US Set available [Trains v0.87.4d released 27 April 2008]

[CTarana45]

UAC Turbo-Train In CN Livery!

Christopher Tarana

[krtaylor]

I'm pretty sure that's Amtrak. I don't think CN had those stripes.

[wallyweb]

I'm pretty sure that's Amtrak. I don't think CN had those stripes.

CN https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffsb&q=CnTurb ... &ia=images

Amtrack https://duckduckgo.com/?q=++Amtrack+Tur ... &ia=images

[krtaylor]

Yeah, here's the Amtrak livery the model in our set was based on:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8b/d3/36 ... 5c41a6.jpg

[ComradeTaco]

Hello all,

I host an OpenTTD game with a number of GRF with this excellent set. One issue I have with balancing this set with others is that the operating costs seem to be immune to any game setting or any base costs mod. Is there anyway to multiply or modify the running costs for this set?

Thanks,
Taco

[kamnet]

Is there anyway to multiply or modify the running costs for this set?

This set was created long before any of that was ever fashionable (over 15 years ago now). The source code, if it still exists, will be in very outdated NFO. Oracle hasn't been here in a decade, Krtaylor may or may not have it at all.

You could decompile it into NFO using grfcodec, but there won't be anything other than raw hex code available. Decompiling it using YAGL would be more feasible, but you would still have to learn everything about NFO and insert code for cost modifications into each engine and wagon. But if you can't get permission from all the contributors to distribute that, then you're gonna be stuck.

Using YAGL, NFO or NML, it might be easier to write a companion NewGRF that modifies those costs. That would be something you could distribute.

Third alternative, if Krtaylor still has all the graphics, he may be able to release those to you, and you use that to build a new set.

[Argus]

The problem is that BaseCost mode changes the values for all train sets. I doubt this one would be immune, it just reduces everything equally.
I use this set occasionally and it doesn't seem too bad. Maybe I'm more tolerant of some imbalance

[arikover]

Is there anyway to multiply or modify the running costs for this set?

...
Using YAGL, NFO or NML, it might be easier to write a companion NewGRF that modifies those costs. That would be something you could distribute.

Considering the running costs are fixed (not higher when vehicle is moving for example), it should be possible to make a companion/override NewGRF like kamnet said.
I made one some time ago that modified the capacities of NARS 2.5x coaches. The code is NFO, but heavily commented. I did that in NFO, but there might be new possibilities now.

You would still have to decompile the US Trainset and figure out the NFO code (takes time, but doable). Here are the NewGRF Specs

Depending on what you want to achieve, you should try and modify the properties 0D (Running cost factor) and 0E (Running cost base) of each vehicle, depending on their ID (list of all US Set vehicles here, tab "Technical Data").
Maybe the easiest thing to do at first would be to modify the property 0E, because in the US Set it seems to be the same for all locomotives.

tldr; A companion NewGRF should be possible. You might need to invest quite some time.