the-snowlight

That is an excellent suggestion an may solve it all. For accomplishments they may just make souvenirs that can be requirement to log a accomplishment cache. These could be made visible only to cachers that have completed the accomplishment. How awesome would that be. Each time to reach a milestone more caches appear?

.... I'd rather see Groundspeak create challengs with a souvenir or virtual badge as the reward for accomplishing the task. The basic grid (Fizzy, Jasmar) challenges, Delorme or all county challenges, and even 5 state or 5 country challenges could be created with additional suggestions made in a forum section. You can get you badge at badgen.com i fyou use GSAK. Groundspeaks will probably do not support badges fro accomplishments. But wait the 10-10-2010 or 11-11-2011 are date specific souvenirs as well. Now I am all confused.

That Texas "To Do List Challenge" cache was the one that gave me the idea. I have re-woreded the cane to one need to find cache that were place in 2013 or later an it may get published soon. Sneaky sneaky. . Do not quarrel with the old-timers. I like you idea to have them place more caches, but a challenge cannot require one to place caches either. I've tried it.

There is no good way to mark way point as you go. I suggest to include include a hiders option to record the GZ and name. This functions hound require a 1 min hold and signal averaging.

I think the current rating is great. When I travel I usually sort by FPs and great ones do stay out. I mean if most have <10 the friend voted up one ~50 the really good one the one out of town people like will have 200. One need to look at age and the description as well. What I wish is that we would get an extra rating for equipment need. I think the long hike and high mountain terrain 5 should be distinguishable from the lake island cache that is hidden difficulty 1 and terrain 5 because of the boat needed, even if it is an easy cruise to get there.

The date restriction I mean is that caches that require finding caches after a specific date ( eg the date the challenge is publish) are not allowed. This lead to a controversy between old timers that have already found all possible combinations and newcomers. Ok timer have to drive long distance to find caches they hav not found yet, while newcomers just cache nearby! No rules fits all.

I am not sure if I understand your response . . . right now Groundspeak does not permit date restrictions. "A Challenge cache must avoid undue restrictions.. . . Challenge caches cannot include restrictions based on 'date found'; caches found before the challenge cache publication date can count towards the achievement of the challenge." As you say, no rule will satisfy all. But all in all, I think this is a good guideline for our game. Luckily, existing date-restricted challenges were grandfathered in. Tequila: 81 Proof only allows finds on caches placed before its publication on 8 April 2008 (do not click that link if you are avoiding the PMO audit log). As time goes on, through attrition, the number of available caches for some of the rarer combinations can only decrease. Thus, the challenge of the challenge can only increase, if that makes sense. As a "newbie" relative to its publication, completion of this cache would definitely be more of an accomplishment by me than by those who already had the requisite finds in-hand. The date restriction I mean is that caches that require finding caches after a specific date ( eg the date the challenge is publish) are not allowed. This lead to a controversy between old timers that have already found all possible combinations and newcomers. Ok timer have to drive long distance to find caches they hav not found yet, while newcomers just cache nearby! No rules fits all.

I am said to inform you that Groundspeak does in fact set this date restrictions. However I see both sides and wish happy caching to all. Old-time that do not want to drive far may have to get used to the fact that they cannot claim all challenges in their area. On the other side newbies may have to get use to be later in the logs. No rule fits all.

Just a few quibbles... Do such challenges usually count Benchmarks? I didn't think they did. And I count only 16 types on the Geocache Types page, and some of them are unique or no longer available, and shouldn't really be included in the count: Project A.P.E. Cache (unless in Brazil) Groundspeak Headquarters Cache (unless in Washington) GPS Adventures Maze Exhibit (unless in Oregon, or wherever it goes next) 10 Years! Event Cache (unless in 2010) Locationless Cache (unless in 2004) And mega-events are pretty rare too. And of course, if you've already found all the nearby caches with certain rare types (letterbox hybrids, virtuals, webcams, EarthCaches, Wherigo Caches), then "picking off" 8 types in a day gets a lot harder and involves a lot more travel.

Wow. looks like I identified and 'hot topic'. I understand the argument that old-timers need to drive longer distance to grad new caches. But would they not go to find new ones either way to continue caching? So the challenge gives them an new goal to look for specific caches next time they have to take a road trip. They can always chose not to accept the challenge. . Also there should be nothing wrong to give beginners a little break, they often might not find a more difficult hide. . I guess in the end I am not convinced that the restriction makes sense. One needs to remember that the goal of a challenge is to encourage others to go an find caches. If that means to go and complete certain requirements again and again that it should be OK. All sports have season and athletes or teams need to re-due year after year. Nothing is wrong with that. . The-Snowlight

Sure that would be great.

I agree that the photo challenge was not exciting. However I like challenge caches because they have you go an find other caches. Unfortunately, the requirements are so strict that one cannot even require to find one cache in 2013. Kind of new years resolutions. The restriction that the challenge cannot require finds at certain dates is fine, but it should be allowed to require that the challenge has to be complete after the challenge cache is posted. Otherwise it is just not fair to newcomers. Eg one requires to find 20 caches that start with the letter A. New cachers have to go and find them while old-timers just log them with past caches. The fact is that Geocaching is getting to old and this requirement need to be reconsidered, otherwise it will convert to a simple "go, find and log" game and no challenge will be fair to all cachers. . I know there should not be competition, but the point is to get people out to nice place and caching. Thus if one has found 999999+ caches there is hardly any challenge cache that require him/her to go and find new ones. . Sometimes one has to go out of his own comfort zone and accept chance to stay up to date.