You can't actually lose at this game

byjimini · 12-26-2010, 03:41 AM

Anyone notice how the computer players never buy you out? That means you can sell your company for early funds and get a nice headstart.

In fact, if you're not bothered about the targets set for each era and deem success as buying out the other companies, you don't actually need to have a railway company at all; I had a few goes at being an investor. I sold all but 10% of my company and bought a stake in each of my rivals, then spent the rest buying up steel mills and anything that required steel (this was on the England map). I'd just look for a place that had ore nearby and a steel factory in a settlement, and start the auction. The computer was too busy laying railroads to bother competing, since they didn't have much cash at that stage.

So then you just sit back and let the computer do the work for you, creaming off the profits and using that to buy stakes in other companies. You don't need to compete for patents this way, which saves money, and if you need cash to buy an industry, you just sell a stake in a company which'll likely have risen since you bought it.

A very boring way to play, mind, but it's perfectly possible and feasible to sit back and let the computer do the work, then buy them out and win the game, without ever laying a piece of track.

slik1000 · 03-10-2011, 03:32 AM

On the harder difficulties the AI players get very aggressive about buying up your company.

I always wondered if you could play it as a pure investor though. I might give it a go now.

Staemon · 03-14-2011, 09:43 AM

I was playing it on the Mogul difficulty and kept getting bought out by the 1 AI player. But on lower difficulties it's pretty hard to lose, yeah.

12-26-2010, 03:41 AM	#1
byjimini Join Date: Dec 2010 Reputation: 3 Posts: 6	You can't actually lose at this game Anyone notice how the computer players never buy you out? That means you can sell your company for early funds and get a nice headstart. In fact, if you're not bothered about the targets set for each era and deem success as buying out the other companies, you don't actually need to have a railway company at all; I had a few goes at being an investor. I sold all but 10% of my company and bought a stake in each of my rivals, then spent the rest buying up steel mills and anything that required steel (this was on the England map). I'd just look for a place that had ore nearby and a steel factory in a settlement, and start the auction. The computer was too busy laying railroads to bother competing, since they didn't have much cash at that stage. So then you just sit back and let the computer do the work for you, creaming off the profits and using that to buy stakes in other companies. You don't need to compete for patents this way, which saves money, and if you need cash to buy an industry, you just sell a stake in a company which'll likely have risen since you bought it. A very boring way to play, mind, but it's perfectly possible and feasible to sit back and let the computer do the work, then buy them out and win the game, without ever laying a piece of track.

03-14-2011, 09:43 AM	#3
Staemon Join Date: Dec 2010 Reputation: 148 Posts: 240	I was playing it on the Mogul difficulty and kept getting bought out by the 1 AI player. But on lower difficulties it's pretty hard to lose, yeah. Last edited by Staemon: 03-14-2011 at 09:52 AM.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

03-10-2011, 03:32 AM	#2
slik1000 Join Date: Feb 2009 Reputation: 0 Posts: 26	On the harder difficulties the AI players get very aggressive about buying up your company. I always wondered if you could play it as a pure investor though. I might give it a go now.