Austrian Hungarian Monarchy SAM

[Jancsika]

I have Version 2_00 posted.
If you are interested in history here is a Wiki link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria-Hungary
The map is a 15X15 SAM. 96 turns/month.
Installation is typical SAM. Just unzip the Monarchy.ZIP file into a clean UserMaps folder.
The names of the cities are from a contemporary Rand McNally map, many of them changed several times during the span of the past 100 years.
There are three Eras, with three different scenario goals. It will be necessary to rearrange the rail lines.
The third Era is: World War I. It is a rather Since the game has 3 different Eras, with different goals, I made separate independent scenarios from each Era:
Increased the duration WWI to five years (I changed it from 4, poetic license!) so you have to be prepared for the switch. Be sure to have empty building slots to “build a War industry”.

The game seems to be stable. I have played it without a crash. There are 32 goods, that is the maximum allowed and it will slow down towards the game at the end.
I would like to have comments on the Scenario goals. Shall I change some of them?

You will not have to worry about money. The mail traffic will take care of it. Once the production of the other goods is sufficient, I would delete the Mail trains to free up the tracks for the industry traffic.

Credits are to Snoopy55 for the SAMs, Building Blocks and everything else.
Rodea for his excellent Bank.
Dr.Frag for the dual steam engine design.
If I left anybody out, it was unintentional.

Game #1 is the complete game from 1867 to 1919
Game #2 is the Compromise Era from 1867 to 1895
Game #3 is the Prosperity Era from 1890 to 1914
Game #4 is World War I Era from 1909 to 1919
These will be automatically available when you unzip the game into the “UserMaps” folder.
How to install and use SAM (Stand Alone Maps)

1) Go into C:\Documents and Settings\(your computers name)\My Documents\My Games and rename the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder you presently have, adding an ending to it, whatever you want. ("SidMeier's Railroads - Old" will do just fine)

2) Start the game. When it gets to the main menu, exit. This will create a brand new, empty Sid Meier's Railroads! folder.

3) Go into the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder you renamed and copy the 'Settings.ini' file into the newly created Sid Meier's Railroads! folder. You now have the basis for all future SAM and CIC maps. This is not mandatory, but your old "Settings.ini" file has all the customization that you made to the game. (Clouds, graphics setting, Newspaper etc.)
4) Open the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder, then open the UserMaps folder.
5) Close all folders and play the map

[rencis79]

cant load this newest map crushing at load screen already

[Jancsika]

First let's hear from other players, if they have any problem?

This is a large map to load and sometimes it might take more than one start to load it, but once loaded it should be all right.

Did you follow the SAM installation procedure?

How to install and use SAM (Stand Alone Maps)

1) Go into C:\Documents and Settings\(your computers name)\My Documents\My Games and rename the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder you presently have, adding an ending to it, whatever you want. ("SidMeier's Railroads - Old" will do just fine)

2) Start the game. When it gets to the main menu, exit. This will create a brand new, empty Sid Meier's Railroads! folder.

3) Go into the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder you renamed and copy the 'Settings.ini' file into the newly created Sid Meier's Railroads! folder. You now have the basis for all future SAM and CIC maps.This is not mandatory, but your old "Settings.ini" file has all the customisation that you made to the game. (Clouds, graphics setting, Newspaper etc.)

4) Open the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder, then open the UserMaps folder.

5) Open the Zip file of the map you wish to play and extract the map folder, to the UserMaps folder.

6) Close all folders and play the map

One more thing. If by any chance have the Firaxis' Holiday Scenario installed, remove it completely.
Jancsika

[Rodea2007]

What happend in Amerigonia Dual Map, happened again in this map, I'm talking about the duals train can't hauling freight car, only can hauling Passengers and mail, as I said before you need to add extra line "<PassengersAndMailOnly>0</PassengersAndMailOnly>" for all duals Train if you do not globals RRT_Trains.xml under customasset/XML folder, so that can't happen again......

[Jancsika]

I wonder what causes it?
I did all my testing without the extra line in the XLM and was hauling goods. (Freight)
Appearently some systems have this problem (You and Bobby)
The Zimbabwe map had the same problem with some of the single diesel engines.

This map also had a bouncing mailbag at the depots.
After adding the line to the XLM it stopped bouncing.
Jancsika

[karsten]

This Duals Problem is a bit of a mystery, they are working fine for me.

I hit an impossible condition in the second era though:

[rencis79]

One more thing. If by any chance have the Firaxis' Holiday Scenario installed, remove it completely.
Jancsika

Ohh yes holiday scenario is installed - thats should be a problem then. Thank you!

[Jancsika]

I hit an impossible condition in the second era though:

Thanks. Revised Scenario File in the first post.

This Duals Problem is a bit of a mystery, they are working fine for me.

Bobby and I came to the conclusion that in the furure will include the line in question in any new dual trains.But it is not that simple. I had the same problem with the AC-4400 single diesel.
I have revised Trains.XLM in the first post, for those who need it. It will also stop the bouncing mailbags.
Jancsika

[karsten]

No more bouncing mailbags? Goody! Some more condition feedback:

Klagenfurt does not have a mountain resort - so there is a guest problem.

Presumably this should be Salzburg.

[Jancsika]

Some more condition feedback:

Sorry about that. Klagenfurt is in error. Sould be Innsbruck and Salzburg.
I had them first in Klagenfurt, but had to change it. I was pushing industries back and forth while running the test, and this was overlooked.
How is with the scenario goals? I was worried about not having enough time for WW I.
Will post a corrected Scenario file.

By the way the enclosed layout picture is not quite correct, but it will give a general idea of what's where.
Jancsika

[karsten]

Another nice to have would be a set of icons for planning purposes, such as these (from Nafta):

http://www.hookedgamers.com/forums/down ... &mode=view

[Jancsika]

Another nice to have would be a set of icons for planning purposes,

Your wish is my command!!
It is good suggestions,because there are just too many similar icons.

I combined the two corrections, if you had them there is nothing new. (Yet)
Jancsika

[karsten]

Great! Thanks for the icons. Here is what I found, another few impossible conditions:

The Italian front at Triest was OK, it got built and worked. However, it was not registered as a green tick mark, probably because the AI was too busy with other things at that moment. Wouldn't it be nice to have a multi-thread SMR

Anyway, you wanted to have comments on the Scenario goals, so here goes: Normally, my eyes glaze over when I see looong lists of take A to B, take C to D, take X to A and so forth, thinking OK, another spaghetti map

But this map is much more interesting, there is a real story underlying the era goals:

• Era 1: develop the new empire.
• Era 2: Build prosperity.
• Era 3: Support the war effort.

What I would suggest is weaving those goals into each of the Era goals, to give more prominence and relevance to the story and make it more satisfying to achieve the goals.
Moving from one era to the next did not involve ripping up the whole layout, which is unrealistic prototypically, but instead rededicating an existing rail structure, which is much more like real life.

I don't think the war period is too short, but some goals could be moved into the second era, such as weapons production, since countries normally prepare for war before it breaks out.

Scenery, well, it has great promise, but it would be nice if you let the model railroader side come through more. Painted rivers, no real forests...and those border markings are heavy. Have them in black or brown, or give the foreign territory a darker colour, to indicate that it is out of bounds. I would ease up further on the tunnel and bridge restrictions. This is mountainous terrain, after all, tunnels and bridges should be expensive, but not prohibitively so. I love vistas like this

[karsten]

I think Greybriar has a point related to dual steam engines. In reality, one seldom saw a steam dual, simply because it was highly inefficient and difficult to manage. Engineers built larger, more powerful single engines instead. In the Monarchy map, the dual Medoc outclasses any other engine for 43 years when pulling heavy freight, until finally the dual P8 comes along in 1901, halfway through the second era (see picture above).

That is rather boring, since one has to scroll back all the way everytime a new train is built. So I would tend to agree with those who would prefer to see duals only in protoype combinations, ie with diesels.

[Jancsika]

It is very helpful, because one gets sooo bugged down in details that looses the overall picture.
Here the 32 goods limit comes in play. I was planning to ship “Uniforms”to the Fronts but run out of goods.
I had the “Fronts” as an on site industry, but then I could not register in the Scenario goals hauling from “ANY_CITY” to the “FRONT”. I might still do it but then I'll have to drop food from the goals.
I will ease up on the bridge and tunnel cost. The main reason I have it, because there are players who would run a tunnel from Vienna (Wien) to Spalato (Split).

Historically speaking it was a strange empire. During the 51 years of its existence Franz Joseph was emperor for 49 years. The official language was German, but only 24% spoke the language. Have you read the “Good Soldier Švejk”?
Anyway I have my work cut out for me.
Jancsika