Balance values that differ from vanilla, why they changed, and when. Add an entry when you change one.
Railway construction cost
rail_way costs base_cost = 850 plus per_level_extra_cost = 650 per level above 1 (common/buildings/00_buildings.txt), which is 5x vanilla at every level. Other MD buildings range from about 1x to 7x vanilla, so 5x is a railway choice, not a shared rule.
| Level | Vanilla | Before (1000 / 3750) | After (850 / 650) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 170 | 1000 (5.9x) | 850 (5x) |
| 2 | 300 | 4750 (15.8x) | 1500 (5x) |
| 3 | 430 | 8500 (19.8x) | 2150 (5x) |
| 4 | 560 | 12250 (21.9x) | 2800 (5x) |
| 5 | 690 | 16000 (23.2x) | 3450 (5x) |
| 6 | 820 | 19750 (24.1x) | 4100 (5x) |
| Date | Base / per level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-12 | 2000 / 500 | Building graphics update |
| 2022-02-01 | 10000 / 60000 | Railway rework |
| 2022-02-10 | 1000 / 5000 | Railway rework follow-up |
| 2026-02 | 1000 / 3750 | Generic tree update (#482) |
| 2026-10 | 850 / 650 | Every level to 5x vanilla |
Why: the old upgrade costs were a past balance choice. The AI builds railways before other buildings, so in small countries the expensive upgrades took every construction factory for years. In a 2004–2006 test, Nigeria’s first dockyard got no factories for 16 months; once railways stopped holding the queue, it was about 30% built within a year.
Side effects: railways upgrade faster for everyone, and rail repairs after bombing cost less.
Decision: team decision, 2026-10-12.