I'm not opposed to Hexathlons-I went to one last September and enjoyed myself. But the competitive events are what gives Ingress a unique appeal. The teamwork and strategy and desire to win keep people motivated. Having anomalies all over the world provides a sense of connection to the global Ingress community. Only having a single anomaly makes that less accessible to the average player.
My first anomaly was 13Magnus in DC. I had played super casually for about a year before that, but I wasn't very invested and hadn't connected with my faction. I signed up for the anomaly on a whim when I saw there was one where I lived and was skeptical that I'd like it. But I showed up and observed a sense of camaraderie that far exceeded my expectations. That experience made me want to connect with my team and get involved in the bigger game. There's no way I would have traveled to an anomaly if I hadn't had a local one first to get me hooked.
Having more true anomaly sites in the first half of 2020 would help a lot with player engagement and reassure the base that you aren't phasing out anomalies entirely.
Anomalies are about working as a team to solve problems. They are about developing IRL skills within our communities, skills such as event planning, logistics, teamwork, critical thinking, and the like. They're about planning for months of the big day where, win or lose, we are going to try our best to trounce the other team.
It's a safe space for some of us, including me, to channel our stress into something positive and productive.
I could see having a mix of individual-based and team-based events, but it saddens to me to have only one team event in the first half of 2020, and in Germany too - a country that, as an Indigenous woman living in the rural US, is not very accessible to me. Please make more team-based events available for agents throughout the world.
One anomaly in one region. The other event type is fine I guess but making a competitive event people look forward to (anomaly) in one region and done, that isn't very competitive nor inclusive.
Anomalies are community building. Our community talks about them for months. People exchange capsules of gear to support fellow players. Lots of chatter in chats about the anomally. Retired players come back.
The field test was great..... yet not team focused.
So very disappointed in the anomoly announcement. Limiting it to one site, one country means so many agents will be unable to participate. The anomoly builds relationships, teams, friends and player enthusiasm. Hexathalon individual competitions are not the same at all. Very unhappy.
the reason i play ingress, and gave played longer than any other game, is faction. team play, the kind of teams, the people in the teams, the coordination of large ops.
those are best expressed in anomoylies.
please do not reduce the effect of faction play, and faction conflict.
others in this thread have expressed it eloquently, add my name to the list. anomoylies make the game worth playing.
I wonder if the reduction to less anomaly sites and more Field Test / Hexatholon style events is due to the recent statements about getting ingress self sustaining for the long term.
Flying people halfway across the world, renting ballrooms, getting permits, etc, can't be cheap. And supporter packs (and lots of free tickets) obviously can't cover all those costs. Better to have more events that cost little to run beyond initial setup (eg, Hexatholons) and saving that one big party once in a while is likely on Niantic's minds. Half a year is a pretty good lead time for that (though a year would be lovely), though, of course, badge completionists (RIP Matty) are going to be put out if it's not in their locality.
What /would/ be nice would be a frank discussion about how things are going behind the gamemaster veil, and perhaps to see if all these changes are indeed to help sustainability. Perhaps even a roadmap.
To echo so many other comments, it is very disappointing to see only one global anomaly site announced. After such a long wait to have sites announced, I can't help but feel like this is an intentional slap in the face from Niantic to the competitive and strategic community in 2/3 of the regions your game is played. The first Field Test was a fun change, but focused too much on the individual to hold my team/community-centered interest.
I've made so many friends around North America through Ingress, and it's depressing to realize it may be years (if ever) before I get to fight alongside them again.
Dear Niantic: First, thank you for announcing the dates so we can mark off on calendars. The sooner for these sorts of things, the better, especially for us with jobs/family/vacations/etc. to work around. Much appreciated. The sooner you can give us locations, we appreciate it.
Format-wise, I will echo the sentiments of many here who have cited that if the Hexathalon is individually-based and there's no team aspect to it, it's a tough sell; asking my wife to let me go to an event "because my team needs me" rings differently than, "uh, I want to compete against....everyone?" Staging a common enemy to fight against is useful for side events but not the larger central ones; I'm there to compete (in a friendly manner) against the other team, because that brings real fun and joy and competition, win or lose. Vaguely battling a fictional character simply doesn't have the same ring, and competing individually feels like playing alone, which I already do, a lot, and some days feels like churning AP for churning AP's sake. Team-based competitions give us more than a slow plod.
I know you're trying hard to change up the formats of the competitions, not only to try to encourage more cooperative work but to try to make Ingress financially viable. Please, please trust your community and ask us and tell us what you need to make this game financially viable for Niantic. We want it to continue far, far into the future in a format that we enjoy. We want the player base to be strong, competitive, innovative, and excited. We want the events to be at least cash-neutral for Niantic so you can continue to justify having them. We want innovations in-game that players will happily pay for in order to continue to support it.
This latest announcement of hexathalons and a single anomaly maybe fits the above financial goal but I think misses on the player satisfaction goal and ideally we'd hit both. Please keep listening to the player base and glean suggestions to come to a better path on all of this, which I'm sure you are. Thanks for listening.
Someone said Field Tests "Passed the test" to be used as a mainstream event in game. You mean how it screwed up for so many Agents they started handing out Medals like Oprah? I'm just saying if these events couldn't handle the "test" then how can they be expected to hold up when people actually have more time to plan & attendance numbers could possibly be higher? I'm worried about Prime being able to hold up.
Also, the teamwork of Anomalies is the best part for many Agents myself included. The hype, the recruitment, getting to know your team, all of it builds an experience that I'm not sure Hexathons will. Hexathons sound like we're all competing against each other for top scores. Which doesn't sound nearly as fun from my perspective at least & I know I'm not alone in that sentiment. It could really fun & I could be wrong but that's just my take away
Furthermore, let's address that international flights are expensive & nothing to sneeze at for some. It's sad to only have one Anomaly because it cuts down on the amount of people financially able to attend & even the amount of people able to remotely participate due to distance.
I try to be very positive & supportive about events because Ingress has provided me with many new opportunities. It has also given me people in my life I consider basically family but it really feels like this decision is completely against cultivating that same experience for others who haven't had that chance yet.
It's understandable that Ingress needs to be profitable from a business standpoint, no one is disputing that. However, it's being gone about in an entirely wrong way. Many Agents would be on board in spending money on Ingress if someone would actually listen to the player base about what we want instead of pushing last second charges on us for Anomalies only to halfway revert that decision. Help us, to help you, to help us all. Please.
So Requiem is an anomaly series consisting of one anomaly, and only available to those who can get to Europe? If so, that's one of Niantic's greatest betrayals yet. It's hugely disrespectful to some of your most dedicated players.
Comments
Only one anomaly site? That's a disappointment.
I'm not opposed to Hexathlons-I went to one last September and enjoyed myself. But the competitive events are what gives Ingress a unique appeal. The teamwork and strategy and desire to win keep people motivated. Having anomalies all over the world provides a sense of connection to the global Ingress community. Only having a single anomaly makes that less accessible to the average player.
My first anomaly was 13Magnus in DC. I had played super casually for about a year before that, but I wasn't very invested and hadn't connected with my faction. I signed up for the anomaly on a whim when I saw there was one where I lived and was skeptical that I'd like it. But I showed up and observed a sense of camaraderie that far exceeded my expectations. That experience made me want to connect with my team and get involved in the bigger game. There's no way I would have traveled to an anomaly if I hadn't had a local one first to get me hooked.
Having more true anomaly sites in the first half of 2020 would help a lot with player engagement and reassure the base that you aren't phasing out anomalies entirely.
Please add more anomaly sites for May 9th. That's my birthday!
Anomalies are about working as a team to solve problems. They are about developing IRL skills within our communities, skills such as event planning, logistics, teamwork, critical thinking, and the like. They're about planning for months of the big day where, win or lose, we are going to try our best to trounce the other team.
It's a safe space for some of us, including me, to channel our stress into something positive and productive.
I could see having a mix of individual-based and team-based events, but it saddens to me to have only one team event in the first half of 2020, and in Germany too - a country that, as an Indigenous woman living in the rural US, is not very accessible to me. Please make more team-based events available for agents throughout the world.
Eskerrik asko! (Thanks!)
One anomaly in one region. The other event type is fine I guess but making a competitive event people look forward to (anomaly) in one region and done, that isn't very competitive nor inclusive.
Not having an anomaly site in North America is terribly disappointing.
Heck yes! Thanks Niantic!!! Looking forward to having some fun!! #catchmeifyoucan
Anomalies are community building. Our community talks about them for months. People exchange capsules of gear to support fellow players. Lots of chatter in chats about the anomally. Retired players come back.
The field test was great..... yet not team focused.
What's going on Nia?
I will just remind you:
https://community.ingress.com/en/discussion/4815/an-open-letter-to-ingress-agents/p1
Niantic is the most untalanted gaming company in the world. With absolutely stupid managers and programmers
Requiem. Great name for the end
AFRICA EXISTS TOO!!! Its be 3 YEARS NOW NIANTIC!! Give us some love!
So very disappointed in the anomoly announcement. Limiting it to one site, one country means so many agents will be unable to participate. The anomoly builds relationships, teams, friends and player enthusiasm. Hexathalon individual competitions are not the same at all. Very unhappy.
the reason i play ingress, and gave played longer than any other game, is faction. team play, the kind of teams, the people in the teams, the coordination of large ops.
those are best expressed in anomoylies.
please do not reduce the effect of faction play, and faction conflict.
others in this thread have expressed it eloquently, add my name to the list. anomoylies make the game worth playing.
I wonder if the reduction to less anomaly sites and more Field Test / Hexatholon style events is due to the recent statements about getting ingress self sustaining for the long term.
Flying people halfway across the world, renting ballrooms, getting permits, etc, can't be cheap. And supporter packs (and lots of free tickets) obviously can't cover all those costs. Better to have more events that cost little to run beyond initial setup (eg, Hexatholons) and saving that one big party once in a while is likely on Niantic's minds. Half a year is a pretty good lead time for that (though a year would be lovely), though, of course, badge completionists (RIP Matty) are going to be put out if it's not in their locality.
What /would/ be nice would be a frank discussion about how things are going behind the gamemaster veil, and perhaps to see if all these changes are indeed to help sustainability. Perhaps even a roadmap.
To echo so many other comments, it is very disappointing to see only one global anomaly site announced. After such a long wait to have sites announced, I can't help but feel like this is an intentional slap in the face from Niantic to the competitive and strategic community in 2/3 of the regions your game is played. The first Field Test was a fun change, but focused too much on the individual to hold my team/community-centered interest.
I've made so many friends around North America through Ingress, and it's depressing to realize it may be years (if ever) before I get to fight alongside them again.
Dear Niantic: First, thank you for announcing the dates so we can mark off on calendars. The sooner for these sorts of things, the better, especially for us with jobs/family/vacations/etc. to work around. Much appreciated. The sooner you can give us locations, we appreciate it.
Format-wise, I will echo the sentiments of many here who have cited that if the Hexathalon is individually-based and there's no team aspect to it, it's a tough sell; asking my wife to let me go to an event "because my team needs me" rings differently than, "uh, I want to compete against....everyone?" Staging a common enemy to fight against is useful for side events but not the larger central ones; I'm there to compete (in a friendly manner) against the other team, because that brings real fun and joy and competition, win or lose. Vaguely battling a fictional character simply doesn't have the same ring, and competing individually feels like playing alone, which I already do, a lot, and some days feels like churning AP for churning AP's sake. Team-based competitions give us more than a slow plod.
I know you're trying hard to change up the formats of the competitions, not only to try to encourage more cooperative work but to try to make Ingress financially viable. Please, please trust your community and ask us and tell us what you need to make this game financially viable for Niantic. We want it to continue far, far into the future in a format that we enjoy. We want the player base to be strong, competitive, innovative, and excited. We want the events to be at least cash-neutral for Niantic so you can continue to justify having them. We want innovations in-game that players will happily pay for in order to continue to support it.
This latest announcement of hexathalons and a single anomaly maybe fits the above financial goal but I think misses on the player satisfaction goal and ideally we'd hit both. Please keep listening to the player base and glean suggestions to come to a better path on all of this, which I'm sure you are. Thanks for listening.
Niantic
Could you please explain your reasoning of only 1 anomaly site fot the first half of 2020 so that we may understand.
Also could you explain these hexathalons so that we can understand why they are being used instead and what they consist of.
This would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Someone said Field Tests "Passed the test" to be used as a mainstream event in game. You mean how it screwed up for so many Agents they started handing out Medals like Oprah? I'm just saying if these events couldn't handle the "test" then how can they be expected to hold up when people actually have more time to plan & attendance numbers could possibly be higher? I'm worried about Prime being able to hold up.
Also, the teamwork of Anomalies is the best part for many Agents myself included. The hype, the recruitment, getting to know your team, all of it builds an experience that I'm not sure Hexathons will. Hexathons sound like we're all competing against each other for top scores. Which doesn't sound nearly as fun from my perspective at least & I know I'm not alone in that sentiment. It could really fun & I could be wrong but that's just my take away
Furthermore, let's address that international flights are expensive & nothing to sneeze at for some. It's sad to only have one Anomaly because it cuts down on the amount of people financially able to attend & even the amount of people able to remotely participate due to distance.
I try to be very positive & supportive about events because Ingress has provided me with many new opportunities. It has also given me people in my life I consider basically family but it really feels like this decision is completely against cultivating that same experience for others who haven't had that chance yet.
It's understandable that Ingress needs to be profitable from a business standpoint, no one is disputing that. However, it's being gone about in an entirely wrong way. Many Agents would be on board in spending money on Ingress if someone would actually listen to the player base about what we want instead of pushing last second charges on us for Anomalies only to halfway revert that decision. Help us, to help you, to help us all. Please.
Oh wow, an anomaly site that is really far away which makes it hard to go to.
Signed,
A Laughing Australian.
If you plan it right, you can get flights to Europe as cheap or cheaper than some across the USA.
So Requiem is an anomaly series consisting of one anomaly, and only available to those who can get to Europe? If so, that's one of Niantic's greatest betrayals yet. It's hugely disrespectful to some of your most dedicated players.
It's not fair to mention only one anomaly host city. Even if there are additional announcements in the future.
The name Requiem sounds like the end :(
I'm hoping Germany is just a test case for the servers and more will be announced if Germany is successful.
(Makes sense to do a full test before announcing bulk future sites).
However by not stating the reasoning, (again) you have everyone up in arms, (again).
Just when the scanners finally actually working nicely.
Oh look, Germany - so they want Requiem to be won by the Resistance. Predictable, fitting end for anomalies.
Like in Dresden, lol
There were two anomalies this year in Germany. One was won by the Enlightened.
What happened to Japan? Seriously
Same thing that happened to the Americas.
A Requiem is a religious event to remember a dead loved one or community figure.
Also, a font.
"All of these events will have free onsite and offsite participation tickets"
How do you participate offsite at a Hexathlon?
It's fun to guess the words blocked by the profanity filter.
#retiredagents #stillretired #redactedmasterrace #lifeafteringress