?
There are 5 kinds of long-term goal-oriented activities, several of which overlap in interesting ways.
- First and most obviously, there are games and sports that involve amassing points and wins for championships.
- Second are group construction projects that also involve socializing– sky houses were a great example of this. The members who like to build spent a lot of time and stay a long time, since they are constantly tinkering with their creations. In turn, their guests love to stop by and admire their handiwork. This type of virtuous circle feeds retention.
- Next are clubs: as part of the unveiling project, clubs will be able to earn privileges and objects by working together. Rather than go into the details in this document (since it’s pretty long), stay tuned for more details in the upcoming weekly update about improvements to clubs.
- Fourth are businesses, which are usually motivated by making money; the ability to see your transaction history and pay employees are key enablers.
- Finally, we expect that neighborhoods and villages will form, and that some people in those places will want to assume positions of power; with that power we hope that these leaders will work to improve the welfare of everyone who helps share in the building of the village. We will be adding features to clubs and leagues to make this all work, based on feedback from member councils in the relevant areas.
As you can hopefully see, we are building goal-oriented activities in all aspects of the There experience. Some will resemble “levels” from games, while others will resemble more real-life “achievement ladders” or “political systems.” In all cases, our hope is to maintain our primary focus on fun and friendships
13. Trust and communication are going to be key elements between ThereInc and achieving a long-term community. Do you think There has been successful so far in attaining that goal? Please explain what methods you will employ to either repair or maintain these elements.
I agree that trust and communicate are super important. I think our heart has been in the right place, but we can always improve on our execution. I suppose this is to be expected from a young company that is growing fast, but it still bothers us when it happens!
We have put in place many mechanisms to enhance communication and trust. On the communication front, we spend a lot of time reading and responding to Forums postings, we have a toll-free number that is staffed, we have a “Call for help” system that is staffed, we have many different email addresses and are committed to fast turnaround, and we have been publishing the real-world email addresses of key employees (such as mine: tmelcher@thereinc.com). In short, we really believe that we need to make it very easy to communicate with us. Most young companies (and old ones! don’t do this, but we think the systems and people investment is worth it. As we scale, we continue to invest in systems that will hopefully help us manage the ever-increasing communication we hope to receive.
I’d like to think we’re doing OK on the trust front. Like I said, we’ve goofed up sometimes, and either said things (or didn’t say things) that come across as cavalier, or contradictory. I hope that in each case we’ve rapidly come to realize that we goofed up (usually due to a member pointing it out!, and that we’ve corrected the problem. That said, trust is a really tricky thing – you have to work hard to earn it, everyday, in everything you do.
We’ve also invested a great deal of energy to ensure that the economy is trust-worthy. The exchange rate has remained stable. When we make a change to objects or policies (which is to be expected in any online service), we’ve made certain that we issue refunds or otherwise ensure that members come out whole. The return policy for catalog items is another tool in this process – if you don’t like what you bought, you can return it.
In addition to engendering trust between the company and members, we have also worked hard to support trust-based relationships among members. That’s why you can’t steal in There, and why every member has access to an easy-to-use secure-trade system. In the future, we plan to roll out more-sophisticated rating systems so that members can develop reputations that are based on comments from other members. Of course, this type of system is ripe for griefing and gaming, which is why we intend to involve the appropriate member council in its design.
Going forward, one of the most-important things I can do as the CEO is to make sure we do our best to foster strong trust-based relationships between the company and our members. That’s why I hope that members will continue to contact me directly if we do or say something that seems disingenuous or contradictory. That way I can find out the facts, and figure out whether it’s a simple goof-up, a misunderstanding, a change in policy, or something truly nefarious. So far, issues of degraded trust are usually caused by poor communication and/or misunderstandings.
14. ThereInc must be under some intense scrutiny right now concerning how to make a long-term virtual environment viable and profitable. You have set out to build a civilization, with laws and an economy. The citizens of that world are what will make this product successful. How will There delegate some of the responsibility of shaping the way it evolves so the citizens and There can held accountable?
As I mentioned above, we are planning to create “member councils” that give long-term members the ability to have a direct dialogue with the relevant There employees. In addition, we plan to roll out features that support simple self-governance systems in There, centered on neighborhoods and villages (as explained above).
Over the long term, we expect that There will continue to flourish as more people join, and as the places in There proliferate. Some of these places will be completely supported and “governed”’ by members and partners, while others will continue to be supported directly by us. Our platform supports this approach, and we are committed to pursuing it.
Thank you Tom, and Thereinc, for the opportunity to talk with you about our concerns, we really do appreciate it. For now the revolution is in a holding pattern Any last words for all us Therians? Hints on pricing?
Thanks so much for your interest and passion. We couldn’t do it without you. Hold tight on the pricing, we’ll discuss that soon.
“We_The_People” –A club dedicated to fostering communication and community with Thereinc. Miss P
:::make me your sin:::
|
| Back to top |
|
|
WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
|
Oooh! Leasing islands for development? *dusting off 3D Studio Max and Lightwave*
WaterSign
PS: Phedre, why haven't I received an invitation to your little club?
|
| Back to top |
|
|
digital_signal_X
Members
348
April 2003
|
My first question after reading this, is How will actual *paying* customers react to a waiting list for their friends and family to get in, just like they have now in beta?
Call it velvet rope, but it's still looking a lot like a *more* public beta. The griping now, by non-paying customers, I can almost be positive will be magnified when real money is on the line. This will definitely be a point to raise at a public meeting later.
Any other comments from the gallery?
We want to collect questions from *everyone* for further Q/A's with Thereinc. The questions should be long term, or community based, not "when will X bug be fixed," or "I want x, when can I have it" unless they are directly tied into the community or a broader whole. Now's the time! Speak up! 
(Click picture for Club links and Galleries! )
|
| Back to top |
|
|
CrystalShard
Members
380
Feb. 2003
|
My input:
1)There's current userbase seem to include quite afew "geeks". As one of them, I can personaly say that I'd like to contribute to the system using my existing geek skills: If possible, i'd like to see some sort of a limited SDK for members to enable us to contribute and submit new features and possible enhancement to There's platform/client. This concept was executed before quite successfuly at Active Worlds (www.activeworlds.com) starting afew years back: It allowed members to enhance the Active Worlds system and improve the general software experience. Active Worlds also gave an enhanced SDK access to those certain members who were especialy creative, resulting in several intresting software projects in the world.
2)Many of the places in the world that used to be fun to explore or just idle at have became Funzones. Temples, fields, locations with intresting structures. These places were pretty unique in the currently mostly-flat There landscape. I am personaly intrested in seeing additional buildings and constracts, that will not or cannot be marked off as Funzones... if only to make There's general landscape more intresting.
And finally:
3)"Building" is currently limited to dragging and dropping an object and hopefuly being positioned right to let it fall in the right way. It might be a good idea to be able to move and/or rotate the object abit with the cursor keys after said object has been dropped, to fixtate its possition more accuratly. It can only help with member's creative building project.
Thats it for now.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Spliff
Admin
843
Jan. 2003
|
I don't like this "Unveiling" idea at all:
"Exploring There really is fun. The challenge, as you point out, is that it’s easy to race through There and see everything. It’s kind of like walking into a candy store and being told you can eat all you want. For new members on September 1, they’ll find that it’s not so easy. Instead of rushing to see everything, they’ll need to participate in There to earn the right to visit certain places. This is part of the “Unveiling” process."
One of my favorite parts of There is the ability to explore any place you want, whenever you want. Having to participate or do other things just to see new areas, would feel more like a chore than fun. A better solution might be to keep the initial teleport to each of the islands: Tyr, Saja, Tiki etc. from the map/places section (as well as teleport for fun zone activities I suppose), but disable teleport/summons to other specific parts of those islands that members haven't been before -- this would be calculated for each each individual member. For example, if I have never been to the crystals in Tyr before I would have to find it myself by exploring before I could ever been summoned there or use someone's "Self Guided Tour of There". In my opinion, this would increase the sense of accomplishment for people as they discover the cool new places for themselves. Early on I decided that generally I would not accept teleport to areas I hadn't found myself, and this greatly enhanced my experience in There.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
fs454
Members
150
April 2003
|
" Second are group construction projects that also involve socializing– sky houses were a great example of this. The members who like to build spent a lot of time and stay a long time, since they are constantly tinkering with their creations. In turn, their guests love to stop by and admire their handiwork. This type of virtuous circle feeds retention."
Hahahahhaahha yeah right! we cant do that any more cuz of thier STUPID thinking
Once a helper told me to stop building skypads......(it was one of the newer helpers) 
Plus i dont think they should be releasing it anytime soon...right now the game is worth NOTHING to me but the $500 i spent on it (which i want back).
Releasing the game earlier is a really stupid idea since there isnt much to do since PB3....."hey look lets ride around in a Lag Mobile *cough* erm...Hoverboat!!! That wil keep us busy for 2 minutes until the sucky servers move us!!!!!!"....."Hey lets race a buggy!" or "Hey lets talk!!"
Doesnt that get boring??? Ive been here since january, and building was my fave thing to do. Now There hates when we try to have some fun and destroys our creations and MAKES US PAY for them (the rent-a-spot building area things, RIPOFF) I hate PB3. I hate There. The only reason im staying in now is to talk to a few people.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
CrystalShard
Members
380
Feb. 2003
|
I have to agree with Spliff on the exploration prospect. Physical access should not be denied, but direct teleportation should be. I'm not so sure about blocking summoning, though. If, say, i've never been to location X while just about everyone else I know have, I cant see why they cant just take me there and let me see it. In this particular incident I'll take the requirement to get there by myself as a chore rather then a fun activity.
On the other hand, having to explore by foot/vehicle in order to find a place I dont know about or that no one I know will take me to... now that is fun.
Concider it like a quest: Initialy when you look for clues, you'd rather find everything yourself. You would rather explore then teleport right there unless its part of the clue. However, if you're unlucky and after 3 hours of searching around you still cant find the clue no matter what, then there shouldnt be a reason why you cannot just call up someone you know have allready been there and ask (read: beg  ) that they'll take you there and get over with that one.
Maybe a good idea to implement would be an Explorer Skill: When you find a new place by foot or vehicle, thats a point for you. If you teleport there or someone summons you... you do not earn that point, which is a shame. Put some good prizes on that skill and you'll see little explorers with their jungle knifes and british exporers hardhats all over There. What do you think?
Perhaps you could even put "secret, hidden" locations that will not show up on the map even after finding them, that can give a general bonus to the exploration skill (but will let you save a teleport bookmark). That can surely spice up exploration abit.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Phedre
Members
121
Jan. 2003
|
Spliff and CS, I really like this idea - and i think a reasonable alternative to 'unveiling'. We would love to hear more constructive ideas generated from reading the Q/A like this.
Thanks Miss P
:::make me your sin:::
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Vikio
Members
627
June 2003
|
 |
July 27 2003, 10:51 pm |
|
I really hope that as this game progresses it doesn't become TOO much like the real world in that everything costs money. I really like it how it is now. Most events, activities, and definitely PLACES are free. The Art of being broke in There would become much harder and less fun if everything had an admission fee. I mean, seriously, I'm not gonna have to pay to EXPLORE, am I? 
Everything else sounds really good however! '''yay Never Knows Best...
|
| Back to top |
|
|
WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
|
Well, as described, I too dislike this "Unveiling." But I would not be so presumptuous to presume that it's quite as black and white as it looks there, being just a minor part of a tiresome interview, I imagine it was an off-the-cuff explaination and that a detailed plan will be revealed at another time. Still, I can only cross my fingers and hope. Not as if it affects me in the least.
WaterSign
|
| Back to top |
|
|
UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
|
I'm in a 'let's wait and see'-mode right now. I did like most of what was announced, but I also share your concerns.
I guess whether the changes be good or bad, the most important thing is that There changes regularly. It needs to evolve from time to time. Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rayce
Members
789
Feb. 2003
|
Perhaps I'm cynical, but the word "Amway" just keeps creeping back up in my mind... for some reason. ...just call me Number 2
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Delilah
Members
16
July 2003
|
I'm new to There, and not as invested (yet) as all you guys but here are my thoughts so far:
It's great to see the CEO and other staff trying to communicate with the masses, it's great to see members organizing themselves to be heard. I hope that There provides us timely, accurate information - that is THE most important thing There can do to keep us around.
As for Tom's responses- they are all very interesting but I'm having trouble getting past the massive technical issues that everyone is exeriencing to really be able to believe this thing is going to fly, and to put more rl money into it. I applaud the people who have put a lot of money in the game and tested all of the features, but I'm not there yet. To me, there's no point in worrying about building sky houses, portable fun zones or even unveiling (bad idea, by the way) if people can't USE the game as it is intended.
In my opinion, question #4 hits on the most important issue on this list- How is There going to meet their current technical challenges first and foremost, and how are they scaling the system for a lot of people? Maybe 10K isn't realistic, but they can't handle the users they have now. I'm not a technical expert, but I know that if the system/servers/whatever keeps tossing my avi out of a party in mid-sentence, or locks up my whole computer, then there's a problem. People won't pay for that, even if they are allowed in the velvet rope. And artificially splitting up people and allowing them access to certain areas is not the solution, either. The SWAT team is a great idea and I hope we see improvements from that.
I realize this is beta testing and there are bugs. I'll do whatever I can to identify the problems and make There better. But I'd like to see There become technically stable and THEN talk to us about the rollercoasters. In the mean time, I'm gonna wait and see with crossed fingers.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
digital_signal_X
Members
348
April 2003
|
I suspect you're entirely correct Delilah. Of that entire Q/A - #4 is probably the most crucial in people's minds right now. This "limited public release" or "paying for beta" concept is going to be very very thin ice for Thereinc and it's testers.
(Click picture for Club links and Galleries! )
|
| Back to top |
|
|
WildChild
Members
33
Mar. 2003
|
I think my own, personal, concerns regarding the future of There stems mostly from my own personal lack of ability, and the fact that I do not have an unlimited supply of money. I will try to phrase my concerns as clearly as possible, before elaborating:
1) There's economy is disfunctional. In order to fully experience the environment as anything more than a glorified chatroom, even to the point of personalizing your avatar in the manner of your choosing, requires spending Therebucks. There are a myriad of ways to experience the environment, with an equally diverse range of expenditures. But the environment does not offer an equal variety of ways to earn those therebucks.
There are not enough jobs in There, that do not require developer/painter skills, for players to utilize. Futhermore, those that do exist do not have an accessable and concise method to determine how much you get paid or when you get paid.
Until they fix this economy, making it a more "Equal Opportunity" type of system, I believe this will remain one of the largest issues players have, and continue to be a large problem in regards to player retention. Further, I feel this problem will only worsen, once There begins to charge monthly subscription fees, as many people already sink a lot of real money into this environment.
In short, I would like a clearly stated and difinitive response from There: WHEN will they be offering new fun jobs in There? WHAT will those jobs be (and I would prefer them to be direct, and not resort to obscure references concerning personal player creativity, as not everyone has that kind of creativity)? And HOW MUCH will they be paying Avatars to do these jobs?
(now to the long part)
As in the real world, everything except chatting with your friends (or soon-to-be-friends), and walking around on your own two feet (unless you remember to return your vehicals to the stores within a half an hour) costs Therebucks. However, UNLIKE the real world, there are not enough ways in which the average THEREian can earn Therebucks (aka JOBS). Right now, it is a "Developer/Painter" world. Those people with the skill to design clothes or vehicals have the majority of the wealth. Those of us who do not have those skills are either buying them outright, playing the "Raffle/Gameshow/EventHosting" Circuit, or pandering in the Plazas for Therebucks. The Newbies pretty much live off the Level-Up prizes, and even those gifts are all-but worthless after you reach Novice levels.
Jobs that do not require Developer/Painter skills are needed. I realize people can be paid for hosting events, teaching classes, and once you get the invite, you can become a Buddy Helper. But to date, I have been unable to find any literature which clearly states how much you get paid per event, or even how they determine the rate at which they reward you. Payments are also very sporadic, with no official day of the week/month when Therebucks are deposited into your account.
I do not believe the statements made by There Representatives were very encouraging, as they failed to directly respond to the question of Jobs. It means little to say they are adjusting salaries, when you cannot find out how much you are getting paid in the first place. Professional Leagues are not attractive to those who are not very skilled at the different events. And those who are dismal at the skills won't even be eligable to participate (at least, from the way it's phrased, it doesn't sound like they will be) And the allusion to the “club payment” mechanism is not any kind of answer, as it will not be THERE paying the people of the club, but the Club Members/Owners (meaning, more money out of the pockets of the players). Furthermore, Paying Club Jobs are not going to be very available to New Players, who would (most likely) have to wait indefinitely long to gain a paying position with any Club they might join.
Essentially, the Q&A made only one thing clear: There is aware that the environment is consumer oriented, and that there needs to be more ways to earn Therebucks within the game. But they aren't really going to DO anything about it right now, because it's easier (and though they don't say it, we all know it's also more beneficial to There Inc.) to make more consumer items (aka Toys). Personally, I feel this is a sadly misdirected use of resources, considering the players would rather see more Jobs than more items. In essence, they are only going to add to the problem, giving us more to buy, while doing nothing to improve the number of ways to earn the money to buy them with.
2) There does not have an adequate system for handling player concerns. (This has been mentioned before, so I will be brief) Letters to the various Help addresses take more than a week to get any kind of response, or appear to go completely ignored (appear to, because you never know… they may some day respond. But when three months pass with no response, it gives a really bad impression). In-World calls for help can go unanswered for hours at a time (yes, I am referring to times during official test hours). I can only imagine this will worsen when there are more avatars, and more hours in the day where problems might occur. And though I cannot speak from direct experience, one of my own RL friends spent three hours on the phone with There Customer Service trying to resolve an in-game issue, which included several call-backs and many conversations with other departments. (It makes one wonder if the Customer Service Reps have any kind of guidebook on how to solve basic in-game problems, or if they’re making it up as they go along).
On a very positive note, they DID call back when they said they would, and eventually did resolve the issue.
Hopefully, this will improve in the future, But I would like to know what steps There is taking to improve their ability to handle in-game and customer issues.
*** Now, I am the kind of person who believes in being a part of the solution, and offering suggestions for improvements, or ways to solve my own concerns. Unfortunately, I have none to offer here that have not already been offered up in the forums, either by myself or other people.
So I will continue playing, and hope that the next Q&A does resolve my major concerns (my minor ones are really not that important, but I STILL want horses in There) Jesus saves sinners.................... and redeems them for valuable prizes!!
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Squeaker
Members
192
Feb. 2003
|
Long queue lines for help is going to be a given. I would much prefer to have a longer wait for help then to get help really quiick and get blown off. One can't have it both ways.
It is irritating to say the least when you write and write about a problem and get no response and I agree that something needs to be done on that matter but I think we the players need to realize that long queue lines aren't going to get better, if anything they will probably get worse. "The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skills, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing, Potter - or at least, most minds are."
-Severus Snape
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kodiak
Members
15
Feb. 2003
|
Still no adjustable mouse sensitivity.
Still no keyboard remapping.
Translation: They are still on the same course they were a month ago before I left. Adding all the new crap and not putting the basics in.
Going on 3 years since the sensitivity adjustments were asked for, yet There ignores the request.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
