No dough no show?

[Gwotyng]

Does city bonus means the mission labeled by a black star in a green diamond appeard over a city? Do city bonuses just randomly appeared so I can solve 5 of them eventually, or there are only fixed number of city bonuses in one game?

[rff1]

The green diamond indicates that a bonus is available. It may be for connection to a resource or city, for an express bonus between two cities (a diamond for each), or for placing a new factory in a city. Whatever the bonus, it is available for a limited time: what it is and for how long can be seen by clicking on a diamond, which also jumps you to the relevant place. There seems no limit on how many are offered.

[Gwotyng]

Originally posted by rff1:

There seems no limit on how many are offered.

So I can get the achievement even if I can't get all the city bonuses in one game? Thank you for your answering.

[chaney]

I don't think there is a specific limit on how many bonuses are in a game, but that doesn't guarantee that you will get 5+ City connection offers in one game.

[Dray Prescot]

What you will have to do is NOT connect to a LOT of Cities, get a good profitable RR going with a limited number of Cities and wait for the connections bonuses to be offered at various Cities, after which you can connect that City up to your track network. Make sure you have or can raise the cash to build a Station at and a Track to the new City. A Small Station and ONE track connecting to the rest of your tracks is enough to get the bonus paid.

If you feel likely really exploiting the game, you can tear the Station back down and get rid of the track as soon as you get the bonus, and get your money back that you spent on the Station and track. I have actually gotten multiple bonuses for connecting to the same City that way.

[Gwotyng]

Originally posted by Dray Prescot:

What you will have to do is NOT connect to a LOT of Cities, get a good profitable RR going with a limited number of Cities and wait for the connections bonuses to be offered at various Cities, after which you can connect that City up to your track network. Make sure you have or can raise the cash to build a Station at and a Track to the new City. A Small Station and ONE track connecting to the rest of your tracks is enough to get the bonus paid.

Thanks for the advice. I will try it in my next game.
Can I get this avhivement in the free mode? The tasks in the scenarios make me so busy!

[gardlt]

Free Mode is ok, but, the 1st chapter in the campaign will probably be the easiest way to achieve this. It was awhile since I played it through, but memory is that the frequency of these bonuses seemed higher. At game start connect to Norfolk and follow the instructions, but then wait for offers before connecting further west.

[chaney]

I vaguely recall one of the early tutorials did it for me, gardlt may be onto something.

[Thineboot]

I've finally waited long enough to get the last UK-achievement, Got balls (Produce 100 leather balls in the region of Great Britain and Ireland.). Those leather balls require a 100 year game and are available not earlier than 1880... Well, to get Have a butchers (Unlock all locomotive engines of the Great Britain and Ireland region.) you have to start one, too.

During the long wait I've collected several city-to-city-express-lines, connected many sites - which are obviously not part of a city - and still lack this damned No dough, no show! (Receive 5 city bonuses in one game) :(
Since it's a common achievement, 12.2% have it and that's a lot for RE, it can't be that hard to get.

This thread is my last resort as it's the only one on steam mentioning the achievement.

Dray suggested a minimal buildup and gardlt mentioned the 1st chapter in the campaign, so I started it (again). This time I do nearly nothing, only the necessary stuff. As of now I've collected three gems, two for connecting cities - which are bugged, see Bugreport, - and one for an industry. With only one task open I hope the game offers two more...


With nothing to do I tried to verify the golden task aka complete in half time rule. Well, for some reason the devs have a hard time with Math, see Kalypso miles...

The game starts on Jan 1, 1863 and the easiest task to verify is the Connect Omaha and Rock Springs until the end of 1867. 5 years means 2½ years or roughly end of June 1865 for a golden tick.
There are 1826 day between Jan 1, 1863 and Dec 31, 1867. The 913th day beginning with Jan 1, 1863 is Jul 1, 1865, so 1 day of the guess.
But that's not what RE calculates. The last day to get a golden tick is Aug 14, 1865, which is 44 days after the correct date. The game would have to start on Mar 30 or 31, 1863, depending on internal rounding, to make this right.


While going a bit OT I hope it justifies reopening a fifteen months old thread.

[chaney]

Fine report, thanks. I always wondered about the precision of "half time" so it's somehow comforting to know it is a very fuzzy half.

I'm pulling for you to get those bonuses buddy!

[Thineboot]

Two more industries bought and yes, finally the dough that made me nuts is in shape :o)

So just for the record, only green diamonds asking you to connect a city and build a new industry count. Tip: don't expand or finish your games too fast or you would not get five of them within a game ;)


While waiting I did another test. The last task is to Transport 100 passengers from Cheyenne to Little Rock without stopping. Lazy me checked you guide, chaney, and since 1850 : 34 didn't seem right to me I started with manual and 4 passengers cars. I think it was rff1 who said in another post that the all except the last car would be full. Therefore 4 cars should be at least 103 passengers, mission accomplished. Not so fast... only 46 passengers arrived.

1. 35
   
2. 40
   
3. 41
   
4. 46
   
5. 50
   
6. 51
   
7. 52
   
8. 53

So it's 35 passengers, as expected.
But what the hell... apparently all the other cars were only filled with additional passengers who arrived during the longer loading time.

Another test with passengers and mail and 4 cars minimum got me to 40, 79, 100... on Jan 12, 1866 and a golden tick for a task which has to be finished until the end of 1868 or within 6 years which means a golden tick should only be available until Dec 31, 1865...


And thanks for pulling as grumpy old men have to stick together :)

[chaney]

Originally posted by Thineboot:

Two more industries bought and yes, finally the dough that made me nuts is in shape :o)

Pfannkuchen? Could use a jelly donut about now :)

[Thineboot]

While doing the above in the first mission, this time I also found the behaviour in a DLC. Golden tick for the end of 1904 would be Jul 2, 1902. Due to a random breakdown it took until July 10 to finish the task... and still get the golden tick.

I know it's off topic but at least it's on topic the former off topic

[Thineboot]

I've wasted another day testing ...

01-01-1900 : Start date of scenario (Summiteer)
31-12-1913 : End date of task (Buy 15% of shares in a competitor) : 5113 days
31-12-1906 : Expected golden tick for finishing in half the time : 2556.5 days
19-10-1909 : Actual last day to get a golden tick : 3579 days == 70%

Before you think it's 70% check out the mission 1 data:

01-01-1863 : Start date of scenario (Mission 1)
31-12-1867 : End date of task (Connect Omaha and Rock Springs) : 1826 days
01-07-1865 : Expected golden tick for finishing in half the time : 913 days
14-08-1865 : Actual last day to get a golden tick : 957 days == 52.4%

So no, it's not just a wrong percentage, it's ... I don't know :(

I think I should start a new bugreport threat ... any comments or ideas?

[chaney]

"Wasted" is an ugly word for this lovely report. I'm trying to remember if the "half time" requirement was ever explicitly stated officially, or if it just seemed about right and became conventional belief. I normally like to know all the details and things like gaining Express status have been a little confounding, but it seems like this game will always have some vague details.

[Thineboot]

I wasn't able to find an official hint to the 50% either. Meanwhile I think I've read it posted by someone trustworthy and thus it became part of my statements, too. My source(s) also seem to rely on trustworthy source(s), and this is how fake facts are born out of good faith.

Can you call it a bug when you can't find an official reference stating it?

On the other hand it seems completely inconsistent :(