If you want to make a train set, make sure you have it all tought trough.
- - Make sure you don't start on a project that has already started.
- Make sure you don't start on a project that is dead, in that case ask the original creators of that set if you may have their work. If they don't want that, then ask if you may revive the project with the same members.
- Provide much information as possible, (info about the set, where your idea came from and/or what your purpose is with the project)
- Keep your project clean in one thread and post everything in that thread like information and stuff,
- Mostly people will join your project all by them selves, if they don't, then don't ever force people to join in, and let them work at their own pace if they joined the project,
- To avoid trouble and messyness in the forum-thread, you might want to start a website about the project to keep things clean and for other people to look at. It's handy for backup reasons too BTW,
- Determine the name for your set (this may sound obvious but imagine having a few toyland trucks and a couple of trains and calling the set "Chuggerploofs Aircontrol" yeah it's wild and crazy but not really reffering to what you are making. A name like: "Dutch trainset" with only Dutch trains is an example of a good name, easy to remember, it's a good reference of what you may expect from a name like that),
- Collect as much data as possible, (Like vehicle stats, charts, maps, graphs etc.)
- Don't post one pic, try to provide a pic of a vehicle in every dimention (or at least much good pictures because every dimention can be hard).
- Don't l33t speak... EVER! as you being the project leader, people like to take you just as serious as you being serious about your idea, so if you want any help, don't shout stuff like: "OMG! HELP ME PLZ IMMA N00B LOL NEEDS C0D3RS FAST AND DR4W 4 ME LOL n00b f4g". Oh and avoid a truckload of emoticons too.
- Don't try to be both coder and artist. Only few people are good coders AND artists,
- When you start project, don't expect that it will be finished soon. Creating the set is a long process which requires hard work (drawing and coding), think in terms of years not weeks (nor a couple of days, perhaps if you have the skills and manpower to create the pyramids of Giza in a few days then you can think in terms of hours for a graphics pack for Transport Tycoon).
- Rail vehicles (engines + wagons, all track types): 116
Road vehicles (busses and trucks): 88
Planes and helicopters: 41
Ships: 11
Stations: 255, and 19 per class
Station classes: 19
Bridges: 11
Houses: 255
Industry tiles: 256
Industries: 37
Cargos: 32
Sound effects: 65535 per file.
Thus for example: Have 10k rail-, 10k road/tram-, 10k air- vehicles and 10k ships enabled in 1 or more newGRF sets.
Links to usefull stickies or websites on this matter:
GRF Set Index
Useful Graphic Tools & Sites & Install Guides
Purno's Drawing Tutorials (To increase your drawing skills.
)Patchman's GRF manual (To learn the in's and out's of coding GRF.
)Topic from Wallyweb for already existing major sets.
Comments and/or suggestions are much appreciated.
PM me for those! (It will keep the topic tidy.)
'Thank you' notice: DaleStan, Hyronimous, Purno, Patchman, Orudge, Wallyweb. (If I forgot someone than tell me so, so that I can add your name to the list if you want credits)