Deadwood Dakota

Topics on how to write scenarios for TrainMaster.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

You don't need to pause every month to lay track, I don't unless there is a tricky section of track I am trying to get right. The speed variable pertains to robberies. You don't have to worry about speed, if you hire the pinkertons. This area and time period was renown for robberies and pinkertons. So it is a choice for the player. As for the maintenance on unused track, uh uh...yep...just like real life. :)
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Hawk
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

That's why I pause the game every month. I'll most times lay a section of track 4 or 5 times before I get it like I want it, and a month just isn't enough time for me. ^**lylgh

As for those Pinkertons; I've found them to be pretty much a waste of money. I hire them and still get robbed. (*!grr!*) I guess I'd get robbed more without them though.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Hawk wrote:That's why I pause the game every month. I'll most times lay a section of track 4 or 5 times before I get it like I want it, and a month just isn't enough time for me. ^**lylgh

As for those Pinkertons; I've found them to be pretty much a waste of money. I hire them and still get robbed. (*!grr!*) I guess I'd get robbed more without them though.
I'm going to lower their monthly cost I think. Shouldn't get robbed though...I'll fix that.
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Hold the phone Ned. Now that I think about it, there was a year I didn't hire them. That may have been the year I got robbed.
I s'pose I should pay closer attention. ^**lylgh
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nedfumpkin
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

It turns out the robberies were still occuring when the pinkertons were hired, so I think I have fixed it, but I also added an option to hire rr company police officers for security at a cost of 20% overhead increase. Although, there is a recustion in robberies, not and elimination. Perhaps insurance can be considered too....hmmm...

I also reduced the amount of track you get for the deadwood deal since I was able to connect it a year early.
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Hawk
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

I haven't had a chance to play the other revised version yet, but I guess that's for the best. :mrgreen:
Things have been a bit busy the past couple of days.

I'll have some time this weekend though.
nedfumpkin wrote:I also reduced the amount of track you get for the deadwood deal since I was able to connect it a year early.
Ouch! !hairpull! I made it in a year but I was already at Siuox Falls when I got the message about the deal ('course I cheated and peaked in the editor).
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

I just found a glitch. On the Deadwood deal, you said you reduced the amount of track. Well, you did - sort of. The message says the amount of track sections you get when hiring the vets is 45, but you actually get 75.
It looks like you changed the message but not the effect. ;-)

I can't speak of hiring the immigrants. I prefer quality over quantity. :mrgreen:

Also - In this version, when the American 4-4-0 becomes available, I didn't get the Consolidated II. I got it in previous versions, but not this one. The event shows it's supposed to be available but I didn't get it.
Consol.jpg
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nedfumpkin wrote:PS...use the trick for doubling steel bridges where you bring the double track uo onto the first cell of the bridge, and then the whole bridge doubles at no extra charge.
That trick works for stone bridges too, I just found out. At least I think it does. I didn't pay close enough attention to the money but just laying up to, and including the first cell of the bridge doubled the whole bridge.
Actually, I've never used that trick before. :oops:

Another thing I noticed - The messages about Express speed aren't showing up anymore. Maybe that's because I chose to hire RR cops. **!!!**

Honestly, I don't see any reason to connect to Hay Camp. That's a lot of money spent for what appears to be no gain.
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Wolverine@MSU
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

I was well into the original version before the update was posted, so maybe these things hve been fixed:

1. Even though I chose not to lay track for a year, I was given track pieces. Most of the time I resisted using them, but on occasion......... :oops:
2. Sometimes the amount of track allotted was more than it was supposed to be. Don't have specifics, but I see you have "bonus" trackage in your Events.
3. While resources are pretty sparse, even in the east, there's virtually nothing out west. Where are the timber stands in the northwest and Rockies?
4. Not much Iron in the Mesabi (not Mesabe) Range. Only two mines, sending their ore to a Port where they're converted to Coal.
5. Did you intend the player be able to build Warehouses?

Will give it a go with the new version.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Don't be too quick to jump on new versions, since I am coming up with new ones every day or so. This is a complicated work in progress. :)

I'll look at the allocation of engines, those were done six months ago, so it could be screwed up.

If you hire the RR cops then average speed is not so much an issue, so I turned off the annual event. Once I get the goals and stuff figured out, I might put something in the ledger for ltd speed.

Wolvy...

1. Even though I chose not to lay track for a year, I was given track pieces. Most of the time I resisted using them, but on occasion......... :oops:

- hasn't happened to me so far, but I will check.

2. Sometimes the amount of track allotted was more than it was supposed to be. Don't have specifics, but I see you have "bonus" trackage in your Events.

--- bonuses for track aren't being used right now, so it's not that, weird since all my track has been bang on, I'll check this too.

3. While resources are pretty sparse, even in the east, there's virtually nothing out west. Where are the timber stands in the northwest and Rockies?

----They will come when growth has extended to those areas. Spawning of industry and resources is all based on where trains go. You have to send the trains to the towns and cities, then slowly things will be built and spawned. I'm sure I still have some to add as events.

4. Not much Iron in the Mesabi (not Mesabe) Range. Only two mines, sending their ore to a Port where they're converted to Coal.

----I will add some mines events to increase them, also production related events will be coming.

5. Did you intend the player be able to build Warehouses?

No, if they are possible, then it's a glitch coming over for using a 1.06 map.

----

This is a complicated map in every sense of the word, and right now I am trying to lay a good foundation for it's play style. I really appreciate that you folks are checking it out.

I am going to use as many variables as I can for a variety of reasons. Company variables are related to tracks and robberies for the most part, but I am also using game variables for robberies and Indian related stuff. Then the player variables will be used for story changes and luck issues.

I'm still sorting them out, but as an example, it you use civil war vets pv1 will go -1, if you use immigrants, then it goes plus one. Later on, the story will change based on which you use most since pv1 will either be negative or positive.

The idea I am working on with this is that when you make choices, the game will change direction, and luck will be affected. For example, if you choose to have RR cops, not only is your overhead increased, but there is a merger premium added. I'm also going to set some events to allow players to embezzle money from their companies.

Again, thanks for the help.
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Wolverine@MSU
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Giving the AIs ten of thousands of track pieces is easily exploited. Just assume chairmanship and use their track to double-up yours. I would suggest giving them only a limited amount of track and then adding to it if they expand.

Here's my saved game after 10 yrs playing on the latest version. I chose the armed guards at the beginning and haven't had any robberies yet. Will let you know how things progress. I'm going to build up cash for the next year or so and then start expanding.
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

In case anyone is interested, here's my saved game from Oct. 1876.
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Played another 12 years and I see what you mean Ned about things "opening up". More resources are now in Western Canada, but American Rockies are still pretty sparse. I did notice at some point (mid 1880s) that buying stuff got ridiculusly inexpensive. Industries were had for pennies on the dollar and a large station went for $2000 instead of the usual $200K. It was short-lived though, as later on prices got back to "normal". Haven't looked in the Events yet to see what happened. 22 years and no robberies; "speed" dialogs no longer appear, so you must have gotten rid of that aspect of the scenario. I'm over $100M in PNW with only me and So. Pac. left. I've gotten majority share in S.P. and issue stock every year (and buy it up immediately) to strengthen my hold and drive down the share price when I decide to merge. I use it to send dividends my way and keep issuing/buying up the stock. It's doing pretty well on its own, so it only adds to my PNW.

One "honey hole" is to place a Paper Mill and Flour Mill right next to Ag communities that supply Hemp/Grain/Corn. Paper Mill makes the wrappers for the Flour and it's a real money maker.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Thanks for the info Wolvy...how much track have you laid so far?

Currently there are no robberies set for when you have cops, and the speed info does disappear if you hire cops.

I still have to look up the Indian stuff for that period and place, and create events related to that. I'm just debating on whether to introduce RR treaties with the Indians. Also, gotta look into the Pullman Strike in the 1890s.

I'll look into why prices went of of wack in the 1880s...must be an effect with an error.

Again thanks.
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Here's my save from 1900. I'm just about to take over So. Pac. My company has laid 13,569 pieces (6,850 miles) of track, PNW $313,066K, Player cash $47,276,644. PNW should increase after takeover (I'm going to raise the offered price to send some company cash my way). Doesn't look like there's much more to build as there's not much in the Rockies (although getting to cities/towns does increase revenue by just shipping stuff there). I'll have to see how it goes.
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Thanks muchly. I think setting the goal to 10, 000 miles of track will be more realistic, especially when I add in the bonus track events, and some more industry stuff.

Now I am wondering if the consolidations are accelerating too fast. Debating on dropping them down now that I have had a chance to play with the cowboy engines.
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

I played on until I got booted in 1910. Below is the Ledger screenshot at the end. I waited a few years from 1900 to take over So. Pac. and used its track to build out the west Coast/Canadian Rockies to connect to Calgary. I was playing on Expert by the way. For the last few years, I just let it run and didn't do any more building of track, so 10,000 miles seems reasonable. $1 Billion in PNW seems a bit lofty. Perhaps a couple hundred million would be more reasonable. Adding Indian events would definately add something to the game, especially in the later stages. You might consider some other goals, such as CBV, connections between St. Paul and Seattle and/or L.A. In grand scenarios such as this, I find myself losing interest in the later stages as the empire grows and it becomes harder and harder to micromanage consists to keep industries profitable. The American Rockies and southwest had no appeal as there was nothing there worth going after. I would suggest adding commodities throughout the region in order to stimulate the player to build there.

Notes on the map:
1. The river next to the Custer Battlefield is running backwards. So is the little spur river south of Grand Junction Colorado.
2. Painted blue splotches along rivers are a bit distracting.
3. Notify the player up front (in a Readme) what logos are needed. I didn't have some of them installed at home, so when I started, it chose random logos for the companies.
4. Mountains are a bit steep and jagged. Don't know if these could be toned down a bit (or if you even want to.)
5. Drastic reduction in prices paid could be from sequential triggering of the IR haul events in a short period of time.

My overall impression is very good, but as I said above, I don't stay on top of things as well as I should when the job gets too big. Having some intermediate goals later on in the game, with bonuses of cash awarded, would keep it interesting and make the player keep at it.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Again, thank you so much for your input.

I have removed the pnw goal, and I am focusing more on the 10k of track. I've been doing som history reading and I decided to follow the actual economic conditions of that time, so this will totally alter how the game gets played.

Funniest thing I read on Wiki was....

Panic of 1873...

The American Civil War was followed by a boom in railroad construction. 56,000 miles (90,000 km) of new track were laid across the country between 1866 and 1873. Much of the craze in railroad investment was driven by government land grants and subsidies to the railroads. At that time, the railroad industry was the nation's largest employer outside of agriculture, and it involved large amounts of money and risk. A large infusion of cash from speculators caused abnormal growth in the industry as well as overbuilding of docks, factories and ancillary facilities. At the same time, too much capital was involved in projects offering no immediate or early returns.[5]

Panic of 1893...

The 1880s were a period of remarkable economic expansion in the United States, an expansion that eventually became driven by railroad speculation. Railroads were over-built, and many companies continued growth by taking over competitors, ...

How little was learned in 20 years. :)

So I am pretty much going to replicate those conditions, and that will be a challenge unto itself.

I haven't painted the map at all, and my plan is to bmp to gmp the map when it is done from the original paint. Should clean up the blue.

I'm also going to rework the IR events to match the history a bit better, and for the life of me I cannot remember with IR stands for!
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

nedfumpkin wrote:and for the life of me I cannot remember with IR stands for!
Internal Revenue? **!!!** :mrgreen:
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nedfumpkin
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

Wolverine@MSU wrote: 1. The river next to the Custer Battlefield is running backwards. So is the little spur river south of Grand Junction Colorado.
Okay...I will admit to being visually impaired, but....I cannot see any difference in the flows of the rivers. For me it depends on the angle that you are looking at the river, and from based on what I heard, it has no effect on how cargo travels. I am sort of convinced that the effect of the rivers is just shimmying and angles.

Hawk...no, it wouldn't be that since we have a different name for those folks up here...some nice...most not...and...speaking of...they owe me some money dammit...just waiting on it now. :)

It could mean industrial resource or something like that. :)
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Re: Deadwood Dakota Unread post

nedfumpkin wrote:I've been doing som history reading and I decided to follow the actual economic conditions of that time, so this will totally alter how the game gets played.
For some insight into how to set constrained economic conditions, see my Michigan 1830 map. I built into it some variability in when economic conditions change, so you don't have to "hard code" it and get the same economic state every time the game is played.

In the current map, there is no demand for gold in San Francisco. The Mint there opened in 1854 and the Denver Mint started as an Assay Office in 1863, becoming a full-blown mint in 1906. Creating demand for Gold in these two places would make sense.

Adding Ag communities by event as the player moves westward across the plains and into the Rockies would be a plus.
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