Thursday, June 6, 2013

TECH: 5 Reasons Why I Got Hooked with Ingress

Artwork credit to www.ingress.com

I am by no means the geekiest person in my side of the world. I get amused by reading and experiencing science and other discoveries (sorry for the generalizations guys, please don't bite :P) but I'm not one who gets all "nerdy" on it.

That's why I'm so surprised when I got hooked to this GPS-based game called Ingress. By definition (Since I can't explain it in my own words. Really.)

"Ingress is a near-realtime augmented reality, massively multiplayer online video game created by Niantic Labs for Android devices. The game has a complex backstory that Google is revealing piece by piece." (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingress_(game)

I am no expert on it, but yes I enjoy how it creates a culture that invites not only those who really sees the technicality behind the game, but also those who would just want to experience it per se.  

So, without further stalling (because, really, I can't tell you more about the "concept" of the game haha!) let me tell you my top reasons why I like being an Ingress Agent (Enlightened PH agent to be exact). 

1. I get to notice quirky stuff when I travel. All ingress agents are encouraged to submit what they call "portals". In my simple-and-not-so-geeky point of view, a portal is where the action begins. You get to visit these portals, hack them and own them. Usually, portals are historical or important fixtures in an area that are somehow vital to the city's history but are not given that much attention. It really entertains me whenever I get to see and visit a portal and actually get a deeper appreciation of the city I'm in. 

2. The COMPETITION gets to you! When I pop my phone out and see that I'm swimming in a big blue field, every inch of my body… just… can't… take… it. Gaaaaah! For some weird reason, you just want to smash the other faction's portals and gain lots of AP to level up. 

3. Make a big impact that's recognized across the world (or the universe!) ENL PH, the group that I belong to, is recognized worldwide for creating unbelievable operations such as "Operation Boomerang" and "Operation Encapsulation". These team effort operations are bell ringers for most agents across the world given that it has drastically changed the factions overall rates. In fact, other countries can't help but create their own game changing operations after what my group did! :) 

4. I get to meet great people with whom I learn so much. From new sightings of portals to new strategies to what's happening in the news today to what's good to eat for lunch, our team can be a source of all there is to know and actually survive the world! HAHAHA! 

5. Belongingness. Your faction is YOUR family. When you're still in a lower level, you have big brothers and sisters who can help you out with your items when you're just too stubborn to "farm". (GUILTY!). Then when you get to reach a higher level, you return the favor and help those newbie agents who needs guidance in leveling up. And all these are done out of initiative. This fun loving cycle never gets old in our group, if not for all groups. 

As of now, I'm already an L7 agent turning L8 hopefully soon! For someone like me whose not a gamer to the core, I'm pretty surprised that I've sustained my interest in this game and actually made a few baby accomplishments along the way. I just can't wait for what's in store for me and my co-agents! 

To know more about the game you can visit www.ingress.com or add the it's community on google plus. 

Here's a video of one of the major operations that my group did:
Video credit to agent shadowolf7

2 comments :

  1. Wow! This is very interesting... Haven't heard about Ingress before... Thanks for sharing....

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  2. Looks like Ingress is addictive though a really fun app.

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