Recent reviews by ajax_post

This game is dangerous!

The developers have really taken advantage of spending time in Early Access and been quick to respond to player feedback and have made significant improvements to the game since first release. They have created a game that's not just a solid 'management tycoon' but is, most importantly, great fun. On the surface it looks easy to play (creating your first airport is very straightforward) but underneath there is a vast array of calculations and decisions being made that offer a genuine challenge.

What makes the game particularly impressive is that pretty much all the information you need is provided in a plethora of tables, graphs and overlays. Want to know how the airlines feel about your fuel prices? Check the satisfaction ratings. Want to see where you passengers are going? Click on any sim and see their real-time desires, or check the global satisfaction graphs. Why are flights half-empty? Maybe your bus schedule can't cope with the numbers.

TL:DR Looks good, deceptively simple to play but managing all the demands of passengers and airlines becomes increasingly challenging and the temptation to tinker and build is irresistible. A very rewarding time-sink.

I've been playing this for months and really enjoying it.

It already has a good foundation for a top quality strategic business simulator and putting the focus on the history of personal computing was genius. As someone with a passing acquaintance with the IT biz it's fun just to be reminded of all the development steps made to get to the technology we have now. The game does this by a logical, and historically accurate, R&D system that includes some nice touches of humour in what could have been a 'Capitalism' dry process.

It is also very easy to play, although you really should heed the advice in the 'Tutorial' pages that come up when you start the game, they explain several of the key mechanics which can make it very difficult to succeed if ignored!

However, as an Early Access title, although the mechanics are basically sound the UI does not yet give you enough detailed feedback on exactly why certain things work or not. For example, it would be good to have better competitive information in terms of both comparative products and also individual market response to your products, pricing, and advertising. You can kind of get by without this detail but it does need improvement and is, indeed, in the detailed roadmap that the developer has provided.

Likewise, while the R&D system is fun and quirky, it is sometimes difficult to visualise how or why you would pursue a certain development strategy. In the real world your R&D team might just be 'making it better/faster/prettier' but sometimes you will have a goal, like say "Colour Screens!!". At the moment, unless you happen to know that technology A plus Tech B leads to Tech C which was the prototype for Tech D, it's not easy to steer R&D in specific directions. Again, this is addressed in the roadmap which indicates that a more elegant Research Tree model will be used which should make decision making more focused.

There are a variety of minor UI issues, spelling errors, awkward selection dialogs and the like but I have found only one functional bug, which is easy enough to work around, and no fatal or crash to desktop bugs.

At the moment the game is clearly unfinished but what is provided all works and the foundations of a really challenging and entertaining tycoon strategy game are all in place and I eagerly await the next updates.


TL:DR
Fun and easy to play computer tech tycoon game that has great promise, just be sure to read the tutorial notes! :)

This is a great game.

But...

• it is not Railroad Tycoon
  
• it is not Transport Tycoon
  
• it is not Cities in Motion
  
• it is not Train Simulator nor Trainz

And y'know what, I'm happy with that! It's not a traditional tycoon game, it's not a simulator, it is a transport builder ... a good one!

Not being a 'tycoon' game there are no competitors to face down or fight with for resources, nor are you planning detailed itineraries nor driving your vehicles. If that is what you want, if that is what you need then this game is probably not for you. But. If you love creating routes to fulfil your game-world's needs, finding novel new ways to get wood delivered to a sawmill and get those planks to the tool shop in the right quantities to combine with the steel created from the coal and ore you've delivered to the steel mill ... all to meet the demand of a growing population of workers who need transport to get from home to work (and back again). If you love designing, creating, tinkering, seeing a world come to life then this game will be right up your street!

If you didn't play Train Fever (the developer's previous title), be aware that there is a bit of a learning curve, especially if you are familiar with those other tycoon games, the way supply and demand works is different; I'd say more "realistic". You will need to plan routes very carefully and make use of the signals and waypoints that are available. Thankfully, unlike Train Fever, there is something of a tutorial and a couple of "campaigns" that do a reasonable job of introducing the basic concepts.

If you did play Train Fever and gave up in frustration, you will (hopefully) be pleased to hear that they have fixed a lot of the issues in that game. Terrain alignment problems are significantly reduced, track laying is much, much, better and so much more flexible (double slip switches anyone?). Likewise, routing is a lot better; with platform selection and even waypoints on roads! Vehicle upgrading/replacing is also much simpler now and requires a lot less micro-managing.

If you played and enjoyed Train Fever, then Transport Fever will give you more with bigger and more challenging maps - you will need to organise and manage your cargo routes very carefully end-to-end. It is also really reassuring that the developers are still engaged with the player community and continue to work on improving it, both in terms of performance as well as playability and features. That said, while the addition of boats and planes does provide more options for your transport network, they are still more often than not going to be fun eye-candy rather than core components in your grand scheme.

While I am more than happy to play a "builder", for me there is one feature that I do miss ... disasters! I loved the fact that trains could crash or bridges collapse in Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon. Having to deal with a failure to properly signal my lines or maintain those old wooden bridges would make me very happy indeed. Losing money or failing to meet demand is one thing but having my favourite loco fall into the rushing river waters - that would be a cool challenge!

To be fair, and highlight some of the deficiencies of the game:

• Performance can be an issue (but then, mapping thousands of 'sims' and hundreds of vehicles, over large custom maps is never going to be easy)
  
• There are still too many terrain issues such as "too much slope" or "terrain collision" where you really wouldn't expect them
  
• The number of included vehicle assets is not particularly impressive (but there is a very lively and creative modding community that more than covers this deficiency)
  
• Some of the game mechanics or logic can be difficult to determine - why aren't people using my train, how can I meet the demand for tools to keep the coal mine operational?

Keep in mind that Transport Fever is not a Transport Tycoon, it is not a Transport Simulator, it is a Transport BUILDER and I think you will come to love this game as much as I do. Just be warned that it keeps a lot of it's logic and options hidden from plain sight so be sure to check out the community guides, forums, Lets Plays and the like to uncover all it's secrets.