Rails Across America

List Price: $19.95 Discount Price: $2.20

Features:

• Game of railroad empires in North America
• Hundreds of routes and thousands of engines
• 58 different engines and cars
• Intelligent AI modeled after 8 real world rail barons
• For 1 to 8 players using LAN or Internet connection

Accessories:
PC Gamer (1-year)	Games for Windows: The Official Magazine

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Railroad Strategy (not Trains) for a version 1 [Posted on 2002-01-28]
This excellent game fills a niche that has long been missing in computer railroad games. The game positions the player as the President of the Railroad who must make policy, strategy, and management decisions for an expanding railroad system. It is at the opposite end of the spectrum from MS Train Simulator. The decisions that must be made for the owner's railroad are many and keep the player busy if they want a "good" railroad.

Other reviews have stated the graphics are crude, but the President of a railroad company isn't interested in fancy looking reports. The MAP of the system and other graphics for game control are more than sufficient. Traffic control is at a higher level and hence much more realistic than Railroad Tycoon (II) is. A company president would never worry about the routing of an individual train. Better graphics would add nothing to the game.

Other reviewers have indicated that the "board" is the same every time. This is not true. The cities are always in the same place, but the cargo and passenger connection requirements are different. For example in one game Washington DC. might need 500 passenger cars to NY. The next game there might not be any passengers from DC to NY at all.

My main criticism of the game is that the default "normal" game is too easy. This is why some reviewers have CLAIMED to master the game in a short time. In my opinion, to make a challenging "normal" game there should be at least five (5) other players, the players starting position should be set to "random", and the "attacks" should be set to "rare" instead of "never". One can never claim to have mastered this game until they get a gold, not just first place, in each of the scenario options. There are other minor problems with the game but do not distract from the total effect.

If you get this game be certain to get the on-line upgrade that fixes some bugs and most importantly adds a "Hall of Fame" so that one can rank themselves one game to the next.

In short an excellent game for simulating railroad management that still has room for improvement (Can't wait for version II). Highly recommended for railroad people. Straight gamers might need to learn something about railroads to fully appreciate it. This review is written with about 40 games played in one month of ownership.

Save your $$ and get Railroad Tycoon [Posted on 2002-02-22]
This game is fun, a bit confusing at first but it's eassy after you get the hang of it. The AI's are a good challenge, but the teadious task of upgrading trains every some odd yours is a real pain. If you own 50 tracks for say, you have to go through EVERY one of those tracks to updeate the type of train it uses. FOR ANNOYING and not worth the time. I got bored of the game after 2 sessions!!!

Rails Across America [Posted on 2003-10-21]
It's a really cool game...you get to destroy other railroad companies..but be careful that you don't go bankrupt; that's really bad and all. I recommend this game because you can go back in history.

A simulation strategy which exceeds expectations [Posted on 2007-04-01]
Rails Across America has more options than most other simutation games. There is a geat deal of subtle characteristics of the 'personalities' of the various railroad tycoons, the traffic changes of freight between resource and destination, and the fluctuation of passenger traffic that imitates the historical rail traffic. These subleties show me that the simulation is highly sophisticated.
I was able to complete all of the scenarios without modifying the default settings at all. The scenarios were challenging but not impossible.
I have much experience with strategy simulation genre games and I was hooked on this game for hours at a time. I would definitely reccomend Rails Across America to my family and friends.

Enjoyable Alternative To Other Railroad Games [Posted on 2007-12-29]
Rails Across America is a Railroad mogul-style simulation game that plays like a cross between a table-top game and computer game. It is not for the graphics-hungry or "lets make it look really pretty" crowd (for that, you should try Railraod Tycoon or any of the other wonderful products in the genre; they just don't play as well or as fun as this title), but for those whose primary aim is a seriously good, solid strategy game. If you can get your head around the notion that a solid strategy game need not have cutting edge graphics (especially for a simulation/strategy game), then Rails Across America is well worth the investment.

This game's best features are its detailed accounting of rail lines and traffic, its ability to keep track of cargo & finances, the choices allowed to the player for engines and management, and its "wheel and deal" design so that you pave your own way to success or failure.

A few "random" elements (the cards system, for one) keeps the game competitive.

The object of the game, of course, is to strike it rich while leading your railroad company to success. There are various objectives to reach -- but which ones to reach and how to reach them is up to you. Difficulty levels will keep you on your toes.

Why the Four Stars? 1) If the company had invested a little more time in the graphics, I think it would have been an even better game all around, *visually*. 2) There are elements of the game that can be rather fast paced, and keeping up with everything takes a good deal of management of the screens. If you're looking for a micromanagement game, then 5 stars for this!

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