Railroad Tycoon 2 Goodwill
Nicholas Mahendra
Excess on the Orient Express is the eighth mission in the classic campaign of the game Railroad Tycoon II. It is the second scenario of the European act of the classic campaign. The premise of the scenario is the development of the Orient Express during the mid to late 1800's. The map used in this scenario is a slightly-modified version of the standalone scenario The Mediterranean.
Linking the cosmopolitan Paree with the exotic near east is no small task. Glamour and injury will all ride on your little old line. But don't get too wrapped up in the luxury yourself. There are dozens of countries, territories, and empires to negotiate your way through. Keep your cool, diplomacy will take you there in style.
The choice of bonus for this scenario is a tough one, since all three are very good. It can often depend on the strategy used to try and beat this level. Choice 1 isn't too bad, as Robert Gerwig is a strong manager who cuts bridge building and terraforming due to track laying by half. Certainly in this scenario, finding a way around the mountainous alps is one of the major challenges of this scenario, and thus he can be useful. The fuel costs of trains aren't a big expense in this era, and thus it is a useful, but not game breaking bonus on top of Gerwig. This is choice is especially good if the player favors a strategy of reaching Austria-Hungary directly through Switzerland (as the grades are tough there).
However, Choice 2 is probably stronger in most other strategies. The 25% passenger and mail revenue bonus is massive over time, particularly visible if the player runs long distance routes between Paris and other large cities. Unlike the manager selection bonuses, this bonus is timeless, and the end result is that more track can be built faster, and thus the connection between Paris and Constantinople can happen sooner. Choice 3 is considerable as well though. George Nagelmachers is a manager with a 15% passenger revenue bonus, and thus this makes up for some of the bonus in Choice 2. Buying rights is a key component of this mission, as there are many countries to buy the rights from, and some of them have a high base cost. The 20% goodwill bonus will help buy these rights faster, and thus the player can use the funds saved from buying rights to build the transcontinental route in a quicker fashion. Thus, Choice 3 is not far behind Choice 2, and if the player favours buying rights faster and at a lower cost, then Choice 3 probably has the edge. Overall, Choice 2 and 3 are the better choices, and Choice 1 isn't bad if the player chooses to build their route through the alps.
Very smooth. Nice job on the Orient Express. The links you made from Paree to Istanbul will solidify commerce within and between all countries involved. However, if it's power you want, then it's time to get off the porch and come run with the big dogs.
This scenario can be challenging, as there is a lot of track to build, and the player doesn't start with a large amount of capital. It has similar goals and style to the sixth mission of the campaign Crossing the Great Divide in that a transcontinental railroad needs to be built, with loads hauled between them. However, this scenario is much more challenging for the large amount of countries to purchase rights from, and the high number of crippling political events that can make life difficult for completing the connection in time. The player also has to compete for space with 3 other AIs, which means the player has to work fast in order to build the required connections. However, at least the personal wealth side of the game can be ignored for this scenario, and there is no equity requirement either.
When the player begins, they only have access to three territories: France, Spain and Switzerland. This really leaves one option in terms of starting location, which is operating out of Paris. Arguably, a good strategy would be to establish a foothold in France before building the railroad to Constantinople. However, the cities along the route are all fairly profitable, so it may not be necessary to deviate away from the route to Constantinople throughout this scenario. Plus, the AIs could spawn in competitive locations, and thus the player may need to get a foothold fast in important choke-points and passes. If the player issues a bond, it is possible to build a single track route between Paris and Lyon via Dijon. It's best to avoid the Seine river by heading east from Paris and going around it, though the random presence of industrial buildings may make this difficult. A large station can be built in Paris with sand, water and oil facilities, while a medium station can be built in Lyon, with sanding and water facilities.
Money will be tight now, and thus a small station should be for now in Dijon (with no facilities). If cards have been played correctly, the player should now have just enough for two Prussian locomotives to run passenger services between Paris and Lyon (ensure cargo is full before leaving). Marseilles is an important choke-point, which paves the way to a route through southern Italy through to the Balkans. Sometimes, the AIs are tempted to start a company in or near Marseilles. So, the player should be build an isolated small station in the vicinity of the city to secure the city. Company cash may go negative for a bit, but when the initial trains reach their destination, the player should have some cash available to start building up. Use the funds to upgrade the station at Dijon, and in turn build a couple more trains to run between Dijon and Paris. When more money is available, issue a bond, and upgrade to double track, and extend the track to Marseilles. Also appropriately upgrade the station at Marseilles. Rearrange a few of the trains to also run to Marseilles, and buy two or three more Prussians to run direct services between between Paris and Marseilles as well.
This should be more than enough to allow the player to be well-established, and thus at this point the player needs to choose which of the three routes the railroad to Constantinople will be constructed. The northern route involves going through Germany and then Austria-Hungary via Vienna. This route has the advantage of being relatively flat, and it is also the most direct route. There are also many profitable cities on the way, hauling to which can help build the route faster. However, the rights to Germany are expensive, and thus expanding through the other two choices may be quicker. Also, the Franco-Prussian war in 1870 causes the rights to the country to be temporarily revoked (trains can't go through), and this interruption causes serious delay to the completion of this mission. The middle route involves going right through the heart of the alps. The advantage is that the player can get to Austria-Hungary without buying rights to either Germany or Italy. However, the terrain is very tough to deal with and most of the track will be above 3% gradient, and there will be points with extreme gradients. These gradients are impassable for Prussian locomotives, and will still slow the Iron Duke down to a crawl. Also the cities are less profitable compared to the ones in Germany or Italy, and thus the player cannot expand as fast in turn. The most balanced route is the southern Route which involves buying the rights to Italy, and going via Milano and Venice through to Austria-Hungary. The advantage of this route is that while there are some gradients (relatively reasonable), there are lots of large cities which can make money with hauls to and from Paris. Furthermore, the rights to Italy aren't that expensive, which is why arguably the southern route is the most effective, although a win can be achieved with all of them. Thus this guide focuses on the player using the southern route.
When enough money is available, snap up the rights for Italy fast. Build east to Torino via Monaco. Finding a smooth gradient between Torino and Marseilles can be challenging, but it's definitely possible to create a relatively straight track while maintaining a smooth gradient. Start building with double track from now on because pretty soon enough trains will be running that single track will become redundant fast. For each city have one or two trains running express to and from Paris, and if there is enough passenger supply left over, then run some more local services running in between closer cities. Continue across the Po River to Milano. Verona can be bypassed on the way to Venice. Venice is normally a fairly large city, so many express services should be hauled between Paris and Venice. By this time, the Iron Duke should be available, which should hugely improve the profitability of all trains when the player replaces the Prussians with them. However, since Iron Dukes are much faster than the Prussians, supply may not be able to keep up on the earlier routes (like Paris to Dijon and Lyon), so reassign them on the Venice to Paris routes.
The rights to Austria-Hungary must be purchased in order to head further east, and the player should make this happen as soon as money allows it. Continue to aggressively expand by wrapping around the coast to Rijeka. Normally it's possible to build one large station that encompasses both Rijeka as well as Trieste. Continuing towards Belgrade, there is a pass just to the east of Rijeka which is relatively smooth. Going via Banja Luka is optional, but either way an intermediate station with sanding or water facilities will need to be built in between the route between Rijeka and Belgrade. Belgrade is another pretty big city, so more express services can be implemented to and from Paris. To head further east, follow the river Danube tightly in order to avoid the heavy gradients. The next stop should be Constanta in Romania (another intermediate sand/water station is recommended), so more rights will need to be bought. Bucharest could be considered, but is a little out of the way. After that, continue around the Black Sea coast to Constantinople (rights will need to be bought in Turkey and Bulgaria). Build a large station with all passenger and engine facilities in Constantinople. At this point the player will receive a $1.3 million stipend from the Romanian Government for connecting their country to Constantinople. The player should use this money to construct as many trains as possible to run express with 3 passengers + dining to and from Paris and Constantinople. After this, the only thing the player has to do is wait for the 24 loads, and the gold should be awarded.
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