Turning GPS off during a Wherigo experience

[+Master Mariner]

I am planning a Wherigo that has a "no-go" zone, ie the user has to pass the zone somehow. This can involve a long detour around it, find a way to pass it or, possibly turn off their GPS, whilst they walk across it. I don't mind the user using the long route or finding an alternative but think turning off the GPS is not on.

 

The question is, can the Wherigo be checked to see if the user turned the GPS off to easily pass the "no-go" zone? If this is possible, how is it detected and how can the cartridge be reset so the user has to re-do the zone prior to the "no-go" zone.

 

Thanks in advance.

[+webscouter.]

I'm not a Wherigo guru by any means, but couldn't you just create a zone that if they enter it it causes a state that won't let them continue without going back to a starting point?

 

If they enter the zone have a variable that causes the next zone to lead them right back to the prior zone.

[+Master Mariner]

I'm not a Wherigo guru by any means, but couldn't you just create a zone that if they enter it it causes a state that won't let them continue without going back to a starting point?

 

If they enter the zone have a variable that causes the next zone to lead them right back to the prior zone.

 

I had considered something along those lines. What I am trying to do is create a zone that is in the middle of a river and they have to enter it. That can be done by ferry so is not a problem. I then want to make that zone a "no-go" zone so that, if they get the ferry back, they have to go back and find another route. There is a foot tunnel, under the river, that will allow them to by-pass the "no-go" zone. That is what I want them to do as the GPS will lose its signal and pick it up again when they exit the tunnel.

 

What I don't want is for someone to use the surface route to get back but avoid the "no-go" zone by turning off their GPS.

 

I hope that makes sense of what I am trying to achieve.

[+TheHarvesters]

I'm not a Wherigo guru by any means, but couldn't you just create a zone that if they enter it it causes a state that won't let them continue without going back to a starting point?

 

If they enter the zone have a variable that causes the next zone to lead them right back to the prior zone.

 

I had considered something along those lines. What I am trying to do is create a zone that is in the middle of a river and they have to enter it. That can be done by ferry so is not a problem. I then want to make that zone a "no-go" zone so that, if they get the ferry back, they have to go back and find another route. There is a foot tunnel, under the river, that will allow them to by-pass the "no-go" zone. That is what I want them to do as the GPS will lose its signal and pick it up again when they exit the tunnel.

 

What I don't want is for someone to use the surface route to get back but avoid the "no-go" zone by turning off their GPS.

 

I hope that makes sense of what I am trying to achieve.

 

I'm not a Wherigo expert either, but could you use an altitude check? Others in this forum may be able to advise on how to do that technically, but its possible that it would be a way to detect where they really are...

[+Master Mariner]

I'm not a Wherigo guru by any means, but couldn't you just create a zone that if they enter it it causes a state that won't let them continue without going back to a starting point?

 

If they enter the zone have a variable that causes the next zone to lead them right back to the prior zone.

 

I had considered something along those lines. What I am trying to do is create a zone that is in the middle of a river and they have to enter it. That can be done by ferry so is not a problem. I then want to make that zone a "no-go" zone so that, if they get the ferry back, they have to go back and find another route. There is a foot tunnel, under the river, that will allow them to by-pass the "no-go" zone. That is what I want them to do as the GPS will lose its signal and pick it up again when they exit the tunnel.

 

What I don't want is for someone to use the surface route to get back but avoid the "no-go" zone by turning off their GPS.

 

I hope that makes sense of what I am trying to achieve.

 

I'm not a Wherigo expert either, but could you use an altitude check? Others in this forum may be able to advise on how to do that technically, but its possible that it would be a way to detect where they really are...

 

I don't know if that would work as the entrance to the foot tunnel is higher than the river level and the GPS would probably lose its signal as the tunnel was entered so any change in elevation would not be detected. Nice idea though!

[+TheHarvesters]

 

I don't know if that would work as the entrance to the foot tunnel is higher than the river level and the GPS would probably lose its signal as the tunnel was entered so any change in elevation would not be detected. Nice idea though!

Is it possible to use that loss of signal to your advantage.

 

I'd originally thought you could say "if altitude on water then.... else ....", but thinking about it, a loss of signal may retain the surface level altitude in memory...?!

[Ranger Fox]

Honestly, I don't think is 100% infallible. However, I'll throw in one situation and a suggestion I have.

 

Regardless of anything else, you have to have a GPS signal before you get to the no-go zone. For most of the Players I'm familiar with, you have to exit the Player to turn the GPS reception off. Thus, when a player saves his or her game, you could determine what the last visited zone was (if they're near the no-go zone) and require, upon resumption, the player start from this zone.

 

I know you can turn the GPS off using the iPhone 4 and any device with a Bluetooth GPSr. So, what to do about this? Perhaps you could have an invisible zone on the side of the no-go zone, some place the person is guaranteed to step within a hundred feet or thirty yards of. If this zone's OnProximity event fires, it means the person probably didn't go into the no-go zone. You could then deactivate the zone. When the person hits the next visible zone after the no-go zone, you could check that invisible zone's active state. (Alternately, setting a flag is fine, but this suggestion cuts that out as it's an unnecessary step.)

 

The altitude check might be fine, but I'm concerned some older Bluetooth GPS receivers might not report the altitude.

[+sTeamTraen]

I don't think you can generally prove the negative ("they didn't go into that zone"), but perhaps you can enumerate the plausible paths for coming back across the river and have the game insist that the player visit one of those after taking the ferry. For example, you could set zones at either end of the tunnel and only unlock the next part of the cart if the player has gone (ferry), (ferry end of tunnel), (non-ferry end of tunnel). Sure, they could use the ferry, come back, switch the GPS off, walk through the tunnel, switch the GPS on, and walk back, but there comes a point where you're stalking them.

[+Master Mariner]

Ranger Fox/sTeamTraen

 

Thanks to you both for your suggestions that have given me an insight into how this can be done. Looks like I will be doing a bit of extensive ferry riding and tunnel walking to do the testing. Today the Woolwich Ferry tomorrow the English Channel - joking of course!

 

MM