A brief history of the different map types leading up to SAMs.
Long ago when Sid Meier's Railroads! first came about, you only had 15 maps to play. While these were enjoyable, they soon lost interest. On October 26, 2006, Earthworm posted the first map, an editing of Rivers' Run called 4 Rivers Conversion. On October 28. 2006, d53642 posted the first self-designed map, Florida. When the Editor was added to the game we really started to see maps come about. It became even more interesting when the first actual Mods came about.
As a few more came into being, it was found that maps with Mods tended to interfere with one another. The idea for what became to be known as GLOBALS was developed and Mods started growing out of the walls! GLOBALS are a copy of the XML files Firaxis uses to store all of the data for the different maps. By putting these in CustomAssets/XML we are able to add to them and with simple 3 line entries in the maps XMLs we can pick and choose what we want to use in our maps as they are written. One drawback for many people was that you had to copy and paste lines into the GLOBALS. There were a lot of uploads of the various GLOBAL XML files.
On February 28, 2007, Atani posted the announcement of a new tool dubbed 'Installer' which, with a simple click, installed the map and all the needed content. Oh the ease!
With more and more new Mods being developed, the amount of information loaded into computers started to overwhelm them, and more crashes began to appear. In October of 2007, Tijer and I got to talking and started to develop a new way to set maps up where they would need, for most systems, no information outside of the UserMaps folder. As they needed no outside files for Mods, we called them Stand Alone Maps, hence the name SAM. The only requirements are that the Goods be fully listed and in a file called RRT_Goods.xml, Mods be fully listed and any edited lines in original items be listed. In order to re-write the old maps we needed to gather up the different Mods at which time we created Building Blocks, which are posted for map makers to use in their own maps. These BBs consist of the XML code and all needed files to use it in a map. Jancsika joined us to test the BBs, and Pete and vzbob later joined in to test the SAMs. 'STEP Inc.' was born.
So, there you have the three styles of maps now in use. The original map on the first post of each thread 'should' work, along with the Installer. I had asked Tazz to put the Installer on the first post since it may be buried anywhere in the maps thread. Tazz started attaching a notice at the end of the thread that the SAM was posted on the first post to bring the map to the beginning of the map list, thus bringing it to the attention of the forum users that it was done. The SAM downloads may consist of more than one download because of size, in which case they will be numbered 1 thru whatever. If the top SAM does not have a number 1, there are no other zips needed. Also, because of size, the zips may contain a 7z type zip file in them. This type has a higher compression ratio. Unfortunately the server does not support them so they have to be put into a zip. The 7z program is free and available at: http://www.7-zip.org/ .
The following is the instructions for their use.
1) Rename the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder you presently have, adding an ending to it, whatever you want. Or you may choose to just delete it, the choice is yours. Before you do tho, copy the 'Settings.ini' file to another location.
2) Start the game. When it gets to the main menu, exit.
3) Move the 'Settings.ini' file you copied, or go into the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder you renamed and copy the 'Settings.ini' file, into the newly created Sid Meier's Railroads! folder. You now have the basis for all future SAM.
4) Open the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder, then open the UserMaps folder.
5) Open the Zip file of the map you wish to play and extract the map folder and any FPK files, if present, to the UserMaps folder.
6) Close all folders and play the map.
To play a different map:
1) Open the Sid Meier's Railroads! folder, then open the UserMaps folder.
2) Delete any folders and files contained there.
3) Open the Zip file of the map you wish to play and extract the map folder and any FPK files, if present, to the UserMaps folder.
4) Close all folders and play the map.
Now, some of you may feel that the FPK folders have to be in CustomAssets. That's fine with us, do it as you wish. You need to remember to delete those FPKs from there when you change maps. For the most part, leaving them there should not create a problem, but then we have no intention of sticking every FPK file into CustomAssets and testing it. Do it as per the above instructions and you should have no problems.
A note here.... some peoples systems will work only if the FPK folders are in the CustomAssets folder. This happened with one map for one of my testers, but the same map ran fine completely in UserMaps for the other three of us. If anyone can find a tested reason why, please pass it on to us.
Keep the Zip files where ever you like. Tijer suggested they be kept in the UserMaps, which will work as the game cannot read Zip files. They could also be burned to a CD or DVD which makes it handy for storage. Each to his own.
We hope you enjoy playing these maps.
Just a note here for the new year: Over on Bobby's forum, http://www.sidmeiersrailroads.net/portal.php you will find all the maps and the BBs, along with Construction Kits for skinning your own Train Cars and Engines, along with all the SAM and SAM2s with no FPKs used in them. All are fully tested and ready to play.
Enjoy!
SAMs, their history, description & how to use them.
SAMs, their history, description & how to use them.
Last edited by snoopy55 on Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:26 pm, edited 5 times in total.
I'm correct 97% of the time..... who cares about the other 4%....
I never delete any map, I just move the good ones to a backup folder where they wait to be copied back to the UserMaps folder and replayed later. I also keep a few screenshots, so I remember instantly what the map was like, what my highscore was etc. (The less interesting maps go to the boring maps backup folder ... 
)
Ideally, a new map includes only those items from non-SMR fpk files that are actually used in the new map, crediting the originator (assuming the creator is generous enough to share, but I have found everyone on this board more than willing to share). As Snoopy correctly points out, all these assets can be included in the single folder that goes into the UserMaps directory.
As far as I can see, that makes for lean and mean scenarios that minimize the memory requirement and load on every machine, not only on those that happen to have the same configuration of maps/globals etc as the map maker himself.
Utah, by Universum, is a best practice example of this approach.
)Ideally, a new map includes only those items from non-SMR fpk files that are actually used in the new map, crediting the originator (assuming the creator is generous enough to share, but I have found everyone on this board more than willing to share). As Snoopy correctly points out, all these assets can be included in the single folder that goes into the UserMaps directory.
As far as I can see, that makes for lean and mean scenarios that minimize the memory requirement and load on every machine, not only on those that happen to have the same configuration of maps/globals etc as the map maker himself.Utah, by Universum, is a best practice example of this approach.
Re: SAMs and CICs, their history, description & how to use them.
The success of the SAM files is and was, that they managed to have a strict file structure. One does not have to worry about filenames, file contents, where to put the XML files, etc.
By studying the few CIC files we have, this is not the case. Some files wind up in the CustomAssets folder, even thou they work in the UserMaps folder too.
(I wonder why Firaxis made this structure?) In reverse the files from the UserMaps folder can be placed in the CustomAssets folder without much trouble.
This naturally is causing some confusion, that's why Rodea used installer, which by the way is working just fine.
But if we limit all the files to the UserMaps folder, we will not need an installer, a simple Unzip command will place all the files in the right place. The use of installer, while it's handy is discouraging some less talented folks (like myself).
I took the files from the CustomAssets folder and placed in the UserMaps and it still worked.
Now about the GLOBAL and LOCAL ( I call them local, it is easier to remember) file structure. Right now let's talk about Depots, Goods, Industries and TrainCars. These are the 4 most important to the game.
My understanding was that the GLOBAL files to have all the detailed data, (this includes the new custom items),the Event Codes and any other instructions that applies to all the rest of the file contents.
The LOCAL files to be a One line reference to the items in the Global file. The exception is the RRT_Depots_Mapname.XML, where the full listing of the Terminal, Station and Depot needed. The Annexes are again One liners.
The reason I bring this up, that is have seen sometimes full listing of the same items in both the Global and Local files. Is this necessary?
The Cities and Names are also LOCAL,
While the Trains, Bridges are basic Firaxis files and they will be referred to only in the RRT_Scenario_User_Mapname.XML file. Of course if we customize them, than it will need GLOBAL and LOCAL files.
Jancsika
By studying the few CIC files we have, this is not the case. Some files wind up in the CustomAssets folder, even thou they work in the UserMaps folder too.
(I wonder why Firaxis made this structure?) In reverse the files from the UserMaps folder can be placed in the CustomAssets folder without much trouble.
This naturally is causing some confusion, that's why Rodea used installer, which by the way is working just fine.
But if we limit all the files to the UserMaps folder, we will not need an installer, a simple Unzip command will place all the files in the right place. The use of installer, while it's handy is discouraging some less talented folks (like myself).
I took the files from the CustomAssets folder and placed in the UserMaps and it still worked.
Now about the GLOBAL and LOCAL ( I call them local, it is easier to remember) file structure. Right now let's talk about Depots, Goods, Industries and TrainCars. These are the 4 most important to the game.
My understanding was that the GLOBAL files to have all the detailed data, (this includes the new custom items),the Event Codes and any other instructions that applies to all the rest of the file contents.
The LOCAL files to be a One line reference to the items in the Global file. The exception is the RRT_Depots_Mapname.XML, where the full listing of the Terminal, Station and Depot needed. The Annexes are again One liners.
The reason I bring this up, that is have seen sometimes full listing of the same items in both the Global and Local files. Is this necessary?
The Cities and Names are also LOCAL,
While the Trains, Bridges are basic Firaxis files and they will be referred to only in the RRT_Scenario_User_Mapname.XML file. Of course if we customize them, than it will need GLOBAL and LOCAL files.
Jancsika