Railroad connected

[zeace]

Originally posted by Ijuin
I would say rather that any intercity trade route should get +1 commerce if the two cities are connected by rail. (I am speaking of the routes in the trade route box--the ones that get increased in number by various civics, improvements, techs, etc.)

I like this idea, but I'm worried that the trade routes change too much. Has anyone actually paid attention to how often they change? Theoretically, and time any city increases in population it could cause all the trade routes to change. You'd hate to build the orient express all the way to Bejing only to have your capital change to trading with someone else now.

[Forwarn45]

I like the idea of an increased benefit as well. As for some of the comments about public transportation, I would just mention that for cargo purposes trains remain incredibly efficient and popular. I have read that in the US, rail carries several times more cargo on less rail miles than it did at the beginning of the last century.

choo choo

[Ijuin]

Originally posted by nugog


I agree that you should get something for connecting a rail network. However how would you handle the multiple links?

For example if city A is connected to city B, then thats one link right?

Then you connect city B to city C.

Is that one more link (B - C) or a total of three links (A - B, B - C & A - C via B)?

If you can get from city X to city Y by traveling exclusively along rails through nations that you are not at war with (whether or not it goes through other cities), then X and Y would be considered to be connected by rail.

[MadDjinn]

Originally posted by zeace


I like this idea, but I'm worried that the trade routes change too much. Has anyone actually paid attention to how often they change? Theoretically, and time any city increases in population it could cause all the trade routes to change. You'd hate to build the orient express all the way to Bejing only to have your capital change to trading with someone else now.

but that's happened alot over RL history...

[MasterDave]

Originally posted by Forwarn45
I like the idea of an increased benefit as well. As for some of the comments about public transportation, I would just mention that for cargo purposes trains remain incredibly efficient and popular. I have read that in the US, rail carries several times more cargo on less rail miles than it did at the beginning of the last century.

choo choo

Nobody is disputing that trains are great for carrying cargo. Almost all major factories and food plants that I have visited in California and around the country are rail served. These cargo lines are privately owned and operated, and are very cost-effective and efficeintly run. Also, the GDP of the USA in real dollars in 2006 is thirteen times the size that it was in 1929 (before the Great Depression Crash), so it is not surprising at all that more cargo is being moved around today than in the year 1900, despite trains being somewhat antequated.

It is the government-run passenger trains that get goofy with their pathetic ridership and their ever-expanding sinkhole of squandered tax money. No sensible private industry touch most of these passenger routes with a ten foot pole, so the government dutifully loses millions (if not billions) of dollars annually maintaining these archaic and seldom-used routes for "the public good".

"The public good" meaning maintaining as many cushy Governement and Union jobs as possible at the rest of our expense, of course.

[Martinus]

Originally posted by CarnalCanaan


If you find that PLEASE let us know where it is. I'd love to read that study.

I'll throw it all the jackarses who tailgate me on the Interstate.

Interstate is used to travel within a city? Or maybe, simply, you need to work on your reading comprehension skills.

[Forwarn45]

Interstate is used to travel within a city?

Saving carnalcanaan from responding = The answer to this question is (perhaps sadly), "yes" in most big cities. So much for literalism.

[Ijuin]

Here's a mindbender for you: There is an interstate highway in Hawaii. o.O

[spartak]

Cool.

[Older than Dirt]

Yes Martinus, unfortunately most of the Interstate-highway-miles-driven in the USA are in total miles and in time spent are within city limits. You could drive from Fort Worth to LA and see fewer vehicles the entire trip than what you'd see during rush hour driving to Dallas (which latter route would be within city limits the whole 30 miles).

[Nugog]

Or how about "Freeways" that you have to pay to use?

[Ijuin]

Officially, the "Free" in "Freeway" does not mean free-of-charge, but rather free-flowing traffic (in other words, there are no intersections or signals or other reasons for traffic to stop other than overcongestion).

[Will9]

I think that with one of the end game techs you should be able to upgrade railroads into maglev rails.

Also with combustion you should be able to make the Highway System as a nation wonder. It would give tourism to coastal cities and cities with wonders. Also the Audobon should be a global wonder that has a higher effect than the Highway System.

[johnmcd]

I'd also love to see railroading be more meaningful, offer some advantages for hooked up resources and cities. But perhaps to offset each piece of rail could cost a couple of gold to lay, it would make it into a much more interesting choice.

[Nugog]

Originally posted by johnmcd
I'd also love to see railroading be more meaningful, offer some advantages for hooked up resources and cities. .

Totally agree - there has to be a greater benefit to building a complete network.