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Perhaps reducing the amount of supply that rail provides might work? I'd be reluctant to suggest such a thing normally, but it does seem once you've got a railroad up, supply issues are mostly over, at least on smaller planets.

My other suggestion would be to make rail require the use of metal to build. This would drastically increase the cost of building a rail supply system, perhaps prohibitively so on metal scarce planets. I certainly wouldn't object. My one main gripe with the game so far is that I feel that resources are still a bit too plentiful and that I want to feel a bit more, I dunno, like I'm needing to fight over them more. I found Distant Worlds was at it's best when resources were something you really had to fight over (I have yet to play this game past Regular difficulty and not sure whether the AI will press you in more on the higher settings, which might be what I'm after in that last respect.)

Here's another thought-

How about if rail provides lossless logistics between cities, but no supply at all along the rail lines.

This would also give another incentive to build cities.

I don't like the idea of nerfing the carry capacity of rail as you definitely need that distance on larger planets otherwise you'd be micro-managing different SHQ's.

As Willgamer suggests, I personally would prefer rail to not supply units and to only provide LIS to rail stations in cities. Would also provide more incentive then to use sealed roads.

ORIGINAL: willgamer

Here's another thought-

How about if rail provides lossless logistics between cities, but no supply at all along the rail lines.

This would also give another incentive to build cities.

This sounds like a good idea to me. Long distance hauling is what trains excel in, and it would add a layering of supply which incentivizes railyards, cities/hubs and a combination of road and rail. It would also make administering a larger empire somewhat easier cause your supply would remain lossless longer.

Now that i'm typing it.. kinda reminds me of the railbarons in the old west laying track through America

I think I'd prefer an increasing size penalty for the output of large rail systems in much the same way the player is slowly and gradually penalised for increasing the size of your bureaucracy. Rail was traditionally used to supply troops in war and I reckon some might be reluctant to deviate from that mechanic as it stands in other war games. That would make sense: running and administrating rail systems brings issues with logistics you don't see in road based transport and I think that might be one way of discouraging the use of rail for everything.

I consider DC:Barbarossa the best example of challenging (for Axis) logistical play.

In DC:B the rails always had a terminus supply base that the truck convoys used to transport POL to the mech units.

The rails themselves provided no supply.

It way a major decision to move that supply base as it used the supply trucks to move it and thus left the units on their own for 2 turns.

Also, the location of said supply base was major cities only.

I'd like to see something similar here so where a rail terminus supply dump is a big deal and sealed roads are meaningful.

Thanks for all the feedback!

I'll be making some nudges to the systems.

Best wishes,
Vic

Just to report on the latest beta changes - rail and roads are now working incredibly well.

- Sealed roads now cost 50IP down from 60IP.
- Rail now costs 30IP and 30Metal but cost a loooooot more going through difficult terrain.
- New rail logistics asset called a Rail Head can be built cheaply along the track.
- Rail now only provides 10% of its suppy until it find a rail logistics asset. This is mainly so you can build stations and rail heads.

Nice to see the testing advantage in action.

Good discussion and solutions being tested.

Look forward to taking the reign in Shadow Empire myself.

I think people are starting to finally see why I have been referring to Vic as the God of Wargaming for several years. Jeezus, this is how you do it!!

That sounds so much better, great news!

Excellent solution [&o]