Question about stages of a puzzle cache

[+Team Monkeyboy]

We want to place a series of caches, each of which will contain a field puzzle which will (once solved) produce a numeric code. All of those numeric codes must be combined in order to find the coordinates to a final puzzle cache.

 

According to the guidelines, is that possible? Or does the final puzzle cache HAVE to be solvable from the cache page itself?

 

Also - each cache, while being a traditional hide on it's own and containing a log to sign, will also have a puzzle inside that must be solved in order to find the numeric code needed... in your opinion, would you list those caches as a traditionals, or as puzzle caches?

 

We originally though about creating each of the puzzles as stages for a large multi-cache, but thought we'd get a better response from the local caching community if each stage could be claimed as an individual find, along with the final itself.

 

Suggestions?

[+T.D.M.22]

So you want to place a bunch of caches with info in them to get the final cache? You can maked each cache a traditional cache. The final would be an unknown.

 

They are traditional because you go to the co-ords on the page and find the cache. The last one is unknown because, well you have to solve a puzzle. There are no rules saying how you have to solve the puzzle.

[+niraD]

Ditto.

 

It sounds like a series of traditional caches, each containing a physical puzzle that contributes to being able to find a bonus cache (listed as a mystery/puzzle cache, even if the clues in the series caches weren't physical puzzles).

[+K13]

OK, if I understand your plan, there will be some traditional caches placed. Each of these will contain a puzzle of some type. That puzzle will provide some part of a code which, when combined with the codes from the other cache's puzzles, will make a final puzzle to solve for the coordinates for a different cache? That sounds very interesting as a finder......and quite a challenge as a cache owner. My luck would be that the finders would grab the puzzle as swag, and the final puzzle could never be solved.

[+Walts Hunting]

Is the puzzle on sets of paper that someone can take home? I can't see people going to multiple traditionals and spending time at each one working on a puzzle unless it is real easy and what is easy to is not to the next. Most of these are setup so that you get some piece of info at each traditional and then off you go.

[+Team Monkeyboy]

OK, if I understand your plan, there will be some traditional caches placed. Each of these will contain a puzzle of some type. That puzzle will provide some part of a code which, when combined with the codes from the other cache's puzzles, will make a final puzzle to solve for the coordinates for a different cache? That sounds very interesting as a finder......and quite a challenge as a cache owner. My luck would be that the finders would grab the puzzle as swag, and the final puzzle could never be solved.

 

Yes - that's it in a nutshell. We're not new to cache maintenance... we've published over 100 caches (including a few multis) and took that into consideration in creating the puzzles. I won't say they won't, but geocachers wouldn't be likely to mistake these puzzles as swag :-)

[+Team Monkeyboy]

Is the puzzle on sets of paper that someone can take home? I can't see people going to multiple traditionals and spending time at each one working on a puzzle unless it is real easy and what is easy to is not to the next. Most of these are setup so that you get some piece of info at each traditional and then off you go.

 

We've created several field puzzles, and several multis - trust me... if you build it, they will come. Each puzzle shouldn't take more than a few minutes to solve - they aren't complicated math equations or Google research dependent or anything along those lines. And the puzzles don't have anything to do with the individual stages - just for finding a final, so they can still claim the traditional without trying the puzzle.

 

My question is about each stage being a traditional cache as opposed to multiple stages of a single multi-cache. I've heard stories about local cachers having troubles getting similar caches approved, and I'm looking for information about why/if it would be an issue before we put the hours of work into creating it.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Team Monkeyboy