Holidays_In_Ohio-ToyTrains

[Lowell]

Holidays In Ohio-ToyTrains

Please see the New Thread for this map...

[Bushdoctor]

Hi Lowell,

The map loads, the game runs!
I like all that snow. Very appropriate.
Kudos on all the new goods and industries. Great work.
I also like the map layout a lot. Large distances are cool.

But! (obviously there's a But).
I'm affraid that for me the new industries did not show on the map.
Instead I got big red circles in my cities. Not sure what's the problem here
because I made sure to drop all files in the right spot.

My main problem with this map is that I can't find logic in the setup
of the industries and their demands. I'll explain:
All of the industries need Passengers to succesfully produce raw materials,
however none of the cities produce passengers.
In order for a city to produce passengers you have to let it grow.
The best way for a city to grow is to deliver and pick up goods there.
However for raw materials>goods to be produced, the industries need passengers.
See my problem?
(The industries do produce raw material on their own, but the amount is very low)

Furthermore the game starts with the very first locomotive available.
You don't want to attach more than 2 or 3 cars to it because of its speed.
But the distances on this map are huge so you end up delivering very very few materials.
I have litteraly waited several game-years for my city to start producing
passengers but never got there.

This map is also heavy depending on where you start. If your starting point
is the one on top (city name is Young 'something'), then you might as well restart
because any goods needed there are produced on the other side of the map.
You'll never reach them with your starting amount, not even when selling all of your shares. Let alone building a profitable line with trains that slow
and low raw materials.

I believe that if you make each of the four starting points produce
passengers this map will work afterall.
I do like the complexity of all goods and materials, but it needs more logic.

Of course this is all a matter of opinion. Perhaps there are players out there
who totally disagree with me on this.
If so, I would very much like to hear their gameplay tactics.

Nevertheless: Great work!
I'm still gonna give it another shot.

Greets and thanks,
Doc.

[Lowell]

Okay here is the deal with Youngstown. I have provided some pictures below to help show you the steps. You need to think out of the box and run your track off the right side of the map, working your way down to Clarksberg. Textiles and sheep are both at Clarksberg...See pics attached...

I believe that if you make each of the four starting points produce
passengers this map will work afterall.

As to the passengers, they come around after you have started to develop the area a tad more. I think level three or four in city growth they pop up, elves are first. The map runs fine...you need to watch your money and connect the two distribution centers. The money will start slow but pick up fast. Passengers and Elfs are not given at the start cities for a reason.

Yes the trains were small and slow in 1830...they take two cars at a good speed. Don't worry, soon enough you will be bellowing huge amounts of steam and pulling eight cars. It just may take awhile. That is part of the "hard" part, you have some big car numbers there. So as new engines come around...you better pay attention and get the better pulling power and speed..."hint."

This is not a sleepy map...after it gets going it's all you can do to keep up with everything. So enjoy the slow start... Build the first ring of connected cities as quick as you can. The first set of connected cities in Era 1 feed the development of the rest of the map...key area.

[snoopy55]

Hey, or should I say "Ho-Ho-Ho? Anyway, this download, Holidays_in_Ohio-ToyTrains.rar, ain't gonna do much unless there's a micro map in it..... 90 bytes? Haven't seen a program that size since ELFII.....

[Lowell]

Yup...don't know what happened there...let me reload the thing.

EDIT// The Grinch ate the Christnas Map files! Good thing I have more..."and stuck a tiny Elf map in there...we just couldn't see it..."
Sorry,,,LoL don't know how I loaded a Blank folder...that goes down in the history books.
The real map is now up.

Oh...don't forget to use the Ohio Holiday Funds in the Difficulity drop down list when you first start the game. That gives you enough start money to get things "almost" started.

In order for a city to produce passengers you have to let it grow.
The best way for a city to grow is to deliver and pick up goods there.
However for raw materials>goods to be produced, the industries need passengers.
See my problem?
(The industries do produce raw material on their own, but the amount is very low)

The map is built so it starts out slow. You build it up. The bulk goods also start out as a trickle. So...when your first city develops passengers you send them a couple cars...the same for elves. The map works fine. It is a hard scenario...this is not an easy play map. The Holidays_In_Ohio map has an easier number setting...here you have to work for it and stay on top of everything for you to get the advantage.

Developing the first set of connected cities and your trans-shipments between distribution centers will generate tons of cash. Just use the Holidays In Ohio start funds, and watch your money. Stick to the first era goals before you expand too far too fast. Remember...the distribution centers are your buddy...every car that goes in gets 1.3 back. When you get the cash...make at least a dual track between them.

As you have noticed, some things are only on one side or the other on the map. ("hint=trans-ship, go between dist. centers") however with coal...you just have to suffer. No trans shipping coal.

I have litteraly waited several game-years for my city to start producing
passengers but never got there.

I use the time (iTurnsPerMonth) in the game as a speed regulator for the map. In the Florida Gold maps it runs at 256. This map 64. The scale is way off for reality in this game and so is the date and time clock. Besides, the date and time have nothing to do with the amount of goods in and how quick you start getting them out. Goods in and out are what we are really watching.

Try again...print out the map and draw the cities, names, industries and everything on your map. Pay close attention to the era goals...they guide you in the big areas where to go next. If you have the time and cash work toward future goals...use the Holidays In Ohio Funds at the start.

[Bushdoctor]

Well, you did give me a challenge man, so I'm still on it.
I still think the first part isn't so much a challenge as it is a bit frustrating,
but hey.. you told us it's doable so I'm determined to finish it.
Still gotta grab the new files though... the map crashed for me when
I tried to load elves. Let's see if the new files fix that.
Oh btw, very good point on the currency switch.. didn't do that yet.
Thanks!

[Lowell]

You shouldn't have any troubles with the elves. Make sure you drop and update the RRT_Goods.xml list again. Just drag it over the folder where the old one is and say update yes, or just replace it with the new one.

Let me know right away if you still have trouble with the elves, it's been loaded on several machines "with" these very files you have and we all are not having that trouble.

I posted a new map set of files early this morning because when I was coping the global information to the maps industries.xml list I forgot to put the script for the Teddy Bears industry Auction picture, Report image and the in-city industry Build icon. That has no effect on the game. The new files show the images fine now. The new map folder can even be replaced with the new one and you can continue with any saved games.

Like I said please let me know right away about the elves. Also make sure you have the newest FPK for the Holiday maps...just in case. But try updating that goods list one more time.

I am trying to get the map built to where the RRT_Goods.xml list will not need updating and all files reside inside the map folder. The Goods list is a tricky one and the game is very picky about it and where it is. Soon I should have the map files to where the Goods.xml list will not need updating in any way...it will be built into the map. It just hasn't kicked-in yet. So for now it needs updating for any new goods the game gets. The Goods.xml list in the files will add all new goods from both Holidays_In_Ohio maps and the new goods for the Florida_Gold map set.

Also this is a size 15 map. Even though I played it through once only saving twice. I'm not sure about your system, but it shouldn't crash for elves. I played it through myself last night with these files placed in the game from the web site download...the files are the same. That's when I noticed the teddy bear pictures weren't showing up on the auction screen. Elves, cars, people, visitors, everything tested fine.

Frustrating you say...well just think how it was living back in 1830, why they didn't even have PB&J sandwiches then! Those little Grasshoppers can only take one car at good speed. The Norris can take three at good speed. Until you get passengers at the Lumber Yards, Coal Yards etc. you are only going to get two or three cars of bulk goods anyway. It must have taken the RailRoads a long time to transport goods with such small train engines...but hey it was faster and could hold more than the Ox and Wagon. "A taste of history...excluding the PB&J."

But get those Elves working, because they boost all your in-city industries production levels. Get a passenger train running that has a mix of mail, elves, passengers, visitors. Cities want them and make them. Get the flow started, mix your goods trains that go back and forth for the distribution centers with elves etc.

EDIT// In the map folders I should have left a PNG image file of the map. You should be able to print those out and make notes on them. If I forgot one you can take a screen shot of the map in the train build screen...or...let me know if I forgot one and I will post it. It is easier and for the detail to print and blow one up full page size from a PNG image file.

EDIT_EDIT// Here is a large sized picture you can print out and take notes on. Trust me on this...you need to print this out. When the map gets near full...you will know what I mean. I even used a green highlighter for the cities and orange for the bulk good industries. The track layout has been worked out and everything placed in just the correct spot...so there should be no spaghetti mess with track. "Hint=sink your track slightly below ground level as you lay track that goes between the two distribution centers as you pass Ashland, Columbus and a grain field. This way the connecting track for Columbus and Ashland won't need a tall bridge when you come back later in the game to connect then." Go in game and pause it. Move around and name everything. This will help you "see" where the goods are before you get there. Watch everything that grows and pounce on it when it does, upgrade it redo train/track routes, whatever is needed. You think it starts slow, but let something go past too long and you will fail the car numbers, or the cities won't develop as fast...which would give you the same result. "I've played it several times with even harder settings and gotten it, so this one can be done easy enough."

[Bushdoctor]

The Elves trains are working perfectly now.

I switched to 'Holiday Dollars' and that changed the entire game.
I have just one thing to say: Normal starting amount: 0.5 million,
Holiday starting amount: 10+ million.

The first ten years of the game that I called frustrating will now be used
to lay a spiderweb of tracks.

This requires a completely different aproach...
Actually now I believe that reaching the goals is quite doable.
Heck, I was well on my way with a starting amount of just 0.5 mil.

Thanks for the elaborate descriptions!

[Lowell]

The ToyTrains map has just been updated to a CIC style map. Scenario changes and many upgrades have been made. The map runs in a clean RailRoads! game folder, so renaming the game folder in your My Games folder is needed. Everything the map needs to run is inside the one file folder that you place inside Usermaps...and that's it...run the map.

I have made a tender car for the holiday train engine. I used the mikado tender car and made several changes. The model also needed a new spec and emsk file made as well for it to look right.

I have made a new wooden bridge file for this map. Depot station and terminal buildings have been edited. Many other changes and upgrades have been made.

I have edited the main page on this thread with all the new info, including on how to rename the RailRoads! game folder. Please let me know if I have left out anything...also if anyone can write tutorials, and would like to explain the renaming process better than I...please let me know, thanks.

CIC version 2.0 ...updated June 12, 2008...

...here is the link to the new files...

[mikeyc]

I have been part of the Beta testing of this map and offer some observations which may be of benefit to players.
The map is typical of what we would expect from Lowell. Big on industries and commerce generally. It is another well thoughtout map that will keep you playing all day on one of those long wet days. The 'different' industries and their relationships kept me thinking for awhile and would suggest playing the map without going after victory conditions a couple of times to get the feel of how things work.
The map contains some very fast dual electrics which could spawn an all electric spinoff.
All in all I found the map difficult untill I switched onto the different industries and the white background. I rate it a bit behind Florida Gold but a good map worth playing.
Good work Lowell.
( As an aside I would love to see Lowell and Choobaca work together on a map)

[Rodea2007]

The land on the map is in snow season, but I don't see snow in the trees... , this trees is for normal season, to make this map more reality could you change the trees with snow trees that is posibbility.

[Lowell]

The land on the map is in snow season, but I don't see snow in the trees... , this trees is for normal season, to make this map more reality could you change the trees with snow trees that is posibbility.

Sorry...there are no snow covered trees in the game. It would be easy enough to make some, but just like the palm trees from pirates and the orange and lime trees I made...they would have to be entered into the games number list of trees and/or clutter. I still have yet to work that out. I assigned my new trees with the proper numbers per the games instructions and tried a clutter number as well. I am missing something, as they just pop in the game editor as invisible...even though the editor says they are there. Anything placed in a map as a decoration gets wiped out after a game save...so decorations are only visible when you first enter a map, and gone later...so that is out placing any kind of tree on a map as a decoration. I may visit the idea of new trees again one day, but for now I have three other new railroads maps, the update for Florida gold...as the engines that were for that map are almost done and the southern engines have been edited/completed and moved to the Georgia map. They came from there and I used them to fill a gap on the Florida map till now.

Plus...having the green trees breaks up all the "white" on the map. I was thinking of even "melting" some of the snow on the map...but I think it is fine just as is. Sorry...it is what it is. Fun map though.

Below is a screen shot of a textile run to Youngstown. Anyone still build and mod coaster3? I have several things going with that game as well. cool stuff...

[karsten]

Here is my "spiderweb of tracks" for Ohio ToyTrains. Once I had finished all the other goals, I decided I would not wait the next 90 years to see whether I made the net worth 1 billion.

Fine map, Lowell! Great to see the enhanced Holiday Special make its appearance.

[Burlington_Northern_3140]

The land on the map is in snow season, but I don't see snow in the trees... , this trees is for normal season, to make this map more reality could you change the trees with snow trees that is posibbility.

I added white to the Pine_02 .dds and got a reasonable snow affect. It needs to be renaimed if you use it in a map or it will overwrite the original pine_02.

[Rodea2007]

The land on the map is in snow season, but I don't see snow in the trees... , this trees is for normal season, to make this map more reality could you change the trees with snow trees that is posibbility.

I added white to the Pine_02 .dds and got a reasonable snow affect. It needs to be renaimed if you use it in a map or it will overwrite the original pine_02.

If you rename pine_02, you can't put that tree into game as cluter but only just as decoration. If did't rename this trees can be affect to all maps