Fancy Yourself a Tycoon? OpenTTD 1.4.0 On Its Way

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Fancy Yourself a Tycoon? OpenTTD 1.4.0 On Its Way

Posted by timothy on Sunday January 26, 2014 @03:21AM from the all-tunnels-clear-conditions-good dept.

phmadore writes "Version 1.4.0 (.TAR.GZ)of the most intellectually challenging OSS game out there (IMO), OpenTTD (Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe), is near at hand. Of course, most servers are still running 1.3.3 (the last stable, major version change, from November/December-ish). N-Ice.org typically waits until a stable release has been around for a minute to implement the changes into its online client (which is as yet unavailable as a binary for Linux; it varies only slightly from the official release and non-Windows users are able to interface with it no problem), but there are exciting developments coming down the pipe for OpenTTD. 'The new SSE blitters were also further improved. Not immediately noticeable but useful in the future, are the new string codes to display amounts of cargo in NewGRFs. For our Korean users, the separators in numbers were fixed.' Here is some information on the history of OTTD."

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It's OK, but... by jez9999 · 2014-01-26 03:28 · Score: 4, Informative

For me OpenTTD has lost a lot of the fun of the original TTD. The graphics and music are all replaced and I just prefer the original graphics and music. The signaling is now way more complex and while I'm sure that makes the train tracks much closer to real life, it makes it a lot harder to get into the game than the original by Chris Sawyer. I also think that unfortunately the development team have an extremely stubborn attitude to porting nice new features over to the main codebase. Last I checked, the copy/paste functionality wasn't ported in because "it's cheating". Sorry, no it isn't; it means you don't have to keep creating the same boring complex junctions over and over again.

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1. Re:It's OK, but... by drinkypoo · 2014-01-26 03:40 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  For me OpenTTD has lost a lot of the fun of the original TTD. The graphics and music are all replaced and I just prefer the original graphics and music.
  They're not "replaced", they're just not the same. If you own the original TTD, you can use its data files with OpenTTD. If not, you don't have the right to use those graphics anyway.
  
  --
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2. Re:It's OK, but... by phmadore · 2014-01-26 03:42 · Score: 2
  
  I don't like the train signals myself, but then I really prefer the road vehicles and I am pushing for a road-vehicles-only server on N-Ice.org.
3. Re:It's OK, but... by phmadore · 2014-01-26 03:43 · Score: 0
  
  Well, that would seem like cheating if you could do it in multiplayer. They should have the functionality but most major servers would disallow it.
4. Re:It's OK, but... by ifiwereasculptor · 2014-01-26 03:56 · Score: 2
  
  I prefer Simutrans. Passengers having specific destinations is essential to a transport game. It's what makes it interesting and challenging.
5. Re:It's OK, but... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 03:57 · Score: 1
  
  Download all the old MIDIs and enjoy the sweet, sweet grooves:
  http://www.transporttycoon.net/music?recording=1
6. Re:It's OK, but... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 04:35 · Score: 0
  
  This.
  Apparently there was some work to try and implement this in openttd but it never got anywhere.
7. Re:It's OK, but... by jones_supa · 2014-01-26 05:21 · Score: 2
  
  What can I add, really. Transport Tycoon (Deluxe) has some amazing MIDI jazz. A gem in the history of video game music.
8. Re:It's OK, but... by Konowl · 2014-01-26 09:17 · Score: 2
  
  The whole reason I stopped playing is because of a lack of copy and paste. There was an addon for it a while ago but it's not there anymore that I can see. I don't want to create the same station over and over again, and how on earth is it cheating to not want to?
9. Re:It's OK, but... by Hsien-Ko · 2014-01-26 10:39 · Score: 1
  
  Not much fun when i'm forced to hear it through Microsoft Synthesizer (22khz no reverb ew) instead of the default midi device of my choice (currently this sweet OPL3 emulating driver)
10. Re:It's OK, but... by Jorl17 · 2014-01-26 12:57 · Score: 1
  
  Except it did.
  
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11. Re:It's OK, but... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 22:01 · Score: 0
  
  Actually, the new "path" signals are easier than the classic "block" ones (that are still in the game): You plonk one down, and when a train approaches it will try to reserve the route it wants up to the next signal or station. When it can, the signal turns green - even if another train might have reserved other tracks that are behind the same signal. It means you can have e.g. a double track with a crossing point, (so ==x== ) and it'll be smart enough to let trains run on both tracks as long as they don't want to cross over.
  The other new type are the pre-signals, which are a tad more complicated: Imagine you have a multi-platform train station, and an entrance area where incoming trains can drive to whatever platform is free. If you use a normal signal outside the entrance area, it will show green even if all platforms are full - and a train might drive in and park in front of some random platform, blocking everything (even if other platforms free up).
  That kind of thing is what the pre-signals solve. There are basically two types; one "exit"-signal that acts like a normal one, and an "entry" one that only shows green if there's at least one green exit-signal behind it. For the station example above, you'd place one exit signal in front of each platform, and an entry signal in front of the entrance area. The trains will then wait nicely outside until there is a free platform.
  (There is also a combined entry/exit signal that you can use to chain them into more complicated structures - but you can ignore those.)
  Of course, the classic block signals ("green, unless there is a train between this signal and the next - all possible routes count") are still in the game; you're free to ignore all the others.
  It would be nice to have a good tutorial, though. I understand this because I've been eased into them during development; it would probably be a bit daunting as a new player. The openttd wiki is quite good, and has illustrated examples of e.g. what all the signals do and when you should consider using them - but that only helps if you know that it exists. ( http://wiki.openttd.org/Signals )
12. Re:It's OK, but... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 22:16 · Score: 0
  
  The signaling is now way more complex and while I'm sure that makes the train tracks much closer to real life, it makes it a lot harder to get into the game than the original by Chris Sawyer.
  The original Transport Tycoon was a horrible game. If you could set up one profitable run, you had infinite cash for the rest of the game. And the AI was so ridiculously awful you had to turn it off before it flattening a mountain or something.
  The only reason people had any fun with it was to build model train layouts, complete with freeway-style junctions and complex signaling. So it's no surprise that's what the TTD devs decided to focus on.
13. Re:It's OK, but... by Blaskowicz · 2014-01-27 10:22 · Score: 1
  
  Never played OpenTTD or TTD yet but this reminds me of the pains of playing doom 1 and 2 in linux. I can't get music, except with the braindead "freepats" midi, which is low quality, entirely Free and Open.. and isn't even complete enough to play doom music, no drums or almost no drums and some other instruments are lacking.
  So the only workaround I have for now is to run the original games in Dosbox, where I get 320x200 and some slowdowns, but at least the midi goes to a synthesizer with a huge soundfont.
  I'll maybe try DOS version of TTD to see what the fun is about, hoping the game does 640x480 at least.
14. Re:It's OK, but... by Hsien-Ko · 2014-01-27 12:17 · Score: 1
  
  If you wanted a native linux Doom with OPL midi without DOSBox, you could use Chocolate Doom... It's designed to be cruft-less.
Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 03:30 · Score: 0

1999 called. It wants its SimCity 3000 back.
Have you guys seen the 2013 version of SimCity?
1. Re:Dude. by phmadore · 2014-01-26 03:40 · Score: 1
  
  Is that OSS or free of charge?
2. Re:Dude. by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-01-26 03:53 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Is OSS gaming supposed to remain at 1999 levels?
3. Re:Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 03:58 · Score: 0
  
  1999 called. It wants its SimCity 3000 back.
  Have you guys seen the 2013 version of SimCity?
  2013 called and said to never mention it and SimCity in the same breath again.
4. Re:Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 03:59 · Score: 0
  
  Get your Sim Shitty out of my face, you insensitive clod!
5. Re:Dude. by Teancum · 2014-01-26 04:01 · Score: 1
  
  Are you talking about a game whose launch was so horrible that the CEO was fired by the board of directors?
  The graphics are cool in SC 2013, but as the pinnacle of modern sandbox games it is not. Perhaps the game you were thinking of is Minecraft?
6. Re:Dude. by phmadore · 2014-01-26 04:11 · Score: 1
  
  Graphics development is a lot of time and work. Paid positions doing it obviously produce better results.
7. Re:Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 05:00 · Score: 0
  
  Is that OSS or free of charge?
  I anticipated your post when I made mine.
  Let me ask you; why should we be willing to accept WOEFULLY inferior products that are 15 years behind the standard offerings of the day simply because they are open source? Is the purpose of OpenTTD to be a game, or is its purpose to be open source?
  'It sucks, but that's OK because it's open source.' - After using Linux as my daily driver for the past 14 years, this now ancient assertion/implication continues to make zero sense to me. It is an emotional response devoid of any logic.
  OpenTTD's latest impending release is 15 years behind the times. The fact that it is open source does not make that better or acceptable.The reliance on the open source excuse to justify the existence of OpenTTD makes the work in it an absurd and shameful waste of time and effort.
  'Yea but, it's open source.' - But, the source is uselessly outdated and has virtually no value to anyone!
8. Re:Dude. by Chemisor · 2014-01-26 05:32 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Dude, I wish OSS gaming would reach 1999 levels. It is more at 1988 levels.
9. Re:Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 05:43 · Score: 0
  
  Graphics-wise it's a matter of taste. As for gameplay complexity, it's actually the other way around, with proprietary games becoming more and more dumbed down. For instance, the original X-Com vs the 2012 version.
10. Re:Dude. by Stalks · 2014-01-26 05:44 · Score: 1
  
  I fail to see what it is about being Open Source has to do with anything. I think you just want to piss on open source, which is fine, but in this context it means nothing.
  This is a free port of a game originally made in 1999. It was built as a clone of that game. Do you expect just because time has passed that the game should be reimagined?
  The devs do this in their free time as a hobby. Being open source or not has no bearing on the points you are trying to make. Just because the game is old doesn't mean a dev shouldn't be able to release an update.
  As for accepting inferior products, go and check out Greenlight and how well some retro indie games are doing
  You have a warped taste for what is adequate. Perhaps you should go play some more CoD:Ghosts.
11. Re:Dude. by melikamp · 2014-01-26 06:50 · Score: 1
  
  Let me google it for you
12. Re:Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 06:53 · Score: 0
  
  Fact of the matter it does not suck. There are plenty of us who love the game because we find it intellectually challenging. For the intellectually lazy, I can see why this might not be appealing.
13. Re:Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 06:56 · Score: 0
  
  Ok with me - 88 was a good c64 year. The graphics was simple and the games were fun. Fantastic graphics is not that important - for anything but sales. It is not so important for the gamers. Good gameplay is - but it tend to suffer when graphics gets so complex that it gets expensive. Is there any modern game with a gamplay as complex as nethack? (Only text "graphics" - but incredibly complex...)
14. Re:Dude. by Kjella · 2014-01-26 07:16 · Score: 1
  
  Graphics-wise it's a matter of taste. As for gameplay complexity, it's actually the other way around, with proprietary games becoming more and more dumbed down. For instance, the original X-Com vs the 2012 version.
  Having played both, I very much enjoyed the new version. The old version had some really annoying unit inventory management and building multiple bases that constantly needed defending lead to very many "preserve the status quo by saving the base" missions. Once in the Enemy Inside expansion was enough, the AI is just not good enough that defending is fun - they just throw massive waves at you to make it difficult. The only real downside I find is that despite all the fuss about SHIVs and MECs, upgrades helps one crew member while regular upgrades improves four-six and with tactical rigging a soldier in titan armor + chitin plating + scope is almost as armored as a MEC and a far better shooter. But getting way off-topic...
  
  --
  Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
15. Re: Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 07:42 · Score: 0
  
  Dwarf Fortress.
16. Re:Dude. by jones_supa · 2014-01-26 07:59 · Score: 1
  
  Dude, I wish OSS gaming would reach 1999 levels. It is more at 1988 levels.
  Shouldn't the word "1999" be italics in your post instead of the word "reach"? Just sayin'.
17. Re: Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 09:32 · Score: 0
  
  can't really remember the old xcom, but having played the new one recently - graphic wise it's pretty stupid as well - there are a lot of shiny effects, but the whole UI, character models, animation is actually pretty bad and has a lot of glitches/design faults. a shiny graphic engine and lots of polygons, particle effects, light effects, etc. doesn't mean good graphics.
  although not a graphical effect, the voice acting is horrid as well - this was actually the first game since some cheap 1990ies "me to" voice over where i wished they'd gone for written text only instead.
18. Re:Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 14:03 · Score: 0
  
  Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is an awesome roguelike post-apocalyptic game. Feature the way-cool hack of drivable multi-tile vehicles. Run monsters over in your Mad Max tank-mobile!
19. Re:Dude. by wonkey_monkey · 2014-01-26 20:26 · Score: 1
  
  Nope. He's replacing the word "remain" from the quoted post.
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
20. Re:Dude. by jones_supa · 2014-01-26 23:45 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, yes!
21. Re:Dude. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-27 11:13 · Score: 0
  
  No, and a pox upon you for encouraging that despicable behavior of italicizing the wrong part of a phrase.
What would Chris Sawyer think? by Skinkie · 2014-01-26 03:31 · Score: 4, Interesting

I am really interested what Chris Sawyers opinion is on these improvements on his original brainchild. Would give a great tech documentary on (open)TTD.

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Support Eachother, Copy Dutch Property!
1. Re:What would Chris Sawyer think? by phmadore · 2014-01-26 03:41 · Score: 2
  
  That would be awesome. Owen Rudge should interview him about it.
2. Re:What would Chris Sawyer think? by MightyYar · 2014-01-26 03:49 · Score: 1
  
  IIRC, it pisses him off. I think he has an artistic view of the original game, and he views the modified version as a (negative) alteration of his creative vision. I think he said it messed up the simplicity of the original, but I might be putting words in his mouth. :)
  
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3. Re:What would Chris Sawyer think? by phmadore · 2014-01-26 04:27 · Score: 1
  
  That's too bad. Doesn't make me feel guilty for loving this game, though.
4. Re:What would Chris Sawyer think? by Nemyst · 2014-01-26 04:27 · Score: 2
  
  Considering his spiritual successor, Chris Sawyer's Locomotion, went in a rather baffling direction, I'd say he probably isn't on the same page as the OpenTTD devs.
5. Re:What would Chris Sawyer think? by mraeormg · 2014-01-26 09:47 · Score: 1
  
  He had said he doesn't like clones of his work.
One of OpenTTD 1.4.0 new features is CargoDist by paskie · 2014-01-26 04:15 · Score: 5, Informative

*The* big new feature of OpenTTD 1.4.0 is CargoDist, i.e. exactly that - passengers and cargo having specific destinations.
If only the summary wouldn't be just a jumbled tangle of text... :-(

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1. Re:One of OpenTTD 1.4.0 new features is CargoDist by Kjella · 2014-01-26 07:41 · Score: 1
  
  I totally understand passengers having specific destinations, but cargo? Does the lumber care what sawmill it goes to? I guess it does make sense if you're pretending to be Amazon delivering specific packages to specific customers, but for bulk cargo as I seem to remember TTD being mostly about it doesn't seem to make much sense.
  
  --
  Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
2. Re:One of OpenTTD 1.4.0 new features is CargoDist by paskie · 2014-01-26 08:16 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  It makes total sense for me, if you realize that your job is to be just a transport company, not a redistribution company.
  Up to now (and of course you can still stay in that mode in the new version), you would just take the lumber from a forest and deliver to whatever sawmill. But in reality, you should deliver it to whatever sawmill the forest has contract with! I.e., sawmills will make contracts with forests and use you just as a transport company - then your job is to get the cargo from the correct forest to the correct sawmill.
  (An important playability factor is that only reachable destinations are considered. So if you just created a dedicated line between two industries, you will not be asked to transport the cargo elsewhere.)
  (N.B. I didn't try the cargodist mode yet so I'm not 100% sure if it works the way I'd suppose it works. I'd also expect it to allow you to enable it just for passenger+mail, as these are really special cases compared to other cargo.)
  
  --
  It's not the fall that kills you. It's the sudden stop at the end. -Douglas Adams
3. Re:One of OpenTTD 1.4.0 new features is CargoDist by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 11:50 · Score: 1
  
  This is a simulation and, as in RL, cargo as such does not care but those who sent it and those who paid for it do care. So if sawmill A paid forrest X for 400 tons lumber then the sawmill very much wants to get those 400 tons of lumber.
4. Re:One of OpenTTD 1.4.0 new features is CargoDist by phmadore · 2014-01-26 13:58 · Score: 1
  
  First, thanks @paskie for mentioning this. I had read about that awhile back, but forgot it. I just copied/pasted something from the announcement which would pique people's interest. I should have mentioned it.
  
  Second, I totally think this is going to bring a new fairness to multiplayer games. At present, one of the most annoying and quick strategies to dominate a game is to just build a train line from one end of the map to the other. With CargoDist, they're going to have to have a need for going across the map. I also think it will increase overall utilization of road vehicles, which is important to me.
  
  At present, few players utilize the subsidies. I think with CargoDist being the rule of the day, many people will be forced to in order to make up for shortfalls caused by no longer being able to just build super-long train lines.
  
  Just my thoughts.
5. Re:One of OpenTTD 1.4.0 new features is CargoDist by phmadore · 2014-01-26 14:00 · Score: 1
  
  This is a simulation and, as in RL, cargo as such does not care but those who sent it and those who paid for it do care. So if sawmill A paid forrest X for 400 tons lumber then the sawmill very much wants to get those 400 tons of lumber.
  And then there can also be points based on efficiency and timeliness of delivery and so forth. It will be awesome.
6. Re:One of OpenTTD 1.4.0 new features is CargoDist by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-27 09:09 · Score: 1
  
  SimuTrans has had this for quite a while already. A great reinterpretation of Transport Tycoon.
OK... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 04:19 · Score: 0

Had to click through to find out WTF OSS OTTD with SSE blitters and NewGRFs was. Maybe a single-sentence description of the actual game in the story would be useful.
1. Re:OK... by phmadore · 2014-01-26 04:24 · Score: 1
  
  My apologies.
2. Re:OK... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 04:43 · Score: 0
  
  At least you are here to comment on the story that you submitted.
  That isn't true for about 90% of Slashdot submissions.
3. Re:OK... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 05:33 · Score: 0
  
  From the summary: "OSS game out there (IMO), OpenTTD (Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe)"
  
  That seems clear to me: it is a game in which you own a transport company.
  If you have no clue what OSS is, you don't belong on Slashdot.
4. Re:OK... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 05:54 · Score: 0
  
  Seems rather redundant considering it has 'Open' in the name already.
Steamer World by phmadore · 2014-01-26 04:25 · Score: 1

n-ice.org server #9 is fun. The goal is reasonable, 35 million. The game starts in the 30s, so it's harder for anyone to get a crazy advantage on you. Just saying, if anyone wanted to try it online for the first time, there's 4 on this server at present.
What the hell is this? by DNS-and-BIND · 2014-01-26 04:27 · Score: 4, Insightful

What is going on in the summary for this article? What is OTTD? Want to tell the rest of us? Why does it immediately start talking about "most servers", as if I should know what those are? What the fuck is an SSE blitter? NewGRFs? Gosh, I'm so glad to know that Korean number separators were fixed. I can sleep well tonight knowing that.
No, don't waste your time explaining. I spent too much time on this already. The whole thing is written like it's by insiders for insiders. But then again insiders already know about this and don't need an announcement on Slashdot.

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1. Re:What the hell is this? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 06:55 · Score: 0
  
  In such a wealth of information, why is this fucker so poor?
2. Re:What the hell is this? by aliquis · 2014-01-26 11:16 · Score: 1
  
  It's better than a 30 year old video showing of the first Macintosh.
  I've seen that before.
  Also it used to be news for nerds. So I guess it's not that weird.
  There once was a train game called Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
  Since I've had an Amiga I know that a blitter is used to move (or modify) part of the memory. Since I'm old and nerdy enough I know that SSE is additional instructions for x86 processors. Hence I would assume it have some improvements in copying or modifying memory fast. But I don't know for sure.
  NewGRF? No clue. Let me google it for you:
  New Graphics Resource File
  Basicly it let you modify the graphics in the game.
  I guess OTTD may have some news worth because it was one of those real games for Linux before Steam made their announcement. Also likely less than an hour before this was announced I read about the game in a thread about micro-managing train rails on a boardgame over at BoardGame Geek.
3. Re: What the hell is this? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 15:13 · Score: 0
  
  People who don't know what sse blitters are don't really belong on slashdot.
4. Re: What the hell is this? by phmadore · 2014-01-26 17:18 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know that they should know, but they could at least be willing to find out before bitching about it?
Also on Android by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 04:34 · Score: 0

Har a ton of fun playing this on my Android Note 8. The CPU is a bit on the slow side, which is odd as I played the original on a P60, but by using the stylus the game is perfectly playable. Just remember to turn "auto renewal" in the advanced options, as having to manually renew is not fun.
I also downloaded a pack with trains from 1850+. Old steam trains are awesome. The only drawback was the AI crashing, but the game didn't stop running for that reason.
Trash by ledow · 2014-01-26 04:38 · Score: 0, Troll

Much as I love OpenTTD (and the original DOS version of TTD itself), hell, I've even got code inside it somewhere (nothing important), I don't see it as front-page news to have another version of it come out. Specially seeing as nothing "spectacular" is new in it.
Sorry, Slashdot, this is just trash... from someone who plays the game, loves the game, runs servers for the game, has code in the game, and played the original game.
1. Re:Trash by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 04:41 · Score: 1
  
  Seems someone says this about every single post that comes up.
2. Re: Trash by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 04:49 · Score: 1
  
  And someone points out that someone says that in every article. Which makes your comment just as worthless
3. Re:Trash by ledow · 2014-01-26 04:55 · Score: 1
  
  When the next story is "Irfanview new version available", then you can tolerate it and I'll be gone.
4. Re:Trash by Rich0 · 2014-01-26 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  Yup - right up there with Linux Distro with Quarterly Releases Does Another Quarterly Release! But, we seem to have no end of those...
5. Re:Trash by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 07:05 · Score: 0
  
  If you love it so much, why do you have a problem with it getting promoted? Why is there no mention of it on your website? There's some other computer game, but not OpenTTD. If you click on the #openttd tag, this is the only post, apparently ever, about the game. But this is a community of developers and OSS-friendly people, so you would think that this would be a good thing, not "trash." You would think that you would not be such a fucking hater! Are you mad because a small community might be attracting people like me who will try to promote it so as to widen it (and, by nature, potentially expand development?) Also which servers do you run, any of the big ones? I don't see what your comment here did to help the game. -phmadore
6. Re:Trash by radarskiy · 2014-01-26 07:49 · Score: 1
  
  This isn't even an announcement that a new version has come out... it is a pre-announcement that a new version is expected to come out at some point in the future.
7. Re:Trash by ledow · 2014-01-26 07:59 · Score: 1
  
  If you don't understand the words "Wrong Venue", then I can't help you more than that.
  Slashdot isn't a place to announce every piece of software that pseudo-releases a pseudo-new version. Certainly not some niche re-make of an old, niche game. And certainly not without some real "news" to it. If this new version was a complete 3D remake, had caused controversy, forked the code, split the team, and we have links to all that... it would JUST about qualify for it.
  And, as it happens, I moved on from OpenTTD because the code-base stagnated. This version doesn't add much new either. I'm quite happy with my pre-1.3 version before the focus became minor tweaks in the handling of NewGRF's (hacked versions of the game graphics/data of the old DOS game that eventually standardised to become a plug-in architecture to extend the game).
  There's fans of TTD and there's some seriously disturbed people who build Turing-capable machines using logic circuits build using trains arriving at stations. I'm the former, not the latter.
  And my name is on OpenTTD's bugspray, a quick relevant Google finds a very old Wiki page for me on there, and a link to some of my early patches / saves / bug reports. That's just the first two links.
  1.4 is non-news.
  1.4 being not-released is non-news.
  A new-news un-release of a non-news release of a niche game that I enjoy, is not "news for nerds".
8. Re:Trash by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 08:50 · Score: 0
  
  Leave it to Slashdot to determine what this venue is for. Your arrogance is anything but surprising.
  
  There's fans of TTD and there's some seriously disturbed people who build Turing-capable machines using logic circuits build using trains arriving at stations.
  
  What the hell does this even mean? Just curious. Even supposing you mis-spelled "built" in the latter half of the sentence, I'm confused as to what your gripe is.
  
  Basically what we have here is an admission that you no longer support the development of OpenTTD, but in your initial, whiny comment, you claimed to love the game, host servers for it, etc. Only now, when your loyalty is questioned, do you admit the truth: you are bitter toward other developers and you "moved on" because they either weren't developing it the way YOU wanted to see it developed or they weren't developing it fast enough for YOU. It's all about YOU.
  
  The one thing I left out of the post was about CargoDist, and I owe the commenter who mentioned it thanks on that. That is going to change the way the game works for sure.
  
  I'm sorry you are no longer excited about OpenTTD. But that is your problem. This comment reveals the true reason you posted your negativity, and that's all I was aiming to do by thrashing you.
  
  So have a nice day. I assure you we'll be find some inferior way to get on without your vast contributions of time, energy, money, and code.
How about Open Source Tycoon? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 04:44 · Score: 1

You play the role of a billionaire trying to monetize your own linux distro. You must plan for and defend against attacks by open source zealots and patent trolls.
1. Re: How about Open Source Tycoon? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 04:52 · Score: 0
  
  Don't forget about defending your distro against RMS...
2. Re:How about Open Source Tycoon? by jones_supa · 2014-01-26 05:34 · Score: 2
  
  Linux Tycoon
Why isn't at least the code free? by tepples · 2014-01-26 04:59 · Score: 1

If graphics development is so much more time-consuming and much less amenable to a free software or open source approach than code development, then why aren't more major-label video games distributed with the code under a free software license and everything but the code under all rights reserved?
1. Re:Why isn't at least the code free? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 06:02 · Score: 0
  
  This is just a guess, but perhaps graphic artists are paid very little relative to software developers, such that most cannot spare the same level of output for ideals. On the business scale, there's no corresponding model where art is given away but can still be monetized via support contracts.
2. Re:Why isn't at least the code free? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 06:05 · Score: 0
  
  That wasn't an answer to your question, though--You're asking why more businesses don't give stuff away? That does not jive with capitalism...
More costs by CodeHog · 2014-01-26 05:57 · Score: 1

It will cost more to separate parts of the game under different licenses. Lawyers would be involved to ensure everything is clear.

--
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
Coopetition by tepples · 2014-01-26 06:40 · Score: 1

Companies pooling their resources to create a shared free engine from which they can all benefit is free-market coopetition.
1. Re:Coopetition by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 09:05 · Score: 0
  
  Doesn't mean they will release the engine's source to the public (or companies they don't want to benefit from it); they can simply share it among themselves under NDA! ;)
Your Comprehension Sucks by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 07:07 · Score: 0

Your reading comprehension sucks, rendering your entire argument, well, asinine. Re-read the post to which I was replying. It was he that asserted that the better products, such as SimCity 2013, didn't count because they were not open source software(OSS), like OpenTDD.
My post, which you seem to have misunderstood was pointing out the fact that simply being open source does not make an inferior product better or on par. Open source-ness is simply not a quality factor. However, it is consistently relied upon as an excuse for justifying poor/inferior quality!
OpenTDD is a poor copy of an old game that fans are still developing, hence this imminent release. But, very similar games, from which OpenTTD "borrows" ideas, that were in development at around the same time or later than OpenTTD have BLOWN past it in the past 15 years.
OpenTTD is a thoroughly outdated game, which is in no small part why it has such a miniscule following of players. They are about to release a new version that is barely on par with what SimCity 3000 offered in 1999. @phmadore is asserting that today's games, despite being VASTLY superior to OpenTTD, don't count simply because they are not open source or have a cost associated with them.
My assertion remains; simply being open source is not an acceptable excuse for substandard software. Own it.
1. Re:Your Comprehension Sucks by Stalks · 2014-01-26 07:23 · Score: 0
  
  You just suck. In general.
  Nothing you have said yes has any correlation to a short coming of OSS.
  You also contradict yourself. "Open source-ness is simply not a quality factor" .. there we go! It has no meaning of quality whatsoever. It is a software engineering description that doesn't mean a thing. You have warped it into some sort of argument that does not exist.
  Congrats, you entirely miss the point of this hobby project. Care to embarrass yourself further?
2. Re: Your Comprehension Sucks by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-27 19:59 · Score: 0
  
  Can you Plesse show me a transport simulation that clearly BLOWS openttd? Locomotion? Mobile ttd? Those are worse than the original ttd. Simutrans has some points going for it but doesn't scale to large transport networks nearly as nicely as openttd.
the noai really kills the game by default+luser · 2014-01-26 07:37 · Score: 1

The decision long ago to not support a default ai means you are at the mercy of the community. This means that each ai available (you have to download them sight-unseen if you want to play single player) ranges in quality from crap to passable. Each one was lovely crafted until their creator got bored, so you can imagine that many of them don't support later added features like load/save, which are essential to long-running games.
The ais are also typically balanced to blow you out of the water in temperate medium difficulty but then fall when you go north/south and up the difficulty. For years NoCAB has been the ONLY ai to even come close in exotic locals, and development on that beauty has been dead since 2009.
Every year I download and try out.the latest ai versions and am disappointed. Then I play a round with NoCAB for old times sake and forget about it for another year.

--
Man is the animal that laughs.
And occasionally whores for Karma.
1. Re:the noai really kills the game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 07:43 · Score: 0
  
  But these days there are things called "other people" who are usually even harder to beat than the AI.
  
  The best AI I have tried is called AIAI.
Artists should support free speech by jbn-o · 2014-01-26 09:25 · Score: 1

Artists should support free speech even when its their speech that is being commented upon.
I don't know what Sawyer makes of OpenTTD and I see no pointer to a source for the parent's recollection. As I understand it, OpenTTD is currently licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2. I'll also take OpenTTD's developers word for it that their work is a newly-written program (the fruit of a 2003 reverse engineering effort by Ludvig Strigeus, according to Wikipedia), not an illicit derivative of code from Sawyer.
Given those assumptions, OpenTTD is not a version of the program Sawyer wrote. OpenTTD is a separate program that does the same job with no shared code between them. Sawyer's TTD can be said to inspire OpenTTD but I don't see how inspiration qualifies as a derivative work. Creating a work-alike in no way alters the other program(s) that do the same thing. So it's not clear to me what an "artistic view" of the original program really means. I hope this language is not an attempt at giving or claiming unwarranted control over workalike programs.
I certainly hope the parent's recollection is inaccurate and more artists welcome comments on their work, as well as respecting the user's freedom to run, inspect, share, and modify the program.

--
Digital Citizen
1. Re:Artists should support free speech by MightyYar · 2014-01-26 10:37 · Score: 1
  
  If you poke around in the OpenTTD forums you will see where one or two of the developers apparently reached out to Sawyer through his publicist and were told that he was not happy with their project. It's not from a public source like an interview or anything like that.
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
2. Re:Artists should support free speech by jareth-0205 · 2014-01-27 01:06 · Score: 2
  
  Artists should support free speech even when its their speech that is being commented upon.
  That's not really how art or artists work... Good art is nearly always the product of a strict hierarchical or one-man's-vision approach to a creation. And OpenTTD is a bit more than just 'inspiration' isn't it... the interface and graphics and copied *exactly*, with extra features. It might be entirely legal, but we're not jumping off from inspiration to new game, we're copying the first game and extending it.
  Also, it's not a matter of free-speech, he's not tried to shut the project down, he just doesn't like it. That is entirely his prerogative.
3. Re:Artists should support free speech by jbn-o · 2014-01-30 11:44 · Score: 1
  
  "Good art" strikes me both a non-sequitur here and remarkably subjective. I certainly would never disqualify folk art from being "good" because folk art is highly derivative of others work.
  Copying things exactly in this context is a side-effect of using a medium (computer graphics) in which visual items can be duplicated precisely. If one is uncomfortable with that fact, one should consider choosing another medium. This also doesn't help identify the meaning of what I asked about earlier. I also fail to see what would be objectionable about OpenTTD's precise replication and capability extension.
  
  --
  Digital Citizen
Fullscreen doesn't work in latest OSX by mraeormg · 2014-01-26 09:41 · Score: 1

Fullscreen mode doesn't work in latest OSX Mavericks 10.9 because ottd developers cannot be bothered to use non-deprecated APIs. They had had 3 years to make this migration. This is especially broken on rMBP.
1. Re:Fullscreen doesn't work in latest OSX by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 13:07 · Score: 0
  
  Typical Apple user.
2. Re:Fullscreen doesn't work in latest OSX by phmadore · 2014-01-26 14:03 · Score: 1
  
  They're people too.
  
  @mraeormg I use it in Ubuntu and I've never had a need for full-screen mode. But anyway, have you submitted a bug report?
3. Re:Fullscreen doesn't work in latest OSX by Xtifr · 2014-01-26 16:50 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  They've also had an announcement on the front page of their website for at least a year asking for help with the Mac port. If they don't own Macs and aren't familiar with the platform, and can't test, I don't know how you think they can magically fix these things.
  This is open source, not charity.
4. Re:Fullscreen doesn't work in latest OSX by Xtifr · 2014-01-26 16:57 · Score: 2
  
  If you look on http://www.openttd.org/en/abou... you'll see the list of supported platforms:
  * *BSD, especially FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD
  * Linux
  * Solaris
  * Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP/Vista/7
  Notice what's missing from that list? You should be glad it works at all!
5. Re:Fullscreen doesn't work in latest OSX by phmadore · 2014-01-26 17:17 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, but people compile binaries for Mac often. Perhaps a rich Mac user (aren't they all rich?) could donate some late-model Macs which will handle the next few releases of OSX in order to debug on them?
6. Re:Fullscreen doesn't work in latest OSX by Jorl17 · 2014-01-26 17:33 · Score: 1
  
  Already upgraded to Mavericks? I'm still waiting some months before all the fucktards finish complaining about what does and does not work.
  
  --
  Have you heard about SoylentNews?
7. Re:Fullscreen doesn't work in latest OSX by Xtifr · 2014-01-28 10:37 · Score: 1
  
  That assumes that the devs have the time and interest to learn the ins and outs of a whole new platform. For software developers, free time is often a more precious commodity than cash. But yes, it would certainly be more productive than whining on a random internet forum.
Why advertise a RC by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-26 15:29 · Score: 0

why post this up before the actual stable is released.
something smells wrong here.
1. Re:Why advertise a RC by phmadore · 2014-01-26 17:14 · Score: 1
  
  The population of coders who might be able to help before the next major stable release who'd be interested to see where it is headed since 1.4 is set to be a big change with CargoDist?
Is it hard now? by Daniel+Hoffmann · 2014-01-26 23:13 · Score: 1

I used to play a lot of TTD and OTTD, but it is way too easy to gain money. There is almost no challenge to be had and once you master signaling the profit margins are ridiculous that you will find hard to be actually out of money to build new stuff.
1. Re:Is it hard now? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-27 00:18 · Score: 0
  
  You make the game as hard or easy as you like, it is a sandbox game after all.
  I have a game in which I run about 2000 trains plus a lot of secondary methods of transport. Massive metropolis area's are connected by seperators that fill up the screen.
  Money? Yeah I have tons of it, I cannot outspend my income stream, does it matter? No, a game of that size throws up challenges all on it own.
Most intellectually challenging OSS game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-01-27 14:01 · Score: 0

What happened to chess?