Ready for your stock to split again? Uh, yeah!
Written: Dec 18 '00 (Updated Dec 18 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: addictive, lots of details to gameplay but not overwhelming, a game that will force you to think
Cons: none
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| hamricba's Full Review: Railroad Tycoon 2 for Windows |
I remember the first time I was introduced to Railroad Tycoon II by a college roommate. My thoughts were, "Oh, a railroad game, that sounds like a lot of fun." (tongue in cheek, of course) How much fun could a railroad game be, anyway? It only took a few minutes of game play to fall for this game. Wow. This game ranks among the best simulation games ever; I would even put it above the popular SimCity games and maybe even Civilization II.
How it Works
You are in charge of managing a railroad company, set in a particular historical setting and certain country. You have certain objectives to meet in order to win the scenario, based on which scenario you choose to play. These may be something like build a railroad from New Orleans to Los Angeles, or build a personal net worth of $10,000,000 by 1870, for example. There are enough options built into the game that you can simplify parts of the game for younger players, or complicate gameplay for the serious player.
Railroad Management
First off, find two cities close to each other that will produce supplies you can ship. The closer and bigger the cities, the better. Closer means less track you have to build, bigger means more supplies and more income for your company. Milwaukee-Chicago can be a great place to start if you're doing a U.S. map. Make sure you build railroad stations that will provide service to the various suppliers. Homes produce passengers and mail, steel mills produce steel, ports produce rubber, bauxite, and coffee, etc. The game is simple supply and demand- send rubber to Chicago if they demand it because they will pay top dollar for it. Some factories and mills need certain supplies before they can ever produce for you. Do whatever you can to increase productivity- if you have to ship iron to Chicago from 500 miles away, do it. You'll reap good rewards for doing so. Build double tracks always between high traffic cities so your trains can pass each other without stopping. Make sure you build quality trains; breakdowns can be a real pain and speed is essential to keeping revenues high.
Business Management
Ok, so not everyone is a financial whiz. Thankfully, Railroad Tycoon II will let you choose whether you want just basic financial options or more advanced features. The game will go through various periods of economic prosperity and recession, and you need to make decisions that keep your company afloat. The board of directors will evaluate your performance each year, and give you a salary raise or cut, based on how you did. This is crucial, because if you do well, you can buy a lot more stock in your company (or other companies) and build your net worth quickly. As your company succeeds, you will be able to hire a new manager to the company who comes with various benefits such as cheaper track building, faster trains, etc. You can also issue stocks, sell bonds, or adjust dividends for your company. In some scenarios, you will have to buy access rights to various territories in order to provide service there.
Tips
Like I said, start between 2 major cities that are close together. If the cities supply a lot of passengers and mail, build hotels, restaurants, and post offices at the railroad stations so that revenues will soar. Make sure you meet as many demands for a city as possible, so that revenues will increase and so will the number of goods supplied.
Conclusion
If you love sim games, and haven't gotten this one, go out and get it right now. It will keep you entertained for hours, and you'll get excited every time you see your stock split!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hamricba
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Member: Brian Hamrick
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 28 members
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