GEO CRASH: The Player’s Handbook by LocoMatrix
The Geo Family This is the Geo family. George is married to Geraldine. They have 2 children, Gary and Grace. Gary is made in the mould of his father and can be rather naughty. Grace is the complete opposite – rather wise and slightly reserved. They like to play pranks on others, and their favorite day is April Fools Day.
Introduction
Geo Crash is a series of outdoor games that can be played on a smartphone or tablet. It uses the device's GPS and compass to establish where you are and create a virtual environment around you (Please see the section on recommended devices and configuration) . It is intended for families to play, particularly for occasions such as birthdays and picnics, but, hey, who needs an excuse: play it anytime! We have created the first free game and it is called the "Stolen Rolls Royce". Other games in the series will become available in due course and for these we will charge a small fee. The free game is intended as a sampler to explore the techniques that will be used in future games whilst we hope still being rather exciting. Future games will be more complex and allow player interactivity. Like geocaching, Geo Crash asks you to find items but in our games the items are virtual so we can let you move them, and even dig them up. But more importantly, the 5 levels that make up the game are part of a story that asks you to solve a mystery in this case why the Geo Family stole from some shops and then went off in the mayor's Rolls Royce. Or did they? It's up to you to gather the evidence.
How big’s our Play Area?
Organising a Game: before you leave home.
Geo Crash is played on a Smartphone or Tablet that has GPS and compass capability. It is supported on both iOS and Android platforms. The screen size is not a limiting factor, but the bigger the screen the better. For the iOS platform the game is compatible with all iPhones, but will not support Wifionly iPads (as they don’t have GPS). Each player needs their own device and plays independently of everyone else (games to come will have players competing with each other). You would be wise to install and check the app before leaving home, and to familiarise yourself with navigating around the screens (see next section). Allow at least 45 minutes for a game it can be played faster as you gain experience, but in the first instance it will probably take longer. It’s best to find a large open space away from other people (you don't want to go tramping through someone else's picnic or football game), and free of obstacles. Also because our game use GPS (you do know how to turn this on?), it works best away from high buildings and trees. You will be asked to select 1 of 3 Play Area sizes: 50, 75 or 100 metres square (hint: if you have never played before, start small). To give you an idea of what that the size will be like, check out the overlay of Brighton Pier (don’t know the pier a tennis court is just under 25m long).
Geo Crash screen navigation
Geo Crash activity screen
Navigating around the game
The game is composed of a number of screens which are navigated by swiping as instructed. There are five scenes in the game and each has a Help screen and an Activity screen. The activity in each must be completed within a set time before you can move onto the next scene. If you run out of time, you will have to try again (sorry!). Once competed successfully, you will be directed to the next scene. Once you’ve read the instructions on the Help screen, swipe up to enter the Activity screen. You now have 6 minutes to complete each task. If at any point you need to pause, swipe down to return to the Help screen. When you return to the Activity screen you will carry on where you left off. The Activity screen is divided into 3 areas, of which the largest square represents the Play Area. Your position is shown as Neptune the cat and moves around with you. Note the buildings they are important for taking items to. The smaller upper square shows scores for this level and the whole game, plus a timer showing how long you have to complete the activity. The lower square shows your animal helper and varies according to the scene. They will provide useful information to help you complete the activity.
Ready to start playing!
We’re in the park and ready to play!
Because GPS and the compass lie at the heart of our game, it is a good idea to check that they are working properly before you start to play. GPS can take some time (up to 5 minutes) to lock on to your location. On some devices, the compass needs to be calibrated often (once per game). Various Apps are available that will assist with the above: we recommend GPSStatus which is free and available on both our supported platforms. Right, we are ready! Start Geo Crash and swipe to the help screen (but you already know what to do, don’t you?). Go to the next (setup) screen and walk to the centre of the Play Area. Face the direction that you want to be the top of the screen; this means that whenever you are pointing this way, you will walk towards the buildings of the village. Now select your desired Play Area size (50, 75 or 100 metres square) and swipe to the first scene. Read the instructions and you are ready for the first Activity.
Scene 1
Scene 2
Scene 1: Finding dropped objects with the metal detector In this and on the next few pages, we will give you some extra tips for completing the activities in the 5 scenes. We think we have explained what to do quite succinctly on the game help screens (and reproduced here on the left). First, note the images of the buildings behind the help screens. These may assist you in identifying buildings, particularly if you are playing on a small screen. Next, make sure that when you start the game, you and Neptune are near the centre of the screen. If you are not, it may indicate that the GPS hasn’t yet locked onto your true position.
Scene 2: Taking the dropped objects for analysis You’re familiar with “drag and drop” on your computer. In our game, instead of using a mouse to move objects around, here you are the “mouse” (in a manner of speaking). We call this “run and drop”. So, go to an object and tap the screen to “pick up”, “drag” the object to the destination, and then touch the screen again to “drop”. Make sure you are really over the destination otherwise the object will return to its starting place.
Scene 3
Scene 4
Scene 3: Using geophysics to help find the car In this scene, when you start to move you will see you are creating a trail and exposing what may be hidden below in this case the car. There is nothing else to do other than find the car which will be exposed when you are in the right area. There are 6 points to get here, and you will only get these when you have uncovered the Rolls and some of the area around it.
Scene 4: Finding and digging up the stolen objects Did you know that there is an instrument called a mole that is used to find problems in underground pipes it is a sort of camera that is made to burrow underground? Well, our Mole here is a little like that. He has a drilling machine that works when you run round in circles. As you move, so will Mole.
When you have dug deep enough you should discover the buried objects. Remember you might find objects too that are not stolen!
Scene 5
The end!
Scene 5: Returning stolen items to their owners This is another “run and drop” activity but here you have to take the stolen items back to their rightful owners. Where do you think the items you dug up belong. We have made it slightly easier here in that if you try and drop an item in the wrong place, you just get a warning noise: the items stays with you. Good luck with this, because if you succeed in this activity you will have successfully completed the game and reached …
… The End If you have enjoyed playing the game, why not: ● like us on Facebook. ● invite your friends to play. ● subscribe to our newsletter. ● have a look at the animation that accompanies this game. ● send us your comments and feedback .