Jump to content

Geocaching HQ

+Charter Members
  • Posts

    278
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Geocaching HQ

  1. Release Notes (Adventure Lab®: March 2024 credit distribution) - March 12, 2024


    Today, Geocaching HQ distributed over 29,000 credits to players worldwide to create Adventures. This distribution provides credits both to new creators, as well as existing creators who have created quality content for the Adventure Lab community.


    Creators met the following criteria to receive a credit:

    • Have a Premium membership
    • Completed at least 2 Adventure Locations
    • Logged a Location within the last year
    • Didn't have any unused Adventure credits or draft Adventures
    • Have all active owned Adventures with ratings in the top 90% of global Adventures


    If your account received a credit, you can see this new credit both within the Adventure Lab® app and the Builder


    To see if you received a credit in the Adventure Lab® app, visit the “Profile” screen. A blue dot will appear next to “My Adventures” if your account has a newly distributed credit. Within the “My Adventures” page, the text “1 Available credit” will appear if your account has a credit.
     

    Screen 1.png               Screen 2.PNG

     

     

    In the Builder, if your account was granted a credit, a “1” will appear next to “Available credits” and a box will appear with details about the credit. Select the “Get started” button to begin building your Adventure.

     

    Builder Credit.png

     

    Adam (Captain_Cookie), Adventure Lab® Support Manager, is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.


    Any posts in this thread should relate to this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

    • Love 1
  2. This information was shared today in the Geocaching Blog.

     

    As we count down to the 25th year of geocaching in 2025, community will be a huge part of the celebration because geocaching is all about people. We’re excited to share that Community Celebration Events (CCE) will return in 2025!

     

    To qualify for a CCE (to be held in 2025), geocachers:

    1. Must have at least one cache published between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. (Events and Adventures do not qualify.) 
    2. Must host at least one Event (including CITOs) between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. 
    3. Must have created a Geocaching account before the announcement date of February 20, 2024.

     

    Geocaching HQ will distribute CCEs to all geocachers who meet the criteria. Beginning July 1, 2024, we will distribute up to 2,025 CCEs each month, continuing until all qualifiers have received one. Additionally, we will distribute CCEs to all geocaching community volunteer reviewers, moderators, and translators. Each primary account hosting a Mega-Event, Giga-Event, or Block Party in 2025 will also receive a CCE.

     

    Those who receive a Community Celebration Event must host it between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Events must be a minimum of two hours, and cannot overlap with events associated with a Mega-Event, Giga-Event, or Block Party. 

     

    We look forward to sharing more about the 25th anniversary of geocaching as the year 2025 approaches. With Block Parties, Community Celebrations, and more, it’s shaping up to be an amazing year of fun!


    Here are answers to some common questions:

     

    What are Community Celebration Events?

    This event type is a specially designated community gathering held during significant milestone years in geocaching. These events allow players to celebrate around the world. Community Celebration Events were hosted between 2020 and 2022 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of geocaching (see Geocaching blog post announcing these events).

     

    Why are you distributing 2,025 per month, instead of giving them all at once?

    We believe there will be a lot of excitement about publishing these events. We want to distribute the effort of reviewing them by community volunteer reviewers over time. And we hope this minimizes people choosing the same date and time for their event. 

     

    I don’t qualify to host a Community Celebration Event, what can I do?

    You may not qualify to host this particular cache type, but you are still eligible to host a regular Event Cache with your own celebration theme! 

     

    I want to celebrate a geocaching anniversary on a specific date, what can I do?

    Unfortunately, selected event hosts won’t be determined ahead of time, so we are unable to honor requests for cachers with a specific date in mind. We recommend hosting a regular Event Cache with your own celebration theme, instead.

     

    If I receive the opportunity to host a Community Celebration Event Cache, how soon can I submit it to my reviewer for publishing?

    Community Celebration Events may be submitted for review up to six (6) months and no less than two (2) weeks in advance of your chosen Event date.

     

    If I receive the opportunity to host a Community Celebration Event, how long do I have to submit my Community Celebration Event Cache for review?

    Events may be hosted from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. The final date to submit the cache page of your Community Celebration Event is December 17, 2025.

     

    What else is planned to celebrate geocaching’s 25th anniversary?

    We previously announced that organizers of events that qualify for Mega- or Giga-Event status for 2025 may choose the Block Party icon for their event. We look forward to providing additional details in the future, and invite the community to continue sharing their ideas for celebrating 25 years!

    • Upvote 2
  3. Release Notes (Adventure Lab®: Read to me) - January 24, 2024


    With this release (version 1.23.0), the Adventure Lab® team at Geocaching HQ introduces Read to me, a feature that allows players to listen to the descriptions of Adventures and their Locations that are provided by the Adventure creator.


    Players can select the play button labeled “Read to me” to listen to either the “About this Adventure” text from an Adventure details page or the “About this Location” text from a Location details page.

     

    Adventure Final.jpg.         Location Final.png

     

    After a player selects the play button, the text is spoken aloud; the play button will change to the pause button

     

    Pause Button read to me.png

     

    The player can pause the speech by pressing the pause button. The spoken text will stop and the pause button will change back to the play button. Players can restart the speech by pressing the play button. The reader will begin the speech where last paused if the player remains on the description screen.
     

    Play Button read to me.png

     

    Players can select the “1x” text next to the “Read to me” button to open the “Playback speed” menu to adjust the speed of speech to “0.75x” for slower speech or “1.25x” for faster speech. The selected speed will remain as the default until changed.
     

    playback speed 2.png

     

    Adam (Captain_Cookie), Adventure Lab® Support Manager, is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.


    Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

    • Love 2
  4. Release Notes (Adventure Lab®: Social Sharing) - December 11, 2023


    With this release (version 1.21.0), the Adventure Lab® team at Geocaching HQ has developed a new way to view and share completed Adventures.


    After a player completes the final Location of an Adventure, the app will display a digital postcard that includes the Adventure’s cover image, a “postmarked” date of completion, the title of the Adventure, the name of the creator, and a customizable stamp.

     

    AL-social-sharing.png

     

    You can find your “Postcard collection” of public and private Adventures in the Profile tab on the Adventure Lab® app. From the collection screen, tap to view a postcard and share it on other apps, including social media platforms.

     

    Screenshot 2023-11-30 at 10.42.16 AM.png          Screenshot 2023-11-30 at 10.44.36 AM.png

     

    After selecting a postcard, players can select from one of three stamp designs before sharing.

     

    IMG_1751 (1).png

     

     

    Adam (Captain_Cookie), Adventure Lab® Support Manager, is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.


    Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

    • Funny 1
    • Helpful 1
  5. Release Notes (Adventure Lab®: Statistics) - October 19, 2023


    With this release (version 1.17.0), the Adventure Lab® team at Geocaching HQ introduces statistics to your profile. To access them, just go to your profile, tap Statistics, and you will see:

     

    • Number of completed Adventures
    • Number of Adventures in progress (at least one Location completed)
    • Number of active Adventures that you own
    • Find count (includes completed Adventure Lab Locations and Geocaching Finds)
    • List of Themes for which you have completed any Adventures
    • List of Themes for which you have not completed any Adventures

     

    Stats.png

       

    Tapping into Completed Adventures, In progress, and My Adventures will show you a list of those Adventures.  

     

    2023-10-19_9-00-03.png

     

    You can then tap any of those Adventures to take you to the Adventure details screen.


    Allison (alikelsea), Director of Product, is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.


    Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

    • Upvote 2
    • Surprised 1
    • Helpful 1
    • Love 3
  6. Release Notes (Adventure Lab®: Play nearby Locations) - September 19, 2023


    With this release (version 1.15.0), the Adventure Lab® team at Geocaching HQ has made the experience of playing multiple Adventures much easier with a new Geocaching Premium feature. While playing an Adventure, users can now identify nearby Locations for other Adventures, denoted by blue pins on the Location map. Red pins represent Locations you have not found in the Adventure that you’re currently playing.

     

    Map1.png

     

     

    This new feature, labeled "Play nearby Locations", is found in the new "Premium features" menu that is accessed from your player profile in the Adventure Lab® app. 


    If you have Geocaching Premium membership:

     

    • Tap into your Profile, then tap “Premium features.” You will see:
      • Play nearby Locations 
        • Toggle the slider to enable or disable

     

    Map2.png

     

    When the setting is enabled, and a player is viewing the Location map, Locations that you have not completed in other Adventures within the viewable map area are displayed as blue pins. When a blue pin is tapped, you will have the option to switch to the Adventure containing that Location. 

     

    Change.png

     

     

    This allows you to avoid going back and forth to the Explore map to check which other Adventures may have Locations nearby.

     

    Allison (alikelsea), Director of Product, is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.

     

    Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

    • Upvote 1
    • Helpful 4
    • Love 1
  7. Release Notes (Geocaching® app: Navigation screen improvements for Traditional Caches) - August 15, 2023

     

    Today we are releasing a new feature on the navigation map in the Geocaching® app (available for version 9.34.0+): When navigating to a Traditional Cache, the navigation map now shows a section at the bottom of the screen with additional information about the cache to help with finding and logging.

     

    Screen Shot 2023-08-15 at 9.18.25 AM.png

     

     

    When you tap “Navigate” on the cache details screen of a Traditional Cache, there is a new card at the bottom of the screen.

     

    As you navigate to the coordinates, you can swipe up on the card to review it. At the coordinates, the card will automatically expand and you have a one-tap option to view additional information that might be helpful while searching for the cache:

    • Details about Difficulty, Terrain, Size (these are also available in shorthand without tapping the button)
    • The hint (if available)
    • Logs

     

    When you have found the cache (or decided you won’t be able to find it), you can start logging directly from the navigation screen. 

    • When tapping “I found it”, new players will see additional information about signing the log sheet and replacing the cache. Players with one find or more can start writing their Found it log right away.
    • When tapping “I didn’t find it”, once per login you’ll see additional help on how to find a cache, otherwise you can start writing the DNF log right away.

     

    Nicole (nykkole), Product Manager, is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.

     

    Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

    • Upvote 1
    • Surprised 4
    • Helpful 1
  8. Announcing Virtual Rewards 4.0

     

    Is there anything better than finding a well-crafted geocache? Perhaps the joy of creating one!

     

    Geocaching HQ is pleased to announce Virtual Rewards 4.0, an opportunity to reward 4,000 lucky cache owners who create inspired and noteworthy geocaches!

     

    Unlike prior Virtual Rewards, there’s no need to opt in or apply. Geocachers who meet the following criteria will automatically be eligible for selection on January 17, 2024.

     

    How can I qualify for a chance to hide a Virtual Cache?

    • You must have a non-Event geocache published in 2023 that has earned at least 4 Favorite points by December 31, 2023.
    • You must have created your geocaching account before June 13, 2023.
    • Prior Virtual Reward recipients are eligible to participate.
    • Players who opted-in for Virtual Reward 2.0 and 3.0, but did not receive a Virtual Cache will have a higher likelihood to receive a Virtual Reward 4.0.


    How does the process work?

    • On January 17, 2024, Geocaching HQ will randomly select up to 4,000 eligible geocachers, with geographic distribution, to receive one Virtual Cache.
    • Recipients will have one year to create their Virtual Cache page and submit it for review (January 17, 2024–January 17, 2025). The caches must comply with Virtual Cache-specific guidelines.
    • All geocaching community volunteers (reviewers, moderators, and translators) who qualify will receive a Virtual Reward as thanks for giving their time to support the geocaching community.
       

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


    Why do I have to hide a geocache to qualify?
    Adding new caches to the map is essential to the health of the game. It provides fresh content for experienced players who have often cached out the areas closest to them. And it offers quality content for new players who are still forming an impression of the game. Our goal is to reward those who are adding quality new caches to the gameboard.


    When do I need to hide a geocache to qualify?
    You must hide a non-Event geocache that is published by a geocaching community volunteer reviewer between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. That same geocache must earn at least four Favorite points from the geocaching community before December 31, 2023. The publish date of a geocache is not the same as the placed date. You can find the date that your geocache was published by viewing your published caches, selecting a cache, and scrolling to the bottom of the page to view the Publish log on the cache. This is generally the first log.   


    Does this mean Virtuals are back permanently?
    No. We hope to see 4,000 new Virtual Caches in 2024, but Virtuals will remain a legacy cache type. 


    Are Virtual Rewards distributed evenly among countries?
    No. We use an algorithm to help distribute Virtuals, favoring countries newer to geocaching, which may not have many Virtuals, rather than basing it solely on land area or the number of active geocachers.


    Could an account receive more than one Virtual Reward from Geocaching HQ?
    Yes. Previous Virtual Reward recipients may receive a Virtual Reward 4.0. However, the likelihood of selection is lower than for geocachers who have never received a Virtual Reward.


    How do I find out when new Virtual Rewards are published?
    Premium members can set up Instant notifications to receive an email when new Virtual Rewards are published. All members can use filters to search for Virtual Caches worldwide.


    Will there be more Virtual Rewards in the future?
    We may consider a similar set of Virtuals in the future. As with prior Virtual Rewards, we would likely make changes to the criteria and selection process.


    Combined with previous Virtual Reward launches, are there too many Virtual Caches now?
    There are approximately 12,300 Virtual Caches worldwide, which is 0.4% of the world’s 3,371,000 active caches. Adding an additional 4,000 Virtual Caches will still only account for 0.5% of all active caches.


    Why not make Virtual Caches available for everyone to hide?
    Because today’s Virtual Caches are rare and generally well-liked, people often forget the problems that led to the Virtual becoming a legacy cache type in 2005.


    The Virtual Cache type was initially created to place a cache where physical caches were not permitted or where too many muggles made a physical cache impractical. While the intent of this cache type was positive, it created significant problems for geocaching community volunteer reviewers and often led to poor cache quality. Some players used Virtual Caches as a shortcut to create basic caches that did not require maintenance. Guidelines were eventually updated to require Virtuals to have special qualities to set them apart from other caches. However, the subjectivity introduced to the review process became difficult for both reviewers and cachers. The decision was finally made for the Virtual to become a legacy cache type to avoid the issues above.


    Virtual Rewards releases have helped to minimize the previous problems with Virtuals, while delivering more opportunities for the community to enjoy this beloved cache type. Most importantly, it’s a fun reward for cache owners who have contributed so much to the game.

    • Upvote 2
    • Love 1
  9. Release Notes (Adventure Lab® web builder: See archived Adventures) - June 12, 2023


    With today’s release, the Adventure Lab® team at Geocaching HQ has added the ability for creators to see their archived (formerly “deleted”) Adventures on the web builder. 


    Previously, creators have been able to “Delete” their Adventures on the Adventure Lab web builder. This action  deleted the Adventure and removed all content related to the Adventure from the web builder and app so that it was no longer visible. With today’s update, “Delete” is now called “Archive” in the web builder. All Adventures that were “Deleted” after March 16, 2019 are now visible to their creator in a view-only format on the web builder. The action of “archiving” an Adventure continues to be the same as “deleting” - it is a permanent action that cannot be undone. We have updated this terminology in Adventure Lab to more closely match the terminology used for this action on geocaches.  


    Stuart (syntaxerror) is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.

     

    Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

  10. Release Notes (Adventure Lab® app: Search and Test copy deletion improvement) - May 30, 2023


    With today’s release, the Adventure Lab® team at Geocaching HQ has added two features to the app: Search and an improved experience for deleting an Adventure test copy from the app.


    Search functionality is now available in the Adventure Lab® app for logged-in users to search based on city, state, country, region, address, postal code, or coordinates.  


    We also made a small update on how test copies of Adventures can be deleted from the app. Now, to delete a test copy of an Adventure, a user will go to the Adventure Detail screen, select the ‘Delete test copy’ button, and confirm the deletion. Previously, a user had to swipe an Adventure preview card to the left from the Directory list of Adventures to delete it. We have updated this functionality for several reasons: the library we were using for this functionality is no longer supported by the third party who developed it, there was no visual indication that this feature existed in the app, and players were not provided with an opportunity to confirm they wanted to delete their test copy.


    Some users may not see these updates immediately, but they should be available to all users within a week.


    Stuart (syntaxerror) is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.


    Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

  11. With today’s release, the Adventure Lab® team at Geocaching HQ has added a new ‘Featured Adventure’ icon to the Adventure Lab® app. This icon is very experimental and will only be visible on a limited number of partner Adventures at this time. 


    Example of the Featured Adventure icon:

     

    image.png

     

    Erin (Oceansazul) is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.

     

    Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!
     

    • Upvote 1
  12. This information was shared today on the Geocaching Blog. We are sending a similar message to Premium and Basic members who are subscribed to our marketing emails.

     

    Here at Geocaching HQ, we have worked hard to maintain our original Geocaching Premium pricing for more than 21 years, despite significant cost increases. We are updating our pricing so that we can continue to deliver a high level of service to the global geocaching community while also rewarding current Premium members for their ongoing loyalty and support.

     

    On June 6, 2023, we will increase the prices of Premium membership for new subscribers to $39.99 USD per year or $6.99 USD per month. Pricing may vary in other currencies. This change will not affect existing Premium members so long as their membership does not lapse.

     

    If you would like to take advantage of our current prices, please upgrade to Geocaching Premium by June 6, 2023. 

     

    For more information, please visit our frequently asked questions page.

     

    Thank you for being a part of the Geocaching community.

    • Upvote 4
    • Funny 1
    • Surprised 2
    • Helpful 2
    • Love 1
×
×
  • Create New...