Artistic building/playing?

[Alberth]

Perhaps move the FAQ to the other pages that already exist?
https://wiki.openttd.org/FAQ (add a page there)

That way, the FAQ stays together, and aesthetics becomes more integrated with the other content

[kamnet]

Wow, I like it!

[Kerbiter]

Me too, great work Also, I wrote some very basic tips to the Basics section.

[Dave]

Perhaps move the FAQ to the other pages that already exist?
https://wiki.openttd.org/FAQ (add a page there)

That way, the FAQ stays together, and aesthetics becomes more integrated with the other content

Yes. I agree. The "FAQs" thing I actually intended to be mainly a "Player Q&A" section where questions were put to the prominent aesthetic chaps. Not sure how it ended up as an FAQ in my head!

I think one's probably required though, so I'll change this page and once this section is done create a new part of the FAQs!

@Kamnet/Kerbiter

Cheers - and thanks for the input. It is, of course, a wiki and I welcome contributions from everyone! Word of warning though - I'm a bit of a stickler for spelling and grammar so I might ruthlessly hack your work up (your contributions are still appreciated...!)

EDIT: Any Wiki wizards know how to make the images in the "portal box" link to the relevant page, rather than their image page?

[Kerbiter]

Word of warning though - I'm a bit of a stickler for spelling and grammar so I might ruthlessly hack your work up (your contributions are still appreciated...!)

No problems, just want to say that English is not my native language BTW, I use spellchecker when I'm going to write something in English.

[FooBar]

EDIT: Any Wiki wizards know how to make the images in the "portal box" link to the relevant page, rather than their image page?

Code: Select all

[[File:Image.PNG|link=Name Of Page]]

[Emperor Jake]

EDIT: One of the buttons uses a screengrab from Emperor Jake - hopefully he won't be too miffed as he's my first target to contribute, if he likes!

Not at all, I'm honoured I might add bits here and there eventually, like stuff about track and interchange design and making cities look good.

[Dave]

Good man yourself.

I've updated the Basic Tips that kerbiter kindly added, with a bit more detail and some images...!

https://wiki.openttd.org/Aesthetics:Basics

Good innit!

I've also done a bit of admin and tidied up links, images, etc.

Onwards and upwards!

[SwissFan91]

I've posted a few of my ideas here. Feel free to change my formatting or anything to suit the wiki.

[Dave]

Lovely jubberley.

I was going to suggest having separate pages if some sections started getting too long - I don't know if that'll happen.

Thanks for contributing though - it's a great start, and thank god someone agrees with me about bridges!

[Pyoro]

Never thought about catenary poles. Of course, now that I've seen, I can't unsee. Which doesn't make me very happy since often the landscape dictates where the track should be ... damn. Someone should patch this behavior.

[Kevo00]

I am sure prototypical central catenary poles exist somewhere in the world, even if it's not that common...I am sure I've seen it somewhere in the UK even.

I often think I'm building unrealistically when I'm pressed for space but then real railways make space based compromises too.

[Gankenstein]

Thanks a bunch, Dave and everyone else contributing to this, it's much appreciated.

What I'd find particularly interesting to see on the aestethics wiki is "How-To" stuff, e.g. showing what can be done with various NewGRFs. To illustrate, here's a problem of mine (and yes, I know I could likely solve it myself by spending time looking for the right NewGRFs):

schlachthof.png (732.1 KiB) Viewed 1846 times

The setup is that Livestock and Production Materials come in from the east to serve the slaughterhouse. The production materials are delivered to the westmost platform, which is a separate station, then moved by truck to the station servicing the slaughterhouse. This is to ensure production materials are delivered at least monthly, which increases production (using FIRS 1.4.4).

Thus, for gameplay reasons there has to be two separate stations. However, I would like to build it so it all lookes like one contiguous station area. But stations need to be separated by at least one tile, so some kind of mock station tiles are needed for this. And what I would like to know is which NewGRF(s) provide such tiles and perhaps examples of how this can be done. Having such on the aesthetics wiki would make it a very useful resource to me.

Station GRFs in use here are Industrial Stations Renewal 1.0.2 and/or NewStations v0.6 14.08.2014.

As a P.S., of course I know the interior of the Schlachthof-Fünf station area ought to be filled, I just haven't done that yet.

[Pyoro]

But stations need to be separated by at least one tile

No, they don't, just use the CTRL key.

I remember an amazingly excellent awesome such station build with trams in the screenshot forum. Unfortunately I don't remember who precisely build it, but maybe someone else does ^^;

€: ColdIce is the one I'm thinking of. For example:
http://www.tt-forums.net/download/file.php?id=183814
Rest of the thread:
http://www.tt-forums.net/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=72685

[Emperor Jake]

Yes, stations can be built together using the Ctrl key as pyoro said. But i you want some NewObjects that blend in with ISR, then check out ISR/DWE Objects - I use them a lot in my harbour areas as seen in my screenshots.

[FooBar]

I think a list of NewGRFs particularly suited for artistic building is a quite useful addition. Especially with a screenshot for each. These would probably be mostly station and object GRFs, but still.

[piratgizmo]

I just started again 2 play openttd ... no idea what was my old username "those days" ... it was a long time ago - treat this post as a "Hello again"

I'd mention the following:

There is a typical Trac-Layout for each Epoche when the Tracks where build first.

Station Layout I:

- Typical older Track-Layouts (to 1950) often included terminal stations ... especially in big towns
- in newer times its preferred to build transit-stations

This can also include a "gameplay" in early times where users are building terminal stations and when city grows and times goes by they try to find new solutions like tunnels 2 connect different terminal-stations 2 each other

Examples: Vienna Main Station, Stuttgart 21 (even under earth)

Station Layout II:

- In early times there were large maneuvering areas before and after an station with many tracks and crossings
- in newer times the layout is more strict, prepared for high-speed including longshaped switches, no more direct crossings, crossing-free paths like tunnels and bridges - consider also changing trains on same level when heading same direction (not required to change platform 2 change train)

Examples: Look on old Track-Plans of Cities, find the difference between 1960 and 2015 for example, you'd find out there are large amounts of tracks removed and new city-parts were established

Track Layout III:

Long days gone many lines were single-tracked ... there were "simple stations" with only one plattform and "crossing-stations" with multiple plattforms were trains could pass each other even from different directions ...

- Also many lil settlements and business were connected the earlier days before industry and automobile-times, even with low train-frequency (use cheap, slow tracks)
- Nowadays lil Businesses are connected by Trucks most of the time ...

Trainhandling & Direction:

It's an ease 2 play OpenTTD when changing Direction at a terminal station is done automagically ... Openttd would simply do it - thats not what you imagine when u'd like 2 have a realistic track-layout

- Build something like turntable at the end
- Build some "bypass-tracks" 2 allow the engines 2 pass the train in theory
- Dont forget about the larger depots that time with coal-/water-/sand-refuel, workshops and engine-housing

Different Speeds - Track Layout - Another one:

Make Use of different Track Types with/without Cartenary in and around stations

- Use different track-speeds in different parts of your stations
- Use Cartenary on your "Main-Line"-Plattforms, without on "Foreign Lines"

Now i need a hint:

Uhm ... i simply forgot ... there was a option to "slow-down" the passing by of years, smthg. about "ticks per day" ... still a patch?

I also prefer 2 play around a lot with track-layouts but in "default mode" the years pass by much 2 fast ... imagine i want 2 build a "time-suiting" track-layout for whole map within 10 years and just want it 2 grow slowly in technic aspects.

[kamnet]

Examples from one of my games. First image shows you two industries I built, second shows you the station tiles as blended in, and what they do.

[Eddi]

Uhm ... i simply forgot ... there was a option to "slow-down" the passing by of years, smthg. about "ticks per day" ... still a patch?

this is still a patch (search fo "daylength"), and will probably stay that way for the forseeable future.

[Dave]

Examples from one of my games. First image shows you two industries I built, second shows you the station tiles as blended in, and what they do.

If you'd like to put that up on the wiki...