US History

[Gwizz]

.....quote name='Ferodaktyl' timestamp='1337532878' post='374484'...

hello

first i'd like to say that i like your map, i'm currently playing (and enjoying) it.

I have some questions/observations for you :

1. ...................................................

2. The chemical industry suffocates the landscape at the beginning of the game, with no use whatsoever. ......................................

This is just a comment that there is a method to make Chemicals into fertilizer with no fertilizer factory present on the map, using an AI.

The AI has the habit of making cargo out of thin air if the right conditions are present. Pop Top did this to help the AI be more profitable.

It is much easier to do, of course, if the AI can be controlled.

[jeffryfisher]

In other words, the AI's stations have access to phantom industries not appearing on the map.

Anyway, I thinned the chem plants a version or two back. In addition, if you can run my mod (if you have the CD Platinum version of the game), then chem plants can also manufacture "rubber" (plastic) out of oil. Rubber (plastic & polymers) can then be used to make tires, goods or textiles (cotton + rubber = 2 goods).

[Gwizz]

I didn't buy the platinum version. There was little that was changed except for the maps and I already had most of the player made maps.

I downloaded your mods with plans to try them in the gold version when your map is finished.

[jeffryfisher]

I'll see about updating minor (cosmetic) refinements this week and uploading a new revision of each by this weekend.

[jeffryfisher]

I have updated the zip file in the OP (top of page 1). It contains map & mod files plus some spreadsheets to describe the mod, its new engine stats and cargoes. The changes this time are (I hope) only subtle refinements. If I recall correctly, I only touched modern engines and fictitious-future events, so I am hopeful that this map is "done".

Note: The mods were derived from platinum CD patch 1.56. Those who have Gold or Steam versions probably can't use it (though the language file might still work). For those who don't have it, the platinum CD retailed for $10, but is now "rare" on eBay at $19.99. Warning: The platinum CD was never copy-protected, so some copies for sale could well be simple pirated disk copies that function just like originals.

[jeffryfisher]

In another thread, JCCO wrote:

I was still able to create an extremely lucrative line between Chicago and St Louis, with enough left to plop a depot in NY and Boston to keep the AI away

 

Ah yes, that's a trick I've used myself, though it's so powerful that it feels like cheating. There is a slight price to pay: Failing to serve such a depot can drag down your company's reputation, and that can make future territory rights more expensive.

 

How do you like the resource rules (logs etc) affecting track cost? Were the rules clear?

[jeffryfisher]

I've uploaded an updated file in the OP. It contains both an updated map (some new snow events and minor touch-ups) and updated game mod. The new game mod changes some manager salaries to try to influence when they'll be offered (so they might be visible when they could be useful).

[jeffryfisher]

Has anyone "finished" my US History map (or at least developed a sizable RR)? I'd be interested in seeing what others have done with the map if you can zip a saved game and upload it here (with or without comments).

[Gwizz]

I have downloaded your maps and other items you have uploaded over time.  I'm not sure what I need. 

 

Could you put what I need to play your map in a new thread?   I'm still trying to figure out how to cross the road.  :D  :(  :D   Thanks

[jeffryfisher]

I am still waiting for somebody to try my map and upload a well-developed saved game of it here. I am really curious to see what anyone else does with my map.

[MaglevForever]

Hi,

 

I am impressed with what how much dedication you have to make such a monster scenario. This is my first post here, and I have attempted to upload my latest save game from 1927.

 

I enjoy the game most when starting out and trying to squeeze maximum efficiency out of my railroad. Therefore, this was quite an effort to get this far due to the amount of hours required to play. (Yes, I am normally a pause-when-every-train-comes-in-player.)  I consider myself a slightly below-average player at large scenarios because I have done so few.

 

I can write a lot here, but what I did was start in the north of the USA. (I realize it is really tough to invest properly from Mexico, those AI really are run by monkeys! It's so hard to predict who will have the biggest company after 50 years.) I basically stone-walled out the opposition by getting Ames Oakes and maxing out the bonds at the start. 100% ownership was also achieved in the first 5 years. I relied on the AI to connect the two house towns and grow them for me. I tried to keep my focus on growing the towns as much as possible from early on. In my view that's probably vital to late game domination?

 

I didn't know all the tricks for routing trains to prevent jams, so some of my early track planning is messy now. I expanded out as fast as new terrotories opened, sticking to the short-haul philosophy. I upgraded all trains until the Consolidation. In fact to try to keep costs down I stayed with it right until 1927. I did one large scale replacement around 1920. I was hoping to stay semi-profitable enough to jump straight to GG1s. (I took all engine upgrades possible.)

 

I paid myself out handsomely with dividends until about 1890. Then I stopped with 400 million cash. By then I realized that I should have kept a lot of that money to earn me interest in bad times. As you can see by 1927 on interest alone 400 million becomes 1 billion.

 

I also depleted my cash buying out two profitable companies to the tune of around 200 million. One was Canadian, the other was Southern.  I was the sole railway in 1905. I played with 16 players and, the Canadian one, I paid double on the share for, as I owned none myself.

 

I stopped in 1927 as I had other things that needed attention. As I said, my plan was to go to GG1s in 1935, and hold out with the Consolidiations till then, money was running LOW. After a month I had more time and wanted to continue the scenario, but my game crashes as soon as I take it off pause. Any ideas what is causing this? I tried my previous saves and none of them will play back to the one I did in 1920. Does this save run on your game?

 

Anyway, just wanted to give you some feedback. I respect how many hours you have put into it, and congratulations on getting me to play a large scale scenario! I enjoy well-thought-out events. Thanks!

Us History1927GoinElectric.zip

[jeffryfisher]

Excellent feedback, and thanks for the compliments!

 

As for the monster scenario, it's a hobby I lapse into while unemployed, so I tried to "professionalize" my involvement by treating the scenario design like a software project (complete with the worthy goal of developing a somewhat educational product). Some of my neighbor's home-schooled boys are now playing it, and at least some geography is "sticking", so I think I'm succeeding. If only I can achieve widespread distribution...

 

One of the tricks to large-scale scenarios (for those who prefer small scale) is to narrow one's focus. Instead of reaching out to connect every juicy city, just pick one transcontinental route with a couple cities at each end. You can pretty much leave the rest of the map to the competition and still reach a billion cash by 2001.

 

Like you, I micromanage, but only in the early days. Once I go over about 20 pax trains, I just let'em run for 6-12 months at a time (saving monthly). At intervals I'll scroll the list of all trains looking for those stuck waiting for cargo (or doing other "bad" things). I like to under-serve my cities slightly so my trains and usually turn and burn except during depressions.

 

Note: The Atlantics and the Pacifics are huge upgrades over Consolidations. They're almost indispensable given that pax cars change from wooden 25t to steel 45t "heavyweights" in about 1904 (YMMV depending on which patch you have).

 

BTW, Do you recall newspapers mentioning death and taxes? There was a rail-baron death event with zero tax in the 1870's. The personal income tax of 1916 foreshadowed a death-tax. That death and inheritance of your "player" will hit part way through the Great Depression, taking away 20% of your net worth. In my own current game, I am in the midst of paying out $177+ million. My player is deep in debt because my *#%%$@& board of directors won't let me raise dividends high enough. However, I'll be caught up in a year.

 

Games sometimes go buggy. It is possible for certain track arrangements to crash the game when hit by a train, and it can be difficult to identify the offending tile. It's even possible for the AI to build the offending track. To be "safe", I save the game monthly and rotate file names at least every six months. I'll look at your map and tell you if I spot anything fishy. Can you tell me what the most recent builds (yours and the AI's) were?

 

I'll write more after looking at your map.

[jeffryfisher]

Wow, what a RR! And you weren't kidding about the crash; it's immediate on releasing pause  :(

 

I looked over your river crossings and saw a few possible problems where bridges have illegal connections. I don't know how you jam-fit turns in so close to the ends of some bridges, but such things test the stability of the game. Even so, they might not be the problem. Were you building something during this pause? It's not necessarily the problem, but it could be a clue.

 

OTOH, with so much track and so many trains, you might prefer to start fresh anyway.

 

I did admire some of your terrain alterations, especially blasting through the Tahachapi Mountains to get into LA. You found many of the clean lines that I set up on the map. You also created a couple nice looking routes that I haven't tried before (I like the lower coastal path over the Siskyou Mountains of S Oregon).

 

I hope you try US History again. Download the latest version of the map from the OP of this thread before you start.

[MaglevForever]

Thanks for the reply.

 

The really interesting thing about this crash was that I had 3 previous saves back to 1920 and every one of them crashes when you take them off pause. Really bizarre! Is it a possibility I had too many trains?

 

I have never had a crash due to the bridges, I always build them like that to get more straight runs. Is there anywhere on the forums where someone explains exactly what's illegal with the bridge crossings?

 

The goal I had with using the Consolidations was to build up the towns as much as possible. That way, even while playing on expert I could move as much cargo as possible and still turn a profit. In my opinion, only Herbet Garrett enables you to run average value cargo with the faster steam engines. This is while playing on expert with the sliders at -25% human, +25% AI (the way I always play). The electrics are the only way to keep costs down enough.

 

I wanted to build a super America with metropolises everywhere, even so, I am little frustrated with the growth speed in the game. Compared to RT3 it is way slow. I agree that RT3 growth wasn't really realistic, but I would like to see a little more growth as a reward for servicing a town really well.

 

I just tried again starting in Mexico, I read your note that you should start in 1844 to be able to win, so that's what I did. I made it to the 1857 crash, then I wiped out. I ended up with -312k cash :( (I had 6M with a fair amout of debt, the previous year). The AI players went down with me too. Two had over 100k and one 250k, but a few were actually bankrupt, one of them had -88k cash. I will try again, this time I will be more savvy.

 

I haven't seen the AI pay out dividends in this scenario, is that intentional? Do some events change the economic state, even though they are not bank or market crashes? I guess, maybe I need to read the small print a bit more.

 

Would be interested to see what railroad you have bulit. I was very impressed with your Outback Australia save I saw on this forum. The planning in that track-building was amazing. I never plan that far ahead. Have you tried the "Wellisville Addison and Galeton" scenario? I found it to be a good management challenge. I am trying again in Mexico now.

[jeffryfisher]

The really interesting thing about this crash was that I had 3 previous saves back to 1920 and every one of them crashes when you take them off pause. Really bizarre! Is it a possibility I had too many trains?

 

That's scary. How could a position that once allowed you to proceed become a save that crashes? Or, are you saying that you never loaded any of them, only played on? If that's the case, then yes, something about your RR might be breaking in the act of writing the file. However, I know I've had over 400 trains before (but can't remember how many more).

 

Did you mod the game using the EXE and LNG files I uploaded? If so, then it's possible that they're incompatible with the version of your original installation.

 

I have never had a crash due to the bridges, I always build them like that to get more straight runs. Is there anywhere on the forums where someone explains exactly what's illegal with the bridge crossings?

 

I had a situation where I could build a station with one of its three track segments poking into a river (no bridge). It caused problems. If you search the site, you'll probably find many messages about crashes, but some of the speculation is wrong.

 

playing on expert with the sliders at -25% human, +25% AI

 

I usually play at neutral human and +25% AI. George Pullman might be good enough with passengers to keep a RR afloat at -25% (and subsidize freight).

 

I just tried again starting in Mexico, I read your note that you should start in 1844 to be able to win...

 

I think that 1844 is the absolute edge. I've tested it, and it's survivable, but you need to be extremely focused and thinking ahead in those last two years to trigger the Mexican transcontinental.

 

I haven't seen the AI pay out dividends in this scenario, is that intentional?

 

No, but by making them expansionistic, I may have inadvertently diverted them from dividends.

 

Do some events change the economic state, even though they are not bank or market crashes?

 

Yes, and they don't all say so in so many words. In some cases, the economic change follows the news by several months.

 

Would be interested to see what railroad you have bulit.

 

I do plan to upload one sometime. Maybe when I tire of the one I'm now playing.

 

I was very impressed with your Outback Australia save I saw on this forum. The planning in that track-building was amazing.

 

Thank you. I credit my repetitive play. Almost all of my games have been on either that Aussie map or my US History map, so I have already seen how it's going to end.

 

Have you tried the "Wellisville Addison and Galeton" scenario?

 

 I don't know if I even have it.

 

I am trying again in Mexico now.

 

Good luck. If you learned some history in your earlier play, then you can exploit the panics for fun and profit.

[MaglevForever]

Ok, I made it to silver from Mexico. I had to make a special speed-run track to go transcontinental in time. Not sure if I have enough cash, though, to make it to 1 billion because I am stuck with low book value (nationalized) and zero interest rates, at least for now.

 

I haven't had a problem with the saves and I am to about the same year as before. This time I have built some dedicated high-speed pax runs in the US and am running minimum freight to keep it simple. The money is not worth the freight yet. The AI has made a real mess

 

I don't want to talk too much and give strategies away. Let me know if you want me to just keep a few "secrets".

 

Thinking a bit more about the bridges, I am trying to only do the most proper ones here. I will say that I remember a few times where a bridge build will crash a game when you build right on the edge of the map. This happened on this map near Vancouver, and also in the "Island Hop" map. Once I lost many hours of work on that one, because I had autosave off. Lesson learned.

 

I have not been offered George Pullman yet, the year is 1928. Is he offered to the Mexican companies? When I started out the map, I didn't start a company until Mexico chartered rails. Would that be the reason why? The company that started first has him.

 

The "Wellisville Addison and Galeton" scenario is on this site under US map downloads, I believe it is on Hawk's site too. The map name is WAG 2.05, I believe. It is a little map, but is quite challenging to play on maximum difficulty without using "cheats", such as free electric track.

 

I must say I am learning a bit more history, so your goal is succeding for me. I find that the first few crashes are the money makers though. Once you get too much book value floating around, the shares are really quite stable, bust or boom. I wiped out all competitors through dumping and shorting before one crash. Now I am concentrating on cash, I think historically that was the best call as well.

 

P.S. had to go into the editor to find out how to earn Mexican trans-con stauts, and even more impressed what you did here. WOW!

[jeffryfisher]

Ok, I made it to silver from Mexico.

 

That's a major achievement requiring great finesse

 

I had to make a special speed-run track to go transcontinental in time.

 

I like to run a train up toward the border and then alter its destination right after I gain access to (and build into) Cal.

 

Not sure if I have enough cash, though, to make it to 1 billion because I am stuck with low book value (nationalized) and zero interest rates, at least for now.

 

It's hard to predict because it's exponential. If you know your Mexican RR history, then you can predict when nationalization will end.

 

I don't want to talk too much and give strategies away. Let me know if you want me to just keep a few "secrets".

 

It's up to the others whether spoilers should be suppressed. As the map's designer, I am curious to know anything my players are thinking about it. You may send me a PM if you don't want to post publicly.

 

I have not been offered George Pullman yet, the year is 1928. Is he offered to the Mexican companies?

 

The Pullman event is always at the end of (I think) 1894, whatever year you see the strike against his palace car company. He approaches the company having the most track at that moment.

 

I must say I am learning a bit more history, so your goal is succeding for me.

 

Excellent

 

Now I am concentrating on cash, I think historically that was the best call as well.

 

Just remember the warning from the start: If you go over about $2Bn personal cash, then the trigger won't work. In a cash-rich game, you must aim for something between 1 and 2 Bn without over-shooting.

 

P.S. had to go into the editor to find out how to earn Mexican trans-con status, and even more impressed what you did here. WOW!

 

I'm glad you like it. BTW, Game briefings are available from File menu, so you can re-read them anytime. I think I also put in a two-year warning that recaps the three transcon prize offerings.

[MaglevForever]

Thanks, it was fun. By the way, which transcontinental offering do you use to run trains toward the border? Maybe I still didn't understand the requirements? I tried the Southern and Canadian ones but they took about 14 months so I had to do some serious bulldozing and make a straight track from Kansas City to San Fransisco (bends at the ends), and with Andre Chapelon as manager to run two Pacific on maximum throttle with one car. They were topping out around 127mph. I had two months to spare! I like this route. The only problem was that I had to pass right through the middle of Denver and the largest AI has a station there. What's more I do have some 6% grade coming out of there.

I then tried to expand with three transcontinental routes. I was running Pacifics. Unfortunately, that strategy didn't work. I made some large profits for the first couple of years, but as soon as I was nationalized they were eaten up. I was running a high turnover game. I thought I would take advantage of the situation and bulldoze a lot of mountain routes. The government seems to pay for this really well, also to replace your trains. Some years I was getting 10 million from the government. I thought this was all smug and good, but my book value did not go up and I had no interest revenue. Then about 1930 I seem to get these massive 20 million charges at the beginning of every third year, what do they translate to? Are they income tax? How come they show up in such massive amounts?

Needless to say, without an interest cushion my company did not cope well. The first large amount was absorbed, but the subsequent ones ate my book value so much that nationalization did not repay me enough. I also notice that my book value reads higher than actual value, I guess this is due to tax? I think I could take over all companies and have over 1 billion book value right now, but I don't want to. If it is necessary, I will, but I would not like to have to bulldoze to much track later on. I know that it is really realistic to have to bulldoze track, but I hate to do it.

The other thing that killed me was my Pacifics, I don't think that I can make money with them on the -25% human setting. Especially, during the depression years. When I was totally bankrupt, I could not replace the engines and by the late 30's they were using 900k to do long-haul routes that only paid around 400k! I don't think that I can make a good game with them, without intense micromanagement (not an option in this scenario) also, the AI have all the fuel reduction managers. They really have terrible performance on grades too. And, even if I could keep them slightly profitable, I figure that the high-turnover has something to do with tax? Even when I was losing more and more each year, my tax kept increasing!

So I scrapped that attempt, and I went back and decided to go electric before the civil war in Mexico. So far it is working well, and I have moderately expanded. I am also focusing more on freight now. I realize that I have to keep track utilization high to offset the track maintenance and loss of interest. I have also focused more on industry right now to try to be more competitive later. I have also sold out of my company, and am issuing stock every year. That way I should be able to pay the taxes and build cash faster. Time will tell if this works. I think I will have too much cash at the end anyway, so might have to make some mergers just to reduce my worth, we will see.

Another question, do you think the game will give me Pullman if I take over the company that has him? I don't know if it will, maybe I will try anyway.

I also noticed that right now, I hired and have already fired Andrew Carnegie, but I still have his bonus effects! This is strange, why would that happen?

Happy gaming. :)

[jeffryfisher]

which transcontinental offering do you use to run trains toward the border?

 

That's a non-sequitur question. I use stations to order my trains. Knowing that Mexico will adopt standard gauge in 1903, in 1902 I start two pax behind a Pacific in Matamoros, sending the train to Tijuana. I set the train to high priority and watch it like a hawk, stopping it if it approaches the point (near Yuma) where I'm going to branch into California.

 

When Mexican standard gauge is announced, I buy my way into Cal, build into San Diego and LA, change my waiting train's destination and release it. It crosses the border into Cal, and I get my Mexican transcontinental award.

 

I think it's also possible to build a Canadian transcon and deliver ~Montreal -> Winnipeg. Though Vancouver is the connection, the delivery is anywhere in W Canada., so 2 logs straight and level from rural lower Can to W-peg should work.

 

  I do have some 6% grade coming out of there.

 

A 6% grade is death on time-critical deliveries. Not until Eurostars and Brenners can you tackle such grades at speed.

 

I almost never allow any grade in the red (unless it's a one cell tab beyond an end-of-the-line depot). I even work to avoid yellows where a grade can average to green. (And when I am "made of money", I sometimes cut/raise heroic traverses). Gerwig has become one of my favorite managers.

 

I then tried to expand with three transcontinental routes. I was running Pacifics. Unfortunately, that strategy didn't work.

 

That's sad. I love the advent of Pacifics. They always do such a good job for me, but then I play with +25% AI rev, neutral human rev.

 

I made some large profits for the first couple of years, but as soon as I was nationalized they were eaten up.

 

One key to Mexico is making as much money (in your company) as you can prior to nazi'nalization. Of course, the key to that is arriving with a big wad of player cash so you can blossom into existence with all of the track, stations and trains you could ever want, yet you still own 100%. You then get a few decades to sock away profits before nazi'nalization locks your company's book-value onto a programmed glide-path.

 

BTW, For those of you reading on the sidelines, achieving gold as Mexico on my map is difficult. Playing Mexico and starting back in 1844 (creating trans-con deadline pressure) is perhaps the ultimate challenge in all of RT2. You must know your history, and you must have mastered both the investor game and the RR ops game on a grand scale. Pikers and dilettantes need not apply!

 

I haven't tried it at -25% human revenue, but I accept your challenge. I'll try it next time out!

 

Some years I was getting 10 million from the government.

 

The subsidy max is $1 mil per month, so $12 million

 

Then about 1930 I seem to get these massive 20 million charges at the beginning of every third year

 

There are two taxes (on companies), property tax and income tax. Mexico doesn't suffer corporate income tax until sometime after nazi'nalization is lifted.

 

Tax accumulates. It is paid off in bits and bites. When the accumulated total due surpasses $28 mil, the company is tagged for $28 mil.

 

Note: If you build a lot of track, then your company will owe a lot of property tax.

 

...Especially, during the depression years. When I was totally bankrupt, I could not replace the engines...

 

Ohhhh... You're doomed. I get my Pacifics in 1904 after the "quick" branch of the track upgrade. I replace them all in about 1920 (If I'm American, then I do my replacement while nazi'nalized by Woodrow Wilson). I then electrify and buy GG1's in 1936.

 

Even when I was losing more and more each year, my tax kept increasing!

 

Did you read your annual reports and page through the status pages? I have about 60 statuses because my scenario debug messages have all been left in. You should be able to see the values of almost all of the internal variables used in the map.

 

One caveat: Status shows values as of 31-Dec. It does not reflect year-start and month-start events.

 

 I think I will have too much cash at the end anyway, so might have to make some mergers just to reduce my worth, we will see.

 

You can never have too much company cash. The gotcha is if you go over 2 Bn player cash.

 

Another question, do you think the game will give me Pullman if I take over the company that has him?

 

A merger will not gain you a manager. I don't know if it is even possible for a lack-land player to take control of an AI company. However, if you did, then the company would keep whomever was manager at the time.

 

I hired and have already fired Andrew Carnegie, but I still have his bonus effects!

 

I am skeptical. Your stations are still discounted? Who is your new manager? Anyway, it's not my doing.

[MaglevForever]

My mistake, I had put my Metamoros station cell right on the border square, hence it wouldn't trigger for me.

I noticed that coal supply is high on this map, was that a decision you made? Even though the industry window says 2 per year, there seems to be almost double the amount of iron.

I don't know what it is with the manager bonus staying on. All I know is that my large stations cost me 170k and double track stone bridges are 234k. If I hire Robert Gerwig as my manager they cost 141k.

Another thing happened when I did the failed attempt with Pacifics. To expand faster into the US I took out 10 Million in bonds. I never repaid them. After declaring bankruptcy twice I happened to notice they had disappeared off the books. I am unsure when this happened or how, but it is another strange one.

I notice how you have made Ernst Siemens a large company manager. This is good, but I used to use him to start out a company with a Eurostar or Thalys from the start. One of my favorite scenarios is NYC to LA with 32 AI players and make a mental rule to use only Eurostar and Thalys. Obviously your engine changes made it easier now, but with the original engine settings and -25% revenue I thought it was the ultimate challenge for a while. The game says the difficulty level is 699% or something like that. Eugene V Debs is really a good manager then, because one crash can almost bankrupt your company early on.

I guess always there is resistance to change, but wouldn't it make sense for the best managers to be available to the top companies? I rate Herbet Garrett as really a high value manager, because you end up with around a 50% reduction in fuel costs due to the slower speed as well. But when you need him you cannot hire him. He is a lifeline when using those late model steam engines. Also, John Work Garrett would be another addition to this the 40% cheaper electric track is a saving you really cannot beat in the game.

The GG1s are rolling now and for 149k each that's a bargain.

[jeffryfisher]

coal supply is high on this map, was that a decision you made? Even though the industry window says 2 per year, there seems to be almost double the amount of iron.

 

There's a coal strike that may not be unwinding evenly. It's such a low-value commodity that I'm not going to worry about it. It could come in handy to make steel needed for mil loads in WWII, as well as electric waste needed after about 1960 (proves you're supplying electric plants so your electric fuel cost stays down).

 

I don't know what it is with the manager bonus staying on. All I know is that my large stations cost me 170k and double track stone bridges are 234k. If I hire Robert Gerwig as my manager they cost 141k.

 

That one's a mystery. I don't think that any of my events or mods did anything to station pricing.

 

Another thing happened when I did the failed attempt with Pacifics. To expand faster into the US I took out 10 Million in bonds. I never repaid them. After declaring bankruptcy twice I happened to notice they had disappeared off the books. I am unsure when this happened or how, but it is another strange one.

 

That's a mystery too. Does your balance sheet show any residual debt? IIRC, Each bankruptcy cuts the value of each bond in half. You should have 20 bonds at $125k each.

 

I notice how you have made Ernst Siemens a large company manager. This is good, but I used to use him to start out a company with a Eurostar or Thalys from the start. One of my favorite scenarios is NYC to LA...

 

Yeah, I figured there were a couple of modern scenarios in which an electric discount would help at the beginning. I think there's another lesser electric discount, and there are a couple of any-engine discounts to use instead. Also, you can never count on getting any particular manager, so you need to be able to win regardless. Therefore, I went with his late-game, big-company characteristics.

 

I guess always there is resistance to change, but wouldn't it make sense for the best managers to be available to the top companies? I rate Herbet Garrett as really a high value manager, because you end up with around a 50% reduction in fuel costs due to the slower speed as well. But when you need him you cannot hire him. He is a lifeline when using those late model steam engines.

 

Slower speed means lower revenue too, so you're spending yourself rich.

 

Whenever I look at manager benefits, the revenue enhancements always outweigh cost savings (unless it's money spent while the game is paused). Therefore, I never hire fuel or overhead reductions if I can hire a pax or all-delivery bonus.

 

An interesting side-effect of the increasing taxes in my game is that during a depression, even a profitable company's revenue can appear negative (after paying tax on the high interest earned by a huge pile of cash). Some very early-game managers will then ask you for employment.

 

Also, John Work Garrett would be another addition to this the 40% cheaper electric track is a saving you really cannot beat in the game.

 

I have a lingering note to mod an electric track discount for a big manager (maybe Siemens again, making him worth more millions).

 

However, I have two things stopping me:

1) My current mod has a nice distribution of manager salaries from bottom to top, and

2) The free-electric-track bug makes electric track a very low priority.

 

In some future patch that will never be made, the bug would be fixed and the managers would be shuffled.

 

The GG1s are rolling now and for 149k each that's a bargain.

 

Siemens just bought me about 200 GG1's, saving me maybe $8 million

[MaglevForever]

I just finished the scenario till 2001! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I must say that I had to back-track 3 or 4 times, loading an older save, so I can't claim a straight-through win.

 

I kept a rough limit of 200 trains, anymore is too hard to manage for this long. I had a Mexico, West and Canada system. The last decade is a whirl to the finish.

 

Amazingly, 3 computer companies were still alive at the end. Even after replacing their engines every year for 100+ years!

 

I wont post a finished game here, but I would say that this is the ultimate challenge and railroad adventure in RTII. Gives you a little idea of how difficult it was for real-world rail lines to survive.

 

What can I say, great map, really fun to play. Thanks Jeffry!

[MaglevForever]

Ok, changed my mind. Here's a save just before gold. Hope everyone has as much fun with this as I did.

Us HistoryMX182.zip

[jeffryfisher]

Wow, it's a privilege to see into the mind of RR engineer! I am pleased to see some of my own favorite alleys exploited. I am also amazed by some of the tunnels blasted through mountains where I never thought to blast (Why not? It's only money!)

 

I also like the surprises. It looks like you acquired some non-electric track in the southeast and decided not to bother converting it. However, there are a few engines approaching 50 years old (~199-203), including an ancient Hudson still puffing away in the year 2000. What's the story there? Just for kicks, I upgraded the ancient steamer to a DB18.

 

And the three large stations in El Paso with no through routes between them. How did that develop?

 

Seeing so much track that is owned by nobody (but in everyone's way), I am reminded why I always play with the "liquidate" option on (personal preference).

 

Note on my patch 1.56 mod: Large Hotel reduces pickup delays for passengers in the same way that post office reduces delays for mail. As modded, the large hotel becomes profitable.

[MaglevForever]

Thanks. Yes, the reason I have some really old engines and non-electric track is I did two mergers in the last year, just before the save. This is a really powerful way to build player cash to a predefined amount. I was planning an integrated one after I had paid death tax, but I had a problem when my angry board of directors kicked me out in 1990. I owned less than 2% of my company and they were not happy when higher taxes kicked in.

 

The year before I had -$90 Million revenue and in 1990 I had another slightly negative revenue year. I was a little shocked as my company still made a $10 Million profit that year, and the directors had tolerated me issuing stock every year since 1910! (Towards the end I was receiving around 40 Million a year from new shares.) This was the flaw in this strategy. Obviously, dividends is the classic way to pay yourself, but I was unsure how much tax I would have to pay, and I think I would not have been able to pay myself enough before the end. That board of directors is annoying, you have 100% ownership and lots of money, but you cant pay yourself fast enough.

 

Well, I reloaded my last save and bought 10% in the company in one hit using most of my cash (around 600 Million), and increased dividends to cope. This almost doubled stock price to make those directors "pleased" the next year. But the price fell back again and half-way through the nineties I had to repeat. This process used up all my cash and I was waiting to the end till the directors couldn't fire me before I did the mergers and took the gold.

 

You should have seen my previous map when I was trying to use the Pacifics, I had four transcontinental routes running including one from Portland and Seattle to Minneapolis and Chicago. It had five or six graded squares (yellow) and the rest was flat. I had flattened the mountains and benched out into Seattle and Portland.

 

The main straight from SF to Kansas City was what I used to go transcontinental. I think it cost 20 million to build. Good value considering.

 

In El Paso, the first station was part of my Mexican railway, the second I added to make a run to LA and the third was simply to make autos.

 

I always go for maximum station upgrades for passengers, I always use the Large Hotel. I never thought that it was unprofitable, what do you mean?

 

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For those who are reading a little explanation here: as Jeffry said taxes are deducted from the miscellaneous revenue tab but interest is not. When a company earns a lot of interest the tax on that interest can turn the revenue negative even when you are still turning a profit. This makes your directors angry.

 

Also please everyone understand what the accumulated tax in the ledger means. It accumulates until you owe 28 million and then it hits you for that amount at the beginning of the next year. Tax rates were so low before 1900 that I didn't accumulate 28 million until the 1920s when taxes have risen. Be prepared for these big hits.

 

When the ledger says "watch company cash" it means have enough so you can survive these hits. Your company cash is never taxed, so the more the better. :D Jeffry correct me if I am wrong, please. I just wanted to help people avoid getting discouraged when they suddenly get a big bill and they are not ready as I was on my first play.