SAMs, their history, description & how to use them.
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:47 pm
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!
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!