AOS: Orient Express 1883 [quench'd]

[natty dread]

Ok, I totally missed the bit about the autodeploys... and now I'm starting to wonder if autodeploys might not be the best way to go about giving a bonus for it. Wouldn't the easy bonuses, two train stations equal 2 troops in France, be enough incentive? But then again at least one of those would have to be coded neutral... hmm...

IMO autodeploys are good, because they give an easy & quick pay-off, and they raise the value of the territories themselves.

I might be willing to decrease the terminus autodeploys, and give the termini some other incentive... Like a bonus for holding both termini, say +2... But if possible I'd like to keep the autodeploys for the express line. There needs to be something to differentiate the express stations from regular stations. The victory condition is one thing but something more immediate would give them the value that would make them the focus of the gameplay...

It may not seem like it, but I actually have thought about this gameplay quite thoroughly... I feel the autodeploys would give the right kind of flavour to the game dynamics: they give an extra incentive for going for the express line, and since going for those stations becomes a viable strategy for other than end-game, it will be natural for players to also try to gain victory through the objective, rather than elimination. I'd like the gameplay to be such that it's easier to win through the objective, while still not too easy (so it becomes too luck dependent), while still not impossible to win through elimination.

I'm just throwing my thoughts in the air here, so if you have differing opinions, feel free to express them...

[natty dread]

Also, I've been thinking of a common name for the map pack. All good map packs seem to have one... Not sure if this one needs one, but hey, when in rome...

These are ones I've been considering... I know, they suck :p

Epic Rails: XXX
Great Railways: XXX
Famous Rails: XXX
Age of Rails: XXX

XXX would be the map name, either Orient Express or Transsib...

[ender516]

You might want to stay away from the word "Rail", since we already have Rail U.S.A, Rail Europe, Rail Africa, Rail Australia, ...

Maybe Age of Steam: XXX or Iron Horse: XXX.

[natty dread]

Maybe Age of Steam: XXX or Iron Horse: XXX.

Heh, the "Age of" thing was kinda a joke... I don't think it would go down well, it resembles the AOR series too much... although "Age of Steam" does sound very cool.

Iron horse, hmm...

I still think Epic rails would be most descriptive. You may have a point about staying away from the word "Rail" though.

I'd love something like "Railroad Tycoon", does anyone remember that game? But that name is very probably copyrighted...

Names are hard...

[ender516]

Ribbons of Steel.

[MarshalNey]

Maybe Age of Steam: XXX or Iron Horse: XXX.

I'd love something like "Railroad Tycoon", does anyone remember that game?

Railroad Tycoon was such a classic, it was remade several years ago. Are you referring to the 1980s game, or am I showing my age?

Anyway, "Epic Rails" is the best name so far (although Age of Steam is a close second). It sounds cool and it's the most accurate name. Any name that doesn't evoke the legendary quality of these railroads will be naturally inferior.

I suppose you could play with word combos involving synonyms, like legends, immortal, etc...
or use nouns that serve the purpose like titan.... Iron Titans? Barons of Steel?

mrreh.

Yup, names are hard.

[natty dread]

Railroad Tycoon was such a classic, it was remade several years ago. Are you referring to the 1980s game, or am I showing my age?

Indeed I mean the old game. Never played that so much, I was so young back then... but when Transport Tycoon came out it was a big hit here...

Anyway, back on topic...

Anyway, "Epic Rails" is the best name so far (although Age of Steam is a close second). It sounds cool and it's the most accurate name. Any name that doesn't evoke the legendary quality of these railroads will be naturally inferior.

Yup, I'm thinking it will be one or the other...

[Industrial Helix]

Epic rails sounds dumb to me.... and not that this is a whole lot better but: The Golden Age of Rail: Orient Express.

[natty dread]

Epic rails sounds dumb to me.... and not that this is a whole lot better but: The Golden Age of Rail: Orient Express.

It's actually kinda nice, but a bit too long maybe...

[natty dread]

I'm starting to lean towards Age of Steam, unless anyone has any better suggestions...

Also, 2 maps is a bit small for a map pack (no offense to the unif wars though! )... I was wondering if there was maybe some famous railway in America that could complete the trilogy... I'm not too familiar with american railways...

[army of nobunaga]

I could... not sure if that fits the style though. The square stations look better on the transsib map but here... I don't know, roundness is kinda this maps thing...

I'll have to think about it.

Octagons may not look out of place.

[MarshalNey]

... 2 maps is a bit small for a map pack (no offense to the unif wars though! )... I was wondering if there was maybe some famous railway in America that could complete the trilogy... I'm not too familiar with american railways...

That's easy. Undoubtably the first transcontinental railway, where two different railroad companies, from opposite ends of the country, had a sort of "competition" to see who could lay the most track before they met. Were some deaths, lots of dangerous terrain to be blasted. The West Coast side as I recall had a really hard time of it at first, but eventually both companies laid about the same amount of track I think. I also think that a golden spike was laid to commemorate the place where the tracks came together... in Colorado (??) perhaps?

Anyway, it was completed in the mid to late 19th century (1870s?). Hopefully that would be in a workable time frame. It might have started right after the Civil War...

And for the "Tycoon" theme you have going, the Americans practically invented the railroad Robber Baron. The railroad companies were in bed with the boys in D.C. almost from the start. They got huge land grants and the authority to buy up privately owned lands at ridiculously low prices. Later they sold the extra land off to settlers- kind of like a combination railroad builder/real estate developer. Their government lobby is still impentrable even to this day- railroads and railroad pensions operate under special, very favorable tax laws... which is why I guess the railroad men are the favorite bad guys in Old West stories.

[natty dread]

Thanks Marshalney! I think I know the railway(s) you're referring to. I'll have to do some more research but I think I can manage to squeeze a map out of it...

Anyways, back to this map... I'll probably be able to post an update later today.

Octagons may not look out of place.

Meh, I still favor circles for this map. Octagons could work as termini though...

As for the map pack name... I have a few more ideas...

Rail Legacy: Orient Express
Iron Roads: Orient Express
Rail Tycoon: Orient Express
Dawn of Rails: Orient Express
Rail Mogul: Orient Express

...well, they sounded better in my head...

[natty dread]

v5 Update:

- termini autodeploy lowered to 1, added +2 bonus for holding both.
- italy train bonus increased to 3.
- some graphical stuff.

Click image to enlarge.

I'm trying a new texture on the land area... how does it look?

[The Bison King]

I was wondering if there was maybe some famous railway in America that could complete the trilogy... I'm not too familiar with american railways...

God yes!
http://railroads.unl.edu/documents/jpeg ... 243.02.jpg
Here's a sweet map of American Railroads in 1860. Also I think Age of Steam sounds pretty good, maybe Age of Engines.

[natty dread]

Thanks for that map Bison. I'm thinking the 3rd map will be about the Union pacific & Central pacific railroads. Age of Engines is a bit vague, Age of Steam immediately gives an association to railroads so...

How would it sound as a map pack?

Age of Steam: Orient Express
Age of Steam: Trans-Siberian
Age of Steam: Pacific Railroad


But back to this map... now that I've decreased the terminus autodeploy, I'm thinking of the following neutral counts:

regular stations 2
express stations & termini 3
switzerland 3

I'm also a bit worried about Romania and Servia-MN, they are each only 2 territories... there will be 44 territories to drop, so how big a chance would it be to get either bonus on the drop? Perhaps I need to code one neutral to each?

[army of nobunaga]

to us americans the trans pacific rail was the stuff legends are made of. glad you are making it for us man, do us proud. Lot of history and sweat and blood from slaves,indians, and asians went into that puppy.

I like the new texture. looks good. The hex squares you used really dont look out of place to me btw.

[natty dread]

The hex squares you used really dont look out of place to me btw.

Pentagons actually, but thanks

[ender516]

I'm liking the sound of the map pack. The creation of Canada's first transcontinental railroad, the Canadian Pacific Railway, could be a fitting addition as well. I'd say call it Age of Steam: National Dream, but you might need permission from Pierre Burton's publisher, plus it might not resonate outside of Canada. Maybe Age of Steam: Canadian Dream would make it clearer while avoiding copyright issues.

[yeti_c]

The feel of the map isn't very "Orient Express" - although we're in Gameplay so we can leave that until next stop.

Really? I thought the theme was quite authentic... Is there anything in particular that doesn't fit with the 1883 theme?

Oh - OK... er - it just looks like a map at the moment - and distincively unthemed?! Very vanilla.

C.

[natty dread]

Well, you may have a point regarding some parts of the map. However we're still in Gameplay Workshop, so I would appreciate if you would hold all graphical feedback that do not immediately threaten the legibility of the map until we are in the graphics shop. There are still a lot of elements on the map that are temporary or unfinished, and are there just to show the gameplay, like the mountains and lower legend.

However the main playable area (fonts, iconography, etc) is pretty close to what I'm going for graphically.

[natty dread]

I'm liking the sound of the map pack. The creation of Canada's first transcontinental railroad, the Canadian Pacific Railway, could be a fitting addition as well. I'd say call it Age of Steam: National Dream, but you might need permission from Pierre Burton's publisher, plus it might not resonate outside of Canada. Maybe Age of Steam: Canadian Dream would make it clearer while avoiding copyright issues.

Yeah, Canada sounds fun, but I'm still leaning towards the American Pacific Railway for the third map. Time will tell if I want to make a 4th map to the map pack, but I'm afraid it would get a bit repetitive...

[natty dread]

So, again to the subject at hand:

now that I've decreased the terminus autodeploy, I'm thinking of the following neutral counts:

regular stations 2
express stations & termini 3
switzerland 3

I'm also a bit worried about Romania and Servia-MN, they are each only 2 territories... there will be 44 territories to drop, so how big a chance would it be to get either bonus on the drop? Perhaps I need to code one neutral to each?

[isaiah40]

You can code one each as neutral, or just code all 4 neutral.

[natty dread]

Nah, not all 4 I think... that's too many neutrals. Besides I want each territory that borders an O.E. station to be coded as starting position...

Anyway, I guess what I'm really asking here is, is it necessary to put neutrals to those bonus areas? Would the chance of dropping them be too great otherwise?

What's the chance of dropping a 2-territory bonus in a 44 territory drop?