Talk:Hobbit achievement

Proposal Discussion

Please don't add new comments to this section, as it is a record of the community discussion prior to creation of the achievement. Comments are welcome in other sections.

how far should a hobbit walk? I think at least several kilometers, but i wasn't sure how to phrase it. -Plypkie 23:44, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

One kilometre has been a cutoff distance for a few other achievement ribbons (camping comes to mind)... it's not a long distance, but to somebody not used to walking in bare feet it can feel like it. -- Rhonda 23:51, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

Should the ring be left or destroyed at the hashpoint? -- Xore 23:50, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

You forgot to add second and third suppers.

also... it should be quite acceptable to aquire a ring partway to the hash, particularly if you do so with game of riddles, while seperated from your group, and in grave danger. --mykaDragonBlue [- i have no sig -] 23:51, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

The hobbit may wish to become invisible for a portion of the journey. How this is to be accomplished is left as an excercise to the ring bearer -- Xore 23:54, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

Inspired by anyone in particular from your graticule? :-) I had been thinking about a barefoot achievement, so this puts the icing on that cake. Thoughts:

• "bread" has to be defined broadly enough to allow for dietary restrictions of various sorts: shouldn't be a problem

-ya, i thought of that, but there's gluten-free vegan bread, as well as rice crisps or pappadams (made from bean flour) -Plypkie 00:54, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

• what should the proof be? Just the statement that the geohasher didn't wear shoes at any time, and a photo at the geohash?

-proof could be inclusion of photos of travelling where bare feet on the part of the hobbit are visible, in addition to bare feet at the hash point itself. We'd rely on honesty that those weren't just photo ops. -- Rhonda 05:41, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

• if it is part of a camping or endurance geohash, the person should be able to put on foot coverings at the campsite, for warmth in the evening

-i think they can have their feet in a blanket or sleeping bag, but not socks, shoes, snorkeling flippers, or any other foot-specific accessory -Plypkie 00:54, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

• You're not going to require that the ring be thrown into a chasm or nearest available facsimile at the geohash?

-throwing away the ring may ruin the fun of carrying a rather decorative metal ring, but the chasm idea is appealing -Plypkie 00:54, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

• If multiple expeditions reach the geohash separately, does that invalidate the achievement because some of them didn't carry the ring?

-no, because two hobbits (for example) may take the ring all the way there, and the other people only join them part way. However, only the barefooted snack-eating partial-distance-ring-bearers may claim the achievement -Plypkie 00:54, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

• Is there a penalty if the ring is worn on a finger for part f the journey?

-Robyn 23:55, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

Do I qualify for the ring part by just going myself? --aperfectring 23:57, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

I think you definitely deserve an achievement for bringing yourself to geohash. ;) But choose your companions wisely, as the wording says: "each hobbit must carry the ring at least part of the way. Optionally, someone may carry the ring back." -- relet 19:30, 19 June 2009 (UTC)

Bonus points for invisibility! --starbird 02:43, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Assuming plypkie defines how far a hobbit must walk, and incorporates as many hobbit jokes as possible into the finished product, I support this achievement. Also, for those who an manage it, a Tolkieneque writing style is strongly encouraged for the qualifying expedition. -Robyn 08:04, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

My gosh, I HAVE to get this! Anyone who knows me well knows of my obsession with Tolkien's works! I'll come back to this later (when I'm not starving) to add all my thoughts! Love the idea! Congratulations, you've officially made my day! -Srs0 08:13, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Alright, thoughts... First and foremost, as per my previous comment, I love the idea! I already have thought about how I'm going to imitate several parts...

In regards to the ring, I don't know if that should be mandatory. Of Hobbits, only Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, and Sméagol (depending on if you define the pre-Shire Stoors as Hobbits or just their ancestors) ever carried the ring. So an achievement dealing with Hobbits as a whole shouldn't require that. Maybe an optional parameter for an extra comment in the ribbon if they do though? Such as "...earned the Hobbit achievement..." versus "...earned the Ring-Bearer Hobbit achievement...". I don't like that wording, but something to that effect.

He's made the ring part broad enough and easy enough (you could make it out of roadside garbage, even) that it is no impediment to anyone. I think it should stay as a mandatory part of the achievement. Think of it as a Hobbit Quest as opposed to just a hobbit going about its day to day life. It will also serve as a focus for the geohash. I think it should stay. -Robyn 18:34, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Anyways, I love it! So, obviously, I support this! -Srs0 11:51, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

I find it just a bit artificial and overloaded, but I like that it encourages to walk bare footed. Rings and foodies aren't bad either. Do not oppose -- relet 23:38, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

I just wanted to mention that the original idea was to make a barefoot achievement because some people at the last vancouver meeting were already doing that. Since there were already so many Tolkien comparisons on that day, then i decided to add some "spice" to the proposal. I just made the "bread" thing a suggestion instead of a requirement, just to make it less stringent for the gluten-intolerant people out there. What i really hope for is that people will a) walk around town in bare feet, perhaps to the amazement or amusement of people around them, and b) have a bit of fun along the way. -Plypkie 09:17, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

I thought the bread or wafer thing was fine as it stood. There are rice cakes, corn tortillas, quinoa loaves, all kinds of things. -Robyn 09:28, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

i was convinced otherwise by someone on IRC when they pointed out that a lot of those highly processed foods tend to have wheat or corn in them, and that particular person was also sensitive to corn products. People who want to play along will find even more ways to be hobbitty, but keeping this point as a requirement may have taken away from the emphasis on being barefoot and silly. -Plypkie 14:03, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

That's a good reason. The "stopping for a meal twice" thing is still required, so the idea of hobbits and their many food stops is maintained. Is that two stops on the round trip, or two stops on the way there? Either way, I support this, it's fun! -- Rhonda 14:10, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

You need to travel with at least one dwarf :-) DNO -- Jevanyn 14:26, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

Support. I especially like the ribbon image. --Meghan 16:21, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Support. Although i think it should be mandatory for a hobbit to disappear at least once during the course of the quest. This may be into a gas station, quick-e mart, roadside bushes, or thin air. -- Xore 17:39, 23 June 2009 (UTC)

I Support this idea, although I have some reservations about passing the ring about between the party members. It seems gratuitously complicated, and certainly not all hobbits handled the ring. Perhaps the part about all party members carrying the ring part way can be optional. --Wade 05:04, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

The ring and food stuff sounds a bit arbitrary, but walking barefoot is fun. I guess if anything turns out to be annoying, we can still change it. Support. Fivetonsofflax 22:29, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

Passed Proposal

This has lots of support, no opposition and a ribbon image. Anyone think it shouldn't go out just the way it is? Any ribbon colour preference? Do you want to update the achievement description with any more hobbit jokes? -Robyn 20:41, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

I added some of the clever suggestions from this talk page to the achievement as optional "embellishments" and rolled out this achievement. -Robyn 15:12, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

Comments on New Achievement

Yay! Now we can be hobbitses. -Robyn 15:12, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

I find it just a bit artificial and overloaded, but I like that it encourages to walk bare footed. Rings and foodies aren't bad either. Do not oppose -- relet 23:38, 16 June 2009 (UTC), still valid

Relet, it's over. You can stop voting now. :-) -Robyn 16:07, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

Erm, what? *blinks* Oh. Great. :D -- relet 19:15, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

Ah nuts, I didn't get all the required proof on my Cache Creek trip. No photo of feet+ring at the hash point, and I didn't note the time of the meal breaks. Another time, I guess. The only difference between this and a regular expedition for me is the meal breaks and extra documentation ;-) -- Rhonda 18:34, 16 July 2009 (UTC)