Carcassonne Central
Carc Central Community => Online Games and Competitions => Leagues (including expansion leagues) => Topic started by: Decar on February 27, 2016, 04:03:23 AM
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There is an old playground law (here in Britain anyway), that goes something like this:
First's the worst,
Second's the best,
Third's the one with the hairiest chest.
Such laws are hard to deny! Thus I struck upon an idea for a mini-tournament.
(http://tehill.net/carcassonne/STBT/STBT2.png)
Put simply: In a 3-player game of Carcassonne, could the 'best' player manipulate the game in order to score the second highest number of points?
I think there's some interesting strategic ideas to be pondered. Mainly:
- How do you score enough points to not come last, but prevent other players from helping you score too many points?
- Is it better to get a head start then hold back, or aim for second place throughout the game
For me, such a competition is about taking part and having fun. What better way of celebrating competition than not coming first?
Format
At the moment I'm looking for 9-players, which will be randomly split into 3 groups [A,B,C] to comprise a first round.
The players in each Group will schedule 3 games to be played with all 3 players. Each game will compose of different expansions (TBD).
A running total of score will be kept for the round. After all three games are played each group will have a Best (2nd), Worst (1st) and Hairiest (3rd) player.
After all the games are played there will be a final play-off round to determine who is the 'Best of the Best', the 'Worst of the Worst' and the 'Hairiest of the Hairiest' and other humorous titles. I've got my eye on 'Best of the Hairiest' but I suspect the competition to be tight.
Example
Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Total Rank
Player 1 120 76 100 196 Hairiest
Player 2 56 135 65 256 Best
Player 3 100 86 71 257 Worst
The Best of the Group would be Player 2, The Worst: Player 3 and the Hairiest: Player 1.
Prizes
There's nothing like a small-motivator when taking part. I'm not very good at surprises, so here's some gifts. The prizes will be given to at the group stages. Everyone who takes part will get a special commemorative STBT Tile, plus:
- Second Place: STBT podium tile + a custom Victory meeple (Grey/Blue)
- Third Place: A Custom Hairy Chested Meeple (choice of Grey/Blue)
- First Place:
There will be some spot prizes to be determined too.
When does it Start?
We need enough interested parties. Don't forget The Last Man Standing, Dream Team Games & Princess and Dragon Tournaments are still running. I doubt this this mini-tournament will start until one of these is finished. Please make sure to prioritize your existing games over new ones.
Other Considerations
Please only put your name down if you can easily schedule your games to play. 3-player games are notoriously difficult to schedule. Though I said grouping will be random, I suspect some timezone manipulation to take place to make scheduling easier :(y) If there's more than 9 players, I'll consider some other rankings.
As always, open to suggestions and please let me know if you have any questions.
Who is Playing
1.Mr Numbers - Latvia - UTC +2
2.Chuck - Germany - UTC +1
3.Merlin_89 - Poland - UTC +1
4.Decar - UK - UTC +0
5.Rosco - UK - UTC +0
6.Leven - Hungary - UTC +1
7.Danisthirty -UK - UTC +0
8.Valheru - Belgium - UTC +1
9.jma03 - Spain - UTC +1
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I am in! Interesting idea from strategic point of view! :)
While reading the post, I thought that scoring would be different: I imagined that for finishing 2nd you receive 3pts, for 1st - 2pts, and for 3rd - 1pts, and then after 3 games you have a sum of these points.
In your variant we will have to keep in mind (or in parallel opened Excel spreadsheet) our previous scores (also opponents scores) in order to understand strategy for the next game (and during the game).
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That's right. We'll need to be careful with expansions and the score deviation. But we have lots of stats from tournaments to tweek this. The problem I foresaw with allocating points was after winning two games, it's almost impossible to purposely lose to earn 2nd place. I think we'd need to play a lot more 3-player games to achieve deviation.
That's the idea anyway.
Great to have you aboard too Mr Numbers!
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Count me in!!! (y) :-)
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It sounds fun! :(y) I'm in!
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First three players already - Great Stuff :)
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That sounds interesting. I am in
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So am I. :(y)
Decar: are you in?
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That would make 6 - Yes, I'm in :) :(y) :(y)
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Yes please! :(y)
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Count me in as well. I predict a lot of brainfarts.
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Why not?? I am holidays i go
:yellow-meeple:
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Wow! That makes 9 players!
I'll leave this open a little longer just in case we get 18 or 27 players :@
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I am in! Interesting idea from strategic point of view! :)
While reading the post, I thought that scoring would be different: I imagined that for finishing 2nd you receive 3pts, for 1st - 2pts, and for 3rd - 1pts, and then after 3 games you have a sum of these points.
Can you confirm that, Decar? Regarding the term "first's the worst", I would assume 3rd place to net more points, then 1st?
However, count me in, too. :(y)
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Thanks Hounk - We'll put you down for the second group
A running total of score will be kept for the round. After all three games are played each group will have a Best (2nd), Worst (1st) and Hairiest (3rd) player.
There will not be points awarded for a victory.
There's nothing stopping you winning all your games, you just won't win any prizes :p
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Just giving this another shout out - we've got 9 players + Hounk. It would be a shame to turn him away, with a few extra players I can think about other formats, which could work.
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+1
I'll be in Antwerp most of the next week but I'm in.
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I'm not sure what to do about our late contenders: Hounk & Chooselife. I don't want to turn them away, but without a power of 9, I think competition will play out differently. If another person stepped forward we could organize 4player games, but I think this will be VERY hard to schedule.
I propose we being with the original 9 players and consider a second tournament with Hounk & Chooselife shortly afterwards, or as soon as we have enough players? How does that sound?
As I said before, the first round will be 3 games against each of the 3 players. Here's what I'm thinking for the first round:
- Winter Edition
- Phantom + Flyers
- Catapult + Cult
I will be creating the groupings and knocking up a Google Spreadsheet in a few days for players to record their games.
May the Second Best Win :))
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Fine with me no worries
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I hate not winning. Guess I could give coming second a try if it helps?
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I hate not winning. Guess I could give coming second a try if it helps?
In this case you win by coming second!
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Second's The Best :(y) :(y)
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Doesn't seem right to me but I'll give it a go.
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Do Hounk and Chooselife fancy trying out this format on Wednesday evening using Winter Edition?
I'm interested to see how long it takes for anyone to place a meeple!
Perhaps a rule that a player has to play a meeple on a tile if it is possible to do so?
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Thought we might as well get started with this:
Group A
Merlin_89
Jma03
Decar
Group B
Mr Numbers
Chuck
Leven
Group C
Rosco
Valheru
DanisThirty
Three games will be played by each Group - not necessarily in one sitting, please work out what's suitable.
- Winter Edition
- Phantom + Flyers
- Catapult + Cult
I'm tempted to find a prize for highest scoring, 2nd Place to make sure you actually play some tiles and not leave the game to the last 3 moves :(y)
I think everyone is experienced in organizing games, rules of play etc, so I'm not going to repeat them now: Please Schedule your games and record the results here.
I best get started on the craziest Spreadsheet ever devised!
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My Schedule: I'm free most evening for the next fortnight, but tomorrow and Friday (and Next Saturday) may be difficult.
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I'm maybe free tomorrow evening and most on friday.
Afterwards I'm not home till monday, and then I'll have to see. Tonight would be possible too.
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I'm maybe free tomorrow evening and most on friday.
Afterwards I'm not home till monday, and then I'll have to see. Tonight would be possible too.
Friday evening would be fine for me too.
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Friday evening would be fine for me too.
Sounds good, what about Mr. Numbers?
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Friday evening would be fine for me too.
Sounds good, what about Mr. Numbers?
Yes, I think I can make it on Friday evening.
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Don't know, when i'll be online Babychuck is making trouble...
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Me, Leven and Chuck just played all three games in a row (why not, if everyone had some time for Carcassonne? ;) )
It was the most interesting experience in playing Carcassonne ever! As I said in the chat: if you don't know the rules of the competition, you won't understand what is going on on the board!
Game 1:
Pretty fast game, easiest win in my life :D I had a good start, Chuck and Leven often helped me to close my features. Near the middle of the game I realized that I have too much points and till the end of the game didn't place a single follower, but still continue to gain some points from the farm.
MrNumbers - 105, Chuck - 92, Leven - 68.
Game 2:
This game was more cautious, very low scoring. Phantoms and Fliers were not used at all (except one phantom on the first tile). I scored my first 3 points only after some 20-30 tiles. Everyone started to understand some basic strategies: avoid big cities, be cautious with farms and gain points mostly from 4-point cities and from roads. Despite my "loss" I managed to take second place in overall standings.
MrNumbers - 36, Chuck - 56, Leven - 66.
Overall: MrNumbers - 141, Chuck - 148, Leven - 134.
Game 3:
Most tense game. Farmers were deployed in the very end. Scoring mostly small cities and some roads to keep points ticking. Still Leven occupied 20-point city in the south, tried to trap himself, but I completed it for him with a cult tile. Last tiles took the most time of this game: every point matters! Only one thought in mind - don't score points for me! With my very last tile I took 2nd overall place, Leven just could find a spot with 6 points in order to share 2nd place with me.
MrNumbers - 52, Chuck - 47, Leven - 58.
Overall: MrNumbers - 193, Chuck - 195, Leven - 192.
EDIT: There is a question to Decar: how to handle draws? For example, if Chuck and me had 194 points and Leven - 192. Who would be Second Best then? Or otherwise, one have 194 points and two others both 192 points. Perhaps, we need a tie-breaker.
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Well done MrNumbers, Chuck and Leven. Those results are crazy close!
Merits to you all for finishing your game. I'll enjoy reading these again and looking in more detail tomorrow morning!
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My Problem was, that I forgot to keep track on the overall scoring. So my main concern in the last game was, to be in secon position anyway. If I hadn't put the meeple in the city.....
Well, it was a nice evening with lots of fun, because in the first match we didn't really know how to play. When MrNumbers got ahead and had his meeple in the big city and I was in second place, I realised how to play.... :D
The following matches were more tactical.
So, thanks again to MrNumbers and Leven for the good games! :)
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Mr Numbers - yes that's a good point, I have a feeling tie-breaking may be required.
I can see it working in a number of ways, which do you think makes the most sense:
- The player who came second most often over the 3 games - which may tie again
- Allocating a PD above/below the 2nd place in each game - closest to zero wins
- Something more elaborate where we allocate points for 1st,2nd, 3rd most scores of Cities, Roads & Farms
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Sorry to tell you that I can not start with this competition.A week ago I had my precious baby , and I 'll get pretty busy to take several tournaments online.if someone wanted to take my place you would appreciate.I'm sorry for the inconveniences Decar
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Congratulations on your new arrival JMA! Thanks for letting us know - Best of luck over the coming weeks :) :) :)
Perhaps someone else (eg: Hounk or Halfling) would like to take your place?
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Congratulations from me also! I hope life with your new arrival (jma04?) settles down quickly! :)
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All the Best, jma!!
My boy has his first birthday on friday. So I know how you feel right now!
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Congratulations, JMA!
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Congratulations, Jacobo, to you and your wife!
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Thank you very much!!!!!
:D
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I'll step up if the place is still available.
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Are Merlin and Decar free for a game one evening next week?
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Thanks Halfling - how about Tuesday night?
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Fine for me.