George's Long vehicles. Popularisation

[George]

As I could understand, many people do not like the glitches, which affect LVs, for example at stations tunnels and especially on turnings. There were lots of requests to make them shorter. I even made short versions of the buses as default.
Now I want to make a decision what to do. With the help of DaleStan it is possible to make the LVs turn smoothly, but it takes 3 times more sprites. There are about 4K already used. Making them x3 hits the 11K limit. So, it is impossible now.
What do I plan:
0) I shall not change the scale
1) To make only articulated buses turn.
2) Trucks would be truncated (not rescaled). They will lose their trailers and semi trailers (except heavy cargo carriers, they look too unrealistic otherwise)
3) The capacity would stay unchanged
You can see this idea already in on Skoda trucks. And this is the way it will look like

Any comments are welcome

[Szappy]

I voted for the first option, but let me comment a bit on that:
I do use the LV's, because I like the graphics, the variety, the refit option, good speed, and good capacity.
I'd use them, even if they were smaller, but I DO like them to be this large, and I'd be happier if they kept this size.
Actually I think the RV's were pretty useless before LV's came. You needed too many of them to carry enough cargo, and then you hit the 2 slot per RVbay limit, which limited usefullness. I was glad to experience that it was enough to use 4-6 of LV's to carry large amounts of cargo.

[Szappy]

Question to devs:
On another note, would it be possible, to change the internal coding of TTDP, so that all RV's have a quite larger bounding box (maybe twice as large, as they have now).
That could kill these glitches (I think, correct me if I'm wrong, tho), and OTOH wouldn't harm anything else. It wouldn't introduce glitches to the vehicles that are smaller, and do not fill the (enlarged) bounding box completly.
-edit- spelling

[WWTBAM]

i do use lv's i would use them if they were shorter. I think they look better with their trailers than without

[Snail]

The idea is understandable, but...

2) Trucks would be truncated (not rescaled). They will lose their trailers and semi trailers (except heavy cargo carriers, they look too unrealistic otherwise)

Well, with this we would miss A LOT. Lots of trucks were actually used with trailers or semitrailers, and cutting them out would really eliminate a big element of realism. I think seeing some glitches in turns is a bearable pain in order to add realism to our games.
There are trucks, like the Mercedes LP, which would look too oddly small without the trailers. And what would the International and the Volvo be (just to quote two models) without the semitrailers?

[George]

The idea is understandable, but...

2) Trucks would be truncated (not rescaled). They will lose their trailers and semi trailers (except heavy cargo carriers, they look too unrealistic otherwise)

Well, with this we would miss A LOT. Lots of trucks were actually used with trailers or semitrailers, and cutting them out would really eliminate a big element of realism. I think seeing some glitches in turns is a bearable pain in order to add realism to our games.
There are trucks, like the Mercedes LP, which would look too oddly small without the trailers. And what would the International and the Volvo be (just to quote two models) without the semitrailers?

They had not hauler versions too, they can be drawn

[SHADOW-XIII]

I always use your graphics George and I will use no matter if they will be short or long

I think you could stay with existing sets: LV Volvo, LV Scania, LV ... etc etc
and providing SV Volvo, SV Scania, SV .... (SV - short vehicles)
or by year: SV/LV 1920's, SV/LV 1950's ... etc

of course this would require more time and work
however I like the current long ones (but the one at the screenie look pretty to) and the only thing they look bad is bus/lorry stations and some tunnels, it isn't much (and that I heard about possibility of bigger lorry bays/bus stations), I think it could be made with TTDPatch Developr as Szappy written, changing somehow bounding box

[Darryl256]

1) To make only articulated buses turn.

I say go for this option.
a) It's look more realistic than what it is atm; and
b) Is able to generate a similar look than adding three times as many sprites.

And besides, the very name of the set is "Long Vehicles" .

P.S If you do shorten them I might stop using them for that very reason

[Patchman]

On another note, would it be possible, to change the internal coding of TTDP, so that all RV's have a quite larger bounding box (maybe twice as large, as they have now).

It's possible, probably (although I had a hell of a time doing that to train wagons and eventually gave up). However, it won't help much; it'll remove a few glitches on bridges, but it won't fix the problems in tunnels, and it may cause other sprite sorter issues.

[The Irish]

I'm currently only using an olther versions of your LVs

What I would really like is to have them in TTD scale, but not necessarily shorter. (eg Truck and Semi-trailers, but in TTD scale).

the Skoda trucks screenie looks quite good.

[G-Klav]

Like Shadow, I'll always use LV's.

1) To make only articulated buses turn.

This is IMO the best idea. Most of the lorries would look weird without their trailers and semitrailers.

[DanMacK]

George,

I use them almost exclusively, and of course I'd use them if they were shorter. The shortest I'd suggest (Which is still pretty long) is below. It's up to you though if you want to truncate the semi's to this length.

[Prebral]

I will play with this set even if the vehicles will be truncated, but too long vehicles do not disturb me. Well, maybe the 3-part Dolphin bus a bit, but it is OK.

[wallyweb]

George: Do not change your LV's. They have a place in the game, glitches and all.
Instead, if you have the time and are willing, offer a short vehicle set as well. Many of these vehicles are offered by the manufacturers in shorter, non-articulated versions for local deliveries.
I realize that it might be difficult to offer both in the same set or to use both in the same game.
I would use the set most approprite to my current scenario, which means I have a need for both long and short vehicles.
A little o/t but what I would really like to see is a larger selection for the early years, 1920 to 1935?. The model T is a bit limiting while waiting for the other models to be introduced into the game.

[DanMacK]

Well, the Mack AC truck was introduced in the mid-teens and I've got one started. The capacity would be around 10T. I may get back to it later.

[wallyweb]

Well, the Mack AC truck was introduced in the mid-teens and I've got one started. The capacity would be around 10T. I may get back to it later.

Get after him George ... Tell him you need that Mack now!

[George]

I will play with this set even if the vehicles will be truncated, but too long vehicles do not disturb me. Well, maybe the 3-part Dolphin bus a bit, but it is OK.

You have to refit it twice to get this length. So, you can never see it if you want

George: Do not change your LV's. They have a place in the game, glitches and all.
Instead, if you have the time and are willing, offer a short vehicle set as well. Many of these vehicles are offered by the manufacturers in shorter, non-articulated versions for local deliveries.
I realize that it might be difficult to offer both in the same set or to use both in the same game.
I would use the set most approprite to my current scenario, which means I have a need for both long and short vehicles.

I have the ide to make it this way: some vehicles would be short and some long (in the one set, like in Skoda trucks). So, you could choose the apropriate ones.

A little o/t but what I would really like to see is a larger selection for the early years, 1920 to 1935?. The model T is a bit limiting while waiting for the other models to be introduced into the game.

It is in plans

Well, the Mack AC truck was introduced in the mid-teens and I've got one started. The capacity would be around 10T. I may get back to it later.

Get after him George ... Tell him you need that Mack now!

Wel, Danmack, we got you We need all your RVs NOW!

[DanMacK]

Well, the Mack AC is currently just a chassis but I can post it later

[jacke]

I will play with this set even if the vehicles will be truncated, but too long vehicles do not disturb me. Well, maybe the 3-part Dolphin bus a bit, but it is OK.

I agree.

[Wile E. Coyote]

DONT TRUNCATE LVs! I love them very much! Only acceptable thing is rescaling IMHO, but it's too much of job. Anyway, aren't they LONG vehicles?