Typical RT3 Game

[OilCan]

What's the 'typical' RT3 game?

There is an answer to this question. All we need to do is look at the numbers in the RT3 spreadsheet - which includes the Poptop and maps in Hawk's map archive.

The typical RT3 game, meaning the game which fits the median or most common conditions:

Is a North American map at 17.4 MB in size, in C2C/1.05 version and missing a posted game brief. The goals for the Gold medal are to connect specific cities and haul a specified amount of cargo. The game starts in the 1870s and runs for about 30 years. AI players are optional, ranging from 0 to 3. The AI is set at aggressive for track laying and moderate for dividends/stocks. Access is open and free to all territories. There is a special condition: disabling the starting of multiple companies.

That's the typical RT3 game.

It's interesting to look at the numbers. North America is by far the most common map (94 out of 235 maps), and Europe is the second favorite continent (39).

The largest mapfile size is 45 MB, the smallest being 1.4MB. About 30% of the games are in 1.06 version, and about 20% in the original or 1.04 version.

Connecting cities is by far the most common goal (129 out of 235 maps), followed by hauling cargo (96). Very close favorites are CBV, PNW and Profits.

The earliest start for a game is 1829, the latest is 2070. The shortest game is 5 years. 26 games do not have any time limit. The longest game (with an end point) is 181 years.

77 games do not allow any AI players on the map. One game is set at 15 AI players - no matter what.

While 113 games (out of 235) allow free access to all territiories, 74 use access to territories as a key item for reaching the Gold medal. 48 games use territories as areas to enter only if the player has the interest.

Popular special conditions are: no stocks (66 games), no unconnected track (63), no resigning as chairman (52) and no being fired as chairman (51). Disabling buying on the margin (49) and disabling train crashes (43) were other often used conditions.

[Pat in the desert]

Oilcan,
Sounds like this is derived from the database that you assembled.
While I think this gives a good picture of the median game, it does not give the full picture. Which I know you were not saying.
I would say the typical game as you described - with no territories and an open map - tends to be a game that favors building track and station and assigning trains and cargo to make the money. So primarily a builders map.
Ones with territories that have to be unlocked or bought tend to have a more complicated set of rules or events. So these may be goal-oriented or financial.
Then there are the scenarios where financial goals of personal net worth, company book value or industrial profit are primary. Some of these can be met more by building or buying industry or manipulating the stock market. The track and trains can be secondary and may be based more on shipping the goods that will generate the companies profits - like running the cargoes and products for a steel mill or an auto plant. I would call these the 'Tycoon' maps that emphasize the tycooning or 'robber baron' aspects. I'm not as good at these but have been learning.
At the hard or expert level, it seems like doing the 'tycoon' activities becomes more important to meet the silver or gold targets. Because it gets harder to pile up the money from just running the trains.

[Sugus]

There are lies, ****** lies, and statistics!

[OilCan]

it does not give the full picture.

Exactly. Its like a typical American family of 2.3 kids from the census data - there is no such family. It's the statistical median of all American families and Sugus amply stated the realism of statistics.

All I did was take all the spreadsheet data on the RT3 games and find the median numbers (i.e. start year) or the most frequent value (i.e. continent). This produced the "typical" RT3 game.

So, I went one step further and searched for a game which fit the "typical" criteria and guess what --- no game in the archive or PopTop matched the typical criteria. There is no real game - yet - which matches the typical RT3 game.

[OilCan]

Then there are the scenarios where financial goals of personal net worth, company book value or industrial profit are primary. Some of these can be met more by building or buying industry or manipulating the stock market. The track and trains can be secondary and may be based more on shipping the goods that will generate the companies profits...

I caution you not to think of the industry side of the game as being better than the railroad/cargo shipping side of the game in reaching economic goals - think of them as two wheels on the same axle: you need them both. I've played a few games where I just bought into mills, farms, wells and factories for most of the game - and let the AI build the tracks. And I've played games where I only laid track and lived off the profits from cargo shipments for most of the game. But when I started investing in the 'other wheel' later in the game, the profits began to soar. You can see the effect by watching the 'Income Statement' and 'Balance Sheet' for your company.

I advocate always starting a RT3 game by building an industry base - regardless of the game goals. Then add rail to a 3 city network. Then invest in industry again. Then expand rail, and so on. This alternating approach is the best mix.

[edbangor]

I advocate always starting a RT3 game by building an industry base - regardless of the game goals. Then add rail to a 3 city network. Then invest in industry again. Then expand rail, and so on. This alternating approach is the best mix.

Can't argue with that, as that's how I always start a game - especially an A-to-Z connection type - by looking for a position along the projected route (if you aren't forced to start at one end) that will provide a 'cash cow' selection of industries which will then finance the rest of the expansion.

[Pat in the desert]

Oilcan and all,

I caution you not to think of the industry side of the game as being better than the railroad/cargo shipping side of the game in reaching economic goals - think of them as two wheels on the same axle: you need them both.

I know I'm speaking to many here who are Experts in this game, and have gone deeper into the scenarios and campaigns than I have. And many that have created the fine maps and scenarios. I was just trying to describe in 3 or 4 groups some of the flavors of the scenarios. Was not calling the industry side better or worse. I was drawn to the game by the railroad side of things and have stayed with it as it developed into interesting strategies of stations, locomotives, economies and stock markets. The campaign scenarios from the retail game call for making dollar goals for company or personal worth and so looking at farms, factories, etc. And the goals like 'only company left' lead the player into the stock market and how to manipulate it.
I just like to stimulate some discussion and see what people like or don't like. To me that adds to what the game gives us. Especially one like RT where it is now the user community that supports it.

As to the 'average game', let me throw this one to the discussion. Remember I don't mind different opinions. Welcome them in fact. Just no flame wars (which I think are not the style of this group). There are several versions of a MidWest map of the USA that fall close to the stated average. Like Chicago-to-New-York (there are others of course, but can't name them off the top). Where the objective is to build a rail network and a company of a certain size or value.

[Gandar]

I advocate always starting a RT3 game by building an industry base - regardless of the game goals. Then add rail to a 3 city network. Then invest in industry again. Then expand rail, and so on. This alternating approach is the best mix.

This is the most successful way to play the game, and you will achieve gold at expert level in most scenarios by following it. However, I always save after loading the map for the first time,and try the scenario by railroading alone, If I can meet the goals, then I get more satisfaction that way than churning out money from industry. Just for a change of course I have on occasion done it completely the other way around, especially when the goal has been to connect cities.
Don't you just love the way you can play the same game in different ways.

[OilCan]

I just like to stimulate some discussion and see what people like or don't like. To me that adds to what the game gives us.

I like discussion too, so just keep on stimulating discussion...

[OilCan]

Don't you just love the way you can play the same game in different ways.

Yeah. Yet another reason to add to my top reasons I like this game.

[RayofSunshine]

Boy, after reading all the comments I find that were are all ""kids"" at heart, and all because we love ""railroading"".

Here are my 2cs. ( however, if you check the 1c icon it has 1c. but when you incorporate it into your thread, is says 2bits. As a youngster we called the 1cent a penny and the """quarter""" 2 bits. )

That isn't the comment I started. It was the ""graphics"" of the RT3 which I find very appealing and amased. Just sit and watch an engine ""crash"", with its flame and smoke.

Watch a steam engine billowing smoke as it goes down the track, and when it stops for anything, that smoke subsides considerably, but when it starts again, we see each puff of blakc smoke.

Did you ever watch the trees, a bridge, or a building. As the sun rotates across the heavens, the shadows change their size.

The circuling of birds around a port/dock/pier, and the different types of airplanes which traverse the sky.

Maybe you programmers don't think much of these features which you yourself install into your creations, but I can see the talent which went into these features which all of you now use to create your scenarios.

And that brings up the new additions which you the "users" create in new buildings. To watch the different buildings with its moving figures or objects.

The features to be created in the Editor itself. Bridges, tunnels, assortment of folage.

Although I have the enjoyment of playing the scenarios, I often just sit and watch the happenings which PopTop programmers have created, as well as you, the users have helped to contribute in your talent and imaginations.

I am sure the ""players"" of all these creations, appreciate want you continue to accomplish.

[Sugus]

To be or not to be ... ähhh, no - wrong scenario ... is a TYPICAL game really a GOOD one?