What is Overcrowding?
Overcrowding in Rail Nation prevents too many players from concentrating in the same cities, factions, or regions. This ensures fair competition and balance across the game world.
City limits (all scenarios)
Additional faction limits (American Dream scenario only)
Additional region/island limits (Steam over Europe & Perfect Paradise scenarios)
Overcrowding Rules by Scenario (Classic, Origin Journey, Orient Express, Destination Africa)
City Overcrowding Rule
A city becomes overcrowded if:
At least 10 players are registered in the city, and
The city has 25% more players than the average of all cities.
Examples:
City A: 12 players | Average: 10 players → Not overcrowded (less than 25% and less than 10 players above average)
City B: 17 players | Average: 10 players → Not overcrowded (more than 25%, but less than 10 players above average)
City C: 21 players | Average: 10 players → Overcrowded (more than 25% and more than 10 players above average)
American Dream Scenario
Faction Overcrowding Rule
In addition to city overcrowding, factions (East/West) have player limits:
A faction is overcrowded if it has 25 more active players than the average of both factions.
The city overcrowding rule (10 players & 25% above average) still applies within factions.
Examples:
East: 500 players | West: 540 players → Average: 520 players → Not overcrowded (West only has 20 more than the average)
If West exceeds 550 players, all West cities become overcrowded.
Steam over Europe & Perfect Paradise Scenarios
Region/Island Overcrowding Rule
In addition to city overcrowding, regions and islands also have player limits
- The region/island has at least 10 more players, and
- It has 5% more players than the average of all regions/islands.
The city overcrowding rule (10 players & 25% above average) still applies within each region/island
Examples:
- Region/Island 1: 500 players | Average: 483 players → 3.5% above average → Not overcrowded
Region/Island 2: 400 players | Average: 483 players → Not overcrowded
Region/Island 3: 550 players | Average: 483 players → 13% above average → Overcrowded (No city can be selected in this region/island)
Note: If a region/island is not overcrowded, individual cities within it can still become overcrowded based on the city overcrowding rule.
This system ensures fair player distribution and prevents excessive concentration in specific locations, creating a balanced and competitive game experience for all players.