Stock related issues

[jedgarthomson]

The answer to this is probably "no", but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Is there any way to alter the program to allow the railroad company itself, not the owner/operator, to buy stocks in other railroad companies, just as the company can buy industries? This would be very prototypical, but I figure that it somehow hard coded in the game to prevent this.

Also, is there a way to alter the program to permit one player to be CEO of more than one company at the same time? Again, I figure the answer is "no". Thanks in advance.

[EPH]

Yes... the answers are, 'No,' and 'No'.

The only way a company can buy stock at all is to buy back its own.

[WPandP]

I have roughly simulated this in a scenario that I am almost finished with. I have the player start as as a subsidiary of the B&O, then via release of some stocks they become independent, and finally if the player is not careful the public stocks get bought up by the N&W, until they gain a majority and are able to force a merger.

None of this, however, shows up in the game's stock market. Rather, it is all done in event scripts, with a status page in the ledger that shows how much a percentage N&W has gained ownership of. I also have a reminder game message that lets the player know whether they are currently a B&O subsidiary, an independent railroad, or merged into N&W. If the N&W "merger" happens, though, it isn't really a merger in game terms - you remain a separate company as far as the game engine is concerned. It is just that the scenario goals change a little depending on which condition you are in.

I guess I ought to post my scenario soon, so you can see what I mean. But, the point is that it is a lot of event scripting; there isn't any way to make it happen generally, in any scenario.