Bonus Location
Dang3rous007-PGO
Posts: 11 ✭✭
Does the bonus location have an effect on how fast the stops get evaluated?
Post edited by Dang3rous007-PGO on
Dang3rous007-PGO
Posts: 11 ✭✭
Does the bonus location have an effect on how fast the stops get evaluated?
Comments
What are bonus locations? I've never heard of them before.
You can set your locations you want to review at in the settings. You can set your ’home’ location, which you can never change, and then you have your ’bonus’ location, which you can change once per year.
There is also your ’ current’ location. All three draw nominations to review to you. So having them at the same place waste the setable ones.
Many use the bonus location to help out in low density countries, and have their ’home’ in bigger cities in order to get more reviews to get upgrades.
I have my bonus location set to a moderately remote area in a foreign country, and it's always nice to see great candidates from that area in review. I hope I am helping, and getting more waypoints on the map for the locals to enjoy. If there are few reviewers in an area, then having some from the global community pitch in is generally a worthwhile endeavor! I usually look at Intel pior to making a switch, as I'm looking for an area that screams "there should be more cool stuff here!!".
A few things to look at for bonus locations, though, are language (are you comfortable using Google Translate, and/or are you trying to learn the local language to some extent? ) and local customs: having a bit of cultural literacy about your bonus location can definitely help in identifying valid waypoints that may be completely alien in your home environs. If you're curious about the world and its plethora of people, and have an open mind, choosing an exotic bonus location can be a great way to help the under-served areas while getting in a bit of virtual tourism on your own behalf!
Thanks for clarifying! I'll have to try and choose somewhere. You mention using Intel to find somewhere to use as a Bonus Location, how do I do that? I'd love to choose somewhere where I can help an area with few reviewers.
Once I figure out what country I want to choose, I usually look for decent-sized cities in that country and view them on Intel to see if they're full of waypoints or if they need some help. If the big cities are lightly populated with waypoints, well, they're an easy choice - especially if my research shows that the area is likely more interesting than it appears on the map! If there are lots of waypoints in that big city, I'll start looking for smaller cities a fair distance away from the major metropolitan area, far enough away that they don't fall into the same reviewing cell block. I'll usually read up a bit on those cities to make sure they have decent potential, then choose the city based on scarcity of existing waypoints plus potential for new stuff.
Thanks so much! Is Intel an app or website? I haven't heard of it before.
You have to have an ingress account to use it. Then just google for ingress intel map.
If you want to be part of a team of reviewers helping out in low density areas, you can head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/WayfarerGlobalReviewers and ask.
We try help out low density areas and also try to make sure there are active nominators. Right now, Iraq is very active, for an example. Today, Ezekiels Tomb (yes, from the scriptures) became a POI. There is quite a difference from that to reviewing playgrounds... :)