new to puzzles

[+BugLuv]

I have tried to search the forums before posting this thread, but could not find anything broad. I did find some helpful posts on certain types of puzzles!  I would like to start doing some mystery caches. Some have clear instructions. However, some I cannot even begin to know how to do. I have found some that are symbols, which I assume that you have to discern letters in some manner. I have found some that are just a passage of text-no instructions. I am assuming there is some legend somewhere or some process of counting letters. Everyone else seems to be "in the know". Is there a good link to an old thread on basic information on getting started with puzzles? Anyone have any advice?

 

 

[+kunarion]

On 7/25/2018 at 9:40 PM, BugLuv said:

I have tried to search the forums before posting this thread, but could not find anything broad. I did find some helpful posts on certain types of puzzles!  I would like to start doing some mystery caches. Some have clear instructions. However, some I cannot even begin to know how to do. I have found some that are symbols, which I assume that you have to discern letters in some manner. I have found some that are just a passage of text-no instructions. I am assuming there is some legend somewhere or some process of counting letters. Everyone else seems to be "in the know". Is there a good link to an old thread on basic information on getting started with puzzles? Anyone have any advice?

 

 

 

Some are structured, familiar puzzles. Others are one-of-a-kind. Be sure you understand what Difficulty ratings mean. Some are pretty much impossible.

 

There are several common things to look for. If nobody posts the info, I'll find it and post it once at a PC if you haven't found it in the forum by then.

Edited September 6, 2018 by kunarion

[+CAVinoGal]

Fellow cachers (our son and daughter-in-law, who met geocaching and got us into the hobby, but that's another story) gave us Cully Long's book "How to Puzzle Cache" - it's wonderful!  It gives you the basics of many different types of puzzle caches and can be a BIG help on some where you have NO CLUE where to start!  Get a copy if you can!

[+BugLuv]

10 minutes ago, CAVinoGal said:

Fellow cachers (our son and daughter-in-law, who met geocaching and got us into the hobby, but that's another story) gave us Cully Long's book "How to Puzzle Cache" - it's wonderful!  It gives you the basics of many different types of puzzle caches and can be a BIG help on some where you have NO CLUE where to start!  Get a copy if you can!

Great!! Thank you!

[+kunarion]

Here's a thread with niraD's excellent page of puzzle info:

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2018 by kunarion

[+Korichnovui]

Two basic tips I would give are:

 

1. Be familiar with the concept of GPS coordinates. Very familiar. More familiar. There are different formats. Get a feel for how far each number moves you on a map. Stuff like that.

 

2. Check out geocachingtoolbox.com . It can be an eye-opening experience, a sort of “tip of the iceberg” of what you’re up against when it comes to mystery caches.

[+MartyBartfast]

There are also a number of puzzle series which are designed to teach you specific methods, for example this series:

 

https://coord.info/GCYXZ1

 

 

Although some of them have been archived you could still work out the puzzles and check you've got the right answer through the puzzle checked.

 

This search throws up some other similar themed puzzles:

 

https://www.geocaching.com/play/search?ot=4&types=8&kw=puzzle solving 101

[+BugLuv]

GREAT!  Thanks to all!!!  This gets me started. : )

[+jellis]

start with 1- 1 1/2 difficulty ratings. 3 things I start with first.

1. Highlight the page to see if there are any hidden text (white on white)

2. Check the page source, look for green type in the body copy.

3. Reverse image search.

[+The A-Team]

Another thing to watch for is a play-on-words. Often the name of the cache or something in the description will somehow hint at the type of puzzle. For example, "A Breakfast Cache" with a bunch of text could hint at the use of the Bacon cipher, or a cache named "It's Elemental My Dear Cacher" could be hinting at the use of the periodic table of elements. Over time as you work on puzzles, you'll start to learn more about the different ciphers, codes, and other ways cachers can hide or obscure information, and then you'll recognize these plays-on-words more easily.

[+noncentric]

One thing I'll add that I don't see has been mentioned above is to click on the geochecker link, if the cache page is using a 3rd party checker, and especially if it's using Certitude. Why? To make sure that what you're trying to solve for is coords or a keyword.

Sometimes, cachers will work on a puzzle and try to get numbers out of it, but they really need to be looking for a keyword to feed into the Certitude geochecker.  And vice versa, where a cacher will see that a puzzle cache has a Certitude checker and assume they need to find a keyword, but if they click on the Certitude checker then they will see that they really need to solve for coords.

[+STNolan]

Another thing I'll toss out there is get to know your local cachers; certain puzzle cache hiders tend to have a flavor a style to their caches that they tend to prefer. Go out and solve some of their easier ones (D1-D2) and then after solving them move on to the harder ones; sometimes knowing how a cachers brain ticks will help you figure out a tougher puzzle.

[+Goldenwattle]

14 minutes ago, STNolan said:

Another thing I'll toss out there is get to know your local cachers; certain puzzle cache hiders tend to have a flavor a style to their caches that they tend to prefer. Go out and solve some of their easier ones (D1-D2) and then after solving them move on to the harder ones; sometimes knowing how a cachers brain ticks will help you figure out a tougher puzzle.

If they have any at that level. Most puzzles where I live are 3 star and above; many four and above. Not my favourites, puzzle caches.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Goldenwattle

[+kunarion]

For a super tricky puzzle cache that has never been solved, I watch for changes on the puzzle cache page, and that becomes part of my file.  There's no notice when a change is made.  But whatever was changed may provide a hint to the solution.  I've seen changes made and then undone in a matter of hours.  Did the CO think it was too much of a spoiler?  Could be.  I'm saving that, just in case.

 

Edited August 27, 2018 by kunarion

[+tyke]

For the symbols you need the code tables in https://www.geocachingtoolbox.com/

There's a lot more useful stuff there, too.

[+BugLuv]

Thanks to all!!

[+OwenfromKC]

If you get Cully Long's book,  spend the extra money and get the spiral bound version.  So much easier to lay it flat for reference when working on a cache page on the computer.  

 

He also has a website that has practice puzzles.   http://www.puzzlecachepractice.com/2017/01/fccl1nk-cheers.html

 

There are also FB groups you can search for.