Re: [DL] Was "Re: Critter info" now Rail Wars

[Janne Matti Oskari Vuorenmaa <jvuorenm@cc.hut.fi>]

> > If you don't own ToT1877, I strongly recommend it. It's got data on all of
> > the things you asked about.
> Okay, looks like I"m up to RVC I or II and ToT1877. I wasn't sure how much
> I'd get out of ToT so I've been putting it off. But it looks like I'll
> probably need it. Dang you PEG and your spiffy game!

I'll second that. :)
If you're planning on running your campaign along the official timeline,
then ToT is worth it's weight in ghost rock. Otherwise it's just a good
source of ideas.
 
> Vaguely related to this topic, any idea how in tarnation the rail lines
> actually duke it out? Looking over the material, it looks like there are
> only a few spots where the rail lines actually meet up, and several of the
> rail lines aren't any where near others.

Well, in the aforementioned book it is stated, that the rail companies do
send even large amounts of troops (can you say it like that??) to hinder
their competition. Then, as Rich already pointed out, the main lines are
just that --  main lines.

The fact that they don't have to use regular troops helps them out a lot.
They just need to send in somebody with the skill and money to hire a few
troubleshooters, and he can create a unit at the spot for the spesific
job. A plus side to that is, that if they get caught, the hired hands
don't need to have any idea who they're working for, except for "that
feller with the hefty bag o' greenbacks".

> Does this just limit who picks on who? Are there only certain spots where
> the rail barons get into tussles? Or do they form little armies and just
> march them over to another line and start causing problems? I understand a
> little sabatoge every now and then from a small squad, but the way the
> source material reads, they're battling it out with decent sized forces.

Battle of the Cauldron is one of the rare occasions of which there is any
solid information. They even give some numbers on how much casualties and
broken machinery there is.
My view on these things are, that the major battles are not that common,
companies mostly relying on small units and big bags of dynamite. Then of
course, if one company is about to gain a significant edge, they rush in
with numbers.

---Hulkin' Finn