Does anyone play Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe?

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Submerged

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Hello everyone,

Lately I've found Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe (Open TTD) as I decided to consider getting the original Transport Tycoon again (lost the previous one). (http://www.openttd.org/en/ for anyone interested in having a quick look)

Well, unfortunately, I've forgotten how addictive it was for me! However, I'm struggling a little bit with the economy itself, in terms of actually getting the signals to work on the train tracks and actually getting some cash coming in to pay for expansions that I want to do.....

I know how income and profit is generally worked out in the game (longer the distance, the higher the potential profit, provided you do it quickly enough), but the balancing act is providing to be a bit of a challenge.... I guess I will just battle on with it anyhow.

Additionally, with the open source nature of this game, there are many maps and things to add to it to make it run more challenging, run smoother or just have lots of nice eye candy within limited ranges (still sprites stuff, but slightly better).

Mainly, I'm just vexed with the challenge of the game as last time it wasn't quite this hard!
 
I play too! Love that game. I have been playing it on and off for about 2 years in its OpenTTD form, and played the original for about 5 years. I had finally figured out how to use signals on tracks properly, so I have some really nice networks going.

But, with regards to the difficulty, I don't remember it being any different from the original (in vanilla OpenTTD). All you need to do is a decent coal run, and a reasonably lucrative subsidy, and your off. Then you connect 2 large cities, and pick a factory, in about the middle of the map, and link all the farms to that factory, and so on and so forth. But sometimes it seems to be more difficult, but thats because some of the mods I have tweak the ecomony pretty bad, making trains cost a fortune to buy.

When I get on my other computer, I'll grab some of my favourite screenshots and post, and put the game onto my new PC. I can't believe I forgot to install it! :dunce: But the game has significantly improved, as back in about 0.7 or so, you had to manually sort all mods and stuff, but now the game connects to a database and downloads your selections for you, and includes a pretty good mod managment system.
 
Ah, I see with regards to the transportation links. Just that the first game that I am running, I kinda forgot to try and use a cargo transportation and focused on passenger transportation at first, which didn't really give me a useful return. (getting about 5,000 quid a year's profit, if that!)

So I'm pretty much struggling quite a bit, in terms of building up the "empire" I had planned for....

Well, the next game that I will start, will focus more on cargo and have some passengers! Presumably that's train transportation of cargo you mean, rather than the trucks?

I guess I should point out I am on "medium" difficulty with industry at "low" spread. This does make planning routes rather challenging and I cannot fathom how the "rare" placings of industry can be profitable for anyone to get started with!

The signals, I have noticed aren't particularly easy to understand, especially when you are trying to run three different route on one line for one station (long story).

Yes, the OpenTTD mod's are very usefully centred in the game itself, it does actually automatically download straight to the game, when you choose the AI and so on. I also had some heightmaps as well, the UK version with parts of Europe.... WOW, that's big!
 
I've played a couple of Europe maps in my most recent craze. I tend to go Paris-London as my first big moneymaker.

I also tend to play in an unrealistic setting, putting on magic bulldozer and making industry outputs editable. I know thats cheating, but I want to try to make great large rail networks. Becuse of this, I play without AI, as they tend to screw everything up, or build everywhere becuase they can do 1000 APM (actions per minute). For me, Open TTD is a sandbox game, not a challenge
 
Do you guys know how to install the mods? There's an underwater tunnel mod I want to install (obviously way cooler than a bridge :P). And I downloaded the .patch file but I've got no idea what to do next :(
 
It should be done through the game?

I've not downloaded the mod separately from the game though. I assume you would need to find the correct file directory, which I do not know yet (as I haven't explored that bit yet).

The OpenTTD forums should be useful to look through though.
 
Um.. from memory you have to place it in the games' data folder, (either program files, or in your 'My Documents'), but the game should take care of mods (GRF's etc) for you.
 
Well, I'm no expert but here's how I do it
openttdj.png


This is a station I made, with a lot of traffic coming in. It's not the best one ever made, but it works...sort of. Trains come in, load, and leave via a different track, to ease congestion.

The signals:
top line is just semaphore style, bottom line electric. I use electric because it's easier to identify the type on the fly.

I haven't used the signals (from left to right) 2,3, and 4 for a while, they were deprecated by signals 5 and 6 in my opinion. Signal 1 is the basic one, where if there is any interference, it's red.

Signal 6 is the main one I use. It identifies the paths the train wants to take, and checks if there is any interference. The upshot is, that two or more trains can occupy the same "block" without a collision.

For example, at the entrance to the station, where there are two incoming lines, there are two trains approaching. under normal signals, only one could proceed into the station (provided there is an empty platform). with these signals, two trains can enter, and occupy platforms, as shown here:
openttd.png


With these signals, you need to avoid putting them next to stations, as this will interrupt the "block" where trains can make their decision of which platform.

oh, and signal 5 is a two-way version of 6

I hope that helps, rather than confuses you :)
 
Damn, been playing the game on Medium difficulty and it seems that if I want to get any income to help fund my train empire, you have to get a plane route sorted first before you can be ROLLING IN THE MONEY!

I mean, a plane can get between 10 to 25 grand a flight. As the first maiden flight. But with trains, for some reason (coal runs), the infrastructure cost is pretty tricky to actually spend wisely and then arrange a good transportation system that is profitable.

Got loads of unprofitable trains which have been mostly sold off but the lines are still there (in case I need to use them later).... Sticking with planes for now until I can have enough in-game cash to play around with.

Additionally, even if you have 16 million quid to spend, the actual graphs in the game doesn't show that you're the most profitable company, as I understand it.
 
Hey does anyone still play this game? We could set up a GTPlanet server and get 5 or 6 of us to play on a large map and see which company can make the most money!
 

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