+rickardclan Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Hi All, Hope this is the right place for this - mods please feel free to relocate if not! I'm thinking about placing a new cache, but I would like to try to be a bit more ambitious - I've done the basic 'n' dashes, and a couple of simple lock 'n' locks at the end of a nice stroll Next one is going to have more than one stage I think, but I want to have the full co-ords for the next stage in each stage - rather than provide bits to fill in the blanks - so I can keep the info on the webpage sparse I'm also planning on having them a few miles apart....this is know (from the knowledge books) is ok. My questions are; does it have to be a multi or can I have it as a mystery - and if it can be do I just work out which leg has the highest difficulty and terrain and use that as the rating, or do I average them out? Or am I making this too complicated?! Apologies if this is yet another thing that's been asked before, I will carry on looking at the knowledge books but I would like your input on my level of ambition?! Quote Link to comment
+dfx Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) If you give the coords to the first stage on the cache page, then it would be a multi, but you can still list it as mystery if you want to (not sure why'd you want to though). The terrain rating should reflect the full cache, start to end and including all the stages. Difficulty rating should be either done the same way (i.e. roughly a "sum" of all individual difficulties), or reflect the highest difficulty that one will encounter. Edited March 9, 2011 by dfx Quote Link to comment
+rickardclan Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) Mystery sort of works with the theme - but not sure it's a problem either way - it can be a multi if that's correct per the guidelines Re: the ratings, thanks for that - I'm still putting together the ideas/locations, but I would like to make it challenging Edited March 9, 2011 by rickardclan Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 As a multi, you will get fewer cachers going for it... As a mystery, a lot of cachers automatically filter them out/ignore them! Quote Link to comment
+MartyBartfast Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 As a multi, you will get fewer cachers going for it... As a mystery, a lot of cachers automatically filter them out/ignore them! Another option would be to place a number of traditional caches, and in each one put part of the co-ords for the bonus cache which would be published as a puzzle. This is common for a series which can be done on a single walk with the bonus at the end, but is also used for several very disparate caches that need to be done separately. Quote Link to comment
+maxkim Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 The main difference is the distance from the given co-ords to the end.. for a mystery it needs to be close by, but for a multi it can be any distance... Cheers MaxKim Quote Link to comment
+dfx Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) The main difference is the distance from the given co-ords to the end.. for a mystery it needs to be close by, but for a multi it can be any distance... That's not quite correct. It only applies when the coordinates given for the mystery cache are bogus (which is usually the case, but doesn't have to be). In this case there can only be such much distance between the bogus coords and the actual coordinates, which can also be only the first stage and don't have to be the final. Edited March 9, 2011 by dfx Quote Link to comment
+Graculus Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 The rule of thumb we use for multi/unknown caches is this. If you print off a multi-cache page and take it out with you, all the information you need to find the stages/cache are there on the page and you work your way through it. Whether the stages are questions or physical with clues/coords inside to the next it doesn't matter. You can find them. If on the other hand there is work to do before hand, for example solve a complex puzzle or do some research online BEFORE you can get enough information to find the cache then that would be an Unknown type. In other words, if you took an Unknown cache page print out with it would be likely you couldn't find the cache with it. Distances. For a multi there is no real rule how far apart stages/cache can be. There are stages of such caches in different countries. With an Unknown the cache and page coords need to be within 1 to 2 miles unless you have a very good reason for making it greater (and it has to be good!). Multi caches with several stages taking people on a enjoyable walk or tour through a town with lots to do and see to work out the locations can be very enjoyable. Some people also relish a really complex puzzle type cache (I don't but that is just because my brain doesn't tend to work that way ). Physical stages of a multi-cache or an unknown are checked for proximity to other caches (or physical stages of other caches). Question type stages (no physical container) are not checked. Physical stages of a multi-cache are NOT checked for proximity to each other so you could have you stages 10 feet apart if you wanted to... but I wouldn't recommend it! Hope this helps! Chris Graculus Volunteer UK Reviewer for geocaching.com UK Geocaching Information & Resources website www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk Geocaching.com Knowledge Books Quote Link to comment
+Mark+Karen Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) As a multi, you will get fewer cachers going for it... As a mystery, a lot of cachers automatically filter them out/ignore them! Personally I do with my pocket queries, I list traditionals and multis. I have 77 finds at the moment, perhaps further down the line I'll try some others, but there's enough to keep my interest at the moment. As for the original question, it sounds like a multi-cache with physical stages. You may also want to consider making it a cache series with a bonus cache instead. Edited March 10, 2011 by markhewitt1978 Quote Link to comment
+rickardclan Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 Hi all, Many thanks for the responses - I'd like to make it in such a way that you have to complete each stage in turn - so I think a multi is going to be the way forward.... Can you confirm Chris if the stages also have to follow the .1 mile separation from other caches or is there a little flexibility in that - I have what I think is a great location but it might be touch and go in the proximity of another hide Cheers Quote Link to comment
+Graculus Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Hi all, Many thanks for the responses - I'd like to make it in such a way that you have to complete each stage in turn - so I think a multi is going to be the way forward.... Can you confirm Chris if the stages also have to follow the .1 mile separation from other caches or is there a little flexibility in that - I have what I think is a great location but it might be touch and go in the proximity of another hide Cheers Stages of a multicache where there is a physical object/container you have placed is checked for proximity to other caches and similar stages of other caches. If your stage is a question/clue to find from information at a location (for example a noticeboard) then the waypoint stage type is 'Question to Answer' and is not checked against other caches/stages. Saying this it isn't a good idea to use a location someone else has already used. Not really fair and it also causes problems if you use a mapping PC program or mapping GPS because when you view caches the waypoint icons sit on top of each other and are difficult to select. Chris Graculus Volunteer UK Reviewer for geocaching.com UK Geocaching Information & Resources website www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk Geocaching.com Knowledge Books Quote Link to comment
+duncanhoyle Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 As a multi, you will get fewer cachers going for it... As a mystery, a lot of cachers automatically filter them out/ignore them! Personally I do with my pocket queries, I list traditionals and multis. I have 77 finds at the moment, perhaps further down the line I'll try some others, but there's enough to keep my interest at the moment. I guess I'm a little unusual then as I often filter to only show mystery caches (but only in GSAK - my PQs download all types). Sometimes I filter to just show mysteries and multis. I've yet to set either but have a couple in the pipeline... Duncan Quote Link to comment
+duncanhoyle Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I've remembered what I was originally going to post about - there are some great mystery caches around the NE set by Munkeh. The coordinates take you to the actual location of the cache but once there the log is inside a container which you have to work out how to open using various ingenious methods None of them require you to have any previous knowledge before you arrive at the cache and just rely on you problem solving once there. They were all set quite some time ago though so I suspect the rules may have changed slightly, but I was wondering if new caches similar to these be just regular caches or mysteries? Duncan Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) I've remembered what I was originally going to post about - there are some great mystery caches around the NE set by Munkeh. The coordinates take you to the actual location of the cache but once there the log is inside a container which you have to work out how to open using various ingenious methods None of them require you to have any previous knowledge before you arrive at the cache and just rely on you problem solving once there. They were all set quite some time ago though so I suspect the rules may have changed slightly, but I was wondering if new caches similar to these be just regular caches or mysteries? Duncan Still allowed. Still Mystery/Unknown/Puzzle caches. (Or whatever the word is this week ) As a multi, you will get fewer cachers going for it... As a mystery, a lot of cachers automatically filter them out/ignore them! But often have some great logs, as the finders appreciate the caches more, and write more in the log! Edited March 11, 2011 by Bear and Ragged Quote Link to comment
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