Mod to make AI build Large Stations

[RulerofRails]

The AI like to build Medium Stations. To help their revenue, this mod replaces the Medium Station with a second "Large Station." The default Medium Station moves into the place of the Small Station, and the Small Station has been dropped.

This mod does minimal edits with no new files, so compatibility should be good. Even saved games should work fine.
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Sept. 4, Update on compatibility: All maps with pre-laid track/stations (default) and saved games I've tried so far have loaded fine. However, there is a drawback that any Medium Station (built in a default install) can't be upgraded, and trying to upgrade any Small Station (built in a default install) will cause a game crash. Because the AI never upgrade stations anyway, it doesn't really affect them. Any new stations they build will obviously be the large variety and help their performance. The impact is on what the player can do. The player can always bulldoze the old instead of an upgrade. Obviously for a single player game with many pre-built stations, may as well not use this mod. Perhaps, also where AI are almost totally pre-built.
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Gumboots helped out, and there's a little more info on the inception here. Any comments welcome.

[Gumboots]

So just to confirm: the only benefit of this is a bit more revenue for the AI?

[RulerofRails]

So just to confirm: the only benefit of this is a bit more revenue for the AI?

This is the main idea. I would say that it can be more than "a bit", too.

The immediate difference (after AI starts a company) being mainly for more catchment of freight cargoes. But as time passes and the city grows, I never observed the AI upgrade a station (let me know if you did). Over a long time as the city grows quite a few buildings, even houses, can end up outside the catchment of a default Medium station. The benefits of being consistently better for resource pickup as well as natural rehauling never go away.

I just made this, I haven't played hours and hours so wont try to quantify the improvement. My assessment so far is that this doesn't remove the necessity of using early game events to give the AI bonuses (such as cash helps) to get very strong AI. But, I can definitely say that I am pleased with their performance. Also, something like this is just what is needed for 1.06 with price islands restored to help the AI get back a little mojo. (Please note: this is intended for 1.05, 1.06, and even TM.)

There are some fringe benefits too: if you takeover the AI you will end up with usable stations, no need for upgrades. Also, if you tie into the AI somewhere, their station is more useful. Personally, in a stick-with-one-company game, I don't think these things are an exploit. The greater competition from a better AI more than offsets these factors from a balance perspective.

[Gumboots]

I never observed the AI upgrade a station (let me know if you did).

Nope.

Ok, so basically you're thinking it won't imbalance existing scenarios by making the AI too strong (given that they are always boosted already). That sounds alright then. Obviously it may make them a bit more difficult if you have to take over the AI's, but as long as that's still feasible I can see how it may be worth having this mod. It wouldn't be that hard to tweak some AI-boosting events anyway.

[RulerofRails]

I have been running this some more, and I added a note on compatibility. In short: Upgrades of stations pre-built onto the map with a default install break.

Ok, so basically you're thinking it won't imbalance existing scenarios by making the AI too strong (given that they are always boosted already).

If you made a short-list of the scenarios where the AI are most challenging they will probably be mostly 1.06 ones. One of the benefits to AI in 1.06 is that they look for new industry every month instead of just at the start of November. I don't remember seeing (haven't looked hard) any 1.05 maps that gifted money at the end of October to increase the chance that the AI will industrialize.

If you think of any maps with difficult AI let me know. Come to think of it, might not be bad to have a list of maps with strong AI.

I don't recall any games I have played where the AI companies are impossible to beat. I remember that AoS Phoenix Rising is a bit hard to merge the AI because the chairmen start with near ownership majorities and lots of personal cash, but in company terms (CBV/company profit/revenue/haulage/etc.) it's not a problem.

My recent 1.06 games have all been with price islands re-instated. This subdues the AI, as they do significantly less aimless rehauling as the title of that thread "CPU train spamming" suggests. When using price islands this mod might give the AI a bit of mojo back. Still I think that this wont completely counteract the weakening effect of restored price islands.

You can't fix stupid. The AI's willingness to happily run on your lines, gifting you revenue, means they are sometimes their own worst enemy. If you do company jumping and stock market shenanigans, they don't stand a chance no matter how you try to help them.