Tshio

Hello guys, Several weeks pssed since this topic was started. There have been many insightful thoughts, and now I want to sum up some thoughts. First of all, the good work made by @IceColdUK with his/her poll left me shocked. It really seems that the majority of geocachers is very happy with ALs in general, and with having each step count as a found. I think I'm going to accept this over time, but at the moment this makes me very sad, and started a line of thoughts that maybe will find space in another topic. Then, for @Jimrky to know, I wrote a e-mail to geocaching HQ, pointing out the illogicity of ALs. They answered me saying "we'll take your feedback in consideration". What was I expecting? Probably, I was wrong all the time thinking about geocaching as a treasure hunt and not as a videogame like pokemon go, but at this point I just want to say how I see the whole thing. Please note this is not for starting a new discussion on the topic, it's just a resigned reflection over the thing, and I already know that the majority of people will find it a no-sense. In my surely wrong point of view, geocaching is about going to a place and finding a container. Surely, wandering around and discovering new places is a thing I love and a huge part of the game, but in the very end, there should be the coveted worn container and the damp moldy logbook to sign. Otherwise it would not be called geocaching, but trekking or sightseeing. That being said, thanks again to everyone who took an interest in this topic and contributed in any way. To the next time!

Actually, writing a report to Groundspeak to inform them of this issue is exactly what i want to do. So I ask everyone who thinks that ALs are abnormally inflated to upvote my original post, that will be linked on the report. And don't worry, @Jimrky, I'll keep you informed about it. Hmmm.

I don't think completing an AL is an effortless task. It varies a lot. Actually, I recently completed an AL in an abandoned factory that gave me a lot of thrill and sweat. I really loved playing it, but still: why every step should count as a found geocache? Please note that this would never ruin my stats: to the opposite, if my main goal were stats, I would be happy to have 5 more free founds. I simply think it's illogical to make every step count as a found geocache.

Everyone is right, obviously. Everyone should grab from Geocaching and other location-based games the things they like most. Stats are not an essential part of the game. But they exist. And we must admit that for some people they are the main reason of being, but this is another topic, so let's go on... And I couldn't help but wondering why every step of an Adventure Lab, that I can't see on the Geocaching map, and to play which I have to open another app, should count as a found geocache. It's more a technical issue: or they are part of the same game, and then you can access both from the same page, or they are separate games, and then their stats should be kept separate. Even so, as @IceColdUK cleverly pointed out, the majority of us would have accepted it if every AL have counted as a found, and not five. It's a really illogical inflation, that remembers me of the famous Yu-Gi-Oh effect: it's basically Magic, but everything is multiplied x100, so people are happier with bigger numbers.

Let's say there are two friends, Benny and Teddy. Teddy is an enthusiastic tennis player, while Benny loves bowling. Once in a while, Teddy accepts to go with Benny at the bowling alley, and sometimes Benny likes to have a tennis match with Teddy. They are good friends, and enjoy spending time with each other, talking about their hobbies. But Benny always prefers bowling, and Teddy always prefers tennis. They both feel the other's hobby is not really for them, they are ok with this, and things are just going nicely for everyone. But suddenly, something happens that changes this idyllic condition. Teddy says: "Hey Benny, do you know I made twelve strikes yesterday?" Benny is really surprised: "Really? You must have made great progress since you couldn't help but throw the bowl on your feet!" Teddy: "Actually, i didn't. I haven't stepped on the bowling alley since the last time you took me there." Benny is increasingly perplexed: "So, how in the hell did you manage to make twelve strikes yesterday?" Teddy shows his smartphone, smiling: "Look! Look at my stats: I played a tennis match yesterday, and they say I've made twelve strikes..." By now, most of you should have caught the message yet. Geocaching and Adventure Labs are two distinct games, that are similar in many ways, but different in many others. Some people would prefer Geocaching, some people would prefer Adventure Labs, and many others would enjoy playing both. The thing that I can't understand is why, why a completed step of an Adventure Lab should count as a found geocache. Can you win a chess game playing poker? Can you have a high score at darts playing pool? Can you find a geocache playing Fruit Ninja? Of course not. So I can't understand why you can find a geocache playing an Adventure Lab. This really makes no sense, and what's more it generates confusion in many people. Please note that it's not about "if you don't like it, don't play it". To the opposite: things being as they are, it's impossible for an AL player not to play Geocaching. And Geocaching players see AL players reach their same achievements playing another game. Like Waymarking and Benchmarking, Adventure Labs should be kept separate from Geocaching. I think GS made things this way to promote their new product, but this is not helping any of the two games. Well, I ask you to upvote and share this post, to make GS aware of the mistake. Keep Geocaching and Adventure Labs separate. Thank you.

Read what it's written before answering. Please. Here we are not yelling at Adventure Labs for them, nor at people who like ALs. What I think is not correct is making every step of an Adventure Lab count as a found geocache. It's a technical issue, and I think GS made and unhappy choice on this point. Please keep Geocaching and Adventure Labs separate.

There is a substantial difference between the steps of an AL and a Virtual Cache: AL is not Geocaching, it's another game. If you make a bonus cache that you can find only by completing certain achievents in another game, i would accept it. You can find the bonus cache only if you completed an Adventure Lab? It's ok. You can find the bonus cache only if you completed level 114 of Fruit Ninja? It's ok (but i don't think such a cache would be ever accepted by the reviewer). If I don't want to play AL or Fruit Ninja, i'll simply won't find the bonus cache. But why, why should every step of an Adventure Lab count as a geocache? Let's make every level or Fruit Ninja count as well then!

Keep Geocaching and Adventure Labs separate A completed AL should not count as a found geocache: it's not. More important, single steps of Adventure Labs should never count as found geocaches. They are NOT geocaches. Bonus mystery caches are, but not single steps.

I think it's ok if the only mean for solving a Mystery Is by completing the AL. Actually most of Mysteries have "only one way" to solve it. What I think Is terrible Is that every step of and AL counts as a found. What it this for? If i solve a 3-step multi, i have 1 found. If I resolve a complex mystery, I have 1 found. But if I complete a 5 step AL, boom, i have 5 founds??? Did I log something while i was not watching? Are virtual caches back again. I think GS is running things this way to encourage use of their new loved ALs. On one hand, most of ALs, along with virtuals and earth caches, require no maintenance, so owners will prefere these types. On the other hand, players would be delighted to have 5 more free founds. In my opinion, while bonus caches are actual caches, single steps of an AL should NEVER be counted as a found: they are NOT geocaches!

Per vedere le vecchie cache archiviate (o anche disabilitate) trovo molto utili le mappe di Project GC (project-GC.com). È un sito che fornisce tutta una serie di statistiche riguardo al geocaching in generale. Che io sappia non c'è una mappa delle cache archiviate, ma si può ricorrere ad un piccolo trucco che funziona benissimo: 1) Dalla homepage di Project-GC vai al menù "Tools" in alto e scegli "Map Compare" 2) Inserisci nel campo "Profilo name" il tuo nick (non c'è bisogno di inserire un nick nel campo "Compare with"), e usa i campi "Cache location" per selezionare la zona che ti interessa 3) Spunta tutte le caselle che compaiono nel campo "Show" 4) Vai al menu "Add filter" e scegli "Show Disabled/Archived", dopodiché spunta le due nuove caselle che compaiono In questo modo avrai per una determinata zona una mappa di TUTTE le cache, attive, disabilitate e archiviate. Nota che non è possibile escludere gli eventi senza utilizzare la versione a pagamento

Hello, I was wondering about earthcaches. First thing, I don't love earthcaches so much, because they make people stick their head in their phones to get the answers, instead of making them admire the GZ. IF people actually get to GZ, because many EC can be answered just from the couch, but let's go on... I noticed that around my city (Rome, Italy) there are about 30 EC. While some of them actually spot geologically interesting places, the majority of them makes me confused. To make an example, there are five geocaches for five roman obelisk. And the obelisks are all made of the same stone. There is even an EC in the central station that is about the pebbles between the rails. What's this for? I have an idea about that. If you think about it, it's really easy to place an Earthcache. No hiding spot to find, no manteinance to perform, no logbook to change. An EC can neither be muggled. I guess that many people would love to "place" an Earthcache in a very crowded and touristically relevant place (i. e. Rome's city center) to have a lot of Favorite Points get assigned to them, without any duty about mainteinance at all. Even if the place they chose is not a geological site. In conclusion, most (not all) of the Earthcaches look to me as easy FP, without cache mainteinance. Is it right? Shouldn't Earthcache restriction be more strict to avoid this? What do you think about this whole thing? Thanks for your answers. Tshio