Transport Simulation Game (only game idea!)

[real_mineplayer]

Why do I only provide an idea?

Unfortunately, I am not that familiar with Lua and the Luanti modding API so I would need time learning this programming language. Additionally, I currently have not enough time to create my own game, so this will only be an idea for now. Although I guess there’s nobody interested in coding it, I will explain my idea in the following.

The game itself

Edit: I think the idea of Blockhead is even better and easier to implement.

At first, I think it is easier to understand that I want a game which has similar game mechanics as OpenTTD, but it should go into the direction of Cities: Skylines II.

General idea

So, I want a transportation game where you can build up a city. Here, you need to build a transportation system (rail, road, shipping and air traffic) for both people and goods which can also be connected with the rest of the world. The game should also include several eras, so that you can unlock new things as you progress. You play as the city administration and are able to start companies (e.g. transportation companies) yourself or spent money for the services. Since you play the administration, you can decide where offices, houses, shops and industry can be built. There is also some sort of money system so that you can get money for parking, your companies and taxes. You must also take responsibility for medical care, fire, police and other emergency services.

[real_mineplayer]

More detailed description following soon.

[DragonWrangler1]

Just a little note. This probably belongs here. viewforum.php?f=49

[Blockhead]

I checked and there doesn't seem to be a precent of idea-only threads in WIP Games, and if this starts to materialise, then a new OP is probably desired anyway. Game Discussion can include discussion of existing or hypothetical games. Moving to Game Discussion.

[Blockhead]

While I'm a big fan of transport sims too, I don't think there's enough focus in the ideas presented already to make a fun game. While a lot of people can enjoy depth to the gameplay, I don't think there's much to be gained from being both city planner and transport company at the same time, and sort of switching hats (roles) and so on.

In OpenTTD, you can work around the city by buying land, funding, paying bribes and so on. It's not that realistic, but it is fun.

In Cities: Skylines, you can operate public transport, but it rarely makes money. People have their own cars, bicycles and two legs, and are only willing to pay so much in fares. Perhaps it's different, I haven't played CSL II because there's no bicycles, which is frankly ridiculous for a 2023 release. After Dark was released for CSL after it was only out for 6 months, so that game had bicycles in its timeline before the second entry. Anyway I digress..

A game for Luanti needs to capitalise on the strengths of the voxel engine. It's nice and hands-on to build stuff compared to a top-down view.

A puzzle game based on Advtrains could work, although getting automation happening is a bit.. involved.. so the game would need a lot of custom code. But that's quite different, I know.

The game might also include more detail than a normal isometric view game. Perhaps houses can be built by the player, with requirements to constitute a house as decided by villagers/citizens. Those citizens could make actual trips and when they use your rapid transit vehicles, they have to pay.

Actually, not a lot of innovation would be necessary for it to be fun I think. As long you have the patience, it could be quite fun to plot railway alignments between villages, and getting seeing the passengers on board and getting paid would be an extra incentive. So the game could be as simple as an existing one line Minetest Game plus a mod like Sokomine's villages plus Advtrains and villager mobs that add money to your account. The funds would have to have some use, like your ordinary emerald trades maybe, or purchasing more trains and railway equipment & construction materials.

What do ye think of that?

[real_mineplayer]

also a nice idea, I think this would be better to build on top of the Luanti engine.

And I think that a real Cities: Skylines clone has to be built onto another engine / with its own engine.

[yw05]

So, I want a transportation game where you can build up a city. Here, you need to build a transportation system (rail, road, shipping and air traffic) for both people and goods which can also be connected with the rest of the world.

Aside from the issues of game balancing (as Blockhead pointed out), there also seems to be a lack of integration between mods for different modes of transportation, which becomes a problem when micromanagement is involved, particularly for trams. (I know from real-life road/tram junctions that sensible traffic light design requires more than simply adding crossing signals.)

For cars (and road transportation in general), we would also need to consider how to sensibly implement a system for driving. My observation with Cities: Skylines (as well as occasionally driving in real life) is that realistic vehicle AIs would be hard to get right, especially when the behavior of individual drivers can also affect others. Combined entrance/exit ramps come to mind here.

(Both features would also be interesting enough to make available as separate mods to be used in existing worlds.)

A puzzle game based on Advtrains could work, although getting automation happening is a bit.. involved.. so the game would need a lot of custom code.

More abstracted routing and timing systems for Advtrains would be nice to have even outside the scope of such a simulation game.

The game might also include more detail than a normal isometric view game. Perhaps houses can be built by the player, with requirements to constitute a house as decided by villagers/citizens. Those citizens could make actual trips and when they use your rapid transit vehicles, they have to pay.

Actually, not a lot of innovation would be necessary for it to be fun I think. As long you have the patience, it could be quite fun to plot railway alignments between villages, and getting seeing the passengers on board and getting paid would be an extra incentive. So the game could be as simple as an existing one line Minetest Game plus a mod like Sokomine's villages plus Advtrains and villager mobs that add money to your account. The funds would have to have some use, like your ordinary emerald trades maybe, or purchasing more trains and railway equipment & construction materials.

What do ye think of that?

This would be interesting, although I would also be interested in eventually having some details that are not directly related to operating public transit (e.g. setting up vending machines or renting out shop spaces for additional revenue)