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Ubisoft: Treasure Hunter Institute Closed Beta Invite


Bryan

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The following is being posted by Groundspeak as a courtesy to Ubisoft. I've seen the demo and it looks really cool. Please feel free to participate if you are interested:

 

Hello Geocachers!

 

The Treasure Hunter Institute team is proud to announce the launch of its Closed Beta!

 

THI is an on-line adventure game currently being developed by Ubisoft, inspired by geocaching. It is aimed to challenge your mind with puzzles and riddles combining brain power with orientation skills in a 3D world. While not focusing on a linear story progression, it provides many quests tailored to appeal to a wide range of players and promotes user content creation.

 

Join THI in the Beta phase and experience the game first-hand by playing the quests and maybe even creating some of your own. Providing feedback and suggestions to the development team is appreciated.

 

To join our Closed Beta please click on the following link: http://thi-dev.ubi.com/index/closedbeta. It is completely free to play!

 

Thanks and enjoy the game!

 

The THI team

 

Edit: Adding some photos.

 

carpet_peru.jpg

Egypt2.jpg

Peru01.jpg

Peru02.jpg

Peru03.jpg

carpet_egypt1.jpg

carpet_egypt2.jpg

Edited by Bryan
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Programmers make some pretty weird decisions at times.

 

One of them is to limit user's choices when there is no reason to do so.

 

I went to create an account and found that I can't use my chosen user name TheAlabamaRambler because they've limited the length of user names.

 

I don't want another user name, I've had this one since way before geocaching (before small computers, in fact!) and don't want another, so I will pass on their game.

 

I suspect a number of geocachers referred by this site to theirs won't be happy about that limitation.

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Programmers make some pretty weird decisions at times.

 

One of them is to limit user's choices when there is no reason to do so.

 

I went to create an account and found that I can't use my chosen user name TheAlabamaRambler because they've limited the length of user names.

 

I don't want another user name, I've had this one since way before geocaching (before small computers, in fact!) and don't want another, so I will pass on their game.

 

I suspect a number of geocachers referred by this site to theirs won't be happy about that limitation.

 

Sometimes users make weird decisions too. :P

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Not happy about disclosing name, gender and date of birth, have these people never heard of identity theft. Also it's necessary to enter all of these before finallly being told that your proposed userID is already in use. No thanks, I'll pass.

 

It's a closed beta. Chances are there's a NDA, so yeah they have to know who you really are. I can't access the link from here, does it re-route you to a secure server to gather the information?

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Not happy about disclosing name, gender and date of birth, have these people never heard of identity theft. Also it's necessary to enter all of these before finallly being told that your proposed userID is already in use. No thanks, I'll pass.

 

It's a closed beta. Chances are there's a NDA, so yeah they have to know who you really are. I can't access the link from here, does it re-route you to a secure server to gather the information?

Did not see it as a secure site when I just faked a registration, but I did not complete it. You will be asked to agree to an NDA. I've done some beta testing for them in the past and have always been under an NDA each time (one reason why I am registered already).

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Programmers make some pretty weird decisions at times.

 

One of them is to limit user's choices when there is no reason to do so.

 

I went to create an account and found that I can't use my chosen user name TheAlabamaRambler because they've limited the length of user names.

 

I don't want another user name, I've had this one since way before geocaching (before small computers, in fact!) and don't want another, so I will pass on their game.

 

I suspect a number of geocachers referred by this site to theirs won't be happy about that limitation.

That would probably be a bit of information that they would appreciate hearing about. Since this is a beta test version, they very well may increase the size of their username column.
Link to comment
Programmers make some pretty weird decisions at times.

 

One of them is to limit user's choices when there is no reason to do so.

 

I went to create an account and found that I can't use my chosen user name TheAlabamaRambler because they've limited the length of user names.

 

I don't want another user name, I've had this one since way before geocaching (before small computers, in fact!) and don't want another, so I will pass on their game.

 

I suspect a number of geocachers referred by this site to theirs won't be happy about that limitation.

That would probably be a bit of information that they would appreciate hearing about. Since this is a beta test version, they very well may increase the size of their username column.

 

Most dev teams look for a little flexibility and cooperation from beta testers. I don't think they will waste time making sure that a few users can get their pony with just the right shade of rainbow sparkle when it's not worth the resources.

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Programmers make some pretty weird decisions at times.

 

One of them is to limit user's choices when there is no reason to do so.

 

I went to create an account and found that I can't use my chosen user name TheAlabamaRambler because they've limited the length of user names.

 

I don't want another user name, I've had this one since way before geocaching (before small computers, in fact!) and don't want another, so I will pass on their game.

 

I suspect a number of geocachers referred by this site to theirs won't be happy about that limitation.

That would probably be a bit of information that they would appreciate hearing about. Since this is a beta test version, they very well may increase the size of their username column.

 

Most dev teams look for a little flexibility and cooperation from beta testers. I don't think they will waste time making sure that a few users can get their pony with just the right shade of rainbow sparkle when it's not worth the resources.

"TheAlabamaRambler" is a 17 character name. And a user name can (and probably would) be stored once, in a separate table, represented by a foreign key. No big deal, unless screen space is the problem, and that isn't very likely.

 

Of course, we know him (affectionately, of course!) as TAR, so perhaps they only need a 3 char column.

Edited by knowschad
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Hello everyone,

 

First of all, thank you for your interest in Treasure Hunter Institute!

 

We are working hard to offer a game based and built around one of the most spread outdoor activities that is geocaching. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

My name is Alexia and I will do my best to help you out. Feel free to ask me anything!

 

Programmers make some pretty weird decisions at times.

One of them is to limit user's choices when there is no reason to do so.

I went to create an account and found that I can't use my chosen user name TheAlabamaRambler because they've limited the length of user names.

I don't want another user name, I've had this one since way before geocaching (before small computers, in fact!) and don't want another, so I will pass on their game.

I suspect a number of geocachers referred by this site to theirs won't be happy about that limitation.

Mister TheAlabamaRambler, I am pretty impressed by your caching log! I am quite new to this, but I still see a very strong passion for geocaching! I also very much understand your affection for your nickname. Unfortunately, we had to set a limit to the number of characters due to interface design purpose, and we went for the industry’s standard which is 15 characters. So in answer to Knowschad also (side note – I love the Twin Cities, Minnesota must be an awesome place for geocaching!), we won’t extend the number of usable characters. I really hope you will still give our game a chance, as I am sure we would greatly benefit from your experience!

 

Not happy about disclosing name, gender and date of birth, have these people never heard of identity theft. Also it's necessary to enter all of these before finallly being told that your proposed userID is already in use. No thanks, I'll pass.

Kryten, as Castle Mischief and mtn-man mentioned, there is a Non Disclosure Agreement in relation to the game – we don’t share the data we have about you! The only use we have of it, is getting to know you better in order to serve you the best way possible. If you need any additional information, please don’t hesitate to send me a private message!

 

And Castle Mischief, “gg” I should say, it actually is the Far Cry engine :blink:

 

Again, feel free to ask any question, share any concern or even your experience in the game! THI is constantly evolving, and we really want it to go in the best direction for you.

 

Thank you very much & have a great week-end,

 

Alexia

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Both my husband and I created an ubi.com account 2 days ago. Now we're wondering how long we'll have to wait for an email with further instructions/download link/rejection/whatever/something?

 

Edited to add: Spam filter has been checked and has been found empty

Edited by BoMS
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I .. I .. :blink:

 

I'm going to be sucked into playing games again. I just know it.

 

It looks A W E S O M E !

 

Wow. Gotta download this thing tonight. Busy weekend, but I'll find some space, somewhere to squeeze this in.

 

edit: Ooop. I see I have to register and receive invite and stuff. Well, that has to happen from Tiamat (the home computer.)

Edited by DragonsWest
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How funny. I have had a Ubisoft account for years and it is apparently still active. Thanks Bryan.

Me too, but it was probably under one of the teams I belonged to, and I have no idea what they were. I was big into Ghost Recon back in the day...still have it installed and play against the computer every so often but not online anymore.

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Wow, it is really nice seeing that kind of interest in Treasure Hunter Institute! This is exactly what we are aiming for, in order to provide you with an awesome experience treasure hunting :(

 

First of all, regarding the Mac OS availability. Thanks power69 for offering this suggestion, but to answer TheHappyWanderer and sabrefan7 – it is not directly in our plans making a mac-compatible version, but who knows about the future? The only thing I can say, is that we will make sure you hear about it!

 

Regarding downloading time – Scooter Ride; it should take less time than that to download our game! Are you sure your internet connection is at its best? On the other hand, I can also say that it is worth the wait, as in unlike other downloadable games, the next updates you will be facing are very light and should not take more than a few minutes to get end install. Of course, I can say it is worth the initial effort :D

 

BoMS: Your access has been granted – welcome on THI! Enjoy the treasure hunt & various quests at your disposal! Feel free to be creative, create your own, and share feedback.

 

In regards to logging in to your Ubi.com account, Skippermark I would say it is time you get back into the wonderful world of Ubisoft community! Ok this put aside – whether you find your credentials back or not, and maybe wish to create a new account, we simplified the registration process at this address - http://thi-dev.ubi.com/index/closedbeta – it shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes to get a new account! Thanks, and welcome back I’d say.

 

FireRef – the turnaround time is based on when you register, and whether you are on the same timeframe as us or not. Hence, it takes from 1h to 12h to be granted the access! To our fellow adventurers in North and South America, the best thing to do to get a fast answer is registering during the morning.

 

My final comment will go to DragonsWest – It is awesome reading your reaction, this is what we aim for as a standard among our users! Hopefully we won’t let you down, and of course – please, do share your feedback! We won’t risk facing Tiamat’s anger! :angry:

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BoMS: Your access has been granted – welcome on THI! Enjoy the treasure hunt & various quests at your disposal! Feel free to be creative, create your own, and share feedback.

Thanks, but neither my husband (DKgiz) or I (M3tt3S) has received an email with instructions on how to proceed. Our spam filters are empty. When we log in to ubi.com we're led through the last part of the registration process again (uploading the diagX file) and then we get the message to wait for a mail.

 

Are we doing something wrong?

 

\Mette

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Hello Geocachers;

 

We hear you, thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback!

 

PGgeodude, thanks for mentioning that, as it is something we really want to insist on – we don’t sell your info or use them in any inappropriate way (advertising etc.)! We really want you to benefit from the entire experience, and not regret helping on making this game a great place for you to get entertained the way you want it. Don’t hesitate to PM me if you want more information!

 

MaxiP – I am quite sad reading your comment, but actually happy you shared it. Whether you chose to give it another try in the future or not, I would actually really love it if you’d spare a couple minutes of your time to PM me what displeased you in THI. Your feedback is very welcome, from any of you, be it positive or negative! We work hard on improving the overall experience and fine tune it to fit as many of you as possible!

 

To everyone else, we are checking on our side that the registration process isn’t facing any bugs.

My best advice here is if you haven’t heard from us in the next 24h following your registration, please don’t hesitate to PM me with the username you chose so we can grant you direct access to the game! We are making our best to be as reactive as possible, so don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

Thank you all for your involvement, and wishing you a great day!

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Hello Geocachers, good day to you!

 

Important thing I’d like to share: I have seen some of you mentioned facing a connection loss when trying to download the game.

If that happen(ed/s) to you, please make sure to PM me with your location and Internet Service Provider so we are able to improve our service, and get back to you ASAP!

 

Also, many of you have been great enough to share some issues and sticky bits, helping us release an update which corrects among other things:

- the problem when keys were repeating themselves (because of low frame rate) is not there anymore;

- The shovel position is correct again, you don’t hold it by the blade anymore [awkwardness fixed];

- You can now write using your keyboard on puzzles;

- The shop buying system and layout have been improved;

- You can now use the in-game subscribe button;

- Finding new treasure hunts is now easier!;

- The race timer is now fully functional;

- You get to move around more smoothly and easily;

- And finally, we improved the loading time and fixed a ton of minor bugs – the game will crash way less and you’ll access it faster!

 

As always, we are working hard to bring you the best time around on THI, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts, via this forum, the game’s reporting tool or private messages to me.

 

Thank you for those who shared all this feedback already, and we really hope this last version will be even greater to you than the previous one!

 

Alexia

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Good morning everyone! ;)

 

Just thought I would share a screenshot from the game, as pictures will always be better than words.

Basically what you are seeing below is my character doing a quest, The Furnace Of The Gods!

You get to see my awesome quad! :P

 

quest3_2.jpg

 

We have released a new update that fixes the following problems that you have reported to us and also incorporates some of your feedback (like the handbrake):

 

- Fixed the stuck problem with the containers

- The “remember me” tick-box is now kept and your account information saved

- Improved the character animations

- Added handbrake functionality for vehicles – you can now handbrake with Right Shift

- Added new sounds

 

And we have introduced new treasure hunts!

Gunpowder: Can you solve the puzzle and the navigation challenge for this geocaching-style quest?

Average Cache: Put your decryption skills to the test in this geocache-like quest.

 

We are constantly working on making this as interesting and entertaining as possible to all of you, hence our focus on offering a rich content.

 

Feel free to try them out and share your thoughts!

 

Have a great day,

 

Alexia

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the only thing I would say is that there really SHOULD be a better tutorial in the game for the first quest....really walk through the buttons and everything. My walkthrough bubbles stopped after I opened the carpet the first time.

 

I figured it out eventually, but for about 15 minutes I was really getting annoyed with things not making sense.

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Hello everyone!

 

We are very pleased at THI’s HQ to see that many of you, the geocaching.com community members, are joining us in this Beta experience and that you are enjoying it! Feel free to spread the news among other members; the more the merrier since YOU are making it a great experience, and there’s plenty of room in the beta!

 

Meanwhile, rest assured we’ve read all the feedback and messages posted here.

 

To blubalu and Mongo1965, and everybody else not using a Windows operating system, we’d like to reaffirm that we’re definitely not ruling out Mac OS or Linux versions of the game but we are currently working really hard on the Windows platform. You guys can try running the game in Wine or any emulation software you’re comfortable with.

 

Ashallond, thank you very much for your feedback. We are working on improving the “training” part within the game and any detailed feedback would help a lot. In the meantime you can check out the THI Game Guide here.

 

Sithlock Holmes, thank you for reporting the issue. The patch we have released today fixes the problem; start the game and the update will be automatically downloaded. Then you will be able to enjoy all of the available quests.

 

So just what does this update bring? Here are some of the problems fixed thanks to your reports:

  • The error when trying to download quest has been fixed.
  • Fixed a lot of issues on the networking side. The game should run smoother now in poor network conditions.
  • Polished some Treasure Hunts.
  • Improved the looks of the Peru region.
  • Added new sounds for better immersion.

We have also added a new quest to the game called Change of Plans. This quest is a cool mix of puzzles in two-dimensional and three-dimensional settings with a sprinkle of math on top. Here’s a screenshot from one area you’ll visit during the quest and one of the mysterious objects you get to interact with.

 

THI_27_10.jpg

 

Try it and tell us what you think via the Feedback button in the game or on the THI official forum!

 

Keep exploring and sending us feedback! Treasure Hunter Institute is growing with you each day!

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This sounded great :laughing: so I followed the link, setup an account and waited for the answering email. Got the email the next day. Followed the link, signed in and started the download. WAIT A SECOND! 17 HOURS TO DOWNLOAD B) .

 

May try again late at night or very early morning but can't and won't spend 17 hours :unsure:

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Hello again Treasure Hunters! Have you been questing today? We have!

 

First of all, let me clarify dreamarcher’s question about the cost of the game. Treasure Hunter Institute is indeed based on microtransactions. The game is free to play and you can enjoy a great deal of it without paying. But for special perks (like cool vehicles, excellent equipment, access to advanced game areas) you spend game credits which you buy with real money.

But for now, everything in the game is free and will be during the whole closed beta phase! Because that is what a beta is about, right? :unsure:

 

During this phase, your help and feedback is highly valuable to us. We make sure the game runs smoothly for all, dig out the most interesting features and are sure to listen to all your suggestions.

 

For you this phase is not only a sneak-peak at an upcoming game, it also gives you the freedom to enjoy the entire THI experience to the fullest. You can try everything free of charge! And we’re constantly adding new quests so there’s always something to do!

 

So here’s the brief on the Treasure Hunter Institute beta:

  • we’re concentrating on fixing the issues
  • we’re adding content and we’re encouraging you to do the same
  • everything is free, no micropayments/subscription required during the closed beta
  • explore all of the available areas, no regions are locked (including the VIP areas, the tickets are free)

We hope you have a lot of fun in the game and please keep the feedback coming!

Edited by huntinalx
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Huntinalx: While I'm not participating in the beta testing of this interesting-sounding game (cos I'm, ahem, on a Mac), as a marketing communications professional, I am really impressed with your communication skills. Frequent feedback and updates, well-written and detailed, individually addressing people's comments, always polite and helpful. Just wow. :unsure:

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Dropping by to wish you all a pleasant geocaching time during the weekend! Maybe you’ll sneak in at least a couple of hours playing Treasure Hunter Institute during the next two days? We can only hope. :D

 

captnemo, the game download should take much less than that! To make sure there’s no problem on our side, please send me via PM your location and internet service provider so we may check with our service provider.

 

And thank you for the kind words, hydnsek. We aim at being close to you, it’s what THI is about and we want excellent communication with all the players along with excellent gameplay!

We really appreciated your comment indeed – especially since you know what we are facing, and have such a great and long experience with geocaching! It is kind of a pity not having you join us, hopefully in the near future.

 

TGIF, so have a great week-end, and time treasure hunting – whether virtual or in real life!

 

Cheers,

 

Alexia

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Hello geocachers, good day to you!

 

I have a quick announcement to make, unfortunately you won’t be able to access THI this night (November 2nd, 2010), following this schedule:

  • Pacific time (San Francisco etc.): from 1am to 7am
  • Mountain time (Denver etc.): from 2am to 8am
  • Central time (Minneapolis / Austin etc.): from 3am to 9am
  • Eastern time (Montreal / NY): from 4am to 10am
  • London: 9am to 3pm
  • Paris: 10am to 4pm

This is due to maintenance, a most needed step to provide you with the best treasure hunting sessions possible!

 

We apologize for holding that shovel back from you for that time being :antenna: but we shall see you back on tracks as soon as this little delay is over!

 

Thank you for understanding, and again, don’t hesitate to share any feedback you might have - as well as a huge THANK YOU to all of you who have already done so! We are learning and improving Treasure Hunter Institute so much thanks to it!

 

Have a great beginning of week!

 

Alexia

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Hello everyone! I can tell you it’s been a long day for us, knowing you weren’t able to go enjoy Treasure Hunter Institute for a couple hours. But good news: our systems are back online and the vast unexplored lands of Egypt and Peru are open again!

 

So let’s meet there and try the “Simon Says” treasure hunt created by one of our fellow adventurers! It’s set in Egypt and it starts here, at the entrance of Nefertiti’s Temple.

 

THI_02-11.jpg

 

Be kind, and please rate the quest after completing it!

 

See you on THI and let’s go exploring and treasure hunting! Cheers!

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Hello geocachers!

 

We want to thank you again for being part of the Treasure Hunter Institute beta test!

 

The feedback you keep sending every day helps us shape the game into a truly original experience. And we hope you are having a great time playing THI for free!

 

Here is what you will find on the latest version of the game:

• Improved button feedback

• Changed the avatar creation menu

• Fixed publishing crash

• Rearranged some items in creator mode

• Improved the decal system

• Terrain decals are now shown correctly

• The group menu no longer disappears after disconnect

• Fixed some small issues on the treasure hunting end sequence

• Fixed a lot of Level Design issues on Peru map

• Solved the issue with controls getting stuck

• Tweaked the metal detectors range

• Added new sounds to the game

• Added new vegetation models

• Now, double clicking on your avatar logs you right in the game

 

Don’t forget, the best way to get in contact with us is through our forums at http://thi-dev.ubi.com/forums/forum.php

 

And there’s plenty of room left so be kind and spread the word about THI. After all, our game is an MMO, so the more – the merrier!

 

Just share this link: http://thi-dev.ubi.com/index/closedbeta

 

Have a great week-end geocaching, and see you on THI! :D

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