Japan Set Development

[dandan]

Welcome ATEU2. I agree with Steven, these sprites do look very good. I will code them into the set as soon as possible (Can't say exactly when I will have time. I am not on holidays anymore.)

[Toni Babelony]

Looks really good! I was also thinking about adding the KIHA 181, but it somehow slipped from my mind.

The windows however look a bit too bright IMO, but the detailing looks quite intense!

[ATEU2]

Looks really good! I was also thinking about adding the KIHA 181, but it somehow slipped from my mind.

The windows however look a bit too bright IMO, but the detailing looks quite intense!

Thank you for your comment.
Here is a new version of the set of sprites for Kiha 181 with minor change in windows.

Kiha 181.gif (9.16 KiB) Viewed 2673 times

Besides, I just finished a set of sprites for ED79, a Japanese electric locomotive.

ED79 is an A/C only electric locomotive, which designed for use in 20kV 50Hz electrified Seikan Tunnel and its connecting lines between Aomori and Hakodate, starting service in 1986. ED79 is modified from ED75, an electric locomotive designed for use in Tohoku area (northeastern Honshu). 34 ED75s converted to ED79. At 1989, Toshiba built 10 new ED79s for JR Freight.

At now, JR Hokkaido owns 10 ED79s for hauling passenger trains between Aomori and Hakodate such as "Hokutosei", "Hamanasu" and even "Twillight Express" and "Cassiopeia" which haul by EF81 in Honshu.

Here is some of the specifications of EF79
Max. speed: 110km/h
Output: 1900kW(2550hp)
Weight: 68t
Continuous traction effort: 12160kg(119kN)

ED79.gif (2.52 KiB) Viewed 2678 times

Also, I found 3 problems in the Japanese Train Set. First, the 115 series EMU in this set only have 20 years of usable life, which many real 115s use for more than 30 years and some even 40 years. Second, the maximum speed of real 115 series is the same as 103 series, which is 100 km/h. In this set, 115 series can only run at 90 km/h. Third, like 115 series in this set, the maximum speed of 253 series EMU is wrongly lowered to 100 km/h when real 253s can run on 130 km/h. Please notice these problems.

115_problem.gif (9 KiB) Viewed 2623 times

[ATEU2]

In that days, I created two more sets of sprites, which are EF63 and EB10, both are DC locomotive.

EF63 is a DC electric locomotive which is used as bankers in very steep Usui Pass section of the Shinetsu Main Line between Yokokawa and Karuizawa, replaced ED42, an ABT type electric locomotive.

First EF63, a prototype manufactured in 1962 and another 24 EF63s manufactured between 1963 to 1976.

EF63 use as banker locomotive which can co-operate with EMUs designed for running on Usui Pass section, such as 169/189/489 series. This type ran on Usui Pass section until 1997, when Nagano Shinkansen put on service, which ended up the Usui Pass section.

10 EF63s are preserving, 7 in the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park at Yokokawa. 4 EF63s are preserving at movable state, and 2 is used for providing driver training sessions for the pubilc inside the park.

There are some of specifications of EF63:
Max. Speed: 100 km/h
Output: 2550kW (3420hp)
Weight: 108t
Tractive effort: 23,400 kgf (229kN)

Since JNR converted the livery standard for DC locomotive from brown to blue plus cream in 1965, so I make two version of EF63.

Beside EF63, EB10 is JNR's only 2-axle electric locomotive, manufactured in 1927. At first, this type is a battery locomotive, called AB10, ran on Suka Line (Freight Branch of Tohoku Line) which was near dynamite factory, for perevent explosion cause by sparks, normal Electric Locomotive and Steam locomotive can't be used. In 1931, a new type of pantograph was designed and manufactured so Suka Line was soon electrified and AB10 was converted to electric locomotive. This type is used until 1972 when Suka Line ended service.

There are some of specifications of EB10:
Max. Speed: 40 km/h
Output: 135KW (181hp)
Weight: 11t
Tractive effort: 2700kg (26.4kN)

Actually, I make the set of sprites for EB10 quite ugly due to special shape of EB10 (like the first version of EF13), and here are their sprites.

[dandan]

Here are two micro-updates: First the building set (now version 2 alpha 4):

- Fix: Default value for the first parameter was wrong, disabling the town size feature. Note that when updating existing savegames from the old version, this problem will not be fixed. Explicitly set the first parameter to the desired value instead.

[dandan]

Next is the Landscape set (now version 1.0):

- Fix: Use complete shoreline graphics in OpenTTD. The visual improvement is minimal, but our shoreline was not displayed at all when OpenTTD was run with OpenGFX graphics.

[dandan]

Concerning the new trains: Thanks a lot for your contributions, ATEU2. I cannot add them right away, because the train set is once more in the middle of a semi-major codechange, and I have little time.

But we also need to discuss where the trainset is heading. (We have had this discussion a while ago with Inorng's graphics). The train set is, for the moment, pretty much complete. Work should focus on improving the code and the existing sprites. Now, I will add the KIHA 181, because I really like the graphics and Toni says it's a good addition. Should it replace the KIHA 82 or should it be available separately?

On the other hand, I'm not so sure about those electric locos. As for the EF63 and EB10, we already have several similar (at least to me) electric locos appearing in the same time period. How important are these locos?

As for the EF79, we have discussed plans a while ago to make an arctic version of the set which would focus on AC-locomotives. But that too won't happen in the very near future, I'm afraid.

We are also approaching the ID limit in TTDPatch. We can add locos for OpenTTD only, but that too needs planning. What should be in what version? It should be decided in a long-term fashion to avoid too many annoying ID changes.

Sorry ATEU2, except for the KIHA 181, I am afraid that your sprites will have to wait for a while, at least if you want them included in the train set itself. I would like to wait at least until Toni is back again with more time, since he is the one here who has mostly been deciding what trains to include, recently.

[ATEU2]

Concerning the new trains: Thanks a lot for your contributions, ATEU2. I cannot add them right away, because the train set is once more in the middle of a semi-major codechange, and I have little time.

But we also need to discuss where the trainset is heading. (We have had this discussion a while ago with Inorng's graphics). The train set is, for the moment, pretty much complete. Work should focus on improving the code and the existing sprites. Now, I will add the KIHA 181, because I really like the graphics and Toni says it's a good addition. Should it replace the KIHA 82 or should it be available separately?

On the other hand, I'm not so sure about those electric locos. As for the EF63 and EB10, we already have several similar (at least to me) electric locos appearing in the same time period. How important are these locos?

As for the EF79, we have discussed plans a while ago to make an arctic version of the set which would focus on AC-locomotives. But that too won't happen in the very near future, I'm afraid.

We are also approaching the ID limit in TTDPatch. We can add locos for OpenTTD only, but that too needs planning. What should be in what version? It should be decided in a long-term fashion to avoid too many annoying ID changes.

Sorry ATEU2, except for the KIHA 181, I am afraid that your sprites will have to wait for a while, at least if you want them included in the train set itself. I would like to wait at least until Toni is back again with more time, since he is the one here who has mostly been deciding what trains to include, recently.

Thank you for your appreciation of my sprites, I will respect that you wish to keep this set compatible with older TTDPatch (I'm using OpenTTD). Actually I'm practicing on drawing sprites and writing pseudo sprites of .GRF files, and I am going to have a 2-year sixth form education, starting from September (I'm from Hong Kong and studying in Hong Kong at this moment), and sixth form education in Hong Kong is very hard and hurry so I may not have much time to contribute sprites For TTD.

(The part about bugs is moved to this thread due to reason said in http://www.as-st.com/ttd/japan/index.html)

[krtaylor]

Sorry for the delay, but I finally updated the websites. Should be all caught up now.

[Sensation Lover]

hello,
very nice set!...but where can i download the latests updates ?

[ATEU2]

I have noticed that 3 minor problems appears in your set and I pointed at previous posts. For your convenience, I would repost them here.

1. 103, 115 and 415 series EMU in the Japanese Set only have 20 years of usable life which many real 115s use for more than 30 years and some even 40 years.
2. In this set, 115 series only can run at 90 km/h while real 115s is designed and allowed to run at 100km/h, like 103 series EMU at the same era.
3. Beside 115s, 253 series EMU (N'EX) only can run at 100km/h but real 253s can run at 130km/h.

I don't know they are coding mistakes or for other reason. If they are really coding mistakes, could you correct them?

Problems of 115 seres (highlighted in pale green)

115_problem.gif (9 KiB) Viewed 2085 times

Problem of 253 series (also highlighted in pale green)

Menberg Market Transport, 2nd Aug 2005.gif

(30.86 KiB) Downloaded 35 times

[dandan]

@Sensation Lover: You can download the latest versions from:
1) OpenTTD online content service, available from the title screen
2) the Japan Set website
3) this thread (a few posts above)
New versions of any GRF in this set always appear in 3) first, and only in 1) and 2) if they are in a reasonably finished state.

@ATEU2: I had not forgotten these points, thank you. I was waiting for Toni to comment (he is kind of the master of stats around here... ) Anyway, any fix will appear in the next version which will be ready some time in the coming weeks.

[lawton27]

Hello there, some of you may have noticed my work on the JR maglev’s for NMTS, recently I read an old post which expressed an interest to include the JR maglev’s in the Japan set, so I've decided to give you permission to use them in the set if you so wish (move high speed-rail to monorail slot), I've removed all company colour liveries from the sprites for the JR set (replaced with real life colours).

Attached is a zip file with all the sprites in real life colours and relevant txt files containing stats based off real life values, let me know if you have any problems.

Thanks,

Lawton27

[krtaylor]

Thanks! Not sure how we can fit them in but we'll see.

[NekoMaster]

Thanks! Not sure how we can fit them in but we'll see.

Just make the monorail grfx look like Maglev like they use for the JR Maglev

[krtaylor]

But it's not a Japanese set without the Shinkansen. That would mean either a) the Shinkansen shares tracks with normal trains, which is odd and unrealistic to say the least, or b) the Shinkansen and Maglev shares tracks, which is unrealistic too but possibly workable since they're both exotics. Except that with b) either the Shinkansen would have to run on Maglev-looking tracks, or the Maglev on more-or-less-normal-looking Shinkansen tracks.

[NekoMaster]

But it's not a Japanese set without the Shinkansen. That would mean either a) the Shinkansen shares tracks with normal trains, which is odd and unrealistic to say the least, or b) the Shinkansen and Maglev shares tracks, which is unrealistic too but possibly workable since they're both exotics. Except that with b) either the Shinkansen would have to run on Maglev-looking tracks, or the Maglev on more-or-less-normal-looking Shinkansen tracks.

I said, use the monorail, make the mono rail look like maglev and the maglev like shinkansen tracks

[krtaylor]

No, that fouls up the electrified rails.

[lawton27]

How about shinkansen run on monorail and maglev on maglev (if that makes a difference).

[krtaylor]

No, see, Patch TTD allows a total of three different track types. No more.

The first two are used for non-electrified track, and electrified track. There's been some fancy coding to allow non-electrified trains to also run on electrified tracks, but to TTD, they are two separate track types out of your allowed 3.

That leaves one more track type for something special. The Japanset uses that for Shinkansens, because real Shinkansens run on a totally different track from the rest of Japanese trains - it's even a different gauge. So you have to have a completely separate network - they can share stations, but that's all.

There's no room for Shinkansens AND Maglev. One or the other. We could have the Maglev as basically a super-fast Shinkansen sharing the same track, but we can't have true Maglev on its own special track without getting rid of Shinkansens entirely, or dumping the distinction between electrified and non-electrified track which would be silly.

I'd love to be proven wrong, though, and have 4 separate track types. But I'd be quite surprised if this is possible.