Meshcore seems like a much better choice for messaging in dense-node environments. I tried to set up a Meshtastic network for my Burning Man camp this year, and since default builds have historically been crippled by retransmits, we made a concerted effort to give camps their own frequency slots.
While that ensured campmates could communicate, it unfortunately isolated us from the wider network—you had to choose one or the other. Also, regarding the UI: if you think Meshcore is bad, Meshtastic is worse. I spent most of my time teaching people how to navigate the clunky, overcomplicated, and inconsistent mobile apps. I’ll likely try building a custom app on top of Meshcore for this year.
While that ensured campmates could communicate, it unfortunately isolated us from the wider network—you had to choose one or the other. Also, regarding the UI: if you think Meshcore is bad, Meshtastic is worse. I spent most of my time teaching people how to navigate the clunky, overcomplicated, and inconsistent mobile apps. I’ll likely try building a custom app on top of Meshcore for this year.