Warcraft Go!

[Beefkow]

This is a repost from the wow general discussion fourms, if you dislike in-depth explanations/math, this post isn't for you.

Warcraft Go!

Okay, it isn't what you think it sounds. The name for this "system" would be different ( I'm not good with coming up with names). I am not a Pokemon fan at all (please don't bash me for that reason!), but I have heard that Pokemon Go! was released couple days earlier and one of my older siblings managed to snag the game (no pun intended!). Probably one of the best Pokemon games to ever be released just for the fact that it forces, or motivates people to get outside and catch Pokemon IRL. Well, not literately catch Pokemon IRL, but just some awesome navigation system. I thought that the concept was cool despite the fact that I hate Pokemon, but that didn't alter my thoughts about the whole concept.

Let's get down to the real deal with a solid explanation.

Ever heard of those apps or items that keep track of your pacing, foot steps, or heart beat? For me, I use run keeper, which is an app that tracks your running mileage and how fast you're going. If you ran X amount of miles, you would get X amount of points, which would be used to buy real items (like shoes, socks, etc).

As a video gamer and a person that enjoys working out outside, the idea of "tracking miles IRL linking to virtual reality" gave me a brilliant but yet questionable idea that would possibly bring pros and cons.

Now, with Warcraft Go!, it would be much more different than Pokemon Go! As it's simply Warcraft, not Pokemon (battle pets don't count). I would imagine it would be an app on your iPhone that would link to your a Bnet account. With the Warcraft Go! App, you would be able to make gold no matter where you go! The system would be simple, if you take X amount of steps, you earn X amount of gold (I'll explain more in detail).

The gold that you earn from moving IRL, will automatically be stored in a special bank in your app that keeps all of the RL gold. Once you have gotten the desired amount of gold, you would use the special bank and send that gold to the character that you want the gold on ( the gold would appear in your mailbox. Of course you can perform that action anywhere outside of your home if you're using cellular data. To put simply, this app needs to have Internet in order to count your steps and store your gold.

Explanation of Points to gold system (feet/steps movement)

Walking/Jogging/running
The Wow Go! App functions with any workout method that involves the feet touching the ground like jumping squats, jump rope, you name it. I have done some Google yolo research to back up for my reasons behind the point to gold system.

(2.3 ft.) 1 step = 10 silver
(23 ft.) 10 steps = 1 gold
(.04 miles) 100 steps = 10 gold
(.4 miles) 1000 steps = 100 gold
(4.4 miles) 10000 steps = 1000 gold
So forth.....

Math:
X= # of steps
Y= distance traveled in miles
2.3 = avg leg stride length in ft.
5280 ft. = 1 mile

X • 2.3/5280 = Y

The following results can be sped up by simply jogging, running, and sprinting. More steps, more gold, simple as that. If you decide to jog or run with short strides, you will begin to tire easily more than the other correct method with taking medium/long strides.

"An average person has a stride length of approximately 2.1 to 2.5 feet. That means that it takes over 2,000 steps to walk one mile; and 10,000 steps would be almost 5 miles. A sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. For these people adding steps has many health benefits" (the walking site.com).

This quote was the first thing I saw when I googled "steps in a mile". I used the steps in a mile system because that is the general rule to staying in shape for an avg person (assuming you're not an Olympic athlete).

Heart rate system

The Wow Go! also includes a heart monitor (BPM- beats per min.) that keeps track of your heart rate. The BPM system can tell whether you're resting or active.

"According to the National Institute of Health, the average resting heart rate: for children 10 years and older, and adults (including seniors) is 60 - 100 beats per minute. for well-trained athletes is 40 - 60 beats per minute" (Nation Institute of Health).

Based off of this following quote, we will use 75 BPM as the avg # assuming 70% wow players lack fitness and the other 30% being physically active. We will also use 100 BPM as our mHR (minimum high rate) to determine whether the system will function or not.

"Wait wait wait.... Why would Wow Go! have a heart monitor if the whole system is based off of steps?"

The Wow Go! app also functions with biking, I don't think it's possible to count steps while biking, wheels don't have feet. Sure we can use 2.3 as our avg ft. per second, but it just wouldn't be accurate.

The heart rate monitor is used to determine whether the person is biking or simply "riding a vehicle". It's also used as a perk to enhance your walks to make it less boring.

"How will BPM affect the steps system?"

The BPM system will affect your step score for every step you take (not your overall steps). The whole steps and BPM system follow a linear system so that way it wouldn't be abused.

Example: Deathkow takes 10 steps and his heart rate fluctuates between 120-130 BPM (he's probably jogging or running).

#1 step = 10s • 1.3 (130 BPM) 13s
#2 step = 10s • 1.28 (128 BPM). 12s 80c
#3 step = 10s • 1.25 (125 BPM). 12s 50c
#10 step =10s • 1.27 (127 BPM) 12s 70c

You would add the results and make around 1 gold and 30 silver rather than your usual 1 gold for the 10 steps because your heart rate exceeded 100 BPM. Going above 100 BPM means you're active and your gold value multiplies by X% for every # above 100.

101 BPM = 1% bonus
130 BPM = 30% bonus
170 BPM = 70% bonus
220 BPM = 120% bonus

220 BPM is your maximum heart rate (MHR), if it exceeds higher, you're probably going to die!

"It is recommended that you exercise within 55 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 to 30 minutes to get the best results from aerobic exercise. The MHR (roughly calculated as 220 minus your age) is the upper limit of what your cardiovascular system can handle during physical activity"(active.com).

"But doesn't that allow unfit wow players to gain a bigger advantage over the well-fit players?"

Since unfit people have a higher BPM than fit people, it's a possibility. You still have to factor the distance count (in miles, or ft.) in addition to your BPM.

High BPM + low distance = low outcome
Low BPM + low distance = no outcome
High BPM + high distance = high outcome
Low BPM + high distance = medium outcome

Explanation of Points to gold system (biking)

(coming soon....)

Thoughts?

[Kraineth]

Doesn't really seem to have much of a point outside of giving players gold to walk around. I get that you are trying to capitalize on the success of Pokemon GO, but this seems rather uninspired.

For one, pokemon GO is already a pretty decent motivator for people to get outside who generally haven't. There are a lot more systems to it outside of just walking X distance to catch Y pokemon.

I would be willing to bet that an app this barebones wouldn't be anywhere close to as good of a motivator that Pokemon GO is. Pokemon GO gives you a destination and direction. You want to figure out where that pokemon is, not just run into one every X miles that you travel.

Needs some more systems to give people a real reason to enjoy walking/running/biking, otherwise it's just a fitness app that adds inflation.

[Reclaimer]

You do understand that most people playing pokemon go are driving around in cars and "playing it" right? At lease that's what all the younger people at my place of work is doing lol

[Schattenlied]

The last thing this game needs is more gold inflation.

[jettzypher]

You do understand that most people playing pokemon go are driving around in cars and "playing it" right? At lease that's what all the younger people at my place of work is doing lol

Hardly even accurate unless it's a quick stop to snag something someone saw. Are there some lazy turds that are operating that way? Sure. However, most people are legitimately walking around to collect stops, catch pokemon, and battle gyms.

[MORGATH99]

this would have been amazing before WOD

[Kokolums]

I think it could be interesting if you had to go out into a field or something and then it drew some sort of game board on the fly and you had to interact with it using your phone. Players could use the football, baseball, or soccer field at school or in the local park.

[Beefkow]

The last thing this game needs is more gold inflation.

I was going to explain as to why this could be an issue for gold competition in my part 2, but I got pretty tired. Honestly, you're not getting alot of gold doing these following activites, unless you feel like running a marathon as such, but other than that, it's not something that will earn you millions of gold and ruin the market. Plus, you have to actually work hard to obtain gold.

Like I said earlier, there are lots of unfit people that play wow, and if they manage to make bank from Warcraft Go!, then they're 1 step closer to getting fit and kudos to them!

But I don't see how this is a good idea for WOW.

It actually helps blizzard AND the players. Basically this app allows people to enjoy life while they earn virtual gold (besides selling stuff on the AH). It's honestly a win win for blizzard.

[Justpassing]

Pokemon is still a thing?

[Fincayra]

everyone and their brother would figure out how to automate it and get tons of free gold.

[Beefkow]

Doesn't really seem to have much of a point outside of giving players gold to walk around. I get that you are trying to capitalize on the success of Pokemon GO, but this seems rather uninspired.

For one, pokemon GO is already a pretty decent motivator for people to get outside who generally haven't. There are a lot more systems to it outside of just walking X distance to catch Y pokemon.

I would be willing to bet that an app this barebones wouldn't be anywhere close to as good of a motivator that Pokemon GO is. Pokemon GO gives you a destination and direction. You want to figure out where that pokemon is, not just run into one every X miles that you travel.

Needs some more systems to give people a real reason to enjoy walking/running/biking, otherwise it's just a fitness app that adds inflation.

My bad on my part, working on a part 2 post explaining the bike part and additional perks (achievements/perks).

everyone and their brother would figure out how to automate it and get tons of free gold.

Explain.

[Fincayra]

Explain.

Why does it need explained? If this is a phone app, I assume it will have an attachment on the phone like those click things that measure when you take a step. Some people will figure out how to make it count steps while no steps are actually taken. People have done things like this since the stone age.

[Treeskee]

We don't need more gold inflation. This would just lead to people trying to cheese the shit out of the step counter/gps and get crazy stupid amounts of gold.

[FelPlague]

-snip-

people could easily cheat this, and higher beats per minute is not allways a good thing... as somone who has been running for a long time will need less work to do that running, meaning somone who is a pro runner, will need to go MUCH MUCH faster then a normal person does, to get that BPM bonus, and again, this can be cheated with a simple device...

also the main thing of pokemon is the community, these gyms that people fight together to collect, and also the encounters, the random encounters and catching these pokemon are super fun, where with just walking to collect gold... would be stupid...

[Beefkow]

Haha, im not an expert on anything regarding bots, hackers, DDOSing, or programming but like I said, there are some cons and concerns with this system. I would obviously think there would be an anti-hacking system, but thats virtually impossible. Like I said, this is just an idea, I wouldn't know how to create this app whatsoever.

Some people will figure out how to make it count steps while no steps are actually taken. People have done things like this since the stone age.

Yes they can, but does it have a virtual heartbeat? Steps must be linked to a heartbeat otherwise you're earning nothing.

as somone who has been running for a long time will need less work to do that running, meaning somone who is a pro runner, will need to go MUCH MUCH faster then a normal person does, to get that BPM bonus

Well, if you're already fit, running should be easy for you which results in more steps.

Getting steps is more important than getting BPM as getting 10 silver is better than getting 2ish silver, BPM is just a nice perk to include in your walking routine.

[Deleted]

people could easily cheat this

You can always cheat. Pokemon GO client has no integrity checks whatsoever, so you can easily mitm-proxy the traffic and automatically (scripted) change your location without ever leaving your house. You can exploit it fairly simply by just feeding it co-ordinates from Google Maps.

Having said that - you're right about the community, that's where the whole game comes together. I wish Blizzard would invest in creating communities, they've been tearing down the community/guild features since TBC/Wrath - and replacing them with anti-social queue systems.

[Kokolums]

What does it really say about people that the reason this would never work is that everyone would immediately try to break it by hacking and cheating? I know the gut reaction is to say "its just a game", but people are like this in everything.

[Zoibert the Bear]

Okay, just a query.

Why the fuck use the retarded imperial system?

Embrace meters man, embrace them.

[Kokolums]

Okay, just a query.

Why the fuck use the retarded imperial system?

Embrace meters man, embrace them.

We have a bunch of different languages on this planet. English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese. People don't seem to mind that. We have different currencies. Different legal systems. Why do some people go crazy about having different units of measurement?

[Amerissis]

Pokemon is still a thing?

Nope. No one plays it anymore. Pokémon Go is a complete failure.