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Challenge cache idea but need feedback


blackdog7

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After accomplishing a goal recently of pushing my traditional cache find percentage below 70%, I'm thinking about creating a challenge for other cachers to do something similar. An obvious problem arises when you consider cachers with 1000s of finds. I've thumbed through dozens of these profiles and most of them are in the 85%+ range.

 

I've considered a requirement of having at least 500 or 1000 finds. Now I'm thinking, in an effort to include more cachers, allowing the qualifications to include the most recent 1000 finds or something similar.

 

Any suggestions? Has anyone encountered a similar challenge?

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After accomplishing a goal recently of pushing my traditional cache find percentage below 70%, I'm thinking about creating a challenge for other cachers to do something similar. An obvious problem arises when you consider cachers with 1000s of finds. I've thumbed through dozens of these profiles and most of them are in the 85%+ range.

 

I've considered a requirement of having at least 500 or 1000 finds. Now I'm thinking, in an effort to include more cachers, allowing the qualifications to include the most recent 1000 finds or something similar.

 

Any suggestions? Has anyone encountered a similar challenge?

I've encountered similar challenges, but they were all published before the challenge cache guidelines were modified to exclude these types of challenges, hence they were grandfathered in. But new challenges of this kind will not be published.

 

Be sure to read Groundspeak's guidelines for creating challenge caches:

 

If a geocacher is required to alter their caching style or habits, such as avoiding a particular geocache type to attain a specific percentage or average, the geocache will not be published.
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I've encountered similar challenges, but they were all published before the challenge cache guidelines were modified to exclude these types of challenges, hence they were grandfathered in. But new challenges of this kind will not be published.

 

Be sure to read Groundspeak's guidelines for creating challenge caches:

 

If a geocacher is required to alter their caching style or habits, such as avoiding a particular geocache type to attain a specific percentage or average, the geocache will not be published.

 

Ahh, yes. Well that about answers it then. Thanks for the reply!

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Rather than use percentage of total finds (at traditional), why not put in requirements that just require higher numbers of other types? Kind of like a "well rounded cacher" challenge. Such as 100 finds each of virtual, multi, unknown...Or, at a more difficult end of the spectrum, add in earthcaches or wherigos to that group.

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Am at 30+ non traditional percentage and can say that out of say the 200 most prolific cachers in my state of Washington, probably only 2 or 3 of us would have that. Its against the guidelines as it forces behavior and not a very good challenge because folks really because it really cannot be changed, the percentage. I like the fact you go for a wide variety of caches though!

 

Maybe ask for something odd like get 100 non traditionals in a month for example.

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There is a challenge cache around here that is something like that. You have to have a certain ratio of "Group A" caches (multis, mysteries, Wherigos, letterboxes, virtuals, Earthcaches) to "Group B" caches (traditionals and events) to qualify. I think it's a ratio of 1:2 that he makes you have, and you have to have at least 1000 finds.

 

It's hard for really prolific cachers with thousands of traditionals, but achievable for a lot of established cachers if they're willing to work at it. I haven't bothered with it, but my husband did, and it ended up being the inspiration for a challenge he set up where you have to find 100 non-tradition caches in a row (he allows events to count).

 

I wouldn't worry about the cachers who have so many traditionals that they won't be able to qualify. It's the sort of challenge that will appeal to certain cachers, and not others.

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Rather than use percentage of total finds (at traditional), why not put in requirements that just require higher numbers of other types? Kind of like a "well rounded cacher" challenge. Such as 100 finds each of virtual, multi, unknown...Or, at a more difficult end of the spectrum, add in earthcaches or wherigos to that group.

 

I'm planning to publish a series of challenges that include a 50-50-25-25-25 and a 100-100-50-50-50 Challenge. These challenges were inspired by a set of caches in the area I've lived in for the last several years. See: GC4N37D

 

[50-50-25-25-25 requires 50 Mystery/Puzzle, 50 Multi, 25 Earth, 25 Letterbox, 25 Virtual]

 

Considering the rules for Challenges, this seems like the best option. I haven't met the 100-100-50-50-50 Challenge myself just yet, so I will be delayed in getting it published.

Edited by blackdog7
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There is a challenge cache around here that is something like that. You have to have a certain ratio of "Group A" caches (multis, mysteries, Wherigos, letterboxes, virtuals, Earthcaches) to "Group B" caches (traditionals and events) to qualify. I think it's a ratio of 1:2 that he makes you have, and you have to have at least 1000 finds.

 

It's hard for really prolific cachers with thousands of traditionals, but achievable for a lot of established cachers if they're willing to work at it. I haven't bothered with it, but my husband did, and it ended up being the inspiration for a challenge he set up where you have to find 100 non-tradition caches in a row (he allows events to count).

 

I wouldn't worry about the cachers who have so many traditionals that they won't be able to qualify. It's the sort of challenge that will appeal to certain cachers, and not others.

 

Could you give the GC code for these caches you mentioned?

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You meeting the challenge requirement yourself is not always a requirement. I just became aware of a cache: The Texas Percentage Challenge

 

You have to have finds of each cache type which is more than certain percentage of the Texas cache count.

  1. 30% of the amount of Traditionals in Texas (16,963 Traditionals)
  2. 40% of the amount of Multis in Texas (558 Multis)
  3. 40% of the amount of Virtuals in Texas (140 Virtuals)
  4. 40% of the amount of Letterboxes in Texas (100 Letterbox Hybrids)
  5. 40% of the amount of Puzzles in Texas (1456 puzzles)

The cache owner has less than 2900 finds, so he doesn't qualify. The current minimum find count to qualify is 19,217 caches.

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You meeting the challenge requirement yourself is not always a requirement. I just became aware of a cache: The Texas Percentage Challenge

 

You have to have finds of each cache type which is more than certain percentage of the Texas cache count.

  1. 30% of the amount of Traditionals in Texas (16,963 Traditionals)
  2. 40% of the amount of Multis in Texas (558 Multis)
  3. 40% of the amount of Virtuals in Texas (140 Virtuals)
  4. 40% of the amount of Letterboxes in Texas (100 Letterbox Hybrids)
  5. 40% of the amount of Puzzles in Texas (1456 puzzles)

The cache owner has less than 2900 finds, so he doesn't qualify. The current minimum find count to qualify is 19,217 caches.

In Arizona at least the reviewer will not publish a challenge cache if the CO doesn't qualify. This seems to be a new thing

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You meeting the challenge requirement yourself is not always a requirement. I just became aware of a cache: The Texas Percentage ChallengeYou have to have finds of each cache type which is more than certain percentage of the Texas cache count.
  1. 30% of the amount of Traditionals in Texas (16,963 Traditionals)
  2. 40% of the amount of Multis in Texas (558 Multis)
  3. 40% of the amount of Virtuals in Texas (140 Virtuals)
  4. 40% of the amount of Letterboxes in Texas (100 Letterbox Hybrids)
  5. 40% of the amount of Puzzles in Texas (1456 puzzles)

The cache owner has less than 2900 finds, so he doesn't qualify. The current minimum find count to qualify is 19,217 caches.

In Arizona at least the reviewer will not publish a challenge cache if the CO doesn't qualify. This seems to be a new thing

 

likewise in NW Ohio - i recently passed the CO challenge-qualify requirement only to still lose out getting it published on another technicality... geez, Keystone keeps us on our toes - 'tis a challenge to get a new/unique challenged published.

:huh: hmmmm, there's a spark of an idea there...

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You meeting the challenge requirement yourself is not always a requirement. I just became aware of a cache: The Texas Percentage ChallengeYou have to have finds of each cache type which is more than certain percentage of the Texas cache count.
  1. 30% of the amount of Traditionals in Texas (16,963 Traditionals)
  2. 40% of the amount of Multis in Texas (558 Multis)
  3. 40% of the amount of Virtuals in Texas (140 Virtuals)
  4. 40% of the amount of Letterboxes in Texas (100 Letterbox Hybrids)
  5. 40% of the amount of Puzzles in Texas (1456 puzzles)

The cache owner has less than 2900 finds, so he doesn't qualify. The current minimum find count to qualify is 19,217 caches.

In Arizona at least the reviewer will not publish a challenge cache if the CO doesn't qualify. This seems to be a new thing

 

likewise in NW Ohio - i recently passed the CO challenge-qualify requirement only to still lose out getting it published on another technicality... geez, Keystone keeps us on our toes - 'tis a challenge to get a new/unique challenged published.

:huh: hmmmm, there's a spark of an idea there...

 

Not a very good idea. It seems that challenges caches seem to be more about the challenge to create to most unique convoluted criteria for which the fewest people will qualify then creating a cache that people will enjoy finding.

 

 

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likewise in NW Ohio - i recently passed the CO challenge-qualify requirement only to still lose out getting it published on another technicality... geez, Keystone keeps us on our toes - 'tis a challenge to get a new/unique challenged published.

:huh: hmmmm, there's a spark of an idea there...

Not a very good idea. It seems that challenges caches seem to be more about the challenge to create to most unique convoluted criteria for which the fewest people will qualify then creating a cache that people will enjoy finding.

Somebody's in a grumpy mood today. Unique doesn't have to mean difficult. For example, find six caches where the first letters of their titles spell out the word "GRUMPY."

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It seems that challenges caches seem to be more about the challenge to create to most unique convoluted criteria for which the fewest people will qualify then creating a cache that people will enjoy finding.
Around here, there seems to be a competition to come up with a challenge that the CO has completed, but that Alamogul has not already completed just by virtue of having found more than 100k geocaches.
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