Anyone Doing Wherigo?

[+TexasGringo]

This is a more popular Forum to get an answer than the Wherigo one...last post there was a couple days ago.

 

Are any of you playing Wherigo or making Wherigo cartridges?

 

If not now...Are you thinking about doing it in the future?

 

Just wondering...if it is becoming popular...maybe I'll upgrade to the Garmin 550 when it comes out and try to write a couple cartridges for people to play....if not...then I'll just keep my 60csx.

[+Chrysalides]

Never tried because I don't have a GPSr that can play it. Still not exactly sure what it is all about. Seems to unnecessarily complicate geocaching to me, but then again that's what some people say about puzzle caches, and I love those.

 

I guess it takes more effort to create and play a Wherigo puzzle, so it is not as popular. I live in the SF Bay Area, where there is a high concentration of technically inclined people. There are 4 Wherigo caches within 50 miles. The closest is about 40 miles away. I think I'm more likely to do the A.P.E cache before I do a Wherigo.

 

If I have the equipment, and if there is one nearby, I will likely try it once.

[CoyoteRed]

I'm going to keep my 60, but after my phone contract allows my upgrade next month I'm getting a PPC based smart phone. I've read the player will work on it (not basing my decisions on playing Wherigo, though) and, if so, I'm going to play around with it.

 

I'm really curious as to why Garmin doesn't put out an add-on for all the Nuvis. If Groundspeak pushed hard enough there are so many folks with Nuvis that critical mass of cartridges could get to the point of being self-sustaining. I just don't see it happening right now.

 

If there were enough players in the hands of, umm, players then I'd be more likely to place Wherigo caches instead of puzzles or multis. I see the idea much more suitable for a modern game like geocaching then pen and paper.

 

Here's the thing, Groundspeak absolutely needs to get Wherigo players in as many platforms as possible before I see it approaching critical mass. The failure to have a Palm-based player is really holding it back.

[+Snoogans]

This is a more popular Forum to get an answer than the Wherigo one...last post there was a couple days ago.

 

Are any of you playing Wherigo or making Wherigo cartridges?

 

If not now...Are you thinking about doing it in the future?

 

Just wondering...if it is becoming popular...maybe I'll upgrade to the Garmin 550 when it comes out and try to write a couple cartridges for people to play....if not...then I'll just keep my 60csx.

 

I've done it a couple of times. It's not my cup of tea, but it's sorta fun to do in a group.

 

If you like multi caches, then you'll enjoy it.

 

I would do it again going along with a group, but I wouldn't base a purchase on being able to do Wherigo or go outta my way to do Wherigo on my own.....

[+TexasGringo]

<There are 4 Wherigo caches within 50 miles.>

 

I'm in the Dallas area....and there are only 6 within 100 miles.

[Clan Riffster]

As a Wherigo nut, I may be too biased to have a useful opinion. But that's never stopped me from runnin' my gator before, so;

 

On occasion, I see posts from "ole timers" describing the early days of geocaching. One thing that caught my eye was the oft repeated claims that, when a new cache would be published, folks would drive gazillions of miles just to go find it. I mention this because I see the same tendencies amongst the Wherigo players. I drove all the way across Florida, two times, (bypassing thousands of P&G traditionals), just to do a few Wherigos. Folks have travelled even further to hunt mine. As with any other cache type, I suppose the kewlness factor of each Wherigo cache is dependant upon the person building it.

 

I think the building process is fairly simple, once you play with the tutorial.

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

As a Wherigo nut, I may be too biased to have a useful opinion. But that's never stopped me from runnin' my gator before, so;

 

On occasion, I see posts from "ole timers" describing the early days of geocaching. One thing that caught my eye was the oft repeated claims that, when a new cache would be published, folks would drive gazillions of miles just to go find it. I mention this because I see the same tendencies amongst the Wherigo players. I drove all the way across Florida, two times, (bypassing thousands of P&G traditionals), just to do a few Wherigos. Folks have travelled even further to hunt mine. As with any other cache type, I suppose the kewlness factor of each Wherigo cache is dependant upon the person building it.

 

I think the building process is fairly simple, once you play with the tutorial.

 

I think the closest Wherigo to us is 175 miles away. Nonetheless, this looks like exactly the sort of thing we would enjoy. I'm thinking of creating a Wherigo cartridge here in this area since no one else seems to be.

 

Do you most prefer the RPG-style Wherigo cartridges or the historical ones? I'm having trouble deciding what would be good here.

 

Carolyn

[+Isonzo Karst]

that critical mass of cartridges could get to the point of being self-sustaining

 

That's the issue.

 

I own 2, and there are 7 in West Central Florida, and those are all of the Wherigo caches in the state. In August we're hosting a Wherigo101 event - write a simple cartridge, maybe get a few more cart writers started. There are a bunch of people with Colorado and Oregon who aren't writing carts.

 

I've been disappointed in the low adoption rate on this - I do like multi-caches, and I thought that this would have taken off more. Per CR, it needs to be available on more platforms.

 

The other downside is the number of carts that are pretty weak - a first attempt, and there was no second attempt. It's the usual crapshoot about whether any given hider is going to hide something that you enjoy, compounded by the learning curve of cartridge building.

[+Tequila]

I have 15 Wherigo's published.

 

I love them. They give me a lot more flexibility in creating scenarios. I like to refer to them as a multi on steroids. I can create a 10 stage multi and never put anything out except the final. Prevents cache saturation.

 

Here is an example of what you can do with a Wherigo that you can't do with a traditional multi.

 

I work a bloodhound as part of my volunteer search and rescue activity. When we search for a lost person, we are often given a scent article and a point last seen (PLS). We have no idea what direction the missing person went. To solve this, you work the K9 in an ever increasing spiral outward from the PLS till the K9 picks up the trail and off you go.

 

I created a Wherigo that replicates that. Players start in the middle of a field and walk an every increasing spiral until the cartridge pops up and tells then they have found the direction of travel. Try doing that with a bunch of film cannisters.

 

It takes a fair bit of work and patience to build a cartridge but they add a whole new dimension to the game.

[+Tequila]

Chase The Black Sun is another example of something you can do with a Wherigo that you can't do easy with a multi.

[Clan Riffster]

Do you most prefer the RPG-style Wherigo cartridges or the historical ones?

I have one active one and one in the works, all written, just waiting on permission for the final.

I don't think either of mine would qualify as either an RPG or an historic trip.

I guess the best description for both would be a tour guide.

The active one takes you to 10 natural springs in a large state forest. When you get to each spring you trigger a zone that give you an alphanumeric clue.

A=1, B=8, C=5, etc. After you find all 10 springs, you have the coords for the final.

I chose the Wherigo platform because the land manager would allow an ammo can in the final location, but would not allow anything physical at the springs.

The one waiting in the wings is an aquatic tour of some backwater channels. Answer some questions along the way and you'll get directed to an ammo can on an island.

[+undertree]

I would play if I could use my GPS enabled netbook. Do they have any plans to make a player that can be used on a regular computer?

[Clan Riffster]

Last I heard, Pocket PCs could play them, but Palm operating systems could not.

Hopefully that'll change in the near future. I have to believe that if you can play it on a Pocket PC, you could play it on a laptop.

The Wherigo builder software (which includes the emulator), doesn't like Vista very much. I don't know about the player software.

[+Zolgar]

if I had means of doing them, I would do so in heartbeat.

 

But the Vista can't handle them, and there's not enough in Arizona for it to be worth pursuing a new GPS for.

[Clan Riffster]

Incidently, for those folks who don't want to drop a bunch of $$$ on a shiny new Wherigo compatable GPSr, when they already have a handheld that works just fine for regular caching, you can put together a setup pretty cheap that will play these cartridges in the field. Hop on Ebay and look for an older bluetooth PocketPC, and one of those little bluetooth GPSr hockey puck looking thingies. On the Wherigo forums is a whole list of compatable devices and ideas on how to get 'em up and running.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

These things spread virally... they are either a hit or not. Geocaching was an immediate run-away-train hit, Waymarking and Wherigo not so much.

 

If they don't catch on quickly it's like a bad relationship, it can't be fixed - move on!

[+tozainamboku]

Do you most prefer the RPG-style Wherigo cartridges or the historical ones? I'm having trouble deciding what would be good here.

This is not a mutually exclusive choice. I just developed a cartridge that takes you along an old stagecoach road. It use an RPG-style to guide you along and to provide the hints needed to find the geocache I have hidden. But along the way it provides a lot of historical background as to what you are seeing.

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

 

I have one active one and one in the works, all written, just waiting on permission for the final.

I don't think either of mine would qualify as either an RPG or an historic trip.

I guess the best description for both would be a tour guide.

The active one takes you to 10 natural springs in a large state forest. When you get to each spring you trigger a zone that give you an alphanumeric clue.

A=1, B=8, C=5, etc. After you find all 10 springs, you have the coords for the final.

I chose the Wherigo platform because the land manager would allow an ammo can in the final location, but would not allow anything physical at the springs.

The one waiting in the wings is an aquatic tour of some backwater channels. Answer some questions along the way and you'll get directed to an ammo can on an island.

 

That sounds beautiful. I looked it up on Wherigo.com and can see why people come from far away to do it. Perhaps if we end up in Florida we will be able to do it as well.

 

Thanks!

Carolyn

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

This is not a mutually exclusive choice. I just developed a cartridge that takes you along an old stagecoach road. It use an RPG-style to guide you along and to provide the hints needed to find the geocache I have hidden. But along the way it provides a lot of historical background as to what you are seeing.

 

That sounds like fun and a good way to keep the adventure grounded in the real world.

 

Carolyn

[jholly]

It use an RPG-style to guide you along and to provide the hints needed to find the geocache I have hidden.

 

RPG-style? All I can think of is Rocket Propelled Grenade-style.

 

Jim

[sabrefan7]

Absolutely no interest at all

[+webscouter.]

I have enjoyed all the ones I have done. My only comment is that if you are a developer make your zones larger so they are not so hard to get into.

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

It use an RPG-style to guide you along and to provide the hints needed to find the geocache I have hidden.

 

RPG-style? All I can think of is Rocket Propelled Grenade-style.

 

Jim

 

Sounds exciting. Role Playing Game. Your idea sounds like more fun, though it might be shading the understanding of Groundspeak's cache placement guidelines to have something blow up.

[+welch]

This is a more popular Forum to get an answer than the Wherigo one...last post there was a couple days ago.

 

Are any of you playing Wherigo or making Wherigo cartridges?

 

If not now...Are you thinking about doing it in the future?

no and no

 

Don't have a gps that can play, and not really interested in getting a new one just for doing so. Currently there is one Wherigo at 100mi, and 5 more at about 200 miles .

[+flask]

i bet i'd like Wherigo if it were available to me.

 

i'm not about to buy a new GPS to do it, and crashco doesn't like the idea of having to buy a garmin to play a game that he feels ought to be open to every platform people wanna play it on.

 

there are no Wherigo caches near me.

 

i am not about to buy a compatible GPS to create the cartridges if i have none to play with.

 

you don't happen to notice the shape of my trajectory here?

[+Harry Dolphin]

Are any of you playing Wherigo or making Wherigo cartridges?

 

If not now...Are you thinking about doing it in the future?

 

Nope. Not playing them. Not considering doing so. From what I understand, it takes a special GPSr to be able to play. Fortunately, they are very limited in number. I do not plan on spending a lot of money to be able to find the ten within 50 miles of me. Thanks, but no thanks.

[+Winstonsmom]

I am new to Wherigo and am very intrigued! Here in the DFW area, I've found two and know there are others. Check out FP Series #273 - Lionel Richie by drives (GC1JXKQ) and Dog Day Afternoon by Wee Willy (GC1ME2W). Both were a great introduction to Wherigo and have inspired me to create one, but I am a long way from completion.

 

The four forums listed on Groundspeak Forums about Wherigo have been very helpful for me. The topics include (1) Getting Started wtih Wherigo, (2) Playing Werigo, (3) Building Wherigo Cartidges, and (4) Wherigo Hardware. Many of the questions posted here may have answers in these forums.

 

Final thought: The idea behind Wherigo is about telling a story but instead of reading the story, the reader is "doing" the story. Before one worries about the technical details of building a Wherigo, one must have a story to tell. The story has to have a place, characters, theme, and a compelling concern that motivates the reader to "hang in there." This is the challenge that I am wrestling with. I have an idea about a Wherigo and want to learn the technical details of making it happen. I have found the location (place), and I have found the main characters, and the theme, but haven't figured out the compelling concern.

 

Thank you to those who have created and posted Wherigos - you are trail blazers. I hope these innovators share their wisdom and offer support to new "writers" of Wherigo stories. The Engish majors/Geocachers out there have so many stories to share!

[+J-Way]

Nope. Not playing them. Not considering doing so. From what I understand, it takes a special GPSr to be able to play. Fortunately, they are very limited in number. I do not plan on spending a lot of money to be able to find the ten within 50 miles of me. Thanks, but no thanks.

You can use a high-end GPS receiver (Garmin Oregon or Colorado) if you want to shell out mucho $$$. Personally I use an old Dell Axim PPC that I bought off eBay with a bluetooth GPS Receiver "puck". I use the same setup running BackCountryNavigator as my primary paperless caching system.

 

An earlier poster described them as "multi's on steroids", and I agree. But like any cache, Wherigo caches can be stupid or awesome, basic or complex. It depends on the skill of and effort imparted by the cartridge author.

[+Isonzo Karst]

Personally I use an old Dell Axim PPC that I bought off eBay with a bluetooth GPS Receiver

 

me too, this was not a lot of money. Although, we already had the bluetooth gps, so the only purchase was the Axim. I wish I'd bargain hunted more. A friend of mine got his for $35. Mine was nearly $100, and I only use it for Wherigo, though it certainly can be my backup for when I kill the Palm Zaire I'm carrying now (I always do, eventually, drop them, or crush them, or try to swim with them.....)

Edited June 15, 2009 by Isonzo Karst

[knowschad]

I briefly tried the built-in ones and one locationless downloaded cart during the brief period that I had a Colorado, but they all made me yawn. I loved playing Zork and other text-based adventure games back in the 70's and 80's, but its a few decades late to get me back into something that feels very much like them.

 

I'm a geocacher that uses a GPS to geocache, not a GPS user that geocaches to use his GPS. That, I think, is the flawed logic that they used when they came up with the Wherigo concept.

[+carleenp]

I like Wherigo and started slowly developing a Wherigo cache. But I am not really thrilled with using my PDA (a Mio) for it. The screen is hard to see in sunlight and the GPS integration with Wherigo not as good as I would like. So until I upgrade my GPS, I likely won't do much with my plans to make a Wherigo cache.

[Clan Riffster]

I'm a geocacher that uses a GPS to geocache, not a GPS user that geocaches to use his GPS. That, I think, is the flawed logic that they used when they came up with the Wherigo concept.

I think you'll find that those who enjoy Wherigos don't necessarily fall into your second category.

[Skippermark]

Around where I live it hasn't caught on. There are none in my state, and there isn't much interest in hiding them, though a few people have gone to other states and found some.

[CoyoteRed]

I've got some ideas...

 

(Hoping the new phone will run the Wherigo player properly.)

 

Think: multi with puzzles.

 

In the beginning you hard hear a voice kind of like the one from "SAW" and it says, "We're going to play a game. Go to the starting coordinates. I'll provide further there." Then as you arrive at the starting coordinates, "Good, you've proven you follow directions. Here you will find [something]. In it you will find the clues to the new location. You have one hour to be there. Go." Then if you've figured out the puzzle and gone to the coordinates given within the allotted hour, then you can continue. If not, you're punished. Somehow.

 

Probably not using anywhere near the possibilities of the platform, but still a themed adventure. Also, I could possibly not "getting it," but that's the way I see it, anyway.

 

EDIT: dang word-os!

Edited June 16, 2009 by CoyoteRed

[+tozainamboku]

I'm a geocacher that uses a GPS to geocache, not a GPS user that geocaches to use his GPS. That, I think, is the flawed logic that they used when they came up with the Wherigo concept.

Wherigo may not necessarily be looking at the same audience as geocaching.

 

From the description on the Wherigo site, Jeremy and Elias began discussing this idea only a year after they began Geocaching.com. They were obviously looking for ways to grow Grounspeak's business beyond just geocaching. Were there other games you could play using your GPS? The idea of combining a GPS with the computer adventure games of 70's and 80's was one of the ideas they explored. This developed into Wherigo. They realized the Wherigo player would lend itself to much more than interactive adventure games. It could be used for guided tours, location based puzzles and arcade games like the ones Garmin was including on some models, and of course as something used in a mystery cache hunt. The Wherigo cache type should not be confused with Wherigo as a whole. It it simply one application of the Wherigo platform. Because many of the early adopters of Wherigo are geocachers, it is understandable that many of the early cartridges are being used for Wherigo caches. My guess is that future cartridges will tend toward the guided tours and to play anywhere games that can be enjoyed by a larger audience.

 

I've got some ideas...

 

(Hoping the new phone will run the Wherigo player properly.)

 

Think: multi with puzzles.

 

In the beginning you hard a voice kind of like the one from "SAW" and it says, "We're going to play a game. Go to the starting coordinates. I'll provide further there." Then as you arrive at the starting coordinates, "Good, you've proven you follow directions. Here you will find [something]. In it you will find the clues to the new location. You have one hour to be there. Go." Then if you've figured out the puzzle and gone to the coordinates given within the allotted hour, then you can continue. If not, you're punished. Somehow.

 

Probably not using anywhere near the possibilities of the platform, but still a themed adventure. Also, I could possibly not "getting it," but that's the way I see it, anyway.

Yep, that is pretty much the idea behind a Wherigo cache. With Wherigo you can combine elements that are purely virtual (i.e. exist only in the game) and physical items you see or find as you move around in the real world. And the platform does have that capability to impose time limits as well, so you could build something like what you have in mind.

[+lostdog19]

I'm waiting for an Android version of the player software. Then I can use it on my phone.

[+J-Way]

I've got some ideas...

 

(Hoping the new phone will run the Wherigo player properly.)

 

Think: multi with puzzles.

 

In the beginning you hard a voice kind of like the one from "SAW" and it says, "We're going to play a game. Go to the starting coordinates. I'll provide further there." Then as you arrive at the starting coordinates, "Good, you've proven you follow directions. Here you will find [something]. In it you will find the clues to the new location. You have one hour to be there. Go." Then if you've figured out the puzzle and gone to the coordinates given within the allotted hour, then you can continue. If not, you're punished. Somehow.

 

Probably not using anywhere near the possibilities of the platform, but still a themed adventure. Also, I could possibly not "getting it," but that's the way I see it, anyway.

Sounds awesome.

 

ummm... wait... can you program a Wherigo cartridge to fry a PPC chip? Maybe I should avoid SC Whereigos...

[Clan Riffster]

One of the kewlest aspects to the Wherigo cache concept is it offers a means for having waypoints in places they might not otherwise be allowed.

If there were a park that forbade any physical caches, or stages within their borders, (NPS comes to mind), you could utilize virtual waymarks all through the park.

Then you could have the final just outside the borders.

Edited June 17, 2009 by Clan Riffster

[+Krandor]

This is a more popular Forum to get an answer than the Wherigo one...last post there was a couple days ago.

 

Are any of you playing Wherigo or making Wherigo cartridges?

 

If not now...Are you thinking about doing it in the future?

 

Just wondering...if it is becoming popular...maybe I'll upgrade to the Garmin 550 when it comes out and try to write a couple cartridges for people to play....if not...then I'll just keep my 60csx.

 

It sounds interesting to me but I just wish I had something they would play on. My current Windows Mobile device does not have a user available GPS and I am fixing to move from that to the iPhone 3GS but that does not have a Wherigo app for it yet. My GPSr is a 60csx like yours and also does not support Wherigo.

 

So I would like to try it but am not really interested in buying a new GPS right now.