Political Savvy

[akuenzi]

In looking through the various types of 'effects' for events, I see an item called 'political savvy,' which can be modified up or down by 99%. Does anyone know what this effect does? Is it something that impacts only the AI players, or does it also impact the human player? I know there is a concept of 'goodwill' built into the game -- is that one and the same with 'political savvy?' I saw a couple trigger items that mention goodwill, but no associated effects that mention goodwill. Conversely, there aren't any triggers that mention political savvy, so maybe the two are related. Anyone else know what this is?

[Andrew]

I sure didn't mean to post this topic twice, and don't know how it happened. My apologies! Is there a way to delete it?

No problem. :)

I got rid of it.

I assume you are modding the game or something? Or is it listed in map maker? I havn't heard of political savvy. Maybe government deals?

[jeffryfisher]

Political Savvy = Goodwill

These (and most other displayed words) come from default2.lng, a file in the same folder as your RT2_PLAT.exe file. Looking into mine, I see an entry for string #1658 = "Political Savvy" that is commented out. A ways down, there's a replacement #1658 set to "Goodwill". It's possible that you have a version that still uses the old term.

By editing the file (back it up first), you may change it to whatever helps you. In this case, "Goodwill" seems to affect the price you pay to buy train-running and/or track-building rights in a territory. What word or phrase best describes your company's "pull" or influence with a local government?

BTW, if I had anything to say about it (if I could upgrade the game's source code), then I would give each player-character a political score that would modify his company's "goodwill". The political sharks like Stanford and Huntington would get bonuses while history's political losers like K. I. Brunel would suffer penalties.

[RSimpkinuk57]

Bonuses (or penalties) for players as well as for managers: too big a change to game balance. (And if you do want to do it, isn't player id testable for event triggers?) I think the game should have made some of the Big4 to be managers not tycoons, but that is a trivial gripe.

Brunel a political loser? - I cannot buy that. If anything the opposite: too charismatic for his shareholders' good.

"Political savvy" instead of "goodwill" would be wrong because it changes according to how your company performs. I believe the manual mentions that robberies and wrecks will reduce it. I'm convinced that uncollected carloads and/or late deliveries reduce it (one, the other or both? - I don't know). "Goodwill", "reputation", "popularity" - take your pick.

regards, Richard

[jeffryfisher]

Brunel a political loser? - I cannot buy that. If anything the opposite: too charismatic for his shareholders' good.

Maybe he just got unlucky once: Look up the fight for "standard gauge" in England. Brunel's 6' broad gauge lost out in Parliament. It's part of the story of the Iron Duke, whose performance owed much to the width of its carriage. In my US History map, I make the Iron Duke available, but only to Southern RRs. It's a small consolation for the devastation that will savage them in the Civil War.

"Political savvy" instead of "goodwill" would be wrong because it changes according to how your company performs...

That might be why the term was replaced. It's only effect seems to be the changing price of buying rights to territories (hence the political aspect). However, its sources include those other, non-political events. Perhaps the best phrase would be "political influence", which is a combination of popularity and the occasional boost from a savvy manager.

Does goodwill affect supply rates or revenues?

[RSimpkinuk57]

"6' broad gauge": that's a typo, it was 7'. Yes it permitted faster passenger trains 20-30 years before the standard gauge companies managed it, but (in RRT terms) track building was much more expensive, which was OK so long as Brunel was working in easy country. The problems came when cities along his routes wanted through freight from the northern lines. It was political influence (or just smooth talking) and government non-interference that allowed him to try the wide gauge in the first place, and let the Great Western keep it for so long before finally converting (no way was Parliament, or any sane government, ever going to make everyone else convert to match him).

By the 20th century, the extra width couldn't have been fully exploited to put really large boilers onto steam engines because he hadn't left corresponding extra height under bridges and tunnels.

Have you read about Brunel's South Devon "atmospheric propulsion" fiasco?

[jeffryfisher]

"6' broad gauge": that's a typo, it was 7'.

You're too kind; it was my faulty memory.

Have you read about Brunel's South Devon "atmospheric propulsion" fiasco?

Never seen the phrase before, Googling...

As Spock would have said, "Fascinating Captain... Rube Goldberg would have been proud."

Actually, I have wondered if some mega-tunnels (e.g. Chunnel, or Seikan) could be assisted by pneumatic blowers so that trains wouldn't need to ram so much air.