Normally I do not do it, because I think that games and movies have enough advertisements even without some weird blog articles. This time, however, I would like to share with you something new and something amazing. It is a game for smartphones, created by Google, in real time and in real world, designed for Android, recently put on iOS also (still are introduced modifications, because not everything was working correctly the first time ...). Ladies and gentlemen! I present to you Ingress!
On the internet you will certainly find a lot of guides and discussion groups about this game. From every of them you will get many useful information, but I'll throw you a few pennies anyway. First of all, there are no characters, dragons, princesses and castles. There is only map, the arrow of the GPS and portals. You move normally, as always, with the difference that you have GPS turned on and you look on the arrow on the screen. The aim of the game is to take over the enemy portals and thus strengthen your own fraction. Many portals are already in place, but you can still send another report (estimated time of application for the creation of the portal is 3-5 weeks)...
In deeper details I will not enter, because you'd have to go into that by yourself, using the tips of older players or the instructions from the web. What is the most important is that this game cannot be won. Well, there are checkpoints and points for each Control Field but there will always be someone who will destroy and take over your portal. There will always be someone that you will not be able to defeat (because of his level). Not far from where I live is a university. When you look at it in the morning all the portals are blue, while in the evening, all can be suddenly green. The fluidity of the game is staggering (meaning awesome). You can never be sure how long the portal will continue to stand...
Well, yes. What's with the "green" and "blue" and what exactly is the story? It seems that I began to talk about the details before the general information. The general idea is that to our world came XM, which is Exotic Matter, and we don’t really know what that is. People are divided into two camps (maybe three, but it is not known yet) - Enlightened (Greens), who believe that this energy can be used to enrich humanity and raise the technological level and the Resistance (Blues), who believe that this whole Exotic Matter will enslave humanity and take away its remnants freedom. As an argument Resistance cite the fact that XM influences, and changes thoughts, reactions and feelings of the people. Portals taken by these two factions also have different objectives - Enlightened want to attract more XM, the Resistance is trying to put a protective umbrella to protect all people from the XM.
Now another issue: "And why should I play?" Let me start by actual, measurable numerical value - before I started playing I've been doing about 6-7,000 steps a day. Now I do 16-20,000 steps a day. Yes, I’m coming back from karate 45-50 minutes instead of 20-25 minutes now. Yes, at least once I walked 4 kilometers more than I should have. Yes, when I go to the park to repeat the forms and techniques (karate) I sometimes take a little walk to a neighboring street, because there is a portal. And finally, yes, I really have a desire sometimes to go out and walk a few kilometers just to get somewhere and almost immediately turn back. This is the game: You're going somewhere, you stand a few minutes hacking a portal on your phone, then turn around and go back. People will look at you strangely, but eventually they will get used to the idea that sometimes you just have to stand around this particular monument for a few minutes... not only fun but also a good exercise for the legs. Especially if you will walk and not just drive a car ;)
A little less measurable, but still important issue is the social side. Only in the Southern California a little over a million people is playing that game. They created groups on Google Plus uniting "agents" from specific regions and focused on cooperation between the "agents." These people come together, ride together on the other end of the country (or to Canada) for large events, go together to universities... It is just a great social network. And it is always good to know someone new. Especially since many of these people have a really great taste of humor ;)
Ladies and gentlemen, I do not know how much you understood and if it changed anything, but I will say one thing and remember this: download Ingress and start playing in your town. The fate of humanity may depend on you! And remember: whatever you will have on your mind, choose fraction which has the color of a cloudless sky! ;)
Here a link to photos from the game, so you can see for yourself what I'm talking about :)
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