Blackhawk says Hi

[Blackhawk]

Well I guess if I'm posting some in the TM section I should finally introduce myself after being a lurker for over a year. (probably around 1.5 years?)

Not much to really say, I'm from the midwest US, and grew up outside Chicago. Recently graduated law school and am currently searching for a job, and while not job searching I try to find something to stay busy with, which currently is now TM. Although trying to get anything to run on vista is a pain. And trying to find where vista decides to save my save game files to is always an enjoyable hour or two of running searches. *Sarcasism*

As for my playing style, I think I prefer RT2 over RT3 and while most people probably finished RT2 maps relatively quickly I'd find ways to drag out a map and micromanage everything (even where there'd be a lot of trains... although this means if I stopped playing a map for a week or two I'd have to restart since I'd forgot what train was meant to do what). My biggest complaint with RT3 was that I didn't feel like I had enough control over what was getting shipped. I send in trains the game takes care things, where as I liked in RT2 actually knowing what will be at the station and having to create custom consists for everything. Guess the best way to sum it up is that in RT2 I felt like I needed to actually work hard to be successful, where as in RT3 it still takes skill, but in some aspects it's more build some track and then just sit back and watch.

As a final note, feel free to call me Blackhawk or BH for short if you prefer.

Btw, thanks for the great site.

[Hawk]

Well, I reckon a belated aboard is in order here.

What part of Chicago do you hail from? I was raised in Berwyn and Stickney, if that rings a bell to you.

[Blackhawk]

I was more in the Northwest suburbs area, namely, Barrington/Lake Zurich. So I wasn't as close to the city as you were. And the suburbs of Chicago just keep getting more and more built up, which is sort of a shame in a way. I used to live near an old Nike Missile Silo base, but then it was abandoned and fenced off, eventually to be sold off for land as a high class outdoor shopping center. Which.... outdoor shopping malls are great for California and the warm South, but in windy/cold/snowy Chicago... I'd prefer not to have to go outside and walk in the cold to go from store to store. Of course at the same time this place opened, the indoor "malls" of town and country and Randhurst in Arlington Heights (only 15minutes away) failed and closed up or are in a remodeling phase. Ahh thejoys of urban sprawl for no reason.

[Hawk]

Berwyn wasn't too bad when I left in '66 when I was 15. I went back there about a year ago though and hardly recognized Berwyn, but Stickney hadn't changed much at all. As a matter of fact, the elementary school I went to looked exactly the same as when I left.

[Blackhawk]

hmm schools that look exactly that same and aren't updated after several years.... maybe that's why the US's education is going downhill. I wish my schools all looked the same still. Every school I have graduated from has remodeled the year after I left.

I see you left the Chicago area fairly young, anything you miss about the area? I still go back every year for a few weeks at a time when I can. I went to college in Milwaukee and after walking to class in -30 degree wind chills I realized, moving north was the wrong direction. Currently I'm in Missouri and I miss some of the bakeries of Chicago and some of the polish deli meats that are available there thanks to the large Polish population.

[Hawk]

Like you I do miss the Polish delis. I also miss the good Bohemian restaurants and the real Italian pizza joints.
I really miss riding the trains into Chicago and finding another one out of the city, just to ride them. Have you read the 'About Me' page of this site?

I sure don't miss the winters, but I do like an occasional snow job.

After 45 years though, there's not a lot of memory left of the old stomping grounds.

[Sugus]

Welcome aboard, Blackhawk.

Nice to see, that the "vanishing" RT-family is still growing.

[Blackhawk]

I think I read that "About Me" page awhile ago when I first stumbled onto your page. And yes, quality pizza places is another nice thing about Chicago. In St. Louis, they use provel cheese, instead of mozzarella and it's a paper thin crust. Definitely not a fan of it.

Thanks for the greatings Sugus. It's a shame there doesn't seem to be any quality railroad games out there to take the place of RT and with the continued merger of development companies, EA, Activision and Microsoft will be only players and we'll just end up getting pointless and poorly made sequels to mindless games rather than quality games like there used to be. In the not too distant future.... EA sports presents, Triple Play baseball 2043... Microsoft presents... Age of Empires 10. EA's westwood studios presents Command & Conquer Red Alert 7. etc

[Beancounter]

Hi BH,

Welcome aboard!

BC

[edbangor]

Hi Blackhawk,

As for people not making sequels to quality games... guess you've not been in the Trainmaster section yet, cos that's just what Nedfummpkin is doing..

[nedfumpkin]

Psst...Ed...BH has been quite active playing TM...hence the reason I have taken so long to post here...wecome aboard BH. Glad to have folks like you cause you're like use and we're great folks. :)

[Sugus]

Yes - edbangor, don't tell it to anybody else. Psssssst! Ned will keep TM as a secret! You really didn't know that?

[Pat in the desert]

Blackhawk,
Hello and . This site is THE place to be for RRT3 and one of the better sites with RRT2 content (not many of these sites left but the user-made maps are many). Just recently joined myself after resurrecting RRT3 when I found the case with the install disks. And I have enjoyed installing the 1.06 update and the added content.
Comparing RRT2 and RRT3. Each has strengths and weaknesses. RRT3 has the better-looking graphics and the 3D view ability. The economic and industry model is better - or at least more sophisticated. In RRT2 I liked the ability to place track precisely and get the track exactly where I wanted it, especially in hills and mountains. I have complained about trying to fight the loopy track that RRT3 tries to lay down. In RRT2 the cargo model requires more micro-management because of having to name the cargoes. That is either a plus or minus depending on your likes. Although playing on levels below hard it is often sufficient to rely mostly on the passengers and mail to make the profit, which always seemed oversimplified.
For RRT3 I'm learning to use the editor, which opens up a whole realm of possibilities. Have not started making my own maps yet but modifying existing scenarios. To make minor adjustments to make them more to my liking ( like changing the "all track must connect" rule) or changing an event or 2. Or more adjustments to change the era for a scenario, like bringing a map forward to 1945 to use the late-steam and early diesel locomotives.
Have not used TrainMaster yet but it sounds promising.
Again, welcome. Oh, is it Blackhawk as in the hockey team, or the Indian tribe. Or the helicopter? I could call myself "Pat of the Apaches" based on that last option.

Pat

[BobCarl]

In St. Louis, they use provel cheese, instead of mozzarella and it's a paper thin crust. Definitely not a fan of it.

I spent most of my life in St. Louis ... regarding pizza, I prefer the thin crusts ...but the provel ( ) makes for a substandard product.

It is more of a processed cheese which results in two specific advantages... 1. resistant to oxidation, almost never dries out ... giving it a Longer shelf life and 2. gives the pizza a consistant and smooth texture (especially when heating and reheating) ... whereas real cheese could be more or less stringy.

Nevertheless provel has almost no flavor and I would rather eat a cheeseless pizza.

[nedfumpkin]

Ooookaaay......well...it just so happens that I was born and raised in Montreal. I remember the days when you could get 3 types of pizza...cheese, pepperoni or all-dressed (garnis). It was the best pizza you could ever get. It had a thin crust, and tasted just so good. This was before the days of pick your toppings, and the people making the pizza were born in southern Europe instead of easter Asia.

Chicago style referred to methods in mob hits. :)

[Blackhawk]

As for people not making sequels to quality games... guess you've not been in the Trainmaster section yet, cos that's just what Nedfummpkin is doing..

I guess I should clarify I mean official for-profit game design companies aren't doing a good job with sequels, although thankfully there are people like Ned and other modders that create a good product.

For RRT3 I'm learning to use the editor, which opens up a whole realm of possibilities. Have not started making my own maps yet but modifying existing scenarios. To make minor adjustments to make them more to my liking ( like changing the "all track must connect" rule)

I'm also recently using the editor, and depending on how much time I have and how a map I'm working on turns out I may have a TM scenario. (I'm not very creative or good at design so I used a basemap of the US and added to it) And I agree that I prefer the scenarios were all my track does not need to connect, particularly with the way the track lays in RT3 I sometimes prefer placing a new station and connecting to my existing track rather than trying to build out track and building a station.

As for the name, I'm not entirely sure why I picked it. I've used it for awhile now in different games/forums. I think I originally took it for the helicopter and the movie, although it didn't hurt being from Chicago there was also a hockey team with the same name.

I spent most of my life in St. Louis ... regarding pizza, I prefer the thin crusts ...but the provel ( ) makes for a substandard product.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I also prefer thin crusts, it's the use of provel which drags the quality and taste of the pizza down.

Chicago style referred to methods in mob hits. :)

I'm sure it still does... depending on where you live. I had a friend help out a political campaign a few years ago and go door to door in Chicago trying to get people to vote for a certain candidate. Several of the people told him that he should leave and they are voting for X candidate because they were told to by "Big Johnny" or else...

Thanks again to all for welcoming me.