Frivolous Friday: Ingress Player’s Tips for Pokemon GO

Frivolous Fridays are the Orbit bloggers’ excuse to post about fun things we care about that may not have serious implications for atheism or social justice. Any day is a good day to write about whatever the heck we’re interested in (hey, we put “culture” in our tagline for a reason), but we sometimes have a hard time giving ourselves permission to do that. This is our way of encouraging each other to take a break from serious topics and have some fun. Enjoy!

I recently wrote about my favorite augmented reality game, Ingress. I didn’t realize that soon thereafter Niantic would be releasing Pokemon GO, or that it would be so popular! I was aware they were working on the game, but wasn’t prepared for it to be such a sensation. Yes, I am now also playing (and enjoying!) Pokemon GO, but I will admit that I still prefer Ingress for various reasons*.

Since the two games are similar in some ways, and they use the same set of locations for portals and pokestops and gyms, there are some tips that transfer well from Ingress to Pokemon GO.

1) If you can, use public transportation. In Ingress “hacking” portals is how you get gear, and it’s pretty similar to getting gear from Pokestops. Most public transit buses and some trains go slowly enough that you won’t get speed locked and can get a lot of pokeballs and other items.

2) Get a good data plan if you can afford to. I realize they’re not cheap, but these games blow through data faster than anything else. I decided paying for an unlimited data plan was worth it for me. Going past your data plan every month is often more expensive than upgrading.

3) Get an external battery. Lots of people like Anker batteries but I use this KMASHI battery which has worked beautifully for me for well over a year and costs less. A smaller one is fine too, but more battery means more play time. No matter what kind your choose, you’ll want the extra battery power for long play sessions, especially if you also listen to music or podcasts as you go.

4) Weather doesn’t have to stop you from playing! I tend to stay in when it’s really hot or there’s TONS of snow on the ground, but you CAN play in the rain if you want to. I take my external battery, connect it to my phone, and put both into a ziplock bag. Then I use a little duct tape to kind of make a nice neat package of them with the plastic taught across the screen. Most touch screens work fine through the plastic! Yes, it’s a bit heavy to carry compared to your phone alone, but this set up, plus water proof shoes and a poncho allows me to play in the rain for HOURS if I want to – which is particularly useful when large Ingress events get planned for rainy days.

5) Make peace with GPS drift. It will happen, especially in downtown areas with big buildings and lots of interference. There’s not much you can do about it, and Niantic hasn’t been able to fix it either. I used to work sometimes in a high-rise in downtown Chicago, and would use the drift to hack a few portals I would probably not otherwise have gotten out to, which was cool. In Pokemon GO you can use drift to incubate eggs! I get minor drift around my current work place (not nearly as dramatic as downtown) and if I leave the app open while I work it picks up about a quarter km per hour of “walking” due to drift. Not bad!

6) Stay safe! Keep aware of your surroundings, look where you are going, and don’t take bigger risks playing the game than you would if you weren’t playing. Mostly Ingress players have found that the risks are not as big as the media has been making them out to be, but I do know people who have slipped on ice, tripped on curbs, and walked into poles (okay, that last one might have been me). Keep your eyes on the road when driving or biking, and don’t go into places you’re not supposed to be. The game is not fun if you’re injured or arrested!

*Reasons: I like fielding a lot better than the gym concept. The planing, preparation, and execution of a fielding operation, whether solo or in a group, is more satisfying to me. Both games are fun, but I think seeing a big field come together is just more satisfying to me.

Frivolous Friday: Ingress Player’s Tips for Pokemon GO
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Frivolous Friday: Ingress

Frivolous Fridays are the Orbit bloggers’ excuse to post about fun things we care about that may not have serious implications for atheism or social justice. Any day is a good day to write about whatever the heck we’re interested in (hey, we put “culture” in our tagline for a reason), but we sometimes have a hard time giving ourselves permission to do that. This is our way of encouraging each other to take a break from serious topics and have some fun. Enjoy!

This weekend at CONvergence one of the panels I’m on is on Ingress strategy. I’m so excited to get to talk about this on a panel! Ingress is flipping awesome.

Ingress is an augmented reality game that uses mobile platforms (ie your cell phone) that plays a little bit like a globe-covering capture the flag game. Gameplay exists between two world-wide teams of players, with each team attempting to control actual physical spaces. In order to play you have to actually move around in the real world, so this game is excellent for people who like to get out and explore, those who like walking or biking, and those who want a way to meet new people (though social play isn’t crucial). I particularly recommend Ingress for people who are moving to a new city – it can be a great motivator to get to know your neighborhood, city, and new people.
Continue reading “Frivolous Friday: Ingress”

Frivolous Friday: Ingress

Frivolous Friday: Spouse’s Giant Bunny

Frivolous Fridays are the Orbit bloggers’ excuse to post about fun things we care about that may not have serious implications for atheism or social justice. Any day is a good day to write about whatever the heck we’re interested in (hey, we put “culture” in our tagline for a reason), but we sometimes have a hard time giving ourselves permission to do that. This is our way of encouraging each other to take a break from serious topics and have some fun. Enjoy!

Last week I introduced my floofy cat, Tegan. This week, at Niki’s request, I want to introduce you to Spouse’s giant bunny, Patrick!

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Patrick is a New Zealand White rabbit, a breed actually created in the USA despite the name. They are extremely commonly used in laboratory testing, which is actually where Patrick came from. He was bread for lab testing, but was too small at 12 weeks to be sold to a lab, so we adopted him. His size caught up fast, and now he’s our sweet big smart bunny.

Patrick gets along well with cats (cat in this video was one Spouse was catsitting) and enjoys chewing on really bad psychology textbooks.

Frivolous Friday: Spouse’s Giant Bunny

Frivolous Friday: My Floofy Cat

Frivolous Fridays are the Orbit bloggers’ excuse to post about fun things we care about that may not have serious implications for atheism or social justice. Any day is a good day to write about whatever the heck we’re interested in (hey, we put “culture” in our tagline for a reason), but we sometimes have a hard time giving ourselves permission to do that. This is our way of encouraging each other to take a break from serious topics and have some fun. Enjoy!

I have a wonderful floofy loud Maine Coon cat named Tegan. She yells at me all day long, and I love her enormously. We made her radioactive once, but the only superpower she has is incredible cuteness.

So, for this Frivolous Friday you get cat pictures. You’re welcome.

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Frivolous Friday: My Floofy Cat

Frivolous Friday: Gebhard Woods Gear Test

Frivolous Fridays are the Orbit bloggers’ excuse to post about fun things we care about that may not have serious implications for atheism or social justice. Any day is a good day to write about whatever the heck we’re interested in (hey, we put “culture” in our tagline for a reason), but we sometimes have a hard time giving ourselves permission to do that. This is our way of encouraging each other to take a break from serious topics and have some fun. Enjoy!

Well, I went out for my gear test weekend just as I planned. I went to Gebhard Woods State Park, about an hour and a half south of Chicago, in the town of Morris. I was hoping to test the gear I have for going with tent-free camping – a hammock and tarp, with my usual pad and sleeping bag. I also originally intended to do some hiking but blisters on my feet from work meant I changed that plan last minute to stay off my feet as much as I could.
Continue reading “Frivolous Friday: Gebhard Woods Gear Test”

Frivolous Friday: Gebhard Woods Gear Test