Author Topic: Big Boxes  (Read 14402 times)

Offline jungleboy

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Big Boxes
« on: September 11, 2015, 01:36:30 AM »
I'm disappointed these lovely tiles won't be made publicly available in the future since the art is being corrected across the expansions.

I've been thinking about this recently too. I'm considering getting duplicate copies of the base game and some of the main expansions in the old artwork while I still can just in case anything happens to my existing tiles.

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=2069.0

Offline loki

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2015, 06:35:31 AM »
I've been thinking about this recently too. I'm considering getting duplicate copies of the base game and some of the main expansions in the old artwork while I still can just in case anything happens to my existing tiles.

It is a pity that Big Box 5 does not contain Abbey and Mayor then it would have made up what I consider to be the core set of must have Carcassonne.

Offline jungleboy

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2015, 07:55:04 AM »
It is a pity that Big Box 5 does not contain Abbey and Mayor then it would have made up what I consider to be the core set of must have Carcassonne.

I'm just looking up the contents of the various big boxes now. A&M is in Big Box 2 & 3 - the only difference between the two seems to be that 2 has King, Count and Robber and 3 has Bridges, Castles and Bazaars. They both contain the base game, I&C, T&B, P&D and A&M. So overall, I think Big Box 2 is the one that suits me the most, but I imagine it's pretty hard to find these days.

Offline SRBO

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2015, 08:43:51 AM »
It is a pity that Big Box 5 does not contain Abbey and Mayor then it would have made up what I consider to be the core set of must have Carcassonne.

I'm just looking up the contents of the various big boxes now. A&M is in Big Box 2 & 3 - the only difference between the two seems to be that 2 has King, Count and Robber and 3 has Bridges, Castles and Bazaars. They both contain the base game, I&C, T&B, P&D and A&M. So overall, I think Big Box 2 is the one that suits me the most, but I imagine it's pretty hard to find these days.

Somehow i find it strange that there are 5 boxes with more then 60% the same content.

Offline loki

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2015, 08:49:57 AM »
big box 5 is the only one still available from z-man games, they have just re-printed it.

Abbey and Mayor can still be bought here and there and since BB5 has its own river then the river II from the King Count and robber is not quite so essential.

 

Offline jungleboy

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2015, 09:44:09 AM »

Somehow i find it strange that there are 5 boxes with more then 60% the same content.

Looking back now at all five, it is a bit strange. But each big box is meant to 'replace' the previous one, not compliment it, i.e. a customer is only supposed to ever buy one big box. But then they went and put exclusive stuff into BB5 to completely go against that idea.

Offline danisthirty

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2015, 10:06:38 AM »

Somehow i find it strange that there are 5 boxes with more then 60% the same content.

Looking back now at all five, it is a bit strange. But each big box is meant to 'replace' the previous one, not compliment it, i.e. a customer is only supposed to ever buy one big box. But then they went and put exclusive stuff into BB5 to completely go against that idea.

I've always seen the Big Boxes as a good starting point for new players. I've never collected them because I've never really seen the point, but I have a couple of friends who bought BB4 straight after playing Carcassonne for the first time with me, and I'm sure many others have done the same thing with BB5 shortly after discovering Carcassonne too.

I don't know how they choose which expansions go into each box, or whether there's consideration for which expansions work best together (BB5 seems to suggest that there is) but I suppose there has to be a limit somewhere and you can't just pack everything in.

The idea of putting exclusive expansions into Big Boxes is a confusing one, but isn't the official line that it's just a slightly modified version of River 1 that comes with BB5 rather than an actual new expansion? It's only the completionist sickos like us who would consider buying an entire Big Box just for a slightly different set of tiles that we already have! :o

Offline loki

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2015, 10:25:04 AM »

Somehow i find it strange that there are 5 boxes with more then 60% the same content.

Looking back now at all five, it is a bit strange. But each big box is meant to 'replace' the previous one, not compliment it, i.e. a customer is only supposed to ever buy one big box. But then they went and put exclusive stuff into BB5 to completely go against that idea.


hate to be cynical but by this point in time they (HIG / Z-MAN) knew that the game releases had run their course and that creatively the game was at end-of-life and that including the Wheel of Fortune was a last chance way to attract people who already had most the game expansions rather than just new players.   ::)

Offline Paul

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2015, 10:49:44 AM »
It will be interesting to see how they will make the next big box. Kinda running out of proper big hits.

Two ideas comes to mind:
1. Try get a Spielbox big box done with all their expansions
2. Make a spin-off collection with The Ark of the Covenant, Winter Edition, South Seas, Goldmines, Discovery, Hunters'n'Gatherers and New World along with all their expansions. Now this would be a great box for me.  :yellow-meeple:

"I like Big Boxes and I cannot lie..."
World record holder for a single game of Carcassonne using 10 007 tiles!

Offline loki

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2015, 10:57:07 AM »
It's only the completionist sickos like us who would consider buying an entire Big Box just for a slightly different set of tiles that we already have! :o

It sounds like you are trying to shame the obsessive compulsives  -tsk tsk - surely we deserve the same understanding and compassion as all those other people who "have issues"   :-[ :-[

Offline Paul

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2015, 11:03:13 AM »
It's only the completionist sickos like us who would consider buying an entire Big Box just for a slightly different set of tiles that we already have! :o

It sounds like you are trying to shame the obsessive compulsives  -tsk tsk - surely we deserve the same understanding and compassion as all those other people who "have issues"   :-[ :-[

Buying a big box for a few extra tiles is nothing... In a few weeks I'll show you crazy compulsive purchase, and yes, what I have bought so far is nothing compared to what's coming.

 >:D

Offline loki

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2015, 11:11:06 AM »
It's only the completionist sickos like us who would consider buying an entire Big Box just for a slightly different set of tiles that we already have! :o

It sounds like you are trying to shame the obsessive compulsives  -tsk tsk - surely we deserve the same understanding and compassion as all those other people who "have issues"   :-[ :-[

Buying a big box for a few extra tiles is nothing... In a few weeks I'll show you crazy compulsive purchase, and yes, what I have bought so far is nothing compared to what's coming.

 >:D


I have an awful sinking feeling that Paul is going to go all Victor Kiam on us   :'( :'(



Quote from wkipedia

After attending Yale University, the Sorbonne and Harvard Business School, Kiam worked for Lever Brothers and Playtex as a salesperson. He first made his fortune as the President and CEO of Remington Products, which he famously purchased after his wife bought him his first electric shaver. Kiam became famous as the spokesperson for the Remington shaver. Kiam's famous catchphrase, "I liked the shaver so much, I bought the company", made him a household name. He recorded each advertisement in the native language for the country in which it was broadcast. In the UK he became a celebrity appearing on TV chat shows including 'Wogan', 'The Tube' and David Frost's 'Through the Keyhole'.


Offline Hounk

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2015, 01:51:17 PM »
Somehow i find it strange that there are 5 boxes with more then 60% the same content.
I think, this is quite obvious. I&C and T&B are considered the "essential" expansions by most players, and probably also by the distributors. So, they put them in any Big Box.

Offline SRBO

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2015, 01:56:22 PM »
Somehow i find it strange that there are 5 boxes with more then 60% the same content.
I think, this is quite obvious. I&C and T&B are considered the "essential" expansions by most players, and probably also by the distributors. So, they put them in any Big Box.

The best idea is to make multiple BB with total different sets inside it. I&C and T&B are populair, i wont deny it. but it makes the box less attractive for people who already have it.

(Have to admit that i have BB4 and BB5, the only 2 available in the netherlands)

Offline Hounk

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Re: Big Boxes
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2015, 02:02:12 PM »
Sure, but I think, Dan is right. Big Boxes are considered primary as a starting point for new players, and therefore one as replacing the other one. There are also no reprints of old BBs, once a new one comes out. And it worked for me. BB4 was my starting point for Carcassonne, and I did never consider, buying BB5 as well, rather bought the other expansions one by one.


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