Transport Tycoon Forums

Hi i just found out about OTTD a little while ago and would like to say what a great job the devs have done, im looking farward to the future of OpenTTD.

i have played TTD for a few years but since i started looking at some of your pictures of you rail networks and it makes me realise how much more i have to learn.

so in order to help me build the best network i can i am curious on how you guys build your train networks. but first i will say how i make mine . This is my first openttd game i started a little while ago.

i basicly make a Big square with 1 main line going in each direction as seen in the first pic (Slenwood Transport, 2nd Jul 1983.png). this allows A LOT of trains on the same line at the same time. i then use this main line to connect as many towns and buisnesses i can as it shows in the second pic (Slenwood Transport, 2nd Jul 1983 #2.png). this also save A LOT of money on building tracks, and as the main line is already there it save A LOT of time also.

i would love it if you guys can give me some tips on how to improve my current build style and maybe tell other people on how you build your networks .

Many thanks
Revenuk

in the second screeny, you shouldnt have an 'out track' leading to the same section of track as the 'in track'. Say if many trains were going into Raninghall, they would fill up over the bridge, and end up with their backsides on the mainline. Now, any trains trying to leave raninghall will get stuck waiting on the other bridge for the section of track to clear. This creates a circle of jammed trains and its quite hard to clear sometimes. Since the mainline is also clogged, you'll get a tailback on the mainline

"Style". Hmm. Depends what you mean by it. Everyone has their own different style, and way of making networks. Everyone has different goals in the game.
Generally i think there are a few different "styles" of play:

Realism. Try to make everything realistic. No sharp turns, not too many signals (i.e. 1 every square) etc.

Efficiency. Make everything as efficient as possible. This can include not using bridges (they speed limit), and leveling whole mountains, just so u can have a shorter route.

And so on. It really depends what you set out to do when you start a game. One game i tried to make it towns only (using only trains). Unfortunately the computer still adds industies, even when the game starts with none, so that idea went to pot.
Games only involving boats, using lots of water (though u may want to wait for the boats pathfinding to be improved before you try this ).
Or try to make X billion before 2001.
I think you get the idea. the style of the constructions is whatever you set out for it to be.

ahh, i guess people do set other goals then to build huge rail networks . silly me i didnt think of that. but out of all the other sytles of game i guess i get the most satisfaction from building a rail network with as many trains as possible.

my best at the moment is 189 trains on 1 network, but this is in TTDPatch. that was proberbly the hardest thing to lose in moving over to OpenTTD. thanks for the replys though, ill bear in mind about having the exit before the entrance on the branch tracks(makes sense though should of thought of that myself ).

i've also started playing with the idea of have 4 main lines. 2 going one way and the other 2 going the other. but i havent properly tested it will heavy load yet(onl 39 trains so far). but when i make some progress ill post some pics

until next time
Revenuk

Try this one.

i Like the look of them junctions . with a few pre signals and some cross overs i think i could use that .

thanks for the ideas.

Edit. heres a pic of my current 4 track test. seems to work ok at the mement but i will check back later when i have more trains

Revenuk

Moriarty wrote:Everyone has their own different style, and way of making networks. Everyone has different goals in the game.

Indeed
Everyone

I for example am a mixture of:
- realism (no sharp turns)
- efficiency (no bridges, tunnels, hills,a lot of signals)
- desire to build a great working super rail network (goal)
So I invent my own junctions depending on the circumstances given by the sorrounding area. Though my favourite is a circular junction.(has no hills, no sharp turns) Just like my "style".

A picture of what I meant with circular:

Seen the Junctionary?

Revenuk wrote:i have played TTD for a few years but since i started looking at some of your pictures of you rail networks and it makes me realise how much more i have to learn.

Exactly the same as me when I first came here.. Now I'm network mad and convincing all my friends their point-to-points suck!

heres a new game i started with the idea of 2 rail networks in one the 2 outer lines are for industrial trians while the 2 inner lines are for passengers, food, goods, etc.

thanks to the junction Golfer posted it fits well into the network, although i have had to make a few modifications .

Thanks
Revenuk

Eddy wrote:[...]
I for example am a mixture of:
- realism (no sharp turns)
[...]

if realism is one of your goals, try to do with a lot less signals

I wrote which part of realism I do.
The efficient way is to make lots of them.
Thats why all those () are there

Revenuk wrote: Edit. heres a pic of my current 4 track test. seems to work ok at the mement but i will check back later when i have more trains
Revenuk

I see a problem in this configuration (see pic). If a train want's to go straight, but both straight tracks are used, then the train will go to the branch.

I would replace the signal with a non-exit one-way signal.

Skunk.

that's my one

Thats one nice looking junction you got there wolf . But how did you come to build it?. Started off small then expanded it? or is that a scenario you made?. Sorry but i want to be able to make impressive junctions like that so i would like to get the understanding of how they are made, then i could proberbly make my own

skunk thanks for pointing out that problem i went a bit mad with presignals there. i've since trashed that game in favor of my newest one. which i posted a screenie of eailer.

thanks guys, keep them coming
Revenuk

Revenuk wrote:Thats one nice looking junction you got there wolf . But how did you come to build it?. Started off small then expanded it? or is that a scenario you made?. Sorry but i want to be able to make impressive junctions like that so i would like to get the understanding of how they are made, then i could proberbly make my own

skunk thanks for pointing out that problem i went a bit mad with presignals there. i've since trashed that game in favor of my newest one. which i posted a screenie of eailer.

thanks guys, keep them coming
Revenuk

i started to build separate routes like this ]|[ , then i needed to join two routes ]>|<[ and that was a big problem, so i built a large ring and i connected all routes to that big ring, then i linked both the central routes to avoid useless travels around the ring to go to the other side...

i have up to 40 trains travelling in that network

wolf, can you post the savegame? i'd love to see that running.. and also the scenario file if you want?? that'd be cool too.. thanks

here is it