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Sid Meier's Railroads! - what we'd like to see
From http://www.gamesman.co.nz/news.php?id=2443
Now, I hope that Sid steals some good ideas off rival railroad games as well to incorporate into his new version.
From Rails Across America - what I liked from this was that tracks were built in real time rather than instantly appeared which on reflection is a little dumb for a real-time game. If you wanted to speed things up, you had to pay exponentially more money - something like three times as much to build it twice as fast, I can't remember the details. Incorporating this idea into the new game, you could have hinderances (weather?) or even sabotage from a rival player. You could also incorporate this idea into the building of buildings like water towers - they don't get built instantly and each takes its own basic amount of time. Perhaps you need to hire workers, the more you hire, the faster these things are built.
From Railroad Pioneer - This also built tracks in real-time but there were other good ideas too. One was having a FOW or unexplored map and you had to send an explorer out; plus there were dangers like wild animals so you needed a trapper with a rifle as well. Another good idea was a neat promotion system. After you had made an achievement or two, you were given promotion options. You could speed up one train slightly, or lower its maintenance cost or one other thing - I can't remember the exact details but all I remember was getting a great buzz out of being given that reward. Unfortunately, the demo inexplicably stopped working so I never got much more out of it but potentially, it was a great game and it's a shame that the didn't bother much with support for the English version (it was a German game).
I see the above blurb talks about having a real timetable. It would be good to have the option to run the game in REAL real-time - that is, we see the daily operations and each actual trip the trains make - not just something that generally represents the route over a few months. Though, as I said, it could be an option to play the game either way.
Sid Meier's Railroads! marks the return of the watershed title in simulation/strategy gaming that launched the popular "tycoon" genre, and inspired a new generation of games. Sid Meier's Railroads! comes home to its original creator, the legendary Sid Meier, who, together with his team at Firaxis Games, will take this game to a whole new level of fun!
The greatest railroad building game of all time is back in a vibrant 3D world delivering exciting multiplayer options, in-game customization tools, streamlined interface and unmatched gameplay, that's easy to learn yet challenging to master. Combining the best of real-world and model railroads, Sid Meier's Railroads! puts you in charge of building the greatest rail empire in the nation - managing trains, cargo and your bottom line - while engaging in all-out corporate warfare against rival tycoons, slick entrepreneurs, and robber barons!
Features:
Real-time action – lay track, route the trains, and the world comes to life. Cities and industries grow up around you as you service them, hauling raw materials to market and carrying manufactured goods away; Cargos are loaded onto train cars and passengers shuffle between cities.
Easy to get started – laying track is as easy as clicking and dragging. Bridges, tunnels, railroad stations and switches sprout up automatically where they're needed.
Challenging to master – with a new market system that tracks supply and demand and complex random events that can cause a boom or bust at any time, players must stay on their toes at all times or risk obsolescence, financial collapse, or hostile takeover.
It's all about the trains! – over 30 trains to use, from the primitive 0-4-0 Planet to the Super powerful 4-6-6-4 Challenger, from the classic diesels to ultra-modern bullet trains.
LocoBuilder – design your own steam engine from the ground up, and deploy it across your rail empire! Customize your train liveries, from color schemes to custom logos.
We've got the goods – over 20 different goods to harvest, produce, and sell, and 30 unique industries, from lumber mills to war factories, each with detailed, unique animations.
Scenario and map editor support – enables user-created maps and scenarios. Want to create a race to complete a transcontinental railroad in 30 years using only steam engines? No problem!
Something for everyone – build your dream train layout in train table mode, or challenge historical giants like Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, and others in single-player scenarios.
Multiplayer – Ruthless real-time LAN and Internet play. Buy out your rivals or cash in favors to sabotage their shipments! Whether you prefer heads-up competition or the camaraderie of cooperative team play, you'll find a fantastic multiplayer experience here
The greatest railroad building game of all time is back in a vibrant 3D world delivering exciting multiplayer options, in-game customization tools, streamlined interface and unmatched gameplay, that's easy to learn yet challenging to master. Combining the best of real-world and model railroads, Sid Meier's Railroads! puts you in charge of building the greatest rail empire in the nation - managing trains, cargo and your bottom line - while engaging in all-out corporate warfare against rival tycoons, slick entrepreneurs, and robber barons!
Features:
Real-time action – lay track, route the trains, and the world comes to life. Cities and industries grow up around you as you service them, hauling raw materials to market and carrying manufactured goods away; Cargos are loaded onto train cars and passengers shuffle between cities.
Easy to get started – laying track is as easy as clicking and dragging. Bridges, tunnels, railroad stations and switches sprout up automatically where they're needed.
Challenging to master – with a new market system that tracks supply and demand and complex random events that can cause a boom or bust at any time, players must stay on their toes at all times or risk obsolescence, financial collapse, or hostile takeover.
It's all about the trains! – over 30 trains to use, from the primitive 0-4-0 Planet to the Super powerful 4-6-6-4 Challenger, from the classic diesels to ultra-modern bullet trains.
LocoBuilder – design your own steam engine from the ground up, and deploy it across your rail empire! Customize your train liveries, from color schemes to custom logos.
We've got the goods – over 20 different goods to harvest, produce, and sell, and 30 unique industries, from lumber mills to war factories, each with detailed, unique animations.
Scenario and map editor support – enables user-created maps and scenarios. Want to create a race to complete a transcontinental railroad in 30 years using only steam engines? No problem!
Something for everyone – build your dream train layout in train table mode, or challenge historical giants like Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, and others in single-player scenarios.
Multiplayer – Ruthless real-time LAN and Internet play. Buy out your rivals or cash in favors to sabotage their shipments! Whether you prefer heads-up competition or the camaraderie of cooperative team play, you'll find a fantastic multiplayer experience here
Now, I hope that Sid steals some good ideas off rival railroad games as well to incorporate into his new version.
From Rails Across America - what I liked from this was that tracks were built in real time rather than instantly appeared which on reflection is a little dumb for a real-time game. If you wanted to speed things up, you had to pay exponentially more money - something like three times as much to build it twice as fast, I can't remember the details. Incorporating this idea into the new game, you could have hinderances (weather?) or even sabotage from a rival player. You could also incorporate this idea into the building of buildings like water towers - they don't get built instantly and each takes its own basic amount of time. Perhaps you need to hire workers, the more you hire, the faster these things are built.
From Railroad Pioneer - This also built tracks in real-time but there were other good ideas too. One was having a FOW or unexplored map and you had to send an explorer out; plus there were dangers like wild animals so you needed a trapper with a rifle as well. Another good idea was a neat promotion system. After you had made an achievement or two, you were given promotion options. You could speed up one train slightly, or lower its maintenance cost or one other thing - I can't remember the exact details but all I remember was getting a great buzz out of being given that reward. Unfortunately, the demo inexplicably stopped working so I never got much more out of it but potentially, it was a great game and it's a shame that the didn't bother much with support for the English version (it was a German game).
I see the above blurb talks about having a real timetable. It would be good to have the option to run the game in REAL real-time - that is, we see the daily operations and each actual trip the trains make - not just something that generally represents the route over a few months. Though, as I said, it could be an option to play the game either way.
). Ownership of factories and similar facilities are essential.
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