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Occassional thoughts about orienteering


Thursday, March 06, 2003

CF

 

At the training camp in Arizona, Mook spent a bunch of time playing the O' game "Catching Features."



I'm a big fan of the game. I've played the test version. The final release won't be for a while (Biggins anticipates a release in April/May). The released version will include a random maps and courses and might have the ability to import OCAD maps.

Here is a bit of what Mook had to say after playing CF for a while....

Recently I've started to play the computer game Catching Features (hereafter CF), which simulates orienteering. It is fun, even in its test phase. It can be quite hard too and I'm sure it will be a while before I feel comfortable knowing which controls to use to get it to do what I want (much less orienteer consistently). Certainly real orienteering is quite different, but there may be some skills you can pick up playing CF that will help. Perhaps the best thing it does is force you to concentrate. If you can't get out on a map, you might think of a training session where you run repetitive (hard) laps on a track, followed by a leg on CF. You'd probably want one of those plastic covers to go over your keyboard if you did that!

I'm not sure how to make CF more helpful for o' training. One of the things that is just a bit too easy is running in a straight line, which in terrain takes more thought than it does on CF. I don't know how to make running straight more difficult without making it artificially hard. Perhaps if the trees grew even closer together it would force the runner to weave back and forth more, and that would make running straight more of a challenge.

If I were to choose, here are some additions/changes I might like for CF:

1. Add different vegetation types, like fights, areas of slow run and high visibility, deadfall, etc.
2. Add some "inclement" weather conditions.
3. Have the trails be clear of trees and faster running than the surrounding woods (I'm not sure that they are).
4. Get the bottom of the OK suit to match the real thing.
5. Have a utility that allows people to create different types of terrain and vegetation and create their own courses on them.
6. Add a greater variety of animal life, perhaps to include some dangerous animals.
7. Calculate some statistical measures of performance (other than time) and report them to the runner.





posted by Michael | 8:42 PM

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