How do you build a factory?

[ransands]

I simply cannot find this button anywhere -- can anyone help me?

[SGreenwell]

I don't think you can - for most maps, things like factories, dairy farms, ports, etc., are randomly generated upon map creation. Factories are more likely to appear near bigger cities, but not guaranteed. Some cities will grow as the game goes on, and might "grow" some industries as a result, but it's not guaranteed.

FWIW - The best way to make money in the game is by transporting passengers and mail, so, your focus should be on that first and foremost. All of the other stuff can make a little bit of money, if you have some extra to invest. (Although obviously, some of the scenarios require you to do stuff like invest in industry.)

[ransands]

I think you are correct in that you cannot build factories in RRT2 - but you can buy them. The reason I asked, is because in the Original Railroad Tycoon I (circa 1991?), if the random placement of factories did not work out too well, you could build the needed factory (say, a paper mill) in just the right place to optimize your rail network. Looks like they left that out of this edition. It was expensive, but very effective.

[SGreenwell]

Originally posted by ransands:

I think you are correct in that you cannot build factories in RRT2 - but you can buy them. The reason I asked, is because in the Original Railroad Tycoon I (circa 1991?), if the random placement of factories did not work out too well, you could build the needed factory (say, a paper mill) in just the right place to optimize your rail network. Looks like they left that out of this edition. It was expensive, but very effective.

Ah, yeah - I haven't played the original one. In RR2, you *can* buy an industry, but its usually better to just do another passenger line instead, at least for most scenarios.

[CommandDork]

If I'm feeding a factory with iron and coal, and have buyers for the steel in nearby cities, I ALWAYS feel the need to spend the 800k to purchase them. I cant help myself : )

[SGreenwell]

Originally posted by CommandDork:

If I'm feeding a factory with iron and coal, and have buyers for the steel in nearby cities, I ALWAYS feel the need to spend the 800k to purchase them. I cant help myself : )

heh, I mean, no harm in doing it! If I know I'm going to be using a granary, I'll usually scoop that up, too. As long as you're not issuing bonds for the purchase, it's usually a good outlay of cash.

[Lord Bludgeon]

If you're looking for this kind of game where you control factory and retail placement and don't mind slightly dated (but gorgeous) graphics I'd recommend Industry Giant 2.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/271360/Industry_Giant_2/

[goddlesss]

In RRT2 you can sometimes Grow a certain industry within the limits of your station by bulldozing the industries that are there and then delivering the raw materials for the industry you want. Create a demand for the product that would be produced by your chosen industry,

[bioworm1]

Originally posted by SGreenwell:

Originally posted by CommandDork:

If I know I'm going to be using a granary, I'll usually scoop that up, too. As long as you're not issuing bonds for the purchase, it's usually a good outlay of cash.

Not true. Lets say you would get an 7% interest (from a 5-12% range) on 500k and you buy "lucrative" businesses. Usually lucrative is a payback of 10% (and the game goes often on a 15% or more annual cashback. By doing that you just generated a 3% out o nothing (which can go to 10% if you get that 5% interest rate and buy "gushing cash" businesses.

[flyingdeathmonkee]

if you want a railroad tycoon game where you can build factories, you'd have to go back to the original Railroad tycoon... but then you'd need a dos emulator like dosbox to run it.

[PhilipN]

You can build factories in Railroad Tycoon 3 as well; in fact, since industry profits (and losses) are MUCH larger in RT3, building factories can be a huge source of income (sometimes even more than trains early on once you understand the game's economic model well!)