MADMEN EVERYWHERE! [NUTS Unrealistic Train Set]

[Yexo]

I know, but I understood it as "it will work if newgrf implements this and its author may decide to leave it not working", and this disclaimer covers that this functionality is not provided and guaranteed by OpenTTD (like most API functions) but should be implemented by newgrf.

If I recall correctly this functionality isn't completely supported by the NewGRF specs. I think it only works for passengers, and the documentation was written this way to allow extending it in the future (basically enhancing existing AIs without any required work by the AI dev).

[MinchinWeb]

Random Bug.... NUTS wants to carry livestock in a tanker car. I'm using OpenGFX+ Industries v0.3.4 and NUTS v0.2.2.

Livestock in a Tanker??

NUTS Tankers, 22nd Jan 1950.png (63.72 KiB) Viewed 5281 times

[V453000 :)]

Thank you for the report, but that is not a bug fishies!

[V453000 :)]

After a while I can present to you another version of NUTS, 0.2.3.

In the previous version I have already massively restructured the way how local rail trains work. They were able to transport way too much people on short distances that they were unmatched by the monorail local trains.

Therefore I had multiple options, generally to either reduce their capacity, or to reduce some other stats. Further thinking lead me to a conclusion that if I reduce their acceleration (power and TE) then I technically not only reduce their throughput, but I also make it possible for the player to choose if they want to double the engines or not (reducing capacity).

Which leads to a choice where you either have capacity, or acceleration. Not both.

First off, the new version of NUTS includes a variety of newly drawn trains, all of them being local rail.
The graphical style in which they are drawn differs with basically every one of them. This is because I just tried various things, I might unify it later as I also do not see some of the results as optimal (yet )

LocalRail.png (151.35 KiB) Viewed 933 times

The reduced acceleration and increased likeliness of doubled engines also suggests a new optical feature. As doubling double headed engines is not especially beautiful and I have to say I hate to do it unless I have to because of that.
Therefore I made all of local trains "inner" engines to look very similar to wagons, with some differences like coloured stripes and such details.

[V453000 :)]

Today I released NUTS 0.2.4 with some major changes which might be worth mentioning.

The former versions had a simple issue: Rail Intercity class was simply the only usable Intercity class of trains as monorail and maglev were substantially weaker. Similar unbalance occured in the local league, but differently. Monorail Local was strongest, the only one to compete was RailLocal8 (Timewave Zero).
While RailLocal7 (Morphogenesis) and RailLocal9 (Holographic Universe) are intended to be comparable with the MonoLocal and RailLocal8, they ended up being a lot weaker.
These issues brought up a major complication, as that is a lot of trains to balance with each other. First results would for example make the Local trains too powerful in compare even with Intercity trains and similar problems which were more loss than gain.
I will go through the changes I made and add a reason why I did so...

- MonoLocal max speeds reduced majorly
These guys are extremely powerful mainly due to their instant acceleration and pretty much invulnerability to slowdowns in curves. Their capacity is not that outstanding, but their speed is again great.
First possibility is to do the change similarly as the previous version did with RailLocal trains - reducing acceleration. This would however make the MonoLocal class just a modern brother of Rail Local, both having similar behaviour, but no real difference in effect on the actual network constructon.
Therefore, I reduced their speed - which means their amazing acceleration is now even better. Apart from that, they now do not slow down on any curves! Making them perfect for intense town center networks with a lot of short curves, where RailLocal would slow significantly.

- Intercity trains swap
Originally, the division of Intercity trains was simple, and the stat changes were just the same. Simply enough, trains on rail were slowest, with best capacity, monorail had medium speed and medium capacity, and maglev had smallest capacity, but highest speed. All of them behaved about the same way, with very similar accelerations and similar vulnerability to slowdowns in curves, and similarly long loading times.
Therefore I made monorail have the fastest trains in the set, and maglev has the medium classed Intercity trains now.
This not only "simply swaps" the train classes, but it also changes their behaviour drastically. Having slow maglev trains means 3 tile long curve allowance, meaning that they are trains you can use anywhere on the network where space is limited - but their loading speed and mediocre acceleration does not make them effective in city centers. In compare with RailIntercity, they are suitable to use with longer trains as they can comfortably deal with curves, while RailIntercity has better acceleration so they fit more with shorter trains, where they do not suffer from the curves.
For monorail trains, these are the super fast trains able to reach 600 kmh, but you have to let them reach it. From not-perfect acceleration, through vulnerability to curve slowdowns. They also take 10 ticks to load, while maglev takes only 6. However, their throughput capability is the highest from all trains - it is only hard to maintain.
To spice it up a bit, I even added an exception of slower/higher capacity train as in MaglevICE3, which is capable of travelling through curve length of 2 in full speed.
Also, the slug was made quite a bit slower than before, but with more capacity and better loading times to make it at least a bit useful - it has a superior competitor in every area as it does not excel in anything, but it is universally usable.

- Making less differences in RailLocal trains
The RailLocal8 (Timewave Zero) was absolutely unmatched, as the capacity of 140 passengers per wagon was just way too much more in compare to 120 for RailLocal7 and 100 for RailLocal9. As MonoLocal got substantial crippling, I also reduced RailLocal8 capacity to 130 instead of 140, and mainly made the difference between others smaller, resulting in 130 for RL7 and 120 for RL9. Also, accelerations of modern RailLocal trains were a tiny bit improved.

All in all, I hope the trains are not only more balanced, but mainly add a lot more variety as in different behaviour of the trains - not only stat exchanges. Therefore it is a lot more about what exactly your network needs by the situation of mostly speed, but also the design of the network.

I am not sure if anyone finds this information valuable, but it is here for those who are interested .
If you were interested in taking part of the discussions about the set, just join us at the #openttdcoop Welcome Server where others often share the joy to talk about how the set works and what could be improved!

Thanks for reading, V.

[SkiddLow]

Should Update Daily to until v10.

[V453000 :)]

Not sure what do you mean by that
Update: But I released another minor bugfix version today

[V453000 :)]

And another version joins the party, this time not just one, but two: 0.2.6 and in short sequence also 0.2.7:

Maglev just got its first local train called Meat Grinder.
This train has main strength of being able to travel through even the shortest curves in full speed (I dont count 90deg curve as a "curve).
If your network does not have short curves then it is probably better to use some other trains.
By having solid speed of 211kmh and reduced capacity, they are best used in the suburbs where houses do not produce much.
These trains are able to refit to colour variations just like rail local trains are.

Because I screwed something up a little bit in 0.2.6, the recolouring did not work, so it works now in 0.2.7

I also changed some train stats as seen in the readme file.

[Rmoves]

thx for your work on this train set its the best from a gameplay point of view by far, the name doesn't rly do it justice its not nutz at all its very well thought out and balanced.

[V453000 :)]

Thank you

Admittedly, most of the engines are "sane", but there are also quite a few of them which do not really fall into that category . The main "nutz" thing is the visual appearance of the set, like the latest change to maglev flatbeds for livestock, most cargoes on maglev wagons, so-called WTF class of trains, the bonus trains, and in general some more in the "normal" classes.
Main part of the set is the structure and how it works, that is true, however that usually means you can go NUTS when playing as it is quite convenient to make gigantic networks with a smoothly working train set.
So thank you, because those things you mentioned are exactly what the set aims for

[Bob_Mackenzie]

The poor little creatures can see the abattoir coming

[V453000 :)]

With like 1:1000 probability of having a pink elephant amongst them!

[Rmoves]

haha ok i see your point

[Donoteat]

So uh, I like this trainset a lot!


One question though: the "X E Qt R" locomotive is listed as being uranium powered. This, I would assume, means it has an on-board nuclear reactor for power... so why does it need to run on electrified rail?

[V453000 :)]

Ohhh, someone already pointed me to that "error" earlier; I just forgot to fix it Thank you for re-discovery, I will fix it for the next version, along with some surprising bugs I found like superstrong trains not being able to haul 2nd gen hoppers ... the 2nd gen hoppers were added before the other 2nd gen wagons so I guess I just forgot to add those to the attach allowances.

Glad to hear you like the train set; I like it myself after all

EDIT: I just updated the newGRF with those changes and some more; in the fruit store as usual.

[frosch]

One question though: the "X E Qt R" locomotive is listed as being uranium powered. This, I would assume, means it has an on-board nuclear reactor for power... so why does it need to run on electrified rail?

It neads the catenary to get rid off superfluous energy, e.g. when waiting at a signal

[V453000 :)]

[SkiddLow]

I About New Train Type Like :

- Cannon
- Troll
- New Engine Type : Water, Lava, Nitro
- etc.

And Had soon New version of NUTS version 0.3 Series to 0.9

[V453000 :)]

I About New Train Type Like :

- Cannon
- Troll
- New Engine Type : Water, Lava, Nitro
- etc.

And Had soon New version of NUTS version 0.3 Series to 0.9

I am sorry but neither of that makes sense to me. 0.3->0.9 ?? What?
The suggestions above are kinda pointless as they lack further reasoning so I will ignore that if you dont mind.

[3iff]

New version of NUTS 0.4.0 with nightly 24824.

I'm getting this for the available train list (same when in a depot buying trains). I'm guessing something is slightly wrong?

Apart from this glitch, it looks interesting.

Unnamed, 1st Jan 1960.png (30.59 KiB) Viewed 3628 times