First of all, beauty is subjective and I respect that all or most of the modders may be absitively horrified at my style of building.
However Jancsika, I must point out one thing:
On the underground rail trick as far as "tricking the AI" are you completely serious??? I get the impression that all the modders think the AI is actually challenging. Haven't I stressed enough that the AI is a complete and stark idiot????
The computer builds and strategizes like someone with 20 games under their belt, robber, investor, equally stupid.
I really doubt that 3 AIs on investor would take me on robber more than 15 minutes to methodically take down and there would be no fight, no contest. It's been over a year since I've seen a computer I actually was mildly concerned about or considered "aggressive", if you think the computer is aggressive, wait til you get a load of me.
Point being, the subway trick would never be necessary against the computer, being a human being is an advantage enough. And obviously one needs different strategies against a human being and for a (HYPOTHETICAL) talented AI.
nor are bridges necessary to do my routing. And I love all the "buts" involved here but clearly another thing is missed: I play within the parameters of the game, if you change the parameters, I will change accordingly and appropriately. On some games I have zero bridges.
But a game like Fiery Axis for example....It's completely ridiculous to imagine connections without bridges, they'd have grades of 40%....unlikely for a semi truck, much less a locomotive on slippery tracks!
Anyway, I just wanted to clarify these points as a result of the fallacious assumptions that were made about my pictures and statements. And ultimately I still think they are pretty.
I have no talent for map making, but as far as laying tracks go and how to beat human beings or AI morons... there are probably many things I know that those who merely play the AI do not.
Upon being beaten.... the wise man asks "how did you do that, can you teach me?" the foolish man says "That's stupid, you're a cheater, you got lucky".
I do hope some of the modders out of shear curiosity come and have an online game, preferably with some of the advanced players.... so you can see the BUSINESS SIMULATION side of the game. Again, and I cannot stress this enough. The main differences are due to motivations: You're trying to make realistic trains and routes. I'm trying to be the last company standing. The two are not mutually exclusive but in vocation, they have very little in common, make no mistakes about that.
What is the saying "where you stand depends on where you sit...". And personally, I never got the impression that the primary NATURE of the game was as a train table or simulation of reality. No, it is a business simulation. But there are room for civil engineers, wasteful politicians, and horrifyingly efficient pirates like myself
Cheers!