+Sun Chasers Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 What say you to this: Subscribers can make "every-user" caches with cheats that can only be decoded by subscribers? Advantages: 1. Share tough caches with everyone, but give subscribers an edge in finding it 2. Make non-subscribers wish they had priveleges to decode a cheat to that elusive cache! 3. Give non-subscribers a visual idea of what they are missing without that subscription. Link to comment
+ClayJar Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 Now that's a cool idea. I'm going to abstain from the voting, at least for now, but it definitely is something interesting. (Of course, some of the... um... dedicated cachers won't care for more hints, but it's still an intersting idea.) Link to comment
+The Cheeseheads Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 What I'd like to see as well are multiple hints for one cache. I'd like to be able to write one hint that doesn't give away much, but can help put someone on the right track ("The cache is easier to get to if you turn right at the fork") and a second hint that can give away more ("The cache is in the hollow log next to the big rock") That would be nice for multicaches as well, so you could give a separate hint for each stage. That way the cacher can look at a hint for just the stage they are having difficulty with without having to give away hints for the whole thing. Link to comment
+CYBret Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 What if the cache was "subscriber only" for the first 3 months of it's life or the first 5 finds recorded on the site (pick your own numbers), whichever came first. This would insure that a cache probably wouldn't get plundered on the first day it was hidden. I guess this wouldn't have to be an official setting from Geocaching.com . . I suppose the person hiding the cache can come back later and remove the "members only" qualification, can't they? Bret Link to comment
+unclerojelio Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 Is a subcriber a member, or just someone that is logged in? If a subscriber is a member then I'd say just go ahead an make it a MO cache. If we are talking about having to be logged in to see the hints then I think this is a cool idea. You could safeguard a cache from being plundered by hiding it better and giving good clues. Or you could just enter bogus coords for the cache and then give the real coords in the hints. That would really tick off those who like to plunder. ... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, ... unclerojelio Link to comment
+parkrrrr Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 Um... question... how do you make a "subscriber-only encrypted hint" that's possible to decrypt in the field? Is it just not displayed on the page if you're not logged in or not a subscriber? In that case, how does it serve as an advertisement for "look what you could have if you were a subscriber"? Or is it just another "nyah, nyah, only subscribers get this" kind of link on the cache page? Link to comment
+Clan Ferguson Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 But 10 seconds after reading it it started to sound a little elitist. So I am for and againgst it at the same time. Sorry Cache On!! James "Big Dog" -Clan Ferguson Link to comment
+ClayJar Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Cheesehead Dave:I'd like to be able to write one hint that doesn't give away much, but can help put someone on the right track ("The cache is easier to get to if you turn right at the fork") and a second hint that can give away more ("The cache is in the hollow log next to the big rock") I did precisely this with Ferengi Wormhole. It's exceedingly inaccessible to me, so I included multi-stage hints for the hunters. If you get stuck, you just decode the next more detailed hint, and so on until you find the cache. quote:That would be nice for multicaches as well, so you could give a separate hint for each stage. That way the cacher can look at a hint for just the stage they are having difficulty with without having to give away hints for the whole thing. Actually, with the [unencrypted text] feature (thanks again, Jeremy), you can do this quite easily. Just include the parts you don't want encrypted in [square brackets]. For example: quote:[Micro #1] Look at the roots of the really big oak tree next to the flag. [Micro #2] If you really wanted a hint for this one, well... [Final Cache] Take two hundred feet five degrees east of magnetic north of the brass marker and look for the holy stump. becomes: quote:[Micro #1] Ybbx ng gur ebbgf bs gur ernyyl ovt bnx gerr arkg gb gur synt. [Micro #2] Vs lbh ernyyl jnagrq n uvag sbe guvf bar, jryy... [Final Cache] Gnxr gjb uhaqerq srrg svir qrterrf rnfg bs zntargvp abegu bs gur oenff znexre naq ybbx sbe gur ubyl fghzc. Link to comment
+Sun Chasers Posted May 30, 2002 Author Share Posted May 30, 2002 A randomly generated key pops up for subscribers. ...but since someone mentioned the 'elitist' word, possibly making caches easier for subscribers is not in keeping with the nature of the hunt? But there may be other applications for sub-only encryption, like an encoded second cache location after finding the first. Non-subs get the cache, Subs get double-booty. quote:Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy: Um... question... how do you make a "subscriber-only encrypted hint" that's possible to decrypt in the field? Link to comment
+The Cheeseheads Posted May 30, 2002 Share Posted May 30, 2002 quote:Originally posted by ClayJar: Actually, with the [unencrypted text] feature (thanks again, Jeremy), you can do this quite easily. Just include the parts you don't want encrypted in [square brackets] Yep, I did finally figure that one out for my Gee, I'm a Tree! multi. It just wasn't that intuitive. It took me about a week or so while I was writing the cache page before it struck me that you could do that. The odd thing is that if you put HTML in with your hints (like bullet points to break up the multiple hints), it only gets applied when the hint is decrypted. Link to comment
+parkrrrr Posted May 30, 2002 Share Posted May 30, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Legal Tender Cache:A randomly generated key pops up for subscribers. Okay, show of hands: who can't do a monoalphabetic cipher with no key and one hand tied behind their backs? Link to comment
Zuckerruebensirup Posted May 30, 2002 Share Posted May 30, 2002 quote:Originally posted by ClayJar: [Final Cache] ... look for the holy stump. Would that be the one that has a cross engraved onto it or its silohuette resembles the face of Jesus or something? ------- "I may be slow, but at least I'm sweet!" Link to comment
Zuckerruebensirup Posted May 30, 2002 Share Posted May 30, 2002 quote:Originally posted by ClayJar: [Final Cache] ... look for the holy stump. Would that be the one that has a cross engraved onto it or its silohuette resembles the face of Jesus or something? ------- "I may be slow, but at least I'm sweet!" Link to comment
+Sun Chasers Posted May 30, 2002 Author Share Posted May 30, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy: Okay, show of hands: who can't do a monoalphabetic cipher with no key and one hand tied behind their backs? Drat! Foiled again! Sun "better go upgrade the security on my nuclear missile silos now that my geocache code has been hacked" Chasers Link to comment
+Sun Chasers Posted May 30, 2002 Author Share Posted May 30, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy: Okay, show of hands: who can't do a monoalphabetic cipher with no key and one hand tied behind their backs? Drat! Foiled again! Sun "better go upgrade the security on my nuclear missile silos now that my geocache code has been hacked" Chasers Link to comment
+seneca Posted May 30, 2002 Share Posted May 30, 2002 I would have thought we would want to do the opposite if anything - make the game easier for new players so they might be more interested in playing and hopefully subscribing. In order for this game to work we need a constant influx of new players. Anything that reduces their chances of finding a cache will certainly turn them off. I really think the subscriber features really have to be in areas other than making caches less accessible to non-subscribers. You may not agree with what I say, but I will defend, to your death, my right to say it!(it's a Joke, OK!) Link to comment
The_Brownies Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 Has anyone ever looked at the cost of running a business? There is certain overhead, and just how do you pay for this? You do your best to please the customer, and as everyone knows, the more customers you have, the more money that flows into your business. With that in mind let's look at your proposals. Do you think that making it harder for new cachers is going to increase or decrease business? Shaa -- it's going to decrease it. Therefore, let's not go off on a tanget and make things difficult for the new users. Why? Because the more new users we get, the more money that comes in. The more money that comes in, means that Jeremy can hire more people, and more people means more resources that can be use used to develop more interresting games. The Brownarola.. Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 I just don't see it as being workable. I would alienate some people, and not really benefit anyone. Especially with the "quality" of some of the hints I've seen. I was entering in some cache finds the other day, and on one cache, I decided to hit the Decrypt link, just to see what clue the owner had provided. The clue was "The cache is in ." Well, big freakin' DUH! Could that possibly be any more useless? Assuming there's no major impediment to getting to a cache area, the hint should be written with the assumption that the hunter is already within 50' of the cache. Link to comment
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