Can you throw a link in the thread for your Let’s Play?
And how is the keyboard/mouse implementation? I’d prefer it over the console controls but if the design and menus are all centered around console controller I’ll use it.
Haven’t experienced too many issues with the keyboard and mouse controls on PC so far. Can easily do everything I want to do solely with the mouse controls. Game is even fully playable entirely on keyboard should there be any reason for someone to need that capability. Once I memorise the hotkeys mouse and keyboard should be the most efficient, and my preferred, control scheme for desktop play.
Let’s Play - All Aboard Tourism
#1 - Introduction
#2 - Expanding our railroad south-west to Nagashirojo
#3 - There’s no scheduling quite like train scheduling
#4 - We built this city on transit fueled growth
#5 - Strategically using other people’s money to enrich ourselves
#6 - Greasing the wheels of progress
#7 - Steaming to victory
Let’s Play - City of Hopes & Dreams
#1 - A new challenge approaches
#2 - Planting synergistic bonds for the future
Times like these I am glad that I made a handy list of links in the opening post. Here’s the list of thread posts for the Let’s Play of the All Aboard Tourism scenario. Didn’t get that far into the subsequent Let’s Play of the City of Hopes & Dreams scenario though. So, at least it won’t take too long to catch back up to where I was with the second Let’s Play once I get restarted.
Fantastic! Thank you.
That PC version screenshot is almost a provocation.
- posted from my bed, hmpf!
It runs very well on my somewhat crappy laptop, FYI.
Thanks a lot for your detailed answer, Malkael.
To be honest, i took the plunge a month before you posted it, and i’ve been addicted ever since. How can a game be, at the same time, so soothing and so full of interesting complexity ! Currently running through the first scenario after the 2 “tutorials” (the old city that needs reinvigorating) and having tons of fun, even if i don’t understand everything yet. I just love games where your action is indirect ; it’s like offering your tons of virtual people means to thrive, and seeing the result is just great.
I was going to answer sooner but figured I ought to dig into Transport Fever 2 and understand it better before replying. I had been meaning to get around to TF2 for a while now regardless, so it was the perfect excuse. Will be interested to see what Urban Games’ next update for TF2 brings since they are supposed to be touching the tycoon elements, among other things.
I do not know what nebulous factors give a game “Just One More Turn” appeal but A-Train: All Aboard! Tourism has it in spades. Nothing beats the satisfaction of helping to breath new life into an area and seeing it change, whether that be greenfield development or urban redevelopment.
Apologies if this has already been asked but I’m playing through the demo and I’ve hit an instruction I don’t understand. I’ve been asked to change the initial single line track into a double line and it says to delete one track piece and then reconnect using the switch connecting lines option. I can’t see that anywhere. What am I being dumb and missing?
You’re talking about the bit when it asks you to connect to the map edge, right? That option comes up when you build the track up to the edge; it’ll ask if you want the connection to be single or double.
- Delete the piece of railway track that connects to the map border with Hasuoka, as designated by the large yellow arrows.
- Relay the railway track up to the map border with Hasuoka and then hit the confirm button.
- You now have access to the ‘Switch Connecting Line’ option. Select this multiple times to change between the different options available.
I have taken the liberty to included some pictures of the steps mentioned above should you require a visual reference at all. You can find them below:
Ahhhh thank you both! I thought it was talking about the connection into the station! 😳🙄
According to Artdink’s Twitter, the long-awaited Switch update should be deploying sometime next week. So, Switch players can look forwards to getting their hands on many of the PC version’s gameplay improvements very soon.
And finally all caught up with my Switch progress on the PC after completing City of Hopes & Dreams on Standard difficulty. IPOs are not joke when it comes to capital injections, the ol’ bank balance suddenly shot up from 21 billion Japanese Yen to 91 billion Japanese Yen once the process completed. If I hadn’t just completed the last remaining scenario objective I would have had some serious cash to play with.
Would appear there have been some small changes to the scenarios with the PC version in terms of available subsidiary options and such. Thus, back to the drawing board for my Let’s Play of the scenario since I won’t be able to replicate what I was doing whilst playing on the Nintendo Switch. Time to brainstorm up an entirely new plan of action then!
Until then, I shall leave you with two panoramic vistas of the scenario map as it stood at the conclusion of my success. The higher render resolution and extended draw distance of the PC version really paying off for these panoramic screenshots.
Now off to strategise how I can potentially complete the scenario quicker whilst also highlighting all the gameplay elements I wish to discuss.
I wondered about that. Do you think they’re differences between platforms or maybe there are just some variables when a scenario starts?
-Tom
The changes would appear to be consistent platform-related differences upon closer inspection. Higher or lower initial starting funds for many scenarios, adjustments to initial loan interest rates on Standard and Expert difficulty, consistent differences between available subsidiary construction options in scenarios, et cetera.
Curious to see if the platform differences are brought back to parity when the Switch update arrives this week. As that should bring the Switch version into line with the PC version in terms of gameplay features and bug fixes.
The long awaited Nintendo Switch update has been deployed worldwide, so be sure to update your game for new features and bug fixes. It has been given the title Patch v1.1.2, for anyone who wants to be sure they have the correct version. In lieu of English language patch notes at the time of writing (will update if\when provided), I have roughly translated the Japanese language patch notes to give an idea of what Patch v1.1.2 brings:
Patch v1.1.2 Notes
Added features and improvements
- Added the Stop Timer function to Fast Forward mode
- Added the ability to designate departure direction when the ‘Add Transit Settings’ setting is enabled
- The distance and time traveled from the last station to the first station is now displayed
- Whilst in “Operating Schedule”, you can now switch to the next or previous train and automobile using the ZR button / ZL button
- The “Change Formation” and “Copy” functions are now standard functions and not advanced functions (Advanced Settings)
- Tips are now displayed on loading screens
- Added automobile parking lots and bicycle parking lots as a subsidiary type, previously they could only be built as additional facilities to an existing subsidiary
- Changed the Aquarium, Science Museum, and Tower 1 to be tourist attractions
- Relaxed restrictions on the buildings and vehicles that will be available at the start of a scenario
- Subsidiaries and stations will be unlocked sequentially depending on the number of constructions
- Flashing function of the selected sticker in “Vehicle Development”
- Add fine adjustment mode to size, rotation, inclination with L stick button
- Players can now reduce the time required for a Long Press (touch controls) to a minimum of 10%, was previously 50%.
- Added the ability to invert the horizontal camera controls in the game settings
Bug Fixes
- Fixed various bugs and improved performance
An addendum to my previous reply on this subject, after further experimentation with the unlocking of subsidiaries types I believe this to have a meta-progression component to it. On reflection, I constructed a greater number of subsidiaries during my scenario playthroughs on the Nintendo Switch. This consequently meant that I had unlocked more subsidiary types on the Switch version.
Once I constructed more subsidiaries on the PC version I gained access to the subsidiaries types that previously were mysteriously absent for me. This would seem to be validated by the in-game manual’s Hints section under “A Subsidiary/Station I Want to Construct Isn’t On the List”. Although, the manual does seem to be incorrect about constructing multiple of the same building type not contributing to the unlock progress.
Doesn’t explain why there are some differences in the initial starting funds, initial interest rates, and economy level calculations when cross-comparing scenarios on the Switch and PC. But c’est la vie!..
Well I hope you like securities, as we’re diving headfirst deep into the stock market today. Might want to brings some snacks too because it is going to be quite the hefty Let’s Play introduction.
Today’s scheduled train service leaving for City of Hopes & Dreams is about to depart the station. Please ensure you have finished boarding the train and have your tickets ready for inspection by the conductor!
Let’s Play City of Hopes & Dreams - Groundhog day in A-Train: All Aboard! Tourism…
Click to reveal...
At long last, welcome back to A-Train All Aboard! Tourism as we reboot our playthrough of the City of Hopes & Dreams scenario on the PC version. Before diving into today’s business dealings lets take a moment to remember what our scenario goals and starting conditions are. So, without further hesitation, let us get going…
Whilst there are sometimes some minor differences between the Nintendo Switch and PC versions of the game, at the time of writing, everything showcased here should be cross-applicable. One such difference will be the amount of initial starting capital available to us for the scenario, which slightly varies between the Switch and PC versions currently. For the City of Hopes & Dreams scenario the difference in starting capital will be approximately ¥400,000, a minor loss in capital for PC version players.
Thankfully, our goals and deadlines remain exactly the same regardless of which platform we are playing on. Since we successfully dealt with the first completion condition in our Let’s Play of the All Aboard Tourism scenario it needs little introduction. However, the Initial Public Offering completion condition is one which we have yet to encounter and is introduced during the City of Hopes & Dreams scenario. So, time for a little refresher…
Broadly speaking, an IPO (Initial Public Offering) occurs when our private company begins selling our shares on the national public stock exchange. Which can also be referred to as a stock listing, since we will be listing our company on the stock exchange. Conducting an IPO can be an excellent way of unlocking additional capital, since any shares sold to the public during the IPO bolsters our company’s coffers. Listing our company on the stock exchange does come with its own unique risks and potential disadvantages though.
However, before our company can even begin to contemplate conducting an IPO we must first meet several key criteria. The first of those criteria relates to the current total value of our company’s net assets, which must be worth at least ¥9,500,000,000. Thankfully, this is something that we have already achieved. Our second criteria relates to something called Retained Earnings, which we will broach in detail later, and which must be at least ¥1,900,000,000. Finally, our third criteria requires the company to achieve a surplus for at least two consecutive financial years, prior to us instigating the IPO.
Determining our company’s Retained Earnings is as simple as consulting the Balance Sheet screen within the Reports menu. At the beginning of the City of Hopes & Dreams scenario we can see that currently our retained earnings are forecast to be in the negative with a loss of ¥270,180,000. This negative retained earnings value, or retained deficit, is due to the employee bonuses that our company will be paying out on July, 25th and December, 25th of the current fiscal year.
So, what exactly are retained earnings I hear you ask? Well the in-game manual defines it as such:
In layman’s terms, operating at a surplus will improve the value of our retained earnings whilst running at a deficit will worsen it. Thus, the easiest way to ensure that our company’s retained earnings grow year-upon-year is to constantly achieve a profit at the end of each financial year. Also, it’s important to note that any dividend paid out to our shareholders, applicable to Standard difficulty or higher, comes directly out of our retained earnings. Remember this while considering when to begin your IPO, as paying out a dividend will subsequently lower your retained earnings and may bring you back below the required criteria of the IPO plan.
Now with that recap out of the way, let us crack on with the scenario. So, welcome back to the wonderful town of Oma, the epicenter of our fledgling business venture!
First on our agenda today is to visit the bank and have a meeting with Ginjiro Nasu to discuss taking out a business loan. Thanks to our three star trust rating at the beginning of the scenario we are able to take out a loan of up to ¥17,891,930,000, based on the value of our company’s current assets. Which at the current interests rates being offered makes taking out a business loan a very tempting proposition.
After much deliberation we decide to take out a four year business loan with the bank. Since our company aims to conduct an IPO within the time-frame of two to three years, we should easily be able to service this debt when the time comes. In return, the capital injection of ¥17,891,930,000 should allow our company to expand its business ventures quicker.
As a result of our business loan, our company’s total assets have now exceeded a valuation of 60,000,000,000 Japanese Yen. Additionally, our company’s cash in hand has increased from ¥14,843,380,000 to ¥32,699,520,000. Some of this capital we intend to invest into securities, an aspect of the game which we did not explore during our Let’s Play of the All Aboard Tourism scenario.
Thus, let us introduce ourselves to our local, friendly stockbroker Hina Amakusa. With the aid of Miss Amakusa our company will be able to wheel and deal on the Japanese stock market. Listed on the stock market are various companies of differing industry types, such as the construction sector and the service sector. The listed share price of these companies will fluctuate during trading each day and sometimes result in significant peaks and\or troughs across the span of a week, month, or year.
Owning shares in other companies comes with three key perks in A-Train: All Aboard! Tourism. The most significant perk comes in the form of ‘shareholder benefits’, which are given to our company when we hold the requisite amount of shares. You can quickly determine which companies offer a shareholder benefit by looking out for the little star next to the company name. For the City of Hopes & Dreams scenario we need to amass one million shares in a company to be eligible to receive the company’s stated shareholder benefit.
The second perk of owning shares in a company on the stock market is the potential to receive a dividend payout on July, 1st of each year. The dividend yield for each fiscal year depends on the performance of the company, thus the payout can fluctuate from year to year. Poorly performing companies often offer a small, or no, dividend yield on July, 1st. On the other hand, well performing companies will often offer a modest or good dividend yield. Exceptional performance over the financial year will often see companies offering an exceptional dividend yield of 10% or greater, a real treat when it happens.
The third and last perk needs little explaining, if our company buys shares whilst prices are low and then sells them when prices are high we stand to earn a tidy profit from it. The stock market wheeling and dealing we are all familiar with.
However, as outlined by the in-game manual, the maximum number of shares that can be traded per day depends on the stock’s market capitalization value. Consequently, the volume of shares we can buy or sell per day is subject to the liquidity of the company whose shares we are trading. According to the in-game manual, large-cap stocks are restricted to trades of ten million shares, mid-cap stocks are restricted to trades of three million shares, and small-cap stock is limited to trades of one million shares.
Examining the national stock market we fix our eyes upon Holiday In, a small-cap stock whose shareholder benefit is a 5% increase in the number of visiting tourists. Considering one of our goals involves boosting visiting tourist numbers, this perk could synergise quite well. Additionally, our subsidiaries at Iberia Land could profit handsomely from the increased tourist patronage. To acquire the requisite one million share would cost our company a total of ¥2,550,000,000, once Miss Amakusa’s commission fee is factored in.
Knowing that the scenario will take a minimum of two and quarter years to complete and flush with our capital injection from the bank, our company proceeds to acquire the one million shares of Holiday In. Our company expects the initial capital outlay will, at bare minimum, be recouped by the completion of the scenario. Though, the optimists among us are forecasting that the venture should provide a good ROI (Return on Investment) by the conclusion of the scenario.
After concluding our stock trade our company now owns a total of three millions shares across three separate companies. Owning one million shares in Hastings Constructions, Galaxy Oil and Holiday In subsequently provides us with three shareholder benefits. A 5% reduction in construction prices for subsidiaries via Hastings Constructions, a 3% reduction in operating expenses for automobiles via Galaxy Oil, and the aforementioned 5% increase in the number of visiting tourists courtesy of Holiday In.
Next on our agenda is the expansion of our sales department. Enacting this plan will, upon completion, allow our company to work on two projects in parallel. Undertaking this venture will require an outlay of ¥190,000,000 and 20 day’s work. However, this should prove useful in the future due to the number of plans our company is expecting to enact during the scenario.
Once our company’s sales department has been expanded our company intends on enacting the ‘Supplement Staff’ and ‘Seasonal Tour’ plans. The ‘Supplement Staff’ plan has been discussed before and will be enacted to help our company meet its staffing requirements. However, the ‘Seasonal Tour’ plan we have yet to discuss nor utilise. The purpose of this plan is, as the tooltip explains, to boost passenger numbers across the weekends and holidays of the Spring season. It’s commonly beneficial to enact this plan at the beginning of each new season because the benefits to ridership occur for the duration of the Summer, Spring, Winter, or Autumn season.
During the management of our business we may also want to periodically investigate the Fare Increase and Fare Decrease plans. When enacted, these plans increase or decrease the fares of all trains and automobiles by 10%. This can consequently impact the Public Transportation Utilization Rate parameter, which currently sits at 80%, and the public’s perception surrounding our company’s fares, currently seen as expensive.
Essentially, the public transportation utilization rate quantifies how many town residents choose to use public transportation to commute. Thus, the higher the utilization rate the more passengers we can expect to use our company’s transportation services. Conversely, a lower utilization rate often means lower ridership for our company’s transportation services. Town residents instead often choosing to commute by personal automobile where possible.
For the moment, our company plans to keep fares where they are and focus on increasing our potential pool of passengers instead. We can first achieve this by establishing more tourist routes and thereby encouraging more tourists to use our services. Secondly, we can expand the reach of our transportation network to cover more of the scenario map. Through measures such as these we can potentially boost the Public Transportation Utilization Rate parameter to 90% and above despite the public’s current perception of our fares.
With two tourist attractions and two neighbouring cities currently not serviced by our transportation network there should be plenty of room to grow our potential ridership. However, that shall have to be a matter for another day. Sadly, we have reached the conclusion of our first entry in this reboot of Let’s Play City of Hopes and Dreams on the PC version of A-Train All Aboard! Tourism. The company crew dearly hopes you can join us next time as we begin breaking some ground on our business plans for the region.
Until we next meet aboard the A-Train, our conductor Go Ise hopes you have a safe and wonderful journey!
Thanks for this latest installment. I have to admit though the level of minutia you can get into with this one has the same effect on me as Distant Worlds in giving me pause from pulling the trigger because I know it’ll take a good bit of time investment to figure out.
Thus far I watch admiringly on the sidelines impressed by what all you can get up to in both.
I mean, I know this is in the rules and all, but I completely missed that stocks are basically like buying minor perks. It’s not just a way to gamble with your spare cash! I was kind of hoping you were going to break down those inscrutable stock charts. I have no idea what I’m looking at with those crazy charts.
I’m looking forward to seeing how you’re going to get tourists across that mountain range to Sugio Onsen. That’s where I got hopelessly tangled up in this scenario. I ended up with a narrow elevated highway and it takes the crappy buses a full day to reach the destination because they’re so slow and half the trip is uphill. The tourists are not loving it.
-Tom
Those charts are Japanese candlestick charts…
Each chunk of the chart is the stock price information for the week.
• Blue = price dropped in that week
• Red = price went up in that week
• Given the above, the top of a red rectangle and the bottom of a blue rectangle are the closing prices for that week. Likewise, the bottom of a red rectangle and the top of a blue rectangle are the starting prices for the week.
• The thin vertical line in the middle of the rectangle represents the range of prices for that week.
• The gold line I’m not sure of but it looks like a weighted average sort of measure over a number of weeks.