PRR scenario ideas

Topics on how to write scenarios for TrainMaster.
KenRuof
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PRR scenario ideas Unread post

I have been thinking about make some scenarios of the building of the Pennsylvania railroad starting in 1846. The first one would have you build from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh although I have no idea how to make a terrain map and I don not like any of the ones that are available. Any one able to make a basic map of this area for me to start with?

Ken
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nedfumpkin
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

Mr. Scott has made a base map for that area. http://hawkdawg.com/cgi-bin/dwnlds/download.pl?file=640 It's a really good map too.
KenRuof
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

Thanks Ned, it is a very nice map but is the eastern part of PA and I am looking for the western part.

Ken
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Hawk
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

Have you tried creating the map in the Map Builder?
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Stoker
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

I think any PRR scenario would also have to include Philly and perhaps even NYC and of course also the feud with B&O should be worked into the storyline. I had been working on a B&O scenario and learned a fair amount about the B&O / PRR rivalry, which was pretty intense. Not as intense as the Colorado D&RG / Sante Fe War (my current project)which actually came down to shooting, but still a lot of intrigue between PRR & B&O -mostly on the political/financial front. Here is a site with a lot of old RR maps showing early routes : http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/rrhtml/rrhome.html. The Building to Buffalo map is excellent (and underused), this would be my choice for this scenario because it includes the area from D.C. and Baltimore up past Philly to NYC, and goes as far west as Pittsburgh.This is a very large and detailed map.I have a version of this map where I repainted it to highlight the elevations more and removed the BtB events. I could send you that if you like. You might also look at the Pennsylvania Revisited map which is smaller and covers mainly Pennsylvania, with NYC being cropped off. Good luck with your project.

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KenRuof
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

Hawk,

No I have not used the editor yet so it is all a new experience for me, should be fun !hairpull! It should be interesting as there are not many TM maps and I have not played it much ( I keep loosing :oops: )

Stocker,

I was just looking at the PA map from Mr Scott's revised and it looks good. I was thinking Harrisburg to Pittsburgh because I wanted to do a mini campaign not the whole thing in one scenario but may change my mind and make it one with "chapters" so when you finish one goal you are presented with the next. I do agree with your thoughts and I have the Centenial book the first 100 years which is about 4" thick and tells the story about the making of the PRR from 1846 to 1946, lots so good stuff in there.

About the web site for maps, I have never used it before and will have a look see. I would be interested in seeing your map. I assume you need me email address and if I'll provide it in a PM. I want as large a map as I can get and still have room for some of the smaller towns/communities (New York to Pittsburgh). If I am successful at this then maybe a map of Ohio to Indianna so I can do the "Pennsylvanis Lines" from Pittsburgh to Chicago and St Louis... just a though and ambitious.

Thanks
Ken
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Hawk
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

KenRuof wrote:Hawk,

No I have not used the editor yet so it is all a new experience for me,
I'm not talking about the editor. The Map Builder is a separate utility. It should have come on the cd with RT3. You would have to install it separately. It doesn't install with RT3.

If you don't have it on the cd for some reason you can find it at this link. http://hawkdawg.com/rrt/rrt3/Xtras/Tips ... mapbuilder , or you could try Wolverine's Microdem tutorial right under the Map Builder.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

There is a website with some old PA maps on it that I've used quite a bit...you might find it helpful. http://www.mapsofpa.com/antiquemaps3.htm

...oh also...there will be two new locomotives coming that you may want to incorporate into your scenario the 4-4-0 Standard/American and the 2-8-0 Consolidation/Freight King. They will offer a couple more choices since the Standard with be the original American, and the American will be a faster version of itself later on. The 2-8-0s are getting tweaked so the Freight King comes in 1870 and pulls well but slow. I'm still struggling to work them out in detail, but if you start the map I can set you up with the files so they fit until I have them completed.
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Stoker
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

Here is the BTB map by Canadian Viking, with all of the BTB events removed, except for the "news" items. Some of the news events have a variable trigger to turn them on and off per players choice, if you want these in your scenario check each one and remove the trigger and make them always trigger- or construct your own selection event to let the player see them or ignore them. AFIK none of these news events has any effects associated with them, so you can construct your own or check to make sure no effects are present if you don't want any. Since you are working in TM, you will need to remove all of the buildings as well before you proceed. I repainted the entire map to better show the elevations- it is colored more like an old school colored relief map now (the original version is pretty much just painted green). I had asked permission (years? ago) from CV (Keith Boody) about using this map, and there is no problem there- just make sure to put "Original map by Canadian Viking" or something of that sort to give him credit. One thought here: this sounds like it is your first attempt at making a scenario. You might find that building a proper TM economy is difficult, and, if that is the case, I suggest first trying a scenario in 1.06 or vanilla RRT3 if you are having any problems.

Good Luck and Happy Railroading!

Map download: http://cid-d60a13c118ecd366.office.live ... LEARED.gmp

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

Stoker...Actually, if he wants to look on some of the old PA maps and get some industrial information, then he will be able to pretty much replicate the economic conditions existing at the time period. Now don't be chasing people away from TM.

First thing is figure out which towns will be agricultural communities. There are the dairy based communities, and also the traditionalist communities (Amish)

Set these up as your small towns. The forts can also be placed based on the actual locations of the forts.

Then put industries where they most likely were. I use Wikipedia to get a sense of the history of the town and what it was known for. Town websites also help with their history. Use the original town names. There are population maps for that time period.

For Philly, there are some municapl buildings for the legislature, a mint etc.

There are some resource maps, on on the map I am working on for the Lackawanna Valley, I was even able to plot out the precise coal mines. So try to get things where they are located. If you need something specific, I might have a map or so. Lemme know.

Mapmaking in TM requires attention to detail because it is design for making geo-specific maps based on the history of the periood covered by the scenario. It's more time consuming, but worth it in my opinion. The first campaign map, Birth of a Nation, is a geo-specific map in the sense that the industry is very close to what it was during the period of the map.
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Stoker
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

Relax Ned, I am not trying to chase people away from TM. I was just pointing out (as you did) that making a TM scenario is much more "detail oriented" (hard) than original RRT3. Just getting started making a TM map if an original RRT3 map is being used which requires a lot of work to "scrub it clean" before proceeding. This process alone just might confuse and turn off a prospective scenario maker. This is before any of the complicated scenario event programming is done which can be a monumental task in itself, especially for a first timer. If you really want to help, perhaps you should take the first step and prep this map to make it ready for TM for him.

Edit to add: When I first responded to the original post here, I did not realize he was making a TM scenario, and that this was in the TM section of the forum. I sincerely apologize for attempting to help somebody with anything TM related, I will do my best to not respond to any such requests regarding anything to do with TM in the future.
Last edited by Stoker on Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

1845meyer.jpg
1844olney.jpg
01104062.jpg
Zinc=bauxite for TM.

Here are some PA maps that might be useful. They give you the population even (1844olney).

.........

Settle down Stoker. :)

I would certainly love to help out and make the map, but I am really struggling for some time right now. Also, I have my own maps on the go for when I do get time. My point is that there's no need to go and make a simpler map in 1.05 or 1.06 since the basic are the same in all versions, however, TM may actually prove easier, although more time consuming since he can just plot out everything from the three maps I am posting above. Resources, population, railroads, etc are all mapped out for him based on the actual year he wants to start. In fact, TM is more ideal since it can accommodate the Amish. I'm just saying that TM isn't necessarily more difficult to do, just more time consuming, and Ken may get more satisfaction from creating this in TM than 1.06 or 1.05 because it was designed around a PA map
KenRuof
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

Wow, thanks guys and Stoker I do appriciate your help even if your not a TM person. I had a look at the scenario editor, yes it can get daunting and as said very detailed. I am planing on using the cummunities for the smaller towns. I was able to get the MapMaker installed from the site as it would not copy from my CD (guess I need to get a new one). Also thanks for the map, I will have a look see. I do like 1.0.6, have not had much game play with TM as there are not many maps, I do like the complex cargos (wish we still had concrete though). Ned, the engines sound great, the standard
4-4-0 and a heavy Consol are perfect for the PRR's first 50 years!

Thanks
Ken
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Altoona+BeachCreek
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

I also was hoping to do a PRR map, specifically Harrisburg to Conway. I probably will have to start off with making just a base map with the routes pre-made since they rely heavily on four track mainlines. I'll work out a scenario afterward. I rely want to incorporate Altoona and the Horseshoe Curve.
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Blackhawk
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

If you are going to work in smaller rail lines you may be interested in the maps that AZ Rail Rat did about railroads in Arizona. I think they were called Arizona or Northern Arizona. I know I played one and you had to hop from small railroad to small railroad to accomplish tasks and it dealt with the smaller railroads as well as the southern pacific. So if you plan on doing something similar it may be useful to play and take a look at, unless you were just going to do a map based on your 1 railroad.

I might add, you have a lot of ambition, but with as time consuming as many RT3 projects are (re-skinning a locomotive, designing a new one, or even making a scenario and playtesting it several times takes awhile). I'd suggest you figure out what you really want to do, and then set your efforts to work on that project. I myself have 4-5 different TM maps that I was working on and at one point along the line, my production stopped and I've got nothing to show for my efforts. If I had focused on just 1 map rather than multiple ideas, I'd have at least another completed map or two for myself and others to enjoy instead of lots of half-finished alphas and betas.
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nedfumpkin
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Re: PRR scenario ideas Unread post

I concur with Blackhawk. My advice to you is to become familiar with Trainmaster. It is a lot harder to play than 1.05 or 1.06. It's designed for bigger and more complicated scenarios.

Then maybe i would suggest looking into creating a TM scenario. If in making this scenario you want to make a custom pak then I will assist you.

I do not recommend making a new locomotive at this point unless it is important to your scenario, and then I can help you.

Making stuff in TM takes a long time, and sometimes you need to put it away and come back to it. I have been working on a scenario for a year now. Eventually I will finish it and then probably make some new locomotives, and other things. But I am taking long approach...you should have the same patience or you might find yourself overwhelmed quickly and lose interest. It's happened a lot before once people learn how much work is involved. For example, when I was making the dorchester 0-4-0 it took me a week of constant work to put the second set of driving wheels. I am still not completely sastisfied with the cowboy engines, so that's why they are only available through attachments to posts.

Think about what is most important to you, do that project, and go from there.

JMO
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