Ethiopia - testers needed (yet again)

[andybis]

well...expert..rarely i try expert level. Well first of all I switch the little track done to electricity (lower costs) and substitute the original train with electric one and the same with little station to a greater one...then if enough money, I try to make an industry, usually a Textile farm (not enough logs for paper mills or sewery, often my other choice) or i wait for the revenues. Then year after year i reach Addis Abeba and then the other cities. Next to the end i make a steel mill next to Gambela and the industrial revenues slowly increase for the 50 million ind. prof.
I find UK more challenging as i said (Italy is quite easier, good for starter) and usually I end with all done in 1938-40. Next time i think i will try expert level of difficulty! Thanks to you, the map and scenario creator!

[brunom]

Thanks for the details, Andybis.

Gold, silver and bronze conditions are now done. Going to wait for a few more reviews/tests and then send this one to hawk (hopefully with a little more detailed paint job thrown in as well).

Cheers.
B

[Ray of Sunshine]

Well this scenario really "screwed" me up. Doning well with the French backing. Before cnn to Adis Aberra, I took a side track to Goba to start hauling "coffee". Then proceeded to lay track intermittently toward Asmara, but then made a connection to another city which had the "coffee" warehouse. I had periodically purchased a few farms, which did not yield an adequate amount toward the LIP. Hence, another direction toward the Italiasomalia, as there was an amount of grain fields and a Brewery.

But it all started to happen in the early 30s. Train crashes, and this was after a numbeer of Recessions, and those trains were carrying "coffee". And shortly after, the Italians decided to start a war. It tied up 6 of my trains, which had then to be directed to other destinations, but that didn't help my LIP with the Brewery, and the profits plummeted.

Just at that time as well, I had paid the $2M for access so as to lay track to Asmarra, but again, the Italians shut me down to run any trains.

My only alternative is to direct my operations from Adis Aberrra toward Khartoum, although I will have to wait until 1939 before I can made that connection. Part of a deal was that I would not connect to 2 cities along the sea, and Khartoum, until then. But with the Italian problem, it is shutting down a number of my sources for coffee.

To conclude comments, at this point, I could possibly meet all the goals, except thatn of the LIP. But with 15 years until 1951, it """"""might"""""" be possible.

[Ray of Sunshine]

I didn't get very far after all the engine crashes and Italian uprising warfare. The connection to Khartoum was the least of my difficulties, and directed my revenue to the Brewry, Textil Mill, and Meal Packing, but was in the Italian Somolian territory. Hence when WWII was over, and the territories divided amont the Allies, I lost my access, and thereby, a deterioration of LIP profits of the 3 industries. It took time to accumulate the $2M to regain access, but in the meantime, I had to direct 3 trains to different destinations, as well as suffer the loss of the 3 engines held hostage in the prior Italian territory. At this point I was able to get my access returned, so as to run trains to Amarra, and get coffee from the upper part of the Eteopian, which had been confiscated by the previous Italian warfare with the Emperor.

I just thought that it was best to just fill the coffee requirement, as well as the $50M LIP. Just started too late for a better LIP, so know that I could not fill the Siver medal lIP goal of $100M, let alone the $150M. But, there is always another attempt which is available.

During the next 6 years I might be able to accummulate the $3M for the KHartoum territory access, but without the $150M LIP, there isn't any way to get the GOLD. So I am just taking the ""easy way out"", and will settle with the Bronze.

[brunom]

And in the end, you'll find out that the beta version you're playing won't even acknowledge that bronze..!

Current version in my machine has that sorted. I also spotted a couple of bugs and some tweaks needed. Soon, a final version will be ready.

Was great to read your game-story, Ray. I really wanted the wars to have an impact in the scenario.

B

[Hawk]

Hold on there you dastardly dog.
I did find a few spelling errors, but this post is about the scenario.

I chose Italy. Maybe I missed a message but all of a sudden I got trains that can't reach the next station. My first thought was some electric track missing somewhere. That didn't pan out so I got to diggin' deeper.

I won't revel everything I ran into (don't want to spoil the fun for folks ), but I will say it took me a while to figure out what the heck was going on.

Nice Play!

Then I find out that I can't just re-route some trains. I have to... Well, you know!

It took a bit of pocket change to get things flowing smoothly again.
I'm in Jan. of 1936 and here's where I stand (I was just getting started on industry when things changed)

Ethiopia4.jpg (51.57 KiB) Viewed 427 times

I think I might be able to pull the industry up to snuff to get Gold - in medium play.

I like the terrain. Made it a challenge to get rail run.

Sorry I didn't jot down the spelling errors.

[Ray of Sunshine]

OH BOY, did they ever have an impact alright. They really blew the revenue.

But Brunom, I ran into another similar problem that I had with the Gibraltar. I was not able to get a Silver, which I did manage. Although I got the numbers of 15-100-150 mixed up with the coffee. Hence I was able to get a $25+ for the Silver.

I know that you had mentioned that you had no control over the engine crashes, which I am sure is programmed into the PopTop edition, but I sure have a lot of them The 2-4 a year I would consider within the normal in a 24 count inventory, but again, I had 6+. And these were again the A1s with only 4-6 years of operations. That really hurts in trying to get the revenue, BUT, I don't know what the percentrage in real life time.

However, which was unusal, a had a couple of S3s as the 1st 2 engines in operation, and finally did change them out at the 23 year life, as I couldn't afford to lose their revenue. And I don't recall them having any great amount of 'break downs" either. goofy.

Other than that, I didn't run into any 'bugs", so it must be a good day, as my computer didn't "shut down" either. LOL

With all these happenings, I did even try to reach Khartoum for the Gold.

[Hawk]

I know that you had mentioned that you had no control over the engine crashes, which I am sure is programmed into the PopTop...

There is two options for engine crashes in the editor. Off or on. Other than that, you can adjust the engines reliability with an event or two, but I don't think that will have any affect on crashes.

[brunom]

Hey all again

Thanks for all reviews with that version. 3 downloads and 3 reviews it's really all I can ask for.

As I said before, I have also spotted a few bugs and this-makes-the-game-too-easy aspects. Primarily, those would help anyone who chose Italy, Only some of the territories were supposed to be made cheaper, not all, and the engine that becomes available in 1920 when you choose their help certainly wasn't supposed to be a 1990 electric loco.

Medals weren't coded in the version you played, Ray. This one, below, should trigger correctly now.

Also, the cheap 2D2 at start now becomes the balanced-cost-in-comparison-to-steam 2D2.

Just for fun, I also added one engine not available in the regular 1.05... And I haven't tried running the scenario without the files for it being there - will this make the scenario crash, or will it just ignore that loco?

In general, I think this is now pretty much ready to go, but I definitely need a native English for spelling corrections before calling this a final-version. However, apart that, I hope this to be an almost-perfect beta:

--- ATTACHMENT REMOVED ---

[brunom]

I know that you had mentioned that you had no control over the engine crashes, which I am sure is programmed into the PopTop...

There is two options for engine crashes in the editor. Off or on. Other than that, you can adjust the engines reliability with an event or two, but I don't think that will have any affect on crashes.

Precisely.
I don't know this for a fact, but I always thought crashes are somewhat related to the quality of track laying.. no "bumps", no tight curves, etc. It's a theory I like to hold.. , even without any grounds to support it - makes me draw clean tracks.

[Hawk]

I played it until 1962 at which time I should have got the Silver because I only had 38m in IP. Guess I started on the industry a little too late.

I'll see what I can do about spell checking this newest version.

You might want to include installation instructions for the Class YE, for us dummies ya' know.

Edit 1: BTW! For whatever it's worth, if you have a program like Word, OpenOffice, or any program that will do a spell check, you can copy the text from the RT3 editor and paste it in Word (or whatever program you have), check spelling, then copy the text from Word back into the editor, but you'll have to delete the existing text in the RT3 editor first, then copy the text into the green box.
You will need to use the keyboard commands for copy and paste: Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.

That's how I'm doing it.

Edit 2: Attached below is a doc file with all of the spelling corrections I could find. I hope it makes sense and is of some help.

[Ray of Sunshine]

A couple of comments.

First I will have to agree with Bronum on the "engine crashes". Althogh they can screw up the necessary revenue and profits goals, I don't like to change the programming. I will have to check on those terrain features in the future as probable cause. Although the lessor of 2 evils, an editor change could make a difference, but then, I could also just "cheat" with the ""safety first"" option. That sort of takes away from the challenge

As for chosing Italy territory Hawk, I don't completely know what conclusion you used to rectify the " ????? to the next station", but with the uprisings of the 30s, as well as the end of WWII, certain territories come under different country ocupation. At first glance of the map you enclosed, it looked like your track was in the Brisish Somolian territory, but you would know, as you would have had to pay theri access fee.

I did not check any of the spelling, of which both of you claim, as with cataracts I don't see every thing clearly anyway. Other than that, this is a g-r-e-a-t scenario. Takes an amount of thinking for all the challenges. And although I did not get the medals, I really enjoyed its concept of its talent of imagination.

So now Brunom, are you going to take time out for that and peanuts?

[brunom]

I think this is one of those scenarios where you always need to take a few times to get the Gold. Bronze is very easy, and a good player can get Silver at the first attempt. But for gold, you really need to plan - and knowing what's coming .... helps.

Thank you for the spell check Hawk, and for the tip for future work. I want to paint the map a little pinker in the south and correct those spelling minors, after which I'll send a Final version - most likely tomorrow.

As for beer and peanuts - world cup is over now, and so is my stock of peanuts. But since Lisbon is starting to calm down traffic-wise, I've been on a daily visits to the beach routine instead. You see, I am a teacher so my holidays are a little longer than usual.. And my girlfriend only starts hers a week from now. That's why I have a lot of free time nowadays.

B

[Hawk]

Just curious; What do you teach, and what grade level?

BTW! Pardon my spelling corrections for the old English spelling. I just couldn't resist.

[Ray of Sunshine]

Well Brunom,

Just enjoy those "free or spare time" now, as with a girlfriend, and then a wife, which usually brings along a family, your spare time will be a lot less "spare" LOL