====== FAQ ======

===== Q: Only GUEST? =====
By the time of writing, you need a passcode to upgrade your account from [[rules:ranks#guest|GUEST]] to [[rules:ranks#user|USER]]. However, by the time of writing, we automatically send an email with a valid passcode to the **email associated with your Google account**. Please check your [[https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox|Inbox]] including [[https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#spam|Spam]].

**Sorry for the inconvenience**, it is required, since the Google minimum users number for a Beta test is larger than our test infrastructure maximum capacity. 

===== Q: What is it All About? =====
**A:** It is about **collecting** and **conquering** (collecting regions), the actual ratio depends a bit on the type/style/mood of player you are.

For the beginning, be sure, to collect as many **different badges** as you can. Your //own// ones, or by **taking** also from //system// and //other players//. Meanwhile, share duplicates (own or foreign) by **dropping** them. Finer details elsewhere.

===== Q: My Area is Empty. Shall I Start? =====
**A:** This is not Ingress where you need portals or PokemonGo where you need arenas or gyms. **You can just start!** 

Player to player interaction helps in the long run, but when you start playing, you get a **starter set of badges on the map** and afterward slowly (within days) **more things will appear in your surroundings**, for example [[rules:regions|Regions]] and [[badge:weekly|Weeklies]]. Just start in a place which you are likely to visit again, to take full advantage of the starter surroundings.

===== Q: Is this starting slowly? =====
**A:** Well, yes, it is, at least when you start alone in a previously unplayed region.

However, it is more to do over time. If speed is your sole concern, be so to take every [[strategy:skills|Production Speed Skill]] you can get!

By the time of writing we are still in beta, and we are currently thinking about some speedup of initial play, especially for the (still) isolated players. Some things have been implemented 11th August 2019, please, bear with us.

===== Q: Inventory Full? =====

Despite having virtual unlimited capacity, you cannot keep all badges. Drop Badges, but be sure to **keep one badge of every type**, i.e. if you have 4 of your own L1 badges, drop 3 of them, keep the last one to maximize your [[rules:inventory|Capacity]]. Some people put these "last ones" in their [[rules:chest|Chest]], just to avoid accidental drops.

Some special cases: 
  * Got (many) Painter Skills? Paint as much of your own badges, as you can, drop all but one of your remaining [[strategy:skills|Painter Skills]].
  * Got (many) Diamonds? Use them, do instant productions, buy some other skill with them, whatever. If you must, drop them, remember to keep one, to maximize your capacity.
  * Got Diamonds and no Painter? Buy one Painter to increase your capacity.
  * Never ever drop the Extra Capacity skill, you might not even be able to immediately take it again.
  * Advanced tactics: Yes, you can technically drop your own badges void, as you can be sure to produce them again later. 

===== Q: Points? Experience? XP? =====
**Q:** How do I get points and level up?\\
**Q:** Aren't there any XP?\\
**A:** Just check the [[rules:player_level|]]-Page, It describes the 5 counters, which make you progress. If you have enough of them, you level up.

===== Q: When does My Ruler/Mapper Badge Appear? =====

Cf. [[rules:regions]]: Creating such a badge is a hand redacted process. 

We have automated selections, which guide us to candidate regions according to 
  * Basic amount of play in region:
    * //for ruler: badge sum in region (+)//,
    * //for mapper: total quadrants scored in region (+)//, 
  * //number of players who contributed (++) (for ruler also see: [[strategy:conqueringruler]])//, 
  * //depth of region in hierarchy (--)//, 
    * //special bonus for depth 0, i.e. countries (++)//,
  * //number of subregions played (+)//, 
    * //"special" penalty for regions with no subregions, aka leafs (--)//, 
  * Since January 2022: //0.25 priority bonus if an image is provided (++) → [[contribute:newregion|Crowdsourcing]]//,
Plus **personalized** bonuses for the leader expected can also help:
  * //bonus when winner and winner of parent region differ (+)// or 
  * //the winner is **first or second** region badge created by a new player (+)// 
The automated ranking of candidate regions is documented on the [[https://www.badge-r-s.de/suggestRegions2.php|Region Badge Preview Page]].

Note, sometimes a region might look eligible, but then has to be removed as a structural error in the data provided by [[:nominatim|Nominatim]]. It is not often any more anyway. These checks are manual work and might take a bit of time.

To speed things up ... consider to helping by providing copyright free images for regions ([[contribute:newregion|Crowdsourcing]]). Thank you!

===== Q: Why do I Suddenly Get a Ruler/Mapper? =====
**Q:** I haven't been playing in a place (at all or for a long time) but then get a Badge for it?

**A:** This can happen in a few cases:
  * It is a [[badge:ruler|Ruler]] and someone else has dropped lots of your badges.
  * It is a fresh (not existing before) Ruler or [[badge:mapper|Mapper]] and someone else's actions in a region make the region now pass activation.
  * Manual or automatic cleaning up of regions (see above) can also occasionally lead to new badge activations.

===== Q: When do I get my level up gift? =====
**Q:** I can see I leveled up and used to get a gift, when?

**A:** Open the app and stay idle for a while, i.e. do not touch anything, not even statistics, also be sure not to move, since movements can trigger map reloads are not considered idle. Once the server detects you didn't do anything for 1-2 minutes (yea, sometimes hard to check, if phone and server communicate) it offers you the gift. In any case, don't worry, the server will **not forget about your gift** and sooner or later it will offer it to you.

===== Q: How can I use Diamonds? =====

There is a button at the line of buttons on the lower edge of the screen with a diamond in it. Just tap ist. If you do not see that button just move the row of buttons to the left or to the right until you see it.

===== Q: Where is the iOS Version of Badge(r)s? =====
Unfortunately, there is none! Beside the Android app, the website, the data maintenance, the server, the cloud services, playing and living we simply lack time and knowledge to build something like that. 

If you want to do an #iOS app or know someone who wants to, please contact us ASAP!


===== Q: Can My (Android) Phone Be in Developer Mode? =====
Yes! As of version [[:changelog|0.6.7]], **turning off Developer mode** is **no longer required**.


===== Q: My Inventory isn't loading? =====
This happens, you see then the dreaded (0/4) state of your inventory. This is either a **network** or a **security** issue.
  * Check the surrounding network. Note the network traffic light, in the lower left corner of the map, is sometimes a bit behind and might still be green or yellow.
    * Note, that requesting Player Actions (i.e. the foot with the magnifier) is the most direct way to request from one server. Does this load?
    * Note, that requesting a statistics view is the most direct way to request from the cloud hosted part of the app. Does this load?
    * In doubt, check both servers, though inventory comes from the first one.
  * If network is ok, try to refresh your game state with the two rotation arrows on the upper map area.
  * If network is ok, and refresh didn't help.
  * It could be a security issue.
    * Are you trying to run the app from 2 devices? This is blocked, only **one app instance** at a time is supported.
      * End up all working instances of the app and restart the one you actually want to use.
    * Is the **system clock** of your phone in sync? A very bad device time is handled as a certain attack type to our infrastructure.
      * Synchronize your device's system clock, there are plenty of descriptions for this online.

~~DISQUS~~