Post by wildgoosespeeder on Jun 12, 2011 14:15:54 GMT -6
The basic idea behind the game is to transport cargo and passengers from one place to another place that needs them. In order to do that, the game gets very complicated. It's a lot to take in but it's very good once you get the idea of what you are doing. Trains are in this game and all I can say is I'm looking at trains in a different way now than when I used to growing up with a father who loves model and real life trains. It takes on a similar interface from RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 so it's easier to just jump right in. The interface is a bit too organized. I preferred the "spread-out" interface of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. I suggest going through the tutorial modes first before attempting anything. Many people prefer Transport Tycoon over Chris Sawyer's Locomotion. It's the reverse for me. I tried Transport Tycoon Deluxe (PC port from the MS-DOS version) and that interface seems confusing. RollerCoaster Tycoon's interface is a little bit less impressive than RollerCoaster Tycoon 2's but Transport Tycoon's interface is worse than RollerCoaster Tycoon's. It isn't a bad interface, especially for its time, it's just Chris Sawyer's Locomotion did it a little bit more justice to it but isn't perfect.
I haven't completed this game yet but I can say this game can have some very challenging building challenges. Not only is building on slopes and mountains awkward which is OK considering that's where the challenge comes from, it can really drain your funds. To make it even more challenging, some train engines could have trouble climbing the slopes especially with heavy cargo because their horsepower isn't very good. Sure you can add more train engines or replace it with a newer more powerful model to the train but this game really forces you to think which is a good thing which I don't see in a lot of games today.
I love the feeling of stealing business from a competitor and so does the AI-controlled competitor companies. In one scenario I played, a competitor kept trying to build stations next to my stations because she was so competitive. Then I ended up doing the same to her. She was always in 2nd and then because I was expanding so much, she gave up and became and remained in 3rd. Another case someone was stealing my cargo at a sawmill causing one of my trains to lose money! So I had to get more lumber from somewhere else to make up for the demand. Overall depending on who enters the scenario, the competition can get ruthless so you better adapt fast!
All I can say is this game is an underrated good game. Sure there are flaws in this game but people nit-pick games and don't want to remember the good overall experiences of the game.
Full review here.
