My Personal Problem With Puzzles

[+Minimike2]

Just fine puzzles -

 

Find area codes where famous people were born.

Straight letter exchanges (Caesar Code?)

Any code that is decipherable on site without a web enabled telephone/laptop.

A reference to a well known song, as long as it is obvious.

A coded message that can be deciphered by going to an easily determined website.

 

Puzzles I ignore -

 

Arcane knowledge required.

Multiple references required.

Reading an entire technical manual to determine the cypher.

 

The very difficult puzzles usually seem to end at a micro anyway. They are more Puzzle Solving Exercise than Geocache. IMHO

[+Xantos10]

I agree there are puzzles that help me undetstand the area and it's history. There are also puzzles that make me search for information that I would not normally find. However, there are puzzles that seems to be some code the author determined and you have to figure it out. I am sure people enjoy doing this, but if you want people to find your cache, make it a puzzle that people won't give up on and pass on finding your cache. Also, add a link so we can check our answer after we solve the puzzle. The most frustrating thing about these puzzles is having a incorrect number in the coordinates and not be close to the actual cache.

[+GeoGeeBee]

Huh.

 

My preferences are exactly opposite yours. Your "just fine puzzles" are my "ho-hum, why am I bothering" puzzles. Your "this is way too much work" puzzles are my "Wow, it sure was satisfying to complete such a difficult challenge" puzzles.

 

That's the great thing about this game sport activity, it offers something for everyone. Don't like hard puzzles? There are lots of easy ones. Don't like micros? Filter them out! Don't like long hikes in the forest? There are plenty of urban caches you can look for!

[+Chrysalides]

Just like traditional geocaches, there are some I like and some I don't. I'll read the description, and if I don't get it, I'll set it aside.

[+Minimike2]

I have no problem setting the absolutely difficuly ones aside. I just have difficulty understanding why someone would use a puzzle so difficult that the cache is undiscovered for 2 years.

[+Chrysalides]

I just have difficulty understanding why someone would use a puzzle so difficult that the cache is undiscovered for 2 years.

Again, same thing with traditionals (just read the first few posts of the "rogue reviewer" thread). In my area, I know there are some cachers extremely good at solving puzzles. If they can't solve it, it tells me (and usually the cache owner) there's likely a problem with the puzzle.

 

I hope this is not another attempt to discuss the bar code puzzle that keeps getting brought up

[+Minimike2]

Naaa, I was just looking through the list of caches I have to find (the list is full of caches that are all 20 miles away or more.) There are a few puzzles in the list - divided into my personal two catagories. Only 5-6 out of 200 to set aside.

[+Castle Mischief]

I don't like hitting my head on hard metal objects. Ergo, I avoid hard metal objects. Every now and then one sneaks up on me, but for the most part I can see them coming a mile away.

 

I don't usually post on the interweb about how I wish people wouldn't place hard metal objects all around town that I might stumble on with my skull.

 

Filter your Pocket Queries.

 

If you don't like the puzzle, ignore it and move on.

Edited November 12, 2009 by Castle Mischief

[earthcurrent]

I like putting out puzzle caches -- though they may be of dubious quality as a lot of them only have a few finds -- but it was mostly because no one else in my neck of the woods was putting out puzzle caches. But when I first got into caching what few I had solved and found I enjoyed, so that is what led me to being the annoying puzzle guy in my neck of the woods. Now, I admittedly am terrible at solving puzzles, so it does seem odd that I like making puzzle caches. In fact when I travel I usually don't bother putting puzzle caches into my PQs for that very reason.

 

Puzzle caches aren't everybody's cup of tea, but the fact that I've had a few cachers roll into the area that were predominately doing the region's puzzle caches at least told me there was an audience, albeit perhaps a small one, for these sorts of caches, and if they are enjoying themselves I don't mind catering to them.

 

//now what was I saying . . . I think I lost my main point . . . hrmmm

Edited November 12, 2009 by earthcurrent

[+niraD]

I just have difficulty understanding why someone would use a puzzle so difficult that the cache is undiscovered for 2 years.

One of my favorite puzzle caches is a 5-star puzzle that has been found only 12 times in 4+ years. Some have brute-forced the puzzle. Some have brute-forced the cache location without solving the puzzle. Only a few of us have solved the puzzle without brute-forcing it. But those of us who solved the puzzle can appreciate the amazing elegance of the puzzle design. It just wouldn't have been the same without the twist that makes it especially difficult.

 

Another local puzzle cache was intended to be a simple puzzle by its owner, but it requires an "Aha!" moment that is harder to come by than the owner expected. He just wanted to slow down the traffic to the cache a little, to help avoid geotrails. He ended up creating one of the more challenging puzzles in the area, quite unintentionally.

 

So there are two reasons why people create extremely difficult puzzle caches.

[+fizzymagic]

One of my favorite puzzle caches is a 5-star puzzle that has been found only 12 times in 4+ years. Some have brute-forced the puzzle. Some have brute-forced the cache location without solving the puzzle. Only a few of us have solved the puzzle without brute-forcing it.

Come on, don't be coy! Which caches are you talking about?

[+niraD]

One of my favorite puzzle caches is a 5-star puzzle that has been found only 12 times in 4+ years. Some have brute-forced the puzzle. Some have brute-forced the cache location without solving the puzzle. Only a few of us have solved the puzzle without brute-forcing it.

Come on, don't be coy! Which caches are you talking about?

Well, you were FTF on one, and I was FTF on the other. But I didn't think my point depended on the specific caches.

[dunderhead]

Huh.

 

My preferences are exactly opposite yours. Your "just fine puzzles" are my "ho-hum, why am I bothering" puzzles. Your "this is way too much work" puzzles are my "Wow, it sure was satisfying to complete such a difficult challenge" puzzles.

 

That's the great thing about this game sport activity, it offers something for everyone. Don't like hard puzzles? There are lots of easy ones. Don't like micros? Filter them out! Don't like long hikes in the forest? There are plenty of urban caches you can look for!

 

I think people pooh pooh puzzles or HARD caches because they can't do them.

 

People don't say "Oh, it was just too much trouble to study for First Class Honours", or "Oh, I can't be bothered to train for the Olympics Pentathlon"..Those with the ability, do so.

 

So If they COULD do 'em they would, and brag about it.

[+bittsen]

I think people pooh pooh puzzles or HARD caches because they can't do them.

 

People don't say "Oh, it was just too much trouble to study for First Class Honours", or "Oh, I can't be bothered to train for the Olympics Pentathlon"..Those with the ability, do so.

 

So If they COULD do 'em they would, and brag about it.

 

A pretty arrogant post you have there.

 

I don't do puzzle caches, not because they are hard but because, to me, that isn't what I want to do.

I go geocaching because I like the idea of downloading coordinates and going to find something there to sign. If I wanted to do puzzles, I would have gotten involved in puzzles.

 

You can't belittle me, or probably anyone else, into trying puzzle caches. For MOST of us who don't do them, we just don't want to mix puzzles with geocaching.

 

And yes, I AM speaking for MOST geocachers. Deal with it!

[+WRASTRO]

I think people pooh pooh puzzles or HARD caches because they can't do them.

 

People don't say "Oh, it was just too much trouble to study for First Class Honours", or "Oh, I can't be bothered to train for the Olympics Pentathlon"..Those with the ability, do so.

 

So If they COULD do 'em they would, and brag about it.

 

A pretty arrogant post you have there.

 

I don't do puzzle caches, not because they are hard but because, to me, that isn't what I want to do.

I go geocaching because I like the idea of downloading coordinates and going to find something there to sign. If I wanted to do puzzles, I would have gotten involved in puzzles.

 

You can't belittle me, or probably anyone else, into trying puzzle caches. For MOST of us who don't do them, we just don't want to mix puzzles with geocaching.

 

And yes, I AM speaking for MOST geocachers. Deal with it!

Very funny indeed! Could you share with us the poll results? Show me the evidence! Then I will deal with it if you can actually back up a claim for once.

[+bittsen]

Very funny indeed! Could you share with us the poll results? Show me the evidence! Then I will deal with it if you can actually back up a claim for once.

 

I don't care if you believe me or not. Nor will I back up my claim. Most indicates more than half, and I am certain more than half of the cachers that don't do puzzles don't do them because they don't want to. Not because the puzzles are too hard, as claimed within the post I labeled as an arrogant opinion.

 

If you can find ANY stat that disproves what I say then YOU post it. Otherwise, deal with it.

[+WRASTRO]

Very funny indeed! Could you share with us the poll results? Show me the evidence! Then I will deal with it if you can actually back up a claim for once.

 

I don't care if you believe me or not. Nor will I back up my claim. Most indicates more than half, and I am certain more than half of the cachers that don't do puzzles don't do them because they don't want to. Not because the puzzles are too hard, as claimed within the post I labeled as an arrogant opinion.

 

If you can find ANY stat that disproves what I say then YOU post it. Otherwise, deal with it.

You are the one who likes to make statements and claim them as fact. I tend more in the direction of questioning such claims. Once again you are stating your opinion and claiming it is fact. I know you do not care if I believe you. I also know you will not back up your claim. You may well be right. But it is your opinion only unless you have evidence to show that it is a fact.

 

I enjoy almost all types of puzzles because I enjoy the mental stimulation and the challenge. Some times I win and some times I don't.

[+bittsen]

Very funny indeed! Could you share with us the poll results? Show me the evidence! Then I will deal with it if you can actually back up a claim for once.

 

I don't care if you believe me or not. Nor will I back up my claim. Most indicates more than half, and I am certain more than half of the cachers that don't do puzzles don't do them because they don't want to. Not because the puzzles are too hard, as claimed within the post I labeled as an arrogant opinion.

 

If you can find ANY stat that disproves what I say then YOU post it. Otherwise, deal with it.

You are the one who likes to make statements and claim them as fact. I tend more in the direction of questioning such claims. Once again you are stating your opinion and claiming it is fact. I know you do not care if I believe you. I also know you will not back up your claim. You may well be right. But it is your opinion only unless you have evidence to show that it is a fact.

 

I enjoy almost all types of puzzles because I enjoy the mental stimulation and the challenge. Some times I win and some times I don't.

 

So you don't have any evidence to the contrary and just want to argue? OK, I get it.

 

I made a statemnt of fact and whether or not you feel I have met the criteria needed to claim my statement as fact is irrelevant. Many may question the fact that I stated but nobody will prove it is not a fact. So, by default, it remains a fact, as far as I am concerned until the time it is disproven (which it never will be because it cannot be disproven)

 

Remember, logic is on my side.

[+WRASTRO]

Very funny indeed! Could you share with us the poll results? Show me the evidence! Then I will deal with it if you can actually back up a claim for once.

 

I don't care if you believe me or not. Nor will I back up my claim. Most indicates more than half, and I am certain more than half of the cachers that don't do puzzles don't do them because they don't want to. Not because the puzzles are too hard, as claimed within the post I labeled as an arrogant opinion.

 

If you can find ANY stat that disproves what I say then YOU post it. Otherwise, deal with it.

You are the one who likes to make statements and claim them as fact. I tend more in the direction of questioning such claims. Once again you are stating your opinion and claiming it is fact. I know you do not care if I believe you. I also know you will not back up your claim. You may well be right. But it is your opinion only unless you have evidence to show that it is a fact.

 

I enjoy almost all types of puzzles because I enjoy the mental stimulation and the challenge. Some times I win and some times I don't.

 

So you don't have any evidence to the contrary and just want to argue? OK, I get it.

 

I made a statemnt of fact and whether or not you feel I have met the criteria needed to claim my statement as fact is irrelevant. Many may question the fact that I stated but nobody will prove it is not a fact. So, by default, it remains a fact, as far as I am concerned until the time it is disproven (which it never will be because it cannot be disproven)

 

Remember, logic is on my side.

I don't want to argue. That is your specialty.

 

You made a statement that reflects your personal opinion, not fact. A fact is supported by real world evidence. Until you can provide evidence to support your personal opinion it is nothing more than that. I can make the statement that everything you say is wrong and claim it is a fact. When you complain I can present the same argument you are attempting. Believe what you want but it doesn't work for me. I prefer factual facts, not opinions put forth as facts with no backing.

 

There are some puzzles that I find more challenging than others. I tend to delay my attempts to solve those puzzles. But I almost always try them at some point.

[daveindeal]

how whould you rate this for a cache puzzle

 

i have rated the cache a 4 star difficulty and a 2 star terrain.

and it ends with a icecream tub sized clip-lock tub - not a micro

 

here is the key and an example

 

here is the main body to dicipher

 

cache will be listed soon and is the south east of england, if your ever down this end of england and its listing is GC20WWD its called "the KEY to the cache is GEOCACHING"

 

if you do dicipher the puzzle completly PM me the answer rather then putting it on here

[+bittsen]

I don't want to argue. That is your specialty.

 

You made a statement that reflects your personal opinion, not fact. A fact is supported by real world evidence. Until you can provide evidence to support your personal opinion it is nothing more than that. I can make the statement that everything you say is wrong and claim it is a fact. When you complain I can present the same argument you are attempting. Believe what you want but it doesn't work for me. I prefer factual facts, not opinions put forth as facts with no backing.

 

There are some puzzles that I find more challenging than others. I tend to delay my attempts to solve those puzzles. But I almost always try them at some point.

 

I am having a hard time following your belief that is contrary to mine. I said most cachers that don't do puzzles don't do them because they don't want to as opposed to not doing them because they "can't" do them.

 

So you feel that I am incorrect? You feel that it is not a fact? If it's not a fact, perhaps you can shed some light on why the cachers that don't do puzzles don't do the puzzles. And, it has to be a reason other than because they don't want to.

 

As I said. It's all logical.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I don't want to argue. That is your specialty.

 

You made a statement that reflects your personal opinion, not fact. A fact is supported by real world evidence. Until you can provide evidence to support your personal opinion it is nothing more than that. I can make the statement that everything you say is wrong and claim it is a fact. When you complain I can present the same argument you are attempting. Believe what you want but it doesn't work for me. I prefer factual facts, not opinions put forth as facts with no backing.

 

There are some puzzles that I find more challenging than others. I tend to delay my attempts to solve those puzzles. But I almost always try them at some point.

 

I am having a hard time following your belief that is contrary to mine. I said most cachers that don't do puzzles don't do them because they don't want to as opposed to not doing them because they "can't" do them.

 

So you feel that I am incorrect? You feel that it is not a fact? If it's not a fact, perhaps you can shed some light on why the cachers that don't do puzzles don't do the puzzles. And, it has to be a reason other than because they don't want to.

 

As I said. It's all logical.

 

This is getting a bit absurd.

 

When I was in high school and junior college I was on the debate teams. I competed in lots of tournaments at the local, state, and national level. A key concept about debate and argumentation is based on "rules of evidence" and essentially boils down to the person that makes a statement of fact has the burden of proof to support that statement. A statement such as "most geocachers ignore puzzle caches because they don't want to do them, not because they can't do them" is a statement of fact. If you want to convince anyone that the fact is true the burden of proof upon bittsen for making that statement.

 

Logic is just one form of proof/evidence for supporting that assertion. Results of a survey is another. Logic, by itself, could be considered proof, but only if your logic is sound and irrefutable.

[+kraushad]

I guess I don't fall into Bittsen's "most", but I would like to do more puzzle caches. But, most times I find that I simply don't know where to start. It seems that many times I look at the page and feel like there is absolutely no clues to solving the puzzle present (which of course has to be wrong, otherwise no one would solve it!).

 

I am not afraid to admit that I am not good at puzzle caches. I don't feel insecure about my intellect or anything, but I feel that I fail at puzzle caches more because I don't know HOW to get started on them, moreso than not ebing able to do the work or have the dilligence to do the work once I figure out where to even begin. Make sense?

 

I guess what I wish for are puzzle caches where the technique to solve it isn't the hardest part of the puzzle. I like the challenge of solving them, and enjoy lateral thinking, but when I can't even figure out how to get started, I tend to get frustated more quickly.

 

Perhaps the thing I am worst at is ignoring those stupid question marks.... I really want to turn them into smileys!!

[+Xantos10]

I am not afraid to admit it... I DON'T like puzzle caches. I want to find caches....NOT solve puzzles. If I wanted to solve puzzles I would grab the newspaper and do a crosswords puzzle!!!!

 

Just say "No" to Puzzles!!!!

[+GeoGeeBee]

 

here is the main body to dicipher

 

 

True story:

 

Many years ago I was the service manager at a ComputerLand store. I got a visit once from two guys in black suits carrying a VT-100 terminal (Yeah, it was a LONG time ago). They were agents with the BATF, and they had arrested a gun smuggler. They wanted to know if there was any information on this "computer" that would help them with their investigation. I explained to them that it wasn't capable of storing anything, they'd have to find out what it connected to.

 

Then they showed me a notebook. "We think this is a pricelist, but we can't figure it out." It had listings like "Browning 9mm" followed by open-sided squares like the ones in your code, with an "X" here and there.

 

I drew a tic-tac-toe grid and wrote the digits 1-9 in the squares. "There's your key. The X represents 0."

 

They were astounded. In fact, they were so impressed that I didn't have the heart to tell them how I had solved it so quickly, but I'll tell you here: My five-year-old son had a "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" comic book that had used the same code as part of the story line!

 

Thanks for reminding me of this. I'll have to use that for a puzzle cache sometime.

[+niraD]

I guess I don't fall into Bittsen's "most", but I would like to do more puzzle caches. But, most times I find that I simply don't know where to start. It seems that many times I look at the page and feel like there is absolutely no clues to solving the puzzle present (which of course has to be wrong, otherwise no one would solve it!).

I've found a number of puzzle caches where the hard part is finding the puzzle. They are some of my favorite puzzles.

 

When you've got a puzzle like that, it can help a lot to identify the theme. Check the cache title, the hint, the HTML source, the graphics (including names/URLs), any links (including URLs), whatever is at the posted coordinates, etc. If you can figure out the theme, then you should look for numbering systems that are associated with that theme (zip codes, area codes, telephone keypads, episode numbers, etc.).

 

Around here, coordinates will have 15 digits, and will look like "N 37° xx.xxx W 122° xx.xxx". So when I'm solving a nearby puzzle, I look for a group of 15 things, and then I look for ways to get the digits 37xxxxx122xxxxx from them. In general, I look for ways to get the number 37 (or the digits 3 and 7) from something near the beginning of the puzzle, and the number 122 (or the digits 1, 2, and 2) from something near the middle of the puzzle. (Of course, you'll need to adjust this for the coordinates near you.)

 

Another useful resource is the Puzzle Solving 101 Series

http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.a...ef-901807ba9c98

[+kraushad]

 

here is the main body to dicipher

 

 

True story:

 

Many years ago I was the service manager at a ComputerLand store. I got a visit once from two guys in black suits carrying a VT-100 terminal (Yeah, it was a LONG time ago). They were agents with the BATF, and they had arrested a gun smuggler. They wanted to know if there was any information on this "computer" that would help them with their investigation. I explained to them that it wasn't capable of storing anything, they'd have to find out what it connected to.

 

Then they showed me a notebook. "We think this is a pricelist, but we can't figure it out." It had listings like "Browning 9mm" followed by open-sided squares like the ones in your code, with an "X" here and there.

 

I drew a tic-tac-toe grid and wrote the digits 1-9 in the squares. "There's your key. The X represents 0."

 

They were astounded. In fact, they were so impressed that I didn't have the heart to tell them how I had solved it so quickly, but I'll tell you here: My five-year-old son had a "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" comic book that had used the same code as part of the story line!

 

Thanks for reminding me of this. I'll have to use that for a puzzle cache sometime.

 

Well, I am NOT astounded.... my dad still has 8 years on his sentence thanks to you! (joking)

 

Great story! Surprised they didn't try and recruit you...

[Skippermark]

The ones that stump me are the ones where the owner has come up with their own idea and rates it a 1.5 and says that it's "easy" to solve, but the idea is based on nothing seen before, just an idea picked from their own brain.

 

It's not that they're always hard, but you might not have any idea where to start.

[+Ladybug Kids]

You can't belittle me, or probably anyone else, into trying puzzle caches. For MOST of us who don't do them, we just don't want to mix puzzles with geocaching.

 

And yes, I AM speaking for MOST geocachers. Deal with it!

Not all puzzles will necessarily be solvable by all cachers. Some cachers excel at them, some don't. I enjoy seeing the wide variety of puzzles that people can come up with, especially the well-designed puzzles where one can get traction and work one's way through to a solution. I can't find his post, but Fizzymagic pointed out that it is easy to put together a virtually unsolveable puzzle, but difficult to craft a good one.

 

Bittsen: I don't understand how you claim to be speaking for MOST geocachers. I must have missed the poll or the e-mail query to respond to. You certainly aren't speaking for me. Deal with it!

[+Headhardhat]

With my discussions with geocachers around the world I find that many in the European countries tend to like puzzle geocaches even more than the traditional ones. They crave a good challenge and puzzle caches tend to be prized on a higher value than we tend to do in the States.

 

I also have found that many people save puzzle caches for the rougher weather months. Many that can do the research and puzzle solving when it is wet, cold, etc. out.

 

-HHH

[+bittsen]

You can't belittle me, or probably anyone else, into trying puzzle caches. For MOST of us who don't do them, we just don't want to mix puzzles with geocaching.

 

And yes, I AM speaking for MOST geocachers. Deal with it!

Not all puzzles will necessarily be solvable by all cachers. Some cachers excel at them, some don't. I enjoy seeing the wide variety of puzzles that people can come up with, especially the well-designed puzzles where one can get traction and work one's way through to a solution. I can't find his post, but Fizzymagic pointed out that it is easy to put together a virtually unsolveable puzzle, but difficult to craft a good one.

 

Bittsen: I don't understand how you claim to be speaking for MOST geocachers. I must have missed the poll or the e-mail query to respond to. You certainly aren't speaking for me. Deal with it!

 

I wish more people could read what is written and not make assumptions beyond what is written.

 

My comment, as clear as it can be, biols down to this.

 

Most cachers that don't do puzzles, don't do puzzles because they don't want to.

 

I never implied i was speaking for ALL cachers. I was speaking for the ones who don't do puzzles.

If you do an occasional puzzle, you aren't included in the group I spoke for. If you do puzzles, you aren't included. If you have ever attempted a puzzle, you aren't included.

 

Now, if anyone can explain alternative reasons why most, who don't do puzzles, don't do puzzles, I would love to hear it.

[+Castle Mischief]

I never implied i was speaking for ALL cachers. I was speaking for the ones who don't do puzzles.

If you do an occasional puzzle, you aren't included in the group I spoke for. If you do puzzles, you aren't included. If you have ever attempted a puzzle, you aren't included.

 

Dude. Come on. LK didn't say all. Most.

 

Bittsen: I don't understand how you claim to be speaking for MOST geocachers. I must have missed the poll or the e-mail query to respond to. You certainly aren't speaking for me. Deal with it!

 

And yes, I AM speaking for MOST geocachers. Deal with it!

Edited November 13, 2009 by Castle Mischief

[+JohnE5]

Some of my recent puzzle caches might having hit the ignore button. Specifically the one that requires a working knowledge of Morse code. And yes they are all micros!

[+Ladybug Kids]

And yes, I AM speaking for MOST geocachers. Deal with it!

I wish more people could read what is written and not make assumptions beyond what is written.

 

I never implied i was speaking for ALL cachers. I was speaking for the ones who don't do puzzles.

If you do an occasional puzzle, you aren't included in the group I spoke for. If you do puzzles, you aren't included. If you have ever attempted a puzzle, you aren't included.

Did you actually read my post? The emphasis on MOST came from YOUR own post. I didn't need to make an assumption. What you wrote is perfectly clear as evidenced by the quoted snippets.

 

Setting the above aside, how can you purport to be speaking for MOST of any group? I think it's fine for an individual to post their own opinion, but without actually having been elected, appointed, ad hocked, etc., how does one speak for a group?

 

On topic: There is a local cacher who used to say he wouldn't work puzzles because he's not very good at them. Then, with the help of some other cachers, he began solving them. He discovered he likes puzzle caches enough that he then placed a puzzle cache of his own. Recently, he went on a road trip with two other cachers and found fifty-six caches in a day, twenty-three of which were puzzle caches.

 

A good caching friend of mine won't even look at puzzles caches, adopting a defeatest attitude from the start. I built a puzzle cache around text messaging to throw him a bone since he TMs as do the women in his household. He still won't take on the challenge.

 

I know lots of people who did not do well in math or science in school. Today, decades later, whenever something having to do with math or science comes up, their eyes still glaze over and they get a far off expression on their faces.

 

Some folks do, some folks can't/won't. I won't even try to represent the difference for them. I've solved most of the puzzle caches in Alaska. However, there are some that I will probably never solve without seriously being led by the nose by the cache owner. Fine by me. There are also some terrain five caches placed on some pretty technical peaks around the state that I most likely will never go for. Also, fine by me. I look forward to reading the logs and seeing the photos from the successful cachers. In my opinion, complaining about puzzle caches is akin to complaining about terrain four and five caches. Not all caches are accessible to all people, but there are plenty of caches to go around.

[ZeMartelo]

I guess I don't fall into Bittsen's "most", but I would like to do more puzzle caches. But, most times I find that I simply don't know where to start. It seems that many times I look at the page and feel like there is absolutely no clues to solving the puzzle present (which of course has to be wrong, otherwise no one would solve it!).

 

I am not afraid to admit that I am not good at puzzle caches. I don't feel insecure about my intellect or anything, but I feel that I fail at puzzle caches more because I don't know HOW to get started on them, moreso than not ebing able to do the work or have the dilligence to do the work once I figure out where to even begin. Make sense?

 

I guess what I wish for are puzzle caches where the technique to solve it isn't the hardest part of the puzzle. I like the challenge of solving them, and enjoy lateral thinking, but when I can't even figure out how to get started, I tend to get frustated more quickly.

 

Perhaps the thing I am worst at is ignoring those stupid question marks.... I really want to turn them into smileys!!

 

I subscribe to all of it. Those are the most frustrating puzzles... figuring out what to do to solve it.

I also agree most of the puzzles out there go against the spirit of geocaching except for those puzzles that you either have to go somewhere physically to get the clues or research about places/history etc.

A cryptogram puzzle has very little to do with geocaching.

[+bflentje]

 

here is the main body to dicipher

 

 

True story:

 

Many years ago I was the service manager at a ComputerLand store. I got a visit once from two guys in black suits carrying a VT-100 terminal (Yeah, it was a LONG time ago). They were agents with the BATF, and they had arrested a gun smuggler. They wanted to know if there was any information on this "computer" that would help them with their investigation. I explained to them that it wasn't capable of storing anything, they'd have to find out what it connected to.

 

Then they showed me a notebook. "We think this is a pricelist, but we can't figure it out." It had listings like "Browning 9mm" followed by open-sided squares like the ones in your code, with an "X" here and there.

 

I drew a tic-tac-toe grid and wrote the digits 1-9 in the squares. "There's your key. The X represents 0."

 

They were astounded. In fact, they were so impressed that I didn't have the heart to tell them how I had solved it so quickly, but I'll tell you here: My five-year-old son had a "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" comic book that had used the same code as part of the story line!

 

Thanks for reminding me of this. I'll have to use that for a puzzle cache sometime.

 

neat story. But the Freemasons invented that code a couple hundred years ago.. actually, it may have been the Knights of the Golden [something or other].

[+Viridios]

I am not very good at puzzle caches. I have a hard time figuring out how to begin them. There are a few that I have been able to figure out, but for the most part I am just not able to figure them out.

 

The worst part for me is knowing that there is a cache nearby that I haven't done; it drives me insane, especially if I drive past them every day (GCX63C - Here is the Question)...

[+Taoiseach]

how whould you rate this for a cache puzzle

 

i have rated the cache a 4 star difficulty and a 2 star terrain.

and it ends with a icecream tub sized clip-lock tub - not a micro

 

here is the key and an example

 

here is the main body to dicipher

 

cache will be listed soon and is the south east of england, if your ever down this end of england and its listing is GC20WWD its called "the KEY to the cache is GEOCACHING"

 

if you do dicipher the puzzle completly PM me the answer rather then putting it on here

 

Solved and email sent!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

 

True story:

 

Many years ago I was the service manager at a ComputerLand store. I got a visit once from two guys in black suits carrying a VT-100 terminal (Yeah, it was a LONG time ago). They were agents with the BATF, and they had arrested a gun smuggler. They wanted to know if there was any information on this "computer" that would help them with their investigation. I explained to them that it wasn't capable of storing anything, they'd have to find out what it connected to....

 

Another true story.

 

Probably about the same time frame I attended a conference that had, as a keynote speaker, someone from BRL (Ballistic Research Labs) . He gave a blow-by-blow account about one of the very first computer viruses, the infamous Morris email worm, how they detected it and the sequence of events that followed. He described a news conference that occurred at the time where he was asked by one of the reporters if they could see the worm. He tried to explain that it was a software program, thus one could not "see" the worm. The reported then asked if they could see it if they had a color monitor.

[+Six Little Spookies]

Also, add a link so we can check our answer after we solve the puzzle. The most frustrating thing about these puzzles is having a incorrect number in the coordinates and not be close to the actual cache.

Yay Geochecker!!!

 

Huh.

 

My preferences are exactly opposite yours. Your "just fine puzzles" are my "ho-hum, why am I bothering" puzzles. Your "this is way too much work" puzzles are my "Wow, it sure was satisfying to complete such a difficult challenge" puzzles.

 

That's the great thing about this game sport activity, it offers something for everyone. Don't like hard puzzles? There are lots of easy ones. Don't like micros? Filter them out! Don't like long hikes in the forest? There are plenty of urban caches you can look for!

 

I think people pooh pooh puzzles or HARD caches because they can't do them.

 

People don't say "Oh, it was just too much trouble to study for First Class Honours", or "Oh, I can't be bothered to train for the Olympics Pentathlon"..Those with the ability, do so.

 

So If they COULD do 'em they would, and brag about it.

I think there's a little bit of truth to what dunderhead says here. But if you aren't good enough at puzzles (or patient enough, or just don't care to solve them), link up with a cacher who is!

[+Minimike2]

My point was simple, but seems to be getting complicted in here.

 

A puzzle that requires 18 months to solve is just that - a puzzle. It isn't a geocache. You can pick a time frame that suits you, I pick any time over 2 hours.

[4wheelin_fool]

I don't do puzzle caches, not because they are hard but because, to me, that isn't what I want to do.

I go geocaching because I like the idea of downloading coordinates and going to find something there to sign. If I wanted to do puzzles, I would have gotten involved in puzzles.

 

Just remember that it is much easier to create a difficult puzzle, then it is to solve an easy one...

[+NYPaddleCacher]

My point was simple, but seems to be getting complicted in here.

 

A puzzle that requires 18 months to solve is just that - a puzzle. It isn't a geocache. You can pick a time frame that suits you, I pick any time over 2 hours.

 

A puzzle that requires 18 months, or 2 hours that produces a set of coordinates where a physical container is hidden is still a geocache. It wouldn't be published on the geocaching.com site if it didn't.

 

I've done traditional geocaches that took over 2 hours to get to the location of the cache from where I parked. When I found "The Spot" it took me over two hours from the time I left home to get to the cache.