
Rails West! Simulation Game Short Rules
---------------------------------------

Docs Written by: The Kid
Edited by: Wile Coyote

Note:  These are the "Short Rules" provided by Strategic Simulations. It
is the bare bones necessary to play the game.  To really understand  the
game  and  get  some hints about strategy you will need the longer docs.
These will be provided in a separate file. 

(A color monitor is highly advisable.)

Number of Players: 1-8, up to 4 can be controlled by the computer

Length of Game: Long Scenario lasts 31 turns (1870-1900) Short  Scenario
lasts either 6 turns (1890-95) or 11 (1890-1900)

Object  of  Game:  Accumulate cash, stocks, and bonds and control viable
transcontinental railroads. A transcontinental runs between one or  more
of  he  western  terminals  (Seattle,  Portland,  San  Francisco, LA, or
Mojave) and one or more eastern terminal (St. L MISSING TEXT

The Map: There are 33  cities  connected  by  68  potential/actual  rail
lines.  Potential  lines  are  white.  Other colors represent efficiency
levels. Violet=low, Orange=medium, Green=high. 

Phases of a Turn
-----------------

1) Operations: Various economic indicators are calculated at this point.
Interest on call loans is collected, bad call  loans  are  called,  some
randomly  selected  call  loans  are  called  and companies are declared
bankrupt as necessary. Action points are deter

2) Computer/Player Phase: With difficulty set at 1 or  2,  the  computer
goes  first. Difficulty set at 3, first move is randomly selected and on
difficulty 4 the player(s) go first. 

3) Computer Action Phase: Computer-run player moves  displayed,  hitting
SPACE BAR will pause it (slight delay in reacting to it). 

Player Action Phase
-------------------

There  are  two menus (Player Action Menu and RR ACTION Menu, reached by
selecting RR ACTION). Most actions cost 1  action  point.  Free  actions
are:  Read  Map,  Read  Account,  RR Statistics, and Read Account (on RR
ACTION menu). A bankrupt player or one with no

Player Actions
--------------

BUY/SELL SECURITIES: Made in  blocks  of  1000  shares  or  bonds.   Any
purchase  or  sale  results  in the shock price being recalculated, bond
prices are not affected. 

SELL STOCK: The public never buys stock at less than 3 and buys only  as
much as it already owns, a minimum of 1000-4000 shares. 

BUY  STOCK: A player must buy with cash. The public never offers all its
stock, it offers fewer (Minimum: 1000 shares) higher priced  shares  and
more lower priced shares. 

SELL BONDS: The public won't buy bonds selling for less than 101. 

APPLY  FOR  LOAN:  The  maximum  loan  equals  the net worth in cash and
securities minus previous loans. 

START NEW RAILROAD: If less than 20 exist, players may start  a  new  RR
corporation, acquiring control and 100,000 shares of stock for a minimum
payment  of  $300,000. The new RR must charter a line during the turn or
be eliminated. 

READ ACCOUNT: Your cash balance,  call  loans,  numbers  of  stocks  and
bonds. 

CONTROL  RAILROAD:  Player  must own at least 10% of the RR's shares and
more than any other player trying to gain control. 

RECALL RR LOAN: Player recalls all or part of any loan. To repay, the RR
must have the cash and not owe interest on its bonds. 

REPAY LOAN: Obvious
READ MAP:     " "
RR STATISTICS:" "

RR ACTION: Can only be taken for a RR you control. 

Railroad Actions
----------------

SELL/BUY STOCKS/BONDS:  Same as for Player companies except:   1)  A  RR
may  buy/sell from player's company or the market, 2) the cash a RR gets
goes to paying off call loans,  and  3)  RRs  are  not  allowed  to  own
securities from other RRs. 

REPAY  BANK  LOAN:  Repays  call loans that result from building or from
raising efficiency. 

RESIGN CONTROL: Do so to save action points. 

READ ACCOUNT: See how much cash the RR has, how much  it  owes  in  call
loans,  how  many unissued stocks and bonds it has.  Bankruptcy is shown
in negative bank balances. 

CHARTER LINE: A RR must charter (cost: $300,000) a line  segment  before
it can build on it. May only have one unfinished line at a time. The new
line  must  connect  to  an  existing  one,  if  one  exists. It must be
completed within a time limit (with exceptions)

RAISE EFFICIENCY: The RR does not need cash but must not be bankrupt  or
owe  bond interest to do this. The new color is drawn, several financial
operations occur. 

BUILD NEW LINES: RR must have an uncompleted chartered line and can only
do this once per turn on any line. Do not need  cash  but  must  not  be
bankrupt  or  owe  bond interest. Cost is based on economic"level with a
premium for more than 15 dots (and a maximum

CHANGE DIVIDEND: Set rate between 0 and 25. 

PAY INTEREST: If the RR passed up  paying  its  bond  interest  at  some
point,  it  may  pay  1 year's back interest. May be performed more than
once (to pay off older interest). Must have enough cash. 

FLOAT SECURITIES: RR may float its own securities through an  investment
banker. The banker may offer free stock to encourage purchases. Banker's
charge=10%.  These  bonds  are  not subject to the same market forces as
stocks. 

MERGE: One corporation joins with another.  Requires  3  action  points.
Various conditions exist for mergers. 

- End of Short Rules -






























































