Never can win-ever ever

[Fundraiser]

I have been playing this game since it first came out.  I have learned how to make maps and manipulate the game to better my chances.  But I can never seem to win on the merrit of the game.  I am now playing in Platinum which I assume is a glorified RRT2.  I have 3 but do not like its layout yet so I play where I am familiar.  I am playing hartland map and can never meet the book value of the AI's.  They never seem to be moving anything but a few loads and mostly passengers but still rack up gigantic values.  Besides cheating which is no fun anyone out there winning on a regular basis and if so how?

Merry Christmas--Fundraiser

[JSS]

Fundraiser,a Very Merry Christmas to you also.

The Hartland map was for me also a very difficult map to win on. I tried it for months and was for a long time denied a Gold medal. So depending on one

[Fundraiser]

Thanks for the response. Doesn't seem to be much action on this site. 

I too like POS but have modified the map in different ways to make in more fun.  When I was a kid of 16 I got a summer job on the CBQ RR which started me into a love affair with Rail roads.  I do model RR and this game.  I like the ones or recreate the ones that allow a lot of shipping and commerce.  I should probabily stop trying to beat the AI and just beat myself by creating an empire map like POS and going for the most I can do.  It is kind of like that when I play Links golf online.  I can never beat the big dogs but improve my game all the time. 

You can take anyone's map and drop some of the winning requirements and turn it into anything you like.  Well have a good holiday.  I will check this site out in a few days.

FR:

[JSS]

Fundraiser, even though there is not much action here I would expect that there are still many folks that play RT2. After my last post I again started a POS game and enjoyed it still very much.

Do not remember ever having changed anything on a map to make it more playable. I do remember however not to play an otherwise interesting map anymore simply because the access into a key city was a nightmare. Would have been easy to change but it would also have had a major impact on the map and perhaps taken years off the winning goals. I felt that if the mapmaker had wanted to do that he would have changed it himself.

Glad you had a summer job last year.  ;D  Never worked for a railroad but as a youngster I hang out around the rail yard a lot and at times did get a ride in a steam locomotive in the yard. Now, I am going back to the days when all I were short leather pants (and I mean all) and the issues of liability toward non-employees was not yet realized.

To fight the A.I. companies on the POS map you need to do it early and at times under less than ideal circumstances for your own company. Usually within the first two or tree years I am the only company left operating and my personal cash taking a jump from about -$5mill. to +$5mill. yet at the same time owning 100% of my own starting company. Then it becomes a logistic play with rails running to all four corners of the map. With over 200 trains running it takes me at times over an hour just to play a single game year. Now this is fun.

Like to wish you and your family as well as all other players and families the very best of Holidays.

[chief]

Heartland is my fovorite scenario/map. I just started playing again after a 5 year hiatus. Heartlang is the map I am playing. I find you have to be VERY agressive and EXPAND.EXPAND.EXPAND. Issue bonds everytime your credit allows. Set up and support steel and auto production and buy all the manufacturers involved (coal mines, iron mines, ports, tire plants, steel mills, auto plants).

Best bet is start a RR between Chicago and Detroit and start electric and stay electric.

PS I like heartland because this is the area I grew up in.

[CG]

Hi, a newbie here, but thought you might consider this suggestion.

Build a small station asap outside of the influence area of the main station and call it Depot. It should have sand and watertower with a roundhouse.

Run a train from the main stations to this Depot carrying all the excess loads that haven't been collected and set the flag on red each time it goes to the Depot.

You will now find that the Depot acts like a bank and saves all the loads that you would have missed. As you extend your network, you can run trains from the Depot to other destinations that now will pay the premium rate for the load.

The ferrying train/s will run at a loss, but you will not have the loss of loads or suffer trains that have only 1 or 2 active cars, especially those on long runs, or clog up a main station with a load of trains.

This may seem to some a "cheat" but it happened in reality.

regards

[Gwizz]

If you route an AI engine to deliver to one of your depots, it will not cost you anything and The AI will pay you a little to use your track if there is any profit to be had.  Always have the AI train return empty to get more cargo; no caboose.

The AI train will also change the consist of cars automaticly for you and keep all of the stations cargo cleaned out.

The only problem is the longer you leave cargo at your depot waiting for one of you trains, the less valuablable cargo becomes until it reachs about 50% of full value.

[Cam]

Nothing quite like responding to a question posted nearly a year ago  ::) however I agree with chief's recommendation to "start electric and stay electric".

I've used a different tactic to Chicago to Detroit, instead linking Knocksville and Nashville in a straight line, and then moving as soon a practicable on to Memphis. Financially it's tight for the first five or so years, where you may need to take out a ton of bonds and in the meantime micro-manage your passenger and mail loads. Build industrial runs where cheap and practical, and from there, expand and head west to Wichita, and then a straight(ish) line north to Aberdeen and Winnipeg. Long and straight passenger runs with station upgrades, a passenger-bonus manager, with a fleet of GG1s (available at six months into the game) can underpin your success.

I'm sure there are plenty of other successful approaches.

(And I didn't get into RRT3 either!)  :-\

[UlfSun]

Though I haven't reached a gold on expert level (yet), I also have some hints to share on this one.

I agree with the "start electric - stay electric" tactic.  Starting with Chicago-Detroit has only one advantage: you block the competitor from these cities. But as starting with that long distance, you will only afford one engine and have time with a one way trip during the first year. Thus, you may not have a credit rating allowing for more bonds to be issued next year. In my opinion it is better to start with some medium length connections (Cleveland - Columbus - Cincinnati is one of my favourite starts) to genereate more income the first year. Then issue more bonds and expand further (and buy one or two GG1:s). The demand for food increases rather quickly, so after a few years you should have at least one food chain running, and the next freight lines could be lumber or goods (or both) depending on were you expand. As steel is a bit complicated wait with that until you have both coal and iron close to your regular line and can afford buying the steel mill. Aluminum may be a good choice if you're in the Memphis area.

There is also a lot to gain on assigning the right manager in this game.

[UlfSun]

Ok, I have now won it on expert level. Realized that oil can be a very lucrative business on this map.

[dukeofearl52]

Sorry to be late to this party but ....

Start in 1950, build your first line as a single track from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Winnipeg.  Run the track as straight as possible, head west towards Fargo or Grandforks, then north to Winnipeg, no meandering, build straight as possible.  Build a big station at Mpls, medium at Winnipeg.  Run one train with 6 cars full off the bat, Mpls-Winnipeg.  When it arrives, build another train from Mpls.  After a couple runs you'll have enough to put an intermediate station at Fargo or thereabouts with oil/sand.  Reduce to 4 car consists, etc. 

Electrify your track asap and run all GG1's thereafter.  All further tracklaying should be double track and you should double the Mpls/Winnipeg line asap.  Build plain track and then electrify one square at a time working from existing electric rail for free electrification (it's tedious and a bit of a cheat but saves big $)

The money will pile up, build an extension to Des Moines.  Often there is a diesel plant there and refinery at Winnipeg with nearby oil, you can run multiple trains of diesel for good $$.  Establish food lines between major cities using cattle or grain.  As money increases extend south to St. Louis.  Build one bridge into the city and one that bypasses it southwest of it.  Run an extension to Memphis.  Once you get into the south you can haul cotton for goods.  You may also run bauxite from north to south if the scenario sets up for it.  Work in logs/paper if you wish but they don't pay as much long haul.  Food, diesel, goods, passengers.

Then work east towards Atlanta and possibly Charlotte.  Alternate to all this if you feel the resources are not there is to work east of Mpls to Chicago but this route is better.  Distance is the key, you need to be a LONG HAULER to make the profits that will get you to 80 mill in 30 years.  I have achieved a "double secret gold win" which is something like 120 mil in 15 years and 100 carloads in a year. and I have done this at max difficulty - my revenue -20, ai revenue +25, 9 players competing. 

You have to be a madman but it can be done.

[Superchief]

You have to be VERY aggressive on the Heartland map?

I LOVE RRT2 (Have RT3 but never play it - RT2 is MUCH more fun!) and started playing it again. The Heartland map ALWAYS defeats me but I never knew why.

Now I know. I am going to start up a new game right now!

Thanks all!