Latvian Republic 1920

[Gumboots]

Ok, according to that you have negative book value. This would be a problem if you are going for Gold.
But then it could still be a typo, because as I said the status page doesn't do book value in $M.
Here's an example from testing. As you can see, the book value is given in $K:



If the minus sign in front of your book value is not a typo, then I assume that the last fine when you got kicked out of Russia, in combination with the territory cost of buying back into Russia and your previously existing company debt, was enough to wipe out your company's CBV.

If that doesn't explain it, please zip up the saved game and attach it here so I can take a look.

PS: Do note that unless you are playing on Expert level there is no need to go into Russia at all.
You can get Gold on all other difficulty levels just by hooking up Latvia and Estonia.

[RayofSunshine]

Okay Gumboot,
I didn't pay that much attention to that entry being a minus, thinking it to just be a dash. However, I back tracked to a previous different save, to see that the figure stood alone, that being a positive. Hence instead of "trying to download" a ledger page, I will do some "search" to see when that minus appeared, to find out the "real" reason it appeared. This time I will refrain from going into Russia, as I do believe I was evicted was not complying delivering an adequate amount of liquor. OR, what I delivered was not VODKA. LOL

[Gumboots]

Russia and Latvia weren't on friendly terms in the 1920's and '30's, so this scenario very loosely mimics that. The Russia stuff is just there to give you a bit more of challenge if you're feeling adventurous.

The fines for not delivering Alcohol to Strugi Krasnye start at $200k for the first year you miss the target, and double every year you don't deliver. You only get 5 chances before you get the boot. By the time you get booted you will have been fined $200k + $400k + $800k + 1,600K + $3,200k. That's a total of $6,200k ($6.2 million) in fines, just for not delivering booze to Strugi. It's pretty savage if you miss more than one or two.

Plus you have to buy into Russia to start with ($3,000k) and then you bought back into Russia after getting the boot (another $3,000k). So, all told, you forked out $12,200k ($12.2 million) to Stalin and his crew. That's where your CBV went.

The only way doing Russia makes sense is if you meet the haulage targets for Strugi. You can do this, but it's best to line up trains ready to go, and set them to high priority. If you can get three or four trains full of Alcohol on course for Strugi before you buy into Russia (aim them at Petseri to get them started) then once you pay the access cost and run a line to Strugi you can drop the first 10 loads there, and have the second year's loads stopped just outside Strugi station. This give you two full years in the clear to organise the third year's loads.

It's best to not give the Strugi trains full Alcohol consists if you don't have to. You only need to deliver 10 loads/year, so setting a custom consist of 6 Alcohol + 2 anything else is the best way to maximise profits on 2 trains. Or, if you want to maximise speed and don't care about profit, set them to 6 Alcohol and nothing else. That way they will leave the station once they have 5.5 loads of Alcohol (if it is coming in slowly) which is enough to make sure you get 10 loads delivered from 2 trains.

If you do all of that then you will find yourself with an extra $9.7 million to play with after 5 years, because you will save all the fines, and you'll save the second access cost, and you'll pick up $100k/year for successful deliveries. You can use this additional $9.7 million to boost your CBV quite nicely.

[RayofSunshine]

Those are a lot of suggestions Gumboots,
BUT I did not read them until I had replayed and received the GOLD, in similar to that of your suggestions. But thanks for your agenda.
What I did find "wondering" is that of the "fumungus" cost of track laying in the Opolplis (? spelling" section of the upper mainland. The one demanding "paper and clothing". It is the "dry or dusty" area, but thought the cost was "really" a challenge.
Also, and it might have been changed, as I am using the initial version, is that of a request to connect an Island. The name could have been changed some time during these 12+ threads, but the only 2 islands do not have that name. Sorry, but I misplaced the name.
Really liked all the concept of challenges, even before I replayed it finding why the initial play was "kicked down the track.

[Gumboots]

I'm not sure what you mean about "Opolplis". I don't recognise that name, and can't figure out anything close to it in spelling. The only area in the final version of the map that has a track cost increase is the "Livonian border". You're not supposed to build across that, since in real life there was no rail connection around the coast to Riga. The only rail on the Livonian coast was a narrow gauge line that ran to Ventspils.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the initial version". This map went through so many test variations that I can't remember what was in the first one. I'm not sure I even saved a copy. I tended to just keep the last couple of versions while testing.

The two islands to the west of mainland Estonia are called Muhu (the smaller one) and Saaremaa (the big one). The connection event tells you to connect to Saaremaa, but also tells you which towns to connect for the bonus (Orissaare and Kuresaare).

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it. I think it's fun too.

[RayofSunshine]

Sorry about that spelling Gumboots,
And don't know, even from memory, where that "city" entered my mind. So, being that the city is Ventsplis, a player has to connect to Mikkeltories, Mazirbe, and Kolta, the cost per track laying is "exaggerated". Believe that it was $127,000K (?) or $127,000 between Ventsplis and Mikkeltories. WOW. Actually that whole section of the coast is extreme.
As to connect of Saaremaa, I am not able to find it, and even the "key F" indicates it as "non existent". ??

[Gumboots]

The track cost is only exaggerated if you try to go straight across country. If you follow the coast, which was the way the narrow gauge system went in real life, then track cost is normal.

Saaremaa isn't non-existent. It's that ruddy great island to the west of Estonia. I just didn't put labels on everything because I didn't think it was necessary. If you connect the two towns mentioned in the event you will be fine.

[RayofSunshine]

Well Gumboots,
I have been sleeping at the switch, with other projects, and medical "adventures", so just failed to reply, after another attempt at play.
At this point, I would have to load it, to see what you had pertained to, as the "island" town. However, I will say that I took your advise, and "back tracked" to a previous "save", and was able to complete the "playing" to obtain the Gold.

So thanks for the info.

[Grandma Ruth]

Please have a look at these pictures and tell me I'm not going mad! I can't find an event in the list that would do this, nor any cheat I might have accidentally triggered. First picture is trying to put a normal bridge over the border - normal financial reaction. Second is when it turns into a suspension bridge - look at the company cash! and third is with the editor on - surely you shouldn't be able to put a bridge over a border anyway? Sorry the attachments are all over the place!

Is this just some weird RT3 thing?

[Gumboots]

That's me being evil. In real life there has never been a rail connection around the coast west of Riga. The only rail on that part of the coast was a narrow gauge line, running northeast from Ventspils, and along the coast towards Kolka, before turning inland towards Tukums (although it didn't go as far inland as Tukums).

So, I put a narrow hidden territory (as you discovered) which has insane track cost in it. This will mean people will have to be more realistic with how they lay their track.

Edit: Oh hang on. I see it now. It's actually paying you megabucks to build the bridge. That's definitely a game bug. Haven't seen that before. Will check it out. There's probably a workaround for it.

[Grandma Ruth]

Hey we're online together! How good is that! Have another look at the pictures - I knew about the territory, the thing that's bothering me is that $1354M has suddenly appeared. And it's "real" money - it can be spent and everything. Here a screenshot of the balance sheet a few months later:

[Gumboots]

Yeah I just picked up on that. Must be some sort of RT3 bug. Will look into it and try to find a fix.

[Grandma Ruth]

Wow! Never came across that before. Of course, you do have access to the territory so that's why it's possible to throw the bridge across. I was confusing myself about that bit.
ETA: Reading back on this thread, is there a problem with positive/negative numbers? I'll play on a bit - just for fun anyway - and see what happens. The cash has now gone up so does it think it's adding when it's subtracting? That's not very correct, but you get my drift ...

[Gumboots]

Yeah I went with track cost rather than no-access, because that way it didn't need a visible border and wouldn't stop people completely. It'd just "encourage" them to go another way. But the thing with the suspension bridge is very strange.

It's obviously building a suspension bridge because enough of it is off the land and in the edge of the ocean. That part makes sense. But it should be trying to take that much money off you, not give it to you. I wonder if the game engine is getting confused when the track cost tries to push your company cash negative by such a large amount, and throws a wobbly and gifts it to you instead. That's about the only thing I can think of at the moment.

ETA: Reading back on this thread, is there a problem with positive/negative numbers?

Not usually. Ray got confused a while back because he didn't realise how severe the fines were for not supplying booze to Strugi Krasnye, and went down the tubes big time, but the events were working as they should.

[Grandma Ruth]

Right, and it is behaving correctly. I connected Leipaja to Daugavpils. The cash went down to 1399 as I used it, then back up to 1400 with the 1m connection event. Good luck with sorting it out!

[Gumboots]

Meh. RT3 bugz. It's amazing how many there are, and how unpredictable they are. I'll be able to think of some sort of workaround for this one. If all else fails I'll just make it a no access territory.

[RulerofRails]

Good catch. Maybe suspension bridges follow different rules? I know that if you have a hidden territory in the water but can start a partial bridge approaching it that there is also a lower overflow limit. Maybe this something to do with a calculation for double track price being used to determine overflow when really you are building single track? --- a completely untested theory.

In any case, "proper" overflow can easily be achieved with a double stone bridge over the river, or you can just build some track along the length of the territory. Single track will do:

Cells surrounding water can also hide visible boundaries. I don't think you will have trouble to block bridge exploits using a no-access territory without making the area "ugly."

Some calculation would be needed to lower track cost enough that building double along the length of the territory will not cause overflow. If it gets to a point of compromising the effect you were going for, you could always widen the hidden territory.

PS. Recently I found that overflow is a potential problem when building tunnels in SCBC also, and may end up being the reason I never allow a mode where it's possible to lay a year or more's worth of track in a "lump."

[Gumboots]

Ok, so you're saying it runs out of numbers and then flips to negative? Bonkers, but it's RT3 so... I'll play around with it and figure out something. Good bug to know about anyway.

I'm not too fussed about making it ugly. It's out of the way and here are plenty of trees. The map will still look fine.

[Gumboots]

Ok, I think I have a fix for it. Seems to work with a quick check running live. I won't rezip the map yet, but try this on your copy and see if it sorts the issue for you.

1/ Go into editor mode, and widen the "Livonian border" from 3 squares wide to 5 squares wide, adding the extra strip of 2 on the northern side. Note that the territory runs out into the Baltic at the eastern end: it intersects with the "Baltic Sea" territory at X = 217. It will finish in the "swamp" at the western end.

2 If you're already into a play and want a correction on the go: copy the "Livonian border" event, set the copy to "When track or station is placed", and effects to "Overall Track Cost -1,000,000%" followed by "Overall Track Cost +10,000%", or...

3/ If you want it sorted for a new play: just edit the "Livonian border" event so the effect is "Overall Track Cost +10,000%".

Which obviously resets it to 100x less than the original event, but of course the additional width boosts cost up again by 5/3, so end result is overall cost is 1/60 of what it was before.

Anyway, fire the new event by placing 1 section of track, and see how you go with track costs/ZOMG bugz/whatever. I found it was behaving sensibly. Track cost was always increasing where it should, by the correct amount, and it didn't seem to want to gift me any weird amounts of cash.

This applied to normal steel bridges and suspension bridges. Both seem to work as they should. It also seems to be fine when running a strip of double track along the length of the hidden territory (it just wants to charge me $86 million, and then says I can't afford it).

If this fixes the issue for you, I'll repack the map and upload the fixed version.

[Grandma Ruth]

Yes, that's fixed it! Well done