Howto build a good, fast and reliable network

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Are you building reliable and fast networks?

Yes
60
67%
No
1
1%
Sometimes
23
26%
What's that?
3
3%
ARRGH!
3
3%
 
Total votes: 90

mispunt
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Howto build a good, fast and reliable network

Post by mispunt »

I am playing tt for a while now, first ttd patch and now openttd on linux. and I was wondering howto build a good, fast and reliable network. (All kind of networks except LAN's ;))
And when do you start with that?
fabca2
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Re: Howto build a good, fast and reliable network

Post by fabca2 »

depends also on difficulty level you choose.
my experiance (I played long time ago... I didn't played for year, and rediscover TTD with OTTD few weeks ago),
I start with low cost stuff (busses) and most profitable (coal) with simple railstation (1x3)
all money I get is invested into my train network (more cargo : steel)
then I works with goods...
When I can transport valuable, I remove my buses... and I can wait few year to see money continuouly arrive... Time also to borrow money..
What I can say : it's very difficult at begining...
But when I've 2 or 3.000.000 (with inflate) and no loan, it's time to renew my network and build two-ways railtrack... and maybe to invest monorail...

so : too difficult at begining, and easy after some year.
Bjarni
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Post by Bjarni »

and what do you expect to get from this vote?

people use it after a while if they use trains. If not, they play on a too easy difficulty

Besides you get to know if people use it, but you will not get any ideas to improve your own network

Posting neat ideas for optimal layouts would be more useful
SergeS
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Post by SergeS »

in ttdpatch I creates always highways %)
in openttd i prefer to use railroad networks
CobraA1
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Post by CobraA1 »

I find that modelling after highways (cloverleafs, etc) is effifcient. Some people hyper-optimize their layouts by doing crazy stuff like putting signals on every square inch of the railroad, but to be honest if your track can't handle all the trains, it's time to add more lanes or re-think the system, not over-optimize. I prefer my layouts to be somewhat sane and realistic.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away" --Henry David Thoreau
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Maverick
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Post by Maverick »

Cobra, that's a little harsh :)
On some of my maps, even with 12 lanes, full signilation is essential, small shockwaves of traffic are more devastating in TTD then that in real life.
But, Optimization, and efficiency is an obsession to me.
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sfrankland
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Post by sfrankland »

I always start off with some easy money makers that I can let run for a while until I build wealth. I like a two line system with all stations conected to the main lines. I tend to go pretty heavy with the siginals in areas where traffic is heavy. Once I make a few million I start building a monster station with all the industries that surronding it. That way I can transport everything to one point on the map create 2000-3000 goods a month and run trains and aircraft for long runs and trucks for short runs. The money this setup makes is in the millions.
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CobraA1
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Post by CobraA1 »

12+lanes? Do industries even output that much??
I can transport everything to one point on the map
Why? I can see now why overoptimisation is wanted - that creates a chokepoint :roll:.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away" --Henry David Thoreau
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sfrankland
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Post by sfrankland »

There is no choke point at all with my setup and most all stations are running at 80%. To me running 70 + trains on one rail system and keeping everything moving is more fun then everything going from point A to B. It also makes adding new routes easier. All I have to do is build my station and connect it to the main line and I'm in business. The main lines are built as straight and flat as possible so there is no slow downs to create problems.
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Saskia
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Post by Saskia »

I build beatiful networks and optimize them, that they work well enough and keep realistic :wink:
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huha
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Post by huha »

I don't over-optimize networks because I like to play with opponents ;)
They are just building roads and silly bridges everywhere so that optimization is not really possible.
I usually build a two-lane track with some signals thrown in and connect every station to it. This sometimes leads to some critical areas, usually at primary industries, where trains are slowed down and can not really bypass the traffic jam.
These stations have been built at the edge of cities when they were built but are now surrounded by the city, which doesn't make optimization exactly easy or possible.
But generally, I build good and fast networks. I use heavy amounts of planes to deliver secondary resources like wares to cities because the infrastructure (airport) is easier to build than good and fast train networks. I especially like using the Concorde or the Boeing 747 as they are fast, reliable and generate plenty of income.

-huha
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Wolf01
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Post by Wolf01 »

my food factory picture 1 (some times produces 6100 tons of food)
now all the trains are at farms' stations to load grain and livestocks

picture 2, "the food storage and distribution" station

EDIT:
these screens are form TTDX, but i want to recreate that map in OTTD

RE-EDIT:
The money cheat is for try to build canals :lol:
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picture 2
picture 2
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picture 1
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CobraA1
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Post by CobraA1 »

I hope we're using 64-bit values to store the money value :roll:.

Later: Apparently not :(. There's already a post about overflow :(.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away" --Henry David Thoreau
mispunt
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Post by mispunt »

Thanks, I am trying to make a view single lines thirst and than connect som lines to eachother.
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orudge
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Post by orudge »

CobraA1 wrote:I hope we're using 64-bit values to store the money value :roll:.

Later: Apparently not :(. There's already a post about overflow :(.
Yes we are, we've been using a 64-bit value for some time now.
CobraA1
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Post by CobraA1 »

Yeah, well, there's still an overflow lurking around somewhere :( . . .
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away" --Henry David Thoreau
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