Map making, high-resolution, lots of cities

[lozzy0603]

Hi All,

New to The Terminal (but not to RT3) and I have some questions on map building.

I've been working on a very realistic map of the London metropolitan area (roughly zones 1-6). Its pretty much complete but with the resolution I'm going for, it works out at about 200 cities in order to have all the key rail locations across London included.

This creates a very slow map, slow loading and slow to play.

I introduced a second version of the map with pre-laid rails to replicate the national rail main line grid over london. I gave the AI players control of each region of the national rail. AI has no track laying abilities. Trouble is, the AI introduces masses of trains to each line which slows the game down to a crawl. Is there any way to control how many locos the AI can use? (or just make the AI play better?).

Thanks for any tips. I'll try and get a beta version of the map up soon.

I also have a high-resolution map of britan including all key rail locations across the country. This one plays much better although the AI still has useless logic that ruins gameplay. Will also post this soon.

[Gwizz]

Is your map for passengers only?

To keep the AIs from adding more locos is not always easy.

I give them the locos I want them to have and route the trains, letting them wait for loads to keep the stations clean of waiting cars. 

I normal remove the AIs extra cash or even all their cash and use up their bond rating.

[lozzy0603]

Good ideas.

The maps I am using are freight and express.

Of course, the pre-setting of trains in the editor can only work on the maps that have pre-laid track.

If I give the AI a pre-detirmined amount of locos at a starting station, say 10 locos, would the AI use those locos and re-route them as it builds track or is it not that clever?

I like the idea of destroying the AIs bond rating as it seems to love to rack up redicilious amounts of loans.

Would be nice if there was a variable limiting the max amount of locos you could buy.....

[Gwizz]

AIs are not very clever.

You could remove any loco past a given a point with an event for each loco. past a given number.

A lot of work but it is fairly successful.  PS: IDs are only used once in the game.  If loco ID #11 is removed, number 12 stays #12.  I have remove as many as 10 locos using 10 events.  If the AI buys loco ID#21 and it doesn't have its own event the loco stays and is not removed.

example:  Trigger, Test company ID #xx exists

                Result:  Remove loco ID #11.  Test every year or more often

              Next event remove loco ID #12    and so on.

I hope my memory is serving me correctly.

[lozzy0603]

ahhh, even more clever. I will play with this, see what I can do...

thanks!