Express D'Orient
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 12:26 am
This is a re-working of the classic, original campaign scenario 'Orient Express' with minimal changes to the map, deletion of the Jules Verne fish-train and with some additional new rules. The major change is that you can now decide to start from pretty much any territory, instead of just Austria-Hungary. Be warned, however, that some starting locations are better than others. Listed below are my top three.
The best is probably still Austria-Hungary. Building industry in the Zagreb area is usually profitable, and rail lines from Vienna to Zagreb and Budapest should make money. The easiest way through to Romania is along the Danube, and once you are in Bucharest you are half-way to victory. Balance industrial development with laying track...
Second-best, I think, is to start in the Ottoman Empire. All access fees to other territories are sharply increased (they rebelled from the Empire not so long ago), but the Sultan provides a HUGE subsidy for industrial development. Plan on spending seven or eight years building industries before you lay track and roll north.
Romania is incredibly rich in natural resources and can make you an industrial fortune. The rail network to service this will be compact and therefore cheap to build and maintain. From this central location you can strike out in any direction and your industrial profits will underwrite the rail construction costs. Access fees to other nations are reduced. Don't wait too long to lay track into Bulgaria or Austria-Hungary; you are in the middle but it is a long way to either end.
The Kaiser will come along sooner or later with an offer of funds and engineering help (reduced construction costs). He wants a Berlin-to-Baghdad railway and needs your help to build from Vienna to Istanbul. Be warned that his help is a loan, not a gift, and the monthly cost is high (comes to about $200k per month or $2.4 million per year).
As far as the victory conditions go, you will need to run freight-only and express-only trains. if you concentrate on industry for too long, or don't keep your express speeds up, you will hear about it. Fortunately the cures are pretty simple, and you only need to meet the speed limits for about half the years you play. Once better trains come along you will find it easy to meet that target every year. One of the requirements is to deliver mail to Budapest and Bucharest; this comes slowly and you may need years to deliver enough mail. Getting the Vienna-to-Istanbul line built is of course the first and highest priority.
The map is exactly the same except for the grading I did along the Danube. The scenery can be gorgeous, the possible ways to lay track many and varied. I hope you enjoy playing ths one and I hope the ability to start in different places gives it a lot of replay value. Please let me know what you think.
The best is probably still Austria-Hungary. Building industry in the Zagreb area is usually profitable, and rail lines from Vienna to Zagreb and Budapest should make money. The easiest way through to Romania is along the Danube, and once you are in Bucharest you are half-way to victory. Balance industrial development with laying track...
Second-best, I think, is to start in the Ottoman Empire. All access fees to other territories are sharply increased (they rebelled from the Empire not so long ago), but the Sultan provides a HUGE subsidy for industrial development. Plan on spending seven or eight years building industries before you lay track and roll north.
Romania is incredibly rich in natural resources and can make you an industrial fortune. The rail network to service this will be compact and therefore cheap to build and maintain. From this central location you can strike out in any direction and your industrial profits will underwrite the rail construction costs. Access fees to other nations are reduced. Don't wait too long to lay track into Bulgaria or Austria-Hungary; you are in the middle but it is a long way to either end.
The Kaiser will come along sooner or later with an offer of funds and engineering help (reduced construction costs). He wants a Berlin-to-Baghdad railway and needs your help to build from Vienna to Istanbul. Be warned that his help is a loan, not a gift, and the monthly cost is high (comes to about $200k per month or $2.4 million per year).
As far as the victory conditions go, you will need to run freight-only and express-only trains. if you concentrate on industry for too long, or don't keep your express speeds up, you will hear about it. Fortunately the cures are pretty simple, and you only need to meet the speed limits for about half the years you play. Once better trains come along you will find it easy to meet that target every year. One of the requirements is to deliver mail to Budapest and Bucharest; this comes slowly and you may need years to deliver enough mail. Getting the Vienna-to-Istanbul line built is of course the first and highest priority.
The map is exactly the same except for the grading I did along the Danube. The scenery can be gorgeous, the possible ways to lay track many and varied. I hope you enjoy playing ths one and I hope the ability to start in different places gives it a lot of replay value. Please let me know what you think.