CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Today, Ingress announced that the Guardian Medal was being retire d - and I am glad. Of all the medals, this one has been behind most of the angst and stress I have seen in fellow players,  and I am glad to see it go, because of this. It has also been the main means I have seen players use to taunt their opposition, and not in a game-friendly way. Of all the medals, this one has also puzzled me the most, just from the point of view that, if no player can truly 'own' or 'lay claim' to a portal, why was there a reward for doing so for a long period of time? And, of all the medals, this one did not really require skill or teamwork to achieve (although I would argue that teamwork plays a great part in longevity, and smart selection occasionally helped, while remembering to recharge was an essential skill, too). However, those three points aside, what this medal mostly required was persistence in seeding portals, and a lot of dumb luck. For example, given the high...

Last week, I talked about a couple of Ingress badges: the Trekker and the Guardian. Of the two, the Guardian is hardest to get at its highest level. I think I managed to get to Silver once, and Gold twice before losing the portals that earned me those levels. To get to Black is incredibly hard. The only tips I can think of for those of you looking to take a portal to 150 days are these: It's best to choose a portal a long way away from civilisation. Even small towns can be home to Ingress agents. Also be aware of holiday destinations. If they are popular, they may not be the best place to situate a hopeful guardian. It's best if the portal is in a space that has restricted hours. Many National Parks in Australia, for example, close between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. No nightwalkers (players who like to do their ingressing at night, away from the heat) are likely to take down the portal between those hours. It's best if the portal is located early on a walk...

Ingress is my fitness motivation. I like it because it gives each walk purpose beyond just walking. I can do a mission, or try to complete one of the challenge series that make up Ingress badges. And some of these are harder to get to than others. I've achieved two new milestones in the last few weeks. This first badge reflects the distance I've walked while playing Ingress since I started playing. I meant to post this shot a week ago, but I had a couple of essays to finish. This is the screen that comes up when you reach the required distance - in this case 1,000 km. This second shot shows the distances you need to walk to earn each level. Let's just say it will take me a while to get to the next one. With the Trekker badge, how quickly you reach each level, and earn each badge is limited only by how much you are willing to walk, and by your fitness, which can limit how fast you cover each set of distances. It's achievable, but takes time. This next ...