The Globe: How to Play

The Globe asks questions in local chat and above The Globe. Players click The Globe as close as possible to the location they believe answers the question. Pins mark players' answers, but players can keep clicking to move their pins so long as the clock is still ticking.

When the clock runs out, the pins closest to the answer get the most points! The Globe displays the answer for everyone, and sends a private message to everyone who played with details like how far off their pin was, how many points were won (or lost!), and who came the closest to the answer. Current scores appear above The Globe.

That's most everything you need to know—the rest is nuance and fun!

Camera Controls

In Second Life, the best way to get around The Globe is not to walk your avatar around trying to find New Zealand (or jumping to find the North Pole). Instead, use built-in camera controls to pivot your camera around The Globe without moving.

  • Alt-left-click the surface of The Globe. (Mac users should option-click.)
  • Keep holding down alt (or option). Now:
    • Move your mouse up, down, left, or right to pan around The Globe
    • If your mouse or trackpad has scrolling controls, scroll up and down to zoom in and out
    or…
    • press the arrow keys to pan up and down or left or right
    • press Control+8 to zoom in, and Control+0 to zoom out (Mac users can use Command+8 and Command+0)

It can be easier to learn these while seated. Cam skills are essential to Second Life! You'll master them quickly, and soon will use them for everything from hunts to building—and, of course, for The Globe!

Strategy!

What's the best way to place your pin? It depends on who's playing, the game options in effect, and even individual questions. Here are some things to consider:

  • Once you've placed your pin, you can click The Globe again to move your pin so long as the clock is still running. You could use the time to zoom in and refine your pin placement, maximising your score.
  • If you know an answer, you might try misleading other players by clicking an incorrect (but plausible!) location, then moving your pin closer to the answer in the last few seconds. Careful not to let the clock run out before moving!
Pin Colours

Every player pin is a different colour and height, but particular pins don't represent particular players! The Globe assigns pins randomly for every question. If your pin is tall and orange for one question, it's probably won't be tall and orange for the next. The same holds for every player.

  • If a question is difficult but you think you know the answer, waiting to the last few seconds to place your pin may avoid tipping off other players.
  • If you're playing with the Lose Points option and you aren't sure of the answer, sometimes sitting out a question is better than taking a guess and (perhaps) losing points.
Remove Your Pin!

Not comfortable with where your pin is placed? If the clock is still ticking you can click the coloured head of your pin to remove it! You won't earn any points if you don't have a pin in Teh Globe when time runs out…but if you're wildly off target, you won't lose any points either if Lose Points is enabled!

FAQ

I clicked but nothing happened! The Globe is broken!

The Globe isn't broken. There are three main ways a click can go missing:

  • You must click the surface of The Globe. If you click another pin, nothing will happen. (This can be a challenge in tight groupings!)
  • Another object interfered with your click. Depending where The Globe is placed, what's around it, and how you're cammed, your click might actually have been on a nearby object (like a branch or foliage), the ground or a wall, or even another avatar.
  • Every now and again, Second Life lag will sometimes eat a touch event. There's nothing to be done about that.

When The Globe receives a touch event, it will always send you a private message with the latitude and longitude of the location you clicked. If you don't see that immediately, The Globe has no idea you clicked. Click again!

Can I change the game options?

Game options can always be changed by The Globe owner. If the owner allows, other players can adjust game options. (This access is a setting under the owners' control.) When a game starts, The Globe always summarises the options in effect for that game in local chat. Pay attention!

Game options cannot be changed during a game.

What happens if no one plays? Does the Globe just keep asking questions forever?

Nope. The Globe will eventually cancel the current game and reset itself if no one plays for a while.

Who writes the questions?

Initially, I (as in me, Lou Netizen) wrote most of the questions. I hope to open that up to other authors (and even pay them as their questions are used!). Stay tuned.

Can I write my own custom questions?

Not yet. However, I hope to offer a way for teachers, educators, and others to set up their own question sets, and even share them. Stay tuned!

Without Whom…

Teh Globe has been in scattershot development for years, and a great many people have helped me test it, offered feature suggestions, and helped me track down bugs, including (but not limited to!) Lotus Ceriano, Olmstead Fanshaw, Jaydn Firehawk, Bo Cordoso, Suze Kavanagh, Jackalope Krasker, Kurt Morelos, Rain Ninetails, Geoff Novi, Lette Ponnier, Alyshea Raymaker, Sharon Scofeld, Maggie Sewell, Ruth Spiritor, and the good folks at Builders' Brewery Show & Tell.