New guy need help - network understanding problem

[CallmePeter]

Hi, iam quite new to this game and i really worship to these guys, who made ottd. It's really great game. I played old TT when i was 8 years old that's all. I have been looking on forums and sites about ottd for some time now and i still dont understand these network strategies. What's so good about them or how it can be more profitable. So i built this

Grinfield Transport, 27th Jul 2014.sav

(2.01 MiB) Downloaded 151 times

with no signals or junctions what so ever. And i really don't know how any of these networks strategies can be better then my big point to point thing... Can you pls look at it and explain to me .. I want to play it just like you guys - build amazing complex networks and share my ideas with you, but do not know where to start. I really want to be part of this very friendly community.

[AntBUK]

Everyone has their own style of play mate. You stick to what feels right for you.

The best place for watching/learning complex networking however is OpenTTD Coop. You can either join some of their games. All the information you need for that is here, and save games from previous coop games are found here.

Btw, I gotta say. I love the AI at Grinfield Woods/Valley ^^

[CallmePeter]

Thak you AntBUK for advice and links. I appreciate your help. I surely check it out.


And about the AI in Greenfield valley. It's nice, but useless, and no profit.

[Zuu]

I'd say,

Sure you might make enough money with your point-to-point spider networks, however in my opinion building networks is more fun. It gives more challenges trying to design a good looking network that is also efficient and uses advanced techniques.

[CallmePeter]

Zuu... And that's is exactly what i want. Enjoy the game at maximum.

[sc79]

Check out the Wiki (if you look at the Coop site, stick to the basics; many of their setups will be way beyond you atm), learn the basic ideas behind network building and signaling. Then have a look at the screenshot and save game forums, which will give you plenty of ideas and examples for different designs. Your network designs will generally improve over time; the more you play, the more you learn advanced techniques.

[Eddi]

you could check out this network. it's not something you would find on a COOP game.

Ravenswald Transport, 2. Jan 1972 (need to right click and choose "save as...")

you'll need some newgrfs, most essentially the Alpine and the DBSetXL grf. they are probably in the GRF Pack

you'll find a mostly doubletracked network of local and long distance passenger trains, sprinkled in with some freight trains. some of the cities have tram networks

[Zuu]

If you want a coop game that is not overloaded you should checkout game 88 that was said to not be about building extreme efficiency as usual but rather about building a good looking network. Judge your self how well we met the good-looking target.

Eddi:
Really nice network you got there. Now I'm temped to use dirive-through stations on my railway systems. Like your station entry/exit areas. Well built flat (one-level) junctions.

[CallmePeter]

Eddie, thanks for your help. It's cool and it really helped me.

And Zuu thanks again. The game 88 showed to me how it can be done on places, where my monster spider point-to-point network would fail absolutly and i think that you met good-looking network target very well. At least from my perspective. It took me some time just looking whats going on, but eventually i saw the clockwork .

I'll make some test grounds in the editor and I'll try all this new stuff.

[elmz]

well, one thing about a point to point system is that if you want 100 trains to visit a station, you need 100 lines, where a network might only need 2 lines (in and out)

and personally I prefer to have a fixed length to my trains, so when I need more capacity at a station I put in another train instead of adding wagons