IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Show HN: Geo Racers – Race from London to Tokyo on a single bus pass

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. UI / UX frustrations
- “The login screen overflows my screen, and it won’t pinch‑zoom smaller.” – b112
- “I love the idea, but the whole interface is very twitchy for me.” – jen729w
- “The bottom overlays overlap.” – butlike
- “I couldn’t get the ‘Walk Here’ tooltip pop‑up to stay open on Firefox.” – xd1936

2. Core gameplay bugs & inconsistencies
- “I highlighted a train station, clicked ‘walk here,’ and nothing happened.” – gcanyon
- “There also seem to be a bug where the game doesn’t always spawn you where it should.” – maeln
- “I got game over for not being at a hotel.” – PokemonNoGo
- “I was stuck there waiting for trains for so many years I can tell you that’s not the case.” – 4ndrewl
- “The API call was odd to me?” – gallamine

3. Desired quality‑of‑life and feature additions
- “A minimap to all the timetables that show visibly where the transport goes.” – pattle
- “Ability to check transit timetables without going there.” – rathboma
- “Add a tourist information centre in town and city centres you can use to find out other information.” – pattle
- “Add an easy mode where you can go in the red but still finish the journey.” – butlike
- “Add a scale bar and show names of places overlaid on the map.” – Liftyee, monlockandkey

These three themes—interface usability, persistent bugs, and requested improvements—dominate the discussion.

🚀 Project Ideas

Geo Racers Companion App

Summary

  • A mobile/web companion that gives real‑time transport schedules, a minimap, tourist info, currency exchange, job listings, and a planning interface.
  • Core value: lets players plan ahead without leaving the game, reducing frustration from missing timetables and money management.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Geo Racers players who want better planning tools.
Core Feature Integrated transport planner + economy dashboard + tourist info.
Tech Stack React Native / Flutter, Node.js backend, PostgreSQL, public transport APIs (OpenTripPlanner, GTFS).
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue‑ready: freemium subscription ($4.99/month for premium features).

Notes

  • Users complained: “I want to check timetables without going to a station” and “I need to know which transport lines are international.” The app directly addresses these.
  • The “easy mode” and “bank/loan” options can be toggled, satisfying requests for negative‑balance play.
  • Provides a “work” job finder, solving “I nearly went bankrupt because I couldn’t find work.”

Geo Racers Transport Data API

Summary

  • A stable, public API that aggregates GTFS feeds and other transport data, normalizes schedules, and exposes endpoints for stations, routes, and real‑time departures.
  • Core value: fixes bugs like missing trains/boats, inconsistent timetables, and gives developers a reliable data source.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Game developers, modders, third‑party tools.
Core Feature Unified transport data API with caching, error handling, and versioning.
Tech Stack Go or Rust backend, Redis cache, Docker, Kubernetes.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue‑ready: tiered API usage ($0–$200/month).

Notes

  • Commenters noted “no trains from Waterloo at 19:02” and “boats missing from Plymouth.” The API can expose accurate schedules, eliminating such bugs.
  • Provides a “work” job schedule endpoint, enabling the companion app to suggest jobs.
  • Encourages community contributions and modding, fostering discussion.

Geo Racers Map Enhancer Extension

Summary

  • A browser extension that overlays a scale bar, station names, a minimap, and toggles for station types on the Geo Racers map.
  • Core value: improves UI, solves overlay stacking, missing names, and provides quick timetable access.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Desktop players using Chrome/Firefox/Safari.
Core Feature Map overlay with scale bar, station labels, minimap, and “Show Timetable” button.
Tech Stack JavaScript, WebExtension APIs, Leaflet for minimap.
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Users complained: “overlays overlap” and “no names of places overlaid on the map.” The extension fixes these.
  • Adds a “Walk Here / Taxi Here” tooltip that stays open, solving the Firefox issue.
  • Encourages community feedback on map improvements.

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