Simutrans
Game idea
The task is passengers, mail and goods economically viable to transport to their destination automatically given. A ' Freeplay' setting allows to ignore the economy and for example build in peace a model railway landscape according to their own ideas.
As a means of transport are trains, buses, trucks, ships, trams, planes, monorails and subways are available.
For road and rail vehicles, there are bridges and tunnels to overcome difficult terrain. Certain vehicles ( including trams ) require a catenary. Rail transport is controlled automatically with a system of different signal types. For maglev and monorail systems, there are special routes. Ships can sail natural waters and channels.
In addition, you can build transmission lines to transport electrical energy from the power plants to factories and consumers. This makes it possible to earn extra money, it also enhances the production of the connected industries.
If the timeline (about: Era fidelity) is active, vehicles, buildings and roads are only gradually, true to the historical models, integrated into the game. But can also configuration dependent, obsolete objects can no longer be built, but existing work on. For the transport of higher quality goods you can also get higher transport fees. For some goods, there is an express contract for faster transport. The purpose relied on reference speed may depend on the type of vehicle, date in the game.
The economic parameters change with the development of a game. Depending on the degree of development of the map (density of the transport network, inferred goals ) more passengers and mail will be generated, as well as cities grow, which in turn increases the need for transport. The production of goods by the industry is dependent only on the number of establishments and served the transportation service, otherwise stable. Mostly, it is therefore useful to have a game to begin with the transport of goods, and only later add the transport of people.
First, there are only simple transport chains, such as
- Coal mine → coal power plant
In the course of time, entire industries chains, such as
- Forest sawmill → → → Furniture Factory Furniture Store
- Oilfield chemical plant → → → Printing bookshop
- Coal mine sand pit → → cement plant construction market
- Coal pit ore mine → steelworks → → automaker dealership
Such chains (or trees) produce only sustainable if all the necessary intermediates are transported. Therefore, here too, the claim of the game increases over time.
Game mechanics
The Schedules can be generated randomly or on the basis of relief maps. The sizes can range from 8 × 8-16384 × 16384 fields rich, with up to 999 cities. It may climates, rivers, forests, mountains and snow are generated in winter. The game world can be subsequently changed greatly by the terrain is reshaped. Cities, houses and factories can be rebuilt or removed, for which an action is required partly as public authority.
Transported passengers, mail and goods cause the cities to grow, that is, after a certain number of successful transports increases in that city the population. At a certain number of new inhabitants or unemployed, the city is building a new and larger premises, and in certain city size is exceeded, a new industrial chain, a landmark or a larger town hall is built.
For all modes of transport (rail, road, ship, etc.), the player must build at least one depot. This is then used to purchase and organization of appropriate vehicles and schedules.
In Simutrans you can build big transport networks, this is a line management system and a list of cars with sort and filter options.
Up to 13 computer players are activated, which compete with the human player. Multiplayer support and networking capabilities are available since version 110.0. The game has been translated into 25 languages.
Special
Passengers, mail and goods can be brought about several Umsteige-/Umladevorgänge to your destination. The choice (optimized according to number of Umsteige-/Umladevorgänge and the intermediate stops ) and use of such compounds ( including changes / reload ) will happen automatically. All types of vehicles can this be linked and there is no enforced separation between passenger and freight transport.
Combined systems consisting of tram, U -Bahn, S -Bahn, bus, and trolleybus ( even monorail and M -Bahn ), are possible and often necessary. The more buildings / factories are connected, and the more space is opened up, the more utilization and revenue is achieved.
All vehicles plan and go their way independently, where the player can intervene with waypoints, railway signals and traffic signs, in more complex rail networks he or she must usually even.
An underground mode can be used to build metro systems in large metropolitan areas, or to build tunnel systems and underground stations for rail and road vehicles.
Extensibility
The Simutrans program itself is a game engine that is only with a graphics package (called Pak Set) usable. Such packages contain not only the graphics, but also define the economic and technical characteristics of the objects within the game world, including the cost and performance limits for vehicles, buildings and infrastructure, as well as the transportable goods including proceeds for their transport.
One of the Pak sets ( standard -Pak, 64Pak or Pak64 called ) program development is directly affiliated. There are several other graphics packages for 64 × 64 pixels for 128 × 128 pixels ( and other sizes ), and in each case a number of extensions.
New versions of the Pak - sets will be announced in the forums and on blogs.
New buildings and vehicles, and industries can be created without programming knowledge. This requires some defined views of the object ( vehicle: eight perspectives, building up to four rotations and several levels depending on the size ) and a text based control file. This is a new item fits optically correct, some rules to viewing angles, proportions, positioning and illumination should be observed.
Simutrans uses an isometric view, with the overall picture of static 2D graphics for vehicles, buildings, trees, etc. is composed. ( Static here means all graphics are supplied ready, there is no generation at runtime instead, the graphics are merely reprinted also eg for animations on buildings and of course the car movements. )
The different graphics packages, the static image display and customizable maps ( total size, number and size of cities, number of factories ) can be Simutrans adapt to the performance of your own computer, and it runs on older computers without 3D graphics card ( graphics accelerator ).
Reception
Simutrans has been widely discussed, not least because of his German origin. This is especially the depth of the simulation, ie the complexity of the route determination of goods and passengers highlighted that leads automatically to networks. Furthermore, in particular the long-term motivation is emphasized that results from the complex economic chains and passenger transport networks.
A main point of criticism are often the sounds and the MIDI background music. The complexity requires a longer training period.
Multiplayer support is still very new, and therefore not yet been received in meetings.