In my view, these would be unabridged blessings that would neither mess with game balance, nor with scenario design. I won’t mind if we don’t get these tools, either, though.
• give player option to freeze AI after company 51% owned (ExpressWorld) [20%,C,days]
• let AI take over/sabotage other companies (milo) [30%,C,days] - May require scripted AI
• add cargo types (canis39) [80%,AC?F,days]
• add new locomotives (canis39) [100%,AF,days]
• add new characters (not just portraits) (ExpressWorld) [80%,CI,days]
• improve building animations (Grandma Ruth) [50%,A,weeks]
• be able to supply patches and assets with scenarios (Gwizz) [30%,C,weeks] - Great idea! Tricky to implement, though - can't patch the executable or add assets while it's running, so it'd take a Civ IV-like restart-after-mod approach.
• fix alignment of custom logos in message lines (davey917) [90%,C,hours]
• add tests for installed assets (JSS) [40%,C,hours]
• event land/water deformation (milo) [40%,C,days]
• add industry-only AI companies (JSS) [30%,C,days] - Free if we split up tracklaying rights from industry rights
• be able to 'reserve' certain amount of cargo in each building (Steve) [60%,CF?,days] - I think this is also one possible implementation for drop-shipping
Of all the cargo-flow related things, this is one with which I agree: It would not diminish the functioning of the cargo model, if the player could tell an industry to store two years’ worth of raw material that will be unshippable. Perhaps the ability to do this could require building a ‘storage facility’ upgrade?
• slightly increase possible zoom distance to cover huge maps (milo) [80%,C,hours]
• cut down track 'exclusivity' radius to permit stuff like parallel rails (canis39) [80%,C,hours] - Cost: have to have finer touch to make connections to existing rails
• add manual option for bridges, tunnels, and junctions (bombardiere, Grandma Ruth) [30%,C,weeks] - This needs to be fleshed out more
• add tool to import 3D models from cheap editors (Blender?) (bombardiere) [70%,C,days]
• add tool to import and export heightmaps (?) [90%,C,days] - Halfway done - will finish this before I start patch
• add tool to generate realistic random maps and/or simplify DEM import (milo) [70%,C,weeks]
• make it trivial to submit scenario reviews (EPH) [70%,?,days]
• add tool to import and export events (milo) [70%,C,days]