Features • Screenshots • Multiplayer

Players can easily set up multiplayer games on their LAN or over the Internet, and can find opponets via Gamespy. Each game of Rails is hosted by one of the players and requires no dedicated server.

During the game, players have many opportunities to interact directly with one another, both cooperatively and competitively. Our business negotiation model provides more than the simple "share gold in exchange for unit" interaction of other games. For example:

• Players need to pick their friends and enemies carefully. Alliances allow you to jack up the rates in cities that you share with allies, but it also leaves you open to a surprise attack by your "ally" or a government investigation into your collusion.

• Players can compete in auctions against one another. They can also sell their own track in public auctions, or the bank may take matters into their own hands in the event of bankruptcy.

• Players can influence events that affect other players. For example if one player has a non-union railroad, they might choose to encourage labor unrest, which will affect their competitors. If a player is caught in a compromising position such as making a bribe, all players can use influence to inflame the scandal or to suppress it.

Our AIs do all of this, so many of these actions come into play in the single-player game as well. Players won't win by ignoring one another. They must react to competitive pressures by both improving their rail line and by reducing their rates, and most importantly, cutting deals with other players to balance one against another.

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