Grand Duchy of Finland - any takers?

[Moggie]

I'm wondering if anybody would be interested in doing the actual work of making such a map if I served as a source of information on the history part? I'm not really a scenario maker but I, as a Finn, would be able to check the details and to give a crash course, as it were, on Finnish history. The scenario could start at 1860, when the first railroad line was completed and end on 1900, for example. Any takers?

[brunom]

Cool to see more ideas for European maps! We still trail 10 to 20 scenarios behind North America and that simply cannot be!

I am very short on time and other than trying to complete the unfinished scenarios I have in my hands at this time, I won't commit to anything else. I can't even test/enjoy the creative maps that have been popping up in here. Otherwise I would offer to help.

As it is, all I can do is tell you how EASY it is to create a scenario.. really, not joking.
Give it a go, at least.
I suggest you read this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=65&t=2891

B

[nedfumpkin]

I agree...I'm far too busy right now to help you out, as much as I would like to. So I think you should take the leap and make your first scenario....a TM scenario of course. :)

[arop]

Once I have thought about doing a Finland map. But I gave up -too difficault to build -too many lakes

[thietavu]

Hmm... I have created a (yet unpublished) huge map of Finland, Scandinavia - and a lot of area around it all. Lots of lakes, that's true. ;) Maybe we should co-operate with it? I'm reasonably happy with the result so far, but my other project, the massive China scenario has taken all my time for months.

[arop]

Let's have a look at your map. Maybe it could be useful

[thietavu]

Let's have a look at your map. Maybe it could be useful

How do you want to receive the map?

[arop]

I suggest as an attachment to your answer. But is the map covering Finland only, I hope so. Map size minimum 960X desireable. it takes a maximum size map to cover all railways, major cities and some small towns in Finland.

[thietavu]

I suggest as an attachment to your answer. But is the map covering Finland only, I hope so. Map size minimum 960X desireable. it takes a maximum size map to cover all railways, major cities and some small towns in Finland.

This one covers far more than just Finland, I'm afraid - and it's very very large. I'm just doing "final testing" to it while writing this. But I'll send it to you to test anyway - we'll see if it's usable or not. :)

[arop]

To make it clear. In case I'll build a Finland map it will be for RRT v1.06. Planned game start by the opening of the first railway in Finland, I think it was in 1867, have not researched yet. game end at the beginning of the Winter War in 1940 or latest in 1960 with possibility of winning gold before that time.

[Moggie]

The first railway was Helsingfors (Helsinki) - Tavastehus (Hameenlinna) and it was completed 1860. Riihimäki - St. Petersburg was completed 11.09.1871. I saw the timetable of the first lines on that track. It took 4+ hours to reach Tavastehus(Hameenlinna) back in those days . Nowadays it's little over 1 hour.

[thietavu]

I'm rather happy now with this Northern Europe map, after long work. Since it is, like my China Ultimate maps, more like a huge "sandbox" than a task- and event-based game scenario, it could pretty easily be used for more dedicated special versions. Now it starts in Finland in 1862 and ends in 2020 (!), expanding country by country. I think I'll also include a version where one can start anywhere in Northern Europe without artificial limitations. To me RRT3 is about imagination and driving lots of trains - not a race against time or scripted events. ;)

[arop]

I have taken up the challenge! Based on a finnish railway map, I'm now working on a large Finland map 1024 by 704 pixels, working title "Soumi -Finland". When the raw map is ready, some day beyond easter, I'll be interested to have some historical events covering the period 1865 to 1940. Suggestions about win conditions are also welcome

[thietavu]

I have taken up the challenge! Based on a finnish railway map, I'm now working on a large Finland map 1024 by 704 pixels, working title "Soumi -Finland". When the raw map is ready, some day beyond easter, I'll be interested to have some historical events covering the period 1865 to 1940. Suggestions about win conditions are also welcome

Good luck for the job! :) Just one small wish: "Suomi-Finland" instead of "Soumi-Finland", please. ;)

Anyway, my own Scandinavia map is about ready now, so it's good to have some variety then. Mine doesn't really cover any historic events - it's just about building and running huge railroad networks, like my China scenario.

Speaking of possible events for your map... Our Civil War in 1918 did divide the country in two, which could cause some interesting things to happen in the game. The World War II is another obvious key point. Trade to the Soviet Union, for example, was on/off during those times.

[Moggie]

One task might be transporting paper from paper mills to ports at the coast, Finland is after all a well known paper producing country.

[arop]

Here it is! Atached to this topic you have my latest map, called Suomi -Finland. Are there anyone (native) out there who wants to write some historical events and are there any suggestions about the Win conditions. Any comments are welcome!

[thietavu]

Will test immediately! :)

[thietavu]

After a very brief test: nice work!

I made some corrections to (mainly) some names - hope you don't mind.

One thing I noticed. This map has very many very small towns - about half of them even I had never heard of! :) It is also missing some major industrial towns such as Rauma (paper industry) and Kajaani (provincial capital). But I don't see all this as a problem. It rather reflects the early rural Finland where roads and the first railroads connected even smallest of villages. One example: the strange route of the mainline between our old capital Turku and current capital Helsinki results from exactly that: the government didn't want to build the shortest and fastest line between these major cities, but instead wanted to make the route include as many rural minor towns as possible.

So, one of the goals in this scenario might be exactly this: connecting as many towns as possible, especially between the major cities. Another goal could be building freight lines to Russia and Sweden (wood, ore, coal, etc.). Tornio was and still is an industrial town and a port to Sweden's ore mines in Kiruna. I shall upload my own Scandinavia map here soon, possibly today. It might also give you some ideas although its idea is very different.

Good work! Nice to see a map like this here! My altered version of your map is attached here.

[arop]

very much. I was aware about the incorrect spelling of city names, but my english version doesn't allow me to use the "ä" or at least I don't know how to do it. I have had the same problem with my Danmark 1875 map. I will precede my working on this map very soon, using your version. You are right, that one win condition should be connecting Helsinki to all major cities, but with all intermediate stations I think, even the smallest. I have some thoughts about suspending the stock market, while VR is a state owned company. Another win conditions could be Lifetime Industrial profit, but with that restriction, that you cannot buy existing industries, you have to build them on your own. I,m thinking about some milage bonuses for building track. My choice of locomotives is an attempt to make it as real as possible: No big engines will be avaiable but the German 4-6-2 (BR 01) and 2-8-2 (BR 39) in 1934 (game ends in 1940)

[thietavu]

Sounds like a plan to me. Some random thoughts: will you try to create as authentic scenario as possible - or will you leave the player room for imagination and alternative choices as well? An example: in real life, Finland's early railroad network was lightly built and neither needed nor could use large and heavy locomotives. Yet, things *could* have happened otherwise. There never was a law against building sturdier railroads and buying or building heavier locomotives here. :) I wonder... Could there be a choice for the player to build heavier track from ca. 1890 onwards or so, for an extra price? Let's say: if you pay 20% (?) more as track laying costs, you shall have heavier locomotives available for you?

You could also place several ore mines on the map to the places where large mines exist in real life? I think, Google and Wikipedia will pretty easily show the most obvious places. And if not, my own Scandinavia map will show them to you.

Then there is the question of imports and exports. Finland's steel industry needs iron ore and (especially) coal. Iron ore can be imported from Sweden and Russia (although there are some local mines too). Coal comes mainly by ships, I think - not quite sure. Things have changed so very much here after the WW II! ;) This was a different world before 1940 and especially before year 1917. Everything changed: trade, culture, politics, etc etc. Those changes could probably be reflected somehow in your scenario. Maybe also WW 1 and the era or the Soviet revolution and Finland's independence & civil war.

Lots of nice choices and opportunities! :)