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OpenTTD

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OpenTTD
Developer(s)OpenTTD Developers
Publisher(s)N/A
Platform(s)Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, others
ReleaseAugust 2, 2008
Genre(s)Business simulation game
Mode(s)Singleplayer, Multiplayer
OpenTTD with the Deutsche Bahn trainset.

OpenTTD is an open source game engine for the Chris Sawyer game Transport Tycoon Deluxe. The most recent versions, beginning with version 0.6 released in the beginning of 2008, have been compiled as C++.

OpenTTD duplicates the original game's features but also has numerous additions, including canals, revised rail station construction, and additional airports. Perhaps the most significant feature compared to the original game is its multiplayer capability. It offers LAN and Internet play via public, world-wide servers for up to eleven players. OpenTTD also includes numerous usability improvements not present in Transport Tycoon Deluxe.

It incorporates many features from TTDPatch, and like TTDPatch is available under the GNU GPL. Both OpenTTD and TTDPatch are not totally standalone games — while OpenTTD does not need the Transport Tycoon Deluxe executables, it does need the game graphics files. However, there is currently an effort to devise a new graphics standard (and new graphics) to eliminate this need.[1]

The game's legality has been questioned by some, since the initial versions were created by disassembling the binary from the official release. [2]

Gameplay

The game begins by default in the year 1950, though the starting date can be increased or decreased to any date where vehicles are available, including near-future dates with futuristic vehicles. The player starts out by borrowing money to start his or her own transport company. The company then builds loading stations and transport routes which connect industries and towns, and then purchases vehicles to transport cargo and passengers. As more money is made, the company can afford to build more routes and eventually a transportation empire. Up to 8 companies can participate in a game, and can be controlled by humans or the computer. Currently the artificial intelligence of competitors is poor; it builds bizarre and overcomplicated routes. The AI is also unable to deal with any of the new features introduced. A special branch for the creation of a new AI has been set up.

There are 4 methods used to transport cargo: rail, road, air, and sea. Each method has its own vehicles and stations to carry cargo. The stations each have ratings dependent on their efficiency; higher ratings attract more goods to a station. The game allows saving at any time, and multiple saves of a particular game at any point are possible.

Cargo (e.g. Coal) is loaded at one station and delivered to another where there is demand (e.g. a Power Station). A profit is then awarded to the company. The amount of profit depends on delivery time, distance, amount delivered, and type of cargo. For example, passengers require a quick delivery for a decent profit. Coal is less important and can be transported more slowly.

There are many tools available to build transport routes, including ability to fully modify the landscape. Each town has a Local Authority which tries to prevent the player from excessive terraforming.

As the game progresses, new semi-realistic technology becomes available. For example, railroad signals are initially semaphores, and later switch to red and green traffic-light signals. Initially only Steam locomotives are available, later Diesel locomotives, Electric locomotives, Monorails, and finally Mag-Lev trains become available. Over time, cities develop and expand according to economic factors and new industries or other resource sites appear. Some natural resources are eventually exhausted and industries without transport service may shut down.

The game ends at the year 2050 and records the company's achievement in the "hall of fame". To play the entire 100 years of the game from 1950 to 2050 takes about 25 hours of real time. The player can optionally continue playing for thousands of years into the future, although no new technology arises.

Platforms

Due to its use of the SDL cross-platform graphics and sound layer, it may be compiled and run on many different operating systems. This includes:[3]

Fanbase & Support

On August 31st 2007 there was a fundraiser aimed to keep the website running and increase data storage to support the large database of nightly software builds. Within 20 hours £310.12 was donated and the fundraiser closed.[4]

References

  1. ^ TTDPatch Wiki : NewGraphicsSpecs
  2. ^ OpenTTD infringes TTD
  3. ^ "Operating System". OpenTTD Wiki. Retrieved 2006-06-27.
  4. ^ "Fundraiser 2007/2008 - Closed". Retrieved 2007-09-06.
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