Re: Request new checker for GC9J32D (20th Anniversary Challenge)

Hi, I need a new challenge checker for GC9J32D - 20th Anniversary Challenge.

This would be similar to the Challenge GC5P6TR (https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5P6TR_15th-anniversary-challenge - which predates checker requirements and thus has no checker). The 20th anniversary challenge requirements are:

1) You must find 21 geocaches; one geocache that was hidden in each year of geocaching from 2000-2020
2) Eleven (11) or more different icons (cache types) must be represented*
3) No icon (cache type) can appear more than 2 times
4) Include in your log the GC code; Cache name; cache type; Date hidden; Date found
5) You may sign the log at any time but you must post your list of qualifying caches before claiming your find

*To meet the 11 icon requirement you may include from the list of Event, Mega Event, Giga Event, or CITO after year 2020, but they may not be Attended during the same calendar year (i.e. 1 event per year maximum).

I would like to include Lab caches as one of the allowed cache types, but if this is impossible due to technical reasons then so be it. I have looked for a similar challenge checker but have not found one.

Thanks in advance! Cats4us

This request requires a special script. A scriptwriter needs to spend time on this but before he starts we would like to have confirmation from your local reviewer that this challenge is acceptable and can be published under the current guidelines

If you ask by posting a reviewer note on the cache page, remember that you have to submit the cache for review for the reviewer to see your question.

Hi vogelbird, I understand and have contacted my local reviewer for a determination. (He has found the 15 year anniversary challenge as a player, but the guidelines may now be different.) I have tried to accomodate what I anticipate the main issue is, with the event cache listing exception, but we will see. I will report back after determining if this challenge is feasible with the reviewer.

Hi vogelbird,

Can the checker accommodate Lab caches used to achieve this Challenge? The reviewer's answer is partially dependent on this factor, based on the May 2016 challenge guidelines for subjectivity.

Regards,

Cats4us

Lab Caches can not be used because there is not hidden date information for them

Hi vogelbird,

OK, without lab caches, my reviewer (TOTTcho) says he can approve a Challenge with the following (revised) criteria:

The 20th Anniversary Challenge requirements are:

1) You must find 21 geocaches; one geocache that was hidden in each year of geocaching from 2000-2020
2) Nine (9) or more different icons (cache types) must be represented*
3) No icon (cache type) can appear more than 3 times
4) Include in your log the GC code; Cache name; cache type; Date hidden; Date found
5) You may sign the log at any time but you must post your list of qualifying caches before claiming your find

*To meet the 9 icon requirement for cachers who started after 2021 and/or have no earlier events, you may include two caches from the list of Event, Mega Event, Giga Event, or CITO after year 2020, but they may not be Attended during the same calendar year (i.e. 1 Event type per year maximum). Lab caches are unable to be counted for this challenge.

Summary: I had to reduce the number of icon types and increase the number of times each can be used, to satisfy the current geocaching guidelines for the challenge.

Thanks for your help and explanations, I'm looking forward to testing the checker!

Cats4us

I'll try to write it

Thanks. If I can be of any help, besides running test cases, please let me know.

Any updates on this checker?

Sorry, I'm busy in this period. However I'm going to write this checker.
I don't understand well the exception for cachers joined after 2021. The events are valid types, so I could not understand where is the exception.

No exceptions are required; events are valid for all cachers joined after 2021, as you say. The reviewer suggested that some other rare types could also count, but they are not necessary for this checker. Just make the event types count, and we will be OK.

I was hoping to deploy the cache by December 2, 2021 if possible (to support an event), but that would require the checker before then. Any chance of that? I realize this is a completely new and somewhat complex checker, and you are volunteering your time to create it. I will make another non-challenge cache for my December 2, 2021 need if this time frame is not realistic.

Best Regards, Cats4us

I have not included any exception for younger cachers, the rules are the following:
You must have found 21 caches hidden in 21 different years and they must be at least 9 different types, no type can be repeated more than 3 times. Any type including events is valid in any year.

please try it here: https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC9J32D/64513

this is the code for the listing
<a href="https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC9J32D/64513"><img src="https://cdn2.project-gc.com/Images/Checker/64513"; title="Project-GC Challenge checker" alt="PGC Checker"></a>

Hi jpavlik -

This is close to working, but I want to include the requirement for a cache from the first caching year 2000. It presently is allowing cachers who otherwise meet the requirements to qualify with caches from 2001-2021 (e.g. the cacher: Time_for_a_break).

The criteria are:

1) You must find 21 geocaches; one geocache that was hidden in each year of geocaching from 2000-2020
Note that Event types are OK for years 2021 and later

If this is too difficult for the checker, please change it:

1) You must find 22 geocaches; one geocache that was hidden in each year of geocaching from 2000-2021
Note that Event types are OK for years 2021 and later

Can you please update to include the year 2000 cache requirement?

Kind regards, Cats4us



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2021 05:40AM by Cats4us. (view changes)

I've added required year 2000, so now the checker finds at least one cache in 2000, otherwise reports negative result. Iit does not report the reason of negative result.
Please try it now.

Hi jpavlik -

It is still dropping some random years in the middle because of the 21 cache requirement over 22 years. Example: kittyshrink has 2000-2007 and 2009-2021 caches listed as qualifiers (along with many finds in year 2008 that qualify but are not required by the checker presently). Kittyshrink is more than qualified, but I wanted continuous years of caches found without a random year break that 21 of 22 creates.

So, let us change the requirement to 22 caches in 22 years (2000-2021 all must be included) to avoid this issue. Is this a simple fix? If so, I think your work will be complete.

1) You must find 22 geocaches; one geocache that was hidden in each year of geocaching from 2000-2021
Note that Event types are OK for subsequent years 2022 and beyond.

Best regards, Cats4us

hi, your request has no sense.
I can modify the condition for 22 required years, but next year the problem will me here again. Maybe that someone in the 2022 will find 1 cache in every year from 2000 to 2001 and from 2003 to 2022. It will be the same problem as you have with kittyshrink now.

I can think only about 1 solution - you should have found a cache hidden in every year from 2001 to NOW minus one month. So up to January 31 the request will be N-1 years and no cache from current year will be counted.
example:
on 2021-11-25 must have found 22 different years from 2001 to 2021
on 2022-01-31 must have found 22 different years from 2001 to 2021
on 2022-02-01 must have found 23 different years from 2001 to 2022

however ask the reviever if this dynamic condition is acceptable.
Also, when someone will found the challenge on january 31 and will log on february 1, the checker will do wrong check

Hi again jpavlik -

OK, we should then leave it as is. We don't want to make it a dynamic condition; that will not work with the reviewer. I will submit the cache and checker as is and I expect to get it approved since we worked out the conditions with the reviewer in advance.

Thanks for your effort on this checker! If you celebrate the US Thanksgiving holiday (or not), best wishes to you and your family.

Best Regards,

Cats4us

If you want, I can make "required" all years from 2000 to 2010, so the hole will be in second half of the list. I'ts easy to make this condition.

Hi jpavlik-

Yes, if you could make the years 2000 to 2010 required so the hole is in the second half that would be fair. Thank you for your suggestion!

Cats4us

Ok, I've modified it as of your request. Now the 11 years between 2000 and 2010 are required, the hole can be only in the year greater than 2010.
Please try it

Hi jpavlik-

I tried it, but the link says the checker is disabled:

https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC9J32D/64513

Has the link changed or do you need to re-enable it?

Cats4us

damm... I've forgot to re-enable the script. Try it now

Good to go! Submitting to reviewer to publish now. Thanks again for your help.

resolved

A PS from the reviewer, the future (after 2020) allowed icon types could also include:

Community Celebration Event, Geocaching HQ Block Party, Locationless, and GPS Adventures Exhibit (in addition to Event/Mega/Giga/CITO). Still subject to 1 per year limit. Apparently GCHQ plans on having some of these types again at recurring intervals (2025 anniversary for example, or maybe at the 2022 GCHQ event for 2020).

The 2000-2020 icons still include Traditional, Unknown, Multi, Virtual, Earth, Letterbox, Webcam, Whereigo, GCHQ and Ape, and all the varying event types.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2021 07:30PM by Cats4us. (view changes)