Game Within The Game

[+Kealia]

OK gang - I'm tapping into your collective ideas here, don't let me down.

 

I started a game here in CA based off my avatar and the avatar of Team Nazgul. I released a TB attached to THE ONE RING with the idea that we (local cachers) would keep the TB moving within a 20 mile radius of his area and play a game of "keep away".

 

We weren't going to log the TB in the cache (since he'd be bale to watch the TB) so we decided to open a new thread in the West and SW forum and leave hints to other cachers as to where the ring was (and just grab the TB from each other).

 

Well, it was placed today and a little overe an hour later he had it in hand.

 

So, I'm looking for ideas on how to make this game work. He's an avid cacher and probably knows the cache descriptions as well if not better than most in the area - thus making the "hints" also too easy for him.

 

Thoughts on how to structure this?

 

Let's hear 'em.

[+Kealia]

Are you kidding me? 27 views and not 1 reply?

 

BrianSnat?

TotemLake?

Renegade Knight?

Saxman?

Touchstone?

Snoogans?

 

Bueller?

[+webscouter.]

How about a password protected page that shows it's location. You would have to have a code word or phrase that a placer would be required to incorporate into the cache they placed it into. This would allow Team Nazgul some chance. You might also just have the name of the last cacher instead of the location of the bug in the password protected page.

 

The password protected page could also have a rotation of the code word. Otherwise Team Nazgul could just look at who has the bug and the past holders and look for the code word or phrase.

[+New England n00b]

Create a blog somewhere and log your notes there instead of here or something... The 'badguy' should only be able to access it on certain occasions?

 

Dunno... this is tricky if you have a clever Sauron... Maybe encrpt all your logs in elvish (Alba?) script? Interesting idea.

 

Maybe create an unofficial TB that is not recorded by the website, and keep your Ring Log on the cache site very vague so that 'the eye of Sauron' has to constantly scour the site for clues as to where the Hobbittsess are.

[+Renegade Knight]

Well, it looks like you have a worthy foe in a game of Keep away.

 

Perhaps a point system. Everyone gets 10 points when they swap it in and out of a cache and successfully 'keep it away' and he gets 100 when he steals it.

 

The points can be balanced over time. In real keep away you can keep the other guy off balance. In this version he's on equil footing with everyone else, and that equil footing gives him a good shot at snagging the ring.

 

It's almost like a race for FTF. There are normally only a few people who manage them all. Everyone else might be great cachers but when it comes to FTF they are merely also rans and not able to do more than 'get lucky'. Some of that could be sneaking into the game.

 

you can also build time of exchange into the game. They give the hint, call their buddy, then they have to have a 45 minute window from when it's left to when it's pikced up. He knows he's got 45 min to solve the hint, after that it's gone...

[RenoRat]

OK, just to make sure I understand this right... one of you hides the TB and then posts a hint as to where it is, but since he's probably more experienced or at least 'faster' at it than the rest of you, he gets to the TB first. Is that a thumbnail sketch? If so, the only solution that comes to mind is to take advantage of the only edge the rest of you have...numbers.

If you post a hint to a single location, he's most likely going to beat most of you there most of the time, and all of you quite often. Right? That's because he only has to check out one location..but what if you post more than one hint for more than one location? He'll only be able to check out one at a time [especially if the locations are well spread out] and with your greater numbers the rest of you can by some arrangement spread out and check all three {or four...?} sites at the same time. Would that work? If not, you might want to devise some other means of capitalizing on your superior numbers.. it's the only edge you have, apparently.

 

Good luck!

 

Rat

[+Navdog]

If you're looking to make it harder with more infrequent finds, try something other than written clues, maybe something graphical like the idea for this cache. Obviously, digital cameras for each player would be needed.

 

You could also use a benchmark page as a radius point to look for caches within a given distance that the TB may be. There is a link on the benchmark page that lists nearby caches.

[+Robespierre]

Oh, you young guys!

[+Kealia]

These are helpful, thanks.

[+TotemLake]

Kealia, I just saw this note. I don't have the free time like i did in the past.

 

Anyway, we played a game similar to that called the hot potato. A couple lessons learned you might want to pay heed to.

 

1. Ensure the rules are clearly defined and are in accordance with the general geocaching guidelines.

2. Have a non-partial arbitrator handy for judging alleged infraction of those rules.

3. Agree there may be a time when you will simply disagree and a do over may be necessary to overcome the obstacle.

4. Never lose sight of the friendships and feelings already in place over a silly game.

5. Sometimes a break is necessary so you can gain back the proper perspective.

6. Try to resolve issues in person over a friendly drink rather than on-line in the forums. The forums lose a lot in the translation in attempting to work out the issues.

7. Cleverly hiding the TB so it is impossible to find without shredding some or all of the other innocent goodies is clearly not a good idea... no matter how good an idea it seems to be at the time.

 

Alright... it's more than a couple, but they were learned.

Edited January 3, 2005 by TotemLake

[+BadAndy]

Try disguising the bug as common swag. Or hiding it in a waypoint container on a multi. Or tape it to the underside of the caches lid. Or cast an invisibility spell on it (+5).

 

[+Enspyer]

Just a thought, but perhaps the target person has more of a motivation to take action. Like, everyone who is doing the keeping away can figure someone else will do it, but the target is in charge of himself and only has himself to count on...it's kind of a logic question.

 

It's a great idea for a game though.

Edited January 4, 2005 by Enspyer

[+wolves shepherd]

Give hints in wierd coord and datums.

 

It's at NT 12 S 5467908723 NAD 27! (MGRS with a DATUM twist) It will be hundreds of miles away from the same coordinate system with WGS 84.

 

Make them use some of their GPS features they don't normally use!

 

Or triangulate it's location.

 

Or distance and bearing....

 

Or do it as a temporary offset cache from the cache it's attributed to.

 

Or just take it and hide it someplace new within the boundaries of the Shire and post the coords to a dedicated web page.

 

Just some thoughts. Sounds interesting.

[+WeightMan]

To expand a bit on RenoRat's suggestion. Come up with some kind of weird sequence of numbers 1 through 5. Each time you grab the bug post five clues in the forum. Only one of them would be the correct one. The position of that one would be determined by the sequence. By also posting which cache the bug was just taken from Team Nazgul would have a fighting chance of determing the sequence, but depending on the choice of rule for the sequence it might take some time.

[+Marky]

I don't think you need to use a forum thread for the messages, just use the bug's note feature. That way, the history of it's movements, hints, etc. are recorded in one place.

 

Make sure that the bug is CLEARLY labeled as not being a regular travel bug. Make sure that players leave a clear message in the cache when they take the bug (e.g. a slip of paper with an eye on it, or some clear message). That way, other players know who has the bug.

 

It would be challenging if players only announced their bug grab, but not the drop, but they had to drop in within three days. That way, other players would have to follow said player's footsteps to find the cache.

 

To make it more challenging, have a core group of players subscribe to a yahoo group that "the enemy" doesn't subscribe to and announce moves there. That way, they have the jump on "the enemey".

 

--Marky