Pods List widget use and filtering

Hi Josh,
You mentioned in my other issue that I should stick with custom posts types, however whilst I was testing the functionality with that type I never expected it to serve my needs but here is hoping I was wrong.

What I am wanting to do preferably with the widget is to create a simple list of pods that link with individual items linking to a custom posts type.

The list needs to be filterable by a particular taxonomy which needs to be picked up from the taxonomy page i.e http://adventurebod.com/blog/localities/new-york/

The database-entry pod is intended to be populated by industry users uploading their service details on a location basis. A page for New York for instance will need to show sections for Accommodation, Activities, Places to Eat etc distinguished by a ServiceType field but also the post will need to leverage the existing locational and perhaps activity type taxonomies. In order to filter which pods are of relevance on the page.

I had assumed the Advanced Content type would be the kiddy as even though there might not be the functionality I require built in to the widget I would have less headache with a normalised data table to query and making a direct modification to your code. I see from the tables wp_pods_service and wp_podsrel that hope is confirmed. But as I have also now determined I want to link to, what from users perspective would be a normal post, and with an authors perspective on the editor, would be be a wish to maintain some of the functionality therein, this route is beginning to feel like it might be a reinventing of the wheel.

I have since my original note of the permalink not working realised that it does not have a presence in the wp_posts file and where your blurb said that the advanced content type was outside of WP that was to a much greater extent than I had realised.

So context aside my immediate question. Is there a simple path with the Custom Post Type to filter on a ServiceType field and whatever locational taxonomies term have been set by users?

Alternately do you have any recommendations/tips as to where to start with modding the code to achieve what I want with least impact on the clock, perhaps some insight into querying the data array(I take it we have some sort of serialisation into wp_options though I’ve not looked into that yet) maybe WP functions directly provide this (I am OK around PHP as a general tool but on the back foot with WP). At the moment I am thinking the simplest thing might be to rewrite the persistence functionality in the code to a new table or to record the terms into custom fields but the latter whilst the simplest solution smells a bit to easy and reeks of data integrity issues down the line!

I realise there are a lot of implied questions in here but really anything you can suggest would be welcome. All the best and thanks with your efforts so far!

https://wordpress.org/plugins/pods/