Multi vs. Puzzle caches

[+stijnhommes]

I thought that puzzle caches had a puzzle you could figure out at home to find the coordinates, while a multi used information found on location to move you on to the next point. However, I've seen a lot of people mix these two things up. I looked up puzzle caches to solve, only to find out they're actually multi's. Are there any other definitions I should be considering or are some people just confused about the difference?

[+niraD]

Keep in mind that the mystery/puzzle type is the "catch-all" of cache types. It includes challenge caches, night caches, solve-at-home puzzle caches, solve-in-the-field puzzle caches, and all sorts of other caches that the owner didn't think fit nicely into one of the other categories.

 

But the line between a multi-cache and a mystery/puzzle cache can be blurry. It can also be subject to regional variations.

 

Around here, I am used to multi-stage caches being listed as multi-caches as long the field stages don't involve anything more complicated than counting (e.g., the number of birds shown in a mural), copying digits (e.g., the third digit of the first date listed on the monument plaque), or basic arithmetic. Anything more complicated is listed as a puzzle.

 

When I was in Massachusetts recently, I found a number of mystery/puzzle caches that would have been listed as multi-caches around here. They all involved copying digits from monument plaques and signs. I'm not sure why Massachusetts cache owners list such caches as mystery/puzzle caches though.

[+kunarion]

Here's the page for that:

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=308#multi

 

You're correct, Multi Caches would usually have coords leading to other coords, pretty straight-forward. Many Multis have math to work out, like visiting a sign and working with the numbers, not so much a "puzzle", more like "visit this spot to find the next coords". Mystery/Puzzle would be whatever doesn't fit Traditional or Multi, and that may even be a Multi but with a twist -- maybe there's a puzzle somewhere along the line.

 

"Multi Cache" is sometimes used to refer to a series or group of caches in a theme, so terms get kinda flexible.

Edited August 13, 2012 by kunarion

[+Ant89]

A Multi cache typically requires either collecting coordinates for multiple physical stages. OR gathering infomation from a pre-defined location to determine coordinates.

 

An Unknown cache can be anything from a complex mathamatical puzzle requiring a supercomputer to solve to a task that has to be completed to complete a cache for example opening a cache with multiple combination locks.