Challenges - Thoughts?

[Child Of Atom]

So... the info on the new "Challenges" aspect of Geocaching, the replacements for virtuals, is being released and the info is out there. You can listen to the Podcacher interview with Groundspeak about them .

So far there are two types: Photo Challenges, where you will have to submit a photo in order to get credit. Or Action Challenges where you will have to complete a task. Their example is playing a game of giant chess at a museum in Seattle.

In the future they have two other types planned for release: Discovery Challenges that are nothing but coordinates and it is up to you to go there and figure out what you are intended to see when you get there. The info on the cache page and past logs will be hidden until after you complete the challenge. And Worldwide Challenges which are essentially the old Locationless Caches. However only Groundspeak will be able to issue Worldwide Challenges.

Some other info: Challenges WILL add to the smilie count, however your profile will break it down to show how many Challenges and how many caches.

Once you issue a challenge you have no control over it. Unlike a cache that the CO can delete logs for, change the text on the page, etc. Challenges belong to to Groundspeak. You are listed as the creator, but you cannot alter the listing or change the logs once you issue the challenge.

Challenges will be released on the 18th, (tomorrow, there is a "scheduled maintenance" banner on the website for it now) and there will be a new app for it. The app should be in the app stores tomorrow, iTunes, Android and Windows 7.

Only premium members will be able to issue a challenge and you can only submit one new Challenge every 24 hours to limit the number created.

There will be some user feedback quality control. You can "accept the challenge" without completing it, kind of like the "plan to attend" feature on events. Once you complete it you can give it a thumbs up or thumbs down and those ratings will be visible to others, so you will be able to see that, say, 20 people have accepted the challenge, 10 people have completed it, and 5 people gave it the thumbs up.

For now Challenges will not show up in PQ's.

Existing "challenge caches" like the Delorme challenge won't change, and Groundspeak is considering adding yet another feature, similar to video game "achievements" that this type of cache would go under.

So, what do you think? Personally I've been dreading the return of virtuals because I fear that NYC will be overrun with them... this doesn't do a whole lot for me to alleviate that fear but there are some interesting ideas in here. Thoughts?

[Child Of Atom]

Some new info from the groundspeak blog:
http://blog.geocaching.com/2011/08/the- ... hallenges/

The only really earth shattering additional info is that Groundspeak plans to start issuing Worldwide Challenges immediately and that they will be releasing new ones DAILY for a while in order to build up inventory of Challenges.

And that there will be no proximity limitations (greeeaaaaat.....) or limitations on placements like Disneyworld, etc. They can be anywhere. The no proximity rule bugs me... I am expecting 50 of them on the observation deck at the Empire State Building any minute now....

[addisonbr]

Kind of sounds like ALRs but without a cache to find.

[ruthny]

I came into the game after the disappearance of locationless caches. Could someone explain, please?

[addisonbr]

Regular caching is you go to a specific place and find a specific thing.

Locationless caching was describe a thing, and you post the coordinates where you found one.

An example might be "Statues of Dogs".

Then you go to Balto in Central Park and take a reading, and post those coordinates along with your find.

Someone else goes to some other statue of a dog, I dunno, a statue of Snoopy in California, and posts *those* coordinates along with her find.

And so on.

Interesting side game but it sort of played havoc with the database structure of geocaching.com.

[halijusapa]

[pelagori]

I don't like virtuals - never did. I don't like earth caches either and avoid them where i can. put a bison tube in the bush and list it as a regular cache please! for me, it's the find. sure i get to visit some great places, but without the physical cache it's just a guide book, not geocaching...

just MHO....

[gerkmax]

Have to agree w/ Nick. Without a container to find, it's a guidebook. Might be interesting in some cases of new places you've might have missed, but I think most will be "Yes, nice view. Thanks."

I don't hate the idea, but I'm not loving it either.

[addisonbr]

[Kbd71]

Meh. I can't see me doing any, especially if you need a different app to do it. But I don't care if others want to. As someone smarter than me once said, It's not up to me to tell others how to play the game. If this is how the game is going to evolve, as long as it doesn't affect me, so be it.

[Child Of Atom]

The app is up on itunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/challeng ... 44525?mt=8

But it looks the maintenance on the website got pushed back a couple hours. There is, however, one "Worldwide" Challenge already visible in the database via the app.

[addisonbr]

Here's the first challenge I clicked on. It gives you a point for finding a geocache, and logging it.

This is challenge souvenirs for stupidity.

http://www.geocaching.com/challenges/view.aspx?cx=CXCF

[Child Of Atom]

And the first Challenge created in NYC goes to..... a SoCal cacher by the name of "retrofit."

http://www.geocaching.com/challenges/view.aspx?cx=CXD3

If you want it you better work fast since the observation deck is about to close again for at least a year.

[Child Of Atom]

[CTForester]

Must...resist...challenges...

I just visited a cache near my house that had a sig item with a frog on it. When I noticed the first worldwide challenge (Kiss a Frog) I actually thought about going back to the cache and taking a picture.

I'm going to wait before I delete the app. Some good things might come out of this.