Puzzle Guidance

[Snugglesofdoom]

Greetings my fellow GeoCachers! I recently decided to test my luck with some Unknown Caches. The first one I did needed me to solve a Sudoku puzzle, which took an hour long phone call to a friend explaining how to solve it. In the end, I solved it and had the cords to the correct spot.

 

So since I was able to solve the first one, I decided to give another one a try from the same user. However, this time, I am completely stumped.

 

This is the puzzle: .gr.cu.gm.ml.sl.dz.ru.es.mx.eg.ar.gq.my

The Hint: Wikipedia

 

I do NOT want anyone to solve this puzzle for me (because I want to solve it myself and it's against the rules/frowned upon). I just need a bigger nudge in the right direction other than just saying using Wikipedia (like what KIND of puzzle it is).

 

I have attempted to use a letter to number (telephone based) conversion... which doesn't much make sense to me converted.

I have attempted to use a letter to number (alphabet based) conversion... again, doesn't make much sense converted.

I have attempted to look up the individual .xx and came up with country names, chemicals, and I forget what else.

 

So any guidance will be greatly appreciated! :-)

Edited June 26, 2011 by Snugglesofdoom

[+Panther&Pine]

Have you asked the CO?

 

 

I'll have a look at the puzzle but might now have much to say- I'm not the puzzle solver of the team.

[+Warturtle]

All I'll tell you is that they all appear to be domains (such as .com, .net, .org) for certain countries.

[Snugglesofdoom]

Have you asked the CO?

 

 

I'll have a look at the puzzle but might now have much to say- I'm not the puzzle solver of the team.

 

Actually, 15 seconds after clicking the button to create this post, it dawned on me to ask the CO.

And after that, I went and read the previous logs for this cache and realized that the CO does in fact give out hints and nudges.

-sighs- I feel silly now... -hides under a rock-

[+Panther&Pine]

Have you asked the CO?

 

 

I'll have a look at the puzzle but might now have much to say- I'm not the puzzle solver of the team.

 

Actually, 15 seconds after clicking the button to create this post, it dawned on me to ask the CO.

And after that, I went and read the previous logs for this cache and realized that the CO does in fact give out hints and nudges.

-sighs- I feel silly now... -hides under a rock-

its okay. That is a resource that not everyone knows about.

Good luck on your solving.

[Snugglesofdoom]

All I'll tell you is that they all appear to be domains (such as .com, .net, .org) for certain countries.

 

-peeks out from under the rock-

 

I did notice that, but it didn't make much sense, so I didn't think anything of it...

Gonna message the CO for a hint and hopefully they will give me a good nudge in the right direction. :-)

 

-goes back under rock-

[+Warturtle]

All I'll tell you is that they all appear to be domains (such as .com, .net, .org) for certain countries.

 

-peeks out from under the rock-

 

I did notice that, but it didn't make much sense, so I didn't think anything of it...

Gonna message the CO for a hint and hopefully they will give me a good nudge in the right direction. :-)

 

-goes back under rock-

Have you visited the location? (Obviously not in the water, but the park next to it?)

It may have some sort of monument that has to do with countries that could give more clues.

[+The_Incredibles_]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

[+StarBrand]

Discussing the hows, whats and clues for a very specific and named puzzle cache is generally frowned upon in the forums as these posts remain searchable for a very long time.

 

Discussing puzzles in general, types, and resources to solve them is not.

[Snugglesofdoom]

Discussing the hows, whats and clues for a very specific and named puzzle cache is generally frowned upon in the forums as these posts remain searchable for a very long time.

 

Discussing puzzles in general, types, and resources to solve them is not.

 

Apologies. I removed the name and GC code from my original post. However, the puzzle is still in the post because I don't know what kind of puzzle to call it (If you do, I will gladly remove the actual puzzle as well).

[+Ambient_Skater]

Discussing the hows, whats and clues for a very specific and named puzzle cache is generally frowned upon in the forums...

Whoa! You responded to a thread asking for help with a puzzle without describing the practice as "bad form"! Is that allowed? What do we do now mods? The Forum Apocalypse is gonna happen now!

[knowschad]

Discussing the hows, whats and clues for a very specific and named puzzle cache is generally frowned upon in the forums...

Whoa! You responded to a thread asking for help with a puzzle without describing the practice as "bad form"! Is that allowed? What do we do now mods? The Forum Apocalypse is gonna happen now!

I was thinking the very same thing. It is very bad form (or, "bad forum" ) to not use that phrase to answer a puzzle cache question!

[+GeoGeeBee]

Greetings my fellow GeoCachers! I recently decided to test my luck with some Unknown Caches. The first one I did needed me to solve a Sudoku puzzle, which took an hour long phone call to a friend explaining how to solve it. In the end, I solved it and had the cords to the correct spot.

 

So since I was able to solve the first one,

It sounds like your friend was able to solve the first one.

I decided to give another one a try from the same user. However, this time, I am completely stumped.

 

This is the puzzle: .gr.cu.gm.ml.sl.dz.ru.es.mx.eg.ar.gq.my

The Hint: Wikipedia

 

I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm sure by now several people have explained why posting puzzle answers in the forum is a Very Bad Thing.

 

On the other hand, given the hint, I don't think I'm giving anything away by asking this question: have you tried taking those letter strings, and typing them into the Wikipedia search box, and seeing what comes out?

 

And if you haven't already thought of that, then maybe puzzles just aren't your thing. This one looks pretty easy.

[Snugglesofdoom]

Greetings my fellow GeoCachers! I recently decided to test my luck with some Unknown Caches. The first one I did needed me to solve a Sudoku puzzle, which took an hour long phone call to a friend explaining how to solve it. In the end, I solved it and had the cords to the correct spot.

 

So since I was able to solve the first one,

It sounds like your friend was able to solve the first one.

I decided to give another one a try from the same user. However, this time, I am completely stumped.

 

This is the puzzle: .gr.cu.gm.ml.sl.dz.ru.es.mx.eg.ar.gq.my

The Hint: Wikipedia

 

I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm sure by now several people have explained why posting puzzle answers in the forum is a Very Bad Thing.

 

On the other hand, given the hint, I don't think I'm giving anything away by asking this question: have you tried taking those letter strings, and typing them into the Wikipedia search box, and seeing what comes out?

 

And if you haven't already thought of that, then maybe puzzles just aren't your thing. This one looks pretty easy.

 

I'll update the my first post to reflect 2 things. First, I solved it ;-). Second, I'll delete the puzzle because of reason 1. :-) It was an interesting puzzle once I got a hint from the CO about telephones ;-)

 

EDIT: Apparently one cannot edit posts after a few days. :-\

Edited June 27, 2011 by Snugglesofdoom

[+hzoi]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

 

Well, sure. And if you get to the cache and it's not there, just throw down a film can and log your find. After all, you were there, right?

[+power69]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

 

Well, sure. And if you get to the cache and it's not there, just throw down a film can and log your find. After all, you were there, right?

make sure the film can has a ziplock so log doesn't get wet

[+GeoGeeBee]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

 

Well, sure. And if you get to the cache and it's not there, just throw down a film can and log your find. After all, you were there, right?

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

 

Other than the amount of time it takes, I mean.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

 

Well, sure. And if you get to the cache and it's not there, just throw down a film can and log your find. After all, you were there, right?

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

 

Other than the amount of time it takes, I mean.

 

I don't really see a difference. Both approaches require identifying a useful resource to solve a problem. There are lots of puzzle caches where the biggest challenge is identifying and locating the right tool for the job.

[+Chrysalides]

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

Presumably with (2) you'll learn something about how to solve Sudoku puzzles. Whether that is a desirable or useful skill to acquire is entirely up to you.

[+hzoi]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

 

Well, sure. And if you get to the cache and it's not there, just throw down a film can and log your find. After all, you were there, right?

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

 

Other than the amount of time it takes, I mean.

 

Not much difference at all: in both, you're copping out on the puzzle and not really earning the find, in my opinion.

 

Which is why I go with option 3 for sudoku caches or other puzzles: solving the puzzle myself.

[+niraD]

How about option 4: write a program to solve the puzzle?

[knowschad]

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

Presumably with (2) you'll learn something about how to solve Sudoku puzzles. Whether that is a desirable or useful skill to acquire is entirely up to you.

 

Presumably, with (1) you'll learn the URL of a Soduko solver website.

[+Chrysalides]

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

Presumably with (2) you'll learn something about how to solve Sudoku puzzles. Whether that is a desirable or useful skill to acquire is entirely up to you.

Presumably, with (1) you'll learn the URL of a Soduko solver website.

Or learn how to google more effectively, which is actually a very useful skill

[+The_Incredibles_]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

 

Well, sure. And if you get to the cache and it's not there, just throw down a film can and log your find. After all, you were there, right?

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

 

Other than the amount of time it takes, I mean.

 

Not much difference at all: in both, you're copping out on the puzzle and not really earning the find, in my opinion.

 

Which is why I go with option 3 for sudoku caches or other puzzles: solving the puzzle myself.

 

What you really mean is that you looked for a solver online, but couldn't find one.

 

I tried solving one by hand once. It was nauseating.

 

Let's put it this way, when you do a projection, do you do it by hand or do you use the tools available to you? Do you go the library for information to solve a puzzle or do you use Google? Just saying.

Edited June 29, 2011 by The_Incredibles_

[+NYPaddleCacher]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

 

Well, sure. And if you get to the cache and it's not there, just throw down a film can and log your find. After all, you were there, right?

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

 

Other than the amount of time it takes, I mean.

 

Not much difference at all: in both, you're copping out on the puzzle and not really earning the find, in my opinion.

 

Which is why I go with option 3 for sudoku caches or other puzzles: solving the puzzle myself.

 

I've done quite a sudoku puzzles by hand (I use a pen), including a lot of them rated "very difficult" so if I encounter one for a puzzle cache it's mostly tedium to work through the solution so I've occasionally used an online solver. I've also used a few online decryption tools to solve substitution ciphers and other simple ciphers. Is it copping out to use a calculator for caches which ask you to do some basic arithmetic to derive a set of coordinates instead of using pencil and paper?

 

As niraD suggested I have also written a few programs to solve puzzle caches because in some cases I could do that faster than working through the solution using a pencil and paper.

[+Alfiegeorge]

Hello from 3,654.4 miles away from the posted co-ords in the UK !! I like stumbling across puzzles that I'd never otherwise see whilst they are being discussed on the forum.

 

When the puzzle is in this kind of format, sometimes (and this is one of those times!) it pays to start thinking about how you are going to make the first couple of digits of the GZ co-ords, which are not going to be too far away from published co-ords, out of the first bits of information in the clue. If a reasonable pattern emerges then work it through.

 

Got the expected first digit '3' just from some local (well European) knowledge, the realisation of how to get the expected '8' (and to dispense with the unexpected '0'!) cracked open the "second part of the solve method" that is referenced in a few logs in the cache page .... solved and then GeoChecked in about 5 mins after that.

 

Neat puzzle, really liked the idea. Anyway, I see that you do now have a found log on the cache. Well done and Happy Caching.

 

Alfiegeorge

[+hzoi]

BTW, there's no need to solve Soduku puzzles by hand. There are Soduku-solvers you can download for free.

 

Well, sure. And if you get to the cache and it's not there, just throw down a film can and log your find. After all, you were there, right?

Is there really a big difference between:

1) downloading a Soduko-solver and using it to solve the puzzle,

 

vs

 

2) spending an hour on the phone with a friend who talks you through the solution?

 

Other than the amount of time it takes, I mean.

 

Not much difference at all: in both, you're copping out on the puzzle and not really earning the find, in my opinion.

 

Which is why I go with option 3 for sudoku caches or other puzzles: solving the puzzle myself.

 

What you really mean is that you looked for a solver online, but couldn't find one.

 

I tried solving one by hand once. It was nauseating.

 

Let's put it this way, when you do a projection, do you do it by hand or do you use the tools available to you? Do you go the library for information to solve a puzzle or do you use Google? Just saying.

 

Depends on how far the projection is. If it's driving distance, I just use my GPSr. If it's walking distance, sometimes it's fun to take out the compass and see if my old pace count is still accurate; when I was a cadet, it was 61 paces per 100 meters.

 

One of the best sudoku caches I found was a multi in Germany with four or five stages. Solving the first sudoku took you to stage 1 down in a valley, which had a sudoku of non-standard size. You had to solve several more to take you up into the hills and eventually to the final, which was on a ledge over a small cliff. Both mentally and physically challenging -- still one of my favorite multis ever.

[+bflentje]

Discussing the hows, whats and clues for a very specific and named puzzle cache is generally frowned upon in the forums as these posts remain searchable for a very long time.

 

Discussing puzzles in general, types, and resources to solve them is not.

 

Took 9 posts this time for part-time cacher/full-time forum followers to come out of the shadows and mention "bad form..."

[+hzoi]

Discussing the hows, whats and clues for a very specific and named puzzle cache is generally frowned upon in the forums as these posts remain searchable for a very long time.

 

Discussing puzzles in general, types, and resources to solve them is not.

 

Took 9 posts this time for part-time cacher/full-time forum followers to come out of the shadows and mention "bad form..."

 

Well, it wasn't on the schedule yet!

[+GeoGeeBee]

Discussing the hows, whats and clues for a very specific and named puzzle cache is generally frowned upon in the forums as these posts remain searchable for a very long time.

 

Discussing puzzles in general, types, and resources to solve them is not.

 

Took 9 posts this time for part-time cacher/full-time forum followers to come out of the shadows and mention "bad form..."

And then 19 more posts before you came along to make a snarky comment about it. You're slipping.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

 

One of the best sudoku caches I found was a multi in Germany with four or five stages. Solving the first sudoku took you to stage 1 down in a valley, which had a sudoku of non-standard size. You had to solve several more to take you up into the hills and eventually to the final, which was on a ledge over a small cliff. Both mentally and physically challenging -- still one of my favorite multis ever.

 

I worked on a puzzle cache a bit that was in Barcelona. Since the solution to solving it is described in detail I don't think it's "bad form" to describe how it's done.

 

First you had to identify an area in the city bounded by four streets (provided in the description). Because the city blocks were square in that area it produced a 9x9 grid of blocks, each containing a 9x9 grid of houses.

 

Then you had to solve a Sudoku puzzle, then overlay the results on the map. That'll provide a number (1 through 9) for every building on the map. Then you were provided a

set of coordinates with building names (i.e. Sagrada Familia) for the least significant digits. To solve the puzzle you have to find each of the buildings on the map, figure out which number it maps to on the Sudoku puzzle, and you'll get the final coordinates.

 

It was one of the most creative puzzles I've ever seen. I never did actually solve it though because the maps I was working with didn't have all of the buildings listed in the reference coordinates or they had names which did not quite match.