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From: srt@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.board
Subject: Re: Rail Baron Strategies
Message-ID: <7994@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 11-Dec-85 14:33:47 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.7994
Posted: Wed Dec 11 14:33:47 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Dec-85 06:41:26 EST
References: <308@tekigm2.UUCP>
Reply-To: srt@ucla-cs.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Distribution: net
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 78

In article <308@tekigm2.UUCP> wrd@tekigm2.UUCP (Bill Dippert) writes:
>My favorite railroads for Seattle Rules Railbaron in the order that I
>like to purchase them are:
>
>1 PA
>2 Milw
>3 RF&P
>4 SAL
>5 ATSF
>6 SLSF
>7 WP
>8 NYNHH
>9 B&M
>10 N&W

I'm not sure if this is serious or not.  The PA is reasonable, of course,
but why by the CMSP&P second?  Assuming that you'll eventually build a path
to the LA/SF area (and you'd better, considering the probs), and keeping in
mind that there are three rrs across the top, it doesn't seem reasonable to
buy one so early.  (Of course the CMSP&P does connect to Chicago and the PA,
which is nice.)  Likewise the RF&P is a stupid buy early in the game.  It
isn't likely to be bought, and since you're buying it in order to get a
connection to the SAL/ACL, you ought to buy one of those first!  SLSF is a
worthless railroad.  There are many better buys in the middle of the board,
particularly the CRIP and the CBQ.  The Wuppie is only good if you also
get the DG&RW, so putting just one of the two high in your list is pointless.
Particularly if you've already got the CMSP&P and the ATSF ahead of it.
The NYNHH with the B&M is valuable if you've already got the PA, but hopefully
the NYC player is smart enough to keep you from getting both.  So don't bother
unless you think you can get two buys before he gets his next.  Finally, the
N&W is worthless, considering that there is only a 1.3% chance of going to
Norfolk.

So what are my top ten?  That varies, of course, depending on what has
been bought and what strategy I'm playing, but in general.

(1) PA/NYC/B&O for access to the NE.  As often as the NE comes up, you have
to give yourself some access there.  However, if the PA & NYC are both bought
I'll hold off on buying the B&O since it isn't that great a railroad and
probably won't get bought quickly.

(2) SAL/ACL/L&N/SOU for access to the SE.  Despite the fact that the SE is
the least visited region, I like to have access there simply because being
shut out there can be so much more expensive than being shut out of, say, the
NE.  So that the utility of owning a railroad here and in the NE is about
the same (which is what the Portland Rules people are overlooking).  SE rrs
are also good because they can cut down drastically on your travel times
late in the game.  You can expect to be going in and out of the NE a lot;
its nice to have short routes in and out.

(3) ATSF/SP/Superchief/UP/WP & DGRW.  The ATSF is the prime buy amongst the
$40+ railroads because it removes the need to buy a center railroad as well.
However, it does not give access to the SF area, which can be hazardous.
The SP, on the other hand, gives great access but in a roundabout manner, so
that you'll not often see the SP player paying tolls, but instead being
forced to take round-about routes.  I don't particularly like the UP, so I
favor a Superchief ahead of the UP.  The Superchief multiplies your income
by 1.5 (actually slightly more since you can move in & out of a destination
in one turn, saving on tolls), so if you're average trip is $20K, it pays for
itself in 4 turns, and from then on is making you money.  So I think the
Superchief is a good buy as early as you can afford it; I only buy into the
West before buying the Superchief if I think I'll get shut out otherwise.
Finally, the WP & DGRW combo is the cheap route west, but its hard to get
both halves without sacrificing some early game buys.

(4) CMSP&P/GP/NP.  The route across the top of the board isn't particularly
important unless you have the ATSF and no other way to the West.  If you
get shut out of the 40K railroads you have to buy up here, of course.

(5) CRIP/CBQ/MP etc.  There are any number of good railroads/rr combos in
the middle of the board.   If you already have the ATSF you don't have to
worry about this that much; you should try and get the WP/DGRW to give your-
self a route towards SF.  You should also buy in this area with an eye
towards connecting up your railroads.  The northern railroads (GP,NP) are
particularly worthless if you don't connect to them in the center of the
board.

                                                -- Scott Turner