Puzzle Caching For Newbies

[+BaylorGrad]

I recently moved from Southeast Texas to Central Indiana for graduate school, and needless to say, I'm experiencing weather-shock. In other words, I'm discovering what winter actually is.

 

I read on another thread recently that solving puzzle caches could be a great way to stay involved in Geocaching during those really, really chilly winter days (or weeks, or months...).

 

So with that said, I know it's completely taboo to ask for solutions to specific puzzle caches on these forums, so I want to avoid doing that at all costs.

 

But with that said, what are some general tips for newbies when solving puzzle caches?

 

For example, when you just see a picture on the cache page and nothing else, what do you check? How do you try to decrypt the picture?

 

Also, when you see a bunch of numbers on a cache page, what do you do then? What patterns do you took for?

 

So, I'm just digging for general trends with these caches. I've tried to solve a few, and I usually feel completely incompetent, and I haven't even been able to solve 1.5-star difficulty puzzles yet... So I thought I'd ask around, generally, of course.

 

Thanks!

 

BaylorGrad

[+addisonbr]

The best advice I can give you is to check out ePeterso2's Puzzle Solving 101 series. The caches are in Florida, but all of the puzzles can be solved from home - along with tutorials that step folks through different puzzle types and solving techniques. There is even a TB that you can discover as a remote solver once you march through each of the component 'lessons'.

 

Here's a bookmark list:

 

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

[+niraD]

A while back, The Rat offered a puzzle-solving class as an event cache. His slides are available here:

http://thegba.net/resources/general_information.php

 

Among the tips he offered:

 

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.)

 

Other useful resources include the Puzzle Solving 101 Series

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

this "Solving Puzzle Caches" article

http://bcaching.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/puzzles-part-1/

and this "How Do I Solve All These $@! Puzzle Caches?" cache

http://coord.info/GC25WQJ

[+SSO JOAT]

This will prolly help, too.

 

Visit this site and download the PDF of my puzzle solving presentation listed under the September educational event materials. http://www.geocachealaska.org/education.html

 

And visit this archived event cache listing http://coord.info/GC2CKND

(it has the solution for the puzzle in the PDF file above)

 

That will give you a couple ideas and the resources links near the end will give you a bunch more places to read up on puzzle solving.

 

Search for some lower difficulty rated puzzle caches and just start reading through them until you find types you can solve. Some puzzle are extremely difficult and some are very simple. You've got to pick and choose which to spend your time on.

[+BaylorGrad]

These links really helped, everyone!

 

The good news is that I solved my first puzzle cache! The bad news is that it's now 2:00 in the morning, because it took so long to decrypt... A lot of slow labor--not difficult, just slow.

 

THANKS!

Edited December 5, 2010 by BaylorGrad

[+teamajk]

You might be interested in my new blog I started New Year's day ... It's called Geocaching Puzzle of the day and you can link to it here.

 

The goal is to point out a variety of fun, clever, or interesting puzzles of varying difficulties to help people work on their puzzle solving skills or give puzzle makers a fresh idea for a new hide. Fridays will feature "bonus blogs" giving puzzle solvers/makers a useful tool for their puzzle toolbox.

 

Cachers are invited to send me interesting puzzles they have solved or found for possible inclusion. Thanks!

[+entogeek]

I recently moved from Southeast Texas to Central Indiana for graduate school, and needless to say, I'm experiencing weather-shock. In other words, I'm discovering what winter actually is.

 

I read on another thread recently that solving puzzle caches could be a great way to stay involved in Geocaching during those really, really chilly winter days (or weeks, or months...).

 

So with that said, I know it's completely taboo to ask for solutions to specific puzzle caches on these forums, so I want to avoid doing that at all costs.

 

But with that said, what are some general tips for newbies when solving puzzle caches?

 

For example, when you just see a picture on the cache page and nothing else, what do you check? How do you try to decrypt the picture?

 

Also, when you see a bunch of numbers on a cache page, what do you do then? What patterns do you took for?

 

So, I'm just digging for general trends with these caches. I've tried to solve a few, and I usually feel completely incompetent, and I haven't even been able to solve 1.5-star difficulty puzzles yet... So I thought I'd ask around, generally, of course.

 

Thanks!

 

BaylorGrad

 

Never be afraid to ask the CO for help - after all, we create puzzles so they can be solved. Some of us may not be forthcoming when FTF is still up for grabs but after that, well I've found nearly every puzzle creator willing to guide me along the way, as long as I show them that I have been trying to make an effort.