Most Steps in a Puzzle Cache

[+ProfessorBenson]

Over the past year I've discovered placing caches can be more fun than finding them. It's immensely satisfying to see people find them and log in comments. And I've made a few complicated puzzle caches, which seem to draw the more dedicated cacher.

 

But is there a record for puzzle cache with the most steps to it? How would you find out?

[+Roman!]

Why would you consider someone that spends hours on their butt solving tough puzzles more dedicated?

 

I consider someone that actually gets out and looks for caches more dedicated.

Edited August 2, 2013 by Roman!

[+bjmccacher]

Just because one likes puzzles, doesn't mean they don't get out in the field too! Just saying, check my stats if you disagree with me!

[+Roman!]

Just because one likes puzzles, doesn't mean they don't get out in the field too! Just saying, check my stats if you disagree with me!

 

I started the same time as you did and have twice as many finds and I hate puzzles so either I am more dedicated or those puzzle really cut your Geocaching time.

 

Seriously though, I was just wondering why someone who does difficult puzzles is more dedicated than someone who doesn't?

Edited August 2, 2013 by Roman!

[+niraD]

But is there a record for puzzle cache with the most steps to it?

Puzzle cache with the most steps, or multi-cache with the most steps.

 

There used to be a 45-stage multi-cache around here, but it was archived recently. And my 1k milestone was a 10-stage multi-cache.

 

For puzzle caches, I've done a couple puzzle multi-caches (listed as mystery/puzzle caches) that had 6 stages, and a few night caches (listed as mystery/puzzle caches) that had roughly 6-8 stages.

[+Dame Deco]

All 32 bridges/arches in Central Park in NYC plus the final--a 33-stage multi. I'm hoping to do in a couple of weeks. http://coord.info/GC17MX1

[+niraD]

But is there a record for puzzle cache with the most steps to it?

Puzzle cache with the most steps, or multi-cache with the most steps.

Oh, and if you mean puzzle caches with the most steps, a lot depends on how you define "step". I've solved a number of puzzles that were really a series of smaller puzzles; to get the overall solution, you needed to solve all the smaller puzzles. Were all of those smaller puzzles "steps"?

[+NYPaddleCacher]

But is there a record for puzzle cache with the most steps to it?

Puzzle cache with the most steps, or multi-cache with the most steps.

Oh, and if you mean puzzle caches with the most steps, a lot depends on how you define "step". I've solved a number of puzzles that were really a series of smaller puzzles; to get the overall solution, you needed to solve all the smaller puzzles. Were all of those smaller puzzles "steps"?

 

That's how I think of "steps" in a puzzle. Five Star New York (GCHTK1) has 14 "clues", each a puzzle in a different location to derive the final coordinates. I imagine that there are a few puzzles that have a "step" for each digit in the puzzle. I've also done puzzle caches that had multiple puzzles within the puzzle, some that required solving a puzzle to get the next puzzle and others that pieces of the puzzle that had be be solved separately to get to a subsequent puzzle. One of the best ones I've done had many sub-puzzles which, in some cases, had a couple of different ways to get some information needed to get to the next puzzle, with a handful of red herrings thrown in that were interesting in that they were part of the overall theme but did not necessarily need to be solved to get the final coordinates.

 

Then there's that one that you have to ask questions to a frog (using a web form) that is based on an artificial intelligence program and apparently if you ask the right question it will give you the answer(s) needed to obtain the final coordinates.

 

[+St.Matthew]

Please no. Puzzles shouldn't be difficult for the sake of being difficult. They should be clever and give the silver a sense of satisfaction when he or she has that aha! moment.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Please no. Puzzles shouldn't be difficult for the sake of being difficult. They should be clever and give the silver a sense of satisfaction when he or she has that aha! moment.

 

Actually I have found puzzle that require multiple steps, can be a lot easier than a "guess what I am thinking" puzzle. What I like about a multi step puzzle is that it's usually clear where to start and then it's just a matter of solving one sub-puzzle after another. I can look at a "guess what I am thinking puzzle" for months and be no closer to solving it than when I first looked at the listing. Granted, someone could create a puzzle with multiple steps just for the sake of trying to set a record for a puzzle with the most steps (hmmm, reminds me of some challenges) but, word would probably get around and it would just end up on everyones ignore list.

 

 

[+St.Matthew]

Actually I have found puzzle that require multiple steps, can be a lot easier than a "guess what I am thinking" puzzle. What I like about a multi step puzzle is that it's usually clear where to start and then it's just a matter of solving one sub-puzzle after another. I can look at a "guess what I am thinking puzzle" for months and be no closer to solving it than when I first looked at the listing. Granted, someone could create a puzzle with multiple steps just for the sake of trying to set a record for a puzzle with the most steps (hmmm, reminds me of some challenges) but, word would probably get around and it would just end up on everyones ignore list.

 

I can't really argue with that. The deductive type puzzles are the ones I usually have the most difficulty with.

[AZcachemeister]

Over the past year I've discovered placing caches can be more fun than finding them. It's immensely satisfying to see people find them and log in comments. And I've made a few complicated puzzle caches, which seem to draw the more dedicated cacher.

 

But is there a record for puzzle cache with the most steps to it? How would you find out?

 

The puzzle with the record number of steps (however you define them) probably has at least a similar number of people ignoring it.

[+ProfessorBenson]

Over the past year I've discovered placing caches can be more fun than finding them. It's immensely satisfying to see people find them and log in comments. And I've made a few complicated puzzle caches, which seem to draw the more dedicated cacher.

 

But is there a record for puzzle cache with the most steps to it? How would you find out?

 

The puzzle with the record number of steps (however you define them) probably has at least a similar number of people ignoring it.

Could be. But people are attracted to challenges.

[+teamajk]

This is probably the longest puzzle I've done in terms of steps. It has 90: http://coord.info/GC3WG14