ttdpatch - new idea

[taffypride1983]

Just been playing TTD with the patch and the new Industries where you have to actually supply the secondary industries with raw materials before it will do anything (ie, if you supplied Coal to the Power Stations, it then starts generating electricity to however much coal you supply it with - ie, low amount of coal, low amount of electricity generated).

Here is my idea, how about making the game so that you can only start off with either steam or diesel, and transport coal from the mines to the powerstations to generate electricity to then be able to run electric trains?

would this be possible to do?

[Dave]

This has been suggested before. While it's a good idea in principle and is realistic, it wouldn't work.

What about if you wanted to have a specific passenger network?

And where is the coal and the diesel coming from for the original locomotives?

[taffypride1983]

Start the trains from the coal mines....or close by. Literally have a big yard where the trains can start from near to the mine.

Then, you can start collecting oil, take to refinery, create petrol/diesel byproducts and then you can start using diesels and road transport.

Then while you are still taking deliveries of oil and getting more diesel, you can then start doing coal runs from the mines to the powerstations.

[Ramshill]

Very Restrictive as to start conditions.

Why not just assume your company has a private supply of coal to start with; this would enable you to run , as an example up to 10 trains before you need to activate a coal mine.
How about making your usage affect product availability. I mean if a mine produces 130 tonnes per month of coal and you require 40 tonnes per month then productivity figures shown for transporting would be 90 tonnes.
Whilst your about it make it that you have to transport the coal you require to run your trains (i.e. 40 tonnes) to your HQ! (and later Diesel fuel). If you do not transport that tonnage then ALL your steam trains slow down.

[taffypride1983]

yeah - and as you progress through and start replacing steam with diesel, then you would need less and less coal at your company HQ, and more diesel.

However, rather than have them at the company HQ, would it not be better to have the coal pile / diesel storage tanks located near the train depots?

Sort of similar to the new industries where they consume raw materials to produce secondary, but in this case have a small "station" near the Depot sheds that stockpiles the coal/diesel.

[Dave]

Hmmm... Good arguments.

Maybe a delivery to the company HQ every now and then? With vehicles?

I'm sorta drawn to this idea now, it's a good one.

[m3henry]

good idea if you want a reality game
but i just want plain TRANSPORT tycoon

[taffypride1983]

but TRANSPORT cannot function without the raw goods that powers it.

Steam trains will not run unless there is a supply of Coal, Diesels will not run without Oil being converted to Diesel, and well Electrics.....you get the idea.

It'd simply be transporting raw materials for your company to use - and still transport raw materials/manufactured goods around your transport network.

Yes it adds a bit more realism, but it'd still keep in with the original idea of the game which is a transport empire.

[khamura]

See, this is one of the sort of suggestion that have merit on their own, but are not without wide-ranging impact on the enjoyment of the game for people that don't share the same idea re: realism.

As it is, there is nothing in the game that stops you from PRETENDING that this is the case, and limiting your initial stages of the game to delivering coal via steam locos before starting electric networks. (As it happens, that is usually the way I play.)

[Dave]

I think if it was implemented it'd certainly be a switch or an optional part of a newgrf set.

[Flamelord]

It's too radical of a change to even be the same game after it's implemented.

And please, please, please use more descriptive topic titles.