Planet M.U.L.E.

I just finished a game with a very bizarre arrangement of crystite...

Early assaying (and later production) revealed that, around the store, there were four crystite plots: two medium-crystite plots to the left and right of the store, and two medium-crystite plots to the upper-left and upper-right of the store. This implied that the two high-crystite plots were (unfortunately) in the store, and in the river space above the store.

We eventually found the third the high crystite plots on the far-right edge - but what surprised me was in round 11 when someone found a "fourth" high crystite plot in the upper-left corner of the board.

Does this make any sense? It was my understanding that crystite plots always made a diamond, with a high crystite in the middle, four mediums around it, and eight lows around it. Is it not this predictable? Or, is there strange behavior when the high crystite plot is in the store?

Shouldn't be anything unusual about what you experienced; if a high ends up on a border square, you won't see the full bloom, nor will you see it if it's on an unmineable square. Also, if two blooms overlap, the higher of the two potential values will take precedence.

It's when the immediate surrounding squares aren't either highs or mediums, that the devs should take notice.

I'm just confused because I thought there were three high crystite plots per game - but i guess there's actually four

I have been wracking my brain on this one and I think the C64 game did have a unique situation where 4 high Crystite would have to exist but I can't remember the details, but what you say about the high being in the store made something ring fainly...

That being said in this version it allows for 4 high crystites and actually seems to be the norm for now.

Four high crystite deposits is a bit much, especially since crystite has an undeniable advantage over smithore.