Regarding The Abbot, we have an open question with HiG since January about then the abbot is scored when removed...
Back in 2015, Georg Wild indicated that the abbot is scored during
2. Placing a meeple:
This scoring occurs immediately during the 2. Placing a meeple phase when the abbot is removed. This effectively protects the abbot from the dragon and produces a scoring round for Messages. Afterwards, the normal scoring phase occurs. (3/2015)
And this matches the turn sequence in BB6:
However, a discussion back in January led to revisiting this topic and, to our surprise, HiG was presented with this information above but they were commenting that the scoring of the abbot was supposed to happen in
3. Scoring a feature. So we tried to confirm whether you could score your abbot in
3. Scoring a feature even if the dragon has just eaten it... At this point, no answer was obtained.
So we have an Schöndinger abbot situation here: The written rules do not clearly specify the moment the abbot is actually scored when removed, andafter sharing with HiG the BB6 turn sequence and clarifications we have, they haven't been able to clarify this point for several months....
Given this issue, the discussion was also extended to other scoring actions allegedly happening in
2. Placing a meeple: shepherds and their flocks, acrobat pyramids and fruit actions... No answer about the dragon interactions either for the time being...
The available turn sequences in Big Boxes were also presented...
Shephered scoring in BB5 happens in
2. Placing a meeple:
Dragon movement in BB3 happening between
2. Placing a meeple and
3. Scoring a feature:
All this gets intertwined with messages and robbers... but this is another story to be clarified...
So this interelated mess has led to several open issues, since HiG can see that some actions triggered in the phase where they are explained do not match the moment they should be performed:
- The shepherd scoring is explained in
1. Placing a tile, since it is triggered by extending a field with the tile just placed, but the shepherd action takes place in
2. Placing a meeple.
- The abbot removal is explained in
3. Scoring a feature, but as per the other information we have, it should haapen in
2. Placing a meeple.
- The scoring of an acrobat pyramid is explained in
3. Scoring a feature, but it should happen in
2. Placing a meeple as an alternative to placing a figure.
- The fruit actions are explained in
2. Placing a meeple, where it is assumed to happen (the only correct case).
So far the open discussion served for HiG to realize the dragon movement as explained in Exp. 3 was mistaken... Step 1b in the rules should be Step 2b...
Another open issue: the ringmaster bonus... Nobody understood correctly the written rules about the interactions with other expansions...
HiG commented they will have to update the rules in some expansions, but they didn't confirm what they have in mind. We also offered our help in the process but no answer yet either.
All in all, it seems that the guys at HiG are not on the same page with the rules they publish, and they also have little knowledge about the clarifications they shared a few years ago... A real pity!