Mystery And Puzzle Caches

[+Team Maccabee]

To my fellow Seattle-area cachers:

 

I think I have to publicly eat a bit of humble pie, for my first cache hide, Northend Jewish Holiday Cache.

 

While my puzzle was within the spirit of a particular strain of Seattle puzzle caches, the purpose of the puzzle was just to give some sense of accomplishment for getting the smilie, because the hide location certainly isn't that creative. I thought the puzzle was easier than it was, and I think I turned off some cachers from seeking out the cache. My apologies to those I unintentionally turned away. For those that do not want to solve the puzzle, I have posted the correct coordinates (see the cache page for details).

 

I realize more now that everyone plays the game in their own way. Some like these tough puzzles, some like mysteries, some like creative cache pages, some like historical info, some like numbers/icons, some like the most creative hides, etc.

 

My question (long in coming...) then is where is the happy medium in this area (western Washington), if there is one. What do cachers here enjoy the most out of the puzzle/mystery caches that they seek? Ultimately, (I am assuming) we seek some sense of enjoyment and accomplishment out of our caching. What caches are good exemplars of the caches you enjoy most?

 

Still chewing,

 

Team Maccabee

[nolenator]

PM sent. Peace, Nolenator

[+OldBaldEagle]

I thought it was a great cache. Intriguing puzzle, pleasant park location for a final, and a box loaded with goodies for everyone and anyone. Good job. There are no regulations that say you must try to please everyone. And don't let anyone give you a bad time because it's too hard. No one can find them all or solve them all.

I look forward to your next one...just don't make it that code you were telling me about

[+Allanon]

I have a puzzle cache that I hid in mid July that has a total of 4 finds. It's not that difficult if you like internet searches or have read the books. I'm not discouraged nor am I going to make it easier for people to find. if you want it, work for it. ;-)

 

Cheers, Abba, and I hope you are having fun with your new addiction.

[+Wienerdog]

Team Maccabbee...

 

See my post on the Greater Seattle Cachers thread.

 

It was a lovely cache with a lot of information I didn't know about the "Jewish Holiday"

 

Thanks again for the help and the cache!

 

Now there are two T-Bugs in there so you people better get out and grab them!

 

Donna WD

 

PS. The puzzle was great. Not any more difficult that the ones I was working this week. You were so kind to give direction.s Once I had some hints.. I had fun finding those final coords. Hey... you can't help it if you are smart and can put together a good puzzle!

Edited December 4, 2005 by Wienerdog

[+Prying Pandora]

It looks like a very fine cache, indeed. One of the best things about geocaching for me is its variety. You should make the kind of caches that you enjoy and do well. There will be plenty of people that like them and those that don't - they don't have to do them. You can't please everybody, so don't upset yourself trying to do so. Keep up the good work, Maccabees!

[+Team Maccabee]

Shoot, WD... putting together a hard puzzle is easy; it's solving them that's hard. I'm still working on the lot of new Seattle puzzles... How OBE does these so quickly is (for now) beyond me.

 

Thank you, everyone, for the words of support, publicly and privately. I'm ok with it...really! Ok, I'm a bit embarassed by my own post...

 

In a nutshell, I was merely a bit frustrated by the mismatch between my goals (a lot of satisfied visitors) and my methods (i.e. the puzzle). I am glad there are those who have enjoyed it and hope future cachers will enjoy it and the good swag (if I do say so myself).

 

Thanks,

 

Team Maccabee's Abba (i.e. "Dad")

[+Team Maccabee]

To my fellow Seattle-area cachers:

blah...blah...blah...

What do cachers here enjoy the most out of the puzzle/mystery caches that they seek? Ultimately, (I am assuming) we seek some sense of enjoyment and accomplishment out of our caching. What caches are good exemplars of the caches you enjoy most?

Ok, the self-pity post of mine aside....

 

What do each of you enjoy most in a puzzle/mystery cache? This is my curiousity speaking, but I also want to better fit my future Questions Mark Caches to my goals (providing an enjoyable caching experience to others).

 

Team Maccabee

[+fauxSteve]

What do each of you enjoy most in a puzzle/mystery cache?  This is my curiousity speaking, but I also want to better fit my future Questions Mark Caches to my goals (providing an enjoyable caching experience to others).

I would say that the first thing to do is see what kinds of puzzles are not common in the area. Then, approach it as someone who enjoys completing the extra step required of puzzles (don't worry about all of the people who ignore them anyway) and think about how much time you would personally invest in it and how much enjoyment you would get from that time spent. I also think that the best puzzles are thematic in nature, from start to finish, and that there is a sense of discovery along the way. It's easy to create a very hard puzzle, but it's much more difficult to create one that intuitive enough for people who enjoy the challenge and inclusive enough to allow more than just the mad first bunch of finders to have some fun. I know that I haven't always achieved these goals, but I'm thinking about them. Start trying some of the puzzles by a variety of hiders, in different parts of city, and see which ones you have the most fun solving. Use those as your models. Anyway, these are just some of my many opinions, and maybe next week I'll hide something that breaks with all of those suggestions.

 

Most of all remember that despite the large number of puzzles that are in this part of Seattle, the majority of geocachers prefer traditional geocaches (some like evil hides, others, like me, prefer the easy ones). If you look at the finders of the puzzles, you'll see the same crazy bunch of names all right there in the first week of it being listed and then a big drop-off in finds. We'll pretty much fight tooth and claw to figure it out, even if the fun is long worn off. That's why some of us are accessing the internet from institutions just to post in the forums instead of out caching... Oops, free time is up. Gotta go.

 

-edited to remove a 'to' the first time I was allowed playtime.

Edited December 4, 2005 by fauxSteve

[+Team Noltex]

While we've never put out a puzzle cache, we've found more than a few. I think one of the key things to making a puzzle cache successful is making sure that they "work". I guess this is really true for all caches. As you start to finalize the cache - placement, hiding method, puzzle, etc - try to look at it objectively, as someone else would. Run through it as though you know nothing about it and see if the solution is correct and if it all makes sense. Or even have someone else test it for you. We've all been to caches where we've said to ourselves, "Boy, if they'd only thought this through a bit more." I do this checking with my coords too, regardless of the kind of cache I'm placing. Get what you think are accurate coords, walk away, then come back and find your own cache. Are they still accurate?

 

I don't think that there is any one kind of successful puzzle cache and I don't think you need to find a happy medium. Some like easy puzzles, some like very difficult ones. Some like all puzzle caches and some like none. Easier puzzles have more finders than difficult ones, so if it's hard, don't expect a whole bunch of finds, just admire those with enough perseverence to find it. Every cache you place won't necessarily prove to be immensely popular. The best ones usually have something about them that is a bit out of the ordinary or that is unexpected.

[+Wienerdog]

Hi Team Noltex! Gosh... you guys know first hand about some of the more difficult puzzles on Anderson Island.

 

Have any of ever checked out Sir2u's puzles there?

 

What mind-benders! It took me days and days to get through those!

[+Half-Canadian]

A lot of people, myself included, will often run a pocket query and exclude puzzle caches from the list, just because they won't be able to solve them during a day of cache hunting. I think this cuts down on a lot of potentially seekers of any puzzle cache.

 

I've noticed that even my easiest (1/1) puzzle caches get significantly less hits that a traditional cache of the same difficulty. A lot of people just shy away from them! Now that I've seen what fun they can add to a cache hunt, I look forward to the challenge, but they aren't everyone's cup of tea.

 

Hide caches that you would enjoy finding, and others will follow. Sure, a guardrail cache may get 50 smilies in a month, but not a lot of satisfaction in finding one Much better to crack a tough puzzle and uncover the hidden gem at the coords you've extracted

[+Team Noltex]

Hi Team Noltex! Gosh... you guys know first hand about some of the more difficult puzzles on Anderson Island.

 

Have any of ever checked out Sir2u's puzles there?

 

What mind-benders! It took me days and days to get through those!

Trust me, it's all Kristie. They make my head hurt so mostly I just go along for the actual find.

[+EleriandBlade]

I think a puzzle being 'too hard' is one of those subjective things, one person's mind numbing problem is a walk in the park for someone else.

I'd consider the saturation of an area, but beyond that, make caches you enjoy, and there's bound to be someone else that enjoys it, too. Just because a few people don't like it, or think it's too hard, doesn't mean its a bad cache.

 

I think puzzle caches get a seriously bad rap, the way people freak out about hard puzzles being unfair. No one falls apart about caches you need mountain climbing or diving equipment for, why should they kvetch at needing specialized brain equipment?

 

~Eleri (who hasn't logging on in FOREVER)

[+The Jester]

I think puzzle caches get a seriously bad rap, the way people freak out about hard puzzles being unfair. No one falls apart about caches you need mountain climbing or diving equipment for, why should they kvetch at needing specialized brain equipment?

 

Ahh! But you can learn climbing or diving. But if you brain doesn't have the 'bent' for puzzles you're hosed.

[+Allanon]

I think puzzle caches get a seriously bad rap, the way people freak out about hard puzzles being unfair. No one falls apart about caches you need mountain climbing or diving equipment for, why should they kvetch at needing specialized brain equipment?

 

Ahh! But you can learn climbing or diving. But if you brain doesn't have the 'bent' for puzzles you're hosed.

That might be true if there were a finite number of puzzle types, but the way it stands, anything that's not:

1. One of the other cache types, or

2. Is a "figure out what I have in my mind at this particular time of the day/week/month/moon cycle/year/etc.", or

3. Is a "what particular math ability/spacial relationship/physics lesson/astronomy/etc. thing I'm trying to teach you", or

4. (and this one is the worst), requires specialized knowledge like computer programming or quantum physics, or...

 

is a puzzle.

 

Everybody is good at some things and bad at others. It's impossible to be good at them all. You may be able to find or get the answer, but that does not mean you know it like you can learn diving or climbing...if you even have the ability, or desire, to do those things.

 

That's why I usually dislike puzzles. Too many options, not enough knowledge.

 

I like astronomy, math, 'look me up on the internet', etc. type of things I know or can relate to.

 

I dislike things I don't know or cannot gleen from the cache description.

 

Just my $.25.

[+EleriandBlade]

I dislike things I don't know or cannot gleen from the cache description.

That's part of why all the puzzles I make (not just for geocaching) tend to have both visual and text componants, and all the information you need to know is contained in the puzzle.

 

I cut my puzzle teeth on Myst, so that colours how I create. Sometimes my problem is not having a puzzle to make for a cache, but a place to HIDE the silly thing! I've got three diffrent ideas simmering on the back burner while I find hiding spots. (Maybe I should rent myself out for puzzle making)

 

I hafta admit, this is one of my favorite things about caching, is that it's not all cookie-cutter one size fits all. Blade likes urban caches, I like woodsy trail caches. He likes cleverly hidden micros, I like ammo cans full of treasure. There's room for it all

 

(Edit to fix obvious lousy spelling)

Edited December 7, 2005 by EleriandBlade

[+fauxSteve]

That's part of why all the puzzles I make (not just for geocaching) tend to have both visual and text componants, and all the information you need to know is contained in the puzzle.

EleriandBlade, your Coloured Perceptions puzzle was great one. It was challenging, but not frustrating. More important, it was really fun to solve.

[+EleriandBlade]

Thanks! The next one I'm working on is inspired by the A Treasures Trove book. There's quite a few people who discovered geocaching while trying to solve the clues in the book.

 

I'm hoping the puzzle will be a challenge, but simple once you know what you're looking for. Or at. Hee!

Edited December 8, 2005 by EleriandBlade