In many ways, Walker Tracker is already a game.
You play yourself, using statistics and charts to achieve a better average, walk more and game yourself into better physical shape.
You compete with others in Walker Tracker Competitions
However, we wanted to go one better by creating a sense of progression and currency to the system. We wanted to find a way to reward positive behavior, and to allow our walkers to reward each other.
I spent a lot of time looking at other systems that do this. Role playing games, World of Warcraft, slashdot/digg, school, life, economies, etc. In creating the system I tried to create mathematical point calculations that would reward fairness and walking improvement as well as to create a functioning ecosystem with a balance of supply and demand.
In Walker Tracker’s Levels/Points system
- You can earn points
- You can give away points
- With a certain amount of points you gain a level
- A level is mostly a symbol of progress and status
- That said, gaining levels does open up new features on Walker Tracker, and you do receive more ‘Giveaway points’ each time you ‘level up’. More is planned for tying features and secret parts of Walker Tracker to the level system.
The most important metric we can track is Diligence. One of the largest goals of Walker Tracker is to permanently change one’s lifestyle behavior. To build physical activity into a routine. Walking every day, logging your steps, measuring your change is one of the best things we can help you accomplish. That which is measured, improves. For that reason, levels and points are weighted heavily toward diligence and meeting your own goals. It’s not a measure of how many steps you’ve walked, but whether you’re achieving what you set out to do by joining a walking program.
So far, I think it’s going fantastically well. I feel an excitement at each time I progress up a level or receive points from someone else.
Let us know what you think!
If you want to become a level one walker right now, all it takes is your first step entry!