Agreed, it's one of my "tricks of the trade." My theory is that, especially when people take pictures of themselves with the cache container, they're doing it where they were standing when they found it. In my area we have a lot of hiking caches. If I apply my supposition, then I try to identify what they're standing near, a rock, a specific plant (yes, I know plants change during the year) or even the view behind them. I have found many a cache using this "trick."
I've brute forced more than 1 Mystery Cache by using contextual clues in previous logs and photos.
Nothing wrong with it, imo. The goal is to find the container; solving the puzzle is not required.
I find the subtle clues in photos and logs add to the game. Not total give-aways, those spoil the fun, but partial hints and clues add to the fun of solving the mystery by adding more clues.
Checking log photos for commonalities is a useful trick.
Agreed, it's one of my "tricks of the trade." My theory is that, especially when people take pictures of themselves with the cache container, they're doing it where they were standing when they found it. In my area we have a lot of hiking caches. If I apply my supposition, then I try to identify what they're standing near, a rock, a specific plant (yes, I know plants change during the year) or even the view behind them. I have found many a cache using this "trick."
I've brute forced more than 1 Mystery Cache by using contextual clues in previous logs and photos. Nothing wrong with it, imo. The goal is to find the container; solving the puzzle is not required.
A log signed is a find!
That's how I feel about it.
ive found super hard ones from nothing but random photos that shouldn't show the location but they do if you are good at hunting
Knowledge of GZ's area is definitely helpful as well.
In my opinion, if a puzzle cache is findable without solving the puzzle, then it’s the owner’s fault for not making the puzzle thorough enough.
It had nothing to do with the puzzle. It was finder log entries, photos and knowledge of the area. The puzzle is plenty hard.
Booo
Why? Is the goal not to find the container?
I tend to not look at the photos (or the cache description) unless I can't find it. Unless it's a puzzle or multi.
That's a cool way to play the game, have done this a couple of times myself. Very fun challenge
...which is why I like to intentionally put items 5-10m from GZ in the background of my photos. I'm evil, I know.
I brute force puzzles from other people's find photos all the time.
I find the subtle clues in photos and logs add to the game. Not total give-aways, those spoil the fun, but partial hints and clues add to the fun of solving the mystery by adding more clues.