Put Patches on OpenTTD.org

[TrainLover]

The OpenTTD community is becoming less and less with each passing year. We see more patchers leave too bc they are annoyed that trunk is constrained and that many feature requests have been shelved. We need to spur more innovation and more players so that we have brand recognition. How nice would it be if one of your favourite games would be one of the most-known open-source games of all time?

Because of this, I propose that OpenTTD.org should have another page where one could see various patches and patch-packs. While Trunk can be constrained, these patch-packs offer the best source of innovation. How long have we been asking for things like, 'Underground views' or 'signals on bridges and tunnels? If we are able to link patches on that page, people will see that there is innovation going on in OpenTTD. Yes, I know that trunk has to be stable so that it basically has zero bugs and has new features every April Fools, but if, as a game, to outside communities look like we stagnate after the original TTD, nobody new is going to come and try this great game.

Let us show that we have innovation through the awesome patches that come about bc of the fact that OpenTTD is an open-source game.

[Hyronymus]

The OpenTTD community is becoming less and less with each passing year. We see more patchers leave too bc they are annoyed that trunk is constrained and that many feature requests have been shelved. We need to spur more innovation and more players so that we have brand recognition.

The idea is nice but is the problem you describe real or does it appear to be a problem?

[JGR]

The OpenTTD community is becoming less and less with each passing year. We see more patchers leave too bc they are annoyed that trunk is constrained and that many feature requests have been shelved. We need to spur more innovation and more players so that we have brand recognition. How nice would it be if one of your favourite games would be one of the most-known open-source games of all time?

Because of this, I propose that OpenTTD.org should have another page where one could see various patches and patch-packs. While Trunk can be constrained, these patch-packs offer the best source of innovation. How long have we been asking for things like, 'Underground views' or 'signals on bridges and tunnels? If we are able to link patches on that page, people will see that there is innovation going on in OpenTTD. Yes, I know that trunk has to be stable so that it basically has zero bugs and has new features every April Fools, but if, as a game, to outside communities look like we stagnate after the original TTD, nobody new is going to come and try this great game.

Let us show that we have innovation through the awesome patches that come about bc of the fact that OpenTTD is an open-source game.

This page already exists: https://wiki.openttd.org/List_of_patches, though it's about 6 years out of date. I'd suspect that edits to bring it into the current decade wouldn't go unappreciated.

The real activity is happening on Github, with chat on IRC. You're better of looking through those to find innovation. Openttd.org needs to cater to beginners who have no idea what TTD/OpenTTD is.

[TrainLover]

The idea is nice but is the problem you describe real or does it appear to be a problem?

I mean, there have been a few ppl who left like Joker and there have been a few threads talking about how constraining Trunk is

[TrainLover]

This page already exists: https://wiki.openttd.org/List_of_patches, though it's about 6 years out of date. I'd suspect that edits to bring it into the current decade wouldn't go unappreciated.

The real activity is happening on Github, with chat on IRC. You're better of looking through those to find innovation. Openttd.org needs to cater to beginners who have no idea what TTD/OpenTTD is.
[/quote]

Oh wow, I did not know about the IRC. It's just that I saw a few threads from Joker and some other guys talking about how OpenTTD is basically stagnant. Here's the thread: viewtopic.php?t=76852

[Hyronymus]

Oh wow, I did not know about the IRC. It's just that I saw a few threads from Joker and some other guys talking about how OpenTTD is basically stagnant. Here's the thread: viewtopic.php?t=76852

Did you check the latest post in that thread too? 24th of August 2017 .

[andythenorth]

Thanks for contributing!

TL;DR
* not too fussed about brand recognition
* it's already one of the most successful open source games
* there are massively successful patchpacks like JGR
* don't confuse 'OpenTTD is dying' (always has been) with 'patchpack authors who have social problems'

Cheers!

[kamnet]

From what I've read, moving OpenTTD from its own private repository to GitHub has resulted in a significant increase in individuals forking the project in order to experiment with patches, and that, in turn, has lead to a significant increase in independent coders contributing features and bug fixes.

Looking through the multiplayer servers online, the majority of them are using unpatched OpenTTD, with smaller numbers using either JGRPP or CityMania's custom branch. So I don't really believe that there are a significant number of people who have stopped playing OpenTTD because there aren't enough new patches being introduced.

[TrainLover]

Thanks for contributing!

TL;DR
* not too fussed about brand recognition
* it's already one of the most successful open source games
* there are massively successful patchpacks like JGR
* don't confuse 'OpenTTD is dying' (always has been) with 'patchpack authors who have social problems'

Cheers!

That's great to hear! I just really got 'stuck in' with this endearing community and I was afraid I was kinda entering at the end of its lifespan Also, 'OpenTTD is dying' lmao

[Eddi]

Also, 'OpenTTD is dying' lmao

Well, it really is. All the signs are there. Except, you can see this being diagnosed every year for like 15 years now.

in this timeframe, many a patchpack which was meant to be "the future of OpenTTD" has come and gone, yet trunk is still there. still improving (slowly). stars who burn bright die young.

patchpacks have the tendency to derive their power from a single enthusiast, who puts in the work and assembles all the half-done patches to bring them in some semi-usable conglomeration. that generally ends in one of two ways: 1) the conglomeration gets so unstable that it falls apart and is unmaintainable, or b) the person loses interest and it fades into obscurity.

OpenTTD is a collaborative project. which means, that even if individual people come and go, the project itself has a chance to live on.