Hawk & Badger Railroad Forum

Gumboots wrote:

Hawk wrote:Wimp?

.
It was meant to be a joke. Obviously it didn't come across well. Sorry about that.

That's what they make those little smileys for.
Sometimes it's hard to read someone's mind across the big pond. Especially all the way on the bottom side of the world where all you folks are upside down.

A bit of synchronicity to share. Take a look at this post I made over at MRR forums yesterday .

Hawk wrote:Especially all the way on the bottom side of the world where all you folks are upside down.

That's why Australians are more intelligent. Being upside down gives better blood supply to the brain.

Stoker wrote:
Blackhawks wish for a "Back to the Future" loco seems to have been fulfilled in this scenario.

Not quite what I had in mind, but it'll do!

Stoker wrote:A bit of synchronicity to share. Take a look at this post I made over at MRR forums yesterday .

Gumboots wrote:That's why Australians are more intelligent. Being upside down gives better blood supply to the brain.

Is that what it is?

Oh my goodness, I wasn't expecting such thoughtful and thorough replies! Took me some time to get around to reading through everybody's advice! Thanks everyone!! :)

Now that it's the weekend again, I'm going to try and waste more time trying to defeat this scenario. I used to think I was good at this game, but compared to you guys I'm still an uber noob! Which, as a professional programmer, is hard for me to admit. I can't believe I never used to know that you're supposed to start with industry first... I'm so glad I stumbled across this forum LOL.

I'll give this map one more go and let you guys know how it goes! Thanks so much :D

I have a another question about PNW... I know how stock splits at the end of the year if it's over $100/share, but I haven't been able to decide if it's better to sell off my stock high (over $125/share) then rebuy it after it splits (at ~$60/share), or simply to hold on to as much stock as possible to increase my purchasing power? What do you guys think?

If you watch the price carefully you'll notice that when it splits the total share value goes up, because the company is doing well. This is precisely the time when you do NOT want to sell any stock, because you will lose on the deal due to transaction costs.

aspenfallen wrote:I have a another question about PNW... I know how stock splits at the end of the year if it's over $100/share, but I haven't been able to decide if it's better to sell off my stock high (over $125/share) then rebuy it after it splits (at ~$60/share), or simply to hold on to as much stock as possible to increase my purchasing power? What do you guys think?

This varies according to some specifics about why the stock price has risen over the previous year. If you have been artificially pumping up the stock price by buying back stock, your best bet is to sell off some until you reach what you think the actual value might be before the end of the year. Then repurchase after the new year and you will end up with more shares than you otherwise would have. The stock price is re-evaluated at the start of the year, so if it is artificially high the two resulting shares will be less than the value of the single stock before the split. If, on the other hand, the stock price has risen on it's own with no manipulation up above $100 at the end of the year, there is usually a small increase in the value of the resulting new stocks. Example: Stock is at $110 of it's own accord at the end of the year. After the split there will be twice as many shares @ ~$57, so hanging on to all of your shares at the end of the year is the best way to go in this situation.

Generally, I would hold on to it as it will likely be more expensive to rebuy the "equity value" of that stock later after the split, since you'll have to buy at least 2 shares of the diluted stock, unless a recession hits and you buy stock at that time. This assumes as Stoker said that the stock went up on its own as your company was becoming profitable.

Now, if the scenario had an AI player, and you wanted to buy stock in the AI company, it wouldn't be a bad idea to sell your stock while it is high. (maybe your sale could drive down the price of the stock enough to prevent it from splitting). Use that money to buy the AI stock, then use your company to buy out that AI company while paying a premium on the stock price to give you plenty of extra personal money that you can then use to buy more stock in your own company.

So what you do also depends on the scenario and if you plan on merging with any AI players.

Thanks for responses! As I was playing the game today, I realized on my own exactly what was advised here -- the more stock I amassed and kept, no matter how high it got, ultimately made me more money! I've never had so much PNW wealth before in a scenario, I'm so excited!! I was able to use everyone's advice from this thread to far exceed the goal.

And, I WON!!! Completed the Southeast Australia map (on Medium in 24 years) with $32m CBV and $17m PNW! Woop woop :D :D :D

Congrats. If you're in the mood for a bit more of a challenge with more variety, try my 1954 Royal Tour game. It uses the same basic map but the aims and timeframe and economy have been changed.

That's great! You'll be an expert in no time.

Congrats on winning the scenario and getting used to earning some PNW. Best of luck in future scenarios.

You can also influence stock price by manipulating the dividend rate at the end of the year. Have a look at this thread at the bottom of the page.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3180&p=30852

Just throwing my two cents worth in here...

In games where PNW is an issue, I always use the same strategy....

When strting the company, I try to start with 80/800. this keeps the number of shares at 10,000.

I'll take out a bond.

Then I will try to buy an industry if possible, especially one that is under priced, and more so if I can feed it.

For the first year I will try to operate just in the red so that my share price does not rise. I want to make it through the first year so it drops right down, and does not appear attractive to other players. I do't pay dividends until I own 100% of the stock.

I will even hold a train from going into station in December so as not to get the cash until the new year.

Once my share price is low enough, I will try to use my cash to buy back stock, and buy on margin. I try to have all my stock by the 5th year. Once you own 100% of your stock, your PNW will always be your company value.

One thing about this strategy is that you can get stuck in a rut and never make it out. Issuing bonds to buy back stock can be risky if you get an F- credit rating for a few years. You need the industry, and it has to be a young one that only start making real money in the 3rd year. That's when you will need to most.

You will need to lay down a route that is complete right off. This is where things get dicey, and I have found many times were I am only able to get the track, stations, and one train with the cash I have in the beginning. Often it will be three years before I get a maintenance facility, especially if I can replace a train for $50k.

If buying an industry isn't an option, then the best money maker is to plop a paper mill right beside some lumber camps... At least two. It will begin making money right away, and then you can follow up with track when you can. Buying and building profitable industry is crucial to increasing your company value, and in turn your pnw. Unless I have to take over other RRs or want one for another reason, I generally don't bother buying other company stock until they are below $10.

It takes time to figure out the exact right strategy when starting a map using this method, and I tend to start a few times before I get it right. But then I play right to the edge, and will scrap a game if someone buys any of my stock.

Thanks everybody! I couldn't have done it without you.

I absolutely love this game... strategy/problem solving, mathematics, economics, geography, and TRAINS... all my favorites things! :D

@Gumboots -- I checked out your map. I loved the SE Australia map a lot, so I might have to give this one a try after I get a little more experienced. Your scenario looks really hard! I think, for now, I'm going to go back and try to beat that stupid Eastern China map that has defeated me 6 times! Grr. Haha

The China one is cool once you get the hang of it.

I am wondering why ther is no sticky thread like this: Gaining Personal Net Wealth (PNW) and Gaining Company Book Value (CBV) coz, this is the most wanted requirments for every scenario :(

Good point. I've sticky'd this.