pak48.Excentrique

[Yona-TYT]

going "Hajo" if you can!

[prissi]

Somehow my post was not saved. Here is a youtube video on pak48.excentrique:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GkZvkLyja4

[Spike]

Somehow my post was not saved.

It was, but in the v0.13+ update thread. It's cool though that smu42 took the time to make and publish this video

Thanks, smu42, if you read this!

I've tried to work some more on the music theme, and made a small beat factory. The graphics sure can be improved, but for the moment they should do the job. So now one can transport beats and fanfars. Well, not quite enough to make music, but a bit better than before 

[wlindley]

Would you entertain a Makefile, instead of a bunch of MS-DOS Batch files which don't work on Linux (or OSX for that matter)?  I would like to keep updated through the svn repository.

[wlindley]

How about a Bubbles factory... and Bubbles + Notes carried to a Welk factory makes Champagne Music... which you can carry to a Dance Hall in the city.

[Spike]

Version 0.14 is out!


http://sourceforge.net/projects/simutrans/files/pak48.Excentrique/v0.14-for-Simutrans-111.0/
Most of the work since v0.13 went into the music industry chain and a first try to adjust the costs. The costs will need further adjustments, but it seems to be possible to make some income with these settings already.


Changes in v0.14 since v0.13:

- Tried to adjust costs.
- A first few factories for the music industry chain.
- Some vehicles for music transport.
- Force gates for magnatracks.
- Level crossings for magnatracks.
- Added some new translations.
- Fixed visibility issue for magnatrack depots.


Known problems and missing features:

- No bridges.
- No tunnels.
- No ships.
- No aircrafts.
- No rivers.
- High level cities are very densely packed.
- Music industry chain is incomplete.
- Only English and German texts, and both incomplete.

[Spike]

Would you entertain a Makefile, instead of a bunch of MS-DOS Batch files which don't work on Linux (or OSX for that matter)?  I would like to keep updated through the svn repository.

If you supply me one, I'll happily commit it to the SVN

How about a Bubbles factory... and Bubbles + Notes carried to a Welk factory makes Champagne Music... which you can carry to a Dance Hall in the city.

Bubbles are a good idea!

[sdog]

i'm flushing out ideas of my mind. (sorry i produce such much, much faster than i realize anything.)

another use for bubbles,
they have to be carried to a "Think Tank" or Philosoper's garden, or ivory tower, where they are used to pack ideas.

The idea bubbles are then transported to idea nodes (equivalent to power plants) all other factories increase production when connected to a working idea node.

Some buildings consume ideas directly, for example Wikipedia Masonry shops. (image a house under construction built from bubbles like bricks.)

A giant discriminator. It takes ideas and has an output of very very few good ideas. those can be used in advanced production chains, eg. a symphony framework shop (also requiring crystal rods, for the frameworks)

[prissi]

I think the Makefile from pak64 could be easily adapted fast.

[IgorEliezer]

Hi Hajo, I heard about the new release of pak48.Excentrique.

My congratulations, dude.

[neroden]

Translation note: I believe the English word for "fanfar" is "fanfare" (with an 'e').

[Spike]

The idea bubbles are then transported to idea nodes (equivalent to power plants) all other factories increase production when connected to a working idea node.

A very interesting bubble of ideas you have there I'll take a note so I won't forget, till I actually get to work on a second industry chain.

I think the Makefile from pak64 could be easily adapted fast.

Good. I'll take a look someday soon.

My congratulations, dude.

Thanks, Igor!

Translation note: I believe the English word for "fanfar" is "fanfare" (with an 'e').

Thank you for pointing this out, I'll fix that in the translation files.

For today I have only one update, but maybe an important one: Magnatrack bridges! Should make building transport networks much easier. The artwork is not final, it seemed more important to have a bridge at all.

[Fabio]

Hajo, the artwork for the bridge, as you said, doesn't match the pakset style, IMHO. The beam shouldn't be larger than "base" of the magnatrack and possibly of the same color. I would even consider a bridge made of 2 separate beams, one supporting the left track, another the right one, but not larger than the spikes themselves...

[Spike]

I would even consider a bridge made of 2 separate beams, one supporting the left track, another the right one ...

Two beams sounded good to me, and now I'm proud to present: The Twin Laser Magnabridge!

Well, it's not so great as it sounds but maybe more in style with the rest of the pak.

[sdog]

Yes!
that suits your pak style much better now. You could give the large surfaces on the ramps perhaps some organic or crystaline looking structure too.

[Fabio]

I agree with sdog. the bridge itself is perfect now, but the ramps are still out of style. A crystal structure would be much better, or a kind of crystal portal (like stargate as a structure) generating the laser beams...

[Spike]

Prissi asked for new pak set releases to have them ready when a new Simutrans version is made. So I did not work on the bridges any further, but tried to consolidate the changes that I had pending and publish a new release:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/simutrans/files/pak48.Excentrique/v0.15-for-Simutrans-111.0/

I'll take care of the bridges once I have time again.

Release notes

pak48.Excentrique is work in progress. There are two working modes of transportation and enough game elements to have cities, some industries and forests in the game.

The main focus of this pak set is to provide a new and very different scenery which might be refreshing for old Simutrans players and interesting to new players as well. It's also meant to be an easy set to play, but so far balancing prices and costs is ongoing work and nowhere near final.

Release 0.15 has only very few new features, but was made to have a release ready to be bundled with the forthcoming Simutrans version which Prissi has announced.


Changes in v0.15 since v0.14

- Slightly improved tree graphics.
- Additional ground textures.
- Minor fixes for the ground tile layout.
- Magnatrack bridges.
- Good "fanfars" was renamed to "fanfares".


Known problems and missing features

- No powertrail bridges.
- No tunnels.
- No ships.
- No aircrafts.
- No rivers.
- High level cities are very densely packed.
- Music industry chain is incomplete.
- Only English and German texts available, and both incomplete.

[MoTw]

Hi,


even if I haven't tried pak.excentrique for a long time, I followed the development with excitement. It's a very interesting style I have to say (once again )


I had to laugh when I read about the prime number factory thing some pages before The bridges look good by the way.


CU
Moritz aka MoTW

[Spike]

The bridges look good by the way.

Thanks!

At the moment I feel very down and uninspired though, so maybe I'll need a break to recharge. I have ideas, but no will to actually work on something 

Edit: Each time when I think about the name "Beatnut" which I gave the beat transporters, I also must think of this amazing drummer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZyaOlrb7E

Maybe it can give you a smile to watch

[sdog]

"beatnut" is a good name indeed

working in intervals seems to be a good concept, and you just released a new version, good moment to rest. (i hope you won't dissappear from the forum in your break, your input often brings a new dimension to discussions.)

(just had the idea of a "portmanteau" factory)

[Spike]

i hope you won't dissappear from the forum in your break, your input often brings a new dimension to discussions.

Thanks I'll try to stay here.

[Spike]

Today I have a few minor updates (see also the v0.15+ updates thread):

- A new engine for magnatracks.
- Some new commercial city buildings (the blue ringcones).

[Spike]

I felt uninspired, but bridges for the powertrails were needed, also I felt a need for a second variant of powertrail. So I made the "powertrail nobridge" and the "powertrail speedlane" which reuse much of the original powertrail graphics.

Not shown in the screenshot are new icons for the road tools menu.

[Spike]

It has long been said, in marketing and customer support, that if one thousand customers have a problem with or are upset about a product, that only one will correspond with the manufacturer; if ten thousand are pleased with the product, only one will write a letter of praise.  So 3 replies to 700 downloads is quite above the average!

This message didn't want to give me peace. Are you customers or are we a community?

[sdog]

community!
The behaviour is roughly the same though. The difference is perhaps less on the consuming side but on the producers side and the more active forum members.

[Spike]

I was told today that I expect too much from people (not someone from the Simutrans community but related to my experiences here). So well, I'll go and wait till the unhappiness passes ... I don't think that I can really change my expectation for comments or so, though ... if I invested hours, heartblood and sometimes sweat in brainworking, developing and creating, I'd think that someone of the dozens of community members might find a minute or two to comment on it 

[isidoro]

I would say that you expect that too quick...

Slower, slower...  The slower a snail lives, the quicker the world seems to it...

[Spike]

C'mon. The forum stats say that today were at peak 94 people online at the same time. I haven't counted the page views. And not one of all these visitors manages to produce a single sentence of comment about a screenshot or two over the time of two days? It's not like they need to do much - watch the attachment and post an idea about it.

[sdog]

i had nothing relevant to say, i thought the bridges suit the powertrails quite well. i often start to write posts, and leave the unfinished when i re-consider and doubt if i am spaming a thread.

I considered posting it on the google plus site, but didn't do so as i saw your screenshots a day too late.

[isidoro]

[...]
i often start to write posts, and leave the unfinished when i re-consider and doubt if i am spaming a thread.
[...]

The same happens to me...  This forum is different from others in that posts are usually relevant, discussion is usually kept to topic, people are well-behaved, etc.  and, today, that's not common...


@Hajo: sometimes we tend to think that, if moving in a university environment, for instance, all people have the same background, interests or capabilities.  And they usually don't.  Not good or bad, but don't.

Some people are creative, some aren't.  And being an artist is something that it is not to be planned, scheduled, etc.  Art and creation must break the chains of logic, time, etc.  Producing cars and oil painting is just the opposite, though with modern art perhaps we should reconsider.   


Edit:  Hajo, you are a Devotee, if you want quick feedback, why don't you open surveys?  But, in that case, be prepared if you don't like the results...   

 

[Spike]

Some people are creative, some aren't.  And being an artist is something that it is not to be planned, scheduled, etc.  Art and creation must break the chains of logic, time, etc.  Producing cars and oil painting is just the opposite, though with modern art perhaps we should reconsider.   

Edit:  Hajo, you are a Devotee, if you want quick feedback, why don't you open surveys?  But, in that case, be prepared if you don't like the results...   

I believe that I'm somwhere in the middle, having some technical and some artistic skills by nature. And I believe that training can help to improve a small talent to average, and an average to good. I'll never reach the level of a naturally born artist or designer, but I want to believe that I can become a fair graphics designer by training. Creativity can also be helped by training and behaviour - I sure lack creativity in some areas, but I have it in others. I'm now about mid-life (I hope the second half will be as long ...) and some years of pondering make me believe that artistic work in my free time will be better for me than technical work.

Polls - I'm not interested in "60 people like this, 321 don't like". I'm looking for discussion, talk. Usually new ideas spawn from talk, and it's more free from than polls. So I don't think I'll become happier if I make a poll for every vehicle, name/word and screenshot that I publish.

Edit:

I have some news -  I changed all the files, so that the set now starts in year one. At first I had intended to let it start in year 3500, but then it seemed that will mean our future. So I decided for year one, which hopefully will support the idea that this pak set neither plays in human future nor past.

[railworker]

I was told today that I expect too much from people (not someone from the Simutrans community but related to my experiences here). So well, I'll go and wait till the unhappiness passes ... I don't think that I can really change my expectation for comments or so, though ... if I invested hours, heartblood and sometimes sweat in brainworking, developing and creating, I'd think that someone of the dozens of community members might find a minute or two to comment on it 

Hajo, I think a lack of feedback doesn't mean your project isn't liked. I believe in some cases people are just too lazy or don't want to spend the time to post 'looks cool' or something like that. I bet there are people who try out, find it cool but just don't say so for whatever reason.
But, you also have to consider, there are a lot of different paks, some big ones, and many small ones. People probably tend to read and post about just one or two paks only.

Now, I got to say something about pak48.Excentrique itself, too: When I tried the pak a few days ago I noticed that on a magnatrack-powertrail crossing, the magnatrain can only drive 30 km/h while it can drive over 60 km/h on free tracks. This is a bit annoying to me if I don't want to build a couple magnatrack bridges to build magnatracks in a city.

[Spike]

I guess so. Attention is a scarce resource these days, and everyone is struggling to get some.

Now, I got to say something about pak48.Excentrique itself, too: When I tried the pak a few days ago I noticed that on a magnatrack-powertrail crossing, the magnatrain can only drive 30 km/h while it can drive over 60 km/h on free tracks. This is a bit annoying to me if I don't want to build a couple magnatrack bridges to build magnatracks in a city.

When I wrote the dat file it appeared sensible to me that on the crossing vehicles must slow down and drive carefully, but in my test game I have a few level crossing which disturb me too. I feel torn between what I considered "right" in the beginning, and what I want myself in my game. I guess I'll allow more than 30 km/h though, that was most likely too much of slowdown. At the moment I'm pondering if I should generally go for high speed vehicles and infrastructure in this pak. Undecided yet.

Thanks for the feedback, it's good to know what you think about the crossings and that it matches my own experiences from test games. This way I get a better feeling what needs to be changed

[Fabio]

I read all the news here, but I rarely write, because I couldn't play or try the pakset. Actually I don't play at all, my Simutrans time (actually more than usual) goes all painting.

Back on topic, the idea of year 1 is simply great.

[railworker]

When I wrote the dat file it appeared sensible to me that on the crossing vehicles must slow down and drive carefully, but in my test game I have a few level crossing which disturb me too. I feel torn between what I considered "right" in the beginning, and what I want myself in my game. I guess I'll allow more than 30 km/h though, that was most likely too much of slowdown. At the moment I'm pondering if I should generally go for high speed vehicles and infrastructure in this pak. Undecided yet.

Thanks for the feedback, it's good to know what you think about the crossings and that it matches my own experiences from test games. This way I get a better feeling what needs to be changed

I would suggest the following: When a magnatrain is nearing to the crossing, add some warning signs to the crossing on the powertrail side. Maybe flashing red lights running back and forth across the powertrail, parallel to the magnatrack?

EDIT: a scetch made using paint. Imagine the ret dots moving back and forth...



Additionally, the powertrail looks at if it would glow. You can make the powertrail look switched off at the crossing i.e. it might not glow there. That would make it 'physically impossible' for a powertrail vehicle to enter the crossing. Of course, switching off the powertrail and the red lights should only be in effect when a magnatrain is coming.