Anybody play with multiple companies?

[BBGunn]

I'm just wondering if anyone uses multiple companies in their Simutrans games.  I always thought it would be realistic to have multiple transportation companies on a map - competing bus services, for example, or perhaps two or three train companies and two or three different bus companies, etc.
I tried that before, but I found that it is a pain to keep switching back and forth between companies in order to upgrade and adjust lines, etc., not to mention trying to make sure that networks connect so that passengers can go from one to the other.
Ideally, using the AI as the other companies would solve some of those problems.  But I'm a bit concerned that the AI would "screw up" the map like it did in Transport Tycoon.  In that game, the AI would make these ugly, squiggling tracks around the map with no concern whatsoever for the landscape or reality.  I've never tried playing along with the AI in Simutrans, because of this concern, but I wonder if it would be the same.

[Junna]

Yeah, the AI is terrible and useless. Don't use it. I don't think it has been touched for years and it's very basic and can hardly build a system of basic bus lines even. It constantly gets itself into trouble and gets stuff stuck.

[Isaac Eiland-Hall]

I always keep up the player list when I play - right-click on the titlebar to roll it up, click to get it again. hehe.

I tend to make regional service companies - either for "countries" (I have public service create walls for the borders - and have a public transfer station for each road connection for buses) or for whatever regions I split up the map into... and usually have freight companies to deal just with freight.

It makes the game more enjoyable for me that way

[An_dz]

Hear Junna, I think the AI code was touched only to keep working but nothing more. I think someone else is working on a new AI but this will take long time.

@Isaac
Is it Simutrans or Civilization?

And by the way, in pak96.comic Shift+P changes player, maybe other paks have one shortcut too. It saves a lot of time.

[Isaac Eiland-Hall]

Oh, I keep hoping for more SimCity-type functionality. hehe

[BBGunn]

I always keep up the player list when I play - right-click on the titlebar to roll it up, click to get it again. hehe.

I tend to make regional service companies - either for "countries" (I have public service create walls for the borders - and have a public transfer station for each road connection for buses) or for whatever regions I split up the map into... and usually have freight companies to deal just with freight.

It makes the game more enjoyable for me that way

This is a pretty good idea and something worth trying.  Thanks!

[Ters]

I'm not yet fully accustomed to there being multiple companies operating trains and buses in real life, and I don't deal much with planes and boats.

[to_carry_the_heavy_load]

Yes! I do this all the time and also wondered if other people enjoyed this style of play.

Usually I make a point of it to heavily develop the industry in all my maps. Typically, I will choose one company per industry, one for public transport, and one for mail (oh, and the public player of course!). Sometimes I will play with a "Goods" company that mainly focuses on crated goods shipped to final destinations. I like to give my companies slightly sarcastic names as well, for instance, I typically call my oil company OPEC and set the livery to gold and black.

I find this style to be advantageous for several reasons

1. It helps keep your book keeping organized. It just serves as one more layer that the game can be divided and managed from.

2. It keeps it a bit more realistic. Would one company really transport all the oil, furniture, and passengers for a whole city? And would they all share their profits?

3. You can become a lot more detailed with track. Perhaps mainlines and siding are public track, but within yards, companies own their own tracks and stations

4. Speaking of stations, keeping loading bays at stations flowing is much easier when specific bays for different companies (separate for delivering and shipping)

5. Instead of just one livery, you can choose as many liveries as countries! Your map will be more colorful!

[wlindley]

Yes, I like starting with the "Great Eastern Canal Company" and "Hobson's Stage Line" and proceeding in a somewhat realistic overlapping-territory manner.

We can already give permissions on a per-company basis, but that lets the other company use all our stations; should there be an extension request for ability to give permission on a per-station basis? "Give X, Y, and Z permission to use Queensferry Docks."

[Antonin]

I never use multiple companies. Maybe that is not realistic, but I love to have my own little transport world to play in.