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Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

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Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#131
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read Daemon a week ago and it was meh... it was somewhat surrealist to me. But nice book anyways.

Daemon is only half the book, read the other half called Freedom_TM.

Yes I know, the ending is quite open... but I didn't like at all how Daemon ends, so I'm not really interested in the other book.

Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#132
I hope the game (if it catches on) is sensitive to traffic congestion, or decreases rewards for driving in traffic, and further, doesn't steer people toward areas of increased smog, car-on-pedestrian accidents, or crime (I'll bet the EULA disclaims that liability).

Getting shut-ins outside where they can be hit by cars may have net health benefits (and people can choose for themselves).

Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#133

It resembles so much Shadow Cities ( http://www.shadowcities.com/ ) that it almost feels like copying.

Side note -- I went to a great talk by the Grey Area (Shadow Cities) guys at GDC, and one of their big takeaways was that you need to enable competition between people who aren't geographically near one another. Otherwise you don't build a critical mass of players.

I can't tell from the available material if Ingress gameplay provides for satisfying solo play, but if it doesn't they're going to hit the same issues Grey Area did originally.

Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#134
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nitpick: "We are in a perfect and undetectable simulation" is a meaningless statement. If e.g. someone found a privilege escalation in our reality's VM that would be quite meaningful.

Reality hackers? Let's badger Charlie Stross to write a novel about it. :)

There's a great novel based on this very concept: Fine Structure ( http://everything2.com/title/Fine+Structure ). Definitely worth a read.

Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#135
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Simulation is overkill; the Matrix approach is cheaper - run the simulation within the brain.

Maybe we are a simulation within some entities brain.

Or maybe that's just what it wants you to think.

Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#137
post #56

Does anyone know if this is really 'multiplayer' or if your experience is in any way influence by the progress of others? I've toyed with a similar ideas but the problem was that your GPS location doesn't guarantee you are really there. There are plenty of ways to spoof your location. So, my point is it will only be a matter of time until there are bots that walk around for you. If this is purely a 'single player' ga…

Couldn't you use physical QR code stickers for such proof of location? They can be fairly small and merely need to contain a random UID code (or an URL with the code as query parameter).

Of course that only works up until people start sharing those codes online, even though you can tweak game mechanics to discourage players wanting to do that, it's impossible to prevent.

Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#138
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also reminded me of Vinge's Rainbow's Edge .

And of course the Metaverse in Snow Crash.

And then Black Oceans by Jacek Dukaj. One of the most idea-dense book I ever read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czarne_oceany

Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#139
post #129

I like the underlying customer cause here - Let's get people off their chairs, on to the streets and meeting each other. Let's create interestingness in the mundane. Let's create a world which rewards interaction. A lovely antidote to the trend for us to all walk around with heads down, checking the latest irrelevancy on our smartphones.

I love the underlying engineering cause -- let's get everyone to keep a GPS/data link open while they walk around popular city attractions and roadways so we can build an amazing pedestrian pathfinding system.

Bingo. We have a winner.

Re: Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game

#140
post #129

I like the underlying customer cause here - Let's get people off their chairs, on to the streets and meeting each other. Let's create interestingness in the mundane. Let's create a world which rewards interaction. A lovely antidote to the trend for us to all walk around with heads down, checking the latest irrelevancy on our smartphones.

I love the underlying engineering cause -- let's get everyone to keep a GPS/data link open while they walk around popular city attractions and roadways so we can build an amazing pedestrian pathfinding system.

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