NEW MAPS

[AZ Rail Rat]

FINALLY - ARIZONA RAILROAD MASS RELEASE may be found in SCENARIOS. What a way to spend 1/53rd of my life :!: :!: :!: :P
Still has a few connect status and other bugs, but no more than some of the Coast to Coast maps. :P :P :P

Also, a quicky made in a couple of days. In MAPS, find two world maps made from a 20min DEM. One has water, but may need work. The other is dry and you can make oceans bluer and paint your own.

No mountains. Columbus was WRONG. The world IS FLAT! :P :P :P

Canada Bound v1.1 is up now. That makes it 1/49 of my life from the time I cut the image from MapBuilder to posting this version. :shock:

Well have fun - lots of political intrigue and ragtag armies to deal with. :P

[bc]

Had my first bash at Arizona (well 4 actually) and, on Expert, I couldn't get to Tucson principally because there's so little profit to be made from running trains - although a lucky start helps - 1st attempt I had some industry near Yuma so had a short profitable haul, but made other useless conections wasting cash . It's not appeared the next three times!

It's almost possible to get there on day one but there'd be nothing left for stations etc.

Anyway I abandoned when I hadn't connected in the Bronze 4 years - should I have gone on?

The map is certainly an interesting concept although I prefer the normal system I'm afraid! I find it hard to see the few hills there are on it - the world isn't entirely flat after all :lol: 8) :? :x

[AZ Rail Rat]

Early over-financial-extension is a problem in those early years. Either Gwizz or Hawk learned that while beta testing. Building slow and timing your arival in Tucson in 1880 usually works well.

Yuma to Tucson is flat desert. Sorry, that's the way God made it. Since you did not continue to build the Prescott & Phoenix you have missed mountain climbing. I would not call the 16% grade to Crown King FLAT.

Another feature AZRR has is win goals are not consecutive. Just because you miss Bronze does not prevent you from getting Silver or Gold.

Try again and apply standard RRT principles - build a solid company, don't micro-manage, and don't pay all your profits to bankers.

Good luck. :)

[bc]

Well I got more modest and had a go on normal and got bronze plus both clusters but then made a hash mountain climbing - and not saving before I started at this point - so I'm back to square one when I come back from a weeks holiday! Anyway it is a fun scene - and if I'd known you can get silver etc without getting bronze I'd have gone on before - or perhaps not as all 4 times my cash position seemed to be steadily deteriorating.

[Gwizz]

This map keeps beating me. I'm a builder in a hurry and I can't break the habit.

[kriss]

You have to hand it to "The Rat", this map joins the short list of real classics. Imagine what he might produce when he gets a real PC :lol:

[AZ Rail Rat]

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

[isii]

Gwizz, let me know if you need some back room help with this Arizona. I did a lot of the testing and know where the bodies are buried 8)

[Gwizz]

I think those bodies are moving around as ghosts and are pushing my buttons. :D

Actually I've been working on my Coal Miners Daughter Mine Map for the last couple of days.

Where are they buried? :?:

[Stoneman]

Rat, love your map. I have played it once and got thoroughly beaten. To confess, I played it Tuesday night while watching the election returns. Sure made it more interesting! It is an amazing map. Congratulations. I will let you know when I at least get a bronze..... :D
I also took a foray into the Mexico map and so far have gotten silver on hard but think it is a pretty cool map too.
I am looking forward to playing the new ones posted by JF, esp the one to take wine to the Irish.
Cheers. Stoneman.

[AZ Rail Rat]

GO STONEMAN :!: :!: :!: :!: :D :D :D :D :D

[loco_motive]

How does this get to be called an announcement. Maybe this thread should be renamed "AZRR Map-Remarks" or something. Also how about some real comments and not just patronizing drivel so the author can actually improve if he wants to.

This senario is a real mess so far. Too bad it didn't get any decent playtesting first. Since the author appears to want the scenario played a certain way, he should disclose in a readme or somewhere exactly what he wants done.

What are all these announcements for connecting certain cities? Guess I'll have to look in the editor and see. Oh look! I get unneeded and unannounced cash.

So on Jan 1/1885, I bought rights to Phoenix Street Trolley Territory for $10M and connected Tempe-Phoenix-Glendale to Maricopa, and bought up and built some new industries as well.

Now, a year later, I am requested to create a new company, after which I discover it's to do the same thing I've just done, and I get $1M cash as well. This event should never happen if I have already made the connections. And if I do accept, I see subsequent events requiring me to get back to my original company and get free rights to the territory I just paid $10M for as well as another $10M territory. This is too 'wizzy for me.

And getting back to my own company is something I would have liked to have planned for from the beginning. Seems like this event could easily require someone to have to quit and start over, making it a killer event.

I guess I have to second guess the author and study event sequences to play the scenario. I'm sure I'll have to keep studying the events to figure out what to do and to make sure I get hugh uncalled for 'wizz-style grants from the author, taking away any challenge, and then try to figure out exactly what the author wants me to do next.

All the challenge is in figuring out what the author wants, then he grants you so much money you'd think even G---- could manage it.

So if I say I will start a new company and actually don't bother, that is sufficient to get the $1M personal cash and to get $20M of free rights a little later.

So I guess now I should just let it run for the next 10 years to 3/1895 before spending the $15M rights for the next territory, just in case I get it for free as well.

Who wants to do that? :roll:

[AZ Rail Rat]

Loco,

Never did claim this map was for everyone. Glad to hear you seem to have overcame the slow economy so many others had trouble with. There are a lot of factors that could be giving you trouble.

I think you found one big flaw that WAS totally my fault. One of those strange "what the ---- happened?" things The zip file did NOT have the readme. That has been corrected. Download again and see if it helps.

MOST important thing in the readme is to pay attention to the newspapers and dialogs about new companies. All that "unneeded" cash for connections was needed for myself and most others. If you don't need it loco, give it to charity. I found it useful to start each new company.

Testing from some of the BEST in the business identified tons of fixes. I'll be the first to admit not all possible paths were covered as some may like if they drift from the historic flow. You are welcome loco to drift through the 170 events and make a few corrections.

Hope you try again loco. Since your post mentioned nothing of meeting medal goals, not sure how far you got. Would be interesting to know your technique that got you $10M cash by 1885 and run rails all the way from Yuma to Tucson. I could use play pointers like that.

Finally, it was the Station Master that made this a sticky thread. Pardon the zealousnous of my fan base. Perhaps you are right loco. Time for him to let it pass along.

[isii]

Loco, we spent well over 100 hours testing this sim and found tons of errors. We were only aware of one that was still unresolved. Sorry you've had so many problems with this, but it's a real fun sim (when you compare it to some of the stuff in C-to-C).

[BigMac]

How does this get to be called an announcement. Maybe this thread should be renamed "AZRR Map-Remarks" or something. It gets to be an announcement because AZRR's map was one of the highly anticipated map releases to be made available on this site. So when it was finally made available it was only appropriate to make it an announcement to keep it at the top of the threads and also to keep it at the top of the forum hot topics on the front page of the site.

[kriss]

Hey Loco, calm down, it was always going to be a specialised map & that was bound to create problems. Forcing players to follow the historical time line is nigh on impossible so you either play it in the intended spirit or treat it as just another scenario in which case the story line is bound to come unhinged. I have two versions, the original & a copy which I have edited to suit my grandsons, (this consists of making all possible changes which prevent shouts of GRANDAD my train's crashed etc.)

AZ, I started in 1911 for a change & had to sit thru all the newspaper announcements from the preceding years before I could start, not a problem but I wonder if that is meant to be.

[Gwizz]

Looks like Mr Mathy is back. Welcome Loco.

[loco_motive]

lol G, reminds me of a run-in some time ago where cw accused wc of being Gwizz.

Glad I could shake things up a bit.

I suppose its only fair that I reserve further comments I've been sleeping on until I see the readme, but I don't relish a half-hour download to get it. Rat, perhaps you could post it here. (If not, please PM it to me.)

[AZ Rail Rat]

Here it is for all:

ARIZONA RAILROAD

Ok, after TEN months of production - HERE IT IS - Again for some.

UNTESTED ITEMS:

I had a LOT of trouble with Ledger Status connects working right.
These were the last "fixes" I put in and have not tried them yet.

Farthest I have ran it (seriously) is to 1932.
Last test was a DISASTER for me, but I got lots of bugs from Casey and isii. Hope most are fixed in this first release.

Stats:
112 Cities
15 Regions
16 Territories
640,381 Trees
170 EVENTS!!!!

Game Start 1876
Game End 1960 (maybe) - If your machine does not blow up!
Made for SINGLE PLAYER ONLY - You make your own AIs
Can ONLY lay track to your present companies existing line

Enhancements: For best enjoyment, load up the six logos from the zip file
into ..........\Railroad Tycoon 3\Data\UserExtraContent.
Game will start with SP logo. Select the rest as you make new companies.

YOU MUST LOAD Logo_SP.PK4 or game will CRASH before it gets off the ground!!!

Other Enhancements:

Before you play, take lots of time and check out the AZ Rail Rat Home page for history of each railroad and most cities on the map: http://www.users.qwest.net/%7Egreames/
GO TO ALL MAP LINKS AND STUDY ROUTES. Will help a lot.

Read the BUGS README FILE to see what was suppose to be fixed.

Finally, there are 26 or so (I think I counted right) hidden references to
Gathering and RailroadTycoonInfo forum members.
Some will jump right out at you. Others will not.
Keep a list and post how many you found.

READ YOUR NEWSPAPER AND DIALOGS VERY CAREFULLY!!!
Not only are most hidden names in them, but they direct you through the scenario. Missing ONE thing could bog you down FOREVER.

KEY EVENTS TIMELINE (not that it will help you any):

Jan 1876 - Start
Feb 1876 - Must let Game Controller know if Warehouses got built in Yuma

by end of Mar 1880 - Connect Yuma to Tucson for BRONZE

Nov 1886 - Offer to start Phoenix Street Trolley (PST)
You MUST say yes to ALL offers or game is pretty much over for you.
Sort of turns into a REAL complicated Sandbox game.
NAMING OF NEW COMPANY is critical if you want to match
event dialogs and newspapers. Don't think you can rename if you forget.
If you find a way to rename a company, let me know.
Territory access for new companies are automatic, you don't have to purchase.
You MUST build new company first track section inside the new territory first.
For PST, you only have three cities: Phoenix, Tempe and Glendale.
Build QUICKLY to all three. You have NO TIME to micro-manage.

Feb 1887 - You must take back over Southern Pacific (SP)
Mar 1887 - SP given access to Kyrene District and PST for link to Phoenix

by end of July 1887 - Connect Maricopaville to Phoenix to get BRONZE with first Oak Leaf Cluster

June 1891 - Offer to start Prescott & Phoenix (P&P) branch of Santa Fe Railroad
Mar 1892 - P&P granted access to PST.
This should be just a quick jump to track you (as PST) already built to Glendale

May 1893 - P&P granted acess to Mesa-Hayden District
PST gives you it's track so you can build east to Mesa
KEEP GOING from Mesa, through Gilbert, Queen Creek, Magma Junction, Florence
and on to steel mills in Hayden and Winkelman. You need these for mining companies.

by end of Mar 1895 - Connect Prescott to Phoenix (using PST track too)

Jan 1901 (or sooner) - Build Murphy's Impossible Railroad from Prescott to Crown King

Jan 1905 - Offer to start Arizona & California (AZ-CAL)
AZ-CAL granted access to P&P
by end of Dec 1905 - Connect Wickenburg to Parker for final BRONZE Cluster

Jan 1908 - SILVER BRIEF (briefing change)
Jan 1914 - Offer to start Magma & Copper Basin (M&CB) and
Tucson & Gila Bend (T&GB) Railroads
M&CB granted access to Mesa-Hayden District for link to P&P
T-C&GB granted access to SP for link to Gila Bend

by end of Dec 1916 - Connect Superior to Hayden
AND Ajo Mine (not city) to Gila Bend for SILVER

Feb 1917 - HISTORY PART OF SCENARIO ENDS!!!
Aren't you glad???
ALL Territory acces costs get dirt cheap.
Mar 1917 - SP confiscates P&P track in PST Territory to build west (Yuma North route)
You have to purchase Phoenix Spur to build to Coolidge

1920-1941 - Game from now on is a HAUL FEST supporting pre-war world with ore
1941-1952 - Haul ore, weapons, ammo and troops to support WWII and Korean Conflict

Jan 1953 - GOLD Brief
1953-End - Requires HIGH passenger count and laying of electric track.

TEST ISSUES:

ALL my tests have been on EASY, but with NO (or limited) borrowing,
no stock issued, and very little (taverns, greasy spoons, hotels) industry.
All industry bought was done by AIs when I left companies. Gives them something SAFE to do.

I only ran ONE test where I took over a company before 1917.
It seemed to work, but that ain't the way it really happened.
Try it, don't try it, whatever. There is plenty of time after 1917 to
conquer the world the way you wish.

Send all bugs, comments, bitches to greames@qwest.net

[Casey]

Dear loco_motive, bothersome, et al (who create create and love PNW maps:

I do apologize and ask forgiveness for upsetting you with my comments against PNW maps, whether here or at the "other" site. Your maps are skillfully and artistically made. The weakness in not being able to play "tycoon" maps is mine alone. The polls about favorite map types was not intended to ruffle feelings or cause hurt or defensiveness.

Having said that I do stand behind and reiterate that I do like the "puzzle" maps created by Railrat, Gwizz, and the creator of KVR (RRT2) etc. Please continue to make more of them.

Sincerely,
Casey

[Dr Suess]

Would it be possible to have a version of the Arizona map without the writing on the map? It hurts my eyes! But I love playing it, so I continue. Please, please help me before I go blind! My wife will blame the blindness on some other activity and I will be blind AND in trouble. :( :)

P.s.: I'm ashamed to share oily rag status with someone as negative and caustic as loco! :oops:

[JayEff]

PJay has a little program that will let you repaint a map from a .bmp file, but someone has to make it first.

You could repaint yours, export it to .bmp, then make it available to the rest of us :wink:

Visit http://studwww.ugent.be/~pbusscha/rt3/ if you want to do this, and download the bmp2gmp and gmp2bmp programs.

[AZ Rail Rat]

Hey guys, one of you (Oily or JF) emailed me and I made an experimental file and sent it to you. If it helps, I'll finish it and make files available.

Might take a couple of weekends, but yes Oily, I'll work on it.

Anything for MY FANS :!: :P :P :P :P

[bc]

Do I take it that the map on the scenarios page is the latest version so I can switch V1 to that one?

[AZ Rail Rat]

bc,

The one here is the only version out. I just added the README file. I'm not sure I got another version in me! :roll: