caughtatwork wrote:The more I see comments like yours FF, the more I'm tending to use every GCA cache listed for the 2013/2014 game.
I'm still currently thinking along the team lines. Any cache that hasn't been found by you before is in the game and that includes TrigPoints and as moveables can be found more than once, you can log additional finds on existing moveable caches. I will have a "you must hide a new cache to enter" requirement though. Remember one of my goals is to increase the use at GCA, so more caches achieves that goal. That requirement can be any cache type, so the opportunity exists to make a traditional, multi, mystery, etc cache for your "entry".
Teams are assigned randomly. 4 teams. Green, Yellow, Blue and Orange. i.e. The colours of the GCA logo. You find a cache, your team gets a point on that cache. At the end of the game the highest finds in the game period on a given cache means that team captures the cache. i.e. Team red has 5 finds, yellow has 4, green has 3 and blue has 2. Team red would have captured the cache. The team with the highest cache captures, wins. Draws on the number of finds on a cache means it's jointly captured and both teams get a point.
Given teams will be assigned randomly you might enter with your partner where each of you have a different caching name. You might be on the same team. You might be on a different team. The choice is up to you as to whether you leave your caching partner behind and go claim caches for your team
Teams will presumably (assuming teams are assigned randomly) also be a mix of urban, rural and remote caches and will hopefully come from all states. So your team members should be from all states and be in any geographic location. That means hopefully, you, in the middle of nowhere gets on a team with a bunch of rabid cachers in an urban area with lots of cachers.
There will need to a "minimum contribution" to you your team that you'll need to meet. i.e. No freeloaders. I have no idea what that might be yet.
I am envisioning 4 prizes. A gold pathtag for the winning team. A silver for 2nd. Bronze (or copper really) for 3rd and 4th, er, I suppose black nickel given there are only 4 metallic finishes available from pathtags.
I am assuming (for the moment) that with any GCA cache up for grabs and the entry requirement being "hide a cache" there could be a non-trivial number of people enter. Given everyone will get a prize in one colour or another, I need to seriously consider covering the cost of production of the tags as well $0.60 for postage. While I love you all, I'm not made of money.
Minimum order of tags are in groups of 100 and a new tag will be about $200. The rest of them would be about $150 per set of 100 as I would only be varying the metal plating, not creating a new design. Assuming I need 100 of each colour (minimum order), that's $650 plus postage for the prizes. 400 tags will be $240 to mail, so all up the prizes will total a minimum of $900 (jeepers creepers, that's a bunch o cash).
My initial thought was an entry fee for the game of (say) $5.00, GCA might get a few bucks for the server fund from anything left over. 200 entrants would cover the cost of the prizes.
That disadvantages those who might not have the cash to splash and will also impact kids who want to play the game but don't have access to the money to play. That also turns it into the kind of game where I might have to consider whether I need to abide by any lottery regulations if there is an entry free and a prize. It also means that any prize is not a prize, per se. i.e. You are really buying a pathtag, but of course, it is going to be a pathtag you won't be able to get by any other means.
My second thought (actually suggested by my daughter) was, apart from the need to hide a cache to enter the game, you can pay if you want the pathtag prize. i.e. If you want to enter and play the game for fun, you can still get a "virtual" prize in that you'll get an icon on your cacher page. But if you want the pathtag physical prize, then you need to fork up the monies. I kind of like that idea as you can enter for free if you want the fun and you can pay the monies if you want the prize. That still means 200 people have to pony up $5.00 each to cover the prize costs.
I also have to consider when to chop off the "yes, we'll pay for the prize". I'm thinking for simplicity either right up front OR halfway through the game. i.e. At some relatively early point you need to commit to pay for the prize. If only 200 people pay for the prize, assuming an even distribution, we would have out 50 of each colour tag, but we've bought 100 of each. What do I do with 200 left over pathtags?
I prattle on, don't I
They're my thoughts at the moment. Get every cache involved if you haven't found it before. Hide a new cache. Give us some money if you want a physical prize (guaranteed one of 4 colours). Teams work together or against each other to capture a cache. Minimum involvement in your team to be considered a "winner' (no freeloaders).
What do you think? Too hard? Too complex? Too much focus on the prize? Only the winning team win a prize? Too simplistic? Does it involve those from GCA poor areas enough? Too much leeway for cheating? Gimme your thoughts, please.
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