Heavy Equipment Set (HEQS) v1.5.2 released! [OTTD]

[JapyDooge]

Hmm but then i have incompatibility problems with servers.
So this only works in the stable when you have no tramsets if im right?

[Zutty]

I have to say, this is a gorgeous set. I can't wait to play with it.

It will be interesting to see if any NoAIs can use this set properly (shameless plug!).

[andythenorth]

Set news: I've been busy coding, and drawing some additional graphics. Hoping to have a release soon. Meanwhile...

"A No. 9 Bulldozer creeps onto the ice shelf, hauling supplies from the dock."

bulldozer_train_arctic.png (211.18 KiB) Viewed 5994 times

"Tuntfinburg is hoping to get piped water...someday. Meanwhile a couple of No. 8 Bulldozers chug out to the well and back."

bulldozer_train_desert.png (202.43 KiB) Viewed 5987 times

The bulldozer trailers are low ground pressure for use on sand and snow. They carry about 12t, with capacity upgrades over time (for new vehicles - ones that are already built stay the same).
Some history here: http://www.thuleforum.dk/bill_simmons.htm

cheers,

Andy

[FooBar]

Those ridiculously large consists are great! Good job, Andy!

[Ammler]

Heya Andy

We added your awesome NewGRF to our pack, I hope, you don't mind.

But for next releases we like to have "clear" states about licenses etc. for our pack and possible autodownload apps, so do you already have a license for this GRF?

(You see our current state of the NewGRFs here: http://www.openttdcoop.org/wiki/GRF_Table_(Trunk)

Greets
Ammler

[andythenorth]

But for next releases we like to have "clear" states about licenses etc. for our pack and possible autodownload apps, so do you already have a license for this GRF?

HEQS will be released under the GPL, dual GPL v2 and GPL v3 - pick the one you need. Nice to know you like the set - I think most grfs go into a void of helpful user feedback when released...apart from the bug reports

Those rediculously large consists are great! Good job, Andy!

Yep, and entirely realistic (for those who care about such things).
Here's another set of ice-shelf traverse photos - this time it's Antarctica:
http://operationdeepfreeze.blogspot.com ... murdo.html

In a future version of the set I'll include a LeTourneau overland train, which has up to 12 of the same large-wheeled trailers that the bulldozers are hauling in the screenshots above: http://www.roadtripamerica.com/wheels/overland.htm

[Comm Cody]

More yummy toys from Andy. As one of youBeta tester any hint of getting throwed at my pm box? Those are redicolusy instane.
In respond to my mispelling I'm Hard of Hearing.

[andythenorth]

More yummy toys from Andy. As one of youBeta tester any hint of getting throwed at my pm box? Those are redicolusy instane.

Check your PM box...

Anyone else want to beta test this one?

p.s.
Is spelling 'ridiculously' as 'redicolousy' a new internet meme I've missed (two people did it in this page of the thread)? I always miss out on memes, I only just found out about Fail. If it's not a meme, then I call Spelling Fail.

[FooBar]

According to the urban dictionary 'rediculous' is the correct spelling of 'ridiculous'. But in case of me it's just a typo. The damn e is far too close to the i! I'll correct that one for you

[Gremnon]

Anyone else want to beta test this one?

Can't guarantee I'll have much time for a couple of days, but I'll help test it out too.

[andythenorth]

v0.4 of the Heavy Equipment Set is ready for release, and can be found in the first post of this thread.

The bad news:
- you can't use this with existing save games that were using HEQS v0.3 or v0.2. It WILL break existing save games. I've bumped the version number in the filename so you can have v0.2, v0.3 and v0.4 grfs available in your newgrf directory, but choose only one for your games!
- Best to start a new game for this, sometimes I get weird results if I add to an existing game.
- running costs and purchase prices aren't done at all!

The good news:
- this is a release! It's been hard work
- there are many more vehicles I want to add
- I've pretty much figured out all the coding I need to build this set

Highlights:
- redrawn the No. 6 bulldozer. It was one of the first sprites I drew, I've now improved it. Available from 1937.
- added information to the buy window for vehicles. For articulated RVs, OpenTTD sometimes won't show information about capacity or refit. I've added some of my own.
- rebalancing: changed capacities, speed, number of trailers etc.
- change over time: some vehicles get upgraded with greater capacity over time. Sprites will also change to reflect 'improvements'; both these changes will only apply when building new vehicles. (Inspired by Pikka's style in NARS2)
- renamed some vehicles
- tidied up buy menu order
- tidied up all of the buy menu sprites, also fixed all of the offsets in depot and vehicle information windows.
- changed the way the front wheels are shown on some trailers, I previously tried to make it realistic, but it wasn't working.
- loading sprites for as many as possible cargos
- removed toyland compatibility to allow for more industry set compatibility in future
- added the big low ground-pressure trailers, also some big logging trailers, and some small and large sleds (only for ice roads really, although there's no restrictions in game).
- added a user guide

- some cargos from ECS by George and/or PBI might not be transportable due to some changes I made, but it should mostly work. Let me know if you can't refit to a particular cargo.
- No warranty! If stuff breaks, I'm not responsible
- Probably some other stuff, I forget.

Let me know any thoughts/bug reports. It's nice to get feedback on grfs - good or bad (good preferred though!)

cheers,

Andy

[ostlandr]

Yaaaaay! Gonna start a new game right now to test it!

And just so you know, I expect you to put your entire personal life, including work, on hold until I have a steam traction engine and the Lynn halftrack.

Seriously, thanks for alll the work you have put into this. It's just like Christmas!

[RMJ]

Really adds to the game since i always liked doing what i saw in a screenshot, useing these to bring stuff to the station, instead of that station walking to increase station radius.

Very nice job indeed.

[ostlandr]

YES! I like it! The attached screenshot shows your "#6" crawlers in action. Trailers are a bit funky on the turns, but so what? The Mike just left Los Padillas Heights with a load of coal, and the Mountain is hauling steel from the Los Padillas steel mill to the Acorn Hollow factory and bringing back goods for Los Padillas. The steel mill is getting fed ore direct from the minehead by more #6 crawlers, too. Need to get more, though.

Thomson & Co., 8th Jan 1940.png

Cat D6- err, "#6" crawlers getting the coal down to the railhead

(206.76 KiB) Downloaded 231 times

Also in the screenshot is a bug I'm getting. the MPS, Renyard and Perry mail trucks from the original vehicle set pop up, all available in 1920 with a speed of 40 mph. Tried putting HEQS both before and after eGRVTS, but no luck. Running the latest Cargodest right now. Will test with the latest nightly also.

[andythenorth]

Also in the screenshot is a bug I'm getting. the MPS, Renyard and Perry mail trucks from the original vehicle set pop up, all available in 1920 with a speed of 40 mph. Tried putting HEQS both before and after eGRVTS, but no luck. Running the latest Cargodest right now. Will test with the latest nightly also.

(EDIT) Have found and fixed this bug. Updated grf is in the first post.

Bug was caused by some code for unfinished vehicles in the nfo: there were four vehicles with stats defined in an action 0, but no graphics or text strings for names. These were using the default mail truck graphics. N.B. these vehicles are not connected in any way to the actual default mail trucks, the game just applied those graphics and names. I have removed the unfinished vehicles from the nfo and re-encoded the grf.

Should be ok with save games, but keep a copy of the previous grf just in case. Report any issues here.

Keep the screenshots coming Seeing the set in action will encourage me to add more vehicles: who fancies crawler tractors available from 1900?

cheers,

Andy

[andythenorth]

HEQS is GPL licensed and can be used or modified in any way that's compatible with GPL v2 or v3. In that spirit the commented nfo file for v0.4 is attached to this post.

The same code can also be obtained by decoding the grf with grf-codec, but that would not preserve the comments. I cannot guarantee that all comments are up to date or accurate, but hopefully they are broadly useful - when learning nfo I found other people's commented code the most useful learning tool, but ideally more would be available for use.

This nfo will not encode with grf-codec as is - it requires the pcx files for sprites to be available in the correct paths. These are available on request via these forums, but are rather large (10MB) for posting here. Full source is also available as layered photoshop files on request.

(Apologies for double post - needed one post just for this)

[leaderfrontier]

I found that the order for all HEQS v4 vehicle except MT.MCKINLEY DUMP TRUCK are something wrong.
Or maybe my problem only.

The other vehicles order are not constant. eg=
1:Go to Copper Ore Mine[Full Load any cargo]
2:Go to Factory [No loading]
--End of Order--

Then when on the road,The order
Heading for Copper Ore Mine,Heading for Factory,Heading for Copper Ore Mine,Heading for Factory,Heading for Copper Ore Mine,Heading for Factory,Heading for Copper Ore Mine,Heading for Factory,Heading for Copper Ore Mine,Heading for Factory.
All this are within 1 second.

That mean the truck will not go to the station.

[Comm Cody]

Almost all of andy truck need the DTRS. I guess you used the bay stop.

[leaderfrontier]

Sorry,what is DTRS?

[Gremnon]

The Drive Thru stop... the other type of truck/bus loading area