@Trekkin’ and Birdin’ wrote:

Play the game in the spirit of the placer’s intent and you’ll enjoy it more.

Play to win and……you lose.

Wow.

Gwyn, did you hit the nail on the head with your post. I often hear people say that shortcutting “doesn’t hurt anyone” because this is just a game, and on the surface it’s true. But it’s a real slap in the face to the people who HAVE taken the time to honestly complete the challenge, as well as to the owner who has put the time and thought into setting the challenge up.

(By the way, you could also substitute “puzzles” for a number of instances where you say “challenge caches” and have an equally valid complaint (…er, “musings,” sorry Sandlanders). But I won’t go stealing your thread with another one of my diatribes as my thoughts on that issue are pretty well known… 😉 )

To quote Gwyn again, “Play the game in the spirit of the placer’s intent and you’ll enjoy it more.”

A shortcut is a shortcut, and that’s my final word on the matter.

Eh, we’re not fighting and it would do no good to argue because either side is entrenched in their position. Plus I said I didn’t want to steal the thread.

So back on the topic of challenge caches, the one good thing about them when it comes to shortcutting is that you as the cache owner have the right to delete the logs from people too lazy to do the cache as it was designed.

It can be a bear keeping up with challenge requirements particularly when there are a lot of underlying caches to keep track of, like in our SCC challenge, but since we knew that when we set it up, it’s a price of diligence we agreed to pay. Fortunately in our case, no one’s tried to circumvent the challenge and everyone seems to enjoy the accomplishment that goes with it.

But then again, even though there are a lot of caches required, it’s nowhere near as difficult to complete as T&B’s “hungry” challenge or others.

@gotta run wrote:

Eh, we’re not fighting and it would do no good to argue because either side is entrenched in their position. Plus I said I didn’t want to steal the thread.

I’ve noticed. It’s just something I’ve wanted to say each time that topic has been brought up. This time it seemed safe. A little good natured teasing without being stuck between the opposing trenches.

Now back to your regularly scheduled topic,

To those who have placed challenge and “six pack” style caches: Thank you. Personally they give the game a little punch by giving me a goal to work towards. I may take my time completing them (sometimes not that much time), but I’ll find them eventually.

Move it to its own thread and I’ll discuss it if I have nothing better to do, since you’ve gotten your dander all up about this, though I doubt there’s anything I can say that you haven’t heard from me already. Or start a poll–“Cheating Puzzle Caches: ‘OK’ or ‘No Way!'”