Post originally by Jake at 2004-12-22 11:30:18
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Hey Shannon,
Thanks for yet another great review. Interesting, this <i>Carcassonne</i> variant. I saw it in the shops here, and dismissed it as yet another cash-in effort, this time for people with much money. Apparently, there are enough changes to warrant a closer look.
One thing I'm worried about after your review: does analysis paralysis play a larger role? It seems that the consequences of one's actions are harder to foresee. Did you notice this during gameplay?
Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2004-12-22 11:42:37
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<i>One thing I'm worried about after your review: does analysis paralysis play a larger role? It seems that the consequences of one's actions are harder to foresee. Did you notice this during gameplay?</i>
Maybe a slight amount, but I've never had any players be truly slow in Carcassonne, just a little undecided at times. The plus side is that you can usually kibitz rather than being bored.
Post originally by Citizen Q at 2004-12-22 13:05:41
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I've played regular Carcassone like three times and each time was like a trip to the dentist's office. It took for ever to get to my 3-second turn.
Each player would be like "OK, If go here I get 3 points, but I get four points if i go her, but Carl gets 2 points, but that's OK because I'm ahead, but wait I he can cut me off with his meeple, but then Joe might..." (and on and on and on for what seems like a month). Then the next player would stare, paralyzed by it for another month. By the time it gets to my turn, I want the sweet release of death to take me away.
Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2004-12-22 17:09:15
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Sounds like the game isn't suited for those players (and thus the city wouldn't be either). Most people I've played with have treated it appropriately as a light, quick game.
Post originally by Badmagic at 2004-12-23 07:06:13
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Draw your tile at the end of your turn, not the beginning. (Well, you still have to draw your first tile at the beginning of your first turn.) That way, people do their dithering during the other players' turns. Speeds up the game by a factor of lots.
Post originally by Pudd'nhead at 2005-03-02 14:30:46
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Sharon, thank you for the complete and well-written review! Maybe it's a bit too much to cross compare reviews, but I notice that you rate the original Carcassonne & Hunters and Gatherers as complxity level 2, while this one is rated as level 3. Is there a significant difference in complexity level, or minor? I am new to the Carcassonne franchise & after much research was close to deciding to get this one, but that is scaring me off as I have a 7 year old son & a not-so-avid-gamer spouse that I am trying to cater to (on the other hand, I would obviously like to get the better game, for lng-term replayability). Although your final summary makes it sound like this is the "ultimate" Carcassonne game, do my circumstances suggest to you (or anyone else) that I should get H&G instead anyway?
Linear Mode
