Wherigo
Wherigo [ ˈwɛɹaj.ˌgo ] ( ) (abbreviation: WIG ) ( ) is a GPS -based leisure activity in which a virtual story as a programmed game process, called a cartridge , with GPS receivers designed for this purpose or suitable smartphones or tablets are played outdoors. Wherigos can be played as a standalone game on the wherigo.com platform , but are usually integrated into the geocaching platform geocaching.com as a separate geocache type with its own icon . The name itself is an artificial word based on the English "where I go" (in German: "where I go"). The inventor and operator of the two websites involved is the Seattle- based company Groundspeak .
Technical development and dissemination
Wherigo was published by Groundspeak in January 2008 on the wherigo.com platform as Wherigo beta and, at the same time, implemented as a separate geocache type at geocaching.com . At the time one existed cooperation between Groundspeak as operator of the platform company geocaching.com and the leading manufacturers of GPS receivers, originally in the United States and now in the Switzerland -based company Garmin .
At the time, most Garmin devices specifically designed for geocaching were able to process wherigos . Current Garmin devices (from the production year 2014) are no longer equipped with the ability to play wherigos , which is why the corresponding cartridges are now mainly with smartphones or tablets and one of the various apps available free of charge from third-party providers or with older Garmin devices be played by geocachers.
As part of the first “Adventure GPS” exhibition in Europe, a special geocache type and event by Groundspeak, which took place in Prague in September 2013 , it was pointed out that at that time most of the wherigos in the Czech Republic , the second most existed in Germany and third most in the USA. In general, it can be said that Wherigo geocaches belong to the rare geocache types because they are time-consuming to program, which can sometimes take months.
While Wherigos are still popular in Europe, Groundspeak has stopped developing them; the last updates for the Wherigo Player and the Wherigo Builder are from May 2008. In addition, wherigo.com has not gone beyond the beta status. New wherigos can still be programmed, uploaded and played on wherigo.com as well as geocaching.com . There are currently 8,918 active Wherigos worldwide (as of July 2016).
Programming options
If you have developed an idea for a possible game course or a planned city tour, the next step is to program it as a cartridge . The official Wherigo Builder is offered as an auxiliary program for this purpose on wherigo.com , but its operation is not self-explanatory. The “Urwigo” program is easier to use. It was not commercially developed by the Czech geocaching community in 2010 independently of Groundspeak, is based on the visualization of command and action modules and can also be downloaded free of charge. While the website is only in Czech, you can choose different language settings in the program itself, including German and English. The latest version of the program is from 2013 (as of July 2016).
The aim is to create a cartridge with the help of one of the mentioned auxiliary programs by successively defining action zone by action zone with coordinates, size and possibly tasks that are to be given to the players in each case. It is also possible to insert graphics (in the format of a maximum of 240 × 400 pixels) or audio clips. The programming language into which all instructions are translated in the background is Lua . If you can do it, it is also possible to program a cartridge directly in LUA.
When the programming work is completed, the cartridge is created by translating all specifications into a compiled file. You have to select beforehand whether you want to create the cartridge for Pocket PC (file extension: .gwc) or for Garmin devices (file extension: .gwz). Wherigo owners often decide to offer both versions in order not to exclude any group of players who only own one of the devices listed.
Functioning and playing style
Wherigos are played outdoors: With the help of a GPS receiver, one moves within certain areas , called “ Action Zones ”, which are defined by coordinates in the respective cartridge . There are various subgroups of Wherigos : “Adventure story” (Fiction) , “ Play Anywhere ”, “Riddle” (Puzzle) , “City tour” (Tour Guide) and “Other games” (Other) . These are identified on wherigo.com by small icons next to the description of a cartridge ; for example, the symbol for an adventure story is a small, fire-breathing dragon, or a small camera was chosen for a city tour .
You either look for a geocache listing from the wherigos section on geocaching.com or go to wherigo.com for the description of a cartridge that you like. In both cases, you have the cartridge download on his smartphone or tablet, or from his PC via USB cable into a special folder on his Garmin device to move. After the start you follow the instructions of the cartridge , which leads you through the game. Depending on the variant, you may have to answer questions in each action zone, solve a riddle, complete a task within a certain time or pick up, use or put down virtual objects that are displayed within certain action zones.
An arrow with distance information leads you from one action zone to the next. At the end of the game you finally find a typical geocache container with a log book in the open air , in which you make a note and later log your find online. At the same time provide the most Cartridges an "unlock code" (unlock code) from the additionally on wherigo.com the cartridge as "successfully played" Mark to rate and can log.
The possibilities that are open to a programmer or geocache owner are the most diverse of all geocache types, because elements of challenge , multi and puzzle geocaches as well as traditional and virtual geocache can be combined with one another as desired, with additional can still use special functions that only wherigos offer, such as animations , audio recordings or time restrictions for certain actions or for covering a distance.
Web links
- wherigo.com , official website (English)
- URWIGO alternativní wherigo builder , programming program (Czech)
- The Wherigo manual , online introduction (German)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Official blog on geocaching.com , Geocaching Quick Quiz: Name that Lingo , posted November 14, 2013, accessed July 18, 2016.
- ↑ a b c d Ingo Oschmann : Hunters of the Hidden Treasure: Everything about geocaching. Munich, 2016. Pages 226–230. ISBN 978-3453615076 .
- ^ Robin Ewers: Geocaching. Practical knowledge from professionals on equipment, cache types and search. Munich, 2013. Page 21 f. ISBN 978-3-7654-5988-7 .
- ↑ Explanations on geocaching.com about geocache types, accessed on July 17, 2016.
- ↑ Garmin Annual Report 2014 , accessed July 17, 2016.
- ^ Editors & Staff Geocaching.com: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching. 3rd edition. New York, 2012. ISBN 978-1615641949 .
- ↑ Česká asociace geocachingu, zs (Czech Geocaching Association): program for the exhibition . Prague, 2013.
- ↑ Podcast commentary by alsterdrache on the duration of the programming of Wherigos , accessed on July 18, 2016.
- ↑ FAQ on wherigo.com , accessed July 18, 2016.
- ↑ Database query on geocaching.com on July 19, 2016.
- ↑ urwigo.cz , accessed on July 18, 2016.
- ↑ Ira Diethelm / Roland T. Mittermeir (Eds.): Informatics in Schools. Sustainable Informatics Education for Pupils of all Ages. 6th International Conference on Informatics in Schools. Situation, Evolution, and Perspectives, ISSEP 2013, Oldenburg, Germany, February 26 to March 2, 2013. Proceedings. Heidelberg, 2013. Pages 84-90. ISBN 978-3-642-36616-1 .
- ↑ Paul Gillin / Dana Gillin: The Joy of Geocaching: How to Find Health, Happiness and Creative Energy. Fresno, 2010. Pages 39 f. ISBN 978-1-884956-99-7 .
- ↑ Timo Kohlbacher: The hobby geocaching: The fascinating world of hidden cans. Norderstedt, 2013. Page 17. ISBN 978-3-7322-4314-3 .