Carcassonne: Expansion N°10 Under the Big Top / Manege frei

[Whaleyland]

The real question isn't whether the art is compatible with the CarcI (it isn't as far as I say), but whether the rules will be compatible. If this expansion uses the Abbots in any way whatsoever, it will officially end any compatibility with CarcI. I'm not saying that that is what this new expansion does, but it could.

Regarding the theme, it does look very Catapulty, so I hope it's not. The circus tent in the background of the image does not give me hope, though. And I don't think they had big tops back in the Middle Ages, so there's that fairly standard complaint, too.

I see a few things in the image, though, that make me at least think. Those new tiles have two spots on each for Meeples — you can see a Meeple standing on one of the spots in the foreground. They must represent something that can be claimed by two Meeples (meaning that Meeples can be placed on them in later rounds). Then there are the number chits. Those confuse me a bit, though, since most are on top of watchtowers it looks like. I can't tell whether they are using watchtowers as placeholders for a new feature or if the numbers are just being used with the watchtowers for some reason, perhaps reflecting an early draft of the expansion. And then there's that circus tent. It serves some purpose but seems to be a neutral colour. It also is standing on a watchtower tile, suggesting the watchtowers are placeholders. But what do the number chits mean? Hmm...

[Decar]

If this expansion uses the Abbots in any way whatsoever, it will officially end any compatibility with CarcI. I'm not saying that that is what this new expansion does, but it could.

By Abbots, do you also include Gardens? If so, why can they not be ignored, as if playing without Abbots - this maintains backward compatibility.

[Ry4Christ]

The old artwork is dead.

I know   German Cathedrals this past April was probably it. If they're considering this expansion #10, does that mean #6-9 will be released between now and March 2017? That would be very fast.

[Safari]

The old artwork is dead.

I know   German Cathedrals this past April was probably it. If they're considering this expansion #10, does that mean #6-9 will be released between now and March 2017? That would be very fast.

Yes. I guess, that's it. On CarcF it clearly seems like "no more classic artwork any more" (even though many CarcF members are against that).
No. They probably won't release all the other expansions until the 10th comes out. But probably they do so later on. And because they want to guarantee compatibility with classic Carc, they have to keep the numbers.

[Whaleyland]

And because they want to guarantee compatibility with classic Carc, they have to keep the numbers.

Which begs the question: will they reprint The Catapult and, if not, will something take its place?

[stalcupojoy]

And because they want to guarantee compatibility with classic Carc, they have to keep the numbers.

Which begs the question: will they reprint The Catapult and, if not, will something take its place?

If they were going to replace The Catapult with a completely differently-themed expansion for Carcassonne II, this likely would have been "Expansion Four Seven" instead of Expansion 10. It leads me to think that they are more likely to either 1) leave the Catapult as-is, 2) majorly re-do the rules while keeping the "Catapult" theme, or 3) never release The Catapult (or any Expansion Four Seven) in the new art, leaving the hole in numbering simply to guarantee compatibility with Carcassonne I.

[jungleboy]

If they were going to replace The Catapult with a completely differently-themed expansion for Carcassonne II, this likely would have been "Expansion 4" instead of Expansion 10. It leads me to think that they are more likely to either 1) leave the Catapult as-is, 2) majorly re-do the rules while keeping the "Catapult" theme, or 3) never release The Catapult (or any Expansion 4) in the new art, leaving the hole in numbering simply to guarantee compatibility with Carcassonne I.

I agree and think 3) is the most likely scenario based on previous comments coming out of HiG. But FYI, Catapult is Expansion 7.

[stalcupojoy]

But FYI, Catapult is Expansion 7.

) Oops. Don't know what I was thinking. Edited.

I have dishonored The Tower. 

[danisthirty]

But FYI, Catapult is Expansion 7.

) Oops. Don't know what I was thinking. Edited.

I have dishonored The Tower. 

The next time you play with The Tower you must start with one tower foundation less than your opponents. Only then can balance be restored to the Carcassonne universe after this grave insult...

[aenima]

...am I the only one who find that catapult is hugly but it is funny anyway?   
sometimes I play with it when I and my partner wants to laugh! and it appens always when we must use the wooden Catapult! 
anyway... it would be interesting make a new catapult expansion more serious with a "siege context", maybe with a new and more playable wooden catapult

[MrNumbers]

...am I the only one who find that catapult is hugly but it is funny anyway?   
sometimes I play with it when I and my partner wants to laugh! and it appens always when we must use the wooden Catapult! 
anyway... it would be interesting make a new catapult expansion more serious with a "siege context", maybe with a new and more playable wooden catapult

MrsNumbers also finds Catapult funny. If we want some fun in Carcassonne, we always add Catapult

[danisthirty]

...am I the only one who find that catapult is hugly but it is funny anyway?   
sometimes I play with it when I and my partner wants to laugh! and it appens always when we must use the wooden Catapult! 
anyway... it would be interesting make a new catapult expansion more serious with a "siege context", maybe with a new and more playable wooden catapult

MrsNumbers also finds Catapult funny. If we want some fun in Carcassonne, we always add Catapult

What do you add if you don't want any fun?

[jungleboy]

MrsNumbers also finds Catapult funny. If we want some fun in Carcassonne, we always add Catapult

What do you add if you don't want any fun?

Darmstadt mixed with v2.0. 

[MrNumbers]

...am I the only one who find that catapult is hugly but it is funny anyway?   
sometimes I play with it when I and my partner wants to laugh! and it appens always when we must use the wooden Catapult! 
anyway... it would be interesting make a new catapult expansion more serious with a "siege context", maybe with a new and more playable wooden catapult

MrsNumbers also finds Catapult funny. If we want some fun in Carcassonne, we always add Catapult

What do you add if you don't want any fun?

P&D, Tower and Plague, all at once

[What If?]

Nice find totor66! Let the speculation begin!

By the way, just for the record, I do so love how despite being a loyal and dedicated fan site we never hear news of upcoming expansions from the horses mouth but always through somewhere selling it online instead...

The same site that does it own expansions with artwork that is believed to be out of print (we cannot be sure, clarity is apparently of no importance) and then gets slammed by that corporation which holds the copyright when there is no financial gain for anyone, except the company itself in the end? With noone from the company coming to a thread they have obviously seen to give a statement clarifying, both this one and the one about the advent calendar debacle.

In the music industry we work it the other way round, fan sites get earlier access to news and new songs, hopefully the artist gives an exclusive performance on their channel or likewise, send personalized gifts to the fans that maintain those forums, have official lotteries etc. I guess the board game industry is different but after my short time here I am surprized by the lack of dialogue from developers and such, especially when comparing gaming qualities between some official releases and some fan ones. Maybe it happens on the german forum, I don´t know.

On a sidenote, that same site made me, and probably many more, buy blank tiles from them to print on, and before I discovered those I even bought an extra base game to use for Seasons and Wells. It made me a completionist and I even bought the f***ing catapult. It made me discover JCZ which in turn let me introduce the game to people that bought the game (and didn´t like the new artwork btw).

Back on track I hope this expansion is NOT printed in the old artwork, that means I don´t have to get it and my Carc-period can come to an end (just need tunnels and the russians...). Like a good rock band that turned pop, I can still dig the old albums, but I stop wearing the t-shirt, if you know what I mean?