Express World - Tropico 2: Pirate Cove

10th March 2005

Frogcity Announces New Game

Frogcity, developer of Tropico 2: Pirate Cove has announced their latest project today. The game goes by the title "Snow" and "is about the creation and distribution of illegal drugs in the 1970's and 80's." The game will be published by 2KGames, the (newly created) publishing label of Take 2 Interactive. 2K Games are also responsible for Poptop's forthcoming war game project.

Few details are available at the moment, but the following is from VE3D

"The fictional underground world Frog City has created for Snow is the perfect setting for a real time strategy game," said Christoph Hartmann, Senior Vice President of Publishing for 2K Games.
"Snow will challenge players to oversee every aspect of the drug trade, all of which require calculated thinking in order to make your business prosper while at the same time keeping it safe from the authorities and other rival kingpins. This will surely make for an intense, paranoid and most importantly, strategic gaming experience."

Railroad Tycoon 4 Wishlists: Idea of The Day!

Here is the best idea for the RT4 wishlists:

In RT3 I do not find much use for specifiying different cargo. The safest way of making money seems to be to tick off "Any Cargo". It would be more fun if at least Express in a higher degree could be separated from Freight. If that also demanded different Locomotives it would be a more interesting game experience - Tordenskjold, [Reply]

To reply, click the reply button at the end of the post! To post your own wish list, visit the RT4 Wish Lists Board!

- click here to enter Express World: RT4

TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE Closes The Gathering

Poptop's long standing publisher Gathering (also known as Gathering of Developers) which Take 2 owns (as well as Poptop) is to be shut down. All of its operations will be folded into Take 2's publishing subsidiary Global Star. It is unclear if Poptop's future games will be published on this label or another section of Take 2's operations (maybe Rockstar). Here is further info from the Take 2 Games site:

To streamline Take-Two's publishing operations, the Company is reorganizing its publishing business into two labels: Rockstar Games and Global Star Software. Rockstar will continue to focus on premium priced, groundbreaking entertainment, while Global Star's portfolio will be significantly broadened. In addition to publishing the ESPN Videogames sports line and all value priced titles, Global Star will publish both premium and value priced licensed properties, as well as the products that were formerly under the Company's Gathering label.

Railroad Tycoon 4 Wishlists: Idea of The Day!

Here is the best idea for the RT4 wishlists:

Also, have the option to "click on" two or three points in order to find out the total mileage between towns. - Col Klink, [Reply

To reply, click the reply button at the end of the post! To post your own wishlist, visit the RT4 Chat Board!

- click here to enter Express World: RT4

Tropico 2: Virgin Slashes Price (UK)

I noticed while out shopping yesterday that you can currently pick up Tropico 2 @ Virgin Megastores for just £12.99! This is a limited time offer in their current sale, so if you haven't played this great game... heres your chance to get it on the cheap!

Tropico 2: MP3

Frogcity has released two tracks for you to download from the Tropico 2 sound track, here are the links:

Pirate's Waltz

The Buccaneer

The Forgotten

We've got a Tropico 2 review for you today, and thats about it! Things are still quiet from the American July 4th weekend, hopefully things will pick up later this week!

I will take this opportunity (due to the lack of news) to point you to some areas of the site you may miss out on!

Links: Express World operates an FFAL page (free for all links), which means, you don't ask us to add your link, you just visit our links page and do it your self. If you want your link on Express World, click here, and go add it! All links added are monitored, and inappropriate links will be removed without notice (if your gonna post a porn link, don't waste your time, it will be taken straight off!.)

Messageboards: Express World has it's own messageboards, click here to visit them!

RT2 Map Department: RT2 is now an old game, but its far from dead! Head over to the RT2 Map department to squeeze new life into RT2. (if you do go, please excuse the dust, we're in the process of revamping it!)

Tropico 2: SGO Review

Theres a new review of Tropico 2 @ strategy games online, to read it click here!

Quiet Times

Nothing big to report at the moment, all is relatively quiet on the front of both RT3 and Tropico 2, hence the lack of updates this week! As soon as anything is ready to report, we will! For now, to keep yourself, head over to the Express World messageboards, by clicking here!

Not really news, but this interesting image was recently released on the Frogcity website, showing what the box to Tropico 2 could have looked like! (click to enlarge!)

Stuff Stuff Stuff!

Poptop have updated their site (well it was 2 days ago, but I'm a bit behind!), not a lot to say, but here goes:

Happy Friday the 13th everyone, we hope you all are having better luck than the date would suggest. Some things are brewing in the web pot here at PopTop, so keep your eyes peeled and you'll see some changes in the future.

Poptop also pointed out the latest Tropico 2 review at Game Planet, to read it click here!

In other news, Cyscott of the defunct cyberrail site announced today that after two and half years, the site will be returning in the near future! Welcome Back Scott! Further details click here to read the thread on the messageboards!

Hope you all had a good Friday 13th! Hope it wasn't too unlucky for ya... it was ok for me!

Tropico 2: Frogcity Forums

Just a quick note to announce the launch of the Frogcity messageboards @ http://forums.frogcity.com/ . Express World has a Tropico 2 forum @ http://www.express-world.co.uk/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.pl?board=tropico2

Frogcity & Gathering have released the V1.2 patch for Tropico 2. Its 8.2mb in size, and also contains a bonus scenario. Below are the download links we've got for it:

Gathering Launches Official Forums

The newly relaunched gathering site (http://www.gathering.com), has offical forums! Access them here.

Also, Gathering has launched the official RT3 Forums, click here to visit! And Tropico 2 forums can be accessed here.

And RT2: http://www.gathering.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=19

And Tropico Gold / Mucho Mach: http://www.gathering.com/forums/index.php?c=5

Tropico 2 Flops in UK?

Frogcity's Tropico 2 has failed to make the top 20 selling games following it's release. This suggests despite the positive reviews for the game, people are just not ready to part with the cash following the disappointing original release.

We will keep you up to date on UK sails of this title. And from what I hear, our Australian friends haven't even been able to buy the game, despite many peeps wanting it!

The people over at www.avault.com have reviewed Tropico 2 giving it a healthy 4 out of 5. (I have to say after reading this review, I agree with their opinion on the game!)

Poptop has updated their site with a brand new Rt3 section, which you can access by clicking here. There is not a lot new on it yet... but I'm sure it will be filled sufficiently soon!!

Here's one more quick update before the month is over. Some overseas reviews of Tropico 2: Pirate Cove have been popping up since the game was recently released outside of the U.S. They have some radiant reviews of the game as well.

Up first is Eurogamer's take on the game. They ranked Tropico 2 at a solid 9/10, and had lots of good things to say. The full review is here, and we have a little excerpt from it for you below:

"...we're delighted with how Tropico 2 has turned out. Any fan of management games is bound to enjoy the game, and it's a definite candidate for causing some very, very late nights in front of your PC screen."
While the didn't list a score, you don't need one to figure out that the people at ELiTeD liked the game. In the full article, that you can read here, they had plenty of praise for the game which can be summed up nicely:

"Hours and hours of fun strategic gameplay are to be had. Even if you have never played Tropico you will be able to jump right into this sequel with no problems. Blimey landlubbers, pick this title up or find ye self walking the plank."

Just a quick little hello today with another installment of Tropico 2: Pirate Cove reviews as they continue to wash ashore. The game continues to reap a bounty of good reviews; this time there are two in particular worth mentioning:

The first review is from the good people at IGN. They had a lot of good things to say about the game, so if you want to get the real impression please read the full review here. Trying to pick just one line to give you a good idea of the review was difficult, but we gave it our best shot:

"Games like Tropico 2...remind us all about what makes a good strategic simulation both challenging and fun to play... characteristics you'd want from just about any game, including a strong interface, good game balance, a bit of whimsy, attractively animated graphics and pleasantly anachronistic, modern Caribbean music. In short, Tropico 2 is well worth the investment of your time and money."
GamersDepot wanted to give the game some high praise as well. As you can see from the full review here, they gave the game earned 5 out of 5 "drips," and had the following to say:

"...downright fun game...It was nice for this jaded, seen-it-all buccaneer ta play an wholly original game fer a change. Arr! Get yerself a copy an sail the briny seas!"

Needless to say they got into the pirate mood of the game. Well that's it for now, have a good week!

Reviews are starting to trickle in from around the web from the newly released Tropico 2: Pirate's Cove. As we expected, the reviews are very good, so if you didn't take our word on it being a good game now you can take someone else's! We have 2 reviews in particular on our plate for today, so without further adieu...

Our first review is done by the folks over at Gamespy, who rated the game as excellent, with a rating of 88 out of 100. As always, you can read the full review here. Needless to say they enjoyed the game, but here's a little snippet to give you a better idea:

"...one the most fun strategy games I've played this year...
Tropico 2 is a (parrot) feather in the cap of Frog City and a treasure for strategy gamers."

After reading the 2nd review done by Games Domain, you'll find it full of great things to say about the game as well. You can find the review in its entirety located here. It ranked in as a Top Game, and they had the following to say :

"...it steals time, and its players will be guaranteed some late nights...Tropico 2 should please fans and new players alike. "

There have been lots of little updates done to the site as well with the latest installment, the biggest of which is the new RT3 page. Right now it doesn't really have anything exciting and new, but it will be the place to go to find all of the latest from us here at Poptop!

Though its been out in North America for sometime, Tropico 2 is finally released in the UK, and some parts of West Europe tomorrow. You can purchase a copy from www.play.com for just £24.99! I'll keep any eye out for any other bargin prices I see!

Anyways, I'll be buying it tomorrow, so I'll post a few comments on it this weekend!

Through April, Express World will be introducing a brand new look for the site. This will mean there will be some big changes for the site. Please bare with us as we makes these changes. Trust me there for the better!

The new look will be introduced in stages during the next two weeks. It will involve some major stuctural changes to the site, which means as the work is in progress, some thing may not work. We will do out best to get stuff working ASAP!

Tropico 2 is now out in stores across North America. The game is due for release in the UK and Western Europe on 25th April 2003. (the day before our 5th Birthday!). Here is a press release on the topic from www.gathering.com.

TROPICO 2: PIRATE COVE FOR THE PC NOW AVAILABLE

Plunder, Pillage, and Prosper in the Latest Installment of the Award Winning Series from Gathering

BALTIMORE, MD – April 10, 2003 - Computer and video game publisher Gathering and internal development studio Pop Top Software Inc., subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced that "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove" for the PC has shipped. The sequel to the award-winning fun-in-the-sun Caribbean simulation "Tropico," "Pirate Cove" allows players to rule a secret pirate island of despicable 17th century Sea Dogs. Published by Gathering and developed by San Francisco based Frog City Software, Inc. "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove" is now available in stores nationwide and will ship in Europe April 25th 2003.

"We look forward to another success with 'Tropico 2: Pirate Cove,'" said Kelly Sumner, president of Gathering. "When 'Tropico' first hit store shelves in 2001, it became a runaway bestseller. 'Tropico' fans loved the deep game play and sense of humor, and with Frog City’s pirate theme, we are able to carry on the 'Tropico' tradition."

About "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove"
As an all-powerful Pirate King, players must manage a seventeenth century band of buccaneers in "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove." To attract the most notorious of history’s sea-faring bad boys, Pirate Kings must keep their charges brave and well-supplied between voyages. The island’s "yo-ho-ho’s" must stay at a feverish pitch in order to keep the King’s buccaneers satisfied with drinking, wenching, gambling, feasting, and the best in pirate accommodations.

Success in "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove" depends on careful management of the pirate population. As dead men earn no plunder, the Pirate King must keep his pirates well equipped for potentially lethal missions. Sea dogs require muskets, cutlasses, cannons, and the skills to use them when they venture forth to plunder the Spanish Main. Pirates equipped with a parrot on their shoulders and a scary black hat are more likely to strike fear into their victims’ hearts.

About "Tropico"
The winner of several top industry accolades, the original "Tropico" is an island building simulation based on a remote 1950’s- era Caribbean paradise. As an all-powerful dictator, the player must create a life of prosperity and happiness for the island residents while secretly lining his own Swiss bank account. Playboy called "Tropico" "one of the finest and most dangerously addictive gaming experiences of the year," and Computer Games Magazine wrote that "Tropico" is "the perfect game to sit down with for a couple of hours, with a margarita in one hand and the mouse in the other."

For more information on "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove," visit the official website at www.tropico2.com

About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor, and publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation(r), PlayStation(r)2, Xbox(tm), Nintendo GameCube(tm) and Nintendo Game Boy Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned subsidiary labels: Rockstar Games, Gotham Games, Gathering, Joytech and Global Star. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan, Sydney, and Auckland. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995: The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them. The Company has no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

Actual results may vary significantly from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of factors. These important factors are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2002.

Allow players to invest in bonds, just like stocks. Not only could they be a great investment vehicle, but it would give the opportunity of obtaining control in the debtor if it goes bankrupt. Also, in later decades, allow convertible bonds, which can be repaid with stock. Provides attractive alternative to bankruptcy, but can decimate your share price/dilute owners

RT3 Announcement: Poptop's Announcement

Poptop has finally announced RT3 directly on their webpage, with the following information released there. (from www.poptop.com)

News, news, news. As many of you have already heard, there are some big things to announce in this post. As anyone interested can read here, the official word on Railroad Tycoon 3 is finally out. You can read the official press release here. For everyone who doesn't want to give the entire thing a read, here are a few bullet points for you to enjoy:

Features an all new cutting edge 3D graphics engine with massive scalability (from eye in the sky views down to close-up train detail).
25 scenarios featuring locations and challenges from around the world.
Extensive track building features including bridges, tunnels, and overpasses.
Over 40 featured locomotives from the infants of steam power to modern day electric bullet trains.
35+ cargo types produced from over 150 different buildings operating in a dynamic economy.
Improved stock market with margin buying, short selling, takeovers, and mergers.
Multiplayer support with integrated chat and matchmaking services.
Authentic music soundtrack features blues, bluegrass, and Americana tunes.
Game on schedule to be released this Autumn.

These are of course just some highlights from the press release, and we urge anyone interested to give it a good look for details. We'll have a new webpage for the game with more details and screenshots very soon. For anyone who can't wait to get their hands on more information about the game, check out this month's Computer Games Magazine that is out in news stands now. So from this point on, be sure to keep checking back here for the latest information and development for Railroad Tycoon 3!

We'd also like to remind people that Tropico 2 hits stores this week! So don't forget to run out and pick up your copy of this sequel to our top-selling Tropico. As always, be sure to check out the official homepage for the game if you want any additional information or just want to download the free demo.

That's all for now, but be sure to keep checking back in for the latest and greatest news on RT3!

Thats all the new info for today!

Railroad Tycoon 3: Idea of the Day!

Here is the best idea today from our RT3 Wishlists board!

Immense maps for realism sake, wih a more realistic time speed. Computers these days are getting powerful, so huge maps are a good idea, with little maps for the cruddier computers - email me for a game

What do you want to see in RT3, tell us in the RT3 Wishlists board! Also help get RT3 developed, sign our RT3 Online Petition!

7th April 2003

RT3 Announcement: All Quiet...

Theres not been much news on RT3 in the last 2 days, nothing new to report. As soon as there is, I'll post it here. So Poptop said, "Take2 is keeping a fairly tight control over the information on RT3 so I can't say much at this time." But if you haven't read it all yet, head to the previous 2 updates for all the latest info.

And click here for a few scans of an article from a mag, that give the first glimpses of the game!

Express World Five

Just a quick note to say that Express World will be celebrating it's fifth birthday on April 26th 2003, and to mark this, the release of Tropico 2, and the announcement of Railroad Tycoon 3, we will be launching a brand new look for Express World in April, no exact date is yet available!

The new look will see a lot of content reworked, and the site's navigation is being redesigned! All new Express World launching soon!

Railroad Tycoon 3 Wishlists!

Now that RT3 has been officially announced, the Wishlists become more important than ever. Click here to go to them, and tell us and Poptop what you want in the game! Only the other day I submitted the latest wishlists to Poptop, and I recived an email in reponse! This is what they had to say...

Thanks James,

I've been watching that list for a long time. Take2 is keeping a fairly tight control over the information on RT3 so I can't say much at this time but it's nice to finally say what it is we're working on.

~Franz

So, you can see, Poptop is reading your ideas, as you post them! So if you want something in RT3, now is the time to tell them. Click here to post your ideas!

As before, the RT3 ideas of the day will continue! So here is the best idea today from our RT3 Wishlists board!

One thing I would like to see in RT3 is a correction in the reliability ratings of the "J" class engines, or at least a seperate Norfolk & Western J class engine. Those particular engines, produced by the railroad itself, had a most outstanding reliability record (up to 1 1/2 years between visits to the engine house). I was seriously disappointed in the way RT2 downgraded their true record. -

What do you want to see in RT3, tell us in the RT3 Wishlists board! Also help get RT3 developed, sign our RT3 Online Petition!

5th April 2003

Railroad Tycoon 3 Officially Announced: More Coverage...

Here are some more articles covering yesterday's announcement of Railroad Tycoon 3. Further details like the press release can be seen with yesterday's news...

First up is http://pc.ign.com

Much to the acclaim of casual and enthusiast gamers the world over, PopTop and Take-Two today announced Railroad Tycoon 3 for the PC.

Firmly set for release this fall, Railroad Tycoon 3 will be somewhat of a departure from previous outings. The first two excellent titles shouldn't be able to hold a candle to this newly 3D rendered iteration that promises all of the allure and staying power of those that came before it, only refined, prettier, and just plain newer.

Kelly Sumner, President of Gathering:

"The Railroad Tycoon series continues to evoke the passion people have for steam and modern day locomotives, as well as the strategy gamers' desire for a significant challenge. Railroad Tycoon 3' builds on the popular features and successes of the franchise, and will deliver one of the best Tycoon experiences in the market."

Phil Steinmeyer, CEO of PopTop and Lead Designer:

"We are proud to announce a successor to the series that is worthy of the Railroad Tycoon name. Railroad Tycoon 3' takes the franchise to the next level with a cutting edge 3D engine that smoothly scales from 'eye in the sky' views of an entire continent down to super detailed close-ups of beautifully modeled trains, buildings and landscapes."

Through 25 scenarios, players will have to purchase the latest locomotives, force feeble competitors into bankruptcy, and exploit the stock market and cheap labor to become the dominating tycoon they've always wanted to be. Just make sure Superman doesn't slam into your train to stop it from hitting a deer and everything should be fine.

"As well as the 25 challenging scenarios to recreate magnificent feats of railroading history from around the world, players can also lay down track, complete with tunnels, bridges, and overpasses, then pick from more than 40 locomotives - from the original Planet and Norris 4-2-0 to monstrous late steam engines like the 4-6-6-4 Challenger to the ultra-modern EuroStar bullet train. Players will haul over 35 different cargos between more than 150 different buildings, in a dynamic and fluctuating economy. Manipulating Railroad Tycoon 3's realistic stock market with margin buying, short selling, hostile takeovers and mergers, players can build up a massive fortune and even prosper by running their railroad into bankruptcy. "

Multiplayer support that comes with integrated chat and matchmaking should do well to round off an already impressive features list. Better still, the game features music from recognizable and talents blues, bluegrass and Americana musicians (perhaps an MP3 player will be included).

Lay each piece of track all the way from the golden era of railroading up to modern times complete with stuffed CalTran express trains overflowing with hobos and surly businessmen to reach that ultimate financial destination of super richness.

Autumn, baby.

Next up is www.gamespot.com

Take-Two Interactive announces that PopTop Software studio is currently working on the management sequel first announced back in August 2001.

Take-Two Interactive has today revealed that Railroad Tycoon 3, which was originally going to be released late last year, is in development at the company's internal PopTop Software studio and is now scheduled for release in the fall.

"The Railroad Tycoon series continues to evoke the passion people have for steam and modern-day locomotives, as well as the strategy gamer's desire for a significant challenge," said Kelly Sumner, president of Gathering. "Railroad Tycoon 3 builds on the popular features and successes of the franchise and will deliver one of the best Tycoon experiences in the market."

"We are proud to announce a successor to the series that is worthy of the Railroad Tycoon name," said Phil Steinmeyer, CEO of PopTop and lead designer of the game. "Railroad Tycoon 3 takes the franchise to the next level with a cutting-edge 3D engine that smoothly scales from 'eye in the sky' views of an entire continent down to superdetailed close-ups of beautifully modeled trains, buildings, and landscape."

In Railroad Tycoon 3, players will start out with a modest amount of money with which to make their fortune in the golden era of railroading. Players will be able to expand their railroad empire into major cities all over the world and, as the game progresses, will need to ensure that their railroad moves with the times, as locomotives such as the Planet and the Norris 4-2-0 are replaced by the likes of the 4-6-6-4 Challenger and, eventually, modern-day trains--including the Eurostar bullet train.

Railroad Tycoon 3 will feature 35 different types of cargo for players to haul and a realistic stock market that will cause their values to fluctuate. The stock exchange in the game will also cater to margin buying, short selling, hostile takeovers, and mergers, meaning that should they wish to do so players could actually make a lot of money by running their railroad into bankruptcy.

According to today's press release Railroad Tycoon 3 will feature multiplayer support, although no further details have been released at this time. We'll bring you more information on the game as soon as it becomes available.

continuing with www.gamespydaily.com

Take-Two Interactive announced that Pop Top Software is hard at work on Railroad Tycoon 3 for the PC and plans to unleash it to North American retail this fall. Take-Two says that the latest installment will be powered by a brand new 3D engine offering 3D environments and game objects combined with the gameplay that made Pop Top Software's first endeavor in the series so popular. Take-Two hopes that this latest game will capture the flavor of the Golden Era of Railroading, up to modern day railroading.

Players begin the game with a modest of cash at the beginning of the Golden Era of Railroading and expand their empire into major cities, purchase the latest locomotives, force competitors into bankruptcy, and exploit the stock market to become the ultimate Railroad Tycoon. The game will offer 25 single player scenarios, 40 locomotives, 35 different cargos, 150 buildings, and a stock market system lets players with margin buy, short sell, partake in hostile takeovers and mergers. Railroad Tycoon 3 will also offer a multiplayer component that integrates chat and online matchmaking services.

And now we finish with www.ve3d.com

PopTop Software (developers of Tropico and Tropico 2) has announced the development of Railroad Tycoon 3 which will be thrilling locomotive nuts come Christmas:

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. today announced another sequel in the award winning Railroad Tycoon series.
Published by Take-Two's Gathering label and developed by the Company's internally owned PopTop Software studio, Railroad Tycoon(TM) 3 for the PC will be available in Fall 2003.

The third game in this series is building steam for its launch this autumn. This time the graphical locomotion driving the game will be in stunning 3D, creating breathtaking environments and a true flavor of the Golden Era of Railroading right through to modern day railroading enterprises.

"The Railroad Tycoon series continues to evoke the passion people have for steam and modern day locomotives, as well as the strategy gamers' desire for a significant challenge," said Kelly Sumner, President of Gathering. "Railroad Tycoon 3 builds on the popular features and successes of the franchise, and will deliver one of the best Tycoon experiences in the market."

Express World Five

The new look will see a lot of content reworked, and the site's navigation is being redesigned! All new Express World launching soon

RAILROAD TYCOON 3 OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED: CGM Article

http://www.cgonline.com/cgm/ has released an article in it's latest issue about RT3, it is currently availible in the shops across the USA.

I found someone who posted some scans of the pages, it's not easy to look, but you can get a glimpse of the new graphics engine, it looks amazing! And it seems to use the same on screen menu layout as Rt2. The pictures are from www.trainsim.com, specifically in the thread on their messageboard loacted @ http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/DCForumID1/4653.html#1.

To view the picture, click here (it takes u to a quick make shift page I put together!)

For more info on RT3, read on...

3rd April 2003

Tropico 2 Goes Gold!!!

Tropico 2 has gone gold according to it's publisher Gathering (formerly Gathering of Developers), and is set to ship in the USA on April 8th. More importantly than America, Tropico 2 is due for release in the UK and west Europe is 25th April. Here is the full press release:

TROPICO 2: PIRATE COVE HAS GONE GOLD

GATHERING ANNOUNCES TROPICO 2: PIRATE COVE HAS GONE GOLD

Pirate Simulation for the PC Sets Sail for Duplication

BALTIMORE, MD - April 2, 2003 - Computer and video game publisher Gathering and internal development studio Pop Top Software Inc., subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), along with developer Frog City Software, Inc., today announced that "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove" for the PC has gone gold. The sequel to the top-selling Caribbean simulation, Tropico, Pirate Cove allows players to manage a plunder-based economy on a seventeenth-century pirate island. The game is set to ship April 8th, 2003.

"The original Tropico received worldwide acclaim when it hit store shelves in 2001," said Kelly Sumner, president of Gathering. "We wanted to preserve the light tone of the original, and found that the pirate theme in 'Tropico 2: Pirate Cove' allowed us to do just that. 'Pirate Cove' retains the tongue-in-cheek humor and island setting of the original, while providing compelling new gameplay."

Players of "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove" can:

Increase their pirate stash with an innovative economic model - the growth of the island hinges on the success of pirate raids against unsuspecting sea-goers.
Improve their workforce and capture valuable prisoners on the high seas. Captives build your industries, craft your weapons, and can even be ransomed for money.
Create a supreme pirate haven through 16 episodes of swashbuckling storylines filled with lily-livered landlubbers, shady mates, and wisecracking parrots.
Customize their pirates to make them possess distinct personalities - Sea Dogs require profitable employment, plentiful companionship, and the best in pirate accommodations.
Lure history's most devious pirates (such as Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, and Black Bart) to their secret isle - these dreaded pirates enhance power and expand the players' treasure.
Customize victory conditions during sandbox play.
Issue edicts to rig gambling halls, force captives to walk the plank or even instigate a war between dominant world powers.
Reward their buccaneers with personal estates and watch them build their own booty-filled mansions.

About "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove"
As an all-powerful Pirate King, players must manage a seventeenth century band of buccaneers in "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove." To attract the most frightening of history's sea-faring bad boys, Pirate Kings must keep their charges brave and well-supplied between voyages. The island's "yo-ho-ho's" must stay at a feverish pitch in order to keep the King's buccaneers satisfied with drinking, wenching, gambling, feasting, and the best in pirate accommodations.

Success in Tropico 2: Pirate Cove depends on careful management of the pirate population. As dead men earn no plunder, the Pirate King must keep his pirates well equipped for potentially lethal missions. Sea dogs require muskets, cutlasses, cannons, and the skills to use them when they venture forth to plunder the Spanish Main. Pirates equipped with a parrot on their shoulders and a scary black hat are more likely to strike fear into their victims' hearts.

For more information on "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove," visit the official website at www.tropico2.com

Plunder, Pillage, and Prosper

About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor, and publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation(r), PlayStation(r)2, Xbox(tm), Nintendo GameCube(tm) and Nintendo Game Boy Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned subsidiary labels: Rockstar Games, Gotham Games, Gathering, Joytech and Global Star. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan, Sydney, and Auckland. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

1st April 2003

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Tropico 2: Gamespy Preview

www.gamespy.com has previewed Tropico 2. To read the whole thing click here.

Here is an extract:

Of course, pirates aren't particularly noted for their exploits on land, so it comes as no surprise that the game also offers you control of a pirate fleet. Players will be able to build six different types of ships, hire and fire crews, and send them out on various missions ranging from simple cruises for loot, to snatching skilled captives, to sailing under false colors to incite wars between the great powers. Missions are directed from a strategic map of the Caribbean that gradually fills in with the location of prime trade routes and estimations of the amount of both treasure available in the area and the risk associated with going after it.

It's a bit of a disappointment that players won't be able to directly control (or even see) ship-to-ship combat. A simple but fascinating diplomatic model should more than make up for that, though. The player can interact with and plunder the ships of three great 17th century naval powers -- Spain, England, and France. How they react to you is dependent on a variety of factors including the nationalities of your captives, which ships you choose to plunder or let go, and whether or not they're at war with each other. Judicious use of the game's many edicts (such as one that freely releases all captives of a particular nationality), and decisions on what missions to undertake, can lead to outcomes as diverse as a Privateer letter from one nation and an invasion of your island by another.

Be keepin' yer hands off'n me stash!

All in all, this would be a good time for strategy gamers to buckle their swashes and strap on their eye-patches. The beta version we received seemed pretty close to completion. All the game's modes including the 15-mission campaign, the individual scenarios, and the sandbox mode were accessible and working. This shouldn't be remarkable, but in an industry where release dates mean almost nothing, it's nice to see a beta that's really a beta, a game that might actually hit its early April release date and looks like it might be as good as its initial promise.

Railroad Tycoon 3: Idea of the Day!

Here is the best idea today from our RT3 Wishlists board!

Realistic signals and switches. Only one train can be on one track, or the will crash like in RT1. With the time you can buy newer signal systems which allow more trains on one block without crashing trains

What do you want to see in RT3, tell us in the RT3 Wishlists board! Also help get RT3 developed, sign our RT3 Online Petition!

29th March 2003

Tropico 2: Gamespot Preview

The Gamespot preview of Tropico 2 is now up! Click here to read

Here is an extract:

The easiest way to learn Tropico 2 is to play the single-player campaign, which at first consists of quick tutorial missions that teach the basic elements of the game. There's a loose story presented in the text briefing for each mission: You're a convicted gambler sent to the colonies who's escaped on a ship with Charlotte De Berry, and the two of you divided things up so she captains the ship and you're in charge of building a hideout. The first mission introduces you to the basic elements of an island economy: timber camps and a sawmill for wood, the main building resource, and corn farms and a sea biscuit factory to create food stores for the ships and to keep the local captives feasting on slop. But soon Charlotte will return, and you'll not only have some basic control over the ship, but will have to keep the sailors happy when they're on shore.

Since you're not running a legitimate colony, you don't have the option of making money by time-consuming, ordinary methods. Simply send a well-equipped ship out to cruise the seas, and with some luck it'll come back with gold, pirate recruits, and captives. But equipping a ship is a challenge in itself. The campaign will soon introduce you to weapon-making, which will require you to set up an iron mine, a smelter, and then one of three shops to produce cutlasses, muskets, or cannons. The trick is that you'll need enough captives to keep these labor-intensive operations running, and if you don't have the weapons to go hijacking ships on the open seas, then you'll either have to hope for captives to wash up on shore from sea wrecks (this happens pretty often at the start) or explore the map with your defenseless ship to find an unguarded trading settlement to raid.

Railroad Tycoon II Platinum: Patch V1.56

RT2 Publisher Gathering has released a new patch for RT2 Platinum addition.

Railroad Tycoon II - Platinum 1.56 Patch PC Version [Express World]

Note: this patch is for use only with the Platinum additon of RT2 and if you try to use it with any other additons, it won't work! For patches for other versions goto the newly reopened Downloads page.

Railroad Tycoon 2: Downloads Page Back

Just a quick note to say after an extended period of being away, the new RT2 Downloads page is back complete with the latest trainers, patches, and the demos!

Train fuel - steam trains should require supply from coal mines, diesel from refineries, electric from power stations. In modern times, add a cost of CO2 emissions from each fuel - maybe this could give trains a new advantage over cars and planes, and also an incentive for efficiency. But note, electricity also creates emissions, depending on its source