Dispatcher Wanted

Discussion about reviews and strategies for user created scenarios made for RT3 version 1.06.
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Orange46
Dispatcher
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Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

I have just sent Ed a revised copy of this scenario. The revision fixes a small problem while making the scenario more playable, especially at levels easier than expert. So, if you have tried it and gave up, try playing on an easier level and it should go better.

The scenario evolved for me into an exercise in dispatching trains, something that might still be required at the higher levels. That's why I wanted the word Dispatcher in the title - after Avalon Hill's board game Dispatcher from the 1950's. A review at that time said that Dispatcher was so difficult that only a real dispatcher could play the game.
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Hawk
The Big Dawg
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

The updated version is now available! !*th_up*!
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Gandar
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

I just finished playing this and I struck gold, I only made it by the skin of my teeth, but I put my success down to the fact that I have been trying to get my head around Crystals and Cotton for the last three days and I have been beaten up pretty badly, but it was fine training for this scenario, I used all my dispatching tricks at the start to maximise my profits, the special dividends were sort of expected, it was a nice balance, it barely left me with enough money to build so that I could reach the CBV. Of course on reflection I should have made a point of achieving "named" status for more of my trains, that would have given me a little more of a cushion but I managed nevertheless.
!*th_up*! !*th_up*! !$th_u$!
I got up and the world was still here, isn't that wonderful ?
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Orange46
Dispatcher
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

Congrats to Gandar. You're better than me. I can't say how many tests I performed while testing this before I acheived what became the gold standard. Did you use the default start, or anther year? Originally, 1829 was the default, but I found that later years were prettier using the new car sets, and 1969 became my favorite, which I'm still playing, but on track for gold. The latest version should be just as hard on expert.
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Gandar
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

Orange46 wrote: Did you use the default start, or anther year? Originally, 1829 was the default, but I found that later years were prettier using the new car sets, and 1969 became my favorite, which I'm still playing, but on track for gold. The latest version should be just as hard on expert.
I used the default year. To tell you the truth the thought of changing the year to get faster trains or more industries never does occur to me, I figure the person who designs the scenario has chosen the start year for a reason and I am loth to change it. I played on expert and it was hard but I think that its the first two or three years that make or break this 40 year scenario, its like compound interest it may only be 200 thou the first year but it was 8 mill at the end, and 4.1 mill dividends.
I got up and the world was still here, isn't that wonderful ?
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Orange46
Dispatcher
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

I also always use the default year, but I tried to encourage people to try different years, as I discovered that they play differently and I struggled to make them all playable. Initially, the 20th century was very tough and 1959 was impossible. I think I like 1969 because it's very different than 1879, just as 1829 was very different, although not as good as 1879. Thanks for the input.

I'm not sure that the different cargoes help that much, as some of the new industries have very complicated supply chains that don't always work out.
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Gandar
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

I played it using 1969 as the start date and it seems there is a little glitch, I had 85 mill CBV after 19 years and it didn't give me gold until the start of year 21. I like having the choice of trains but I don't think you need to give out the extra 200 thou those first two or three years. It was different and for a change I used electric track, but I prefer the original start date. By the way the new cargoes leave me completely bewildered, I downloaded the sheets so that I would be able to understand them but I still play using the old industries, because I know what I'm doing with them.
I got up and the world was still here, isn't that wonderful ?
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Orange46
Dispatcher
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

I always had problems at the start in the later years because the engines were so expensive. I wanted to make the GP7 cheaper for a few years, but I don't have a non 1.06 version set up, which means that you can't edit some instructions, such as results that are dollar amounts. So, instead i added money when I thought it would be helpful. But, clearly, you didn't need it.

How did you do so good and so quickly? I assume the dividends still work. (I changed hardly anything in this version.) I don't usually build industries. Was that your route? In no version have I ever been able to come close to acheiving victory that early! What about autos, did they come into play? I made rubber easier to get. I also found that in my tests dyes rarely came up, so I put them in the ports on the east coast and replaced dye in southern areas with about half as much sugar. Did sugar have a big impact? In my current game, I am on track for gold, but might only acheive it aroound year 38 or so! But, I'm in the old version, but with the extra cash. Did you still play on expert, with only 701,000 start money? Did you electrify immediately, or later? I'll have to try electric.

What probably happened in year 19 was that you got hit with a big dividend. Victory is not checked until year end, and I think that it is after the dividend (which is what I wanted) and other year end expenses come out. This would then delay victory until the end of year 20, provided you made enough money to get over the next dividend.
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Gandar
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

Hmmm it seems to me that something a little screwy must have happened here. When I start a new scenario I save before I place any track I learned to do this because of a tendency of mine to not have enough money to buy a train. I had started the game on expert but I am sure that on my restart the game must be at an easier level, because the first time around I sure wasn't making that kinda money,and when I restarted with electric track and the Bi Polar I had money pouring in and I just went on from there, I had to rush out and that's when I made that last post. On reflection I am sure that It was off in some way, so I am going to have another try. It helps that I have enjoyed the last two games so another one will be a treat.
In answer to your other questions, the first time I laid track for about 35 years and then industry at the end, the second time I started buying industry at year 8 and just kept buying, I was hit with shareholder taxes of 5 mill a year on top of the special dividend because I let the money pile up, but like I say I am sure that game was flawed it didn't play anything like the first one.
I
I got up and the world was still here, isn't that wonderful ?
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Orange46
Dispatcher
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

Even tho I haven't finished my prior game, you got me to play the new version with electric in 1969.

I couldn't find anything decent to start with, so I did a first - connected LA and SD and made enough money to then connect some farms to a dairy up by Minn. Oh, and I'm all electric from the start. I can't afford to put a sand tower on the west coast, as there's only 1 train there and with only 2 stops, its just barely paying for itself, but in the midwest things are creeping along.

I put the difficulty level in the ledger, mostly as a check for myself to make sure I don't mess up and play on the default level, but also as a reminder to others since this scenario just got easier on less than expert.
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Gandar
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

This time it took me 33 years,I played a 1959 start and I used a Camelback to start and moved to a Northern as soon as possible, I used Northerns until they were no longer available and then moved to GP35 . I don't split my track up early in the game. I thought that the name of the scenario was a little tip on how to play it, dispatching trains and changing destinations to make the most of the first years high revenue. I have started each game in the Indianapolis/Chicago/Cincinnati/Detroit area, that was where the best cargo flows seem to be, and as I opened each subsequent station from the original two I would send my trains to the newly opened station, I only stopped doing that after I had 5 stations, by then I was able to generate enough money to relax and play a less labour intensive game. I had a CBV of 79 mill after 30 years but those 11 mill special dividends chewed me up somewhat and I had just laid my first electric track and I was taking a ride on an Ice train to New York from Atlanta when I got gold.
I tried to build autos, I built a steel mill and I built a tire factory I shipped the steel and tires to Detroit where I built an updated auto plant and it would not build auto's. There were tires and steel but not one car was built, in fact my tires got shipped to Minneapolis and then back again, which was a little weird.
I did have fun though and I thank you for that !*th_up*! !$th_u$!
I got up and the world was still here, isn't that wonderful ?
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Orange46
Dispatcher
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

Thank you for the input. It sounds like the scenario went exactly the way I hoped it would.

In my tests, Chicago was the most frequent starting area, but not on all maps. Every quandrant merited a start at one time or another, although the split LA and Minn start I just did is something new for me. The only reason I did not force connected track to be built, was to make it easier to plan and lay track, and I almost never ran trains on split track. I wish RT allowed you to build unconnected track, but only let you operate on track that connected to your starting city. But, it doesn't.

Industries have been acting strangely for me too. Because of watching industries so closely in this scenario, I concluded finally that the cargo model needs to change and wrote about it elsewhere. Prior to this, I was kind of happy with the model, although I missed the unit trains from basic industries found in RT1, RT2 and SMR, but loved the mixed intercity trains.

Thanks again for playing and writing about it.
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Gandar
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

"The only reason I did not force connected track to be built, was to make it easier to plan and lay track, and I almost never ran trains on split track. I wish RT allowed you to build unconnected track, but only let you operate on track that connected to your starting city. But, it doesn't."

One of the things that I liked in RRT the original version was that you had to put your trains into service from an Engine Shop, and that had to be connected to the planned route, it was frustrating at times but it did seem a little more realistic.
I got up and the world was still here, isn't that wonderful ?
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canis39
Brakeman
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

playing this one now, so far so good...nice scenario!
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belbincolne
Engineer
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

Just had my first serious try and got Bronze on Normal starting on the default year. My first try I started down south and it was a disaster so abandoned rapidly and restarted somewhere Chicagoish. Most years I finished paying off the dividends about June but there were several where I barely made anything until November. How are the dividends decided? I thought it was based on the state of the economy but that didn't seem right and, obviously, the nearer you are to success the higher they are.

Did use Industry because its a good way to build up company value but its hard with no bonds however except for Breweries they were pretty profitable.

Anyway its a nice scenario and I'll have another try on default and then try a later start.
belbincolne
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Re: Dispatcher Wanted Unread post

I added a few years (ten?) and played on Expert. Incredibly it played a lot easier than on normal. Electrified and basically only used electric trains. In last ten years I started on Industry and built quite a few tunnels frm LA area. Got Gold with a year to go. Phew :-D :-D :-D Nice scenario.
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