Upcoming changes to First Saturday as of January 2024
PkmnTrainerJ
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Virtual First Saturday can still be hosted from January 2024, but you won’t get the badge count.
In order to promote local community building, a core value of Ingress First Saturday, 2024 will bring the sunsetting of Online IngressFS for badge credit. However, we’ve heard you loud and clear that you love the online communities you’ve built through IngressFS and will continue to support the online registration process, event finder, and (optional) passcode challenge.
How to get IngressFS badge credit in 2024 – To qualify for IFS credit, you must attend an in-person event and check in with your onsite IFS organizer. See your site’s event page for specific meeting location and requirements. You must also earn a minimum of 10k AP.
Onsite Decoding challenge, restock portals, event verification – These will all remain unchanged from 2023 for in-person events.
Online IFS – Registration is the same as always. However, all elements are now optional. This includes the passcode challenge, auto-scoresheet, and group photo.
But what about….? If your location is experiencing extreme weather, civil disturbances, or other events beyond your control, you can change your event to Online within 72 hours of the scheduled event time. Your site will not be eligible for badge credit, but your event will remain in the event finder and you can still host a social event with your fellow agents.
The Organiser’s Guide will be updated after December IFS to reflect the new changes for 2024.
Questions? Ask in the organizer’s slack workspace or the global Ingress FS telegram community.
Comments
Good.
IFS was always a physical event. The virtual setup was always a temporary thing. You are still able to do virtual events but it won't count now. I kind of wish this was done sooner.
There is so much leeway to get a physical IFS setup now compared to pre-covid. There's really no excuse at this point.
EDIT: For the people disliking, this is one of those times to provide a response on why you don't agree, to provide some insight. (don't know if Fev Games will be watching this thread)
The player base is much smaller than it was pre-pandemic, hosting local IFS events is going to be much harder in many areas. To go from global inclusivity to being restricted to only those who live in high player populated areas or are willing to travel once a month seems harsh.
The messaging was also condescending at best. You can all pretend to play but only the cool kids get credit.
My intresting in doing these online was low, but doing it in person is super low. Another bad decision, some people that wanted to do the medal will jump off completly since they are not in reach of these locations.
Its taken them too long to reverse FS onsite only for badge.
Got my onyx FS medal without ever going to a single one, in-person. Kind of a bummer they didn't do a different medal for the virtual events from day one. I have little interest in attending one at this point, though I imagine there are plenty of people who are eager to get back to in-person events.
Depends on your market. Mine is such that there's maybe half a dozen FS gatherings within 500km of my house.
Ingress’ news page has their own one now.
Much the same of course.
First off I've got my badge I did this by attending as many live FS events that I could. This month was the first time in almost a year I didn't get to attend a live event.
Oh well let's see how this goes down. I suspect some regular online only sites won't bother hosting.
Personally I reckon NIA should have picked a couple of sites and allowed them to continue online only with the badge. But make the requirements tougher than live event.
Worst thing they could of done to the game. Way to K.i.l.l. off the player base.... so stupid ...
COVID has hit Ingress communities pretty hard and Niantic need to encourage play be that online for a FS to still encourage participation but give back the double ap for in person!
My 2cents
but niantic want encourage local play onsite not sit home online but how many will drive for hours to nearest FS next year 🤔
How many will actually host a local event.
I wonder if it will encourage more to do their own First Saturday events so that they have ones more local.
I need to get on arranging the one for January/February before the year is done.
When live FS events were the only option to get a tick for the badge.
- Was pre-covid.
- Pre C.O.R.E subscription
- Pre general prices and costs going through the roof.
Not everyone who plays Ingress has unlimited amounts of money to play the game - like some seemingly have.
For the many, travelling to a FS event is a day out that costs money out of a squeezed budget to do so. Travel, food and drink are the main costs.
If my nearest FS event is 50-60 miles away, then it is a day out that requires money for all the costs listed above.
Not everyone has the spare money for that at the moment.
And it's an optional event. You don't have to go if it doesn't fit within your means. Not everyone goes to the Anomalies. Not everyone can travel to them either. Careful on that can of worms you are trying to open.
Put the events back in person. Give us the damn 2 hours of Double AP (that's what drove lots of people to go pre-covid). I will gladly drive to an event hours from home if we don't have a local one. I have in the past and will in the future.
With APEX & 2sDay, is double AP as much of a draw now?
what is the furthest u are willing to travel for one ?
It was for me. You actually have someone else to blow up your portals. More fun trying to keep capturing stuff or hold a portal ect. Even more so, you could play for a short time, rack up some double AP, and since capped at 500K you could spend rest of the time chatting with agents and being social.
I know other semi local agents who went for the 2x AP. Some of those agents had to drive 70+ miles to get to their closest IFS when they were in person.
I did one somewhere just east of Columbus, OH, so that was 430+ miles (7+ hours of driving one way) from my house. I have a future one I'm planning on doing that's like 350 miles (5.5 hours one way) from my house. I've done several in Indiana which is 250 ish miles from me. I've done Champaign, IL 190 miles (3 hours). I've done Springfield, IL 110 miles, I've done Columbia, MO 120 miles (2 hours one way).
Think about how fun it was doing one in another place via virtual. Now apply that to in person. I frequently traveled for them before Covid, I have been traveling for them, and will in the future. The Indiana folks put on a great IFS. Every time I've been to one of theirs its been fun event.
From what I've heard, apex are part of the awards for the on site events. I'm really am more for in person events. If I can't go, I can't go. It's as simple as that. We do need to see who is still alive out there outside of the anomalies.
It cost money before covid. Make it an adventure with several people. Anything that reduces the price point if possible. For me, I would go to Orlando for some FS events if I could. Focus on uniques but venture new places out of it.
Well, now it's one point short of the FS onyx.
The virtual FS events are also optional, so not sure what point you are trying to make.
As far as I can see with some of the replies - is that some of those with deeper pockets seem ignorant to the fact that not everyone has as deep pockets in which to play Ingress as they do. There are no 'can of worms' to be opened.
Going to a on-site FS event can cost serious money for the day, if you need to travel far to one. A virtual FS does not.
i doubt many will bother virtual since it will give no badge ticks so the need for travel if want badge has not gotten away mj78
+/- 500 km but that requires either an overnight bus trip or hotel room that I can pay for.
My local box is not conducive to FS.
The only way many people can participate is virtual. TIme and money as well as health to travel hours make it impossible. I was not able before virtual and evidently will not be able to now. Not everyone lives in or near large population areas. Virtual fs has made it possible for me to be part of a group, to be part of the chat, the faction etc. It made ingress more. Answer why I would do it in the future if nothing I did counted for me, my faction or the locality I played with.
Doubt many people will be doing that.
That’s my last VFS done. Thanks for the Scotland folks for organising it for all this time.
Auckland had it's last VIFS with like 97 players.
Come February I doubt we'll make 10 on site