using pak files

[jgf]

How do I use alterante pak files? I'm running the simu_full install with 128 graphics and have numerous pakfiles downloaded but none contain any instructions.

In the case of single, or a few, new buildings, do I just drop these files into the existing directory? or create a new directory for them? Some d/l's contain complete new industries, will these integrate automatically into my current install. Will save games be invalidated or will just something new appear?

(Obviously I'm new to Simutrains, been playing TTDx and OTTD for ten years though.)

[Raven]

a pak file is a full object by itself, it contains one or more vehicles, buildings, industries, signals...

You should take a look at pak128/ folder into simutrans folder. There you'll see a lot of pak files. When starting the program, Simutrans will look into this folder and will load every loadable pak that is in there (also the sounds and translations).

So, if you want to include some addons into standard pak128, extract the .pak files into this folder. Next time simutrans runs, it'll load these paks and they'll be into your game.

Your savegames won't be broken if you just add new paks. Deleting objects and making savegames run is a bit (not much more) tricky.

Hope it helped

Regards

Raven

[jgf]

Thanks. In the case of a new train set, I assume only one can be in the directory at a time (such as a US train set or a European train set)?

Are there situations where I would need a separate directory for new pak files? would this be selectable from within the game or be a case of back-up and rename directories before launching?

BTW, about 75% of my downloads are from your site; are they all compatible with each other and/or with my, so far, default install of simu_full?

[Raven]

I should update my sig. Those addons are pretty old, and they use freight identifiers that are no longer supported by pak128.

You can have as much paks into your pak folder as you wish. There could be some conflict if two vehicle id's are the same, or if they use some unexistant identifiers, like the freight ones already mentioned.

If you're to use any of my addons, the only ones working are the NS and US ones. And you'll need all pak128 freight wagons too, since my cargo set is broken.

All this is due to the fact that those addons are no longer mantained.

I'm atm working on a new graphical set at 96size. It's located into:

http://www.raven.simutrans.com

OTOH, if you want some addons, I suggest you take a look at:

http://www.addons.simutrans.com

Thsoe are more likely to work than mine

About selectable paks... You'll need to create two different pakfolders, each one with your desired group of paks (base + addons). Then if you look in config/simuconf.tab, (open it with notepad/wordpad), you'll see that somewhere near the end is specified the pak folder simutrans will use to load pak files. Change it to play your desired scenario.

I believe that by using the command line it's possible to choose the pak folder without changing the config.tab too. I've got to look for it.

[jgf]

Now enjoying several new pak files - but what do I do with the d/l's containing a dat file and a png?

[_VS]

These are the sources from which are made PAKs with a tool called MakeObj. If you are familiar with command line, search (the other) simutrans forum for more info or help; if not, tough luck.