2K games has released a factsheet and screenshots for Sid Meier's Railroads! The game has been boasted to mark the return of the watershed title in simulation/strategy gaming that launched the popular “tycoon” style which has subsequently grown into a distinct genre. Presented and developed in a vibrant 3D world, Railroads! is expected to deliver innovative multiplayer options, in-game customization tools, streamlined interface, and unmatched gameplay (it's easy to learn yet challenging to master). Like any good robber baron, the player is tasked with trying to bring their railroad company to the to the status of the greatest rail empire in the nation by managing trains, cargo and your bottom line (and simultaneously engaging in all-out corporate warfare against rival tycoons). Some features of Railroads! include

• Real-time action – lay track, route the trains, and the world comes to life. Cities and industries grow up around you as you service them, hauling raw materials to market and carrying manufactured goods away; Cargos are loaded onto train cars and passengers shuffle between cities.
• Easy to get started – laying track is as easy as clicking and dragging. Bridges, tunnels, railroad stations and switches sprout up automatically where they’re needed.
• Challenging to master – with a new market system that tracks supply and demand and complex random events that can cause a boom or bust at any time, players must stay on their toes at all times or risk obsolescence, financial collapse, or hostile takeover.
• It’s all about the trains! – over 30 trains to use, from the primitive 0-4-0 Planet to the Super powerful 4-6-6-4 Challenger, from the classic diesels to ultra-modern bullet trains.
• LocoBuilder – design your own steam engine from the ground up, and deploy it across your rail empire! Customize your train liveries, from color schemes to custom logos.
• We’ve got the goods – over 20 different goods to harvest, produce, and sell, and 30 unique industries, from lumber mills to war factories, each with detailed, unique animations.
• Scenario and map editor support – enables user-created maps and scenarios. Want to create a race to complete a transcontinental railroad in 30 years using only steam engines? No problem!
• Something for everyone – build your dream train layout in train table mode, or challenge historical giants like Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, and others in single-player scenarios.
• Multiplayer – Ruthless real-time LAN and Internet play. Buy out your rivals or cash in favors to sabotage their shipments! Whether you prefer heads-up competition or the camaraderie of cooperative team play, you’ll find a fantastic multiplayer experience here.

Railroads! will be pulling into station October of 2006, get more info from 2kGames.com.

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