I think the idea of "self contained" maps has been around for quite some time. I made my file set off of many older maps that were already in the forum. Utah and several others can be played as self contained maps right now (old version) and run fast and crash free. Many people have been saying the game has just eaten too much and needs a diet. Self contained maps allows map makers to make new game content and even larger game maps...and still let the game run faster/better. Karsten and several others can speak of the discovery process while beta testing several maps. So actually many were involved in the file construction...if it weren't for Dwax playing the map in TrainTable mode...and finding that self contained maps need a global rrt trains file for train table mode to work. So many factors went into this new "CIC" method. But mostly allot of guess work and crashes till it came out right...many crashes as a matter of fact
, but I got over it and learned much. Now every map is made this way and it works 100% every time. I did not make up the term CIC either. The thought was this map style has no FPKs and cannot, all content must be placed inside the maps files uncompressed in a folder called Assets. So, CIC maps have a set of rules, mostly being the biggie of totally crash free as well. Snoopy deserves much credit for all the hard work and great ideas he has had for this forum and game...so I am sure I speak for everyone in saying
Thank You very much for all you have done. Of course everyone appreciates everything you and others have done, the building blocks and your devotion to many projects and improvements are to be commended.
So CobraDriver weather it is a SAM or CIC map, they require that clean Sid's RailRoads! game folder. It is easy to rename the folder as snoopy has posted and I also have it written out on the main page on this maps thread. It is easy to switch back and forth between the clean RailRoads! folder and say a RailRoads! folder with smri and all your older maps. You can still have both, just remember the folder that has the Sid's RailRoads! name is the one the game will load from. As more of the SAM and CIC maps come out, you will have a place where you can place them and fire them up. No installers are needed for this map...just drop and play. Make sure you remove any FPKs you might have from say a SAM map out of custom assets...the game must be empty of extra content first. That's why in CIC maps, the assets for any map and all it's files, have to be "inside" the single map folder...nothing loose to forget about or loose later.
Now back to the program and getting back on track with what we are working on...
I like the CSX/B&O gp38, do you have any others we could throw in? Is there anything else this map needs while we are going to update the thing? I removed the elves from boosting in-city goods production...it was dumb and didn't work right. People still are needed for the lumber and coal mining. Visitors still shop and spend gold. Is the map missing anything?
I like lots of engines. 