RB Player News / FAQ

RB Player - News / FAQ

The best way to keep notified of news about Rail Baron and RB Player is via the RailGameFans mailing list. The list is operated by Yahoo! Groups. To join, send a blank email to railgamefan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. If you later wish to unsubscribe send a blank email to railgamefan-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. For boardgame questions, see the boardgame FAQ. For order questions, see the order FAQ.

Lost Registration / Upgrades / New Computers
Q. How do I upgrade to the newest/current version?	A. For registered users, RBP shareware upgrades are ALWAYS FREE! Simply download RBP (from the main RBP page) and install a new copy to replace the old (if any). As long as you keep all the RBP related files in the same subdirectory/folder, your registration will be maintained.
Q. I got new computer equipment and installed RBP on it, but the program doesn't recognize my prior registration or my old passcode.	A. Registrations are bound to a particular computer. When you get new computer equipment, you need to obtain a new passcode from us. As a registered user you qualify for a substantial discount! Send us an order for a secondary copy, just $12, and specify the pre-registration number from the new computer. Our approach is to charge a small fee per computer, but provide RBP upgrades at no charge. Customers love this because they get upgrades for free and it's easier to keep up with the latest versions.
Q. I'd like to run RBP on a second computer, but the passcode doesn't work.	A. Registrations are bound to a particular computer, but to loyal customers we offer additional registrations for your computers at a discount: just $12 each (less than half price). Order a secondary copy.
Q. I deleted my registered RBP from one computer and want to run it on another.	A. Registrations are bound to a particular computer. But we offer additional registrations for your computers at a hefty discount: they're just $12 (less than half price). Order a recovery copy.
Q. I downloaded RBP from a site other than yours. Is that OK?	A. Be careful, many sites add malware, spyware or even viruses to such downloads. Even if not, they might have supplied an older version. You can always get the latest and greatest by downloading from our site.
Q. My system crashed and I had to reinstall Windows. The process took my RBP registration with it.	A. You are entitled to one free "recovery registration" to handle lost registrations. Once you get your computer working, reinstall RBP and email us the pre-registration number from the program. We'll reply with your new passcode.
Q. I lost my registration yet again! How can I preserve it?	A. If you lose your registration, and have already consumed your one free "recovery registration", a $12 fee will apply to re-register. To prevent this from happening in the future, back up the disk drive(s) on which RBP and your operating system are installed (sorry, we can't provide more specific details than that). If you don't have a proper backup, order a recovery copy.
Q. Can I upgrade my version of Windows without losing my RBP registration?	A. It should be possible, but might fail. Microsoft doesn't worry much about being careful to not clobber non-Microsoft applications. Some people have upgraded without losing their RBP registration, others have not. If you lose your registration in this manner, you can get another as described for the "Windows reinstallation" question.
Q. I frequently wipe clean and rebuild my hard disk contents from scratch...	A. That's not a good computer on which to register RBP because you'd be trashing your registration each time and would need to pay for a recovery copy repeatedly. Of course, you can do so if you wish though.
Q. How do I upgrade to RBP version 2.x from 1.x?	A. Download the shareware version 2.x, install it into the same directory as your version 1.x. Run the new RBP, and go to the Help, Registration Numbers pull-down menu to get your pre-registration number. Send us this number, and we'll send you the passcode that registers your new copy. Each registered copy of version 1.x is entitled to one free upgrade to 2.x.
Q. I'm reluctant to upgrade because of bad experiences with other software packages.	A. We know what you mean, sometimes we prefer an older version! Here's what to do: 1) rename your existing RBP.EXE game program something else, such as RBP25.EXE, 2) download the latest version, 3) install it. After you try it, if you don't like it, simply delete the new RBP.EXE, and rename the old one back.
Q. Can I get an upgrade sent to me on diskette?	A. Yes. RBP upgrades are free, but a Shipping/Handling fee applies. See the order form for the S/H cost. Simply write in the order form's margins or in your email that you want an upgrade. Note that the contents of the diskette we will send you are EXACTLY the same as what you can download freely from our site. Consequently, a diskette copy is useful only if you have trouble downloading, or if you believe the diskette has some sort of collector value.
Q. I lost the maps you sent me previously on diskette. Can I get a replacement?	A. Yes. Replacement maps are free, but a Shipping/Handling fee applies. See the order form to determine the S/H cost. Simply write in the order form's margins or in your email which maps need replacing.
Q. Can I get a copy on CD?	A. Yes, order the Ambassador CD. This is the only way you can get RBP on a compact disc.

Game Operation
Q. Why do I get the message "When preparing to load images and sounds for use with this map, RBP found existing files such as USARR8.BMP. Do you want to delete these file(s) and use the new ones now?"?	A. This message appears if you run RBP while temporary multimedia files still remain on your computer from a prior use of the game. The most common cause of this is a crash during RBP's prior use. In that case, you can safely answer Yes to this message.
Q. At the end of a game I won, I get an "Error 5 in winner illegal function call" message.	A. A few people have reported this, but we've not been able to reproduce it. It may be related to the font you are using or the resolution of your display. If you find some Windows setting that makes the error go away, please let us know so we can share it with others.
Q. Why won't RBP let me play on an alternate map?	A. First, note that RBP requires registration before you can play on alternate maps. You must keep all your alternate maps (.RBM files) in the same folder/subdirectory as the RBP.EXE program.
Q. On the US2 map, why don't the computer players buy many railroads?	A. Because they have determined that is a good strategy. If you want the AI players to buy more railroads, try a match with 6 players and the winning cash level set to $500,000.
Q. RBP crashed (stopped running) mid-way through the game. What's the problem?	A. Based on the total number of downloads and usage, we estimate that over 1 million games have been played to completion with RBP so far. To date, all RBP crashes have been the result of problems with the computer on which the game is being run. Here are assorted things you can try to resolve the problem: Shut down the computer, restart it, and run RBP first. If RBP works, that means some other software was interfering with RBP. The most likely cause of a mid-game crash is the display driver for your copy of Windows. Try changing your Windows Control Panel, Display settings to some other resolution (screen size) and/or color depth, then shutdown the computer, restart it and run RBP. If the problem goes away, it means the display drivers for the resolution and/or color depth you had been using contain bugs. You might be able to obtain updates from Microsoft or your computer's manufacturer. Reinstall RBP. If the problem goes away, a file had been damaged. If you get "Control array not found" errors, you likely have a bad copy of the VBRUN300.DLL file. Download a fresh copy, unzip it, place it in the same directory with your RBP.EXE game program, then shut down and restart Windows, and retry the game. Minimize the game map graphics available. To do so, temporarily rename the USABGND.BMZ and USARRS.BMS files found in the directory/folder in which you installed RBP.EXE. Restart RBP and play on the USA map. If the problem goes away, it means the display drivers of your computer contain bugs that prevent RBP from showing the proper graphics. You might be able to obtain display driver updates from Microsoft or your computer's manufacturer. Temporarily rename the RBP.INI file. If the problem goes away, it was some bad data in RBP's configurations storage file. Search your system for copies of the files VBRUN300.DLL and COMPPLUS.DLL. If any are found outside of the directory/folder in which you installed RBP.EXE, rename them. Then shutdown and restart the computer. If RBP now works, it means the problem is being caused by the "rogue" VBRUN300.DLL or COMPPLUS.DLL files. This problem is the most common cause of errors "9" and "35" during play. Note: this might cause other programs on your computer to malfunction because they can't find the renamed files (in that case, rename them back). Was RBP working for awhile, and now it crashes? The problem is likely due to a change you made on your computer. Try restoring older settings. If you recently installed some other, new software perhaps it is causing conflicts with RBP. Try uninstalling it. Run a virus check on your computer. Reinstall Windows, then reinstall RBP as your first application (drastic, but it usually works). If this solves the problem, it means that some other application was interfering with RBP. Note: this will cause you to lose your RBP registration, and you will need to re-register! We estimate that problems will remain unresolved (after all the steps above) on about 1 of 1000 computers. If you encounter such an uncooperative computer, we recommend you run RBP on some other computer instead. Do not register RBP until you are satisfied with how it is working on your computer.
Q. Windows reports that RBP caused an error in module xxx... at yyy...	A. That's Microsoft speak for "RBP revealed that a bug exists" in that software module (probably a component of Windows). You can report the problem to the maker of that module, but don't hold your breath waiting for them to fix it.
Q. How can I send you a saved game after the program crashed?	A. You can't, unless RBP's AutoSave feature had been enabled. If you experience crashes, restart RBP and enable the "AutoSave before every turn" feature in the Game Options window, then play a game. If the program crashes, the state of the game just before the crash will be preserved in the files by the name AUTOSAV#.RBx (where # is a number from 1 to 6, and x is either G or H). The AUTOSAV1 file was saved just before the first player's most recent turn, the AUTOSAV2 file was saved just before the second player's most recent turn, etc. Restart RBP, and open the newest AUTOSAV# game file (i.e. the one that corresponds to the player whose turn it was when the program crashed). Try to resume playing. If the program crashes immediately, you have found a repeatable bug. Send us that AUTOSAV#.RBG and AUTOSAV#.RBH file with a description of what error messages you received. If we can duplicate the problem here, we can almost certainly fix it. This process, while a bit tedious, is important because without a saved game with which to reproduce the problem here, we almost certainly can't fix it.
Q. Why does RBP sometimes make me move one dot further than the dice roll?	A. The small square dots on the map ("intersection-only dots") do not count for movement. You can find one such square dot on the USA map just west of Boston. Your route probably moves through one of these square dots.
Q. Sometimes RBP does not let me mark a route I want. What's wrong?	A. First, note the rules do not let you backtrack between two given dots on a RR you have used previously (since the last destination). However, where two RR parallel each other, you can backtrack via the unused RR. If you have trouble getting RBP to recognize a route, Shift+Click on the desired dots of the route. Doing so displays a list of RRs and you can choose the one you want.
Q. I obtained an alternate map, but it lacks RR pictures and sounds!	A. Many, but not all, alternate maps have optional multimedia add-ons. When you order maps from us, we do NOT ship add-ons with it. You can download free add-ons from the multimedia page.
Q. I'd like to suggest a new feature for or improvement to the software.	A. Sure, send it to intersys@insystem.com. Many of RBP's features had their origin in ideas suggested by users. Obviously, we can't guarantee your suggestion will be added, but we'll consider it. Lawyer-speak: Note that suggestions received become the property of Intersystem Concepts, Inc.

Install / Hardware / Internet Issues
Q. Upon trying to install, I get the message "The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications."	A. Sorry you are having install troubles. That's a problem with your copy of Windows. Microsoft describes how to fix it.
Q. Does RBP's Web capability work on my network?	A. It should if your network uses standard IP (Internet protocol) addressing.
Q. How do I play over the Web?	A. You don't need a special server to play, instead your copy of RB Player can communicate directly via the Internet with a copy running on another computer. Basically, you and your friend(s) all run RBP and decide which person will be GameMaster. The GM tells his IP address to the others (via phone, instant message, etc.) and they follow RBP's prompts to connect for play. For details, see the "Web Play" topic in the game's on line help.
Q. I want to play my friend via the Web, but the game requires at least 3 players.	A. On the computer of the GM for the Web-based match, simply choose one of RBP's built-in computer players to fill additional player slot(s).
Q. My friend and I have been unable to connect for a Web match.	A. If the GM's computer uses a router, you should ignore the dot address RBP says is the GM's (it might resemble 192.168.1.101), and instead manually find the GM's external dot address. To do so, the GM should use his web browser to visit either http://checkip.dyndns.org or http://checkip.dyndns.org. Both sites show the external dot address of the visitor; give that dot address to the players who are attempting to connect to the GM. If you are still unable to connect, it may be due to firewalls or other connection inhibitors. Try switching roles: let the other person be the GM of the match. Sometimes simply reversing the communication like this allows the computers to connect.
Q. We think the connection trouble is due to his router or cable modem. Help!	A. To connect for an online game of RBP, you need to know the GM's external IP (dot) address as seen from the Web. A router can hide this info. See the answer to the prior question, or if that fails, try the steps below kindly provided by Rich Shipley: "To find the actual IP address of a connection on a Linksys router, you need to go into the admin web interface on the router (usually 192.168.1.1 unless this has been changed). "The user name is left blank and the password is 'admin' (unless it has been changed). "To find the web address of the router (this is what you would need to enter in RBP) click the 'Status' tab and find the IP Address in the 'WAN:"' section. "Unless the user's computer is set up as a DMZ (usually not a good idea), you will also have to configure the Linksys router to forward an IP port to the proper computer in order to accept external connections. To set this up: "Click the 'Advanced' tab and the 'Forwarding' tab. On some router models, you should click the 'Applications & Gaming' tab instead. "You then enter the service port of the RPB application (RBP uses port 3011) on the left and the local IP address of the individual computer on the right. "To find a computer's local IP address you can bring up the command prompt in Windows (Start-Programs-Accessories-Command Prompt) and enter 'ipconfig'. Some OS versions use 'winipcfg' instead. "If the user has DHCP enabled, the IP addresses of computers may change once in a while and you might have to adjust the local IP address above." Thanks for that info, Rich!
Q. I get error 75 or 76 and a message about REMOTEGM.RBZ when I try to play an Internet game. What's wrong?	A. Your temporary file path is set wrong or employs non-8.3 format names. One way to fix it is to go to RBP's File, Program Settings window and change the "AutoSave and temp file location" setting to the root directory of any drive.
Q. Can I run RBP on a Mac or under Linux?	A. Many people have reported success running RBP via Windows emulation software for those operating systems, such as Parallels. Going further and attempting to use RBP's Web features on such platforms is stretching your luck. If it works, great, but obviously we can't guarantee it always will.
Q. I tried to GM a Web game on my Mac with Virtual PC, but received "Error 76". Can that be fixed?	A. This problem was discovered by Chuck Weinstock, who also found a solution when using direct network connections. He writes: "Virtual PC is a PC emulator that allows you to run Windows (various versions) on your Macintosh. It works well in most cases. However, when I went to use RBP2 on it, I found that it would not run properly in 'Gamemaster' mode. It worked fine as a 'Player' when connected to a real PC, but not the other way around. "After much trial and error and with a little help from others, I discovered that you need to do the following to get it to work. 1. Turn off 'Shared IP' in the Virtual PC preferences. 2. Go into the Network control panel in Windows and configure it with exactly the same information that appears in your TCP/IP control panel on the Macintosh after you connect to the Internet. (Alternatively you can set up Dialup Networking and connect directly from Windows instead of through the Mac.) 3. Make sure that the RBP2 directory (whatever you call it) is at the top level. I had things stored in C:\Program Files\RBP2\ and it did not work. When I moved it to C:\RBP2\ it worked just fine." Thanks for sharing that info, Chuck!
Q. Will you create a version of RBP specifically for the Mac or another operating system?	A. We have no plans at the present time to do so. The installed base of those platforms is too small to justify the effort. Or, said another way, to recoup our costs, we'd have to charge far more for an RBP registration than most people would be willing to pay.

Display Issues
Q. During a game, the map replots oddly, and sometimes only shows one player's RR network. Is something wrong?	A. Nope, that's the "Auto RRs" feature working as intended. What version 2 is doing is showing you a player's network after he purchases a RR. It allows the image to linger longer than version 1.x did. We made this change because version 2 is so much faster, we found that the AI's RR purchases were flashing by too quickly. When it becomes your turn again, RBP will replot and show all RRs. If you dislike this feature, you can disable it: go to the Display Settings window and un-check the "Auto rail display" checkbox. Also, in the map window, change the drop-down menu near the upper left from "Auto rails" to "All".
Q. In the Map Settings window, for Name Length when I select 'full names', the full names don't show up until I manually widen the RR list using the map-resize box. Why isn't the width automatically adjusted when I choose full names?	A. The majority opinion of the play testers was that the map always deserves higher priority in this case. To manually resize the RR list, drag the resize icon at the lower-left corner of the map.
Q. The dashed and dotted Rail Draw Styles work only when Thin or Medium line thickness is selected. Why?	A. This feature works on some computers, but not others due to a bug in the Windows display drivers.
Q. What is the "Finder #" along the left edge of the window above the Cash box?	A. That's mainly for debugging. During a game, each time RBP looks for a good route, it uses a series of AI trip finders. A number representing the trip finder that found the best route is displayed here.
Q. How can I maximize the speed of map scrolling and display?	A. In the Display Settings window, for RR draw thickness, choose Thin. Also, try disabling the background bitmap as doing so improves display speed on certain computers.
Q. That colorful map background is hard on my eyes. Can I get rid of it?	A. You can disable the "map bgnd image" via RBP's Display Settings window. Note also that some maps have multiple background images available; a list will be displayed in the Map Settings window.
Q. The colors in the map background look very strange on one computer, but not on another. Why?	A. Many of the video drivers used by Windows have bugs that prevent the proper display of the map background when you are running in 256-color (8-bit) mode. Exit the game, reconfigure your copy of Windows to employ more than 256-colors, and then retry. If that fails, contact your computer's manufacturer to obtain a display driver update, which may contain bug fixes. Or, turn off the "map bgnd image" entirely via RBP's Display Settings window. Some maps come with an alternate background image that works better in 256-color mode. You can choose an alternate background via the Map Settings window.
Q. The box that normally shows the RR heralds (logos) is mostly black. Why?	A. This is because Windows needs to display the (normally) color image in a monochrome (black and white) form, but is unable to convert it properly. This can occur if your display is set to 256-color mode and the map background image is enabled. You can either 1) change your Windows display mode to more than 256 colors, or 2) turn off the "map bgnd image" entirely via the Display Settings window.

Miscellaneous
Q. How does RBP calculate the game score?	A. This is described in the Hall of Fame topic of the on-line help.
Q. The AI turns go by so quickly. Can I slow them down?	A. Yes. To do so, in the Game Options window, enter a non-zero value in the "Pause after computer turns" field. If you enter -1 in this field, RBP will pause and wait for you to click OK (done) after each AI player's turn. This gives you more time chance to examine what he did.
Q. The USB map did not come with a colorful background. Can I get one?	A. You can use the map background image from the USA map. Here's how: 1) uncompress USABGND.BMZ (it's a .ZIP file) to get USABGND.BMP, 2) copy USABGND.BMP to USBBGND.BMP, and 3) (optional) ZIP compress USBBGND.BMP to USBBGND.BMZ. The previous directions posted here for doing this were outdated.
Q. Can I add sounds to the game?	A. You can do so with the RBNYC map. These are authentic NYC subway train and bus sounds that were recorded over the past 30 years by a Transit Authority employee. You can download them free from the multimedia page.
Q. How come I can't win? RBP's gotta be cheating...	A. We hear this comment surprisingly often, and well, we have to admit, we find it rather amusing because we know the AI does not cheat. Yes, it may be tough to beat, but the random elements in the game (dice and destinations) are not 'fixed' in any way. To make the game easier to win, use fewer players, and set their skill level to Avg or lower. Also, note that while the various suggestion features in the software (suggest a route, RR purchase advice, etc.) are helpful, if you always accept their advice, you'll be playing no better than the AI. You need to think differently (i.e. better) than the AI to win. As a last resort, make all your AI opponents the IA Newby type...he purchases RRs randomly and is quite easy to trounce.
Q. Can I get paper copies of an alternate map to play on?	A. Yes, some paper (i.e. board game format) maps are available. See the alternate maps page.

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Rail Baron is The Avalon Hill Game Company's/Hasbro's Trademark for its Empire Building Game. RB Player and the alternate maps are not products of The Avalon Hill Game Company or Hasbro.