Rail Baron East

[RayofSunshine]

Evidently nobody has run into the problem I am experiencing.

The B&O went well. But ran into a problem with the RF&P after a time of playing. It occurred just when, or there about, that I was given some financial help, that the "ledger" went blank for the "stats" page, although the rest of the ledger was fine. So I reloaded it, and it occurred at the same place. And it was a short interval, that the notification to cnn NYC. Now, although PA and NY are green, I am unable to lay track into PA.

Now it is my practise to save the scenario in increments, and in this case for that of the B&O, and started a new extension for the RF&P. I could go back and start the RF&P portion of the game to see if the same problem will reoccur, but thought I would give this thread a "shot" to see if there might be something "amiss".

With all the time, talent, research, and imagination, it is disappointing that this "glitch" has happened so early in the game. Really enjoying its concept.

[Hawk]

This map was only added this morning Ray. Others may not have had a chance to play it yet, but I'm sure Orange will stop by and comment on your comments.

[RayofSunshine]

Okay Hawk, and I knew that Orange46 was comtemplating how to decide, if he was going to add more Rwys, as he believed the map would just be too crowded, so I was anxious to see the ultimate result. I did notice that there were only 3 downloads, but just figured that I would start a thread, as I did run into the mentioned problems. But thanks for the comment.

But the problem being encountered. I reinstalled the game, and continued to check the "ledger" periodically, besides the yearly, and no problem, until I was informed that I could start the RF&P. It was then that the ledger went ""blank"". This might be part of the program, as I wouldn't need it anymore. Right or wrong?

Initiating the RF&P, I did not have any problems with the ledger. I checked it at 7, 21, and 35 loads. It was not until I was informed to cnn NYC. That was when the ledger went blank. Unlike the initial attempt, and cnn NYC, without any return of the ledger, I did not attempt the cnn to NYC this time.

Seeing that I have 2 saves for the RF&P, I will continue to play the initial one, to see if "in the plaing, that the ledger will return". But I also have a question on the routings given. If there is a city between 2 designated cities, e.g. Lancaster between DCA and NYC, can RF&P make its cnn, or will that screw it up for a later RWY?

Now I did notice the count of loads for the RF&P. I checked the ledger when the loads were at 7, and within a few months the total jumped to 21. With only 3 trains, and mostly hauling only 1-3 loads, I don't know how the increase could increase that rapidly

Full of questions to a very interesting concept.

[Orange46]

I hoped you would figure it out, but here goes. (edit - you must be a Snoopy or WWI flying fan. So, how many of you out there have locked on to plane or flock of birds instead of a train?)

When you complete your goals for a RR, a message comes up and then the status page goes blank and stays blank until you take control of the next RR. If it stays blank, you have not yet taken control of the proper railroad. This wasn't by design, it just happened and I saw no reason to change it, as you are done with the railraod- unless you still have services to build. If you click on the Briefing tab on the status page, it repeats the last important message, such as what railroad to take over.

As I said in the beginning, you can build anywhere you want to as long as you connect to the designated cities. However, I have only tested this map by connecting to he designated cities and those cities that the tracks ran through. So, yes, either build a station or just use an existing station (Huntsville comes to mind) if your tracks are real close. In an early test I was having trouble with a RR early on, so I built to a nice fat city nearby to get some cash. What a mess I created for the last RR to connect to that city. There were 3 parrallel tracks and - yuck. I moved that RR to a later start and made sure to give it something nice to connect to.

In my first test, I built overpasses until I was about half way thru, then I went to grade level crossings thereafter. You don't generally need overpasses, but, Hawk, in my final test I regretted that move when a real mess developed just to the south of the L&N station in Atlanta. Ray, ignore this, as the odds of this happening to you are about 1 in 11. Don't ask, you will figure it out if you can last until the end of the scenario.

I wanted to do something like this for a long time and almost started it a while back, but then it looked like Mr Scott was about to submit something - a scenario using the full Rail Baron map which would be 3 times the size of this scenario, but I think he was having PC problems with too many railroads. (If it was completed, I could not find it.) By about RR 10, my mouse got a little shaky, but otherwise my 2+ year old PC handled it fine thru gold and 1 level beyond on 1 test. Mr Scott's logo pack, which may have all of the Rail Baron logos, was a nice benefit for this scenario if you have installed it.

[RayofSunshine]

Okay Hawk, I noticed that there were only 3 downloads for the scenario. I just thought that I would start a thread as I was having a problem.

Well Orange46, my 3rd attlempt did not change the problem of the "blank" ledger.

However, I may have, and it is probable, that the "count" of 40 hauls of the initial RF&P was acurate, as the 2nd and 3rd attempts were fine, as the hauls had a number of 4counts per a number of the 3 trains operating.

The "blank" ledger showed up each time just after the notice to cnn NYC.

And in trying to lay track, found that PA and NY were still "pink". I had initially made the statement that I believed they were available, as they were "green", but that was only when I clicked on the "territories menu", which will display the territory in question

Hope the incidents are not major, as I know that you had to have used a lot of time in the programming.

[Orange46]

Did you wait until the end of the month? Does the Briefing say NYC? Have you taken control of the NYC?

[RayofSunshine]

Ha Ha Ha. Now that makes sense Orange46. However, I was thinking more in line with New York City as a connection, rather than New York Central. Didn't thank about the possibility that the RF&P was that short a rail line, not after the system of the B&O. Also, just did not read the directions of the notice adequately.

Sure glad that it was this simple a solution, considering the amount of time you spent with all the creation of programming etc.

Thanks for the info.

[belbincolne]

Only just got round to playing this. First railroad was slow to start but got there in the end and then had a couple of quickies and moved on to New York (Central?). This was a stinker partly because of lots and lots of depression but its also very expensive getting to New York - should have built the other way first to get the money rolling in.

Now to the problems - firstly every now and then a message comes up saying we've raised some more money - sometimes nothing arrives - when it does its only a very small amount, hardly worth having.

The main problem though is that just before the end of 1869 I completed all the connections. Always before a message has came up and I've changed companies with a month of the year to go (first railroad I had to wait a bit longer to achieve carryings but got message to that effect). This time nothing so played on for 13 months and still nothing - have 1376 carryings and no idea what required number is so maybe the glitch is that I didn't get message to say that the requirement is zzzz.

I've checked and re-checked that every town is connected - for NYC I had to do this from north of the Hudson with a large station which doesn't cover all of NYC but "connected" comes up - it was either that or knock down half of NYC first !!!

Where my previous RRs had already built into a city I've connected to their lines and added an extra station - because I'd assumed this would be necessary as in all(?) other similiar scenarios - but from the post above it seems this may not be needed and the AI station will count? Of course I've also done it to try to pick up some cash from the AIs using my lines - not very succesfully though.

You mention the services need for the AIs but they aint half a poor bunch. I left my first RR with no bonds and huge profitability - now all the AI has done has added lots of unprofitable trains and run it into the ground - not that it matters (I hope).

[RayofSunshine]

Well Bel and Orange46, I have not gotten to the the point of time, but have run into another problem. Even though I "zoom" to max, I am unable to get the view of either BUF or the Schenectancy (or whatever) and thereby would not be able to get the interchange as well. Seems odd as Bel indicats that he has completed the NYC agenda. I don't believe that the Expert or level 3 would have anything to do with the problem.

[Stoker]

Your non-view problem may be due to having the camera mode as "locked continuous", which sometimes limits viewing portions of maps near the edge. Try adjusting the settings to "free any angle". The camera angle settings are in the "file options" tab on the bottom of the gamescreen.

[Orange46]

Belbincolne: All named cities need company stations. Other cities that you pass thru or that are not specifically named don't need anything, but it is probably a good idea to either place a station or use another railroad's station. If the status page does not say that you have connected to all of the required cities, then you haven't. This usually happened to me at least once per playing, with the problem usually being that I used an AI station to conserve cash and then forgot to build it later, as you seem to be doing. In older versions of RT I remember that sometimes a city wasn't connected even if it said it was, but that hasn't happened to me in years, so it's probably fixed (or it was RT2).

I had a lot of money problems early on in the testing, and since the goal of this scenario is to let people build the railroads, I built in small money cheats to keep you going if things don't zip along early in each RR. But, being a cheap #$%, I don't hand out much free cash, usually just enough to maybe qualify you for a bond so that you can make that crucial connection to get the trains rolling. But, be warned, in my last 3 tests, the same railroad lost steam about 2/3rds thru, although eventually it did get finished. Maybe you guys will play it better.

I tried to rezone NYC for more non building land, but the rezoning doesn't seem to stick. The zones go back to the game's default after I save the map and return. In my plays, NYC was always tight but I could squeeze that large station in south of the river.

The worst part of RT3 is the AIs. They are dumb, and cheat like crazy. In this scenario and Bridging you can see that cheating and dumbness wholesale.

Ray: I guess most players will not have had the pleasure of playing Rail Baron, or have the board by their side as they build the railroads. The 2 missing New England RR's (NYNH&H and B&M) were almst as short, so I didn't lose any sleep over using a map that didn't include them.

[Stoker]

Another issue with "stations connected by company" is that if 1 single section of AI company track is anywhere in the line(like where you linked to an existing AI station or line) it will make the connection null. I recall this being mentioned pertaining to my "LA&L.A." scenario which requires Company Stations to connect the cities for a medal.

Edit to add: I just took a look, and it was Belbincolne that had difficulty with the "Company Stations Connect Cities" requirement in LA&L.A. It sounds like the same issue here, one piece of AI track between two cities will make the connection not register. It must be ALL your track & stations to count.

[Orange46]

Stoker - I did not have that problem. On one occassion I think that I used some AI track. And, in an early version of Bridging, I built foreign track to the west of the E&K station in East St. Louis and was only able to build the E&K Mississippi bridge by connecting it to the foreign track and I got credit for the bridge and city connection (St Louis). But, I was concerned about this being a problem, so in the scenario I warned the builders to protect the zone from foreign track.

[Stoker]

I am not sure about that particular scenario, but I did testing when this issue arose for LA&L.A. and if the requirement is for Company Stations connect city/city I am certain that even 1 section of AI track in the connection will make it not register. If you have just "Stations Connect" as the condition, then it won't matter if any AI track (or stations) are used in the connection.

[Orange46]

Stoker: I just went back to my test map and took over the RF&P at start, built some track between Harper and Baltimore, then went back to the B&O and connected the 2 cities using the RFP track. It worked and Company stations are required.

[Stoker]

I see, so I stand corrected. I did test this previously and had different results, perhaps some other condition was causing this in my case. For LA&L.A. it was my intention that the player build his own proprietary mainline, so in my case a piece of AI track making the connections not register was exactly what I wanted.

[RayofSunshine]

Thanks for the info Stoker, as I would not known of such a part of the program. However, the "camera type" does have the option of "free-any angle". So would the other option of "enable on screen zoom" need to be "checked" as well? Don't know a thing about progamming, and will admit it.

[Orange46]

It is also my intention that players build all of the track for each railroad if they want to reproduce the Rail Baron map, but if they want to do something else, so be it.

[belbincolne]

My apologies - went back again and found I'd failed to make one connection. Did it and everything working fine. Now progressing on the next RR

[belbincolne]

Just reached the Pen RR with no difficulties on last (bar almost permanent reccession so took lots and lots of time). Must get on with rest of my life now!!!! (Later - progressing but next one even worst than last - seems there aint nothing but recessions )