A-train: from A-III to A-7/A-8

[Guest ___]

Djeez you're demanding.. Just the Japanese girlfriend would be enough for me ;)

 

 

On the other hand, girlfriends cost a lot of money.. Money better spent on trains  ;D

 

Good point, but I'm 34 and really like to get some of the fringe benefits of having that gf. Though I do like the trains too. Don't make me choose damnit.

 

Obsolete post now :P

[deltic45]

I have just bought A train 8 for the PC. It is available in UK. Doesnt want to launch in Windows 7 tho  

[disturbman]

Very simple, you have to update something like the security key checker. Just make a simple goodle search and you will find the answer to your problem. I did it but I don't remember.

[deltic45]

Never had this problem before but, as you say it was the key checker. Thanks. Now I just have to learn the game  :BangHead:

[disturbman]

You will see, it's a very easy game to grasp. One quick advice, you can build the material storages undeground. It's very helpfull to save some ground space. But you will have to carefull, you can't have too much height difference between the unloading area and the storage area or between the storage and building area. More than one floor and it doesn't work.

[Kabutoni]

I've had A-Train (3) from Maxis *MAXIS! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!11* on the Apple-Macintosh (3 floppy-disks), but never understood how stock-markets and such worked. Then again, I was about 12 or so back then.

 

A bit back last year I received A-Train 6 for the PS2. It's a nice game, though I got very frustrated by the gameplay and quit. It's just very annoying when you can't work quickly without a mouse and keyboard and have to do every damn action with a console-pad. Good thing is that you could work on different levels, rather then only the ground level as in A-Train 3.

 

Also, please note that there is an open-source version of A-Train available!

 

http://freetrain.sourceforge.net/

 

Haven't tried it on the mac, as there is too much hassle with compiling stuff I don't grasp.

 

EDIT: I see StevenH has already posted this link... RFTTP... *read first, think, then post*

[Harold]

Hi all

 

for what it's worth here's a couple of A-Train links aimed at English language fans:

 

http://www.a-train9.com/blog/

 

http://www.a-train9.com/

[Guest ___]

I actually managed to snag a copy of A6 for the PS2, but it won't play, oh well...

[keitaro]

basically the same as transport tycoon they are all the same just revised engine

 

so the 8 does it exist and work on english pc's i have found japanese programs regardless of having the jap lang pack installed always fail to work or show wrong characters.

[Harold]

basically the same as transport tycoon they are all the same just revised engine

 

so the 8 does it exist and work on english pc's i have found japanese programs regardless of having the jap lang pack installed always fail to work or show wrong characters.

 

The A-Train series does share some similarities with the TT games, and it looks like it might be just like Sid Meyer's RR or Sim City, but in fact it plays somewhat differently and is distinctly Japanese.

 

You can choose from over 200 authentic Japanese trains - each one has it's own features, running cost, speed, etc. You don't compete with rival companies in A-Train, it's just your own business and you don't necessarily have to aim to build a Metropolis, either. Part of the beauty of the game is the relaxed pace (you don't contend with unexpexcted disasters as with SimCity) and ability to build the type of environment that YOU want - whether it's a big city or rural countryside with smaller, local stations. Alot of players don't bother with the scenarios at all, instead they use the game like a sort of digital N-Gauge model set. They'll construct their ideal landscape in the editor then set the trains on it - their are lot's of videos of their creations on YouTube...

 

They designed the game play around the Japanese railway conglomerate business model: After the Japanese railway was privatised, the government put strict caps on how much money the numerous new operators could make from their train services. This prompted a diversifying of the businesses into other areas to supplement the rail expansion like hotels, entertainments, housing and suchlike. Some of the train companies became powerful conglomerates. In a few cases whole new towns grew up around a particular station with the rail company controling many local services and housing. In a way they created their own captive market.

 

Furthermore it 'simulates' the famed Japanese rail punctuality. Micromanaging scheduals is part of the gameplay, as is investing in other areas to fund your rail expansion. You're meant to spend time studying the schedual, looking for a gap to squeeze in your new Shinkansen. A delay for one train might cascade the delay down through the schedual meaning trains miss the optimum time of passenger travel.

 

A-Train 8 for PC is easily available in the West - and it's in English! A-TrainHX for the Xbox is virtually the same game with different maps. A9 is still only in Japanese which is a sham as it improves upon the previous game in many areas and looks really good.

 

A-Train 6 is also in English and is available for PS2.

[Harold]

For anyone interested in the new(ish) A9 game here's a short video looking at one of the improved features of the game:

 

[keitaro]

fyi a train 6 or 7 can't remmeber now just came out on ps3 store online in aus i guess same for other countries