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Comment by nixpulvis | Hacker News Reader

National Parks: 2022

A) Build a sweet game engine for exploring and discovering landscapes, topologies, biomes, plants and animal species, etc. Maybe even hunting and survival?

B) Take on the EA Sports (it's in the game) model and update the game with only minor changes to trails and other recent events, but use the margins to fund the park service!

C) Help incorporate trail mapping and maintenance into the engine, so people can have fun taking the game back to reality

D) Release expansions with new areas to help grow the platform, but also teach people about the various locales

E) Over time, watch how parts of our earth change, how we impact it, and use the game engine as a solid digital archive

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While I was touring Zion National Park a few years ago, I spent a lot of time thinking how it all needs to be captured in both:

1. a high res VR experience for the less-able folks to experience this beautiful place, and

2. an AR glasses experience that narrates the trails as I walk it, where I can walk up to any plant and ID it, overlays that name all the peaks and valleys, narration about local fauna and sustainability.

And also because there are more and more experiences limited by permit that are otherwise top-tier places worth visiting (Angel's Landing in Zion, Half Dome, The Wave, etc).

Just as long as the AR people don't bring boomboxes with them ;)

Is it an economic sim (National Parks Tycoon), or a chill simulator (Park Ranger simulator)?

Kind of makes me think of an open-world, never-ending Firewatch. Or, make a Journey style Appalachian Trail simulator.

Maybe have a mobile app that actual park visitors could use to help map the trails, etc. They could tag cool things they see while hiking ("grizzley bear", "massive tree recently fell") and they could show up in the larger game.

Can you say more about this? You've got a great idea and it relates to one of my nonprofit clients who might be able to help your idea.

Please change your offensive terminology:

This -> TTheirs

Help -> Themlp

Clients is a masculine term in French use CliThems.

Minus 15 social credits.

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