Poll

Which scoring method do you use when using Little Buildings?

All buildings earn the same points.
3 (16.7%)
Larger buildings earn more points.
8 (44.4%)
I use some other creative scoring mechanic (describe below).
0 (0%)
I don't ever play with or don't own Little Buildings.
7 (38.9%)

Total Members Voted: 18

Voting closed: July 17, 2015, 12:38:18 AM

Author Topic: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43  (Read 10902 times)

Offline Whaleyland

  • Great Khan
  • Global Moderator
  • Marquis Chevalier
  • *
  • *
  • Posts: 2743
  • Merit: 101
  • Toulouse: Carcassonne's insignificant neighbor.
    • View Profile
    • Derek R. Whaley, PhD | Librarian, Historian, and Writer
Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« on: July 10, 2015, 12:38:18 AM »
ELEMENT OF THE WEEK: LITTLE BUILDINGS

After a week break, the Element of the Week is back, but this time with more obscure and/or recent expansions. The game has definitely taken strange turns in the past ten years, so these expansions may not be in your knowledge bank, but that doesn't make them any less official (or does it?). So as we conclude this series over the next few weeks, feel free to express any form of praise or criticism you may have for these off-beat elements.

This week, we present LITTLE BUILDINGS, an expansion released by Spielbox Magazine. With The Phantom, it is the only other tile-less expansion released for Carcassonne. The expansion contains 18 buildings, equally distributed between three different sizes: Sheds, Houses, and Towers. Each player gets a set of three (one of each). During a player's turn, if they do not place another "piece of wood", they may place a Little Building from their supply on the just-placed tile (doesn't matter where, but don't cover features, if possible). Whenever that tile is involved in scoring, add +1 point to the score for each building on it. Any player can score bonus points for any building.

Unlike most other Carcassonne expansions, this one includes a variant that many prefer to use. Instead of each building being worth +1 point, the buildings have scaled values. The Shed scores 1 point, the House scores 2 points, and the Tower scores 3 points. This makes use of the buildings much more strategic than with the original rules. In any case, Little Buildings adds a bit of a fun element to the game without drastically altering anything major. In this regard, it was probably the lightest of the Spielbox expansions except for Windroses (which began with Hans im Glück anyway). Is it worth buying? That isn't for me to say. I own it but include it rarely in my normal games, but others may disagree. Discuss your relationship with Little Buildings and how you optimise your use of this strategic element.

Next Week: Darmstadt   :-\ :o >:(

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=1937.0

Offline aenima

  • Viscount
  • ****
  • Posts: 788
  • Merit: 37
  • !!!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2015, 03:53:16 AM »
bhà!I don't know what to say... I play with little building 2 times... I find it a little bit out of contest...

Offline Rosco

  • Duke Chevalier
  • *
  • Posts: 1624
  • Merit: 41
  • Racing, and playing hard!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2015, 04:46:33 AM »
I like it and I think my pimped version adds another 3 dimensional look to the map.   It can also have a huge effect with end game scoring of farms.
Just lay the damn tile!

Offline danisthirty

  • (not thirSty!)
  • Owner
  • Chatelain Grand-Croix
  • *
  • *
  • Posts: 6940
  • Merit: 293
  • "First to 4 points wins?"
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2015, 08:53:12 AM »
I’ve never actually played with these, despite owning them, and don’t know if I ever will. It seems like a very light expansion in terms of additional materials, rules and strategy but like I say, I’ve never played it...

As much as anything else, the idea that they’re “little” buildings seems odd as they’re huge compared to the genuinely little buildings that can be seen on the tiles themselves (i.e. the ones at road junctions).

Offline Hounk

  • Baron
  • *****
  • Posts: 965
  • Merit: 15
  • I haven't updated my profile yet!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2015, 03:46:36 PM »
I actually played with them twice, despite not owning them. But they are on JCZ, too. ;) Like Rosco, I like them. You have to be more cautious, than you might think on first sight, wile placing, otherwise the opponent(s) might benefit more then yourself from them. Never played with Tunnels yet, but am not as sure, if the buildings do not add more strategy then them.

However, I don't think, the 3-2-1 rule add much more strategy to this, it's just a little tweak, that with some buildings it get even more important, to set them in the right place, then other, but the basics are the same. Nevertheless I think, I like this variant even more, although I played each one only once.

I kind of considered to buy this one in wood and print out the rules for my collection, but hesitate, because kettles hint regarding a Tunnel reprint might include this as well. What I don't like that much about them is the artwork. Does not really look like medieval France to me, so a graphical update or (can be abstract) wooden pieces would be appreciated.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2015, 03:53:00 PM by Hounk »

Offline franks

  • Marquis
  • ***
  • Posts: 505
  • Merit: 26
  • I love Carcassonne
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2015, 10:25:01 PM »
We always include these in our games. They are off to the side and a minor element that only get into play once in a while.

I have also been able to pimp it for a 3D effect with more components from a thrift game.

Franks

Wanna play Carc? Can we add just one more expansion?

Offline Koremu

  • Villein
  • ***
  • Posts: 30
  • Merit: 0
  • Big Meeple
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2015, 08:37:32 AM »
I think I'd be more likely to buy/use these if they were actually Wood.

Offline lomdr

  • Freeman
  • ****
  • Posts: 48
  • Merit: 1
  • I haven't updated my profile yet!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2015, 11:17:10 PM »
 It kinda isn't compatable with Big Box 5 if you tend to play with a full set(3 for 6 players but there's 8 players in BB5 as well as sameness concerns for buying two).  Though, I think you can either nab pieces from Monopoly (hahahah, sorry) and/or Catan, since they seem to be player agnostic (as it acts as a +1/+2/+3 point(s) for that tile, not player), or probably find something more thematic for it, or just borrow euro cubes and declare what each cube represents at the start of the game if you're going off of the scoring difference variant.  I'd probably do Monopoly House for Shed, Mono hotel for house, and u-build industry/residential for tower (stack of 3 or 4 to make them more tower like).  If I like it and it goes over well with my family, I'd import a set from Cundco to support them.

Offline Hounk

  • Baron
  • *****
  • Posts: 965
  • Merit: 15
  • I haven't updated my profile yet!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2015, 04:56:50 AM »
Same goes for many elements, even from big expansions, like tower pieces, abbeys, bridges and castles. And the extra colours include just the expansions featured in big box anyway, so no mayor, robber, etc.

Offline lomdr

  • Freeman
  • ****
  • Posts: 48
  • Merit: 1
  • I haven't updated my profile yet!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2015, 07:15:06 PM »
Yeah, that's also true, Hounk.  I know that MeepleSource does sell the extra colored sets for Expansion 5 and Cundco does sell 'replacements' for some of the wooden bits too (They did mention to use the replacement wood part order for getting individual Robbers and Women on the color set pages IIRC).  Just was more thinking out loud on how to do this mini without double buying, though double buying would work if you have 12 sets for players (Oh man!).  Just that there is a way for me to introduce this mini to my folks before springing on importing it.

Offline Rosco

  • Duke Chevalier
  • *
  • Posts: 1624
  • Merit: 41
  • Racing, and playing hard!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2015, 09:56:18 PM »
Realistically , how often do you play even 6 player games? Let alone 8 or 12!

Offline lomdr

  • Freeman
  • ****
  • Posts: 48
  • Merit: 1
  • I haven't updated my profile yet!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2015, 10:48:35 PM »
That's true, though I'm interested in playing carc with 4 members of my family, so there's that.  A big box 5 might be in my future depending on how the game goes over with the family, but hey, color choice even if we never get enough for a full 8 player game.  Also, just was joking about a 12 player game.

Offline Koremu

  • Villein
  • ***
  • Posts: 30
  • Merit: 0
  • Big Meeple
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2015, 12:38:15 AM »
7 or 8 happens about once a month at my regular games night.

Offline Hounk

  • Baron
  • *****
  • Posts: 965
  • Merit: 15
  • I haven't updated my profile yet!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2015, 03:51:00 AM »
I myself setup my game for up to 8 players, including tower pieces, etc. 6 player was the max. we've done yet, but for the next Christmas sessions it's not quite unlikely, that we will have a bigger round and I build it up for that, not just for colour variety. As I wrote, I do not own this expansion to date, but I quite like it, and if I get it at some point, I will go for 8P as well with them. It's easier to achieve then with Phantoms for instance. You just have to order two copies or go right for wood pieces, which you can order in sets of 8 as well as of 6.
« Last Edit: July 13, 2015, 03:56:42 AM by Hounk »

Offline lomdr

  • Freeman
  • ****
  • Posts: 48
  • Merit: 1
  • I haven't updated my profile yet!
    • View Profile
Re: Little Buildings – Element of the Week #43
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2015, 01:25:40 PM »
You could be like me Hounk and make your own phantoms by glitter coating them after you painted or dyed them.  Which reminds me, I just got my glitter nail polish in and I have 5 prepainted meeples waiting to be phantomed.


Share via delicious Share via digg Share via facebook Share via furl Share via linkedin Share via myspace Share via reddit Share via stumble Share via technorati Share via twitter

  Subject / Started by Replies / Views Last post
xx
scoring during turn little buildings

Started by davide

5 Replies
821 Views
Last post March 10, 2022, 03:21:28 PM
by davide
clip
Farm with Little Buildings

Started by Hounk

6 Replies
4143 Views
Last post October 06, 2015, 03:43:08 PM
by Hounk
xx
WTT: Phantom sets and Little Buildings for various other stuff

Started by Matt

6 Replies
4156 Views
Last post June 07, 2015, 05:11:55 AM
by Matt
xx
[WTB] Tower / Hills&Sheep / School / Little Buildings / Purple + Pink Meeple Set

Started by blaice

5 Replies
2813 Views
Last post April 27, 2018, 05:41:29 PM
by blaice
question
Little buildings - question

Started by Windekind

5 Replies
2089 Views
Last post December 10, 2019, 12:17:11 AM
by DrMeeple