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Topics - SxN

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1
General / Little find
« on: February 10, 2023, 05:12:31 PM »
Found this board games website:

boardgames.com

However, do not try to use it in this "raw" form; for some mysterious reason it will redirect you to amazon.com. Instead, click here:

https://boardgames.com/browse

Almost all the games that I found here are also in BGG. However, searching is different: in BGG, the search is done against the game's name. Here, it is done against the game's description.

I performed a search for, yes, you guessed it, Carcassonne. The results included the HiG games, official expansions, many fan expansions, including "The Constable" (Il Constabile), in original Italian and with a decent English translation (but not the best). I haven't seen this expansion anywhere else.

I also got to know many Carcassonne-inspired games. Kar-kas-onn is one such game for which I'm in contact with the author; perhaps will present it here at a later date.

There will be some references to Carcassonne that have nothing to do with this game, but not many. I think it is worth paying a visit, then cross-referencing with BGG.

2
General / On etsy
« on: January 15, 2023, 07:31:55 PM »
Stumbled over this posting:URL-REMOVED. I believe this violates HiG's rules (same for the sale of another, accessible from the same location)

3
General / Looking for fake tiles
« on: May 06, 2022, 06:40:24 PM »
I'm having a conversation with KlausiMausi on CarcF. Does anyone know about "fake tiles" by Novelty? If so, can you point us the right way?

Thanks!

5
General / New uses of the Travel Edition
« on: February 26, 2022, 07:13:41 AM »
From the makers of Carcassonne came in 2007 Travel Carcassonne: a miniaturized version of the basic game in C1 graphics. For comparison, the regular tiles are sized at 45 x 45 mm; the travel edition at 35 x 35 mm. Regular followers are about 16 mm tall and 16 mm wide; the mini-meeples are reduced to 12 x 12 mm.

In 2012 there was a reprint of the game, however, officially there were no expansions made for this edition. Fans took it on themselves to "miniaturize" several expansions an augment the Travel Edition: https://boardgamer.ru/forum/index.php?topic=5565.0.

This edition is probably played less than the original one, and rightly so: most of us spend the majority of the year in their home town and travel only occasionally. But the game is there all the time... so Carcassonne enthusiasts have come with ways of integrating the mini-meeples (minis from now on) in the regular game.

I found 13 variants/expansions, some of them presented rather as an idea, a what-if, while others as finished and quite elaborate expansions.

In this posting I will focus only on the use of minis, although some expansions may have more elements. I will include the source as well, maybe you'll want to try the variant.

In English alphabetical order, here they are:

1. Apprentice
Authors/Contributors: Scott V
Published on: BGG
Number of minis introduced: up to 100 tiles, 1. Up to 200 tiles, 2. And so on...
Gameplay
    Tile placement: usual way
    Mini deployment: deploy on free feature, occupying it.
    In-game scoring: alone, cannot score (see cloister below), otherwise has the strength of 0.5 meeple.
                                On cloister it is a Novice and scores alone, 5 points
    Extra Step: Can return in owner's hand at end of turn, even from City of Carcassonne
    Final scoring: A Novice gets half the points rounded down
Interactions
    Count, King & Robber: Can visit the City of Carcassonne
    Traders & Builders: A Pig or Builder of same colour may be placed on a feature with a lone Apprentice
    Princess & Dragon: Can be eaten by the dragon.
                                    Can be protected by Fairy
                                    Can be seduced by Princess
                                    Can use a Magic Portal
    Tower: Towers can capture Apprentices. The prisoner exchange is the same, but the optional ransom is 2 points instead of 3
                Cannot be used to "cap" towers
    Abbey & Mayor: In a city without pennants, a Mayor and an Apprentice of same colour count as a Knight
    Phantom: A Phantom cannot be placed in the same time with an Apprentice
    Wheel of Fortune: Cannot ride the Wheel of Fortune
    Gingerbread Man: Cannot get points from Gingerbread Man
    The Plague: Can die of Plague
    Crop Circles: Can use a Crop Circle

2. Apprentices
Authors/Contributors: crasher
Published on: BGG
Number of minis introduced: number of players
Gameplay
    Tile placement: usual way
    Mini deployment: Deploy on features where you already have meeples, but no mini
    In-game scoring: By themselves, 0 strength. If the others are in tie, minis number may break the tie
Interactions
    Count, King & Robber: Cannot visit the City of Carcassonne
    Princess & Dragon: Can be eaten by the dragon.
                                    If the last Knight of a player is removed from a city by a Princess, all Apprentices on that city are then returned as well.
                                    Cannot use the Magic Gate
    Tower: Cannot be taken prisoner by towers
                Cannot be used to "cap" towers
    Cathars: A player may use an adjacent cloister to affect the escape of a Squire in a besieged city

3. Baby Boom
Authors/Contributors: Dave
Published on: CarC
Number of minis introduced: Start with none, can add one: once in game, if you won a city with two meeples, may give up the points and get the mini
Gameplay
    Tile placement: Usual way
    Mini deployment: When available, play like regular meeple
    In-game scoring: Score like regular meeple
    Final scoring: Score like regular meeple

4. Carcassong of Ice and Fire
Authors/Contributors: Fritz_Spinne
Published on: CarF
Number of minis introduced: 1
Other relevant new material: 8 strength tokens
                                                 1 Princess meeple
Gameplay
    Tile placement: Standard rules are augmented
    Mini deployment: Deploy the usual way
    In-game scoring: Current strength is marked by token. Starts from 0.5 and grows by 0.5 with every city the halfling helped win.
                                In capital, strength increases by 0.5

Interactions
    Traders & Builders: The Builder can be used on a street or city that has only one child
    Princess & Dragon: Cannot be seduced by Princess (on tile or meeple)

5. Dwarves in Mines
Authors/Contributors: kettlefish
Published on: CarF
Number of minis introduced: 1
Gameplay
    Extra Step: Miner receives one ore unit, then moves to next mining area
    Tile placement: Usual way
    Mini deployment: Deploy as regular meeple or in mine
    Extra Step: If scoring meeple lands on dark field, can place miner. If miner is already placed, return miner to hand.

6. Family Planning
Authors/Contributors: Fritz_Spinne
Published on: CarF
Number of minis introduced: 4-5 on the side, depending on expansions and other meeple distribution. The rules are more specific
Gameplay
    Extra Step: A childless married couple gets a child on the feature. Farmers' child can stay as Farmer or go in player's supply.
    Tile placement: Usual way. If connecting a lonely child to a “free” adult, education begins and adult is now “busy” (one pupil per adult)
    Mini deployment: Deploy the usual way
    In-game scoring: Alone, strength 0. Beside an adult, 0.5.
    Extra Step: If scoring in a closed feature and adults are available, child is replaced by adult, otherwise returns in player's supply
Interactions
    Count, King & Robber: Cannot visit the City of Carcassonne
    Traders & Builders: The Builder cannot be used on a street or city that has only one child
    Princess & Dragon: Can be eaten by the dragon.
                                    Can be protected by Fairy
                                    Can be seduced by Princess
                                    Can use magic portal
    Tower: Can be removed by Tower, but return in player's supply
                Cannot be used to "cap" towers
    Wheel of Fortune: Cannot ride the Wheel of Fortune and is not affected by it
    The Plague: Cannot die of Plague
    Crop Circles: Can use a Crop Circle
    Flying Machines: Can be used as flier. If landing beside a “free” adult, education begins
    Catapult: The Seduce token replaces a child with child
    Bridges, Castles & Bazaars: Small towns with only one child cannot be converted into a Castle
    Gold Mines: Alone or not, is involved in the distribution of the gold pieces
    Mage & Witch: Closing a feature with a lonely child and a Mage gives the bonus points (but not the base ones)
    In the stocks (Jonathan Warren): cannot be pillored
    The Gallows (Jonathan Warren): cannot be hanged
    Carcassonne Prison (Kevin Graham): escape capture and return to player's supply.
    Jousting Tournament (Jonathan Warren): do not take part in the knight tournament
    Archery Tournament (Scott): can participate in the archery tournament
    Farmer in the Dell (Carcking): If a meadow is counted as a farm in the valley, a child can finish their training.
    The Kids are Growing Up (Patrik Wikström): The children are growing up differently in this expansion. You can also take over the rule for having children from this family planning extension.
                                                                            It is then recommended that the children who have grown up be taken out of the game and not put aside.

7. Follo-wee
Authors/Contributors: Dennison Milenkaya
                                      James Searles
Published on: BGG
Number of minis introduced: 2 + # of players
Gameplay
    Tile placement: Usual way.
    Mini deployment: Deploy on any feature on any tile if that feature segment is free. Cannot deploy on farm or cloister
    In-game scoring: When the feature is closed, the player with the majority scores as usual minus the segment occupied by an opponent Follo-wee
    Extra Step: After scoring, do not return in hand (get out of game)
Interactions
    Traders & Builders: Commodity is not awarded if Follo-wee on it
    Inns & Cathedrals: Inn or Cathedral occupied by Follo-wee is cancelled (in game and end of game)

8. Inns and Stables Owners
Authors/Contributors: ShadowP68
Published on: CarC
Needed expansion: Inns & Cathedrals
Number of minis introduced: 4
Gameplay
    Tile placement: Usual way.
    In-game scoring: Points for Inn, bonus for road.
                                Points for completed Stable, bonus for livestock.
    Extra Step: Can deploy an Inn or Stable Owner on the freshly placed tile (second wood move)
    Final scoring: Unfinished structures do not award extension's points

9. Minimeeple use
Authors/Contributors: Kolja Geldmacher
                                      The Apostle Green
Published on: BGG
Number of minis introduced: 4, replace one regular meeple
Gameplay
    Tile placement: Usual way.
    Mini deployment: Deploy on a free feature, or one populated only by minis; or deploy on occupied feature, but cannot have more than two if non-minis are already present
    In-game scoring: 3 minis are needed to count as one regular, otherwise they count as 0 and cannot score

10. Pied Piper
Authors/Contributors: Quevy
Published on: CarC
Number of minis introduced: 2, replace 2 regular meeples
Gameplay
    Extra Step: Pied Piper move triggered by rat. If encountering a child, either pay 2 points, or return child to inventory
    Tile placement: Usual way.
    Mini deployment: Deploy and use like regular meeple
    In-game scoring: Strength 0.5

11. Temptress
Authors/Contributors: Roscoe
Published on: CarC
Number of minis introduced: 1
Gameplay
    Tile placement: Usual way.
    Mini deployment: Deploy on a tile directly adjacent orthogonally, and on the same feature as a normal meeple of the same colour
    In-game scoring: Strength 0.5
    Final scoring: Strength 0.5

12. The Kids Are Growing Up
Authors/Contributors: Patrik Wikström
Published on: CarC
Number of minis introduced: 2, replace initially 2 regular meeples
Gameplay
    Tile placement: Usual way.
    Mini deployment: Deploy on feature where you already have regular meeple. Cannot be placed on farm or cloister
    In-game scoring: By themselves, 0 strength. If the others are in tie, minis number may break the tie. The majority owner gets 1 bonus point per tile for one child, 3 points for both in the
                                same closed structure.
    Extra Step: For player who scored the feature, children freshly returned can be exchanged for adults (the children are removed from game)
    Final scoring: Unfinished structures do not award extension's points
Interactions
    Count, King & Robber: Cannot visit the City of Carcassonne
    Princess & Dragon: Cannot be eaten by dragon, but, if left orphan due to dragon, returns in player's supply.
                                    Can be protected by Fairy
    Tower: Can be removed by Tower, but return in player's supply. If left orphan due to Tower, returns in player's supply
    Carcassonne Prison (Kevin Graham): Cannot be taken prisoner
    Jousting Tournament (Jonathan Warren): do not take part in the knight tournament

13. Wishing Well
Authors/Contributors: Novelty
Published on: CarC
Recommended expansion: Wells
Number of minis introduced: 2 if played by itself
                                                  6 if combined with Inns and Stables Owners
                                                  Revised rule if combined with The Kids Are Growing Up
Gameplay
    Tile placement: Usual way.
    Mini deployment: If tile has well on road, can deploy well-wisher
    Extra Step: After road completion can make a wish, which leads to another action.
    Final scoring: If alone on the road, scores the road; 0 otherwise

Aside of Baby Boom, which employs a mini as a joke (but would be served visually better by a normal meeple), all expansions have a role for they newly introduced characters. Unfortunately, there is no consistency in how the new characters should be played, each author having their reasons to proceed the way they do. In one expansion, the mini can be deployed independently, in another one cannot. In one expansions, the Dragon can eat the mini, in another one cannot. In one, it can visit the City, in another one cannot. Even how they score varies.

For an easy comparison, I'm attaching a worksheet with the expansions placed side-by-side.

There are common themes: authors are looking to not overwhelm the game with characters, so usually they limit the number of minis introduced, or replace regulars for minis. When scoring, generally, minis have strength 0 (but can decide a tie of the regulars), or 0.5.

Would it be possible to play a mega game with all these expansions? In my opinion yes, but with difficulty. As different minis behave differently, they would need a distinct mark of a sort - perhaps their belt can be shaped such as to suggest which expansion they belong to. This aspect only would slow down the game, as players may need to check a mini "identity" and the rules, before deciding of their next move.

But, let's assume a group of three very decided players will accept the challenge. Here is how the meeple startup would look like:

RegularsMinis
Basic Carcassonne70
Apprentice73    (assuming somewhere between 300 and 400 map tiles)
Apprentices73+3= 6 (three players)
Baby Boom76+1= 7 (the one may be introduced later, or never played)
Carcasong of Ice and Fire77+1= 8 (note that the regulars side is more complicated)
Dwarfs in Mines78+1= 9
Family Planning79+4=13 (conservative option)
Folo-wee73+5=18 (two + three players)
Inns and Stable Owners718+4=22
Minimeeple use7-1=622+4=26
Pied Piper6-2=426+2=28
Temptress428+1=29
The Kids are Growing Up4-2=229+2=31 (the two regulars are kept around to replace two minis)
Wishing Wells231+3=33

Even considering the Baby Boom mini as a later addition to the game, there is a real inflation of minis, as the player will start with 32 in their inventory. Meanwhile, the regulars are reduced from 7 to 2, with the hope of reintroducing two when kids manage to grow up, and getting a mini with full functions as the offspring of baby boomers. With Family Planning, up to 4 more regulars can replace minis, bringing their total to 9, above the usual game.

Let's go one step further and ask: can such a game be even played? With Apprentices, The Kids Are Growing Up and Temptress, a mini can be deployed only beside a regular. As it is very difficult to deploy kids and grow them up to get regulars, this is already a huge handicap.

Meanwhile, of the minis that can be deployed autonomously, 6 kinds don't score by themselves (1 can get help from a Mayor), 1 kind has to team up to three of their number, while five of 1 kind are single-time use and frustrate scoring (small frustration, but still). The recovery of regulars would be very slow, perhaps even with 300 to 400 tiles won't be enough time to get them and play them and the final scores will be significantly reduced.

Is it worth even trying, then, such a game? Depends on everyone's taste, but I'd say probably not, the game straying too much from the original Carcassonne. However, you may want to vary your usual game with a couple of those variants.

Happy playing!

6
General / Translations
« on: May 20, 2021, 03:55:02 PM »
I think I need a bit of direction of how this forum feels about translating material from elsewhere. There are several aspects that I have in mind:
- do we need the author's permission? What if the author is unknown or impossible to reach? I'm in favour of doing reasonable attempts to contact the author, but if that fails, the document is in public domain, it just happen to be in a language other than English, so, I'll go for it
- will the translation be formatted to this forum's template, or it should preserve the original form of presentation? I'm in favour of preserving the original presentation
- how about wording? Is it preferred to capture the original idea only, or verbiage too? What I have in mind is points of ambiguity in the original which may be easy to clarify with the 20x20 hindsight, interactions with newer expansions, as well as the turn of phrase, which I find in some rules to be more like a legal contract and less like a set of rules meant for fun and entertainment. I'm in favour of clarifying what was not clear, updating interactions as much as possible, and be precise, but light (I know, the two sometimes do clash)

So, what do you think?

7
Unofficial Rules / City Council - Veto
« on: May 04, 2021, 09:06:05 AM »
I'm guessing the City Council expansion was proposed, discussed and finalised on the old forum. Here, I searched, but did not find much.

It is stated in rules that the Veto tile cannot close a feature. But... the tile can be surrounded completely by city tiles, becoming an integral part of the city. Is such a city complete then? The rules are specifically mentioning the city wall only.

8
Official Rules / Errare humanum est
« on: April 13, 2021, 07:36:22 PM »
Hi All,

Here is the scenario: player places a tile in a wrong way (one of the edges does not match its neighbour). Nobody notices: too many bridges, big meeples, barns, the fairy... plus all the conversations and laughter and food and drinks... you know what I mean.The game goes on, perhaps features are scored with the wrong tile.

Later, someone sees the mistake - same player or another one, doesn't matter. What is the right approach?

9
General / Lost expansions?
« on: April 06, 2021, 03:12:48 PM »
Hi All,

Does anyone know what happened to the Donjon?

http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=4613.msg68343#msg68343

Also, same question about Carcassone (sic) Communis:

http://carcassonnecentral.com/forum/index.php?topic=2269.0

Thanks,
SxN

10
Unofficial Rules / King's Passing
« on: February 28, 2021, 08:40:12 AM »
I think I need help understanding how this expansion should be played. As I get it from JPutt's rules, each player sets aside one meeple in a competition to inherit the throne of an ailing king. As the game evolves, it is possible to lose more meeples in this endeavour, depending on what's written in the cards, so to speak. Not clear to me what happens if there are no meeples in stock, as they are on the map: does the player give up a feature to help the king?

After a player reaches step seven on the additional tracking board, the game ends? I mean, the main Carcassonne game? What about being the new king?

Thanks, SxN

11
General / Seas and Oceans
« on: February 20, 2021, 06:10:55 PM »
Based on what I learnt so far, there are three "families" of seas and oceans:

Family 1:The Ocean (Skipboris) - a huge group including
 - The Ocean
 - Men of the Sea
 - Turbulent Waters
 - Deltas
 - Buried Treasures
 - potentially one more component, alluded to, but not named in the rules version I have

Family 2: Even bigger one (Squiffything, Wolnic, Oldbonz)
 - The Coast starts one main branch
   - The Coast: Catch of the Day
   - The Coast: Cities by the Sea
   - The Coast: Coastal Forests
   - by style, I'm guessing Coastal Bridges belongs here too (Wolnic, is this yours?)
 - Sailing the Seas starts the second branch
   - Sailing the Seas: Reefs
   - Sailing the Seas: Trade Routes
 - Masters of the Ocean starts the third branch
   - Masters of the Ocean: 3 Barons
  - by style and French name, I think Monastère Océanique (Sea Monastery) belongs here as well (Oldbonz?)
  - again, judging by style and language, I think Portailes (Gates) belongs here too (Oldbonz?)

Family 3: (Hawkinssable)
  - Pirate Coast

Moreover, I found the attached image, which seems to be out of the first family, The Ocean (but not sure).

1. Am I missing any expansion with the Sea/Ocean theme? Would you know if Skipboris published some other component(s)?
2. Am I attributing properly and placing in the right family the expansions I'm guessing?
3. Does anyone know anything more about the land/sea interface attached?

Thanks, SxN

12
General / First I thought it's a joke...
« on: February 14, 2021, 07:59:38 PM »
... but no, El Caganer (The Pooper) is a real tradition. Google it, it's a worth little research.

Meanwhile, the Carcassonne connection: https://carcassonnepiezadeinicio.blogspot.com/2015/12/noticion-devir-apuesta-por-la-expansion.html

13
General / Little gem on BGG
« on: February 14, 2021, 06:06:55 PM »
Maybe veteran players know of this; for me it is a nice discovery:

https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/114286/carcassonne-score-track-and-starting-board#

Perhaps a bit difficult to reach with a large game...

14
Official Rules / The Princess and The Dragon
« on: February 09, 2021, 04:31:49 AM »
Reviewing the rules captured on Wiki, I noticed the followings:

<C1 only>
- If a player draws a tile with a princess, it may be placed according to the usual rules.
Shouldn't that be rather a "must"? I don't think it is optional.

- When a tile with a volcano is placed, the player may deploy:
I think it's intended like this: "When a tile with a volcano is placed, the player may deploy the following figures to the tile:". Would also be consistent with the section following.

<C1 only>
- A follower to the (The Wheel of Fortune)
The C2 version is clearer: A meeple to the Wheel of Fortune (The Wheel of Fortune)

Finally, thanks to magic portals, more than one follower may end up on the same tile, albeit on different features. Imagine a tile with two road segments ending in a cloister and surrounded by two fields. Blue may have a claim on one road segment, Green on the other, Red on the cloister, Black as farmer on one field, Yellow on the other field. Quite a busy place, but possible, as I understand the rules. If now Blue decides to bring the Fairy to this party, then:
- the +1 point bonus applies to all the players for as long as at the beginning of their turn the Fairy is on that tile, regardless who placed her
- protection from the Dragon applies to all players, as the Dragon is prevented by Fairy to step on that tile
- the +3 bonus at feature closing applies to whoever closed the feature thanks to Fairy proximity. However, the Fairy is leaving the tile and follows only Blue when closing their road

Well, such an approach would be inconsistent with the one described for The Flier. Then again, it would be consistent with the exception noted there:

The Flier (Flying Machines): Only one follower can be "next to" (or connected to) the fairy. Thus, only one follower will receive points from the fairy. Even if another follower is placed in the same feature on the same tile (as with the Flying Machines), this would not be considered "next to" the fairy. Landing a follower on an acrobat pyramid would be the exception to this rule.

So, what's the right way for portals?

15
General / Curious about old expansions and variations
« on: February 04, 2021, 10:50:17 AM »
Hello,

The old CarC site has a post mentioning several variations and expansions: http://carcassonnecentral.com/forum/index.php?topic=737.0.

Most of the links there (or subsequent ones) seem to be broken. Does anyone have access to these expansions and variation rules? If so, would it be possible to share them?

Thanks, SxN

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