Treasure Hunt

[Maulei]

I would like to share my 3rd unofficial expansion, Treasure Hunt, which I didn't complete the map tiles and artwork.  This is the first time I share the idea in forum.

Here's the Rule book v0.1 I drafted, comments are welcomed.

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Introduction
Carcassonne: Treasure Hunt is an unofficial expansion for Carcassonne, a famous tile-placement game.  It is not a standalone game and must be played with Carcassonne.

In Carcassonne: Treasure Hunt, you can obtain keys to unlock treasure chests.  Inside these chests, you can discover maps of extraordinary landscape, extra followers and deadly traps!

Package Content
The Carcassonne: Treasure Hunt package consists of:
•   6 Treasure Chest tokens (2 Red, 2 Yellow and 2 Green)
•   7 Key tokens (2 Red, 2 Yellow, 2 Green and 1 Multi-color)
•   12 Map tiles
    o   10 tiles with Treasure Chest and/or Key icons
    o   2 ordinary tiles
•   8 Treasure tiles
    o   3 map tiles with extraordinary buildings
    o   2 extra follower tiles
    o   1 bonus point tile
    o   2 trap tiles
•   1 White Big Follower
•   1 White Builder

Rules
Before game start,
•   Set aside the White Big Meeple and White Builder
•   Shuffle, stack and set aside all Treasure tiles.
•   Shuffle the 12 map tiles with other Carcassonne tiles.

During game,
•   The player, who placed a tile to complete the feature (city, road or cloister) with a Treasure Chest and/or Key icon, takes the Treasure Chest and/or Key token(s) of that color.
•   After placing a tile, if that player has a Key and Treasure Chest of the same color; or the multi-color key and any Treasure Chest, he may use an unallocated meeple to unlock a treasure chest:
    1)   Discard both tokens back to the pool
    2)   Uncover the top Treasure tile from stack and apply its effect or play it immediately.  See the 'Treasure tile' section for details.

When game ends,
•   Player gains 3 points for each Key or Treasure Chest token.
 
Treasure tiles
1.   White Big Meeple
You gain control of the White Big Meeple.  You can deploy it as one of your followers.
Place the Treasure tile in front of you to indicate the ownership.
   
2.   White Builder
You gain control of the White Builder.  You can deploy it as one of your followers.
Place the Treasure tile in front of you to indicate the ownership.
Please refer to the Builder rules of official Traders and Builders expansion.

3.   Royal Cathedral
If a city is connected with the Royal Cathedral tile, all the Cathar tiles and Cathedral tiles connected with it will be treated as normal tiles.
If a city with Royal Cathedral is completed, the score of that city is tripled.
At the end of game, for the incomplete city with Royal Cathedral, gain 2 points for each tile.
   
4.   Royal Resort
If a road is connected with the Royal Resort tile, the inn tiles connected with that road will be treated as normal tiles.
If a road with Royal Resort is completed, the score of that road is quadrupled.
At the end of game, for the incomplete road with Royal Resort, gain 2 points for each tile.

5.   Royal Cloister
 When the Royal Cloister is completed, gain 27 points instead of 9 points.
At the end of game, for the incomplete Royal Cloister, gain 2 points for each tile surrounding the Royal Cloister.
   
6.   Gold Stash
Gain 15 points immediately.
   
7.   Trap: Deduct 10 points
Deduct 10 points immediately.

8.   Trap: Killed 1 meeple
The meeple used to open the treasure chest is killed.  Remove that meeple from your reserve.


Copyright by Jonathan Wu (aka Maulei@BGG, Maulei@CarcCentral)
 
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[Joff]

I like the use of the White followers.

[Novelty]

Wow, this expansion sounds great!  However, you'll have a lot of work trying to draw up the new tiles!  I like the treasure chest though.  Have you got the coloured keys pictures already?

I presume if the tile unlocked by the treasure chest is playable, it must be played, but the turn is only extended, not doubled like the builider... and that any actions that arise from the placing of that tile (completing a feature, etc.) can still trigger any subsequent actions?

Also, I'm curious... how do you intend to fit 6 treasure chest and 7 keys onto 10 tiles?  I can't wait to see the tiles!

[wellidesigns]

sounds really great !!!

[Maulei]

Wow, this expansion sounds great!  However, you'll have a lot of work trying to draw up the new tiles!  I like the treasure chest though.  Have you got the coloured keys pictures already?

Chests


Keys

I presume if the tile unlocked by the treasure chest is playable, it must be played, but the turn is only extended, not doubled like the builider... and that any actions that arise from the placing of that tile (completing a feature, etc.) can still trigger any subsequent actions?

Your assumption is correct.

Also, I'm curious... how do you intend to fit 6 treasure chest and 7 keys onto 10 tiles?  I can't wait to see the tiles!

Yes, it'd be a bit weird for fitting 13 elements onto 10 tiles.    Something wrong.     I have to rework those numbers....  Anyway, tile design is still in progress.... some sample tiles for preview.

[skipboris]

I love the rules for this variant.  BUT!...I don't really love the tile art.  The chest icon looks too cartoony to me.  The key is good.  Also, instead of just putting the icon on the tile, why not try for completely new art for the cloister and inn. 

The reason I'm asking for better art is because this is one of my favorite variants and I believe it deserves some good art. 

Nicely done!

[Novelty]

skipboris, the treasure chest looks too "cartoony" because the black lines are too thick.  Maulei, is there any chance you can reduce the width of the black lines on the treasure chest?  If you need help, let me know and I'll see what I can do...

Also, some of those tiles have borders that doesn't match... and you do realise that the shades of green for the roundabout tile is different from the other 2, and that won't make the expansion look nice... just IMO.  Doesn't really matter in the long run of things, I guess... but it would be nice if things... looked nice.

[skipboris]

Another thing you could do is add a grainy filter over the icons to match the rest of the tile.  Just a thought.  Everything else is great!   

[Novelty]

I agree... it might look better if the graininess of the background is repeated on the icon.  And I also agree it is great.  So how many tiles are you going to have in this in total?  Have you decided on a total yet?

[Maulei]

I love the rules for this variant.  BUT!...I don't really love the tile art.  The chest icon looks too cartoony to me.  The key is good.  Also, instead of just putting the icon on the tile, why not try for completely new art for the cloister and inn. 

The reason I'm asking for better art is because this is one of my favorite variants and I believe it deserves some good art. 

Nicely done!

Thanks for your interest.  I will spend some time to refine my design and I hope the next time preview will be available in this weekend.  (The office work is so heavy that I need to work at home...) -_-

[Maulei]

skipboris, the treasure chest looks too "cartoony" because the black lines are too thick.  Maulei, is there any chance you can reduce the width of the black lines on the treasure chest?  If you need help, let me know and I'll see what I can do...

Also, some of those tiles have borders that doesn't match... and you do realise that the shades of green for the roundabout tile is different from the other 2, and that won't make the expansion look nice... just IMO.  Doesn't really matter in the long run of things, I guess... but it would be nice if things... looked nice.

In fact I don't have the scan for the basic set and I couldn't find a suitable roundabout.  -_-"

BTW, I'll try the Photoshop filter stuff and make the icon less cartoony. 

[Maulei]

I agree... it might look better if the graininess of the background is repeated on the icon.  And I also agree it is great.  So how many tiles are you going to have in this in total?  Have you decided on a total yet?

There should be around 24 tiles in total

16 Map tiles
8 Treasure tiles (3 of them are map tiles)

There will be 7 key and 6 treasure chest tokens.

[Joff]

I have taken the liberty of compiling the rules for Treasure Hunt in the usual format (these are taken from Jonathan's original rules (v0.1) in the first post and so constitute draft rules):
http://www.john-warren.co.uk/carcassonne/files/treasurehunt.pdf

This is an excellent expansion. I love it! A unique idea, and I absolutely love the concept of the white followers. Simply a brilliant proposal and something which I dare say will be copied in other fan expansions :-)
 

Just a few questions and thoughts crossed my mind while writing up the
rules:

Can I use a pig or builder to open a treasure chest?

Am I obligated to open a chest, should I obtain a key and matching chest, or can I simply hang on to the tokens for final scoring?

The scoring for the Royal Cloister and Royal Cathedral is inconsistent with Royal Resort scoring. Is this purposely done?

BTW, I absolutely hate the term Royal Resort! How about Royal Route, Royal Road or Royal Highway?

I can see that a trap tile (for instance, the Killed 1 meeple) must be played immediately, but I’m not sure about others. So here are questions relating to that problem:

Am I obligated to reveal the Treasure when I unlock a chest, or can I hold on to the tile until I decide to make use of it (except in the case of the Killed 1 meeple trap)?

At what point can I play the Royal Cathedral, Cloister or Resort tile?
Is it immediate, or, for instance, if it is immediate, what if I have no city to link a Royal Cathedral onto?

If I am allowed to hang onto a tile until I need to make use of it, when can it be played? Is it instead of drawing a tile (for the Royal Cathedral, Cloister or Resort tile) or in addition to? If it is instead of, it poses a difficulty if you are allowed to play the tile immediately after unlocking a chest.

As I said at the beginning, I love this expansion and the way it adds unique ideas into the mix. Well done Jonathan.

[skipboris]

One of the things I like about the official expansions is that they add a new mechanic, plus new tiles.  Often, the new tiles have configurations not seen before, such as a roundabout, a road going under a city, ect.  If you could come up with some new, interesting configurations, I might actually take the time and expense to print this one.

One quick idea would be a 4-way roundabout. 

[Maulei]

I have taken the liberty of compiling the rules for Treasure Hunt in the usual format (these are taken from Jonathan's original rules (v0.1) in the first post and so constitute draft rules):
http://www.john-warren.co.uk/carcassonne/files/treasurehunt.pdf

The draft is excellent, especially the introduction, I'm not a good storyteller.  Thanks Joff!

Can I use a pig or builder to open a treasure chest?

No.  Only the regular meeple from the basic set or the large meeple from I&C can open the treasure chest.

Am I obligated to open a chest, should I obtain a key and matching chest, or can I simply hang on to the tokens for final scoring?

During the player's turn, he may choose to open the treasure chest.  If he didn't pen the chest in the game, he can keep the keys and chest for final scoring.

The scoring for the Royal Cloister and Royal Cathedral is inconsistent with Royal Resort scoring. Is this purposely done?

BTW, I absolutely hate the term Royal Resort! How about Royal Route, Royal Road or Royal Highway?

Royal highway is a nice name. 

I can see that a trap tile (for instance, the Killed 1 meeple) must be played immediately, but I’m not sure about others. So here are questions relating to that problem:

Am I obligated to reveal the Treasure when I unlock a chest, or can I hold on to the tile until I decide to make use of it (except in the case of the Killed 1 meeple trap)?

At what point can I play the Royal Cathedral, Cloister or Resort tile?

When the player choose to unlock the chest, the treasure tile is revealed and to be used immediately.

Is it immediate, or, for instance, if it is immediate, what if I have no city to link a Royal Cathedral onto?

It is discarded.  (It means a player may get something useless....)

If I am allowed to hang onto a tile until I need to make use of it, when can it be played? Is it instead of drawing a tile (for the Royal Cathedral, Cloister or Resort tile) or in addition to? If it is instead of, it poses a difficulty if you are allowed to play the tile immediately after unlocking a chest.

It is a good idea.  The 'play immediately' rule may be revised.

As I said at the beginning, I love this expansion and the way it adds unique ideas into the mix. Well done Jonathan.

Thanks again.  I hope I can finish the expansion asap.  In fact, I have left this expansion untouched for years and I after Novelty has invited me to this forum again, I decided to share it to the Carc Fans.