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Rail Capacity Transport Model
-Rail capacity limits the number of units that can be moved in a given round.
-Rail capacity determined by playtesting, but low enough that you couldn't move very much in a single round.
-Infinite movement, limited capacity (as opposed to limited movement, infinite capacity).
-Rail Capacity represents how many locomotives you have and the kind of technology you have. Different advances would help to increase it, eg a "Diesel-Electric Engine" advance or it could be tied to existing advances.
-Possibly, Government might affect Rail Capacity (large bonus for Fascism for instance). It might also be scaled to map size.
-Small countries have the same Rail Capacity as big ones, dependant on technology. This is to reflect the fact that huge empires always have infrastructure problems. It also limits the ability to overwhelm smaller countries with sheer numbers as you will both have the same Rail Capacity. It can still be done, but takes planning.
-Units that don't use Rail Capacity don't get any movement advantage for being on the tracks. It's treated as road.
-Excess Rail Capacity will be vital to the economy. Any unused Rail Capacity generates revenue. Using Rail Capacity to its limit every round will be prohibitively expensive, but moving units will not cost money out of the treasury per se. You just won't make any money. Also, because rail capacity generates a gold bonus, tracks no longer need to generate tile bonuses - meaning rails only need to be built between cities, not in every single tile.
-Total Rail Capacity will not be high enough to defend or attack using a flow of units on the tracks. In the era of tanks and infantry it might be 10-15 points, perhaps less. Forces for an invasion - or defensive forces - will have to be built up slowly, over time, with much planning.
-In war, if a border collapses due to invasion, you'll be in serious trouble, but not necessarily doomed. If you have more than one front you'll be doomed if your defences are weak and you're relying on railroads to supply defensive reinforcements. If you can only move a limited number of units you'll be forced to choose where they go. Pulling forces from defences on other borders will be difficult because you will not be able to build them back up there again in one, two, or three rounds, and if they are then also attacked ...
-If you are expanding into enemy territory, you'll use your rail to transport new recruits from the homeland to the front, but the advance of your main force will occur by road and overland. Rails will just help somewhat to replenish your forces, but rails alone won't sustain an advance - you'll have to build up a large force during peacetime.
-In peacetime, you'll be building up defensive forces and attack forces using your rails. This will take time and planning because you'll have to choose where, and if you choose wrong, it won't be possible to change easily. It will take many rounds to correct. Also, using too much rail will hurt your economy.
Rail Capacity Interface in the Game
-Rail Capacity Remaining displayed in the side box, where the Treasury and global warming and all that is, but also visible when a unit is displayed in that box.
-When Rail Capacity is available and a unit is on the tracks, a small Entrain button appears in its options (just like the current buttons for Fortify, Sentry, Load, and all that). Clicking on Entrain changes the graphic of the unit to a locomotive (the type, perhaps, would change according to Advances), and allows it rail movement, at the cost of 1 Rail Capacity.
-As soon as the unit leaves the tracks or engages in combat, it loses the locomotive icon and its rail movement is considered to be over, there is no need to "unload". If guerrillas/insurgents have been changed in the game as some have proposed, and you can't see them all the time, then if one surprises you on the track you are in trouble, fighting at a severe penalty.
-Rail capacity limits the number of units that can be moved in a given round.
-Rail capacity determined by playtesting, but low enough that you couldn't move very much in a single round.
-Infinite movement, limited capacity (as opposed to limited movement, infinite capacity).
-Rail Capacity represents how many locomotives you have and the kind of technology you have. Different advances would help to increase it, eg a "Diesel-Electric Engine" advance or it could be tied to existing advances.
-Possibly, Government might affect Rail Capacity (large bonus for Fascism for instance). It might also be scaled to map size.
-Small countries have the same Rail Capacity as big ones, dependant on technology. This is to reflect the fact that huge empires always have infrastructure problems. It also limits the ability to overwhelm smaller countries with sheer numbers as you will both have the same Rail Capacity. It can still be done, but takes planning.
-Units that don't use Rail Capacity don't get any movement advantage for being on the tracks. It's treated as road.
-Excess Rail Capacity will be vital to the economy. Any unused Rail Capacity generates revenue. Using Rail Capacity to its limit every round will be prohibitively expensive, but moving units will not cost money out of the treasury per se. You just won't make any money. Also, because rail capacity generates a gold bonus, tracks no longer need to generate tile bonuses - meaning rails only need to be built between cities, not in every single tile.
-Total Rail Capacity will not be high enough to defend or attack using a flow of units on the tracks. In the era of tanks and infantry it might be 10-15 points, perhaps less. Forces for an invasion - or defensive forces - will have to be built up slowly, over time, with much planning.
-In war, if a border collapses due to invasion, you'll be in serious trouble, but not necessarily doomed. If you have more than one front you'll be doomed if your defences are weak and you're relying on railroads to supply defensive reinforcements. If you can only move a limited number of units you'll be forced to choose where they go. Pulling forces from defences on other borders will be difficult because you will not be able to build them back up there again in one, two, or three rounds, and if they are then also attacked ...
-If you are expanding into enemy territory, you'll use your rail to transport new recruits from the homeland to the front, but the advance of your main force will occur by road and overland. Rails will just help somewhat to replenish your forces, but rails alone won't sustain an advance - you'll have to build up a large force during peacetime.
-In peacetime, you'll be building up defensive forces and attack forces using your rails. This will take time and planning because you'll have to choose where, and if you choose wrong, it won't be possible to change easily. It will take many rounds to correct. Also, using too much rail will hurt your economy.
Rail Capacity Interface in the Game
-Rail Capacity Remaining displayed in the side box, where the Treasury and global warming and all that is, but also visible when a unit is displayed in that box.
-When Rail Capacity is available and a unit is on the tracks, a small Entrain button appears in its options (just like the current buttons for Fortify, Sentry, Load, and all that). Clicking on Entrain changes the graphic of the unit to a locomotive (the type, perhaps, would change according to Advances), and allows it rail movement, at the cost of 1 Rail Capacity.
-As soon as the unit leaves the tracks or engages in combat, it loses the locomotive icon and its rail movement is considered to be over, there is no need to "unload". If guerrillas/insurgents have been changed in the game as some have proposed, and you can't see them all the time, then if one surprises you on the track you are in trouble, fighting at a severe penalty.
) then you have to compensate to make things easier to manage.
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