Multiplayer Geocaching Games Via Internet?

[geos715]

Now that internet access is slowly coming into the geocaching world, my question is what might a multiplayer geocaching game look like? Up to now, the sport has been essentially a single player or small team game. The ability for location based GPS games connected via the internet also allows players to interact with one another as well.

[AZcachemeister]

Now that internet access is slowly coming into the geocaching world, my question is what might a multiplayer geocaching game look like? Up to now, the sport has been essentially a single player or small team game. The ability for location based GPS games connected via the internet also allows players to interact with one another as well.

 

I thought Geocaching was already about as multi-player as you can get.

 

What beats 'everyone on Earth'?

[geos715]

Now that internet access is slowly coming into the geocaching world, my question is what might a multiplayer geocaching game look like? Up to now, the sport has been essentially a single player or small team game. The ability for location based GPS games connected via the internet also allows players to interact with one another as well.

 

I thought Geocaching was already about as multi-player as you can get.

 

What beats 'everyone on Earth'?

I should ask the question a little differently. Perhaps "What kind of a game would a team play, now that they have the ability to play in real time. Is it the "World of Warcarft" coming to geocaching ? java script:emoticon('',%20'smid_3') In any case, being connected to the internet and being able to determine location will change things.

Tom B

Edited March 4, 2009 by geos715

[+poohstickz]

I'd like a game whereby people post on a web site the coordinates to a container that's hidden, but not buried, somewhere on earth. Then we'd use those coordinates to get outdoors and find those containers. We could then write about them, sort of like a blog. There could even be sub-games where people could obsess about who was the first person to visit a lamp-post or who had been to the most Walmart parking lots.

 

Perhaps you're more interested in something like Wherigo?

[geos715]

I'd like a game whereby people post on a web site the coordinates to a container that's hidden, but not buried, somewhere on earth. Then we'd use those coordinates to get outdoors and find those containers. We could then write about them, sort of like a blog. There could even be sub-games where people could obsess about who was the first person to visit a lamp-post or who had been to the most Walmart parking lots.

 

Perhaps you're more interested in something like Wherigo?

Thanks for your humor, I and my wife frequently post a container location on the internet and then we obsess about it and other stuff. Actually I have written a Wherigo and there are several reasons why I didn't care for the process. It required an expensive device to play, it was closed source, and it is only sort of LUA based from my viewpoint. Because I do PHP programming, it was an easy matter for me to port my Wherigo " Highland Fling" to a php based application that ran on a laptop. I then moved the application to a server which them made it web based and real time and interactive. This reply has far too much verbiage but if you want to read more about the process you can access http://gpsmancer.com .

Tom B

[+scuba dude]

I geocache to get away from the computer. I really don't want any form of real-time, interactive, multi-player game.

 

I only get online when I can't be outside.

[+flask]

Now that internet access is slowly coming into the geocaching world,

 

can you recall a time when internet access hadn't been present in the geocaching world? are there many geocachers who don't have internet access?

[+Castle Mischief]

Now that internet access is slowly coming into the geocaching world,

 

can you recall a time when internet access hadn't been present in the geocaching world? are there many geocachers who don't have internet access?

 

My thoughts exactly. I also reject any notion that Geocaching would be better if somehow morphed into a demi-WoW experience.

 

EDIT: Okay, maybe it would be "better" for some people, but it wouldn't be geocaching in my view. It would be something else. Maybe you should start an open-sourced Wherigo revolution?

Edited March 4, 2009 by Castle Mischief

[geos715]

Now that internet access is slowly coming into the geocaching world,

 

can you recall a time when internet access hadn't been present in the geocaching world? are there many geocachers who don't have internet access?

 

My thoughts exactly. I also reject any notion that Geocaching would be better if somehow morphed into a demi-WoW experience.

 

EDIT: Okay, maybe it would be "better" for some people, but it wouldn't be geocaching in my view. It would be something else. Maybe you should start an open-sourced Wherigo revolution?

There is an opensource Wherigo webpage, but it's not mine. Mentioning Geocaching and WOW in the same sentence is a mistake. I should have said possible multi-player geocaching game.

The vast majority of Geeocachers do not have in-the-field wireless internet access, but I can see how the wireless internet will be universal, inexpensive, and available almost everywhere. In any case, I first developed a Wherigo application (Highland Fling) and then I developed a Wherigo like game platform that doesn't need anything but a netbook with GPS reception. It works nicely. I then took the same logic and moved it to one of my servers where anyone with a cellphone/Iphone?Backberry/laptop and a GPS can play. The version under development (Marco/Polo) is targeted at the cellphone/IPhone/Blackberry/PSP/netbook market where the devices have wireless internet access, and and a GPS . My netbook version works nicely in the field using a wireless verizon modem and a Navibe GPS that plugs into the USB. If anyone is around Nedham, MA, I can give a field demo. The internet versions don't care where the internet comes from (wireless verizon, AT&T modem or a wireless hotspot around town) so someone could write a geocache that went from wireless hotspot to hotspot around town, finding clues, answer questions and enabling the next waypoint in the multi on the way to that plastic box with a logbook hidden under the park bench.

[+BBI Dragon]

Now that internet access is slowly coming into the geocaching world, my question is what might a multiplayer geocaching game look like? Up to now, the sport has been essentially a single player or small team game. The ability for location based GPS games connected via the internet also allows players to interact with one another as well.

 

I get what you are asking.

 

With more common wireless equipment, what might be possible?

 

I'm not sure how the "multi-player" aspect will work. To be live, it would require multiple Players in the field playing at the same time. If this were the case, you might set the "event" up as a specific date and time. Some would be in the rolls as participants, moving around, interacting with web based scenes and situations while, let's say, in a park. Others would be in the roll of those interacting with the Players, Non-Player Characters (NPC).

 

As for ideas I think taking on "quests" and making discoveries, solving puzzles, protecting a NPC from a threat...

 

Might the concept be expanded so that Players might discover special equipment, buy supplies, trade for goods and retain these for future events? Might there be the development of "abilities" such as magic use or swordsmanship over time with training and use? In a more modern setting the Players might have specialized skills (that would get better) and equipment (that might break or need replacement) for use in the current event and that would be retained for future events.

[Mushtang]

Now that internet access is slowly coming into the geocaching world,

can you recall a time when internet access hadn't been present in the geocaching world? are there many geocachers who don't have internet access?

I can recall that before I got my blackberry about a year ago, every single time I left the house to go geocaching I was without internet access.

[CLV3]

Edited

 

I think what they were implying is that people are caching more now with Wireless access? As the internet has always been a part of geocaching in at least the preliminary stage (to obtain the cache data).

Edited March 5, 2009 by CLV3

[sdarken]

Perhaps this is heading in the direction that the original post was asking about:

 

http://live.geocaching.com/

 

Real-time tracking of geocachers.

 

I wonder what else you could do with this technology? Geocaching rally events perhaps? (ie: like a scavenger hunt but using geocaches and with real-time feedback for non-participants or organizers)