Current Game Strategy Decision

[Bleser]

Hello all,

In my current game I am at a point where I am profitable enough to where I can go four different directions and I'm not sure which to choose. I'll try not to drone on too much with my options... here they are:

1. Concentrate on buying stock in my railroad until I own 80% or more of it;
2. Concentrate on buying stock in my weakest competitor (already being bought by other competitors);
3. Concentrate on buying stock in my strongest competitor (the guy buying the weaker competitor);
4. Forget stock (I own 50% of my own company) and concentrate on expanding, buying industries, and meeting scenario goals.

Any general rules you fellow players follow when all of these are the goals to choose from?

[Choo]

If the competitor is real close and I generate enough income I go for buying one of my stock, one of the strongest opponent's. If I am way ahead I just start buying the strongest opponent's stock. If he starts buying mine I try and have at least 1 more stock in his company than he does in mine.

[Bleser]

Well, I ended up doing option #3 & #4 and it worked out perfectly. I setup a coal->steel->autos line to meet a steel load goal and once that was setup started buying stock in my strongest competitor; once he was all bought up I saved up to finish him off, which ended up being a "two birds with one stone" situtation since he owned 80% of the third competitor and I bought both oppenents out in one command!

Now the map is mine and I'm just rolling in the cash, close to $60 mil now.

[CaptainPatch]

Hello all,

In my current game I am at a point where I am profitable enough to where I can go four different directions and I'm not sure which to choose. I'll try not to drone on too much with my options... here they are:

1. Concentrate on buying stock in my railroad until I own 80% or more of it;
2. Concentrate on buying stock in my weakest competitor (already being bought by other competitors);
3. Concentrate on buying stock in my strongest competitor (the guy buying the weaker competitor);
4. Forget stock (I own 50% of my own company) and concentrate on expanding, buying industries, and meeting scenario goals.

Any general rules you fellow players follow when all of these are the goals to choose from?

A) Always make sure you accomplish scenario goals; they translate into Victory Points (or whatever you want to call them) at the end. If you let them slip away, those are points you will never be able to make up later.

B) Of 3 competitors, buy up the one that holds the most stock in the others; when you acquire him, you also acquire those shares in the others. Conversely, if you buy out a competitor that is partially owned by another competitor, you will be giving the other compeitor double cash value to acquire his shares in the competitor that you buy out. No point in giving your enemy ammunition.

[Daidoji Kaneda]

I would buy all the remaining shares of the weakest competitor but not it all, and then buy entirely the biggest one, therefore getting his shares of the weakest one also (and it as a whole if no one else had some).

[TheGlobalizer]

I generally buy up all of the publicly-held shares, then worry about takeovers. (I can leverage my stock holdings, selling them to raise the cash for the takeover, if I need to.)

I generally try to hold 20% more of my own stock than my competitors hold. Usually makes their takeover attempts difficult to consummate.

[kipper]

I try to see who's investing in me, and go for the buyout on them (and try to increase my own stock holding a bit).

That way if you get the takeover, you get all your stock back.

[darthdroid]

I agree with choo....you don't buy the "weakest opponent" no, NEVER.

You always buy the strongest. And there's no rule except do what you need to to win.

I don't care how much stock I own, I care how much I own vs how much my biggest threat owns. If revenue is very tight (we're close) I tend to keep building to try to get ahead, most notably into the threat's territory, trying to hack a leg off. If I'm ahead, you bet I start buying stock and usually don't stop.

Stock can get a bit more complex with more than 2 players if 3 are close....beware of player #3.

And again let me repeat: DO NOT BUY WEAK PLAYERS. I can only assume people think it adds to their revenue and makes them more expensive to buy....but ever notice you lose everytime you do it

This is why: Yes, you're making a bit more $, and you cost a bit more for me to buy, but these two things together to not justify the millions you just spent buying that crappy company .

-Bob the Lunatic

[darthdroid]

One last thing:

Unless it's mogul or lower, I always sell all my stock as needed pretty quick early on (usually in about 20 seconds on tycoon for example).

This is what I love: When some joker buys one of my stocks before I've sold the initial 3 thinking he/she is playing strong. I immediately sell, thanks for the extra 40k!! That's very useful early in the game. And of course in a few minutes when they're out of $ again, they sell that same stock for a much lower price now that it's the only stock of mine owned.

(don't do that)


And on that subject, when I DO see some guy buying a foolish stock (computer, or weak player), I'll jump in and buy 2 or 3 to act interested, and they typically buy several more.....then you SELL SELL SELL. I never wanted that crap company, I just wanted to trick you out of your money
Then I buy YOU with your own money.....how ironic

-Bob the Lunatic