Backpacking video game?

“Ice Tea and I were talking and found out we both share a love for computer games. We brought up the idea...How would you design a backpacking video game?

Sure it'd be silly, and the hard part would be to make it exciting and marketable to a mass audience..not just to a bunch of trail-thumpers like us.

The game could take you through pre-planning, getting to the trailhead, hiking the trail, setting up camp, ect..

Sound boring? Ever try to explain "The Sims" to someone?! Sure sounds like a dull premise, but the game's a hit!

So..what would you like to see in said backpacking game? Hmmm?”

“You could move a guy from Springer Mtn to Katadin without getting him killed by starvation, Lack of water, bear attacks, shelter mice, or Chip.”

“The question would be, will it be a game like the Sims or like a base masters or deer hunter games. I think it would be a great idea. You could do a recreationelists(SP?) point of view or a professionals view like you have to make money and get sponsored and clime hill and buy new gear.”

“[You fine moleskin on the trail, your blisters are healed}”

“I think a 3D game like Quake 3. Except you get stuff like power bars instead of power ups. You select your gear and gain or lose it as you go. Then you can play it on-line with other virtual hikers. Different levels- maps could actually be based on reall terarain using the Voxel game engine, the same one used on the game Delta Force and Delta force 2.”

“Oh no, it's a grizzly bear! What do you do? Let him have it with the bear spray or stuff the last of your jerky down your buddy's shirt and run like hell!”

“You'd have to know how to use a compass and map.”

“You would have an item like a hud, your compass heading would be toggled by a bound key. You would need to determine your azimuth, then stick to it.

More weight=slower movement and more calories per mile used.

Instead of health, you would have a fatigue meter. Travel lighter, travel longer and farther. Go too fast and you will loose fatigue points too fast.

If you need an item - like a first aid kit, and you forget it, you suffer a penalty to your fatigue level that cumulates every day until you either get a new one, or you can no longer proceed.”

“This sounds awesome, I would buy it instantly.”

“[You find a dayhiker on the trail and eat his lunch- Energy up for 4 more miles]”

“I like the idea of having it in the first person (ie Quake, Doom), but with much of the management required as a game like the Sims, as most of you said.

Another added element could be a klutz factor. For example, you're level is "inexperienced" and you decided to bushwhack up a mountain. Your hat manages to snag a pair of small branches from a dead tree and you run across some drunken deer-hunters...

Game Over”

“For bonus points you get to see naked wood nymphs skinny dipping.”

“Or how about a cameo from Lara Croft!”

“Well I actually work in the video game industry, and this might not be too bad of an idea. I think the only real approach that would make the game both fun and mass-market friendly would be to have Microprose do it as part of their "Tycoon" franchises (Rollercoaster Tycoon, Railroad Tycoon, etc.)

You would be, say, a park manager, with control of vegetation, wildlife, conservation, etc. You would design trails that would run through these areas that you set up (with the computer crunching numbers to see if hikers actually enjoy it.) Your park would be near a town in which you controlled the sporting goods store, where you research and develop new gear.

The goal of course would be to have great packing territory and lots of return hikers.

For detail nuts, you could select the hikers and view any info you wanted: expertise, age, occupation, gear, what type of packing they go for, etc. By paying attention to these details you could better design your park and trails.

Of course you have natural disasters, weather, hunters, predators, etc. that you have to deal with.

It could also be mission based, ie. this trail used to be a very popular one, but high impact from car campers, urban development, poachers, and litter, as well as perhaps a bear population explosion has caused hikers to all but abandon it.

eh?”

“I was just looking earlier today for my next computer programin' project and I think I just found it. All I can do is 2d games... But if you have ever played something like the oregon trail, it can actualy keep you occupied. Somewhat anywyas. The sims.... Those are addicted... If anyone else has any more ideas then go ahead and post and I am gonna see if I can't bang this out...”

“I think having it be mission based would be a plus. Maybe it could be a mystery solving thing too.

Mission one: You are stranded on a mountain with only a few select pieces of gear and you have to get back to civilization.

Mission two: YOu need to find item X (which is vital to finding out who did what) which was lost out in the back country somewhere.

Mission three: After finding the item the bad guys know you are on to them and they are pursuing you over a mountain pass. They are faster than you for one reason or another, but you have a head start and a choice of gear to take with you to sustain you for the five days or so you expect to take to reach the destination on the other side of the mountain. Pick light gear to go faster, but it's gonna be cold up on top. What about food? Snowshoes? Would a fire give your location away? etc.

Mission four: Tracking. The roles are somewhat reversed here. Maybe you have to follow someone and catch up to them, or maybe you have to interpret what happened at a site from the tracks, refuse, and other signs left behind.

This would all be done in the first person perspective. I like the idea of a health and tiredness meter (which is changed by pace, food, first aid, gear weight, etc). You could choose between different packs of different sizes and attributes (pockets, gear loops, etc). I think simply having a lets go for a hike game would not have much demand. I think some action is necessary to generate demand and to keep interest.

Now if this is developed, can I get a cut of the take?”

“There would have to be a couple cool easter eggs in the game too. If you pick up some trash along the trail you get to play a game of donkey kong or something. Or maybe you get to a remote small town, if you go into a bar and beat a person in a game of darts you get a - real - $5 gift certificate at REI (REI would go along with this because when you outfit yourself in the game you go to REI).”

“oh, COME ON!!!!!

you folks really need to get out!!!!”

“Does sound like Oregon Trail we be a good game to emulate. How do you score points (gain $$$) so you upgrade your equipment? Orienteering Championships??? It'd be neat to base it on actual terrain of AT with shelters where they are supposed to be, more folks in populated areas, actual stores in towns near the AT, printable maps which are useful for real hickers. trail angels, water sources......
I think the more useful as a sim than as a game would improve its appeal. It could be a game that would take weeks to complete”

“no, please stop. this is freakin' blasphemy!”

“Javaboy - if you do program this, you could have a serious underground hit! I'm sure you'd get a lot of downloads if you could post it on download.com, or perhaps Matt would even let you post it here...eh, Matt?

All the idea's I've read here are good ones, but I really like Nafai's thoughts.

Also be cool to encounter other hikers in the game, get tips from them. And in addition, have hermits who live in the woods. Some are good, some are bad. Give one a powerbar, and maybe he'll give you a tidbit of information...something like that.

Possibilites seem to be endless, which is important for a good, quality game, me thinks.”

“you would lose points if you had pinworms or 'roids because all that scratching would keep the other campers up and sarabelle would be sniffing and stuff. bitchin'.”

“someone set up us the bomb!!!”

“We get signal.”

“It already exists, sort of. My kids have a game called Oregon Trail. You pick people to travel with, supplies on a budget, make travel decisions, hunt game, etc. It is just back packing with a wagon and long miles.”

“Good grief. Stay at home on your PC so I can enjoy wanderlust outside BY MYSELF!

You cheeze-dong gamers are down-right annoying! I bet you all have 'lil sprigs of goatees, too?”

“H2SO4 - In order to post your last post, I can only assume YOU were in front of you PC and not outside.

If you don't like the thread, then please don't tread.

P.S. I'm clean-shaven.”

“The troll seems to have gotten his first real bite.”

“He's one of those guys that hike solo not by choice”

“Uh, wireless dial-up from Squaw Valley mid-mountain restaurant. Snowing quite a bit. Losers!”

“Need to make it small and used friendly enough so you can play it on a laptop. that way hikers can bring it with them too the woods. Might as well since they need cell phones, pagers, etc.”

“Oh, c'mon, WildFacemelterWaftRat...sittting behind your desk you'd get bored and play it. Especially if it were interactive and you could screw the other hikers out of their, ah, trail herbs.”

“Perhaps the game could include hikers like H2SO4 that would steal your toilet paper or food from your camp while you're away. LOL!”

“I was just thinking about this again and decided to revive my old thread..

Any new thoughts or ideas?”

“Backpacker magazine had a backpacker board game in one of it's past issues. I think it was the centerfold of the magazine and you used a pair of dice to play.”

“Yeah! A group of backpackers get raped by deliverence types and then get mauled by hungry grizzlies. It would be exciting.

The worst part would be meeting Crazy Mike and having to do something sexually with a cigar.”

“last weekend, while boulder hopping on mosscovered , house sized slickrocks, my brother goes....cool ,this is just like a video game. we thought of all kinds of things we could do on there. going through caves, across rivers, etc. i could make a cool one if i had the computer skills.”

“That's a good idea, stratdewd.

There could also be "side missions", where you rescue another hiker or peril. Or swapping gear on the trail with other hikers.”