I am thinking of creating my own railway sandbox game

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  • Maybe not a good place to start the topic, but I get this idea when I found much difficulty to develop infrastructure of TpF -- many thing is not supported, and the way to build the world is not so intitultive..


    So if the modertor find a better place to discusse it, please kindly move it.


    In my idea I want to build a game with following charateristics:


    1. Able to simulate more kinds of terrain, like rivers, like vertial walls, like cliffs, like making a hold into the terrain
    2. Build incrementally, a station or other infrastructure should be built up by compenoennt by compennent, so you can easily extends your station by adding different platforms, and the player should be able to plan the internal/underground paths by themselves
    3. Easy to convert vehicule mods from Tpf
    4. Basic interlocking logic simulation (that's my real world job)
    5. Timetable maybe


    Some other points I am not sure
    1. If it would be a good idea to not to have the production/consomation chain in the game?
    2. How to deal with cities growth and people in it? I don't any algorithm about it, and UG masters it well, and maybe TpF is the only game did it well.
    3. So may a miniature game without people and production? Just let train come and go??
    3. Shunting yard? I know little about it.
    4. A train operator trained with machine learning? and train driver too?
    5. VR support?


    What is sure:
    * Not a train driving game


    I am going to start with Unity3D engine, I know little about making a game (I know a lot about making an application), but Unity3D is generally based on .net so I can use the language I prefer, C# and F#, I work with C++ and OCaml in my job but I think use C++ to make a game, maybe performanent but too much things to deal with in details and will take my too much time)


    I want to hear your opinions :):):)

    This guy is too lazy to create a signature. 8o


  • 3. Easy to convert vehicule mods from Tpf

    Since tpf vehicles work with .lua and have common used data endings (.msh, ...) it should be easy to do so


    5. Timetable maybe

    Difficult to be programmed I guess, but would be great.


    1. If it would be a good idea to not to have the production/consomation chain in the game?

    Well what would your intention to play the game be instead?
    TPF is - as it says in the title - a transport simulation. So you need something to be transported, you need cargo and factories.
    Depends on what you are planning to have in your game. When you intending to have only a realistic build mode you dont need production chains....


    2. How to deal with cities growth and people in it? I don't any algorithm about it, and UG masters it well, and maybe TpF is the only game did it well.

    UG did master it good, but not very well - especially in late-game there are a lot of lags because of the calculation of the sims.
    Maybe it would be better to have just random spawning people for looks and without function or calculation. -> That might allow to have bigger cities ingame and not just tiny "villages".


    3. So may a miniature game without people and production? Just let train come and go??

    and at least busses/trams.


    4. A train operator trained with machine learning? and train driver too?

    I would like some sort of campaign mode. Like, you have to hire workshop and driving personal to have any service on your map and have to get them education


    VR support?

    I guess programming this is enough work to do, implementing VR makes it way harder I guess.

    MfG, die Licaon

  • Since tpf vehicles work with .lua and have common used data endings (.msh, ...) it should be easy to do so

    I am not sure if I will supply lua support, personally I find this language easy but not efficient enough for devs because lack of type system, but a convertor will be possible and should not be hard for me.


    I prefer use f# as the game scirpt lang, if possible, maybe double scirpting support if really needed.



    Well what would your intention to play the game be instead?TPF is - as it says in the title - a transport simulation. So you need something to be transported, you need cargo and factories.
    Depends on what you are planning to have in your game. When you intending to have only a realistic build mode you dont need production chains....


    In a real world sandbox (like your model trains), there's no such thing...I fact I don't know exactly what players interested in, since I find on screenshot library on Steam many build complicated infrastrcuture and it seems a great sandbox is enough. I don't know about this answer, if people feel like it necessary I think must have it in the game. If it's a pure sandbox, we don't need even money in the game.



    Zitat

    I would like some sort of campaign mode. Like, you have to hire workshop and driving personal to have any service on your map and have to get them education


    I don't think doing campagin mode, it's beyond my capacity and out of the scope of my aim

    This guy is too lazy to create a signature. 8o

    2 Mal editiert, zuletzt von Enzojz ()

  • Well, I'm always interested in projects like this, so I'll happily follow your progress.
    I think if you want to find what people are interested in, you could take a look at similar games that allow free building and world design, such as A-Train, or EEP (EisenbahnExeProfessional). Personally, I didn't like either of those games nearly as much as Transport Fever, for one reason or another, so I've stopped playing them and still enjoy TPF.


    If there is one thing I could request from your potential project - something that has been lacking in very many similar games so far - it would be a mode to plan things before building them. To have structures already in place, perhaps with transparency, and once everything is the way it should be, I click "build" and the rails, buildings, etc. are then put in permanently. The way it is now, having to build bit by bit and going back, deleting things if something doesn't work is not a very good system in my opinion - especially for a tycoon game that supposedly relies on an economy!

    Lg, YstlDystl

  • Technical TPF does this as single step when you build a track/street, until you accept the proposal.
    It would be nice to add more reference points to a proposal. As long as you don't stop the game the speed is greatly reduced per game tick in TPF as it needs to recalculate every change.


    I won't worry about the city grow algorithm to much, if you have proper interfaces in your game, your city grow can be made into it's submodule that shouldn't touch other stuff.
    If it requires to much knowledge of the inner workings of your game, the chances are high that you game won't scale well over many cores.
    TTD simply uses the city stats and try to grow on the streets. With simple chances: a street goes straight, creates a curve or a house will be build.
    This works good enough for a basic start.



    OCaml is reflected in your LUA programming style
    Unity3D + .NET shouldn't be a problem, Cities Skylines works pretty well with it.
    (It does however use a lot own code so it is end user extensible) CSL Addons a pretty much baked into the game, and advance mods still needs to manipulate the x86 code and detour functions.

  • I am think of having track/street first then fills the gaps with platform, it should be more intuitive than Tpf mod which with abstract values to toggle.
    Don't know if it's better to use multi-core or GPU to deal with the data evolution in such scenario, but the game should not be a single threaded one.
    I have CSL installed but have never looked into how its mod works, maybe I need to take a look at it :)


    Yes my lua code is much influented by FP


    I will do some proto first to test if it works.

    This guy is too lazy to create a signature. 8o

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von Enzojz ()

  • I want to build a game

    Hi, I like the idea in general and the following planned characteristics specifcally:

    1. Able to simulate more kinds of terrain, like rivers, like vertial walls, like cliffs, like making a hold into the terrain
    2. Build incrementally, a station or other infrastructure should be built up by compenoennt by compennent, so you can easily extends your station by adding different platforms, and the player should be able to plan the internal/underground paths by themselves

    Just one question: Will you hire some people/build a team? I don't doubt your programming skills given the exceptional MODs you've created already but designing and building a complete game is a much bigger task I guess. Just look at TPF: Currently UG's team consists of 13 members; yet despite their combined efforts TPF is a good game but far from perfect (hence your desire to do it better ;) )-
    In any case best of luck with this project; please keep us posted about your progress.
    Best regards,
    Transalpin

  • I will first to see if I can give out something working... I may look for help from others when it comes to enrich its contents...I have some 2D/3D artist experiences (also modding) when I was young, the current main problem for me is to design a reasonable game architecture for all I wants to have, I think it's quiet different to making an application.

    This guy is too lazy to create a signature. 8o

  • Sorry, but I'm not convinced of this being a good idea.


    I'd rather see you building new mods and improve your existing ones. You mods are great and have big potential. This project though will be a niche product and developing or completing it will be wasted time. My opinion.


  • In a real world sandbox (like your model trains), there's no such thing...I fact I don't know exactly what players interested in, since I find on screenshot library on Steam many build complicated infrastrcuture and it seems a great sandbox is enough. I don't know about this answer, if people feel like it necessary I think must have it in the game. If it's a pure sandbox, we don't need even money in the game.


    Transporting all sort of goods and passengers could be dealt with making industry work so that there would be infinite demand for the factory if player wants so. Or if someone wants challenge, there would be some sort of demand that needs to be covered.


    What I personally would like to see is, better handling for the vehicles what goods they can haul. For example you could define what cargo the line would take instead you define it for the vehicle or single wagon by tickin them from options and not drop down menu one by one.

  • Sorry, but I'm not convinced of this being a good idea.


    I'd rather see you building new mods and improve your existing ones. You mods are great and have big potential. This project though will be a niche product and developing or completing it will be wasted time. My opinion.

    I have a great pain in getting new mods to this game, I see clearly the limitation of the mechanism of this game, which could be avoided with a better design, or a more responsive from the developer.
    I will continue to work on new mods, both goal are not conflicting, the mod I have built here will surely be standard thing in my game, and more, that's what I think about



    Transporting all sort of goods and passengers could be dealt with making industry work so that there would be infinite demand for the factory if player wants so. Or if someone wants challenge, there would be some sort of demand that needs to be covered.


    What I personally would like to see is, better handling for the vehicles what goods they can haul. For example you could define what cargo the line would take instead you define it for the vehicle or single wagon by tickin them from options and not drop down menu one by one.

    Good point.

    This guy is too lazy to create a signature. 8o

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von Enzojz ()

  • So, this has probably been written somewhere before, but I just happened to think of it and wanted to quickly share it.


    Now, say you have layed out your track and want to add a stop. I think it would be a very cool function to simply "draw" a platform next to a piece of track, as if you were dragging a parallel track (like you can in TPF right now). If you take this idea further, you could choose what kind of platform, such as dirt or concrete, with or without a roof, etc.. This could have different effects, other than purely aesthetic values, of course, such as higher waiting capacity, higher attractiveness, etc.
    The Station building itself would also be placed separately, somewhere along the platform, further increasing waiting capacity, attractiveness and perhaps even revenue (shops, tickets). However, it would also increase upkeep. Meaning you could potentially demolish Station buildings again to save money down the line - something that would mirror real-world events pretty well, I think.
    Railroad Tycoon had a similar system where you could upgrade your station or city to include buildings and services to increase revenue, but the implementation of course was very simple and grid based. Still, might be a cool option to resurrect.


    Opinions?

    Lg, YstlDystl

  • I really like the idea of flexible stations with flexible platforms and extension modules, like waiting rooms, a restaurant or a shop to name a few. They could increase the attractiveness of the station and generate more travellers and with it more income. Also a bus stop could be properly connected to the station.


    But what i would love to see even more is flexible freight stations. Let’s say you could define that tracks 2, 4 and 5 are tracks for traffic to one direction. The train approaching the station has a designated preferred track but when this is already occupied it chooses the alternative track. Could be similar for passenger stations. And when a train stops at the non-preferred platform, loading time would increase as passengers need to change platform first.


    And speaking about dreams: a fixed timetable would be amazing.

    Ein <3 für Güterzüge

  • So, this has probably been written somewhere before, but I just happened to think of it and wanted to quickly share it.


    Now, say you have layed out your track and want to add a stop. I think it would be a very cool function to simply "draw" a platform next to a piece of track, as if you were dragging a parallel track (like you can in TPF right now). If you take this idea further, you could choose what kind of platform, such as dirt or concrete, with or without a roof, etc.. This could have different effects, other than purely aesthetic values, of course, such as higher waiting capacity, higher attractiveness, etc.
    The Station building itself would also be placed separately, somewhere along the platform, further increasing waiting capacity, attractiveness and perhaps even revenue (shops, tickets). However, it would also increase upkeep. Meaning you could potentially demolish Station buildings again to save money down the line - something that would mirror real-world events pretty well, I think.
    Railroad Tycoon had a similar system where you could upgrade your station or city to include buildings and services to increase revenue, but the implementation of course was very simple and grid based. Still, might be a cool option to resurrect.


    Opinions?

    Yes, that what I am thinking of.



    I really like the idea of flexible stations with flexible platforms and extension modules, like waiting rooms, a restaurant or a shop to name a few. They could increase the attractiveness of the station and generate more travellers and with it more income. Also a bus stop could be properly connected to the station.


    But what i would love to see even more is flexible freight stations. Let’s say you could define that tracks 2, 4 and 5 are tracks for traffic to one direction. The train approaching the station has a designated preferred track but when this is already occupied it chooses the alternative track. Could be similar for passenger stations. And when a train stops at the non-preferred platform, loading time would increase as passengers need to change platform first.


    And speaking about dreams: a fixed timetable would be amazing.

    If you can have a flexible platform choosing, that depends on where you put passengers waiting the train: in Europe we wait mostly on platforms so we have fixed platforms, in some other countries we wait in waiting rooms so they have flexible platforms, I will consider this, especially with interlocking system to reserve a track when approaching, it will be possible to make it work.


    Timetable maybe an option.

    This guy is too lazy to create a signature. 8o

  • Yes that is why I think it might be more suited for freight trains as they might just go to the next available free track.


    Also i forgot to mention that i would love to see train priorities so an express train can reserve a track while a freight train is waiting in a siding.

    Ein <3 für Güterzüge

  • I really know this kind of idea... laying out tracks or doing the balancing is the fun and easy part of it.


    When starting a project like this, you should start implementing an engine prototype. Generating landscapes and rendering them in a performant way is really not as easy as it looks. I don't know how much unity is helping you at this point, but I have a lot of respect for the TPF terrain model.


    For the scripting, have a look at ClearScript V8 (Javascript / Typescript). I've already deployed such a scripting environment for a commercial application - our customers are pretty satisfied with it. This will also come in handy in case you want to declare model files in JSON format, which is, I guess, the most common and best supported way nowadays. (LUA sucks and XML is old and bloated)

  • I really know this kind of idea... laying out tracks or doing the balancing is the fun and easy part of it.


    When starting a project like this, you should start implementing an engine prototype. Generating landscapes and rendering them in a performant way is really not as easy as it looks. I don't know how much unity is helping you at this point, but I have a lot of respect for the TPF terrain model.


    For the scripting, have a look at ClearScript V8 (Javascript / Typescript). I've already deployed such a scripting environment for a commercial application - our customers are pretty satisfied with it. This will also come in handy in case you want to declare model files in JSON format, which is, I guess, the most common and best supported way nowadays. (LUA sucks and XML is old and bloated)

    Thanks for suggestion on TypeScript, never used it but I have heard it a good improvement over Js. There is also some transpilator from OCaml to Js and ReasonML. I like ML langs (f#, ocaml etc) mainly for ADT and pattern matching for the expressiveness and simplicity of notion, and f#, like ocaml, have both compiler and interpreter, so the modder for complicated mods can easily get a balance between the performance and the quickness.


    For the engine, I see the author of Mashinky has implemented his own engine, I don't know if I do in this, how many extra effort I need to put, I have never experience on coding a shader, a 3d engine, or sound engine, I don't know if it will help me a lot in later phase of developpement if I do an engine of my own, what do you think?

    This guy is too lazy to create a signature. 8o

    5 Mal editiert, zuletzt von Enzojz ()

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