andreharv

Hi guys a little update... @wasmic I haven't forgotten about your concerns from a few posts back...It is a valid concern. I have been out of my mind the last few days and have not been as chatty as...I should? Anyway, I have been feverishly working on a backward compatibility algorithm for existing stations. the goal, for now, is to allow the users to choose a depth (preferably -12m) and length (144m) of existing stations in the game. The premise is that if the station works now, it should work with my mod. The way it will work (tentatively) is that all ped paths leading into the station will stay the same but the stations tracks as well as the pedestrian paths that lead to them will be lowered. A 'spiral staircase' of ped paths will be dynamically laid to fill in the gap and prevent any 'slope too steep' errors. So far, we can support stations with: Ped entrances at ground level and down to -4m below ground Stations with multiple entrances Stations with multiple tracks (almost always...see below for exceptions) Stations with diagonal tracks Still working on: Stations with curved tracks Done (90 degree only) Finding stations that do not require these modifications May/Will not work on (exceptions): Modifying length of station tracks that are connected to other station tracks (they can still be lowered) Modifying unique buildings (at least for first release) Stations that ordinarily don't work (If it didn't work without this mod, it won't work with it) Other considerations...Don't know much about UI but I would like to allow users to modify the length of tracks and depth that they are drawn (as mentioned above). I would imagine that: Right now: Depth and lengths are hardcoded. Not too hard: Add dropdowns in mod options. Harder: Add UI box with dropdowns for length and depth whenever stations are clicked. Hardest/Not sure it's even a thing: dropdown for length and pageup/pagedn for depth. Also, officially, I am sorry for not having this thing released last week as I kinda promised. With all the wonderful feedback from the alpha, I realized how much more there was to do (secretly saying this is everyone else's fault but mine ). But please, remain patient and continue with the feedback so we can ensure this is done properly(ish) the first time. More when I get home from work...

@R3V0 that's good news! @Delta2k5: To be clear, what would be the difference between my solution 3 and your solution 5 LOL that sounded confusing. @boformer: Looks like you are thinking kinda like my solution #3 but more overall to the whole system. If we drop station tracks to -8m or below then perhaps the vanilla subway tracks could stay as is. That way, station -> vanilla subway is -8m -> -4m and station -> MOM is -8m -> -12m which may work (sorry if someone already came up with this). OK guys! Today when I get home, I will climb down the rathole of attempting to drop vanilla station tracks in existing stations by the minimum height necessary to trigger MOM tunnel connection without the surfacing weirdness. The most difficult part of this is not dropping the tracks themselves but also finding a safe algorithm to add to existing pedestrian path nodes so that peds can actually reach the lowered tracks. Needless to say, connecting the MOM (for the intents of this thread we can just call it MOM lol) will be the biggest pre-release challenge we will have to overcome. Keep up the great work and keep the assets rollin! If you have an issue with getting the station tracks to spawn the way you want or something looks funny, please holla at me!

Ok thanks guys for the feedback. So what I am thinking...lets see what you guys think as well: 1. Keep station tracks as is and try to find a way to connect to them (though they be at -4m) 2. Force all station tracks to MetroOverhaul. Some existing stations simply won't survive this but can be retrofitted by their respective dev 3. Keep existing station tracks using vanilla metro but force them along with the paths that connect to them 8 meters lower (-12m total). A few more stations may survive this than option 2 but will require the most testing...or may not work but gotta try. Gotta run to work but I will pick up where we left off when I get back

OK guys so here's what I did. For the stations I reverted the station tracks back to vanilla metro. Since this mod is backwards compatible, you should be able to connect to existing stations AS LONG AS you put a segment of vanilla metro track of padding against each side of the station. Reason being that metro tracks are -4m whereas the MetroOverhaul tunnels are -12. The game thinks the vanilla metro tracks are closer to ground level so when you connect the MetroOverhaul track, it will clip up to ground. I will come up with a separate MetroOverhaul station soon. This means that it is up to original asset creators to retrofit their stations if they desire. Existing stations that have their station tracks -12m or below shouldn't have the weirdness issues. I will be trying to get the station tracks into the asset editor menus (proving to be a pain right now). Until then, continue to use mod tools (MetroOverhaul, Metro Station Ground, ...StationAI, and then in the main panel click on plop next to the appropriate version). Dropbox... https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xtm9esukogctnec/AAC-FdXH9QF7Vlr3ivzhRWuqa?dl=0 PS: This should also fix subway station model issues

OK just got home. I will look at the station tracks sinking terrain and DEFINITELY the station bug...stand by guys.

WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!1 ok now that I got that out of my system: Thanks guys for your dedication and testing. I feel like I have gotten more accomplished within 24 hours thanks to your testing and feedback. TBH, I suspect that a lot of lingering issues may have to do with the metro station bug. Once that is fixed I will have you guys all re-up the Metro Overhaul folder again. I WILL NEED TO SUB IPT SINCE I HAVEN'T USED IT ONCE WITH THIS MOD...shame For ASSET CREATORS: If the station tracks are not showing up in the asset editor, you can get to it from mod tools. Just go to the MetroOverhaul...whatever in the left menu and within it you will see all the tracks including the station tracks. To activate a station track, go to it and then it's TrainTrackStationAI or whatever and then inside of that in the main panel you will see something like m_info = "Blah". To the right of that line should be a 'Plop' button. clicking on that should give you a station. If you select the Ground version, you can use pageup and pagedown to get elevated and subway station tracks (I think). Super vague but I am sure you can feel your way from there lol. @wasmic I haven't forgotten about you. Hit me up on steam later today or I will try to find you so we can go over your issues in detail. @Acc3ssViolation This is probably from the station bug. Stay tuned.

Crap I meant to send a longer reply and forgot to hit reply (lost forever). In a nutshell, the issue with the stations will be fixed as soon as I get home. Essentially, I will stop screwing with the vanilla subway as it will work as is and make modifications to a new station. That should fix the issues with custom stations.

Yes redownload all the files. The crp files aren't updated as often but I did update the main mod in the few moments that I was gathering the missing crp files.

Ok guys I goofed (derp*) added missing crp files to the link...put them in C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Assets EDIT This is why the depot is missing...

Great thanks! It looks like your metro depot is not showing up. I will have to look into this as well. In the meantime look in your assets and see if you need to manually turn it on.

OK guys...READ cuz this is an alpha (not a beta) still some bugs I will list a few. Yell at me about rest. Please please please do not throw this into your favorite save game. If you want to use a saved game, save a new copy of it first. As I said, keep in mind this is an alpha so if you see any visual bugs, feel free to mention them here. Larger bugs (something's not working) I will try to get that fixed asap. As stuff is reported I will be putting out new copies of the build. I will notify when I do. Copy the MetroOverhaul folder to C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Mods Copy all of the .crp files to C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Assets When this mod comes out, be sure to go back to that folder and delete the alpha build so there are no conflicts. Known issues (I'll try to fix soon) Subway station looks like crap on this inside. Just threw together some chunks to get it functional...you may have to use your imagination for a while. They look better now. Route lines don't show up above ground and may not work for ground stations. That will be on my agenda next. Get the transit line fix by bloody penguin off steam workshop. Clipping may be apparent on sharp turns. The train I am using here seems pretty long but it may just be more realistic than what the game expects. When laying metro underground it will tend to try to surface...probably some bad variable. Should sort that out soon...If you make your segments short or go to -24m that tends to help. Some usage instruction stuff You need metro unlocked (either unlock everything or get enough people) Once you place your network, make sure to drop a subway depot to start spawning subway cars. Use the default station (as that is the one I modded) and for tracks, use the train track icon (not the metro...I will merge all this later). First Person Camera Mod nice for looking inside tunnels and stuff!!1!1 Will probably emphasize this more in final release. Last but not least, you may still need to enable the mod in game...don't forget. (in dropbox, rightclick the folder and hit download) ***Latest Build*** 11/30/16 08:20 1.6 support and rough draft of steel bridge (nodes and pillars not done) 11/23/16 03:48 Added UI for choosing concrete/steel styles, added steel ground and elevated, added rendered tunnel stations 10/07/16 01:22 Created a UI that allows for placement of station tracks up to 144m long and 36m deep 9/20/16 02:27 Dynamically modified all placed stations with vanilla metro station tracks to dip to -12m. Will expand on this concept later. 9/13/16 22:50 Minor bug fix caused by last update (tunnel station clipping terrain) 9/13/16 17:50 Reverted existing stations back to original settings to fix model issues and other incompatibilities. 9/13/16 01:57 Fixed issue with underground tracks trying to climb and intersect at ground level with networks and buildings. 9/13/16 00:20 Added missing crp files and fixed goofy elevated station track texture mapping. Thanks guys for your willingness to pitch in. Enjoy...

ATM since it is blocky hack POC theme...just for testing I will model proper stations after I release this beta for yall. What I come up in the end will be a surprise...mainly cuz I'm not sure yet.

Awesome guys! I am just doing finishing touches on POC rendered subway station. Not much longer to wait Due to time constraints the mesh and textures of the station will be almost nonsense...but enough to get the idea...

Lovn it!

Yes people, there is a healthy number of train stock models out there. Elevated stations and rendered subway stations will be much in demand! Later today, I will open up a semi-closed beta for those who are interested in testing and station making! All from this thread are welcome to test as long as you delete the files before subscribing to the mod once it is officially released. Obviously if/when you find any issues, post them here.

@wasmic: Great question! Oneway tracks will be in another release. In this release, I am mainly focused on getting the mod released so people can start playing with it. Now that you mention it, I may set it for release 2 so that asset creators are not held up too long. I still need to figure out how to not have to force asset creators to choose between concrete and wooden station tracks (when they come out). As far as the upcoming 2 way station tracks, the plan will be as follows: Elevated and ground station tracks will simply look like their corresponding track type but without any walls so that there is room for platforms. Additionally, I made sure to line up the track rails so that they can fit in any existing station OK. Subway station tracks will simply be the tracks (no walls). It will be up to the asset creator to build out the rest. That said, I def need to make a default station at mod release. As for the discussion at hand...Metro Overhaul Mod has one main purpose. Provide above ground and rendered tunnel solutions to existing metro systems in the game. Allowing other vehicle types to use metro would be a COMPLETELY different mod and should probably be discussed somewhere else with a modder who would be willing to tackle such a feat. IMHO, rail, metro, and tram serve 3 distinct purposes, at least in this game. There is one major flaw that I see when combining rail, tram, freight, and subway and that is TRAFFIC. Traffic is already a challenge in this game. I am not sure how packing more vehicle types onto the same network would help with that. Furthermore AFAIK, it is not really all that common. I could just imagine a train, freight train, and metro train all doing the cha cha behind a slow tram...Not to say that it is never done IRL. Just saying it's not common or, frankly, of enough benefit for a general city. Again, just the way I see it.

@wasmic: To be clear, the US Euro categorization is not really the official name (I haven't come up with one yet). Think of them as 'Codename US' and 'Codename Euro'. US/Euro contrast was just my inspiration to create two versions in the first place. The US version will be for those who want to emulate gritty NYC or Chicago systems. TBH, the 'Euro' version started out being an emulation of cleaner and greener European cities but in the end was actually based more on Asian systems than European, though the name just stuck (for now). Toward release, I will formally name the styles, most likely 'Concrete' and 'Steel'...I may consider your suggestion as well. @ancellim: I see we are in good hands. Very exciting. I gotta hurry up and get this done so I can play!

@JerenableEventually, yes. @Tim The TerribleThey are dark metal plates ...IRL they are used to deter people from venturing to the third rail...Otherwise I would have to program in animations of them cooking every time they decide kill themselves and I just don't have time.

@R3V0: With concepts like those, you can do all the hijacking your heart desires. Actually new stations will be in very high demand, both for single rail and metro overhaul pieces.

Thanks guys! @Bad Peanut: As a matter of fact, we do have preliminary code for sunken. I will have to flesh it out further...my brain is clicking with ideas as we speak.

Sorry for the weirdness with the picture posting. Image posting on ST is like RL...no second chances

Here are those pictures I promised (for like 5 hours ago but still). We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel (you like what I did eh? EH?)

@R3V0: Transfer stations! Great idea. @Bad Peanut: Not clear on the details of a proposed station re-purposer but it would be worth looking into. @everyone else: Fear not, it will get done. Promise

Well I heard (from a first hand and yet still somehow not very reliable source...myself) that the MOM is nearing completion and has been one of the most involving single projects I have worked on to date. This unreliable source also thanks you for your undying dedication and patience. Here's where I am so far (pretty pictures later when I get home) ====================================================================== First Release: Metro Overhaul Mod base 2L stuff, tracks and station tracks (Euro/Concrete) ETA, depending on BP's availability to publish, I'd say aiming for this weekend or early next week :-) Ground Fenced (100%) Ground No fence (50% 75%) ETA 1 >1 day Elevated (100%) Bridge (100%) Slope..or transition between ground and subway (80% 100% still need to perfect this process to save everyone headaches later) eta 1-3 days) Tunnel (100%) Rendered subway station track (50% 100%) eta 1 day Ground station track eta < 1 day Elevated station track eta < 1 day EDIT: BloodyPenguin said he will need till next week to tie up some loose ends with the station converter (it will exist :D). In the meantime I will throw in a goal of... New rendered subway station (to go along with the station track (0%) 5-7 days Sunken metro and station tracks (15%) 5-7 days ======================================================================== Second Release: NYC/Chicago style, made mainly out of wood and steel. Grittier. ETA 1-2 months ======================================================================== Third Release: 1 lane versions of US/Euro tracks ETA...Anyone's guess :-\ ======================================================================== PS: These are rough (hopeful) estimates. RL, bugs, pressing enhancements, and scope changes could impact these estimates. Also, because of my crammed schedule, I will have to leave station creation to our talented station creators at large for now. I have already seen some work on a ground version which looks very promising by BadPeanut. Bloody Penguin was also talking to me briefly about an idea to retrofit existing train stations to be used with metro which would be fantastic. PPS: Not to get ahead of myself but according to your votes, the next project will be high speed rail. PPPS: 200th post wooooot!

It would be possible. However, there would be no way to adjust the width of the center platform and it would create a large junction with the conventional track which would take up a lot of space. Furthermore, if it was one wide track, there would be no way to control which side of the station the trains go as each station track is bidirectional. I will talk to BP about making the Multi-Track Station Enabler a prereq or perhaps even adding the code ourselves.