Have I been cheating?!?!

[NicheCelloFacade]

So, I mainly play the campaigns. I only do this when I'm desperate because it just doesn't feel right. Basically, I buy whatever industry building that requires 2 items, e.g. steel mill. Instead of shipping both items, I buy the steel mill and only ship one of the required item. I noticed that I still make a ton of profit and I don't have to worry about steel it would normally produce while demand for iron and coal never goes down. Should I not do this ever?

[mrraleigh98]

No, it isn't really cheating, and it is very possible for a railroad to be sustainable by hauling just one of two of the resources to it. However, if you were to haul coal to the steel mill as well, and haul the steel away from the Steel Mill to a Tool and Die factory or something, then your industry profit will skyrocket even further.

[NicheCelloFacade]

Thanks for the feedback. I just feel so guilty when I inundate a producer I don't own with resources with no intenton of shipping output. I'll just pile em on from now on.

[bmorgan077]

Assume any need not being met by you is being met by other providers. the more you meet the more money you make.

[Crazed Possum]

In Rail Road Tycoon 3 ............resources will make thier own way to factories via rivers and roads and such even if there isn't a railroad doing it. So, maybe this original game also incorporates resources making it to factories even though they are not transported on tracks. So even if you only deliver 1 of the required resources the other will make it there by other ( slower ) means.

[mrraleigh98]

@Crazed Possum Not really at all in this game, cargo prices and industry demand model in Railroad Tycoon II is completely based upon the service provided by the Railway, and the individual supply of the industry.

[Crazed Possum]

Just found this in the Game's Manual. There is an link in the Game's Steam Folder for the manual........it's Large :

• Sandbox mode—In this mode, you simply build and run trains. Money and competition are non-factors—all Financial and Industrial settings are toggled off—so build to your heart’s content.

• Financial model—This setting controls the financial aspects of the game. Set this option to Basic, Advanced, or Expert. The effects of these settings are as follows:

Basic—Stock Market importance is minimized. You may buy or sell your own company’s stock, but you can’t take over another company, or be taken over.

Advanced—Short Selling and Buying stock on Margin are disabled, but all other aspects of the Stock Market are enabled.

Expert—The gloves are off. All aspects of the Stock Market are enabled, which makes for some fairly vicious financial plays; consider yourself warned.

• Industrial model—This setting configures the industrial side of the game. Set it to Basic, Advanced, or Expert. The effects of each setting are as follows:

Basic—Stations will accept any cargo, paying only slightly less for cargo they don’t demand. All industries produce cargo, even if they aren’t supplied with their industrial demands.

Advanced—Stations still accept any cargo, but at half price if the cargo isn’t demanded by a station. Industries only produce cargo if supplied with their industrial demands.

Expert—Stations pay very little for any cargo they don’t demand. Price levels affect what stations will pay for a cargo, even if the station demands them. Your company can buy up any industries it finds appealing.


NOTICE INDUSTRIAL MODEL-BASIC........maybe this is the answer your looking for.

[NicheCelloFacade]

I play campaigns on the hardest mode so I assume(d) the econ model and indus models would both be at its expert modes.

This is what happens.
Scenario A:
1) buy steel mill
2) send iron or coal to steel mill BUT NOT BOTH
3) steel mill does not produce steel (b/c it's missing one of the ingredients)
4) steel mill still MAKES MONEY, enough money to make PROFIT
4a) I do not have to worry about steel piling up or getting rid of steel b/c there are no steel

Scenario B:
1) buy steel mill
2) send BOTH iron and coal to steel mill
3) steel mill produces steel
4) I ONLY make money off of steel sent to a place that DEMANDS steel
4a) I LOSE money if steel is left undelivered

So, imagine a huge mill that keeps accepting a shipment of coal, pays for it, and produces nothing YET that mill makes a huge profit. Now, I'm more convinced that it's a glitch of some sort and I am indeed cheating.

[Crazed Possum]

Ok, you are probably right in that it's a bug of some kind. hmmmmmm.

[mrraleigh98]

@PorkFriedLice

You are right, that is indeed strange, as I've never experienced that kind of occurance before. I find that when I do the full chain for the steel mill, it can easily produce $150K a year or more. In fact, I find the steel mill to be a relatively reliable source of industry income compared to a cannery or a port or something.

What are your figures for both scenarios?

[NicheCelloFacade]

@Raleigh98

I didn't record exact numbers unfortunately XD, but that is how I made it through campaigns that require specifice profit margin.

I haven't returned to the game in recent days so I forget but the way I cheat is basically cutting corners and not dealing with connecting the second ingredient. And in doing so I spent 1/4 less than having to connect to more cities/resources in order to make the factory profitable. Same with cannery, I cheat by mass dumping produce to and it makes money.

Man... the more I think about it I feel I have to re-do all my campaigns. I'll test it to make sure it's not just isolated to the specific "profit" goal campaigns.

[NicheCelloFacade]

My complaint is mainly that it feels illogical if it is not a programming mistake. I replicated this in the hardest difficulty campaign as well as in scenario mode on expert setting on both econ and indus models. Does this not happen on other people's machines? When I read your (pl.) comments I feel like my machine is the only one that does this.

[Lord Bludgeon]

Wow. It never even occurred to me to try that.

[No Toilet Paper | Boy]

I was not aware of that bug. That said the game was released in October 1998. It is nearly 21years old. Even if the developers noticed the bug they were so limited with computer power and scripting it might of not been possible to fix.

There is of course other ways of cheating in the game without changing any game data e.g. if you are in recession but know the stock market will rise from a certain date mass buy stock on a margin.

It's up to you the player whether you take advantage of the exploit or not.

[goddlesss]

RT2 has different settings on different maps that could be affecting that. for example on the north america map if you don't change the settings the AI's are handicapped and you have a slight bonus. on that map I adjust the sliders so the AI's have the same % I do then add 3 AI's and end up playing at 115 dif. Crazed Possum is right the AI's are brutal in expert and custom settings.

[Heikneuter]

Why so ashamed? This game is about being a robber baron :D