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Messages - unclewill
31
« on: November 06, 2021, 10:23:02 AM »
Ah that timer cube looks great! What a smart idea. Have you played a timed Carcassonne game with it?
32
« on: November 06, 2021, 03:52:02 AM »
I received an unexpected big surprise a couple of days ago thanks to @KlausiMausi! I cannot explain my joy when I opened his letter and found this inside... 
Ha, well done @KlausiMausi, those are awesome! Love it. +1
33
« on: October 28, 2021, 02:06:01 AM »
Thank you both for your further comments. They are very helpful and really emphasise the point that when undertaking your analysis of the game, you would do well to remember that you are analysing it from your own perspective, with your biases, based on your experience and your personality.
I would do well to try to frame my analysis (and description of it) as “if I were Red I would be trying to…” rather than as a definitive “Red should do this…” as a reminder that someone else is unlikely to see it in exactly the same way. The implied follow on is “Why has Red done that? What have I not seen? Do I concur?”
It sounds like there is a life lesson in there too! Thanks again.
34
« on: October 26, 2021, 09:31:16 AM »
We talked about getting an egg timer and when someone decided the player needed some encouragement to decide, they could flip it over.
For a 2 player game we also talked about using a chess clock. Has anyone tried this? Is it used in any competitions?
35
« on: October 26, 2021, 04:46:09 AM »
Building a city from B is a nice enough option, but I'm not entirely comfortable with leaving my attempt to join the city open to being blocked as there are 3 x cfcf (split cities) + 2 x cfcf (single city) + 3 x cfff = 8 tiles left that would kill it. Maybe I could defend the attempt to join on a subsequent turn or hope that maybe Yellow (or perhaps Green?) will defend it for us, but I prefer not to leave it to chance...
One of the great things about games is that within a common set of rules, people see different things in a situation and different opportunities/ options to follow from it. As someone who hasn't been playing Carcassonne for that long I can't see who would gain from blocking the city in this way and would like to understand the rationale from a more experienced perspective. As the game currently stands, Yellow and Black would (in my opinion) waste one of their tile placements to lock up one of their own meeples for the rest of the game for a single point so they aren’t likely to. Red would be better served using a future CFFF, CFCF splitter (in particular) or connector at either of the other open edges (1, 0) or (-1,-1) to limit Green/ Black/ Yellow invasion opportunities and/ or help close the city. Green would similarly be using a placement to ensure their own monastery doesn’t complete, but would gain in relative terms against Black and Yellow and could limit Red. Instead, Green could place any of the mentioned tiles at (-1,-2) in a future attempt to invade the city which would also help their own monastery too. Like I say, that is just my interpretation and it isn't based on a long playing history against a wide variety of opponents.
36
« on: October 26, 2021, 01:09:12 AM »
I guess it is always a concern that what looks legitimate ends up not being so, but in this case I think (hope) it is a case of auctions starting low because the seller expects they will get interest and go high. The seller has Spiel 14 and Spiel 18 tiles as well. The Spiel 14 looks a bit beaten up though: https://www.ebay.de/itm/144262133229?hash=item2196b175ed:g:Sg4AAOSwWFxhdqnw
37
« on: October 21, 2021, 11:22:08 AM »
I like B. A nice proto-city that helps no one else. If I was playing Black I would be anticipating my other meeple was going to get trapped and play accordingly.
If Black or Yellow can close that hole between them they likely will. Red might not depending on what else has happened to the city, how likely it is to complete and for how many points. It might end up being better for Red to solely score an incomplete city rather than share with everyone but Green and accept that all 4 players are down a meeple. Green is likely to in hope of completing the monastery but may end up giving everyone else more points than they get.
A nice little scenario kothmann, thanks.
And thanks to the JCZ team who have given so much time to developing such an awesome tool!
38
« on: October 10, 2021, 10:56:52 AM »
Welcome to the forum Schwebels and congratulations on your great beginning with C1! You've got some hard to find sets right from the start. I used to think I'd go mad with C1 and C2 mixed on the table but actually it wasn't a big deal when we tried it. Sure, the cities can look a bit strange sometimes but if it means you can play the game how you want with the expansions/ rules that you like together then who cares! Are you/ your group more into cooperative or competitive play? Is it nice and friendly or no-holds-barred? 
39
« on: October 06, 2021, 08:10:08 AM »
The personality of the players is important here. If Yellow and Black know they can absolutely trust one another to cooperate for mutual benefit, it is very dangerous for Red and Grey. In my experience, any non-aggression pact between them will likely get forgotten at the earliest opportunity by Yellow or Black trying to gain supremacy and swift closure. Either way, points ‘in the bank’ or on the board for Red count against everyone. Red will still need to overhaul that 2 x 18 or 1 x 20 to win. I set up this situation hoping that option A might be compelling. I've been exploring some advice that @danisthirty gave as part of tip #3 in his 4-player strategy post: basically, you can place your CCCx tiles with no expectation of completion, as long as they are placed to be easy to expand and difficult to invade. It can be worth one meeple to have a place to put your city tiles that can't go anywhere else. And maybe you'll end up completing it, but it is okay if you don't. At least that's what I think he said. So, that's why I like option A--opponents are busy elsewhere, so hopefully it is easy for Red to just add some more tiles and end up with useful points at the end?
I'm going to self-play this in JCZ and see if I change my mind. Hopefully I will also find an interesting question that arises as after Red plays the group consensus of Option E. Stay tuned for week 06...
Option A does have merit, but for me the current state of play requires Red to either claim a farm invasion opportunity (to secure the likely big farm) or ensure the big city scores for them whether completed or not and whoever else is involved. I’d be interested to hear how the play through turns out. JCZ rocks.
40
« on: October 06, 2021, 01:31:56 AM »
Ooh, this is a tricky one. A/ B don’t offer as much as other options. C/ D/ F immediately set up reliance on a tile with three sides already defined so are difficult to fill and easy to block for little reward. G helps two opponents too much. @Bumsakalaka’s alternative 'H1?' of adding to Grey's city at (FCCC -2,-2) is better or my 'H2' preference (CFCC -1,-3) if I am interested in securing the farm. H2 seems easier to tie into the field at (0,-3) with any RXXF tile. But while I want lots of little cities if I can hold the field, Black and Grey can easily invade for a share, and the big city is something I should be part of to avoid Black and Yellow getting away from me. So, option E or H2? My awareness of the personality of my opponents might decide it in a real game but I will say E. It isn't intuitively my first choice but if it makes the other players work hard to finish it to my shared benefit I am happy with that and there are potentially a lot of points on offer. I like Option E because sharing is caring
Like he said.
41
« on: September 28, 2021, 04:48:12 AM »
I think there is another variation worth mentioning: the tile is placed like Option F (-1,-4) but with a farmer on left-hand field.
Like E and H this still requires a single tile to connect into B’s farm, but the long unclaimed road may be enough to entice B to connect it.
Both E and J are more vulnerable to a blocking move than H.
I am not saying this I think this is the best, but it is certainly one I have considered over others.
----
Y needs to gain points against everyone and dominating a second farm seems the best route to me.
Y should leave R to worry about ensuring the farms can’t connect and to sacrifice a turn to achieve it, but options ABCD ensure this can’t connect and only Y will try to connect into B’s or G’s farm afterwards.
For this reason, I prefer EHJ. E & J have a more vulnerable connection (easier to limit/ surround) than H which I think is the safest bet.
Whichever is chosen, the other invasion locations will still be available and are getting more desirable as the farm war develops. Y needs to get in while there are options to achieve dominance.
With all that in mind, I think I would choose H but it is a close call.
42
« on: September 21, 2021, 01:59:38 AM »
Well. I'm thinking about Option E on [-3;-1] to join roads and place meeple to field.
This will join fields with cities into big one field.
Not sure if this option is the best, but it is missing in possible placements which can affect gray player
Hi Bumsakalaka, do you mean complete the loop road at (-2,-1)? There is a newly placed Black farmer at (-1,-2) that you might not have spotted. This tile would connect to Black's existing field so Grey's only placement option would be into the new city, and it would also score the road for Red and Black and return their meeples. My apologies if I have misinterpreted anything. To me it is decision between A and B, and I choose B. A gives you two nice mid sized cities, but neither of them might close and it ties up two meeples. If neither completes, as it stands that is only 7 points for two meeples which isn't great. B scores a 12 point city (that Red obviously also shares) and returns your meeple. The farmer claims what is already a reasonable field (6 points, maybe 9) and there is still a decent chance of connecting into Black's field at (-2,-1). Depending on how things develop and where cities get completed, it might be better for Grey to try to keep Black out, or to try to connect and dominate. It is a big gain for Red (12 points for only 1 tile and 1 meeple) but better for Grey. C gives Grey and Red the 12 points and claims a road but Grey loses out on the field and with two cities already completed it would be a tempting target for the other players. This is fun. Thanks again kothmann.
43
« on: September 20, 2021, 04:39:25 AM »
I really appreciate the assistance with this, and thank you to those who sent generous offers of help via PM. It is very touching to see such a strong sense of community on here.
Thankfully the seller changed their mind and agreed to send out of Germany. There are now a few treats ‘in transit’ somewhere in Europe on their way to their new, loving home. Woohoo!
44
« on: September 14, 2021, 01:49:28 PM »
There is a package of shiny Carcassonne items that I would love to buy, but the seller won't send out of Germany.
Would someone be prepared to receive it for me then send it on to France (most likely) or possibly the UK? I'll pay costs obviously.
I know it is a hassle and am prepared to do something nice in return. My collection and I will both be in your debt!
Cheers, Will
45
« on: September 14, 2021, 09:52:08 AM »
My intention was that on the 5th turn, Black placed the RRRR tile at [ 2; 1] and scored two points for the completed road on the south edge. That was the clear favorite play in the Week 01 poll.
We are playing against the Carcassonne Collective. I like it!
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