Is buying the Captain of the White Ship at the Lighthouse considered to be an encounter for the purposes of removing the rift progress marker at that location?

Esto,

Strict interpretationists will state that only an encounter read from the cards counts toward the removal of a Rift Token. I, however, play that either an encounter (reading a card) or the location's special ability permits the removal of a Rift Token.

The Professor

You know, I'd never given this a great deal of thought. My instinct would be "yes," but location abilities do say "instead of an encounter." Anyone care to weigh in? Should the same answer (yay or nay) be applied to Wilson's ability?

"Strict Interpretationists"? Way to throw the burden back on "us", Professor. Masterful, even.

Obviously, there is room for interpretation, but over multiple expansions, it's generally been accepted that "having an Encounter" is NOT "having an Encounter PHASE". An Encounter is read from a card drawn from an Encounter Deck; anything else that lets you do...ANYTHING ELSE..."instead of having an Encounter" is just that: NOT "having an Encounter".

Rules aside...c'mon, that's what Kingsport IS. It's a stable Gateless town loaded down with Encounter decks (which is why so many hate it). If it was allowed to go up there and still block the rifts while circumventing the ENTIRE POINT of the town...bleh! The only reason to go up there is to read cards! (Which is why...oh, said that already).

jgt7771,

I know, that wasn't very nice. I do, however, play Kingsport much differently than everyone else, so that it's not just about Rift Duty, but you can actually engage with a few monsters and earn some trophies to take advantage of some of the locations' other goodness. In the end, Esto, jgt7771 is absolutely correct in that the Locations' Special Ability is just that...instead of a regular, card-reading Encounter.

The Professor (non-strict interpretationist)

Walk said:

I thought the answer was no... But maybe I'm confusing the present and the future?

Anyway... Instead of an encounter means "instead." I.e. an encounter is not being had. Therefore... If something requires an encounter to be had and you take the instead clause, you're not having your encounter and fulfilling the condition.

But yes, obviously you can play it however you want, but I think the intended technically correct way is not counting the insteads as equivalent. Personally I only like modding the game so it's harder, but, that's just me and a few other maniacal masochists here :')