Poll: learning curve

[vilvoh]

Since sometime ago, I've read some posts and comments about Simutrans, specially from new users that play it for the first time. Well, we all know it's not easy. You must dedicate some time to learn how to make things in Simutrans way but how long did it take to learn the game mechanics?

[Orange]

It took me three hours to understand the basic mechanics, but three days to make a profitable network

[vilvoh]

That would be a good question for a future poll..

[wing044]

There should be a choice for a longer time period.
I think it took me three years to learn to build a good network.

[Lmallet]

My expertise varies depending on which release of Pak128 I am using

[Spike]

Among game designers there is a rule of thumb: If the player cannot grasp the basics of a game within 5 minutes, most of them give up. So, the ones who vote for more than 5 minutes are already more-than-averagely dedicated players.

It was really strongly adviced to design a  game this way, that a player has a feeling of success within 5 minutes. Like, have two stations up and a bus going. And they must be able to do that without reading websites and the manual. Simutrans doesn't catch very many players this way.

Also those who did give up in the first 5 minutes are unlikely to answer this poll.

[vilvoh]

Also those who did give up in the first 5 minutes are unlikely to answer this poll.

a rule of thumb for poll creators: Always there must be a funny answer.... 

[IgorEliezer]

Always there must be a funny answer.... 

Like "Go 'way, leave me in peace! D:" ?

[yoshi]

You need to continue learning until you stop playing Simutras, as it's being developed continuously. I honestly cannot catch up the speed of development...

But it's not so difficult to obtain rough idea about how Simutrans works, if you have ever played a game of this kind, especially TT.

[Combuijs]

game mechanics

Frankly, what a bad question  . I still don't understand the game mechanics fully and I have been playing a lot for some years. But I got my first passenger train going after 10 minutes. The first freight train took a while (and a forum question  ) longer.

You need to continue learning until you stop playing Simutrans, as it's being developed continuously

So true! And that's what I like in this game!

[Rodrigo Soracco]

Since I was a Transport Tycoon player before Simutrans age, it was not difficult. One day without lunch, going out home and see the sun was enough to develop a good city without spent all my money :-)

[colonyan]

I answered a month.
Basic playing was learned around a week or so.
But I still fully don't understand how game would exactly work when
industries are fully interconnected.
I must test my self so I can be sure how it works...

[Rodrigo Soracco]

Well, cities are even growing. When you make the existing industries work, new ones appears. I think you never will interconnect all possible industries untill your map is completelly full of buildings... 

[wernieman]

how long I need???

Is a very good question ... and it was  .... bevor a loong time .... (...in an other Galaxy...)

When I see simutrans the first time (On an SuSE 6.X CD, I don´t know the Version) I give up. But I learn to make a good network ... but I don´t know how long I need ...

At the first time I give up, because there was no tutorial. I don´t understand what I need. To look to the AI don´t help

[Colin]

Well lets see. I've been playing the game since around 1996/7 I am still learning, but only new things like the new way to make Ocean Tunnel Crossings. That's taken about a week with a lot of help from Knightly, Dirrtydirk, and Dwacks. I still don't know why it was changed it from the old way. I've now mastered the new way but it's a pain in the #$*@ so I won't be using it a lot. I remember that the forum back then wasn't anything like it is today. I have a feeling that Hajo was the only one who could help if there was a problem. But, it was a long time ago so if anyone else remembers let me know.

Industry networks and Passenger networks are a piece of cake now. My latest PAK128 has just realised over $3billion. I love plotting the course of railway systems and making them work properly, especially when I get a No Route and I have to trace the fault.

[micslu]

I checked half day for the basics, but only because I faithfully printed out the Starter Guide 
I was able to continue with the game only because I faithfully check this forum 

After about 3 years of playing, I'm finally getting grasp of rail signals for a somewhat complex rail network.
(Amazingly, to me at least, well placed standard signals do wonders!)

Thanks to all involved.

[EvanBGood]

I just started playing about a five days ago. It was a little overwhelming but super-addicting the first day, so I played for countless hours straight. It took me about a full day to get the hang of it, in that I could make a basic industry chain, passenger line, and mail run... although my mail runs are still really poor. Since my obcession is going nowhere fast (and, as expected, my sleep levels are declining greatly), I keep learning more and more stuff, constantly getting the urge to make things more and more complicated. Of course... it took me a good two or three days to figure out that you can build underground ("where's the dang subway button?!"). Today has been all about power networks, underground ramps, city growth, and power/weight/speed/profit ratios.

[puntmuts]

I'm still learning and I'm a long time player because it was one of the few games supporting Linux. Hajo was the only (visible) maintainer. I'm happy with developments we've seen for some time now, so there is still something to learn every stable release. I can't recall how much time it took to learn the basics of the game, it must have been back in 1999 or 2000 (or even earlier).  I was familiar with railway tycoon and simcity.   

[Matthi205]

It took me 5 minutes to learn the mechanics(because I already played OpenTTD),but 6-9 Months to make 1 profitable network

[werl]

personally, it took me about two minutes to learn the mechanics, and about three tries to create a profitable company. each lasting about ten minutes.

[London-Ed]

I understood the basic mechanics pretty quickly, but after about 4 months I'm still trying to build the network that I want in my head.

[gauthier]

I learnt on the "example" savegame of simutrans 84 with pak128 ... It took me a month to understand all main mechanics

[Zeno]

I got the general mechanics rather quick, as I've played most games of this genere. Moreover, I had read a bit about it before downloading and so, as I got to simutrans through the wiki. After that, it took me less than 5 minutes to build up the first train line, probably transporting coal or oil, as that's been always my "default option"

From then, everybody can learn different transport strategies, etc., but I usually take the "make it beautiful" way rather than the "make it efficient", that's my way of enjoying the game

[NakedFury]

I still haven't given the game much playing time because of college but this weekend I will master the basics. After that time will tell if I master the basics 2.0

[thematic]

Maybe half a day, last year. I hadn't played anything similar before, unless you count Simcity or Theme Park.

[Lukewarm]

I picked up the basics fairly quickly. But I am most definitely still learning.

Yesterday, I enlarged a small island and built a city there. Connecting the island only by one airport route.

No passengers when I shut down last night, but there was some city growth.

I will find out tonight, whether it works.

[Václav]

I voted one day but it is not exact because I played (as some of us) else similar (transport-business strategy) games (TTD, TG, IG2 and even SimCity and Mobility) and so I got basics quite quickly but the most difficult was learning of using of some important features (differencies) of Simutrans.

It could take a day.

But as Lukewarm wrote: I still have been learning because sometimes new features are included and then learning goes on.