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Carc Central Community => News and Events => Topic started by: Decar on August 16, 2017, 05:06:14 PM

Title: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 16, 2017, 05:06:14 PM
Gencant has quite honestly crept up on me this year!

It's a very large unconvention for people who cannot attend GenCon. 
You can read all about it here: http://www.gencant.com/. 
If you didn't know Gen Con is the original, longest-running, best-attended, gaming convention in the world! (http://www.gencon.com/)

You can read about 2015 here. (http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=1976.0)
And about 2016's contest here. (http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=2846.0)
And about 2017's contest....here!

When is it?
It runs from 17th August until the 20th August 2017.

Don't forget to tweet about the event, including: #gencant #carcsolocon @carcassonne

If you need help getting JCloisterZone running, there's usually plenty of people in the
SLACK chatroom (http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=3452.0) willing to help!

Contest Submissions
I should make clear, that contest submissions must include a screenshot from JCloisterzone, or other digital platform. 
Physical Submissions MUST include a clear photo showing the entire board and scoretrack at the end of the game but with follower on incomplete features in situ - this way we can check your maths :)
To win spot prizes, the maximum number of chances will be 5 per player, but you are welcome to submit more attempts.  One additional chance will be given to anyone who includes #gencant #carcsolocon @carcassonne in a tweet with their submission.  You can submit on twitter, or on this thread, or in the #general Slack Channel.

Carcassonne Contest

The first contests being run in parallel from: NOW until Sunday 20th August 2017 23:59:59 SST.  No entries can be submitted after the deadline.

I'd recommend using JCloisterZone to set up your games, but you're welcome to play a physical game with real tiles and score tracks if you prefer.

This year's setup will include the following expansions/Options:
  • Base Game - 2005+ rules (with No River or Abbot)
  • The Princess and Dragon
  • Abbey & Mayor

Please note, if you are playing a physical game:
  • If you are using the new art style, the River and Abbot expansions should be removed
  • There is a subtle difference in rules between the original and new editions.  Thus, abide to the rules of the edition you are using.

Contest Submissions
I should make clear, that contest submissions must include a screenshot from JCloisterzone, or other digital platform. 
Physical Submissions MUST include a clear photo showing the entire board and scoretrack at the end of the game but with follower on incomplete features in situ - this way we can check your maths :)

Prizes

There will be 3 prizes.  Again this will be different commemorative personalized tiles!

The 1st Scoring Player
The 2nd Scoring Player
A Random Spot Prize

The random prizes will be awarded as above.  Up to 5-chances per player, plus an extra for a tweet including:   #gencant  #carcsolocon @carcassonne  with their submission.

Leaderboard
  • Leven - 965
  • Leven - 909
  • thodekey - 879
  • thodekey - 859
  • thodekey - 856
  • thodekey - 854
  • Leven -841
  • Jungleboy -812
  • Carc-Throat Killa - 838
  • glh510 - 781
  • Carc-Throat Killa - 759
  • What If? - 758 -no pic
  • Rosco - 755
  • Danisthirty - 748
  • Leven - 743
  • Carc-Throat Killa - 739
  • danisthirty - 718
  • Rosco - 717
  • Rosco - 700
  • glh510 - 695
  • Carc-Throat Killa - 687
  • Danisthirty - 680
  • Danisthirty - 679
  • Danisthirty - 679
  • DaFees - 665
  • Rosco - 656
  • Carc-Throat Killa - 648
  • The StevenAllen - 621
  • DaFees - 606
  • jungleboy - 601
  • danisthirty - 567
  • yimhj - 534
  • Carc-Throat Killa - 528
  • TheSteveAllen - 501
  • stickboy (welcome! :(y)) - 484

The Abbot's Walk Contest

The Second Contest this year is a Physical-only Solo Variant which requires only the base-game to play.  It is called 'The Abbot's Walk', however the 'new artwork' is not required to play this expansion.  An alternative coloured meeple can be used instead.

In this variant, a player completes features to move their Abbot and followers from one cloister to another.

You can download it here (http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=333)

Contest Submissions
As with the first contest, submissions must include a photograph of your end game - here's an example.
(http://tehill.net/carcassonne/fun/gencant2017/TheAbbotsWalk.jpg)

Prizes

There will be 3 prizes.  Again this will be different commemorative personalized tiles!

The 1st Scoring Player
The 2nd Scoring Player
A Random Spot Prize

The random prizes will be awarded as above.  Up to 5-chances per player, plus an extra for a tweet including:   #gencant  #carcsolocon @carcassonne  with their submission.

Leaderboard
  • Rosco - 1137  :o
  • TheSeveAllen - 1092
  • Cobyhectic - 1015
  • TheSteveAllen - 982
  • Rosco - 939
  • Cobyhectic - 807
  • Cobyhectic - 775
  • dthmtlgod - 447
  • @Portsmouthsg - 6
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 16, 2017, 05:16:16 PM
I'd just like to qualify that 'The Abbot's Walk' was written rather quickly - so I'll be updating and clarifying rules tomorrow.

And extremely big thank you to thesteveallen for staying up very late to proof read it  :(y) :(y)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 17, 2017, 01:00:13 AM
Here's an example of the scoring:

(http://tehill.net/carcassonne/fun/gencant2017/TheAbbotsWalkScoring.png)

RULE CLARIFICATION: At the end of the - incomplete features do not score.  There is one exception to this rule.  Cloisters with followers present will be scored, even if they are incomplete.  In the example above, the cloister will score 8 points.

I'll be updating the PDF later today to make that clearer.  Thanks for the help!

Clarifications Topic (http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=3509.0)

TheSteveAllen's scoring spreadsheet (http://tehill.net/carcassonne/fun/gencant2017/AbbotSA2.ods)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 17, 2017, 07:12:48 AM
I've just updated the rules PDF, with the clarification.

It may be easier to explain scoring in the following way.

For each column, identify any completed features in that column which have not been included in another column and record the total for that column.
Incomplete Cloisters with meeple present are also scored, even though they are not completed.
Each meeple will score, the sum of each column between first column and the column the meeple is located in.
Meeple on the start-cloister are not scored.  The Abbot scores on the far-cloister.

(http://tehill.net/carcassonne/fun/gencant2017/TheAbbotsWalkScoring_2.png)

Kinda wish the holes were cumulative negative points now; but too late.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: TheSteveAllen on August 17, 2017, 11:55:11 AM
Here is my first attempt at the Abbot's Walk. I make the score 982, but it needs to be checked very well.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: jungleboy on August 17, 2017, 12:10:42 PM
My top score in the Carcassonne Contest so far is 601.

Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Rosco on August 17, 2017, 01:02:37 PM
Next attempt 939!(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170817/1c2736bbfa7a8ea3ec05445e00fa079d.jpg)

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk

Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: TheSteveAllen on August 17, 2017, 02:06:24 PM
No prizes for this one, I'm afraid. I even forgot to use my abbey. It is a good trial run though, as I now have a feel for what needs to be done.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: danisthirty on August 17, 2017, 02:28:06 PM
My top score in the contest so far is 718 :blue-meeple: 8)

(this was my second game - first game score was 567)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 17, 2017, 02:33:20 PM
Great to see so many entries.

Also great to see that Dan has his MS SQL Server Client running in the background too  8)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: danisthirty on August 17, 2017, 02:40:18 PM
Also great to see that Dan has his MS SQL Server Client running in the background too  8)

Oops, I forgot to crop that one. Shhh! Work laptop...
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: jungleboy on August 17, 2017, 02:47:38 PM
My top score in the contest so far is 718 :blue-meeple: 8)

Nice! I suspect you are out-farming me by joining new farmers onto your barn at every opportunity. I'll have to do more of that...
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: danisthirty on August 17, 2017, 03:07:20 PM
My top score in the contest so far is 718 :blue-meeple: 8)

Nice! I suspect you are out-farming me by joining new farmers onto your barn at every opportunity. I'll have to do more of that...

I did manage to do it quite a few times, but was lucky in terms of how the tiles came out as the farm itself was very easy to glom onto from various points.

The other thing to consider is where your tipping point is for placing the barn. The earlier it's down, the more time you have to glom farmers onto it for 1pt per city, but you don't want to do it too early as it's worth 3pts per city (assuming you're already farming it) when your barn first goes down.

The only thing the P & D adds is the Fairy which is very useful too. I've been claiming features that are almost complete so that I can move the Fairy to those features when they are completed (for 3 points) rather than claiming them as I complete them (and not being able to move the fairy to them) as I've done in previous solo competitions.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Cobyhectic on August 17, 2017, 04:29:14 PM
Just did my test run on Abbots Walk to figure out the workings. Really excited to play this properly tomorrow evening. Thanks Decar!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: stickboy on August 17, 2017, 09:28:03 PM
First post!  As I had time this evening, I wanted to get in on the GenCant action and get a game in/recorded.  I played via JCloisterZone for the first time.  I know nothing about Princess & Dragon nor Abbey and Mayor.  Here was my score.  If I have time tomorrow, I'll read up on the expansions and see if I can better my score.  Although, I had a Volcano come out for my 2nd tile, so with the very little understanding I had, that seemed to have impacted the play a little.  But who knows!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: DaFees on August 17, 2017, 10:51:42 PM
This was fun but hopefully I can do better on my next attempt!  :)

606 is not a bad score for a first attempt.

Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 17, 2017, 11:48:54 PM
Great to see people taking part!  Hope you're enjoying it!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: DaFees on August 18, 2017, 12:01:27 AM
Actually did manage to do better on my 2nd attempt but still couldn't catch danisthirty!

Hopefully 665 will secure 2nd place.  :)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: glh510 on August 18, 2017, 12:33:10 AM
Hopefully 665 will secure 2nd place.  :)

and second place gone ... :-)

695

Joined 2 farmer with one tile :-( and waited the whole game for a cathedral  :o
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: danisthirty on August 18, 2017, 01:06:45 AM
Welcome to the forums stickboy!

It's good to see so many people taking on the JCloisterZone challenge and enjoying it. I haven't had any subsequent games within 50 points of my best so far...
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: glh510 on August 18, 2017, 01:34:08 AM
I expect around 900 points by the experts from the forum.
For me as an amateur 781 seems to be the maximum

PS: All Farms in the screenshots worth around 80 - 84 . Interesting point.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: danisthirty on August 18, 2017, 05:15:51 AM
I expect around 900 points by the experts from the forum.

Good work glh510 - that's a great score! I think most experts prefer to play against at least one opponent so I think we have a pretty level playing field here in terms of solo games...
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017 First attempt
Post by: Carc-Throat Killa on August 18, 2017, 07:45:04 AM
Here is my first attempt at the contest, I accidently swooped a couple points away with the dragon and then things got sloppy at the end but im happy I hit 500 at least.

Second attempt was and improvement by 100+ pts.!!!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Rosco on August 18, 2017, 09:49:27 AM
My first attempt: 656

I will upload a proper screenshot later (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170818/02083c8806c153d4a7ac0781eee52578.jpg)

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk

Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: TheSteveAllen on August 18, 2017, 10:21:01 AM
My second attempt. Slightly better than the first.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Carc-Throat Killa on August 18, 2017, 10:40:11 AM
Heres the second attemp! Getting the hang of it! 100+ pt. improvement! :green-meeple:
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: What If? on August 18, 2017, 11:44:45 AM
First entry 758, still a lot to be had I believe!

As stupid as I may sound, if I don´t have any social media, and tinypic keeps erasing my pictures, where should I upload images? Second attempt will get better anyway...
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Carc-Throat Killa on August 18, 2017, 12:14:49 PM
Third attempt, 39 pt. increase from the last! There sure is a fine line for the barn, I got this one in later than the last barn, trying to get in earlier.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Leven on August 18, 2017, 02:13:00 PM
Hi, here is my first attempt: 743 pts.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: danisthirty on August 18, 2017, 03:05:36 PM
First entry 758, still a lot to be had I believe!

As stupid as I may sound, if I don´t have any social media, and tinypic keeps erasing my pictures, where should I upload images? Second attempt will get better anyway...

Just attach it to your post rather than linking it inline.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 18, 2017, 03:26:27 PM
Or tweet it!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Leven on August 18, 2017, 05:14:00 PM
My best attempt so far: 841 pts!  :P

This time I had the luck to draw lots of city endings at the beginning of the game so I could build up a valuable farm quite early. Then it was all about joining as many farmers to my barn as I could. In the end I collected half of my score by farming.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Carc-Throat Killa on August 18, 2017, 05:50:55 PM
Well I thought I was a hot shot till I saw the 800+score haha. Well my best attempt yet! 739!!!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Rosco on August 19, 2017, 01:28:19 AM
This has got to be a competition winner !!!

..

....

......

1137!!!

All meeples on the board and only 3 holes.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170819/3f6b76bff9aa8eb160ae9a141ce81aed.jpg)

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk

Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 19, 2017, 01:37:23 AM
Incredible results from everyone!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: yimhj on August 19, 2017, 02:41:55 AM
My first try : 534 pts.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: TheSteveAllen on August 19, 2017, 10:10:33 AM
Not quite up to Rosco's score but a bit better than my first attempt. Score 1092 this time.

Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 19, 2017, 10:12:05 AM
Amazing games!

I've updated the Leader boards for both contests.  Not long left to enter!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 19, 2017, 10:16:47 AM
TheSteveAllen has been kind enough to create a scoring spreadsheet for 'The Abbot's Walk' Contest.

I've added a link to the Clarification post - & you can download it here! (http://tehill.net/carcassonne/fun/gencant2017/AbbotSA2.ods)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: TheSteveAllen on August 19, 2017, 10:22:59 AM
Thanks for the +merit Decar.

Just to clarify how to use the spreadsheet :- Fill in only the Yellow  :yellow-meeple: parts of the spreadsheet with the scores for each tile on the 11 x 6 grid, then put how many meeples you have in each column in the yellow row underneath. Lastly, put the number of gaps that you have in the remaining yellow box.

Any problems, let me know. I am usually somewhere close to the Slack chatroom.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: thodekey on August 19, 2017, 11:10:48 AM
First time I have beaten Leven, so far!  :P
854 whooping points after countless tries...  :o
Just a pity I wasn't able to close that big city in the SE...
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: jungleboy on August 19, 2017, 11:56:38 AM
812 is my best so far.

Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: What If? on August 19, 2017, 03:40:51 PM
847, getting to my goal of 900. Need above 500 for farms, I think.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Carc-Throat Killa on August 19, 2017, 09:55:22 PM
Well I managed to get my High Score up to 759! Now just to find them other 100pts!  >:D
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Leven on August 20, 2017, 06:48:14 AM
965 points! :D
Now I think reaching 1000 is not impossible.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: thodekey on August 20, 2017, 06:54:24 AM
Well I managed to get my High Score up to 759! Now just to find them other 100pts!  >:D

In that case it'll be a tie.  :)
I improved my score twice to 856 en then to 859
No doubt, farming is the key together with luck to first draw lots of tiles in the beginning to make small cities.  When I had 12 or 13 of those cities, I dropped the barn.  In my opinion, then joining to the main farm -while still increasing it with other cities- started being worth it. 

PS: man o man, was that a Carc-overkill for my eyes...  ;)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: thodekey on August 20, 2017, 08:10:07 AM
Man, this is addictive!
879 is my new high-score.  Not even close to Leven's whooping 900+ score but I guess that won't be for me...
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Carc-Throat Killa on August 20, 2017, 12:39:23 PM
My New High Score of 838. Thats gonna be a tough titty to beat! Just never seem to have the chance to squeeze those few extra farmers in there. Squeeze I shall try!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Rosco on August 20, 2017, 02:27:21 PM
hereare the best of my feeble attempts:

I just couldnt get near the likes of Leven.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: dthmtlgod on August 20, 2017, 03:03:05 PM
I think I only got 447 points based on my calcs - a few roads away from a better score

 :black1-meeple:
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 20, 2017, 03:05:32 PM
By no means a terrible score!  Welcome to carcassonne central dthmtlgod. Thanks for taking part in our gencant contest!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: danisthirty on August 20, 2017, 03:24:09 PM
Well, I managed to better my own score but I can't break 800 or even get especially close to it! Clearly everyone else is using voodoo to achieve such high scores, and I can't get involved with that because of my Diabetes :(

I played three games yesterday evening and got 680, then 679, then 679 again.

Today I got 748.

Screenshots attached...

Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Leven on August 20, 2017, 04:01:52 PM
Here's my 2nd best attempt with 909 points.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: jungleboy on August 21, 2017, 12:23:13 AM
900+ is crazy, well done Leven! I've only reached 800 once.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 21, 2017, 12:35:07 AM
Don't give up yet - it's approximately 3.5hours until the entries close and it's midnight Samoa Standard Time  :(y)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: thodekey on August 21, 2017, 01:58:08 AM
I'll throw the towel in the ring for the first place and stick to my 879.   ;)
I had an ultimate try with a nice plan of making a circular chain of cities and placing a barn on the outside of it and a farmer on the inside.  In doing so i would score the cities twice with the full points in the end (x3 for the farmer and x4 for the barn) but in didn't turn out in a 900+ score.  I only had time for one game to try that out but I liked the idea.
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Decar on August 21, 2017, 04:11:23 AM
GenCant2017 - is officially over.

I've updated the Leaderboard,  Thanks to everyone for taking part.  I've be posting up about prizes in a couple of days  :(y)
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: thodekey on August 21, 2017, 07:18:51 AM
A little confused about semantics: because Leven takes both places 1 & 2, am I then the 2nd scoring player or the 3d scoring player?

Anyway, thanks to Decar for another great initiative and challenge.  +1 merit
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: Leven on September 25, 2017, 09:33:45 AM
965 points! :D
Now I think reaching 1000 is not impossible.

It reallly isn't. ;D
After several attempts over 900 points here is my first (and probably last) four-digit score: 1034!
Title: Re: GenCan't SoloCon Competition 2017
Post by: danisthirty on September 25, 2017, 09:54:54 AM
965 points! :D
Now I think reaching 1000 is not impossible.

It reallly isn't. ;D
After several attempts over 900 points here is my first (and probably last) four-digit score: 1034!

Is that all? Seriously? My last game I got over 12,006 and I wasn't even trying. That's just disappointing... :P