California uber alles! [Final version]
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:51 am
This is an idea I had while playing the final campaign map a few days ago. I did have the campaign finished ages ago, but my old computer died and took the saves with it.
Anyway, I was having fun with the California "Chip off the old block" map. Got the gold requirements of course, and wanted to see what else I could do, but the silly campaign coding wont let you continue! It always just forces you to the closing video for the campaign as soon as you get gold.
This is a pity, because the map, although being fictional, does have great scenery for trains rides and interesting terrain for track laying challenges, as well as slightly unusual seeding and economic dynamics. In other words, I think it's basically a rather good one.
So, obviously what was needed was a standalone scenario version that you could sandbox to your heart's content. I made one. Bonus points if you know where the name came from.
The standalone version has updated medal requirements. PNW needed is increased, you need to have no personal debt at game end, there is a CBV requirement, and you must connect Santa Rosa to Crestview. For Silver you also need to have no company debt, along with more PNW and CBV.
For gold, higher PNW and CBV again, but also a haulage requirement to and from four cities. IOW, you have to haul at least $200k worth of cargo to each of these four cities, and also haul $200k from each of the four. These are done with hidden territories and a revenue requirement, not a basic loads requirement, so bait and switch is not going to work. If the trip doesn't make money hauling stuff to another city, you've wasted that trip.
The original campaign map only let you start at Santa Rosa. The standalone scenario gives you three options. You can start at Santa Rosa, or at City of Angels, or way up in the hills at Big Air. Some connection bonuses and time limits have been changed, to tie in well with the various starting point options. For instance, if you start in City of Angels, you don't get a bonus for plonking a station there.
As well the player cash bonuses the original had for connecting to 5 cities and 8 cities, this version includes further (and larger) bonuses for connecting 14 cities, and the whole 22 cities.
There are a few other tweaks, but you can find those yourselves. As far as I can tell so far, it all seems to work. If anyone would like to test it and give feedback, please do.
The Final version of this map in now available in the archives: California uber alles!
Anyway, I was having fun with the California "Chip off the old block" map. Got the gold requirements of course, and wanted to see what else I could do, but the silly campaign coding wont let you continue! It always just forces you to the closing video for the campaign as soon as you get gold.
This is a pity, because the map, although being fictional, does have great scenery for trains rides and interesting terrain for track laying challenges, as well as slightly unusual seeding and economic dynamics. In other words, I think it's basically a rather good one.
So, obviously what was needed was a standalone scenario version that you could sandbox to your heart's content. I made one. Bonus points if you know where the name came from.
The standalone version has updated medal requirements. PNW needed is increased, you need to have no personal debt at game end, there is a CBV requirement, and you must connect Santa Rosa to Crestview. For Silver you also need to have no company debt, along with more PNW and CBV.
For gold, higher PNW and CBV again, but also a haulage requirement to and from four cities. IOW, you have to haul at least $200k worth of cargo to each of these four cities, and also haul $200k from each of the four. These are done with hidden territories and a revenue requirement, not a basic loads requirement, so bait and switch is not going to work. If the trip doesn't make money hauling stuff to another city, you've wasted that trip.
The original campaign map only let you start at Santa Rosa. The standalone scenario gives you three options. You can start at Santa Rosa, or at City of Angels, or way up in the hills at Big Air. Some connection bonuses and time limits have been changed, to tie in well with the various starting point options. For instance, if you start in City of Angels, you don't get a bonus for plonking a station there.
As well the player cash bonuses the original had for connecting to 5 cities and 8 cities, this version includes further (and larger) bonuses for connecting 14 cities, and the whole 22 cities.
There are a few other tweaks, but you can find those yourselves. As far as I can tell so far, it all seems to work. If anyone would like to test it and give feedback, please do.
The Final version of this map in now available in the archives: California uber alles!