Tracking farm scoring during the game

[Carcking]

The idea of the scecondary scoring marker on the scoreboard in the Messages mini got me thinking about using a secondary marker to track farm scoring during the game. I'm more of a stretegic player so this seems to have value for me but perhaps not for all types of players.

The first thing my wife says is "one of the things I like about the game is the surprise ending". I have to admit she has a point.

My thinking has evolved on it. I'm thinking now that it would be interesting to track the farm score only periodically during the game. I was thinking at the quarter marks or third marks...so with a portion of the game remaining you might know what kind of farm scoring you had to maintain or overcome to secure the win. We use the 100 space scoreboard so I'm thinking each time the leader passes 100 we do a snapshot of the farm score for each player and move the secondary marker on the scoreboard. (My other thought is to include a few generic farm score tiles in the bag so that when they get drawn you do a snapshot score - this would be a more random application though and they all might get drawn very early or very late.)

I actually think something like this would enhance farm play. It might make players aware that they have to figure out a way to get into that big farm, or find someway to overcome it in points.

Thoughts? Ideas?

[pricero1]

Surely everyone should keep their eyes open on how their own farms are doing and those of their opponents.  Personally, I'd prefer not to draw attention to how well my farms are progressing...

[neosatan]

Even in a game with 400+ tiles I can see how farms are helded and how many points are worth. Secondary marker is pointless for me.
I don't see a reason for adding a new token on scoreboard and giving me a headache with distincting a token from a meeple since I have reealy bad sight :/

[Carcking]

haha - good points...still I might give it a go and see if any positive response comes out of an actual game session.

[neosatan]

I was thinkig to do a actual score tracker, but don't know how to do it. I seen something in game from one of my collegs. In Carcassonne it would mean that such score would add score for completed features, uncopleted, farms, and so on. But still, it would go if each players would hava own scorboars, but this isn't a good solution in a board game.

[Scott]

I would not want to calculate this more than once. It can be difficult to calculate, and I find that the meeples in the way make it worse, or that we need to use meeples to count the cities connected to large farms. Also, the value of farms is potentially changing as farms are connected, expanded, or barns are placed.

[CKorfmann]

Basically, the scoring track could be used for anything that you would normally use chits for.  It could get pretty crowded though.  I was thinking it could be a good way to keep track of how many cloisters you've completed.  You could use cubes.

[Carcking]

I was thinking it could be a good way to keep track of how many cloisters you've completed.  You could use cubes.

I was thinking this also Chris - to implement the bonus scoring for each successive cloister that is scored as was discussed in another thread. Also, if you play with shrines you could have a different color counter for those.

I am usually the one who keeps score in our group so for me these don't seem like cumbersome suggestions...I can see that they might seem so for others though.