treasure hunting
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Rediscover treasure hunting with Figibox
Figibox is a location based messaging app. A user goes to a location of their choosing and can drop a Figibox message that can include text and photos for another user to access. You can also locate other Figiboxes left by other users and open them on location like you would with a classic treasure hunt. There is an option to send both public and private messages. Public messages (green Figiboxes) can be used to inspire and communicate with other users in your neighborhood. Private messages (red Figiboxes) can be used as a sentimental and fun way to message your nearby friends and family. This app requires iOS7 or later is compatible with the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. It is optimized for iPhone 5. Upon downloading the app, a user can find messages close to them that have been created by the app developers. This is a tutorial of sorts. I went and found some of the boxes. which included messages about how to use the app and leave messages at locations. This app is a fun way to cleverly communicate something I noticed at a given location (graffiti, a local art piece, etc.), or if I simply want a friend to go out of their way to locate something cute I want to say to them. The location service is very easy to use. I had no problem at all finding Figiboxes and opening them. The interface is designed with a basic white background, indicating that the creativity and artistic expression is left up to the user within their own Figibox messages. There is a lot of freedom to create something very original and interesting. I could see people getting hooked on creating experimental public messages with political and artistic themes. I like the idea of giving a physical location to a message for the public, but this seems like an inefficient way to send messages to one specific person or even a group of close friends. If I were to send a visual inside joke I would just text the person. Additionally, there are apps that exist already (like instagram) that allow a user to post video and photo messages with a geographic location tagged. The treasure hunting aspect of it could be fun publicly. I can see myself experimenting and seeing what myself and others are capable of creating and sharing. Someone with a bit of design sense and a strong voice could possibly become a Figibox celebrity user known for special artistic messages they leave in a community. Figibox is new and I am really excited to see the app grow in popularity. Currently very few seem to be using the app regularly. I think once it takes off, it could be a really unique way of expressing yourself in your community through messages created on location.
Global Chat: Let it go
Now that I've cursed your day by triggering that earworm song from Frozen, you're probably going to be in a grumpy mood. Don't fret; snow empowerment isn't the only way to set you free. Sometimes it's the well-penned prose of MMO bloggers who put to the page what only previously existed in your thoughts. On today's edition of Global Chat, one blogger and developer has a gaming heresy to share, another has a few harsh words to say about crowdfunding, and a third thinks that the future of the genre is all in getting smaller, not bigger. Check out these great posts from the past couple of weeks!
ArcheAge underwater treasure hunting guide released
ArcheAge may be a distant dream to those of us here in the West, but a few of the folks who have been playing the game's extensive Korean beta tests are at least keeping us informed about the sandbox title's niftiest features. Case in point is a new underwater treasure hunting guide on the ArcheAge Source forums. The info has been translated from a Russian fan site, and it's accompanied by plenty of screens and video (including a map, since this is a proper treasure hunt). The process is pretty involved, and requires a ship, scuba gear, and plenty of air bags to lift chests to the ocean surface. The guide posits that treasure hunting is more profitable than traditional gathering based on preliminary beta testing, but it also cautions that resource prices may vary quite a bit. Head past the cut for a couple of underwater exploration videos, then head to ArcheAge Source to check out the guide. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
LotRO's buried treasure resurfaces in a new dev diary
Deep under the soil of Middle-earth are riches galore, and only the Dwarves know where to dig. Fortunately for players, the Dwarves are totally fine with interlopers coming along to try their luck at finding a bit of buried treasure -- and they've even made an event out of it. While we previously saw a test run of the Buried Treasure event in Lord of the Rings Online, Turbine's put forth a dev diary that indicates we should be seeing more of it fairly soon. The event challenges players to flock to a treasure field, grab some picks, and get diggin' for booty. There's a strategy behind it that utilizes trained animals and dowsing sticks to find the best goods, although treasure hunters can just start digging randomly as well. The treasure will vary in size and quality, ranging from special mounts and cosmetic gear to more picks and barter tokens. While players can earn picks in-game through a repeatable quest, Turbine will also be selling them through the LotRO store for those who want to speed up their winnings. The dev diary posted several pictures of the nifty rewards that can be mined and states that the event is "seasonally agnostic," coming and going at various times during the year.
The Road to Mordor: Treasure hunting!
It's not been an insignificant week for Lord of the Rings Online, as Turbine rolled out its big holiday patch: Update 5. With it came all manner of goodies, from an instance finder to another book in our epic quest across Middle-earth. Cooks got coffee (have you had a cup of joe yet?), and I reveled in the ability to expand my sorely taxed wardrobe beyond 100 slots. But amidst all of the excitement and analysis of the new features slid in something surprising. The night of the update, Turbine opened up its long-promised treasure hunting mini-event for a sneak peek. I joined the throngs of curious lookie-loos who made a beeline for Ered Luin and some mysterious patches of glowing soil that promised riches galore. Treasure hunting was originally supposed to hit the game much earlier this year, but for reasons unknown, Turbine pushed it back until a later date. Personally, I was psyched that another non-combat event was on its way, so when I saw that there was an actual sneak peek of the event, I cast aside all of the shiny new content of the update to see what this was all about. While I came away with favorable impressions, it was with a slight bitter aftertaste of something not quite palatable. What could it be? Well, you're just going to have to keep reading these here fancy words to find out!
Choose My Adventure: Dirty fightin' and treasure huntin'
My pirate life continued this past week in Pirates of the Burning Sea, and thanks to your feedback, I took on some new swashbuckling skills. Based on the poll results, Dirty Fighting came out as the winning choice, and I happily retrained at my port. I also popped over to Treasure Aisle, the in-game cash shop. I had some Station Cash burning a hole in my pirate chest, and since I had so much fun on my last treasure hunt, I decided to purchase a new map case and try my luck once more at finding the giant red X. In this week's Choose My Adventure, I'll tell you how my respec went and whether I found any treasure. In addition, I'll give you a sneak peek at some new bling for my pirate ship!
Choose My Adventure: Out of drydock!
It was a happy return to the high seas for Arienne Sauvage. You might have noticed that Choose My Adventure went dark for a couple of weeks, and that's because of the unexpected downtime from the attack on Sony Online Entertainment. Now that things are back up and running, I'm ready to set sail for the last few entries of my adventure in Pirates of the Burning Sea. Join me this week as I evaluate the Welcome Back rewards, polish up my ship combat skills, and search for buried treasure!
Entropia Universe expands with treasure hunting on Planet Arkadia
Planet Calypso is one of the more interesting concepts in the free-to-play arena, as it's a game in which you can theoretically make real money from playing the game. It looks like the concept is expanding a bit with the announcement of Planet Arkadia, an environment for virtual treasure hunters. Part of the same overarching concept and universe as Planet Calypso, the game will be a chance for players to enjoy the thrill of treasure hunting without the actual logistical issues of stealing things and then selling them. The game is going to bear another similarity to its predecessor, however, in that the treasures being unearthed will potentially be worth real-world currency. That should provide players of the game with a little added incentive, along with concept art by Feng Zhu and the promise of an immersive virtual world. Tentatively set for release in early 2011, Planet Arkadia already boasts a site with preview images and more information on the game environment. So if you've always wanted a chance for your virtual treasure to translate into real money, your dream might be closer to fruition than you think.
This ain't like dusting crops, boy: The Old Republic expounds on crafting and PvP
Earlier this week, BioWare promised a couple of Star Wars: The Old Republic "juicy reveals" at this year's Winter Showcase in London, and it looks as though it might have delivered. The studio went into detail about two key systems in the game: crafting and PvP Warzones. Darth Hater reports that Warzones will be just one of the types of PvP arenas in the TOR. Warzones feature set teams with specific objectives. In the case of Alderaan's Warzone, it involves taking over turrets and blasting the enemy's drop ship to pieces -- once this happens, the match is over and tokens and XP is awarded. This Warzone was shown to be 8v8, although BioWare did not mention if the Warzones scaled in group size. BioWare also hinted about another Warzone that takes place on a derelict spaceship. Turning to crafting, BioWare is implementing something called the Crew Skill system. Players will send their crew on assignments to accomplish various objectives, including gathering (Bio Analysis, Slicing), crafting (Artifice, Biochem) and missions (Diplomacy, Treasure Hunter). Companions are typically suited to do one of these tasks better than the others. These tasks can be queued up in advance, and will have different benefits -- for example, Diplomacy can spread a player's influence and impact morality points, while Treasure Hunting will turn up treasures (and, presumably, junk) based on a random number generator.
Darkfall expansion delayed, treasure hunting in the works
Lots of stuff is going on in the world of Agon, and the weekend brought us a double-shot of news updates, one good and one not so good. Aventurine's Tasos Flambouras recently checked in on the official boards to announce a delay on the upcoming expansion. The delay appears to be primarily performance-related. "The expansion is forced back a short while longer, we hope no longer than a couple of weeks, in order to get the performance right, and everything in the expansion working properly and tested thoroughly so there's no repeat of the last setback with the terrain feature," he wrote. Aventurine has also been having trouble with its network service provider, and the post provides a few details along those lines as well. Now for the good news: treasure hunting is coming to Darkfall, courtesy of the aforementioned expansion. Players will be able to acquire map-reading skills from NPCs, make their own shovels to unearth various objects, and use treasure map hints to determine appropriate dig locations. "We are already planning on expanding this system, which means you can expect additional treasure hunt features being added on top of the one we talked about today," writes Aventurine's Laenih on the Darkfall forums.
Aspyr launches social networking site for Treasure World
Aspyr Media's innovative DS treasure hunt game Treasure World comes out this week, and to support it, the company has launched a site to allow players to find not just Wi-Fi-generated items, but each other as well.Club Treasure World allows players to show off their collections of items. Each item also has an associated sound, so players can set items down in specific configurations and create musical "Songscapes," which can also be shared on the site. Special awards and "treasure keys" will also be available through Club Treasure World. Most importantly, the site is a venue for the sharing of friend codes and a hub for item trading.Check out some new screens in our gallery. Treasure World is clearly kid-oriented, but the novelty factor of collecting unique items from different Wi-Fi signals seems like something that adults could find cool as well.%Gallery-67057%
Pirates of the Burning Sea introduces skirmish system and treasure hunts
By the time this post goes live, Pirates of the Burning Sea should be updated to build 1.15: "Black Bart's Gold", across the North American, European, and Australian servers. Black Bart's Gold (which introduces treasure hunting to the game) is a continuation of the Black Flags and Dread Saints story arc, which will also bring both new and altered game mechanics to PotBS. We've mentioned a few of the changes that are coming to Pirates of the Burning Sea, namely skirmish warfare and a sweeping change to loot drops. These are only a few highlights of what Black Bart's Gold will introduce to the game. The full patch notes give a much more complete picture of what build 1.15 brings, including two new ships -- the Poseidon (level 50) and the Alymer (level 1). Pirates of the Burning Sea community manager Rhaegar gives a timetable for the expected server downtime: "We will be upgrading our North American, European & Australian SOE live servers to build 1.15: Black Bart's Gold during the usual maintenance window (1:30am - 5:00am Pacific / 9:30am - 1:00 pm British Summer Time) on Wednesday, May 27th."Update: Rhaegar writes -- "We have unfortunately had to delay the patch until tomorrow. It will happen during the normal outage window of 1.30am-5.00am Pacific (9.30am-1.00pm BST). We apologize for any inconvenience caused."%Gallery-12977%
Monkey Island on EU Aggramar this Saturday
Here's a fun event for the EU folks (as opposed to all the action on Steamwheedle) -- this Saturday, September 13th, on EU Aggramar, a guild called Deeprun Pest Control (funny) is holding an event called Monkey Island. They're all meeting up in Stranglethorn, and holding an Arena battle, putting on a costume contest, doing a little treasure hunting, and just having what sounds like a good old time.We have to say -- the trailer is awesome. It makes Stranglethorn Vale look like a place we want to visit again, and that's saying something. Everything kicks off around 2:45 server time, and while most of the events will be for the Alliance, we're told that there will be Horde translaters available. Always awesome to see really well coordinated player events -- if you're able to jump on the Aggramar realm this Saturday, do check it out (and be sure to tell us how it went).
UK inventor crafts remote controlled treasure hunting robot
Although John Corney's RC treasure hunter hasn't happened upon any $10 billion finds or unreleased iPhone knockoffs, the remote controlled truck has indeed scrounged up part of a Medieval Pilgrims badge which has now been donated to Warminster Library Museum. The off-roading machine is essentially a souped up metal detector on wheels (er, tracks) that has an on-board camera "to show its controller where it is going." The creator is already "qualified in remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) control," and has used his mountain climbing machine to land "hundreds" of old coins and medieval artifacts including a World War II medical badge. The project didn't come easy, however, as Mr. Corney has spent over seven years and £2,000 ($3,958) honing its skills, but apparently, he's hunting down VCs right now to help bring "Champion the Wonder Robot" to market.[Via Robot-Gossip]
Controversial Arturito bot survives scientific testing
There was some understandable skepticism last time we brought you news of the amazing, seemingly physics-defying robot nicknamed Arturito -- yes, it's supposed to sound like R2D2 -- which has managed to find buried bones, hidden treasure, and underground mineral deposits at depths previously thought to be inaccessible with current technology. Tired of all the potshots from the scientific community (one professor called the machine's supposed ability to analyze a nuclear signal reflected from multi-hundred-foot depths "delirious"), the rather unphotogenic inventor Manuel Salinas brought what's formally known as the "Geo-Radar" system to Chile's Universidad Tecnológico Metropolitano for testing -- and wouldn't you know it, the darn thing actually works. Even though the bot will surely continue to have its detractors, its almost perfect accuracy in finding deep copper deposits during the university trial has convinced the most important folks of all that Arturito is the real deal: the eager businesspeople who are throwing cash at Salinas to get their hands on one.[Via Cnet]
