Can someone please explain Wherigo caches?

[ThomasFamily102]

What are they, how do you do them, basic info! Thanks alot!

[+sbell111]

What are they, how do you do them, basic info! Thanks alot!

They are like multis, except you follow directions from your GPS enabled pda to get from A to B.

[ThomasFamily102]

So do you have to have a gps capable of doing that or are pretty much all of them capable?

 

Your gps tells you where to go and once you get there it gives you more directions?

[+rob3k]

The big question would be, do you have a device that can run a Wherigo? I believe it's the Colorado, Oregon, and some PDAs.

 

If you have a device that will handle them, this page is a pretty good overview on playing one: http://www.Wherigo.com/player/default.aspx

 

I've done one and partially completed another. They are interesting, but have some problems. Certainly worth checking one out, if you are able.

 

You download the cartridge from Wherigo.com and install on your device. Then when you get to the location you play the cartridge and follow the directions. For ones listed on geocaching.com there should be a physical container to which you'll eventually be led. At least, that's how the ones I've done have worked.

Edited January 22, 2010 by rob3k

[ThomasFamily102]

Is the cartridge like a little clip or what is the cartridge?

[+bladesedge]

FRom what I've seen on the website - a cartridge is the name for the file you download that has the data for the GPS

[+NatureGuy360]

At the bottom of the Groundspeak Forums is an entire area devoted to nothing but Wherigo. Those pages are stocked full of information also that should help you hit the ground running.

 

Wherigo Topics

[+rob3k]

FRom what I've seen on the website - a cartridge is the name for the file you download that has the data for the GPS

 

Yep. It's not a physical cartridge, just what they call the file.

[MikeB3542]

Is the cartridge like a little clip or what is the cartridge?

It is not a physical entity -- it is a computer program that you download from the website into your computer, then onto your GPSr or PDA.

 

My own 2 cents: Wherigo is a cool idea that was released half-baked. An online video walking you through a Wherigo cache would be nice. An alternate way to play Wherigo with basic equipment would be nice. Not using weird terms like "cartridge" would be good. Lots of templates that help would-be Wherigo developers bootstrap their first few caches would help. Groundspeak needs to be way more hands on if they want this to succeed.

 

Right now, it is NOT SUCCEEDING. There are only two within 50 miles of my location (Milwaukee, WI) and between them they have 20 finds in over a year. There are only a dozen in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin combined. In this economy, I am not dropping $300 or more just to play a handful of buggy Wherigo hides.

[+N3urom4ncer]

What are they, how do you do them, basic info! Thanks alot!

 

They are a little bit like multi's in that you have to start at one location and finish in another. You must have a Wherigo enabled device in order to download and play the cartridge, which is just an electronic file that the device can recognize. There is no physical cartridge that you carry or plug into your device.

 

I have an Oregon 400t, so downloading and playing the cartridges is a snap for me. I've only been able to complete one so far, so I'm no expert, but here's what I gleaned from that experience.

 

Once you have a cartridge loaded, you run the Wherigo player and it directs you to the coordinates of the starting point. Here is where it is different from a multi. You must physically arrive at the designated starting point with your GPSr in hand in order to "unlock" the next portion of the cartridge. It is not enough to be in the vicinity of the starting point, you pretty much have to be dead on. Once the cartridge detects that you've arrived, it opens up the next waypoint, set of instructions, etc. You may be asked to complete a task such as answering a question. In my case, simply arriving at the confluence of four trails in a state park was enough to unlock the next portion of the cartridge, though I did have to wander around a bit before it detected my arrival. Once the next waypoint is unlocked, you repeat the process until you arrive at the final location, where there should be a cache to find if it's listed on Geocaching.com.

 

The whole idea seems to be that the creator of the cartridge can leave a trail of virtual breadcrumbs/tasks that the player will follow to the final location and that the final cannot be found without completing each phase in the proper order.

 

Hope this helps.

[+tozainamboku]

Is the cartridge like a little clip or what is the cartridge?

The term cartridge came about because Jeremy and Elias saw the Wherigo player as parallel to a video game player and the software/programs that run in the player as parallel to a video game cartridge.

 

You don't actually put a cartridge into the player. You download a file from the Wherigo website and store it on your Wherigo capable device. When you start the player software on your device it will show you a list of the "cartridges" you have downloaded and you can select the one you want to play.

 

Most cartridges are meant to be played in a particular geographic location, but there are also "play anywhere" cartridges. The GPS part of the device will tell the Wherigo player where you are located and the cartdrige will use this location to determine what it does.

 

Technical details

 

The Wherigo cartridge defines zones. These are polygons defined by the coordinates of the vertices. The player will trigger an event when the user is near a zone (proximity) and when the user enters or exits a zone. The cartridge provides the actions that happen for these events - such as displaying a message to the user, getting input from the user, starting or stopping a timer, making virtual objects defined in the cartridge visible.

[ThomasFamily102]

Gotcha. Now I understand. Its kinda like playing a video game and while you walk you open up new missions. The only way you have to get those missions is by doing the first instructions and then getting the new ones. Hmm...I wonder if my gps will allow it. We have about 7 around here! Maybe I will try it out if my gps allows it. Thanks alot everyone.

[benji55545]

I'd probably do the 2 Wherigo caches near me if I had a compatible GPS, but I'm glad there aren't more nearby since I currently can't find them.

[+Tequila]

Gotcha. Now I understand. Its kinda like playing a video game and while you walk you open up new missions. The only way you have to get those missions is by doing the first instructions and then getting the new ones. Hmm...I wonder if my gps will allow it. We have about 7 around here! Maybe I will try it out if my gps allows it. Thanks alot everyone.

 

What kind of GPS do you have? You need a Garmin Oregon or Colorado. Also, some PDA's will work.

[+KeeperOfTheMist]

WM2003 (not sure about older) (no palm support) or better PDA's with a bluetooth, internal, serial, etc GPS can play them..

 

you have the basics now.. im working on on that plays kinda like an RPG in my locale (i see you happen to sort of be in), its kinda complicated in some ways and to simple in others, the basic codeing is LUA script though. im personally just waiting for it to thaw around here cause every time i try to Wherigo i freeze my hands lol.

 

mine should (keyword there) be done in about 3 months maybe 4

Edited January 24, 2010 by KeeperOfTheMist

[knowschad]

The couple that I tried during the brief time I had a Colorado reminded me very much of the old text adventure games like Zork and Adventure. I don't know if they all are like that, but that was my impression.

[Clan Riffster]

I was introduced to Wherigos by one of our reviewers, who accompanied me and some friends on a hunt for one of hers for my 1K find. She had an old Windows based PDA and a bluetooth GPS thingy that she wore on a strap around her neck. The GPS linked to the PDA, telling it where it was. The cartridge played on the PDA. She told me how much the setup cost her, but I can't remember the dollar amount. I believe it was considerably cheaper than buying a yellow E-Trex.

 

It was way freekin' kewl! I describe them as interactive multis, in that you get guided to one neat spot after another, then you have to do some task to figure out where the next kewl spot is, At least that's how I create mine to play. I own two active Wherigos, and I'm building a third. Creating the cartridges is fairly easy, even for someone like myself, a complete computer idiot, as it's mostly just click stuff and fill in blanks. There's a building tutorial that will guide you through the basics.

[+Zor]

I have built three Wherigo cartridges/caches and have had varying degrees of success with it.

 

The entire concept is really cool. You use the real world to play a "virtual" adventure. The one I am most proud of is Jacob's Bridge which is sort of a take on Mulder & Scully from The X-Files.

 

http://www.Wherigo.com/cartridge/details.a...04-ca9e5a390936

 

You basically play an investigator who needs to find and follow clues to solve a mystery of why the local sheriff went missing. In the adventure, it takes you around a local lake, a school, a dock, a park, and a nearby island. Each time you enter a new "zone" there are new things you see. Nothing real, as in no physical objects are hidden anywhere, but when the PDA/GPS figures out where you are, it enables you to pick up and use virtual objects within the "story".

 

Biggest issues with Wherigo are related to playability. You need a unit that will play the cartridges and play them well. The Oregon GPS will NOT play my Jacob's Bridge cartridge but it will play my other two. Some hardware will lock up or just work very oddly.

 

The entire concept is really cool but I think GSP dropped the ball with it and didn't really go as far as they should as it has huge potential. They are also not the easiest thing to build either.

[ThomasFamily102]

I have a garmin 660. I don't think it is capable of doing wherigos. Maybe I should upgrade!