CacheWalker

Caching => General Caching => Topic started by: walktall on April 19, 2019, 10:37:27 am

Title: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on April 19, 2019, 10:37:27 am
(https://labs.geocaching.com/Content/images/home/adventurelab-logo.png)


I see the GAGB one has been posted on FB

The GAGB London Selfie Adventure (https://labs.geocaching.com/goto/gagbselfie?fbclid=IwAR0l3sLkHYBBzBPHpn_ugepNnIYoHWmAXHvV8JKTCbjd9OVPpcSMGz7M26Q)

Quote
Welcome to the GAGB London Selfie Adventure cache. What is the GAGB? The GAGB is the Geocaching Association of Great Britain. It is a free to join association that strives to be the heart of the Geocaching in the UK. Our main activities are : Encourage good practice in Geocaching Media Enquiries around Geocaching Managing land owner agreements Help and advice around Geocaching Helping build the Geocaching community in the UK More information is available on our website here : http://www.gagb.org.uk/what-is-the-gagb.php or via Social Media. This adventure will take the player through a number of locations in the Central London area. All locations are wheelchair accessible and are perfect for taking that London Selfie. Each location will have a question that you have to answer. This proves that you were doing the selfie adventure and not sitting at home looking on Google Maps..


BUT, going to install the app, it appears (here we go again), the app has got a very poor rating: unstable, buggie, keeps asking for location, people having to reinstall, forgets you are logged in, etc  :'( :'( :'(


Has anyone tried any of the adventure labs?
And how do you find out if any have been published locally?

Geocaching Adventure Lab app FAQ (https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2018/12/geocaching-adventure-lab-app-faq/)
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on April 19, 2019, 11:00:05 am
Took the plunge and installed the app and as I thought, the app shows the closest to you, which for me is two London adventure labs or slightly further, one at Nottingham or on the south coast at Twyneham.

So, will not be trying one out for the moment.

Do you have to keep going into the app to find out if new ones have been published?
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on April 19, 2019, 06:19:00 pm
Yes, the GAGB one went live last night  :)

I think the only way to find out if they’ve been published is to keep checking the app. The ‘Welcome to Devon’ one looks good, as there are physical containers as well as virtuals (most of the ones on the app so far are just virtuals).

One problem with the virtual ones is armchair logging. I heard the Nottingham one was completed by loads of German cachers as some of the answers could be found on Google. They’ve since tweaked it, and Groundspeak have retired the web player, so in theory it should mean that it can only be completed in the field as you need to be using the app.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on April 19, 2019, 09:27:21 pm
So, if you don't have a smart phone (can you use Windows devices?), you can't participate :(

There has been many occasions while trying to do lab caches, that with out the GPX download, you couldn't do them at site, as a smart mobile didn't have a good enough data signal :(

I will definitely try some to see how well it works but haven't been a fan of lab caches.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on April 30, 2019, 09:17:42 pm
With the new 'Back to school adventure' lab caches published at Tewkesbury, thought I would give them a go to see what's new :)

What's new - basically nothing, they are just lab caches that now can only be done with a connected smart mobile :(

They will vary like normal lab caches in what you have to do to find the information you need to complete the lab cache. This particular one used nothing locally at each 'hot' spot :(  :o

Was there a time limit to get these out, as the CO said they aren't as good as he wanted them to be and I see the GAGB London labs are having issues ???

If these are going to be 'rolled out' more, will there be areas of the Country they just can't be placed due to poor Internet connection and are these to be the replacement for Virtual & Wherigo caches :( :o ???


I was so hoping these would be a new fresh cache, to add to the other 'main stream' cache types.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on May 03, 2019, 05:43:13 pm
Yes, there was a time limit/deadline - originally it was so, so tight (something like 5 weeks) so a lot of people wrote in and they extended it to April 26th.

The main problem with the London one is frustruation surrounding the very specific questions - the cacher who set it for GAGB also set the Nottingham one, which was logged by a lot of people without visiting the location as the answers were easily found on Google/Google Maps... so the questions were made more challenging to avoid this.

Another problem I’ve seen (with the new West Mids industrial revolution one) is cachers asking what the D/T ratings are - these are physical containers, and obviously the Adventure Lab app gives zero indication of D/T...

Why can’t Labs have D/T ratings? Why can’t they have cache sizes? If you’re placing them out for months, or even permanently, they should... they’re no longer temporary, as per Mega’s!

Also, if Groundspeak had such a problem with Virtuals, why are they suddenly allowing the placement of Virtuals in this form? Don’t the same issues still exist? Worse - Virtual Labs aren’t even reviewed!  ::) :o :D

Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on May 03, 2019, 10:17:32 pm
I chatted with Will about his Labs in Tewkesbury and he said he ran out of time, not helped by a couple of locations had dodgy mobile signal, so had to change them.

I can understand making the Labs so they can't be done from the arm chair but I thought a frustration with the London GAGB ones, was that you had to do them in order which wasn't clear and people only found out when they tried to start in the wrong location. Has this now been turned off, as I saw there was talk about it?

How many locations will not be able to have these Adventure Lab caches due to poor mobile coverage or you have the wrong mobile provider, so can't do them :(

PS I wanted to try something out, so deleted my find on one of the Tewkesbury Labs but all you do is delete the find from your geocaching.com list, it stays as found in the app so you can't refind it and stays off your list of found :o :(

PPS I see Will has added another lab (security) cache since I did them, as it is possible to do the original four from home :o
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on June 19, 2019, 06:20:57 pm
Just got an email from GC HQ and I've been awarded an Adventure Lab  ::) ;D

I've got till the 20th August to place up to five locations and make them Public. With the Megas in August, this means I need to get it done by the end of July, as I'm away after that, not back till 23rd Aug.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on June 19, 2019, 10:18:21 pm
Congrats, looking forward to seeing what you do with it  ;D
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on June 20, 2019, 12:31:36 pm
Would have much preferred a Virtual, as I already had an idea for it :)

It's been handy to see what others have done and pit falls they've had. I want to make this a very local series if mobile signal allows.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on June 21, 2019, 10:11:53 am
Virtual Rewards 3.0? In the GCHQ podcast, when asked, the lackey responsible for Virtual Rewards didn't rule it out - so don't lose hope :)

It's been handy to see what others have done and pit falls they've had. I want to make this a very local series if mobile signal allows.

That's a good point, looking forward to it.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on June 25, 2019, 03:49:42 pm
Some more Adventure Lab developments. Geocaching organisations have been offered another Adventure Lab credit (for 10 Labs).

Apparently they are adding ratings to the app - that's good, so that if you put a lot of time and effort into it, you get rewarded (like favourite points).

From what I gather, Adventure Labs seem popular. People have embraced them, attempted them and there seems to be enthusiasm surrounding them. It looks like the 'experiment' has been a success.

My personal opinion is that they're too separate from geocaching itself: there's little to no integration with geocaching. com and the geocaching app (except them adding to your find count). It was different when Lab caches existed for the duration of a Mega event - Adventure Labs stay in place for 6 months (or more), so they should be more integrated: size (as some people are placing actual containers), Difficulty/Terrain (How difficult are these containers to find/how difficult is it to access the find code? Are they wheelchair accessible or is special equipment required?) and how about the option of writing a log entry? Then there's the fact that they do not appear on the geocaching. com map. If Adventure Labs are in place for months, at least, shouldn't their start point (or all locations) be shown on the map?! They cannot be searched for. They are not reviewed, in the case of Virtual Labs, so there is no form of quality control (wasn't that the reason Groundspeak grandfathered the Virtual cache type?).

I don't know where they're going with Adventure Labs, but I just hope they address some of the above and make them part of geocaching - a proper cache type - not a separate game that happens to increase your GC find count.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on June 25, 2019, 09:52:55 pm
Good points and some I've voiced myself.

The point of being reviewed - when creating Adventure Labs (AL), you have to create a virtual Traditional cache (not to be published), so they can be reviewed before you create the actual AL cache. So there is some review.

Also, I'm unsure how much you can, if at all, you can tweak a AL cache once it has been found, so if there is an issue that needs a tweak, can it be done?


The other thing that separates them also, is they can only be done 'live' as there is now no GPX download :( There are going to be areas were they just can't be placed or if you are on the wrong network, you can't find them :o :(
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on June 28, 2019, 10:18:26 am
I had an idea for a set of Labs but one location has no mobile signal and I think, it has the most interesting thing to find out of the set, will have to re-think :(
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on July 14, 2019, 01:04:53 pm
Not sure if I'm going to be able to get any out, not helped by poor mobile coverage near home :(

Had to re-think again, as another idea I had I can't use with no mobile signal :(
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on July 15, 2019, 11:10:31 am
That’s frustrating.

Looking at the app, there are a few new ones out now. They’re all rated 5 star  ::)
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on July 27, 2019, 09:21:28 am
Run out of time with me going away :(

I did get an email reminder from GC HQ so I replied, saying the timing was very bad for me with a busy July and me going to two Mega's. Had nothing back from them yet.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on September 12, 2019, 10:38:53 am
Now that I’ve actually completed some Adventure Labs (four at Aberdeen and one at GCF) I’ve got some more comments.

I actually quite liked them - it’s great how they can lead you on a tour around somewhere. The app works very well. I really like the sense of achievement after completing each one (e.g. the stars displaying on the screen, which is a nice touch).

They seem to have really caught on - in Aberdeenshire, people (including myself) were spending an afternoon completing them rather than finding a ‘proper’ series of caches elsewhere. There are lots more on the app now, and people are travelling to complete them just as they’d travel to find a ‘proper’ cache.

So, I do think they have a place in geocaching.

But Lab caches still need to be taken more seriously if this is going to work long-term.

I spoke to several others at GCF who agreed that Adventure Labs should have D/T ratings, size, and integration with the geocaching website and app (i.e. the starting Lab appearing on the map). Project-GC don’t include Lab caches where they would be appropriate (e.g. number of finds per month, per year, etc.) which is really annoying as GC.com says August 2019 was my best month but Project-GC doesn’t. Apparently Project-GC do include Labs if you’re a paying member... but with Adventure Labs possibly being permanent, and lots more around, people’s Lab cache counts are increasing fast and I really think they should be included on Project-GC just like any other cache type... they’re no longer one-off caches available for Mega and Giga events.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on September 15, 2019, 10:09:11 am
I wonder with the changing World we live in and more security concerns, that non-physical caching is the way that GC is heading.

I was speaking to a reviewer at a normal Event and he was asking for cachers to make valid comments known to GC if an Adventure Lab is poor, as they want to set a good base for these and to weed out the poor ones.

Lab caches have been going for some time now but still not fully included in your stats :(
Now we have Adventure Labs, still in a testing phase but how long will this last or after the failure of the Challenge caches (which were wiped off the whole GC system), are they being very cautious.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on September 06, 2020, 01:22:53 pm
It's been one year since the last post on this thread, and I've actually grown to really like Adventure Labs :o ;D

I've been awarded one, but have no idea where to put it - most interesting towns/villages already have one! Roman Cirencester came to mind, but a new one appeared there a couple of days ago... so it's back to the drawing board ::)
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on September 06, 2020, 09:04:08 pm
Still don't like how they are treated differently to other caches and now no GPX file either :(

BUT saying all that, I can see the enjoyment doing them :)
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on September 11, 2020, 12:54:59 pm
Still don't like how they are treated differently to other caches and now no GPX file either :(

HQ have said that they’ll be on the main geocaching map by the end of this year. They also said that it’ll be easier to find caches and complete ALs at the same time - so I assume that the Lab app will show caches, and vice versa (maybe tapping on a cache in the lab app will switch you to the geocaching app).

But I agree - even if they do that, there’s still a long way to go. Why can’t their name be listed on the GC website leaderboard (it just says “Adventure Lab cache” for each stage)? Why can’t they show up in your list of finds (clicking on the name could just send you to the app download page)? Why can’t their size be listed as ‘virtual’, or simply ‘other’? Why can’t the CO give a D/T rating for each stage?

I personally don’t mind the requirement to use the app... it’s just one of many cache types.

One thing that also annoys me, which isn’t HQ’s fault, is that Project-GC doesn’t count labs (unless you pay). I understood this when they were exclusive to big events, but there are thousands of permanent Adventure Lab stages across the world now. So, surely they should treat them as a normal cache type?
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on September 13, 2020, 09:44:22 am
Good to hear they trying to integrate them more onto the main GC site.

I personally don’t mind the requirement to use the app... it’s just one of many cache types.

The only problem with only available on the app is that you have to have an internet connection on your mobile. Last night was a classic example on a FTF hunt. I found a cache (https://coord.info/GC8ZPN6) near Elmley Castle (south of Evesham) and I like to log the find with a quick FTF FLTF, so others can see its been found but I had no internet on my mobile; I wouldn't call where I was "in the back & beyond". I wonder what areas of the UK will be no go areas for AL's :o

 A GPX download for Labs would solve this issue (hang on they use to have this!) and you log them when you have a connection again.

Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on September 13, 2020, 12:25:16 pm
I agree that a GPX download should be an option for those who want it.

I was looking at the 'logs' for the new Labs in Painswick, and people are reporting poor phone signal there :(

I guess that's why most Labs are tours of larger towns and cities, rather than more rural areas.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on October 04, 2020, 11:30:19 am
Forgot to check to see if there were any AL's about on my holiday in Cornwall till I read a log on a standard cache :o

So decided to try Kit Hill's AL and nearly gave up doing it :o I found the AL had to be done in order but according to the CO of the physical bonus (https://coord.info/GC8MC9P), you could do them in any order, I wasn't given a choice and ended retracing my steps twice, up and down the hill >:(

I checked the physical bonus cache and saw you had to retrace your steps again and go a bit further, by then I had just given up, so didn't do the bonus.
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on October 11, 2020, 11:16:49 am
That sounds very annoying. :(

I saw a new AL pop up yesterday that covered 3 of the 5 stages of another (still active) AL in the same town :o - before too long, most towns/villages of interest will have one, and then what?

It was inevitable, but several of my ideas have now been taken, and the way things are going, I don't know whether I'll manage to set one up before the deadline :( I don't really understand why there are deadlines, and why they are so close... Virtual rewards had to be placed within 12 months, not 2 months!  :D
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on October 11, 2020, 10:02:41 pm
My AL ran out of time :o Still trying to get it reactivated or a replacement
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on October 19, 2020, 11:08:35 pm
And now its been reactivated  8)
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Griff Grof on October 31, 2020, 10:01:46 am
I see that your labs are now published @walktall - great idea!  :)

I still haven’t got round to setting mine up, but I have an idea... hopefully I’m not beaten to it!
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: walktall on November 04, 2020, 09:54:20 am
Because I published mine before the deadline, I've now been awarded another set of 5, to be published by the 15th Dec - this could be tricky and if I want a Bonus cache, it'll have to be right to the wire now GC England have decided to suspend new caches during lockdown :o
Title: Re: Adventure Lab
Post by: Bear and Ragged on November 07, 2020, 12:32:28 pm
Because I published mine before the deadline, I've now been awarded another set of 5, to be published by the 15th Dec - this could be tricky and if I want a Bonus cache, it'll have to be right to the wire now GC England have decided to suspend new caches during lockdown :o

Is that not worth a question/an appeal to the reviewers and/or GCHQ?
At least if you have the 'cache' ready for publication, it's only the 'local laws' for Covid stopping it from being Published?