DESCRIPTION

Make tracks and deliver the goods to become a powerful adversary and businessperson in a reincarnation of the classic game, Sid Meier's Railroads! Much like the original, this edition of Sid Meier's Railroads! features the challenge of creating a railroad empire by making something out of nothing during a time period that begins in the early days of steam engines and runs to the modern trains of the 1970s. You begin by selecting one of ten maps in places like England, Germany, and the United States, and then customizing a scenario. Lay tracks to connect cities in the most efficient manner possible, and set stations down in areas that will get the most use. With tracks and stations come the need for trains, and the game offers 30 selections that include the 0-4-0 Planet and the 4-6-6-4 Challenger. If these aren't to your liking, create your own in the game's "LocoBuilder."

Your main profit maker in the beginning is the transportation of people and mail, but as time goes on and 30 different types of industries sprout up, you can choose to haul over 20 goods to their destinations in factories, markets, lumber mills, and more. During all this growth you should keep an eye on your competitors and the market, to make sure your stock price doesn't drop low enough to become purchasable by rivals. However, keep in mind that when opposing players lose stock value, you can buy them out and inherit their tracks, stations, trains, and industries as well. As your empire grows, the need to split your tracks will arise, and if you don't want delays caused by waiting trains, you should make this a common practice. The winner is the transport baron with the most stock at the end of the game. Multiplayer action is available over a LAN or through the Internet, in the form of cooperative or competitive play. ~ Gracie Leach, All Game Guide