New maps to run on pak64/pak128 servers

[Ashley]

I've had good success running maps created by others, most notably those made by Fifty. I'd like to ask for submissions from the community for maps you'd like to see running on a net game server.

Some guidelines:

Maps should be no larger than the equivalent of 512x512 (so you could have a 1024x256 map if you wish)
Maps should be created using the latest version of the standard pakset releases - no addons!
Maps should be created without trees (though I can remove these if needed)
The typical running time of a map on my servers is between 2-4 weeks (with the option to pause the map while no clients are connected turned on). Keep this in mind

At present I only run pak64 and pak128 servers, but I'm looking to set up some new ones. If you really want to see a particular pakset represented then posting some great maps would be a good encouragement!

[Vonjo]

An archipelago map with a lot of small islands which forces the player to use ships for pak128 should be challenging.

[Fifty]

For those who are interested, here are the settings I have used pretty successfully in pak 64:

-Start year: 1919-1921. Pak 64 games are rather unplayable after about 2015 as passengers become almost impossible to move profitably because the future trains are poorly balanced.
-Buying obsolete vehicles allowed
-Waytoll enabled, 5-10% of running costs (It is important to set the default pak 64 value for waytoll as a percentage of waycost to zero, or else some tolls, especially for canals, will be unfairly high)
-Industry_increase_every = 3000
-Cost to use up/down land tools is 5000 (except Mountainous maps, which is 3000)
-Cost to use slope tools is 8000 (except Mountainous maps, which is 5000)
-Headquarters are twice as expensive
-demolishing city buildings is five times as expensive
-paused when no clients connected

I'll likely make some pak 128 maps once I am a little less busy IRL, and I'd be happy to take some suggestions from some players a little more experienced with pak 128, as I am primarily a pak 64 player. When do people usually start maps in 128? I know 128 is much better suited for play into the future era than pak 64, so games can run longer.

An archipelago map with a lot of small islands which forces the player to use ships for pak128 should be challenging.

I tried that in pak 64, but it gets far too crowded too fast. Plus, players seem to abuse viaducts...

On a side note, it's amazing the level of development, co-opertave and competitive play that has come out of netgame servers. It has been very sad to see this community split apart lately and the statements of both Hajo/Spike and prissi that they are not finding work with Simutrans as rewarding any more. I think netgaming is a testament to the versatility and ingenuity of all of the coders involved as well as the hours of enjoyment that many of us have experianced as a result of their hard work. Every server save game (and for that matter saves and screenshots posted to the forum) should serve as a "thank you, look what we have done thanks to your work" for the coders.

EDIT: Prissi had some nice maps that he ran on his gift pak 64 server, he might be able to give them to you if he no longer plans to run gift.

[edson]

Hello, I've create a new map to the servers of pak64. The servers got the same map 3 times in a row.

My map have 448x640 size, with some islands and a ocean in the middle.

Have 33 cities connected with roads, some factories, starts in 1918, and i put some of the Fifty settings.

http://simutrans-germany.com/files/upload/pak64_multiplayer_map.sve
size 448x640 - pak64 version 111.3 - r5773


If ins't good, please tell me what I can do better to the map. (:

Sorry for my English, I'm not using the translator. (:

[Fifty]

Nice to see someone else making maps for the servers! However, I cannot download your map, it seems to have been deleted from the file hosting site. My only suggestion would be more cities, I think that is why my pak 64 maps are not running anymore - there were not enough cities for the many people who wanted to play!

And I have been working on my own map project, a map for the pak 128 server. It is Portland, Oregon and the surrounding area. Some, but not all of the cities are real and most of the real cities are in their real-life locations, more or less. Most of the roads that the map has right now are major arterial highways in the Portland Area. I also hand-placed most of the rivers for a realistic look, most in their real-life locations. Designed to be a long term game.

Map (click for larger):


http://simutrans-germany.com/files/upload/Portland_Map_v7m.sve

Settings:
-636x408 (equivalent to about 512x512)
-175,035 citizens in 67 cities, largest city ~23k
-Obey era, 1959 to future
-Map built in Simutrans 111-2-2, pak 128 2.1. Fully compatible with all new versions and designed for play in Simutrans 111-3.
-demolishing city buildings is four times as expensive
-Industry_increase_every = 5000 (default)
-electric_promille = 350 (35% of "demand")
-road toll 30% of running costs (will discourage players from making everything public)
-Cost to use up/down land tools is 2500
-Cost to use slope tools is 3000
-Cost to found a new city doubled
-paused when no clients connected (this needs to be enabled on the server side, all others part of the save file)

If you're not interested in netgaming but want to download this map to play on, please do! When it is removed from simutrans-germany please PM me and I will re-upload it if you wish.

[Ashley]

Thanks edson, if you could upload your map again I will use it. I'll use your map next Fifty since I can download it!

[edson]

Updated 14/08

I created a new one with the current version (111.3.1). If have any problem I can repair. (:





Settings:

- current game version (111.3.1)
- size 640x448;
- 56 cities;
- starting at year 1920;
- rivers, oceans, etc;
- some industries;
- default game settings;

Download Solidfiles

[tsutomu784]

Hello,

I found Edison's map really great, and I was wondering if by change you would also have a .sve version for pak128? I tried to load it but there were some missing pak objects.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

I hope I didn't post in the wrong section.

Regards,

T.

[Ashley]

Both these maps are now live, lets see how they work out.

[sdog]

Timothy, could you let me know when you start a new map/game on one of your servers? I should like to announce those fresh games on g+. Some players might prefer to join a game on an almost empty map.

[Ashley]

I almost always post a reply to the thread for the game server in question, so you could subscribe to email notifications on those threads

I keep meaning to set something up to automatically rotate maps every 2 weeks, the idea being that you have one server of each pakset restarting every week and alternating between the two...

[edson]

Since no one else contributed with a different map. I created another for servers 64.

Spanish World




- Max allowed size - 512x512;
- Same version of the servers;
- Around 64 cities, named with spanish citylist;
- Large amount of factories and tourist atractions;
- Default settings and starting year is 1930;

Map download link: http://www.solidfiles.com/d/5dc0b700b7/

[sdog]

"To get from Valencia to Alicante just take the bus over Getxo."
tell this to a tourist in a different world and you make someone who remembers you for life. :-)

[edson]

It is an irony? I do not understand.

[sdog]

More like a joking comment.

Valencia, Alicante, and Murcia are close and in the right order together. But to get there one has to go over Getxo (Euskadi).

Your map is much more convenient than the one that other world, we live in. Getting from Valencia to Biskaya in one stop is priceless!

[Markohs]

Where is Barcelona?

[sdog]

Now or in 10 years? Then on the Catalunya map of course perhaps.

[Markohs]

who knows, we'll see but since santa coloma is already there, makes sense barcelona to be there too.

Maybe at the end all those cities will be german seeing how are things developing.  Or chinese

[edson]

Sorry guys, I just added the spanish citylist, not even attempted to build the real Spain, and sorry for Barcelona or any other city, maybe it can be added later.


The server limits detailed maps, would be really cool to play on real maps.

[Markohs]

I was just joking a bit, I don't really mind.

[sdog]

Edson, this wasn't meant as a criticism to you at all. We just had a bit of fun, imagining to be on your list. With a fictional map of course the cities are at different places.

[Vonjo]

I'll be happy if someone can make some maps for my server. The guidelines is basically the same as timothy's.
Currently I run pak128 server.

Some suggestions:
Map should start with hundreds of cities (if it is an unmoderated game).
All factories are crossconnected (I'm not sure whether this is a good idea).

[Jaridan]

cross connect can be very annoying at some points,imo.

[Vonjo]

I was just thinking that it would be nice if players can share goods the way players can share passengers and mails. There are often hundreds of factories laying around the map annoyingly and uselessly, because it takes a lot of efforts for a player to complete the factory chain himself. It seems to be nice if we can just send/take goods we have/need to/from a public good interchange.