Most needed addons/mods?

[Sybeiria]

Hello,

I didn't play the game since some time now and I have alltogether around 10 Hours of gameplay. But I want to do more and more, so I'm looking for addons/mods that add a lof of new stuff to the game, so that I have a big goal (Expanding Cities and Industry, transport as much as I can, make a megacity and so on) so what are the most essential mods/addons for the base game?

Thank you

[kamnet]

There are no essential addons or mods. OpenTTD in itself is regularly updated (at least annually, frequently 2-3 times a year) to fix bugs and add new features. Any mods or addons provided just add different things, none of which are necessary for gameplay or fix anything that's broken. While everybody can give an opinion on what they like or prefer, you won't actually know until you download them and try them for yourself.

[jfs]

If you want something that gives you specific goals to fulfill, and the built-in Subsidies don't give what you want, look at city-builder game scripts. There's many to choose from, and there's also multiplayer servers that offer a competitive city-builder environment.

[J.Hunter]

If you know exactly what kind of gameplay you like, then go for some NewGRF's that add more of that. If you're into industry, maybe give FIRS a try. If you like city stuff, check out some city-builder scripts. If you're looking for more vehicles to flesh things out, I really enjoy playing with av8 Aviation.

Alternatively, you can try using some NewGRF's that add earlier transportation methods and use an earlier start date. For example, with eGRVTS, 2cc tram set, and Sailing Ships, I really enjoy starting 1850-1900.

The real takeaway is: Figure out what you enjoy most in the game, and find NewGRF's that expand on that

[Wuzzy]

There are no essential addons or mods. OpenTTD in itself is regularly updated (at least annually, frequently 2-3 times a year) to fix bugs and add new features. Any mods or addons provided just add different things, none of which are necessary for gameplay or fix anything that's broken.

I disagree. AI is an essential add-on that is important for singleplayer. Without AI, you will play singleplayer with 0 competition, which might not be really challenging. That's a glaring omission in OpenTTD IMHO, because even TTD had a built-in AI.
Sadly, OpenTTD does not ship with any default AI so far. It would be great if a default AI will be added to OpenTTD. Maybe it could be a (semi-?)official side project like OpenGFX. That would greatly resolve a lot of potential confusion that newbies get.
(see also: viewtopic.php?f=65&t=85812)

I suggest SimpleAI for a start. It's not perfect, but it does it job OK and does not crash.

what are the most essential mods/addons for the base game?

Definitely SimpleAI is the most essential mod/addon for the base game.