Welcome to a new article from our Rails of Wisdom blog series! In the vast realm of Rail Nation, the key to triumph lies in the prestige points you have, with victory presenting itself in two clear forms:

Achieving the top position in the individual ranking

Securing the leading spot in the association ranking

Earning individual prestige

Prestige is the key to success in Rail Nation, and you can earn it in many ways. In this article, we’ll explore the individual ranking and how you can win prestige points for your own game avatar.

Delivering goods and passengers

 Your trains can earn you lots of prestige if you keep good schedules. Depending on your scenario, you may have various features as your collection or destination points. You earn prestige by delivering to cities, industries, warehouses, harbours or landmarks. 

Be careful not to make enemies with your transports. City players coordinate with their association and other associations to transport required goods. Free players can transport whatever they want, but be aware some players might not like it. They might ask you to collaborate, but in the end the decision is yours. As long as you follow the game rules, play however you want. Our suggestion is that playing your way shouldn’t spoil the fun for others. Competition is great, but keep it friendly.

Tip: Strive to keep your trains serviced. If you have bonus engines, that will increase your chances of winning more prestige by placing you higher in the transportation ranking. Keep checking the waiting times and adjust your schedules to maintain profitable routes.

  Winning titles

A title is a reward for the top three players who delivered the most of a specific type of good or passengers or earned the most money the previous day. If you hold onto your title in the following days, you’ll earn extra prestige. The title is displayed in the game as a badge of honour to show others your great achievement. It’s visible in your profile and in the ranking.

Participating and finishing competitions

From time to time, competitions will pop up in your city. The more cities you connect to, the more competitions you can join and win, increasing your chances of earning more prestige.

Note: We’re referring here to player competitions, not the competitions between cities.

Completing and collecting in-game achievements (medals)

You can earn numerous medals by performing different actions in the game. Collecting them in the “Medals” menu will grant you prestige. Remember that not all medals can be achieved from the start of the game round. Some medals will unlock from the second era, for example.

  Tip: If you’re starting a new game round and plan to purchase the Starter Package, hold off on collecting the medals initially. This way, you can delay reaching the 600 prestige limit and maximise the benefits of the package. The more time you have, the more you can expand your station buildings, ensuring you reach a higher level from the package’s bonus. Just be careful not to max out your engine house era level too soon, or you’ll miss out on the extra level from the package. It’s a common mistake, so take your time and pay attention! 😉 

Halving passenger waiting times in cities

  This is a well-known option to win prestige for most players. The more cities you’re linked to, the better your chances of donating game money or Gold, boosting your position in the donation rankings and earning you more prestige. Many players donate multiple times to keep a high rank, benefiting the entire city by reducing waiting times for passenger transports. It’s a win-win situation where everyone benefits from a player’s generosity.

Upgrading buildings in your train station

  When upgrading buildings in your train station, each upgrade grants you a certain amount of prestige, as shown in the building’s menu. The higher the building level, the more prestige you receive. 

  Tip: While winning prestige is important, it’s equally important to upgrade your buildings strategically. 

• For standard gameplay, it’s recommended to prioritise upgrading your engine house, laboratory, bank and restaurant (maybe also the shopping centre and the hotel so you don’t miss out on the income and bonuses). After focusing on the essential buildings, you can gradually turn your attention to the other buildings.

• If your aim is to maximise prestige, you’ll need to be more active and ensure a steady income to upgrade your hotel building quickly. The hotel has a double purpose: it increases the money production bonuses for the restaurant and shopping centre, but also yields significant prestige, particularly within an active association where bonuses can be collected in your absence, leading to substantial rewards. The building offering the highest amount of prestige is the station concourse, but its cost increases significantly with each level. If you’re planning to transport passengers, upgrading the station is necessary as it determines the number of passenger engines you can own. Typically, players focused on prestige prioritise passenger transport routes over delivering goods as it’s easier and you don’t need to buy waggons or always invest in different industries.

Donating to your association’s HQ

  Contributing to your association’s HQ expansion is necessary to allow more members to join (unless the round starts with the maximum HQ level in certain game scenarios/worlds). Donating early speeds up the association’s growth and boosts your position on the donation list, leading to higher prestige rewards. So don’t wait too long if you want to grab any extra prestige points.

 Contributing to the city project

Get involved in the city project, our newest game feature where players can donate various resources they have or no longer need. By participating, you not only earn extra prestige, but also help your city unlock exciting bonuses. The more cities you are connected to, the more donations you can make, and the more prestige you can get.

Converting lottery coin sets

  After collecting all three types of coins and completing a set, you can choose to convert it into something else: money, prestige or research points. This exchange is possible in the “Prizes” menu of the lottery building in your train station.

Power bonus

You can use power bonuses that will help you gain more prestige from your deliveries (e.g. faster trains, reduced waiting times, the Magnus bonus engine, etc.).

That concludes today’s Rails of Wisdom. Thank you for tuning in! The next article will contain information about association prestige and other helpful details regarding prestige.

Have any tips or tricks for your fellow community members? Feel free to share them with us on our official Discord server.

Warm regards,

Your Rail Nation Team