Our Scoring System

[+AltDotAir]

Air and I (this is Alt) got into a detailed discussion today about planning out the next day's cacheing and comparing various days. There's a certain apples and oranges problem when discussing various cache swings.

 

So we "invented" the following "Total Geocaching Points" system to help assess the committment for each day's hunt. This is probably not original, and is not necessarily meant to spur competitiveness, but we thought it was a fair assessment of "total geocaching activity" than a simple Find count.

 

We worked out the system below to balance cache-finding, cache-seeking, and travel-bugging, and added bonus points for clean-ups. Again, the intent is mostly to provide a personal benchmark -- your mileage will certainly vary.

 

1. For each found cache, multiply the degree of difficulty times the terrain difficulty rating. So a 3 difficulty rating with a 2.5 terrain difficulty nets one 7.5 points.

 

2. For each cache where you got to the GPS coordinates but couldn't find the cache, score half the number of points as you would had you found it. If you later search for the same cache can still can't find it, you can't score any more points. If you find it again later, give yourself the full award for that cache (subtracting the half-credit you got before.)

 

3. Give yourself 1 bonus point for each cache where you pick up and properly dispose of litter somewhere along the way.

 

4. For each cache you hide, mulitply cache difficulty by terrain difficulty (be honest when making your ratings). Then add one point for each successful visitor you get who finds (and logs) your cache.

 

5. For each travel bug you release ANEW (meaning you invented that bug), score 10 points.

 

6. For each travel bug you retrieve, score 5 points.

 

7. For each travel bug you release, score 5 points.

 

Our current score total is: 94.5 (33 cache-found points, 20.5 cache-hidden points, 30 travel bug points, and 11 trash-cleanup bonus points.)

 

== Alt Dot Air ==

[+briansnat]

The problem with this is that terrain and difficulty ratings are totally subjective. I found a 1/1 recently that had me scrambling over large boulders, hilly terrain and along a cliff. Took me almost an hour to find because of all the possible hiding places.

 

A month or so ago, I was on a cache hunt where the terrain was rated a 3.5 It was an easy 5 minute hike on a flat and well defined path. The cache itself was on a hillside, but not a very steep one and it was pretty devoid of rocks, brush or other obstacles.

 

"You can't make a man by standing a sheep on its hind legs, but by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" -Max Beerbohm

[+ClayJar]

This sounds more like a drinking game than a scoring system, but then again, there is no score on geocaching.com, so I guess it wouldn't sound like it.

[+infosponge]

We use a slightly different system:

 

a) did you find the cache? 1 point

did you NOT find the cache? 1 point

c) did you create a cache? 1 point

 

This is called "The journey is the destination, but there is no defined destination" scoring system. it works pretty good.

[+Markwell]

I use a different system...

 

• I take my number of caches found
• Double it (because it's twice as much fun as anything other hobby I've done)
• Add 9 (for the number of times I've forgotten to mark my car's waypoint)
• Divide by 3 (the number of other people in my family)
• Add 4 (the total number of people in my immediate family)
• Subtract 7 (the number of caches I found before placing a GOOD cache - not my first, mind you).

 

Current Resulting Score: 123

 

Be sure to check my profile to see how I've prominently displayed my find points.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[+-=(GEO)=-]

I think that the weather totally changes the rating of a cache in some instances. As a matter of fact, I believe that there should almost be a rating for each season for the more chanllenging ones especially.

 

A cache a day keeps the blues away...

[+Planet]

You guys have way too much time on your hands! My scoring system Found it=good, Didn't find it=still good, I got outside in the fresh air and hiked. Geocaching=longer life.

 

Cache you later,

Planet

 

"It doesn't matter whether you're going somewhere or nowhere, whether you're doing something or nothing. If you're doing it in a boat it's the best time ever!" -Water Rat from "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame (a book I picked up in a cache)

[Broncoholics]

Here is an example of the scoring system that is on the other site...

 

09 Nov 2002 by upinyachit (Finds: 78 Score: 365.5) (Hidden: 10 Score: 45.5)

 

Some members might like it and some may not. All I know is that I have to do at least a cache a week, or my ankles feel funny. LOL Feel free to check it out.

 

 

Our feet go where the caches are!

[+AltDotAir]

From somebody who's posted 437 times to the bulletin boards 8-)

 

Found six caches today!

 

== Alt Dot Air ==