Help needed please

[Bill Seiko]

Don't know if this is the place to ask but I could do with a nice easy start playing.
I have tried a couple of scenarios and campaigns but never have much success.
Just played Boston to Buffalo but it won't let me build bridges across the Hudson.
I first played RT3 a couple of years ago but have never got far enough to really enjoy it yet.
So if anyone can give me some advice on on how to succeed on at least one scenario or campaign I would be very grateful.
Please help.

Bill

[Hawk]

You probably couldn't build a bridge because suspension bridges aren't available until a certain year. Unfortunately I can't remember what year that is.
I'm sure someone will pipe in and set you and I both straight.

BTW! I moved your thread to the General Discussion forum. The Scenario Strategy forum is for discussing strategies for specific scenarios.

[nedfumpkin]

Hi Bill. To offer specific advice is always difficult because I have have been playing for a very long time, and I am better as offering specific information rather than general stuff, but I'll give it a try. If you want to challenge yourself, jump over to Trainmaster, and learn that from the ground up. Then RT3 will be easy for you. :)

RRT3 is an economic game, or a railroad game. Choose which you prefer. I prefer the cargo aspects over the stock tycooning aspects, so I will give my advice from that perspective.

When you start a scenario, you need two things, a railroad and some industry. RR alone makes it harder because you have to rely on it for income, and times are usually tough for the first few years as cargo moves to your RR. Having an industry generating income will help carry you through. I find it keeps me out of the red.

But you want an industry that will make money. I like to look for an industry with a close supply, and demand if possible, and my first RR is to service that industry. If you can get a factory of sorts, go for the farms and the mines, and service them. Don't buy stuff that is more than its base price. You want to buy cheap.

For the first five years, I expand on my industry chain. Bringing in more supply and more demand onto my railroad. I play a tight game in that I am usually operating in the red, anytime I get any money I lay track or buy something.

Once you get a good base of operations then you just keep building on it. I tend to buy a mine.farm/industry and then offer service to it, and that's how I expand.

For running trains, never run a train empty unless it provides a supply to an industry from a remote location. Manage your cargo by sending it where it is needed. Usually in the beginning of a game I use any mixed cargo, but as I begin growing, I start setting dedicated trains.

When begining the game, always put a service tower, but wait for a maintenance shed for at least a year. Althugh it is only 100k, you can usually use the money to a better advantage. In many cases it's cheaper to replace a locomotive than build a shed, but I usually put one in at the first opportunity in year 2.

Pause the game when laying track. Watch the grade and lay level track without too many tight curves. Your trains will run better, and always use a caboose.

TR3 is a freight game. Passengers are both a nuisance and gravy. If you focus on the freight aspects, you'll generally do better.

Not sure if this will help.

[EPH]

I recommend 'East Coast, USA' since the map is small and purchasing industries is cheap. The first scenarios of the campaign game aren't hard. Try 'Central Pacific' or 'Germantown'. The Mississippi Valley scenario is not too hard. 'Chicago to New York' is an old favorite - not hard, just longer than some of these others.

Feel free to ask questions when you need to; we're mostly a friendly sort.

[KevinL]

Reading the help file and Frequently Asked Questions on the main RRT3 page might give you some tips and tricks to get you started.

http://hawkdawg.com/rrt/rrt3/rrt3.htm

[Bill Seiko]

Thanks for the help and advice, what is this Trainmaster game, is it like MS Train Simulator?
If so Don't see how that will help with RRT 3.

Bill

[Hawk]

On the main forum page, the 3rd category down, is all about Trainmaster.
TM is a heavily revised version of RT3, based on the RT3 game code engine.

[nedfumpkin]

I just sent Bill a PM explaining....I try hard not to spam. Really, I do.

[Sugus]

I'm still waiting for the first time anybody mentions TM in TV (no offence, Ned)

[nedfumpkin]

I'm working on it. :)

[OilCan]

RT3 has a boatload of good points, but it has one weak spot, in my opinion: most games start the player with not enough cash. The first few years are a struggle with too much waiting and too little track building. These can be boring years. AND, if your first industry is not a big success, then you wait even longer.

Here's my suggestion to both new and seasoned players: add a little more cash to the player at the start of the game - but not so much that the challenge of the game is lost. I recommend making the player's cash somewhere between $250K and $350K. Going over $350K removes too much challenge. (You can add more cash using the game editor.)

I have found that this little bump up in starting cash makes RT3 an even more fantastic game...if that is possible.

[Sugus]

Interesting, because I made a boost like this in my "Model Railway" after the forth month! Have you made (by means of the editor) some experience with one or several maps? Any rule of thumb derived?

[OilCan]

Sugus: I made a little chart that guides me on how much to 'bump up' the starting player cash of a game AND how much to limit outside investment at the start of a game. It very much depends on whether personal net worth (PNW) &/or tycooning are goals of the game. These two goals require gaining a high percentage of your RR company, as you well know. My little chart shows me how much starting cash I need and how low the outside investment should be set to immediately gain 25%, 50% or 100% control of my RR company at the very start of the game - and still afford to buy a mill as an initial investment.

I will post that chart next week...I'm out of town this week.

There are some games where a bump up in starting player cash is not needed because it is already above $350K, and there are some games which offer timely options to achieve the same purpose. A few games have discounts on industry during the first few years (i.e. Roman Empire) which helps remove the waiting years.

The key thing is to strike a balance between enjoyment and challenge which suits your own personal taste. Some players may feel they find that balance with the $100K player cash and 10% company ownership which most games have at the start up. Some, like myself, don't enjoy such a slow start and want to get to playing the game a little faster, but still with plenty of challenge.

[OilCan]

The attached PDF describes how to "rebalance" the fun and challenge in an RT3 game which starts the player with $100K in cash. Rebalancing the game is a matter of personal taste and will probably not be of interest to many players. That's the point: what is fun and what is challenge are different for each of us. Enjoy the attached paper and use freely.