Hi Skull One!
Interesting points. My hangup was on the words (in quotes): After a pyramid has been scored, "players can start a new pyramid on the same tile" by placing a meeple as an acrobat on it. I took it to mean they could score the completed feature and then place another meeple. But I didn't take into account "Instead of placing a meeple or any other figure during 2. Placing a meeple, you can score a completed pyramid" as part of my thought process. So that's where my failure began.
After re-read reading the rules and your points, I am of the opinion it still needs further clarification from a programming standpoint. Later today I am going to right some pseudo code and try to address your points and my concerns and see what shakes out.
I revised several details in the Game Reference and the Order of Play in WICA related to the following areas:
*
Acrobats: - The deployment of a normal meeple with a Flying Machine or a Magic Portal
- The deployment of Phantoms as Acrobats if tile placed adjacent to the acrobat space tile or with a Flying Machine or a Magic Portal
*
Gingerbread Man: - The Gingerbread Man figure is deployed to a start tile (or city segment on river tile) during game preparation.
- If a city is completed by a tile with a Gingerbread Man symbol, the Gingerbread Man figure is not moved twice (as it happens in the CAR)
*
Robbers: - Used
ROBBER CHOICE in Order of Play whenever several players can score simultaneously. The CAR only considered this option during
3. Score a feature *
Messages: - Used
MESSAGES (#XX) to qualify Scoring Round where one message at most can be drawn no matter how many times a scoring figure lands on a dark space as per the official clarifications from 10/2014 available here:
http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=1113.msg13390#msg13390I'm still evaluating the interpretation of this post as it could be interpreted that, for example, any message drawn during the Move Wood phase (Scoring Round #2) or the Scoring Phase (Scoring Round #3) phase could be performed at the end of the phase after all the scoring events related to figures are carried out. IMHO It is simpler to draw a message and play it after a turn sequence step is completed than interrupting it halfway and resuming the actions after playing the message.
For example, imagine playing "Message #4 - Add a landscape tile" in the middle of a complex scoring where you place a tile that:
* Is adjacent to a Fruit-Bearing tree so you place a meeple on it to harvest fruit tokens.
* Extends a field with your shepherd and you decide to score your flock
* Closes a field with other two other player's shepherds, so they have to score their flocks too
* Completes a monastery that has to be scored.
* Completes a city with watchtowers, two ringmasters and the Gingerbread Man that you have to score for you and other players.
With such number of scoring events, if you land halfway your turn on a dark space and play your Message #4 straight away, you may lose track of what was going on.
The Order of Play should just include a note on what safe spots (at the end of each scoring round) where messages collected during a Scoring Round are to be evaluated. Maybe it is too much inference from the posting above. What do you think?
Your feedback is always welcome.
Cheers!