1 Setup
As extensive as the modding features of TPF2 are, unfortunately not all the necessary settings can be set automatically. It is therefore up to you to select these settings correctly before starting the game. Please read this section carefully and choose according to your own preferences!
The "Logistic Challenge" mod is part of the Economy Modding Pack (EMP for short) and therefore includes several mods that influence your gaming experience.
The new game mode is activated simply by activating the "Logistical Challenge" mod for a new free game. However, you also need the "Production Challenge" mod from the aforementioned EMP. Take your time to decide what you might like.
1.1 pre-made map
Instead of starting a new free game, there is now also a pre-made map that takes all the decisions off your hands.
If you just want to get started as quickly as possible and try out the new game mode, this is the easiest way.
You can download the savegame here: Logistische Herausforderung - normale Karte
Keep in mind that you still have to download the necessary mods first. Read the description there!
1.2 required mod Production Challenge
This is a mod that I also programmed. Please activate this mod and make sure that the option “more levels for industries” is activated in the mod settings! The multiplier for the number of industries is recommended for
more supply and demand: x2
more industries: x1
more source industries: x2
more end industries: x1/2
This results in 100 industries for 3 or 6 cities and 200 industries for 9 or 12 cities.
All settings of the mod can be changed as you want, but please make sure that the number of required industries is not significantly higher than 100 for 3 or 6 cities!
If all sliders are set to x1, 68 industries are needed for 3 or 6 cities.
If all sliders are set to x1/4, 39 industries are required for 3 or 6 cities.
Click here for the proper webdisk: Economy Modding Pack
1.3 Number of towns, industries and your hardware
Even if the difficulty level defines the minimum number of cities, you can play with more cities. However, the following is important to know: The more towns you have on the map, the more industries you need to supply everything. And the more industries you have on the map, the worse the performance will be. And this is noticeable even with current CPUs. I'll spare you the details now, but unfortunately this is a problem with TPF2 that affects this mod. The good thing is that if you overdo it, the problem doesn't just appear in the lategame, but basically immediately. So if you really want to have a lot of industries, you can try it out first. If lags bother you in the first few hours of the game, you can start again with fewer industries.
The number of industries you need is displayed in the start window. This number can change depending on the “Production Challenge” settings. In any case, the mod ensures that enough cities and industries have been generated on the map.
1.4 Density of industries and map size
Recommended for 100 industries = 3 or 6 cities: Normal
Recommended for 200 industries = 9 or 12 cities: Large
Recommended for 300 industries = more than 12 cities: Huge, megalomaniac
To control the density of the industries, my mod “EMP: better city to industry ratio (for map generator)” is helpful. This can be used to control the number even better via its mod settings. The default value of TPF2 is 0.8 industries per km². This can be changed in the mod settings of the mod. I recommend a value of around 1.0 industries per km².
Important: Do not fill your building land with industries. Industries become a big problem when many are placed in a small space. They will block the space for building stations, tracks or roads.
It's hardly any fun if you have no room to build your infrastructure because of all the industries. Therefore, choose a density that is not overcrowded with industries. If you prefer to play on a smaller map size, you could also use the “Production Challenge” to change the multipliers so that fewer industries are needed. You can then use the “EMP: better city to industry ratio (for map generator)” to modify the density.
There is also my mod “EMP: greater distance (x2)”. This halves the density and doubles the permitted distances. This allows for larger maps without automatically filling them with more industries and cities. Please activate the mod “EMP: greater distance (x2)” if you want lower densities, this is important in combination with the mod “Logistical challenge”! If the mod “EMP: greater distance (x2)” is active, the recommended map sizes change as follows:
Recommended for 100 industries = 3 or 6 cities: Large
Recommended for 200 industries = 9 or 12 cities: Huge
Recommended for 300 industries = more than 12 cities: Megalomaniac
1.5 Find the right level of difficulty
If you have the choice, you're spoiled for choice. Keep in mind that this mod offers you a much higher challenge either way than TPF2 without mods on (very) hard. Money is not everything. If you're not sure, just use the default settings of TPF2 and this mod. Or go for the “easy” difficulty level of this mod first. You won't miss anything, it just minimizes the frustration factor. After all, playing should be fun, so be honest with yourself.
The following settings have a significant influence on the difficulty:
- TPF2 difficulty level: determines how much income you generate. Choose a higher difficulty level to earn money at a lower rate.
- In the advanced settings of TPF2, the financial sliders can be changed to change the credit limit, interest rate and costs. Important: the mod already has additional costs!
- Difficulty level of this mod: determines in particular the time pressure and the number of cities that must be connected. (There is no maximum number of cities!)
- Settings of the “Production Challenge”: determine the demand of towns and production quantities of industries to the highest degree. Note that the mod in the standard already causes exciting changes. By changing the demand of cities, the game can be made more difficult or easier.
- Workers for industries: An experimental feature of this mod that is a real game changer. This feature must be activated in the mod settings before generating the map.
- all my EMP mods: all my mods have the basic idea of influencing the difficulty. For example, the “Heavy Cargo Challenge” puts the spotlight much more on cargo weights. Vehicles get more realistic maximum payloads. The difference between road and rail, especially in the early years of the game, becomes even clearer.
- Additional vehicle mods: Carefully selected, these can have a massive impact on your game
1.6 Further limitations
- The starting year must be between 1850 and 1900.
- No "cheats" are allowed! This means that the industry and town building button, sandbox mode and "no costs" may not be activated by other mods.
- The advanced settings for "city growth" may not be changed by other mods and must remain at the default (emission influence may be reduced, but not increased)
- Please do not use mods that do anything with cargo or industries. My other mods are compatible with this one.
- The controller-ui is not supported
2 Starting the game
2.1 the start window
You will be greeted with an extra information window. The first page shows you whether all configurations are correct. If they are not correct, a red X will appear in front of the corresponding line. Please exit the game and correct your configuration.
If all requirements are met, i.e. all lines have a green tick as above, you can click on the “next page” button at the bottom.
On the following page you will see a list of my mods from the Economy Modding Pack and which of them are active.
On the following page you have to select the difficulty level of the mod:
If the difficulty levels “Hard” and “Brutal” are grayed out and not selectable as in the picture above, please check your number of cities and the number of industries on the map!
Once you have decided on a difficulty level, select it and then click on “next page” .
Now read through the credits and then click on the “Start mod magic...” button.
Important: after clicking the button, please let go of your mouse. Please do not click anything now! Please be patient until the mod has completed the following step. Depending on the hardware and the number of industries, this may take several minutes. Be patient!
As soon as this step is completed, the next window for selecting two towns will appear!
2.2 Selecting the first two towns
Rule of thumb for the rest of the game: Choose nearby towns! You will have problems making progress at the beginning if your towns are too far away from each other. It makes the start of the game unnecessarily complicated and tedious if towns are very far away. It is even better if not only the first two towns, but also as many other towns as possible are close together.
If you prefer greater distances, use my “EMP: greater distance (x2)” mod. Of course, this does not override the rule of thumb, but it does allow larger distances, as explained in detail under “Setup” >> “Density of industries and map size”. In particular, it reduces frustration at the initial stage.
To select a town, click on its name on the map. This works in exactly the same way as opening the town window. For a town selected in this way, its name will then appear in the selection window. Repeat this for a second town. The distance between the two towns are now displayed in the selection window. If the distance is too great, the distance will turn red, as shown in the following image
Please select other towns. To do this, simply click on the X behind the town's name or select the name of other towns on the map.
Once two towns have been selected and the distance between them has been accepted, click on the “Start” button. Now the fun begins!
2.3 Development of the first towns
Not a bug, but the magic of this mod! Yes, your town is a small village at the beginning. And yes, your small village needs nothing more than two simple types of cargo. You want to change that, don't you? Very good, because that's exactly the challenge. As usual, find the right industry on the map and bring the required cargo to your village.
This is not the end of this guide, but it is still a work in progress. Information about the new game mechanics are here. Detailed explanations of the new game mechanics will follow. Until then, just be curious and keep an eye out for new buttons and UI elements. 
