Skill contests, not gambling

The fair is the one place in the game where the player’s hands matter more than their planning. It exists for two reasons, one about people and one about the shape of the game, and the design satisfies both at once.

Why there is a fair at all

Timber takes real hours to grow, the crew rests, the wagon is on the road, and there are stretches with nothing to press. The fair fills them with something that is quick, has a score, and rewards practice. The prototype has an axe throw and a crosscut saw, ribbons, personal bests, and a Fair champion board on the leaderboards.

Why it is a contest and not a bet

A game that let you stake lumber on a chance outcome would be gambling. This one does not do that, and nothing of value rides on a random draw. Gambling lumber on games was considered and set aside; lumberjack skill contests took its place.

The shape of the contest is simple. Entry is free. There is no stake that can be won or lost. The prizes are ribbons and a place on a board, so nothing won at the fair converts into lumber or into real money, and the scoring depends on the player’s timing, not on a draw. The axe throw includes wind, which is random, but the randomness is a difficulty and not a payout, and nothing hangs on the outcome. If the fair ever gets a tangible prize, or a new kind of contest is added, that changes what the fair is and needs a deliberate decision first.

Scores come from the server

The server issues each round and works out the score itself from the recorded taps, so a score comes from play rather than from the page. Anything that carries real weight, from contests to trades, needs a server for the same reason. Until a prize exists that anyone would want to fake, the ribbons are all that is at stake, which is one more reason the prizes are ribbons.