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Ingress

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31–40 of 68 posts

Re: Ingress

#31
I was really excited, and played avidly for a few days, but quickly grew tired of it. It sounds like its a lot more fun in more densely populated areas so that could be my problem.

Re: Ingress

#32
I just came back from another 2-hour session of ingress in my local town (≈ 10 minute bus ride from my home to the area with lots of portals). That’s the third 2-hour session this weekend, after another one on Thursday :).

I definitely like the game, it’s fun to play, especially with friends. When playing together, you can achieve much more: set up stronger portals, bring down enemy portals quicker, etc.

I noticed that people are getting to know each other via the game.

Also, Ingress is the reason for the most time I’ve spent outside (apart from traveling) in the last decade. My friends share this experience.

Before anyone asks: unfortunately I don’t have any invites to hand out.

Re: Ingress

#33
post #18

Wait, people are driving to play this game? It doesn't seem right to burn gas to play an online game. If you walk or ride a bike it's a great way to get some exercise. But driving?

People drive to movies, amusement parks, etc.

Re: Ingress

#34
post #18

Wait, people are driving to play this game? It doesn't seem right to burn gas to play an online game. If you walk or ride a bike it's a great way to get some exercise. But driving?

You drive to get to the area - then switch to foot. Compare it to the way people drive their bikes to mountain bike trails.

Re: Ingress

#35
For anyone playing it: is there any real-money attribute to the game? That seriously kills e.g. Shadow Cities for me, and will probably kill qonqr as well. For Shadow Cities for example, it's not necessary, but it is extremely important for owning locations, which progressively increases in cost (some > 500 'potions', which is roughly equivalent to $30 [1]), or you spend many many hours earning small numbers of them. Yeah, it helps hosting costs, but it ruins the game.

[1]: http://shadowcities.wikia.com/wiki/Potions

Re: Ingress

#36
post #26

Is it just me, or is Ingress a rip-off of the Finnish Shadow Cities iOS-only game http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/16/arts/video-games/shadow-ci...

I thought the same thing when it came out, to be honest. Even the aesthetics are similar.

Shadow Cities has been out for over a year based on the NYT article, and still has no android client. Who can blame someone for developing a reality overlay for android, particularly when Shadow Cities is more fantasy-focused ("spells")? Is every reality overlay going to be called a Shadow Cities rip off? In that case both Shadow Cities and Ingress are a rip off of the reality overlay concept in Vinge's Rainbows End (which itself is a departure, but got some of its inspiration, from previous fictional virtual environments, like the one in Snowcrash).

Re: Ingress

#37
post #35

For anyone playing it: is there any real-money attribute to the game? That seriously kills e.g. Shadow Cities for me, and will probably kill qonqr as well. For Shadow Cities for example, it's not necessary , but it is extremely important for owning locations, which progressively increases in cost (some > 500 'potions', which is roughly equivalent to $30 [1]), or you spend many many hours earning small numbers of them…

You don’t have to spend any real money on the game directly. The closest thing that comes to mind is travel cost.

Re: Ingress

#39
post #35

For anyone playing it: is there any real-money attribute to the game? That seriously kills e.g. Shadow Cities for me, and will probably kill qonqr as well. For Shadow Cities for example, it's not necessary , but it is extremely important for owning locations, which progressively increases in cost (some > 500 'potions', which is roughly equivalent to $30 [1]), or you spend many many hours earning small numbers of them…

Google doesn't seem to plan on making money from the game directly. The leading theories are that either they're trying to build momentum for Android with a high-profile exclusive title, or they're using data from the game to populate some geolocation database.

Either way, I expect the game to be completely free for the foreseeable future.

Re: Ingress

#40
post #32

I just came back from another 2-hour session of ingress in my local town (≈ 10 minute bus ride from my home to the area with lots of portals). That’s the third 2-hour session this weekend, after another one on Thursday :). I definitely like the game, it’s fun to play, especially with friends. When playing together, you can achieve much more: set up stronger portals, bring down enemy portals quicker, etc. I noticed th…

Also like how it doesn't reward obsessive / addictive behavior.

Burning additional hours and mileage won't get you that much further then a few well-timed hours a week. And staying up all night playing Ingress will cost you the way sitting awake in a chair all night won't.

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