OpenLoco: Modern, open source version of the classic transport simulation game | Hacker News Reader

OpenLoco: Modern, open source version of the classic transport simulation game

openloco.io

104 pointsthunderbong37 comments

This is cool, I've played Locomotion a lot and OpenTTD never did it for me. I find myself sticking to these old games even though there seems to be attempts to release new games in these genres, maybe its the limited nature of computing power at time of release that makes these games the right amount of complexity, as there was only so much a game could offer.

Same. Games like Sim City or Theme Park were limited by the hardware to the point where they couldn't overwhelm you with features and details and complex simulations. They felt more like puzzle games than genuine simulators, which made them better videogames in my opinion.

I really like some of the modern games, though, they often bring both great UI/UX as well as nice graphics to the table!

Mashinky: https://store.steampowered.com/app/598960/Mashinky/ (a pretty nice indie game)

Transport Fever: https://store.steampowered.com/app/446800/Transport_Fever/ (runs well, affordable, lots of content)

Transport Fever 2: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1066780/Transport_Fever_2... (hands down the best UI/UX in any game like this)

Workers & Resources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/784150/Workers__Resources... (a whole city builder, with resource management)

That said, for what it's worth, OpenTTD and games like it are quite good, if you can figure out the font scaling and UI. Oh, also some enjoy Simutrans, albeit it's a bit different: https://www.simutrans.com/en/

I'm not a big fan of all this 3D stuff; for a lot of games of this kind I much prefer 2D.

I feel the UI of the original Transport Tycoon aged fairly well, although I agree it's not perfect. On a related note: I played Settlers 2 for the first time in >20 years a few months back, and I was amazed how well the UI worked for a 1996 game.

Chris Sawyer's Locomotion, is on sale for 60% off ($2.59 CAD) right now on Steam. It's a good time to grab the assets you'll need if you want to play OpenLoco.

And 80% off on GOG: https://www.gog.com/game/chris_sawyers_locomotion

In the 90s, I played a computer game whose name I haven't been able to remember. You built railroad tracks and trains would pass through your town(?). I'm pretty sure it was played from a top-down view and the terrain was gray, but honestly the main thing I remember is how, on holidays like Halloween, all the assets automatically changed to suit.

I don't suppose this is familiar to anyone :)

Sounds like Transport Tycoon.

Most of the screenshots I'm seeing are grassy, but I did see one with snow. Maybe that was the gray terrain I'm remembering? Guess I'll have to try it to find out :) Thank you!

Possibly A-Train? The assets would change for special occasions in that.

Thank you, this definitely looks familiar! The gray terrain I'm remembering could've easily been snow. I'll check it out to confirm :)

Since we're nostalging about old train software, I'll mention JB BAHN https://jbss.de/hpg_eng.htm It's more simulator than game but I had a lot of fun with it as a kid

It's curious that despite trains and rail networks being a perennial nerdy favorite, the simulation game selection feels somewhat limited.

For example is there any that simulate real-world signaling systems, such as ETCS or it's national peers? Or are the different systems truly so generic that you can just substitute them with generic signaling mechanisms?

Recently I've been playing Factorio and the trains are fun challenge there, but the tools to build/design/analyze rail networks feel very limited (at least in vanilla base game). So now I kinda have bit of an itch for better rail game but haven't found one yet. And from the looks of it I don't think Locomotion is it either

Don’t know about ETCS but I find the options to work with signals in OpenTTD quite satisfying.

https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Manual/Signals

And things get _even_ better with a additional patchpack like the one from JGR (https://github.com/JGRennison/OpenTTD-patches/releases)

I think TS2 fits the bill of what you're describing.

https://ts2.github.io/

The name sounds crazy if you speak Spanish

I love these modern versions of old favourites. I've been playing Transport Tycoon all day today. https://openttd.org

I have played neither of the originals or the open source ones but I really liked Factorio and building traffic in city-building games (even though I feel they're too limited). Which one should I spend some time on, OpenLoco or OpenTTD?

OpenTTD. Been playing off and on since 2004 and still improving! It's a fantastic playground to try coding a bot, drawing graphics, scenario design, or just building the transport network of your dreams (or nightmares). OpenRCT2 is a close second.

The thing I don't get about OpenTTD: the passengers don't seem to care where you're taking them? In what way is it fun to build networks to solve the problem of "take passengers wherever, they don't care"?

I have enjoyed Simutrans, where passengers have desired destinations and use your service if you can take them there. They can change between different transports too. This often creates choke points. For me, that makes the game interesting.

You can, but you need to enable it (as it fundamentally changes how the game plays); https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Manual/Passenger%20and%20cargo%2...

you might enjoy "mini metro", it's the distilled essence of taking people where they want to go

OpenLoco, it has slightly more modern mechanics and graphics. OpenTDD truly looks like an old-old game.

Reminds me of OpenMW

I wonder why this reimplementation doesn't go for 64-bit, and instead require 32-bit libraries dependencies.

Looks like it makes heavy use of the original binary.

https://github.com/OpenLoco/OpenLoco/blob/master/src/Interop...

I can answer this - The reason is pretty simple actually, and the other reply is correct: Right now, the way it works is that the original game executable is modified to run the code from OpenLoco - Replacing Main(). OpenLoco runs anything that's been reimplemented, but anything that isn't calls back to the original binary, which means to avoid unneccessary complexity, it should all be the same - 32 bits.

OpenRCT2, from mostly the same developers, (Disclosure, I am associated with them), did the same thing until the game was fully reimplemented, and then it very quickly gained 64 bit support.

What does it bring over open ttd?

It's a different base game for each project, so not sure I get the question :)

Diagonal bridge, for one.

Locomotion had more of a RollerCoaster Tycoon feel to it if I recall. It was also more scenario driven (much like RCT) than Transport Tycoon was, which was essentially a sandbox. I also recall the engine being far more sophisticated, with more physics going into say curve taking and acceleration.

Personally, it was not my cup of tea in 2004 and I always stuck to the original (which I think was/is the popular opinion of the game) and I in particular dislike the complexity of RCT and Locomotion's construction UI compared to TT. But I do think Locomotion has some charm and perhaps is best viewed not as a sequel, but a different take on what TT could have been.

Is anyone crazy enough to merge OpenLoco and OpenRCT2 into single experience?

I mean, I'm sure someone is, but it would be a lot of work... And if I'm being honest, OpenRCT2 would probably be the better starting point.

I'll stick to OpenTtd.

Why?

for one because it doesn't require you to buy the original game in order to use its assets.

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