Author Topic: Hills and Sheep tile design question  (Read 9547 times)

Offline mPony

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Hills and Sheep tile design question
« on: December 03, 2015, 05:33:30 PM »
I'm not certain if "official rules" is the best place to ask this question, but here goes:

in the Hills and Sheep expansion, there are new tiles that feature city on three sides and field on one side.  The explanation in the rules states: "If these two particular tiles are placed next to each other as shown, all four formerly separate city segments are then connected into 1 city. (These tiles are intentionally created asymmetrically.)"

Question: why on earth were these tiles designed with the field reaching all the way to the opposite side of the tile?  It doesn't seem to accomplish anything, design-wise.  They could have achieved the same effect with city on three sides and the field not reaching the far side, since it seems impossible for the top city portion and the bottom city portion to ever exist as separate cities.  (Separate enclosed cities, anyway)

Is there a way to place tiles such that these two separate city segments actually stay separate cities? 

(you see, not so much a rules question per se)

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=2215.0
« Last Edit: December 03, 2015, 05:49:20 PM by mPony »

Offline JT Atomico

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2015, 12:09:15 AM »
Hi mPony,

I assume you are talking about these tiles:


The main thing about them is that they are separate cities until that top edge meets another city piece, which is why the field has to be shown to divide them. This is really useful for joining in to someone else's city as any city side piece should get you in!

It is possible that the city segments in these tiles can end up being a part of two separate completed cities, if the side where they meet is closed with an Abbey tile.

Hope that helps :)
« Last Edit: July 20, 2018, 05:19:45 AM by MrNumbers, Reason: Link fixed »

Offline jungleboy

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2015, 01:30:27 AM »
Also, they can be separate cities if these two tiles are joined together with the two-city edges meeting.

Offline SRBO

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2015, 02:44:30 AM »
Also, they can be separate cities if these two tiles are joined together with the two-city edges meeting.

I dont think thats true.. thats why it is assymetric

Offline supertopix

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2015, 03:07:29 AM »
Hi, I've The Hig version. Is there any chance to Find The english rulebook?

Offline kettlefish

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2015, 03:46:27 AM »
Hi, I've The Hig version. Is there any chance to Find The english rulebook?
At Carcassonne-Forum (CarcF) we have the rules in English and other languages.
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Offline supertopix

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2015, 03:56:49 AM »
Thank you

Offline Paul

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2015, 03:58:15 AM »
Also, they can be separate cities if these two tiles are joined together with the two-city edges meeting.

Quote from the English version: Special Case: If these two tiles are placed like so, all shown city segments are connected. (These tiles were intentionally created asymmetrical.)

This is beside an image depicting what you described. Hope this helps!
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Offline jungleboy

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2015, 04:04:34 AM »

Quote from the English version: Special Case: If these two tiles are placed like so, all shown city segments are connected. (These tiles were intentionally created asymmetrical.)

Ok, thanks for the correction. I guess that brings me back to something like the OP's question: if there's no way to separate these cities except for an abbey tile (or no tile), what's the point of these tiles?

Offline Fritz_Spinne

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2015, 04:32:25 AM »
You can easily get into another player's city: place the tile at the city (one of the all city edges) and place a follower on the other half of the city. Later make a junction between the two halves with any city tile.

Offline jungleboy

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Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2015, 04:39:10 AM »
Oh, right, thanks :)

I have only played with H&S once or twice, and I have a bit of a cold so I'm not thinking straight today. I think everyone can safely ignore all my contributions to this thread!

Offline SRBO

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2015, 02:54:33 AM »
To my opinion this is one of the most powerful tiles

Offline mPony

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2015, 09:23:26 PM »
You can easily get into another player's city: place the tile at the city (one of the all city edges) and place a follower on the other half of the city. Later make a junction between the two halves with any city tile.

This is actually pretty brilliant, and I didn't think of that use of that tile.  I like it better already!

However, this brings me back to my original question in a different way:  Why asymmetrical?   The tile doesn't need to be asymmetrical to achieve this "join in" effect in play.   If the tiles were symmetrical you could place two of them with the field points touching and still have 2 separate cities.   That might be the only way to deny another player from joining in to your city, now that I think of it.   

Any more thoughts?

Offline Fritz_Spinne

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2015, 11:05:49 PM »
You're right, there's almost no way to prevent the joining of the two city parts.
I would habve made another design: some tiles with 1/3 left and 2/3 right and some with 2/3 right and 1/3 left. Then you could join the cities parts with most of the city tiles but  - with luck and a mirrored tile - could separate the two cities.

Offline Just a Bill

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Re: Hills and Sheep tile design question
« Reply #14 on: April 21, 2017, 12:16:02 PM »
My Hills & Sheep and BC&B are finally en route from amazon.de. I realize the post above was over a year ago, but since it was not answered ...

However, this brings me back to my original question in a different way:  Why asymmetrical?

The design intent was that when placing the two tiles as show below on the left, the four segments would join to form a single city. If the tile had not been asymmetrical (meaning if the "V" had occurred right in the middle), then there would have been two separate cities instead of one joined one. This can be simulated visually by right-left flipping one of the tiles, as shown below on the right.


It took me a little while to understand that the tile above is designed to make it easier to add your presence to an occupied city, just as the one below helps you horn in on an occupied farm:
« Last Edit: July 18, 2018, 07:54:15 AM by Just a Bill »
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