I have been playing ttdx from way back in the day and been trying the ttdx patch and then the openttd.
The one thing i have noticed is that some great work have been done but way way more have been wasted and the release of a open game is a long long way.
1 of the issues i have noticed is that many want it to be perfect and contain almost everything on release this is not needed the most important thing i think is to get the release asap and focus work on getting it out in a free way that dont need the original files so the masses can try this great game if that is done then it will snowball.
The way to do this fastest i think if it mostly hangs on the gfx is to minimize and not be picky so remove all landscapes but the normal one and stick with one train set then just take any replacement gfx and mix and match 8bit 32bit other who cares.
This might sound harsh but is the best way in the long run i think i have seen many a gfx pack be forgotten over the years and many had the same tiles just in diffrent ways and still there is even now a 8bit and 32 bit going at the same time.
If all tiles are taken from diffrent sets and put in a pack then the ones that need to be made still can be posted on site and then i think more ppl will focus on getting those done.
Sure the 1st free openttr without copyright restrictions will not look the best and only have 1 landscape but atlesast it will be out there spreading like wildfire and more will join this great project and those fugly tile replacements and other ideas and wootnot will come in way faster the snowball will be in motion.
An example would be once the game is out at version 1.000 then you guys could make a gfx only section for terrain and vechicles and other on the homepage and have a monthly votes the "will this tile replace this tile ? yes /no" and let that be there for 1 month and after that the ones voted yes will simply replace the old tile at the v1.001 release the next month a moderator with the right to vote down tiles is probably needed so we dont end up with an obscen tile that someone voten in just for kicks.
In this way many new ppl out there that got the game and got anoyed at some tile will send in new tiles and thus many more will contribute to this project and speed it up i bet the fugly first realese wont last many month before it will look much better.
The new trainsets and other maps can wait i think.
If i have learned 1 thing in life is that ppl want it easy most ppl wont track down an old ttd copy and then mod it with openttd and load gfx pack so keeping it simple 1 game 1 selfextracting zip file 1 version number new gfx included no mods or anything most ppl would rather download a new version of such a small game than get a new gfx pack and update the mod.
To handle all the load of this torrenting the game or getting steam realese it as a free game is probably the way to go.
The hardest part is getting that 1st version out
But all this is asuming that it all comes down to the gfx
Sure i know many of you here want some special trainsets and wootnot but everyone on this site can find all that is needed here so we dont have to like this kind of realease it will take some time before we some do probably but lets face it most ppl dont play candyland and have special german trainsets and such in , much of that would come once the 1rst release is out and the the version number have changed a few times so the gfx can settle down and new trains have been voted in on the train page.
Man i love this game and always come back to it a few times a year and the openttd is the best thing that has happend to it .
Keep up the good work everyone and dont take this as critique its just a sugestion and in idea i had at work i want the release of this game so bad and no one can get the original anymore unless they pirate it i hope more ppl get to play this gem.
I freaking love openttd
). I don't really know how's it going.
