Changing Player Cash

[OilCan]

Does anyone occasionally change the 'player cash' amount via editing a game before playing the game? I'd like to know if I'm alone in this practice.

I have been testing several start up player cash amounts against 'other investor' amounts at the start up of a new company and have found that if I change the player cash amount to about $250K then add a bond, I can afford two basic industry mills plus a meager rail start at the beginning of a game which has no PNW goal. If there is a PNW goal, then a player cash amount of $350K is needed to almost immediately gain the 50% control of your company plus invest in 2 industries.

I feel that adding $150K or $250K to the player cash for a game removes the 'watching grass grow' waiting period during the first several years of some games without removing the challenge of the game's goals. For games with a PNW goal, it removes the early years of buying back stock at the cost of building your company (although some buy back is still needed with $350K player cash). I think it makes the game even more fun.

I'd be interested in hearing how other RT3 players feel about changing the player cash amount.

[Gwizz]

I've never liked the slow starts many maps have and unless I'm playing for a win I change a lot.
I change personal and company cash. I add more AI players and sometime their managers. Sometimes I change the port cargos and region cargos, depending upon the map's balance.
I have added ports on rivers and even reduced tree counts. I seldom change anything in the editor unless there is a problem that needs fixing. I always save the changed map's name with Map Name II

[Cliff]

I'd be interested in hearing how other RT3 players feel about changing the player cash amount.

Well, if you really wanted to you could just change all the start-up parameters so that you can win easily in just a few turns. But what would be the challenge??

No, I've never changed the start-up cash (actually, I've never even thought about doing it).

Why don't you put this question to the "Poll Hole" test?

-- Cliff in Virginia

[Grandma Ruth]

Only thing I've changed, once or twice, is to put in an extra status page or an annual event to keep track of progress towards the goals if they aren't already there. Currently I'm playing "Alternate USA" and there's no way I could keep track of umpteen haulage figures otherwise.

Cliff's right - why not do a poll on this?

[OilCan]

Why don't you put this question to the "Poll Hole" test?

That's a great idea. I'll post a poll question.

BTW, I drew up a table of investment amounts and ratios for various game goals if anyone is interested in seeing it. For instance, a $350K in player cash with $1200K in outside investment will provide 25% ownership of company, plus enough start up company money for one industry and a rail start. You can immediately reach 50% ownership with the same investment ratio if you buy 3K shares in the company plus take out a bond and buyback stock. The table lays out the investment ratios for whether one desires to buy one industry, two industries or three industries at the start of a game.

[Hawk]

The Poll can be found here, for those interested.