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Should Wherigo be grandfathered?


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I'm starting to think they should.

 

The build platform is no longer supported by Groundspeak (hasn't been for years as far as I can tell) and they do not allow us to link to the other more useful builders which independent parties have put considerable time and effort into. E.g. I created our very first Wherigo cache recently and was told that it couldn't be published until I removed all mention of third party builders (Wherigo\\kit) and links to apps in the app store and google play which allow you to actually find these cache types.

 

Apparently this is in the interests of Groundspeak who want to "keep" their hold on the market product (which is not supported)

 

We love finding Wherigo caches but it is only possible with a specific make of GPS or a smartphone so the apps are indispensable for us poorer folk.

 

Creating them is even more specialist than finding them so let's get them grandfathered and enjoy picking out the last few just like we do with virtuals!

 

Input?

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I'm starting to think they should.

 

The build platform is no longer supported by Groundspeak (hasn't been for years as far as I can tell) and they do not allow us to link to the other more useful builders which independent parties have put considerable time and effort into. E.g. I created our very first Wherigo cache recently and was told that it couldn't be published until I removed all mention of third party builders (Wherigo\\kit) and links to apps in the app store and google play which allow you to actually find these cache types.

 

Apparently this is in the interests of Groundspeak who want to "keep" their hold on the market product (which is not supported)

 

We love finding Wherigo caches but it is only possible with a specific make of GPS or a smartphone so the apps are indispensable for us poorer folk.

 

Creating them is even more specialist than finding them so let's get them grandfathered and enjoy picking out the last few just like we do with virtuals!

 

Input?

 

Is Wherigo similar to scavenger hunts on Waymarking? Maybe Wherigo's could just be moved to the Waymarking site along with the other virtual geocaches like web cams. :)

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I'm starting to think they should.

 

The build platform is no longer supported by Groundspeak (hasn't been for years as far as I can tell) and they do not allow us to link to the other more useful builders which independent parties have put considerable time and effort into. E.g. I created our very first Wherigo cache recently and was told that it couldn't be published until I removed all mention of third party builders (Wherigo\\kit) and links to apps in the app store and google play which allow you to actually find these cache types.

 

Apparently this is in the interests of Groundspeak who want to "keep" their hold on the market product (which is not supported)

 

We love finding Wherigo caches but it is only possible with a specific make of GPS or a smartphone so the apps are indispensable for us poorer folk.

 

Creating them is even more specialist than finding them so let's get them grandfathered and enjoy picking out the last few just like we do with virtuals!

 

Input?

 

If we "grandfathered" everything that some people claim to be too poor to use, we wouldn't have any geocaches left.

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Is Wherigo similar to scavenger hunts on Waymarking? Maybe Wherigo's could just be moved to the Waymarking site along with the other virtual geocaches like web cams. :)

 

No, nothing like Waymarking. It would just be an impediment to the Waymarkers out there. They would have to be sent to a sister site for example "wherigos'were'us" or some such

 

but do still keep them open to cachers with "smart" devices please

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was told that it couldn't be published until I removed all mention of third party builders (Wherigo\\kit) and links to apps in the app store and google play which allow you to actually find these cache types.

 

 

I suspect the response would be the same if you put on your page "use a Garmin or Magellan GPS", so I don't think this part is specific to Wherigos.

 

As for the wider picture Groundspeak seem to have let Wherigo drift rudderless since their spat with Garmin and Garmin dropping the support, but I wouldn't want to see them grandfathered. There is a group called the "Wherigo Foundation" who are trying to move it forward.

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I enjoy both finding and creating Wherigos (I own 2 Wherigo caches), so I would like them to continue.

 

It is true that Groundspeak pretty much abandoned the tools themselves (the builder still works, but isn't actively supported), but there are third party tools and others who have kept it going. With the rise in Smartphones, there are an increasing number of people with the devices to play it.

 

And for those who haven't done Wherigos.. it is not like Waymarking. It is like doing a multi cache (or multi stage puzzle cache) but with an added interactive element.

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Is Wherigo similar to scavenger hunts on Waymarking? Maybe Wherigo's could just be moved to the Waymarking site along with the other virtual geocaches like web cams. :)

 

No, nothing like Waymarking. It would just be an impediment to the Waymarkers out there. They would have to be sent to a sister site for example "wherigos'were'us" or some such

 

but do still keep them open to cachers with "smart" devices please

 

I'll have to complete a Wherigo do say for sure, but from what I understand from two cities that I have visited a Wherigo is sort of a walking tour in a historic part of town. So I see it very much like Waymarking. If you gather information along the walking tour, I likely have Waymarked the same items of interst.

 

Looks like I need to download the app for my android or tablet?

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I'll have to complete a Wherigo do say for sure, but from what I understand from two cities that I have visited a Wherigo is sort of a walking tour in a historic part of town. So I see it very much like Waymarking. If you gather information along the walking tour, I likely have Waymarked the same items of interst.

 

Looks like I need to download the app for my android or tablet?

 

You could make a similar statement that many multi caches take you around on a walking tour. Or even a traditional cache which is by a place of interest.

 

Wherigos are as varied as the owners who create them. The most simple ones have stages where you are directed from one stage to another, and at each you do something. That something might be get some information off sign or building. It might be to interact with objects in the "story" itself; e.g. in one of mine you collect some pigs, you go to an apple orchard to pick apples to feed them, you fight off some wolves, and eventually the pigs lead you to their treasure.

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I don't believe you mean "grandfathered". It sounds like you mean "retired".

Grandfathered makes sense. Existing Wherigo would continue to exist until they get archived. Just no new Wherigo caches.

 

But I'm not sure the point of this. It seems you can setup a mystery type cache that depends on playing a Wherigo. Sure the guidelines say that the information needed to solve a mystere cache must be available to the general community and the puzzle should be solvable from the information provided on the cache page, and that caches that require the installing or running of data and/or executables will likely not be published. But the evidence is that various types of caches exist that rely on people using a particular GPS (e.g. 'Chirp' caches) or use some smartphone app that doesn't require registration or collect personal information. While you might need an account to download Wherigo, it can be stated that geocachers already have this account. It isn't clear at all that just grandfathering the Wherigo type would stop new Wherigo caches, or that Groundspeak would even want to consider tightening the guidelines on app use or special equipment any more than they already have.

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To the OP, it's not clear to me why you want them "grandfathered" (i.e. stop allowing new ones, allow the existing ones to continue).

 

Specifically to your point

We love finding Wherigo caches but it is only possible with a specific make of GPS or a smartphone so the apps are indispensable for us poorer folk.

 

It is smartphones that are making them more accessible than ever. I understand they cost more than "dumb" phones and not everyone has one. But I believe they are more common than

 

- Devices which can find "chirps"

- NFC capable devices

 

for example.

 

As for

 

I created our very first Wherigo cache recently and was told that it couldn't be published until I removed all mention of third party builders (Wherigo\\kit) and links to apps in the app store and google play which allow you to actually find these cache types.

 

That is standard commercial guidelines (which have been toughened). It is no different than if you hide a NFC cache; you can't list devices it runs on.

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I'm just now starting to feel like finding and creating a Wherigo of my own is within grasp because of the smartphone apps and 3rd party programs to create the cartridges. So... Perhaps just have Groundspeak renew their support instead?

 

I think that Wherigo can be great, and also appease people like Cezanne, who want a way to be sure someone goes to all of the stages of a multi (or does so in a specific time limit!). :laughing:

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I created our very first Wherigo cache recently and was told that it couldn't be published until I removed all mention of third party builders (Wherigo\\kit) and links to apps in the app store and google play which allow you to actually find these cache types.
I think this is the real issue. If the cache type is going to continue, then owners of Wherigo caches should be able to help potential seekers find the tools they need to play their Wherigo cartridges.

 

Maybe there's a neutral site that Wherigo caches could link to, perhaps the Wherigo Foundation, or the Wherigo page on Wikipedia. Because the Help Center and the Wherigo.com site are clearly inadequate, making no mention of the current smartphone apps.

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I don't think GS needs to list and try to keep current lists of apps/players/support for the assorted devices (including smartphones) that are out there.

 

Go to your favorite app store, type Wherigo in the search bar, and you will be presented with a list of options, not any different than if you were looking for a sudoku game.

 

Only since the addition of smartphone platforms have very many folks at all been able to even try Wherigo's. And the percentage of Wherigo's compared to any other cache type is very low.

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I'll have to complete a Wherigo do say for sure, but from what I understand from two cities that I have visited a Wherigo is sort of a walking tour in a historic part of town. So I see it very much like Waymarking. If you gather information along the walking tour, I likely have Waymarked the same items of interst.

 

 

I think it is more accurate to describe Wherigo as a melding of a multi-cache and an adventure game (Zork, Myst, Adventure, etc). At the end you find a physical cache and sign a log. As you walk from waypoint to waypoint the story unfolds on the GPS or phone. Along the way you enter zones where you may have to do something physical (find a hidden waypoint) or something imaginary ("pick up" or "use" a game element). As an example, perhaps the story is to complete an eco adventure where you climb a mountain and white water raft to a camp where you register at the lodge (sign the cache log). Along the way you might "pick up" some or all of rope, life jacket, oars, lunch, GPS. On your hunt you encounter problems (did you put on the life jacket before entering the raft?) and must decide which item, if any, to use. Pick the wrong option and you "die" and will need to restart the quest at the first waypoint. Then you must revisit each area because the options are location dependent.

 

This is loosely based on the one I was able to do. I don't have a compatible device so I had to do it with a friend. The eTrex 10/20/30 do not support Wherigo, so even having a current device does not necessarily make the cache accessible. Because I have only done one, I'll let others chime it to add details or correct errors I have made.

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It seems to me that there may be an opportunity here. Suppose someone spun up a separate Wherigo as a Groundpeak partner and Wherigo's were migrated to that new site. Getting a few people the further the development of Wherigo support, endorse Wherigo applications available on different platforms and it could become it's own location based game. This is not without precedent. One of our forum participants developed Intercaching, a cache that is actually fairly similar to wherigos but lives on a separate site.

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Leave them alone. One near me was published around a year ago. There are two others published about a month ago about 60 miles from me. I look forward to going for them.

None of those three mention other websites on the cache page, nor other links like the OP mentioned. Maybe the links and references are his issue.

 

If you want to place and publish a Wherigo, just do it, and like all other caches, don't link to or reference sites that may be promoting some agenda or commercially competitive product or service. People will find a way to complete the cache or they will ignore it. like chirp caches, or Challenge caches, or some puzzles, etc.

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I'll have to complete a Wherigo do say for sure, but from what I understand from two cities that I have visited a Wherigo is sort of a walking tour in a historic part of town. So I see it very much like Waymarking. If you gather information along the walking tour, I likely have Waymarked the same items of interst.

 

 

I think it is more accurate to describe Wherigo as a melding of a multi-cache and an adventure game (Zork, Myst, Adventure, etc). At the end you find a physical cache and sign a log. As you walk from waypoint to waypoint the story unfolds on the GPS or phone. Along the way you enter zones where you may have to do something physical (find a hidden waypoint) or something imaginary ("pick up" or "use" a game element). As an example, perhaps the story is to complete an eco adventure where you climb a mountain and white water raft to a camp where you register at the lodge (sign the cache log). Along the way you might "pick up" some or all of rope, life jacket, oars, lunch, GPS. On your hunt you encounter problems (did you put on the life jacket before entering the raft?) and must decide which item, if any, to use. Pick the wrong option and you "die" and will need to restart the quest at the first waypoint. Then you must revisit each area because the options are location dependent.

 

This is loosely based on the one I was able to do. I don't have a compatible device so I had to do it with a friend. The eTrex 10/20/30 do not support Wherigo, so even having a current device does not necessarily make the cache accessible. Because I have only done one, I'll let others chime it to add details or correct errors I have made.

 

Now after you explain it that way I have a better understanding. They sound awful, and from looking at the very few near me and past logs... They don't sound very interesting to me.

Looks like the Wherigo is problematic with few interested in making them better.

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MPH, I've completed one Wherigo, and have had a friend describe 2 or 3 others that he completed while across the state.  In these, when you got to one 'stage' the GPS (or smartphone via an app) would ask a question of something there (like what year is the date on a plaque). After choosing the correct answer, it would then direct you to the next stage. Repeat until you get to the final location and there you find the container. Actually, they are sort of like a high-tech multi cache.<br>

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I don't believe you mean "grandfathered". It sounds like you mean "retired".

Grandfathered makes sense. Existing Wherigo would continue to exist until they get archived. Just no new Wherigo caches.

That's exactly why he suggested "retired": you're proposing that wherigos as a class be retired but you're only talking about the fact that when they are retired, existing wherigos would be grandfathered. Talking about just grandfathering puts the cart in front of the horse.

 

I've never done a Wherigo, but they've gained a certain amount of popularity in my area just in the last year, so I can't see them as something that's dying out. There have also been a couple other approaches to caches which are something like Wherigo but different, so the only thing I might like to be changed is for the class to be expanded to include any "techno" on location story telling mechanism, not just specifically Wherigo. But I don't really know anything about it.

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MPH, I've completed one Wherigo, and have had a friend describe 2 or 3 others that he completed while across the state.  In these, when you got to one 'stage' the GPS (or smartphone via an app) would ask a question of something there (like what year is the date on a plaque). After choosing the correct answer, it would then direct you to the next stage. Repeat until you get to the final location and there you find the container. Actually, they are sort of like a high-tech multi cache.<br>

 

That was my first impression. I attempted one tonight, coordinates took me to a waymark. Main problem was the cartridge seems to not function?

Reading past logs, others seem to have the same/similar issue.

If Wherigo was a Garmin/Groundspeak venture,... too bad for those that enjoy them. I'm still waiting on a good Waymarking app. :laughing:

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I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the Wherigo forum.

I thought this topic was about the Wherigo cache type.

 

In fact it seem that what may be the real point being discussed are the guidelines about refering people to third party apps or websites in order to solve mystery/puzzles.

 

I'll be curious as to what the Wherigo community thinks about Geocaching guidelines. <_<

 

Or maybe I'll watch Keystone and RangerFox play "hot potato" :omnomnom:

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I like the idea of Wherigo, but hate the fact that Groundspeak tends to abandon games like benchmarking, Waymarking, Wherigo, and challenge caches. Last year, a big geo-art consisting of nothing but play at home Wherigo's were published in Georgia, which hopefully I will get to find this year.

 

And also the fact that Garmin only supported it in two models, the Colorado and Oregon 400-500 series.

Edited by gpsblake
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I don't understand the OP posting. I think Wherigos are becoming more popular. I went to the Yuma event in Arizona this last weekend and did more then 80 of them. 82 had been created just last month. Creating them through the Ranger Fox site has become so easy, that even I can do them. I am not tech geek so if I can do them anyone can. I get praises on the one I got published and I have another one I am still playing with. And because you can play them on smartphones most cachers can do them. So I don't know what you mean they should be grandfathered or retired.

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I'm starting to think they should.

 

The build platform is no longer supported by Groundspeak (hasn't been for years as far as I can tell) and they do not allow us to link to the other more useful builders which independent parties have put considerable time and effort into. E.g. I created our very first Wherigo cache recently and was told that it couldn't be published until I removed all mention of third party builders (Wherigo\\kit) and links to apps in the app store and google play which allow you to actually find these cache types.

 

Apparently this is in the interests of Groundspeak who want to "keep" their hold on the market product (which is not supported)

 

We love finding Wherigo caches but it is only possible with a specific make of GPS or a smartphone so the apps are indispensable for us poorer folk.

 

Creating them is even more specialist than finding them so let's get them grandfathered and enjoy picking out the last few just like we do with virtuals!

 

Input?

Maybe they are as popular in France. Here they seem to be growing.

Don't mention anything except where you can pick up the cartridge.

And I'm not rich but for caching I will still have a smartphone.

Edited by jellis
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I think that Wherigo can be great, and also appease people like Cezanne, who want a way to be sure someone goes to all of the stages of a multi (or does so in a specific time limit!). :laughing:

 

I'm not sure on the time limit aspect, but Wherigo's are like any other puzzle or multi in that the final is basically another geocache. Once someone has found the final, they could share that location with anyone else and you wouldn't have to go through the Wherigo portion to find the cache.

 

Personally, I wish GS would make Wherigo's into virtual caches where you just play the cartridge and at the end of the tour, you have to submit the unlock code, which would be location based and step based. That means even if someone shared the unlock code with the world, anyone who wanted to use it would have to visit the final location but it still wouldn't unlock unless they performed all the steps in the Wherigo cartridge. In essence, they'd have to complete the cartridge before the Wherigo could be unlocked and logged.

 

 

The fact that they're tied to physical containers means they're really just glorified multicaches. I love to play Wherigo's and wish there were more of them (especially when traveling) but I wouldn't mind it being a totally virtual game.

 

 

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Personally, I wish GS would make Wherigo's into virtual caches where you just play the cartridge and at the end of the tour, you have to submit the unlock code, which would be location based and step based. That means even if someone shared the unlock code with the world, anyone who wanted to use it would have to visit the final location but it still wouldn't unlock unless they performed all the steps in the Wherigo cartridge. In essence, they'd have to complete the cartridge before the Wherigo could be unlocked and logged.

 

The fact that they're tied to physical containers means they're really just glorified multicaches. I love to play Wherigo's and wish there were more of them (especially when traveling) but I wouldn't mind it being a totally virtual game.

 

That is the way Wherigo.com works today. You need to upload the completed game or unlock code to mark it as unlocked (complete) on Wherigo.com.

 

And there is no need to tie it to a physical cache.

 

However - to list it on geocaching.com, it DOES need to be tied to a physical cache. And then the geocaching.com guidelines apply, which means the cache can be found if the log is signed. There is no requirement to have the Wherigo marked as completed (unlocked) on Wherigo.com to log the cache as found on geocaching.com.

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It seems to me that there may be an opportunity here. Suppose someone spun up a separate Wherigo as a Groundpeak partner and Wherigo's were migrated to that new site. Getting a few people the further the development of Wherigo support, endorse Wherigo applications available on different platforms and it could become it's own location based game. This is not without precedent. One of our forum participants developed Intercaching, a cache that is actually fairly similar to wherigos but lives on a separate site.

 

Effectively that is happening. There are several third party builders to choose from which are well supported to create your Wherigo. And there are third party applications to play them on popular operating systems on smartphones. The cache listing remains on geocaching.com, and the Wherigo is hosted on Wherigo.com, and I don't see a need to change that.

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Now after you explain it that way I have a better understanding. They sound awful, and from looking at the very few near me and past logs... They don't sound very interesting to me.

Looks like the Wherigo is problematic with few interested in making them better.

 

Of course they are not for everyone. But have you ever done and enjoyed a really good themed multi-stage cache which told a story? Maybe you were a spy.. you found a stage with a camera containing microfilm, you found a stage with a "bomb" to defuse, etc. A Wherigo can add an interactive and multi-media (you can have sound too) experience. If you don't like those kind of themed caches, then you will probably not enjoy wherigos either.

 

They were originally mainly a Garmin thing, but now they are mainly played on smartphones, which is giving them a new lease of life.

 

They are problematic in that cache owners need to use the tools to create the game. This involves a sort of computer programming. There are tools to make this easier, but the Wherigo is only as good as the skills of the owner who created it. So sometimes they don't work.

Edited by redsox_mark
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For Manville Possum Hunters, my suggestion is to do a newer Wherigo (one published within the past couple years) instead of the older ones. The older ones tend to be a lot buggier and have issues across the platforms. Look for one with good logs too. Usually those work best and are creative in nature. Some are just "tests" to see how well they work. My favorite one was in Orlando, FL - Wheriwantago Seeking Nahn-Sea's Heart

 

At its simplest, a Wherigo will take you from virtual stage to virtual stage until you eventually reach the final stage, which has a container. At each of the virtual stages, you are sometimes required to do something, ranging the gamut from just reading the information before the next zone/stage opens up, to answering a question correctly to get the next zone/stage to open, to virtually grabbing something you'll need to drop off later, completing something in a set amount of time, etc...

 

I even know of one Wherigo that you have to have an open field to run a certain amount of distance in a certain amount of time. Making it harder are certain spots/zones/areas that are designated as zombies and if you run into them, your round is over and you have to start over again. The CO initially wanted to put it in a cemetery but it was shot down.

 

One of the added advantages of the Wherigo is that all the stages, with the exception of the final, are virtual, meaning that they can go just about anywhere, including national parks. The ONLY thing that requires a physical stage is the final zone. You could place physical stages at each of the zones but many areas don't have that type of free space.

 

One of the disadvantages, although it's getting better, is the limited playing options for equipment. Only a few Garmin units work, but smartphones, as they become more accessible to more and more people, are making this a moot point.

 

Personally, I think they're great and should continue moving forward. They're not that high with regard to numbers of Wherigos out there, but I have seen an increase in my area. Where we used to have two in a 50 mile radius, we now have 19 with a couple being archived.

 

Third party mentions have always been verboten on cache pages and this is no different.

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There are only three Wherigo's within 100 miles of me, so for now I'm just putting them on my ignore list. I know that a friend is working on one of historical interest a couple of States away, problem with that one is I don't get cell service in the area, so playing on my phone is not an option and I don't have a compatible GPS unit. :(

 

I can accept that Wherigo is not for everyone and just stick to traditional geocaching and Waymarking. :)

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Wherigos offer some of the most creative possibilities. The garmin implementation of them had a few quirks - I still have a pocket pc/gpsr that I used to use for them until the iPhone app offer offered a great alternative. No cell service is necessary for it to work.

 

Wherigos require a bit of work to create, but I loved building one following the trail of Bigfoot along some nice trails. A multi or traditional would not have allowed me to do it in the same way.

 

It is too bad that the Groundspeak builder and website site are abandoned, despite various assurances from Jeremy over the years that they have not been written off. The time has long past for Groundspeak to fully embrace the Wherigo Foundation and work out whatever IP issues are necessary.

Edited by geodarts
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There are only three Wherigo's within 100 miles of me, so for now I'm just putting them on my ignore list. I know that a friend is working on one of historical interest a couple of States away, problem with that one is I don't get cell service in the area, so playing on my phone is not an option and I don't have a compatible GPS unit. :(

 

I can accept that Wherigo is not for everyone and just stick to traditional geocaching and Waymarking. :)

That REALLY limits your options, doesn't it. My suggestion is to take a look around where you might be going for a vacation and giving those a try, if you get the chance. I've been fortunate enough to travel and do Wherigos in TX, FL, my home state of IN, and OH. I have a SC one to do this summer when we vacation in Hilton Head and visit my uncle in Charleston. Even with all my travels, I've only managed to do 32.

 

I know that when I first did a Wherigo, there was only one within 50 miles of me. I ended up creating three more in my area and within 6 months of that 2 others created 5 more, I added another one, 2 others added 8 more and I finally placed the latest one. We've gone from 1 in 2010 to 19 in 2014. It's not an explosion by any stretch of the imagination, but it's still pretty nice to see more options than just one. I usually look for Wherigos when planning our family's summer vacation (or any other vacation we might be taking) so I really hope that they don't go the way of the dodo.

 

I suggest all people interested take a look at Ranger Fox's Wherigo//kit for an easy to use, first build Wherigo. You drag and drop your zones, add pictures, add questions, and specify the size of the zone and the program does all the rest for you. It's as easy as creating a cache page. Then, should you get interested, you can export the code into one of the other two main builders (NOT GS's builder!) and play around with them to see what type of other stuff you can do.

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There are only three Wherigo's within 100 miles of me, so for now I'm just putting them on my ignore list. I know that a friend is working on one of historical interest a couple of States away, problem with that one is I don't get cell service in the area, so playing on my phone is not an option and I don't have a compatible GPS unit. :(

 

I can accept that Wherigo is not for everyone and just stick to traditional geocaching and Waymarking. :)

 

It's kind of moot if you don't like the idea anyways, but to clarify you do not need cell service to play a Wherigo on a smartphone. You just need the GPS function.

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There are only three Wherigo's within 100 miles of me, so for now I'm just putting them on my ignore list. I know that a friend is working on one of historical interest a couple of States away, problem with that one is I don't get cell service in the area, so playing on my phone is not an option and I don't have a compatible GPS unit. :(

 

I can accept that Wherigo is not for everyone and just stick to traditional geocaching and Waymarking. :)

 

It's kind of moot if you don't like the idea anyways, but to clarify you do not need cell service to play a Wherigo on a smartphone. You just need the GPS function.

 

I did'nt say I did not like the idea, so please don't be confused. I would enyoy the historic tour type Wherigo, but maybe not the role play fight a zombie river troll.

 

What I still don't understand is how I can play on my cell phone without cell or Wi-Fi? :unsure:

 

What I do understand is that Grondspeak is not being very supportive of Wherigo, so logging one for the icon before they dissappear from this site sounds like a good idea. :)

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What I still don't understand is how I can play on my cell phone without cell or Wi-Fi? :unsure:

 

 

You download the Wherigo "cartridge" to your smartphone. For that you need either cell/wifi from the phone, or you can download the cartridge to your PC and copy it from there to the phone. Either way, that can be done at home.

 

When you are playing, the cartridge is running on your phone, and it doesn't need any internet. It just needs GPS.

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What I still don't understand is how I can play on my cell phone without cell or Wi-Fi? :unsure:

 

When you have cell service or wifi access, download the 'cartridge' to your phone.

Once on the phone you don't need cell service or wifi to play the Wherigo.

 

I have an app that will spoof my coordinates, so can I play Wherigo from home? :unsure:

We've only done two of those things, but both had a container with a log at the final.

I guess if you don't mind maybe having your find deleted at some point, sure. :)

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There are some Wherigos where you can play them "anywhere" and they'll give you the coordinates for the final, which might be hundreds of miles away from where you are actually doing it. I think the "Whack-a-Lackey" Wherigo might be one of those, although I'm not sure if that's a cache or just a created Wherigo on the Wherigo site.

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What I still don't understand is how I can play on my cell phone without cell or Wi-Fi? :unsure:

 

When you have cell service or wifi access, download the 'cartridge' to your phone.

Once on the phone you don't need cell service or wifi to play the Wherigo.

 

I have an app that will spoof my coordinates, so can I play Wherigo from home? :unsure:

We've only done two of those things, but both had a container with a log at the final.

I guess if you don't mind maybe having your find deleted at some point, sure. :)

 

What I had in mind was playing along on the cartridge and determin the final coordinates, then go out and sign the log. I'm snowed in today, so I was just reading up on Wherigo and seen that some could be played anywhere. Wherigo is one strange critter. I found two different Wherigo sites, and the beta one seems buggy.

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The location spoofing on the phone might work - I don't have such an app to try it. I think it could be tricky to calculate and keep changing the location. Wherigos give you the distance to the zone and a directional arrow to follow. They don't give you an exact bearing. So it could involve quite a lot of trial and error to get you to the zone.

 

Of course if the Wherigo requires information from things only seen at the location, that makes it harder still (unless all the things can be found using street view or an image search).

 

You can try playing Wherigos using the emulator. Some wherigos block that, others don't. I don't block either of mine. The Adventure of King Bladud and the Pigs can be done completely on the emulator - though it is more fun in the field, and it doesn't shorten the walk as the only way to get to the final is to do the walk the Wherigo leads you on anyway. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has stages where you need information from site, I think it would be hard to complete remotely.

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The location spoofing on the phone might work - I don't have such an app to try it. I think it could be tricky to calculate and keep changing the location. Wherigos give you the distance to the zone and a directional arrow to follow. They don't give you an exact bearing. So it could involve quite a lot of trial and error to get you to the zone.

 

Of course if the Wherigo requires information from things only seen at the location, that makes it harder still (unless all the things can be found using street view or an image search).

 

 

Without a bearing it would be difficult. One of the local Wherigos highlights historic locations which I know the area well and have several waymarks listed. The bearing would be the main problem to work around.

 

Main issue I have is from reading the past logs, seems the unlock code is not working on the local Wherigos.

 

So in keeping on topic, I don't think Wherigo should be grandfathered, but they need to work properly.

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Main issue I have is from reading the past logs, seems the unlock code is not working on the local Wherigos.
This is (most likely) due to another well-known Wherigo issue ...

 

If the unlock code you are given at the end of playing a cartridge does not work, then discard anything after the 15th digit and enter only the first 15 digits as the unlock code.

 

The above seems to work in the vast majority of instances where people mention unlock codes not working.

 

Leading to your on-topic point ...

So in keeping on topic, I don't think Wherigo should be grandfathered, but they need to work properly.

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Main issue I have is from reading the past logs, seems the unlock code is not working on the local Wherigos.

 

 

In practice this doesn't matter. The unlock code (if provided and it works) will make that Wherigo show as "unlocked" for you when you look at it on Wherigo.com. But you can't do anything else with it (e.g. you can't get a list of all the wherigos you have unlocked). The unlock code isn't needed to find a Wherigo cache or log it on geocaching.com.

 

It is a known bug that if you are given an unlock code > 15 digits, use the first 15 digits only.

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My understanding was the the unlock code was the "proof" that you actually completed the cartridge. I've had some Wherigos that I get to the last stage and there's no unlock code generated. I never really understood the need to have an unlock code if it didn't do anything with regard to the Wherigo or the Wherigo/GS found it log. I know Ranger Fox is working really hard to get the ball rolling again with a new platform that should really open things up, assuming that more and more cachers have access to a smartphone and not just a GPS unit that has Wherigo capability.

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I know on the Android Whereyougo app, I don't use the bearing to navigate to the zone. Instead, I see a picture of the zone (it's a pink outline) and use that to get to the next zone. Some of the zones have been pretty small on a few and I'm able to enlarge the zone on my phone screen so I can find my way into it to trigger the next action. I find the compass a bit wonky anyway. I can't speak to that option on the iPhone though, as I don't know if it works that way or not.

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