I have been playing Ingress which is a GPS augmented-reality based game on my Smart-Phone for the last two years and I have finally got to the point where it no longer holds any appear for me whatsoever, it has become more habit now than any enjoyment.
The game itself is very simple and has a quite addictive game play to it which will keep you happy for at least two years (in my case) or a few months in others. Besides the game itself it has a fairly strong social element which had a definite appeal to me, I always like meeting new people plus it does get out you of the house walking in the fresh air. Other forms of travel are also used:
- Cargress - (walking can be slow)
- Traingress - (Greener especially when you do not own a car)
- Busgress - (This occurs when the trains are delayed)
- Helicoptergress (for those richer players)
- Swimgress (for those that have dry suits)
- Boatgress (for those that are either richer or have a friend with a boat)
The game is played all over the world, it also has big events called Anomalies normally centered in several big cities around the world. You can have many as six hundred players in each city battling it out. Apparently there are seven million players world wide as opposed to World of Warcraft that have just over five million although I suspect the fresh air in World of Warcraft is probably virtual.
Sounds amazing doesn't it? Well Yes and No, I went to Cardiff in 2015 for the Shonin event which was extremely well organized and I did love the social side however the game itself I was bit bored with to be honest. It was completely different to the normal game you play which I definitely preferred at the time.
There is a story to game which is sort of simple, two factions one called the Resistance aka Smurfs (Blue) and the other called the Enlightened aka Frogs (Green). The Frogs are fighting for a bunch of green bug-eyed aliens called the Shapers who are meant to bring enlightenment (hence the name) to all humanity. The Smurfs are against that idea although I understand there is another bunch of aliens on the side of the Smurfs which is where the story becomes a little more complex. The problem I have with the story is that whatever the players do in the game it appears to have no effect upon the story line. Although I could be completely wrong on this aspect since I have not delved deeply in the back-story since the early days of my play.
This guy lasted two months and much of what he says I agree with:
http://www.baconfatlabs.com/2014/09/leaving-ingress-my-ascendency-and-decline-as-an-agent/
However I have not quit yet just playing a lot slower, I am level 14 and there is only two levels to go. Then its maxing out your badges none of which have much allure.
The upshot is that I have met a lot of new people and made some good friends in the process. The game play was good while it lasted, I liked the strategy of it.
Without giving too much away I have found it curious that Enlightened players tend towards more a chaotic style of play whereas the Resistance are more ordered.
Irony strikes again!
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