Economy Map

Gwizz · June 30, 2010

I did a lot of testing to find a way to mimic a socialstic economy.

Since government is not programable in RT2, I use results to minic effects.

Your RR company, at you choosing, will use heavy spending, deep debt and high taxes in the form of higher rates charged for hauling. It will collect the higher rates to fund a system you may feel is out of control. Simular to

today's modern governments.

If you are successful, you will have taken control of nearly all of the AI railroads. While Mr Hill was a successful chairmen in real life, He (you) will find new methods to be a bit different then used in real life or in game play.

Play methods:

First pay special attention to the map's start up notes. (Dialogs) You will find many hints on what the economy is going to do to you. The value of hauled cargo will jump up and down. Don't try to monitor these values unless you enjoy micro-management. The start up notes will tell you what to expect and plan for.

Don't complete or run your railroad until you have set up some feeder AIs to supply your demand industries. Then when high price cargo is there for you, finish a section of your RR and route your trains so you can limit the micro-management of trains. I check my trains and the AI trains I control, once each year.

Spend the time planning for areas of possible congestion. Use diagonal

(no stopping for another train) Crossings and keep ramps (switching between legs of a crossing) longer than a train's length.

It is best not to merge too many AIs too soon. Just buy all of their stocks to keep other Chairmen from buying it. You want all chairmen to build Railroads.

As in real life, you will bankrupt them to add to your own wealth.

Save often so you can back up to fix an error, something governments have not learned how to do. The real life decisions are always fatal. I mean final. ::) :O ??? :'(

Economy_map_18.zip

Gwizz · June 30, 2010

I did a lot of testing to find a way to mimic a socialstic economy.

Since government is not programable in RT2, I use results to minic effects.

Your RR company, at you choosing, will use heavy spending, deep debt and high taxes in the form of higher rates charged for hauling. It will collect the higher rates to fund a system you may feel is out of control. Simular to

today's modern governments.

If you are successful, you will have taken control of nearly all of the AI railroads. While Mr Hill was a successful chairmen in real life, He (you) will find new methods to be a bit different then used in real life or in game play.

Play methods:

First pay special attention to the map's start up notes. (Dialogs) You will find many hints on what the economy is going to do to you. The value of hauled cargo will jump up and down. Don't try to monitor these values unless you enjoy micro-management. The start up notes will tell you what to expect and plan for.

Don't complete or run your railroad until you have set up some feeder AIs to supply your demand industries. Then when high price cargo is there for you, finish a section of your RR and route your trains so you can limit the micro-management of trains. I check my trains and the AI trains I control, once each year.

Spend the time planning for areas of possible congestion. Use diagonal

(no stopping for another train) Crossings and keep ramps (switching between legs of a crossing) longer than a train's length.

It is best not to merge too many AIs too soon. Just buy all of their stocks to keep other Chairmen from buying it. You want all chairmen to build Railroads.

As in real life, you will bankrupt them to add to your own wealth.

Save often so you can back up to fix an error, something governments have not learned how to do. The real life decisions are always fatal. I mean final. ::) :O ??? :'(

Gwizz · July 3, 2010

The Economy Map plays a lot better than the Socialist Map. It is also easier to play.

For those that like a builder's map, you can build a number of railroads that supply your

main line RR, just like the real railroads did in 1900.

With the rain today I quit early and started a new game.

I'm now in the 7th month from the start.

I own the rail from San Franciso to Chicago with a branch to St Louis and a branch to some dairies.

I had planned to later merged My 2nd AI RR. It was the AI I used to build stations as place holders to Block AIs.

But, It had all reverse interest bonds that would pay me interest, instead of me paying interest to them.

This is close to what Freddy and Fannie did with their bad loans in real life, causing many banks to go belly up.

With 8 AIs starting up so soon, I was deep in margin. My RR had 6 to 8 percent bonds and I was able to sell

all but one bond. I floated 19 negative bonds with my AI and used its' cash to merge my main RR.

I owned all 40K of my stock and the AI had 20K. Liquidating the 40K put me 2 million in the black.

Now the AI became my main RR company and I was able to control one more AI.

I had enough cash to fill in the gaps for sand and oil at my service stations.

I how had a nearly straight route across the map, East to West. I had my AI build 40 stations. My original RR

had 4 stations. The main line now had 19 operating stations. I built 3 more service stations for a total of 47.

The other AI that I stated bought elec. Locomotives with its Electric Loco manager.

One of the new AIs to start up I used to build the electric track for me.

I think it was in debt 6 million dollars when it was done. So I gave it two routes.

One was my good milk route and the other was a cotton and wool route. I also had it haul mail and

passengers back to a small city close to the cotton fields to keep it alive.

I was able to build most of my no stopping crossing near Denver.

I was able to add room for two IA feeder lines to cross through without stopping as well.

One fed my steel mill with coal and Iron. It had the Iron manager which will help it stay alive.

Another AI has the stock manager. I take control of it when buying stock.

There are 8 AIs that started, not counting my two that I started.

One of these new AIs chairmen owns all his stock. the other 7 I was able buy a 51% of the stock.

I then took control and had each float 2 to 4 bonds. I then had the AI use this money to buy all of its' unsold stock.

I then sold my stock in that AI until I owned one share more than other Chairmen owned in that company.

I renamed AI companies where the chairmen had a big interest in the company. I called them feeder lines.

(No merging) I named all of the stations for the demand industries at each station.

I have 8 locomotives and can afford two more. I'm hauling a lot of mail since it still has a fairly high value.

If the good lord sends more rain, tomorrow, I will fire up my Electric Locos

and see how successful my management is.

Gwizz · July 5, 2010

Well heck :-X I said a margin call is not likely. That I never had one on this map.

Well I can't say that anymore.

When you own stock in 10 RailRoads, a margin call is a destroyer.

This time I never made it to the end of the 1st year.

The bonds I sold to Freddie, well Freddie bundled them with a few good bonds and resold them to banks all over the world.

Now our government is bailing out the banks and wants me to return the money I received.

I said no, HA HA and they said: margin call. Not even the bail out helped me. I went belly up.

Well, I went back to a saved game at 7 months and this time I will be more careful.

I used an AI to merge two of the other AIs to reduce my margin. These AIs didn't own much of their own stock. I then restarted the game. 3 more AIs started up. I was able to take control of all three and had them buy back all their unsold stock. Margin looked much better this time. I ran until the end of the year. Bought some electric locomotives, 1045s. I maxed out the bonds for one of the older AIs and used its' money to finished double tracking my RR with electric track. This AI owned ABOUT 48% of its; own stock. This chairman is wealthy. I won't be merging him any time soon. Still have only one RR that I don't control. Its' chairman extended its' track to another city going around my station blockades in other cities that were closer to it. At least it had to use more money to do this. But the longer runs will make it wealthy again.

Another day awaits me with plans, I'm sure, to socialize me.

Well they did it today but tomorrow I will see how smart they are.

:O :O :O :O :O :O ;)

Gwizz · July 20, 2010

I copied the Economy Map up to this post.

It is the same map that is at the other end of this thread.

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I tried some different play styles.

My goal is to win this map in seven years.

I just completed the 6th year. Completed all but one of the requirements for Gold.

I have about 70% of what I need for the Company Book Value requirement.

CBV has alway been fairly easy to achieve; So in the 5th year I merged all but three of the AIs I control. I tried these, mistakes by floating bonds for:

1. I used the AI with the Station Building manager to build about 50% of all AI

stations on the map to block a new AI startup from building at these locations.

2. I used 2 AI RRs with a loco. buying manager to each buy about 40 locomotives.

3. I use 2 AI RRs with a track manager to build large feeder track networks,

in mountainous areas, along the Mississippi or in the Northern area.

I found it difficult to balance these activities so that each AI stayed profitable.

The fix: I had built up a lot of cash and used it buy back all of my bonds.

I started to merged the AIs, paid off their bonds as I went.

This activity caused more AIs to start up. Three owned all their stock.

There were still 3 AIs under my control. I ran until year 6.

My 3 AIs were not very profitable and were not able to buy more locos to take over the hauling of low value cargo. After my merging activity I also had too many locos hauling low value cargo and my profits dropped off sharply.

Tycoon Solution: I start another AI. I gave it a maximum amount of money so it could merge the last 3 AIs I controlled. After the merging I rerouted all their locomotives and bought 25 more that I left without a route.

Still on pause, I then changed to my parent company and looked for my trains that were hauling low value cargo. I deleted stations from these routes so these trains could only haul high value cargo.

As I run the map, I plan to pause and route the extra AI locos to haul my low value cargo creating high value cargo to keep my trains running full. I expect to retire some of my extra locos and I had already removed some of my track and stations no longer needed to further reduce costs.

If all works out, I will earn the money I need to win Gold by the end of the seventh year.

Economy_map_18.zip

Gwizz · July 20, 2010