Railroad Tycoon (RRT) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Compiled and Edited by David Mitton
Rev 1 Draft      9-Feb-1994

   Scope & Disclaimer:
   Not a complete treatis on RRT or RTD.  Just an overview and
pointers.
   Also not a subsitute for purchased docs for pirates.  Keystrokes
are
   documented in the Technical Supplement.  Strategy discussions can
be
   endless.  Included are basics and net contributions.  Buy one of
the
   books.

Contents:
- Top 10 Questions
- What is RRT and RRT Deluxe?
- Microprose information
- Game Limitations (README.DOC)
- Known Bugs
- Version info
- Hints and Strategy books
- "The Computer Cheats!"
- Mastering the Modes and Levels
- Strategies
       - Basic
       - Grand
       - Robber Baron
       - Rate Wars
- Little known details
- Getting the most out of the displays
(How to I find that?)
- Map Differences
- Deluxe Differences
- Acknowledgements

Top 10 Questions

- How do I double track?
       Read the Tech Supplement
- Why only 32 stations?
       Design limit
- How can I build track/stations like the computer?
       You cannot
- What is the cheat?
       Read the x? (F1,$)
- What about the GP-30?
       Didn't make the cut
- How come my city/industry are now working?
       a) Basic Economy, b)not guaranteed
- What are slums?
       Undocumented "feature"
- Why do things go wrong over $32M?
       16bit signed int bug, no fix



1) What is RRT and RRT Deluxe?

       Railroad Tycoon (RRT) and Railroad Tycoon Deluxe (RTD) are
exciting
   strategy games of empire building, operation, and market
manipulation. It
   is a commercial product of MicroProse Software and is availible
for
   MS-DOS on an IBM PC or Apple Macintosh.

   The game is authored primarily by Sid Meier, who went on to write
   Civilization.  Bruce Shelly also helped and is known for his
previous
   contribution to Avalon Hill's 1830 railroad board game.  The game
borrows
   elements of 1830 and combines them with elements of the PC Empire
wargame
   to provide a strategy game that can consume hours of play.

   RRT pits a single player against 3 simulated players.  You are
given some
   initial money and must build a successful railroad corporation.
You
   spend your money building the track and stations.  Then you buy
and
   schedule trains that earn money by collecting cargos at resource
centers
   and delivering them to stations with matching demands. A changing
   economic cycle and a growing population over time, keep things
from
   becoming static.  The financial side of RRT, allows you to raise
money by
   selling bonds and investing in the stock of your company and your
   competitors.  If you can manage to gain greater than 50% of your
   competitor's stock you can also operate their railroad and take
their
   profits.  You can also manipulate your competitor's stock values
to their
   detriment.  At the end of 100 years you are rated on your
financial
   accomplishments.

   RRT was released in 1990.  RTD was released in 1993.  Railroad
Tycoon
   Deluxe plays basically the same as RRT, but has greatly enhanced
graphics
   and additional scenarios.  Most discussions are geared to the
original
   game and applies to both.  The differences are discussed at the
end.

   Game Materials:
       Manual, Technical Supplement, Distribution diskettes, Economic
   charts

   The game is copy protected by a challenge to identify a locomotive
by
   sight.  The locomotives are pictured and described in the Manual.
A
   frequent player or railfan can memorize this.  The less initated
can make
   a cheatsheet by noting the wheel arrangements also given and
explained in
   the manual.  Failure to pass the challenge results in only being
able to
   play with 2 trains.

2) Microprose information

   MicroProse Software, 180 Lakefront Drive, Hunt Valley, MD 21030

   Customer Service: 410-771-1151
   MPS*BBS: 410-785-1841 (8,N,1) 8 lines, upto 14400 baud
   CompuServe: Forum GamePublishersB, ID: 76004,2223
   Internet: "76004,[email protected]"
   AOL,Delphi,Fidonet,GEnie,MCI Mail,
PC-Link,Prodigy,Promenade,Q-Link



3) Game Limitations

   README.DOC - On the distribution diskette is a file with some last
minute
   changes and details on the limitations of the game as implemented.

   Investment:  Can own only ONE extra RR if Investor or Financier,
       TWO if Mogul, All THREE if Tycoon.

   Trains: 32 total, GP30 is not availible
   Stations: 32 stations(depots,stations,terminals), 64 signal towers

   Industry building: no forts or textile mills (or power plants in
England)

   (different in RDX)

4) Known Bugs
   - $32,000 limit
   - hangs
   - hyperspace transfer
   - Slums
   - RDX initial bugs

5) Version info
   RRT -
   - RRT V03
   - SLUMFI
   RDX - shipped
   - fixed

6) Hints and Strategy books

   There are two published books on RRT:

   "The Official Guide to Railroad Tycoon" by Russell Sipe
   (C) 1991, Compute Books, Greensboro NC.
   ISBN 0-87455-244-3          $12.95

   "Railroad Tycoon, Master Strategies for Empire Builders"
   Shay Addams, (C) 1991, Osborne McGraw-Hill, Berkley CA.
   ISBN 0-07-881728-5          $14.95

   <reviews here>

7) "The Computer Cheats!"

   A frequent whine from beginners is "how can I do x like the
computer
   players do?"  And the answer is you cannot.  The computer is
playing a
   different game than you.  It has some advantages, but it also has
many
   limitiations.

   + multiple entrances to cities, amazing terrain conquring
   - no switches or stubs, only builds to named cities, cannot round
   corners, does not not build ferries
   - number of cities


8) Mastering the Modes and Levels
   Difficulty:
       Investor
       Financier
       Mogul
       Tycoon
   Reality Levels:
       Basic vs Complex Economies
               In Basic mode, all stations pay for all cargos.
               In Complex, stations pay only for industry and local
demands.

       No Collisions vs Dispatcher Operations
               NC mode does not use the block signal system.
               Dispatcher mode provides block signals which are
automatic,
               but can be overriden by the player.  NC mode has no
controls
               and is totally automatic.  Dispatcher is more
interesting
               and can provide more optimal control.

       Friendly vs Cut-Throat Competition
               In Friendly mode, your competitors will not attempt to
take
               over your RR, or start a Rate war with you.

       Beginners should start with Investor level.  I recommend that
you
   immediately start playing with Complex Economy and Dispatcher
mode.  The
   lower modes are not interesting.

   Starting out:
       - Initial state, turn on Resource Display
       - Learn how to use each display and report
               Pointers:
              F6 Train Income; watch maintenance cost, get to routing
              Balance - Econ cycle
       - Freeze the game when laying track or researching decisions

9) Strategies

   - Beginning
   Learning to play: use low dif, complex, Dispatcher, Friendly
   use $ cheat if need be

   - Basic
   Start small, go for best revenue route, keep competitors honest
   Buy stock early, aim to own 50% of self soon
   Roll over Bonds on first Boom

   - Grand
   Mail & Pass vs full service
   Priority load service

   - Robber Baron
   Bankrupting and stealling from competitors

   - Rate Wars
   How to wage successful rate wars
       - timing
       - Depot staging
       - analyze the demand

10) Little known details
   - Revenue calculations
   - Tunnel exit critera
   - Econ cycle table

11) Getting the most out of the displays (How to I find that?)
   - Station displays (colored bars)
   - Train display (F6)

12) Map Differences
   - Eastern US
   - Western US
       E/W vs N/S differential & Transcontental Bonus
   - England
   - Europe

   RDX
   - North America
   - South America
   - Africa

13) RRT Deluxe Differences

   VGA support
   Graphic renderings, but not animated
   Slow response in F4
   New maps
   New time ranges and locomotives
   Bandits and Sheriffs
   New initial bugs

14) Acknowledgements

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