Railway Empire (http://store.steampowered.com/app/503940/)
Due out Q4/2017.
Exploit the economic opportunities of the United States in an extensive campaign, working your way step by step from coast to coast across this great continent.
Lead your Railway Empire to success by establishing a comprehensive rail network and optimizing transportation of passengers and goods.
Master challenges and objectives through a range of scenarios, or create your perfect railway network in construction mode without any financial pressure.
Over 40 historically accurate locomotives and more than 30 different wagons can be acquired over the course of the game, and must be put to use in the best way in order to take advantage of their strengths and weaknesses.
Invest in over 300 new technologies across five different eras to progress and maximize the potential of your rail network.
Compete with up to three rival companies, and even sabotage their efforts with the use of bandits and spies.
Looks VERY intriguing. Could be right-up my Choo-choo.
Just saw this in my email. Sounds interesting. O0
Quote from: Sir Slash on March 21, 2017, 02:47:29 PM
Looks VERY intriguing. Could be right-up my Choo-choo.
At least you didn't say it was right up your caboose! ;D
Edit - In an effort to be mildly on topic, I'm pretty sure I still have my C&O/B&O boardgame circa 1969.
More information here: Some screenshots as well.
http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/4/14815614/railway-empire-preview-pc-xbox-one-ps4-kalypso-gaming-minds
Well, this is from Kalypso. They just released Urban Empire and it isn't exactly getting stellar reviews. But it does look interesting.
Quote from: ghostryder on March 21, 2017, 07:09:17 PM
More information here: Some screenshots as well.
http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/4/14815614/railway-empire-preview-pc-xbox-one-ps4-kalypso-gaming-minds
It looks awfully pretty, but I'm not sure that's so much of a plus to me. Modern rail strat games always seem to emphasize pretty pictures over the economic/geographic sides of the game. I like the older games better.
Here is a series of videos about
Railway Empire Campaign by Skye Storme:
The game may be a little too cartoonish for some of us, but otherwise it looks like the game is coming along nicely. I am looking forward to its release.
Quote from: bbmike on March 21, 2017, 07:10:15 PM
Well, this is from Kalypso. They just released Urban Empire and it isn't exactly getting stellar reviews. But it does look interesting.
I dodged a bullet with Urban Empire. Nasty game, totally un-supported by Kalypso.
I may regret it, but I pre-ordered Railway Empire (http://store.steampowered.com/app/503940/Railway_Empire/) while it is discounted 15%. But more important to me than the discount is the opportunity to play the beta version of the game. Normally I don't do betas or Early Access, but none of the railroad games I have purchased in the past couple of years look as good to me as Railway Empire does right now, in its beta state.
So far I am enjoying playing the Railway Empire beta. I hope the game becomes the latest and greatest railroad game--in other words the spiritual successor to Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon (http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/sid-meiers-railroad-tycoon).
GB, its in my wishlist. Keep us uptodate on your thoughts and how its going.
I've played beta a little and I have to say this is the best railroad game since RT3. It's not perfect. There are some things that need improvements, but it is a very enjoyable game. And with some expansions and DLC it could be great one.
I'll also be keeping my eye on this one, would love for it to be a good game....a little hesitant with this publisher and with the beta costing over $40, little more than I want to invest right now.
Quote from: OJsDad on November 27, 2017, 07:20:33 PM
GB, its in my wishlist. Keep us uptodate on your thoughts and how its going.
Thank you for thinking of me. I would love to keep you updated on the progress of
Railway Empire, but unfortunately it is forbidden for me to discuss it anywhere except on the beta forum. But please believe me when I say you would be better off watching recent videos about the beta version of the game on YouTube anyway.
Is there still an embargo on feedback? Seems like a lot of folks talking on youtube and such. If not, any feedback from the group?
Noticed on GMG you can pick up for $32 now (and I have heard people say can even get into beta from purchasing from GMG -- but I can't confirm myself)....but sale ends in about 11 hours. This publisher still concerns me but would love for it to be a good game. To get the sale price, you would need to access GMG's VIP area and listed there,
https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/railway-empire-pc/
Yes, I can confirm that if you buy from GMG your key will get you into the beta now. I only have a few hours played and it is fun so far. Love the eye candy.
Not sure about the AI yet. I've seen some videos where a good player beats the AI easily. The game seems to be more about fulfilling the tasks you are given rather than beating your competitors. Have not played or seen it played against the Very Hard AI yet. No multiplayer is planned.
Also, you can only play in one region at a time like the East or Midwest, i.e. there is no full US map scenario.
Check Youtube for Adekyn's videos for some good examples of gameplay.
I can see myself getting $32 worth of fun out of it but YMMV of course.
Do you still have to use Kalypso launcher for this game or is the Steam DRM all there is?
Just Steam.
Here is a typical task list that I mentioned above. The more you complete within 20 years, the higher your final score.
I was excited about this game but after reading recent opinions I'm not any more. Here is good thread on reddit about it:
https://pl.reddit.com/r/tycoon/comments/7mhfc5/railway_empire_whats_your_take/
I've noticed that usually first impressions were positive, but after a while people got disappointed.
^Sounds like Urban Empires.
One guy on reddit was ranting about signaling. I struggled with placing them at first but once you get the hang of it then it makes sense and works fine. I'm still in the "first impression" stage, 6 hours played so far, but have not seen anything yet that would lead me to think I'll grow tired of it any time soon. By the time I do grow tired of it I'll have played many more hours and easily gotten my moneys worth out of it. I would have liked a full US map option and a longer duration than 20 year scenarios, and maybe those will come in time with mods. If not, well it's not a game breaker for me.
sounds like best for me to sit this one out
I saw opinions that this game isn't very modable. I will wait for full release, but I'm sceptical. The developers made Patrician IV so I don't think it will be disaster like Urban Empires. But I think that they don't know how to make good railroad game.
There are also other games on the horizon (Rise of Industry - should be soon on steam in EA and
Voxel Tycoon) that are looking good. Unfortunately they are more Open TTD/ Simutrans games.
Quote from: salazarus on January 13, 2018, 04:15:02 PM
I saw opinions that this game isn't very modable. I will wait for full release, but I'm sceptical. The developers made Patrician IV so I don't think it will be disaster like Urban Empires. But I think that they don't know how to make good railroad game.
But I think they also made Grand Ages Medieval which was a dud for me:(
I'll stick with my instinct, none of the publisher's games have clicked with me....going to guess this one won't either.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on January 13, 2018, 04:21:45 PM
But I think they also made Grand Ages Medieval which was a dud for me:(
I'll stick with my instinct, none of the publisher's games have clicked with me....going to guess this one won't either.
Same here I've liked Patrician IV but hated Grand Ages Medieval. It is sad that we can't get modern version of Railroad Tycoon game.
I really wanted to enjoy Grand Ages: Medieval but also could not get in to it after about 10 hours trying :/
Is the city building part of this game strong or just a sideshow?
Cities grow when you provide them with whatever goods they need. You can get tasks like asking you to grow a city, or multiple cities, to a certain population; or building a particular structure (museum for example) in a city which requires a minimum amount of population. To me though city building is certainly secondary to running your railway and only really comes into play as per tasks.
Thanks Geezer.
Quote from: Gusington on January 13, 2018, 10:26:14 PM
Thanks Geezer.
Glad to help. One thing I forgot to mention is that industries will expand in a city as it grows. There can be up to 4 industries depending on city size. So, for example, when a city grows to 65,000 you can build a distillery that produces alcohol from fruit and sugar. Owning the distillery, fruit orchard, and/or sugar plantation will increase your income. Even if you don't own them you can make money by delivering those resources to the distillery. Same with transporting the alcohol to a place with a demand for it. Pretty sure industries and resource locations will expand in size as demand increases, or if you own them you can decide when to expand.
Edit - There are currently 11 resources and 11 finished goods. Here is a link to a page Adekyn made that shows them all: http://railwayempireboardroom.webs.com/apps/blog/show/45086722-resources-and-industries
Hmm so city/town building is a little more detailed than I first thought.
Quote from: OJsDad on November 27, 2017, 07:20:33 PM
GB, its in my wishlist. Keep us uptodate on your thoughts and how its going.
I should have responded to your post as soon as the NDA for beta testers was lifted, but I somehow missed the announcement. :-[ Here's a few thoughts of mine about
Railway Empire:
To begin with, I prefer the way
Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon (and its successors) handle buildings--they are inside the railroad station and don't take up any room on the map.
Space on the map is at such a premium that some cities were left off the maps because there wasn't enough room for them. So say goodbye to your dream of building a Transcontinental Railroad across the United States...at least for now.
One of the new concepts RE has introduced is that of warehouses. Trains gather things and drop them off in a warehouse where other trains can pick them up and take them somewhere where there is a demand for them. I've had mixed luck with the concept; it can and does work well to a point but it also adds to the map clutter.
The signals in RE are unlike those in the
Railroad Tycoon games. It is my understanding that since the trains in
Railway Empire are programmed to take the shortest routes, if you have more than one train on a track, you are forced into using signals and sidings. I got around that by building a track for each train--but that really doesn't fix the problem as one can't haul much freight or many passengers and mail with but a single train. So let's hope the developers come up with something.
A player can do much in
Railway Empire if s/he can figure out the way to do it. Here are a couple of posts from the beta forum to give you an idea of what I'm writing about:
Quote from: Outlaw TruckerQuote from: Doc Savage
Also, when you run trains to NY, go into the consist editor (where the four platforms and all the available cargo is shown) and click on the Dresses so they have a Green Arrow. That tells any train headed to NY to take Dresses above all else first, then fill in the rest of the train. It isn't uncommon to see 8 cars of dresses on the line.
I'm pretty much a noob but I can't seem to find the consist editor you speak of. How do I access it?
Quote from: Doc SavageIt's buried, because it's important...
Click a track, then a train on the right.
Then click the map icon on the left in the top of the bubble, it's the 2nd one.
Then click one of the stations on the right... Here you need to click on NYC.
THEN you'll get the menu that matters.
You should see 4 platforms on top of the bubble, and the freight along the middle.
From this bubble you can tell a train to use a specific platform and in this case you can click the Dresses to make them a priority.
Cheers..!
I suppose after a while one could learn where all the little ins and outs are hidden away at. But I just don't have the patience. I want a USER FRIENDLY interface and not one I have to dig around in to find things.
At first glance, building tracks appears practically effortless. The process reminds me of the way it's done in
Sid Meier's Railroads!. You stretch a length of track from one point to another, are given an opportunity to adjust it, and then hit the button to confirm. It's a lot faster and easier than in other railroad games I have played. But getting the line just right can really be a problem. On rough terrain I've clicked the wastebasket to get rid of a stretch of track that was giving me fits more frequently than I've hit the confirm button.
There is a limit of three industries in each city as well as one slot for an attraction. One would expect the starting industry in a town or small city to be one that has raw materials nearby. Not so! For example, since beer is in demand in most starting towns/cities, a brewery will often appear and there will be no grain anywhere close. But there will usually be some type of raw material nearby that has to be hauled partway across the map to another town/city. I really, really believe this should be changed and starting industries should be appropriate for nearby raw materials.
In most railroad simulation games I have played, there is a "Go To" button the player can use to find a city on the map. None exists in
Railway Empire. I very strongly feel there SHOULD be a similar button in RE.
Similarly, a player can hop from one train to another using an arrow button in the RE interface. But there isn't a similar button to hop from one station to another. I feel there should be. This has been implemented.
I have no problem with seeing cartoony looking AI characters. Their appearance on some of the game screens doesn't bother me at all.
Furthermore, I don't really mind what evils the AI characters do. They seem to think causing me trouble is to hire one of my employees, steal an invention from me, or get a newspaper to print something unflattering about me. That's more petty than anything. Now if they would attempt to take over my railroad company by buying up my stock or hire saboteurs to blow up my railroad bridges, that would be more likely to get my attention.
Railway Empire has the potential to be a true "spiritual successor" to the original
Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon that I played in 1990 (and still play occasionally). It is with that hope that I purchased RE and became one of its beta testers. May it succeed!
Thanks GB.
Quote from: OJsDad on January 23, 2018, 07:53:34 AM
Thanks GB.
You're welcome. My only regret is that I did not honor your request earlier. Sorry about that.
Quote from: Greybriar on January 23, 2018, 11:02:13 AM
Quote from: OJsDad on January 23, 2018, 07:53:34 AM
Thanks GB.
You're welcome. My only regret is that I did not honor your request earlier. Sorry about that.
I'm not in a hurry to buy, so not an issue.
Good capsule review GreyBriar.
QuoteRelease Changlog 0.0.1-17479
Changes/Additions (since latest Beta-Version)
Added Linux support
Added ability to modify scenario data
Added: Signal direction will always be shown as long as a signal is selected
Added: Option to delete all tracks when buying a competitor
Added: A button to set depot values to max
Rebalanced some technology bonuses
Rebalanced some locomotives
Fixes (since latest Beta-Version)
Fixed placement when building multiple signals
Fixed several issues which spawned random buffers on tracks
Fixed a bug in chapter two which caused the cloth factory in Baltimore to dwindle
Fixed a bug in chapter two which caused the timeline to get stuck
Fixed a bug which caused trains to get stuck for no specific reason
Fixed: when switching trains in train details dialog, special wagons are updated properly
Fixed a bug which caused the game to freeze at the end of a scenario
Fixed: Trains are now centered every time the player selects them
Fixed several localization issues
Visual interface improvements
Known issues
i-Button in HUD has no functionality (yet)
-> But will get following functionality:
- There will be an additional view mode added as an indicator for the supply status of a city.
- There will be an additional view mode added as an indicator for which trains could
Note that they cut off the last sentence, not me. ;)
Quote from: Greybriar on January 23, 2018, 11:02:13 AM
Quote from: OJsDad on January 23, 2018, 07:53:34 AM
Thanks GB.
You're welcome. My only regret is that I did not honor your request earlier. Sorry about that.
I like these kind of games but your synopsis doesn't inspire me to buy this one.
Quote from: joram on January 26, 2018, 03:57:01 PM
Quote from: Greybriar on January 23, 2018, 11:02:13 AM
Quote from: OJsDad on January 23, 2018, 07:53:34 AM
Thanks GB.
You're welcome. My only regret is that I did not honor your request earlier. Sorry about that.
I like these kind of games but your synopsis doesn't inspire me to buy this one.
Then perhaps this video will:
I see this is now available on Steam, anybody playing it at the moment.
At the moment not willing to pay the full asking price.
Quote from: fran on January 27, 2018, 04:03:00 AM
I see this is now available on Steam, anybody playing it at the moment.
At the moment not willing to pay the full asking price.
then don't, pay $32 instead:)
https://www.cdkeys.com/pc/games/railway-empire-pc-steam-cd-key
Thanks, good link @£23 it sounds a lot more tempting.
Reviews seem positive....mmm Railway Empire vs Nantucket
Quote from: fran on January 27, 2018, 06:16:49 AM
Thanks, good link @£23 it sounds a lot more tempting.
Reviews seem positive....mmm Railway Empire vs Nantucket
Or Mashinky (http://store.steampowered.com/app/598960/Mashinky/).
Mashinky is the other one I'm watching.
I read that Mashinky has no AI and none is planned. That is a game breaker for me. YMMV.
Bought this the day the beta became available. Played just about every railroad game out there, from the original Railroad Tycoon, OTD, Railroads!, you name it.
Still not a huge fan of the cartoony nature, and I am certainly not a fan of the small'ish maps. Railroad Tycoon II was the ultimate game for me.
This game does not appear to have random resources. They are fixed. This is kind of a bummer..as eventually, I will "solve" each map. Having said that, the tasks you are give for the scenarios in the free play mode appear to be randomized, and this will provide some measure of replayability.
I am enjoying this. Starts slow, and I do mean slow, and ramps up over time, until your build rate becomes very high. Very much reminds me of RR2 in that regard.
I am personally not having any issues at all with the signals, or stupid trains that get stuck. Seems pretty easy to me. Also...research is a nice touch, with quite a few upgrades.
I think that this is a definite buy. I waited for the full version to play after I got the beta, when I realized that most of the feature set was locked. Now that it is completely unlocked, I strongly suspect that this game will start rapidly climbing the leaderboards of time played on my steam games. With 257 games, it's gonna take awhile!
Track layout 101 from Adekyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShcR4XmL0Yg
Some pretty big news from the devs:
QuoteRailway Empire - North American map and more
Greetings tycoons!
It's been a whole week since the hugely successful launch of Railway Empire, and while the game has received very positive reviews from the media and consumers alike, we want to further improve on this foundation with all the great feedback we have received so far, along with some things that we were already working on.
With that in mind, we are happy to announce that we are currently working on the following:
Available in 'free mode', we will introduce one huge North American map covering West to East coast, including a tech-tree covering all the tech innovations from almost 100 years of the steam revolution.
A roadmap of further free updates, which will include new content, enhanced AI, bug fixes and other general improvements inspired directly by player feedback.
Players will see these new updates begin to roll out over the next couple of months, and in the meantime we will continue to collect your feedback and reports, working to implement them wherever possible.
Stay tuned for more details coming soon!
That's what I was hoping for.
Sounds like very good news
Now if they would have a true campaign from 1830 to 1930 (or something similar) where the research could flow continuously.
Sounds like it will ready for purchase during the Steam Christmas Sale! :bd:
Quote from: bbmike on February 02, 2018, 01:11:18 PM
Sounds like it will ready for purchase during the Steam Christmas Sale! :bd:
I started my first true mission, in the west, starting in 1830. It's taken about 12 hours, and I am about half done. So..call it 25 hours for about 5% of the free play game. Then there is the campaign, and then the scenarios.
For this game, content is not an issue. I have 42 trains running, with zero issues from a lag or technical perspective. If you have ANY interest in train games, this is the one to get. I know..I have ALL the train games out there, including A-Train, Mashinky, all the RR Tycoon games, OTD, you name it.
RPS review for Railway Empire
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/13/wot-i-think-railway-empire/
Quote from: fran on February 14, 2018, 03:10:05 PM
RPS review for Railway Empire
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/13/wot-i-think-railway-empire/
My own experience matches that of RPS. It IS a good game, as long as you use the pause function, and build just as fast as humanly possible.
I have found that the only way to be remotely competitive with the AI is to get two huge loans, and spend every last dollar in the fastest expansion possible. Even then, after several years, you are playing from behind, and with massive debt.
A little frustrating. They need to have a better balanced game.
Thanks Dennis,
Not bought myself but the fact they are going to do a full North American map in the future is a plus
Quote from: fran on February 15, 2018, 01:24:00 PM
Thanks Dennis,
Not bought myself but the fact they are going to do a full North American map in the future is a plus
If you look at their roadmap, they also state that randomly created maps will be a thing. Not sure if these will be geographically correct with the resources randomly created, or a true random map.
This will dramatically increase the replayability. Currently, all the maps and resources are the same. It will be just a matter of time until I can "solve" each map. Currently, the game is extraordinarily difficult to win, with the AI expanding exponentially.
New update: http://store.steampowered.com/news/?appids=503940
Major update including the ability to play on a map of the whole US: http://steamcommunity.com/app/503940/discussions/0/1698294337784133383/
Quote from: Geezer on March 27, 2018, 05:53:15 AM
Major update including the ability to play on a map of the whole US: http://steamcommunity.com/app/503940/discussions/0/1698294337784133383/
I think what I like the most about this game is the ability to place warehouses...with six goods in each, four incoming, and four outgoing lines. You can service several cities with one warehouse, and this reduces the complexity of the stations in your cities. You can dedicate two tracks for mail and passengers, and the other two for goods. Works quite well.
Currently 30% off on Steam.
^I wonder what will happen to the price when the Summer Sale starts?
Wasn't there a huge problem with the AI cheating like crazy? I remember this was on my wishlist until I read some of your comments on this thread. Wonder if that has been fixed to any extent?
People were howling at launch that the AI did not have to build two way tracks and trains could pass through each other. The game compensated for that, IIRC, with longer track building times for the AI. Haven't played it in quite a while so I don't know if that is still the case or not, but the devs did not view it as a bug.
Quote from: Geezer on June 19, 2018, 02:41:35 PM
People were howling at launch that the AI did not have to build two way tracks and trains could pass through each other. The game compensated for that, IIRC, with longer track building times for the AI. Haven't played it in quite a while so I don't know if that is still the case or not, but the devs did not view it as a bug.
Humans now have this ability...but it decreases the technical complexity. Not sure I like that. Switches and smart track laying are part of what appeals to me in a RR sim.
Pretty sure players could do that from the beginning, but I agree it is totally unrealistic. If it makes the AI play better then I really don't have a problem with it.
The AI develops tracks and stations far faster than humans can. When this happens, and I review the amazing progress of the AI, it concerns me.
I am a good player..but I struggle keeping up with the AI. Seriously.
I was playing some of the other railroad games, I am not getting it, takes a lot of time to learn on tycoon 3 and Sid Meier railroad.
Quote from: demjansk1942 on June 24, 2018, 06:48:12 PM
I was playing some of the other railroad games, I am not getting it, takes a lot of time to learn on tycoon 3 and Sid Meier railroad.
Get Railroad Tycoon II instead. Much better game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/503940/Railway_Empire/
Is this still not great?
They are streaming live on Steam now : https://steamcommunity.com/broadcast/watch/76561198048724066
Might give you an idea about the gameplay.
AI still cheats its ass off. I have yet to win a very long game against multiple opponents. Their railroads just ... appear, early, often, and seemingly not needing money to build.
fyi: Railway Empires is currently free on Epic for the next week.
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/railway-empire/home
Nice! Is the game any good now?
No. Like most transport games these days it's more puzzle with trains than logistics sim. I miss the RRT series with the semi-realistic economy.
:'(
Quote from: Sir Slash on September 10, 2020, 02:15:57 PM
Nice! Is the game any good now?
I have been playing it off and on since last year and probably only played through 10% of it. I'm enjoying what I've seen so far. I guess it depends on your expectations.
If they didn't change this you had to achieve objectives in the campaigns. When you didn't succeed in a set time (and sometimes in a very short time) it meant the end of the campaign.
Like Hellfish said this made me feel like I was playing a puzzle against the clock and if you made a mistake early on it was impossible to finish later on.
But if you want to play a more relaxing game there is a free or sandbox mode but then you don't have any real goal.
Adekyn just started a new series. Always liked his previous videos on the game. I had lots of fun with the game and bought some of the dlc's but have not played in a while. Might have to get back into it again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ6CE54AIm4