Dan Q
This link was originally posted to /r/geocaching. See more things from Dan's Reddit account.
The original link was: https://danq.me/2014/08/13/gc591vv/
Hot on the heels of the Oxford Steganography Series, a series of “hidden in plain sight”-themed geocaches I placed earlier this year, I’ve recently placed another geocache – GC591VV – and I think that – conceptually – it might be completely unique.
Spoiler warning: this article contains minor spoilers about Oxford-based geocache GC591VV – “You Can’t Do It Alone”. You won’t find any shortcuts by reading this page, but you might ruin part of the surprise.
The cache’s name is the first clue that there’s something unusual about it, and this theme continues in its description, where it insists that this is a cache that is impossible to find by yourself. Experienced ‘cachers may have come across geocaches that benefit from a second pair of hands: usually to help “bunk you up” to a high spot. Some really clever caches use your “buddy” to press a battery-powered radio doorbell while you “listen” for the cache’s hiding place nearby, or use your friend to stop up the holes in a pipe as you pour water into it (in order to raise a floating cache to the surface). But every single one of these has a “workaround” – a way in which you can do it by yourself, if you’re imaginative enough. I wanted to make a cache that genuinely required two people.
The cache description page repeatedly insists that to solve the cache, you need you and a friend to simultaneously visit two different waypoints. When you and your friend get there, you discover why: at each, I’ve hidden a small electronic device, specially-built for this purpose (and instructions on how to use it). The two devices are a synchronised pair, and each shows on its screen a pair of numbers. To find the location of the cache itself, you need to add the first number on Box One’s screen to the first number on Box Two’s screen… and the second number on Box One’s screen to the second number on Box Two’s screen. But… the numbers change every 15 minutes: and because both boxes are hidden on opposite sides of Oxford, there’s no way to get from one to the other within the narrow window. Truly: you can’t do it alone!
Once the two cachers have each other’s numbers, they can head on to the final coordinates: the actual location of the cache: they can race there, if they like (it’s close-to equidistant from the two points) – though if they’re feeling that competitive, they’ll probably want to agree on some key exchange mechanism by which they can swap numbers without giving the person to speak first a disadvantage: I’ll leave that mathematical exercise for somebody else to solve, though! In any case, I’ve been sure to put two “first to find” prizes into the cache: one for each of the people who worked together to find it.
How does this magic work? Well, it’s reasonably simple, so long as you’re familiar with the conceptual workings of time-based two-factor tokens and the predictability of computer random number generators. I’m offering the source code and support in construction to anybody who successfully finds the cache, in order to try to inspire a new generation of digital caches in Oxfordshire (and further afield!). But the essence of it is an ATmega328 chip acting like an Arduino Nano, hooked up to a clock chip (powered by a long-life lithium “watch battery”) that keeps it in sync with its partner, and – while a switch is pushed – fully-powered by a stack of AA batteries (which provide enough power to do the maths and light up the screen).
The whole package is sealed up inside a custom-built acrylic box (courtesy of RazorLAB, whom I discovered after Rory did a craft project using them), and I’m hoping that they’ll live at least a year before I need to get out there and replace the AA batteries.
This cache represents a huge leap in complexity over anything I’ve placed before, and – I think! – might be completely unique in design, worldwide. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the community make of it! Want to go find it yourself? Start here!
Update (2018): This cache has now been retired. If you’re interested, you can read the source code here.
This review originally appeared on Steam. See more reviews by Dan.
You know the way that everybody plays Grand Theft Auto (at least, 1 through 3) or Saints Row at least once? That is: they ignore the plot and just zip around blowing stuff up? Well: Just Cause 2 is a game that you’re supposed to play like that. Sure, there’s a plot (and it’s as stupid as it is zany, all the way from pulling statues over with tractors through to the climactic fistfight on the back of a cruise missile), but who cares: you’ll spend your time using a hookshot to pull soldiers out of aircraft, steal the aircraft, fly the aircraft into a radio tour while you jump away with your parachute, all the while shooting, hacking, and slashing anybody that gets in your way.
It’s completely silly, the voice acting is almost as appalling as the scriptwriting, and the plot makes no sense. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the most-awesome games ever. Play an hour or play 5 minutes: this game’s great for “dropping into” when you need a few minutes of quick destruction as much as it’s great when you want to execute a thought-out mission. And nowadays, it’s cheap, too – no excuse not to give it a go.
This review originally appeared on Steam. See more reviews by Dan.
The original X-COM series (Enemy Unknown, Terror from the Deep, and even Apocalypse) were among the most-immersive, deeply-strategic, and thematically-beautiful games of the 1990s. 2012’s reboot was fun, but it failed to capture the sophistication and complexity of the original: it lacked the ability to perform micro-customisation upon your soldiers (Want a strong guy whose job is just to carry ammo for everybody else? That’s fine!), bases (“Science” base at a secret location, surrounded by interceptor bases? No problem!), or mission strategy (Plan to fight a retreat back to the dropship, dragging the bodies of the stunned aliens with you for later research, losing the battle but advancing the war? Go on then!). And it suffered, for it.
Xenonauts, however, takes the genre back where it belongs: gritty, strategic, and with every game completely unique. More-impressively, it does so in a world that’s subtly-different from that of the original series: starting deep in the Cold War, and with aliens whose motivation and strategy is innovative and new, even to fans of the original series.
It’s not perfect: you’ll read science reports that make reference to weapons you haven’t yet invented, because you’re doing things in the “wrong” order… but at least the game lets you do things in the order that makes most-sense to you! I’d have enjoyed being able to use alien psionics against them, as you can in the original series (and even in the reboot), but (unless I simply missed out on the appropriate research opportunities), that’s sadly absent. And there are a few bugs, although I didn’t come across any game-breaking ones.
But what Xenonauts is is one of the best strategy games I’ve seen in recent years. Whether you loved the original X-COM series, or the reboot, or didn’t play either… it’s got something for you to enjoy. Go play it, Commander.
This checkin to GLF4XHW9 Walk Around Shotover 8 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
One last find with tajasel before I had to take her to catch her train. GPSr lied to me by about 10 metres, but common sense (“where would I hide the cache?”) prevailed. Thanks!
This checkin to GLF4XGGB Walk Around Shotover 1 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Found with tajasel: log completely soaked (and not from today’s rain, which had by-now stopped); not possible to sign. Nice spot, though!
This checkin to GLF4XFXQ Walk Around Shotover 2 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Second cache tajasel and I found during a walk in-between storms, this afternoon. Took a few minutes, but found without difficulty once we started looking in the right place.
This checkin to GLF4XFCQ Walk Around Shotover 3 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Found easily on a short walk with tajasel. TFTC.
This checkin to GC405RP Walk Around Shotover 1 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Log soaked; unusable.
This checkin to GLF3K5BF Plaque Buildup (Geolympix FTFrenzy-1) reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Finally got around to spending a lunchtime hunting for this cache, and I’m glad I did: what a wonderful tour of some great backstreets, that I already thought I knew so well. Was slowed down by some scaffolding partially-covering one of the clues, but a helpful man working on the site was able to show me what I’d missed (and to be fair, if I’d been paying more attention I’d have found it myself eventually!).
TFTC; and have a favourite point.
This checkin to GC58KJN 1 fo 7 Souvenirs reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Shall try to make my way down to you!
This checkin to GC54F7B Oxford Steganography #2 - Selected Text reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Came out to investigate missing lid. Found lid a short distance away – possibly muggled. Cleaned cache contents, checked silica gel still doing its job, replaced lid. Game on!
This checkin to GLF2Y14V Alleyways of Oxford - Brasenose Lane reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Glad to see this returned to life. Easily found while out on my lunch break today.
This checkin to GC54F7B Oxford Steganography #2 - Selected Text reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Thanks, Go catch; I’ll try to get out there for some maintenance at or before the weekend. If you’re having difficulty with the overlays, it’s worth checking that your printout is the right size (after talking to some ‘cachers, I’ve discovered that some computers are printing it a tiny bit smaller: users of these computers need to ensure that the “resize to fit page” or similar checkbox is NOT checked, when printing). So long as your name appears in the log when I get there, though, you’re welcome to PM me and I’ll send you the number you’re missing. Thanks!
This checkin to GLF2G3B2 Goodsands sparkle 3 - return of the glitter reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Found on a morning walk with the little ‘un (photo attached). TFTC.
