Like you don’t have enough nerdy things to do online – last fall, a group of Yale undergrads created an online game called GoCrossCampus (GXC), a territorial-conquest game along the lines of the board game Risk in which teams consisting of unlimited numbers of players play on behalf of real-world dorms or schools (or any other collective interests) by competing for control over a virtual map of relevant geographic areas.
The company behind GXC, based in New Haven, is slowly growing, and the game has already spread to 24 universities and high schools. Google is even on board, planning to bring the game to its New York office by playing the sales department against the engineering one on a map of its Manhattan campus.
The rules of GXC are relatively simple. Every player is allocated a number of armies each day and must coordinate attacks, troop movements and defensive maneuvers with teammates. Players can move their armies once each day, and the game software calculates the result of clashes with an algorithm that gives a slight edge to defenders.
Some of the most significant moves occur offline, as players gather in the real world to elect commanders, recruit other players and discuss strategy and ways of spying on opponents as they formulate battle plans.
Check out this slideshow for a scintillating account of the recently played Ivy League free-for-all (Northeast conquest map pictured above).
So, who’s up for organizing a Wes edition of this, or maybe waging war on some of our sister schools? A Little 3 competition spanning Connecticut and Massachusetts? An inter-dorm brawl over Andrus field? SciLi vs. Olin, for domination of our study habits? Possibilities are endless!
Thanks to Mark E. Miller ’79 for sending this over.
definitely down also, sheckel@wes
definitely down also, sheckel@wes
my brother is really into this at Hopkins. I think all you need to do is send in a map of your campus and they’ll create it for you… or something. someone who wants to play should shoot them an e-mail :)
my brother is really into this at Hopkins. I think all you need to do is send in a map of your campus and they’ll create it for you… or something. someone who wants to play should shoot them an e-mail :)
I am so down, afurnas@wes
I am so down, afurnas@wes
This is fucking awesome. Somebody get on it.
This is fucking awesome. Somebody get on it.
I wish my submitted Wesleying posts put my name in Orange
I wish my submitted Wesleying posts put my name in Orange
One of the guy’s who created this was my roommate this summer! Awesome!
One of the guy’s who created this was my roommate this summer! Awesome!
Little 3 battle! so we can beat amherst and williams at something at the same time
Little 3 battle! so we can beat amherst and williams at something at the same time
WestCo dorms compete for domination of WeShop, Cafe, courtyard
WestCo dorms compete for domination of WeShop, Cafe, courtyard