Does the River Separate Two Farms, is this stated anywhere in the CAR?

[obervet]

It was kind of an interesting oversight on the part of the publishers -- the only thing that the river does is divide fields, but that fact was never even mentioned in the rules for River I or River II. The original rules for River I didn't even include the bit about fields wrapping around the spring, as that was only included later as a footnote (and a rule in Big Box 1). Thus, initially there wasn't even a statement that allowed a player to infer the rule.

Sure, visually it makes sense that the river divides fields. But that line of reasoning doesn't even always hold up, as not all pig herds are actually pig herds...

[Fritz_Spinne]

Also it isn't mentioned in the rules of the next coming BigBox 5.

[Gerry]

- the only thing that the river does is divide fields,

Actually it is possible that they introduced the river because they were using an inkjet printer that had all the different ink colours in the same in cartridge and they kept having to replace it because it was always running out of green but the blue ink was never getting used at all.

[Carcking]

Well...that could be one possibility...another is the River could simply have been some sort of bonus points for farmers who had the river running through their farm...watering livestock...irrigation...tranport of goods, etc. Who knows?

[MrNumbers]

"Carcassonne on Mars" possible spin-off discussion was moved into separate thread:
http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=951.0

[rfielder]

Well...that could be one possibility...another is the River could simply have been some sort of bonus points for farmers who had the river running through their farm...watering livestock...irrigation...tranport of goods, etc. Who knows?

Wasn't that a Hollywood movie?

"A River Runs Through It"

[Tacita]

Sure, visually it makes sense that the river divides fields. But that line of reasoning doesn't even always hold up, as not all pig herds are actually pig herds...

Yes it does - it is called "common sense".

All pig herd tiles are pig herd tiles. It applies here as well.

[Gerry]

Sure, visually it makes sense that the river divides fields. But that line of reasoning doesn't even always hold up, as not all pig herds are actually pig herds...

Yes it does - it is called "common sense".

All pig herd tiles are pig herd tiles. It applies here as well.

But if Carcassonne operated solely on a basis of "common sense" then we would not need to have  a CAR of 300 pages and 470 footnotes. 

[Tacita]

But if Carcassonne operated solely on a basis of "common sense" then we would not need to have  a CAR of 300 pages and 470 footnotes.

What makes you think that? Since expansions rarely are playtested with eachother there will be many situations which are strange. I do, however, think that the CAR does hold a lot of superfluous pages and paragraphes.

Anyway, rivers divide fields. If you do not believe me I encourage you to go outside and find out for yourself.

[Gerry]

But if Carcassonne operated solely on a basis of "common sense" then we would not need to have  a CAR of 300 pages and 470 footnotes.

What makes you think that? Since expansions rarely are playtested with eachother there will be many situations which are strange. I do, however, think that the CAR does hold a lot of superfluous pages and paragraphes.

Anyway, rivers divide fields. If you do not believe me I encourage you to go outside and find out for yourself.

I am not arguing that the river, in practice, does not divide fields just that the rules did not include the river in the list of sructures that divide fields. 

The current proposal in this thread that we add a footnote to the CAR to include the river is just fine as far as I am concerned.

[Jéré]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned that river does not divide fields in the winter edition because river freezes and farmers can cross on the ice!!

Very entertaining thread folks! Thanks

[danisthirty]

I didn't know there was a river in the winter edition? 

[Gerry]

I didn't know there was a river in the winter edition? 

I knew there was no river, but was afraid to bring it up

[kettlefish]

In the rules for the basic game, there you can find the definition of a field (it is a green feature).
A river is a different feature (blue).

[Gerry]

To quote Stan Lee

"Nuff Said"