Rüsselsheim (computer game)

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Ruesselsheim (Detroit)
Studio Impressions Games
Senior Developer David Lester
Erstveröffent-
lichung		 1994
platform Amiga , DOS
genre Economic simulation
Game mode Single player , multiplayer
control mouse
medium 2 floppy disks or 1 CD-ROM
language German , English

Rüsselsheim is a computer game about building an automobile manufacturer at the beginning of the 20th century. The game was sponsored by Adam Opel GmbH , which is based in Rüsselsheim . The American original version is called Detroit , otherwise there are no differences. In Detroit have General Motors (former parent company of Opel) and Ford headquarters.

action

Four automobile groups start in 1908, the year General Motors was founded, with a factory, a sales office and the technologies for the construction of the simplest automobiles. If fewer than four players take part in the game, the remaining companies are controlled by the computer.

Submarkets

The world of Rüsselsheim consists of 16 regional sub-markets. The development of sales figures in the markets corresponds to the historical development of the automobile markets. At the beginning of the game, the four US markets are of paramount importance. In addition, a few vehicles can only be sold in Northern Europe and Canada . In the following decades more and more markets develop. The last market with Southeast Asia will not open up until April 1998, four years after the game was released.

Sporadic reports refer to current political or economic events such as the outbreak of the world wars or Black Friday .

research

In the course of the game, a total of 90 different technologies can be researched in seven different areas such as engine, brakes or safety, which after development can be used to build the automobiles. There is only one research center with an unknown location. A maximum of 255 researchers can be assigned to each of the seven areas. The number of additional researchers that can be hired each month depends on the wage level.

production

A maximum of one factory can be built in each of the 16 regions. A new factory is level one. It can be upgraded to a maximum of level ten, with the cost of each upgrade doubling. The upgrade does not take any time, the increased capacity is available immediately. Each factory has six production lines . A model can be made on multiple belts, but each belt can only produce one model. A maximum of 255 workers can be assigned to each band. The number of vehicles produced depends on the factory level, the number of workers and the amount of the bonus granted. The game's job market is global. All workers receive the same wages and can be assigned to factories on any continent at will. There is no protection against dismissal . Workers can be dismissed at any time without notice and without severance pay. The number of additional workers that can be employed each month depends on the wage level. If the wages are too low, workers can go on strike.

sale

In order to be able to sell automobiles in a region, a sales office must exist there. A maximum of ten sales offices can be opened in each region. Each additional sales office increases sales to a lesser extent than the previous one. This takes into account the competition between your own offices. The prices can be set globally or individually for each region. In contrast, the sales channels can only be defined individually for each region and each model. With a maximum of 16 models, 16 regions and up to three factories to be selected, there are 768 sales channels in extreme cases, which have to be set using a complicated control by clicking the "+" and "-" buttons.

marketing

A marketing budget for poster advertising , sports sponsoring and five different types of magazines can be specified for all 16 regions . Later in the game, various formats of radio and TV advertising are added. The player's options are limited to setting the budget. He has no way of influencing the advertising messages or the design of the advertising. The advertising always has a general effect on the entire company, not just on individual models. In contrast to reality, the advertising has no long-term effect, it only works in the month in which it was placed.

analysis

To analyze the company's situation, the player has 15 different types of reports available, two of which are chargeable. With these reports, the player can get a detailed picture of his own company and receive additional information about the competitors. The analysis options are above average, even for an economic simulation.

Level of difficulty

At the beginning of the game, all players can choose one of six levels of difficulty. These differ only in the starting capital available and otherwise have no influence on the further course of the game. Due to the weak AI of the computer players, the game in single player mode is not a challenge for experienced players. After just a few years, assets can be amassed that cover all operating costs through their interest alone. If there are several human players, however, the game becomes very difficult. Due to the oligopolistic market structure, every action by a player has a direct impact on the other players and the sales figures can be increased almost exclusively at the expense of the competition. The inadequacies of the AI ​​can also be recognized by the fact that the remaining companies file for bankruptcy several times a year with two human players , which, however, has no effect on AI companies other than debt relief.

reviews

The ratings for Rüsselsheim fluctuated extremely between the different platforms, but also between the rating magazines. The PC Games awarded 60%, the Amiga Games 68% and the Amiga Joker 80% and 81% respectively ( AGA ).

useful information

  • The play Le Fosche Notturne Spoglie from the opera Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi is played in the opening credits .
  • Most of the reports in the game could be printed out. This feature, very unusual for the time of publication, should probably create a more realistic feel to the game.
  • Oldtimer , the direct competitor to Rüsselsheim , appeared only a few months later. Since then, no well-known manufacturer has dared to approach the subject.

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