At our house in Lexington, Virginia, I recently tested a Meshtastic repeater installed at my home, achieving a good signal range of approximately half a mile without a clear line of sight. I plan to elevate the antenna to enhance reach and responsiveness.
But, hey! I make games, too. So what does one do with a local repeater network? So, I’ve embarked on creating a new game platform utilizing Meshtastic with a host of other cheap, power-friendly components including (maybe?) a SHARP display from Adafruit. This platform aims to support Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) via a mesh network, potentially connecting to MQTT for broader messaging capabilities. I’m currently working with a few collaborators and exploring communication-based games historically played on pagers to inspire our development.
The vision for this project is to foster interactive and engaging ARGs within the community, leveraging the strengths of Meshtastic technology for seamless and extensive communication. This initiative not only tests the technical capabilities of Meshtastic but also seeks to innovate in the realm of gaming, combining retro communication methods with modern mesh networking.
Your insights and suggestions, especially regarding pager-based games, would be invaluable as we refine and expand this project. Drop me a line if you know where to find me, and we can talk!