US History

[jeffryfisher]

Thanks. Yes, the reason I have some really old engines and non-electric track is I did two mergers...

 

Okay, that also explains the under-developed stations.

 

Bonus: I modded the large hotel to act like a post office for passengers (cutting the penalty for delay in pick up). Isn't that what you'd expect a hotel to do (give passengers a place to stay for six months).

 

This is a really powerful way to build player cash to a predefined amount.

 

I find mergers vary according to the value of competing RRs. In one game I played recently, I did three mergers for max value and only paid out about $60 Million. I needed another $217 million to pay the inheritance tax... in 1933.

 

The surest way to raise cash is to sell stock. Unfortunately, if you own 100%, then just one sale totally busts your stock price. Therefore I prefer to have 100% ownership and a powerful dividend machine.

 

That board of directors is annoying, you have 100% ownership and lots of money...

 

All in favor of voting out the board of directors, please say "Aye!"

 

For those who are reading a little explanation here: as Jeffry said taxes are deducted from the miscellaneous revenue tab but interest is not.

 

Interest earned is not counted in "revenue". Instead, it counts against expenses. If your company receives a lot of interest, then my scenario's "tax" event may appear to reduce revenue to a negative number.

 

Also, what the game shows you as "profit" is what you have left after you paid your taxes for the previous year. For those accustomed to reading a real P&L statement, you'd expect to see a pretax profit. However, my events are layered on top of the game, not integrated into it, so what you see does not mean what you might expect.

 

[in other words, when corporate income tax is 50%, it looks as if you're being taxed 100%. What's really happening is that the amount owed for tax is equal to the amount you get to keep... 50-50. It's the best I could do within the limitations of the event editor.]

 

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.

 

That's partially true. There are two sizes of tax bites. The small bite is (I think) 90k per month. This suffices for early days, low tax rate, small company taxation. There will be a lot of companies that start a lot of years at -90k revenue and profit.

 

The biggest fixed amount that the editor can deduct from company cash is $28 million, and there are only 12 months in a year, so my scenario can only tax 28 x 12 million per year. I know some of you can really haul in the profits, so I had to push the bite to the limit in order to cover as much of your ability as possible.

 

[Note: Back when the bigger bite was "only" $10M per month, I had a RR that "outran" the $120M per year flow that that implies. Its  accumulated tax-due piled up and up until "bad things" happened (numeric overflow in the variable)].

 

When the ledger says "watch company cash" it means have enough so you can survive these hits.

 

Right... Don't go negative and suffer huge interest expenses. A similar thing can happen to personal cash when death taxes hit.

 

  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.

 

The first time you have $28 Mil deducted, you're usually being taxed about $7 mil per year, and it hasn't actually been paid, and suddenly your company is forced to "catch up". If you've chosen that moment to expand greatly (with your undocumented, interest-free government "loan"), then you can go negative in cash.

 

Later in the game, a continent-girdling RR empire should be spending the first four or five months every year paying those $28 mill chunks. At that point it's ho-hum business as usual that barely dents your $4+ Bn cash account.

[jeffryfisher]

I've updated the zip file in the OP. There are minor tweaks to the map and the mod (see the OP's last edit remarks for details). The most "significant" edit is inserting Obama's re-election and pushing all of my fictional future event back by four years.

 

I just finished a successful run of the previous scenario that reached the last future event (Abundant Thorium-electric power) without encountering any serious bugs. So you an see what I do with my own map, I'm uploading my last save. It's called "Pullman" because when I started, I was testing the Pullman-every-February event (it works like a charm for those who buy him).

 

Pullman 38w.zip

[DacT]

I love this mod. Well I loved it until 1916 when it went all bad.  - 23 M tax every three years it buried me down. 

 

I've started in North US, 110% hard game (0% income for me and 0% for AI), by 1900. I expanded to almost every town/city west of Appalachian mountains (except towns in upper Idaho,  Montana and in Rocky Mountains). And I think that might be my problem. When WW I started I had 60 M company cash, but by the end of 1925 I had - 60M :( Mostly because of Property tax and all other taxes combine 

 

I really want to finish this mod, but after WW I it is getting frustrated :P  

[jeffryfisher]

Indeed, but there's significant replay value to this map. Not only are there history lessons to be learned (and used to form completely new strategy when playing again), but there are four starting positions. I've been calling it a campaign in itself, but in some ways it's almost a whole new game layered on top of RR Tycoon (call it Advanced RR Tycoon).

In spite of the property tax, it's okay to build lots of track. Just make sure that you're using it (and profitably). If property tax is killing you now, then it's going to ruin you in the lead up to prop 13. Property tax continues to increase linearly until the mid 1970's.

It might be time start fresh and plan ahead.

[MaglevForever]

Had a little time to look at your save, Jeffry. That's what I call a real empire! I saw many routes that didn't stand out to me while I was playing through. I notice that you don't run too many freight trains. What did you do in the years when passenger traffic dried right up? Was interest enough to keep you positive? I also noticed that there is a lot of freight that you haven't bothered to haul. Is this due to a future event that boosts production rates?

About the Southern game I am slowly working on (maybe a long time, busy now), I am trying to work out how to have a big intersection (it will probably take up most of Indiana and Ohio) so I can have four general delivery "areas": East of Philadelphia, between Philadelphia and the Mississippi, between the Mississippi and the Rockies, Rockies and West Coast. My idea is to deliver from East of Philadelphia to between the Mississippi and the Rockies, and from between Philadelphia and the Mississippi to the Rockies and West Coast. This should enable many prime runs for the earlier passenger years. The problems I face: the AI didn't grow many of the towns for me, so my towns are small. I have built so much track that I will need the towns to double in size before I can profitably use many of my lines. I only have 30 years before taxes start to hit me. I wont have much money left after the giant expansion to earn interest on while waiting for the growth to happen. Give me another month, see what I get time for, otherwise I may just upload it so you can see.

[jeffryfisher]

I saw many routes that didn't stand out to me while I was playing through.

Ah, another semi-cheat on many maps is to open the map in the editor to see where the reserved cells run. This can often clue you into how the author linked up cities while testing the map. I wish the AI were designed to try reserved cells as a heuristic in build planning.

I notice that you don't run too many freight trains.

As I was testing, I wanted to keep down the number of trains whose engines I'd need to replace every 15-20 years. I also wanted to avoid congestion.

What did you do in the years when passenger traffic dried right up?

Some trains changed to fast-food and fast-goods. Most of those never changed back. Many pax trains simply sat empty waiting for the next pax pulse.

If you don't know about the pulses: Something weird happens when the pax rate is low. Instead of a big city producing a load or two every month, it will generate nothing for maybe three or four years and then suddenly flood the station with like 22 pax loads (and many cities will do this all at the same time). I wish the game were smoother than that

Was interest enough to keep you positive?

Almost always. There were a couple of economic transition years when the prior year's tax sent me negative.

I also noticed that there is a lot of freight that you haven't bothered to haul. Is this due to a future event that boosts production rates?

No, just lazy (and not wanting traffic jams).

[MaglevForever]

Yes, I noticed those pulses too. Even when you don't want to, it's so tempting to buy many new trains to haul all those fresh pax and mail. Just to add to this demand will almost always be at maximum levels, making you a nice windfall (and lots of taxes to pay). The game is quite inconsistent with passenger generation. I have not noticed a pattern that is always true. If I did, I would be more comfortable on letting routes semi-auto run. I think I observed that poorly serviced towns wont produce anything for a long time also. I wonder is there some secret variable in passenger and mail generation, governing such things as how many loads are available when you first place a station?

[jeffryfisher]

What I might do about pulses in some future game is to buy Brenners and then hitch six pax cars. They'd sit empty and waiting for a year or two and then haul away big loads when the hordes show up.

[outofmage]

I just finished your map today, I love it, I might play it again if I have some time.

I found some interesting features even this game provides not enough event effects, nice work!

But I should point out some problems. The corp tax is much more in detail, I can guess the property tax is based on cells of tracks, income tax is based on company cash. But there is no showing on player's tax, and I don't think player is efficiently taxed. I also got confused in 5%-return-only nationalization policy, how does this work?

More seriously, gold event does not even check for a company! So after I got liquidated by the heavy corp tax in 1939, I had 4 billion cash, I just wait for 60 years till 2001, and I got 23 billion already. 1.03^60=5.8, 4 billion*5.8=23.2 billion, so no tax at all. Luckily, 23 billion is 1.6 billion after overflowing, so I still get the gold, but it feels weird, because there is absolutely nothing on the map in 2001.

[jeffryfisher]

I just finished your map today, I love it, I might play it again if I have some time.

Yes, do play again. Because there are four starting positions, there's at least 4-way replay value. Do Mexico last.

But I should point out some problems. The corp tax is much more in detail, I can guess the property tax is based on cells of tracks, income tax is based on company cash.

I'm not quite following you. If English is a learned language for you, then we might need to say some things twice.

Property tax is based on cells and a variable rate. Corporate income tax is based on company profit. However, it assumes that you paid income tax during the year, and that the deductions affected the game's stat for company profit this year. That's why the calculation is complex.

But there is no showing on player's tax

I couldn't implement individual income taxes. However, I could implement a death tax. The total player-tax due shows up in the annual report (you might need to page down).

I don't think player is efficiently taxed.

Agreed. I did the best I could within the limitations of the game.

I also got confused in 5%-return-only nationalization policy, how does this work?

While nationalized, your company receives monthly cash gains or losses to drive it toward a 5%-of-book annual profit.

More seriously, gold event does not even check for a company!

The criterion is personal cash, so why should it check a company?

Luckily, 23 billion is 1.6 billion after overflowing, so I still get the gold, but it feels weird, because there is absolutely nothing on the map in 2001.

Overflow is beyond my control (blame programmers from 1998). The best I could do was to issue warnings.

[MaglevForever]

I abandoned my play as the South after spending almost 100 million on leveling costs alone. The problem is growth. Many, many towns have only one or two houses.

It would not be economical to run so, so many dry routes. My plan was to have separate runs connecting pairs of towns together. I could post it here, but think it is not worth it. If people want to see it, that's fine, just ask. But it is not a "running" map, I have not purchased and routed that many trains, even some stations are still missing. I have realized that pre-laid track is good, but you need shorter, more messy routes for growth. I know the South is completely do-able, but I over-reached on the expansion. Should be possible to have a complete system, but will require much more patience.

I have started a new play through, electing to start as early as possible in the North. Currently have 600 trains in 1861 and about to achieve transcontinental status. Most of my revenue is coming from freight. This will change once some of my long-haul pairs start arrive after their 3-4 year journeys.

Jeffry, interesting what you did with Virginia, allowing the North access rights before the civil war. When playing as the South an Northern AI competitor connected to Clarksburg. I wondered how that was possible, but guessing it's a hidden territory?

[jeffryfisher]

I abandoned my play as the South... The problem is growth. Many, many towns have only one or two houses.

 

The South is one area that needs industrial stimulation in its early days. Look to Memphis, Atlanta and Harper's/DC for ready pax/mail demand. Consider delivering logs, cotton etc to a two- or three-house village whose growth you'd like to promote.

 

 

I have started a new play through, electing to start as early as possible in the North. Currently have 600 trains in 1861

 

I do not envy your engine-replacement cycles. Replacing 600 engines will be mind-numbingly tedious. Avoiding jammed consists (when replacing an engine on a train in-station or reversing) will just add to your woe. There are already wishes for bulk-replacement and a bug-fix in the wish-list thread.

 

 

 

Most of my revenue is coming from freight. This will change once some of my long-haul pairs start arrive after their 3-4 year journeys.

 

When I go west, I use villages to finish filling trains that leave the coast with partial loads. For instance, I'll leave SF with two cars under a yellow signal. The train will troll Reno, Winnemucca, Elko etc (all too small to eat the pax/mail) adding a third car along the way and eventually demanding a full load.

 

The downside is that when one of my villages becomes a full-fledged town, then I need to find and fix several trains' schedules.

 

 

interesting what you did with Virginia, allowing the North access rights before the civil war.

 

Access is granted during, not before the war (summer 1861).

 

 

 

When playing as the South an Northern AI competitor connected to Clarksburg. I wondered how that was possible, but guessing it's a hidden territory?

 

It's not completely hidden. The border is invisible, but right-clicking on cells should reveal "West Virginia". Also, if you deliver to a station whose center-cell is in WV, then you'll see a load count for West Virginia in your yearly status report (if you page through the debug messages).

 

BTW, I'll probably never remove those debug status messages, so you'll always be able to look "under the hood" at how I programmed some of the events. Some of the variables controlling strikes, nationalization, tech advances etc become visible there.

[jeffryfisher]

In another thread, Maglev mentioned that he never saw an AI company start in Mexico. Because Mexico opens so late, my events for assigning nations to AI companies do not assign Mexico except in one situation: If somebody starts a company in or after 1880. This usually only happens after you merge a RR and its former chairman uses the proceeds to start a new company.

 

Even when that has happened in my games, I have never seen an AI company actually build track in Mexico. The AI seems to have great difficulty building within territory restrictions. It can do okay in California (probably because LA and SF are mega cities), but Mexico and early Canada confuse it.

[jeffryfisher]

I have started a new play through, electing to start as early as possible in the North. Currently have 600 trains in 1861...

Do tell. What year are you up to? Are you using a "robot" to replace engines?

[MaglevForever]

Hi Jeffry, I have taken a break from it. I played a few of the classics such as KVR, Cascadia, and Darwin to Adelaide, lately. Will be back to it soon. That snag I highlighted in the replacing engines forum and a lack of time have affected progress. Will keep you updated.

[MaglevForever]

The South just opened. So, I have 2-3 hours of building to do now! I have 1,153 trains and hauling about that many loads (will pick up in a few years due to long runs which haven't arrived yet and boom times coming in the last year, waiting-to-fill strategies take a long time to react to change of economic condition, in my case 3 year trips).

 

So I have the challenge of what is a good routing plan for the South. Texas has a lot of big cities in it, but the Eastern Seaboard has not grown very big. Any suggestions?

 

I removed a lot of old saved games and I noticed a significant speed increase when handling such a large game. The only thing that it didn't help was reloading another save. It is much quicker to restart the entire program and then load the save from the main menu. I have no idea why. Currently, reloading a save takes around a minute, but loading straight after start-up takes less than 15 seconds.

 

Please note that I run a laptop at 50% processor speed, to conserve battery power and stop the game running the CPU hot with the game's always busy 100% usage habits.

[jeffryfisher]

In the South, I like to build

SD - El Paso - DFW - Vick- Atl;

Mid - Hou - Tal - Miami;

Memphis - Anderson - DC (with a spur into Rich/Norf)

Miami north to join Anderson - DC, then run Florida trains to Quebec and Campbelton.

 

There are other options too. If you build from the Great Lakes through St Louis to KC, then there's a nice diagonal from about Wichita to Amarillo that can turn west and go to Phoenix etc. However, it isn't ideal until the Oklahoma land rush event.

[j7n]

I'm sorry if this has been explained already, but I tried to not look at the thread to avoid spoilers.

The AI is drowning in chemicals in my game!

I started in the northeast, near Baltimore and Washington, and there are ugly Chemical Plants all over this region. The year was 1936. As far as I can tell, those chemicals aren't demanded anywhere yet, and they ship in a 40 ton car. All AI opponents also build there, and they ship chemicals from one town to the next as expected.

Do I need to deliver this product for an event?

Where should Troops be delivered? Barracks now demand Weapons instead.

[jeffryfisher]

Chemicals are demanded at munitions factories that turn chems into ammo. Ammo will make good money and help score a special event in the Civil War.

Troops are delivered to a Depot.

[j7n]

This map has been very well done indeed. It is almost alive with all the events. I think it makes sense when troops now go to a destination rather than only between barracks like passengers.

I've won the civil war without access to any military depot and achieved transcontinental status in 1866.

So far the scenario has been easy. I only miss the ability to purchase industry. It doesn't change how I supply them, but takes away the ability to manage their growth, and control which industries will be kept and which will disappear. I've had very few breakdowns and one crash until now. I think i'm on +85% in reliablity.

If you are still developing the map, maybe key military buildings could be placed, or made very probable in some towns? Same with the Foundry (steel mill). I have one military depot on the map in Norfolk, which can't be reached from the northern states, and a steel mill in Canada, also unreachable, which was needed to produce weapons. Since the war was over another steel mill sprung up in Portland also, and I'm supplying that. The chemicals and delivery of troops could be given some meaning if there were specific destinations for military cargo.

I've stopped production of Ammunition in the north-east, since it now requires steel which is all the way in the west in Portland.

[jeffryfisher]

Sadly, there's a game bug that often ruins cities and towns where a building has been placed by the map editor. I've tried to "encourage" a few key industries to develop in certain places, but sometimes the game simply refuses. for example, I recently played as a Southern RR with no logs until after the Civil War. When I checked the odds, there really wasn't anything to fix; the randomizer just didn't like me.

 

Your lack of steel smells like that. I've always had steel mills (foundries). One thing that could better your odds is to start your map early enough to build up the economy before you need heavy industry. An odd "feature" of the game is that it starts the map at the same level of poverty regardless of what year you choose to start it. Therefore, if starting as a Northern or Southern player, you might want to push back the starting year and get a running head start toward the world's first industrial war.

[jeffryfisher]

Playing my own map, I got a nice treat yesterday. Having tweaked my game's language file, one of the names available to computer companies is "Transcontinental". On this US History map, I put a village in place of Ouray Colorado and named it "Galt's Gulch".

 

Yesterday, all by itself, the computer surprised me by having Transcontinental RR connect to Galt's Gulch!

 

If you don't see the correlation, then Google the two names together.

[jeffryfisher]

I replaced the zip in the OP. It's a minor revision, mostly just text. I tried to fix a bug in the calc for company income while nationalized (company book value looked negative when over $4 Bn, and the event should protect against that).

[jeffryfisher]

I've patched (fiddled with the binary values inside) the US History map in an attempt to fix port demand-recovery. Because this is experimental, I added a new zip file with the new map file (see post #1 of this thread). "EXE Data.ods" is also updated, but the other files are unchanged.

If/when you download and play the patched map, it will have a new file name but the original map name. What that means is that the file will not clobber any existing US History map you already have, so RR Tycoon will list "US History" twice when you bring up maps for a new single-player game. You can either move the unpatched map to a backup folder (recommended) or delete it (not recommended) or blindly choose between the two.

[MaglevForever]

I tried to do a little test. I decided to try to start in the south at the latest possible start date (1859) to try to get a bit more growth on the map, without me having to wait for it. After an AI track laying related game freeze that ended my first attempt prematurely, I tried again. The lower level of Cotton production and the map seed which didn't allow me to capture two Cotton Farms with the same station hindered me a bit. But I can say that the "0" demand level is gone. Also, demand seems to recover really quickly to a high level even up to 9. I also tried to utilize the other port conversion (Grain -> Rubber). I didn't see a drop to zero demand here either, instead if anything demand seems to be stronger than that for Cotton. (I am wondering what the player is meant to do with Rubber this early in the game?) I hope this helps with some ideas on this. Are the Port demands set to minimum demand (1) in the map file, or can they be tweaked? I am really interested in the possibilities for time-based changes in this recipe also. I am not quite convinced that the map needs a new supply of Chemicals except to help the South in the Civil War as the map has plenty of Chemical Plants. I guess the limiting factor is that Ports all over the map must have the same recipe. I hope you can work out how to introduce new conversions as that would be fun and add some more interest to your map.