Glossary - [EBP Help Contents]

Here are definitions of some terminology used in the game.

AI - artificial intelligence; when a computer program evaluates situations and makes decisions, it is sometimes said to be artificially intelligent; AI players in games are sometimes called bots; see AI

alpine - very mountainous terrain that typically is expensive to build through; it is represented on the map by an empty triangle; see symbols

big city - the phrase by which EBP refers to all cities larger than medium; includes major (hexagon), jumbo (large hexagon) and oval cities; players may build track outward from big cities even if their network does not already connect to them

container ferry - a type of ferry that cannot be moved across but which can be used to deliver and pick up loads

contract - an offer from cities for payment upon delivery of a specific type of load; typically each player holds 3 contracts at a time; typically 3 demands appear on each contract, and the player chooses which one to satisfy; also known as a demand card

crayon - an ancient tool for drawing railroad track upon board games; EBP reduces the wear and tear on your crayons

deliver - to transfer a load onboard a train to the city demanding it

demand - a payment offer for delivery of a specific type of load; commonly 3 demands appear on each contract

demand card - a contract

EBPEdit - map editor for EBP; lets you modify existing game maps and create new ones

event - a random special occurrence that can have a variety of effects on game play; common events are derailments, floods, and storms; see events

ferry - a connection between otherwise non-adjacent mileposts; trains typically must stop and wait until next turn to cross a ferry

load - a good, an item to be transported from one place to another; loads are supplied by cities, and are typically depicted on the map via a small icon; see loads

major city - see big city

medium city - a city represented on the map by a square; only 3 players may build into a given medium city

milepost - a unit of distance on the map marked by dots, triangles and other symbols depending on terrain

net worth - cash plus amount spent on track and engine upgrades

open contracts - a variant rule under which up to four pitched contracts become available for delivery by any player

operation phase - the part of a turn during which a player may move his train and pick up / deliver loads

payoff - cash collected upon delivery of a load

pbem - play by Email, a means by which to conduct a match with remote opponents, one turn at a time

pickup - said of loads; when a train is located in a city with an available load, the player can move that load onto his train for transportation and delivery purposes

pitch - to discard one's hand of contracts for fresh, hopefully better ones

small city - a city represented on the map by a circle; only 2 players may build into a given small city

spec loads - speculative loads are picked up and carried even though a player does not currently have a demand for them

special demand - a type of event that requests delivery of one or more loads at a particular city; any player may satisfy a special demand, and the first to do so collects a payment

teleport - a specialized type of ferry that imposes no delay upon movement; the Moon map has teleports to connect its sides

track rental - moving your train upon the tracks of an opponent in exchange for a use fee

track segment - the piece of track connecting two adjacent mileposts

tunnel - a type of milepost that can be served by the track of only one player, the first one to build to it

use fee - a cash payment to another player that reflects rental of track on which the player's train moved

watch - in EBP, a means by which to display a copy of certain Open Contracts and Special Demands near your contracts to serve as a reminder; to toggle watch on/off, right click an OC or SD contract and choose Watch from the pop-up menu

xspot - a type of milepost that when built to causes a load of a certain type to become available for pickup at a corresponding, usually nearby, city; xspot mileposts look like the letter x (think treasure map)