Mega Game and Tile Organization

[Meles]

Well some one offered me the limited edition (C1) for free thanks to this thread (and free shipping which I refused and paid.) Technically limited edition just comes with the first two big box expansions everyone recommends plus River I, but it also came with the following from the donor:
1. A bigger box, that is about half the 17 inch width of the regular big box.
2. Carcassonne: Expansion 3 – The Princess & The Dragon
3. Carcassonne: Expansion 4 – The Tower (and I did get the Tower which I wanted plus the blue Carcassonne bag.)
4. Carcassonne: Expansion 5 – Abbey & Mayor
5. Carcassonne: The River II
6. Carcassonne: The Messengers
7. Carcassonne: The Count of Carcassonne (the later Cundco start tile, but I'm looking for count meeple suggestions as I don't have that. )
8. Carcassonne: Das Labyrinth tile
9. FFFF pig farm tile from Carcassonne: GQ Promo Tiles
10. The start tile from Wind Roses (some prefer it to the usual start tile).
11. King and Robber
12. jar of 1940’s french coins to use instead of the scoring tiles (50 points per coin)
13. 6 bridges and castles from Expansion #8.

(I have more details over at BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3064270/favoritebestrecommended-carcassone-editions-plus-e/page/2 which also has links to my geeklist with further details for those interested in the logic behind items 9-13. )

I am feeling the Carcassonne love for sure, but my head may be spinning even more. Areas of inquiry:
1. I've asked over at BGG about rounding out this C1 set a touch as it of course might be used for some non-Mega game play in its own right and with all the expansions it has me in a bit of a quandry on how to proceed. (I also have some unfinished business with Miniature Market in USA and might be able to get a tremendous deal on C3 big box and probably limited edition, but the clock is ticking. )

2. This set has over 170 tiles. I'm guessing that it will take 30 seconds per tile for the Mega Game so this mini set would play in under 90 minutes. I'm thinking for play time that my limit might be around 400 tiles (three hours and 20 minutes), so 500 tiles probably my upper limit.

3. I am strongly considering East and West USA maps which combine for a bigger map and readily available at BGG shop with cheap shipping plus the GQ promos.

4. I am interested in the expansions Hills and Sheep plus Under the Big Top

5. I'm not totally sure when the Carcassonne musical chairs will stop and I fear the game might be abandoned before C3 gets fully reprinted.

[Decar]

I hope you enjoy your games. I would recommend adding some of the smaller mini expansions to change the core game strategy. A lot of the C2 ones have been alright, I see you have some of the C1 one already.

[Scott]

I see on your BGG shopping list that you're looking for Phantoms. MeepleSource has you covered: https://meeplesource.com/proddetail.php?prod=AcrylicMeepleSampler

You can order an original Count figure here: https://cundco.de/en/spare-parts/11/wooden/plastic-pieces?c=38#044216af289238b96851d7fa916cf70c
OR
You can order the six-piece upgrade set from MeepleSource: https://meeplesource.com/proddetail.php?prod=CarcassonneCharacters

We have a whole collection of ways to spend money on upgrades and accessories: https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/Accessories_and_Gadgets

Don't worry about Carcassonne getting abandoned, at least not by the German publisher. Carcassonne is a very big brand for Hans im Gluck. Asmodee (Z-Man Games) is the one who doesn't care because they have a very large distribution catalog, meaning that Carcassonne represents only a fraction of their total sales figures. Hans im Gluck intends to release all the major expansions (except Catapult) in C3 when they finish selling the remaining C2 inventory. I've heard the same from my contact at Asmodee.

[Meles]

I hope you enjoy your games. I would recommend adding some of the smaller mini expansions to change the core game strategy. A lot of the C2 ones have been alright, I see you have some of the C1 one already.

I just was looking at Hills and Sheep and that goes for a pretty penny in first edition so that will be a no.

I've been eyeballing GQ Promos in the Board Game Geek Shop. What do you thing of the Eastern and Western USA map combined for mega play plus the map chips? And this place has BGG promos at a discounted price and with free shipping:
https://www.soccerfieldequipmentshop.com/?product_cat=&s=carcassonne&post_type=product
(Anyone used them before?  ....very weird/suspicious looking)

For GQ promos Scott pointed out for "GQ promo ... the main attraction was the river spring tile with the road, because it helped break up the farms better. The 20th Anniversary river also has a new spring tile, which... achieves the same thing..." and over on BGG " The only good tiles might be the new spring, for breaking the farm, and the pig-herd." I already have the pig herd/farm tile. And here is the 20th anniversary spring:

I'm not very experienced, but this appears to split the farm into three instead of two. I'm no river connoisseur, but this seems different and the wikicarpedia entry on the rules seems quite lacking as it does not even cover C1 as best as I can tell. (Is there a definitive reference on this?) So I guess GQ promo still has a distinctive river tile.

I'm going to peruse the rest, but it is going to be a hard pill to swallow to pay for a promo what I paid for all of the above. I may just have to lay in wait and maybe a group of promos might come up.

[Scott]

I'm not familiar with Soccer Field Equipment Shop, but I have to wonder why they would be selling BGG promos... seems fishy.

You can see the tiles from the GQ promo here: https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/Games_Quarterly_11_(1st_edition)#Tile_distribution

That 20th anniversary spring does split the farms into three, which is unique to that tile.

It's definitely better to wait on anything you're not comfortable with. I got impatient for certain things and have overpaid a few times. But I've managed to get almost everything I wanted thanks to help from several people on here. If you're a Discord user, I recommend joining us on there: https://discord.gg/tYkQvuSP

[Meles]

I see on your BGG shopping list that you're looking for Phantoms. MeepleSource has you covered: https://meeplesource.com/proddetail.php?prod=AcrylicMeepleSampler

You can order an original Count figure here: https://cundco.de/en/spare-parts/11/wooden/plastic-pieces?c=38#044216af289238b96851d7fa916cf70c
OR
You can order the six-piece upgrade set from MeepleSource: https://meeplesource.com/proddetail.php?prod=CarcassonneCharacters

We have a whole collection of ways to spend money on upgrades and accessories: https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/Accessories_and_Gadgets

Don't worry about Carcassonne getting abandoned, at least not by the German publisher. Carcassonne is a very big brand for Hans im Gluck. Asmodee (Z-Man Games) is the one who doesn't care because they have a very large distribution catalog, meaning that Carcassonne represents only a fraction of their total sales figures. Hans im Gluck intends to release all the major expansions (except Catapult) in C3 when they finish selling the remaining C2 inventory. I've heard the same from my contact at Asmodee.

I'll stop worrying about C3.

I like 3D resources and bling to a fault and at least I have my "bling bar" where I have all the bits in acrylic containers and then I just make a top shelf gamer style card for each game with pics of what is needed and just grab the box.

I've still not figured out how to got with all of the meeple stuff:
1. Stay with the wood gestalt and just be an originalist who gets meeples in a whole bunch of colors for the mega many player game and just for color choice.

2. Add some wood resources and I already have top shelf gamer tokens for Marco Polo Kahn so I could expropriate these ones with stickers for Carcassonne:

(I have several kinds of barrels and wheat options including some stickered Concordia resources.)

3. Do a lot of top shelf gamer style resin.

4. Stickers. I love stickers (more than meeplesource), but the meeples upgrades sticker set is only for the 2017 Big Box. The manufacturer ones just are not great.

Of course the stickers or meeplesource set kind of rope you into that look and then it won't seem right when you end up with some meeples and don't have stickers for them when you add more colors, etc. I'm glad to see what is out there, but I may have to roll my own set. I don't really like wood meeples , so meeplesources conservative and tasteful approach generally does not get me going. I have some contact with the meeplesupgrade stickers guy so I'll have to check in on his plans for the future (ditto Levity stickers for that matter).

For organization I've seen the tuck boxes and my set does have a few already; they seem ideal. I saw this thread:
https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=3234.0
which has some interesting choices. And of course I have my Limited Edition slightly bigger box which I intend to use for storage.

I'm also working on a big spieledematerial order so that may be a viable option for plain meeples (though I'd like to give meeplesource some business as they treated my VERY well on some Nanty Narking coins.)

[Meles]

I'm not familiar with Soccer Field Equipment Shop, but I have to wonder why they would be selling BGG promos... seems fishy.

You can see the tiles from the GQ promo here: https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/Games_Quarterly_11_(1st_edition)#Tile_distribution

That 20th anniversary spring does split the farms into three, which is unique to that tile.

It's definitely better to wait on anything you're not comfortable with. I got impatient for certain things and have overpaid a few times. But I've managed to get almost everything I wanted thanks to help from several people on here. If you're a Discord user, I recommend joining us on there: https://discord.gg/tYkQvuSP

Joined the discord. Yeah my plans are Spielematerial order and wait for the Cundco drop coming at the end of the month.

I am going to have to dig harder to find out what I should play for my ~400 tile mega game.

[kothmann]

I would recommend adding some of the smaller mini expansions to change the core game strategy.

I agree with this.  Buy these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256004343261

Confirm with the seller that each one includes a crop circle bonus tile, and then you'll also have crop circles.

I shunned the minis for a long time and when I finally played them I actually preferred them to the larger expansions.  Getting all 6 for about $120 is a really good value.  And you can combine a couple of them and still have a reasonably short game.

Have fun.

[Meles]

I would recommend adding some of the smaller mini expansions to change the core game strategy.

I agree with this.  Buy these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256004343261

Confirm with the seller that each one includes a crop circle bonus tile, and then you'll also have crop circles.

I shunned the minis for a long time and when I finally played them I actually preferred them to the larger expansions.  Getting all 6 for about $120 is a really good value.  And you can combine a couple of them and still have a reasonably short game.

Have fun.

Haha. I'm having fun. My Scottish ancestors are turning over in their graves at that being a value given I just passed up on Big Box 7 several weeks ago which comes with those expansions plus base and the first two big expansions for $47 (yes I passed on this deal was duped by "new edition" base game for $20 instead.) The one big item I'd like to add to the C1 collection is Hills and Sheep, but really pricey in C1.

At this point my master strategy to go Mega is to go C3 for the brunt of everything. This will take time (expansions 3-10 not out) and I'm not ruling out C2, but Big Box C2 as a starting point tends to cost more at this point. I am heavily researching right now on mega plus other favored expansions. As I do this it becomes more and more likely I'm going to want a lot more. The beauty of the C1 starting point you helped on is that I have quite a bit to play while I wait and just adding the C3 Big Box gets me up to nearly 400 tiles and then of course I greedily want 20th Anniversary edition. So that alone is at my (mini) mega limit of 500 tiles.

Its all quite confusing and my estimate of 30 seconds to play one tile does not seem to match up with what some say their 200+ tiles games take (these are mainly ones with most of the expansions in play). I'm trying to have my ducks in a row for the Cundco stuff dropping April 28th. I don't want to miss out on German Castles C3 and Cathedrals seems to be out of print (praying its back in a few days. ). For me financially greatly expanding my C1 collection seems problematic, but I'll definitely be getting some C1 stuff if the price is right. For someone new to the game acquiring Carcassonne is quite the complex puzzle especially with it being the dawn of the C3 versions and CMON/Asmodee not exactly leaping in to start releasing this version.

[Decar]

The larger the board gets the more time it takes to decide where to place it.  I set up my laptop for AI to play a 10k tile game, and it was taking over a day for the AI to processes all the moves long before the end.  Certainly it was applying some sort of brute force approach, but it gives you an idea of the increasing complexity.

[Bumsakalaka]

I can imagine some machine learning for play Carcassonne by a lot of games played online (BGA, JCZ).
But it need some science stuff behind, just for base game. Every new expansion change logic of every meeple / figure / piece placement, imagine for example Barger Surgeons.
So who knows, bambe there will come BoardGamesGPT which will solve everything

[Meles]

The larger the board gets the more time it takes to decide where to place it.  I set up my laptop for AI to play a 10k tile game, and it was taking over a day for the AI to processes all the moves long before the end.  Certainly it was applying some sort of brute force approach, but it gives you an idea of the increasing complexity.

10,000 tiles? The increased analysis time makes sense. What was your balance between expansions and base games for such an endeavor?

I'm getting whipped up for the Cundco drop tomorrow and just saw this:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/spielmaterial?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1390284781

I'd buy direct from them, but just a great way to browse their wares, but they don't show the Carc promos/mini expansions.

[Decar]

10080 actually:

https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=2541.0

[Scott]

MegaCarc is about more than just placing tiles too. With more expansions comes more expansion interactions, and scoring gets more complicated.


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[Meles]

MegaCarc is about more than just placing tiles too. With more expansions comes more expansion interactions, and scoring gets more complicated.


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Yeah I've got another advisor telling me that play time for 250 tiles is going to be more like four hours so I'm probably more mini-Mega material. In short what I'm hearing is that the play time per tile is quickly going to be more like one tile per minute once the game gets bigger/more complicated. So even if you're a Carcassonne God and can play a 280 tile game in 4 hours, taking that to 400 tiles may take another two for a total of 6 hours.  I'm definitely not going to build my collection for a six hour game until I love the 4 hour version.

I'm still hatching my plans around tomorrow and with luck will decide by Sunday on whether to try to go for my C3 deal to go with my current C1 collection. I see a lot of people resisiting the idea of playing C2 Under the Big Top with a C1 set. Maybe I should just snap up C2 version of Big Top plus Hills and Sheep to play with my C1 and not get any C3. I still don't have Mini expansions 1-6 for the most part so that is another conundrum, but maybe that is obtainable in C2.

The deal on mini 1-6 above for $120 in C1 is not such a deal as I'd gladly buy two C3 base games for $47 each and 20th anniverary for $32; total $126. This would give me C3 print and play donor tiles and I bet down the line I could sell off one of the big boxes without the base game tiles pretty easily. So I'd be loaded for bear for Mega for net less money. This whole thing is like ye old Chinese finger trap.