Birth of a Nation (campaign map CA01)

[edbangor]

Half way through this one and have to say it's my favourite TM map so far for two reasons.
(a) there's no 'average speed' goals.
(b) I didn't have to spend two weeks building it first

I think I'd played an earlier version of this before, so can only assume it was included in some of the Beta's, or even the pre-beta of TM, so I had an idea what to do. THat said I nearly did go bust the second year of game play due to a slight error on my part leading to me having to sell the (then non-profitable) Brewery in order to get enough cash to fix things.
From then on everything wen smoothly enough, and am now at the stage when I've jumped ship from my original company in order to take control of the second one having, naturally done what any deserting CEO would do, and bulldoze the profitable industries, cut the tracks in half. (this totally confuses the AI when the get control) and then maxed out on bonds, share issues, to buy some really rubbish industries.
And before you all cry 'cheat', it's no worse than the insider trading I was doing before I did that...
Anyway, I'll have some more train time booked for later, so will see if my devious little plan works of it it will back fire by plunging everyone into resession!
Hopefully that won't happen before I've managed to upgrade my 'new' company into a money printing machine that can take over everything else...

[edbangor]

Okay the game is now finished (Trainmaster of course before you ask!) and my plan worked perfectly as the AI really doesn't know what to do if you cut their tracks (anyone think this is cheating by the way!)
Anyway, Oct 1895 was when the plan all came together and having crashed the stock price of my original company I was able to pick up all 700,000+ of their shares for the bargain of $5 each. It took several years of course, but was well worth the wait.

A couple of comments on the map itself, just to finish off.
I know Ned said he hadn't done the final painting yet, so excuse me if the things I'm about to mentioned are already known about - but there's a couple of other things that could be cleared up to. For a start there's a couple of apparently stray river piece near the Welland Canal as can be seen to the left of the attached image.

The other thing is the ledger really doesn't give much away with what you are meant to be doing, and what you have actually done especially in regard to connecting cities.
Oh some of the territory boarders could be cleaned up slightly along with the usual checking of the way the waves are displayed.
Still this is a good intro map to TM, as it doesn't involve the cargo chain as much as some...erm.. other maps do with some great, I assume, historical touches along the way.

Anyway, here's my victory screen on which I've moved the ledger to the side so you can see what I mess I made of the initial connections.

Now who is making the next TM map for me to play?
Anyone?
Well I do have this idea for one....

[Blackhawk]

Half way through this one and have to say it's my favourite TM map so far for two reasons.
(a) there's no 'average speed' goals.

I see, taking it out on my scenario cause it requires an average speed! I generally dislike average speed requirements as well. (And I think in my scenario currently if you spend enough money on option choices you should be able to meet the speed goal without using the spur method, as long as every train isn't hauling 8 loads)

am now at the stage when I've jumped ship from my original company in order to take control of the second one having, naturally done what any deserting CEO would do, and bulldoze the profitable industries, cut the tracks in half. (this totally confuses the AI when the get control) and then maxed out on bonds, share issues, to buy some really rubbish industries.

It's been awhile since I've played this map, but I recall I did the same thing, although to a lesser extent. I didn't bulldoze the industries or cut the tracks, but I did sell off the brewery which was the primary source of income for the company. Then a few years later I bought out the company as without the brewery they were marginally profitable at best.

[nedfumpkin]

Yes, this map was included with the pre-beta, and I still have lots to do to fix things as I can see. And yeah, one of these days I'll paint map. :)

To me, anything you do in a scenario that doesn't include shift E or actully using cheat codes is fair game. But, having said that, when the final version is released, I might make it so that if you cut a connection that was already made, then for each year that is is unconnected you will get a fine. All's fair in horshoes and RT3. :)

As for speed requirements, I think it depends on the map. I like to use them, like in Persian Electric, but not as a goal requirement, but as an event effector. Like PE, where the faster you go, the more money you make, but in PE, there is other ways to make money so it's a choice the player makes, not so much a requirment.

[edbangor]

I see, taking it out on my scenario cause it requires an average speed! I generally dislike average speed requirements as well. (And I think in my scenario currently if you spend enough money on option choices you should be able to meet the speed goal without using the spur method, as long as every train isn't hauling 8 loads)

It's not about your "Juice" scenario, but more my lack of ability to play average speed goal maps, as, after all you saw just how badly I did at them the last time I tried your map.
That said, I like anything that will make average speed goals easier.

But, having said that, when the final version is released, I might make it so that if you cut a connection that was already made, then for each year that is is unconnected you will get a fine. All's fair in horshoes and RT3. :)

Would that actually work though, as just after I cut the tracks I left that company and took another who had no access to that territory so couldn't have repaired them.
Of course, once I got back into control, after the take over, I had to repair the tracks in order to get the goals.

[Blackhawk]

I was just joking about not liking the average speed requirement in my scenario. :)

Wouldn't it be possible to still fine the player or Company B (or make it as a lose event) even if you have left company A if the connections between some cities are cut? Test against company A to see if the connections are still intact, and if they aren't have the effect be a variable = 1. Then in a new event test against the player's company only to see if the player is in control of company B and if the variable = 1, deduct money from the player or company?

Of course I have limited knowledge with the editor so perhaps it is not possible for there to be fines.

[Stoker]

Instituting fines for sabotaging a company is easy in the editor, but the check connection city/city aspect of preventing sabotage upon leaving a company is a bit more complex. In order to have it check multiple connections, you would first need to verify that a connection has been made in the first place, then , if and when that answer is positive, you would need to set a variable to denote that this connection has been made. To be comprehensive you would need to do this with every possible city/city connection using a different variable for each one- and of course you don't have that many variables(unless your map has a tiny # of cities and have no other use for the variables). After you have noted that the players company has made the connection, the second part of this system would require that you check the status of each connection after the player has relinquished control of said company. Since in many cases the human player can easily switch back and forth in the chairmanship position, there would be many ways to get around this sabotage fix, so even if you could figure out a way to get around the limited variable problem(I pondered a numerical system involving prime or incremental numbers to solve a similar lack of variables), people could probably still engage in the industrial sabotage.

[Blackhawk]

I don't remember if there were any requirements of which cities to connect in Birth of a Nation. I don't think you had many years to be in charge of company A (I can't remember the name off hand) so expansion wasn't that great. Anyway I think you had to connect 2 or 3 cities before a certain year or it resulted in a loss. So hypothetically if you connect Cities A, B, and C there could be an event that creates a connection of these makes Variable = 1.
Then a subsequent event, if Cities A, B, and C aren't connected, make Variable = 2
Finally, if Player is in control of Company B and Variable = 2, fine the player/Company B. This would sequently allow the player to go back and repair Company A's track which could make Variable = 1 again and stop the fines. Although I'm not sure the Grand Trunk Railway had access rights in the same territory as Company A initially, so you'd be fined for awhile before you could repair your mistakes. This would also allow you to merge with Company A and repair the connections, and stop the fines.

While people may be able to switch back and forth between companies, if I remember correctly leaving the Grand Trunk (Company B) in a Birth of a Nation results in a scenario loss, consequently that prevents anyone from switching back to get around the sabotaging.

I guess my post is more geared towards the specific scenario rather than in general.

[Blackhawk]

Alternatively instead of using different variables for each city connected wouldn't it be possible to set a goal of say you must connect 20 cities before you can switch to Company B or it results in a loss.
Then have a yearly event where you test against company A and it makes the variable = number of cities company A connected.
Then if Player is in control of company B and variable < 20, you issue a fine.
If the player switches between company A and B to avoid the fine as he would be in control of company A, rather than use the player is in control of company B use a year where the player should have been in control of company B by then. Year > 1875 and variable < 20, issue a fine to company B... or even more harshly, say the government has required all railroads keep rail connections to all previously served cities and as such fine all the companies, thus eliminating any advantage of switching between the companies.

Although eventually if the AI rebuilds company A you might be off the hook, but the AI rebuilding is unlikely and if you completely sabotaged the company (ex. cut connections to 10 cities) it would take many years for them to connect to 20 cities again.

[Stoker]

Your last two posts made no sense to me Blackhawk, I'm not sure what your trying to get at.

[Blackhawk]

I'm not sure what's unintelligible. But I suppose I'll rephrase it:
Assume a scenario has specific cities that are required to be connected before you can change companies. For example if Birth of A Nation requires you to connect La Praire, Montreal, and St. Jean. (I think the requirement is just to connect La Praire and Montreal by a certain year or you lose the scenario)

Event 1:
If City connects City (La Praire to Montreal true) AND,
City connects City (Montreal to St. Jean true)
If true, Event Effect 1:
Game Variable 1 = 1

Event 2:
If City connects City (La Praire to Montreal - False) OR,
City connects City (Montreal to St. Jean - False)
Then, Event Effect 2:
Game Variable 1 = 2

Event 3:
If Player controlled Company ID = 2 (set for the ID # of the 2nd company) AND
Game Variable = 2
Then Event Effect 3:
Company cash -100k

Theoretically then if you were in control of company B you could still repair the cuts in the track you've made between La Praire and Montreal even if its Company's A's line, and the cities would then be connected again changing the variable again, which then eliminates one of the conditions towards being fined.
In A Birth of a Nation I don't believe you can leave Company B either after you take control over it, or else it results in you losing the scenario.

Of course I could be completely wrong in my logic of how that might actually work in the editor.

[nedfumpkin]

Yes, you are correct, one you take over the Grand Trunk, you cannot leave that company or else you will lose.

I also made it so that no new companies can be created, so the AI can't start new companies after you take them over.

[nedfumpkin]

Still very much a work in progress...I'm just starting to write events...and I still have work on the map to do....but here's proof that I have been completely goofing off....well...except for trying to get over this cold. This will be a campaign scenario, but for now is a stand alone.

The idea behind this scenario is to not lose. At first you get a dew tasks, as the game goes on you will keep getting assigned different tasks...som short term, some long term. In the end you still have to be in control of the GTR, and be the only company left.

And don't bother selling the brewery...you need to make 50k in industry profits the first year as well as make two connections. (PS with all the churches...booze is in demand)

You also have a grace period for the first month, after that weather sets in and it costs more to build.

No speed requirements, there will be hauling requirements, and you'll have to connect Montreal to Maine via Sherbrooke.

Anyways....this is just to have a look and much about...nowhere near finished, and a lot of industries will be added via event.

* For those who wonder why Churches demand alcohol, it's not so much they want sacremental wine as much as when you have religion in a town, drinking inevitably increases.

[Blackhawk]

Well it definitely is a much bigger map than the original Birth of a Nation map. I like the winter/summer having some effects on industry/farms/the railroad. And it looks like it took some time to get set up with the variables and random number condition to get a working summer/winter effect. I also like how in your scenarios the argi-communities have a variety of fields. It'll be interesting to see how this map turns out with the tasks that will be given and the other events you work in.

Some things I noticed:
With some of the painting of the map there are some places where it looks like some industries are on the water.
La Chute - lumber mill on the river
The following 2 just look like they are on the water from a distance but when you zoom in it looks more like a shore.
Sorel - fort
Cornwall - textile mill

A minor detail, I loaded the map 3 times (once in the editor and 2x as a scenario) and 2 of the times the 3rd company used the same company logo as the first company. I'm not sure if that is intentional or not.

[nedfumpkin]

There's a new logo for the 3rd company that will be included when the map is finished...this is just a preview since I have still lots more to do...

A couple of things I've noticed...with the new rt3.exe file, game messages for dialogues don't seem to be working. It always reverts back to a dialoge box. Also, the lake and ocean tool will only do 4 pixels sqaures as its smallest size so it's made making them more difficult.

Some of the painting is bleeding since I am doing a lot of saves...I'll do a final paint at the end, but for now some areas may look flooded.

I'm still tweaking the seasons...especially the prices...at one point it would cost over 1 million to build a service tower in winter...it's taking time to get things right.

This map will be very difficult when it is completed.