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Project-GC Locationless Adventure


J Grouchy

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Saw it, haven't done it, but presumably the QR code runs a page on their website, so if you're logged in the website will display the things you're looking for - which are only for you, being logged in, for 24 hours. Find them and you complete the AL.  If not, revisiting the QR/URL will restart the counter.

 

IMO, neat idea.

Also, why I firmly believe Adventure Labs are a side game and not core geocaching :)

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I seem to be having trouble with the Adventure Lab app. I can't get the Project-GC adventure to open properly. I've scanned the QR code multiple times and it opens the app, but it doesn't open the right page.

 

I am using Android, and although I've uninstalled and reinstalled the app three times, the icon still has a BETA banner across it. I have a feeling I'm not getting the full version that allows me to do this adventure. What's up? How do I get the updated version if not from the Play Store?

 

Adventure Lab app icon - beta_cropped_small.png

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2 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

I can't figure out how to scan the QR code that I took a screenshot of on my phone! I'm stuck.


I tried a couple of things and looked it up.  I see some discussions where Barcode Apps are suggested, some App that may look at a phone’s stored photos.  But I haven’t tried one.  Is it for Android?

 

 

Edited by kunarion
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Yes, and I have read the information on which android app to use that can access photos on your phone, but I still can't figure out how to do it all.

Fortunately, help is on the way!

 

Update: I was unaware until my tech-help showed me in two seconds that my camera phone automatically detects a QR code and provides the link right on the screen. Easy!

Edited by Max and 99
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I have a QR reader, and the Adventure Lab app on my Android phone.  I was able to scan the QR code, which took me to the correct adventure lab :) However, that's where things got interesting.  Even though I authenticated my project-gc profile, I still only have the basic plan (I'm a premium geocaching member, though).  I've never paid for the membership on project-gc, as I really don't use it, other than the profile stats & occasionally the challenge checkers.  It seems like currently, unless you have the paid project-gc membership, it doesn't display the code words you need.  I checked with one of our Facebook group administrators (Geocachers Exploring Oregon), as she was the one who had posted the link in the first place.  I ended up sending her a screenshot of the pop-up window she was describing.  Mine did not display the important keyword, like hers did.  So either they need to fix the code on the pop-up window to display regardless of paid project-gc membership, or indicate as such at the start of the Adventure Lab--that a paid project gc membership is needed.  

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/

45 minutes ago, knhdah said:

I have a QR reader, and the Adventure Lab app on my Android phone.  I was able to scan the QR code, which took me to the correct adventure lab :) However, that's where things got interesting.  Even though I authenticated my project-gc profile, I still only have the basic plan (I'm a premium geocaching member, though).  I've never paid for the membership on project-gc, as I really don't use it, other than the profile stats & occasionally the challenge checkers.  It seems like currently, unless you have the paid project-gc membership, it doesn't display the code words you need.  I checked with one of our Facebook group administrators (Geocachers Exploring Oregon), as she was the one who had posted the link in the first place.  I ended up sending her a screenshot of the pop-up window she was describing.  Mine did not display the important keyword, like hers did.  So either they need to fix the code on the pop-up window to display regardless of paid project-gc membership, or indicate as such at the start of the Adventure Lab--that a paid project gc membership is needed.  

I rarely use Project GC and I'm definitely not a paid member, but I got all the code words as described. So maybe they fixed it after I started?

I did not like that Adventure Lab. The first few questions were OK, but I was disappointed in the last one.

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So I have done an adventure lab before and I was able to log and get all 5 finds for that one. I did one of the locationless. It of course did count as a find on my count. When people say it change after 24 hours, what does that mean? Does that mean the other 4 that I haven't found would get new questions? Can you find them on different days?

Thanks

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14 minutes ago, psychpineapple said:

So I have done an adventure lab before and I was able to log and get all 5 finds for that one. I did one of the locationless. It of course did count as a find on my count. When people say it change after 24 hours, what does that mean? Does that mean the other 4 that I haven't found would get new questions? Can you find them on different days?

Thanks

That's a good question! My guess is that it's the same words as when you started the Adventure,  but now you have me wondering.

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My assumption based on the wording and requirement to visit the site to enable the codewords was that the specific placements might shift. I haven't done it yet as I'm not a huge fan of ALs, let alone locationless ALs that hand out 5 smileys from your couch for entering text into a form :P But technically, I think it's a very neat idea and implementation of the AL. (it's just not geocaching, imo)

Anyway, I might be wrong, but yes I've heard others mention that they've had trouble finding the words, but still eventually completed it. So that's my guess.

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I have an iPhone 8.  When I scan the QR code, it just keeps taking me to the "So you have found Project-GC's Adventure lab cache..."  which is the page I am scanning!  It sounds like the AL is "automatically" opened up in the AL app for others.  Am I doing something wrong?  Basically, I can't find this AL in my AL app...

 

PS - My AL app is open when I am scanning the QR code.

 

Edited by ShareBear64
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1 hour ago, ShareBear64 said:

I have an iPhone 8.  When I scan the QR code, it just keeps taking me to the "So you have found Project-GC's Adventure lab cache..."  which is the page I am scanning!  It sounds like the AL is "automatically" opened up in the AL app for others.  Am I doing something wrong?  Basically, I can't find this AL in my AL app...

 

PS - My AL app is open when I am scanning the QR code.

 

I had the same issue. Using my camera to scan the QR code fixed it. 

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2 hours ago, ShareBear64 said:

When I scan the QR code, it just keeps taking me to the "So you have found Project-GC's Adventure lab cache..."  which is the page I am scanning!

 

If you're using a QR scanning app that only previews a URL qrcode, then that will happen - it decodes to the URL for the Adventure Lab's listing webpage. If it doesn't let the operating system 'run' the URL, then the associated app won't open. That's why using the camera app should do the trick - it'll inform you of the result of the scan, but lets the operating system decide whether to open the URL in the browser or the associated (Adventure Labs) app.

/techtalk :ph34r:

 

tl;dr: As mentioned, use the camera to scan the code ;)

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On 1/23/2020 at 4:07 AM, thebruce0 said:

Also, why I firmly believe Adventure Labs are a side game and not core geocaching :)

I get that, but I'm on the other side of the fence... I think Adventure Labs are part of geocaching, but this type of adventure lab is not, and it's actually intentionally subverting the concept back to the old style of lab caches, with their armchair logging problems, which the new App was trying to solve....  I'm a little unimpressed with Project-GC, because I fully believe they understood that - they have a brilliant site full of awesome tools and stats that enhance the game of geocaching, and then they do this, that (in at least a small way) undermines it.

 

At least they had a discussion with HQ and removed it now.

 

As to their comment which i saw somewhere that they had thousands of great logs, and almost no one saying anything negative.... well, of course - armchair loggers love to armchair log so when someone enables them, they think it's wonderful, and those who don't armchair cache won't complete the lab and won't get a chance to log their comments (a bit of a duh moment)

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Okay, at best Adventure Labs for me are in a limbo state. Fundamentally, they incorporate existing aspects of geocaching just in a new different package.  Locationless ones are definitely not in the spirit of the core geocaching experience. My opinion of ALs in general is primarily because they do not have the same properties as any other geocache and are tracked and managed separately, even with their own app. The only connection is that they give you a +1 smiley, which is why I think at best they are in limbo between geocaching and not-geocaching. Again, not that they're bad, or that it's any less special being a "side game" (one could say geocaching is a "side game" to adventure labs =P).  They just technically are not the same, but they provide 1 (or more, ick) smiley per listing.

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29 minutes ago, thebruce0 said:

Okay, at best Adventure Labs for me are in a limbo state. Fundamentally, they incorporate existing aspects of geocaching just in a new different package.  Locationless ones are definitely not in the spirit of the core geocaching experience. My opinion of ALs in general is primarily because they do not have the same properties as any other geocache and are tracked and managed separately, even with their own app.

Yep, I'll agree with that.

31 minutes ago, thebruce0 said:

The only connection is that they give you a +1 smiley, which is why I think at best they are in limbo between geocaching and not-geocaching. Again, not that they're bad, or that it's any less special being a "side game" (one could say geocaching is a "side game" to adventure labs =P).  They just technically are not the same, but they provide 1 (or more, ick) smiley per listing.

We know that lab caches in general  have been described as tests for new cache type ideas for years, but they seem to have taken an extra step away from 'normal' caching now they have an entirely separate app. I suspect that the adventure lab caches are Groundspeak's response to what makes normal caching (and cachers) inconvenient and time consuming (therefore expensive) for the business to deal with. Cacher disputes, unmaintained containers, throwdowns, complaints ... it would be so much easier to have no owners deleting logs, no damp gnawed containers etc etc.

 

Impressed by ( and maybe a little envious of) the barcode game and the invisible beasties game, they want a nice clean cheap virtual product with a revenue stream that won't be reduced by the inconvenient human or real life container elements.  Marketing it from zero to the general public would cost plenty, but hey, there's a pool of cachers out there who can be tempted into getting involved because ... smileys ! Many smileys ! Zero marketing cost !

 

Will adventure labs stay as an outgrowth of and within caching, will they become the more popular option, will they fade away and be consigned to the bin once the shine wears off, or will they evolve off into an entirely separate game which can stand alone ? I have no idea . I am sure though that if the frog goes entirely proprietary app / virtual , normal geocaching will continue using other listing services.

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Remember Geocaching Challenges were their initial attempt into the locationless non-physical mobile location-based game. That flopped. There are some changes for Adventure Labs - they began as placeholder catch-alls for temporary experimentation, but now they made it into a full-fledged side-game experience with minor ties into geocaching stats. It's much more well-rounded and flexible and generally better than the Geocaching Challenges implementation. But yes, I absolutely agree they are better as a side-game to the core geocaching experience. Locationless especially - not for geocaching. I'm not against location ALs on principle - but if ALs are tied statistically into geocaching stats, Locationless should definitely not be allowed. But were ALs to 100% distinct in their own app and statistics, then I don't see why Locationless ALs couldn't exist (unless they want to keep the location aspect of the ALs of course).  But Locationless ALs are, effectively, a parallel of Virtual [censored] in that game. And AFIAK, those have their detractors in that community as well.

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I'd forgotten those Geocaching Challenges (not to be confused with.. er  challenge caches, before someone chimes in ). They really deserved to die ...

I'm seeing parallels to evolutionary biology in action  here : will adventure labs evolve into an independent species , become extinct, or linger as a strange mutant geocaching sport ( see what I did there ) ?

Or maybe they will come to dominate the GPS game ecosystem of the future if they turn out to be what the majority of the paying public want (which seems to be easy smileys)

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5 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

Okay, at best Adventure Labs for me are in a limbo state. Fundamentally, they incorporate existing aspects of geocaching just in a new different package.  Locationless ones are definitely not in the spirit of the core geocaching experience. My opinion of ALs in general is primarily because they do not have the same properties as any other geocache and are tracked and managed separately, even with their own app. The only connection is that they give you a +1 smiley, which is why I think at best they are in limbo between geocaching and not-geocaching. Again, not that they're bad, or that it's any less special being a "side game" (one could say geocaching is a "side game" to adventure labs =P).  They just technically are not the same, but they provide 1 (or more, ick) smiley per listing.

 

I get what you're saying, but what the Adventure Labs (intend to) have in common with geocaching in general is getting out in the real world to find things - a mix of virtuals and wherigos but using an app from Groundspeak to put some structure around them, and doing it in such a way as to try and make sure people are actually visiting intended locations in order to log them.  In that respect I see a lot of commonality between them and geocaching in general and I fully expect them to be integrated more and more into the core game until they are virtually indistinguishable in that they are just another cache type.  Well, I have fingers crossed anyway. :)

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52 minutes ago, funkymunkyzone said:

I get what you're saying, but what the Adventure Labs (intend to) have in common with geocaching in general is getting out in the real world to find things

 

Right that's why I say for me they're at best in limbo - between geocaching and not-geocaching.  "They just technically are not the same, but they provide 1 (or more, ick) smiley per listing."

 

53 minutes ago, funkymunkyzone said:

I fully expect them to be integrated more and more into the core game until they are virtually indistinguishable in that they are just another cache type.  Well, I have fingers crossed anyway.

 

That can't happen unless they are technically altered to share the same data space - properties and parameters - so they can be inserted seamlessly into the core geocaching experience. There's a big difference between providing +1 smiley (per location) and including ratings, attributes, incorporating into lists, queries, searches, etc...  They are effectively a distinct side-game with their own app and interface -- except that each location provides +1 to the geocache find count, and they show in the statistics as a "Cache type" (though not a cache and not a type).

 

Another way to put it, if they had all those properties, they would effectively be some form of experience similar to a Multi/Wherigo/Letterbox/Mystery/Virtual hybrid as a new type :).  Some IMO, some aspects force them to be a side-game to the core geocaching experience, and some aspects are clearly borrowing location-based aspects of existing geocaching.  So to me, they fall somewhere between the two, at best. One minor overhaul either way would solidify their position either way :P

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8 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

There's a big difference between providing +1 smiley (per location) and including ratings, attributes, incorporating into lists, queries, searches, etc...

 

This is where I have to completely disagree with you.  Geocaching is not geocaching because of ratings, attributes and general data/statistics/IT stuff like sorting into lists, queries and searches.  Geocaching is about getting out into the real world to find things, principally physical caches, but also various virtual types too.  The true common element is getting out into the real world.  All that other stuff is just playing on websites with computers and apps, that were added to the game outside of the basic concept.  Do you think Dave Ulmer thought there was something wrong with his bucket that started all this off just because there was no such thing as D/T ratings, pocket queries, lists, etc...?

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8 hours ago, funkymunkyzone said:

This is where I have to completely disagree with you.  Geocaching is not geocaching because of ratings, attributes and general data/statistics/IT stuff like sorting into lists, queries and searches.  Geocaching is about getting out into the real world to find things, principally physical caches, but also various virtual types too.  The true common element is getting out into the real world.  All that other stuff is just playing on websites with computers and apps, that were added to the game outside of the basic concept.  Do you think Dave Ulmer thought there was something wrong with his bucket that started all this off just because there was no such thing as D/T ratings, pocket queries, lists, etc...?

 

Whoah whoah whoah. I didn't say geocaching was all about statistics. I agree with you just said (and that should be obvious from all the other comments I post in the forum).  I said Adventure Labs don't technically have the properties and attributes of geocache listings - they are technically distinct, and the amount of work to make them consistent with the rest of the core geocaching database - that which provides for all the primary functionality of the website - including statistics - is WAY more work so that I would say it's extremely unlikely, if likely at all that HQ would go through the time and effort to do that. For that reason they will always be a form of 'side game' with (if the current setup remains) a couple of minor connections to the core game: the +1 smiley and programmatic exception to include the count in the statistics.  Yeah I love statistics and challenges, but not because of the statistics and numbers; and if they were to go that wouldn't phase my geocaching.

The main reason why Locationless Adventure Labs are not "geocaching" is not because they don't provide the same statistics, but because they don't require gps use, and you can do them from your couch (and that's effectively how they are intended to be done), as great and amazing as they may be, they're not geocaching.

 

I was talking technicalities of incorporating into the "full game" per the website.  For the full quote which I still stand by:

17 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

[They can't be integrated into the full game] unless they are technically altered to share the same data space - properties and parameters - so they can be inserted seamlessly into the core geocaching experience. There's a big difference between providing +1 smiley (per location) and including ratings, attributes, incorporating into lists, queries, searches, etc...  They are effectively a distinct side-game with their own app and interface -- except that each location provides +1 to the geocache find count, and they show in the statistics as a "Cache type" (though not a cache and not a type).

 

 

ETA: If you're defining "core geocaching experience" purey, solely, exclusively as going out to find something somewhere in the world, then Adventure Labs are already the "core geocaching experience", and not a side game at all. So why would they need to be integrated "more and more" into the full game - except for the technicalities of their implementation? That's why I replied about the technical aspect of them.

Edited by thebruce0
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So far except for these locationless ones, every adventure lab I have done has been a tour of an area. Exactly like a Wherigo except there is a smiley for every location. AND you have to have a smartphone. Which kind of sucks for people who don't have unlimited data plans, or are traveling and don't have roaming data. 

When I got mine everyone was surprised I didn't do a tour of my neighborhood. Uh, well that was already done with a Wherigo, and sorry it was archived before you starting playing but not doing it again.
I for one welcome something out of the ordinary. The way that the adventures are setup at this time, they do not need approval at all unless there is a physical container. Oh sure the guidelines say make sure you have permission but unless someone complains to the PTB.....

 

Anyway if you don't like them then don't do them. Don't condemn people because they are not as pure as the driven snow in regards to how the game should be played.:rolleyes:

 

 

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42 minutes ago, hallycat said:

So far except for these locationless ones, every adventure lab I have done has been a tour of an area. Exactly like a Wherigo except there is a smiley for every location. AND you have to have a smartphone. Which kind of sucks for people who don't have unlimited data plans, or are traveling and don't have roaming data. 

When I got mine everyone was surprised I didn't do a tour of my neighborhood. Uh, well that was already done with a Wherigo, and sorry it was archived before you starting playing but not doing it again.
I for one welcome something out of the ordinary. The way that the adventures are setup at this time, they do not need approval at all unless there is a physical container. Oh sure the guidelines say make sure you have permission but unless someone complains to the PTB.....

 

Anyway if you don't like them then don't do them. Don't condemn people because they are not as pure as the driven snow in regards to how the game should be played.:rolleyes:

 

 

 

Your adventure looks great.  How is the connectivity in the Pet Memorial Parks?

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1 hour ago, hallycat said:

Anyway if you don't like them then don't do them. Don't condemn people because they are not as pure as the driven snow in regards to how the game should be played.

 

Thankfully I haven't seen anyone anywhere condemn people for playing them. And I hope you haven't either, because that would suck.

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1 hour ago, thebruce0 said:

The main reason why Locationless Adventure Labs are not "geocaching" is not because they don't provide the same statistics, but because they don't require gps use, and you can do them from your couch (and that's effectively how they are intended to be done), as great and amazing as they may be, they're not geocaching.


Really?  I’ve only done a couple, but you’ve had to get out and about for them.  Or are you taking specifically about these locationless adventures?

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Yes, Locationless Adventure Labs

 

2 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

The main reason why Locationless Adventure Labs are not "geocaching" is not because they don't provide the same statistics, but because they don't require gps use, and you can do them from your couch (and that's effectively how they are intended to be done), as great and amazing as they may be, they're not geocaching.

 

 

I've never said Adventure Labs proper are not geocaching (or if I did then I didn't phrase it right). Only that I'm not a fan of them [in their current setup] conceptually. Independently yeah they can be amazing experiences, and certainly promote geocaching and provide experiences that are absolutely in line with geocaching, and I've never said otherwise for that either. I just don't personally prefer their implementation. Locationless ALs though, they're not geocaching.

Edited by thebruce0
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3 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

The main reason why Locationless Adventure Labs are not "geocaching" is not because they don't provide the same statistics, but because they don't require gps use, and you can do them from your couch (and that's effectively how they are intended to be done), as great and amazing as they may be, they're not geocaching.

While geocaching should require GPS use, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Adventure Labs (in general, not just locationless). The first Adventure Lab in my country was published on April 27th and is entirely indoors on different floors of a multi-story building.

Edited by mustakorppi
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One might argue that "gps use" is another way of saying "location-based," as in going to a location. Or that since Adventure Labs are mobile device only, you are using a gps device whether or not it's actively reading gps location. But that's splitting hairs. There really are only the two types of ALs - location-based, and locationless. The latter are not in the spirit of geocaching. Some might say the former aren't either if actual GPS is not being employed. But HQ seems to be drawing the line at not even requiring a user to actually GO somewhere - that's not geocaching.

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Yes, the reason they're allowed is because a cache using them still needs some element that requires gps use.  Which is pretty much all listings with a posted coordinate. Use the gps to arrive at the coordinates, then you could say, follow tacks to the cache, or follow Letterbox instructions (but in the latter case I believe the CO is required to provide an alternate gps-use method of getting to the cache; at least some reviewers have required it)

Again with Adventure Labs, technically it is by nature using GPS (the ones that are location-based) because it has to be played on a smartphone and has to know that you're within the proximity to play it, inside the geofence. So even if it's played in a mall, the gps still tells the app "Yes, they are in the correct location", so it's sort of just sneaking by that gps-use clause.

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:huh:

I'm not sure what you're reading into my comments.

The Locationless Adventure Labs have no location requirement or restriction. They are intended to be playable anywhere. By definition.

The Adventure Labs which can only be played on location (whether at a mega event or elsewhere) cannot be played anywhere and require GPS use in order to get to the location, and to play them.

One is location-based. The other is locationless.

The latter is not "in the spirit of geocaching".

 

ETA: Nor did I say anywhere that any ALs were "okay" or "not okay" to play wherever anyone may or may not play them.

Edited by thebruce0
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Please see Project GC's facebook post about their adventure lab.

 

Personally I'm glad Groundspeak may be cracking down on these locationless adventure labs. To me it smells like the old virtuals, which (so I've been told) became too bland and ubiquitous. I did several of these locationless AL's and, while I thought they were "cute", I didn't really think they were "adventures" worthy of adding a ton of finds to my account.

 

I appreciate that people are experimenting with Adventure Labs, as they ought. Think outside the box, that's awesome! I just felt like it was "too different" from what geocaching is, and thought it was really weird that it added a ton of finds to my account. I decided to delete the finds off, it just felt like the right thing for me to do (I'm not trying to project this onto anyone else).

 

One thing I realized as I was reading through this thread, is that I bet different people have different ideas about what is and isn't "geocaching". This is just how I felt about it, personally.

 

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