6-17-2003

Initial concepts for Geotracker game

 Last Fall while wandering the Badlands, Navdog and Justdog were thinking how easy it was to disappear into the ancient junipers and rocky formations of this fascinating landscape.  While playing an informal game of hide and seek with radios and GPS, a basic idea of a fun adventure type game took root. Since then the initial concept has  evolved into what is now termed the Geo-Tracker game. We thought it might be fun to present this idea for comments and to get some feedback into bringing it to life. Sometime in the future, after a few trial runs we are thinking of inviting any interested geocachers and non-geocachers for an informal game and get-together.

The Game

A GPS/FRS  adventure game loosely based on the old Marco-Polo swimming pool game. This is a game that is basically designed to be played over a period of an afternoon or longer, depending on the parameters set at the start of play. Certain variations to the rules would allow very active and fit people to play, as well as more sedentary players. We are trying to keep the game as simple as possible without too many rules, but have it structured to provide an enjoyable challenge for all participants.

1. Three or more players/ at least two hunters and one rabbit./ Hunters may move individually or in groups/ Rabbit may consist of more than one player moving together as a team.
2. GPS units and FRS radios required for all players.
3. Playing field would be determined beforehand and may consist of certain physical boundaries or a grid with latitude and longitude lines as the boundaries. One square mile may be a good standard to allow for FRS limits.
4. Ideal playing field is terrain with open ground cover to allow free movement but with plenty of visual cover. Hilly terrain would not be conducive to optimum FRS reception.
5. A topo or aerial map with gridlines marked every 100 meters would have 16 squares to a side for a square mile and may be helpful for some players to identify their location on the playing field. Rabbit would be allowed a map to use for navigational purposes only to help him stay within the playing field. Maps would also be helpful to players with limited GPS experience and allow other hunters to communicate to these individuals the locations of other players on the map.
6. The main point of the game is to use the GPS as an integral part in playing the game. Maps may be helpful, but not necessary.
7. Rabbit would have limited channel access on his radio. I have a half dozen of the old two-channel FRS units. This would allow hunters to converse freely about triangulation and strategy on other channels to hunt down rabbit without the rabbit being able to hear. The new Garmin Rino units, with the peer to peer positioning capabilities, would be great for the hunters, but not allowed for use by the rabbit. But, separate GPS and radio units will work just as well.
8. Rabbit would be given 10 min. head start to distance himself from other players.
9. Rabbit would be required to “mark” and broadcast his position to hunters when called upon by hunters. Hunters would have control of when to call a “mark”.
10.  Intervals for calling a mark would be left up to the hunters with a minimum of  maybe 2 minutes between calls.
11. Rabbits track log and waypoint list of marks would confirm fair play at end of game.
12. Game ends when hunters tag rabbit.

           Game ending options:

·        Rabbit is tagged when one hunter physically moves to within 100-200 feet of the rabbit and calls  “Tag” or “Dead Rabbit” on the radio. Rabbit must immediately stop moving and communicate with the hunter to verify a visual sighting at specified distance. Game ends.

·       At this time, the following  game ending scenario seems to be the best option.

     Rabbit is tagged when one hunter visually sights the rabbit and calls “Dead Rabbit”.  The hunter then has 30 seconds to move towards the rabbit and physically touch him. If the hunter fails to reach the rabbit in time, the rabbit is free to continue moving. That hunter is then not allowed to call a tag again but may continue to follow the rabbit and direct the other hunters toward the moving rabbit. Each hunter left then has one chance to tag the rabbit in the manner above within a time limit of twenty minutes. Rabbit wins if no other hunter is able to call a tag and move close enough to the rabbit to touch him in the specified time limit. After the first tag is called the rabbit is allowed to walk but not run. This option narrows the gap near the end of the game and allows all players to possibly participate in the ending. The rabbit has an opportunity to win the game if he moves in a direction that will avoid running into another hunter and the other hunters have a certain time frame to win the game if they are in position to close in on the rabbit.

·        Rabbit is tagged when one hunter physically moves to within 100-200 feet of the rabbit and calls “Dead Rabbit” on the radio. Rabbit must immediately stop moving and communicate with the hunter to verify a visual sighting at specified distance. At this point the rabbit is allowed to continue moving, but may only walk and not run. The first hunter must then communicate to the other hunters and lead them towards the rabbit, at which time each hunter must call a tag when they are able to close within the specified 100-200 foot range of the rabbit. Game ends when all hunters are able to tag the rabbit. This option allows all hunters to participate in the games ending but also drags out the ending for what may be a considerable amount of time.

·        Due to time restraints, a time limit may be set upon starting the game,  and if the rabbit is not found within the specified time, the rabbit wins or is awarded points for the minimum, the average distance he was able to maintain from the other hunters or some other specified criteria.

Strategy

At the least, this game will last for a few hours and may extend into a full day hunt.

The more hunters involved the quicker the game may end. The hunters have many options in pursuing the rabbit and the directions that they send their teammates, from moving in a group spaced at certain distances, to trying to encircle and  hopefully cut off  the rabbit. A certain balance will be found in the intervals of calling a mark, verifying locations and talking strategy… and the need to keep moving and closing in on the rabbit.

A certain amount of stealth would be required of the hunters in closing in on the rabbit. If the rabbit sights the hunters before the hunters see him, he has the advantage of avoiding detection until a mark is called and a hunter  realizes he is close to the rabbit. If the hunter sights the rabbit in the distance then he has an advantage to close in on him and bring the other hunters closer to finish the game quicker.

The Rabbit, not knowing where any of the hunters are, will constantly be needing to watch his back and balance the need to keep moving forward with the options of backtracking and possibly cutting back through the hunters line of approach.  

The rabbit also has an advantage if he is able to spot a hunter without detection and travel in an opposite direction. But, eventually the rabbit has the disadvantage of not knowing where all the hunters are on the playing field and in time his position will be narrowed down by the hunters. Obviously, the rabbit has no advantage to hunker down in a hole and hide for the duration of the game when he is required to constantly report his position at regular intervals.

After the game is played awhile, players will develop certain strategies that may be more successful than others. The same goes for players  who gain experience as rabbits.

One of the neat things about the game, is at the end, there is the ability to download all track logs of the players onto a map and view the movements of the hunters and the rabbit.

For the more high-tech players, the hunters could set up a base station with an FRS radio and a  laptop with the appropriate mapping software  and game map to more easily coordinate the tracking of the rabbit and the movement of the hunters.  But, remember the basic idea of the game is to utilize the GPS in the hands of each player.

       This is still an evolving concept to the game, so If you have any comments or interest in this game, please contact:

Navdog