Base Game - Table edges

[Meepledrone]

BG01. During a game, the playing area may reach the edge of the table. Should those open road and city
edges facing the edge of the table be considered as closed? What about features like monasteries that
cannot be completely surrounded by tiles? Put in other words, should the edge of the table be considered as
the border of a Carcassonne Map?


Example: Several features at the edge of the table cannot be completed, since the playing area cannot be extended to close them. Should city 1, monastery 2 and road 3 be considered as completed features the same as if placed on the border of a Carcassonne Map?

Notes:
* This is relevant because this situation can happen in official competitions and there are cases where an extra table cannot be added to extend the playing area.

Current understanding:
* The playing area has no limit, so tile edges are not considered closed when at the edge of the table. Therefore, city 1, monastery 2 and road 3 in the example above should be considered uncompleted features.
* When reaching the edge of the table, players may make more room if required and/or possible:
   * The table should be extended if possible (adding another table)
   * The tiles on the board could be shifted unless otherwise agreed at the beginning of the game.
   
Proposals:
* No additional Community Rule is necessary
* Rewording of the "Use of a Table" on WICA could be advisable.
   https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/Base_game#Use_of_a_table

EDIT: Included additional info


Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=5590.0

[KBellon]

We don't consider them as closed. Just have to be aware when you are nearing the border.
We do consider it finished on a Carcassonne Map due to its explicit rules.
But these maps only came into play 10 years after we started playing carcassonne on a table 

[Challa007]

We don't consider them as closed. Just have to be aware when you are nearing the border.
We do consider it finished on a Carcassonne Map due to its explicit rules.
But these maps only came into play 10 years after we started playing carcassonne on a table 

This is exactly what we do, too. 

[DrMeeple]

One thing is the rules of the maps and the other is playing normal without a map ... Officially there is an end of the table and if there is something unfinished the meeple is blocked so it’s something to take into consideration when you are playing an official tournament. It’s also a very interesting way to block ... I love it hahahaha
Now if your idea is to apply the rules of the maps as if there were them in a normal game that would be to ask HiG if it incorporates it ... If they answer something hahaha
If I personally add it officially to the World Tournament for example? I wouldn’t do it at all. Now if it’s an informal game and you want to use it to be able to close everything possible and take advantage of the land table by making points, it’s a good alternative if you don’t want to play in a bloody way ...

[kothmann]

My answer is always: make up whatever rules will let you have the most fun.  :-)  For us, that means edges closed, like a map or Abbey.

Except for very small games (Carc für 2), we always use a homemade mat, sharpie on tyvek, with size depending on game, and following map rules.  For the base game, the mat is 11x11.

In the rare instance where we don't have a mat, I prefer the "zero overhang" rule to the "gravity" rule, for determining when the edge of the table has been reached.

[wolnic]

Using a tablecloth or table protector allows the world to shift slightly if required … especially if there’s only room for half a tile …

[Carcassonne93]

It is geometry. The space is infinite, so the edge of the table is inexistent.

[DIN0]

The official answer was always option 2 - cannot continue and remains open. The fact that map edges close features is a special property of Maps as expansions - an expansion rule. Nothing more.

[Willem]

we would often try to allow for tiles to be placed, by moving all the tiles along, or slightly overlapping, but there is a limit. It doesn't go on forever, and features are left open at the edge

[danisthirty]

I mostly play online so table edges aren't a problem!

In most of the competitions I've played in, players are almost always willing to let the game continue unhindered by moving the tiles back to the centre of the table if a lack of space prevents a tile from being placed. It might take a couple of minutes, but it's easy enough to do if you're careful (especially if there's a tablecloth) and I think this is best in keeping with the spirit of the game since the rules of Carcassonne don't specify a minimum table size. However, I have also experienced players (well, a player) who refused to allow this because they were using it to their advantage in building my features towards the edge of the table so that I couldn't complete them. Apparently this was a rule that the organisers of the tournament were enforcing, but because they hadn't announced it at the start, nobody was particularly aware of it (except my opponent who had made a point of asking them privately) and most players in similar situations were doing the reasonable thing and simply resetting the landscape.

So all things considered, my preference is to reset the landscape if possible, but whatever the decision is, to make sure everyone is aware of it at the start of the game/ competition.

[Challa007]

Has the poll been changed or do I have to go and see my doctor for memory problems? 
I don't remember having the choice of deciding at the beginning of the game when I did my vote ... 

[totor66]

We try to push during the game if it goes too much on one side.

The only time we say it closes everything like with maps is if we specifically play on a small table, but we agreee at the beginning of game

[Meepledrone]

As far as I see, the regular game without Carcassonne Maps should assume the playing area has no limits. In case of reaching the table edge, the board could be shifted to make more room unless explicitly agreed otherwise at the beginning of the game. So any features that may not be closed due to lack of space should be considered as uncompleted by default.

Carcassonne Maps should not serve as a reference for the table edges, since their playing area is finite in this case and it defines certain rules for features placed on the border of the map.

[gamgeefan2]

Thought I'd remembered seeing this explicitly in the rules, but I was remembering this https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/Base_game_(1st_edition)#Use_of_a_Table: .

[Meepledrone]

Please check initial post for additional info and comments.