Big Box 2 question

[Sethala]

So, I'm looking to get into Carcassonne, and my local game store has a copy of Big Box 2.  However, everything I've read about the set says that it doesn't come with the first river expansion, only the second.  Is this true, and if so, is there an easy way for me to get just the first river?

[Whaleyland]

Nope. The only way to get River I, besides buying it from someone on eBay or BGG, is getting the Carcassonne base game. There are advantages to having two copies of the base game, but not everyone wants two copies. Big Box 2 is still a great deal, though, so don't let the absence of the River I stop you. You can probably buy it off eBay or BoardGameGeek marketplace for relatively cheap.

[Sethala]

Ah, that's too bad then.  Hopefully ebay will have something for cheap.

[CKorfmann]

I'm with Whaley on that one.  If you plan on making some of the fan-made expansions, you could use those extra base set tiles and meeples for them.  For the price you can get a base set, it's almost worth it just for the river and the extra meeples. 

[Sethala]

Well, I talked with my local FLGS owner today, and apparently RGG is planning on re-releasing River in some form.  Don't know much more about it than that, or where he got his information, however.