Carcassonne: The Invaders

[Whaleyland]

I thought of this expansion at work today and feel it is simple enough that RGG could produce it for our expansion AND it's artwork would be pretty simple to do AND it would be a semi-aggressive expansion that does things no previous expansion has done. Here's the idea:

Carcassonne: The Invaders
New Materials:

• 1 Invader figure (current idea is something like Catan's robber figure)
• 8 Invader Moves tiles (with some symbol in the corner like the Dragon moves tiles)
• 4 Pillaged Tiles (the Crop Circle artwork on fire, like the field is being razed)

Additional Rules:
The Invader — The invader figure enters the game when the first "invader moves" tile is placed. The invader may be placed on any incomplete feature on the board. If the feature is completed while the invader is on it, that feature scores no points and any followers on it are returned to their owners. During a player's turn, instead of placing a follower, a player may move the invader to a different incomplete feature.

Invader Moves — If a player places a tile with the "Invader Moves" symbol in the corner, they must immediately move the invader figure to a new incomplete feature. It may not be placed on a different tile in the same feature. The player then continues their turn as usual.

Pillaged Tiles — "Pillaged Tiles" are treated in the same was as Invader Moves tiles [they also have the symbol printed in the corner]. In addition, Pillaged Tiles reduce the value of all adjacent cities and castles in a field by 1 point (each city is worth 2 points rather than 3; each castle 3 points rather than 4). However, all religious sites (cloisters, abbeys and cult places [shrines]) within that field are worth +3 points, even at game end. [They act as sanctuaries from the invaders.]


The idea for this expansion comes from numerous things. The first is the idea of a politically-correct way to introduce Moors to Carcassonne since they continued to pillage the region into the 900s. The second is from the need to give bonuses to religious sites and find a way to damage farms. Neither of those things have really been done yet. The final idea came from Settlers of Catan, where the Robber rampages around making things temporarily worthless. This expansion idea takes the robber, makes him player-controllable mostly, but still has the 12 invader moves tiles to force the invader to move every once in a while (like when he is just sitting on a feature forever). I think all three elements would work, and it fits Jay's criteria perfectly for a small expansion à la The Count of Carcassonne. Tell me what you all think!

[mjharper]

I have to say, the first thing it made me think of was The Cathars...

[Talisinbear]

I might think his impact is more one of delay

I won't finish my city with him on it, I'll move him this turn and hope to score the city later

you'd also need to rule he can't go immediately back to a feature. I have a big city near complete, A player of course uses the Invader to block that, so I move the Invader off city on my turn. The next player puts it back, etc.

It might work better as an extended dragon move, Invader placed, is moved by each player to a new incomplete feature, and remains on the last one until a tile is placed?

[Whaleyland]

It couldn't really delay anything since it wouldn't stop new tiles from coming out and being deployed. The game may be 5-10 minutes longer but I doubt even that. And you don't always have a choice as to when a city will be finished. Other people may be more inclined to finish your invader-infested city, thus making the invader a more aggressive element. Finally, I don't think I would make a rule about going back to the same tile. It could help rein in run-away players like it sometimes does in Catan and it does count as your placement so people would not be able to move it every turn.

I definitely don't want it to follow the dragon's mechanics. This expansion is not democratic, it is an option that any player may take on their turn.

I have to say, the first thing it made me think of was The Cathars...

It's built off the same concept, but on an earlier point in Carcassonne's history: the reconquest during Carolingian and early Capetian times. I'm going to go to great lengths to NOT have it seem too much like the Cathars or Siege, and the fact that fields lose points rather than gain them will help in that regard.

[Talisinbear]

the pillaged tiles are more intriguing to me than the invader 

[loganmann1]

I like the idea of something to hurt farms. It is a simple mechanic but I see this being very vindictive among some players (not a bad thing necessarily, it would just jive with some players more then others).  I like it though.  If it is submitted to RGG or not I hope you do a work up of this for CC at the very least.

[Whaleyland]

I'll get to work on the expansion as soon as I can. I'll make some tiles out of the Vanilla Expansion's tiles (I'll find 12 tiles I like and can use), add the fields on fire to some of them, and the invader-moves marker to all of them. Then I'll get rules up and posted and all should be set. Still, it may take a few days. I'm quite busy this week.

[Whaleyland]

Almost done with the expansion. Rules are finished. Just need to get the tiles made and, again, I'll just use some of the Vanilla expansion's tiles since those cover pretty much everything. Hopefully I can find some good fire graphics that match the Carcassonne style for the burning crop circles feature.

New rule too: To move the invader, it costs 5 points. This is to stop players from ALWAYS moving the invader when they don't place. It also fits better with the concept of "bribing" the invader to move.

[loganmann1]

5 points is a lot but i see the need to keep people from moving it constantly.  A city has to be worth enough to make losing 5 points from what it'll get you OR your losing 5 points to keep an opponent from getting big points on a city has to be worth it.  Both defensive and offensive considerations with this.  I like that.

[Talisinbear]

Have to be careful for 5 points he might just be board dressing and rarely moved

[Whaleyland]

That's one of the reasons why all the tiles move the invader. It ensures that the invader gets stuck on people's features often enough that the paying to move it are worth it. Remember, paying to move it isn't just -5 points to you, but a potential -5 points to someone else OR a 0-point feature for them. Still, does anyone think 3 points to move the invader would be better?

Also, is anyone interested in doing the art for the burning fields? I've tried but cannot find any cartoony fire graphics mixed with cartoon smoke to make it match the style of the field. Everything else is pretty much set, but I'm having problems with the four burning fields.

[loganmann1]

Can you borrow flames from the pillaged city of carcassonne image from jputts barbarian horde?  Maybe you could photoshop some of those flames out and put them in on the fields you want to burn?

[CARC_Zoner]

Also, is anyone interested in doing the art for the burning fields? I've tried but cannot find any cartoony fire graphics mixed with cartoon smoke to make it match the style of the field. Everything else is pretty much set, but I'm having problems with the four burning fields.

As an alternate to flames, you may wish to only show burned/charred areas on the field.  I did something similar for an expansion tile, and the effect turned out rather nicely.

CARC_Zoner

[loganmann1]

There are also flames in the forest fire expansion that could perhaps be borrowed and replaced onto a field...with a little photoshop magic that is.  Just another possibility.

[Whaleyland]

Okay, everything for this expansion is done! I ended up "borrowing" some cartoon flame graphics from the interweb as well as some smoke, then heavily edited them with Photoshop, did some freehanding and managed to char the field right proper. Everything else was already done and just sitting on my computer languishing. Feel free to give me any edits to the rules or tiles. The tiles are a direct copy of the Vanilla Expansion made by Novelty for me some time ago. I decided that they'd make excellent tiles for this expansion as well. I hope you don't mind, Novelty! Anyway, the files:

The Invader – Rules & Tiles

Give me edits before I give the final draft command to Novelty.