Puzzle Shop

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 4:41 pm

huffinpuffin2 wrote:

Here is a good and helpful 'Home Study Course': GC25WQJ

"Another common way to hide information on the cache page is to put some information in a white font, so that it can only be seen when highlighted or cut and pasted to another document. I have hidden something below this paragraph. Highlight the area below that appears to be blank, and see what you find."

Neat idea, good golly I like that one.

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:47 pm

Walkingadventure wrote:

huffinpuffin2 wrote:

Here is a good and helpful 'Home Study Course': GC25WQJ

"Another common way to hide information on the cache page is to put some information in a white font, so that it can only be seen when highlighted or cut and pasted to another document. I have hidden something below this paragraph. Highlight the area below that appears to be blank, and see what you find."

Neat idea, good golly I like that one.

Why would anyone do that Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:31 pm

Chatauqua has a point. We attended a puzzle workshop put on by Marc after less than six months of caching, and we learned a lot there. I don't mean the coordinates of any puzzle finals, but real ways to attack a puzzle cache. Sometimes even now, I look at a puzzle cache and find myself figuring it out by using something that was told to us in the class.

And just remember that we were all newbies once, and while things like hiding information on the cache page by writing it in white may seem basic, the first time I saw that I was blown away. How neat!

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:47 pm

Another couple of resources are right here on this forum:

FROM MARC: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=8298

FROM CHEETO & GOTTA RUN: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=8517

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:30 pm

WOW! What a ton of interesting information. My only complaint is sometimes the difficulty listed seems mismatched. And that's after Mrs. Northwoods has looked at it, and she's the smart one!

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 5:41 am

Hardinfam wrote:

Some puzzle owners scare me so I don't want to understand them.

Scary or Friendly? This one definately seemed to fit me for multiple reasons.

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 5:51 am

On a serious note and trying to bring this back "On Topic". I know there are some puzzle owners watching, some puzzle gurus watchings, and some fellow cachers that just want to learn.

Here's my struggle as one who fits multiple categories listed above. I certainly understand the desire to have more puzzle solving "tools" in your arsenal, but ... (feel free to chime in on these everybody)

1) When does a "hint" become a "spoiler"?
2) If I "expose" the secrets behind archived puzzles should I get the CO's permission first?
3) This one is for the CO's - Would you be willing to provide a solution for just 1 of your puzzles to be included in a "spoiler" pack to be distributed at a puzzle event? Or just to be used as an example at an event?

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:21 am

"No actual puzzle caches were used in the holding of this event."

Examples could be made up for demonstration purposes. There would be no need to use real puzzles except that it would be easier. Too many people want answers to one specific puzzle cache and don't care to learn how to do the thinking on their own.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:42 am

I actually talked with the CO who hosted an event in Minnesota which embraces using actual puzzles and it gets great reviews. Each attendee gets a sealed packet that contains the solve method and solution for a variety of puzzles. The local CO's contribute one puzzle each to this packet on a volunteer basis.

I thought it was a really unique idea. I was fortunate enough to fall in the good graces of the CO and received a packet even though I didn't attend. I found a real variety of puzzles presented, various levels of "solves" provided, etc. Some of the solves were very brief (i.e. "Hidden HTML" which assumed you knew what this meant), others provided exact details on how to solve the puzzle step by step, and others just provided a link to an online tool to help solve it.

It leaves the puzzler to operate on the "honor" system though which may work better in some areas than others, or within certain groups of cachers.

WGA Member Joined: 2010-11-11 Posts: 98

I have a question for everyone. If you receive a puzzle solve through previous finder or by accident, can you count it solved if you dissect it to the point where you found where they got the answers? Example, I stumbled upon a waypoint of tribute to old silver. For the past 2 years I've used the knowledge of that waypoint to figure out where the answers came from. I call it solving backwards. Can I count that solved?

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:33 pm

Like a lot of things in life, it's an Integrity call. What sits best with you...what does the CO say?

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:27 pm

WHOA! I guess I forgot to click the box that says send me an email for replies. Seriously, after all the fun chatter, I have to pass on so many puzzles because I have no idea how to even begin to solve them. SL's Granny Squares and CJ's Just Letters are beyond me. I try to solve them on my own and then ask for help when I come to a dead end like most of the "puzzlers" but you have to know where to start. When it involves looking stuff up, I'm fine with that and with field solves but sudokos, the number grid, etc., forget it. A puzzle class at the new coffee shop sounds great, I'll set it up but who's going to teach it?

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:29 pm

huffinpuffin2 wrote:

Here is a good and helpful 'Home Study Course': GC25WQJ

I even read the FL ones and it seemed "all Greek" to me.

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:30 pm

CodeJunkie wrote:

Walkingadventure wrote:

OMG. LOL.

He's cute!

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:33 pm

Walkingadventure wrote:

huffinpuffin2 wrote:

Here is a good and helpful 'Home Study Course': GC25WQJ

"Another common way to hide information on the cache page is to put some information in a white font, so that it can only be seen when highlighted or cut and pasted to another document. I have hidden something below this paragraph. Highlight the area below that appears to be blank, and see what you find."

Neat idea, good golly I like that one.

Too bad nothing showed up when I highlighted it. I have seen that type of puzzle and am working on the Statue of Liberty one right now but there again, that's looking up facts.