Wish Around the World: tentative planning

[benhenry]

Take a "wish trip" and see if we can get around the world in 80(?)days.

I have enjoyed playing some games and making some friends here at MPC. I think I have an idea for a co-operative type game like the other games here in the forum, but with a twist. There could be a winner. Actually, I've noticed that everyone wins here at MPC, because it is always enjoyable to visit, but competition as well as camaraderie is relaxing for me and I thought this game could offer both, with some interesting facts along the way.

I would truly enjoy some help or feedback, (or both!) if we could build the basics of the game together, and agree to some preliminary rules, I think we could have an awesome geography game.

My idea is this, a turn, or "wish trip" would consist of 4 pieces. [But each player would only be contributing 3 pieces per turn... you'll see]

1) Start. 2) Travel distance. 3) link or interesting fact 4) Destination.

As an example, since the College World Series begins this weekend; let's pretend we started in Omaha, Nebraska.
The first turn would consist of these four simple parts:

The Start: (1)Omaha, Nebraska

Travel Distance: (2) 0 miles {we have to start somewhere}

Link and/or Interesting Fact: (3) Home of the College World Series of Baseball (http://www.cwsomaha.com/html/tickets/index.asp)

Destination: (4) Omaha, Nebraska {we have to start somewhere, and to cover certain future situations, a Zero mileage turn is allowed; the player would just need a new fact or link to "run in place"}

Let's take a simulated turn.

Limits on mileage? (I was thinking 400 miles for an imaginary one day's journey would be reasonable, even if you have lots of kids :) )

Gordon wants to go to Wichita, Kansas. He "googles" or "expedia's" or uses some other means to determine that his mileage is: 309 miles from Omaha to Wichita. Now he simply needs to provide a link to an interesting fact about Wichita, or state a reason he wants to visit there... so his "wish trip" would be posted like this ( or something similar)

Omaha to Wichita, 309 miles, "Keeper Of The Plains" (http://www.theindiancenter.org/)

So... the next player starts from Wichita and chooses a destination within 0-400 miles.... Whoever happens to be the one to get back to Omaha after we travel by Wishes around the World wins... wins? Maybe some kind of banner that Linda or one of the other artists around here could make... and maybe a "fellow traveler" award or something if you manage to land on your home city along the way.... I think we could assume that you can go from one coastal city to another, on your "turn" temporarily suspending the 400 mile limit so we can bridge the continents....

What do you think MPCrs? Let's rock? Or let's not... Instant message or emails with suggestions, ideas, or complaints, etc... would be welcome :)

[Eve]

Sounds a great plan, so long as googling can determine distances between places in countries other than our own. There may be others who are directionally challenged as I am (have been known to get lost by leaving a shop by a different door to the one I went in to) so it could be good practice :)
Look out Jules Verne :)
Now I just have to convert 400 miles to kilometres.

[benhenry]

Sounds a great plan, so long as googling can determine distances between places in countries other than our own. There may be others who are directionally challenged as I am (have been known to get lost by leaving a shop by a different door to the one I went in to) so it could be good practice :)
Look out Jules Verne :)
Now I just have to convert 400 miles to kilometres.

Yes, excellent points, Eve. :thumbs: That's exactly the kind of considerations we need to have to make it a good start and a jolly good ride, aye? :wink: And how do we start? I was thinking of all the capital cities of the nations of the world, alphabetically arranged and then chosen by a random number generator? any other suggestions?

I will be trying to find good links that we can put in the first post of the actual start for the things like finding mileage and unit conversions. This could be great fun! I might try to get some students involved after a preliminary round or two...

Here is a very nice freeware tool for conversions... by a creative and likeable individual. family friendly, to meet MPC standards, too.
Small Freeware Application For Unit Conversions (http://www.joshmadison.com/software/)

And this looks like a nice link for finding distances between cities in the usa...
Find Distances Between Cities in the USA (http://www.greatbeartransport.com/FindDistance.asp)
there are some for the world, also, but not quite right yet, I think... still searching for one that would have worldwide capability.

Surface distance between points of Latitude and Longitude: (http://www.wcrl.ars.usda.gov/cec/java/lat-long.htm)

[L e s]

Wichita to Amarillo 419 miles, (but you can take a short cut :cjlol: ) Helium Capital of the world (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/A/Am/Amarillo,_Texas.htm)

[benhenry]

Wichita to Amarillo 419 miles, (but you can take a short cut :cjlol: ) Helium Capital of the world (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/A/Am/Amarillo,_Texas.htm)

As usual, I think, L e s has loosed the Gordian knot and we are off on an expedition around the world! Along the way, I'm sure we will have time to find a suitable reward for that first champion traveler who takes us finally back to our home start in Omaha. And maybe the talented artists of MPC will create some flags or banners to mark any home locations of members, and their discoverers. I will restart the game, with progress made so far in a new post entitled, "Around The World at MPC Game"

So Phileas, start the clock! To you, intrepid Buck, the Call of the Wild is upon us! Mush! And welcome aboard to any intrepid adventurers who dare to sweat and sail and soar around the Earth!