Be present - Ingress and the real world/community
Thought I should share this.
Few weekends ago, I was out at night playing Ingress, pulled up to a park about 9pm and was battling/flipping the portal. There was a small group of people at the park. This guy ran up to my car and stood there waving and smiling. So I rolled down my window a bit and muted the music to hear what he had to say. He asked if I’m there to help build the ice rink, that they saw me pulled up and wanted to check to make sure the I am ok since I pulled up and did not get out of the vehicle. So I smiled and thanked him, confirming that I am ok and just playing Ingress, and offered him a hand with building the rink. He smiled and said that they just finished and thanked me for offering to help. We chatted a bit and then I left. It was nice to drive by a few other times since, and seeing the rink being used.
Proir to that experience the same night, I was tailed by another player who destroyed my setup, then switched on their baf shortly after (which felt unpleasant), so all I could do was capture portals or complete missions. Keep in mind that I only play the game when it’s convenient outside of work and personal commitments. That experience was a reminder that the community outside of Ingress is so beautiful and non-toxic. I’ve seen Ingress players in my community treat the game like it’s life itself, and seems to monitor COMS 24/7. I can’t help but think how much more rewarding and balanced it would be to engage in other community activities that contributes and make real positive differences.
Thoughts?
Comments
Is this a focused therapy group or community forum?
I think you hit the nail on the head. All the more reason to just play the game at your leisure and find ways to live a rewarding and balanced life away from the game.
@Valor002, how is it balanced and rewarding when it comes to your time management IRL if you are a new agent who started two months ago and is currently a Level 11 at the present? It must have taken a lot of **** to get to that level and you can still "engage" in other community activities.