Carcassonne Central

I don't own it I was just wondering:
Why is the Catapult so despised by players?

Thta's because it changes the game from a strategy game to a game of skill.

Generally, I think the catapult is looked down upon because it so radically departs from the basic principles of the game.  It takes a strategic logic puzzle and adds an almost completely uncontrollable and random dexterity element. 

While some mechanics such as knocking off an opponents follower you hit or switching places with them might lend themselves to excellent strategic choices in the game, the implementation of these mechanics is sadly lacking in effectiveness or strategy. 

Then there are the other two possible actions the catapult can implement:  1) Whoever gets closest to a target is understandable enough with a catapult, only the catapult itself is almost impossible to learn to use with any consitency.  2) An entirely separate mini game totally independent of tiles, followers, or any other feature of the game that involves attempting to physically launch and catch the components.  It loses the feeling of what carcassonne is.  It feels silly, childish and often frustrating.  I could just as well roll a die and see who gets extra points.  It can be that random.

I'm not a hater of the Catapult.  That said its my least favorite expansion because it is so differernt and even still doesn't do what it was trying to accomplish very well.  I use it when I play mega carc for the sake of completion and a comedic break from what can be a long game.  That is one bonus I see from this exansion.  It keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously when we play.

Just my two cents.

simple, the catapult is the worst expansion due to the fact that ANY effects triggered by the random landing of the piece are unworthy, useless and game disturbing...

2nd the catapult itself is nearly a pice of... hummmmm... wood... and is unaccuary.

this expansion looks to be a MUST RELEASE SOMETHING FOE THE GAME... untested, unthinked, and botched.

i'd prefer throwing beer caps on my fellas player instead of using this aweful piece of floop.

Apparently it's a good expansion for young kids. (Mind you, I hate it too)

My kids love it.

Us adults need to have many many drinks to start appreciating it... Then, it's a laugh. For safety mesures, better wear glasses  ;)

I made this the last set I bought because I figured by reading the box that it'd be of no strategical value to the game.

I just bought it on Black Friday, so my sets are complete (starting playing in August).  The catapult itself is very hard to use.  I played with a bit the other day.  If you put the pieces on top of the little wooden stop, they mainly go straight up.  I have discovered if you put them below the wooden stop, and they don't slide down, you can actually launch them 3-4 feet away.  I do NOT seeing this as being accurate enough to land on a just laid tile, or hit a meeple but I will probably try it once for fun. 

I don't dispise it though; I just see us as never really using it in a serious game. 

I have to say my kids love it too.  It is the one expansion that they always request to be included.  It is not something I particularly enjoy but they do so we play it a lot.

We have played it only a couple of times. Had to own it for the sake of completing the collection. It is definitely an acquired taste to play it. It's only real value is to add an element of some random levity to the game. If that's what you're looking for as a break from the otherwise potential cutthroat doldrums of play then it's perfect. I can't tell if the design of the catapult itself was complete incompetence and misunderstanding of basic physics...or complete genius. But it sure is inaccurate so it achieves perfect randomness.

This is actually the only expansion I don't have yet. Just because I though I'd need/play the other ones more. I'll eventually end up buying it anyway though as soon as I see it for a nice price. Just to complete my collection. The only other stuff I'm missing are The City and The Arc. I hope to buy those aswell sometime in the future.

Good luck finding Ark of the Covenant. I grabbed it two weeks after it went out of stock at all the online retailers and got lucky. My girlfriend nabbed a copy for a friend too. Since then, neither of us have seen more than the random one floating around on eBay. They are actually harder to find than Cathars, although their price hasn't inflated so high yet (in comparison). It's a fun game, though, if you can find it. It mixes elements from Hunters & Gatherers with Carcassonne to make a truly unique experience.

Actually about 6 months ago i got an unopened still in shrink-wrap copy on ebay for a friend as a gift. only $35 too! he was shocked when he saw it still in the original plastic.

Six months ago was quite a while back, and $35 is a decent price, but you could get it for around $22 when it was still available. Only one copy has sold on ebay in the past month for $22, which certainly is not bad, but the amount of copies available is very limited so if you find this game, buy it. Do not hesitate.