Puzzle caches

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ikkibrady
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Puzzle caches

Post by ikkibrady » 18 August 17 11:28 am

Is there a way to have a puzzle cache where the answer is not a set of coordinates but just a simple word and by inputting that word somewhere you get rewarded with the coordinates of the cache.
If this is not a GCA doable thing does anyone know if it's doable elsewhere with 'the other site'

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by caughtatwork » 18 August 17 11:56 am

There is no built in GCA function to have a codeword used to reveal co-ords to a cache.

It hasn't come up before so we have never built it. It doesn't seem like rocket science to build, but it's a question of how many would use vs. the time and effort to build and maintain.

We do have capability (not yet turned on) to mandate a passcode to LOG a cache. So your puzzle could be to get the passcode and before you can log it online, use the passcode to unlock the log ability.

No idea about the other site.

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by ikkibrady » 18 August 17 12:12 pm

A pascode is effectively the same thing I guess. Would.it be a user generated passcode or like the history cache of random generated passcode.
Effectively I had a series I wanted to create that revolved around short simple puzzles but I felt restricted with the answers needing to be coords.
I may be able to adjust my plans to make use of the passcode instead.

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by caughtatwork » 18 August 17 12:53 pm

User submitted. e.g. http://geocaching.com.au/cache/ga2500 While this is a traditional cache, you need to codeword to log. http://geocaching.com.au/my/log/new/ga2500 Codeword:

All this does is force a password at log time, not at find the physical cache time, so they will need to sole the puzzle to get the code, but the co-ords will not be hidden, per se.

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by ikkibrady » 18 August 17 2:16 pm

What types of caches are crosswords currently turned on for?
And the next question. Is it worth me saving the puzzle hides me to score points for a summer game 8-[

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by caughtatwork » 18 August 17 3:36 pm

Passwords are not enabled for any cache submission at the moment.

As there has been no notification of their use, we would need to provide some education about when to use them and when to avoid them.

We can provide a better solution. At the moment you can use our geochecker on a multi or mystery cache but the only thing it will check is co-ordinates. We can certainly provide an enhancement to that checker functionlity so they you can provide a codeword which is used as the checker and if the codeword is correct a user provided response tells you the co-ords.

e.g. You create GA99999 which has a geocheck and a response. Your user provided response is (something like)

Congratulations: The final co-ordinates are S37 45.000 E 144 45.000
The geocheck has the code word PASSWORD.
When a finder works out the code they enter the code word PASSWORD.
It is confirmed and YOUR response is provided;
i.e. Congratulations: The final co-ordinates are S37 45.000 E 144 45.000


That way you can provide either a codeword or co-ords and get a response that tells the cacher what the final cords are. Is that what you're looking for?

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by ikkibrady » 18 August 17 3:58 pm

That is exactly what I am looking for. Thst would suit what I want to do perfectly. But I also don't want you to create a feature just for me. Creating extra work for 1 person is not really justified. (Although I would be looking at making a large series with them if it happened)

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by caughtatwork » 18 August 17 4:31 pm

I think it's something that could be useful. Let me see what I can make this weekend and I'll get back to you.

As far as to whether you should hold or release mystery caches before the end of the year ... not going to tell you :-)

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by Sol de Lune » 18 August 17 7:36 pm

ikkibrady wrote:That is exactly what I am looking for. Thst would suit what I want to do perfectly. But I also don't want you to create a feature just for me. Creating extra work for 1 person is not really justified. (Although I would be looking at making a large series with them if it happened)
Once its out there and available, other cachers would pick up on it and then anything is possible. Sounds interesting....

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by Now_To_Morrow » 19 August 17 8:19 am

ikkibrady wrote:That is exactly what I am looking for. Thst would suit what I want to do perfectly. But I also don't want you to create a feature just for me. Creating extra work for 1 person is not really justified. (Although I would be looking at making a large series with them if it happened)
Add me. I'm very interested.

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by caughtatwork » 19 August 17 12:57 pm

I'm finishing it up now. I'll post when it is available. To be honest ONLY being able to hide co-ordinates in a mystery cache is so limiting. With this new function you have opened the mystery caches up to have codewords, lock combinations, website links for other caches and stuff. So much better than just the final set of co-ordinates.

--------------

You will set the final co-ordinates of the actual geocache
You will set a password (50 characters, case insensitive)
You will set a message* (255 characters, no HTML) for when the geocacher gets the right codeword.
* This might be anything you want, including a message of congratulations or a website URL (plain text) or an additional set of co-ordinates for a special cache nearby, etc.

--------------

e.g.
My geocache is LISTED at S37 45.000 E144 45.000
My geocache is HIDDEN at S37 55.555 E144 55.555
In the puzzle they have to work out the codeword (in this example PUZZLE). The code word is case insensitive so PUZZLE puzzle PuZzLe will all be successful.
I leave a message saying "Congratulations, you have solved the puzzle. There is a bonus geocache at S37 55.500 E144 55.500 which will have clues to a future puzzle.".

--------------

When the geocache enters the correct codeword they would see:

--------------

Congratulations!
The codeword you have entered matches our records.

Final co-ordinates:
S37 55.555 E144 55.555

The cache owner has also provided you the following message:
Congratulations, you have solved the puzzle. There is a bonus geocache at S37 55.500 E144 55.500 which will have clues to a future puzzle.

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by ikkibrady » 19 August 17 1:32 pm

Websites. Locks. Great ideas. This hopefully really opens up the possibilities open to caches to create something new and different and set us apart from the other site

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by caughtatwork » 19 August 17 3:22 pm

A little bit longer than 24 hours, but you can now use a codeword to reveal the final co-ordinates of a mystery or multigeocache. I'll publish the details in the What's New thread shortly.

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Re: Puzzle caches

Post by J_&_J » 19 August 17 9:42 pm

Nice feature!

Thanks ikkibrady & caughtatwork. =D> =D>

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