Should This Be A Multi?

[+kbootb]

A new cache appeared today, and I gained a FTF! (Thanks for the applause )

 

It was unusual in that you needed to navigate to the centre of the park and find information from various boards, complete the usual substitutions and then find 3 caches.

 

However, the caches are completely independent. The only link is that the information comes from the same general area. Other multi caches I have done are multi -STAGE. i.e. one cache leads to the next.

 

To complete the 3 caches takes about 3.5 miles of walking. There is no 'final cache', so I guess you have to find all 3 to log it. To me they could well have just been counted as 3 caches.

 

Any opinions?

[+Simply Paul]

I think I understand what you're saying. You go to the middle of a park, gather information, and use that info to find three different, seperatly loggable caches. That's three offset/simple multi caches, which all start fairly close together.

 

If, however, there's only one online-loggable cache and you need to find the three elements (and sign their logs?) that's an unusual puzzle - what I'd call a 'cluster cache'.

 

SP

 

P.S: Applause

Edited October 9, 2005 by Simply Paul

[+HazelS]

I think it can go as either myself!!

 

Sometimes of there's a bit of work to be done to get the cache, then it's nice to have them done individually for the numbers (although it's not about the numbers! )

[+kbootb]

SP - you have interpreted it correctly- it feels like 3 separate puzzle caches, there are three real log books to sign, but only one on-line cache sheet to log.

[+Stuey]

SP - you have interpreted it correctly- it feels like 3 separate puzzle caches, there are three real log books to sign, but only one on-line cache sheet to log.

That's just silly (in my opinion)

[Team 'James W']

That's three puzzle caches then I think....

 

...We had a similar conundrum with my Maths Series. Although these are in very separate locations so I was happy to leave them as separate standalone caches that *could* be combined to get the final exam if so desired. But in this case, one would wonder why the 'collection' wasn't built into a nice multicache, yes - for 'slickness'?

 

Were they placed at different times or all at once, I wonder?

 

James

 

Edit: Spelling

Edited October 9, 2005 by Team 'James W'

[+kbootb]

 

Were they placed at different times or all at once, I wonder?

 

James

 

Edit: Spelling

All placed at the same time. All bright, shiny and new, my name is first in all 3 logs. In fact all the containers have different names, related around the theme of the area.

 

(If I played COTM would I get a good score for 3 FTFs? Never played and have no idea what the point system is)

 

and in case you're wondering, I'm not intending to play, so I'm not just trying to bump up my score.

 

My question is not about the numbers, but really about how this cache gets logged. Seems strange to have to sign 3 logs but only one on-line find. What happens if you only find 2 of the 3?

 

I have no doubt that the way the cache(s) is (are) set is excellent. Forces you to visit the most interesting part and then sends you off to explore the extremeties.

 

It does exactly what a cache should do, draws you to a place you haven't been to before and gets you to explore.

 

Other caches I have been to are so quick and simple you don't really look at the place you have visited.

Edited October 9, 2005 by kbootb

[Team 'James W']

Would probably put it down then to a quirky interpretation of the rules/classificaion system....... with no major problems involved!

[+Simply Paul]

(If I played COTM would I get a good score for 3 FTFs? Never played and have no idea what the point system is)

Sorry folks, no extra points for a FTF, and if it's only one cache to log online, it's still just 10 points. I spent almost 5 hours looking for a local 'uber-cache' and that's only worth 10 points too. To keep the system simple, that's the way it's got to be.

 

SP

[+ryme-intrinseca]

If the clues all have to be found from more or less the same point - i.e. the co-ords given on the cache page are the same for all of them, would they be able to set three different pages for them, because of the distance rule? (is it that they have to be 0.1 miles apart, or is it further than that? Can't remember.).

 

Or have I just misunderstood this completely?! It is Monday morning after all, I'm not fully awake yet...

[+Haggis Hunter]

If the clues all have to be found from more or less the same point - i.e. the co-ords given on the cache page are the same for all of them, would they be able to set three different pages for them, because of the distance rule? (is it that they have to be 0.1 miles apart, or is it further than that? Can't remember.).

 

Or have I just misunderstood this completely?! It is Monday morning after all, I'm not fully awake yet...

This is a good point, are the caches too close together for them to be 3 seperate caches, but need to be there for you to see what the owner wants you to see.

 

May have wanted all the caches to start from the same board, and due to them all being the same co-ords was refused, this may have been their way of solving that problem.

 

Another thought is, that the owner is fairly new, they has only found 14 caches and this is their first. Perhaps they haven't realised that it could have been 3 seperate caches?

 

It is an odd one, we have a cache in Edinburgh that has 4 hiding places, however it has only got 1 real cache. If you find the dummy caches you haven't found the cache until you find the one with the box with logbook in it. The good thing about this particular cache is, once you have found it, you can move it's location to 1 of the dummy locations. So even the owner has to check up to all 4 hiding places before he can service the cache.

[Jolly green giants]

Sounds like is should be a mystery cache

[+Simply Paul]

If the clues all have to be found from more or less the same point - i.e. the co-ords given on the cache page are the same for all of them, would they be able to set three different pages for them, because of the distance rule? (is it that they have to be 0.1 miles apart, or is it further than that? Can't remember.).

 

Or have I just misunderstood this completely?! It is Monday morning after all, I'm not fully awake yet...

It's only 0.1miles apart for the final cache hides. Since it's a 3.5mile walk to find all 3 of them, it's probably safe to assume they're hidden more than 528ft apart.

 

You can have one traditional, plus as many puzzle, or offset/multi caches starting at the same location as you like. There's several around here which take you to the same area, before sending you off in different directions.

 

SP

[+kbootb]

Good point about the .1 mile rule. The co-ords for the caches are all the main car park, which is a good .25 mile from the info board, which you are not given any co-ords, clues or directions for. You have to hunt down the likely spot in the complex that would be able to answer the questions. That was the entertaining bit that I liked. At first site it looks like you just have to go to the visitor's centre near the car park, but in fact you have to work out which 'zone' to go to.

 

The actual caches are all in different directions from the info board. For certain two of them are about .5 miles apart. One might be a tad close to another, but there is no danger of the two getting muddled as they are in different directions from the starting point, but I will plot them up and measure the distance tonight.

 

(If the boss is looking - I'm not using my work computer to post this )

 

If the boss is looking - I'll have lots more free time to find caches.

[+kbootb]

OK, I plotted the co-ords on memory map, and 2 of the caches are within the .1m restriction. Seems further than that as you have to walk on a fairly circuitous route to get from one to the other, but they would be rejected as individual caches.

 

I wouldn't remove any element but if it was me vreating this as a multi I would have hidden clues etc in each stage and only had a single final log to sign.

 

Still, nice to have something a little different.

[+Simply Paul]

Still, nice to have something a little different.

To me, that's exactly the right attitude. I love finding caches that differ from the usual. Just so long as I have an idea of what to expect! As the cache stands, I'd say an email to the owner suggesting it's changed to a puzzle and for some clarification on the cache page as to what you need to do to log it online (sign all three logbooks, I assume) might be wise though.

 

SP