Absurd and Humorous Websites

I just got way too excited when I got dropped in a nondescript forest with two men wearing nondescript clothes, and I turned around and SURPRISE MAYAN PYRAMIDS. Awesome.

I think I have not yet figured out how to make the most of the navigation features yet. Time to go waste several more hours messing with them, I guess.

My weirdest worst guess was Brazil (because the only hint I could find was a farmacia) Turns out I was in Romania!

Yeah, fuck the Romance languages. Grrr.

ETA: The Great Plains are nasty. First I got Saskatchewan, and then Montana. Had to do a ton of clicking just to find something that didn't look exactly the same as all the previous scenery.

I haven't started using other resources (I don't call it "cheating" because it's not like there's a prize or anything) so I mostly get very proud of myself when I get the country right, which I've gotten fairly good at. One time I ended up right in front of a sign that said "REFUGIO COUNTY," which was right next to another sign telling me I was on a Texas state route. Much more helpful than when I ended up in a farm field with no landmarks and I could only go two clicks ahead or behind.

I had that same half-underwater picture, Gillian. NE coast of Australia, right?

I was very curious as to how the Googlebots got that photo.

inversed wrote:One time I ended up right in front of a sign that said "REFUGIO COUNTY," which was right next to another sign telling me I was on a Texas state route.

Hey, that's about 45 minutes away from me! I'd have been pretty stoked to get that one.

Yes, Unlucky Bear, that's the one. I kind of imagined them strapping a Google cam to a dog, like Vincent from Lost or something, because of how the arrows kept pointing in different directions. I pictured this manic dog like, "Water! Now beach! Now trees! Now beach! Now trees! Back to water!" I obviously had a hard time navigating around that one.

OMG. My tactic for the game is to do an immediate 360. As I spun, I instantly recognized the Ft. Lauderdale seawall, as I lived there for 8 years in my 20s. But just to be sure, I went to the next intersection, did another 360 and there was the Welcome to Ft. Lauderdale beach sign. It was so weird.

I've now started Googling the things that I see to help me locate myself and it's actually MORE fun. I feel like a detective!! Of course when you spend 5 minutes going down a two-lane road in the middle of a treeless plain and see zero landmarks, there's not much you can do. (I was in Nebraska. Of course.)

Surely a ridiculous question, but how can I move around on the guessing map? Because I can't seem to! Is there an introduction to the navigation features somewhere? I feel so unfit!

I can drag the map around when it is zoomed in, and I can click the slider to zoom? If you can't do that, may want to try another browser.

For me, there are little white arrows that you can click to move forward or back. However, more often I will move the mouse as far ahead on the road as I can, and there is a white circle that somehow magically gets smaller as the perspective goes further back, and if I click it, it will take me to where I clicked. This allows me to move forward with fewer clicks than just clicking the arrows.

I can also drag the screen to rotate around, either in a circle or up/down (the up is usually kinda blurry).

Sometimes I get one without the white arrows, for some reason.

I just had one where I was dropped right in front of a mall grocery store sign. Got it within 0.1km. Now I am somehow stuck in what looks like a cheap hotel dining/function room and I can't get out. It is empty except for one guy at the bar. How does google end up there?

This game is great.

A couple of times I got plopped down in the middle of a county road, and clicked for several minutes (probably a few miles) with zero signs or cars.

I usually guessed the middle of America, and was generally right. But it was a bit frustrating.

I've totally started googling. I'm going to consider it educational. Also, thank you for the white circle trick; I just used it on a non-descript country road to find a "Caring for Alberta's Highways" sign. Whoo!

ETA: I just ended up on a roof! Huh?

Well hell, I knew I shouldn't have come into this thread. Now I'm stuck in this game! LOL.

Ha, I just ended up inside an arena. Which, go home google car, you are drunk. It had the name spelled out on the seats so I ended up <4 km away. So, that worked out for me!

edit: now it is just screwing with me, as I am on a truck in a field and can't move.

vwlphb wrote:A couple of times I got plopped down in the middle of a county road, and clicked for several minutes (probably a few miles) with zero signs or cars.

I usually guessed the middle of America, and was generally right. But it was a bit frustrating.

Yes! Not to mention that it plays into my fears of being abandoned/lost in the middle of nowhere.

Sometimes it randomly drops you somewhere with no arrows! What kind of Street View is that? Did someone take a picture of a building and mail it to Google and they put it into Street View? Did you get the van out there and just take one picture and say "eh, screw it" and go home? One time when I couldn't move in any direction (but could rotate all the way around), at one angle there was a shadow that was literally some guy with a camera taking a picture. I was like THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT TO STREET VIEW.

I mean, I know there are places they haven't gotten to, but why airdrop someone onto a street corner, take one picture and then leave? I would love to know more about how that all works.

Supposedly they're adding a challenge mode where you can play against someone else. In fact supposedly it's up already, but I guess it's taking a while for it to refresh for everyone. There does seem to be a "return to start location" button now though.

I am now bored of Brazil. I have never even been to Brazil, but I get placed somewhere there 4 times out of 5. I need new vistas, dammit!
Although one time I actually got placed in Portugal. That was confusing.

My favorite is the time I was stuck in a hedge maze in Denmark. I really want to know what kind of wacky adventure brought the Google car there and if it ever found its way out.

I am now bored of Brazil.

I know! I get Brazil, Australia, Mexico, or Canada like 90% of the time. What's up with that? I mean, I'm sure there are countries where Google Maps haven't gone yet for political/privacy reasons, but how come I never get New England? Or California? Or France? Or Barbados? Or Egypt? Does someone know anything about how the algorithm works?

I'm curious, too. I've probably played the game 15 times and have already gotten the same cherry-blossom park in Japan twice.

I got plopped down at a beachside cabana. I couldn't get out to find out where I was but I did enjoy the absolutely gorgeous photos. (It was Australia.)

Sorry, Canadians, but I'm tired of Manitoba.

I just got Flin Flon, Manitoba twice in a span of 20 minutes.

Way too much Canada.

Also, I landed in a china town in Mexico! That has to be cheating.

Binky wrote:Way too much Canada.

Also, I landed in a china town in Mexico! That has to be cheating.

I feel for the poor bastard who gets Solvang.