Swiss Map

[thomasjordan]

Attached is an updated version of the Swiss scenario I first made 7 - 8 years ago.  I enjoy mountain railroading, and running lots of trains.  This scenario does both.

Note:  I did not create the map, and I don't know who did.  I found it many years ago, and have modified it to fit my playing style.

Enjoy.

Swiss_-_World.zip

[Gwizz]

I do the same thing with pre-built maps.  I guess it would be nice to always give credit to the original builder.  But, I do change a map so much, that even the trees are different.  I like to play with the trees turned off so I can better see where to build the track.

Glad to have you post your map.

[steve39]

Oh ye of little culture!  PopTop went to so much trouble with all the different vegeation, it's so beautiful, and you turn it off!  In the process you can hardly see Produce farms.  Another aspect is that in some scenarios things may be hidden among the trees quite deliberately.  Lose the trees and some of the playability goes with them.         

Besides, isn't a no-vegetation perspective utterly desert-like?  I now play with everything on, unless I have to lay track over complex territory: then I toggle the vegetation on/off. 

It also helps when creating a scenario to try and avoid excessive afforestation, especially in areas where things will have to be built.  Cities, for example, aren't actually inside forests because they have been cleared to make room for man-made thingies like houses.  Elsewhere it can help to thin an impenetrable forest and leave glades.

 

[Gwizz]

When I'm building I'm like a bat with defective sonics.   ;D

When I'm running I have the loco screen fully open.     :O

But I do turn the trees on and off to see where the farm boundries are.

Did you know that when you lay track the more trees you cut down

the greater the cost of the track.  If you bulldoze the track you get instant tree growth.

You will again have to pay to cut down these new trees if you build in the same place again.   :-\

[thomasjordan]

When I'm laying track on complex terrain, like this map, I turn trees off and grid on.

When I'm just sitting back letting the money roll in (or wishing it would), I turn trees back on, grid off, and enjoy the scenery.

[loco_motive]

I did not create the map, and I don't know who did.

How about Thomas Nussbaumer's Glacier Express, an MAP file logged at both this site and on the Plat CD (where everything is saved as  MP2 whether it needs it or not or not).

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If I were to play this map the first thing I would be doing is to look at the events to see if there is a gold medal requirement and event and to make sure I didn't have to play for the whole 100 years.

As to how this thread diverged into turning trees on and off, I guess that's typical here, so...

I recall there's a map with a graded switchback coming north our of Vancouver that many players miss until someone tells them to turn off the trees and look again. For my part there at least one particularly famous scenario where one notes that contracting out bulldosing the trees in heavy forest reduces track costs significantly, especially if you want to lay one set of track for the leveling and then bulldose that and lay new track very cheaply just to get the low track maintenance costs into the future, not that I've checked how far into the future you have to run to make this cost-effective.

[steve39]

... lay one set of track for the leveling and then bulldose that and lay new track very cheaply just to get the low track maintenance costs into the future, not that I've checked how far into the future you have to run to make this cost-effective.

Bloomin' 'eck!  This is what gets me about RT2 - you never stop learning!  One day somebody ought to collate all the things that have been discovered and write a book.

Steve

[loco_motive]

Sure, with apologies to thomasjordan I can digress even more and add some detail to that, if memory serves. Its very testable, anyhow.

Track cost is composed of 3 components: $1 per tree + regular track cost + mountainous track cost (the cost of leveling I guess).

Bulldosing, also at $1 per tree, eliminates the first component, also reducing future track maintenance cost.

A regular track manager reduces the 2nd component.

A mountainous track manager reduces the 3rd component.

If you lay dragged track in mountainous terrain and then bulldose it, you substantially eliminate mountainous track cost from the relaid dragged track cost.

The more subtle feature of bulldosing is that it is expensed whereas track laying is capitalized, so bulldosing effects the formula that determines company share value, and can be an effective way of reducing share value, especially in conjunction with other early game maneuvers.

Got a million of 'em.

[djf01]

One day somebody ought to collate all the things that have been discovered and write a book.

I'd settle for an Open Source version :-)

And thanks Loco-motive for the tip.  I had often wondered about this, but naively assumed track maintenance was based on the number of cells of each type of track without ever checking it.

As a game strategy I've been setting up a main passenger route as quickly as possible,  then putting in Pullman to squeeze as much blood from the stone as he can.  I'm starting to think that ensuring I have a good track laying manager while building might be a better way to go.

[thomasjordan]

All:

Glacier Express may well be the original source map.  I created the first version of this scenario around 7 years ago, so my memory isn't too sharp on that issue.

Yes, the scenario is quite winnable, usually in around 65 years.

I didn't know about the track maintenance cost calculation.  I do use the lay, tear up, relay technicque when building mountain tracks to get as smooth a grade as possible, so I've probably been enjoying the benefit without knowing it.

Another trick, if you are playing with electric track.  Lay normal track first, then add the electric lines ONE square at a time.  You won't get charged for building electric track.  Don't know if it effects the maintenance cost or not.

I did just discover an error with one of the events.  Open up the editor and go to the nearly last event, which is 600 carloads per year.  Uncheck the one time event box, and then resave the scenario.