Adios Challenges!

[Team SLuG]

So it appears that Challenges are being retired. I don't suppose too many people will be very upset by their demise - anyone?

[JeremyR]

"we will be removing all traces of the Challenges functionality and related content from Geocaching.com."

They stole our idea!!!!!!!!

/me ducks

More seriously, my only surprise is that it took this long. The idea was obviously deeply flawed and poorly implemented from the very start...

[Kelsborrow Wayfinders]

I don't think it helped that you invariably had to be photographed doing something stupid at a location so they were never ideal for people out on their own even if they had the inclination to bother. I might have been more interested if they were more like the old virtuals. Won't miss them at all.

[ferreter38]

They should have listened to what cachers wanted ie the virtuals reinstated instead of introducing challenges.

[Foinavon]

They should have listened to what cachers wanted ie the virtuals reinstated instead of introducing challenges.

+1

That's waymarking and challenges both unsuccessful attempts to recreate virtuals. Maybe 3rd time lucky by actually bringing them back. In a controlled way of course to prevent every mcdonalds/kfc becoming one!

[stenpils]

Can't say challenges have really lit my caching touchpaper.... I've not done a single one!!

Is it the case that you guys did a couple and decided they weren't for you, or was it that you just didn't bother with them?

That's waymarking and challenges both unsuccessful attempts to recreate virtuals

They should have listened to what cachers wanted ie the virtuals reinstated instead of introducing challenges.

[ferreter38]

Can't say challenges have really lit my caching touchpaper.... I've not done a single one!!

Is it the case that you guys did a couple and decided they weren't for you, or was it that you just didn't bother with them?

That's waymarking and challenges both unsuccessful attempts to recreate virtuals

They should have listened to what cachers wanted ie the virtuals reinstated instead of introducing challenges.

I did a couple - one involved taking a photo of a sunset and t'other a haunted place... the one I set was have your photo taken with Apollo Ferret at the Mega, no one had to do anything that made them look stupid. Apollo has also done a couple of challenges - they're the same ones as I've done just a different photo... I had to take the photos though, he has difficulty holding the camera . However, the main reason I didn't do them is because I couldn't really be bothered... now virtuals - they are listed on the cache pages and not hidden away like the challenges were plus virtuals increase your count and can be educational... like earthcaches but without the hassle of meeting all the requirements to get them published

[Foinavon]

I did just one, you had to get a photo of yourself outside the Reebok Stadium. It was the only one that appealed to me.
What is the official reason for them being discontinued? Has no one been doing any?

[Magna defender]

I've done 26 of them but always preferred the caching .

[Kelsborrow Wayfinders]

They should have listened to what cachers wanted ie the virtuals reinstated instead of introducing challenges.

-1

They listened to me. I didn't want virtuals re-instated although I may have been in a minority The current virtuals are brilliant because there are so few around so it feels a proper achievment to find one.

[clotguy]

there are 100's nay 1000's of caches quite local to me that I haven't done so never even looked at a challenge

[bargee72]

We did several, including ones whilst we were abroad in France and Switzerland, and enjoyed them, but found that we didn't look for them as the map wasn't integrated with the geocaching map. so just didn't look for them,

Personally I agree with Chas ( Kelsbarrow Wayfinder) I do not want to see the return of virtuals, IF they come back they will be set at every street corner, rather than putting out boxes; there will be circuits of 50 virtuals, srely you can imagine it.

The only way they can come back if there is a very very strict policy of placing them like earthcaches.

So i enjoyed the few I did, especially posing in front of Harold wilson with a pipe, and in front of the Jet d'eau in Geneva and sticking my head under the inverted pyramid in the Louvre, but really wont miss them.

[Border Caz]

I did one because I was there when everyone was doing it. I'd have felt a right plonker if I'd been on my own - plus how to take a photo of myself showing anything other than a head shot? Also, as they didn't come up on the normal pages I never thought to look for them. As said, there's enough unfound caches out there, no need to seek out "challenges".

I won't miss them.

If virtuals could be brought back in a similar way to earthcaches - the history version as opposed to the geography one - strictly policed and proof required - then I think that would be much better - but in most cases the desired result can be achieved by use of trads, puzzles or multis so not really sure that we need virtuals back. Not really sure why we need earthcaches, for the same reason.

[Team SLuG]

I think we only did ones we set, something you can't do with caches, which would be a nice easy way to boost find numbers!

I too don't want to see a KFC series of virtuals, but how about the idea of of EduCaches, like Earth Caches, and require a reason for the cache to be there.

[ferreter38]

I think we only did ones we set, something you can't do with caches, which would be a nice easy way to boost find numbers!

I too don't want to see a KFC series of virtuals, but how about the idea of of EduCaches, like Earth Caches, and require a reason for the cache to be there.

I know I posted somewhere about virtuals being educational - now that would be one good reason for one to be placed, visit a location where it isn't possible to place a container and log book. The virtuals I've done were all interesting and well worth visiting. I enjoying doing Earthcaches - no scrabbling around trying to find a film pot in a hedge... they suit me fine plus I learn something, there's nowt wrong in learning something new - keeps the brain active. I'd rather do 20 Earthcaches than one puzzle cache

I know there are virtuals that aren't educational - the one Harrogate at the pump house could very loosely be described as educational i.e. you learn that water that smells of suphur tastes flipping 'orrible!!!

[Foinavon]

I had a rare forray onto the official geocaching.com forum (let's not call it the darkside any more), to see what of official line was on this. I was actually quite impressed with them. They simply said along the line of "We got this one wrong, we hope we have learned from this experience". Its refreshing in this day and age for the official statement to be as honest as that. Usually corporations and/or government will wrap it up in some b**** statement.

Anyway let's see what they come up with next. I totally get the thing about virtuals being rare so let's keep it that way so maybe an "educache" is the way to go with this one.

[Mark]

I never did any because I thought they were naff.

However, reading the Groundspeak Challenge forum I couldn't help feel sorry for those who had put a LOT of effort into setting good quality ones only to be told now that it's all going to be taken away.

I love finding Virtuals but I do NOT want them to come back. It's their rarity that appeals to me

[Kelsborrow Wayfinders]

I love finding Virtuals but I do NOT want them to come back. It's their rarity that appeals to me

Maybe I'm not in the minority after all

[JeremyR]

We did several, including ones whilst we were abroad in France and Switzerland, and enjoyed them, but found that we didn't look for them as the map wasn't integrated with the geocaching map. so just didn't look for them,

I think this was the nub of the issue, to be honest.

The foundation of the idea is sound and pretty much identical to geocaching: go to place, do something interesting and then write about it. The problem is that challenges always felt like a bolted on addition to the game. Keeping it well separated from the primary game may have seemed like the safe option for Groundspeak but I think it was a mistake. They made it so challenges are difficult to find and unappealing and even when people did do them, it was often as an afterthought.

Stuff implemented on the outside of geocaching has never worked out for Groundspeak (for further reading see: Waymarking). If they want to successfully do 'caching without the tupperware' then they need to bite the bullet implement it within the primary geocaching game - that is, essentially, bring back virtuals. It will raise hell about 'Quality' and 'Saturation' but they will be bones of contention that plague *all* aspects of geocaching until the end of its days. The argument that virtuals will be on every street corner and will dilute the game is no more or less valid than the argument that "Off Your Trolley Trail 865: Slough - Tesco Express" dilutes 'proper' geocaching.

[ferreter38]

In other words "If you like them do them. If you don't want to do them use the ignore button". Makes sense to me. Play the came how you want to and let other folk play it how they want to.

If I don't fancy doing a certain cache I just click on the ignore button and the cache goes away - I just have to remember to select the ignore option when I do a PQ.

The ignore button is a very useful option as it allows everyone to play the game just as they want to and gets rid of all the arguments about folk objecting to certain types of caches After all it is just a game.