Waymarking As A Game

[+tozainamboku]

Jeremy has hinted about competitive and game-like features for Waymarking but doesn’t seem to be willing to reveal what these are right now. So, what is your vision for Waymarking as a game? How should points be scored? Perhaps 10 points for reporting a waymark and one point for each visit? What statistics would you like to see? Is Waymarking one game or is there a separate category for games? Maybe each category is it’s own game. How about categories like McDonalds? Would it be meaningful to see who has reported the most McDonalds waymarks or who has visited the most McDonalds? Should the category managers be allowed to have special rules for their category? Perhaps they can already as they can specify the requirements for reporting new waymarks as well as requirements for logging visits to waymarks. I’d like to see what ideas people have.

[+Witters Critters]

I like the thought of rewarding use of the site, especially the creation of usefull, accurate and popular waypoints. The most difficult aspect will be preventing cheating by requiring proof of a visit. Here's my suggestions:

 

- Give 20 points to category owners for each category they maintain to be received after the first visit occurs to a waypoint in their category

 

- Give 10 points for creating a waypoint to be recieved after the first visitor logs their visit (of course, the creator of the waypoint wouldn't be allowed to be the first visitor)

 

- Give 5 points for logging a visit to a waypoint. (10 points if you are the first to log). There should be some form of proof of the visit (picture of visitor with GPS, information only available from site, etc.) This method of proof could be precribed by the creator of the waypoint or perhaps the owner of the category it is in.

 

- Require visitors to give an overall rating of the waypoint (for accuracy of coordinates, integrity of information about the waypoint, appeal of location, usefullness, etc.) Assuming an overall rating of 0(worse) to 5(best), give the creator of the waypoint that number of points each time a visitor rates your waypoint.

 

- Since category owners will have a lot of work on their hands, reward them with 1 point for each visited waypoint in their category.

 

- As an incentive, give a free month of Premium membership for every XXX points earned (500?, 1000?)

[+sbell111]

Why do we need points? All you have to do is have three stats: the number of categories owned, the number of waymarks owned, and the number of logs.

Edited September 9, 2005 by sbell111

[+Witters Critters]

Why do we need points? All you have to do is have three stats: ...

 

We could actually do BOTH - have a running counter (for those not interested in points) AND having the point total available (for those wanting that detail).

 

As a rationale for points....

 

- Points would provides a rough measure of the quality/popularity of the contributer's waypoint, thus rewarding more usefull contributions. Having only a counter doesn't reward the quality/popularity.

 

- Assigning higher points to creating a waypoint as opposed to visiting one encourages more waypoint creation vs. just visiting them.

 

- Giving the FTV (First time visitor) more points makes it more likely that a waypoint will be visited (and rated) by at least one person.

 

- If Groundspeak awarded free months for accumulation of points, it would encourage creating more usefull waypoints that would gain the creator points more readily.

 

- Enforcing the visitor to rate the waypoint before they receive points for their visit also puts a quality measure on the waypoint for the benefit of potential visitors. An average rating could also be tracked and displayed for every waypoint.

 

Just some ideas... don't know how difficult they would be to implement.

 

-Witters Critters

[+sbell111]

Wouldn't it reward the creation of lame categories and waymarks? Also, wouldn't you system entice a person to bump up the rating, since it would be tied to his/her points?

 

I think points are silly, since they are based on data already available.

Edited September 9, 2005 by sbell111

[+nfa]

I envision using the Waymarking site in a completely different way than geocaching.com.

 

For me, geocaching is a little bit about the numbers...I enjoy the physical and mental challenges of the game combined with the tech-weenie aspects supported by the GPS unit. I like reading and writing the logs and becoming a part of the ongoing story of the caches I place or visit.

 

I see using the Waymarking site as a way to share the locations of neat spots all over my world, and to read about the types of spots I enjoy (the categories I add to my favorites) all over parts of the world I may never see.

 

I don't know if that makes sense, or is too blatantly obvious, but that is what I have been thinking about the Waymarking site and how to make use of it...of course this may all change as the site evolves.

 

NFA-Jamie

[+Witters Critters]

Also, wouldn't you system entice a person to bump up the rating, since it would be tied to his/her points?

 

Maybe I wasn't clear - The rating would be given by those visiting the site. In theory, "lame" waypoints wouldn't get rated very high (possibly even zero), and so wouldn't earn points for the owners.

 

- Witters Critters

[Jeremy]

If I say the word "bounties" - what do you think you could do with that idea?

[+mini cacher]

If I say the word "bounties" - what do you think you could do with that idea?

I'd say we'd have a few "wanted posters" each month and the first person to fulfill the capture of something wanted can collect the bounty. But your definition of bounty might differ...

[Jeremy]

If I say the word "bounties" - what do you think you could do with that idea?

I'd say we'd have a few "wanted posters" each month and the first person to fulfill the capture of something wanted can collect the bounty. But your definition of bounty might differ...

That doesn't seem very well thought out. Is that all you got?

[+mini cacher]

If I say the word "bounties" - what do you think you could do with that idea?

I'd say we'd have a few "wanted posters" each month and the first person to fulfill the capture of something wanted can collect the bounty. But your definition of bounty might differ...

That doesn't seem very well thought out. Is that all you got?

oh.. I was just trying to guess what you were thinking. I've actually not given it much thought at all. As a vague idea it would be in need of some logical glue.

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

Bounties:

 

1) Having a target, or several target, categories....say animal statues. Those who first place the waymark get 25 points, those who are first to visit get 15 points, those who are second 10, and third 5 points.

 

or

 

2) Have target waymarks already in place. Those who are first to visit get more points than those who are second or third.

 

A combination of Dash for Cache, and geodashing.

[Jeremy]

I don't want to co-opt this thread but I guess I already did.

 

I think that categories start with a pool of bounty points and as you post a new waymark (and it is accepted) you get a bounty point from that pool. Once the pool is empty you get a base amount per waymark afterwards (like a default of 1 point). If a waymark category is quiet the bounty points increase per waymark.

 

On top of that, individuals have their own pool of bounty points that can be added to the base points of a waymark category. It could be for a waymark in that category or for an actual specific location you want them to find. Other people can add bounty points to the pool for the first person who posts the new waymark.

 

So a waymark bounty may be 10 points base + 30 user bounty points. Users can then try and bump their waymark category by offering high bounties for the finds. Also bounty points can be spent, for say, top billing on the front page of Waymarking.com for their category or waymark.

 

That's a general idea.

[+tozainamboku]

I'm bumping this thread since there are a lot of new people around. In another thread I saw a complaint that Waymarking is just a catalog and there is no game or hobby aspect. What do people think of Jeremy's bounty points for waymarks?

[+budd-rdc]

I like the idea of bounties.

 

This will probably lead to people becoming "Waymark Hunters" where their speciality would be finding Waymarks fitting a category.

 

Then, we can rank the Waymark Hunters by how many bounties they have collected.

 

It would be nice to supplement it with a subjective scoring system, for example, based on the "WOW!" factor of the Waymark. For example, when I was hunting for LCs in Japan, I deliberately chose the largest dam in Japan to log the "Water of Life" LC instead of the smaller ones that were much easier to find.

[+chstress53]

Just dreaming here but as a catagory owner I could set the bounty. My post to the Catagory page would go something like this:

A bounty hunter's life is a hard one, and as such this will be quite tough. The Americas are replete with different sorts of art o mats, complicated environments and plenty of scoundrels out to get you. The waymarks are chockfull of various secrets and hidden bonuses to find and unlock, so this guide is here to help you. Strap on your armor, dust off your GPS and get ready to go bounty hunting the latest caching/hunting extravaganza!.

[+chstress53]

bounty hunting could have its very own dedicated area, run by a couple of dedicated staff members, but with a few differences from the regular catagories

 

- Players/Cachers , if they complete enough bounties successfully, have a chance to advance into the Bounty Hunter's fellowship which affords them chances to take on more challenging bounties. If taken even further, they can get the chance to actually be on the head council, and have a say in the bounties put forward for others.

 

- Rulers and players can, if the fellowship leaders feel they have a legitimate reason, place a bounty upon another cacher. Making it possibly for far more dangerous for players to cross fellow cachers.

 

- There could be bounties to suit anyone. Short ones, long ones, tough ones, and easy ones. Obviously, tough and long ones would have more of a reward than any short and easy ones ever would, but it would fit all tastes in hunting.

 

- A selection of Bounty Hunters would be available for aid if they needed it.

Many missions could appear in a public bounty thread. Some can be from as little as "Get a piece of information from someone" to someone or "Find such and such or sa group of people that did so and so." The former would be a quick mission with low rewards, while the latter would be difficult with high rewards. Some bounty hunts could only be available to someone in the fellowship.

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

That sounds nice. So far it seems participation is limited in Waymarking. I want to be patient, but Im starting to feel that same sense of limbo about the categories I wish to have, that I felt with the locationless moratorium all these years. And once all the details are worked out, there is still no guarantee I will be allowed to have the specific categories I wish to have. One of them I want rather badly. I like Waymarking, but in all honesty Im also beginning to feel that part of the game is out of reach. It is draining some of the fun from it. I hope Im wrong and it does all work out in a few months.

[+chstress53]

I think just being patient will work. I have had quite an enjoyable time creating 71 waymarks, I have not found them too limiting, although I do not think I will be able to create waymarks in Canadian Benchmarks or as I am not expecting to go to these countries anytime soon, but one never knows .Portugal Geodeticpoints

Edited November 10, 2005 by chstress53

[+ChapterhouseInc]

what ever it is that is going to happen to make it a game will be retroactive, will it not?

 

so the 175 waymarks i have created--seems i am the only one in GA making marks--are not in vain.

 

and in the stats page, can the owned waymarks be included, in a similar fashion to logs (ie: Ga historic markers: 35). there just needs to be a better way to visualize what others are doing and own.

Edited November 10, 2005 by ChapterhouseInc

[+chstress53]

I agree retrowould be cool, although at this time I can not envision how. I too would like to see my stats better. For example instead of 5 pages wiht a large majority being my lighthouses if it could be a number instead of all those pages. I too would like to see what others are doing. Currently I can only see stats for those who have logged my waymarks. I would like to see otheres stats too like on gc.com, hopefully it will come as the site grows.