Weekly Buzz 01/19/18
Hello Collectors,
It’s already the 19th! Where has the month gone?! We may have let the month slip away from us a bit, but we definitely know how the month will end. We have a new app update rolling out within the next few days, which will include some needed updates and fixes (For a complete list of current barriers, you can skip down to the Room For Growth section of this post). Alright, back to the good part of the blog – a quick look at what’s coming soon. We’ve been hinting at a new type of item since the beginning of January, with very little information about it. You’ve seen us tweet about doing some tests with a ‘Fake Item,’ and you’re probably wondering what that was all about. That time has come. It’s time to share what we’ve been up to… at least a little bit. We hope you enjoy!
Behind the Curtain
New items. Everyone loves them, which is why there’s a huge rush to get that precious #1. Whether you just started collecting WallaBee items, or have everything already, we believe you’re going to enjoy the update that’s coming. One thing that draws collectors to keep wanting more, is the thrill of the hunt. We’ve handled that thrill in the past with real-world locations. Players are able to forage items at any place nearby, creating a new way to engage with the surrounding area. Players that found the first of a new item in this way were pleasantly surprised, as they definitely weren’t expecting it. Store-stalkers have also found that thrill in seeing an unfamiliar item appear on the shelves of the WallaStore, racing others to get that first purchase. Then, of course, there’s mixing. Crafting new items by combining two or more other items can generate a different type of rush, as there’s a bit more creativity in pulling that off for a #1. All three of these methods of creating new items have a surprise nature to them. One may not have been expecting to get a new item as it was releasing, but anyone who has experienced getting a low number can attest to it being a great moment. When introducing a new way to create items into WallaBee, we had to make sure there was a surprise element. We also wanted to give newer players an easier way of accessing items within certain sets, rather than just staring at the store, hoping. These new little packages will remind you of another item that is frequently requested – Mystery Boxes. That’s right, we’re introducing a new type of item that allows the player to open it, revealing a surprise inside. It is our great pleasure to introduce:
Grab Bags
The first series of Grab Bags will focus on specific sets, with the possibility of themed or mystery grab bags later on. These items will be slowly released, so as to not bombard the community and economy with too many items at once. The main idea behind Grab Bags is to give a narrowed focus for obtaining items, while keeping the element of surprise alive. Don’t worry, this won’t replace the ability to purchase certain items outright, but instead gives a new way for collectors to target specific types of items. Although this will be great for players attempting to finish their sets, legacy players may be asking what’s in it for them. Here are some specifics about how these puppies work:
- Grab Bags are WallaBee Themed Exclusive Items
- Grab Bags are numbered, like other items
- Grab Bags behave similar to Mystery Boxes – You can open them!
- Grab Bag prices vary depending on the set
- Each Set Grab Bag is its own item – no variants
- Each Set Grab Bag will contain one (1) item
- Items found in Grab Bags are directly related to that set
- Set Grab Bags have a chance of producing a ‘chase’ item, specific to that set
Whoa… that’s right, we’re adding a new item to each set, but not how you may think. We aren’t going to send players back to previously completed sets in order to complete them again. No, these new ‘chase’ items reference an older set, but are a new type of item altogether. These are not Set Items, Uniques, or Branded Items – They’re Wallagraphic Items!
These new Wallagraphic Items are only available from opening Grab Bags. Similar to blind box vinyls or trading cards, not every Grab Bag opened will produce a ‘chaser.’ Part of the fun is the thrill of opening a rare toy/card/item. Our desire is for Grab Bags to be fun for everyone, even with varying individual goals. The weighting system for Grab Bags reflects the normal way of obtaining items in WallaBee.
Let’s unpack that last sentence a little bit by looking at the Circus Grab Bag.
A Trip To The Circus contains three basic tiers of items: Ingredients (used in mixes), Non-Ingredients (not used in mixes), and Result of Mixes (RoMs).
This set of twelve items breaks down as follows:
- Five (5) Ingredients – (Bearded Lady, Clown Car, Clowns, Circus Elephant, & Lion)
- Four (4) Non-Ingredient items – (Candyfloss, Juggler, Trapezist, & Ring of Fire)
- Three (3) RoMs – (Ringmaster, Big Top, & Ferris Wheel)
Since ingredients are needed to create RoMs, they should be more common than a RoM. RoMs take more effort to create than Non-Ingredients, so they should be worth more. This structure can already be seen in any set – buying a RoM from the store is almost always more expensive than creating it with Ingredients. We have built the Grab Bag algorithm based on this preexisting element of WallaBee. Ingredients will be found more commonly than Non-Ingredients, which will be found more commonly than RoMs, which will be found more commonly than Wallagraphics.
Here’s a simplified explanation of these new item types:
- Wallagraphic Items are a new type of item within Collectibles
- Wallagraphic Items are not Set Items, Uniques, or Branded Items
- Wallagraphic Items will have their own set type on the profile page
- Wallagraphic Items are only available through Grab Bags and Mystery Bags
- Wallagraphic Items add a ‘chase’ type item, themed to previous sets
- The chance of finding a Wallagraphic (WG) item differs per Grab Bag – Ingredients are common, Non-Ingredients are uncommon, RoMs are rare, and WGs are very rare.
- Only one (1) type of Wallagraphic is added per set
For more information about Grab Bags, check out our Grab Bag Overview.
Should you have any questions, please let us know by emailing Support@WallaBeeGame.com
Recent Item Highlights
We’ve had four new items this past week, with more on the way soon. Two sets started this week: On This Day 2018 and WallaBee Fitness And Wellbeing. If you missed these items, they can be found in the WallaStore or in the market.
Queen Victoria’s First Call
We’re sorry, the number you’ve dialed is not yet in service. Please hang up and try again.
Dieting
Let’s be honest – no one enjoys eating right. No one.
Self-Help
The first step to self help is admitting you need help and, boy, does Biffa need help.
The second step is not getting others to do your homework for you!
Discovering New Friends
“See, Ookpik,” she said smugly. “I told you they exist!”
Player Unique Spotlight
With more and more Player Uniques coming out, we want to spend a respectable amount of time learning more about them. This week’s Player Unique Spotlight highlighted What Was I Thinking?. You can read more about this unique here.
What Was I Thinking?
Room For Growth
We have compiled a list of issues that we are currently working on. If you find something that doesn’t fit into this list, please reach out to us and let us know.
- Battery drains like crazy – We are currently testing an internal build of the app that handles the store differently. We hope that this change will drastically save battery when using the app as normal. This internal build has reduced battery consumption when not using the store, as it halts animations from processing until the store is brought back into focus. However, this is causing some strange loading with items, which sometimes appears as the wrong item in the store. This can be confusing during a drop, and we are looking into it.
- Forum Notifications/Count are missing – Coming in a future update.
- Performing an action that triggers a pop up sometimes ‘freezes,’ which needs a hard close to fix – There is a new version of React Native available which should have this fixed. We will be updating to the newer version of React in the near future to test whether the fix works. More information to come.
- Market Items sometimes not available – This deals with a very rare situation where an item is removed from the market, but the listing is not updated. We are researching what’s causing this.
- General slowness – Because the app runs completely off of an API, connection to WiFi or data is extremely important. If your coverage dips, your connection will also dip. This doesn’t explain every situation but needs to be addressed. We are currently working on speeding the app up in various areas. You will notice that the forums perform MUCH faster than before. Our goal is to cut the slow, and speed it up, bro.
- Store Item and Icon don’t match – This is a known issue with how the phone holds store information. At the moment, there is a chance that the previous item image will linger, even though the item has updated to the next one in line (viewable by the honeycomb price and set icon). We’re investigating a fix for this.
- Store purchases hang up for a long time – we are investigating this. We’re so sorry for those affected by this issue… which should be everyone. Whoops.
- Random Crashes (especially on older devices) – We have discovered that the ram needed for the app fluctuates way more than it should, sometimes peaking over 1gb, which can cause older devices to crash. We are investigating what is causing this so that we can enhance app performance.
Community Content
This is a section of the blog where we will highlight any funny images or videos from the community. These may appear through links in the forums, on Facebook, guides on YouTube, or other sites.
There has been a week-long auction happening in the Auction House. I think most of you have heard about Blue Egg #11? Well, that auction has finally ended, with Julie announcing Betasito as the winner. We would like to send congratulations to both of these players, as we’re sure that milestones were broken with this HUGE auction. You can find the winning bid here, as their post is too long for a decent image.
If you think someone’s content (or your own) is worthy of being highlighted, you can suggest by emailing support or tagging it with #WallaCommunity.
Any additional questions, comments, concerns? Email: support@wallabeegame.com
