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Notes on the Glitch Memorial panel
The Glitch Memorial Panel at WisCon 37
Concourse Hotel, Madison WI
Saturday, May 25, 2013, 10 p.m.
by Lilith (aka Katje Sabin)
I wasn't sure whether I was even going to be at this WisCon, and didn't examine the schedule as well as I should have. I caught this a week before the convention, and made sure I had that slot clear. Here's the panel description again:
"Let's talk about the late, lamented MMORPG Glitch and other online multiplayer games. How can game mechanics (and moderation, etc.) inspire and encourage cooperative behavior and a sense of community, encouraging players to be good citizens of the game world? How does the nature of the game and its goals influence who plays and how they behave? Are there games or game plots and mechanics that inspire altruism? Kindness? Selfishness? Cruelty? Finally, let's celebrate the wacky, whimsical world of Glitch." (http://wiscon.piglet.org/program/detail?idItems=1974)
The panelists, none of whom I'd met before either IRL or in-game, were as follows:
j00j, http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVMIF7R28D2K3C/
Octopoglitch, http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVV9F6IBPA3D8E/
Ellen_Fremedon, http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVRHVNOV8C36HF/
Evyl Fluffi, http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUV6OF0GFAG2LAE/
and one other panelist who was not a Glitch player
I was mesmerized by Ellen Klages' performance for the Tiptree auction and wound up about five minutes late for the beginning of the panel (*redface*). When I got there, the room was darkened and Evyl had his computer plugged into a projector, putting up images and animations from the game while playing a series of music clips. About a dozen folks were in the audience, most of them Glitch players. I gathered all their Glitch names and passed them to Evyl, who pulled up each player's profile one after the other while the panel progressed.
The panel was discussing what kind of game Glitch was (maybe to describe it to the one panelist who hadn't ever played the game?). Evyl postulated that there are four kinds of activities that gamers tend to enjoy in some combination (exploring, socializing, killing, and building), and that as an explorer/builder, Glitch had really been an ideal game for him.
There was a little bit of talk about why the game failed (Flash, poor marketing, the fact that it was "too easy" to get what you wanted in-game), but this part didn't go on too long. Clearly the people who were at this gathering didn't want to poke at the painful parts, but rather celebrate our beloved game with those who would understand our passion and delight.
Soon we were sharing some of our favorite parts of the game. Some folks especially loved that you could use tools and items to create your own activities, like treasure hunts, games, and writing poetry. Other folks liked that you could create and work towards your own personal goals, like visiting every street or donating to your favorite giant. The whimsy of the game was another well-loved aspect (especially the piggy wriggle, and places like Asslandia, er, I mean, Shim Shiri [http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/29029/#reply-299532]).
Ellen_Fremedon wanted to laud Tiny Speck for "the grace with which they ended the world. As sad as it was, I have nothing but admiration for how they did it." (compared to the abrupt shutdown of City of Heroes).
Player freerangefatty said that she especially liked the fact that there was abundance and plenty in the game, which was really wonderful when it sometimes isn't true in our real lives.
It was agreed that one of the most unique aspects of Glitch was that it encouraged players to indulge in altruism, kindness, and a sense of adventure; that it wasn't dangerous; and encouraged exploration and experimentation. The group feats, building streets, and "dying together" were remembered with fondness. And it was nonviolent, even in death!
The Rook was exciting and confusing, and j00j felt it was a little bit scarier than in a game where combat was common, because this kind of thing was so scarce in Glitch. Even fighting the rook was cooperative and not overtly aggressive.
Sasha Feather and others liked that there was no gender unless you wanted to emphasize it.
Several folks loved the badges and achievements and surprise awards (Leapist for 11,111 jumps!). One player now routinely makes badges for herself in real life to celebrate her own accomplishments, because of the joy they gave her in the game. A player who is also a game developer said they were inspired to add that kind of thing into their own games.
Evelyn said she was so proud of collecting all her Giant icons that she actually made some of her own in real life. "That's a little weird, because I'm an atheist."
Some players really liked that they were never forced to be social in the game.
Moon parties were lamented, along with messy fry-ups, Easter eggs (both the holiday eggs and the ones like prisencolinensinainciusol -- which one player could actually pronounce! -- and sly little references like "woman laughing alone with salad").
Several folks were bummed because of certain things they weren't able to finish or achieve before the game wrapped up: successfully smuggling a package, building their tower, finding the ghosts.
One of the best parts of the game was the level of player support and moderation by the staff.
Player lizzard mentioned that she'd been on disability for several months, and during that time of pain and restricted movement, she felt that playing Glitch was very freeing. "It was a mercy for me," and that she'd found a lot of fellow players in the game who also were dealing with illness and chronic disability.
Some of the other games that people were playing:
Kingdom of Loathing (Evyl: "The whimsy of Glitch without the graphics:), http://www.kingdomofloathing.com/
Puzzle Pirates (grid: social MMO, not too combative, lots of mini puzzle games), http://www.puzzlepirates.com/
Guild Wars 2 (Bata La said there were several Glitch players on the Maguuma server, in the Tyrian Glitch guild), https://www.guildwars2.com/en/
Minecraft (Milobot described Minecraft in Creative Mode as being particularly Glitch-like if you're into building; grid described Chain World, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_World)
Don't Starve (Evyl: whimsical), http://www.dontstarvegame.com/
And games in development:
The Unnamed Game (TUG), currently fundraising: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nerdkingdom/tug-1
Mage Faire, in beta soon: http://www.magefaireonline.com/
Kukubee's new game, Road Not Taken: http://spryfox.com/2013/05/13/announcing-road-not-taken/
Places where Glitchen are gathering to celebrate their love of the game:
Ur - What Remains (Facebook group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/307554002686625/
Glitches of Ur (Dreamwidth): http://glitches-of-ur.dreamwidth.org/profile
Glitch, Glitchen, and Glitch Refugees (on G+)
Gathering of the Lost Glitchen, http://wherecanifindawoodtree.com/
Glitch Refugees (forum), http://glitchrefugees.com/forum/
Memories of the Giants, http://www.glitchmemories.com/
IRC channel Glitch Global, http://malicelabs.com/glitchglobal/
Daily Twitter feed for the Glitch calendar, https://twitter.com/isitzilloween
After we'd shared links, we moved our celebration out to the lobby to continue our memories and stories... and kept at it for at least another hour!
We shared our Kukubee pouches (I had one and Octopoglitch had two), and I was cranky that I'd forgotten to bring my new dice. Octopoglitch also played all the stoot doll sayings, and showed us photos of the new Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, which was clearly modeled after the Alakol housing: http://hughpearman.com/anti-icon-architecture-in-boston-diller-scofidio-renfros-institute-of-contemporary-arts/
Next year at WisCon 38: let's host a Glitch party! (Looks like plans for that are happening on the Dreamwidth group, so join over there if you want updates.)
The gathering was filled with a wistful ache and pure love for our shared experience in the world of Ur. The one non-Glitch player on the panel seemed to sincerely wish she'd had the opportunity to play. There were tears, but there was far more laughter and delight, and I think everyone was very happy to be there.
I had written to Jade asking if there was a way to let stoot know about the panel, and see if he had anything to add. She wrote back: "That sounds like a fun event and it's very cool that Glitch is being celebrated! We're all spread out a bit now... I know Stewart wishes he could do something, but he's very busy with Tiny Speck's new project."
Stoot's words to us: "I love anyone who attends that session."
The panel's unanimous and enthusiastic response to Tiny Speck: "We all say THANK YOU!"
*Tiny Speck's new project, Slack: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2033803/flickr-co-founder-once-again-bounces-from-games-to-business.html
Other Glitchen in attendence:
lizzard (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PDOP2UFP52R2G1G/)
Milobot (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PDOQNIMGBCR2VM7/)
grid (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PHF731QNC3D26TM/) (and who deserved a special award for looking just like his avatar)
Bata La (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVP71QTF0F2PB1/)
neotoma (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVGMTKO1UC3N7S/)
freerangefatty (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUV9S351R5B3VQV/)
Pibkac (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUV5F8P7NVD3TAJ/)
Squeegle (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PA997900MQD2GR4/)
Chorok (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PHFQ4ES5VDD28B4/)
Sasha Feather (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVN0C2ESME2FTV/)
R'ynnae (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVLE13II6C3188/)
Cerulean Selachian (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVPKUGLO7G2HCK/)
Lilith (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PCRUGJ95S2N17GO/)
ETA links suggested by j00j:
Hashtag search for the panel: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GlitchMemorialPanel&src=hash
Keita's Quick Ideas (in case anyone hasn't seen): http://www.glitch.com/oddsandends/qis/
Random screenshots from Glitch: http://www.glitch.com/snaps/recent/
God announces Asslandia: http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/29019/ (I was logged in at the time this happened and it was amazing)
A few achievements that particularly amuse me:
http://www.glitch.com/achievements/animals/nighmystical-lepidopteral-manipulator/
http://www.glitch.com/achievements/alchemy/captain-of-the-anti-temperance-league/
http://www.glitch.com/achievements/social/social-antisocialist/
17 things to do in Glitch video suggested by a.m. boardman (warning: may contain rapid blinking/flashing transitions) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTGpRhJe5E0
http://glitchsoundtrack.tumblr.com/
(Edited to remove RL names from article; My apologies for making assumptions about whether panelists were willing to be named publicly. If you wish your RL name added to the article, let me know.)
Concourse Hotel, Madison WI
Saturday, May 25, 2013, 10 p.m.
by Lilith (aka Katje Sabin)
I wasn't sure whether I was even going to be at this WisCon, and didn't examine the schedule as well as I should have. I caught this a week before the convention, and made sure I had that slot clear. Here's the panel description again:
"Let's talk about the late, lamented MMORPG Glitch and other online multiplayer games. How can game mechanics (and moderation, etc.) inspire and encourage cooperative behavior and a sense of community, encouraging players to be good citizens of the game world? How does the nature of the game and its goals influence who plays and how they behave? Are there games or game plots and mechanics that inspire altruism? Kindness? Selfishness? Cruelty? Finally, let's celebrate the wacky, whimsical world of Glitch." (http://wiscon.piglet.org/program/detail?idItems=1974)
The panelists, none of whom I'd met before either IRL or in-game, were as follows:
j00j, http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVMIF7R28D2K3C/
Octopoglitch, http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVV9F6IBPA3D8E/
Ellen_Fremedon, http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVRHVNOV8C36HF/
Evyl Fluffi, http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUV6OF0GFAG2LAE/
and one other panelist who was not a Glitch player
I was mesmerized by Ellen Klages' performance for the Tiptree auction and wound up about five minutes late for the beginning of the panel (*redface*). When I got there, the room was darkened and Evyl had his computer plugged into a projector, putting up images and animations from the game while playing a series of music clips. About a dozen folks were in the audience, most of them Glitch players. I gathered all their Glitch names and passed them to Evyl, who pulled up each player's profile one after the other while the panel progressed.
The panel was discussing what kind of game Glitch was (maybe to describe it to the one panelist who hadn't ever played the game?). Evyl postulated that there are four kinds of activities that gamers tend to enjoy in some combination (exploring, socializing, killing, and building), and that as an explorer/builder, Glitch had really been an ideal game for him.
There was a little bit of talk about why the game failed (Flash, poor marketing, the fact that it was "too easy" to get what you wanted in-game), but this part didn't go on too long. Clearly the people who were at this gathering didn't want to poke at the painful parts, but rather celebrate our beloved game with those who would understand our passion and delight.
Soon we were sharing some of our favorite parts of the game. Some folks especially loved that you could use tools and items to create your own activities, like treasure hunts, games, and writing poetry. Other folks liked that you could create and work towards your own personal goals, like visiting every street or donating to your favorite giant. The whimsy of the game was another well-loved aspect (especially the piggy wriggle, and places like Asslandia, er, I mean, Shim Shiri [http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/29029/#reply-299532]).
Ellen_Fremedon wanted to laud Tiny Speck for "the grace with which they ended the world. As sad as it was, I have nothing but admiration for how they did it." (compared to the abrupt shutdown of City of Heroes).
Player freerangefatty said that she especially liked the fact that there was abundance and plenty in the game, which was really wonderful when it sometimes isn't true in our real lives.
It was agreed that one of the most unique aspects of Glitch was that it encouraged players to indulge in altruism, kindness, and a sense of adventure; that it wasn't dangerous; and encouraged exploration and experimentation. The group feats, building streets, and "dying together" were remembered with fondness. And it was nonviolent, even in death!
The Rook was exciting and confusing, and j00j felt it was a little bit scarier than in a game where combat was common, because this kind of thing was so scarce in Glitch. Even fighting the rook was cooperative and not overtly aggressive.
Sasha Feather and others liked that there was no gender unless you wanted to emphasize it.
Several folks loved the badges and achievements and surprise awards (Leapist for 11,111 jumps!). One player now routinely makes badges for herself in real life to celebrate her own accomplishments, because of the joy they gave her in the game. A player who is also a game developer said they were inspired to add that kind of thing into their own games.
Evelyn said she was so proud of collecting all her Giant icons that she actually made some of her own in real life. "That's a little weird, because I'm an atheist."
Some players really liked that they were never forced to be social in the game.
Moon parties were lamented, along with messy fry-ups, Easter eggs (both the holiday eggs and the ones like prisencolinensinainciusol -- which one player could actually pronounce! -- and sly little references like "woman laughing alone with salad").
Several folks were bummed because of certain things they weren't able to finish or achieve before the game wrapped up: successfully smuggling a package, building their tower, finding the ghosts.
One of the best parts of the game was the level of player support and moderation by the staff.
Player lizzard mentioned that she'd been on disability for several months, and during that time of pain and restricted movement, she felt that playing Glitch was very freeing. "It was a mercy for me," and that she'd found a lot of fellow players in the game who also were dealing with illness and chronic disability.
Some of the other games that people were playing:
Kingdom of Loathing (Evyl: "The whimsy of Glitch without the graphics:), http://www.kingdomofloathing.com/
Puzzle Pirates (grid: social MMO, not too combative, lots of mini puzzle games), http://www.puzzlepirates.com/
Guild Wars 2 (Bata La said there were several Glitch players on the Maguuma server, in the Tyrian Glitch guild), https://www.guildwars2.com/en/
Minecraft (Milobot described Minecraft in Creative Mode as being particularly Glitch-like if you're into building; grid described Chain World, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_World)
Don't Starve (Evyl: whimsical), http://www.dontstarvegame.com/
And games in development:
The Unnamed Game (TUG), currently fundraising: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nerdkingdom/tug-1
Mage Faire, in beta soon: http://www.magefaireonline.com/
Kukubee's new game, Road Not Taken: http://spryfox.com/2013/05/13/announcing-road-not-taken/
Places where Glitchen are gathering to celebrate their love of the game:
Ur - What Remains (Facebook group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/307554002686625/
Glitches of Ur (Dreamwidth): http://glitches-of-ur.dreamwidth.org/profile
Glitch, Glitchen, and Glitch Refugees (on G+)
Gathering of the Lost Glitchen, http://wherecanifindawoodtree.com/
Glitch Refugees (forum), http://glitchrefugees.com/forum/
Memories of the Giants, http://www.glitchmemories.com/
IRC channel Glitch Global, http://malicelabs.com/glitchglobal/
Daily Twitter feed for the Glitch calendar, https://twitter.com/isitzilloween
After we'd shared links, we moved our celebration out to the lobby to continue our memories and stories... and kept at it for at least another hour!
We shared our Kukubee pouches (I had one and Octopoglitch had two), and I was cranky that I'd forgotten to bring my new dice. Octopoglitch also played all the stoot doll sayings, and showed us photos of the new Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, which was clearly modeled after the Alakol housing: http://hughpearman.com/anti-icon-architecture-in-boston-diller-scofidio-renfros-institute-of-contemporary-arts/
Next year at WisCon 38: let's host a Glitch party! (Looks like plans for that are happening on the Dreamwidth group, so join over there if you want updates.)
The gathering was filled with a wistful ache and pure love for our shared experience in the world of Ur. The one non-Glitch player on the panel seemed to sincerely wish she'd had the opportunity to play. There were tears, but there was far more laughter and delight, and I think everyone was very happy to be there.
I had written to Jade asking if there was a way to let stoot know about the panel, and see if he had anything to add. She wrote back: "That sounds like a fun event and it's very cool that Glitch is being celebrated! We're all spread out a bit now... I know Stewart wishes he could do something, but he's very busy with Tiny Speck's new project."
Stoot's words to us: "I love anyone who attends that session."
The panel's unanimous and enthusiastic response to Tiny Speck: "We all say THANK YOU!"
*Tiny Speck's new project, Slack: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2033803/flickr-co-founder-once-again-bounces-from-games-to-business.html
Other Glitchen in attendence:
lizzard (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PDOP2UFP52R2G1G/)
Milobot (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PDOQNIMGBCR2VM7/)
grid (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PHF731QNC3D26TM/) (and who deserved a special award for looking just like his avatar)
Bata La (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVP71QTF0F2PB1/)
neotoma (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVGMTKO1UC3N7S/)
freerangefatty (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUV9S351R5B3VQV/)
Pibkac (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUV5F8P7NVD3TAJ/)
Squeegle (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PA997900MQD2GR4/)
Chorok (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PHFQ4ES5VDD28B4/)
Sasha Feather (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVN0C2ESME2FTV/)
R'ynnae (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVLE13II6C3188/)
Cerulean Selachian (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PUVPKUGLO7G2HCK/)
Lilith (http://www.glitch.com/profiles/PCRUGJ95S2N17GO/)
ETA links suggested by j00j:
Hashtag search for the panel: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GlitchMemorialPanel&src=hash
Keita's Quick Ideas (in case anyone hasn't seen): http://www.glitch.com/oddsandends/qis/
Random screenshots from Glitch: http://www.glitch.com/snaps/recent/
God announces Asslandia: http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/29019/ (I was logged in at the time this happened and it was amazing)
A few achievements that particularly amuse me:
http://www.glitch.com/achievements/animals/nighmystical-lepidopteral-manipulator/
http://www.glitch.com/achievements/alchemy/captain-of-the-anti-temperance-league/
http://www.glitch.com/achievements/social/social-antisocialist/
17 things to do in Glitch video suggested by a.m. boardman (warning: may contain rapid blinking/flashing transitions) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTGpRhJe5E0
http://glitchsoundtrack.tumblr.com/
(Edited to remove RL names from article; My apologies for making assumptions about whether panelists were willing to be named publicly. If you wish your RL name added to the article, let me know.)