Topic: Who is who in the PAK128-Team

[wernieman]

For understanding of the PAK128-Team....

Fabio: disappeared maintainer, graphics artist
DirrrtyDirk: "Jack-of-all-trades", config files and menus
gauthier: maintainer, graphics artist
Gwalch: graphics artist
mEGa: graphics artist
Sarlock: graphics artist
wernieman: SVN-Server and nightlies
Zeno: vehicle data, economy, graphics artist


Formerly part of team:
Frank: "Jack-of-all-trades" - mostly misc. fixes in DAT files
martin: trucks "lord"
Napik: retired maintainer
Raven: retired graphics artist
Timothy: SVN-Server (now moved to Sourceforge SVN)
VS: retired maintainer, graphics artist
whoami: "Jack of all trades" ("master of none") ...


We search for people who can:
- complete and adjust railway timeline from 1850 to 1930
- help maintaing and enhancing existing buildings (snow, textures, rotations)


Note: Except for the pakset maintainer, all team members are listed in alphabetical order.

[VS]

- Ask creator of existing objects what is her copyright

Specifically, we have to contact a number of Japanese people who are known only by their nicks, so someone who knows that community well AND can explain the new licence (understands the principles of Free software).

Plus the same for German... especially MHz's beautiful buildings would be a shame to lose

[DirrrtyDirk]

@wernieman:

At the moment I'd define myself as Jack-of-all-trades - I just do whatever catches my interest for now.

Although I'd generally agree to take on a more specified job, the problem with putting me into a stricter scheme is, that I don't know how much time I can (and to be honest: also want) to put into this, since I have a couple of projects of my own as well - and there I am all alone to do the work.

But from the listed items I'd be interested in helping (but not doing it all alone!) with both balancing issues.

And without wanting to command anybody, but I think it would be best if the official pak-maintainer (=VS) would contact the copyright holders - unless it is not possible for some reason. BTW are we talking about putting it all under artistic license so it can become open-source like pak64, or what is that needed for?

EDIT:
@zeno:
I'm quite sure we'd find good use for your planes. IMO it would be great to have a big collection of different models, all more or less to scale and in the same style... a fleet of Airbus, Boeing... and maybe a couple other widely spread models?
replied in the other thread.

@VS: I have asked yoshi in the past to do right that for me - but as far as I understood there is no real organized Japanese community, so some people ar hard (or impossible) to contact. German shouldn't be such a problem with this group here... 

[VS]

Zeno's post is now a separate thread.

Doing just something here and there is fine.

Yes, 128 will become Open/Free as well. I have already contacted a number of people - see document license-state.ods in svn. Currently I am convincing Isaac And I should also catch Sergey (Sergiu?) while he's around.

Note: licence talks split to yet another thread.

[whoami]

DirrrtyDirk: "Jack-of-all-trades"

whoami: What do you think? What is your Part?

"Jack of all trades" ("master of none" ) would also fit me. I don't know yet how much time and ability I will be able to put into this, but I can work on balancing.

Where can I read about the current scheme for balancing in the pak set? For wagons and trailers, I think that the profit contribution per ton and kilometer (depends on convoy's maximum speed and the date for speed bonus) is a good approach to allow easy comparison.

[DirrrtyDirk]

The current scheme is based on a very complex excel sheet from napik doing a load of calculations on entering/changing values, and after that, one is required to tun a macro that does even more calculations.

I hope we can get that system simplified a bit with the new speed bonus table.

[wernieman]

So there is no simple Dokument about it?

[DirrrtyDirk]

None that I have ever seen...

[The Hood]

The scheme used in PakBritain for balancing is fairly simple:

- start a game in the year you want to balance vehicle for (usually in the middle of the time period where that vehicle is available)
- use shift+g look up the revenues per km for the correct speed and appropriate goods for the convoy
- take a proportion of this number to be the total running cost for the convoy (e.g. 0.35*revenue/km, more or less depending on how profitable you want the vehicle to be)
- divide this up between vehicles in the convoy if necessary.  We typically went for 80% on the loco and 20% between all of the wagons.

This will guarantee that a sensible length convoy is profitable at a sensible year for that convoy and the train is over half full (and also has benefits e.g. express trains are only profitable if they are long enough and full enough)

Hope that makes sense

[VS]

There are the two documents which I linked a while ago, and nothing more.

When I talked with Napik, he told me:

It's really simple. Just take one thing as constant and calculate the others from it. Use logic.

[VS]

First post edited to reflect current state of things.

[The Hood]

If you are still looking for industry / vehicle graphics, feel free to use the ones I have made for PakBritain.  They are open source after all (some are already on sourceforge, others will go on soon).

[DirrrtyDirk]

Hmmm... IMO pakBritain's graphics' style is a little too different from pak128. It would probably look kinda odd, I think.

[The Hood]

I would tend to agree, but it's there if you want :-)

[DirrrtyDirk]

Sure as hell better than nothing! We'll see. Thanks!

[nitromefan]

Hm mm... IMO pakBritain's graphics' style is a little too different from pak128. It would probably look kinda odd, I think.

I think pak Britan's graphics are a different style to pak 128's. Pak Britain's buildings are mostly stone which doesn't look too good with pak 128's modern style of buildings and stations.

So I'd agree

[VS]

First post updated...

[Fabio]

First post updated...

[DirrrtyDirk]

Not active? I'm on the forum almost every day, but I don't remember anyone asking me to do anything...

But you're right, I'm keeping a low profile, since I don't really have much time for simutrans and haven't been working on it for many months. But I am still around, so if any problem comes up, the team can always ask me - worst thing that can happen is, I say "sorry, not now". 

[Fabio]

OK, I'll *GLADLY* put you back in the active list!

By the way, what do you think of the works and projects going on in the Pak128?

[DirrrtyDirk]

Oh, I like the rotation of buildings and winter stuff a lot.

I'm not so sure about tracks and roads. I like their looks, don't worry, but I think it might be a few too many different types and speeds and eras, although I have never actually played with them yet, just a gut feeling.

As I said, I am not really deeply into simutrans as of now, but I'm still around, just to keep in touch.

[Frank]

my name should be deleted, because I no longer actively paks/paksets work and will do even more in the future

[VS]

Is it enough if it is listed as "former team member", or do you want it to be removed completely?

[wernieman]

I make an Update ... .... at First February I stop the nightly-generation ...

[gauthier]

Well, thanks for the nightly generation over the last years
I will upload a pak128 with latest updates as soon as possible.