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Asking for coords on puzzle cache


rovers3

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I find that caching is not what it once was.

Cachers are less likely to go after multi's or puzzle caches since there are so many caches available to them.

There are 1226 caches within 10km and 6120 within 30 km of the puzzle cache that I was referring to in the original post so why bother solving a puzzle when there are so many other easier caches out there.

BTW, I have always helped people solve my puzzle caches when I was asked for help.

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You'd love it in our area. There's a puzzle been sat there for two years with only one finder and the FTF is best mates with the CO. No one else has had it ?

 

This happens around here too. Not a big deal, some of the more avid puzzle people chip away at it, everyone else shrugs, eventually the cache owner gives up and archives it.

 

I don't know why some people get so angry at a cache that isn't for them. I like to see people innovating even if it doesn't always work out or if the cache isn't accessible to me.

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You'd love it in our area. There's a puzzle been sat there for two years with only one finder and the FTF is best mates with the CO. No one else has had it ?

 

This happens around here too. Not a big deal, some of the more avid puzzle people chip away at it, everyone else shrugs, eventually the cache owner gives up and archives it.

 

I don't know why some people get so angry at a cache that isn't for them. I like to see people innovating even if it doesn't always work out or if the cache isn't accessible to me.

 

I don't get angry. It's more a feeling of disappointment. The puzzle caches look fun and interesting. I'm just to stupid to solve them or I just don't want to put in the time to do so. I've spent hours and hours trying to solve puzzles only to fail. I'd say about half of the puzzle cache owners have been great offering clues. I guess the frustration comes from seeing those question marks sitting there on my map laughing at me.

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You'd love it in our area. There's a puzzle been sat there for two years with only one finder and the FTF is best mates with the CO. No one else has had it ��

 

The FTF had no help with the solve and it has been solved by 3 others from outside the area who will collect it when they visit. <_<

 

There are lots of caches which go unfound for long periods and they aren't all puzzles. There is a challenge cache near me which has been out for over 12 months. No Finds since the FTF which was over 12 months ago and the Joint FTFers are best mates with the CO (in fact they all qualified for it together ahead of publication).. and there is not much chance of that being found by anyone else any time soon because apart from it being a ridiculous challenge, it's been missing for 6 months or more and the CO has declared he won't be rushing to replace it because there isn't much point as it's only had one finder! :unsure:

Edited by LFC4eva
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You'd love it in our area. There's a puzzle been sat there for two years with only one finder and the FTF is best mates with the CO. No one else has had it ?

 

This happens around here too. Not a big deal, some of the more avid puzzle people chip away at it, everyone else shrugs, eventually the cache owner gives up and archives it.

 

I don't know why some people get so angry at a cache that isn't for them. I like to see people innovating even if it doesn't always work out or if the cache isn't accessible to me.

 

I don't get angry. It's more a feeling of disappointment. The puzzle caches look fun and interesting. I'm just to stupid to solve them or I just don't want to put in the time to do so. I've spent hours and hours trying to solve puzzles only to fail. I'd say about half of the puzzle cache owners have been great offering clues. I guess the frustration comes from seeing those question marks sitting there on my map laughing at me.

 

When my husband was a stay-at-home dad, he completed a challenge that involved finding some ungodly number of puzzles in a pretty short time. I was working, so I rarely went with him during this period of time. We generally cache together, but not always, and now there is this huge crop of puzzles that he has found and I haven't. I could cheap out and get the solutions from him, but I don't. They are just on my map, unfound, and I'll probably only ever find a small fraction of them because I just don't have time to do much puzzle solving these days.

 

It's funny, because if we had shared responsibility for solving them and found them together, I wouldn't feel bad about finding the ones that he solved, and he wouldn't feel bad about finding the ones that I solved. This is what happens when geocachers marry each other I guess.

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You'd love it in our area. There's a puzzle been sat there for two years with only one finder and the FTF is best mates with the CO. No one else has had it ?

 

The worst ones are the nosensical, poorly constructed or deliberately broken puzzles that people set in a bid to ensure that the only people who can find them are they ones given the coords by the CO :rolleyes:

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The OP has received good advice and apparently decided to take it. As an owner of many puzzle caches I have had the CO's problem happen to me, but only twice that I recall. Most people around here know better than to ask for coordinates. However, the most recent time this happened, the other prospective CO who couldn't place her cache was a friend of mine who I know puts out very good caches with lots of favorite points. She had a particular themed hide in a nearby area that she wanted to place and I was inclined to help her since I know the local cachers would enjoy whatever she had in mind. I didn't bother trying to give her a hint. It was a 5* difficulty cache requiring the finder to solve a bunch of other very hard puzzle caches to get the coordinates to mine. I knew she was never going to solve all those. However, I did not give her my coordinates. Instead she told me where she wanted to hide her cache. Without giving her my coordinates, I asked if she could hide hers at another similar spot 30 or so feet away. We were able to work out a spot where she could hide her cache. If it had been a brand-new cacher, I would have suggested politely he solve the puzzle and provided a hint, but probably go no farther. Obviously, not everyone can solve puzzles and if he couldn't do mine, he'd just have to go elsewhere. My point being that it is not something to be upset about and the one being asked for coordinates should engage the other party constructively, not ignore them or act territorial.

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The OP has received good advice and apparently decided to take it. As an owner of many puzzle caches I have had the CO's problem happen to me, but only twice that I recall. Most people around here know better than to ask for coordinates. However, the most recent time this happened, the other prospective CO who couldn't place her cache was a friend of mine who I know puts out very good caches with lots of favorite points. She had a particular themed hide in a nearby area that she wanted to place and I was inclined to help her since I know the local cachers would enjoy whatever she had in mind. I didn't bother trying to give her a hint. It was a 5* difficulty cache requiring the finder to solve a bunch of other very hard puzzle caches to get the coordinates to mine. I knew she was never going to solve all those. However, I did not give her my coordinates. Instead she told me where she wanted to hide her cache. Without giving her my coordinates, I asked if she could hide hers at another similar spot 30 or so feet away. We were able to work out a spot where she could hide her cache. If it had been a brand-new cacher, I would have suggested politely he solve the puzzle and provided a hint, but probably go no farther. Obviously, not everyone can solve puzzles and if he couldn't do mine, he'd just have to go elsewhere. My point being that it is not something to be upset about and the one being asked for coordinates should engage the other party constructively, not ignore them or act territorial.

 

I agree with just about all of this approach. I only have one issue. By way of a difficult puzzle cache you are in effect controlling the area and have the power to dictate who is allowed to place a cache there right? You could conceivably construct the puzzle cache so that only specific areas are available, areas only you or someone who is smart enough to solve the puzzle could identify. If the puzzle is hard enough you could control the level of "help" given and basically choose who is able to hide a cache there and who couldn't, especially if you are willing to hand out cords to people you consider worthy.

 

I'm not saying this is the case I simply point out that it's possible. I think that anyone should be able to hide a cache as long as they meet the hiding requirements, that's why this whole "hidden waypoint" thing bothers me. If this were a multi cache and all that was required was a little persistence to find it than yes I would encourage the cacher to put in the work if they were serious about hiding a cache in the area. To me puzzle caches are something else.

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By way of a difficult puzzle cache you are in effect controlling the area and have the power to dictate who is allowed to place a cache there right?

 

The same goes for a brainless traditional. Once it's there no-one can place anything within 161m. The only difference is that with a mystery cache the coordinates are not public.

Bottom line is, find another location and if that's too difficult then there are too many caches there already :ph34r:

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I just wonder why you'd want a puzzle so difficult that only a small minority of those are able to solve it (without help).

 

The knowledge of the high level of enjoyment that small minority will get from the process - a reward for all the hard work they will have invested to get there.

 

From a finder's perspective, I agree. But from a hider's perspective, not my cup of tea.. to clarify, to hide something out of the ordinary, LIKE. To hide something for the sole purpose of stumping the masses, UNLIKE. But like or unlike, I am not suggesting limiting anything.

 

I get where you're coming from and I think we're looking at opposite sides of the coin.

 

Given that I've hidden a good number of caches that just about anybody can find I certainly don't feel like I owe anybody anything or that I'm doing anyone a disservice if I choose to publish a puzzle at the more difficult end of the spectrum which caters to the tastes at true puzzle connoisseurs.

 

In my area their are many puzzle cache enthusiasts both hiders and finders. Some of their puzzle caches boast hefty favorite point totals. I wish I were more adept at solving them because they look like they would be amazing adventures. I encourage any and all good caches whether or not I'm able to find them. This issues boils down to helping a cacher solve a puzzle cache for the find versus helping them identify a location which is not in violation of the proximity rule due to a hidden waypoint that they may or may not be able to identify on their own. It just seems that people who are not "puzzle people" are at a disadvantage in this situation.

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On the other hand, the fact that the new hider knows that his original location is within 161m of the puzzle cache gives him an advantage in solving the puzzle if he so wishes.

 

Ha, didn't think of that. May be a round about way to solve the puzzle cache. Although I have trouble finding caches within a 20 foot radius never mind 161.

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