Wierd cache idea needs help and comments

[+Snake River Sunrise]

I'd like to start a cache where you go to some coordinates and are asked to find some text (on a sign, billboard or building) that satisfies some puzzle requirements. It would be an "English Major" series of caches like: "Find a female rhyme" or "look for a hendiady". It would be a virtual cache with no container where you'd have to email me the text to get logged.

 

It violates a bunch of rules:

 

1) no virtual caches

2) being fun for a majority of cachers

3) not requiring outside research

4) not requiring contact with the owner in order to log

 

I'd like some help from the community to change my idea into something that could be published.

 

Maybe there could be a physical cache at each site to log in but also a series of word puzzles to solve first for a prize sort of a "log all seven of these caches and solve every word puzzle for a first to solve prize."

 

What think you all?

[+keehotee]

3) not requiring outside research

 

When did that become outside the rules??

[+Ecylram]

Well...

 

Make it a puzzle cache but instead of emailing you the answers. The answers can be applied to a chart, paragraph, fill-in-blank, etc. on the cache page that is used to converts certain letters in the answer into numbers that can be plugged into the coordinates. Place a real cache at those coordinates.

 

The cacher will have to divine the answers in order to find the cache. If they get the answers wrong then they won't have the right coordinates.

[+Bear and Ragged]

My 2 cents worth?

 

Find some more caches.

Find some ? Puzzle caches, so you know what they are about...

 

Read the Cache Listing Requirements / Guidelines:

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx

 

Then read them again, to really understand them!

 

Then think about what you want to place.

 

[+Snake River Sunrise]

3) not requiring outside research

 

When did that become outside the rules??

 

Cool. So if I include a definition of the figure of speech or whatever on the cache page then I'm good. I guess.

[GOF's Sock Puppet]

There is nothing that says it needs to be fun for a majority of cachers.

[+Snake River Sunrise]

Well...

 

Make it a puzzle cache but instead of emailing you the answers. The answers can be applied to a chart, paragraph, fill-in-blank, etc. on the cache page that is used to converts certain letters in the answer into numbers that can be plugged into the coordinates. Place a real cache at those coordinates.

 

The cacher will have to divine the answers in order to find the cache. If they get the answers wrong then they won't have the right coordinates.

 

This great and solves everything. Thanks!!

[+Snake River Sunrise]

My 2 cents worth?

 

Find some more caches.

Find some ? Puzzle caches, so you know what they are about...

 

Read the Cache Listing Requirements / Guidelines:

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx

 

Then read them again, to really understand them!

 

Then think about what you want to place.

 

 

Will do ... very sound advice.

[+kunarion]

It would be a virtual cache with no container where you'd have to email me the text to get logged.

If you made it an "Unknown Cache" (Puzzle cache), as Ecylram mentioned, you'd place a container to find, with a log to sign, where all the clues somehow lead to the location. So the cache page could refer to all the phrases and clues to find. The FTF "prize" could be in the container.

 

You can instead place a Travel Bug very similar to what you describe in the OP. The "mission" for the TB would be whatever you want, with the prize, etc. Once the prize is claimed, the TB's mission could be changed.

 

If it's a fun puzzle, and you think lots of people would like to try it, you should do an Unknown Cache. Or a series. If it's a series of separate puzzle caches each with their own container, that lead to the final cache when solved, people can solve just one piece of the puzzle to have a find. They could choose to continue and find more later.

Edited August 31, 2010 by kunarion

[+ScootCacher]

The cache doesn't have to be fun for everybody but I do know that you want as many as possible to want to find your cache. If you Google the term opencaching you may find a suitable place for your cache. Having it as an unknown cache is an option but some folks filter out unknowns, I know I do at times. To me, your idea sounds like a good one and should be well received by most.

[+roziecakes]

Why don't you want to put out a physical container? That would help it a lot... then find a few puzzle caches and see what they're all about. Turn this into a puzzle with a physical container