2017/2018 Summer Game

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2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Geocaching Australia » 14 March 17 4:29 pm

Thanks to the feedback from the community last year, the Summer Scavenger Series was born. Over the two months of December 2016 and January 2017 there were a lot of people who joined in the fun, chased down geocaches, had a bit of a clan battle against their rivals / opponents and in some cases, won a rare SSS pathtag as a prize.

The community knows what it wants, so this is an opportunity to provide some information, suggestions, feedback, comments, criticisms of the last game (and games of previous years) so we can work out what it is we would like to do come next Summer (we might even steal some ideas for Winter).

Some things we have seen in various comments, fora, personal feedback, etc.
Length (too long, too short)
Type (moveables are fun for a week or two, but are boring mostof the time)
Locationless caches (hold no interest for me as they're not real caches)
Making people hide caches is not fair and the caches are garbage.
I LOVE scavenging!
I would like more weekly challenges so I can plan for a weekend assualt.
Give me all challenges up front, don't drip feed through the game.
More team based activities.
More prizes.
Enough of the games already, they're boring and I hate them.
I would LIKE ...
I would LOVE ...
I will NEVER ...

List anything and everything that you can think of and we'll throw it all into the barrel and see what we can make for the next game. Remember the games are for YOU to enjoy, so we want your feedback.

Toriaz
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Toriaz » 14 March 17 7:27 pm

I enjoyed the scavenger hunt, but thought it went on for too long. Maybe next time limit it to the last 2 weeks of December and the first 2 weeks of January?

Personally I rarely do locationless caches these days. So for me, half of the new scavenges were excluded each week. I know that is a personal bias not shared by most of the people playing the game. Perhaps each scavenge could have an option. eg, Log locationless Find a Mailbox OR find a Letterbox cache. You pick which of the 2 challenges you do.

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Richary
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Richary » 14 March 17 8:35 pm

The advantage of the locationless was that people who had few physical things to find at least let people still play if they chose. As an example I was stuck in Coffs Harbour looking after sick parents for almost 4 weeks. Out of the 4 GCA caches I hadn't found in the area 3 are almost definitely missing having been placed in 2013, found a couple of times that year and never since (and I couldn't find them). And I had already done a lot of the trigs in the area on previous visits. Not being able to travel too far was also a limitation as after hospital visits to dad I was sort of limited to a couple of hours caching time later in the afternoon. So I don't mind keeping locationless as a concept, not that they generally earned many points anyway.

Though we would need a different tack for a future scavenger hunt, as find a cache that hasn't been logged in the last xx years would be a lot harder after this scavenger hunt. But I think we need a different game this year.

I do agree 2 months can be a little long, a 4 week period as you suggest may work better.

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spatialriq
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by spatialriq » 15 March 17 2:23 pm

I found I lost interest about half way thru, once it was pretty clear my clan had pretty much sown up 4th place. I'm guessing others with the clan did likewise as it was pretty quiet towards the end.

I too felt that the locationless caches volume pretty high, and of questionable quality. Although having found a great deal of GCA caches near home I relied on them heavily .. probably a reason why my score was so low as locationless caches didn't give many points.

I've participated in many of the games over the years and still find the moveable races the most enjoyable, the frog and transport being personal faves.

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Sambuccasam
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Sambuccasam » 21 March 17 9:00 pm

I liked how the Geospotz winter games were run, using GC caches because in Brisbane there are very few physical caches to find and game players are just about limited to 1 or 2 players in each Dragon Zone...me Phoenix..being the only one here playing. Other than Trigs from Geocaching Australia and the new lighthouse virtuals..i have the most caches hidden here and can't very well find my own. I found myself wavering mid way through the Summer Games..just too long and to use my only annual leave I get to spend it on the games left me feeling a bit.."where did my holidays go". Just too hot in Summer in QLD and jumping in and out of a hot car to do this was exhausting for 1 point. I actually did more after work when I was back then in January because I am already out and about. Maybe it is easier for all the retired people but to encourage the younger players keep it shorter because we got to go to work. In closing I do enjoy the games more than just going geocaching in general, after the games are over I have a big rest then slowly just might go out for a sunday arvo hike to find a few caches. I can also now work on my Big Geoart projects and cache building and wait for the next games in the future. For a newbie..not even a year yet i have certainly grabbed geocaching with both hands and given it a red hot go like a champ and now have 2 shiny competition pathtags and I am very grateful for the rewards we are given. Thank you Geocaching Australia volunteers and players.

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tronador
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by tronador » 07 October 17 10:33 pm

I too love the Geosportz games and the earlier games River Deep Mountain High....... and being able to find all cache types in challenges including, on the other listing site. The more availability the easier the game. Restricting cache types and listing sites makes for a more exhausting game as you need to travel much further.
Thank you for all the games that you have put out there for the last 12 or so years. I've played everyone and loved them.

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Richary
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Richary » 08 October 17 7:54 pm

Perhaps like tronador suggests - we allow finds from the other site in future games, but perhaps give a 25% bonus in points to GCA finds. That will allow people with few if any GCA unfound in their area to still participate while still encouraging people to find our caches. That may be difficult for a points based game like Geosportz where there is a target number of points to get to. Obviously points would only be awarded for GCA hides.

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Now_To_Morrow
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Now_To_Morrow » 08 October 17 8:32 pm

You can pretty much count me out of any game that doesn't have either GC caches or locationless ones. And I'm done playing dZ. It's just not possible to 'play' out here on my own and I can't convince others to try out GCA let alone dZ. Well played Cerberus. I take my hat off to you all.

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oldfella
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by oldfella » 09 October 17 7:58 am

I live in a rural community where I am the only active geocacher within a 100Klm radius. I hide GC and GCA caches. I participate in the GCA games when ever they are on and find it difficult to fully participate. BUT and there is always a but. I love the concept and I feel that the original concept of GCA hides and finds in the games should still apply. I get to hide more GCA caches in my area and since the last game I have found GC cachers are actually coming to my area to look for my GCA hides as well. I am lucky in a way that my closest GCA hides are only 250 K's away and there is an ctive GC hider there who does hide for every game. If anything to assist those of us who do live in a remote/rural community bonus points would help especially as I am addicted to Pathtags. C@W is aware of this as I only need one the released GCA pathtags, at the moment, to complete the collection. Bring on the last two explorers. Bring on the next game and keep it GCA only. My opinion only.

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Just a cacher
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Just a cacher » 09 October 17 4:59 pm

I am really sorry about those of you who are so isolated that it is impossible to play games. :(

I wish there was a way to make the playing field more level.

As for my opinion on the games, I enjoyed the themed movable races. :gnome :frog :weepingangel

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Zalgariath
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Zalgariath » 13 October 17 8:03 am

Yes I think the Scav Hunt was great but too long. I think there might be some traction in the idea of including GC.com caches at 1/2 or 1/3 of the points for finds... obviously not for hides. Perhaps a game that combines a moving cache focused race with other aspects like Geosportz/River Deep style requirements?

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Now_To_Morrow
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Now_To_Morrow » 10 November 17 10:41 pm

I take it there will be no Summer game? I haven't heard boo.

Someone left me a few movable caches near home and I'm worried they'll be picked up this week. I was holding off finding them till a game came. If there is no Summer game I'd rather find them before they head to Alexandra with someone from QLD. :gnome :frog :weepingangel Already had 2 GCA cachers through this week. :shock:

Geocaching Australia
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Geocaching Australia » 11 November 17 7:36 am

No_Tomorrow wrote:I take it there will be no Summer game? I haven't heard boo.

Someone left me a few movable caches near home and I'm worried they'll be picked up this week. I was holding off finding them till a game came. If there is no Summer game I'd rather find them before they head to Alexandra with someone from QLD. :gnome :frog :weepingangel Already had 2 GCA cachers through this week. :shock:
Just wait a little longer and all will be revealed.... \:D/ \:D/

Sol de Lune
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by Sol de Lune » 16 November 17 8:44 pm

No_Tomorrow wrote:I take it there will be no Summer game? I haven't heard boo.

Someone left me a few movable caches near home and I'm worried they'll be picked up this week. I was holding off finding them till a game came. If there is no Summer game I'd rather find them before they head to Alexandra with someone from QLD. :gnome :frog :weepingangel Already had 2 GCA cachers through this week. :shock:

Here ya go No_Tomorrow....check this link for more details.

http://geocaching.com.au/dragonzone/gam ... thenation/

lucky1955
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Re: 2017/2018 Summer Game

Post by lucky1955 » 25 November 17 4:16 pm

States of the Nation is a real and virtual geocaching scavenger hunt where your home state will compete against other Australian states to find and hide geocaches.

How will the dragon zones compete, as individual clans per state or clans within the state combining to fight other states?

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