Metroland

[haverfordwest]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1967200/Metroland/

Mike.

[SurvivorSean]

Hmmm. They are up against lots of competition that have some pretty good video packages. I'm all for the smaller companies and I don't expect great music or cinematics. But what they've shown isn't really selling me on it.

Thanks for sharing though.

Thanks

Sean

[seagoon]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1967200/Metroland/

Mike.

Thanks again, dear.

[haverfordwest]

For me boys, it's just another business\build railways game.

Not a great deal of appeal. Bit like Transport Fever 2, i just build the railway and run the trains.

No interest in the business part of the game.

Mike.

[haverfordwest]

Thanks again, dear.

My pleasure sweetheart

Mike.

[SurvivorSean]

I can't speak for TF2 but I have TF and it's uninstalled. The biggest issue I have with building games isn't the building process it's the micromanaging that is required to keep things moving when things get bigger.

I have no issue with multitasking if I have the time. It's nice that trains can do their own thing I'm fine with that. But I've always wanted more realistic operations in between and not have trains starting at each other because an AI dispatcher screwed up. That's not a knock to Run8 either because I can handle the occasional screw up (it just needs to improve and it will). But in the build games there IS no inteligence when it comes to cornfield meets. Having faster services overtake slower services (something I've seen Run8 actually do).

Would love to see one of these builder games become more of a simulator. Railroads Online had a good concept but too small to really take advantage of it. I'd rather play something like Railroader that has operations built in if I'm going to go small where my daily duties are both routine but also dynamic enough to change.

Thanks

Sean

[haverfordwest]

Yeah micromanagement in building games, is a real pain in the rear.

I enjoy all the track laying and getting the trains running. But then after a day or two, boredom sets in and it all gets deleted.

It's an age and illness thing and it is never going to get better. Never been a breadhead, so that side of the game is of no interest to me.

Mike.

[SurvivorSean]

I think the key there is to be able to expand your empire to make it continue to be interesting. If the AI is inteligent enough to have managers under you to manage the train movements and the goals you set while working on the tasks and building that you like then I see the benefit of it.

I would personally like to see a building game accomplish that and have a map that is 1:1 scale. The AI has to be smart enough not only to continue to operate and collect the income but run at faster than normal rates of time so that development doesn't take years but days or weeks in real time.

I thought the game engine of Transport Fever was good enough with the 3D views. Running a railroad while looking at smaller charts of the operation, approving budgets, setting goals for your AI managers to accomplish etc. would be kind of cool.

The problem with bigger maps is the amount of assets needed. This is why you don't see very many big maps by the bigger software houses. They push out what they can as fast as they can to turn over a new DLC and version. The same people go out and jump to purchase the next great thing. But it's really quantity over quality.

Thanks

Sean

[haverfordwest]

Expanding empire, making money, running a business. Just doesn't appeal to me Sean. Never even created, road, sea or airline routes in the game, just the railways.

Mike.

[seagoon]

Expanding empire, making money, running a business.....

I left all that behind when I retired and I have no interest whatsoever in doing it for fun.
Business management in games leaves me cold.

[NorthernWarrior]

Really the old Transport Tycoon and Railroad Tycoon games couldn't be beaten. However in some respects they were still a substitute for the driving games that we eventually got (flawed as they all may be) and there is little reason to go back to the grind of starting with a small engine and a few coaches or wagons slowly and painfully scratting together enough coin to buy a few more sections of track.

[haverfordwest]

I left all that behind when I retired and I have no interest whatsoever in doing it for fun.
Business management in games leaves me cold.

Same here Bruce, no interest in being a capitalist or pretend one.

Mike.

[haverfordwest]

Really the old Transport Tycoon and Railroad Tycoon games couldn't be beaten. However in some respects they were still a substitute for the driving games that we eventually got (flawed as they all may be) and there is little reason to go back to the grind of starting with a small engine and a few coaches or wagons slowly and painfully scratting together enough coin to buy a few more sections of track.

They only interest me in sandbox mode Vern. And then for only a short attention span.

Mike.

[NorthernWarrior]

They only interest me in sandbox mode Vern. And then for only a short attention span.

Mike.

Same here. First time I saw Transport Tycoon back in 95 or thereabouts I couldn’t wait to play and it consumed hours of my life. As did RRT2. But every time I try and pick up a strategy game now - TF2 being the latest - I really can’t be bothered.

[haverfordwest]

Exactly the same here with TT and RRT2, Vern. I also used to love the real time strategy games like Command and Conquer, Red Alert and Age Of Empires and all the other similar RTS games. Now i wouldn't even think about buying one. Had the demo of Company Of Heroes 3 on Steam a while back. Didn't do much for me and i did enjoy the first ones on release.

Mike.